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“…Was everything you’ve said so far true?”

“Bangjang….”

Bop Kye could only let out a groaning sound and couldn’t reply. If one were to say they had no words even with ten mouths, this would be the time.

“Hoo….”

Bop Jeong laughed in disbelief at the hard-to-believe fact.

“You made a pact with the Evil Sects? Moreover, a unilateral pact that only this side cannot advance into Gangnam, including the Yangtze River?”

“….”

“What on earth…”

He couldn’t even finish his sentence and let out a deep sigh.

‘It was my mistake.’

He didn’t mean to send Bop Kye. If they were sending most of Shaolin’s power, he should have led Shaolin himself. At best, it was a matter of dealing with pirates, and it was something he shouldn’t have sent Bop Kye to.

“This foolish human. How on earth am I planning to rectify this… Amitabha. Amitabha.”

Bop Jeong muttered and shook his head. Bop Kye, watching him, felt like he’d swallowed a rock.

“Bangjang…. If things go terribly wrong, please let me take the responsibility.”

“Let you?”

“Yes. Since I acted without Bangjang’s permission and if we just say that it’s not in line with Shaolin’s intentions, it might be hard for me to hold my head high, but if it’s for Shaolin…”

“Such foolishness!”

Bop Jeong burst out angrily.

“That would only belittle Shaolin’s name. If we go back on our words for mere survival, how would the world see Shaolin? From then on, words that do not come out of my mouth will become light words that can be reversed at any time. That would undermine the status of Shaolin.”

“….”

“There was no other way. I understand, but…”

If it had not been such an unconventional offer, there is no way that Jang Ilso would have obediently let go of those who came into his grasp.

But….

‘How on earth should I resolve this matter?’

If it were just a year ago, it might not have been such a big deal. No matter how bad the Ten Great Sect and Five Great Family are, if they don’t have a hill to lean against, others will end up relying on them again.

But not now.

“I never thought that supporting the establishment of Heavenly Comrade Alliance would come back like this…”

Bop Jeong was the one who pushed the Heavenly Comrade Alliance despite opposition from other sects. It was done because of various interests at the time, but he could not have imagined that what he did would plunge Shaolin’s position into an abyss.

‘How can things flow this unpredictably?’

If only he hadn’t condoned the establishment of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.

If only that Jang Ilso hadn’t organized the Evil Tyrant Alliance and set traps on the Yangtze.

If only Heo Dojin had not made an extreme choice to save his disciples and throw his face to the ground.

And if only Evil Tyrant Alliance hadn’t readily accepted that extreme choice!

If only one of them hadn’t happened, it would have been something that could have been rectified. But these are all meaningless assumptions. All these events transpired, and now all that remained was to restore the status of the Ten Great Sect and Five Great Family, which plummeted to the ground at this moment.

“How have the reactions been?”

“Sects that didn’t go to the Yangtze are demanding an explanation. And even though the rumor has not spread to Songshan yet, so public sentiment is not raging, but this place is probably soon…” (Songshan is the mountain where Shaolin temple is.)

“I suppose so…. It’s inevitable. Amitabha. Amitabha…”

Bop Jeong shouted mantra as if he were frustrated.

Public sentiment is fearsome.

The commoners usually endure no matter how much persecution they receive, but the moment it crosses a certain line, they have the power to rush even into the imperial palace with just farming tools.

The moment they become angry beyond disappointment at the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family, the downfall will begin quickly.

“What about Heavenly Comrade Alliance?”

“…Pardon?”

“Mount Hua Sect? What did Mount Hua do?”

Bop Kye looked at him with a look on his face as if he had no idea what he meant, and replied hesitantly.

“We came out of the Yangtze River first, so….”

Bop Jeong’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Are you saying you didn’t check what Mount Hua was doing?”

“The situation was…”

“….”

Bop Jeong closed his eyes tightly. And he sighed inwardly.

‘Aah…What to do with this…’

If Bop Kye had the leeway to observe the situation from a distance, he would have paid keen attention to the movement of Heavenly Comrade Alliance. It’s not Bop Kye who can’t understand that Mount Hua and Heavenly Comrade Alliance are the ones who will benefit the most when Ten Great Sect falls.

However….

‘There’s definitely a difference between watching from a step away and recognizing the situation amid the storm.’

The same goes for Bop Kye and Heo Dojin.

It’s true that making a calm judgment in rapidly changing situations is difficult, but he never expected that they would be so flustered to make such an irrational choice.

An era without war and conflicts.

Those who grew strong in such times might have become powerful, but they have not matured yet. Even Bop Jeong didn’t realize that they were no different from a child with only strength.

“Did you see any signs of them leaving the Yangtze River?”

“…Come to think of it, we tried to leave quickly, but they didn’t show any signs.”

“I suppose so…. Right, I suppose so. There’s no way Mount Hua Divine Dragon would miss this opportunity.”

Bop Jeong laughed bitterly.

“We’ve missed our chance. By now, rumors that we’ve colluded with the Evil Sects have probably spread everywhere., and now it would only sound nonsense to say that Heavenly Comrade Alliance and Evil Sects have made a secret agreement. We lost it. We lost it all. Amitabha. Amitabha…..”

Bop Jeong couldn’t hide his despair. The more he did, the more distorted the face of Bop Kye became.

“I apologize, Bangjang…”

“It’s not your fault.”

Bop Jeong shook his head.

What’s done is done. What’s the use of blaming Bop Kye? What needs to be considered now is how to rectify what has happened.

“To the inquiring sects, reply that the pact is true.”

“Ho- However…..”

“It’s better than fleeing after causing a mess. Tell them that Shaolin will take responsibility for what it must.”

“…Yes. I will convey that.”

“And!”

A blue glint flashed from the eyes of Bop Jeong for an instant.

“Just because they weren’t originally from our sect doesn’t make them any different. It is a pact in the name of the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family, so keep it in mind that it must be kept.”

“Ba- Bangjang!”

Bop Kye opened his eyes wide.

“I- It’s our fault this happened. But forcing them like this…”

“Do as you are told!”

Bop Kay closed his mouth at Bop Jeong’s reprimand.

Seeing Bangjang’s stern face, he didn’t dare to utter a word of persuasion.

“There will be a lot of opposition.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Bop Jeong’s gaze was cold.

“Losing the people’s favor and facing their grudges are bad, but not the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is that Shaolin loses its influence over the Ten Great Sect and Five Great Family.”

“….”

“Even if we face criticism, we must remain the North Star of Kangho. If they oppose our decision and act independently, the world will claim that Shaolin is no longer the head of the Ten Great Sect. We must prevent that.”

Cold sweat began to form on Bop Kye’s forehead.

By now, he was acutely aware of the gravity of his mistakes.

“And….”

“Yes, Bangjang.”

“Emphasize that the decision was made by Heo Dojin of Wudang, and from now on, Shaolin will not accept visitors for a month.”

“D- Does Bangjang mean to impose Bongmun?”

“It’s not Bongmun. We just won’t accept visitors.”

Bop Jeong sighed deeply.

“We must avoid the pouring rain. It’s also a strategy to stay put until the storm calms. Let’s see how public sentiment flows.”

Bop Jeong, who finished speaking, chanted mantra with a tired look.

Those angered will surely seek someone to hold them accountable. It’s inevitable that the grudges of the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family will be directed at Shaolin, but public sentiment criticizing Shaolin must be stopped.

If so, they have no choice but to provide a suitable scapegoat.

“Wudang…. Due to this, Wudang will lose his position. Heo Dojin. Heo Dojin….. Indeed….”

Bop Jeong couldn’t continue and closed his eyes.

From the position of leading a sect, one can’t help but understand why Heo Dojin made such a choice. What’s more, don’t they already know how Mount Hua Sect fell?

It would also be difficult for the court to endure if Shaolin fell like Mount Hua Sect during his leadership.

‘Even so, there are limits.’

He could understand, but he couldn’t accept.

It was when Bop Jeong sighed and shook his head.

“Ba- Bangjang!”

An urgent voice came from outside the door.

“What happened?”

When Bop Kye quickly responded, the door opened and Bop Yo rushed inside.

“We- We’re in trouble.”

“Don’t be in a hurry and start talking. What’s the matter?”

“Wu- Wudang Sect…….”

As soon as he heard the word ‘Wudang’, Bop Jeong’s face hardened.

“Wudang Heo Dojin has stepped down from his position and has decided to go into seclusion.”

“What?”

Bop Jeong, who jumped from his seat, asked back with his eyes wide open.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, the news came directly from Wudang.”

“This, this can’t be…”

Bop Jeong’s voice trembled as words escaped his lips.

He thought they would just go into Bongmun for a while to avoid criticism, but he never expected such a drastic measure.

‘Is he willing to take full responsibility?’

This isn’t something that can be done with just any resolve.

There’s no precedent for a Sect Leader who has stepped down to return to his position. That means that Heo Dojin will take responsibility for this and completely step down from his Sect Leader position.

“Who’s the next Sect Leader?”

“For some time, Heo Sanja, Saje of Heo Dojin, is said to be the temporary Sect Leader.”

Bop Jeong’s face dimmed.

“S- Such a foolishness….”

The most foolish act a sinner can commit is to acknowledge their wrongdoing. People aren’t fully aware of what transpired there. They might be shocked and angered by the immediate news, but once their anger subsides a bit, they might speculate that there were justifiable reasons.

There are quite a few things that the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family have accumulated over the years, so there will definitely be people who defend them.

However, Heo Dojin’s resignation from his position as the Sect Leader, taking responsibility for this, is like admitting that the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family have made a big mistake.

“I’ll have to meet Heo Dojin in person.”

“… It’ll be difficult, Bangjang. Wudang is going to be in Bongmun for three months from now.”

“This…!”

Eventually, Bop Jeong’s face flushed with rage.

“What on earth is he doing! How can Heo Dojin be so impossibly foolish!”

A thunderous roar erupted from the mouth of Bop Jeong, who rarely gets angry.

“Why has it come to this! Just why”

His fingertips began to tremble with anger and shock.

Everything’s falling apart.

The order of Kangho, centered around the Ten Great Sect, was shattering in this very moment.

‘Has the era of chaos already begun?’

As soon as the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family lose control, the world won’t remain as peaceful as it once was.

It was as if he could see Jungwon on fire right before his eyes.

“I’ll depart for the Yangtze River. I have to meet Mount Hua.”

“…Bangjang. We… can’t go to the Yangtze River.”

For a moment, a sense of bewilderment and deep despair sank on Bop Jeong’s face.

He looked at Bop Kye in silence, and after a while, he laughed mockingly. It was a mockery of the present situation.

“Mount Hua Sect Leader…. No, send a letter to Maengju of Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Request a meeting on my behalf.”

“…Yes.”

“Bop Kye, as soon as this is over, go to the Repentance Hall. I assign you six months of meditation.”

“As you command.”

“Hohohoho.”

The carefully stacked tower collapsed at once. As if everything he painstakingly built was just a sandcastle.

‘Evil Tyrant Alliance, and Heavenly Comrade Alliance.’

He closed his eyes and chanted mantra.

‘This is difficult.’

For the first time, Bop Jeong felt Shaolin’s influence dwindling.