Episode 1207 Now the clan is finally back on track! (2)
Hyeonjong looked at the person sitting in front of him with pitiful eyes.
Unlike him, who was full of pensive thoughts, the person sitting in front of him had an extremely calm expression, which made me feel even more upset.
‘I am such a poor person.’
Looking back, Baekcheon’s point was accurate. King Hyeonjong clearly suffered from an excessive sense of responsibility for the white and celadon pears, and so he wanted to protect them in any way possible.
Until the day when they can enjoy what they deserve.
But if you think about it, weren’t the ones he really cared for and had to protect not white porcelain pears or celadon pears, but Unja pears?
Of course, the white porcelain and celadon pears were pitiful and pitiful people because they entered the ruined volcano, but the unja pears were the ones who felt the full effects of that downfall. Still, we had to bear the despair of not being able to protect the volcano in the end, even as we watched the power that was still available suddenly decline and fall apart.
Nevertheless, King Hyeonjong could not cherish Unja pears as much as white porcelain pears or celadon pears.
‘You are truly ugly.’
I felt like the head of a family who couldn’t take his eyes off the youngest child, even though he knew in his head that the one who had the most trouble was the eldest son. By the time he realized that fact, he was already a poor head of a family who had nothing to do for his eldest son.
“Really…”
Hyeonjong asked, slightly hesitant, as if he was speechless or choking.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Unam scratched his head in humility at the voice full of helpless cruelty.
“It’s surprising, Jang Moon-in. “Isn’t this story already over?”
“It may be true for you, but not for me.”
Hyeonjong sighed deeply.
“Hey guy. “Is there a case where such a decision is made so hastily without even discussing it with me, a writer?”
“I’m sorry about that. But it wasn’t the situation to give a consultation at all…”
“But I should have done it anyway.”
Unam scratched the back of his head as if he was troubled. Hyeonjong sighed again.
It’s not because Unam is frustrated. This is because what he is saying to Unam now feels no different from the complaints of an old man who has grown old and has become stubborn.
“You idiot… was it really that easy to write a long post?”
“Isn’t that what it is?”
Unam smiles calmly.
“The position of Hwasan Jangmun is one that requires great responsibility and ability. “Only the best in the sect are worthy of that position.”
“….”
“That’s why it’s not my place, Jang Mun-in.”
“No!”
In the end, Hyeonjong could not stand it anymore and became angry.
“What are you lacking? What are you lacking that makes you say it’s not your place? “Of course, this is the position you should have taken!”
“Jangmun-in.”
Unam sighed slightly with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.
By nature, he was not a soft person, but perhaps because of the way Hyeonjong looked at him, he kept not knowing what to do with himself.
“Don’t think too much of me.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“If this were a normal time, if it wasn’t a time of peace but was still moving along reasonably well, I would of course have been greedy for the long post.”
“….”
“But these are not those times.”
His voice was just calm. Since King Hyeonjong came out like this, he might have shown some regrets, but Unam didn’t show any regrets.
A Taoist who has defected? No, it’s not like that. If you are a monk who has left the secular world, you must feel that the position of a scholar is also worthless.
Now, Unam fully understands the value of the position of Hwasan Jangmun, but does not necessarily dwell on it.
Hyeonjong was extremely proud of this fact, but he was also indescribably saddened by it.
“The person who will lead Hwasan in the coming era must be more trustworthy than anyone else and make decisions faster than anyone else.”
Unam shook his head with a smile on his face.
“But it’s a long story. I am not that kind of person. I am confident that I can make a good decision after waiting patiently and after careful consideration. But that role is difficult.”
“Hey you idiot… Why do you think like that? Wouldn’t those children, your brother-in-law, be able to help you? “They say I’m so great that I’m wearing a long coat of arms like a volcano?”
“Maybe so. But it’s a long story. Is there really a need for that?”
Unam laughed slightly.
“They are good kids.”
“….”
“What troubles me is not the fact that I couldn’t become a writer. It’s not like I’m confused about the future because the path I thought I was going to take is different from the path I’m going to take. What really troubles me is the eyes of the children from the clan who look at me and don’t know what to do.”
“….”
“You don’t have to do that, but you’re so kind.”
Hyunjong closed his eyes. He knew it in the first place. That persuasion is impossible.
In some ways, Unam is the most stubborn of volcanoes. If I hadn’t had that aspect, I wouldn’t have made the decision to stay in Hwasan, where I still didn’t have a strong attachment, and continue that tradition. So, once you have made up your mind, you will not be able to take it back no matter what you do.
“Unam.”
“There is no need to look at me with those eyes, Jang Moon-in.”
“….”
“I hope you don’t keep thinking about what I failed to do. “The way a teacher looks at a student or the way a parent looks at their child is bound to be the same, but wouldn’t my position be different?”
Unam said with a grin.
“Just because I didn’t become a writer doesn’t mean I’m unhappy. “I couldn’t be happier to be a disciple of Hwasan.”
“….”
“And just because I don’t become a long writer doesn’t mean the work I have to do in Hwasan disappears. Maybe I should become a busier person than Jangmunin. It wouldn’t be easy for Baek Sang to run the sect by himself. As you know, Baekcheon has a strong reputation, but he has no talent in that area.”
“Unam….”
“Jang Mun-in.”
Unam looked straight at Hyeonjong and said.
“In the past, I wanted to be a plum blossom.”
“….”
“I wanted to become a plum blossom that blooms splendidly, inheriting the years of patience endured by Jang Moon-in. “I wanted to be the one who ended the long winter.”
Unam quietly shakes his head.
“But I found out in the end. “That role is not mine and I am not the person who can do it.”
Hyeonjong let out a soft groaning sound. On the other hand, Unam’s face was calm.
“So I wanted to become a root. This is because I realized that in order for a flower to bloom beautifully, its roots must be strong. “I thought it wouldn’t matter if it was buried in the dirt, as long as the children who came after me would bloom the most beautiful flowers.”
“Being a long-time writer is like the root, Unam.”
“Yes, that’s right. But… as time passed, I learned more. “Even the root wasn’t my role.”
Pain flashed through Hyeonjong’s eyes. It cannot become a flower or a root. So what on earth should Unam be?
Unam, who noticed the emotions in Jang Mun-in’s eyes, smiled.
“Jangmun-in.”
“okay.”
“So do you know what I want to become now?”
“…What do you want to become?”
Unam calmly nodded and said.
“I didn’t know when I was young. There was no time when I filled my heart with victory and tried not to lose my spirit. “At that time, all I could see was a large plum tree.”
“….”
“But now I know. Volcano is a plum blossom. But no plum tree can bloom without a foundation to root on.”
Those words made Hyeonjong’s heart sink.
“That’s why I want to become dust. We want to become a foundation where these children can take root and bloom the most beautiful flowers. Soil is not a plum blossom, but how can a plum blossom bloom without soil? “That too is an important role.”
Hyeonjong closed his eyes.
Pottery.
That’s what I think. Perhaps King Hyeonjong was also so obsessed with the rise and fall of sects that he was unable to see the person who would truly cultivate the Tao of Hwasan.
If this were a peaceful era… Unam would surely have become a poster child that would spread the Tao of Hwasan throughout the world. He would have become a long-time writer who could not help but be recognized by both his predecessors and his successors. Just as flowers blooming on barren land become more beautiful, the barren times of Hwasan eventually made Unam bloom the flower called Tao.
“So there is nothing to regret. “If Baekcheon becomes a Jangmun and spreads the reputation of Hwasan, that is also my contribution. If Yoon Jong-i becomes a Jangmun and spreads the reputation of Hwasan, isn’t that also my contribution?”
“…What about Cheongmyeong?”
“Sounds like words….”
“….”
“….”
“Keuhum, yes.”
Hyeonjong cleared his throat softly, cleared his complexion, and looked straight at Unam again.
“Are you okay with that?”
“It was sudden, but as you know, it was something I had been thinking about for a long time. Everyone has their own role. “Even though Cheongmyeong ended up in the volcano, there must have been a flow of logic that we don’t know about.”
“….”
“You just have to let it flow naturally, Jang Moon-in. “Isn’t it just human greed to regard natural things as unnatural?”
Hyeonjong closed his eyes tightly.
“You….”
“….”
“You are a Taoist. You are the thief. “I’m just embarrassed.”
Unam laughed slightly.
“If you think so, don’t be shy and be proud. Jang Moon-in made me who I am today and created the volcano that I am today. “I’m sure our predecessors would think the same way.”
“Yeah… I guess so.”
A sad sigh flowed from Hyeonjong’s mouth.
I understood Unam’s position, I understood that his thoughts were not wrong, and that even this was natural.
However, the reason why I still have regrets in my heart is because he is a human being.
‘It’s really hard to let go of affection and obsession. That’s probably why the top line is so poor.’
Hyeonjong called Unam softly.
“Unam.”
“Yes, Jang Mun-in.”
And then I bowed my head deeply towards him. Unam, who was startled, grabbed Hyeonjong’s shoulder and stopped him.
“Why are you doing this, Jang Mun-in! “You can’t do this.”
“…Thank you.”
“….”
“I speak as a scholar of volcanoes, and before that as a Taoist and as a person. “I’m just grateful.”
Unam could not answer and closed his mouth. He was just calm, but at this moment, something surged in his heart.
“Everyone in the volcano and the volcanoes of the future will remember you as you are now. “You will teach future generations what it means to truly follow the Tao.”
Unam paused for a moment and lowered his head.
“Thank you, Jang Mun-in.”
His shoulders were shaking slightly. Hyeonjong patted the man on the shoulder without saying a word.
The teacher and student, who had been together for most of their lives, comforted each other in silence. Until a long time passes….
