The afternoon sun rested high above the peaks of Mount Hua, casting long shafts of light through the ancient pines that surrounded the sect. A cool mountain breeze drifted across the training grounds, carrying with it the faint fragrance of plum blossoms.
Wood struck wood.
Again.
And again.
"...Higher!"
Crack!
"...Too slow!"
Thwack!
"...If that's the best you've got, you'll be dead before your sword leaves its sheath!"
A chorus of miserable groans rose from the third-class disciples.
One disciple stumbled backward before collapsing onto the packed earth with a loud thud.
"I..." He wheezed dramatically. "...I have seen the gates of the afterlife..."
Another disciple, equally exhausted, stared blankly at the sky.
"Tell them..." He took a shaky breath. "...I'll be there soon."
"You idiots."
Chung Myung rested the practice sword across one shoulder, looking infuriatingly refreshed.
"If you're lying on the ground, you've still got strength left."
"...Chung Myung..."
"Get up."
"..."
"...Now."
A collective sigh swept through the training field.
Slowly...
Painfully...
The disciples dragged themselves upright.
Jo Gul, who had managed to stay standing, bearly watched everyone suffer with a sympathetic look, he clicked his tongue.
"...Cruel."
"Hm?"
Chung Myung glanced sideways.
"You've got something to say?"
"...No."
"Good."
Yoon Jong couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
It was hard to believe this loud, shameless man was the same person who had completely transformed Mount Hua over the past months.
Every day was chaos.
Every day someone cried.
Every day someone swore they would never forgive Chung Myung.
...And yet every disciple had grown stronger because of it.
Hyun Young often joked that Chung Myung trained people by beating despair out of them.
Looking at the third-class disciples now...
It wasn't entirely inaccurate.
"...That's enough."
Chung Myung stepped forward.
The younger disciples nearly burst into tears upon hearing those words.
"You've all wasted my time long enough."
No one waited for permission twice.
Practice swords clattered against the weapon racks.
Some disciples hurried toward the kitchens.
Others practically crawled toward the dormitories.
One unfortunate soul simply laid back down exactly where he had been standing.
"...I'm not moving."
His friend looked down at him.
"...You'll get stepped on."
"...Then let it happen."
Chung Myung clicked his tongue. "Weak."
"..."
Jo Gul sighed.
"...You say that every day."
"And every day it's true."
"..."
_
The mountain gradually grew quieter.
The loud sounds of training faded into scattered conversations as disciples returned to their usual duties.
Some swept fallen blossoms from the stone paths. Others carried buckets of water. A pair of younger disciples hurried toward the kitchens, arguing over whether there would still be enough steamed buns left by the time they arrived.
Jo Gul stretched his arms above his head.
"...Finally."
"My shoulders are killing me."
Yoon Jong let out a sigh. "I have to agree."
The three walked along one of the winding stone paths that connected the training grounds to the main courtyard.
It was peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
Then-
Two younger disciples rushed past them.
"...Really?"
"I heard the Sect leader himself came out."
"Already?"
"They said everyone should gather near the main gate."
"Hurry!"
Their footsteps faded into the distance.
Jo Gul blinked.
"...Main gate?"
Yoon Jong frowned slightly.
"I wonder..."
Before he could finish, another disciple approached at a brisk pace.
He bowed politely.
"Senior Brothers."
Yoon Jong inclined his head.
"What happened?"
"The disciple returning from the western mission has reached the mountain."
"Oh."
Understanding crossed Yoon Jong's face.
"So he returned."
"Yes."
"The Sect leader requests all available disciples to gather near the entrance."
"We understand."
The desciple nodded once before hurrying off.
Jo Gul watched him disappear.
"...Looks like Sasuk finished earlier than expected."
"He did."
Yoon Jong nodded.
"The mission wasn't supposed to end until next week."
"Hm."
A voice came from beside them.
"...Sasuk?"
Both turned.
Chung Myung had stopped walking. His expression remained casual.
Almost bored.
But there was curiosity hidden beneath it.
"...Who you are you blabbering about?"
Jo Gul blinked. "Oh right, you haven't met him."
"I haven't met plenty of people."
"He left before you officially joined us."
"Huh."
Chung Myung folded his arms.
"So, who's this Sasuk everyone's making such a fuss over?"
Jo Gul scratched the back of his head.
"Honestly, I'm not sure I'd call it making a fuss."
"No?"
"It's more like..."
He searched for the right words.
"...Everyone's glad he's coming back safe."
Yoon Jong nodded quietly. "He's been away for several months."
"It'll be good to see him again."
"Hm."
Chung Myung tilted his head.
"...Close friend?"
"...No."
The answer came so quickly it almost surprised Chung Myung.
Jo Gul laughed awkwardly.
"Actually..."
"I don't think anyone would say they're particularly close to him."
"He isn't that kind of person."
"...Meaning?"
Yoon Jong answered this time.
"Sasuk keeps mostly to himself."
"He joins training."
"He fulfills his duties."
"If someone asks for help, he helps."
"If an elder gives him work, he completes it."
"But outside of that..."
"He doesn't linger."
"He isn't rude."
"He simply..."
"...prefers solitude."
Jo Gul nodded. "Exactly."
"You'll look around after training..."
"...and somehow he's disappeared."
"...A strange fellow."
"A little."
"But..."
Jo Gul smiled faintly.
"He's dependable."
"If something difficult needs doing..."
"...he'll quietly do it."
"No complaints."
"No excuses."
"No attention."
"..."
The mountain breeze stirred the branches overhead. A few white petals drifted lazily between them.
Chung Myung remained silent.
Then...
"...Strong?"
The question was simple.
Jo Gul and Yoon Jong exchanged a glance. Neither answered immediately.
Finally...
Jo Gul shrugged.
"...Well, he became a second-class disciple."
"And..."
"...he's our age."
Silence.
That was all.
Nothing more needed to be said. Mount Hua had changed. But... Promotions weren't handed out because of seniority anymore. Especially not after everything the sect had endured. To stand among the second-class disciples while being roughly the same age as Yoon Jong and Jo Gul...
...was enough to earn respect from everyone.
Yoon Jong spoke quietly.
"When the elders announced his promotion..."
"There weren't any complaints."
"None?"
Jo Gul snorted.
"Who'd complain?"
"Everyone knew he deserved it."
"He earned it."
"Hm."
For the first time. Chung Myung looked genuinely interested.
"So."
"He requested this mission himself?"
Yoon Jong nodded. "He met with Sect leader, they spoke for quite some time."
"The elders discussed it afterward."
"And eventually..."
"They agreed."
"...Alone?"
"So it seems."
"..."
That made Chung Myung pause. Hyun Jong wasn't reckless. Neither were the elders. Approving such a request meant... They trusted the disciple's judgment.
And his strength.
"...Interesting."
Jo Gul laughed.
"I figured you'd say that."
"Hm?"
"You've got that look."
"What look?"
"The one that says..."
"'I want to see how good this person actually is.'"
Chung Myung smirked. "...Maybe."
"So..."
He asked almost absentmindedly.
"...What's the name this oh so great guy?"
Jo Gul answered without thinking.
"...Sa Hamin."
...
...
The breeze stopped.
Or perhaps...
It only felt that way.
For the briefest instant...
Chung Myung's footsteps halted.
So briefly that neither Jo Gul nor Yoon Jong noticed.
"..."
"...Sa...Hamin..."
The name echoed through his mind.
A century.
A battlefield stained red.
Falling plum blossoms.
A calm pair of eyes.
A quiet voice saying.
'Nokmae...'
No.
No it can't be...
Yunhwa...
The memory disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Don't be ridiculous.
One hundred years.
People shared names.
There had been countless disciples.
Countless martial artists.
It wasn't impossible.
It was coincidence.
Nothing more.
Jo Gul looked over.
"Hm?"
"You know him?"
Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
"...No." His answer came naturally.
"I just thought I'd heard the name somewhere."
Yoon Jong smiled.
"Perhaps someone with the same name."
"...Probably."
"...Yeah."
Probably.
It had to be.
Because if it wasn't...
Then the impossible had happened twice.
And Chung Myung wasn't sure the world was prepared for that.
Ahead of them, beyond the rows of tiled roofs and blossoming plum trees...
The great crimson gates of Mount Hua stood closed.
Waiting.
Without another word, the three continued toward them, joining the growing stream of disciples gathering to welcome home the sect's returning disciple.
_
A/N
Yunhwa - "Flourishing Flower, Splendid Blossom"
Nokmae - "Green Plum Blossom"