Episode 1726. You can’t not lose it. (6)
I was completely speechless.
‘Heo Gong-jin… … .’
The moment he saw a calm smile on the noticeably gaunt face of the empty space, Baekcheon was visibly embarrassed.
‘this… … .’
I’m sure I heard the news. He said that Heogong made a difficult decision to save him.
I may have said it in a discreet way so as not to shock people, but there is no way that about 10,000 people would not understand its meaning.
However, despite knowing all this, Baekcheon could not think of going to the sky and expressing his gratitude. I pretended not to, but in the end, I was so wrapped up in my situation that I even forgot basic courtesy.
The moment Baekcheon realized this, his face turned red.
“S-sorry… … .”
Baekcheon, who was trying to move in a hurry with a feeling of regret, lost his balance and stumbled. Then the void stretched out its hand and lightly held his shoulder.
“Be careful.”
“ah… … .”
“If you fall to your death in a place like this… … Wouldn’t there be some suspicion towards me when I was with him? “I am not confident I can handle the volcano’s wrath.”
It was a soft tone mixed with anger. There was a sense of composure in his words. The youthful embarrassment in Baekcheon’s eyes became a little deeper.
“Isn’t that so?”
It was only after the empty space smiled and asked again that the true Baekcheon cleared his throat and cleared his throat. And although it was a little late, I politely bowed my head towards the sky.
“I heard you saved my life. I was late in saying thank you. “Please forgive me with a generous heart.”
“Forgive me… … .”
The sky repeated softly and then smiled.
“Aren’t we Taoists?”
“… … yes?”
“I just let my mind take its course. It’s not something to be thanked for in the first place. “Then why is there any need for forgiveness?”
“… … .”
“Sit down. Today, I will especially give up my famous place to you.”
Baekcheon nodded and carefully sat down in his seat. Soon, he sat down next to me as if the empty space was no big deal.
There was silence for a moment. It was difficult for Baekcheon, who harbored guilt in his heart, to say anything.
In the silence that continued for a long time, Baekcheon, unable to bear the awkwardness, tried to open his mouth. But it was quicker for the empty space to speak out his words.
“Isn’t it a pretty nice sight?”
“yes?”
Baekcheon looked ahead again in awe.
… … well. If it had been a few days ago, I might have sympathized with the empty words. But now it felt like a rather strange expression. What a nice view of the black, burnt mountainside.
“Don’t you think so?”
When the empty space asked again, an awkward smile appeared at the corner of Baekcheon’s mouth.
“That’s true, but… … .”
“I don’t think so at all.”
Baekcheon eventually smiled bitterly.
“sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. “We just have different eyes for each other.”
“… … .”
“Of course, it looks pretty ugly on the outside… … . well. “Aren’t those burnt-out trees and grass the essence of this mountain?”
Baekcheon’s eyes were filled with doubt. Heo Gong saw the expression on his face wondering what this meant and smiled briefly.
“If the trees on this mountain change into other trees, won’t they no longer be shamans?”
“yes?”
“Or let’s say one day all the trees on this mountain suddenly disappear. So does this mean that this mountain will no longer be Wudang Mountain?”
“… … .”
“Probably not.”
The voice in the air was just calm.
“In the end, shaman refers to this mountain setting. That’s why people around the world just call this mountain, which has different springs and summers and different autumns and winters, a shaman.”
Baekcheon stared blankly into the empty space for a moment.
I had a complicated feeling.
In fact, the empty space he remembers was a harder and sharper person. Far from being someone that others could easily talk to, he was a person who seemed to sleep with his sword in his arms even when he slept at night.
But the person in front of him now is very different from the empty space he knew. To exaggerate a bit, it seems like there are completely different people sitting there, only with similar faces.
“stamp… … .”
A long and deep sigh escaped Baekcheon’s mouth as he roughly guessed the reason for the change.
“sorry. because of me.”
“You’re repeating what I said. “It’s a bad habit.”
“one… … .”
“I like it here. No, to be precise, I liked it. “When I came up here, I felt like my heart was being opened.”
I thought I knew. Isn’t that why Baekcheon climbed here half-instinctively?
The gaze in the sky turned upward. Beyond the mountains and fields, to the high sky.
“Once upon a time. “I believed I could climb to the highest point in the world.”
“… … .”
“No, more accurately, I thought I had to go up. And I was confident that I had enough talent.”
Baekcheon nodded silently.
“Jangmun always said that. The void must lead the shaman to the best sect in the world and become the best sword in the world that no one can deny. And I tell you, he can do it.”
Although not as good as Shaolin’s Hyeyeon, Heogong was also a character who met all the expectations of a shaman. He is a person who would have naturally aimed for the highest position in the world.
“I too have believed that without question. “Yes, until I meet your fate.”
At that moment, a sigh escaped Baekcheon’s mouth without me knowing.
“that… … .”
“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean to be resentful. just… … It was something I realized. “I can’t climb up there.”
Baekcheon’s face hardened.
“Do you understand? I don’t know why, but at some point I’ve been living just to get up there. That was all my life was worth. however… … I suddenly found out that day. “The fact that I can’t become the best sword in the world.”
“stamp… … .”
“After realizing that, this thought suddenly occurred to me. “What value is there to me who has lost my purpose?”
The sky laughed briefly.
However, Baekcheon caught a glimpse of pain in the laughter that was close to passing. I could recognize that feeling because it resembled the despair that was holding onto Baekcheon and not letting go.
“Not anymore, though.”
“… … No? So you’re saying you don’t dwell on it anymore?”
“That’s right.”
At that moment, something stirred inside Baekcheon. It was a completely different feeling from emotion or wonder.
“Are you sure?”
Baekcheon asked back. Heongong, who was about to answer calmly, paused for a moment and looked back at Baekcheon. Because I noticed that his voice was somewhat strange.
“What do you mean by asking?”
“Isn’t that just an excuse?”
“Jangmun Assistant Manager.”
Baekcheon bit his lip gently.
Reason knows that this cannot be done. This person in front of me even gave up martial arts for Baekcheon. He is literally a benefactor.
Moreover, since you owe it to them with your life, that grace cannot be light. Now, Baekcheon’s words and actions are completely out of line.
But even though I knew it, I just couldn’t bear it.
“I don’t mean to disparage the enlightenment of the dojo. Of course, you must have gained great enlightenment. but… … Nevertheless, I would like to ask one thing.”
“What is that?”
“Can you still say that even if you didn’t lose it?”
The sky was silent for a moment, as if it was a little embarrassed.
Baekcheon kept biting his lip as if he was trying to suppress his impulses, but there was no way to stop the dam of emotions that had burst.
The emotions that were out of control were overflowing to the point where he couldn’t handle them.
“Could you have said that even before you were defeated? What if there was still hope? Still, do you think you would have had that thought at some point? “Aren’t you just deceiving yourself as if nothing happened, as if you left the group because you already lost it and can never get it back?”
Baekcheon’s face became increasingly distorted.
I wasn’t angry. It was because of disillusionment. Contempt for myself for spouting such words towards my benefactor welled up from deep in my stomach.
“He who has it does not look down on gold. Because I know its value. However, those who do not have it easily say that gold is nothing. If it’s something you can’t get anyway, it’s easier to disparage its value. How is it? “Can you really say no?”
Baekcheon’s voice became louder little by little. His quivering lips and lost eyes clearly showed that he was in the midst of confusion.
“If only Dojang could get another chance, if only he could regain his martial arts skills and go back to the way he used to be! Would you say the same thing then as you do now? Can you really do that? really?”
“Deputy Jangmun… … .”
“What on earth is a Taoist?!”
Baekcheon’s eyes were bloodshot. A cry of evil rang loudly through Mt. Wudang.
“Is it a way to not be greedy? If you fall while running, is it true that you just laugh and say that this is where I ended up in the first place? Is it true that if I say that I am following the Tao no matter what, everything will be resolved? how… … !”
Baekcheon’s bony hands were shaking. The sky just looked at him with sad eyes.
Baekcheon, who was breathing heavily for a while, soon closed his eyes. His eyelashes trembled pitifully.
“I didn’t even want anything like the sky… … . “It has never happened.”
“… … .”
“just… … .”
Baekcheon’s head slowly lowered.
“I just… … .”
Even the ends of his words seemed to be burning. The empty space that had been watching him in silence stood up. Then, with his eyes set on the distant sky, he opened his mouth.
“What is a Taoist…? … .”
After pondering Baekcheon’s question, Heogong sighed briefly.
“Right. Now that I think about it, you’re right. I acted like I was too proud. “It is said that each person’s pain is different.”
“… … .”
“I was rude. Please forgive me.”
With these last words, the sky turned around.
Baekcheon flinched and raised his head and saw the back of the sky descending from the peak.
I have to say something. Say anything.
“stamp… … .”
I must apologize. The rude behavior he committed a moment ago. About this idiot.
But then, a voice came from the void. I didn’t feel any disappointment or anger towards Baekcheon.
“What was your dream?”
Baekcheon could not answer easily and looked blankly at his back in the sky.
“He may have wanted to make Hwasan the best sect in the world, become a great master, and gain a little fame. It could have been a life of giving what you got. Maybe he was pursuing some value that I couldn’t think of. But that’s it.”
Without even turning his head, a voice in the air slowly penetrated Baekcheon’s ears.
“What were you planning on doing after you accomplished all that?”
The empty space stopped and looked back slightly.
Baekcheon lowered his head, unable to bear to look into those eyes that were as calm as a deep lake. I ended up ignoring it.
“Perhaps what you need now is an answer to that question.”
The sky moves again and goes down the mountain. He was limping slightly. This is because the remnants of the injury have not yet gone away. He brought his body to this place. I thought Baekcheon was here.
Baekcheon closed his eyes, feeling somewhat dazed and eerie.
When he opened his eyes again a little while later, only a cloudless sky stretched out before his eyes.
‘I am… … .’
He sneered in a hoarse voice.
‘He is the worst human being.’
As I lowered my head, sad teardrops formed at the corners of my eyes.
oh…
