Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1269. Worry about those Myriad Man Manor bastards! (4)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
“Uwaaahhh!”
“Aaaahhh!”
A section of the battlefield had completely collapsed.
Of course, compared to the massive army blanketing the shoreline, the portion Chung Myung had dismantled was but a small fracture, seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme.
But anyone observing the situation with a clear mind could not deny the ripple effect of that small crack.
The shockwave spreading from Chung Myung expanded like concentric circles on a quiet lake. The army that was rushing forward as if it would chew the flesh of its opponent and suck its blood faltered for a moment then gradually began losing momentum.
"M- Move! You bastards!"
“Move! Move! Aaaah!”
This was no longer a battle between Myriad Man Manor and a single man. Those who had succumbed to complete terror—betraying the grand name of Myriad Man Manor—had lost their nerve entirely, turning their backs to flee.
Having completely lost their reason, they swung their blades indiscriminately at comrades who stood in their way.
"Th- These bastards gone mad!"
“What’s wrong with you!”
“Aaaahhh!”
The ones struck down by their own comrades’ weapons were first confused, then enraged. But soon, they too froze in utter bewilderment.
'What in the world is happening?'
One Myriad Man Manor martial artist, frozen in place, looked around in confusion.
Chaos on the battlefield was not uncommon.
The fear of death often drove some people to flee. After all, how could anyone be accustomed to killing from the start?
But the problem was that these men now losing their minds and swinging weapons at their own comrades in their desperate attempt to flee were all Myriad Man Manor’s battle-hardened veterans.
They’re not fresh greenhorns who have just entered the battlefield. These were battlefield demons who had already fought countless enemies and dyed numerous sects in blood.
How could such men flee from an enemy as if seeing blood for the first time today? And in such a frenzy at that?
"C- Calm down!"
"Move! Move! Get out of the way! Aaaaah!”
The terrified martial artists shoved and crushed their way forward, desperate to escape. It was as if they would gladly cleave through head and sword if they didn’t step aside immediately.
"These crazy..."
That was the exact moment.
Paaaaang!
A splitting sound that seemed to tear the air itself pierced his eardrums. At the same time, a red line appeared on the chest of Myriad Man Manor martial artist who had been desperately trying to flee.
“What…”
At first, the line was as fine as if it had been drawn with a delicate brush, but it gradually grew thicker and soon the upper body slid down along the diagonal line as if sliding off.
The body, split in half yet not fully accepting death, remained standing.
Chwaaaaaak!
Bright red blood spurted from the severed surface.
The one who had been blocking the path of the corpse until just a moment ago saw a black shadow charging through that violently spurting blood.
Hair dyed red with the splatter flew wildly through the air. What stood out amidst the chaos was the glimpse of laughing lips and gleaming white teeth behind the long, blood-soaked hair.
“Uwaaahhhh!”
He finally understood why those in front had tried to flee like madmen. The death god, whom he couldn't see due to his blocked view, sadly didn't even give him the chance to escape.
Paaaaaang!
With another explosive sound tearing through the air, his head left his shoulders and shot up into the sky.
In that extremely brief moment before the severed head reached the absolute conclusion of ‘death’. He saw it clearly.
Chung Myung leaped forward like a panther on the hunt, crushing his headless body underfoot as he sprang toward his next prey.
‘If only…’
The world turned black.
Whatever thought he had been trying to hold onto in his final moment would now remain forever unknown.
Ho Gamyeong observed the battlefield with cold eyes.
One man—just one—was laying absolute waste to Myriad Man Manor martial artists he had painstakingly trained.
Yet Ho Gamyeong, who had been observing the situation without any notable change in expression, suddenly looked down at his own hand.
He slowly unclenched the fist that had somehow become tight. He had gripped so hard that as blood returned to his pale hand, it felt as if ants were gnawing at it.
"Huu."
He let out a short breath and shook his head slowly.
One could pretend to be unfazed, but at this point, that would rather be unseemly excessive pretense. Ho Gamyeong acknowledged it plainly: he was deeply shaken.
"...What a disgraceful sight."
He was shaken because he knew and understood why this situation had come about.
Overwhelming force crushes morale in the initial clash. Then slaughter the enemy as violently and cruelly as possible so that the enemies would clearly understand what fate awaits those who dare to resist.
Humans were ultimately creatures ruled by what they see. No matter how rationally they try to analyze the situation, their instincts will react first to the fear staring them in the face.
Ultimate victory?
What meaning does ultimate victory hold for a warrior on the verge of being hacked to pieces? Would the glory of Myriad Man Manor matter even a speck to those facing that sword?
When one person turns to flee, fear spreads like wildfire. And when that fear takes hold, it cascades throughout the entire army and ultimately destroying their will and morale to fight back.
Ho Gamyeong knew this method very well. The reason was simple. This was none other than the method Myriad Man Manor had frequently employed.
The fear that the name Jang Ilso brings, and the perception of bloodthirsty killers willing to march straight into hellfire if it was Jang Ilso's order. It was none other than Ho Gamyeong and Jang Ilso who had meticulously cultivated that image. Only then would enemies be terrified of them.
Show overwhelming strength in the initial battle based on fear, then break the enemy's morale. They had achieved several victories that way that had seemed impossible.
At this moment, Ho Gamyeong fully understood what it meant to be on the receiving end of the same tactics he had wielded countless times.
No, this was even worse. Doesn't this demonstrate how to trample an entire army in an even more extreme and cruel manner?
"...Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword."
That man was certainly not normal.
Jang Ilso had once admitted he didn’t know how to assess Hyun Jong, calling him a lunatic, but Ho Gamyeong thought differently. In Ho Gamyeong’s view, Hyun Jong was nothing more and nothing less than a fool (우인(愚人)) engulfed in the pretense of righteousness.
What he truly could not comprehend was Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung.
‘What are you even thinking?’
His strength wasn’t surprising. If Ho Gamyeong were surprised by Chung Myung's strength at this point, he would be nothing but an idiot unworthy of calling himself Myriad Man Manor's strategic advisor.
What he truly couldn't understand was the behavior of this madman who threw himself alone against an army.
Were there no martial artists stronger than Chung Myung in the world?
No way.
They existed. They must exist. He was sure that even his master Jang Ilso was stronger than this Mount Hua madman. Within Righteous Sects, a sect leader or one of the reclusive masters of a previous generation might very well surpass Chung Myung in sheer power.
And none of those strong people would commit such reckless acts as Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.
It wasn’t because they feared death. It was because they understood the immense cost their death would entail should such reckless behavior result in their demise.
But this lunatic charged forward as if his own life didn’t matter, wielding his sword recklessly, trampling enemies at the forefront of the battle.
It was stupid, pathetic, and a bug-like behavior. That's how it appeared to Ho Gamyeong's common sense.
“Uwaaahhh!”
“Run awaaaaay!”
“Aaaaaah!”
Yet that incomparably stupid behavior had so thoroughly shattered the military discipline that Ho Gamyeong had painstakingly engraved into their bodies.
Ho Gamyeong lowered his head again. The fist he had managed to unclench earlier was now tightly balled once more. Looking down, he saw that his broken nails had dug into his flesh while blood dripped down.
'Gamyeong-ah.'
He had to acknowledge it. He already knew it, but he had to acknowledge it more than just know. That man wasn’t someone who can be judged by his common sense.
"That's a lot of damage."
Just as he was barely calming down his seething insides, the mocking voice of the Blood Sword Platoon Go Yang reached Ho Gamyeong's ear.
“Those men can’t catch him.”
"..."
"That's not a fight between men. It's a fight between beasts. Of course, even jackals can catch a tiger when they swarm in packs, but..."
A sinister smile spread across Go Yang's lips.
“That’s when the jackals have time to spare. Once the ones at the front start getting their throats torn out and spraying blood from their first step, all that remains is one-sided slaughter."
Momentum was especially important on the battlefield, and the man of Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword clearly knows this fact through instinct and senses.
"Is that so? Since the battle is already lost, shall we just watch?"
"Why? Do you actually care about the lives of those dying out there? The world-renowned Ho Gamyeong?"
Ho Gamyeong stared Go Yang with cold eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that, Advisor.”
Go Yang laughed grimly. He laughed out loud, but his eyes were cold and watched Chung Myung's movements without missing a single moment.
"Beasts cannot catch a tiger. Hunters catch tigers. Do you know what's most important in catching a great tiger?"
"...Not being detected."
"No, being detected."
Ho Gamyeong's eyes narrowed in doubt for a moment. However, Go Yang seemed to have expected this and continued explaining.
“You can catch an ordinary tiger by surprise, as you said. But a true great tiger can't be caught that way. What's important is draining its strength. You make your presence known by letting your scent drift at a distance where attack is impossible. You make it worry about your presence for days or even months until it gets tired.”
"..."
"A life of that caliber?"
Go Yang laughed eerily.
“If those sloppy guys who just make the numbers can take away Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword’s stamina, wouldn’t that be a glorious death? It makes me want to applaud."
“You bastard.”
“Aah… However."
A murderous gleam rose in Go Yang's eyes.
“He will die. The more he rampages, the more certain he will."
Feeling Go Yang's creeping killing intent, Ho Gamyeong quietly nodded.
'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.'
His eyes were exactly on Chung Myung who was swinging his sword in the midst of the blood storm.
'You must die.'
Even if he lost everyone here, it wouldn't be a losing exchange if Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword would just die.
'You must….'
I slowly unclenched my clenched fist.
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