Chapter 9

Chapter 8. Goodness, the Huashan Sect is in decline. (3)

Xuancong, the current leader of Huashan, looked at Yunyan with a peculiar expression.

"You mean he climbed all the way here alone?"

"Yes."

"And he lost consciousness at Yuchuan Garden?"

"Yes. Given his ragged appearance, it seems he hasn't eaten well. If he did climb Huashan alone, it's no wonder he collapsed from exhaustion."

"That's true."

Xuancong smiled subtly.

The ruggedness of Huashan is challenging even for a grown man. For a child to climb here alone, the fatigue must be indescribable.

"So where is the child now?"

"He has been moved to the Xuemei Hall. Just in case, I called Yunzhen to check his pulse, but he said there's no major problem other than being weak."

"Thank goodness."

Xuancong nodded slowly.

Regardless of the circumstances, anyone who enters Huashan can be considered a guest of Huashan. It would not be desirable for a guest to fall ill within Huashan.

"It's quite unusual for a child to climb Huashan alone. Did he have any particular reason?"

"I planned to ask him slowly after he paid respects at Yuchuan Garden, but he lost consciousness before I could ask."

"I see."

"However…"

"Hmm?"

Yunyan frowned slightly and explained the situation.

Xuancong tilted his head after hearing the details.

"He said he sold it?"

"Yes."

"Did the child really say that?"

"Yes. I thought about letting it go, but it seemed too strange."

"Hmm."

Xuancong stroked his beard.

"Of course, I might have misunderstood. But, Sect Leader, there's more. Before I could say anything, the child asked me if I was a Daoist of Huashan. It seems he knew this place was Huashan."

"That's true."

"Could he have some ulterior motive…?"

Xuancong burst into laughter.

"Are you worried?"

"It's not that…"

"What's so strange about knowing this is Huashan? It was once a famous Daoist sect. It's not unusual that some remember it."

"Yes."

"And he could be a descendant of someone who left Huashan."

"Oh…"

Yunyan nodded.

As the sect declined, many left Huashan. Those who stayed until the end were in the minority. If they were descendants of those who stayed, it would be natural for them to know about Huashan.

"You should only worry if there's something to steal. What could be left in Huashan for someone to have ulterior motives?"

"…Sect Leader."

Yunyan's face showed a hint of concern, but Xuancong, not noticing, muttered to himself.

"He said he sold it."

Xuancong smiled.

"Yes… That's right. Perhaps he is a descendant of someone who left. Knowing what the Yuchuan Garden used to be, it would make sense. I feel embarrassed for the child."

"…Sect Leader."

"It's fine. If he really sold it, there's no need to be ashamed."

Yunyan swallowed hard.

'Best not to say more.'

The child didn't just say "sold it," but rather:

"He's selling it, those crazy bastards."

Xuancong would surely have a different reaction if he knew the full statement, but Yunyan couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Understood. Bring the child to me as soon as he wakes up."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

Xuancong fell into deep thought.

'He said he sold it.'

It felt like salt on a wound.

'The elders won't forgive me.'

No matter how much it was for the sake of saving Huashan, selling the artifacts from Yuchuan Garden, which are part of Huashan's history, made it hard for him to face the elders.

Despite trying not to think about it…

Xuancong's face darkened.

'At least, Huashan's name shouldn't end in my generation.'

He no longer dreamed of commanding the world again. His only wish was that Huashan wouldn't fall during his time.

But even this small wish was becoming increasingly difficult.

Yunyan, who had been quietly observing Xuancong, stood up and bowed.

"I'll go now."

"Hmm."

As Yunyan was about to leave, he suddenly turned back and asked.

"Sect Leader."

"Hmm?"

"If the child wishes to join the sect, what do you plan to do?"

"Join the sect…"

Huashan is not currently accepting new disciples. But if the child had a past connection, it might be different.

"We are not accepting new disciples."

"Understood."

As Xuancong nodded to see Yunyan off, he tilted his head and spoke.

"Wait."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

"What was the child's name?"

"Qingming. His name is Qingming."

"…Qingming."

Xuancong's expression became subtle.

"Understood. You may go."

"Yes, then."

After Yunyan left, Xuancong spoke to himself.

"Qingming…"

The name of the child who came to Huashan was the same as the former Sword Master.

"Unusual."

It was indeed unusual.

"If he were still alive…"

Qingming, one of the Three Great Swordsmen, if he had survived the massacre, Huashan's fate would have been different. It was a meaningless assumption, but Xuancong couldn't let go of the regret.

"…Boundless Buddha."

Alone, Xuancong's chant filled the hall with a lonely air.

* * *

"Damn bastards."

Qingming cursed.

"Selling what they can't sell? Selling their own vomit?"

His anger boiled inside.

There are things you can sell even if you starve, and things you can't.

No matter how much Yanxiangbaimaihua (a precious item) might look like a cheap decoration, and even if the people who could explain its true value to the children were all dead… still!

Even if Huashan falls, selling…

"No, it's better than falling."

If the elders saw the current Qingming, they would have scolded him. What's the point of being obsessed with a mere external object? No matter how significant it is, a Daoist shouldn't be attached to material things.

He knows. He knows that!

"Ugh."

Qingming groaned and looked down. The open view made him feel a bit better.

In the past, whenever he felt suffocated, he would climb Lianhua Peak and look at the scenery of Huashan. The jagged peaks and endless mountains would inspire a sense of grandeur.

But now…

"Ugh."

Grandeur, my ass. His stomach just churned.

Every time he saw the halls of Huashan below, he felt a deep sense of decay.

"The disciples have decreased."

More accurately, it's almost in ruins.

"Everything valuable has been sold."

If Yuchuan Garden is in such a state, the rest is obvious. Yuchuan Garden is the last place to touch when things get really bad.

After seeing the pitiful state of Yuchuan Garden, he understood why other places were so old and dilapidated. There was no money for repairs. How desperate must they have been to sell even the blue stones from the training ground?

"…So, everything else is fine! I understand everything!"

But!

Why is the martial arts in such a state?

Qingming started rolling on the ground.

Rolling down a sheer cliff is not something a sane person would do, but Qingming didn't have the time to think about that.

He would die from anger before falling to his death.

"An old man… worse than the third-generation disciple?"

This is about Yunyan.

Originally, Qingming shouldn't be able to gauge Yunyan's martial arts level. Even though Qingming was once one of the Three Great Swordsmen, he is now just a scholar.

But Qingming could clearly see Yunyan's level.

Because Qingming was so strong?

Not at all.

Because Yunyan's current martial arts level is too low. If Qingming were back in his prime, Yunyan wouldn't even be a Daoist. He would probably be a student studying Daoist principles.

To be worse than a third-generation disciple at an age where one should be a senior disciple…

"…What can I do about this?"

He has no idea where to start. It might be better to start from scratch. Then he could do whatever he wanted without worrying about anything.

But this is Huashan, isn't it?

'Should I just tell them I'm Qingming?'

He would just get beaten and chased away.

Even if he believed it, Qingming wouldn't believe it himself.

Even if they were infinitely rational and understood his stories and martial arts knowledge, recognizing him as the former Qingming, it wouldn't be a good thing.

'I don't have the strength to protect my knowledge now.'

Qingming is like a rolling treasure. He has enough knowledge to revive a sect, but no strength to protect himself.

Qingming knows.

His senior brother was a great Daoist, but not all Daoists in Huashan are good and pure. Qingming himself is far from being good.

If someone with bad intentions overpowered Qingming?

He would be stripped of everything and buried somewhere, ending his second life in vain.

'That can't happen.'

So…

"Then I have to revive Huashan without revealing that I'm Qingming."

At least until he regains enough strength to protect himself.

"…Fighting the Devil Sect again would be easier."

It's a level of difficulty that makes him laugh bitterly.

He needs to teach martial arts to save Huashan, but he can't let it be known that he knows martial arts. Where else would such an impossible situation exist?

He wants to give up and walk away…

Qingming sighed heavily and looked down. The partially cloud-covered view of Huashan appeared before his eyes.

"…If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have caused so much trouble."

He owes Huashan.

The reason he could boast about being one of the Three Great Swordsmen was because of what Huashan gave him.

But he has given nothing back to Huashan. The only thing he gave was the honor of defeating the Heavenly Demon, which led to Huashan's decline and near collapse.

How could he turn his back on Huashan?

It would be against his principles.

"Oh, senior brother…"

Qingming looked up. In the clear sky, he imagined his senior brother smiling at him.

- It's still Huashan.

"…Ugh."

Qingming shook his head and stood up.

To avoid being beaten to death by his senior brother in the afterlife, he must somehow make this collapsing Huashan functional.

"Damn, is there anything impossible in this world?"

When he was learning martial arts at Huashan, who thought he would become the best in Huashan? Everyone just hoped he wouldn't cause trouble!

Qingming, who overcame those skeptical gazes to become the best in Huashan, excelled at challenging the impossible. Now that it's come to this…

"I'll make Huashan the greatest sect in the world!"

Qingming's eyes burned with determination.

And at that moment, everyone in Huashan felt an inexplicable chill.