Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1292. It's a sight you’ll sick of seeing (2)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Pudeudeueduk!
Dozens of messenger birds flew in without rest. Those guarding Ho Gamyeong swiftly caught each incoming bird one by one, untying the messages attached to its legs.
“Chwiho Sect has been breached!”
"Gongryeong Sect has also been broken through!"
“The defensive line is crumbling, Advisor-nim!”
“Hm.”
To say the speed of their breakthrough was unstoppable would be an understatement.
"The situation's looking rather unfavorable."
Go Yang looked at Ho Gamyeong with a grin.
"Isn’t their speed at least twice as fast as what you predicted earlier? Even the great strategist can miscalculate sometimes, it seems."
“There’s nothing particularly strange.”
But Ho Gamyeong replied without the slightest change in expression.
“The opponent isn’t someone my predictions can account for."
"Hmph."
A flicker of interest passed through Go Yang's eyes. Usually, strategists despise when their predictions go awry. Yet Ho Gamyeong showed not even the slightest sign of discomfort. The man was fascinating in more ways than one.
Ho Gamyeong said calmly.
“And it’s not necessarily bad news.”
“Huh? Why?”
“If Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword was breaking through alone, that would be one thing, but this speed makes no sense when it's not just him. From my observations of Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword thus far... the man definitely overexert himself."
"That doesn’t add up. Wasn’t it you who said Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword's capabilities shouldn’t be measured?"
“Of course. You cannot measure his capabilities. But he’s not the only one over there, is he?"
“…Hmm.”
"Even putting aside Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword's abilities, the strength of Hainan Sect is clear and finite. There's no way they could maintain this pace."
Ho Gamyeong's mind was spinning rapidly.
He wasn't disparaging Hainan Sect's strength. The title of Ten Great Sects wasn’t something won at a gambling table. Even if they were considered the lowest among Ten Great Sects, they still had sufficient power to claim dominance in their region. That's what being among Ten Great Sects meant.
But even that powerful strength needed to be interpreted differently depending on the situation.
If Hainan Sect had been defending their base while resisting an incoming enemy, they could have demonstrated at least seventy percent of their strength even considering their lack of real combat experience.
But not now.
At this pace, simply maintaining lightness martial arts would rapidly deplete their stamina. Fending off the incoming blades on top of all that was an impossible task for most martial artists regardless of skill.
'Breaking through the encirclement? To the naive eye, it might seem that way.'
Looking at the situation objectively, they're currently fleeing from Ho Gamyeong's group pursuing them. Historically, the greatest casualties in warfare occur during a retreat under pursuit. This is a fundamental principle of warfare.
No matter how well-trained an elite force may be, they cannot display even half their strength when being chased by an enemy. Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword would surely know this, which meant this was a calculated decision with a certain level of sacrifice in mind.
This was exactly what troubled Ho Gamyeong.
“What are you thinking, Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword?”
Though they advanced with unstoppable momentum, this encirclement was only a fragment of the larger net. The area they needed to break through wasn’t just Guangdong, but the vast expanse of Gangnam.
It can't be right to waste your energy like this from the start. The faster you go, the more intense the fight becomes and the more obvious their positions will be. What's the point of going a few steps faster while exposing your own position?
Ho Gamyeong's eyes darkened as he sank into thought.
If it had been anyone else employing such tactics, Ho Gamyeong would have merely laughed and leisurely worn them down before devouring them.
But over there stood none other than Chung Myung and Im Sobyeong.
Chung Myung was someone whose thoughts he couldn’t even begin to guess, and Im Sobyeong—even if underestimated—was a strategist who lacked nothing compared to him. How could a group including these two make such an obvious tactic?
“Ihyeong Sect also broken through!”
“Ihyeong Sect….”
Ho Gamyeong's eyes widened slightly at the word.
“Say it again.”
“I- Ihyeong Sect….”
“Before that!”
"Yes?"
"The sects that were breached recently in order!"
The adjutant nodded hurriedly and said.
“Chwiho Gate, Gongryeong Faction, and Lee Hyeong Gate, in that order.”
In that instant, a map of the southern Jungwon formed in Ho Gamyeong's mind. The positions of the factions he had arranged overlapped upon it.
“East?”
Ho Gamyeong's face stiffened.
It was certain. Their route was heading northeast, not north where the Yangtze River lay.
'Why?'
For them, Gangnam was an enemy territory that needed to be escaped as quickly as possible. So why were they moving northeast instead of north?
As time passed, the encirclement would only grow more solid, and more people would target them. Soon, not just Guangdong’s small-sized sects but Hao Sect and Evil Tyrant Alliance would also join the hunt.
‘It’s irrational.’
Ho Gamyeong continued his thoughts with his eyes half-open.
While detouring due to strengthening enemy encirclement wouldn't be strange, in truth they could break through any encirclement now if they want to. So what reason could there be to deliberately move in such a roundabout direction?
'What's in the northeast?'
If you go in a straight path….
'Anhui?'
Were they heading to Zhejiang where Namgung Family was located?
No, that would be reckless. If they reached Zhejiang, they might gain support from sects allied with Namgung Family, but in that case, heading towards Heavenly Comrade Alliance’s headquarters would make more sense…
At that moment, Ho Gamyeong's body flinched greatly.
"It couldn't be..."
Go Yang’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
“What is it?”
"No."
Ho Gamyeong bit his lips tightly.
"We need to increase our speed."
“Why?”
Go Yang shot him a questioning look as if finding it difficult to understand.
“We’re already driving them to exhaustion by throwing useless trash at them. Isn't this a situation where we can gain an advantage just by tracking them leisurely?"
Go Yang was well aware that none of their forces could stop Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. But failing to stop him didn’t render them meaningless.
Even if they couldn’t completely exhaust their internal strength, they could still force them to consume some of it and dull their swords in the process.
All they needed to do was simply gradually pressure Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword and Heavenly Comrade Alliance martial artists, herding them while ensuring they couldn’t refill their depleted reserves.
That alone would guarantee inevitable victory. So why would they attack before their prey was sufficiently exhausted?
“Surely you’re not suddenly feeling pity for those bugs you’ve thrown into the jaws of death, oh infamous Malice Rakshasa?”
"The situation has changed. No... it could change."
"...Care to explain?"
"You wouldn’t understand even if I did."
Go Yang glared at him with irritation. But Ho Gamyeong didn’t elaborate further. In truth, it wasn’t that he wouldn’t explain but he couldn’t.
Because even he felt baffled by the thought that had flashed through his mind.
“First of all, increase our speed.”
“As you wish, Advisor-nim.”
Go Yang snorted with a displeased face. Ho Gamyeong completely ignored him and swiftly issued orders. No sooner had the orders fallen than Myriad Man Manor martial artists spurred forward.
'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.'
Ho Gamyeong bit his lips. His thoughts twisted and tangled into chaotic knots.
'What on earth are you thinking?'
* * *
“Chung Myung-ah!”
“….”
“Chung Myung-ah!”
Only after being called repeatedly did Cheongmyeong turn with a chillingly cold gaze. Anyone else might have flinched at that glare, but Baek Cheon didn’t waver in the slightest as he called out once more.
“We need to stop and rest here!”
"No."
"This isn't about possible or impossible! People are starting to fall behind! At this rate, we won’t even make it halfway to our destination!”
Chung Myung silently stared at Baek Cheon.
But Baek Cheon didn’t back down an inch. He stood his ground, meeting Chung Myung’s piercing gaze without wavering.
After a brief but tense standoff, it was Chung Myung who yielded first.
"Fine."
As soon as Chung Myung's words were out, Baek Cheon raised his hand high into the air.
“Everyone, stop! Regroup and recover!”
At his command, Hainan Sect disciples who had been running with all their might collapsed where they stood like puppets with cut strings.
“C- Cough!”
"Huuk! Huuk! Huuk! Huuk!"
"D... Damn it..."
Normally, they would never have shamelessly collapsed on the ground while others watched. The pride carried by the name Hainan Sect was no small thing.
But no one could care about such matters right now. As Baek Cheon said, if they had pushed themselves even slightly further, it was uncertain how many more would have fallen behind.
At least the elders and Geum Yangbaek were still standing, whether out of pride or because they still had a bit of stamina left. But even they didn't blame those who had slumped to the ground.
"Get up and take proper position."
Just then, Chung Myung's emotionless voice was heard.
“Instead of lying there gasping, focus on circulating your internal strength. Recover your strength as quickly as possible because we’ll be running again soon. Those with strength remaining, guard those who are circulating energy. We don't know when someone might target us again."
Hainan Sect disciples gritted their teeth and glared at Chung Myung.
They knew his words weren't wrong. But if they had the strength to do as he said, they wouldn’t be sprawled here in such a disgraceful state, gasping for air like dying fish.
Even while receiving their resentful and reproachful gazes, Chung Myung spoke without changing his expression.
"Stop whining."
“….”
"No matter how exhausted or pained you are, the enemy won’t care. They'll rejoice instead. If you think you might as well die because you're tired, then just lie there."
It wasn't an angry voice, nor was it a sneering tone scratching at their pride. It was just calm words spoken as if he were stating an undeniable truth. But perhaps because of that, it seemed to stab even deeper into their hearts.
“…Everyone, circulate your energy.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Unable to find a reason to refute him, Geum Yangbaek gave them a way out. At his command, the disciples staggered to their feet and sat cross-legged, immediately focusing on their internal strength circulation.
"Guard them."
"Understood."
Baek Cheon quickly gave instructions to Heavenly Comrade Alliance members. They surrounded Hainan Sect disciples gathered in the center circulating energy and began their vigilance.
Chung Myung quietly clenched and unclenched his fist.
Baek Cheon noticed the gesture. That was something Chung Myung did unconsciously when he was anxious. Only Baek Cheon knew this.
It was a sign that Hainan Sect was failing to keep up with the pace more severely than Chung Myung had anticipated.
But there was no other way.
Mount Hua disciples had spent years training specifically to match Chung Myung’s movements, but these people had never received such training.
Even Baek Cheon would have been no different from them had he tried to keep up with Chung Myung's movements immediately upon meeting him. No, perhaps he might have appeared even more unsightly.
“Chung Myung-ah. For now..."
Just as Baek Cheon was about to say something.
“Acting Sect Leader.”
Geum Yangbaek had somehow approached both men and stood there with a hardened expression.
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