Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1271. A tiger trapped in a cage of poison (1)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
The sword fragments swept through all directions with terrifying force.
For a being of flesh and blood, survival seemed impossible.
But at that moment, Chung Myung pulled his sword close and began spinning fiercely. Simultaneously, red petal-like sword energy poured out like a waterfall from his sword tip and enveloped his body.
Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique (이십사수매화검법(二十四手梅花劍法)). Plum Blossom Ardous Wall (매화난벽(梅花難壁))!
A style so aggressively offensive that it was often likened to an Evil Sects technique rather than one from Righteous Sects. Of its twenty-four forms, only Plum Blossom Ardous Wall was strongly defensive, creating a radiant wall of blossoming plum petals.
Kagagagagagagak!
The shards of the exploding swords crashed into the impenetrable wall of plum blossom sword energy and were deflected away.
“Haaap!”
For once, Chung Myung let out a shout. The plum blossom sword energy circling his body burst outward in all directions.
Puuk!
The plum blossom sword energy pierced through the martial artists of Myriad Man Manor whose hands were already shredded by the exploded sword fragments.
Yet, despite their bodies being riddled with holes, the martial artists of Myriad Man Manor who attacked Chung Myung didn’t let out so much as a groan. Just witnessing this sight was enough to make one realize these opponents were entirely unlike any Cheongmyeong had faced before.
And their next actions made even Chung Myung's expression harden.
Paat!
Far from retreating, the martial artists of Myriad Man Manor charged forward.
Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk!
A reckless charge.
Chung Myung’s razor-sharp sword energy punished their charge mercilessly, but they didn’t even blink. They simply raised their hands to shield their heads and necks and accelerating ever faster.
As if being pierced dozens of times by mere sword energy didn't matter as long as they protected their heads and didn’t face instant death.
“Haaaaaah!”
For the first time, a roar burst from their mouths. In an instant, they closed the distance to Chung Myung and spread their arms to embrace him.
A reckless charge so mad that leaves anyone momentarily stunned.
But unfortunately, Chung Myung wasn't just ‘anyone’.
Chung Myung leaned slightly back and swung his sword horizontally in one swift motion. If they abandoned defense to charge recklessly, he would simply exploit that. His sword strike abandoned precision for unmatched speed and power.
Paaaaat!
The bodies of the charging martial artists were split in two from the chest down.
However, it was impossible to deal with all the approaching enemies in a single strike. The remaining warriors rushed at Chung Myung without losing any momentum. In their hands were black small daggers (소도(小刀)) they had drawn at some point.
A moment of extreme crisis.
But at that moment, Chung Myung's eyes grew even colder.
Paaaaat!
His sword unleashed crescent-shaped waves of red sword energy in all directions. The red crescent-shaped sword energy instantly tore apart the enemies.
Even then, the surviving martial artists didn’t falter. One who reached point-blank range viciously swung a poison dagger.
Despite their comrades falling and their own lives hanging by a thread, there wasn't a shred of emotion in the Myriad Man Manor martial artist's eyes as they swung the poison dagger.
Something closer to lifeless than cold.
Chung Myung gritted his teeth and swung his sword again. The hand holding the poisoned dagger was severed at the wrist and shot into the air.
At that moment, Chung Myung's eyes gleamed sharply.
‘Poison?’
The blood gushing from the severed wrist had a strange black tinge. This was a typical symptom of someone poisoned.
If that blood splattered on him, there was a high chance Chung Myung would be poisoned. With time, he could burn away mere poison with Samadhi Dvesha Fire (삼매진화(三昧瞋火)), but there was no such luxury in the midst of fierce battle.
‘Well, as long as I don’t get inflicted, it’s fine.’
Paaaat!
Chung Myung’s sword flashed through the air, piercing straight into the heart of the charging enemy.
Puuk!
His cherished blade, the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword, sliced through the trained muscles of the martial artist like paper and drove three inches deep into his heart.
"Keugh..."
But then, the martial artist raised his hand and gripped the blade stuck in his chest. It was an act closer to instinct than intention. Chung Myung looked at the sight with indifferent eyes devoid of sympathy. The moment Chung Myung tried to yank the sword and cut off all the fingers holding the sword.
Bulruk! Bulruk!
The dying martial artist’s stomach suddenly swelled unnaturally. As Chung Myung got the gut feeling that something happening and tried to kick off the ground, the enemy's stomach burst open a step faster, engulfing Chung Myung in a terrifying explosion.
Kwaaaaang!
The unexpected explosion sent up a massive cloud of dust over the shoreline.
"...What was that?"
Even the renowned Ho Gamyeong seemed bewildered by this situation. He turned his head to look at Blood Sword Platoon daeju Go Yang. The ones attacking Chung Myung were none other than Blood Sword Platoon members. Only Go Yang would know what they were doing.
“You look like quite the sight."
Go Yang spoke mockingly. He clearly enjoyed the sight of the long wound stretching across Ho Gamyeong’s face.
"What did you do? Did you obtain the Golden Dragon Hidden Weapon from Tang Family?"
“Golden Dragon Hidden Weapon?”
Hearing this, Gwae Yang let out a faint sneer.
“Why would I need something so complicated? The result is what matters, isn’t it?”
“....”
“It’s nothing too intricate. Just cut open their bellies and packed in some Thunderbolt we got from Thunderbolt Sect. Added some poison-coated needles around them for good measure."
“...You put Thunderbolt into human bodies? And on top of that, lined them with poisoned needles?”
"That's right."
Hogamyeong stared at Go Yang, momentarily at a loss for words.
Though Ho Gamyeong himself was a member of Evil Sects and believed that the ends justified the means, he was stunned. However, this crossed even his already loose sense of boundaries.
"Can they even survive that?"
“Don’t speak nonsense, Advisor. They would die even without the thunderbolt detonating. If the poison was so weak that someone could survive carrying it in their belly, I wouldn’t bothered using it in the first place."
“....”
“There’s no way to even scratch a monster like that using normal means. If their lives can inflict even a single wound on a figure of that caliber, then it’s a glorious death. Don’t you agree?"
Ho Gamyeong turned his head away without answering.
'How vicious.'
It was revolting to the point of nausea, but there was no denying its efficiency.
And even if it weren’t, Ho Gamyeong had no right to speak.
The platoon of Myriad Man Manor operated as independent entities. While orders could be issued to the platoons, how each daeju trained their subordinates and utilized them was entirely within their authority.
"...Did they get him?"
“No way.”
Go Yang answered indifferently.
“I told you. A monster. With your meager martial arts they might all look similar, but he's on a different level."
“....”
"At best, maybe a scratch or two. No, perhaps barely even a scratch."
Go Yang stared at the settling dust cloud with detached eyes.
“But that’s enough. Those minor wounds will accumulate and eventually grow into crippling injuries. All we need to do is tighten the noose slowly until then."
Ho Gamyeong’s eyes also shifted toward the dissipating dust. Soon the dust cleared and the figure of a person was revealed.
Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung.
Although he didn't appear to suffer significant damage, Ho Gamyeong saw clearly. The small holes punctured his clothing. The darker stains around those holes, soaked through with blood.
Chung Myung glanced down at his body.
Blood seeped from the small punctures on his body. Thankfully, the needles hadn’t pierced all the way through to his back, sparing him from a more disastrous injury. But whether that could truly be considered fortunate was debatable.
After all, it also meant those poisoned needles remained embedded in his body.
"Ptui!"
He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth. The blood rising up his throat was tinged with a dark hue. The poison had already spread.
"...Not bad?"
It was unimaginable.
Chung Myung experienced countless battles. Most of these battles, he suffered the most from Magyo cultists. Those incomparably zealous fanatics.
But even those cultists never attacked in this manner.
If they were beasts steeped in fanaticism, these were like hunters stripped of emotion.
“This is...”
Chung Myung twisted his lips. His teeth, soaked in crimson blood, showed eerily.
"This is what Myriad Man Manor should be."
The one leading them was Jang Ilso. That man would never train his subordinates to be ordinary.
Chung Myung turned his body. That was enough sentimentality. Any more delay would be truly dangerous.
Paaaat!
His body became a streak of black as he darted toward the shore. Before he knew it, the group that had been occupying the shore had already bypassed Chung Myung and stood in front of him as if they had been waiting.
They wore red clothes and carried swords.
They were different from Myriad Man Manor he had faced until now. Sensing this, Chung Myung lowered his stance further. As he braced for combat, the red-robed martial artists dashed forward and swung their swords at incredible speed.
Their strikes were lightning-fast, as if they had poured everything into their speed. Instead of ignoring it, Chung Myung calmly met their swords.
Chaeng!
The moment the swords clashed, the sword of the Blood Sword Platoon member that had hit the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword flexibly bent and wrapped around Chung Myung’s sword like serpent.
'Soft sword?'
No, not that!
No matter how much internal strength they had imbued, a mere soft sword couldn't handle Chung Myung's Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword.
At that instant, the sword wrapped around Chung Myung's sword twisted like a snake revealing its fangs and reached towards Chung Myung's face. It was as if the bones of a snake had been stripped of their flesh and were broken into pieces.
Chung Myung opened his eyes wide.
'Snake Sword!' (복검(蛇腹劍))
A sword made to extend by connecting blade segments with wire through their centers!
A weapon so rare one might not encounter it even crossing Kangho countless times was now targeting Chung Myung's face.
Chung Myung pulled his sword. But the snake sword wrapped around his Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword desperately held on and refused to let go. Grasping, pulling, and thrusting motions occurred simultaneously.
Such bizarre manipulation was only possible because it was a deformed weapon.
Hwaaaaah!
At that moment, Chung Myung's left hand blurred and seemed to scatter into the air.
A strange expression, but accurate. His hand seemed to blur, creating countless hand phantoms between the sword and his face. Like plum blossoms scattering their petals.
Plum Blossom Scattering Palm! (매화산수(梅花散手))
Kagagagang!
The phantom handprints deflected the incoming blade. The Snake Belly Sword’s odd construction made it difficult to channel substantial force, and it failed to penetrate the Plum Blossom Scattering Palm’s defense.
But the problem was that there wasn't just one such sword.
Chwaaaak!
More Snake Belly Sword coiling tightly around Chung Myung's Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword.
Soon, the tightly pulled wires firmly secured Chung Myung's Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword. As if declaring they would never let go!
Meanwhile, the other Blood Sword Platoon kicked the ground and thrust their swords. Their stretched swords each twisted grotesquely and bent, then rushed at Chung Myung from all directions like dozens of vipers lunging at a large deer.
Consider supporting me by subscribing on Patreon for 5$. The Patreon membership for Mount Hua and Infinite Mage is the same. The benefit:
Advance chapters of Mount Hua : 76
Advance chapters of Magic Realm Convenience Store Worker : 10 Chapters
|Note
Comments Box