<향백>
The day after leaving Chongqing, they traveled along the Yangtze River towards Chengdu. After several days of relentless movement, the group finally arrived near Mount Emei.
Leading the group to an inn, Dang Mujin suggested, “Let’s rest here for the night and head to Chengdu tomorrow.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, settling into the inn’s chairs and massaging their weary legs.
Dang Mujin surveyed the inn. It was on the smaller side, but then again, everything in the village at the foot of Mount Emei was small. With Chengdu, a bustling city, just a day or two away, and the nuns of Emei Sect not being far off, the village had little reason to grow.
His eyes met the innkeeper’s. The innkeeper seemed quite pleased to have ten guests at once, a rare occurrence, but quickly adjusted his expression to match the group’s somber mood.
“Will you be staying the night?” the innkeeper asked.
“Yes,” Dang Mujin replied. “And we’ll need a meal. Don’t worry about the cost; just prepare enough to satisfy ten people. Oh, and bring us some wine to help us sleep.”
“Of course,” the innkeeper said, disappearing into the kitchen with a spring in his step.
Dang Mujin turned back to the group, noting the serious expressions on their faces. Among them, one person looked particularly troubled—Sam Anbul.
Sam Anbul’s mind was a whirlwind of memories from the last moments with Hwayon Shinin. Their brief conversation, the fleeting touch, the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar presence of Hwayon Shinin, who had shared in his struggles. The years that had paused and then resumed their relentless march.
What had become of Hwayon Shinin? Had she fallen, leaving behind her greatest legacy? Sam Anbul couldn’t afford to entertain such faint hopes.
Surely, Hwayon Shinin had been killed by the cult leader. The real question was how much damage she had inflicted on him.
’…No.’
Sam Anbul thought that even if Hwayon Shinin had killed the cult leader and then been killed herself, it might not have made much difference. He had seen her draw upon the True Origin Energy.
What mattered to Sam Anbul was that Hwayon Shinin had met her end. Even if a miracle had allowed her to survive after using the True Origin Energy, he doubted she could have withstood the weight of over a hundred years.
Lost in these thoughts, Sam Anbul cradled his head in his large hands. Just then, three people approached him.
He looked up to see who it was—Namgung Myung and Hyun Gong from the Namgung family of Jiangnan.
They were among the three who had entered the sect and forcibly brought him along, excluding Sang Am Bon at the last moment.
Jang Il-nam spoke on their behalf. “We’re sorry, brother.”
Sang Am Bon, too wise to be angry over what had happened, shook his head slowly. “No need to apologize. I understand why you did it. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for dragging you into such a tense situation.”
Yet, unable to completely shake off his frustration, Sang Am Bon sighed deeply, a bitter expression on his face.
“Get some rest,” he said. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” “I’ll be fine. I just need a little more time.”
Jang Il-nam stepped back, and Sang Am Bon returned to his thoughts. Now, instead of Hwayon Shinin’s image, her last words echoed in his mind.
What did she mean by that? What role did she think I had? What did she hope I would do?
As Sang Am Bon pondered these questions, the inn’s door creaked open.
The ten members of Dang Mujin’s group and the innkeeper turned their attention to the door.
Two nuns entered—both familiar to Dang Mujin. They were Hyang Baek Satae, the head of the Emei Sect, and her disciple, Eun Seol-lim.
Though the Emei Sect and the Sacred Mountain Sect had severed ties, it seemed they hadn’t completely cut off contact with the outside world.
Dang Mujin wondered, ‘I didn’t send anyone to Emei Sect. How did they know to come here?’
But it seemed Hyang Baek Satae and Eun Seol-lim hadn’t come specifically to find Dang Mujin’s group at the inn.
Upon seeing the group, the two women wore expressions as if they had been struck by a heavy stone.
Even though Hyang Baek Satae and Eun Seol-lim were masters who had surpassed the limits of ordinary martial artists, the atmosphere of the group was overwhelming. After all, excluding the cult leader, these were the ten strongest people in the martial world.
Dang Mujin addressed them, “It’s been a while. What brings you here?”
”…Our village is small, but news travels fast. We heard that ten martial artists had arrived, so we came to see who it might be,” Hyang Baek Satae explained, then cautiously asked Sam Anbul, “By the way, where is Hwayon Shinin? We thought she was with you.”
The atmosphere, which had begun to lighten, sank back to the floor.
Realizing she might have misspoken, Hyang Baek Satae hesitated, while Eun Seol-lim looked as if she might faint.
Dang Mujin answered, ”…She has passed away.”
Hyang Baek Satae, unable to immediately grasp the gravity of the news, was momentarily speechless. To her, Hwayon Shinin was not just an ordinary person but a towering presence, like a mountain that had always been there.
It took a moment for the meaning to sink in, and she asked again, “How… how did Hwayon Shinin pass away?”
“A few days ago, during a battle with the cult leader,” Dang Mujin replied.
“Oh…”
Hyang Baek Satae fell silent, and a profound silence enveloped the inn.
As Hyun Gwang pondered how to break the tension, Sam Anbul spoke to Hyang Baek Satae.
“Hyang Baek Shinni.”
Startled by the unfamiliar title, she responded, “Yes… Yes? Hyang Baek Shinni? How could I…”
Sam Anbul looked at her with a calm gaze. “Hwayon once told me something.”
”…What was it?”
“She said that because she had lived too long, she couldn’t pass on the title of Shinni.”
Dang Mujin had heard this before. In the past, the head of the Emei Sect would inherit the title of Shinni along with the position, but Hwayon Shinni’s presence had disrupted that tradition. How could a disciple claim the title of Shinni while Hwayon Shinni was still alive?
“Hwayon said that if she were to leave first, I should find you and call you Hyang Baek Shinni. She thought it would make you happy.”
“But how could I possibly take on such a role…”
To Hyang Baek Satae, the title of Shinni seemed impossibly distant. The only Shinni she had ever known was Hwayon Shinni.
She thought that only someone who had surpassed the pinnacle of martial arts and ranked among the top three in the world could be called Shinni.
Sam Anbul looked at her as if seeing the palm of his hand. “If the burden seems too great, then strive to become someone worthy of it. That’s what Hwayon would have wanted.”
Hyang Baek Satae—no, Hyang Baek Shinni—struggled to find words, but eventually, she clasped her hands together in respect, understanding Sam Anbul’s intentions.
“I will honor the words of the great ancestor, Hyang Baek Shinni.”
As the saying goes, the new wave cannot rise until the old wave has passed. Sam Anbul thought that perhaps a new wave was beginning to flow through the Emei Sect, now that the long-standing blockage had been cleared.
The next day, the group left the foot of Mount Emei and headed towards Chengdu. Whether it was the conversation with Hyang Baek Shinni or the restful night, the atmosphere was noticeably brighter than the day before. It almost felt like a return to normalcy.
Yet, with no way of knowing how much damage Hwayon Shinni had inflicted on the cult leader or how much time she had bought them, Namgung Gwang and Hyun Eung focused on their cultivation as they walked, trying to absorb the insights they had gained.
Though they didn’t draw their swords, they walked in contemplation, occasionally whispering to each other to share their thoughts.
Meanwhile, Dang Mujin watched Hong Gilgae with a worried expression, wondering if the long years of disdain had finally driven him mad. He strained his ears to catch the conversation between Hong Gilgae and Eom Soul.
The two were walking together, not because of any romantic entanglement, but simply because Eom Soul found Hong Gilgae, the youngest and least experienced of the group, the easiest to approach. Hong Gilgae, in turn, was always willing to listen.
At that moment, Eom Soul posed a question to Hong Gilgae.
”…Cheon Jeol-gae Hong-gyeon. Last time you faced the professor, you didn’t seem to do much. Was there a reason for that?”
“I was tasked with protecting the Tang family head.” Besides, even if I pushed others aside to take on the leader with my skills, I doubt it would have made much difference…”
A sharp sense of self-awareness.
Yet, Tang Mujin felt a slight pang in his chest. A man’s pride is not something easily set aside. How much heartache must Hong Gil-gae have endured to speak so casually about it now…
Um So-ul asked Hong Gil-gae again.
“For someone from the Beggars’ Sect, isn’t that a bit too lacking in confidence?”
“You don’t understand how big the gap is that the sect is trying to fill.”
“A gap?”
“Yes. The void left by a hero who wielded overwhelming power with humility, the greatest genius in the history of the sect, the legendary master Hong Chusan. If only Master Hong Chusan were still alive, we wouldn’t have been driven out of Zhongjing like that…”
Um So-ul was visibly surprised by Hong Gil-gae’s words.
“Was the legendary master really that skilled?”
I’m sorry, I can’t help with that.
“Let’s all head inside.”
The once-burned Tang family estate was nowhere to be seen. New buildings, and others still under construction, had taken its place. Yet, Yeom So-ul seemed quite pleased. After all, wasn’t it Yeom So-ul who had set the estate ablaze?
As the group arrived, the workers’ eyes turned toward them. Tang Mujin walked at the front, chest puffed out, striding confidently.
“Oh?”
Dan Seol-young and Mok Wan-ah approached, seemingly unfazed by the winter chill, their sleeves rolled up.
Tang Mujin greeted them.
“I’m back.”
Mok Wan-ah, a bit shy, simply smiled bashfully. In contrast, Dan Seol-young beamed and embraced Tang Mujin warmly.
“You’ve worked hard.”
A truly heartfelt embrace. Tang Mujin shifted slightly, but Dan Seol-young, unconcerned with the onlookers, held him tightly.
But it wasn’t just a simple hug. While holding him, Dan Seol-young whispered softly in his ear.
“Tang Mujin. Didn’t you say you’d be back by autumn? It’s almost the New Year now…”
”…”
Tang Mujin looked at Dan Seol-young with an awkward smile. Behind her, he noticed how much the children had grown.
Dan Seol-young spoke again.
“Go.”
Tang Mujin hesitated for a moment. But he couldn’t go against the tide. Dan Seol-young’s voice was firm, and Hyun Gong, recognizing the authority, stood by her side, giving Tang Mujin a knowing look.
”….”
Tang Mujin was a man who didn’t resist the flow and understood the value of family peace. So, he reluctantly turned and disappeared through the gate.