Chapter 1729. It's Unavoidable to Lose. (9)
In the silence, Hyun Jong silently looked at the person sitting in front of him.
Although the sleeves could hide the scars, they couldn't conceal the thinness of the arms. The face was pale, the lips dry and cracked, and dark circles under the eyes.
The strange appearance of someone so familiar hurt as if a knife was being stabbed into his heart. What made Hyun Jong even sadder was that Baek Cheon's expression seemed calm, as if nothing had happened.
Though inside he might not feel that way... No, surely he didn't feel that way, but nonetheless, the Baek Cheon before him was trying to appear serene. He was expected to have collapsed, but he hadn't.
His maturity and composure were painful to see. Hyun Jong had always wished for his disciples to grow well, but he had never thought about the cost of that maturity.
"The tea is getting cold, Great Sect Leader," Baek Cheon said quietly. Hyun Jong looked at his tea cup, which was still empty because he hadn't had the courage to fill it.
After a brief hesitation, Hyun Jong finally spoke.
"How are you?"
"Fine," Baek Cheon replied, nodding his head and adding, "I feel much better than at the beginning."
"I understand."
Hyun Jong couldn't find an appropriate response and simply nodded.
"I'm sorry. I should have come out to meet you."
"Don't say that."
Hyun Jong finally couldn't hold back and sighed deeply. He internally scolded himself for entering this room without a clear plan.
What words could console him? What words could give him hope?
He didn't know. Anything he said might seem like a mere attempt at sympathy.
Hyun Jong made an effort to speak again.
"Baek Cheon..."
"Just a moment."
Baek Cheon interrupted Hyun Jong. It was a rude gesture, but perhaps it was meant to prevent Hyun Jong from having to search for meaningless words of comfort.
"First, I have something to say, Great Sect Leader."
Baek Cheon stood up from his seat and walked with difficulty to the bed, where he removed a white cloth covering something.
Even a simple task like lifting that cloth seemed extremely difficult for him, requiring several attempts before he succeeded.
Hyun Jong watched sadly as Baek Cheon finally managed to uncover the object beneath the cloth.
"I want to return this, Great Sect Leader."
Hyun Jong closed his eyes tightly. Under the cloth was the Sacred Saha Sword, the symbol of the leader position that Hyun Jong had given to Baek Cheon.
Returning it could only mean one thing.
"...Baek Cheon."
"Great Sect Leader, I..."
Baek Cheon hesitated for a moment before continuing, speaking with renewed firmness.
"I recognize my limitations and wish to resign from the position you granted me."
"..."
"Moreover, I want to leave the position of Great Disciple of Mount Hua. Forgive my insolence in resigning from the titles you gave me, but I believe that now Mount Hua doesn't need me for that position. If you need to appoint someone else to that position..."
"Baek Cheon."
Hyun Jong interrupted Baek Cheon.
A long silence followed. Hyun Jong stared at Baek Cheon and then at the Sacred Sword before asking.
"What does this mean? That sword is..."
"Great Sect Leader."
Baek Cheon smiled timidly.
"I've thought about it a lot, and I believe this is the best decision."
"The best decision?"
Hyun Jong's eyes shone with momentary fury.
"Do you call this the best decision?"
"..."
"What is the best in this? Very well, maybe resigning from the position of Deputy Sect Leader is acceptable since it's a temporary position. But resigning from the position of Great Disciple...! What kind of nonsense is that?"
Hyun Jong didn't let Baek Cheon's words pass.
"Do you understand what it means to be the Great Disciple? Are you saying you don't want to be the future Mount Hua Leader?"
Hyun Jong rarely showed such anger towards a disciple.
"I know you can no longer practice martial arts. I know you can't wield a sword or teach others."
"..."
"But that's not the most important thing! The position is not determined only by martial arts skills! Otherwise, I would never have been the Mount Hua Sect Leader! Martial arts are just a small part of the Sect Leader's role. You know that well!"
Baek Cheon looked at Hyun Jong without saying anything. However, his eyes were filled with deep bitterness.
"Yes, it's a small part, Great Sect Leader."
"Then, why...?"
"But at the same time, it's an indispensable part."
Hyun Jong bit the inside of his cheek in frustration.
"I also know that if I decided to become the Mount Hua Leader, no one in the sect would oppose it. In fact, they would support me enthusiastically."
"Exactly, you understand!"
"But, would that really be the best for Mount Hua and for them?"
Hyun Jong was speechless, unable to respond immediately.
"The Sect Leader must receive help because no one can be perfect alone. But, Great Sect Leader..."
Baek Cheon smiled softly.
"Receiving help and being a burden are two very different things."
"Baek Cheon!"
"My body is now weaker than that of an ordinary person. Living in Mount Hua will be difficult for me. Instead..."
Baek Cheon looked out the window.
He knew.
Although the window had been open, he hadn't felt anyone's presence for days. He was grateful for the consideration, but it also made him realize his situation.
"If my peers were the type to get angry at seeing a disabled person in the Sect Leader position, I might have fought with all my might to keep the position. But..."
Baek Cheon shook his head slowly but with determination.
"My peers are too good."
Hyun Jong's lips trembled slightly.
"In the Mount Hua Sect, there are many who can do better than I. In fact, there are those who could be much better Sect Leaders than I. So, why me...?"
At that moment, Hyun Jong couldn't hold back and raised his voice.
"Then, what do you plan to do? Resign from the Sect Leader position, resign from the Great Disciple position, and not even be the Deputy Sect Leader? What do you want to be?"
"Great Sect Leader."
Baek Cheon smiled slightly.
"Still, I'm a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. Isn't that enough?"
Hyun Jong pressed his lips together. Baek Cheon lowered his gaze briefly and then looked at Hyun Jong firmly.
"Even if I can't use martial arts, I still have things to do in the sect. After all, not everything I've received from the sect is just martial skills, right?"
As the conversation progressed, Hyun Jong couldn't help but realize that Baek Cheon's words were not simple expressions of despair or whim.
Hyun Jong couldn't imagine how deep Baek Cheon's suffering had been in this small room. How much pain was hidden behind that serene expression?
Still, Hyun Jong couldn't easily accept Baek Cheon's decision, born from pain.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"......"
"No matter what they say, you will be the next Sect Leader. Even if you don't want it, I will make it so."
"Great Sect Leader..."
Hyun Jong stood up abruptly but stopped and spoke in a grave voice.
"You said you'd be satisfied being a simple disciple of the Mount Hua Sect?"
"......"
"Then, why do you keep your sword so clean?"
Baek Cheon was startled and looked away. Against the wall rested his old plum blossom sword.
It wasn't the Sacred Sword, the treasure of the Mount Hua Sect. It was Baek Cheon's sword, his companion through many hardships. Unlike the dirty and worn objects around, his sword was impeccably clean.
Baek Cheon and Hyun Jong's eyes met in the air.
"I won't tell you not to give up or that everything will be fine."
"......"
"I will find a solution."
Hyun Jong turned and left the room.
"Great Sect Leader..."
Hearing Baek Cheon's voice behind him, Hyun Jong stopped without turning around.
"To me, you have always been the most excellent disciple. I thought your arrival at the Mount Hua Sect was a gift from the ancestors to ease my difficult life. And that feeling... didn't change even when Chung Myung arrived at the sect."
"......"
"I valued you so much because back then, I believed only you could overcome all the difficulties of the Mount Hua Sect."
Baek Cheon closed his eyes tightly.
"We will discuss this again when you're calmer."
Hyun Jong left the room.
Baek Cheon, looking at the closed door, turned back to his sword, leaning against the wall.
Although he thought he would no longer wield it, he still cleaned it meticulously. He looked up at the ceiling.
'It's unavoidable to lose something.'
Something must be lost. But at least, what he wouldn't lose would be the Mount Hua Sect. He couldn't abandon that warmth he felt in his fingers.
But... perhaps no one would understand. Sometimes, that warmth felt like a sharp blade.
----------------------
Step, step.
Hyun Jong walked with quick, heavy steps. He felt like his chest was going to explode.
'How foolish am I!'
What did he think when meeting Baek Cheon? What words did he expect to say upon meeting him?
What confidence did he have, being so powerless, to offer any kind of comfort?
Seeing Baek Cheon, trying to maintain dignity despite losing both arms, tore at his heart.
If only Baek Cheon had shown resentment, or collapsed and cried, he wouldn't feel so suffocated.
He felt lost, with a clouded mind and no clear path.
What could he do for a disciple who had lost everything? If he could sacrifice his life to heal Baek Cheon, he would do it without hesitation.
Just when he couldn't contain his sadness, covering his face with his hands, someone appeared before him.
"It's a pleasure to see you again after such a long time."
It was Jong Rigok.
His respectful attitude and deep bow of his head showed clear and firm respect towards Hyun Jong.
Hyun Jong cleared his throat and adjusted his posture.
"Yes, Sect Leader. It's a pleasure to see you."
Hyun Jong also bowed respectfully. Jong Rigok raised his head and spoke in a solemn tone.
"Great Sect Leader. I know it's inappropriate to ask for your time after such a long journey, but, could you grant me a few moments?"
His words were cautious and full of respect. Under normal circumstances, Hyun Jong would never have refused such a request.
But now, he had no reserve of calm.
"I'm sorry. Right now... I don't have the clarity to... maybe another time..."
"It's about Baek Cheon."
"......"
"Perhaps I should say the Deputy Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect."
Hyun Jong suddenly raised his head. Jong Rigok's face was serene.
"What... do you mean?"
"Great Sect Leader."
Jong Rigok sighed deeply before speaking.
"I deeply regret having to say this at this moment..."
"Please, tell me what you have to say about Baek Cheon."
At Hyun Jong's urgency, Jong Rigok nodded.
It was such a delicate matter that he was being extremely careful. In earlier times, when the two sects were in conflict, this wouldn't have been possible. But now, the Mount Hua Sect was a respected ally to the Southern Edge Sect.
Jong Rigok stared at Hyun Jong.
"Given what you've said, I'll be direct."
"......"
"If our Southern Edge Sect has a method to cure the Deputy Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect..."
Hyun Jong's eyes widened.
"Could you send Baek Cheon to our sect?"
Hyun Jong clenched his fist inside his sleeve. His eyes trembled with shock, like a small boat caught in a great storm.
