Chapter 1188

It’s the path we’ll continue to walk in the future. (3)

As if about to charge forward at any moment, Beop Jong stared intently at Baek Cheon, then took a deep breath and slowly resumed his seat.

However, his eyes emitted an even colder gleam than before he sat down.

“Did I not say it? It’s a slip of the tongue.”

His voice pierced through Baek Cheon like ice.

“Choosing what cannot be chosen. That might be possible. But it’s not the one who leads that must make that choice. It’s the one who must make the choice when no one else will!”

“…”

“That’s why it’s about comparing the incomparable and making decisions that should not be made! Didn’t Acting Leader say it with his own mouth? That he would take on that responsibility. So, is it right for Acting Leader to sacrifice the lives of a thousand for the sake of saving one?”

Baek Cheon remained silent. Beop Jong seemed to frown at that.

“Anyone can talk about ideals. But who compensates for the lives being lost due to those ideals?”

“Who gave the Abbot the right to make that choice?”

At Baek Cheon’s question, Beop Jong widened his eyes.

«Is it because you are the abbot of Shaolin that you can weigh the lives of others? Or is it because you are none other than the Buddhist Monk Beop Jong that you can make such judgments?»

«Listen! Acting Sect Leader!»

«One must choose what cannot be chosen. One must bear that responsibility.»

Baek Cheon nodded solemnly.

«Do not speak as if only the Abbot bears that responsibility. Many have walked this path before, and our predecessors have deliberated over it time and time again. And they have already reached those conclusions for future generations.»

«…For future generations?»

A look of confusion crossed Beop Jong’s face. What exactly did the predecessors communicate to him?

«It is a phrase familiar to the Abbot as well. We call it a righteous path.»

Beop Jong’s expression twisted.

«What obvious nonsense…»

«What’s wrong with stating the obvious?»

Passion flared in Baek Cheon’s face.

«Those who consider themselves wise apply their standards to everything. But truly wise individuals refrain from judging what should not be judged! Just because they are elders, does that mean the Abbot’s words were unknown to them? Were they simply ignorant and chose not to discuss the matter?»

«…»

«Don’t just think with your head! It’s about following your heart, not logic or reason! Our predecessors called it righteousness. And they entrusted us with nothing but upholding that righteousness! It wasn’t because they were foolish — it was because that was the only correct answer.»

Beop Jong’s face trembled with agitation.

«They already knew. They knew what would happen when their descendants judged worth solely based on their own cleverness!»

«Well then…»

«That’s why, in teaching disciples, emphasis was placed above all on upholding righteousness. Within that simple teaching lay what we should prioritize. I ask you, Abbot! What did the illustrious predecessors of Shaolin convey to you?»

Beop Jong clenched his fist tightly. His lips remained sealed, showing no sign of movement. But Baek Cheon already knew the answer to this question.

Of course not. There was no other sect in the world that emphasized righteousness and salvation for the living beings more than Shaolin. That’s why Shaolin could become the beacon of righteousness among the sect of the Central Plains, the protector of the weak and oppressed.

«What would those predecessors say if they saw the current Abbot? Would they pity his sad self-sacrifice? Would they praise his choices made with tears in his eyes?»

«Silence!»

A roar erupted from Beop Jong’s mouth.

It was the sound of his reason snapping, and at the same time, it was the sound of the fragile righteousness breaking apart.

«After hearing that, there’s only nonsense about it! Are you saying that Shaolin has abandoned its righteousness now?»

«Then are you following it?»

«What?»

“What do you think righteousness is, Abbot?»

«Do you know what it is, Acting Leader?»

«I don’t know too well. But there is someone in Hwasan who knows about it.»

Baek Cheon’s gaze immediately turned towards one person.

«Yoon Jong!»

Startled by the sudden call of his name, Yoon Jong looked up in surprise.

«Are you asking me?»

«As a disciple of Hwasan, answer. What is righteousness?»

«Righteousness…»

Yoon Jong closed his eyes quietly. It was a sudden and perplexing question, but he couldn’t just brush it off. He had to answer this with more sincerity than ever before.

And so, Yoon Jong’s answer began somewhat unexpectedly.

«The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao [도가도비상도(道可道非常道)]. If you label the Taoist way as the Tao, it’s not it anymore. Similarly, the moment you call righteousness — righteousness, it’s no longer it.»

His voice gradually became calmer and more composed.

«The more you seek the Tao, the further away it seems, like grasping at clouds. It’s not something perfect and ideal as people think. Similarly, righteousness is not perfect. Sometimes it’s bizarre, sometimes selfish, and sometimes irrational. It’s because of the human heart.»

«Go on.»

«But that’s why righteousness is righteousness. Tao means letting everything naturally be. Just like water flows downward naturally. Sometimes it bends, sometimes it pauses, and sometimes it splashes, but eventually, it flows to where it should be. The human heart is the same. It’s sometimes foolish, sometimes wicked, sometimes selfish, but ultimately, it flows like water to a vast place.»

Yoon Jong’s eyes sparkled with deep insight once again.

«So, in the end, righteousness is about trusting people. It’s about answering the call of my heart. If we can do that, we’ll eventually move towards the right place.»

Baek Cheon nodded emphatically and looked at Beop Jong.

«Did you hear that?»

But Beop Jong, still filled with anger, retorted sharply.

«What did I hear! It’s just idealistic nonsense! So, because of that great idealism, these people are going to die…»

«Oh, I can’t listen to this anymore.»

Beop Jong’s head jerked to the side at the sudden outburst from somewhere. Im Sobyeong, sitting by the door, quietly averted his gaze but steadfastly continued speaking.

«I don’t understand why someone with such a great heart for the people, wanting to help even more, is resorting to swinging your fists from the temple. If you had taken an official position in the government, you could have been much more helpful.»

«W-What are you saying…»

Beop Jong stared at Im Sobyeong with a bewildered expression. Despite being the King of the Nokrim, he was just a member of Sapa. How could someone like him speak like that in front of Beop Jong?

«He is not wrong.»

What further flustered Beop Jong was Namgung Dowi’s intervention. As the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan, previously the leading clan of the Five Great Families, he had no business interjecting in the affairs of Nokrim.

«If doing greater things and fulfilling greater purposes is necessarily the right thing to do, then isn’t the power scale itself contradictory? The reason we exist is because the power of the nation cannot reach every corner and protect everyone. If the Abbot truly wants to discuss justice, wouldn’t it be better to strengthen the nation rather than focusing on Shaolin, which is just a small temple compared to the Empire, and ultimately make all the sects disappear?»

«Young Lord!»

Beop Jong’s eyes filled with rage.

«Is everyone going to come out like this? With such baseless sophistry, are you really going to…?»

«Enough, Abbot.»

At that moment, a calm voice interrupted Beop Jong.

He was left momentarily speechless. It was such a familiar voice. It was Hye Yeon.

«You were wrong, Abbot.»

«What did you say?»

«You were worng.»

«You…»

Beop Jong’s face was filled with confusion. Others might be able to say that, but not Hye Yeon. No matter how many times Beop Jong had mentioned Hye Yeons excommunication, ultimately Beop Jong was the one who had raised and taught him directly.

How could Hye Yeon say such a thing?

«Right now, the Abbot is trying to deny what he should not deny.»

«What nonsense are you talking about?»

«After attaining enlightenment, what did the Buddha do?»

Beop Jong stared at Hye Yeon in disbelief at the sudden question. Hye Yeon elaborated.

«After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha, at the end of seven days of contemplation and suffering, vowed to spread his teachings to save all living beings in the world. What was the first thing the Buddha did?»

Once again, there was no immediate response. Hye Yeon didn’t expect one, and so he provided the answer himself.

«He preached to those within his reach and accepted those at his feet as disciples,»

Hye Yeon continued, his voice steady.

«Hye Yeon. You…,»

Beop Jong stammered.

«Amitabha,»

Hye Yeon interjected, speaking just like Beop Jong.

«The Buddha sought to save the world, but he did not create scriptures that would reach every corner of the earth on his own, nor did he seek to spread his message further by leveraging his past status. What the Buddha did for the suffering beings of the world was to impart and teach his noble teachings to those close to him. Yes, that’s all it was.»

Hye Yeon’s clear and transparent gaze turned towards Beop Jong.

«Those words became teachings, and that instructions became Buddhist laws. Hasn’t it been spread and reached even the Abbot?»

Beop Jong’s eyes wavered.

As the Abbot of Shaolin, he couldn’t deny these words.

«According to the Abbot’s logic, what the Buddha did would amount to nothing. It would merely be the foolish act of someone who couldn’t see beyond the small picture. The enlightened Buddha, who understood the grand scale, has done nothing for the people of the world. But Abbot, was that teaching truly in vain?»

«…»

«Therefore, those who consider themselves Buddhists should not criticize Acting Leader’s intentions. Isn’t true Buddhism supposed to begin with saving oneself, rather than embarking on an endlessly selfish path? Yet how can one condemn those who seek to save those within their reach as foolish and selfish?»

«You…!»

«If the Abbot, before becoming the leader of Shaolin, were truly a Buddhist striving to follow the teachings of the Buddha…»

Hye Yeon’s voice swept through Beop Jong with a solemnity that shook him to his core.

«Before uttering words that amount to nothing but threats of falling into hell oneself, one should have pondered which path truly leads to enlightenment.»

Hye Yeon expressed his regret with full force, yet with unwavering determination.

«Abbot… You… are mistaken.»

Those words pierced Beop Jong’s heart like a sharp dagger.