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Chapter Text

Yun Jong was hoping for a normal morning. He didn’t wish for a peaceful morning, but an average one. He expected to see some disciples fall off a cliff then get right back up and try to climb the mountain again. He prepared to have a grueling morning either doing personal training or helping others spar.

Yun Jong just wanted to have an average day. He didn’t expect to walk out to the training yard and be greeted with shouting.

“What the fuck!? You always said you thought my blossom cleave technique looked really cool!”

“I know I said that,” responded the other, looking confused. “But… You could be better.”

“I could be better?” He mocked, shoving his sword toward the other. “How?”

“You always tense up so then the technique isn’t as proper or elegant as it should be.”

The man frowned down to his hands, bringing the sword to his chest. He then nodded. “Alright. I get that.”

Yun Jong was thankful that the shouting stopped. Good. Disciples needed to get along. His heart calmed and he got ready to train by himself.

There was another shout. This one held traces of fear rather than anger.

Yun Jong skipped across the yard to be met with two of his closest friends. He saw Dang Soso worriedly hovering, a spooked look in her eyes. She then looked over to Yu Iseol, who was trying to cover her mouth. Blood was spilling out.

“Sago,” he whispered, stunned. Yun Jong looked at Dang Soso and asked, “Samae, why aren’t you helping her?”

Dang Soso bit her lip, then said, “Sago’s not hurt.”

“What?”

Yun Jong turned back to Yu Iseol. She coughed into her hands. Blood splattered into her palms and coated her fingers. Yun Jong felt ice singe through his veins as he tried to think of what was wrong. Was it Yu Iseol’s cultivation or some sort of training accident?

Then, all at once, Yu Iseol dropped. Kneeling on the ground, she wiped her mouth then looked up. Yu Iseol’s eyes shone with emotions of fear and nervousness.

“I…” Yu Iseol’s voice was rough. “You’re not… You’re not the most important person to me.”

Dang Soso blinked in confusion before she said, “I know.” The admittance was easy for her, something natural.

Yun Jong looked between them, trying to figure out what occurred.

Dang Soso awkwardly messed with a piece of her hair that shaped her face. “I know that you care about Cheong Myeong more.”

“He’s my sajil.” Yu Iseol wiped the blood from her hands onto her robes. She stepped toward Dang Soso and assured, “But you’re mine too.”

“I know.” Dang Soso’s cheeks were tinged with pink. “I know, sago.”

“I…”

“Sahyeong let you see plum blossoms for the first time,” whispered Dang Soso. She had a small smile on her face, her voice soothing and gentle. “I’m important to you in a different way. I’m okay with that, sago.”

Yu Iseol looked down guiltily, then met Dang Soso’s gaze. Her eyes turned clear, any grief from her situation put to the side. There was the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks. Dang Soso’s smile widened at Yu Iseol’s expression.

“You’re mine,” repeated Yu Iseol.

Dang Soso assured, “I know.” She cupped her hand around Yu Iseol’s face, her thumb brushing away blood from Yu Iseol’s lips. “Don’t hurt yourself like that,” she admonished.

Yun Jong didn’t understand what was going on. His throat was dry. He was watching something intimate and yet he couldn’t move his feet.

After a few stilted moments, Dang Soso turned to Yun Jong. Her eyes were lit up with confidence. Yu Iseol stood next to her, pale but otherwise fine. Their arms were wrapped into one another’s.

Dang Soso announced, “I believe that we’ve been hit with a truth-telling talisman. Or perhaps a serum or curse. We’ll have to investigate.”

Yun Jong was dazed, his head spinning.

He was then told what happened. Dang Soso and Yu Iseol were training, as they always did. They decided to take a break from sparring together in order to drink some water and rest their bodies. They began to talk while sitting under the plum blossom tree.

Dang Soso eventually said in a teasing manner, “Oh, come on, sago, I’m your most important person, aren’t I?”

That led to Yu Iseol opening her mouth, then forcibly closing it. Dang Soso noticed something was wrong as the seconds passed and Yu Iseol began to look pale as her muscles shook uncontrollably. Yun Jong arrived just on time to see Yu Iseol spit blood.

Before the trio could comprehend what had befallen them, there were other shouts around Mount Hua. They exchanged glances and wondered how much trouble would occur while they were forced to tell the truth.

Hyeon Jong shakily knotted his hands together. The other Hyeon and Un disciples were also sitting at the table. They exchanged wary glances with one another. They were in a difficult situation, one that could spell ruin for them.

“I believe we need to contact Dang Gunak for help,” stated Hyeon Jong.

Almost instantly, Hyeon Yeong intervened to say, “For what? So he can learn our secrets while we’re indisposed?”

“... Do you really think that?”

“Of course I do.” Hyeon Yeong nodded his head. “Mount Hua may be rising, but we’re not perfect. If any of our enemies learned that we’re forced to comply with speaking truths, what would happen?”

“Ah…” Hyeon Jong hadn’t thought about that. “If too many learn of our plight, then information is bound to get out no matter how scarce and careful they are. We would be put in a hard position, perhaps even taken advantage of.”

“Exactly.”

Hyeon Sang offered mildly, “We can contact our allies through letters and not mention specifically why we’re looking into things that make people tell the truth.”

“Our allies were selected by Cheong Myeong.” Hyeon Jong couldn’t help but be blunt. “Anyone that is involved with our Cheong Myeong has the fortitude to be just as insane as him. If we sent word about our troubles, they would all come running to help.”

“And that would draw even more attention to Mount Hua,” concluded Un Am.

“We should investigate ourselves,” offered Un Geom. He gestured around the table. “We’ve solved many things alone before. If we can’t resolve this in, say, a week, then we can discuss how to continue further.”

Hyeon Jong nodded, thankful for the ever level-headed Un Geom. He needed the reassurance of someone with common sense.

But then Un Gak reminded them, “Every disciple, including us, has been hit with the compulsion to speak our truth. I am… concerned.”

“What for?” Hyeon Jong knew that it wasn’t the best scenario, but, truly, they were amongst friends here.

“I’ve been told, in confidence, by quite a few disciples that Cheong Myeong has fled the mountain.”

And just like that, the dam was broken. Water flooded in from all sides.

Hyeon Yeong shouted, “You’re just now telling us!” He stood up with venom in his eyes. “We must find that poor boy! He must be fearful or— or—”

“Sit down.” Hyeon Jong’s head was spinning. “Sit down, saje. We need to be calm about this.” Because Cheong Myeong wouldn’t be.

In understanding, Hyeon Yeong sat down but muttered, “I don’t like it.”

“I know.”

There was a tense silence as they looked at each other. Cheong Myeong was always a touchy subject for the sect. It wasn’t because he was a horrible person. No, it was because he was a good person who had a reckless personality. He was also incredibly secretive about his past.

Un Am said quietly, “He was a beggar, once. He may not want to talk about it.”

“Who would dare order him to speak of his past?” demanded Hyeon Yeong, fury back in his voice.

Hyeon Sang inquired genuinely, “Are you saying that you wouldn’t want to ask how to help him?”

Hyeon Yeong’s lips knitted together. He stayed silent for only a few moments before he said, “I… I would likely give into temptation.” His hand shook in anger from his own answer.

Cheong Myeong was a mystery that even Hyeon Jong had spent countless nights wondering about.

He tried to give Cheong Myeong privacy but it was hard not to overthink sometimes. That child showed up and changed Mount Hua for the better. Hyeon Jong could ask a single question and receive an answer as to why Cheong Myeong even cared to help them. He held enough talent to go to any sect and thrive.

If Hyeon Jong had these thoughts, what sort of things did the others want to ask? He couldn’t be sure, but he knew that many were curious on what sort of life created a person like Cheong Myeong. Maybe they would even ask how he felt about carrying the burden of Mount Hua on his shoulders.

The conference room was silent for a long time.

Baek Cheon sat down next to Baek Sang. They were quietly watching plum blossoms blow in the breeze. A liquor bottle laid in between them untouched. Night had come but not many disciples were asleep.

“I think I made the right choice in switching over to the finance department.”

Baek Cheon nodded slowly. He looked at Baek Sang and wondered why they were talking about this. They had done so in the past. Baek Sang had mentioned how Cheong Myeong helped him with his decision.

Baek Sang continued, “But sometimes I wish I was better.”

He glanced down to his hands. They had calluses and scars, but they were also soft because part of his time was doing work for the sect instead of training full-time. Baek Sang would like to have more talent and strive for martial arts, but he had limits just as everyone else did.

“You flourish in your current role,” reminded Baek Cheon.

Baek Sang smiled bitterly. “Aren’t you just saying that to calm my mind?” He bumped shoulders with Baek Cheon. “Don’t worry, sahyeong, I know that I wouldn’t have made it in many of the battles you’ve faced. I just… I feel useless at times because I’m stuck doing paperwork instead of battling enemies.”

“If Cheong Myeong was here, he would tell you that the sect must be run by knowledgeable people in order for us to operate.” Baek Cheon sighed heavily. “I agree with him. I can be at ease when I’m away from Mount Hua because I trust those that remain inside.”

“Hmm.” Baek Sang picked up the bottle. He either felt resigned or justified with his decision. “Then I guess I’m doing my job right.”

Just as he uncorked the gord, there was a strange noise. Baek Sang and Baek Cheon both stood up silently and looked around. They huddled between trees until they saw a bizarre scene.

A hand appeared, clutching onto the top of the cliff’s edge. A moment later, there was a small noise before Cheong Myeong launched himself into the air. He landed on his feet, narrowly missing the edge of the cliff. He held a liquor bottle in his arm and he looked behind him before chuckling to himself.

Baek Sang whispered, “Why is he at Sheer Drop Cliff?”

“‘Cause he’s a dumbass.”

Baek Cheon vibrated with anger. There was only one cliff in the surrounding mountains that was off-limits. Sheer Drop Cliff was dangerous for any cultivator to climb because it was very straight with little bumps in its side. There was no way to get a threshold and it was high enough to make the Elders worry of death or major injuries if disciples fell off of it.

Obliviously, Cheong Myeong sashayed from the edge of the cliff. He started to walk away as if nothing had happened. Baek Cheon was walking toward his sajil before he understood what was happening.

“Cheong Myeong—”

“Ah!” Cheong Myeong held his chest with his free hand when he turned around. “Sasuk, why are you scaring an old man like me!? It’s not good for my health.”

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth. He leaped forward and tried to swipe the bottle away from Cheong Myeong’s clutches. Cheong Myeong dodged easily, a giggle escaping his throat. Baek Cheon groaned, rallied his will, and tried again.

He failed once more. Cheong Myeong’s face had turned annoyed to form something fond.

“Sasuk, you’re so kind, looking after your sajil like this.”

“Cheong Myeong-ah, if you truly know that I care for you, then will you hand over the bottle and go to bed?”

“... I don’t want to.”

Baek Cheon stressfully pinched his nose. He sighed and looked at Cheong Myeong, who was smiling like a child. He looked his age, for once. Baek Cheon didn’t like that it took alcohol and shenanigans to bring out Cheong Myeong’s youth.

“Why not?”

Cheong Myeong pursed his lips. “If I don’t drink, then all I do is think.”

Baek Cheon’s head suddenly felt too full. He blinked at Cheong Myeong, who had a slightly shocked expression across his face. He covered his mouth with his hand, but the words had already left him. Baek Cheon swallowed roughly as he remembered that even Cheong Myeong was affected by their curse.

“Cheong Myeong…”

Baek Cheon raised his hand, trying to be comforting. As his fingers brushed Cheong Myeong’s shoulder, the younger disciple sank into it but not without a frown etched on his face.

“Yes, sasuk?” His foot tapped on the dirt impatiently. His eyebrow was raised. Baek Cheon realized that he was putting on a thick face to seem like he wasn’t thrown off.

“Are you… okay?”

“Of course not.” Cheong Myeong clicked his tongue as if the answer was obvious. “Now, either you let me be or I’ll go back to my cave.”

“Your cave?” Baek Cheon’s mind spun. His sajil had a cave by Sheer Drop Cliff. Why?

“My cave is where I used to go to drink peacefully,” he replied after a moment. Cheong Myeong’s brows furrowed further. “I’ll stay if… Do you promise not to ask any more questions, sasuk?”

“No.” Baek Cheon answered instantly. “I can’t. Not when you’re like this.”

He didn’t mean indisposed or vulnerable. The plight they were under was manageable. However, knowing that Cheong Myeong drank to get rid of any thoughts was a larger issue. It wasn’t something that Baek Cheon, as Cheong Myeong’s sasuk, could ignore.

“Then I’m leaving,” stated Cheong Myeong. He began to step away, only pausing to check on his liquor bottle.

Then Baek Sang made his appearance, walking forward quickly. He said in a shout, “Cheong Myeong, we’ll share our liquor with you if you stay.” He held up the bottle like it was a prized possession.

Baek Cheon watched in real time as Cheong Myeong paused his steps. He sent a look of disdain and disbelief to his sasuks, then sighed rather dramatically. Baek Cheon thought his sajil was going to continue walking away, but instead Cheong Myeong went to Baek Sang.

They ended up sitting on the edge of Sheer Drop Cliff. Baek Cheon and Baek Sang didn’t drink any liquor. They merely stayed there, under the moonlight and plum blossoms, as Cheong Myeong drank slowly. It was the most dignified Baek Cheon had seen Cheong Myeong drink ever.

Baek Cheon hesitantly said, “Cheong Myeong, we’re here for you.”

Cheong Myeong didn’t dignify that with a verbal response immediately. He merely turned to Baek Cheon and looked at him real hard, analyzing the man in front of him with pink eyes.

There was a long bout of silence before Cheong Myeong’s voice, the softest it'd ever been, whispered, “I know.”

Baek Cheon couldn’t help but widen his eyes. He expected a lot of half-assed replies. He didn’t expect something like that to be the truth. He met Baek Sang’s eyes over Cheong Myeong’s slightly hunched back. They were both bewildered, then decided together that silence wasn’t so bad.

The moonlight faded and clouds washed in and out. When Cheong Myeong started to sway ever so slightly, his stomach full of warm alcohol, Baek Cheon gently picked him up by the armpits while Baek Sang grabbed his legs.

As they walked through Mount Hua, dozens of eyes watched them. There was disbelief and just a sliver of hope in their pupils. Jo Geol opened his mouth to comment something, but was quickly hushed by Yun Jong. Baek Cheon and Baek Sang laid Cheong Myeong on his bed, then closed his door shut.

They stood outside his door in disbelief at the sheer gale of their situation, exchanging looks of horror covered by the honor of carrying someone as feisty as Cheong Myeong.

But then, like a switch had been flipped, the other disciples trickled into their rooms. If Cheong Myeong could fall asleep despite their vulnerable situation, then they could too. Mount Hua was quiet even as birds woke up while the sun rose higher and higher in the sky.

Lunch was a somewhat laid-back yet joyous affair. Disciples ate with fervor, choosing to stuff their faces instead of talking. Alcohol was abundant, the cups passed around as if it was a pallet of freshly cooked meat.

Hye Yeon’s lips were knitted together as he watched the scene. He observed all parties in the room. The Elders were gone, attending to paperwork that was unable to be completed yesterday. The Un disciples were doing errands in the village below the mountain, mostly because Mount Hua was supposed to be receiving supplies from the Eunha guild.

That left the room to be filled with only the Baek and Cheong disciples. Hye Yeon carefully picked at his food, assessing what to do. He was worried he would say something he didn’t mean. Or rather that he would say something that he meant but didn’t want to admit, whether to his friends or to himself.

“Want to spar with me later?” asked Jo Geol.

Yun Jong replied, “Not right now. I’ve been busy hovering over the other disciples. Small fights keep breaking out.” Currently, he sat up straight in his spot, his neck high as he watched for any altercations occurring.

“Got it.” Jo Geol stuffed slices of meat in his mouth. He then swallowed it down with liquor before saying, “Cheong Myeong, do you want to beat me up for a little while?”

Cheong Myeong looked surprised at being asked so bluntly to train Jo Geol.

Most days, the disciples of Mount Hua did their own thing. They already knew how to train their bodies. If they fell behind, one of the people close to Cheong Myeong would alter their training before Cheong Myeong claimed that all disciples were falling behind or too slow.

A grin, wide and innocent-looking, grew on Cheong Myeong’s face. “You want me to beat you up?” There was a high amount of happiness in his tone.

“I want to get stronger,” confirmed Jo Geol.

To be honest, this type of conversation wasn’t very rare. Hye Yeon murmured without thinking, “I almost can’t tell that Jo Geol siju is afflicted with our situation.”

“Right?” Dang Soso nodded quickly beside him. “He always says what’s on his mind anyway.” She pointed her chopsticks at Jo Geol and said, “What’s one of your biggest regrets?”

Hye Yeon looked on, his shoulders straightening as his curiosity grew. He didn’t expect someone to be so blunt today. He had thought that there was a truce amongst disciples not to ask each other personal questions.

Jo Geol answered easily, his face cringing, “Telling Cheong Myeong to strip and dance the first time I met him.”

Baek Cheon’s eyebrows rose considerably. Yu Iseol merely stared at Jo Geol. Dang Soso’s eyes were wide, nearly popping out of her skull. None of them had heard of the situation, it appeared. Hye Yeon noted that for later. Meanwhile, Yun Jong covered his face with his hands as if deeply regretting something as well.

Cheong Myeong hummed in the back of his throat, then said, “I should hit you for that again.”

“I apologized,” said Jo Geol, his voice panicked. “I have been dutiful to you for years now, Cheong Myeong-ah. I was a dumb kid. I was a bully. Don’t bash me into the ceiling again.”

Hye Yeon watched with avid interest as Cheong Myeong narrowed his gaze at Jo Geol. It caused the merchant’s son to suck in a deep, rattling breath in fear. It was tense until Cheong Myeong hummed and leaned back in his spot.

Yun Jong whispered with heat, “Nice going, Geol-ah. You’re the reason he started to torture us.”

“Hah? You didn’t stop me, sahyeong. You’re just as guilty as I am.” Jo Geol stuffed food in his mouth to punctuate the end of his sentence.

Yun Jong looked on, either in despair or annoyance. Hye Yeon had a hard time figuring out Yun Jong’s emotions. He was a hard to read person, sort of like Yu Iseol. At least with Yu Iseol she proved herself with wild actions. Yun Jong tended to remain calm no matter the situation. Usually.

Baek Cheon suggested after careful calculations, “We should stop asking questions. It only leads us to veer off the path of what we originally meant to speak about.”

Yu Iseol hummed, agreeing with her sahyeong. Next to her, Dang Soso tilted her head. She clearly liked the chaos despite growing up in a dignified household.

“I was wondering—”

Hye Yeon cut off his sentence as he noticed Cheong Myeong looking at a piece of meat. It was the longest that Cheong Myenog had held up the meat in his chopsticks without eating it. Hye Yeon was surprised by the action, as well as Cheong Myeong’s analytical and suspicious gaze.

Cheong Myeong leaned the chopsticks closer and sniffed it. After a few seconds, he muttered, “There’s seasoning on this, isn’t there?”

The others looked at him in concern. Of course, there was seasoning on the meat. That’s what made it so good. Sure, the meat itself was juicy and full of great things, but the seasoning accented the meat’s glorious beauty and added new levels of flavor too.

“There is,” conceded Dang Soso.

Cheong Myeong sniffed the piece of meat once more. After a long, tense pause as people looked at him weirdly, Cheong Myeong turned to Hye Yeon.

Cheong Myeong asked, “What’s your greatest fear?”

Hye Yeon felt his throat close up. He had a lot of nightmare scenarios wandering through his mind. So many things could go wrong. The Ten Great Sects could collapse, the Heavenly Demon could return, or Hye Yeon would witness the deaths of his closest comrades.

Hye Yeon shook his head silently. He was surprised that he didn’t feel the need to tell him anything. “I don’t wish to tell you,” he replied.

Cheong Myeong grinned wildly. He held the piece of meat in the air and announced, “I figured out how we were dosed to tell the truth.”

Dang Soso put the pieces together quickly. “The meat? You think the meat is what made us tell the truth to each other?”

“Everyone except the monk ate meat yesterday.” Cheong Myeong put his chopsticks down and looked at Hye Yeon. “You’re the only one who doesn’t feel the need to say truthful statements all of the time.”

Despite the surprising revelation, Hye Yeon was greatly thankful for it.

Mount Hua held a special place in his heart. He knew he had been completely accepted into the sect, but there were days where he still felt like he was imposing among them. He tagged along on missions and received meals without doing much work. However, he soon learned to trust the people beside him. He didn’t want to hurt their feelings. Although, he also didn’t know what he could say that would cause them pain.

And yet, Hye Yeon felt something click in his mind. He asked promptly, “Siju, do you like me as a person?”

Hye Yeon ignored the looks of pity and surprise sent his way. Dang Soso looked curious, but even she seemed to think that the reply wouldn’t live up to Hye Yeon’s wishes. Baek Cheon ate silently, watching the show with observant eyes.

“Yeah,” Cheong Myeong said nonchalantly. “You’re better than other monks. You hold your drinks better than them too.”

“You know other monks?” Hye Yeon couldn’t decipher why he suddenly felt saddened by the idea.

Cheong Myeong frowned, as if he truly didn’t know what the problem was. “Yes…? Did you think you’re the only monk I’ve hung out with for a long period of time?”

“Yes,” he said faintly, his chest hurting for an unfathomable reason.

Cheong Myeong’s deep belly laughter only made the pain worse. Dang Soso patted Hye Yeon’s shoulder, trying to be comforting. Hye Yeon didn’t want comfort. He wanted answers. He wanted to know what other monk would see something in the devil incarnation before him.

Dang Soso intervened and said, “At least I’m your first Dang friend.”

“Mmn, no.” Cheong Myeong didn’t seem to know that he spoke. He was pushing a plate of sliced meat away from him and grabbing roasted chicken instead.

“Oh.” Dang Soso frowned to herself before her eye lit up in realization. “Oh! You mean my father. I guess that you were friends with him first, huh?”

“Nope.”

“Eh?”

Cheong Myeong shrugged, lifting the roasted chicken. He sniffed the plate, then decided that it was fine to eat. As Cheong Myeong started to put parts of the chicken on his plate, Hye Yeon heard a sniffle. He turned to see Dang Soso tearing up a little.

“It wasn’t… It wasn’t Dang Jan or Dang Pae, was it?”

“Nah.”

Dang Soso wiped the tears away. “Okay.” She nodded, a bit more sure of herself, and asked, “Then who was the first Dang friend you had?”

“Hmm? Dang Bo, probably.”

“Dang Bo?” Dang Soso didn’t appear to be familiar with that name. “Is that one of my cousins?”

“No.”

“Ah. Okay.” Dang Soso only got meeker the longer the conversation went on. “... Are you going to explain?”

Cheong Myeong looked up from his plate. He blinked at her as if he didn’t know why she was upset. He was quiet for a long second, then said, “He was my first friend. I met him years before I met any of you.”

“What.” It wasn’t a question. It was a testament of their confusion.

“These kids…” Cheong Myeong shook his head. “Why are you all acting so strange? I had a life before I met you.”

Hye Yeon felt a pinprick in the back of his neck. He almost wanted to say that it felt like his life didn’t start until he met Cheong Myeong. The young man took so much space in his mind, carving a path toward a future that Hye Yeon yearned to see. Safety and righteousness, a promise of those words that weren’t there just for the sake of looking good to the public eye.

“You had other friends?” Yu Iseol’s eyes gleamed with… jealousy?

“I did,” he replied, a bit modestly. Cheong Myeong’s brow furrowed, his concern growing by the second. “You are all acting weird. Eat while I check in with the Elders about what seasoning is being used on the meat.”

Cheong Myeong got up, successfully escaping their clutches.

Hye Yeon despaired as he suddenly felt a rush of killing intent surround him. He watched as even Yun Jong gritted his teeth. Siju, calm down. Please. I beg of you.

“We weren’t his first friends?” Jo Geol murmured in wonder. “Is he talking about that beggar kid he’s fond of?”

“I don’t think Cheong Myeong necessarily classified them as friends,” muttered Baek Cheon, though even his gaze was menacing.

Dang Soso wondered aloud, “Just who is Dang Bo? I should send a letter to my father. He must know of all of our family members.”

The eyes of predators turned to her all at once.

Dang Soso giggled nervously from the attention. “I’ll send it straight away so that we can get the information as soon as possible.”

Hye Yeon nodded automatically, pleased by the swift decision. He felt like he heard the name Dang Bo before but he couldn’t place it. Maybe it was a common name to gift to a Dang family member.

Hong Daegwang looked over reports often. He was used to it, in fact. He read through the slips of paper, dismissing many of them since there was no back up information. However, he didn’t throw them out. Sometimes, those papers would create a trail that would lead to something important.

As Hong Daegwang read over one of the last reports, he heard a bang. He swallowed his pride and put his reports safely into his desk. He set out some ceramic cups and wondered what tea to serve. He laughed a little in his mind. To think that he had multiple different choices of tea to serve to a guest.

In a larger bang, Cheong Myeong entered the door. He walked in like he owned the place. He sat down across from Hong Gaegwang’s desk. With a nod, he took the offered cup of tea. He sipped on it lightly, humming in the back of his throat at the mixture. Hong Daegwang chose wisely, then. It was a dried plum blossom blend.

After a few more seconds passed and Hong Daegwang forced his nerves to calm, Cheong Myeong set down his half-filled cup.

“Here’s the deal,” began Cheong Myeong, “Mount Hua’s in a bad situation right now. We might not be able to help out if something goes wrong, so I need you to keep special care of anything suspicious.”

Hong Daegwang opened his mouth, but Cheong Myeong pointed his finger at him.

“Don’t you dare ask a question,” grouched Cheong Myeong. He leaned back in his chair, taking the cup with him. He gulped down a rather large part of the remaining liquid swiftly.

Hong Daegwang wordlessly nodded.

He knew Cheong Myeong better than most people did, he liked to think. He wouldn’t know everything about Cheong Myeong, obviously, but they both had similar origins. Cheong Myeong decided to join a different sect, a daoist sect. Hong Daegwang should be grateful. He didn’t want to think about how the world would be if Cheong Myeong remained a beggar.

Cheong Myeong continued, the cup still in his hand, “The Sect Leader wants information on a seasoning blend as well. It’s from a trusted company that Eunha had worked with for years, but there’s been a few reports of things being wrong with it.”

“Wrong with it,” echoed Hong Daegwang. He wanted to ask more, but Cheong Myeong would throttle him instantly before that could happen. “I’ll get right on that.”

Cheong Myeong grunted, then took one last drink from his cup. He set the ceramic on the table after, but didn’t get up to leave.

“Dojang…?”

Cheong Myeong folded his arms. His fingers ticked across his skin, irritated or annoyed perhaps. Pink eyes were blazing with impatience.

Hong Daegwang offered, “If dojang wants, I can reach out to the other sects. Mount Hua doesn’t need to suffer alone in silence.”

“Silence is what we want,” argued Cheong Myeong.

“You’re making me go crazy.” Hong Daegwang breathed out unsteadily. “Don’t do this to me, dojang. I’m busy as it is. Don’t go on a rampage. My mind’s already in turmoil trying to fulfill my duties.”

“You think you’re fucked in the head, ahjussi?” Cheong Myeong laughed lowly, his pupils small and wild. He took Hong Daegwang's untouched cup of tea in his hand “I border on the lines of forming an alliance with the sapa.”

“What—?”

“At least I know what to expect from those sapa bastards. They’re in it for something, whether it be land, riches, or people. But the righteous sects? The Ten Great Sects that were supposed to do the right thing? They didn’t do what they’re supposed to. They abandoned Mount Hua after we gave everything to the war in order to defeat the Heavenly Demon. I want them all to shiver up and die, spit blood and suffer like no other.”

“Cheong Myeong dojang…”

“Right?” He clicked his tongue and swung back a cup of tea like liquor, setting it down with a clang. “And you wonder if you’re messed up.” Cheong Myeong sighed, something wistful and full of grief. “I’ve given up on the righteous sects living up to their name. We’re better off without them.”

“You can’t really think that.”

“Why not? Why wouldn’t I explore different options?” Cheong Myeong tilted his head, looking innocent for all purposes despite his thoughts and words. “The sapa are attacked by the demonic cultists just as any other people are. If Jang Ilso wasn’t such a riot and got all crazy in the head about killing thousands of people, we could’ve had a truce for more than a few days.”

Hong Daegwang conceded that point. However, he also understood that Cheong Myeong would never ally himself with Jang Ilso for years at a time. Cheong Myeong would rather kill Jang Ilso than let him live in order for him to strike when any sects became weak or fragile.

“Dojang, you don’t have to tell me your thoughts.”

Cheong Myeong blinked, as if coming back to himself. He cleared his throat awkwardly, his eyes askance. “Of course.”

Hong Daegwang didn’t know what to make of the young man before him. Cheong Myeong was always eccentric in his ways, his courage having no bounds. What was Hong Daegwang, a simple beggar, supposed to do when presented with someone of Cheong Myeong’s prowess?

Cheong Myeong grumbled, then said, “I can’t tell my sect leader about this. He would worry over me, might even hover and offer mooncakes if I seemed especially pitiful.”

Hong Daegwang twitched. He knew that mooncakes were known for calming down Cheong Myeong. He had an emergency stash that he replenished once a week when he knew that Cheong Myeong wasn’t away on a mission. It was for the emergency scenarios that he had nightmares about.

“I will check in with the Eunha guild discreetly,” said Hong Daegwang, shifting their conversation back to Mount Hua’s bizarre request about food seasoning.

“I… appreciate it.” Cheong Myeong slowly stood up, looking out of sorts. His gaze lingered on Hong Daegwang. He bit his lip, then blurted, “I’ll get stronger. I would never… Don’t tell people that I would ally with Jang Ilso. I won’t.”

Hong Daegwang already knew that. He bowed his head easily. “Yes, dojang.”

And yet, even with that answer, Cheong Myeong continued to linger. He seemed annoyed by his own actions, his foot tapping quickly on the ground. Hong Daegwang only grew more concerned about Mount Hua’s affairs if it had their Mad Dog acting so bizarre.

“You don’t have to worry about my loyalty,” assured Hong Daegwang. “I provide Mount Hua with all pertinent information. As far as the Beggar’s Union is aware, there have been no movements with Jang Ilso’s men and the righteous sects have laid low. Even your allies have calmed since the joint training program.”

The last sentence made Cheong Myeong smile, even if it was a small twitch of his lips. “They’re set to return back soon for another month. Mount Hua needs to have its problems in order.”

“I understand.” Hong Daegwang would have to call in a lot of beggars on this issue if it made Cheong Myeong so twitchy. “I’ll start as soon as you leave, dojang.”

“Don’t get cheeky with me, ahjussi.” Cheong Myeong huffed before stalking out the door.

Hong Daegwang fell back in his chair. He took a moment to process his interaction with Cheong Myeong. It always made his health deteriorate. He would be lucky to survive the upcoming years. He rubbed his forehead and slowly sat up.

He opened his mouth to call out to the nearest beggar, only to stop. He heard familiar voices conversing.

“Cho Sam! How are you doing?”

“I’m not Cho Sam.”

“You’re not…?”

“I never was.”

“Oh… Alright. Well, I’ll see you next time, huh?”

“... Maybe."

A few moments later, Gu Chil walked in with a new stack of reports. Hong Daegwang sucked in a breath, then let out a long-suffering sigh. Gu Chil was the reason why Cheong Myeong didn’t completely loathe beggars.

“I need you to travel to Xian,” said Hong Daegwang. He took out his brush and ink, starting to write down his inquiries. “You must hand this to Eunha’s guild master personally.”

Gu Chil nervously nodded. He accepted the complete letter, slipped it into his robes, bowed, then left. Ah, if every beggar was like him then things would go so much smoother.

Hong Daegwang shook his head, then continued to write letters and read over reports. He had to see if there was anything suspicious occurring that he hadn’t picked up on yet. If Mount Hua was having trouble, that spelled ruin for many, including himself. Damn, that mad dog was a crazy motherfucker, coming to him and ordering him around while acting out of sorts.

Chapter Text

Gu Chil had delivered the letter personally to Hwang Jongui, who read over the contents while he was in the room. Gu Chil wasn't very accustomed to being sent on larger missions by Hong Daegwang. He mostly stayed in Mount Hua and the surrounding cities, never leaving Shaanxi since he arrived.

So, he was intimidated to stand in a large mansion with a man with as much power as Hwang Jongui. The man led the Eunha Trading Company, a guild so large and expanding. Gu Chil shook slightly just being in the presence of someone so high in society.

Hwang Jongui nodded his head as he read the letter. He closed it up, then, and folded it into his robes. He cleared his throat and began to move things on his desk. Promptly, he began his own letter. After a few minutes, Hwang Jongui held it out.

“Take it,” said Hwang Jongui, so Gu Chil did. “It’s my response. Send it to Mount Hua. I’ll investigate further and have more details soon. I know of that company. I’ve had recent issues with them, so if need be I can remove them completely.”

Gu Chil was frightened by the words. To say that they could be rid of a company with ease… A chill ran down his back. But then again he supposed that Cho Sam— No, Cheong Myeong inspired loyalty in everyone he became friends with.

Gu Chil left the mansion and headed to leave Xian. He must fulfill his task, as was ordered of him. He couldn’t stay the night in Xian, as much as he wished to rest. Cheong Myeong was a higher priority than any other in the eyes of the Beggar’s Union.

As he walked down the street, however, he was stopped by two disciples in white and blue robes. They seemed out of place amongst the civilians, some of them openly staring. It was for good reason as well.

There was only one sect in Xian who had white and blue robes. Gu Chil gulped as he was met with two tall men. It didn’t make any sense. Zhongnan was still secluded into their sect. They shouldn’t be out and about so casually.

Of the pair of disciples, one of them had a kind face with his hair tied into a bun. The other man, however, had long flowing hair and a resting face of hatred.

“May I help you?” he asked, hoping to get away at any moment.

The kind-looking one said, “I am Lee Songbaek, a second-grade disciple of Zhongnan. My sahyeong and I were tasked to escort you back to our sect.”

Gu Chil wanted to run away but he knew that he was no match for a proper cultivator. “If I may… Why?” He partially felt like crying.

“Our sect leader asked us to investigate a strange company associated with the Eunha Guild. Seeing as you came from there, the Beggar’s Union must be aware of what is happening, yes? Our sect is in trouble, so I beg that you comply.”

“If you don’t,” said the other Zhongnan disciple, “I will kill you.” His face then twisted as if he was in pain. He amended a moment later, “I wouldn’t truly kill you.”

Lee Songbaek’s smile turned strained. “Sahyeong, perhaps you shouldn’t say things you don’t mean. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Gu Chil didn’t like the aura radiating from the Zhongnan disciples. In his panic, he blurted, “I’m on a mission for my friend! I can’t let you take the letter. He’s in trouble.”

Lee Songbaek straightened up at the words. He whispered to his fellow disciple, “I feel bad. Like a bully.”

“As if you could bully anyone,” scoffed the other. He stepped forward and demanded of Gu Chil, “Who is this friend of yours? We could sort things out with him face-to-face if that will let you cooperate with our sect.”

Gu Chil couldn’t tell if he was relieved or not at the compromise. He knew he shouldn’t throw names around, but he had no other choice. He steeled his face, then said, “Ch— Cheong Myeong.”

“Cheong Myeong?” The man’s face was irked. “Are you speaking of the Divine Dragon!?”

Lee Sonbaek made a wry, if not slightly bemused, face. “Cheong Myeong dojang made another friend, I see…”

Gu Chil nodded his head. “I… I was sent to Eunha because there is something wrong with Cheong Myeong. I can’t go with you because he is more important to the Beggar’s Union than the Zhongnan sect is.”

The taller man nodded his head, then introduced, “I am Jin Geumryong of the Zhongnan sect. I will escort you to Mount Hua in order to investigate this matter.”

“... Sahyeong, are we really?” There was a spark of hope in Lee Songbaek’s tone.

“We have no other choice but to follow our lead.”

Gu Chil watched the two disciples. They were older than him by 10 years or more, and yet he felt like he was the adult. The two Zhongnan disciples bickered as they walked him out of Xian. Jin Geumryong would make petty comments and then take them back. Lee Songbaek would admonish his sahyeong, then say something strange that made Jin Geumryong’s face twitch.

Gu Chil silently wept. Why did he have to be a beggar?

Plum blossoms fluttered in the wind. It was by chance that some of the wind was caused by the power of a sword swing. Jo Geol flexed his hand again, repeating the strike over and over as it held heavy weights. He must get used to the weight and be able to swing it as normal. Then, once he had done that, he would add more weights to the sword.

Metal clacked together, the iron chains whipping in the air dangerously fast. Jo Geol continued his training. All disciples had returned to training as normal despite their ailment. Many didn’t even talk or make comments.

“What the hell are you doing, sahyeong!? Your footwork is all off! Repeat it! Repeat it again until you can no longer move!”

Well, anyone aside from Cheong Myeong.

Jo Geol gritted his teeth, taking Cheong Myeong’s orders to heart. Now that no one could lie, Cheong Myeong’s directions were being followed even more thoroughly than before. And, well, it was hard not to listen to Cheong Myeong in the first place because he looked the most frazzled about their situation out of anyone on Mount Hua.

It was a known fact that Cheong Myeong was a horrible actor. Sure, he could lie, but acting was something he could never succeed in. Now that he couldn’t even fib his way through conversations, he had taken to yelling at people, walking away from them, and moving on. It was all in hopes of not starting a conversation where he would be asked to tell a truth against his will.

“Sasuk!” Cheong Myeong pointed at Baek Cheon. “Why aren’t you sweating yet!? Just because you are a good swordsman doesn’t mean you get to skip training!”

Instead of being upset at being yelled at, Baek Cheon perked up. It was a compliment from Cheong Myeong, so of course he was happy. Jo Geol hoped that Baek Cheon choked on his food at dinner. Not really, but still. Baek Cheon shouldn’t look so smug.

Baek Cheon swung his sword even harder. He became more focused because of Cheong Myeong’s shouts. He even paused to add another weight to his arm, as if to show off. Jo Geol inwardly cursed at Baek Cheon, who had a sappy grin on his face. Everyone was receiving compliments, you bastard!

“Samae, your footwork is good.” Cheong Myeong found another person to bother. “But your arms… They’re shaking too much. Do you need to rest?”

Dang Soso looked stunned at the words. Others around her were as well. Cheong Myeong never asked if they needed or wanted to rest. He was always pushing them to their breaking point and beyond. All in the name of training, of course.

“Sahyeong,” she gasped out, “why do you say such words?” Dang Soso was acting as if she had been betrayed.

“I…” Cheong Myeong’s fingers tapped wildly against his arm. “I understand that people need to rest. You’ve trained harder than most disciples so I know that you aren’t lacking on any fault of your own. If you need to rest for a bit, then that’s what you need to do.”

Dang Soso shook her head, looking a little numb. “I’m fine, sahyeong! I will continue training if you permit it!”

Cheong Myeong grunted. Dang Soso grinned and swung her sword once more. This time, the wind that came from her blade was stronger, sending a disciple next to her a little to the left. Dang Soso apologized in a chipper voice, her eyes buzzing with new energy.

Jo Geol looked to the heavens for guidance. He found nothing there, so he looked down at his scarred hands. He was working hard as well. Sure, his limbs weren’t shaking from exertion, but he was still training.

He huffed, preparing to start his motions again. However, as Jo Geol raised his arms, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Yun Jong there. He hadn’t been at training, which Jo Geol found odd. However, Yun Jong’s face was serious, so Jo Geol followed Yun Jong away from the training area.

Yun Jong bit his lip, looking around. After a few delayed moments, he met Jo Geol’s gaze.

“The sect leader let me sit in on a meeting. Sasuk was supposed to go as well, but then he was sent to make sure that none of the disciples fought. I would have stayed instead, but they figured I may be able to be more delicate about the situation.”

Jo Geol bobbed his head up and down. It sounded sane, normal. “And?”

Yun Jong explained, “The meeting concerned our predicament. The cooks have stored away all the seasoning so that they don’t use it. It’s being put away until we can properly investigate it. However, in the meantime, they’ve asked me to… ask things of people.”

“Ask things of people,” echoed Jo Geol. That sounded very odd.

“Particularly,” huffed Yun Jong, “they want me to learn more about Cheong Myeong.”

“Ah.”

“Mmn.”

That would be difficult. Not only would Yun Jong have to talk to Cheong Myeong, but he would have to pry things secretly. Cheong Myeong was a bad actor, but he spotted good actors himself. He would realize what was happening before Yun Jong could tell him why.

“That sucks.”

Yun Jong’s eyes flared. “That’s all?”

Jo Geol shrugged. “What else can I do? Help?”

Yun Jong nodded, coming to an obvious conclusion. “Yes. Help me.”

“No way!” Jo Geol didn’t want to get involved in that mess. It was so, so messy. The sect leader ordered Yun Jong to keep an eye out on Cheong Myeong. That spelled trouble.

“I can’t do this on my own. The sect leader wants too much information. Not only does he want to know how Cheong Myeong feels about Mount Hua, he also wants to know about his background. He says it's to watch over Cheong Myeong, but…”

“We’re all nosy assholes in the end, huh.”

Yun Jong’s face twitched. He nodded after a few moments. “I suppose so.”

“I’ll help you.” Jo Geol had nothing better to do, really. “But! I will put the blame on you if I get too beat up. I’m still sore from practice yesterday. When I asked Cheong Myeong to train with me, I knew I was going to be beaten up roughly, but I forgot how hard personal training was.”

“Good riddance,” murmured Yun Jong.

Jo Geol had the urge to leave Mount Hua. He would never actually do that, but he still felt the need to remind himself that he could leave. Well, maybe. Cheong Myeong might hunt him down for sport if he did. And anyway, Jo Geol liked Mount Hua. He wasn’t about to leave the sect.

They returned to training. Yun Jong stood next to Jo Geol and instantly started to move swiftly. Jo Geol wanted to be upset at Yun Jong for dragging him into the situation, but he was honestly curious as well. What sort of person was Cheong Myeong? He was a good person with an awful personality. What sort of things did Cheong Myeong think? Jo Geol had no idea.

Training went on for a long time. Cheong Myeong would train beside them when everyone was doing okay. After a while, though, he would start doing a round to see if anyone was failing in a certain way. His harsh words permitted their ears but they weren’t as harsh as they used to be.

When Cheong Myeong got closer, Jo Geol perked up. He whispered to Yun Jong, “Should we ask him something?”

Yun Jong finished his strike, then questioned, “Do you think we can get away with it?”

“It doesn’t hurt to try…?”

Yun Jong gave him a blank, almost judgemental, stare.

Cheong Myeong came closer. He used his sheathed sword to bop Yu Iseol’s side. She nodded her head cooly and adjusted her body to be more balanced. Cheong Myeong smiled back, something that looked a little too pleased and innocent, then continued to walk around. Jo Geol couldn’t be mad at Yu Iseol. She worked harder than any of them when it came to training.

As Cheong Myeong approached, he said, “Sahyeongs, you two look fine… Should I give you different training regiments?”

Jo Geol cursed Cheong Myeong’s perceptive ass. Ever since he returned from talking to Yun Jong, he hadn’t been as frevent with his training. He was barely sweating anymore, his sword swung half the power that they should be.

“Sajae,” began Yun Jong, “I was actually hoping you would agree to something akin to that at a later time when this is all over.”

“Oh?” Cheong Myeong lunged forward, his interest piqued. He put his hands behind his back and stood like an old man. “What’s your proposal?”

“I wish to know about your childhood in exchange for the promise of being beaten up by you later!” announced Yun Jong.

The training field went silent. Jo Geol gulped as he saw Yun Jong continue to stand tall silently, awaiting the reply.

Cheong Myeong, meanwhile, turned pale, almost starchy. “Oh, uhm, really? I didn’t think that… No, I guess you all care. I just don’t… Are you actually interested, sahyeong? I would have thought that it didn’t matter. None of our pasts do, after all.”

“Did you have a good childhood?” blurted Yun Jong.

There wasn’t silence for long, though every disciple other than the one speaking turned quiet, their eyes wavering.

“Yes.” Cheong Myeong didn’t look surprised at his admittance. “I had a good childhood.”

“Oh.” Yun Jong couldn’t hide his surprise. Jo Geol couldn’t look away. The disciples of Mount Hua hung onto every word, every small twitch of his muscles.

Cheong Myeong looked human as he stood before them. His cheeks were lightly dusted in pink, as if embarrassed. He scratched his cheek, looking confused at their questions. Jo Geol had wanted to know what sort of awful hell created a person like Cheong Myeong, but to think that he had a good childhood…

“I grew up very loved,” continued Cheong Myeong. There was a small, reminiscent and nostalgic smile across his face.

That hurt to see. Jo Geol felt like the breath was punched out of him. He didn’t know much about Cheong Myeong, aside from the fact that he was once a beggar named Cho Sam. Was there a beginning to that, though? It sounded like it. But how did he become a beggar, then?

“Why are you the way you are?” asked Jo Geol. His eyes widened when he realized what he had done, but he was unable to take it back.

Cheong Myeong’s face paled, making him turn a bit green. Something bitter and full of grief passed over his face. “Bad things happened later.” He scarcely glanced at all of the eyes looking at him. “I won’t allow that to happen again.”

Jo Geol couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What happened?”

Cheong Myeong’s eyes were icy despite being so very plum blossom pink. “Everyone I loved died.”

Those words rang out in the air. Jo Geol was half expecting that he hallucinated the whole thing, but everyone was frozen in place just like him. Not even Yu Iseol, who was so known for her expressionless face, could help but look at Cheong Myeong with pity and regret.

“Well,” continued Cheong Myeong, his foot tapping while he looked very upset at the world, “they didn’t just die. They were killed. And I was unable to stop it.” He breathed out harshly. “I won’t allow that to happen this time.”

And then he walked away, his fingers continuing to tap against his folded arms. Jo Geol could only look as his sajae’s dark figure retreated into the mountains. His sword dropped and no one seemed to care about the loud clang that resonated.

Jo Geol swallowed roughly, guilt prying open his rib cage. He turned to Yun Jong and asked quietly, “Is that what the sect leader was hoping we’d learn?”

Still in shock, Yun Jong shook his head silently. He put away his sword after letting the weight chains fall to the ground. He looked rattled. Jo Geol wondered what he looked like. Maybe something akin to seeing a ghost.

Yun Jong whispered, “I don’t think anyone expected those words.” His eyes glazed over the disciples who were still silently stewing. He forcefully shook himself out of his daze and walked forward.

Jo Geol watched as Yun Jong yelled for them to continue training. He began to demonstrate moves and, one at a time, the disciples followed through.

A letter arrived. Dang Gunak stared at the letter in contemplation, then pulled it open.

The Dang residence was always full of life and shouts. Training was very grueling and paperwork even more so. Dang Gunak wanted to practice his own skills but he had fallen behind on some urgent matters. As the head of the family, he could no longer put them off.

He had been in his office all day. The air was stale, the company was abhorrent, and he was slowly going insane. His hand moved almost automatically as he flipped through pages of documents that could be overseen by Elders, but they didn’t much like him on good days.

His small miracle was delivered by Dang Jan. He entered with a mellow aura, though he seemed confused. He left the letter on his father’s desk after there was a long pause of neither Dang moving. Dang Jan sighed, then, and moved on.

If Dang Jan had mentioned it was from Mount Hua, Dang Gunak would have checked on the letter sooner. He assumed it was more paperwork. He didn’t know it was a letter from his daughter.

As Dang Gunak opened the letter, he noticed that there was a smear of ink on the outside. That was improper. Dang Soso was still raised within the family. She had learned proper etiquette and had vigorous lessons on writing. Why did the characters look so rushed?

He flipped open the true inside of the letter to be met with a conundrum. His heart was partially happy but he was also confused. Dang Soso was requesting a history lesson of sorts. That was strange. Dang Gunak wouldn’t deny her knowledge of it, though.

So he took time away from paperwork to inform her of their ancestor, Dang Bo. The man was legendary, even still today. Most didn’t know his name, but rather his title as the Dark Saint. He was one of the heroes of the war against the Demonic Sect 100 years ago. He fought on the front lines alongside the Sword Saint.

Inwardly, Dang Gunak happily wrote up a lengthy essay about Dang Bo. The Dark Saint was renowned for his blackened fingertips, his alcohol brewing, and daggers. However, Dang Bo also had another skill that not many people acknowledge. He was a healer of the highest order, assisting the Sword Saint numerous times.

Dang Gunak finished writing the letter with a relieved feeling. It was a nice break from signing his name and choosing delicate sentences. He put a small seal on the letter and called for his son. Dang Jan appeared, looking a little grumpy.

“Is something wrong?”

“People are acting… oddly.” Dang Jan brushed his hair behind his ear. “I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but it’s concerning.”

“Concerning in what way?”

“They’re fucking weird,” exhaled Dang Jan. As soon as the words left his mouth, he froze. He put his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide. “I mean— They’re weird.”

Dang Gunak would normally laugh at Dang Jan’s look. His son seemed to be shocked by his words. He rarely cursed— when he did, it was toward Cheong Myeong or the dummies he threw daggers at in training. He didn’t curse during normal conversations, as he was a proper person.

However, Dang Jan’s eyes wobbled with a certain trace of fear. Dang Gunak only felt fear as well at that look. Dang Jan was good at hiding his emotions. He very rarely admitted defeat or expressed his concerns.

“Dang Jan, why are you afraid?”

He did not expect Dang Jan to reply instantly, “Something’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing’s wrong—” Dang Gunak had the sudden urge to say something else. He cleared his throat, and repeated, “Nothing bad is wrong with you.”

Dang Jan noticed his father’s strange wording. His eyes fluttered shut before he opened them again with confidence. “Something is wrong with you too.”

“I don’t know about that…” He felt fine. If anything, he only felt like he needed to talk to his son. Wasn’t that a good thing? Their bond must be quite strong.

“Who is your favorite child?” demanded Dang Jan.

Without thinking, Dang Gunak blurted, “Dang Soso.”

Dang Jan hummed, as if pleased. His eyes were alight with new knowledge, like he confirmed a theory he had been testing. Dang Gunak sucked in deeply, a rush of fear entering his brain.

“Oh,” he said faintly.

Dang Jan nodded his head solemnly. “Mn.”

“Is everyone else…?”

“I believe so.” Dang Jan turned down the hallway.

The shouts that Dang Gunak wrote off earlier as simply training were growing louder and more full of vulgar insults that hit a bit too close to home, seeing as they were all honest and truthful things they felt about each other.

Dang Gunak sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face. “I will send another letter alongside our current one. Mount Hua needs to be aware that we are currently indisposed and may not be in contact with them until further notice.”

Dang Jan frowned. “You don’t wish for their help?”

“I would like to ask for their help,” replied Dang Gunak, “but they must be busy with training as well. We can’t rely on Mount Hua to solve all of our problems.”

“Not even if they’re your friends?” Dang Jan’s throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “I thought… I thought you shared problems with each other.”

“We do.” Dang Gunak couldn’t deny that. “But I also don’t wish to add more stress to Cheong Myeong. If he learned of our plight, what would he do?”

“Rush over, kill a few people, and solve our problem.”

“Correct.” Dang Gunak tapped his foot. “We could involve him, but it’s for the best that he deals with Mount Hua instead of worrying about us.”

Dang Jan said after a bout of silence, “I don’t agree with your argument. If Mount Hua’s Chivalrous Sword knew we were in trouble, he would want to help. It wouldn’t be an obligation for him. It was because you’re friends.”

Dang Gunak couldn’t refute it. Quite literally, he couldn’t form words to argue against his son’s words. He only blinked at Dang Jan, wondering when he grew up to be so serene and cunning.

“I suppose I can send a letter.”

“Or you could go to Mount Hua yourself.”

“I…” He could. It would be easy. All he needed to say was that he could find the cure if he left the sect. However, things could happen while he was away. “I mustn’t.”

“... I don’t completely comprehend your stance.” Dang Jan showed an apologetic smile. “I shall go in your place, so that they understand the severity of the issue. Perhaps they will have insight that our people do not.”

“If you must.”

Dang Gunak watched as his son walked away with the letter in hand. Dang Soso likely wouldn’t expect to see her brother. He imagined her smile and decided that all would be okay. All he needed to do was ignore the way that people continued to yell at each other.

He walked back into his office and feigned ignorance of the problem. A while later, an Elder walked in with news about a possible curse that they were under. Dang Gunak successfully avoided saying that he knew of the problem, then settled in for a long day of stopping petty fights amongst his family members.

Hong Daegwang was following up a lead. He stayed near Mount Hua, but he had letters coming and going quickly. Multiple cities were reporting strange issues with their sects. Hong Daegwang had a suspicion that whatever was happening at Mount Hua was likely happening to other sects.

It wasn’t good. The Beggar’s Union was still a sect despite what many others might think. If the sects were under attack, did the Beggar’s Union need to prepare themselves for it as well? Hong Dawgwang didn’t like it one bit. Too many moving parts were occurring around him. He needed more information, and yet at the same time he was hoping that there would be no strange reports that caught his attention.

Hong Daegwang stopped pacing when he heard the door open. He looked up instantly, hoping it was Cheong Myeong, only to see a returned beggar. Gu Chil stood at the door, face flushed. He walked in promptly, bowed, and held out a letter from Hwang Jongui.

Hong Daegwang tore open the letter. He didn’t even think to check the fact that the letter was addressed to Mount Hua instead of him. He needed information. He could repair trust later.

The letter didn’t detail much. Hwang Jongui had seen problems with this company before, but never to such a suspicious length. Apparently, there used to be a shortage of the seasoning. It was only recently that the company was making waves again since they found a new mine to get their materials from.

Hong Daegwang was suspicious of why Hwang Jongui would inform Cheong Myeong about seasoning, but then he remembered that all people had to eat. He knew that as a beggar and as a cultivator. Humans must consume food, and most humans prefer food cooked and seasoned.

Were all sects getting poisoned or something?

Hong Daegwang breathed out harshly. It was his only theory. Somehow, a company was poisoning sects through food. It wasn’t exactly a new move, but it was strange. Cheong Myeong, as far as he knew, was in good relations with the Dang’s. If it was poison, couldn’t the Dang’s fix Mount Hua’s problem?

Hong Daegwang shook his head, only now noticing that there were two other qi presences. He startled as he looked across the room to see two silent disciples standing there. They were dressed in unmistakable Zhongnan robes. Weren’t they supposed to be isolated, the sect doors closed so that they could train?

Hong Daegwang shook his head. Right. He had other priorities. Mainly, he needed to climb Mount Hua and talk about this with Cheong Myeong.

He simply pointed his fingers at the disciples and said, “You’re coming with me.”

Hong Daegwang then turned to Gu Chil. He ordered, “Bring me the documents that are delivered while I’m away. Start climbing before dark.”

He then left the building, leaving behind a confused and exhausted Gu Chil. The sun shone high in the air. It was just past lunch. There was a whole afternoon to get shit sorted out.

The two Zhongnan disciples were easily recognizable. Hong Daegwang eyed the two out of the corner of his eyes. Lee Songbaek had a small but honest smile across his face. Jin Geumryong, meanwhile, looked a little peeved at being ordered around. Well too bad, Cheong Myeong had beat all of their asses so they’re all stuck in the same boat.

The climb to Mount Hua got easier as time went on. That didn’t mean that Hong Daegwang enjoyed it, though. Jin Geumryong didn’t struggle at all, though he did kick a few rocks toward Lee Songbaek. For his charter, Lee Songbaek kicked rocks at his sahyeong’s feet as well. Kids were so strange.

The gate to Mount Hua looked the same as last time yet there was a strange aura permitting the air. Hong Daegwang exchanged a glance with the Zhongnan disciples. The older one didn’t seem to care while Lee Songbaek’s shoulders tensed.

Hong Daegwang banged on the gate. He knew better than to just walk inside if Cheong Myeong was in one of his overprotective states. He was half-expected for Cheong Myeong to crack open the door, yell a lot, then chase him off.

Instead, he was presented with a worried-looking Yun Jong. He was floundering about, his cool facade gone. He yanked Hong Daegwang’s robes, pulled him close, and demanded, “What are you doing here!?”

Hong Daegwang was not used to this treatment from Yun Jong. Wasn’t this the man that Cheong Myeong praised as a true daoist!? That motherfucker was a liar!

“Uhm, I have information. For him.” Hong Daegwang didn’t even need to name Cheong Myeong.

Yun Jong let go of Hong Daegwang, but not without sending a final stink-eye at the beggar. Hong Daegwang stood up, not bothering to wipe his pants of dirt. He should have known that there would be high tension if there was a poison inhabiting the disciples of the mountain.

“What are you doing here?” Yun Jong’s cold and passive voice was now directed to the Zhongnan disciples.

Jin Geumryong answered, “Some of the information came from us.” He raised an eyebrow after, as if exuding an air of arrogance.

Lee Songbaek added helpfully in hopes of smothering the tension, “We’re also in need of a solution.”

Yun Jong paused, his lips closing. He analyzed the two Zhongnan disciples, then asked, “How do you feel about Cheong Myeong?”

With a pleasant tone, Lee Songbaek announced, “He’s sort of my mentor despite me being the older one. It’s a little warped, but I think it works for us just fine!”

Jin Geumryong gritted his teeth, sending a glare at Lee Songbaek. Without shame, Lee Songbaek shrugged his shoulders. Yun Jong relaxed a little at the interaction.

Through gritted teeth, Jin Geumryong entailed, “The Divine Dragon is a fierce warrior that I hope to take down of my own merit in a fair competition.”

Yun Jong widened the gate, allowing the three outsiders to enter. He warned, “If you’ve come to start trouble, it’s not Cheong Myeong you should be worried about. We’ve all gone a little feral since quite a few things have come to light recently.”

Hong Daegwang rolled his eyes as he stepped through the gate. He instantly searched for a familiar head of inky hair. He scanned the disciples, spotted some with their hair pulled up, but none of them had the right build or pink-colored eyes. He tried to not show his confusion but…

“Why are the disciples sitting in a circle on the ground?”

Hong Daegwang was incredibly confused. He knew Mount Hua was strange but this was a bit much. The disciples crossed their legs and were passing around a metal weight to one another. The disciple who held the metal weight would speak, then toss it to a different person.

Yun Jong sighed, looking at the large circle of participants. “We’ve decided to talk one at a time to discuss things quicker. We had an incident yesterday afternoon which led Cheong Myeong to hide in the mountains. Again.”

“Hide?” Hong Daegwang couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“We’re fairly positive he’s drinking himself to death,” confirmed Yun Jong. He looked old and young at the same time. “We pried too much, so he left. I thought he’d return for dinner, but he didn’t. He also didn’t come back for breakfast or lunch.”

“Is Dojang not handling our predicament well?” asked Lee Songbaek, his voice low and soft. He understood the importance of keeping information quiet, then.

Yun Jong sighed heavily. He rubbed his hand over his face, eyeing the three outsiders. He shook his head, thinking over something. Hong Daegwang knew that something was odd the last time he saw Cheong Myeong, but to make his fellow disciples worry so much about him was out of character.

“I asked him about his childhood,” murmured Yun Jong.

Ah, that would do it, no doubt. Hong Daegwang wasn’t an overseer of Cheong Myeong’s branch when he was still considered part of the Beggar’s Union. Young beggars didn’t get much supervision unless they proved themselves in some way with valuable information. However, he knew how many beggars came to be. They didn’t have great backgrounds.

Jin Geumryong grunted. “Bad move.”

“Yeah.” Yun Jong nodded his head. “It was a very bad move, but everyone was curious. It’s… We don’t get to see him vulnerable a lot, you know? He seems to be above us and I guess I forgot that even Cheong Myeong has a past that he doesn’t like to talk about. He looked human as he awkwardly stood there, tapping his foot on the ground in annoyance.”

Hong Daegwang knew a lot of Cheong Myeong’s ticks. When he was angry, he yelled. When he was hungry, he ate. When he was being a scheming bastard, he smiled innocently. When he knew what was happening around him, he would look confident.

He thought it was strange that Cheong Myeong was tapping his foot when they talked last. Hong Daegwang frowned, trying to remember what else happened not that long ago. Cheong Myeong wouldn’t stop talking. As if he couldn’t stop.

“This isn’t a poisoning, is it?” asked Hong Daegwang. The disciples turned to him in slight surprise. “It’s not a true poison, at least. The thing that I tracked down for him… It’s because you all have to tell the truth, isn’t it?”

Yun Jong confirmed with a nod of his head. “We can’t lie. Some of us seem to have more compulsions than others to speak. Some have worse side-effects if they don’t tell the truth right away. There’s a lot of variables.”

“I take it that Cheong Myeong has the worst of it.” Hong Daegwang didn’t phrase it as a question on purpose. “He was very peculiar when he asked me to speak with the Eunha guild. He… He talked a lot. He tapped his foot, he tapped his fingers. He hesitated to leave. I practically had to order him away.”

Yun Jong’s eyes widened at the information. “I didn’t…” He shook his head. “That would explain some of his strange behavior. I thought he was just twitchy, but if he’s more affected, then…”

“How did Mount Hua get infected?” inquired Lee Songbaek. “We know it must be something that we brought in with us, but we didn’t get much further than that.”

“It’s the seasoning,” replied Yun Jong. “An ingredient in the seasoning that we put on food has made everyone speak the truth.” He glared over at a bald man across the yard. “Almost everyone, at least. The monk decided to be proper and didn’t eat meat. Asshole.”

“Seasoning?” Jin Geumryong’s expression soured. “We’re being defeated from seasoning our food?”

Hong Daegwang confirmed for them, “The Eunha guild has had trouble with that particular company before. They didn’t have enough product until recently. From what was told in the letter, the company found a new mine to gather their materials. I believe that is too much of a coincidence.”

“A mine?” Yun Jong’s eyes lit up a little. Confidence began to fill out his frame. “A cave or a field?”

“... A cave.”

Yun Jong nodded stoutly. “I suppose we truly do need to track down Cheong Myeong. We’ve had experience mining in the North Sea. He was the one that helped us. He may know what sort of materials could hinder us to speak only in truths.”

“You mined in the North Sea?” Lee Songbaek looked merely curious, his eyes shining in genuine interest and not hatred.

Yun Jong hummed and said casually, “Ice Crystals. We needed it for our pills, so we had to do the mining ourselves. Cheong Myeong was able to detect the Ice Crystals using his pure qi. We harvested everything we could.”

“Wow…”

“Get a grip,” muttered Jin Geumryong, whacking Lee Songbaek on the shoulder.

Hong Daegwang stayed silent. He didn’t like that Yun Jong said something like that in a normal voice. Harvesting Ice Crystals was a pain. Hong Daegwang had heard of many people dying when they did so, whether they were cultivators or not. He bit his lip and remembered that Mount Hua was an imoogi den being watched over by a dragon.

As Hong Daegwang thought about how to get into contact with Hyeon Jong, the set leader, he was stopped by a loud set of footsteps. He turned to see Dang Soso, the once delicate flower of the Dang’s that became a Mount Hua disciples a few years ago. She held muscles that would leave other sects in shame.

Dang Soso waved and said, “Sahyeong, we’ve decided what to do!” She held a weight in her hands, smiling innocently despite her bizarre words. “We’re going to hunt Cheong Myeong-sahyeong down and drag him back so that we can stuff mooncakes into his mouth!”

How did she say such a scary thing with brilliantly bright eyes and a happy grin on her face?

Chapter Text

There was one universal thought that Baek Cheon always had running through his head: Cheong Myeong was an awful bastard.

But Cheong Myeong also loved them all, so putting up with his horrid personality was just what they had to do. Mount Hua wouldn’t be anything like it was today without Cheong Myeong’s fierce drive for them to do better, even if that meant he turned into a monster or had a horrible personality.

Baek Cheon also knew that Cheong Myeong was not allowed to lose a fight, and if he did, then Baek Cheon would try with all of his might to ensure Cheong Myeong’s survival. Because they all knew, in some way, that if Cheong Myeong died then so did Mount Hua’s spirit.

Mount Hua would always hold a special palace in Baek Cheon’s heart. He still remembered growing up with his family, being taught forms to prepare him for Zhongnan in Xian, but things changed when he decided to become a disciple of the plum blossoms. Most disciples who ended up at Mount Hua felt the same.

A person didn’t simply climb up a mountain and declare themselves as a disciple. Unless they were Cheong Myeong. For everyone else, Mount Hua was all that was left. Even Jo Geol, with his well-off family, only came to Mount Hua so that he could escape an oppressive life in Sichuan.

Yun Jong and Yu Iseol were both taken in as children, saved by Mount Hua’s elders. They were both starved, barely surviving in the woods and on the street. Dang Soso came to Mount Hua to escape the Dang family and become a cultivator who did more than heal. Even Baek-ah left the Beast Palace because the weak animals there weren’t fun to push around any longer.

Mount Hua was just a place where people who didn’t fall into the normal categories went. It was once decrepit with little life and no wealth. Their martial arts were lost and there was no hope in recovering the blossoming blade that Mount Hua was known for, but then things changed.

Cheong Myeong caused things to change. Baek Cheon could never forget that, but he also wouldn’t forget the state of Mount Hua before Cheong Myeong came along. Baek Cheon was the future and hope of the set, despite being so weak compared to other cultivators. He was arrogant and haughty, selfish and insecure.

Baek Cheon didn’t change when he first entered Mount Hua. He still had a chip on his shoulder despite running away from his family. He only made the trip because of his mother and the wealth she spared to him in secret. Baek Cheon never starved, not like the others, and that made him not realize how much Mount Hua meant to him until later.

Mount Hua was built on the backs of their ancestors, but the real changes for Baek Cheon occurred when a beggar arrived while Baek Cheon was in isolation training with the other Baek disciples. That beggar would announce himself as Cheong Myeong and demand to be part of a failing sect.

Baek Cheon was stuck up in the beginning. He bullied the Cheong generation and mocked them without any fear or guilt. It wasn’t until his brother, Jin Geumryong, visited Mount Hua along with the other Zhongnan disciples when Baek Cheong was taught his first lesson by Cheong Myeong. Sometimes, Baek Cheon could still feel the pain from his first beating.

But then Cheong Myeong defeated the Zhongnan disciples, receiving the title as Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon from Jin Geumryong. The shadowed back that Cheong Myeong showed them as he faced opponents would turn into a familiar sight.

As the seasons and years passed by, all sect members would watch in awe as Cheong Myeong did things that shouldn’t have been possible at his age. He led battles, crafted alliances, and created enemies. Mount Hua was prospering like never before…

And yet, here Baek Cheon was now.

The mountain terrain of Mount Hua wasn’t very tricky for disciples anymore, but they would never be able to get around the mountain like Cheong Myeong did. It was like he knew every in and out, every forested area and clearing, and every small nook or cave.

Baek Cheon cursed his younger self for choosing Mount Hua as the sect he ran away to. At least he wasn’t the only one chasing after Cheong Myeong, though. Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong joined in, though they mainly did it as a form of ‘training.’ Baek Cheon secretly thought that the Zhongnan disciples simply wanted to see more of Mount Hua’s beauty.

“Why the hell is he so damn fast?” cursed Jin Geumryong, his hair looking haggard.

Baek Cheon snorted. He, too, looked awful. Just as every disciple did. Even Hye Yeon, who had stamina like no other, was panting for breath with sweat dripping down his forehead and nose. Yet, they didn’t stop. They had a goal— a mission assigned to them by Dang Soso.

They all agreed with Dang Soso, of course. The only way to alleviate what they did to Cheong Myeong was to make him happy. Usually that involved treating bandits like cows, drinking a lot, or eating sweets. So, Mount Hua divided and conquered their issues.

Baek Cheon, like most disciples, were sent to fetch Cheong Myeong. He was a slippery bastard. Dang Soso and Yu Iseol went to the town at the base of the mountain to get mooncakes. The elders of Mount Hua stayed in the sect to check their resources and uncover any liquor that was finally ready to emerge.

But Cheong Myeong already had liquor. He held the jaw in his hand haphazardly, spilling a few drops every time he made a large leap. Despite being tipsy, Cheong Myeong was graceful and faster than the disciples.

“He’s truly amazing,” Lee Songbaek murmured as they watched Cheong Myeong casually jump down a pivot in the mountain.

Baek Cheon wished for everything to end.

As Baek Cheon chased down a slightly drunk Cheong Myeong through the mountains, all he wished for was for that little bastard to trip over his feet. Maybe even face plant into the dirt. The sheer idea of it brought a smile to Baek Cheon’s face and energy into his steps.

Cheong Myeong continued laughing with flushed cheeks. Every so often he turned around to look at the disciples for only a moment before he continued running and jumping further away. It was aggravating and arrogant.

Baek Cheon cursed the small beggar that walked up to the Mount Hua gates all those years ago.

The sun began to set so Gu Chil packed up a bag and stuffed all of the papers that were delivered into it. Hong Daegwang ordered him to bring the letters up to Mount Hua before night fell, so he was rushing to get it all sorted.

He placed the bag on his shoulder, held it tightly to himself because he had to protect its contents, and left the room. Hong Daegwang, like other beggars, didn’t bother with locks. They had nothing physical for thieves to steal. Instead, they hoarded information, and that information went with them as they traveled place to place.

The moon was merely a crescent in the sky. The sun had set but it still lit up the sky in a dark periwinkle. Gu Chil would need to move quickly up the mountain before night fell. But first, he had to get to the base of the mountain. He traveled through the small town at the base of Mount Hua.

The market was almost completely closed. Some of the shops were already packing up for the day and a few only remained open to talk to each other as they cleaned up. Gu Chil made sure to steer clear of everyone so that he didn’t run into anyone that may notice the bag on his shoulder.

He bypassed a pair of disciples in black plum blossom robes. The shops were closing for the day along with the sun, so Gu Chil was surprised to see the two women handing over money to buy sweet treats. Gu Chil shook his head and continued on. It wasn’t his business.

He sighed and looked up at the tall peak where the sect resided. Hong Daegwang was likely giving information to the sect leader right now. Mount Hua, huh. Gu Chil still felt weird knowing someone from the legendary Mount Hua. He wondered what it was like to transfer from being a beggar to a cultivator with a title.

Gu Chil sighed. He didn’t feel like climbing the mountain to reach Mount Hua. He had a busy day of traveling from Xian, but the Zhongnan disciples were nice enough to share their qi so that he could keep up pace. Gu Chil really wished he could go back to being a normal beggar that didn’t get too involved with the sects.

As he climbed, he tried to not think about Mount Hua or how intimidating cultivators of their caliber were. He focused more on the other sects. And the fact that he could no longer escape the fact that he got involved in a lot more dangerous plots than he wanted to. Gu Chil would weep if he had the energy reserves to do so.

He climbed higher, then heard a strange noise. There were loud thuds. He lifted his head and looked out to see a swarm of disciples chasing a lone person. Gu Chil yelped and hid, stuffing the bag he was holding to his chest. The steps were so loud and thunderous. For a second, he thought lightning may have struck the ground.

As the herd passed him by, Gu Chil let out a shaky breath of relief. He turned around and prepared to stand up. He still had a little ways to go until he reached Mount Hua’s gate.

However, once he turned around, Gu Chil was met with a very familiar face hanging upside down. The familiar man’s legs were looped over a low-hanging branch. His pink eyes were bright compared to the setting sky.

“Cho—” Gu Chil cut himself off out of respect. “Cheong Myeong, what are you doing here?”

“Hiding,” replied Cheong Myeong. He dropped down from the tree, landing with nearly no noise. He cocked his head and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Gu Chil stood up hastily and reported, “I have notes to give to—”

“Ah, the beggar ahjussi, right?” Cheong Myeong took the bag, lifting it over his shoulder. “Thanks for the information, brat.”

Gu Chil tugged on the bag. It didn’t move at all. “I can’t hand that over without approval, Cheong Myeong!”

“I’ll take it to ahjussi, then.” Cheong Myeong sighed, looking casual despite his slightly pink cheeks as if he had been drinking. “Will that suffice? I won’t take a peek until then.”

Gu Chil stopped tugging fruitlessly on the bag. “That’s… That’s fine.”

Cheong Myeong then awkwardly patted Gu Chil’s shoulder. It’s not like Gu Chil would be able to stop Cheong Myeong anyway. Gu Chil may be a cultivator as well, but he wasn’t refined like disciples of true martial arts sects. Gu Chil mainly used his qi to help run away, as most beggars only gathered information.

“The ahjussi wouldn’t blame you for any mistakes I make. He knows better than to think that a twerp like you could fight against my will or strength.”

Gu Chil nodded along. That was very true. Hong Daegwang knew intimately that Cheong Myeong would eventually get his way. He was too bull-headed not to. He would figure out a plan that would appease his allies the most.

“Mn.” Gu Chil nodded to himself, then looked at Cheong Myeong again. “Are you… Are you okay?”

Cheong Myeong blinked in surprise. “What?”

“I just— The disciples are acting strange.” Running around with foaming mouths. “Is everything okay with Mount Hua?”

Cheong Myeong tapped his foot on the ground. He jostled the bag and changed positions slightly. His lips thinned as he got a pinched look about him. Gu Chil awkwardly brushed dirt off of his clothes.

“It could be worse,” was what Cheong Myeong settled on. His eyes shone despite the darkening sky. “You should turn in for the night, brat. The others will probably be running around for a while. They spend too much of their energy toward useless activities.”

Gu Chil wasn’t sure why Cheong Myeong was behaving so oddly. He pursed his lips and tried to think of something else to say. Maybe a reassurance to tell Cheong Myeong that Mount Hua disciples were great, or perhaps ask more of why Cheong Myeong acted so weirdly.

Gu Chil didn’t get the chance to speak with Cheong Myeong further, though. He felt a strange presence in the air. The tree leaves shook minutely in the air, making Gu Chil turn towards the oddity.

There was a rumble underneath his feet.

Gu Chil looked down in confusion. Was it an earthquake? He looked around and found out that wasn’t entirely incorrect. The feral herd of disciples had returned, this time yelling out Cheong Myeong’s name.

“Tsk.” Cheong Myeong rubbed the back of his neck. “I got to go. If you’re staying the night, talk to an Elder or something. They have more common sense than these brats.”

In a flash, Cheong Myeong disappeared with the letters that Gu Chil was supposed to hand over to Hong Daegwang. Gu Chil could only watch in shock as Cheong Myeong faded and the disciples rounded the corner.

The disciples barely gave Gu Chil a glance before moving forward. Gu Chil merely pointed in the direction that he saw Cheong Myeong disappear. The disciples moved quickly as one, the quaking dying down the further away they were.

Gu Chil clutched his chest. Mount Hua was so scary. In fact, it was too scary. Gu Chil considered returning to the village at the base of the mountain, but the sky was darkening more and more by the second. He gathered all of his will and continued toward the gate of Mount Hua.

When he creaked open the gate, he was met with a silent sect. Gu Chil hesitantly walked inside, exploring the grounds warily. He really didn’t like how quiet the inside of the sect was compared to the chaos that was happening on the mountainside.

As he reached a larger building, he heard the sound of laughter and ceramic clacking together. The beggar approached the building with gentle steps, afraid that if he made too much noise then maybe the herd of disciples would come after him.

Gu Chil slid open the door to be met with Hong Daegwang drinking with Cheong Myeong. Gu Chil belatedly realized he was used as a decoy to send the Mount Hua disciples the wrong way.

“... What is this?” Gu Chil whispered, partially to himself and partially to the heavens.

Cheong Myeong shoved another liquor bottle onto the table and popped the cork off with a grin. He served up the glasses, giggling when Hong Daegwang nearly spilled his cup on himself.

“Hehehehe!” Cheong Myeong refilled their glasses. “You’re lucky I don’t mind you too much, ahjussi.”

Hong Daegwang cleared his throat. “Ah, yes, of course! The Beggar’s Union will lend its favor toward Mount Hua because of you.”

“That’s good, that’s good!” Cheong Myeong swung back his cup, then set it down on the table with a clang. “If you didn’t, what use are you?” He was smiling but Gu Chil felt like it was a threat.

Hong Daegwang’s nervous chuckle was loud. He rubbed a hand over his face, as if trying to sober up. He shook his head and said, “We will figure this out.”

“Figure this out?” Cheong Myeong sounded skeptical. “I already did, ahjussi! There’s only one mineral that can make cultivators tell the truth. It’s the, uhm, the… I don’t know its true name. I call it talkative salt. It’s awful, though. It’s no wonder I’m so affected by it!”

“You know what’s affecting you?”

“It’s a rock!”

Hong Daegwang just stared in shock and disbelief. Gu Chil, similarly, didn’t know what to do with that information.

Choeng Myeong continued obliviously, “It looks like a rock, at least. It gets mixed up with sodium since the minerals look so similar. On its own, talkative salt isn’t harmful and it has no effects other than being somewhat inedible since it’s a mineral. However, since it was cooked onto the meat, the true properties took place.”

“The compulsion to tell the truth,” realized Hong Daegwang.

“Yup!” Cheong Myeong filled his glass once more. “It wouldn’t affect people without a dantian. It only affects people with qi. Depending on a cultivator’s ratio of yin and yang energy, this truth serum bullshit will affect people differently.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Cheong Myeong shrugged his shoulders. “It could be worse.”

He turned a little somber, but shook his head violently. He poured more liquor into his cup before raising it to his lips. Cheong Myeong was always a little dull looking, like a gray cloud covered above his head. It wasn’t sadness, exactly, but perhaps it was guilt or nostalgia.

Gu Chil slowly walked into the room and sat down. There was a small thump before there was a glass presented in front of Gu Chil. He looked up to see Cheong Myeong smiling at him, offering the alcohol with a soft grin.

Gu Chil picked up the glass. It was warm going down his throat. He didn’t particularly like it, but with Cheong Myeong looking at him proudly…

Gu Chil asked for more hesitantly, confidence starting to thrum in his veins. It made Hong Daegwang chuckle loudly and Cheong Myeong give a lop-sided smile as he poured the drinks.

The village was small, with few shops and even fewer houses. The inn was the only place that made any good amount of money. This was just a pit stop to travelers, not anything grand. The village started as a place to house miners for the caves nearby, but it soon grew into a permanent village that wasn’t made up of only workers.

“Sword Saint!” A mortal man waved him down, rocking with excitement.

Cheong Myeong would normally ignore a man like that. He had better things to do. He was only in the area because he heard that the valley was known for their delicious liquor. Cheong Myeong hadn’t found any liquor that was superb, but the food was quite great.

The villager before him, who was clearly a fan of his, was the stall owner of some delicious fried food. Cheong Myeong’s nose twitched from the appetizing sizzle he heard from a few meters away. His stomach rumbled and he was already walking toward the stall.

“Sword Saint,” greeted the stall owner once more. “What are you doing in town?”

Cheong Myeong frowned, wondering why he was called over. However, he stopped frowning when the man presented him with free food. Cheong Myeong took a bite of the dough and replied, “I heard a few rumors about this place. I wanted to take a peek around.”

“Oh! The rumors!” The stall owner laughed to himself. “There are very many rumors as of late, huh? It’s not so bad, I suppose.” Relief seemed to enter the man’s shoulder. He became less tense. “You’re here to solve the problem, aren’t you? About all the talkative secret sharers.”

“There’s a problem?” asked Cheong Myeong, his cheeks squished out to hold the delicious food he was chewing.

“There is!” The stall owner gestured around. “We’ve got all sorts of suspicious people since the rumors started. They turn talkative pretty quickly, but it’s still an issue in my mind’s eye.”

“Suspicious people,” echoed Cheong Myeong, feeling curious about what sort of thugs he could beat up. Bandits? Please say that there were bandits readily available for Cheong Myeong to relieve some stress upon.

“There’s been an influx of ‘em since word got around about the caves.” The stall owner leaned in like he was telling a secret. “I’m not sure how truthful the salt makes people, but I reckon it’s quite a bit. A lot of people around me have been spilling their secrets without a care.”

“Oh?” That was certainly interesting.

“They say that the salt mines around here have special powers. All sorts of people have been trying to get their hands on it. Mostly it's the bad sort of people, but there’s also been a few young couples that want to prove themselves to the other as soulmates and eternal lovers.”

“A mineral from the caves coerces people to tell the truth?” Cheong Myeong was stunned. “That’s…”

“It doesn’t work all of the time,” cautioned the vendor. “When I use it, it works, but a few others haven’t had such luck.”

“Oh? What’s your secret to your successful use of the product?”

“I put it on food,” he revealed simply.

Cheong Myeong looked down to his empty skewer. The villager laughed awkwardly, fear entering his eyes. Cheong Myeong’s eyes blazed. The idea that someone could ask him something and he would be forced to tell the truth—

He couldn’t even imagine it without his heart beating quickly in panic. What if Dang Bo asked if he liked him!? Cheong Myeong would be forced to answer truthfully. It would ensure that the brat never left his side, clinging to him like a leech.

The stall owner quickly assured Cheong Myeong, “I didn’t put any of the talkative minerals into your food, Sword Saint!”

Cheong Myeong let himself believe that. And then asked, “Do you have some on hand?”

The villager looked surprised by the question, then nodded slowly. He took out a small pouch from his reserves, passing it over to Cheong Myeong with trembling fingers. Cheong Myeong grunted then left the man to think over his decision to put the unknown mineral into unsuspecting consumers.

“Sago,” asked Dang Soso.

“Mn?” Yu Iseol inclined her head towards the older woman.

“Do you hear that?” Dang Soso lifted a finger in the air. “It’s a strange but familiar noise, isn’t it?”

Yu Iseol closed her eyes and tilted her head. She sucked in a small but deep breath. The air around her turned chilly as she became attuned with her surroundings. After a few long moments, Yu Iseol snapped open her eyes and narrowed in on a gently lit up building in the darkness.

“Sajil,” confirmed Yu Iseol.

“He’s laughing, isn’t he?” Dang Soso scoffed, squinting her eyes at the building where the noise was coming from. But then she looked at the container of mooncakes that Yu Iseol was carrying and turned somber. “I thought he was sad…”

“He’s drunk,” stated Yu Iseol. “He laughs when he’s drunk. Most people do.”

“Ah… Okay, sago.” Dang Soso’s shoulders tightened. Anxiety made her uneasy. She wasn’t used to seeing her amazing Cheong Myeong-sahyeong look fragile.

“He’s probably hungry,” added Yu Iseol, taking a breath before stepping forward with purpose.

Dang Soso delayed only a moment before following Yu Iseol. Mount Hua was eerily quiet. Dang Soso suspected that the other disciples were still trying to chase down Cheong Myeong, wholly unaware that he had returned to Mount Hua without them. It was such a Cheong Myeong stunt to pull off.

They opened the door to find Cheong Myeong’s shaking shoulders encompassed by an equally as drunk Hong Daegwang and Gu Chil. They sat in a row with Cheong Myeong in the middle. Liquor wasn’t even being drunk anymore. Only empty bottles remained, tipped over and spilling their last drops across the table.

As soon as Cheong Myeong noticed their presence, a goofy smile appeared over his face. “Sago! Samae!”

Dang Soso’s heart fluttered at the happy tone that Cheong Myeong greeted them with. Some of her favorite memories were when they were about to go to battle and they relaxed by drinking themselves into a stupor. For a few hours, they could forget about all of their duties. They would inhale food and drink their weight in liquor.

Yet, Cheong Myeong had never seemed so happy to see her. Dang Soso smiled wetly, cradling the mooncakes in her shaking hands. It was too much, really. Seeing this truer side of her sahyeong made her feel too many emotions all at once.

“What are you two doing here?” asked Cheong Myeong, oblivious to why Dang Soso had halted in her steps.

Yu Iseol looked between Dang Soso and Cheong Myeong, then sighed out heavily. After an internal battle, Yu Iseol answered, “We were worried about you.”

“Me?” Cheong Myeong blinked in surprise.

Hong Daegwang gave a drunken chuckle. He asked, a bit confused, “Why would you be worried about Cheong Myeong?”

“He was upset earlier,” stated Dang Soso, finding her voice. It was slightly wavering in concern. “I… I was worried about him. I was worried for him. He’s my sahyeong but I still wish to look out for him. I’m older than you, Cheong Myeong-sahyeong. I don’t want to only be close to you because I’m good at saving your life.”

“You’re older than him?” Gu Chil’s words were slurred but the point was made. “But you’re so—”

“Beautiful?” Dang Soso batted her eyes and sparkles fluttered the air around her.

“—short.”

Dang Soso’s face fell. She turned into stone, her lips pursed in anger. It got worse when Hong Daegwang and Cheong Myeong burst out laughing. Dang Soso flushed furiously and turned to her reliable partner, only for Yu Iseol to turn away and release a puff of air akin to a laugh.

“Sago, you betrayer!” Dang Soso puffed out her cheeks.

She gently hit Yu Iseol’s arm with her fists. Yu Iseol didn’t flinch from the touch, merely moving away to hide her smile. Dang Soso pouted, letting her arms fall to her side. She couldn't believe that Yu Iseol would laugh at her!

“Almost as tall as Baek-ah,” murmured Cheong Myeong, clearly enjoying the shift in the conversation.

“Baek-ah isn’t taller than me,” argued Dang Soso, sounding petulant. She whined, “Sahyeong.”

Cheong Myeong cocked his head then sniffed the air. He paused, his red eyes falling into the packages in Dang Soso and Yu Iseol’s hands. Dang Soso straightened up at his intense gaze, then hoarded the mooncakes closer to her chest.

“Bad, sahyeong,” she reprimanded him.

“Eh?” Cheong Myeong stretched out, not unlike a cat. “I haven’t been that bad.” His arm then wrapped around Gu Chil’s shoulder, who had fallen asleep after so much liquor.

“You are not getting mooncakes until you let us apologize,” Dang Soso said firmly. She was willing to bend a lot of her morals, but she would not cater to Cheong Myeong’s whims tonight.

“Sajil needs to be calm,” added Yu Iseol, offering up a mooncake.

Cheong Myeong crept forward, bypassing Gu Chil and Hong Daegwang. Gu Chil fell over softly, curling up gently as he slept. Hong Daegwang watched Cheong Myeong with avid fascination, as if realizing that he didn’t often have the chance to see a drunken Cheong Myeong interact with his martial siblings.

Cheong Myeong stood by himself uneasily in front of Dang Soso and Yu Iseol. He shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, not knowing what to do. There were many choices that he was presented with. His buzz wore off as the conversation became more serious. His nose prickled with the smell of freshly made mooncakes. The fight in him had left as soon as it came.

“... I’m listening.”

Cheong Myeong was. He was always listening. He needed to be aware of his surroundings. He had to know that his disciples were safe.

He was always so afraid for them. Mount Hua had a reputation now, because of him. It was his fault that they would be targeted. If Mount Hua wasn’t seen as strong, then they wouldn’t have been dosed with the talkative salt. Only major sects were having issues with telling the truth. If Mount Hua was still in ruins, then there would be no drama occurring.

“We didn’t want to upset you. When… When Yun Jong asked about your childhood, we should have stopped him. I am still curious about your past, sahyeong, but it’s not worth the knowledge if I lose the relationship I have with you. You’re important to me, sahyeong.” Dang Soso hid her sniffle behind a laugh. “Please, eat a mooncake and be happy.”

“Sajil cannot protect all of us.” Yu Iseol’s words made Cheong Myeong flinch. She said with caution, “We are strong on our own. We will protect each other, including you.”

“You…” Cheong Myeong let out a defeated sigh. “You two, really…” He shook his head and a smile began to show across his face. “I was never angry with anyone. I was disappointed with myself. For failing to save—”

He bit his lip and blood appeared at the sides of his mouth. Blood dripped down his lips and to his chin. His hands shook at his side and he turned away from the others to walk outside. Dang Soso and Yu Iseol exchanged a look. Together, at once, they left the mooncakes on the table and followed after Cheong Myeong.

They traced him all the way to Sheer Drop Cliff. Yu Iseol had found her sajil there many times before. He always had a nostalgic look as he sat with his legs swinging over the edge. Now, though, Cheong Myeong was merely standing a meter away from the edge of the cliff as he looked up at the sky full of stars.

Dang Soso and Yu Iseol stood a couple of paces behind him. Cheong Myeong tilted his head toward them, showing a small but despair-filled smile.

“I loved them,” he said.

“They’re all dead,” he said.

“Sometimes, I still think I see their faces… or hear their voices.”

And then, “I miss them.”

Dang Soso moved forward first. She was slow, walking at a snail’s pace. She shifted toward him until she threw out her arms and tugged him into a hug. Cheong Myeong didn’t fight it, merely resting his chin atop her head. It only made Dang Soso squeeze him tighter.

For a long time, Cheong Myeong didn’t know what to do with the pouch of minerals. It was a nearly translucent white granules. It looked similar to salt. It didn’t seem too bad, yet the idea of still having it in his room even months later made his gut churn. Cheong Myeong had dubbed the unknown mineral as talkative salt, not knowing what else to call it.

The talkative salt weighed a lot on him. He didn’t want to throw it out, but he also kept it for a reason. He was curious about it. A part of him wanted to see if the talkative salt worked, and another part of him was desperate to know a few truths.

Cheong Myeong gave in eventually. He dropped by the kitchens while food was being prepared. He spoke with one of the disciples and specified that one dish was only meant for their sect leader. As the disciple was shocked with the news, Cheong Myeong sprinkled the talkative salt into the mixture across the duck.

Not that long later, Cheong Myeog sat across from Cheong Mun. Cheong Myeong made up a story about wanting to drink alone with his Sect Leader-sahyeong. Cheong Mun had accepted it with a knowing look, likely believing that Cheong Myeong wanted to share liquor without any of the daoist-abiding disciples to see.

They ate and drank. Cheong Mun seemed suspicious that Cheong Myeong wasn’t drinking as much as usual. The joke was on him, though. Cheong Myeong already had plans to spend the evening and night at Sheer Drop Cliff with a few loving bottles of alcohol.

However, once the sun had set and Cheong Mun was about to leave to attend to sect matters, Cheong Myeong finally had the courage to speak to his sahyeong.

“Sahyeong… Do you love me?” he asked.

Cheong Mun looked at Cheong Myeong, as if he was surprised by the question. Then, with a gentle and warm smile, he said, “Of course I do, Cheong Myeong-ah.”

“Even… Even though I cause so much trouble?” asked Cheong Myeong.

“Especially, then.”

Cheong Mun left the office after patting Cheong Myeong on the head. Cheong Myeong was too stupified and in shock to do anything about the surprise sign of affection. Cheong Mun had left the room before Cheong Myeong had been able to react.

Cheong Myeong sat there in silence, relief filling his body. Even if the talkative salt didn’t work… It was nice to hear the words.

When Jo Geol caught sight of Baek-ah, he thought he won. Baek-ah would lead them to Cheong Myeong.

The night had been long and winding. Despite their best efforts, they were never able to find Cheong Myeong. The only reason they were still standing without any sleep was because of Cheong Myeong’s ruthless training. Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong had almost passed out a couple of times, unused to the stamina and trials of Mount Hua.

“Baek-ah!” called out Jo Geol.

The little weasel made an eep-like noise then ran away. Jo Geol growled in the back of his throat and shot forward. Other disciples who noticed Jo Geol’s sudden enthusiasm quickly followed suit. Soon enough, they were all running after Baek-ah.

A few short minutes later, they had returned to Mount Hua. Jo Geol walked forward with Yun Jong and Baek Cheon on either side of him. It was so strange to see Mount Hua peaceful when they had spent an entire evening, night, and morning trying to track down a lunatic.

Baek-ah bypassed many buildings, finding their way to a plum blossom tree instead. Every haggard-looking disciple walked carefully, not wanting to give away their positions.

And that’s when Jo Geol saw a familiar figures sprawled on the ground under the tree. In fact, there were three figures. Dang Soso’s hair was a mess, her buns containing twigs. Yu Iseol’s long and decadent hair was littered with dirt and knots. Cheong Myeong’s green ribbon was slightly undone.

Jo Geol looked at the scene in disbelief. Mooncake wrappers and empty liquor bottles filled the area. A rage filled his chest. Their lengthy chase in the woods was pointless.

Dang Soso rolled over in her sleep, curling into Yu Iseol’s embrace. Yu Iseol accommodated her samae. Dang Soso nudged closer until the two of them became one blob. The wind rustled the trees and plum blossoms fell in the air.

Baek-ah looked quite proud of finding Cheong Myeong. The white marten chittered by Cheong Myeong’s head, their tiny feet tapping on the ground impatiently.

Cheong Myeong groaned, sounding awful. He held his head. “Hnh, stop yelling.”

Baek-ah chittered more loudly, looking rageful for such a small beast. Truly, Baek-ah took after Cheong Myeong. It was no wonder why the two of them were connected.

That still didn’t stop Jo Geol from expressing his thoughts. “What the fuck, Cheong Myeong-ah?”

Cheong Myeong blinked up at Jo Geol from under the shade of the plum blossom tree. “Hnn, g'morning.”

Jo Geol’s mouth fell open into a gape. Then, with much effort, he snapped his jaw shut. He whispered with feeling, “I vow to beat you up one day.”

Cheong Myeong rolled on the ground, grunted, then confirmed, “I’ll take up any challenge, Geol-ah, including yours.”

Jo Geol didn’t feel any better as Cheong Myeong curled into Dang Soso and Yu Iseol’s sleeping form. Somewhere along the way, Jo Geol had lost the battle. His pride was shattered. Baek-ah continued to make small, pleased noises. There was no winning with them, was there?

Cheong Jin looked at his sahyeong in concern. Things had been weird lately atop Mount Hua. Cheong Myeong hadn’t been running off to Xian to drink and beat up Zhongnan disciples. He wasn’t starting too many fights for the hell of it. He even put off going on a mission with Dang Bo because he was “busy” with things at Mount Hua.

It was unnerving to see Cheong Myeong suddenly acting just a little bit more mature. Sure, he was still Cheong Myeong, but he had been sticking around enough to give a few tips to disciples that had been around of years but had never spent too much time with their local saint.

Cheong Jin asked blatantly, “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“Hmm?” Cheong Myeong was such a bad liar. Truly terrible, really. “What do you mean?”

Cheong Jin scoffed. How did he have a sahyeong like this, huh? Pitiful, really. The younger disciples, freshly joined into becoming cultivators, could lie with more ease and practice perfection than Cheong Myeong.

“You’re so strange, sahyeong.”

“Ah?” Cheong Myeong clicked his tongue in disappointment and faux disrespect. “What an awful sajil I have.”

Cheong Jin huffed in disbelief.

The things he put up with, really, it was quite something.

Chapter Text

Hye Yeon was feeling great. The sun shone brightly in the blue sky above him. Very few clouds got in the way of the rays the sun waved toward them. He was on top of the world, metaphorically. Maybe a bit physically too, since he resided atop Mount Hua.

Today was going to be a great day. Mainly, since Hye Yeon was now officially one out of three people within Mount Hua who didn’t have to tell the truth. Hong Dae-Gwang and Gu Chil were the only others who hadn’t consumed the so-called talkative salt.

Hye Yeon was winning. He was able to train without any worries about revealing an embarrassing secret. Other disciples had no choice but to carefully think about their replies and how they spoke to one another. Hye Yeon was lucky that he only had to carefully not ask any questions!

He returned from training on the mountaintop to be greeted with Baek-ah chittering and chattering. Hye Yeon bent down and gladly offered his hand. Baek-ah instantly climbed into his palm and then skittered up his arm until they were on his shoulder. The weasel continued to make noises.

Hye Yeon wondered if Baek-ah was acting like this because just hours earlier they finally found Cheong Myeong. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Yu Iseol and Dang Soso found Cheong Myeong, and then Baek Cheong, Yun Jong, and Jo Geol found the three of them sleeping together outside.

Since Cheong Myeong’s safe return, Mount Hua settled down. Now, the Elders were dealing with the Zhongnan disciples, Lee Songbaek and Jin Geuryong. Hye Yeon had been made aware that Zhongnan was also exposed to what made everyone at Mount Hua tell the truth.

Hye Yeon quietly thought of it as retribution that everyone but him was forced to comply to the whims of questions. He was finally ahead and in a better situation because everyone around him was a devil.

He strode into the cafeteria to join the others for lunch. Baek-ah continued to chitter into his ear. The white weasel was very adorable. Hye Yeon gently patted the white fur with his fingers, chuckling a little when he entered to find most of everyone casually talking to each other. It was as if there were no worries about being compelled to tell the truth.

Hye Yeon sat down in between Lee Songbaek and Dang Soso. Jin Geumryong and Baek Cheon were across from him. The brothers didn’t seem pleased to be sitting next to each other, so they just didn’t look one another’s way.

As he gathered food onto his plate, he heard Dang Soso say, “I found sahyeong drunk off his ass! It was so unbecoming. He was giggling to himself.” Her cheeks darkened slightly. “It was a bit adorable, though, I suppose.”

Cheong Myeong clicked his tongue and stuffed a slice of meat into his mouth. He burped once he gulped it down, and then went in to tear a leg off of a roasted chicken.

Baek Cheon turned a little green when Cheong Myeong ate so much so casually. Most people who searched for him the entire previous night were still incredibly tired from exhaustion. Their muscles still hurt to move. Baek Cheon’s plate was meager with food.

Hye Yeon was almost concerned for his fellow disciples. They had worked incredibly hard. He supposed that taking a break was needed. Perhaps later today they would rest rather than train extensively under Cheong Myeong.

Dang Soso continued her story, “We then ran into the beggar ahjussi! He called me short. I’m going to get revenge against him somehow. I was thinking of challenging him to a duel so that it would be normal for me to pummel him into the ground.”

“Amitabha,” he murmured under his breath.

Yu Iseol hummed and tilted her head toward Dang Soso. “Don’t be too rough.”

Yun Jong agreed with a vigorous head nod. “Hong Daegwang has been very helpful over the years. Don’t ruin Mount Hua’s relationship with the Beggar Sect.”

Dang Soso pouted. He leaned her chin on her hand. “I could get my revenge another way, I suppose.”

Hye Yeon bobbed his head up and down. He didn’t mind Hong Daegwang for the most part. The Beggar Sect helped Mount Hua ascertain vital information and stay on top of their enemies. It wouldn’t be a good thing for Dang Soso to inadvertently hurt Mount Hua by damaging their working relationship with Hong Daegwang.

Baek-ah ran down his shoulder and stopped at his plate of food. Hye Yeon was surprised by the spirit animal’s sudden vigor. He smiled at Baek-ah, but quickly had his focus taken away by a stern voice.

“It still wasn’t explained to me why these bastards stayed.” Cheong Myeong jerked his thumb toward Jin Geonryong and Lee Songbaek.

Hye Yeon supposed that it could be seen as strange for the Zhongnan disciples to stick around. “They’re without their inhibitions, are they not?”

Lee Sonbaek showed a nervous smile. “Ah… Do we seem that way?” He sent a kind look to the monk, who did not answer verbally since he did not have to. “I guess we do. We have no free will or restraint.”

“It is irritating,” murmured Jin Geumryong. His eyes flickered to Baek Cheon. “I should use this time to collect dirt on Mount Hua but I don’t believe doing so will help matters.”

Baek Cheon replied in a quick snap, “I wouldn’t let you use this inopportune event to benefit Zhongnan.”

“You would struggle in trying to stop me.”

“I would struggle?” Baek Cheon’s facial muscles twitched. He was no longer pale. Life was returning to him through anger. “You are still just as irksome as always.”

“Call me hyeong,” said Jin Geumryong. His goading expression meant that he knew what the reply would be.

Coldly, Baek Cheon responded without a glance, “Not a chance.”

Jin Geumryong grumbled before refocusing on his food. He sent a single look to Lee Songbaek, who was trying not to upset anyone at the table. Hye Yeon appreciated Lee Songbaek. No one else was trying to keep the situation under control.

All of a sudden, a new noise drew Hye Yeon’s attention. He looked back to Dang Soso, who was talking to Yu Iseol.

“Sago, you don’t… You don’t really think that I’m short, right?” Dang Soso’s voice was full of sorrow. “I’m perfectly average, you know that, yes?”

Yu Iseol bit her lip. She exhaled a small puff of air before replying, “I cannot lie to you.”

Dang Soso’s bottom lip trembled. “So cruel, Sago,” she whispered.

Yu Iseol lifted her hand up and gently patted Dang Soso on the shoulder. Dang Soso fell into the embrace readily, pushing their shoulders together. It forced Yu Iseol to wrap her arm around Dang Soso’s shoulders. Dang Soso no longer sounded weepy. Instead, Hye Yeon spotted a grin of achievement.

Yu Iseol, ignorant of Dang Soso’s changed mood, murmured, “You are taller than Baek-ah. That’s the best we can hope for.”

Dang Soso’s lips twitched. She tried to suppress her smile. Her eyes were lit up brightly as she looked upon Baek-ah, who was still sitting next to Hye Yeon’s plate. Yu Iseol simply patted Dang Soso on the shoulder, easing away her worries.

Hye Yeon looked at the white weasel, wondering why Baek-ah hadn’t left him yet. Usually, Baek-ah would be bothering Cheong Myeong by now.

He spoke a moment too soon. Baek-ah made a final cry, hitting Hye Yeon’s plate with their paws, before skittering across the table. Baek-ah ran up Cheong Myeong’s arm, clawed up Cheong Myeong’s neck, and then settled in his dark hair.

Hye Yeon smiled at the sight and began to eat once more. It was always nice to see Cheong Myeong treat Baek-ah right. Hye Yeon often thought that he was close to the spirit animal because of how they were both abused by Cheong Myeong.

Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong talked quietly amongst themselves. Cheong Myeong was quiet throughout the entire meal, watching the others discuss things. Baek Cheon criticized Yu Iseol and Dang Soso for not telling them when they found Cheong Myeong. Jo Geol and Yun Jong both grumbled about it as well.

It was only later, when the meal was finishing, when Cheong Myeong commented casually, “I think today’s going to be interesting.”

Hye Yeon was already preparing a prayer in his mind. “Why do you say that, siju?”

Cheong Myeong’s gaze was laser-focused on him. It made the monk swallow roughly at the attention. Cheong Myeong was a good man, of that, Hye Yeon knew. Yet, he was unsettled by the look he received. Cheong Myeong’s smile was too innocent and too bright.

“Just a feeling I have,” he lied blatantly.

Hye Yeon remained unsettled throughout his day. He left the hall and went back to training. He greeted disciples and Elders alike as they all ran amok. Too much disarray and too many events had been happening lately. Everyone was hopeful that training would relieve some stress.

However, as Cheong Myeong directed them to train, he paused when he saw Hye Yeon. The monk gulped, feeling negative vibes in the area. He assessed Cheong Myeong, the demon who was strong enough to send him to hell.

His gut was churning in unease. Cheong Myeong’s mischievous smile was off-putting.

“Oi, monk, you need to use more weights.” Cheong Myeong slapped more onto Hye Yeon.

Hye Yeon took it. He had carried much more before. He may dislike Cheong Myeong’s blunt direction, but he knew he would do better because of it. Hye Yeon began to train with the added weight, but came to a stop.

Cheong Myeong asked teasingly, “Which do you prefer? Meat or grass?”

Hye Yeon was going to stick to his roots. He was a Shaolin monk. And yet, the only thing that came out was, “Meat.”

Hye Yeon gaped, questioning his sanity. He went to cover his mouth in surprise, but stopped when he spotted Cheong Myeong’s devious grin.

“You!” he accused.

Cheong Myeong smiled freely. “I figured you would feel left out if you didn’t get to bond with everyone else. We’re all in this predicament together. Don’t you think it sounds nice, huh?”

Hye Yeon launched himself at Cheong Myeong. He felt both rage and acceptance. He should have known that Baek-ah was only being so welcoming of him because the white weasel was assigned a mission.

Cheong Myeong laughed as Hye Yeon used simple martial arts moves. He blocked every punch and kick that came his way. Hye Yeon did not expect anything different. It was almost relaxing to release some steam by sparring with Cheong Myeong without any qi.

After many rounds, Hye Yeon was panting. Cheong Myeong was barely sweating. It still showed that there was a wide gap between their power, but Hye Yeon worked every day to slowly close it.

“Why?” he asked the plum blossom swordsman. “Why did you make it so that I have to tell the truth?”

Cheong Myeong’s eyes dulled, losing just a bit of his spark. He folded his arms behind his chest, and then admitted, “I was fearful.”

Hye Yeon balked at Cheong Myeong’s words. It had to be a lie. He was being deceived, somehow. There was no way that Cheong Myeong, the Cheong Myeong, would feel fearful.

Yet, when Hye Yeon saw the small, almost sad smile, across Cheong Myeong’s face, he was forced to accept the truth.

“What do you mean by that?” croaked Hye Yeon. He lost all of his anger and resolve with just a few words.

Cheong Myeong tilted his head to the side, his hair swishing in the wind. “You were the only one here that could lie. The beggar ahjussi can lie too, but I have enough of a working relationship with him that he’ll tell me the truth if I beat him up enough. You, though… You could walk out of here and tell anyone you want about our predicament.”

“I would never do that, siju!” Hye Yeon batted his hand across his chest.

Cheong Myeong gave a single nod of acceptance. “I know that… now. I didn’t know that before.”

Hye Yeon thought that, at that moment, Cheong Myeong looked incredibly melancholic.

“Is it so bad that sometimes I feel like I can’t trust anyone?” Cheong Myeong’s words were soft and barely audible. So quiet that Hye Yeon wasn’t sure if he was hearing them correctly.

Cheong Myeong dipped his head down. “I apologize for thinking less of you, monk, but Mount Hua matters more to me than anyone will ever know. I couldn’t bear the thought of not doing my part in keeping the sect safe.”

Hye Yeon wanted to be upset. In fact, he still was upset. But the anger calmed, leaving only one oppressive emotion: understanding.

Cheong Myeong, even now, was fearful of betrayal, yes, but also fearful for them. Hye Yeon didn’t know why. He didn’t even know why Cheong Myeong adored Mount Hua as much as he did. All he knew was that Cheong Myeong always put Mount Hua first, just as he did now by making Hye Yeon forced to tell the truth as well.

“Siju…” Hye Yeon stumbled over his words. “Siju is strong. He shouldn’t be afraid of anything.”

Pink eyes blazed up a fiery storm. “I’m not strong enough yet. None of us are.”

The monk was frozen in place. The words swirled in his head, never-ending. He repeated them. It was suffocating. It was horrible. Cheong Myeong could not lie, so everything he said was the truth.

How much stronger did they all need to be before Cheong Myeong wasn’t so afraid?

It was unsettling to meet Cheong Myeong’s gaze. His normal, humorous, and obnoxious self was primarily a front. Hye Yeon was already somewhat aware of that, but now he knew for certain that Cheong Myeong trained them all like a demon because he was afraid not for himself but for them.

“I will get stronger,” declared Hye Yeon. He stepped forward until he looked down upon Cheong Myeong. He vowed, “I will be strong enough on my own so that you don’t have to protect me.”

Hye Yeon was the only one who was honored to witness Cheong Myeong choke out a noise between a laugh and a sob. The dark-haired man then pulled on Hye Yeon’s robes and sunk into his shoulder. Hye Yeon was surprised by the action, but soon fell into the hug.

It was frightening that someone like Cheong Myeong was fearful for their future.

Hye Yeon would get stronger, and he’d help the others grow stronger as well. He would do anything in order to allow some peace for Cheong Myeong. He would take any amount of the burden that he could.

“Ugh.” Jo Geol collapsed and let out groans of exhaustion loudly. “I am so tired.”

“Mngh.” Yun Jong agreed with a muffled groan of his own. His entire body shook before he plopped down by Jo Geol on the grass.

Night had fallen at Mount Hua. The stars and moon were out, bright and beautiful as they were most nights. Training today was more extensive than usual, but not necessarily because of Cheong Myeong. Instead, it was the monk who suddenly had a fierceness in his eyes as he encouraged everyone to give their all.

The only good part of the day was when Yun Jong got to see Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong fall behind during their daily climb. Lee Songbaek fell behind more than Jin Geumryong did, but Lee Songbaek had a better attitude about his failures.

Jin Geumryong, on the other hand, was complaining the entire time until Baek Cheon commented about how they normally climbed the cliff multiple times every day. It was true that they climbed cliffs all of the time. It was a great way to enhance their muscles and work their bodies. However, Sheer Drop cliff wasn’t their normal climbing ground, so Yun Jong understood why the Zhongnan disciples struggled.

“Sahyeong,” Jo Geol called out.

“Yes, Geol-ah?”

Jo Geol turned on his side to face Yun Jong better. “Do you think we’ll ever be as strong as Cheong Myeong?”

That was a very complicated question. At Cheong Myeong’s current strength, the answer was yes. That was only if Cheong Myeong didn’t continue to grow in strength, though. If Cheong Myeong continued to train, then it was hard to answer the question. He was afraid that he would always be watching Cheong Myeong’s back.

“No.”

“Ah, I thought so— Wait, what?” Jo Geol sat straight up. He shuffled closer to Yun Jong, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You don’t think we’ll ever be as strong as him?”

Yun Jong gave a single bob of his head. “That is correct.”

“But—”

The entire point of training was to one day be as strong as Cheong Myeong. They all looked up to him, aspired to be as in control of their techniques as he was. However, Yun Jong knew that Cheong Myeong was built differently than them. Cheong Myeong had a viciousness that no one else did in Mount Hua.

“We’ll never match up to his anger, Geol-ah,” he replied gently.

Jo Geol snapped his mouth shut. He closed his eyes, too. It was tough to process it, but Yun Jong knew it had to be done.

Realistically, none of them would ever be as strong as Cheong Myeong. Yun Jong wasn’t sure if he wanted to be as strong as Cheong Myeong. His strength came from a deep hatred for what Yun Jong assumed was the demonic sect, but there was something else there as well.

Cheong Myeong was always getting injured. Dang Soso could barely keep up, sometimes. The memory of Jang Ilso and Cheong Myeong battling appeared in Yun Jong’s mind. Jang Ilso was so monstrous, yet Cheong Myeong was willing to keep fighting. If Heo Dojin hadn’t intervened, Yun Jong secretly thought that it could have gone horribly.

“Sahyeong…” Jo Geol’s voice sounded regretful. “I… I want to be strong enough to help him.”

“I do too.”

Yun Jong knew that he would always be looking at Cheong Myeong’s back, but that didn’t mean that Cheong Myeong would have no one protecting his back. The five swords would be there. Together, they would protect Cheong Myeong while he protected them.

Jo Geol let out a long sigh. He flopped back down on his back and looked up at the sky. “I wonder how we get stronger from here…”

It was a sentiment that Yun Jong shared. Where did they go from here? Cheong Myeong had them train, but it was never enough to let them catch up to his experience level. He always seemed to know better than them.

“We do what Cheong Myeong commands, I suppose.”

“Ah… Everything, sahyeong?”

“Yep.”

“He’s such a demon sometimes… I’m worried.”

“About what?” Yun Jong raised a brow, curious about the reply.

Jo Geol said instantly, “My sanity.”

“You don’t have that sort of thing anymore, Geol-ah.”

The morning sun was nice. Lee Songbaek thought so as he trained at dawn, following the example of the Mount Hua disciples.

It was so interesting seeing what daily life at Mount Hua was like. Yesterday was in too much disarray since many disciples were recovering from chasing after Cheong Myeong all night. In a little while, they would eat breakfast, but for now, they trained.

Today, Lee Songbaek witnessed how diligently the disciples trained. He followed what they did with fervor. He very rarely got to spend time with Cheong Myeong and learn under his tutelage, so Lee Songbaek was going to make this time count.

Lee Songbaek was aware that his time at Mount Hua was coming to an end. The talkative salt had no known cure. He would return to Zhongnan with Jin Geumryong with the news that they just had to wait it out.

So Lee Songbaek swung his sword and borrowed weights from the Mount Blossom disciples because he wouldn’t get a chance like this again. He even smiled to himself because Jin Geumryong was next to him and doing as Cheong Myeong instructed as well.

It was a bit fun to see Cheong Myeong direct those who were older than him. He participated in training, would do even more than the others, but would then take breaks to observe how everyone else was doing.

When Cheong Myeong edged closer to him, Lee Songbaek tried to look like his arms weren’t straining from the weights. He wanted to look good in front of the young man who was more of a mentor to him.

However, instead of passing right on by, Cheong Myeong stopped in between Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong. His eyes were appraising, taking in every minuscule twitch of Lee Songbaek’s muscles.

After a long pause, Cheong Myeong lifted his hand and jerked his thumb toward a building. “The Elders called a meeting. You’re coming with me.”

Lee Songbaek set down his sword and nodded. Jin Geumryong did so as well, but only after taking a moment to consider it. Lee Songbaek heard one of the Mount Hua disciples grumble about Jin Geumryong’s attitude. Little did they know that Jin Geumryong had softened through the years.

As they walked to meet with the Elders, Jin Geumryong asked, “What is this meeting about? Why does it concern us, imoogi?”

“It doesn’t necessarily concern you,” replied Cheong Myeong. He grinned at them despite what he said. “You two are going to be my buffers. They want to talk to me about my feelings.”

“You do not wish to talk about your feelings,” concluded Lee Songbaek.

He took the need to be a buffer in stride. Cheong Myeong was a strange person, but it had to be for a reason. His past must have been more bleak than Lee Songbaek imagined. He briefly wondered if Cheong Myeong would ever let another person into his state of mind.

Jin Geumryong was upset, though. “You want us to interfere in the conversation so that you do not have to talk to the Mount Hua Elders?” He sounded pissed off, actually.

“Yes,” answered Cheong Myeong. He stopped before entering the building. “I have secrets that can kill everyone here if mismanaged. Those kids don’t need the burden of my knowledge.”

Lee Songbaek’s hands shook by his side. He stared at Cheong Myeong, who turned away as soon as he revealed that.

“Dojang—”

Cheong Myeong flung the door open. He put on a wide grin and stalked inside with bravo. He then gestured for Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong to come forward.

The Elders were surprised by the Zhongnan disciples, if their furrowed brows were anything to go by. Lee Songbaek showed a small smile that he hoped looked friendly. Jin Geumryong did nothing but stare blankly at the men.

Hyeon Yeong was the first to recover. He asked, “Cheong Myeong-ah, the reason why these two are here is…?”

Cheong Myeong smiled as Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong sat down. Only then did he answer, “Zhongnan disciples should return from where they came from. We cannot help them, and the longer they stay here, the more secrets of Mount Hua they could learn. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to send them on their way?”

“Ah… yes. Of course, that is correct.” Hyeon Jong swallowed, looking between Cheong Myeong and the Zhongnan disciples. “But I thought this would be a private meeting.”

“A private meeting?” Cheong Myeong acted oblivious. “There are multiple people in this room, sect leader.”

Hyeon Yeong nodded along. Hyeon Jong and Hyeon Sang’s faces both fell, catching onto Cheong Myeong’s trick. Hyeon Yeong likely also knew that Cheong Myeong was avoiding having certain conversions, but he loved his precious golden goose, so he allowed Cheong Myeong to get away with it.

Hyeon Jong swallowed dryly, unamused. “That is so…”

Lee Songbaek stepped in since his sahyeong wasn’t going to. “I appreciate that Mount Hua has housed us for the night, given how unexpected the event was.”

Hyeon Jong gracefully nodded his head. “This was an unprecedented situation. No thanks are needed. We are all martial artists in the end.”

“And we are a daoist sect,” added in Hyeon Sang. “It’s only right for us to welcome those who are also struggling with certain problems.”

The Elders all chuckled along.

Lee Songbaek smiled unsurely, sending a glance to Cheong Myeong. The plum blossom swordsman did nothing but stare at the Elders, his lips pursed. Lee Songbaek had a million questions on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back.

“You see,” said Hyeon Jong, his hands on the table, “Cheong Myeong-ah, we wanted to discuss a few things in private.”

Cheong Myeong gave a single nod in response.

Lee Songbaek had a bad feeling about this. He didn’t mind acting as a buffer. Cheong Myeong had taught him many things over the years, even if it wasn’t exactly on purpose. Doing this small favor was no problem for him.

“I wanted to apologize,” continued Hyeon Jong. He sweated as he looked gloomy. “I was the one who asked Yun Jong to investigate your childhood.”

Lee Songbaek’s eyes widened. He felt Jin Geumryong go stiff beside him. They were in dangerous territory, now. No one knew of Cheong Myeong’s true origins. There were the rumors, which was partially confirmed, that Cheong Myeong was a beggar, yet there was something more to the story.

“You did that?” Cheong Myeong’s voice was clipped.

As Hyeon Jong nodded in confirmation, Lee Songbaek heard a tapping noise.

His brow furrowed. He turned to his sahyeong, but received a perplexed look, so he looked in a different direction. It was then that Lee Songbaek noticed that Cheong Myeong’s fingers were tapping on the underside of the table they were seated at. Tap, tap, tap-tap.

“Then I am not allowed to beat him up now.” Cheong Myeong tsked. “He was only doing as he was asked to.”

Hyeon Jong’s expression wobbled into something struck with grief. His eyes turned shiny. Lee Songbaek did not see many experienced cultivators cry, yet he felt like he was about to witness it. Mount Hua was indeed very strange.

“Cheong Myeong-ah… It was never my intention for you to reveal so much. I didn’t know—”

Cheong Myeong cut off the sect leader’s rambling. “You didn’t know,” he parroted. “What happened to the sect leader that said that I was allowed to keep all of my secrets? I have been somewhat willing to indulge you in the past, but you let me stay silent. Why is it now that you want to know more?”

Hyeon Jong’s lips quivered. He didn’t look angry. No, instead he seemed upset at himself. Lee Songbaek wanted to leave the room, for this conversation was too private, but he was rooted in his spot.

“I apologize,” he said, voice trembling. “But I… I am worried about Cheong Myeong-ah. Will he forgive this old man for worrying so much?”

Cheong Myeong breathed out harshly. “Hah… There’s nothing to forgive. Brats are reckless like this sometimes.”

It was such strange wording, yet it made Hyeon Jong smile. He looked indulgent. Lee Songbaek had so many questions. So many, yet none came out.

It was Jin Geumryong who spoke next. The conversation had stilted, but the feeling in the room wasn’t tense. It wasn’t casual or comforting, but it also wasn’t aggressive.

“Why do the Elders wish to know about their disciple’s background?” asked Jin Geumryong.

Lee Songbaek was so proud of his sahyeong. To think that he would willingly play at being a buffer… It made Lee Songbaek so happy!

Hyeon Jong coughed into his fist, Hyeon Sang averted his eyes, and Hyeon Yeong looked at Cheong Myeong like he was something to cherish and protect.

“I…” Hyeon Jong corrected, “We yearn to understand Cheong Myeong.”

Oddly enough, Lee Songbaek felt Cheong Myeong sit up straighter. Cheong Myeong wasn’t angry or annoyed. He sounded tired, more than anything else.

He complained, “You could have just asked.”

Hyeon Jong gaped at the words. After failing a few times, he said, “I suppose that we could have.”

“Then,” said Hyeon Yeong, eyes focused on Cheong Myeong, “may we ask you why you love Mount Hua so much?”

Lee Songbaek felt as if he was going to learn the mystery to the universe. He looked at Cheong Myeong, whose face turned into a small, almost bashful, smile. It made him seem his age for once, like he truly was just in his early twenties and not an Elder who occasionally imparted their wisdom to disciples.

For the first time since entering the building, Cheong Myeong reached out across the table. He placed his hands around a cup with cooling tea in it. The scent of plum blossoms made Lee Songbaek’s nose twitch.

After taking a sip, Cheong Myeong set down the cup. For a moment, it was like he lost his gusto, but then he regained it.

“Mount Hua is the only thing I have known.” He met Hyeon Jong’s gaze, showing a brilliant smile despite his words. “Without Mount Hua, I am nothing at all.”

“Th– That cannot be true. Cheong Myeong-ah, you– You are an incredibly talented and special individual. You could do whatever you wanted with your life. There is no reason to think that—”

Cheong Myeong shook his head. “I exist for Mount Hua, that is all.” He stood up abruptly, promptly ignoring everyone’s shocked gazes, and left the building.

Lee Songbaek heard the door shut behind him. It was a shock. It was too much to process at once.

Yet, he showed a feeble smile toward the Elders of Mount Hua. As if taking pity upon him, after a few moments, Hyeon Sang sighed and asked, “When would you like to leave?”

“Oh, uh—” Lee Songbaek hadn’t even thought about actually being forced to leave.

Jin Geumryong answered quickly, “Not today.” His eyes narrowed toward his hand, which rested in his lap. “We are still tired from our travels.”

That was only a partial truth. Lee Songbaek shook his head, wondering how his sahyeong managed to get around from telling the truth all of the time. It was unfair. Sort of. Lee Songbaek didn’t have much to lie about in the first place, so he wasn’t very affected by their predicament.

The Elders accepted their answer at face value. Lee Songbaek and Jin Geumryong left the building. Lee Songbaek was prepared to begin training again, but instead found that breakfast was being served.

He sat down next to Cheong Myeong, who was not eating as much as usual. Lee Songbaek greeted him calmly, and then began to place food on his plate. At least Cheong Myeong was eating something, even if it wasn’t much.

“Finally.”

Dang Jan let out a small noise of justice as he reached Mount Hua’s gate. He was slowly getting used to the climb to Mount Hua, but it was still a lot of travel.

He opened the gate, soreness prickling his limbs. He had stopped in the village below for lunch, rested for a few moments, and then picked up his journey once again. He could only imagine what sort of oddities were occurring back at his family home.

He broke through the entrance, only to come to see strange robes amongst the Mount Hua disciples who were training.

Dang Jan openly gaped as he recognized the robes of Zhongnan. “What the hell?” he murmured, eyes wide at the scene. “Why is Zhongnan here—!?”

“Who are you?”

Dang Jan turned around quickly to be met face-to-face with a beggar. Dang Jan gulped. A beggar was also in the sect. That…

It wasn’t uncommon. At least, not when it concerned Cheong Myeong. That man was very strange. He liked the beggars because of their information network. But the beggar in front of Dang Jan did not have many knots in his belt to show his superiority. He was a child, almost. A youth.

“I am Dang Jan,” he introduced after a few moments too long. He could almost fight off the need to reply. “It… What are you doing here, at Mount Hua?”

The beggar replied, “I’m Gu Chil. Cheong Myeong told me I could hang around for a few days.” He shrugged casually. “Why is someone from the Sichuan Dang family here?”

“I must speak to the sect leader,” he revealed forcefully.

“Ah!” Gu Chil nodded his head. “Are you in trouble as well? Everyone here has been forced to speak the truth.”

A broken and hysteric chuckle escaped his throat. “Oh, wow.” He shook his head. “It’s not just us, then?”

The world was falling to ruin, and it wasn’t even because of the Sapa or Magyo. What a pitiful sight.