Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Sometimes Unexpected Guests Arrive (3)

Sage Hyeon-so and Sage Cheong-heo left the Cloud Mist Palace together. The first to approach them was Mu-gyeong.

"Martial Uncle!"

"The Grandmaster summons you. Go in at once."

"Understood."

Mu-gyeong answered and dashed into the Cloud Mist Palace.

Sage Hyeon-so's gaze fell upon Dam Ho.

"Let us go."

"Yes, Master."

"Might we accompany you?"

At Sage Cheong-heo's sudden request, Sage Hyeon-so looked puzzled.

"What? You would not stay at the guest quarters?"

"Rather than such a formal place, I would prefer to stay at Taoist Hyeon-so's residence. Would that be permissible?"

"There is no reason it would not be…"

"Then I will presume upon your hospitality."

When the other party pressed the matter so, there was no grounds for refusal.

"If you do not mind the humble accommodations…"

"You have my thanks. So-ha, come along."

"Yes!"

Yeon So-ha followed behind Sage Cheong-heo as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Sage Cheong-heo smiled at Sage Hyeon-so.

"This is my disciple."

"I see. This one is my disciple. Pay your respects."

Sage Hyeon-so introduced Dam Ho.

Dam Ho offered a fist-and-palm salute to Sage Cheong-heo.

"I am Cheong-gyeong of the Mount Hua Sect."

"A pleasure. You resemble your Master—quite the striking young man."

"Shall we be going?"

Sage Hyeon-so took the lead. Dam Ho followed behind him as though it were the most natural thing, and Sage Cheong-heo and Yeon So-ha trailed after them.

Sage Cheong-heo looked around as he walked.

"The scenery of Mount Hua is truly magnificent. How enviable to be able to gaze upon such beauty every day."

"I have heard the scenery of Mount Wu is equally exceptional."

"Ha ha! How could it compare to Mount Hua? The mountains of Mount Hua seem to reflect the very spirit of the Mount Hua Sect. Do you not agree, So-ha?"

"Indeed."

Yeon So-ha nodded.

The scenery of Mount Wu was in no way inferior.

The seventy-two peaks were filled with spiritual energy, and the mountains were so beautiful that visitors came throughout all four seasons.

Mount Hua was different. The craggy rock formations and peaks piercing the sky like daggers exuded not so much beauty as majesty. Perhaps because of this, one sensed in them a spirit as sharp as a blade.

New scenery brought new feelings. Yeon So-ha smiled softly, moved by sensations she had never before experienced.

At that moment, her gaze suddenly fell upon Dam Ho, who walked ahead of them. She noticed he walked with a slight limp.

'He limps?'

A faint furrow appeared between her brows.

Even with a whole body, reaching the pinnacle of martial arts was harder than threading a needle. For a cripple to attain such heights was simply inconceivable.

He looked quite sturdy, but a limp was a fatal flaw. Yeon So-ha concluded that Dam Ho could never reach the highest realm.

'Perhaps it does not matter, since he is a Scholar Taoist's disciple?'

Her gaze drifted to Sage Cheong-heo. He too had noticed Dam Ho's limp, and a sympathetic look crossed his face.

'What a pity. His talent seems far from ordinary.'

He was the first disciple of Sage Hyeon-so whose company she had enjoyed since coming to Mount Hua, which made it all the more regrettable.

But unable to reveal her feelings, she instead deflected with a light remark:

"Living in such a fine place—that must be the source of your deep Daoist power."

"Daoist power? Too generous by far."

Sage Hyeon-so flushed red and waved his hand in protest. At his reaction, Sage Cheong-heo's smile deepened.

When they at last arrived at Sage Hyeon-so's dwelling, Sage Cheong-heo's exclamations reached their peak.

"Oh! This is it? What a splendid view! I, Cheong-heo, have today opened my eyes anew. Such scenery!"

The rich scent of plum blossoms and the magnificent vista naturally piqued his interest. Sage Cheong-heo laughed heartily again and again.

Seated upon the platform in the courtyard, the majestic panorama of Mount Hua was all the more striking.

"I am rewarded for imposing myself upon Taoist Hyeon-so."

Sage Cheong-heo wore a look of genuine delight. Sage Hyeon-so, in turn, smiled.

Sage Hyeon-so, who had long stood at the margins of the Mount Hua Sect by virtue of being a Scholar Taoist—until now, no one had ever come to his dwelling and shown him such a sincere smile.

"Wait just a moment. I will prepare something for you to refresh yourself."

"Do not trouble yourself, Taoist Hyeon-so. The scenery is fine, the breeze is fine—what need is there for refreshment? This alone is enough."

What Sage Cheong-heo produced from his waist was a rather large gourd flask. From the stopper, the faint fragrance of wine drifted forth.

Sage Hyeon-so's expression changed slightly.

"What is that?"

"Have a drink, Taoist Hyeon-so."

Sage Cheong-heo held the flask out to him. Sage Hyeon-so looked troubled.

"I do not drink wine…"

"This is not wine. It is drinking nature."

Sage Cheong-heo's words struck Sage Hyeon-so's heart with an inexplicable persuasiveness.

Sage Hyeon-so glanced at Dam Ho. With an impassive expression, Dam Ho said:

"I will guide Miss Yeon around Mount Hua."

"R-really?"

"Please come with me, Miss Yeon."

Yeon So-ha, perceptive enough, nodded silently.

Leaving Sage Cheong-heo and Sage Hyeon-so behind, the two stepped outside.

"Ha ha ha!"

Sage Cheong-heo's laughter echoed from behind them.

Yeon So-ha spoke:

"I am sorry. My Master has caused you trouble…"

"Not at all."

"He is fine in every other way, but he loves his drink far too much."

"You need not apologize to me. If it does not trouble my Master, it does not trouble me."

"I appreciate your understanding. The truth is, there is quite a bit of talk about him back at the sect as well."

If Sage Cheong-heo had one flaw, it was his love of wine. Because of it, he had been warned by the Grandmaster on numerous occasions and scolded by his elders, but no one had ever succeeded in breaking the old Taoist of his habit.

The two walked on in silence for a time.

Dam Ho was taciturn to an extreme. Yeon So-ha felt stifled by his silence, so she spoke first.

"When did Young Hero Cheong-gyeong join the Mount Hua Sect?"

"Six years ago."

"That is not very long?"

"That is correct."

"Then have you been with your Master ever since you joined?"

"Yes."

"Is it not lonely? Living in such a remote place—it must be quite isolating."

"I am not lonely, because my Master is with me."

"I see. You share a deep bond with your Master."

"…"

Dam Ho did not answer, but Yeon So-ha was able to glean much.

'The relationship between Young Hero Cheong-gyeong and the Mount Hua Sect is not a good one.'

She could tell from the isolated dwelling alone, and from the awkward manner in which Mu-gyeong had treated Dam Ho.

Yeon So-ha was the first female disciple the Wudang Sect had accepted in a long time. Her martial talent was correspondingly exceptional.

Her intelligence was renowned throughout the Wudang Sect. For this, she was doted upon by the senior Taoists.

Sage Cheong-heo had not brought her along on a whim. He wished for Yeon So-ha to broaden her horizons by climbing Mount Hua herself. Such were his expectations of her.

Yeon So-ha followed Dam Ho as he showed her around Mount Hua, committing every sight to her keen eyes. Her deep gaze sparkled like starlight.

Before they knew it, darkness had descended upon the summit.

"We should head back now."

"This way."

Dam Ho walked along the mountain path as dusk deepened.

The terrain of Mount Hua was dizzyingly steep. One wrong step could send one plunging down a precipice thousands of feet deep. Yet Dam Ho navigated this perilous path despite his limp.

"Young Hero Cheong-gyeong."

"Yes?"

"Does it not trouble you?"

Though the subject was omitted, Dam Ho understood what she was asking.

"I am used to it."

"Is that so? I am glad."

Sincerity was evident in Yeon So-ha's voice. But Dam Ho felt nothing from her words.

Everyone looked at his leg and wore a worried expression. He had felt the pity beneath it, the condescension, or the contempt, so many times that his emotions had grown numb.

Whether Yeon So-ha's words were sincere or merely polite, it did not matter. Such words could no longer affect him in any way.

Dam Ho led the way, and they arrived at Sage Hyeon-so's dwelling in short order.

"You're back?"

The one who greeted them was Sage Hyeon-so, his face flushed red and his tongue thoroughly tangled. It was unclear how much he had drunk, but his eyes were hazy and unfocused.

"Master."

"Heh heh! Your Master had a wee drink. Hic!"

Sage Hyeon-so, mid-hiccup, suddenly collapsed face-first onto the platform. He had passed out.

Sage Cheong-heo looked sheepish.

"I barely gave him any…"

He had drunk only three cups, yet he had gotten so drunk that he had been rambling incoherently the entire time.

The name most frequently mentioned in his rambling was Dam Ho. One could easily see just how great Sage Hyeon-so's affection for his disciple truly was.

Sage Cheong-heo wore a mildly guilty expression.

"My apologies."

"Not at all."

Dam Ho lifted the unconscious Sage Hyeon-so onto his back and bowed to Sage Cheong-heo.

"The room next door is empty. Please sleep there. There are blankets and pillows."

"There is no need. This platform is my bed. How could I sleep in a cramped room when such a view lies before my eyes?"

Sage Cheong-heo patted the platform with his palm.

Dam Ho's gaze turned to Yeon So-ha.

"Then Miss Yeon, please sleep inside."

"I will. Thank you."

"Then…"

Dam Ho offered a slight bow and withdrew into the room.

Once they were alone, Sage Cheong-heo's complexion changed entirely. The flushed look of intoxication that had moments ago seemed so genuine vanished as though blown away by the wind, and he appeared exactly as he always did.

His gaze settled upon Yeon So-ha.

"Well? What did you think?"

"He seemed ordinary."

"Ordinary?"

"He limps, but it does not appear to cause significant problems in daily life. He seems quite cold in temperament, but not threatening."

"He still has far to go."

"What do you mean?"

Yeon So-ha's gaze shifted slightly.

At her questioning look, Sage Cheong-heo turned his head toward the large boulder on the other side.

"Do you see?"

"What?"

Yeon So-ha looked puzzled, not understanding.

At about a man's height upon the boulder, a small circle had been drawn. Inside the circle was a deep indentation. And upon the ground three zhang away, footprints were embedded.

In Sage Cheong-heo's eyes, it was as if he could vividly see the scenes that had unfolded here long ago.

"That boy is not the sort of being who needs the protection of others. How can one pity one who hammers himself ten thousand times over?"

"How…"

"This is Mount Hua, after all. High and deep."

Sage Cheong-heo gazed up at the night sky of Mount Hua.