Chapter Text
Now, Chung Myung was no stranger to getting scolded. In his time, he’d been nagged to the grave and back, not to mention being on the receiving end of some truly world-class beatings from his sahyung’s infamous broom.
But this ?
This took the cake.
“Of all the irresponsible, foolish, inane —!”
Wow , Chung Myung thought, blinking.
“—in all my years—ancestors help me—I have never witnessed such buffoonery—!”
This is a little new.
“—forget sparring! How could you deface the literal face of our sect?!”
For the first time, Chung Myung is not the one being scolded.
He stared, dumbfounded, at the sight of Baek Aeri kneeling on the ground, arms raised in punishment while the usually mild-mannered Hyun Jong tore her a new one. The man looked ready to hurl a vase at her head, thrashing against Un Geom’s hold.
“Sect Leader, calm yourself!” Poor Un Am’s words fell on deaf ears. “Wait, I’m sure she is apologetic—”
“—Does that brat look remorseful to you?!”
Aeri, for her part, looked mildly inconvenienced at best. She just stared down at her lap with a blank expression that practically screamed that she had mentally checked out of this conversation.
How did Chung Myung know?
Well, he was a professional at tuning out his sahyung’s naggings, after all.
- That’s why it all went in one ear and out the other, you brat!
Tsk, tsk, shouldn’t you be worried about your niece? This descendant looks like he’s going to bite her head off.
- ….
Satisfied with the response—or lack thereof—Chung Myung turned back, only to come across the sight of Hyun Jong foaming at the mouth like a dog.
The elders, who had been just as panicked and furious as he had been, now stood awkwardly off to the side, letting Hyun Jong shoulder the burden of outrage alone.
Even Hyun Young was silent, pointedly averting his eyes with a loud cough.
From their point of view, a massive burst of mysterious lightning had just split through the highest peak of Mount Hua, nearly causing it to crumble. The elders had rushed out, convinced the sect was under attack, the mountain about to fall down on their heads. Only for the dust to finally settle and for them to realize that out of all the disciples, only two were missing.
Baek Aeri and Chung Myung.
Both of them, of course, notoriously known for training at ungodly hours.
And since no one actually knew the full extent of Chung Myung’s strength... somehow, all the blame had landed squarely on Baek Aeri’s shoulders.
Apparently, she had been bullying him.
The first time Chung Myung had heard that bullshit, he'd wondered if he was going senile.
Him?
“How could you?” Hyun Jong said, grief-stricken, as if he were genuinely heartbroken. “After all that you know—how could you do such a thing?”
But Baek Aeri, of course, is no less insane.
“Because I found it.”
Everyone froze at the calm and measured voice. It was the first time she had spoken this entire time—sitting on her knees, silent, enduring Hyun Jong’s scolding without a word.
Baek Aeri lifted her head, eyes glinting with a strange, indecipherable gleam.
“I found the answer.”
The calm declaration, coupled with the sliver of satisfaction, was enough for Hyun Jong’s expression to twist with disbelief. “Was that answer worth raising a sword against your own sajil?”
Baek Aeri did not look at Chung Myung, and yet he knew her response was directed towards him. Despite the tense atmosphere, he tried to bite down a grin.
“Yes.” She declared simply. “It was.”
Hyun Jong stared at her for a long time, a storm of emotions flashing across his face until they finally settled into a cold, unyielding resolve. It looked so foreign and out of place on his kind face that for a second, Chung Myung flinched back in surprise, the grin sliding off his face.
The man sighed, relaxing into Un Geom’s grip, the tension easing—just enough for him to drop the next bomb.
“Then, you must be punished.”
Wait, what?
Aeri met his words without flinching, nodding calmly. “That is understandable.”
The elders’ eyes widened as the situation dawned on them. Hyun Sang stepped forward, panic creeping into his voice. “Okay, wait—hold on a second—”
But neither Hyun Jong nor Aeri spared him a glance. They stood locked in silent challenge, the room thick with tension.
Then Hyun Jong spoke again.
“From this day until the Mount Hua–Southern Edge Conference, second-class disciple Baek Aeri is banned from all training. She shall not enter isolation, set foot in the training grounds, or lift her sword until this punishment is lifted. This is my decree as sect leader of Mount Hua.”
For a moment, the entire room was silent as they digested his words.
Then—
“Sect Leader, this is madness!” Hyun Sang exploded—half-pleading, half-outraged on her behalf. “The conference is days away—Aeri is Mount Hua’s finest disciple and our only hope! Without her at full strength, we’re handing victory to the Southern Edge sect on a silver platter.”
“I agree,” Un Geom added, conflicted. “I understand the need for punishment, but to halt her training now will cripple her in the ring. This is too cruel—especially with so much on the line.”
Chung Myung blinked at them, dumbfounded.
They were serious.
Yah. Have these old men lost their minds?
But the old geezer refused to listen, his weathered features settling into a stubborn line.
“Is rightfully discipling our disciples for their mistakes cruel? He said, voice low but sharp. “It is about correcting what is wrong!”
What mistake?! Chung Myung wanted to scream. What the hell did she do wrong—besides losing to me?!
Hyun Sang sounded vaguely wounded. “ But sahyung, the—the tournament—"
"She literally blew up a mountain!"
Chung Myung opened his mouth to interject, never one to give up credit. Ah, no, it was a combined effort. Aeri shot him a look, and he reluctantly snapped it shut.
Just this once—
Meanwhile in the background, the elders were fighting it out amongst themselves. The first-class disciples looked very uncomfortable by the situation, but felt it too awkward to interject themselves after Un Geom's first comment. Un Am in particular, Chung Myung noticed, was the only one looking at Baek Aeri's reaction.
But she said, nor did nothing.
At that moment, Hyun Young stepped forward, none of his usual immaturity to be seen in the moment. He looked genuinely apprehensive, hesitantly placing a hand on Aeri's still shoulder. “But sahyung, this isn’t discipline. It’s sabotage. She’s on the verge of something—we all saw it! That explosion was huge! Could you say any of us could do something similar?”
Chung Myung nodded along vehemently, folding his arms. Right, she was the only one here with a lick of actual talent. Even more so now that Chung Myung had gotten his hands on it!
But Hyun Jong’s eyes flicked to him. Cold. Final.
“Her obsession has led her to hurt her own people,” He said strictly and Chung Myung wanted to pull his hair out. “If we do not stop her now, then when?”
Who hurt who here?!
Chung Myung instinctively opened his mouth to argue—it was a matter of his pride, damn it!—only for Aeri to glance over and shake her head again, barely noticeable.
He bit down on the retort, jaw tight. Her ? Hurt someone like him ? The Plum Blossom Sword Saint?
The idea was so laughable that it pissed him off.
Do you think a chick like her could hurt me? Me? Meeee? The Plum Blossom Sword Saint? Do you even know?! I beat her ass into the ground today!
- Chung Myung-ah, arrogance isn’t a good look on you.
It isn’t arrogance if it’s the truth!
Meanwhile, these lunatics were still debating whether to kneecap Mount Hua’s best disciple out of some half-baked sense of moral timing. Couldn’t they see it? Her footwork today, the control—she was on the brink. She was close . One step from the edge of enlightenment.
You idiots. Do you know how hard it is to climb that high?
One wrong move and it would all vanish.
And after all my hard work getting her to that point!
“I agree with the idea of punishing her appropriately,” Chung Myung tuned back into the conversation, nodding at Hyun Sang’s reasonable bargain. “But please put it off until after the tournament—”
“No.”
Hyun Jong cut him off flatly.
“Since when has discipline been a matter of convenience ?” His voice didn’t rise, but the coldness in it silenced the room like a slap. “What matters more to you? Winning a fight? Or raising our disciples to be upright individuals on the path of the Tao?”
When Hyun Sang did not respond immediately, Hyun Jong turned his head away. “This discussion is over. I will not entertain any more arguments.”
“But sahyung—”
“I said it’s final!” Hyun Jong barked. The sharp edge in his voice cracked through the room like a whip. “This is my final ruling! Or do you all intend to disobey your sect leader today?!”
The elders were silent for a long moment, looking like they had much more to say. That was when Chung Myung felt a hand curling around his shoulder, looking up at Un Am with a questioning gaze.
Only to flinch at the first-class disciple’s words.
“Perhaps,” Un Am said gently, breaking the silence. “It would be better if the disciples don’t hear this.”
The elders blinked, as if just now realizing Chung Myung was still there.
Un Am steered Chung Myung towards the door, signaling Un Geom. “Sajae, why don’t you take Chung Myung back to his dorms?”
“Yes, sahyung.”
Chung Myung’s eyes went wide.
Not again!
“No, I am fine—”
But he was already being ushered outside, Un Geom muttering vague reassurances under his breath, as if Chung Myung needed them. But Chung Myung just looked back with a worried expression. Aeri hadn’t moved at all—her back was straight, hands folded neatly in her lap. Neither defensive nor antagonistic—merely acceptant like the rest.
He barely got out a weak “Wait—” before the door shut behind him.