The anger was so shocking that it was hard to handle. The eyes of Beop Gye were boiling.
Up until then, the man's arrogance could be tolerated. It was clear that he could punish him for his attitude.
But now, this act has surely crossed the line.
"Taoist."
Beop Gye's voice came out like a growl.
It was incredibly low and ferocious for a Buddhist follower.
"This is a matter of Shaolin."
"…."
"This is not something for outsiders to interfere with. Do you understand?"
Chung Myung glared at Beop Gye without another word.
"You might not have been aware of the situation, so I will not hold you accountable for attacking a disciple of Shaolin. However, if you interfere one more time, I will consider it an attack on Shaolin."
"…"
"So step back. This is not something you can interfere with!"
The reason Beop Gye insisted on saying this was because he had not forgotten that this was Mount Hua. This was the least he could do to enforce Shaolin's discipline within the other sect.
So that Mount Hua's Sword Saint would naturally understand the situation and step down. Anyone with at least a little bit of thought would know what it meant to stop a thing of Shaolin.
But… what he heard next was something that completely shattered his expectations.
"Isn't it you who doesn't understand?"
"…."
At that moment, Beop Gye's eyes widened.
"This is Mount Hua."
Chung Myung bared his teeth and said.
"Anyone who wants to hurt someone inside the Mount Hua sect will have to get permission from the sect leader of Mount Hua. That is the law of Mount Hua."
"…"
"So get off the bald head right now and step back. Before I cut off your neck and not your hand."
The face of Beop Gye contorted horribly.
"… How dare you!"
His anger was reaching its peak, and he was on the verge of losing his reason.
What happened in that room was supposed to be a negotiation process. But this was different. This was a threat, a clash of power.
How could Shaolin need permission from another sect to conduct a punishment? There had never been such a precedent in the history of the Great Shaolin.
Of course, enforcing discipline inside Mount Hua could surely be crossing a line. But that would be an issue both parties could fully understand!
The man now took up his sword, declaring that he would never compromise on something that could be understood.
If this wasn't a challenge to Shaolin, then what was it?
"Do you understand what your actions mean? You dared to say something you cannot handle?"
Beop Gye's voice was brimming with anger. But Chung Myung twisted his lips as if he found it amusing.
"Something I cannot handle?"
It was a mockery. A mockery that was hard to ignore.
Beop Gye's face, never having been mocked like this, turned red.
"You really are speaking carelessly."
Chung Myung tilted his neck to the left and right.
"You don't seem to know much; there was never anything I couldn't handle."
"…."
"So let us confirm whether or not I can handle this."
Beop Gye gritted his teeth at that.
This arrogant person definitely had a penchant for this. It was a clear fact that this young Taoist was the only one who protected the pride of the Justice factions during the Yangtze River War.
But this was no longer something that could be overlooked.
"Young Taoist, you have gone too far. Even if this is the Mount Hua sect, do you think you can be protected by Mount Hua for what you do?"
"Do not be mistaken, bald man."
"What…."
"Mount Hua is protecting you right now, not me."
Chung Myung bared his teeth.
"If this wasn't Mount Hua, if I wasn't a disciple of Mount Hua, I would have already cut off your head. And the head of the abbot right next to you, too."
The mouth of Beop Gye opened wide.
"So get out. Before my patience runs out. There is a limit to what a person can endure."
"…."
Beop Gye of Shaolin, speechless, stared at Chung Myung with eyes of disbelief.
But… he could see one thing for sure.
'This guy is so out of his mind.'
Who in the world would dare say such a thing in front of the abbot of Shaolin? Even the brats of the Evil Sect wouldn't dare say such a thing.
What kind of place was Shaolin?
It was said that the current state of affairs in the Murim World did not allow them to show the same influence as in the past, but that didn't mean that Shaolin's strength had diminished.
It means that the current Shaolin was no different from the Shaolin which led the Murim for a hundred years.
But wasn't this man completely denying that and denying the authority of Shaolin?
He was so bewildered that he couldn't get angry at the child. He didn't even know what to say. All he could do was glare at Chung Myung while trembling as if he felt cold.
"Taoist!"
At that moment, an unexpected voice burst out. It was Hae Yeon.
He shouted.
"This is Shaolin's matter! I know how the Taoist feels, but if you think of me, don't act out…"
"What now? Shut up, baldie!"
"…."
Hae Yeon flinched, looking at Chung Myung in confusion.
"I will handle this, so just keep your mouth shut!"
"A-amitabha…"
And then.
The abbot, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth.
"Mount Hua's Sword Saint."
The two people's gazes clashed.
"Do not be stubborn now."
"…."
"In this world, if there is something to gain, there is also something to lose. If you have decided to be hostile to Shaolin, you can no longer get involved in the internal affairs of Shaolin."
It was a cold voice.
"This is no different from the result of your choice. If you make a choice, you need to learn to pay the price."
At first glance, it sounded like a quiet, soothing tone, but the voice was filled with the strength and authority of the abbot of the great Shaolin. Most people, unable to withstand the pressure of this voice, would have backed down.
But the person in front of him was Chung Myung.
"You seem to know that well."
"… What did you just say?"
He looked at the abbot with infinitely calm eyes and said,
"I said you know that well. As you mentioned, everything in the world comes with a price. So I will ask…"
Chung Myung paused for a moment and then smiled crookedly.
"How do you plan on paying the price for hurting someone in the realm of Mount Hua?"
The abbot glared at Chung Myung with a blank expression.
"Until now, I…"
The killing intent in his voice began to strangle Chung Myung.
"Have shown so much mercy."
"…."
"But this isn't just a problem between you and me. If you get involved in this matter any longer, it will not just be me who is angry, but Shaolin and it will not just be you who has to bear the anger, but Mount Hua."
Chung Myung's eyes gradually darkened.
As if driving a wedge in, the abbot's words echoed through Mount Hua.
"I will ask."
The momentum emanating from his body was too much for Mount Hua.
"Can you, Mount Hua…"
"…."
"Be confident that you can handle the wrath of Shaolin?"
It wasn't the gaze of someone walking the same path.
It was the gaze that purely looked at an enemy.
It seemed as if his eyes were saying that, depending on how Chung Myung answered, whether Mount Hua and Shaolin would turn into enemies or not would be determined.
It was truly a heavy question, and the answer had to be even heavier.
But Chung Myung remained calm.
"Are you confident you can turn Shaolin into an enemy…."
He mumbled for a moment and then smiled faintly.
"That doesn't seem like a question I should answer, but for someone else to do so."
"Hmm?"
At that moment.
Step. Step. Step.
A person slowly walked over and stood next to Chung Myung.
It was Baek Cheon.
He glared at the abbot with eyes like a sharpened blade.
And another person, Yu Yiseol, filled Chung Myung's other side with her indifferent face. Her expression was as if it didn't matter, but her hand was on the sword at her waist.
There would be no other way to show her will than through that.
They were not the only ones.
Yoon Jong, who had been walking calmly, stood next to Baek Cheon, and Jo Gul, who was shaking his shoulders, wanting to rush in, filled the side of Yu Yiseol.
Soon, Tang Soso, Baek Sang, and even the other disciples of Mount Hua, who had been watching this from afar, narrowed the distance as if they were surrounding the abbot and Beop Gye.
Their gazes were clear.
"Is this… the will of Mount Hua?"
The abbot asked. There was just one person who could answer that question.
"I don't know what the situation here is, abbot. And monk."
Baek Cheon briefly glanced at the two and turned to Hae Yeon.
"But… one thing is certain, whether this is right or wrong, Mount Hua does not know how to abandon a comrade who fought and shed blood together."
The abbot clenched his fist.
There was not a single waver in Baek Cheon's voice, and his gaze was also straight without an inch of wavering.
"Even if it means turning Shaolin into our enemy, it doesn't matter. Mount Hua would rather die with its comrades than abandon them and survive alone. That is…"
He declared calmly.
"What Mount Hua learned from its ancestors a hundred years ago."
The moment Baek Cheon finished speaking, Chung Myung suddenly looked up at the sky.
'… Sahyung.'
A hundred years ago. That was truly an incredibly stupid thing to do.
An action full of regrets.
But now, their descendants were talking about that time. They said they learned from that very past, which he thought was something regrettable.
'Maybe we…'
A small smile formed on Chung Myung's lips.
'We weren't so stupid.'
The abbot couldn't hide his anger and spoke through clenched teeth.
"Are you even qualified to say that to me, Mount Hua's Righteous Sword?"
"Of course, abbot."
The response came from someone other than Baek Cheon.
"All of Mount Hua's disciples can represent Mount Hua. That is because Mount Hua teaches it that way."
"… sect leader."
Hyun Jong, who had arrived before anyone realized, hardened his expression upon seeing Hae Yeon still kneeling.
"Even if Monk Hae Yeon is not a disciple of Mount Hua, Mount Hua doesn't distinguish between its disciples and comrades. If you want to harm him, you will have to deal with the entire Mount Hua."
As the soft but firm voice echoed, Hae Yeon's shoulders began to tremble.
Unable to hold back, tears fell from his large eyes as he lowered his head.
The abbot glared at him and said.
"Sect leader… it seems like you find Shaolin easy."
"That isn't what this is."
"If it isn't, then how dare you interfere when Shaolin is punishing its disciples? Sect leader, you will definitely regret this."
"Ha!"
Suddenly, laughter burst out of Chung Myung's mouth, and the abbot asked with an enraged face.
"… What is so funny here?"
Chung Myung shook his head as if he couldn't hold back the laughter.
"It seems that the abbot still doesn't understand Mount Hua."
"I didn't understand?"
His face was filled with doubt. What more could he possibly understand now?
Chung Myung laughed out loud for a moment and then kindly explained.
"If you don't know, I will tell you. So listen carefully. Mount Hua fought against the Ten Thousand People Clan even when we had nothing, and fought against the Four Precepts Alliance until the end, even when everyone else was begging for their lives."
"…."
The disciples of Mount Hua burst into laughter at those words.
"And that isn't all. A hundred years ago, Mount Hua fought against the Demonic Cult, right?"
"That does make sense."
"… isn't it a tradition to be fearless at this point?"
The abbot couldn't hide his bewildered expression as he watched the disciples of Mount Hua suddenly laughing among themselves.
"That is what Mount Hua is."
At that moment, Chung Myung's voice forcibly caught his attention.
"Do we think of Shaolin as a threat?"
"…."
"I am sorry, but this is a sect where only insane people who cannot convince themselves will fight until they die, whether they are demons or morons."
"Ahem."
"That is too much now."
"… he went too far."
Chung Myung ignored the protests of the other disciples.
"So if you want to threaten someone, do it after seeing who they are."
The sound of the abbot gritting his teeth spread eerily.
"And… I will tell you something just in case, so remember it."
Chung Myung's cold gaze pierced through the abbot.
"There have been sects which have faced Shaolin and been safe throughout history, but there has never been a sect which has treated Mount Hua as its enemy and been safe."
"…"
"So stop making threats that won't work and get out of Mount Hua right now. Before my patience runs out."
The face of the abbot had turned red. At least now, his face looked more like the Asura from hell than a monk serving Buddha.
"Shaolin will…."
He spoke softly with bloodshot eyes.
"Not forget today's humiliation."
"So be it."
He looked at Chung Myung, Hyun Jong, and the other disciples of Mount Hua as if he wanted to engrave their images into his mind. Finally, he glared at Hae Yeon, who was kneeling and then turned without another word.
"A-abbot!"
"Let's go!"
He turned around so that the cold wind blew and led Beop Gye as he walked briskly out of Mount Hua.
"Uh…"
Hae Yeon looked back at the abbot, leaving him behind with shocked eyes. At that moment, someone grabbed his shoulder.
"… T-taoist Jo Gul."
"Man, why are you getting your knees dirty here? Get up."
"I…"
Yoon Jong smiled and grabbed Hae Yeon's other shoulder to help him up.
"Our monk is in big trouble now. It seems like you won't be able to return to Shaolin."
"…."
Hae Yeon bit his lips tightly.
How on earth should he express this feeling?
"… thank you."
No matter how much he thought about it, that was all he could say.
Baek Cheon slightly patted him on the shoulder and smiled brightly.
Of course, it wasn't that he didn't worry about the future. But…
'There is no reason to hesitate about what needs to be done.'
Chung Myung's words and Hyun Jong's words paved the way in their hearts.
"If it isn't right, then it isn't Mount Hua."
This must be the will that Mount Hua must continue.