Episode 204

Tak!

As if Jinmu had not been crying for a while, he quickly returned to his original position and grabbed Tae Heo’s hand, who was snatching up the Pill.

“How can I refuse the grace which the Sect Leader has shown to me?”

“No, that…”

Tae Heo, who was trying to take the Pill back, looked flustered at the sight of Jinmu taking the Dual Internal Qi Arts.

“L-look now, Sword of Wudang. No matter how much I think about it, I think the Purple Cloud Pill is excessive. Something else…”

Tae Heo tried to make it up with a laugh, but Jinmu didn’t lift his hand off the box. On the contrary, it gave him even more strength.

“Sect Leader, I can’t back down now.”

Since he is a Taoist, he might not have any experience in war, but this is the real truth.

In technical terms, it is called ‘not withdrawing after you’ve placed your bet.’

“N-no, it’s a bit odd…”

“You’re not considering this as a joke, are you?”

“Uh? Y-you?”

Tae Heo and the elders, along with Myung Jin, looked flustered.

“The Dual Internal Qi Arts book is burned.”

“……”

“This is the last thing left behind by Ancestor Chung Mu, who earned the respect of the entire Wudang.”

It has never been like that.

There are just a few people who know of him, so it was unlikely that he would have received much respect.

“Ah, t-that…”

“Right. You may have neglected it because it was someone else’s property.”

“N-now, now.”

“It is quite unfortunate. I didn’t know that Mount Hua thought that way about Wudang.”

“……”

“You burned and ate someone else’s works and survived for decades! I never thought that handing over the Purple Cloud Pill would end up as a regret for the Sect.”

As Jinmu gave a bitter smile, the faces of Tae Heo and the elders of Mount Hua began to pale.

“No, it’s not like that. Wudang had asked me to handle….”

“Right. That is true. But you carelessly burned down something which had to be taken care of. The precious Sect’s books which contained the history of Wudang. I am talking about the Dual Internal Qi Arts which represents Wudang. Well, it is fine, it’s not even an item of Mount Hua so be it.”

Jinmu continued speaking calmly, his expression unchanging, and Tae Heo and the elders of Mount Hua didn’t even respond and just looked gloomy.

“J-Jinmu?”

Even Myung Jin was quite embarrassed and tried to stop Jinmu.

It is too late now.

As long as you aren’t influenced by the memories of the original body, there is no need to care about what the Master says.

I am the one who defeated the Zhuge family with my tongue.

And these are Mount Hua’s Taoists.

Tae Heo and the elders of Mount Hua, caught in Jinmu’s persistent words, were unable to even reply as they contemplated a way to escape from this.

“Look here. Un Am.”

Suddenly, Jinmu looked at Un Am.

“Uh?”

“Perhaps… Is it the same in Kunlun?”

When Un Am hesitated, reluctant to answer, Jinmu smiled and handed him a drink.

“What if you take the belongings of someone else and leave it elsewhere? Burning it and leaving it, burning and leaving… trying to burn and leave… it isn’t nice….”

“No. That kind of thing is….”

“Okay. That isn’t one to happen. Some unscrupulous people manage other people’s things carelessly. Perhaps even the vicious people of the Demonic Cult wouldn’t be doing that right?”

“…T-that….”

Un Am, who suddenly couldn’t answer, looked at Tae Heo and others.

How can one not know that Mount Hua is being referred to here?

Tae Heo’s red face could be understood, Jinmu felt that sight for some reason.

“That….”

“Uh?”

“That is…”

“What?”

Jinmu looked at Tae Heo’s words with a clueless expression.

“Haaa…”

Tae Heo let out a deep sigh and finally, gently pushed the box toward him.

“T-take this. I was going to give it to you. Ahem, I was trying to push this to you.”

Shhh.

Lies.

His eyes were constantly shifting and he looked like he would die of regret too.

“Thank you, Sect Leader! I will put it to good use.”

“……”

Jinmu picked it up and tucked it into his sleeve.

Jinmu’s laughter made Mount Hua’s Sect Leader’s face contort, but he couldn’t express anything else.

Maybe he cannot be an unscrupulous person who takes the things of others and burns it down.

Furthermore, they even mentioned Kunlun’s disciple Un Am to let this be known, accusing Mount Hua of being worse than Demonic Cult, so it was to be expected.

When Jinmu stood up and bowed politely, Tae Heo smiled awkwardly despite his disapproving expression.

“Uh. Hehehe. Right, right. We all want to help the Taoists of the Central Plains… Yes… the b-b-b-book- Mount Hua… intention…”

What a sad thing.

In any case, we end up with a pill after a very short training period of a couple of decades.

“I will get you a drink.”

Jinmu got up and bowed as he lifted the bottle with a smile on his face, and Tae Heo and the Mount Hua elders accepted the glasses, unable to hide their twitching faces.

At the sight of it being emptied at once….

It made him wonder why the Mount Hua leaders were drinking too much.

Why do those expressions look like they are crying?

Jinmu returned to the residence, supporting Myung Jin, who was half-drunk after the drinking party ended.

Perhaps because it was near the waterfall, the night breeze felt refreshing.

“Master… Let us head in, it is chilly.”

“Ugh! This brat.”

“……”

“It’s alright. I am fine. Hahah.”

Myung Jin took a deep breath and smiled as he patted Jinmu on the head.

A much younger one…

But I will let it be today.

The Dual Internal Qi Arts, and Purple Cloud Pill.

“Jinmu.”

“Uh?”

“Where are you going to go now?”

“…What do you mean?”

“You, brat.”

“……”

Myung Jin scolded at Jinmu’s answer with a grin.

Myung Jin, who was overly drunk, stumbled perhaps because his arms had lost their strength.

“Master!”

Myung Jin quickly shook off Jinmu’s hand which tried to help him up and took another deep breath as if he was trying to shake off the effects of the alcohol.

But even so, he couldn’t control himself.

“Master.”

“Hehe, a warrior is so drunk that he cannot control himself.”

“You had a lot.”

“Yes, I know. I had a lot. I was so happy that I drank too much.”

“Your health isn’t perfect, but it is too much. What if you fall again….”

“Tsk tsk. A not-so-strong guy. Why are you so worried about your worthless Master?”

“……”

Me?

Jinmu looked confused and Myung Jin smiled.

“You go now, I think I need to sit down for a bit.”

“Yes.”

Jinmu supported Myung Jin, took him over to a small rock and made him sit there. Jin Heo and Un Am looked at the scene with happy expressions.

“Jinmu.”

“Yes.”

“I know that the reason you tried to leave the Sect for a time was because of the Arts.”

“That….”

“You don’t have to make excuses.”

“I apologize.”

“Apologize. This master was not in the right and didn’t even understand your wishes.”

“Master.”

“Hehe. Right. Now that you have obtained it, what are your plans?”

“……”

Jinmu couldn’t help but think.

How do I say it?

Originally, I was going to leave.

After obtaining the Dual Internal Qi Arts, he planned to leave Wudang no matter what the reason was.

Moreover, it wasn’t clear if the memories of the original body have really vanished or was just hidden for a while, but it is certain that he is free from the constraints of having a master.

However, even though he had lived for 80 years, he couldn’t easily decide what to say when Myung Jin spoke first.

“Jinmu.”

“…Yes.”

“What are you worrying about?”

“Uh?”

“If there is a path you want to take, you just have to go then.”

“……”

“I don’t want you to be trapped by the shackles of being a Taoist or a Wudang disciple.”

“……”

At Myung Jin’s words, Jinmu’s eyes grew as big as flower lanterns.

What does this mean?

“Wudang is Wudang, and you are you.”

“…Master…”

“Aren’t you already on the right side anyway?”

“……”

“Do not worry about me. I have the energy to come all the way to Mount Hua.”

“…But, Master…”

“You!”

“……”

“Are you trying to turn this Master into a bad one who stands in the way of his disciples?”

“……”

Jinmu couldn’t answer at all.

He was speechless and he couldn’t even say anything.

“Jinmu.”

“Yes.”

“I knew a long time ago that you aren’t suited to walk the path of a Taoist.”

“……”

“I know that your freedom shouldn’t be confined by the Ten Commandments or anything. Also, I know that Wudang will not be able to carry the will you will carry on into the future. For you, you are already on a path no one has embarked before, and you are doing something no one has ever done.”

“……”

“You just have to keep one thing in mind.”

“……”

“No matter what you do or where you are…. You are my disciple. Wouldn’t it be enough if Wudang isn’t a place that restricts you, but a place where you get to come back to rest when you are tired?”

“Master!”

This was unexpected.

This man intimidated Myung Hyeon and even began a war of words with the other Palace Lords to gain that favor.

It was Jinmu who knew that when the disciple is grown, they will return to the outside world to elevate the name of the sect.

But then this man was telling him to leave.

To go and make his dreams come true.

Jinmu couldn’t hide the pounding of his heart. He was afraid of showing it.

Afraid Myung Jin wouldn’t like it.

Even though I endured it again and again, I cannot hide what is revealed.

“Go now. Right now, when I am drunk. I want to see you back when you are all grown up.”

“……”

“Hurry up and go, before I try to keep you by my side because I care about you.”

Ah….

I definitely have to go.

My steps will not fall.

Even though the damn qi of the original body is no longer restricting his actions, he had no confidence in taking a step.

For the first time ever, Jinmu bowed sincerely.

To his Master.

Although he was a much younger Master than his own 80 years, he bowed slowly out of respect for the feeling the man showed to him.

“Ah!”

And suddenly, Myung Jin said, as if he just remembered something.

“…?”

When Jinmu raised his head, Myung Jin smiled brightly, showing his teeth.

“Please write to me more often. Now that you are leaving, no other disciple or sect will write to me on your behalf….”

“Yes!”

Jinmu answered vigorously with a bright smile.

The long journey, of traveling around half of the Central Plains in search of the Dual Internal Qi Arts, has come to an end.

I was very sad at the moment of separation, but the longer that took, the heavier my heart became.

Jinmu turned around and tried to take a step forward, and Un Am tried to follow suit.

“Un Am.”

“Uh?”

“Let us part now.”

“I want to continue…”

“No. From now on, I plan to travel alone. You too go on your way now. I will meet you again.”

After thinking for a while, Un Am nodded.

Jinmu, with a slight smile, kicked off the ground and leaped towards the bottom of the Golden Dragon Gorge.

Jinmu’s White Dragon Robe fluttered as he kicked in the air and disappeared into the surging Dragon winds of the Gorge.

Was it an illusion that resembled a Heavenly Dragon hiding in thick fog?

Myung Jin, Jin Heo, and Un Am couldn’t take their eyes off Jinmu’s back until he vanished.

And…

“Uh?”

There was a glowing blue stone where Jinmu once stood.

“Isn’t that the Luminous Night Pearl? What a precious thing!”

As Jin Heo quickly picked up, Un Am said,

“It is something he got from Kongtong. Taoist Jinmu didn’t want to accept it, but it was still gifted to him.”

“Huh!”

Myung Jin exclaimed at that.

“That guy, it’s because he’s so shameless. It must have been left behind for Wudang.”

Myung Jin gazed at where Jinmu had disappeared below the Golden Dragon Gorge, a place filled with fog where he couldn’t even see the end of.