Chapter 1648 - Hurry and Find It, Quickly. (2)

"Hurry up, will you?"

"Ah, I got it!"

Yoon Jong replied irritably as he stomped the ground in response to Jo Gul's repeated urging. It was no small matter that Hye Yeon had beaten someone. No, before considering the severity...

'Is this even possible?'

If the person who had delivered the news hadn't been Namgung Dowi, they would have immediately scoffed and dismissed it. That's how unlikely this was.

It didn't take long for the large training ground to come into view as they ran swiftly. People were gathered in a large circle around the training ground, and several people lay on the ground at the center. Among them, Hye Yeon stood idly with his hands lowered.

"Huh?"

"Is this for real?"

This was unmistakably a situation where Hye Yeon had attacked and knocked down the people lying there. Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and Baek Cheon, who had gathered together, quickly jumped into the training ground.

"Monk!"

"What on earth happened?"

Hye Yeon, who had been chanting a Buddhist mantra with his eyes closed, opened his eyes at their arrival. His usually large and gentle eyes were filled with a gloomy aura.

"You've arrived."

Baek Cheon quickly scanned the fallen people.

'This…'

These weren't just traces of someone collapsing during sparring. They had been properly attacked, injured, and lost consciousness.

The moment he saw the blood trickling from the corner of a fallen person's mouth, Baek Cheon felt his blood run cold.

"Monk, what happened?"

Instead of answering Baek Cheon's question about the circumstances, Hye Yeon shook his head and spoke unrelatedly.

"I have sinned."

"No, monk!"

"It seems the anger in my heart has not yet subsided. I lost my composure. I ask for punishment. Please restrain me."

"Restrain you?"

Baek Cheon was stunned. However, he couldn't outright deny Hye Yeon's confession of guilt. Although Hye Yeon held the position of Vice-Leader, it didn't mean he had the authority to beat the subordinates under him.

'This…'

Baek Cheon's expression grew more serious. He had an instinctive feeling that this incident might escalate more than expected.

The reason was that the clothes of the fallen people were varied. This meant Hye Yeon had simultaneously beaten disciples from multiple sects. In Kangho, laying a hand on a disciple from another sect was akin to declaring war against that entire sect.

No matter if they belonged to the same alliance or were members of the same faction, would they be so lenient in understanding this situation?

"Monk, please don't."

"Please, Baek Cheon benefactor."

Hye Yeon's eyelids trembled. Baek Cheon spoke firmly.

"If you've sinned, it's natural to be punished. That's the rule of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance. But before we determine guilt, we must understand the circumstances. Please explain what happened first."

For a moment, a short sigh escaped Hye Yeon's lips. However, he remained silent, showing no intention of explaining what had happened.

Baek Cheon, feeling frustrated, was about to press further when someone from the onlookers shouted.

"What explanation is there?"

Baek Cheon turned his gaze toward the voice.

"He… No, the Vice-Leader suddenly got angry and attacked others while discussing something! Everyone here saw it with their own eyes!"

Baek Cheon's face hardened. Voices condemning Hye Yeon began to erupt from all around.

"That's right. Others got involved trying to stop the Vice-Leader! He clearly attacked first!"

"He must be punished!"

Despite the growing outcry, Hye Yeon remained silent with a pale face, continuing his chanting.

'This is…'

Baek Cheon's face naturally became troubled. This was a difficult situation. If things continued this way, there would be no choice but to take Hye Yeon away.

But then, what would happen to Hye Yeon's position? Could he maintain his authority as Vice-Leader and lead them after being humiliated like this? On the other hand, ignoring the situation wasn't an option either.

At that moment, Yoon Jong asked with a cold look.

"What was the discussion about?"

"Pardon?"

"You mentioned there was a discussion before things escalated. What was it about?"

"Is that important right now?"

"If it wasn't important, there would be no reason not to share it. Is it difficult for you to tell us?"

"That's…"

Baek Cheon nodded in agreement with Yoon Jong's help. This was definitely something worth hearing.

Pressured by Yoon Jong's gaze, the person hesitated before finally speaking.

"We were talking about Shaolin."

"…Shaolin?"

At those words, Yoon Jong's face turned pale.

"It was just a casual conversation... tch."

The person raised their voice, as if emboldened.

"Isn't Shaolin the root cause of this whole situation? In such a context, we simply questioned why we should trust and follow the words of someone in monk's robes."

"… What did you say?"

"Did we say something wrong?"

Baek Cheon looked incredulously at the person, who raised his voice defensively.

"Do you know how many people died because of what Shaolin did? And now, a Shaolin disciple, especially one favored by their abbot, has the nerve to lead people? How are we supposed to trust and follow someone like that? How do we know what will happen to us?"

"…."

"To put it bluntly, how do we know he's not still colluding with that abbot?"

"Do you think you can say whatever you want?"

"Jo Gul!"

Yoon Jong forcefully pulled Jo Gul back. Without intervention, he seemed ready to draw his sword and attack.

"Let me go, Sahyung! That bastard…!"

"Shut up! Close your mouth!"

"…."

Jo Gul reluctantly stopped, gritting his teeth and glaring at the speaker, who retreated in fear.

Baek Cheon, though not as visibly agitated as Jo Gul, had a cold glint in his eyes.

"Do you call that a 'discussion'?"

"…."

"You were just looking for an excuse to attack someone, weren't you?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"… What did you say?"

Feeling cornered, the person shouted defiantly.

"Tell me where we were wrong."

"Of course you were wrong, you idiot! How dare you accuse Hye Yeon of collusion! Do you know what kind of person he is? I'll tear your mouth apart!"

"I said, enough!"

Yoon Jong scolded Jo Gul again, gripping his shoulder firmly. Baek Cheon sighed deeply before speaking.

"Hye Yeon is someone the alliance vouches for."

"…But…!"

"Questioning him means questioning the alliance itself and, by extension, accusing the Sect Leader and the alliance's leadership of incompetence."

Hearing the mention of the Sect Leader, the person's face turned pale.

"That that wasn't my intention!"

"Then you understand what you did wrong."

Faced with silence, the person seemed at a loss for words. As he tried to deflect the conversation, others began to speak up.

"Is that what matters right now?"

Someone nearby, likely a member of the Jagel Family, interjected with a cold and haughty tone.

"Deputy Sect Leader, you're avoiding the main issue. Even if their logic was flawed and their intentions were bad, the crucial fact remains that the monk attacked people after an argument, doesn't it?"

Baek Cheon was momentarily speechless.

"If we don't address the wrongdoing here, how is it different from saying it's okay to kill someone after winning an argument? The reason the alliance exists is because everything is handled according to its rules and laws. If individuals start acting on personal grudges, how are we different from the vile Evil Sect?"

Baek Cheon's face showed signs of distress.

There was no flaw in their argument. Furthermore, the surrounding people seemed to agree with the Jagel Family member, nodding in unison.

"So, what do you want?"

"That's an odd question. Do we want something? We only wish."

The speaker continued calmly.

"We only wish for everything to be handled fairly and justly according to the alliance's rules. Isn't it appropriate for the guilty to be punished?"

"Those bastards, until the very end...!"

"Jo Gul!"

However, Jo Gul was just as anxious and troubled despite his anger. He knew well that Jagel Yeon's words were not entirely wrong. After all, it was Hye Yeon's fault for not being able to hold back and resorting to violence. It was difficult to simply cover up and defend him.

"Do we really have to go that far?"

At Baek Cheon's words, Jagel Yeon sneered.

"You said you wanted to break down the walls between sects, but it seems the Mount Hua Sect values its internal relationships very much, doesn't it?"

"..."

"If the powerful decide so, what can a powerless person like me say? Let's just see which is more important, the alliance rules or personal connections."

With those words, all eyes in the training ground turned to Baek Cheon. Everyone knew who had the authority to make decisions here and who would bear the responsibility.

"What will you do?"

Even passersby were gathering, curious about the commotion. Amid the many gazes, Hye Yeon slowly opened his mouth.

"Leader, take me away. That's the right thing to do now. Everything is my fault."

"..."

"Hurry, it must be done."

Baek Cheon let out a short sigh without realizing it. Then, reluctantly, he nodded. Jagel Yeon spoke calmly, as if everything had gone as expected.

"Yes. Of course, it should be so. Only then can the alliance be just."

"Bullshit."

"...What?"

"I said it's bullshit."

Jagel Yeon gritted his teeth and turned his head. He was startled to see the face of the person who had suddenly started this argument and turned pale.

"Ch-Chung Myung?"

Chung Myung was looking up at him with his characteristic dull expression.

"I've heard a lot of nonsense in my time, but this takes the cake."

"...Excuse me?"

"Hey."

"...Wh-why..."

"Do you know all about the alliance rules? Have you ever seen them properly?"

"...Th-that..."

"I've never disseminated them, so what do you know about the alliance rules and justice and whatever, running your mouth off? Did you break into the leader's office and steal a peek?"

Jagel Yeon shook his head with a wronged expression.

"Of course not."

"Then why are you running your mouth, you bastard!"

Bang!

"Aagh!"

Chung Myung, still seated, kicked Jagel Yeon's shin. Jagel Yeon fell to the ground, unable to resist, and rolled around in pain. Finally, Chung Myung slowly stood up.

"You're all making a big fuss, aren't you? Eh? Talking about punishments?"

As he looked around, everyone averted their eyes, avoiding his gaze. Jo Gul whispered to Yoon Jong.

"Senior, he's lost it."

"I see that."

"Shouldn't we stop him?"

"...Why?"

"Uh..."

Jo Gul looked back and forth between Yoon Jong, Baek Cheon, Hye Yeon, and Chung Myung, then nodded quietly. Well, there was no real need to stop him...

"Yeah, punishment. I like that too."

Chung Myung grinned.

"Let's see about this punishment, you bastards."

His eyes, which had been rolling wildly, turned completely white.