The room was filled with an almost suffocating silence, so intense that it seemed you could hear the sound of a pin drop. Even with a considerable number of people in the room, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
Everyone watched Chung Myung and Beopjeong in breathless anticipation.
'Unbelievable....'
Baek Cheon unconsciously clenched his fist. He had expected something to some extent. It was already a well-established fact that Chung Myung didn't hold a favorable opinion of Beopjeong, and after the recent incident with the Evil Sect, his resentment had reached its peak. So Baek Cheon had a hunch that Chung Myung wouldn't just let it go, even if the opponent was Beopjeong.
But...
'Even so, the opponent is the head of the Shaolin sect.'
The North Star of Murim, Shaolin.
In the world of martial arts, who wouldn't respect that name?
Baek Cheon was also from the Central Plains region, and although he was affiliated with Mount Hua, to him as well, the Shaolin was something sacred that couldn't be desecrated.
However, even in this situation, Beopjeong, the leader of the Shaolin, couldn't respond, let alone refute Chung Myung's harsh words, and he maintained his silence.
Who would have imagined that they would witness such a scene?
He knew he had to speak up, but he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. He just held his breath, doing his best to not miss a single word of the conversation.
"Beopjeong...."
After a long silence, Beopjeong finally spoke.
"I simply didn't think of that possibility. If I had thought of it beforehand, I would have certainly gone to the Yangtze River. This is simply…"
"Ah."
Chung Myung cut off Beopjeong with a short exclamation.
"You would have gone to the Yangtze River?!"
"Well...."
"You would have rushed to the Yangtze River, stopped the Namgung family from fighting against the Evil Sect, handed Plum Blossom Island back to the Evil Sect, and once again suffered the humiliation of Shaolin submitting to the Evil Sect?"
"...."
A clear sneer formed around the corners of Chung Myung's lips.
"You?"
Beopjeong closed his mouth once again, with great effort.
He tried to say something, but it was as if someone forcibly sealed his mouth shut. He wanted to provide a perfunctory response, but even that felt unreachable. He would never do such a thing.
Would Mount Hua's Sword Chivalrous Sword believe something that even he himself could not believe? Was there someone who knew the ins and outs of the Beopjeong better than Beopjeong himself?
In the end, a hollow laugh escaped from Beopjeong's lips. This wasn't a situation where persuasion would work from the beginning.
"It seems that the head of Shaolin only studied the principles of Buddhism and does not know the principles of the world. If you do not know, I will tell you."
Chung Myung spoke sarcastically.
"You're supposed to fix your own mistakes."
"…."
"You're not supposed to run to other people and cry for them to fix it for you."
At that moment, it wasn't Beopjeong but Beopgye who couldn't control his anger. How could this young Taoist dare to speak to the sect leader of the Shaolin as if he were lecturing a child? It was no longer possible to hold back the anger.
"Aren't you going too far!"
When Beopgye scolded him, Chung Myung turned his head toward him very slowly. He looked straight into Beopgye's eyes and said,
"Too far?"
For a moment, a furious sigh escaped from Beopgye's mouth. But he quickly regained his composure and spoke softly.
"Of course, it's true that Shaolin has made mistakes, even serious ones. They've done wrong things, that's true. But now, isn't Bangjang doing everything he can to rectify that mistake? It's easy to criticize, but it's incredibly difficult to correct a mistake. But how can you be so harsh?"
After that, Chung Myung stared at Beopgye without saying a word. And then he sighed softly.
"Oh, someone said something, didn't they? Our brother in arms, wasn't it?"
"…."
"At that time, we couldn't even exchange greetings and parted ways at the Yangtze River. Have you been well?"
"C-cough."
Beopgye's face brightened in an instant. The word "Yangtze River" was like a sin that could never be washed away from him.
"Rectify...rectify… Yes, you're absolutely right. But, what… So what have you been doing for the past three years? Why are you trying to rectify it now when it feels like you would have already sorted everything out a long time ago if you had just made up your mind?"
"Look here!"
"Hmm, that's quite strange."
Chung Myung tilted his head as if he couldn't understand it.
"Even though you've become a monk, you're still a human being. So how can you be so shameless?"
"What are you saying now..."
"Oh, I see. It seems like you don't understand if I don't clarify it. Then let me say it properly. I told you to shut up, esteemed priest."
Beopgye looked at Chung Myung with a bewildered expression after losing his words. He knew from the start that Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword was an extraordinary personage. However, who could have imagined that the situation would be this absurd? When people are too bewildered, they can't even speak. Beopgye's mind was exactly like that right now.
"A person who is trying to rectify their mistakes is better than someone who only criticizes. That's a valid point. But you're doing just that, right?"
"..."
"And what, rectify?"
Beopgye looked at Chung Myung with a pale face. He felt a sudden surge of fear, not knowing what more Chung Myung might say.
"Is this so-called rectification just about coming here and begging for help in fighting together?"
"..."
"I guess Shaolin calls that sort of thing rectification, right?"
Beopgye lowered his head. He couldn't say anything more. Chung Myung's words were accurate, and there was nothing wrong with them. Especially for Beopgye, who was responsible for all this mess as one of the key figures in the Yangtze River Disaster, he couldn't utter a word, even if he had something to say.
He also had at least a bit of dignity.
"Step back."
"...Bangjang."
"Enough is enough."
Beopjeong, seeing the deep-rooted distrust toward Shaolin in those eyes, sighed deeply.
'How did it come to this?'
It couldn't be denied that Mount Hua was the sect that had shown the most effective action in the world in recent years. The fact that Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, who was at the center of a such Mount Hua Sect, showed such deep-rooted mistrust of Shaolin was almost like telling everyone about the current state of Shaolin.
But that didn't mean he could step back like this.
"Shaolin..."
Beopgye hesitated for a moment as if he didn't know what to say.
"Is imperfect... neither am I perfect."
"..."
"Those who are not perfect inevitably make mistakes. We can accept the criticism for the mistakes we've made. But... I can't stand the idea that innocent people suffer because of our mistakes."
Chung Myung looked at Beopjeong with a cold gaze. Even so, Beopjeong resolutely spoke.
"Any conditions are acceptable. Just help us once. Without the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, the Yangtze River will become a disaster."
Beopjeong bowed his head again, but this time, it was directed towards Chung Myung. Observers bit their lips as they watched.
Chung Myung was correct. The situation was so urgent that Beopjeong had reason to kneel and beg for help from these outsiders. He had to be in a very dire situation if he couldn't present a proper argument and just appealed with humility. His heartfelt plea made not only Hyun Jong but also others look at him with a fresh perspective.
Perhaps the situation was so desperate that it couldn't be resolved without their assistance? If not, why would Beopjeong kneel before this young disciples from another faction, all for the sake of preserving the power of Shaolin's power? Wouldn't it be the case?
However, one person's eyes hadn't changed at all, not even a bit. His eyes remained resolute and unwavering.
"Your Excellency hasn't changed."
Chung Myung's voice lost its anger and became calm. Yet, without showing emotions, his words sounded more chilling than the passionate ones he had spoken earlier.
"I've done wrong, I regret it, but all of this is for the common people and the suffering peasants. Let's forget about past mistakes and help us."
Beopjeong flinched. Chung Myung stared at him as if he could see through everything.
"If you apologize half-heartedly and bow your head, do you think fools will be moved by your contrition and throw themselves into your service, working as human shields for you?"
"Chung Myung."
"I've finally figured it out."
"..."
"You're not a hypocrite, Bangjang. That's why I hate you."
Beopjeong furrowed his brow. Not liking someone because they're not a hypocrite - what kind of reasoning was that? People usually dislike hypocrites, don't they? As if he fully understood this perplexity, Chung Myung continued.
"Hypocrites, at least, know what they're doing. At the very least, they have the self-awareness that they are committing wrongdoing. But..."
Chung Myung's sharp gaze pierced Beopjeong.
"You're not like that, Bangjang."
"..."
"You believe that you're doing the right thing without a hint of doubt. You see yourself as a perfect saint."
Chung Myung sharpened his words like a whetstone as if to carve into him.
Yes, calling someone a hypocrite means accusing them of being like Heo Dojin. At least, hypocrites acknowledge that they can commit evil for the sake of their faction's interests. But Beopjeong wasn't like that. Beopjeong didn't doubt his own righteousness. Even though he was currently enduring suffering, in the end, he wouldn't doubt that he was doing the right thing.
At this moment, Beopjeong had to be absolutely convinced that convincing Mount Hua to participate in the Yangtze River's war was the path to save the world.
He had no hesitation because he was convinced of his righteousness. Conviction in his righteousness was why he could bow his head even to a junior like Chung Myung. To him, bowing to Chung Myung was just a sacred step towards a complete conclusion through his own sacrifice.
'Even I had my doubts.'
Even as he fought for his life in the midst of the hellish Ten Thousand Mountains, Chung Myung had constantly doubted himself. Was this really the right way, and did he really make the right choice?
Not only him, but even Cheong Mun. No, everyone in that place must have questioned and doubted as well.
But those who stood behind them and watched them die never doubted. They would have firmly believed that shoving numerous people into that hell and using them as human shields was the right thing to do, calling it a holy sacrifice.
Like Beopjeong at this moment.
With regret and sorrow, he puts countless people to death, all while shedding tears, and never regretting it. Because he never doubts that he is doing the right thing.
"One time is enough."
The force emanating from Chung Myung pressed against Beopjeong.
"It's excessive to die even once while being played by the dirty sophistry of 'for the world, for the people.' It's disgustingly excessive."
This force wasn't simply a facade. If it was a facade, Beopgye wouldn't have felt it so heavily. In the face of this inexplicable and heavy force, Beopjeong couldn't even think of breathing.
"As long as I'm alive, you had better not think of using your three-inch tongue to exploit the Mount Hua Sect."
Chung Myung's soft declaration looked like a wounded beast growling.
"Get lost from here right now. Or I'll snap that fancy neck of yours."
All the color drained from Beopgye's face.