Chapter Text
There was a box on the table inside his room. Chung Myung stared at it for a long time, as if he didn't quite know what to do with it.
Actually, it contains a gift that he bought recently. But since he can't find the right time to give it to the right person, it was just here for almost a week now. Its presence was so odd that the one time his sajae came to visit him to tell him something, he gave a weird look to the box that hasn't left its spot. He thankfully didn't ask anything, though.
Today…he should be able to give it. Even if it will be a bit difficult, he will absolutely try when that guy comes by to visit him in the sect just as he always does.
He lets out a sigh.
Tap.
Tap.
Light footsteps echoed around the room as he drew closer to the box. With a hesitant hand, he reached out to finally take it. It was the first time that it left that table since he brought it to his room, so it almost felt like it was thrumming excitedly under his touch.
He shook his head and hid it underneath his martial arts uniform. There was now an awkward bump due to the box being there, but it wasn’t like there was anyone to question him even if they noticed. There was only one who will, and it’s not like it would matter much if he did point it out, since he was supposed to be the one to take it anyway.
He turned to open one of the drawers of his cabinet where a green ribbon rested. His touch lingered on it for a while, feeling the smoothness of the fabric. Subconsciously, he smiled.
“Well then,” Chung Myung mumbled to himself. “Let’s give that brat his thank-you gift.”
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
There was a common routine in Mount Hua that everyone has already gotten used to.
Usually, it is forbidden for disciples to go outside of the sect, more encouraged to focus on training than minding the business of those down the mountain. Only when they have mastered most of the techniques that they need to know would they be allowed to come down the mountain, but even then, this is only if they have a mission. There was no reason for them to come down the sect anyway. This is true even for the elders and the first-class disciples, who are busy managing the affairs of Mount Hua and training the younger generation at the same time.
There is one exception to that rule, though.
Chung Myung, who has always been a troublemaker since he was young, had been allowed to run off from the sect and down below since he was a second-class disciple. There was simply no one who could reign him in, and even his sahyung can only temporarily stop him from doing whatever he wants. This was also agreed upon by the elders, because apparently, he does more damage inside the sect than when he was outside, just drinking and eating meat to his heart’s content.
He never outgrew this habit of his, typically coming down even when he became an elder in the sect. However, since he was someone who naturally attracts trouble even without doing anything (although his sahyung refused to believe him sometimes when he claims so), it was natural that he would manage to find a fellow troublemaker who loves to stick with him every time he comes to visit Shaanxi.
“Dosa Hyung-nim! Dosa Hyung-nim!”
“Aigoo! About time, you brat!”
The routine that everyone was accustomed to by now, of course, happened to be opening the gates of Mount Hua once every month and immediately running away to take cover as the two most dangerous but admittedly dependable (???) people in the entirety of the Central Plains meet up with each other.
The Dark Saint’s presence was honestly quite terrifying, especially during the first few times he visited the mountain. It wasn’t intentional at all, but he naturally exudes this presence that could suffocate anyone who was standing in a close enough proximity to feel it. It only stopped when someone complained to Chung Mun about it, who in turn asked Chung Myung to tell their guest to tone it down because it was aggravating the disciples. After a firm hit on the head, the Dark Saint has tried to consciously lower his presence when coming by the sect.
Now completely oblivious to the disciples who were hurriedly trying to run away from them, Chung Myung turned around, steps purposeful as he headed to the sect leader’s residence. Tang Bo followed closely behind him, chattering about things that he came across with and discovered during the weeks that they haven’t seen each other.
It was as if the sect leader already anticipated the appearance of the duo. When the doors blasted open without warning, he just let out a tired sigh and lowered the cup that he was originally drinking.
The only positive thing about this is that Chung Myung deemed it appropriate to come in through the door instead of just appearing from the window as he would normally do. He doesn’t think he was quite ready to handle not one, but two brats tumbling inside his residence to talk to him.
“Jangmun Sahyung!” Chung Myung calls out proudly. “I will be coming down with this leech again for a bit!”
Tang Bo comes in after him, smiling politely at the sect leader when their eyes meet. Chung Mun only shakes his head and doesn't even bother saying anything like asking them not to cause too much trouble while they are down the mountain. He has just naturally accepted that this is how things are when it comes to them. Common sense just doesn’t work.
There wasn’t much that happened after that. The duo left as quickly as they appeared, and it felt like a storm had just passed. They didn’t even bother closing the door behind them.
Chung Jin peeked inside the room after a while, numerous martial tomes balanced in between his arms. He glanced at the door that was left ajar, then at the sect leader who was just staring mournfully at his plum blossom tea. Just those little things were enough to tell him of what had happened before he came.
“Should I restock on the stomach pills?” Chung Jin asked immediately, as if it was the most normal thing to ask. Except they’ve been dealing with this for so long that it really has become the normal for them.
Chung Mun rubbed his temples and mumbled a quick Taoist prayer under his breath. “Yes, thank you.”
He had a feeling that by the time that those two come back from whatever it was that they were going to do, the stock of pills that they have in the Medicine Hall just won’t be enough to keep him sane.
“It’s like looking after two brats…”
“It’s always been like that when it comes to sahyung, hasn’t it?” Chung Jin laughed helplessly, knowing there wasn’t much that he could do to help with the situation.
“He’s an elder now. I just thought maybe he’d have become a Taoist at this age…”
There was a pause. And another heavy sigh.
“What am I saying, I don’t think that guy would ever start acting like a Taoist no matter the age.”
“Let’s just give up thinking about it, Jangmun Sahyung.”
“You’re right…you’re right…”
Still, how is it possible that that crazy malko could find someone exactly like him, ah? It was like his headache was doubled—No, that was too great of an understatement. It felt like his pains were multiplied ten times ever since the Dark Saint walked into the gates of Mount Hua.
He looked back down at his cup, where a single petal was floating innocently on the water’s surface.
“I just hope they won’t cause too much of a problem this time….”
“...Sahyung, you shouldn’t have said that out loud. Isn’t it the same as jinxing yourself?”
“...”
“...”
“....Double the usual amount of pills, please.”
“Alright.”
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
Even though they hang out every month, there is actually very little variation in what Chung Myung and Tang Bo does whenever they’re outside.
The usual thing they do is just drink together and eat or hunt down some Sapa that were trying to cause a mess in their territory. Or they would spar with each other and see how far they’ve progressed with their martial arts (but that case only applies to Tang Bo.) Sometimes, they would do all three, and by the time the sun had come down they’d say their farewells to each other.
That wasn’t always the case, though. It really just depends on whether Tang Bo was feeling special for the day.
Like today.
“What’s all this?” Chung Myung grumbled out loud as he followed his companion closely, going deeper inside the forest. Since it was already almost winter, the air was already a little chilly. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was a martial artist and could just circulate his qi to keep himself warm, he would’ve been shivering already before they could even go where it was that they were going.
Tang Bo glanced back at him, smiling slightly. There was a pack in his hand that he picked up from a store before they went all the way here. It’s been a while since they started walking around, but the swordsman still has no idea what was inside of it.
“Actually, Hyung-nim, this younger brother found a good spot where we can sit until nighttime.”
“This is all for that?” the other person’s voice rose slightly, a bit annoyed.
“Ah—Yah, I brought some drinks and snacks with me, so you won’t complain! Don’t be too angry!”
“Hmph.”
They were crossing some sort of mountain ledge that was wide enough to be deemed safe even if it wasn’t them who were walking there. It wasn’t anywhere part of Mount Hua as far as he was concerned, and they hadn’t gone close enough in Xi’an to have ended up in Zhongnan’s mountain. Somewhere from a distance, he can hear the sound of water rushing and falling from a height.
He looked at Tang Bo for a while, not needing to pay attention to where he was stepping.
“Bo-yah.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim?”
“What’s all this about? We could’ve just spent time inside a store like we always do.”
Tang Bo paused for a while, then glanced back at him. There was a mysterious smile on his face.
“Hyung-nim, don’t you know what day it is today?”
“Uh?”
He turned around for a bit to face the older person, looking serious.
“Actually, I’ve been waiting for it for a few days now, but strangely enough, it hasn't happened yet. So I waited for a bit, and my intuition just told me today was the day. That’s why I hurried to Mount Hua to pick up my Hyung-nim.”
“But what’s this about?”
“Ah, you’ll see in a while.”
Actually, Chung Myung has been mentally applauding himself the entire time that they were walking. Anyone who knew the Plum Blossom Sword Saint would’ve known that he wasn’t really known for his patience. So the fact that he hasn’t even hit this guy even once over the head for trying to act all mysterious the entire time was already a miracle in itself. He rolled his eyes and looked off to the general direction of Mount Hua.
Now sahyung can’t tell me that I’m too hasty.
He’s been complaining both inside his mind and out loud during the entire journey, just so that Tang brat was aware of how he was getting a little too impatient. He can distinctly feel the box inside his robes, still untouched and ungiven despite having been around Tang Bo for almost an hour now. It was also actually strange how he never said anything about the odd bump that was so obviously there by his chest.
The sound of the rushing water has also become considerably louder. Looking off to his left, he noticed a waterfall of multiple heights falling down to the lower levels and letting some of the droplets fly off everywhere. Thankfully, they were far enough to not get wet. If they were, he might’ve tried to strangle Tang Bo for taking him there.
“Almost there,” he hears from just up ahead of him.
Just as promised, they finally reached a flat area where Tang Bo was most likely trying to take him the entire time. It was a fairly quiet clearing, a circle of trees just around a large area. It has a good view of the waterfall and everything else that was around it. Everything about it just…reminded Chung Myung a little of the “Taoism” that his sahyung would usually lecture him about.
He turns his head to look at the younger person, unimpressed.
“So?”
Tang Bo pouted a little. “Come on, Hyung-nim. Don’t you find it a little impressive?”
“Isn’t this something I can see every day in Mount Hua anyway?”
“There are no waterfalls in Mount Hua,” Tang Bo feebly defended.
He lets out a scoff and crosses his arms. “It’s just some trees and water. We see this every day, what’s so special about it?”
Well, it was hopeless trying to explain this to someone like Chung Myung anyway. He doesn’t care about much unless it was about Mount Hua, his swordsmanship, trying to cause a headache for the Taesang Elders, eating meat, and consuming as much alcohol as a person physically can. Looking at nature like this probably wasn’t exactly the kind of thing that he would do in his free time, unless he was dragged along into it like what was happening in the present.
“Well, it’s a little quieter. I thought Dosa Hyung-nim would like a change in scenery once in a while.”
“....”
Honestly, he doesn’t have any strong opinions about it. But he doesn’t say anything else and just lets Tang Bo do what he wants. There are some days when he just feels like letting these happen. Anyway, if he tries to argue about it, they will end up physically fighting against each other, and it was already obvious who will come out as the winner of that fight.
The Tang elder moves along with setting up the place where they will be hanging out. The pack that he brought with him seemed to contain everything that they would need for the day. There were multiple containers of food piled on top of each other, and two full bottles of wine squeezed in as well. He expertly laid down two cups for each of them and gestured at Chung Myung to find a comfortable spot after he was done.
The older person, on the other hand, only looked at him strangely as if wondering how he managed to fit all those things inside that pack.
He sits down. Finally, Tang Bo decided it was a good time to bring up the odd thing on his chest.
“Dosa Hyung-nim,” he calls out, settling down just next to him. He relaxed almost immediately when he settled down. “What did you bring?”
The other man tensed for the slightest bit. It was then that he realized that it was pointless trying to postpone the subject matter. Besides, it wasn’t like he was being discreet about it the entire time, not when it was almost peeking out from his robes.
He lets out a sigh and sticks out a hand inside his robes. Chung Myung takes out that box and sets it in front of them. The green robed man’s eyes drew towards it, brimming with a sense of curiosity.
It was definitely something that he doesn’t quite recognize.
“Oho? What’s this?”
He reached out a hand to take it. But before he could even touch it, his hand was slapped away by the other person just next to him.
“Take it later,” Chung Myung scolded, glaring slightly.
Tang Bo withdrew his hand, looking a bit wronged. “Later? Why not now?”
“Later.”
“Aigoo…you’re leaving me in suspense here!”
“Later.”
“Ei—Okay, Hyung-nim. Since you keep insisting, this Tang Bo will wait.”
It was only when that person moved his hand back, frowning slightly as he picked up his cup and moved to pour himself a drink, did Chung Myung relax as well and began to enjoy himself with the food that was brought along.
There was one good thing that he liked about hanging out with this brat from the Sega, and it was the fact that he always had unlimited money with him. Even when they first met and he had stolen his wallet as payment for the sudden spar he challenged him into, there was already so much money inside. There was no need for him to worry about using up his money that his sahyung was so reluctant to give him when he’s got someone else paying for everything anyway!
Click!
There was no need to say anything. Their hands just naturally moved at the same time, allowing their cups to meet each other in midair and letting out a sweet sound. In a swift gesture, they drank their first sip.
It was a rather calm hangout day for them. This time, it seems Tang Bo did not pour anything funny into their drinks to test its potency. The previous times he had done it, things had been a bit messy. He must be aiming for a normal day for the two of them, even if it was just this once. The conversation flowed naturally between the two of them. They talked about anything, everything that there was to talk about.
Even the silliest of things.
Naturally, Tang Bo did not pass up the chance to complain about his family.
“I'm telling you, Hyung-nim. Although you already came to beat some sense into them, some people just don't know how to understand.”
“Ah?” He looks over, cheeks a bit flushed from the alcohol. “Then, should I come again and whack their heads?”
“I don't think it does anything more at this point? Those old bastards are so difficult to talk to, it's like talking to a wall!”
“Mhm.”
“ And they're always using me as an excuse ah! ‘You’re the Dark Saint. Your existence is enough proof that our family is strong’—Aigoo! These yangbans live so comfortably they have no fear anymore!”
“Then, why not teach your brats?”
“Uh?”
Chung Myung yawned lazily, reaching out to get another round of drinks for himself. “Train the brats in your family? If you can't beat the old, hit the kids over the head and set them straight before—before they end up like those guys.”
The Tang Elder stared at him for a while as if he was realizing things for the first time in a while.
“...Yeah, Dosa Hyung-nim is right.”
“Pfft. Of course I am, brat.”
“ But that means I'd be doing something for those bastards…”
“Aiyaaah…what are you complaining about, ah? You have words to say for everything!”
“I'm not going to listen to those guys, Hyung-nim! They annoy me! If I do, they're never going to shut up anymore!”
“That's not my problem! Don't try to get me involved in it!”
“Hyung-nim! Your younger brother is having troubles, how can you turn your back on him, ah?”
“Tsk! If you're so worried, then just leave that family. Anyway, those Sega yangbans aren't good for anything.”
Tang Bo paused, looking a bit offended. “ I'm a Sega guy, though?”
“Isn't that why you're useless?”
“Ah! Dosa Hyung-nim, you're not gonna say that when I finally beat you in a spar.”
“Hm? Wanna test that out?”
“Haha…it was a joke! A joke!”
He hurriedly pours more alcohol into the half-empty cup, smiling nervously as he felt he just narrowly escaped another beating. Only when the other person accepted the drink did he lose his tension. Then, his face turns serious for a while.
“But it's not like I'd want to go even if I think about it.”
The sudden change in the atmosphere threw Chung Myung off-guard. He forgets about the urge to bonk the other person's head and mirrored the somber expression.
“Ah? Why not?”
“Would Hyung-nim have left Mount Hua if he was given the chance?”
“What kind of stupid question is that? Wanna get hit?”
“It was just so you can understand better! Let's talk calmly, calmly!”
“Tsk.”
Eyeing the Sword Saint for a while, Tang Bo sighs and continues, “It's just like that. The Tang Family gave a lot for me in the past when I was a kid. It wasn't the best , of course. But it was still…where I grew up.”
Chung Myung looked at him curiously.
“No, have you always been a sentimental person?”
“Uh? It must be the alcohol.”
“I don't think so.”
“Aigoo, Hyung-nim. Let me have this.”
“Hm.”
For Tang Bo, who didn't know much about the world in the past except for the Tang Family, who has spent half of his life being proud of being a member of that place, then it definitely wasn't easy imagining a life where he didn't grow up with them. It gave everything he needed. Martial arts, power, money…Even though everyone fears him, there was also still some respect there.
Most importantly, wasn't the fact that he was from the Tang Family, a place with all its ridiculous flaws and things that annoy him everyday, the reason why he was able to meet an amazing person as the Sword Saint himself one of the reasons why he cannot hate it too much?
The topic changed after a while. By the time they were done, the sun was already starting to sink.
At last, Chung Myung lets go of his cup. It was also by then that the food they brought with them already ran out. He stared at the empty containers for a bit, before his eyes moved back to the direction of the box that lay untouched in front of them.
It was as if Tang Bo, too, recognized that it was finally time for the thing he’s been curious about for a while now to finally have an answer. He followed the direction of where the swordsman was looking, and shifted in his seat in anticipation.
The older man reached out to take the item in his hands once more. There was the sound of something colliding inside, but it wasn’t anything that sounded familiar.
Chung Myung hesitates for a while, before saying, “Bo-yah.”
Tang Bo straightens up slightly, paying close attention.
“Yes, Hyung-nim.”
“I told you I’d give you back your ribbon, right?”
Green eyes slowly moved to the side just next to the other person’s ear. From where he was situated, he can catch a glimpse of the emerald green ribbon that he gifted the other person about a week back, because he accidentally lost the usual ribbon that he would tie his hair with. Thankfully, he wasn’t asked why he kept a spare one with him for… emergencies. But the very first thing he did was offer it and claimed that it was a gift.
Naturally, Chung Myung thought he should return it after he gets a replacement. If it belongs to that guy, then it simply wasn’t right to keep it as he wants to.
Except Tang Bo firmly insisted that there was no need to give it back, saying that it would have more use if it was with his Hyung-nim. When his sahyung asked about the sudden green colors that he started wearing, he ended up telling the story of how he got it, which led to the other person suggesting that he give something back in return as thank you instead.
Tang Bo gives a slow nod, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tries to figure out what this was about. It can’t have been the same ribbon, because he can see that Chung Myung was still using it. So what about this one?
“Here,” the swordsman says, throwing it to him without much care. Hey this guy…he boxed it so carefully but this is how he delivers it?
Well, to be fair, this was Chung Myung.Giving anything delicately to someone seems like something he would only do if he was forced by the sect leader to do so.
The Tang elder easily caught the box and held it up to have a better look at it. Just the initial impression of the item made it seem like whatever is inside must be precious, because the box wasn’t just any average box. If he squints at the small, engraved details on the sides of it, there would be a faint feeling of familiarity that he would soon recognize to be because it seems like something that the artisans of his family would do.
He looks back up at Chung Myung, a bit amused.
“Dosa Hyung-nim, did you get A-Pyung to help you with the box?”
Said person scoffed. “He was the one who insisted.”
“So he did help.”
He made a mental note to himself to give his grand nephew something when he returns to the manor. Huh? When did the Sword Saint even make contact with that brat, though? He was pretty sure that if Chung Myung were ever to visit Sichuan, he would be one of the first people to know about it.
Well, no matter. It wasn’t really the point.
The Mount Hua elder was already looking away from him, trying to pretend like he was uninterested in what was happening in front of him. Tang Bo stared at him for a while and smiled faintly.
“Thank you, Dosa Hyung-nim.”
He sees a roll of the eyes.
“It was just for the ribbon.”
“Alright. Since Hyung-nim insists so.”
He finally moves a hand to open it and unveil what was inside. There was something in there that he least expected.
Firstly, there’s two items inside the box. The first one was a pink hairpin, a color similar to the one that Mount Hua would always use. There were small carved motifs that ran on the thicker end, looking similar to plum blossoms. However, it wouldn’t be noticeable unless one had a close view of the hairpin itself. He tilts his head and feels something warm in his chest at the sight of it.
The other one was also another hairpin, but was different from the first one. It looks rather expensive, like something that he probably wouldn’t use much unless he had to attend formal occasions. Whenever it is angled right, the light hits it wonderfully and allows a bright golden shimmer to glint back at him. The design at one end was a painted flower…a camellia, maybe? But what makes it different from the first one was that it seems like there are two pins that are connected with the flower.
Tang Bo blinked at it in confusion.
“Dosa Hyung-nim, did you get these by yourself?”
“Ah? Is this brat complaining?”
“No, I’m just a little curious.”
Chung Myung turned his head in his direction, looking a little suspicious of the question. Still, since he doesn’t really think there’s anything wrong with answering, he says, “I asked some of my samaes to help me.”
“Your samaes?”
“Yes. Why?”
Tang Bo saw them before. There’s not many women who stayed in Mount Hua as elders because the majority of them would come down the mountain either to marry off with someone, or to build a subsidiary sect where they can share some of the main branch’s teachings. So those that were left unfortunately ended up developing a personality that was fitting to deal with Chung Myung.
They were always looking at them from a distance whenever he visited the sect. It was as if they were always talking about something that the two involved men absolutely cannot hear about.
He smiles and decides to let the matter go. At first, he wondered why on earth would Chung Myung, of all people, knowingly give him this type of hairpin. He was already starting to wonder if he got it simply because it looked expensive, and if he was unaware of some implications that people would give this specific type of hair accessory. But hearing that there was an external force that…”helped” him with making a choice, he supposed the mystery was as good as solved.
“But I only gave one gift. How come Hyung-nim decides to give me two?”
Chung Myung looks at him as if he was asking questions to something that should already be obvious. He would wear that expression sometimes, so he actually wasn’t too bothered about it by now.
“When I asked my samaes, they picked that fancy hairpin.”
He points to the camellia hairpin with a frown on his face.
“But it looks too fancy. You probably won’t be able to wear it whenever, and those people will feel insulted if I just waved off their suggestion. So I bought another one instead and decided to give two.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
Tang Bo smiled to himself.
Yah, you malko bastard! You can’t just give these kinds of things and not care for the message behind them!
Still, there was definitely no way he was going to say he disliked it. In fact, just seeing Chung Myung wearing something with the color of the Tang Family made him feel a little giddy. Receiving something that was associated with the color of Mount Hua definitely made him feel twice as happy as he already was.
Chung Myung rests his arm behind him to support his figure as he leans back.
“So, why did you take us here?”
“Oh, that.”
Tang Bo looks around again. The sun has almost completely gone down during the long time he spent opening the gift. From the distance, he still hears the gushing of the waterfall not too far away from them.
It should be about time…
Aha.
There was a fleck of white that slowly drifted down in front of Chung Myung’s vision.
It was so quiet and small that if anyone hadn’t been paying attention to it, it would’ve gone unnoticed. Except it landed neatly just by the tip of his nose, and a cold sensation slowly spread from the contact point, before it was quickly chased away by the qi that was keeping his body warm the entire time.
Oh.
The first one was followed by another. And another. And another. And another.
It didn’t take long before a hundred—No, possibly more than that, of snowflakes fell as far as their eyes could see. Tang Bo closes the box and hides it inside his sleeves for a while, then turns around to look at the swordsman who watches everything with a blank face. He noticed the mild look of interest in his eyes as he glanced around the area.
At last, he was looking at the surroundings.
It was the last view he can have of the fall before everything is engulfed by the snow.
The Tang elder spreads his arms out and smiles in delight.
“It’s the first snow of the year, Hyung-nim.”
Slowly, the plum blossom eyes moved away from the view, to fix to the other person that was standing in the snowfall in front of him. In truth, the entire thing doesn’t really hold much significance to him. He’s witnessed the first snows multiple times in Mount Hua in the past, either staring out from the window inside his sabu-nim’s house, or with his sahyung and Chung Jin.
(Because of his personality, there’s very few disciples that asked him to come with them and play around in the snow. It was typically his sahyung who would take a break from his duties to build snowmen with him when he was a kid.
Eventually, he became too old to bother getting excited about these things.)
“There’s nothing new about it, though?” He frowns, genuinely not understanding what the big deal about it was.
And since he was so serious about this, Tang Bo’s arms lowered slightly and a snort of amusement left his mouth.
“Well, that’s right as well.”
Tang Bo, too, barely had any time to be excited about the first snow. He was too busy with training when he was young, and when he had grown up, he was already developing the unsavory attitude that made everyone stay away from him.
In fact, he wouldn’t have entertained this idea if it wasn’t for Tang Jopyung excitedly chattering to him about how he can’t wait to play around in the snow.
He adopts a pitiful look. “Still, shouldn’t we see this together at least once in our life? If it’s happening anyway, then we might as well make it look a little more special, right?”
Chung Myung looked at him for a long time at first, but made no move to hit him.
“Bo-yah.”
“Yes?”
“Quit thinking useless things.”
The other person laughed in response, as if he found something worth smiling about in the response. He ended up packing up the things that they used during the time they spent waiting for the snow so they could leave without leaving a mess behind.
Still, Chung Myung didn’t tell him it was a complete waste of time.
He thinks he ends up triumphant either way.