Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1344. I’ll go save you (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Ho Gamyeong glared fiercely at the adjutant standing before him with a gaunt and haggard face.
"The entrance?"
"Still....”
The adjutant's voice trembled as he answered.
It was his first time seeing Ho Gamyeong so disheveled. So he couldn't help but know. Just how much rage he was suppressing.
It felt as though the sword hanging at Ho Gamyeong’s waist might fly out at any moment to sever his neck.
But what flew out wasn't the sword, but a curt, low command. Sharper than any blade, more chilling than any dagger.
“Find it.”
"Yes!"
“By any means necessary.”
The adjutant bowed deeply.
But Ho Gamyeong had already shifted his gaze away from him, staring at the knife-sharp peaks of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountain rising before them.
Eudeuk.
His tightly clenched lips split open and crimson blood trickled down.
'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword....'
He had been toyed around by Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword from beginning to end. Yet what tormented him most was not just the defeat itself, but the utter inability to discern why he had lost.
He couldn't understand how this had happened.
Does it make sense that those who visit Guangdong for the first time know about and make use of secret paths even he hadn’t discovered?
Who could have possibly imagined such a possibility?
'Impossible...'
It felt like someone had reached into his head and was violently stirring it.
But denying the possibility was meaningless, because the impossible already happened. No matter how much he raged and tried to look away, reality remained reality.
He had poured everything he could. He had borne enormous losses. He had even committed the unforgivable act of defying Jang Ilso’s orders.
And just like that, the plan he had literally staked everything on had vanished like a bubble in an instant.
What if they escape from Hundred Thousand Mountains at this rate?
‘That cannot happen.’
Beyond this hellish mountain range lay the vast expanse of Gangnam. No matter how many forces Evil Tyrant Alliance could muster, it would be impossible to block the entirety of Gangnam.
If they couldn’t catch them in Guangdong, where he knew every detail like the back of his hand, how could they possibly catch them in an even larger land?
"Send every available force into the mountains."
“...Yes?”
The adjutant standing further back flinched and looked at Ho Gamyeong’s back in shock.
“No matter where they’re hiding, they can’t stay hidden forever. They’ll have to show themselves eventually. Then we'll catch and kill them."
“...Advisor-nim. Into those mountains?"
When the adjutant asked again, Ho Gamyeong turned slowly to look at him. The adjutant flinched at his gaze.
"F- Forgive me."
"Don’t make me repeat myself."
"Yes!"
The adjutant bowed deeply.
It was only after Ho Gamyeong’s gaze shifted away that the adjutant dared to raise his head. His trembling eyes looked out at the mountain range before him.
A nightmarish mountain range where one couldn’t even begin to guess what lay just beyond.
'Here?'
Did he really mean to fight that Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword? That man?
Just imagining it made him nauseous and dizzy. But there was no other way. The current Ho Gamyeong wouldn't tolerate any dissenting opinions.
So, as someone following that order, all they could do was to pray. Pray that the demon's sword of Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword may not reach them.
❀ ❀ ❀
Udeuk. Udeuk.
Chung Myung twisted his neck side to side and clenched and unclenched his fists lightly.
'It's different.'
His current self couldn't match his past self by any measure. He had come to understand this fact clearly through this battle. But he also realized that he possessed strengths now that he hadn’t had in the past.
First and foremost, his recovery.
The purest energy he had gathered from across the world granted him a level of healing far beyond what he had in the past.
That was probably why he could get back on his feet faster now, despite suffering more severe wounds than in the past.
His internal condition was also improving rapidly.
As his stiffened body loosened and his blood began circulating again, sweat began pouring from every inch of him. The turbid energy accumulated during battle was being expelled in the form of sweat.
Once he had worked up a proper sweat, he was certain that his body would recover to at least seventy percent.
'So it wasn't all a waste after all.'
While he hadn’t yet reached the same peak he had in the past, it was clear that the current peak he was climbing toward was far higher than the one he had previously attained.
Tudeudeuk.
Chung Myung tore off the bandages wrapped around his chest.
Baek Cheon, who was about to shout asking what nonsense he was doing, closed his mouth. The wound on Chung Myung’s chest had already healed.
“...Are you even human?”
“Sometimes I wonder that myself.”
Chung Myung replied with a small chuckle. But even seeing this response, Baek Cheon couldn't relax his expression.
“For someone who heals like that....”
"What?"
"Then if you'd just shown a little restraint, you wouldn't have had to go through all that because of your leg, right?"
"Oh? You're right?"
“This madman....”
Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.
He knew too.
That Chung Myung had no time to rest. If he hadn’t fought relentlessly on the frontlines, the casualties would have been far worse.
But knowing this didn’t ease the anger boiling in his chest.
Baek Cheon heaved a sigh deep enough to sink the ground. Then Chung Myung casually asked another question.
“What about Jo-Gol Sahyung?”
“Yoon Jong is looking after him in another place."
“He wasn’t even that injured, but these youngsters these days are so fragile.”
"...Have you never considered that your constitution might be the abnormal one? Any other person would’ve died ten times over.”
“Tsk, tsk. These fragile people.”
Chung Myung let out a faint chuckle despite his grumbling. Baek Cheon’s face distorted.
"You find this funny?"
“What’s gonna change by looking all serious?”
“....”
"Sasuk, lighten up your expression too."
“You....”
"Others are watching."
At Chung Myung's lightly thrown words, Baek Cheon's face took on a complex expression.
“Everyone’s looking at Sasuk’s face. Sasuk’s expression reveals everything about our current situation. If Sasuk keep scowling with your already not-so-handsome face, it’ll only make everyone more anxious." (“다들 사숙 얼굴만 바라보고 있어. 지금 우리가 어떤 상황인지 그 표정에 다 드러나니까. 사숙이 지금처럼 안 그래도 못생긴 얼굴 더 못생기게 찡그리고 있으면 다들 더 불안해한다.”)
"Have you ever known respect in your life?" (“살면서 동경이라는 걸 본 적은 있냐?”)
"This much makes me a legendary handsome man."
“...Let’s stop talking.”
Baek Cheon heaved a deep sigh. His heart was heavy.
It's not that he doesn't know that. He knew better than anyone that showing any sign of wavering in a situation like this was the last thing they could afford.
But... it wasn't as easy as it sounded.
He had nearly killed Chung Myung. Nearly driven Yoo Iseol and Jo-Gol to their deaths. Because his judgment was lacking. If only he had been a bit more…
Tuk.
At that moment, Chung Myung li lightly patted Baek Cheon on the shoulder.
“...What?”
“I couldn’t have done that.”
“....”
"Sasuk's judgment was spot on. So accurate I couldn't even hope to imitate it."
"...Don't give me meaningless flattery."
“Well, at least you’re not completely clueless.”
“What, this rascal?”
Even while spouting nonsense, Chung Myung's gaze was examining Yoo Iseol's condition. The wounds scattered across her body were deep, but they didn’t appear to leave any lasting effects. The divine art of Taoist Sect was particularly powerful in such aspects.
Still, the absence of lasting injuries didn’t erase the pain she had endured.
Next, Chung Myung's gaze fell on Tang Soso, fast asleep from exhaustion. Even the small cuts on her fingertips spoke volumes about the grueling battles she must have fought.
For those who fight with swords, their role ends when the battle concludes, but for physicians, the battle begins at that moment. She must have saved countless lives, just as she must have witnessed many others slipping away.
Chung Myung's eyes grew cold.
Step.
He walked slowly.
He could see Hainan Sect disciples sprawled here and there throughout the vast cave. Whatever pride befitted their prestigious name had long been discarded, and now they looked no better than defeated soldiers, collapsed like corpses where they lay.
“Do you get it now?”
Baek Cheon, who had followed him out at some point, spoke in a hardened voice.
“Everyone fought to their limits. This isn't something that will heal with just two days of rest. If we go out there now, it’ll only hasten their deaths.”
“Hmm.”
Chung Myung nodded.
“You have a point But it’s not entirely right. By now, that crazed Malice Heart Rakshasa must be desperately trying to find the entrance."
“....”
“And with his abilities, he’ll find it soon. The only reason he hasn’t already is that he’s half out of his mind.”
Baek Cheon bit his lips tightly.
Chung Myung was right too. Even this place couldn't remain safe forever.
Just then, those who discovered Chung Myung had awakened came rushing over.
"Dojang!"
“Are you alright now?”
"With such severe injuries, shouldn't you rest more!"
Chung Myung smiled wryly as he saw Namgung Dowi, Tang Pae, and Hye Yeon rush to him. Every one of their faces was laden with worry.
‘I really must be done for.’
He was making these little brats worry about him.
“What about Nokrim King?”
“Here.”
Im Sobyeong came trudging over from the back.
"They say even the King of Hell hesitates to take someone with such a nasty personality, and seeing Dojang, that saying doesn’t seem like nonsense.”
Chung Myung laughed at the sarcastic remark.
“Got beaten up by Ho Gamyeong and now taking it out on me?”
"W- Who got beaten?"
“Should I say you got stomped on instead?”
"Ugh..."
Im Sobyeong clenched his fists tightly. No matter how much he tried to act indifferent, his pride had clearly taken a hit. After trembling for a moment, Im Sobyeong took a deep breath and asked.
“What’s your plan now?”
“For what?”
"Given the situation. You know as well as anyone that we can’t stay holed up here forever. But with everyone in this state…”
Everyone's faces darkened at his words.
They had barely caught their breath, but there wasn’t a single person who didn’t realize how dire their circumstances still were.
“What we should do?”
“...Yes.”
"That's something you should ask over there, not me."
"Yes?"
Im Sobyeong looked at Chung Myung as if asking what he meant.
“The roles have changed, you see.”
“...What do you mean?”
Chung Myung’s gaze swept over those standing before him.
Though not as severe as Yoo Iseol’s, their injuries were still no small matter. The traces of the fierce battles they had fought were etched all over their bodies.
“Where’s Jo-Gol Sahyung?”
"This way..."
Namgung Dowi guided him. Chung Myung followed him and stared blankly at the unconscious Jo-Gol. He remained silent for a long while, as if trying to engrave every single wound marked on his body into his memory.
After some time, Chung Myung turned to face Im Sobyeong.
Im Sobyeong's shoulders instinctively flinched.
It was because of Chung Myung's ice-cold gaze. So cold that he doubted whether this was the same person he had known...
No, it wasn’t just coldness. He felt a strange sense of discomfort. A strange sense of discomfort as if he was looking at a completely different person altogether.
"Sword."
“....”
Baek Cheon handed over Chung Myung’s sword that he was holding.
It was the sword he had kept to prevent Chung Myung from acting recklessly. He had intended never to return it until Chung Myung’s body had fully recovered.
But somehow, he couldn't go against Chung Myung's words now.
“Nokrim King.”
“Yes, Dojang.”
“Get ready while I buy you some time. We'll leave this place in one go."
Im Sobyeong nodded.
He too was a strategist. He knew full well that if they could just make it past the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, they could move swiftly to the Yangtze River.
Ho Gamyeong had drawn all his forces to Guangdong, setting up a last stand against those he should have tightened his grip on. Now he would have to pay the price for that decision.
The problem was that even if Heavenly Comrade Alliance and Hainan Sect made full use of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, the battle wouldn’t be easy in their current state.
Moreover, while they had gained time to recover, they had also given their enemies time to surround them again.
Chung Myung knows this too.
And his words now must mean that he can resolve this situation himself.
“What are you planning....”
Im Sobyeong asked cautiously. Then Chung Myung flashed a smile tinged with madness.
“Settle my debt.”
Between those crooked lips, snow-white teeth gleamed eerily.
“They’ll understand soon enough what it means to set foot here.”
Now it was time to make them learn what he had to realize so painfully in the past.
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