"Finally!" Cheongmyeong tightened his grip on the staff in his hand.
At last, the magnificent sight of the volcano came into view.
"Fiiinally!" Tears welled up in his eyes.
How much hardship had he endured to reach this place? Dragging a body that was no different from an ordinary person's, or even worse than that, he had faced death countless times just to arrive here.
Of course, the dangers he faced were somewhat different from those of most travelers.
Generally, it was the threat of starvation or exhaustion.
But danger was danger, wasn't it? Anyway, after overcoming that terrible ordeal, Cheongmyeong finally reached the volcano. "……It was a long journey."
If he were to recount all the struggles he faced to get here, it would sound like an epic tale of a hero.
No, it would be more like a tale of a beggar.
Naturally, Cheongmyeong's appearance was far from human.
Although he had gained some energy from learning martial arts, all the strength that should have been used to recover his body was spent on walking and running, making him even weaker instead of stronger.
He had become so emaciated that anyone who saw him would instinctively frown.
And at first, his clothes, which were merely rags, had now become something that could only be described as tattered cloth.
Not to mention the dust that clung to him.
But that was not what mattered.
What mattered was that Cheongmyeong had finally arrived at the volcano.
Unknowingly, he wiped his eyes. 'Those who said I could live a great life if I were reborn, I will smash their heads.' It was important to consider who one would be reborn as.
If he were to be reborn as a beggar without parents or a home, it would be better not to be reborn at all.
But all hardships ended here! He had finally reached the volcano! Now, he had to see for himself what had happened to the volcano.
"I'm going up!" Cheongmyeong began to climb the volcano, leaning on his staff with determination.
And a moment later.
"Huff! Huff! Huuuff!" Clinging to the steep cliff, Cheongmyeong gasped for breath as if his lungs would burst.
"What kind of pathway is this!" Is there really a pathway on this mountain? On this mountain! It doesn't make sense to build a pathway on such a mountain! No wonder there are so many incense visitors at Shaolin and Wudang, but it seemed no one came to the volcano.
Cheongmyeong glanced down, peering below.
An endless, dizzying cliff came into view.
Don't exaggerate? That's a clear fact.
It's not just endless; there are clouds floating right below him! This crazy mountain is so high that it pierces the clouds, and the only way up is a narrow path carved into the sheer cliff.
No, it's not even a path.
If you call this a path, then a sparrow is a phoenix.
He couldn't even place both feet down at once, having to crawl along the cliff with his back pressed against it.
"Damn it! What were they thinking building a pathway on this mountain!" The moment he arrived at the volcano, he wanted to rush to the inspection hall and point fingers, but in reality, Cheongmyeong had no right to do so. - Senior Brother.
Doesn't the volcano seem to qualify as a checkpoint? That towering peak truly resembles a sword, doesn't it? It seems the inspector has chosen a fine place to settle."…What nonsense, what nonsense.
What?
The peak looks like a sword? It does look like a sword. Very much so.
So much so that climbing the path feels like ascending a blade. They say the volcano's terrain is the steepest among the Five Great Mountains. Cheongmyeong, who could no longer use martial arts, felt the weight of those words deeply.
"I'm really going to die."
This was no joke; he truly had to risk his life. His arms and legs were already trembling, yet there was still a long way to go up. He sighed, realizing how many people still attempted to enter despite this, feeling the gravity of how wrong the volcano's pathway had become.
"Ugh."
Cheongmyeong groaned as he pressed himself against the wall. But he couldn't give up here! After coming this far, what kind of nonsense was giving up?
If the mountain was there, it was a person's duty to climb it! With perseverance and courage, he climbed and climbed! …In fact, going down now would be even more dangerous. …Really.
Thud!
A hand shot up from the edge of the cliff. The trembling hand grasped the edge of the cliff."
Ugh!
"The pale fingertips looked pitiful. With all his strength, he pulled his body up."
Oh my, I'm going to die!
"Finally pulling himself up, Cheongmyeong collapsed onto the ground."
Huff! Huff! Huff!
I almost died!
"Turning his head, he saw clouds far below. The thought that he had climbed this high with a child's body made him want to praise himself. He hadn't fallen.
He hadn't fallen at all. After staring at the sky for a while, Cheongmyeong struggled to get back up. The only good thing was that he didn't have to go back down this monstrous mountain with this body.
Now, he only had to bury his bones in the volcano.
'Let's see.'
Cheongmyeong stood up and looked around. It should be around here. Ahead, he saw a hill leading to the summit.
If he climbed that path a little further, he would reach the volcano. Cheongmyeong's legs began to move slowly. His heart swelled with the fact that he had come this far.
After a hundred years, he had finally arrived at the volcano."…Of course, in reality, it took nearly a month to get here.
"But for now, let's say he arrived after a hundred years. That sounded much more impressive. Climbing the hill was, to put it mildly, not difficult at all. His body was completely exhausted, but the thought of reaching the volcano seemed to give him strength."
Ah…
"As the tiled roof of the volcano's gate came into view, Cheongmyeong's eyes filled with nostalgia. Time had passed, and the world had changed countless times, yet the tiles he saw remained unchanged. That gentle curve still contained the unyielding spirit of the volcano.
Yes, on that old eave with missing tiles…
Huh? Old? Missing tiles?
Cheongmyeong rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. Did I see that wrong? But no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, the scenery before him did not change.
With each step he took closer, the half-collapsed appearance of the gate became clearer."……."Cheongmyeong, at a loss for words, stopped walking. The main gate was the first place visitors to the sect would see. Therefore, each sect would decorate the inside moderately, but the main gate would be made as grand and clean as possible.
The volcano of the past was like that too. Due to the nature of the sect, which had to be simple and unadorned, it couldn't be made extravagant, but at least it was built sturdy and grand enough to feel the volcano's spirit. And they had tried to keep it clean and tidy.
But…
'What am I looking at right now?' I can understand that there are missing tiles and some cracks. Tiles are bound to get damaged, and they need to be replaced in due time.
But cracked pillars and doors that are rotting and blackened!
Moreover!
'There are spider webs…' Other things might need frequent repairs, so I could somehow understand that. But the fact that there were spider webs everywhere on the eaves, and they hadn't even bothered to clear them away, was something I couldn't comprehend no matter how hard I tried.
And the final straw was…"
Where's the plaque!
The plaque!
"The plaque is the most important symbol of the sect, isn't it? Where on earth did it go! The plaque that used to say"Daehwasan Sect"in the elegant script of Long Snake Flying was nowhere to be found.
That was something our Senior Brother used to polish every morning! Where did it go! Cheongmyeong's legs began to lose strength.
Stumbling, he managed to walk right in front of the main gate, staring blankly at it. - As far as I know, it’s ruined, right? - The volcano sect? I think I’ve heard of it. Wasn’t it a famous sword sect in the past?
I heard it was completely destroyed by the Celestial Horse. Is it still around?" …Ruined?
The volcano?
Cheongmyeong's eyes trembled.
"No, what kind of nonsense is this!" For others, it would be a situation of despair, but Cheongmyeong couldn't hold back the rising anger and flipped out right there.
The volcano is ruined! There are things that can be ruined, but why the volcano! The volcano! "Oh my, the volcano is ruined. The volcano."
Hah… No matter how much he tried to deny reality, what he saw did not change.
After several times of shaking his body, Cheongmyeong couldn't hold it in and finally let out a roar.
"Senior Brother! Why did you do that! Why! I told you not to do that! You stubborn fool! I told you to stop!" In truth, he had been thinking deep down.
The volcano might really be ruined.
Despite keeping his ears wide open during the journey here, he hadn't heard a single word about the volcano.
He could occasionally hear stories about Wudang or Shaolin, and even about the same province's Jongnam, but everyone seemed to have agreed to avoid mentioning the volcano.
If the volcano were still thriving as it once did… No, even if it had just maintained its sect-like appearance, it would be impossible for it to be like this.
"That's why I said to take it easy. Senior Brother." - Hey, you brat.
The volcano is a sect.
What does it mean for a lofty Taoist to hide away in the mountains, practicing alone and becoming an immortal? Those who turn a blind eye to the hardships of others have no right to discuss the Tao."…But you should have taken it easy."
All the elders and first-generation disciples, and even the second-generation disciples, were wiped out in the great disaster.
Many sects sent their elite forces without reservation, but no sect had sacrificed everything they had like the volcano.
With all the leaders who should have been guiding the sect dead, and the first and second-generation disciples nearly annihilated, what remained were only the barely adult third-generation disciples and young second-generation disciples who hadn't even properly learned martial arts.
In such a situation, how could they carry on the name of the great volcano? "…But still."
It felt like even the faintest hope was crumbling.
Just looking at the old, crumbling main gate was enough to tell.
The volcano was ruined.
"Senior Brother. Senior Brother! So what did I say? If you give to others and follow the principles of the sect, you won't have anything left! Did you want to see this? This? The volcano has fallen from your leadership! From your leadership! How can you face the inspectors in the afterlife! You stubborn man!" Cheongmyeong lay there, cursing.
His resentment echoed back to him.
"I'm going crazy. Really."
After a hundred years of being reborn, the sect has fallen.
He had fought to protect this sect and the martial world… If this was the result, what on earth had they fought for, even risking their lives? A sense of emptiness washed over him.
It was then.
"Who goes there?" A strange voice pierced Cheongmyeong's ears.