Chapter 399
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Chapter 399: The Great Peng Bird and the Field Mouse
Son Gain couldn’t raise her head to look at Baek Seolyeon.
For the small local sects, the county magistrate was a more formidable opponent than the Seven Great Sects.
The Seven Great Sects followed the code of chivalry, so it was unlikely that they would cause trouble without reason.
But the county magistrate was different.
Although they had an absolute position in the county, they were not just.
Wasn’t there a saying that said, “A cruel government is more fearsome than a tiger”?
The fate of the small sects that fell out of favor with the county magistrate was similar.
Moving to another region was one of the most favorable options. Most didn’t even have the chance to do so and simply closed their doors.
Baek Seolyeon stroked Son Gain’s shoulder, who had her head bowed.
“Don’t worry. A secular disciple of the Wudang Sect is still part of the Wudang Sect. In Shiyan, no one would dare to bother a disciple of the Wudang Sect. The same should apply to the county magistrate.”
Of course, this was just a vague assumption.
That’s why Baek Seolyeon couldn’t say it with certainty.
Would the Wudang Sect go out of their way to protect a secular disciple?
It could be, or not.
That was the nature of a secular disciple’s position.
No sect actively protected their secular disciples. That’s why secular disciples were also free from the restrictions of the main sect. At first glance, it seemed fair, but in reality, it was more of a case of abandonment.
Son Gain listened to her words in silence.
She also understood the dynamics of the Murim, so even though she felt distressed, she didn’t show it.
Then, Baek Seolyeon changed the subject.
“Ah, by the way, about disciple Yeon.”
As time passed, the camaraderie between the secular disciples of “Yeodongbin” had strengthened quite a bit. That’s why Baek Seolyeon hoped that the conflict between Yeon Namcheon and Son Gain would be resolved well.
“Yes…”
Son Gain shrugged.
Since she had been criticizing him, she knew what Baek Seolyeon was going to say.
“I hope you get along with him. If you, little sister, join ‘Yeodongbin’, you will become his sect’s little sister. Don’t you know how well the secular disciples of ‘Yeodongbin’ get along these days?”
Baek Seolyeon didn’t directly tell her to apologize.
Seeing Son Gain’s expression, she felt that it wasn’t necessary to pressure her.
“… I will apologize.”
“Good, good decision. He really is an admirable man. When you spend time with him, you realize how insufficient you are. You will understand that too.”
“Do you think he will forgive me?”
Son Gain looked at Baek Seolyeon with an uncertain expression.
Until now, she hadn’t done anything wrong to Baek Seolyeon. She had simply kept her at a distance and kept her heart closed.
But Yeon Namcheon was different.
She had slandered Yeon Namcheon along with Man Hwangju and Cheon Sangdong.
Even after those two left the Five Dragons Palace, she didn’t stop.
No, rather, driven by malice, she criticized him even more.
But Yeon Namcheon ascended as the best mystic practitioner in the Five Dragons Palace, and the other disciples avoided her.
And then today’s incident happened.
“Disciple Yeon probably doesn’t know what you’ve been saying. Even if he does, don’t worry. If he had been offended, he would have already confronted you. He is quite sensitive in that regard. But he hasn’t, right? That means he doesn’t know or he doesn’t care.”
“That would be a relief, but…”
“Trust me. If you want to get good results on the question and answer exam, release the burden from your heart.”
“Yes.”
Son Gain nodded.
It wasn’t just for the question and answer exam, but because she wanted to be forgiven by him.
If she didn’t, she felt she wouldn’t be able to move forward even a single step.
***
The next day.
As Yeon Jeokha walked back to his lodgings after attending a morning lecture, someone called out to him.
“Disciple Yeon.”
Yeon Jeokha turned around.
It was a female disciple of “Haseongo”.
They sometimes crossed paths in the dining hall, but they had never spoken.
“Me?”
“Yes. I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
When Yeon Jeokha stared at her, Son Gain pointed to a quiet garden.
“It’s a little awkward to talk here, could we go there for a moment?”
“Sure.”
Yeon Jeokha walked briskly towards the shade of a tree.
Upon arriving, Yeon Jeokha stared at the disciple.
The disciples of “Palseongak” numbered almost two hundred.
Among them, the names he knew were few.
No, excluding the secular disciples of “Yeodongbin”, the only names he knew were Man Hwangju and Cheon Sangdong.
Although he had become famous, people were still intimidated by his face and didn’t approach him.
As their gazes met, the disciple quickly looked down.
It was something usual, so Yeon Jeokha didn’t pay attention to it.
“What’s wrong?”
After hesitating for a moment, Son Gain lowered her head and said,
“I wanted to apologize for what happened. Please forgive me.”
“If you say that, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Could you explain who you are and why you’re saying that?”
Then, Son Gain realized her mistake.
She was so nervous that she had omitted the most important thing.
“I am Son Gain, a disciple of the Cheongsan Sect (Blue Mountain Sect) of Shiyan. When I first arrived at the Five Dragons Palace…”
She confessed that she had been at the forefront of the slander against Yeon Namcheon.
Yeon Jeokha scratched his head.
Lately, he hadn’t seen Man Hwangju and Cheon Sangdong, so apparently they had left.
Strangely, he was more curious about their whereabouts than about the rumors.
Perhaps it was because they were the first people he met upon arriving at the Five Dragons Palace.
“… I was blinded by envy and jealousy, and I said those things. Please forgive me.”
Son Gain bowed her head.
Looking at the yellow earthen floor, she felt extremely ashamed of her situation.
This wasn’t why she had come to the Five Dragons Palace.
Thinking about her family and fellow sect members she had left at the Cheongsan Gate, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“It’s not like you said anything wrong.”
“What?”
Surprised by his words, Son Gain raised her head.
The tears that had accumulated rolled down her cheeks.
“Those two people weren’t lying. When I first arrived at the Five Dragons Palace, I didn’t know anything. Those two people approached me and told me many things. Among them, information about the question and answer exam. Since I didn’t know anything about Taoism, I paid them for the information.”
“…”
Son Gain looked at Yeon Namcheon in disbelief.
Man Hwangju and Cheon Sangdong had told her that Yeon Namcheon had been caught selling information about the exam.
They had blamed everything on Yeon Namcheon, omitting their own actions!
“If it had ended there, nothing would have happened. But I wanted to get my investment back. So I sold that information to others at a lower price. Haha.”
Yeon Jeokha laughed awkwardly.
At that time, Man Hwangju and Cheon Sangdong seemed despicable to him, but now it didn’t seem like a big deal.
Son Gain stared at him.
It was the first time she had seen someone talk and think in that way.
She had heard that eccentric people had a different way of thinking, but seeing it in person gave her chills.
It wasn’t out of malice, but out of the emotion he felt.
She could hear the sound of her own heart beating strongly.
She understood why Baek Seolyeon had said those words to her last night.
She thought, “I want to be his sect’s little sister.”
She wanted to be with him in “Yeodongbin”.
Suddenly, she remembered Baek Seolyeon’s words:
– Yeon Namcheon is a great albatross (大鵬). The men you’ve met so far are field mice living in the thickets. They’ve only seen the shadow of the great albatross (大鵬) on the ground and have spoken without knowing.
It was true.
Not only were they field mice, but she was too.
But now that she knew that this great albatross (大鵬) flew over her head, she would change.
Son Gain wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and said determinedly,
“Disciple Yeon, I will work hard to ascend to ‘Yeodongbin’. I will do it without fail.”
“Good. Then see you in ‘Yeodongbin’.”
Just as Yeon Jeokha said goodbye with words of encouragement, Son Gain suddenly called out to him.
“Ah! Disciple Yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Registered disciples are different from secular disciples, right?”
“In what sense?”
“The relationship between the main sect and the secular disciples is a bit ambiguous. It seems that registered disciples are treated more closely to the disciples of the main sect.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. Why?”
Yeon Jeokha looked at Son Gain curiously.
He didn’t understand why a practitioner who wasn’t even a secular disciple was asking that question.
“Actually… there was a problem because of me.”
Although she was extremely embarrassed, Son Gain told him about the fight in the outer courtyard the night before.
She wanted to help in some way, since the problem had happened because of her.
As he listened in silence, Yeon Jeokha frowned.
Traditionally, the Nokrim hated government officials.
Among the experts of the Nokrim, there were many who had fought against magistrates and had taken refuge in the mountains.
There were countless people who had become bandits after being farmers fleeing the oppression of magistrates.
Among the bandits of the Five Peaks Mountain, there were also people like that.
That’s why, for Yeon Jeokha, the county magistrate was a “state-appointed demon”.
His way of dealing with people was simple.
Retribution.
That is, to pay according to cause and effect.
To return what had been done was, for him, justice and chivalry.
“So, there is a disciple who is the eldest son of the county magistrate of Juksan? And he said he would bother sister Baek? Even using the magistrate’s authority?”
“Yes, he said it with his own words. He said that having good parents is also a skill.”
“Wow, you son of a bitch.”
A vulgarity came out of Yeon Jeokha’s mouth, but Son Gain wasn’t surprised.
Compared to confessing that she had been cheating in the Five Dragons Palace, that was nothing.
“My sister said that the Wudang Sect would help her, but the main sect doesn’t protect secular disciples. I thought that if disciple Yeon said something, the Wudang Sect might pay attention…”
“That’s not something the Wudang Sect should get involved in.”
When Yeon Jeokha drew the line, Son Gain’s face darkened.
Deep down, she had hoped for his help, but by rejecting her so abruptly, her mind went blank.
“My sister’s problem is my problem. I will solve it before the Wudang Sect has to intervene.”
“Ah!”
Son Gain looked at Yeon Namcheon with an enlightened expression.
It was true!
Her perception of him wasn’t wrong.
Her sister’s problem was his problem!
She had another reason to want to join “Yeodongbin”.
“But… is it okay? The opponent is the county magistrate of Juksan.”
Although Yeon Namcheon was the best mystic practitioner in the Five Dragons Palace, his limits were clear.
Wouldn’t the name of the Wudang Sect be more effective than that of a mystic practitioner against a magistrate?
Yeon Jeokha told the worried Son Gain,
“In this world, there is nothing a mystic practitioner cannot do. Master Baekyun said, ‘Believe in yourself’. I also believe that I can do it. That’s enough.”
With those words, Yeon Jeokha walked away.
Son Gain couldn’t take her eyes off Yeon Jeokha’s figure as he walked away.
He was so impressive and calm!
Her heart was about to burst with excitement.
She whispered softly, in case someone heard her,
“Disciple Yeon. See you in ‘Yeodongbin’.”
It was a promise to herself.
Just the fact that she secretly called him “big brother” made her happy.
Finally, Son Gain raised her head and looked at the blue sky.
As Baek Seolyeon had said, by releasing her burden, she felt so light that she could fly.
As she was filled with gratitude, someone called out to her.
“Miss Son. Were you here? I didn’t know you were here, I’ve been looking for you.”
Son Gain’s face, filled with dreams and hopes for the future, froze in an instant.