"Where is the child?"
"I have sent him to the quarters to change his clothes. It seems we can proceed directly to the funeral rites."
"I see."
Unam's gaze fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Hyeonjong smiled gently and spoke.
"It seems you are not pleased."
"Rather than being displeased..."
Unam hesitated for a moment, then sighed and continued.
"I cannot fully understand the deep intentions of the sect leader, but I find it hard to grasp why you have chosen to accept that child. Hwasan is in a time when we need to reduce our numbers."
"Indeed, that is true."
"Unlike the other children, he has not brought any wealth, nor does he show any special talent for martial arts."
"Mm."
"Above all, I do not feel any good energy from him. He seems unsuitable for our sect. So why do you wish to elevate that child within Hwasan?"
At Unam's pointed remarks, Hyeonjong showed a soft smile.
"Is that so?"
"…Sect Leader."
Unam sighed deeply.
Sometimes, Hyeonjong could be quite enigmatic. 'I cannot understand him.' For more than ten years, Unam had assisted Hyeonjong, yet he still could not fathom his true thoughts.
Hyeonjong was simply too profound a person for him to grasp.
"Unam."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"Fate often arrives unexpectedly."
Hyeonjong smiled brightly.
"Perhaps that child could become the light of Hwasan?"
"…That child is too young to become the light of Hwasan."
"That may be true."
Hyeonjong's expression darkened slightly.
The current state of Hwasan could be described as precarious.
They were barely holding on, and it would not be surprising if they fell at any moment.
This was one reason why Unam felt uncomfortable about bringing in Cheongmyeong.
If they were to be cast out from a sect that might collapse tomorrow, the sense of loss would be immense.
"I know the situation is difficult."
Hyeonjong spoke heavily.
"But Unam, the plum blossoms bloom even in the snow. The plum blossoms that bloom in harsh winter emit a fragrance more profound than any other."
"…"
"If we do not plant seeds just because winter has come, will we not lose the chance for plum blossoms to bloom in the snow?"
"…Yes."
"Good. Go on out."
Unam quietly closed the door and stepped outside.
He sighed and looked up.
Every time he spoke with Hyeonjong, he felt a sense of relief.
But today, even after their conversation, he felt not relief but rather a growing sense of frustration.
Hyeonjong's words were still as cryptic as ever, yet his heart was troubled by the current situation of Hwasan.
Hwasan could not be saved by its own strength.
Despite Hyeonjong's lifelong efforts, the situation only worsened.
If things continued like this, they would not survive the year.
The thought that the historically and traditionally proud Hwasan could be completely wiped out made his heart heavy, and a sigh escaped him. 'Where is Hwasan headed?' Unam quietly closed his eyes.
Cheongmyeong stared blankly down at the clothes he was wearing.
The pure white martial robe caught his eye.
As he looked at the robe, which had five plum blossoms embroidered on the right chest, he felt a strange sensation, as if his whole body was tingling.
"No, it really is itchy."
The material of the robe was so poor that it pricked his skin every time it touched him.
If he had not worn rags before coming here, he would have found it extremely uncomfortable.
Living as a beggar for a month had helped him in this regard.
"Tsk."
Cheongmyeong frowned.
"How ridiculous."
In the past, Hwasan was not a sect overflowing with wealth like the Wudang or Shaolin, but they had still amassed a considerable fortune as a respectable sect.
Of course, due to the sect leader's belief that it was ridiculous for a Taoist to covet wealth, they could not spend that money freely, but at least they could afford to dress their disciples well and provide them with good food.
But now, the state of their clothing was appalling.
"How did they spend all that money?"
There must have been piles of money in the treasury! Well, the money in the treasury was one thing, but with the properties and businesses Hwasan owned, how could they afford to dress the children in such rags? It was understandable that they could not properly pass down martial arts, but how could they have squandered the money they had? Cheongmyeong let out a deep sigh.
"Nothing is going right."
He thought to himself that the more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.
The more he hoped, the greater his disappointment became.
"Anyway, I have entered the sect."
He had entered the sect.
It was the worst misfortune that the renowned Plum Blossom Sword Master had become the youngest disciple of Hwasan, but at least he had succeeded in entering the sect.
Although it was not the way he wanted, he had managed to join Hwasan.
There were many problems to solve from now on, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, right?
No matter how difficult and challenging the task, if he tackled it step by step, nothing was impossible.
Most things in the world could be resolved by working hard and persevering...
"But where exactly is this place?"
There was a fundamental problem.
The hall Cheongmyeong had entered was once used as a guest hall.
However, for some reason, its former appearance had completely vanished, and it had transformed into a lodging.
According to Cheongmyeong's memory, Hwasan did not have such a concept of lodging.
Newly admitted disciples would immediately establish a master-disciple relationship and begin living in their master's quarters.
So what was this place? 'It seems strange to think of it as a place to stay before establishing a master-disciple relationship.' For a place like that, the basic facilities were well-equipped.
No matter how he looked at it, this was a place made for people to live.
"Am I the only one here?"
Cheongmyeong quietly stepped outside the room.
A narrow corridor stretched out with rooms lined up on both sides.
It looked no different from the former guest hall.
Cheongmyeong opened the door to the adjacent room.
Inside, he saw clothes and various living tools.
"Who lives here?"
Cheongmyeong tilted his head.
Why would someone live in such a guest hall...?
"Who is it?"
Cheongmyeong turned his head.
"Oh no."
He had not noticed someone approaching! What a mistake!
"Oh. I have no martial arts right now?"
While coming to Hwasan, he had focused solely on mastering the Six Harmonies Technique.
Thanks to that, his body was becoming incredibly strong, and the foundation he had built was expanding like a vast land, but... realistically, the only thing he could use right now was the meager amount of internal energy he had gathered.
With the amount of internal energy that was teetering on the edge of existence, he could not maintain the same senses he had in the past.
"Who is this brat peeking into someone else's room? A thief?"
The voice was a bit harsh.
It seemed to be a child around Cheongmyeong's age.
When the child shouted, several others rushed up the stairs.
"What’s going on?"
"Jogeol! What’s wrong?"
The child called Jogeol pointed at Cheongmyeong and accused him.
"This brat was peeking into my room."
"Who is he?"
"He seems to be a new arrival."
Cheongmyeong's gaze turned to the ceiling of the corridor. 'Why am I alive to see this?' Just seeing these young kids pointing fingers at him was enough to turn his stomach.
Looking at them, they seemed like the children of the sect.
If he were to consider their age, Cheongmyeong would be like their great-grandfather.
Of course, they might not know that.
But how could he understand that those who had ties to the sect were being bullied like local ruffians?
He was pondering where to start and how to correct these brats' behavior when...
"What is all this noise?"
"Ah!"
"Uncle Ungeum!"
At the voice that came from below, the children quickly moved aside.
A man climbed up the stairs, frowning.
His demeanor was stern, and he exuded an air of authority that seemed as if he would not bleed even if pricked with a needle.
Ungeum, as he was called, scanned everyone with sharp eyes that matched the title of "sword" he bore.
"Why are you causing a ruckus when it is time for training? Who said you could be lazy?"
"Uh, that’s not it... I came to get a clean robe because mine is dirty."
"Where is the excuse in that?"
"I’m sorry."
The children were terrified and stood at attention.
Even so, they could not stop glancing at Cheongmyeong.
"And you?"
"I am Cheongmyeong."
"So you are the new child who has entered Baengmaegwan today."
"Baengmaegwan?"
"This is Baengmaegwan. The dormitory for the three great disciples of Hwasan. Did you not hear?"
"…A dormitory?"
The man frowned.
"Do you not know that it is proper to answer before asking when the sect leader asks a question?"
"Oh, yes. I’m sorry."
Sect leader.
Sect leader...
Damn it.
It suddenly felt empty inside.
He had to address children who had not even entered Hwasan during his time as a disciple as "sect leader" now.
"This is true non-attachment."
They say that to become a true Taoist, one must let go of position and face.
He never thought he would experience a level he could not reach in his lifetime so forcibly.
What a climb it would be.
Truly.
"You too, come along."
"Excuse me?"
"Whether late or early, training must be done. It won’t make a difference if you start a day earlier. Wasting time idly is not the duty of a practitioner."
Cheongmyeong agreed with that statement.
To change this terrible situation, he needed to become strong as soon as possible.
For that, he absolutely needed an environment and time to focus on training.
The problem was that what they wanted to teach him was the basic martial arts that were of no use to Cheongmyeong.
"I should be the one teaching you."
"Come down."
As the man turned to leave, the children rushed to follow him.
One of the kids glanced back at Cheongmyeong and turned his head.
It was the one called Jogeol from earlier.
"I'll see you at night."
"…"
"I'll fix your behavior."
"…Okay, okay."
"If you run away, you’ll get hit even more."
"Alright, alright."
"This is ridiculous!"
"What are you doing?"
At Ungeum's sharp voice, the child jumped in fright and shouted,
"I’m coming now, Uncle!"
Watching the child run ahead, Cheongmyeong let out a deep sigh.
"I should treat them well."
After all, they were the cute descendants of the sect.
Of course, the way Cheongmyeong treated them might be a bit different from others.
But well, that was their own concern.
Cheongmyeong chuckled and went downstairs.