Chapter 1919 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1919. I Wish This Could Last. (9) ❀ ❀ ❀

“Khh! This goes down so well.”

“……Geol, since when did you like alcohol that much?”

“There’s no one watching right now, is there?”

“Huh? What does that have to do with anything?”

“How does it not matter? From the disciples to people from other sects, there are so many eyes on us. I’ve barely ever been able to drink freely because I had to keep up appearances.”

“......That was you keeping up appearances?”

“Good grief.”

“Don’t lie, siju.”

“……These guys?”

When Jo Geol snapped and pointed a finger, laughter burst from all sides. Cheong Myeong also laughed.

Though they were all laughing like this, everyone thought the same thing inside. They were now in a position where they could no longer ignore how others viewed them.

That was why this gathering, with only the people here, was even more precious. At least here, they didn’t have to mind anyone’s eyes or pretend to be something.

“Sasuk, be honest with us. What were you thinking when your head was about to get cut off?”

At the question, Baek Cheon made his signature arrogant expression.

“Hmmm. Something like, ‘I have no regrets left in this life’?”

“Ugh, annoying.”

“I thought he was Jin Geumryong.”

“Bloodlines don’t lie.”

While everyone shuddered in disgust, Jo Geol snickered and glanced at Baek Cheon.

“Baek Sang Sasuk said something, you know.”

“Hm?”

“He said that no matter how he looked at it, the way you were clutching your lower half back then… you definitely peed a little.”

Baek Cheon shot to his feet, face turning bright red. His trembling finger pointed at Jo Geol.

“What are you spewing, you bastard!”

“Now, now. Why get that angry? If it’s not true, then it’s not. Getting that angry only makes it suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“You— you little….”

“Well, it’d be understandable if you did. Your head was about to be chopped off. If it were me, I probably would've peed. Right, Sahyung?”

“Hm. It would indeed be hard to hold it in.”

“Sasuk, don’t worry. Who here is childish enough to tease someone over that? We understand completely.”

“I said I didn’t pee!”

“No, then why are you so mad—?”

“That Baek Sang bastard…… This time I’ll kill him. I really will!”

While Baek Cheon fumed like he was breathing fire, everyone else burst into laughter.

They drank while using the most trivial stories as side dishes. All the heavy things they had no choice but to discuss were pushed far, far away for now.

Cheong Myeong laughed lightly.

‘It was like this in the old days too.’

Cheong Mun, Cheong Jin, himself. And even Tang Bo.

Everyone had burdens to bear. And everyone knew it—the weight of the others’ loads. But at least when they were together like this, they could set those loads down for a moment.

And so, the space filled with trivial jokes, utterly useless nonsense. It was hard to believe that the most important people in the world could gather and chatter about such silly things.

Yes, just like this very moment.

Many things had changed. Things were still changing even now. But perhaps, in the midst of all that, there were still things that wouldn’t change.

“Wait, what’s with this bastard now?”

“……Huh?”

Jo Geol was suddenly growling at Cheong Myeong, glaring at him. Everyone’s eyes turned toward Cheong Myeong.

Yoon Jong tilted his head in confusion.

“Why’re you suddenly picking on someone who’s just sitting there quietly…?”

“Exactly! Isn’t that the problem? We’re drinking, so why is he sitting there quietly?”

“Hm? Now that you say it….”

Yoon Jong nodded as if he found it reasonable.

“Cheong Myeong, is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Jo Geol snorted.

“This bastard keeps trying to set the mood these days! Sometimes he even looks at people with these deep eyes, it gives me goosebumps all over.”

“He’s not looking deeply. That’s the look of someone thinking you’re pathetic, Geol-ah.”

Yoon Jong calmly corrected, but Jo Geol remained stubborn.

“Whatever! I’m telling you, I can’t stand it. He keeps putting on airs that don’t suit him. Sitting there nodding to himself and all.”

Cheong Myeong, blindsided out of nowhere, stared blankly. Then he slowly turned his head.

“This guy, seriously?”

His jaw clenched.

“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since you were beaten, huh? Got too big-headed and can’t see what’s in front of you. You picking a fight with me?”

“Why? You gonna hit me?”

Jo Geol tilted his neck with a crack and tapped his neck with his hand.

“Go on. Try it. Just once.”

Cheong Myeong was so dumbfounded that he just stared blankly, mouth open. Jo Geol grinned proudly.

“You won’t be able to beat me as easily as before! I’ve gotten stronger too, you know. I am the one-and-only ‘One Sword Splitting Light, Jo Geol’! Right, Sahyung?”

Yoon Jong smiled warmly.

“No. I think you’ll get beaten even easier.”

“Did he sleep through the fight with Jang Ilso or what?”

“Goodness, ancestors above. Someone’s going to die today.”

“If you want to die, biting your sword and falling forward would be a quicker way, wouldn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Just as Jo Geol realized he’d gone too far and his smile began to fade—

“I agree.”

Unexpectedly, Yoo Iseol sided with Jo Geol. With her usual expressionless face, she shot Cheong Myeong a brief glance, then nodded again toward Jo Geol.

“He has been a bit annoying. Lately.”

“Right?! I knew I wasn’t imagining it!”

With that, Tang Soso quickly chimed in too.

“Sometimes when I look at him, he’s like some old grandpa. Like someone who’s lived through the whole world alone.”

“Exactly! That’s it!”

“……He definitely doesn’t have the same charm as before.”

“Amitabha, doesn’t that simply mean he’s becoming more human? Though… hmm……”

Even Hye Yeon shrugged.

“Personally… I’m not so sure. I believe a pine caterpillar should only eat pine needles.”

“You mean a mad dog should live like a mad dog?”

“You mean a person can’t go against their nature?”

“You mean Buddhist teachings or not, humans can’t be reformed?”

“You little demons…….”

Cheong Myeong stared at all of them in disbelief and opened his mouth to speak, but a white liquor bottle suddenly thrust itself in front of his face.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

“Drink.”

Baek Cheon tipped the bottle toward him.

“Wait, what is—”

Kwag!

Before Cheong Myeong could finish, Baek Cheon shoved the bottle into his mouth. The strong liquor poured down his throat in a heavy stream.

“Stop killing the mood and drink.”

Baek Cheon released the bottle, grinning.

“Tomorrow, we’ll have new things to worry about again. That can’t be helped. But…… you can’t live your whole life clinging only to your worries, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Well said!”

“Khahk!”

Cheong Myeong, face bright red, yanked the bottle out of his mouth. Baek Cheon burst into laughter.

“So just drink! That’s what alcohol’s for.”

Cheong Myeong glared at everyone, then eventually laughed along.

“Damn bastards.”

“More alcohol! We need more!”

“Amitabha. I do have some grain wine I set aside, just in case.”

“Wow, look at this monk. A real drunkard, huh.”

“Ahem. Think of it as foresight for times like these.”

Loud laughter spread across the room.

Cheong Myeong fiddled with the bottle in his hand, then slowly took a drink.

Beyond the white bottle, the faces of those around him overlapped with the faces of those he’d once sat with long ago.

‘It’s different.’

Of course it had to be.

‘But… so what?’

Cheong Myeong still doesn’t know.

Whether he was still lingering in the past, or finally taking a step toward tomorrow.

Whether he exists here to connect the past, or to move forward with these people.

Mount Hua would change.

Just as it always had, and just as it always would.

And within that change, Cheong Myeong might lose his way, or perhaps, unlike the others, he may end up standing still.

The future is unknowable. But…

Cheong Myeong looked at each person before him one by one, then slowly closed his eyes.

At least one thing was clear.

What small wish he truly longed for.

‘I wish this could last.’

These moments. These days.

They might seem like nothing, they might be meaningless.

This moment, like those fleeting times of the past, filled with silly laughter and stupid remarks.

‘Just... last…’

Familiar laughter brushed against Cheong Myeong’s cheek like a gentle tickle.

Silently lifting his head, he saw a large moon. Familiar faces appeared upon it, smiling down at him.

‘Here.’

And only then—

Cheong Myeong felt as though he had finally found the place where he truly belonged.

❀ ❀ ❀

The grand hall was enormous, but far too empty and desolate for its size. Darkness hung heavy in the air, pushed back only faintly by a few struggling braziers.

On either side of the worn throne at the very top stood its guardians in solemn lines, and before them all stood Heavenly Executioner (Cheonsal).

Heavenly Executioner slowly looked around at those surrounding him, as though preparing to pass judgment. Everyone looked exhausted, worn down by time. Some even looked downright shabby.

There had once been many more in this place. The Left Envoys [jwasa, 좌사 (左士)], the Right Envoys [usa, 우사(右士)], and other ranks whose titles were now barely remembered, along with countless disciples [saja, 사자(士子)].

But now, only the withered elders who had not escaped the ravages of time and the faded souls worn thin by waiting remained.

“Second Bishop.”

Heavenly Executioner turned his gaze. A man standing before the throne entered his view.

The Archbishop.

The only person in the world Heavenly Executioner still respected.

And the only one in the world capable of silencing him.

Wearing a stiff expression, the Archbishop looked down at Heavenly Executioner and asked.

“Why have you violated the laws of our cult?”

“……”

“Answer.”

Heavenly Executioner remained silent. The Archbishop asked again.

“You must not lay a hand on the Central Plains. Have you forgotten that this is the teaching of the cult? You, who should be an example to the followers, how could you break the doctrine of our order?”

Heavenly Executioner’s lips twitched. Then, openly, he let out a deep sneer.

“Teachings? How is that a teaching of the cult?”

Despite the mockery, the Archbishop’s face did not change.

“There was no such law before the Heavenly Demon departed for the Pure Land. So who created it? If it was not a decree from the Heavenly Demon, why should we accept it as law?”

“Have you forgotten?”

The Archbishop answered calmly.

“We ourselves created it. We feared that with our own hands, we might commit the greatest sin—hindering His reincarnation. So we established that law ourselves.”

The Second Bishop chuckled faintly.

“So we did. And yet…… it truly is strange, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing but contradiction.”

The Archbishop fell silent for a moment. Instinctively, he sensed that the words to come would be dangerous.

Heavenly Executioner slowly spoke.

“If he were someone who could die by my hand, how could he be the Heavenly Demon?”

“Second Bishop.”

The Archbishop’s voice, always gentle, suddenly sank, heavy and stern. He would not tolerate more.

But sensing this, Heavenly Executioner did not stop.

“Reincarnation, transcendence, excuses, all of them. If someone like me could affect him, he cannot be the Heavenly Demon. In other words, even believing that we could harm him was a form of doubt.”

“……”

“If we truly believed in his perfection, such a law could never have existed. Yet because of that pitiful law, we have imprisoned ourselves in this barren land. Shackled ourselves, accepting a punishment never given.”

A chilling murderous intent began to flow from Heavenly Executioner’s body.

“For what? Answer me, Archbishop, what was it for?”

“Heavenly Executioner.”

“In this place, this hellish land where not even insects would crawl, what were we hoping for?”

His voice grew louder. At the same time, a black demonic energy surged forth, as though a storm cloud were rolling in from the depths of the world.

“For what purpose did the followers who imprisoned themselves here die? What meaning did their deaths have?”

Even the other bishops recoiled in fear at the violent aura, stepping back. Only the Archbishop remained still, his eyes sinking deeper.

“Answer me, Archbishop.”

The power of the two began to slowly boil.

[note: I changed the title to ‘I Wish This Could Last’ after seeing the context of Cheong Myeong’s words in this chapter.]

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