"Where have you been?"
"Just looking around for a bit."
"...Looking around?"
Unam looked at Chung Myung with suspicion.
But Chung Myung, as if he couldn't care less about how Unam was looking at him, leaned on one leg and turned his head to gaze at the sky.
'Was this kid always like this?'
Until he had entered the sect's gates, he had seemed like a polite and well-mannered child. But now, his entire demeanor had changed.
How should one describe it?
Did he give off a delinquent-like aura?
'Well, I suppose.'
Judging by his appearance, he had clearly lived as a beggar for quite some time. Expecting purity from a child who had survived in this harsh world as a beggar would be foolish.
"Have you eaten?"
"I'm not hungry."
That was the truth.
Just seeing the state of Mount Hua had killed his appetite. He felt as though all his worldly desires had evaporated. Even when he was a Taoist, he had never managed to reach such detachment, yet now, without any enlightenment, he had transcended mere hunger. Damn it all.
"Then follow me for a moment."
"Huh?"
"The Sect Leader wishes to see you."
"Ah, alright."
Chung Myung nodded.
If it was something he had to face anyway, it was better to get it over with as soon as possible.
The moment the door opened, an elderly man sitting in a composed posture entered Chung Myung's vision. Chung Myung looked at him with a reluctant expression.
'He certainly looks like someone who could be called a sect leader.'
There was an unmistakable air of Taoism about him.
That alone was enough to indicate that this man had spent his entire life devoted to the Dao.
However…
'There's not even a trace of spirit or vigor.'
As a sect leader of a Taoist school, he lacked nothing. But as the head of Mount Hua, he didn't seem suitable at all. He was merely… serene.
"Greet him."
"…"
Chung Myung let out a silent sigh.
'Is there anything in this world more unfair than this?'
If they were to compare ages, then when Chung Myung was sneaking away to drink wine in the corners of Mount Hua, this so-called sect leader was probably just a toddler waddling around.
By the time Chung Myung had died, this man had probably only just learned how to hold a sword.
And now, here he was, bowing to him.
'If you don't want to feel wronged, you shouldn't have been reborn.'
Well, what choice did he have? It was better to just endure.
Chung Myung bowed politely. Watching the scene, Mount Hua's Sect Leader, Hyun Jong, smiled gently.
"I am Chung Myung."
"I am Hyun Jong."
A simple exchange of courtesy.
As soon as Chung Myung sat down, Hyun Jong spoke.
"A guest has arrived, yet we have nothing proper to serve. Given our current circumstances, I hope you can understand."
"Ah, yes."
"…"
Hyun Jong's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Normally, the expected response to such words would be:
'Please don't worry about it.'
or
'How could an uninvited guest expect such treatment?'
But this brat's attitude was clearly saying:
'I wasn't expecting anything anyway, so don't bother.'
"I heard you said something interesting at the lodging house."
"Huh?"
"You said we were 'sold off'?"
Chung Myung tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
He looked utterly clueless. Hyun Jong narrowed his eyes and observed his expression carefully, but there was not a hint of deceit to be found.
'Does he truly not know?'
There was no way a child could be so skilled at lying.
While Hyun Jong was contemplating, Chung Myung was smirking inwardly.
'Give it up, old man.'
Who was Chung Myung?
Even when facing the infamous Cheon Mun, who had a reputation for seeing through deception, he had managed to pull off scams without breaking a sweat. No matter how much his senior brother had suspected him, he had never been able to find the stash of alcohol and hideouts Chung Myung had hidden away.
If even Cheon Mun had failed to see through him, there was no way Hyun Jong could tell whether he was lying or not just by looking at his face.
"I don't really remember. I was so exhausted that I must have lost consciousness…"
"Hmm."
The logic was sound. The boy had climbed the treacherous mountain path alone, so it wouldn't be strange if he had collapsed from exhaustion.
But…
"If you were so exhausted, why didn't you say something?"
"I was told that one should first pay respects to the ancestors when entering a sect…"
Hyun Jong cast an odd glance at Unam.
Unam flinched.
Hyun Jong's eyes were clearly saying:
'You dragged an exhausted child all the way up here and forced him to bow? Are you serious?'
Of course, Unam was utterly bewildered.
'But he was completely fine!'
That brat had been jumping around like a fresh fish until the moment he entered the sect's gates. Now he was claiming exhaustion?
Unam looked at Chung Myung with disbelief, but the boy wore an innocent face, pretending to know nothing.
"Ahem."
Hyun Jong nodded.
"That's understandable. I apologize for not being more considerate."
"It's fine."
"Good. Now, I have another question."
"Yes?"
"Why did you climb this treacherous mountain to come here?"
"…"
"Don't tell me you just happened to wander here. Mount Hua is not a place one stumbles upon by chance, especially for someone as young as you."
Chung Myung lifted his gaze and looked at Hyun Jong. It was a sharp question, but he had already prepared an answer.
"Sect Leader."
"I'm listening."
"I wish to join Mount Hua."
Hyun Jong's eyes narrowed.
"Join?"
"Yes."
Hyun Jong observed Chung Myung in silence. Those clear, unwavering eyes held no visible ulterior motives.
"Then that means you already know what kind of place Mount Hua is?"
"Yes."
Hyun Jong's eyes grew even thinner.
"You wish to join Mount Hua…"
Chung Myung moistened his lips.
'The logic is flawless.'
He had even crafted a brilliant backstory to support his claim.
Just as he was about to spin his tale—
"I will allow it."
"Yes, of course, you sho—wait, what?"
Chung Myung's eyes widened in shock.
Hyun Jong nodded calmly.
"If you wish to enter, then I shall permit it."
"…Huh?"
Wait a minute.
Was joining a sect supposed to be this easy?
Shouldn't they at least show a little suspicion first?
"Prepare his lodging and make arrangements for the initiation ceremony."
Hyun Jong smiled warmly.
Chung Myung stood up, dazed.
'…I actually got in?'
As the realization dawned on him, Unam spoke in a solemn voice.
"From this moment on, you are a disciple of Mount Hua. You will belong to the Qing generation and be the youngest among the third-generation disciples."
"…Youngest?"
Chung Myung's face trembled.
Me?
The Plum Blossom Sword Saint… is now Mount Hua's youngest disciple?
"Hahahaha…"
Unam smiled approvingly.
"You must be pleased."
"Yes. So pleased… Hahaha…"
But why do I feel like crying?