Return of the Mount Hua Sect (HTL 1634+)

❀ ❀ ❀

The five swords's face showed a hint of anxiety as they looked at the tent set in a remote location.

"…What do you think they're talking about in there?"

"Who knows."

Yoon Jong sighed as he stared into the dim light leaking out.

"Maybe… he's giving advice?"

"Advice?"

"Because he's the Dalai Lama."

"….."

"Even if he's on a different path, in the Buddhist world, he's known as the living Buddha. If someone like that came all this way, he must have something he wants to tell Cheong Myeong."

Jo Geol furrowed his brow slightly.

"A living Buddha… Even now, I wonder… is that something we can trust?"

"….."

"Hye Yeon, what do you think?"

"Why suddenly ask me? Potala Palace and Shaolin belong to different sects."

Hye Yeon looked flustered, his cheeks reddening.

"But they're still Buddhist sects, right? You should know better than we do. It's like how I know more about Wudang's teachings, even though we follow different paths."

"Jo Geol, I think Hye Yeon knows more about Wudang's teachings than you do."

"I agree."

"Same here."

"Oh, you guys are really…"

Jo Geol growled like an annoyed puppy, while Hye Yeon let out a short sigh.

'A living Buddha…..'

According to the Potala Palace's teachings, the Dalai Lama is an eternally reincarnating being. They even say he retains all his memories from past lives.

If that's truly the case…

"If the Dalai Lama really retains his memories through reincarnation, then calling him Buddha is not an exaggeration. It's something ordinary people can't do."

"Ah.…"

Hye Yeon's words left Yoon Jong in awe. He had heard there was a subtle rivalry between Shaolin and Potala Palace, yet Hye Yeon seemed to recognize the existence of the Dalai Lama.

At that moment, Hye Yeon hesitated and spoke with clear unease.

"However… if that's true, it might actually be concerning."

"Huh?"

Yoon Jong asked with a puzzled expression.

"Why would that be?"

"…. Do you know what the Sutras are?"

Yoon Jong hesitated, not answering immediately, but Jo Geol reacted quickly, his face twisting in irritation.

"Come on, monk. Don't treat me like a fool! It's a collection of Buddhist teachings, isn't it? A text for study and research. If you compare it to Taoism, it's like a Taoist scripture."

Jo Geol answered proudly, and Hye Yeon nodded slowly.

"Yes, you're correct, Jo Geol dojang."

As Jo Geol clicked his tongue as if to say, "Did you think I wouldn't know that?" Hye Yeon continued.

"That's where the problem lies."

"…. What?"

Jo Geol tilted his head in confusion. Hye Yeon closed his eyes and sighed.

"The Sutras are teachings that Buddhists must study. But they contain only the words of the Buddha, Shakyamuni."

"…. What's wrong with that?"

"If we could fully understand Shakyamuni's words, anyone could become a Buddha. But the reality is that no one truly does, and that's why the Sutras have been studied and researched for hundreds of years."

Jo Geol's expression twisted in discomfort as he asked,

"…. You're saying that all those scriptures are Buddha's words?"

"The number of scriptures grew because Shakyamuni's words were so complex that many people spent years interpreting them."

"No way…"

Jo Geol was taken aback. The Taoist scripture wasn't viewed this way, so it caught him off guard.

"Then why are you saying that's concerning?"

Hye Yeon's gaze turned solemn as he looked at Yoon Jong.

"I mentioned it already. Ordinary people hear Shakyamuni's words and still can't understand them. Even if they think they do, they can barely grasp the deeper meanings hidden within."

"….."

"And yet, do you think Shakyamuni was unwilling to teach and save sentient beings?"

"…. Of course not."

Hye Yeon nodded deeply.

"Exactly. He did everything he could to share his knowledge and teach. But…. it was simply beyond ordinary beings' understanding. Which means.…"

A faint tremor passed through Yoon Jong's eyes, as he realized what Hye Yeon was implying.

"If the Dalai Lama is truly a living Buddha, as they claim…"

Hye Yeon's voice was filled with heavy concern.

"The meanings behind his words may be beyond what we can grasp. Even if it's Cheong Myeong he's speaking to."

Hye Yeon closed his eyes and pressed his palms together, a slightly fatigued look crossing his face.

"Amitabha…."

Could Cheong Myeong, of all people, even understand? Or perhaps it was even less likely for him.

The Cheong Myeong that Hye Yeon knew was like the incarnation of human nature. Full of desires, compassion, and a fire that would never be extinguished.

Because of this, the words that speak not of human matters, but of the nature of the world itself, would be all the more difficult for him to hear and accept.

'Siju.'

Hye Yeon could only hope.

That this conversation would leave something within Cheong Myeong, and that it wouldn't bring further confusion to the man still walking a thorny path alone.

❀ ❀ ❀

"…. Don't kill him? The one I hate the most?"

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

The Dalai Lama softly chanted a mantra and nodded.

"Yes. That is what I'm telling you."

"Ha…."

Cheong Myeong let out a sigh, staring at the Dalai Lama with a look of disbelief. After all this talk, that's what he had to say...

"Even if he is a villain?"

".…."

"Even if he leads innocent people to their deaths? Even if keeping him alive would send even more people into hell?"

"….."

"Are you saying we should just keep him alive without any countermeasures?"

"Yes, siju."

Cheong Myeong let out a short laugh, his shoulders trembling. It was clear that this laughter was not born of goodwill.

Without completely wiping the smile from his face, Cheong Myeong sneered.

"Is this the so-called compassion of your great Buddha?"

"...No, it is not."

"Oh, then perhaps it's some kind of prophecy from a seer who has glimpsed the future?"

The Dalai Lama shook his head.

"I can't see the future. Whatever the world may call me, I am merely a humble practitioner trapped within a weak human vessel."

Cheong Myeong ground his teeth.

"Then what's the point of spewing this nonsense?"

"Siju..."

"Shut your mouth."

Cheong Myeong stretched out his hand, gripping the tent's edge as if he might tear it down right then and there.

"If you have eyes, you must have seen it. If you have ears, you must have heard it! You must know what kind of atrocities that man committed!"

"..…"

"Can you really utter such words after seeing the corpses along the way here? It seems that your revered Buddha can't hear the cries of the vengeful dead!"

The Dalai Lama lowered his quivering eyelashes and began to recite a mantra.

"How could I not feel sorrow and pity? All beings are the same. Everything is like that."

"….."

"All those wandering the sea of suffering are to be pitied. But, siju, please take my words as they are. I say this only to prevent a greater catastrophe."

Cheong Myeong looked at the Dalai Lama with disbelief.

"Do you know who I hate the most?"

"I do."

"And yet, you say to spare him? Why? Since Heavenly Demon has come back to life, you want us to join hands and fight together? Forget all that has happened, laugh it off, and work together in harmony?"

By now, Cheong Myeong's derision was closer to boiling rage than mockery.

"Siju."

"What on earth do you mean by that man.…"

"Once again, I implore you. Take my words as they are."

The Dalai Lama hesitated, his frustration clearly visible.

"I have told you, plainly, what I wish to speak of. I'm not talking about the world or the demons in it."

The Dalai Lama looked directly at Cheong Myeong, his voice unwavering.

"I'm speaking about you, Siju. Do not forget that."

"….. What are you saying?"

"Once again….."

But then, the Dalai Lama's face turned pale, and he swayed slightly.

"Master! Are you alright?"

Panchen Lama quickly went to support the Dalai Lama, who gently but firmly pushed him away.

"I'm fine."

"But—"

"Truly, I'm fine."

Reluctantly, Panchen Lama withdrew, and after chanting a few more mantras to compose himself, the Dalai Lama once again looked at Cheong Myeong.

"As one who is bound, this is all I can do."

"….."

"Remember, this is all for you, siju."

The message was clear.

Cheong Myeong, too, understood. As absurd and unreasonable as this man's words were, at least they were born of goodwill toward him.

But....

"Then you should remember, too."

"….."

"I will kill him."

"….."

"But not because I hate him."

The Dalai Lama's eyes flashed with something unusual.

"It's because it's not right to let someone who has committed such grave sins live. Those who would bring misery to others merely by existing must be removed. Even if it means breaking the rules of compassion as you describe."

"….."

"Sometimes, sternness is the greatest compassion. Those who bear responsibility can't waver. They must bear that weight alone."

Cheong Myeong's eyes were unwavering as he continued.

"This is not your way; it's ours, the way I've been taught. So I won't hesitate, no matter what others say, no matter what consequences come from my actions."

The Dalai Lama's gaze darkened, as if something were sinking deeply within him.

"…. That is what you've learned."

"Yes."

The Dalai Lama finally brought his hands together and bowed respectfully toward Cheong Myeong.

"I have been disrespectful."

"….."

"What you learn and practice under, and what you build upon, dojang, should be no less significant than our own path. I allowed my impatience to cloud my judgment and spoke words without clarity. Please forgive me."

Cheong Myeong said nothing in response. The Dalai Lama hesitated a moment longer, then closed his eyes.

"And.… if you have truly made up your mind, steel yourself. Suffering and regret are matters of the heart. If you turn your gaze, you may yet see the other shore (enlightenment)[pian, 피안(彼岸)]."

The Dalai Lama rose, bowing deeply to Cheong Myeong one last time before leaving the tent without a trace of hesitation.

"Then."

Then he left the tent with a gait that showed no trace of regret.

"Master."

Panchen Lama, who was about to chase after him, stopped and looked back at Cheong Myeong.

"Siju, don't regard this as mere insolence."

"….."

"Though it may be difficult to understand, Master has sacrificed much to live within a human body. He can't always fully express what he thinks."

Cheong Myeong looked intently at Panchen Lama, but still offered no response.

"Yet, since it was his intention to convey this message, there must be a reason. Please don't forget that."

Panchen Lama offered a respectful bow, then followed the Dalai Lama out of the tent.

Left alone once more, shadows from the candlelight fell across Cheong Myeong's face. The darkness enveloping half his face gradually grew darker.

"….Regret."

A low voice resonated, as the Dalai Lama's parting words lingered in Cheong Myeong's mind.

"….What a nonsense."

After pondering a moment, Cheong Myeong shook his head resolutely.

No matter how revered the Dalai Lama was, even if he was a Buddha incarnate, it didn't matter.

What Cheong Myeong followed was neither the Buddha's words nor any radiant path of Dharma.

What he had been taught, what he had guarded and would continue to uphold, was deeply etched into his heart.

It would be that teaching that guided him.

'Isn't that right, Jangmun Sahyung?'

No answer came from Cheong Mun.