"It is almost sunset."
The Sect Leader's expression carried a chaotic mix of emotions as he looked at the setting sun.
"You must have realized the nature of the Sunset Sect from the history you heard, haven't you?"
"Yes, Master."
Unlike the Sect Leader, who was immersed in his emotions after narrating a summary of the long history of the Sunset Sect,
I was dying of boredom and back pain from sitting for a long time on an uneven stone.
Even so, I had to put on a serious expression and go along with the Sect Leader to the end.
"The various sect leaders emphasized compassion and non-attachment to material things. If giving up some land prevents conflicts that could lead to the loss of many lives, then it is worth it. And if a new land cannot be controlled except by sacrificing many lives, then it is not worth having."
While I was absorbed in explaining my point of view about the sect's history, I did not notice the distortion of the Sect Leader's face with every word I spoke.
"You want to show how the weakness and mercy of the various sect leaders caused the sect's collapse over time, as their excessive leniency toward their enemies made them bolder—"
"That's enough!"
Shocked by the angry shout of the Sect Leader, I finally noticed his face turning red like a tomato from sheer rage.
"Does everyone on that damned island possess the temperament of the demonic path?"
In the face of the Sect Leader's outburst, I could only feel absurdity rather than fear.
"Where did I go wrong?"
Nevertheless, I was not foolish enough to argue with the Sect Leader, leaving him to vent his anger through shouting.
Preoccupied with thinking about the reason for the Sect Leader's anger at my words, I did not notice that the light of sunset had begun to gather abnormally on the island.
Whoosh—
Without me noticing, strange flowers of light began to bloom everywhere on the desolate island, transforming what had been a barren rocky island into a magical flower garden.
"This… this!"
Forgetting about the Sect Leader, I was immersed in the magical scene before me.
Flowers woven from the red-orange, crimson-tinged light of sunset.
"When the sect was founded, the founder did not covet ruling the human race or obtaining more land and benefits, nor did he even wish to spread his teachings."
"And when the founder was asked about the reason, he said the following words:"
"Human life is like a sunset—extremely short, yet extremely beautiful. Unfortunately, few are willing to sit down and contemplate the beauty of the sunset."
"The Sunset Sect was founded to provide a place for different humans to live safely and in the way they love. You do not have to sacrifice your life for the glory of the sect, nor go on deadly missions for cultivation resources. You do not have to live in constant fear that the sect will abandon you if you fail to advance in cultivation."
As he spoke, Mo Chong plucked one of the flowers woven from sunset light and began to toy with it in his hands.
"Of course, there are obligations and laws that everyone in the sect must follow. In the end, we are not animals, so we do not seek absolute freedom. A bit of freedom, the ability to accept each other's differences, helping one another, and advising others with respect if you see that they have erred…"
As he said this, a faint smile appeared on Mo Chong's face.
"This reminds me of the past, when the sect still existed. We had a place called the Discussion Hall. It is said that the founder himself built the first discussion hall in the history of the sect—a place where everyone in the sect could gather regardless of rank. There were even times when great elders would appear to discuss and present their ideas, whether about cultivation or about life."
"Hehehe, it certainly wasn't as peaceful a place as you imagine."
As if recalling something amusing, Mo Chong let out a mocking laugh.
"In the end, humans are known for their inability to accept differences, so you can imagine how many fights took place there, especially with the rule that anyone who enters the Discussion Hall must suppress their cultivation. Hahahaha! There was even a time when a disagreement between the sect leader of my generation and a new disciple escalated to the point of a physical fight between them. Hahahahahaha!"
Mo Chong burst into laughter, as if he were telling the funniest joke in the world.
"A great sect leader fighting bare-handed with an outer disciple! Where could you see such a ridiculous scene anywhere other than the Sunset Sect? Hahahaha!"
"…"
I could only remain silent as I watched a middle-aged man, with a beard reaching his chest, laughing like a small child while telling me about a sect completely different from what I had imagined.
"A great sect? More like a chat group or a social club."
The Sunset Sect I had just heard about did not resemble my image of a great cultivation sect in any way.
"Do you know what these flowers are called?"
Hearing Mo Chong's question, I blurted out the first name that came to mind upon seeing the flowers woven from sunset light.
"Sunset Rose?"
Mo Chong smiled in response to my answer as he stood and wandered through the garden of sunset roses.
"Yes, that is their name. The most useless flowers in existence. They can never be used in preparing medicines or pills, and they are almost useless even as ornamental flowers, as they bloom at sunset and dissipate with the night, scattering their seeds that will bloom at the next sunset."
"For this reason, there are not many people who care to cultivate them."
A faint trace of regret crept into the end of Mo Chong's words.
"Do you know why I brought you here?"
I snapped out of my daze upon hearing Mo Chong's question, feeling a bit of anticipation.
"No, Master. Could you enlighten me?"
Mo Chong smiled amid the garden of sunset roses, which had begun to dissipate with the end of sunset, turning into a stream of tiny orange-crimson points of light.
"There is no specific reason. I simply wanted to show this scene to my new disciple."
"…"
Unable to express myself because of this answer, I stood there dumbfounded like a fool.