Return of the Mount Hua Sect (HTL 1634+)

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"Do we really need to keep following them? At this point, wouldn't it be better if we just…"

"Be quiet."

Even after being cut off, the person continued to grumble while staring ahead.

"No, I mean, if we're going to provide protection, wouldn't it be better to do it up close? We're about to enter a dangerous area, and at this rate…"

"It's the merchant lord's orders. We must not cause them any inconvenience."

The person sighed heavily.

"Our primary duty is to protect the main headquarters of the Heavenly Alliance. Strictly speaking, the Eunha Merchant Master isn't even our superior."

"So, are you saying we should ignore him?"

"That's not what I meant, but…"

It wasn't incorrect to say that the Eunha Merchant Master wasn't part of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. But that didn't mean they could disregard him. Even though he didn't hold an official title, it was undeniable that the Eunha Merchant Master was managing all the affairs of the main headquarters in the absence of the Alliance Leader.

That's why they had been assigned to protect them.

"Could this not cause problems later?"

"Enough with the nonsense. What kind of problems could there be?"

Frustrated by the lack of response, the person sighed deeply.

In truth, he knew well that his words were just pointless complaints. But there was a reason he was so irritated.

His gaze turned to the figures ahead of him.

'What on earth is this?'

They didn't eat, sleep, or rest. They just kept moving forward, relentlessly. Because of that, they had already reached the border between Hubei and Henan, even at a slow pace.

It was good to arrive quickly, but the problem was that even those escorting them couldn't eat, rest, or sleep.

'Why are they doing something so strange?'

Upon closer inspection, although the young man leading the way seemed ordinary, the person following him definitely showed signs of martial prowess. If that was the case, wouldn't it be better to use light-footed techniques and get there faster?

"Let me remind you once again, do not lower your guard. If anything happens to them, no one will be able to take responsibility. Understood?"

"….Yes."

The escorts nodded heavily.

Eyebrows tinged white twitched slightly. Beneath those brows, tears of fatigue trickled from his eyes.

What he was staring at were the feet of the person walking ahead… to be precise, his steps.

Step by step, with every firm footfall, the ground became soaked. Blood flowed from his feet, staining the earth, and as much as the land was stained, Panchen Lama's concern deepened.

Even though the Dalai Lama was a Buddha who had not yet left the earthly realm, his body was ultimately no different from that of an ordinary child. The pain must have been significant, yet those steps showed no signs of stopping.

Steps like an ascetic's journey, without food, rest, or water. Whatever profound meaning might be behind them, it was still painful to watch.

"Master."

"…."

"Master."

Only after Panchen Lama called out again did the Dalai Lama briefly halt his steps. But the Dalai Lama didn't bother to turn around.

"If you continue like this, your body will suffer. If there is an urgent reason to proceed, allow me to carry you instead."

Finally, the Dalai Lama turned to face Panchen Lama.

Though his face still bore the youthful redness of a child, his shaved head seemed slightly out of place. Yet, those deep, captivating eyes created an air of mystery.

"No one can bear another's burdens."

"….."

"Therefore, no one can walk this path in their place."

"But…. Master."

"If you believe there is an end to the path, then the pain must be endured. But if you know there is no end to the path, the word 'endurance' becomes meaningless."

Panchen Lama reflected deeply.

In truth, he didn't fully understand what the Dalai Lama was trying to say. The question he asked and the answer he received didn't seem to align.

But he was used to such answers.

To someone who sees what he can't and knows what he doesn't, even the same world must look different, perhaps even the principles of the world itself.

"But, Lama. Then why are you in such a hurry?"

If life is an inevitable sea of suffering, then the pain that the children of this world endure is also unavoidable.

If suffering stems from anguish and no one can bear that anguish for them, then what meaning is there in the Dalai Lama's steps?

What reason could there be to continue these painful, bloodied steps without any apparent purpose?

The Dalai Lama's eyes took on a different light as he answered this question. His lips moved slightly before he spoke.

"It is because….."

A brief silence fell.

Perhaps, in that short moment, Panchen Lama saw not the living Buddha, but just a human being trying to live through a world full of suffering.

"It is because this is my karma."

"…. I see."

Panchen Lama sighed deeply without realizing it.

How much meaning was contained in that single word, "karma"?

That answer was both the solution to every question and, at the same time, revealed nothing.

Since Panchen Lama had not yet attained enlightenment, he couldn't offer any rebuttal to the Dalai Lama's discussion of karma. It would be useless and vain for someone who can't escape human flesh and desires to discuss immortality and the path.

Normally, the conversation would have ended there, but today it continued a bit further.

"In the end, karma is entanglement."

Panchen Lama's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"…. Entanglement, you say?"

"It is the entanglement that causes suffering, and therefore it must be severed. But severing it is also a form of suffering."

"….."

"To escape from the cycle of suffering that the world speaks of is to cast off all desires, to break free from the sea of human pain."

"Yes, Master."

"But Is this truly an entanglement?"

"It's just a breeze."

"Is it really.... an entanglement?"

"..... Master?"

Doubt flashed across Panchen Lama's eyes for a moment.

"I wish to ask you. Is liberation truly an entanglement?"

"What do you mean by that...?"

Soon, the look on Panchen Lama's face, as he gazed at the Dalai Lama, was filled with shock.

A practitioner must question everything and break down what they believe to be true. One cannot progress unless they shatter their own world.

A person trapped in the prison of desires spends their entire life trying to break through the limits of their senses and transcend the illusion of concepts.

But the doubt the Dalai Lama had just expressed was not of such a simple nature.

He had questioned 'liberation' the ultimate goal of practitioners.

"What do you mean by this? I.... I can't possibly understand."

The Dalai Lama didn't answer. He simply looked at Panchen Lama with sunken eyes.

It was truly a strange thing.

To Panchen Lama, those eyes looked unbearably sorrowful. Even though the Dalai Lama had long since transcended human desires and emotions.

"That's why I must go."

"..."

"As you said, Lama, perhaps nothing can be done. No, it's certain. That's why this is not his karma, but my karma. The karma of attachment."

"Master."

"I simply... wish to hear it. Simply..."

After saying something incomprehensible, the Dalai Lama turned away and started walking again.

Panchen Lama let out a deep sigh.

'My karma....'

Liberation originally means to escape from attachments and leave behind the sea of suffering. It implies rejecting even the karma entangled with human life.

But the Dalai Lama spoke of his own karma.

Does this mean that even one who has become a Buddha, surpassing the process of liberation, can't escape karma? Or does it mean that the weight of karma must be endured just as before, even with an incomplete liberation trapped in a human body?

He couldn't know. But that made him all the more curious.

'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.'

What exactly does the Dalai Lama want to ask him? And how will the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword answer?

Perhaps we will find out soon.

A mountain standing tall in the distance came into view.

'Wudang.'

The person they seek is there. The one who holds the key to all of this.

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Whoosh.

Jo Geol dashed towards the burning village faster than anyone, drawing his sword like a flash of lightning.

But his sword soon quivered in the air, finding no target. Jo Geol could not bring himself to strike anything.

"This....."

There was nothing.

Not just enemies—there was no sign of life at all. Not a single living being, not even a dog, remained.

Griit.

Jo Geol ground his teeth harshly. His eyes fell upon a pile of corpses in the middle of the village. The mound of bodies stood tall, almost like a small grave.

He knew instantly. These bodies were not piled up for convenience. They were stacked purely for display.

To mock those who had arrived too late.

Jo Geol took a ragged breath.

"Where...?"

His bloodshot eyes, filled with anger and guilt, began to strain.

"Where are they? Where are they, those damned bastards! I'll kill them all!"

"Calm down, Geol-ah!"

"Let go of me!"

Jo Geol shook off Yoon Jong's hand.

If only they had arrived a little sooner, no one would have died like this. How could they have not known that these bastards could attack civilians at any time?

"I'll kill them all... every last one!"

Trembling with rage, Jo Geol scanned the surroundings, searching for any trace of the departed enemies.

"Over here! I found it! The bastards headed this way, Sahyung!"

Just as Jo Geol was about to recklessly dash forward.

"Wait a minute! There are footprints here too. It seems the villagers fled this way."

"What?"

Jo Geol hesitated.

While chasing the enemy was important, they couldn't neglect the survivors either.

"Then let's split up..."

"Wait. You all, come here for a moment."

"Yes?"

Baek Sang, who had been silently observing the situation up front, gestured with a serious expression. Without a word, everyone rushed to where he stood.

".... What is this?"

Baek Sang pointed at a corpse. Though the village was filled with bodies, at first glance, it didn't seem out of the ordinary.

But everyone's faces hardened just like Baek Sang's.

".... Are these from the Evil Tyrant Alliance?"

"It seems so."

The clothing style of several headless corpses matched that of the evil sect members.

"Does this mean someone fought these bastards here?"

"But who? We should have been the first ones here..."

"....There's no one else around."

The Mount Hua disciples stared down at the cold bodies with doubt in their eyes. After a brief moment of contemplation, Yoon Jong spoke.

"Let's chase the enemy first. If we waste time, they might attack another village."

"Right."

"Agreed!"

"Soso, you lead a few and search for the survivors."

"Got it."

"Hurry!"

"Yes!"

Without looking back, Jo Geol dashed in the direction where the enemy's tracks led. The other disciples of Mount Hua quickly began moving according to Yoon Jong's orders.

But Yoon Jong himself couldn't bring himself to move immediately. Something on the ground had caught his eye.

A common iron sword, lying on the ground, kept nagging at his mind for some reason.

"Sahyung!"

"I'm coming."

At the urging from afar, Yoon Jong hastily picked up the sword.

'It can't be.'

He attached the sword to his waist, glanced around briefly, and then swiftly followed Jo Geol's path.

Only a desolate wind remained where they had been.