Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1352. It's just how it was born. (2)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"Ugh..."
A sensation of his insides churning. His body spun round and round, with the feeling of endlessly falling toward some unknown bottom. With that familiar yet infinitely unfamiliar feeling, Jo-Gol opened his eyes with difficulty.
Through his blurry vision, he caught fleeting glimpses of something rushing past. After squeezing his eyes shut once more and reopening them, he surveyed his surroundings and spoke with a hoarse voice.
"...What's this."
“Awake?”
Jo-Gol finally looked down and realized where he was.
"Sahyung?"
"Yeah."
The familiar back of someone he knew filled his view. Only then did Jo-Gol realize that he was being carried on Yoon Jong's back.
"...Where are we?"
“We’ve left the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains and are heading north toward Gangbuk.”
“Already.... Cough! Cough! Ahh....”
Perhaps from not using his voice for so long, he kept breaking into small coughs.
“Just rest a bit more.”
"I'm fine now. Please let me down..."
“Stay still and rest.”
Jo-Gol shut his mouth at Yoon Jong's firm voice. Truth be told, though he was trying to act tough, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his physical condition was at its worst. Just being carried like this was exhausting enough.
“Soso.”
“Yes, I’m already checking.”
“...You surprised me.”
Jo-Gol forced his stiff neck to turn, glancing behind him. Tang Soso, carrying Yoo Iseol on her back, was sticking close behind him with her hand on his back.
"Pulse is normal... and the internal injuries should be fine at this level for now. The real issue is the external wounds—they’re not something that will heal easily. He’ll need to be careful for a while.”
Jo-Gol blinked and looked at Yoo Iseol being carried on Tang Soso's back. oo Isul still hadn’t regained consciousness.
'Well...'
His own injuries couldn’t compare to Yoo Iseol. He had merely overexerted himself for a brief moment, but Yoo Iseol had fought until every last drop of her strength had been drained. It was no wonder it would take her longer to wake up.
'Wait...'
Realizing this, Jo-Gol suddenly jerked his head up. He quickly scanned the group, looking at Baek Cheon and Im Sobyeong running ahead and the disciples of Hainan Sect following behind. His eyes widened in alarm.
“Sa- Sahyung! What about Chung Myung?”
“Why? Worried he might’ve died or something?”
"No, how could that bastard die? It’s not that, where did that bastard go? His body was in pieces!”
“He woke up long ago and is busy slicing through Myriad Man Manor bastards.”
“With that body?”
"He said he was perfectly fine."
“...Ah.”
At this point, it wasn’t even a joke anymore. One has to question whether he's actually a human made of flesh and bones. Of all of them, Chung Myung must have sustained the most injuries and the most exhausted.
Yoo Iseol was still unconscious, and Jo-Gol had barely regained consciousness, but he was already up and fighting?
"...Is he even human?"
“I have my doubts too.”
Jo-Gol shook his head in disbelief.
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Not quite that bad. It’s not entirely risk-free, of course, but compared to the situation in the gorge, this is nothing.”
Certainly, it seemed that way even to Jo-Gol’s eyes. Not only those in front, but even those behind appeared to be in incomparably better condition than before.
As Yoon Jong judged that Jo-Gol had regained enough consciousness, he began to briefly explain the current situation.
“So, the others are following behind us?”
“Right.”
"...But what if our paths diverge?"
“Hainan Sect insists that won’t happen. And just in case, we’re adjusting our pace.”
"Hmm."
Jo-Gol nodded.
There are quite a few questionable parts, but it was a plan that everyone had put a lot of thought into. Someone who had been lying around idly like himself wasn’t in a position to nitpick over every detail.
Besides, if the plan was devised by Baek Cheon and Im Sobyeong, it was likely better than anything he could come up with.
That was when Yun Jong spoke as if frustrated.
“And you crazy punk.”
“...Yes?”
“The first thing you do after waking up is worry about others? Think about yourself for once! Your body’s been stitched together like a ragged piece of cloth!”
Jo-Gol glanced down at his body without saying a word. His forearm, peeking out from the wide sleeve of his robe, displayed stitches that ran across like centipede legs.
"Well, could've stitched it better. What kind of physician has such crude..."
“What? Should I stitch up your mouth too?”
“...No.”
Jo-Gol meekly backed down at Tang Soso's sharp voice flying from behind. He wasn’t in a position to argue with her right now. No, truthfully, he can't go against her in a normal situation either, but anyway...
Just then, Lee Jayang, running beside them, called out.
"Keep going straight?"
“Northeast!”
"Yes!"
With that, Im Sobyeong immediately changed direction. Lee Jayang confirmed the new direction, then leaped forward and executed a sword technique mid-air.
Kagagak!
The sword energy he released carved a minute sword mark on the top of a tree standing ahead. It was so subtle that one would miss it without a keen eye.
Jo-Gol frowned instinctively.
“Can anyone even see that while running?”
"They say they can.”
“...No....”
The one who answered his doubt was Lee Jayang himself, who had quickly returned to his position.
“You don’t have to worry. While others might not, Hainan Sect disciples couldn't possibly miss it."
"What?"
Lee Jayang continued in a confident tone.
“Hainan Sect disciples grew up sailing out to the sea from a young age. To catch fish in the vast ocean, one must not miss even a single small bubble rising on the undulating surface."
"Ah..."
“Not everyone, but most have exceptionally sharp eyes. You don’t need to worry about them missing the marks.”
Jo-Gol nodded slowly. He didn’t fully understand, but he got the gist of it. It must be similar to how people living on the plains have good eyesight.
"Sahyung."
"Hmm?"
"...We couldn't see that even if our lives depended on it, right?"
“We probably wouldn’t even realize they were there?”
“Right…”
“Every sect seems to have a secret technique like that. Seeing it now, the sect’s reputation is well-deserved."
"Every sect? Do we have something like that too?"
“We used to.”
"Huh?"
"It's gone now."
“...Ah.”
It burned. Of course. Mount Hua didn't lack anything originally. It just all burned up quite nicely.
“Well, if even we can’t figure it out, there’s no way those Evil Sects bastards will.”
"That's right. We're already changing directions here and there trusting just those markings. Even if they do catch onto our traces, they won’t be able to guess our path forward.”
"Aah."
Somehow, as soon as I marked the tree, I suddenly changed direction....
“As long as our allies can read it, that’s what matters.”
"Seems they have."
"Yes?"
"Behind us."
At Yoon Jong's words, Jo-Gol looked back.
Contrary to Yoon Jong's words, nothing particular caught his eye. But when he strained to raise his sense, he could indeed sense something moving toward them through the dense forest in the distance.
His entire body tensed up instinctively.
'Enemy?'
But the worry quickly dissipated. The sensation coming from the approaching figure wasn’t unfamiliar.
“It’s Tang Sogaju.”
No sooner had Yoon Jong spoken than Tang Pae appeared from behind. The Hainan Sect disciples following him were clearly visible too. One of the separated groups had successfully rejoined without issue.
"...Wow, they really can recognize that."
"...Wow, they really can recognize that."
Jo-Gol nodded. Something that only a specific sect could recognize stirred an odd sense of envy within him.
"Sahyung."
"Hm?"
“When we return, let’s make one too.”
“...Why?”
“It looks useful. And, uh…”
Jo-Gol slightly lowered his voice as if somewhat embarrassed.
"I'm kind of envious too."
Yoon Jong couldn’t help but chuckle. This damned fool had been reduced to rags and had barely regained consciousness, yet here he was already talking about Mount Hua. His body was probably still in shambles.
"Alright, let's definitely make one."
But Yoon Jong quietly swallowed the words that came next.
'If only we could return safely, that is.'
While the two were chatting, Tang Pae had fully caught up and joined them. His face brightened seeing Jo-Gol conscious.
“Jo-Gol Dojang! Are you alright?”
“Not a problem at all!”
Jo-Gol bent his arm, pretending to show off his muscles, only to wince and grimace in pain.
“Ouch, ouch….”
"Stay still, you punk!"
“Well, the ride is a bit rough...”
"What was that, you bastard?"
Tang Pae couldn’t help but smile at Jo-Gol’s banter.
Truthfully, he hadn’t known Jo-Gol for long and hadn’t exchanged that many words with him. But just the fact that Jo-Gol had regained consciousness somehow made him feel good.
“...Quiet.”
"Oh! Sago, you're awake to?"
"...Ringing, head. Be quiet.”
Yoo Iseol spoke as if in pain, holding her head with one hand. Jo-Gol tilted his head.
"Somehow... her way of speaking goes back to her old self? Is this what they call regression?"
"Sahyung, do you really want to die?"
“‘Sahyung’ and ‘do you want to die’ don’t quite go together, don’t you think?”
"They go perfectly well in Mount Hua!"
“That’s true too....”
It seemed everyone else felt the same way. Just having that person conscious drastically brightened the group's atmosphere. Even though this was far from a situation where they could feel at ease.
Perhaps this was Jo-Gol's real power.
“But where exactly are we headed right now?”
"Don't know. That’s up to Baek Cheon Sasuk and Nokrim King. No, maybe that damn Chung Myung already decided on it ahead of time.”
"Makes sense."
Jo-Gol nodded as if understanding.
At that moment, as if on cue, Baek Cheon’s voice rang out from the front.
“For now, forget about direction or anything else. Our first priority is putting distance between us and those bastards. Since they’re also focused on the defensive line to block us, this side is basically a no man’s land.”
Everyone nodded as if they agreed.
Getting through the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains had been hell, but now that they had broken through, no one seemed to be in their way. It might be a hasty judgment, but at least that was the case so far.
“If we can maintain this distance, we might actually reach the Yangtze River without issue.”
"...That's if someone doesn't suddenly appear in front of us, right? Like, say, Magyo’s bishop or something..."
“Ah, shut up!”
“Close your damn mouth, please!”
"Someone put this bastard back to sleep!"
Jo-Gol chuckled at the voices exploding from everywhere.
They had already lost too many. But that didn't mean they planned to walk around with death faces. There would be plenty of time to mourn and grieve for the dead after everyone safely escaped.
'Just somehow make it to the Yangtze...'
At that moment, Jo-Gol's head tilted slightly.
"Ah, wait. But..."
“What now, you bastard!”
“Shut up, Sahyung! Before I really stitch your mouth!"
“N- No, it’s not like that… Didn’t you say only Hainan Sect disciples could recognize these markings?”
"How many times are you going to repeat the same thing? Did you hit your head somewhere?"
"No. What I mean is... then how does that bastard Chung Myung know to follow us?"
"Huh?"
All eyes immediately locked onto Jo-Gol, their gazes blank. Jo-Gol added with a puzzled look on his face.
"That’s... I might be too stupid to understand, but that bastard Chung Myung doesn't know these markings, right? But you said he's at the very back right now."
"...That's right?"
“Then how does he know where we’re going?”
Jo-Gol’s question hung awkwardly in the air. Surely someone would scold him briefly before giving an answer.
But contrary to his expectations, no scolding came. Instead, everyone was just looking at each other with awkward expressions.
'Huh?'
Uh... this... this shouldn't be happening...?
Jo-Gol looked forward with last hope. Even if these idiots didn't know, at least those two...
“Uh....”
And then he saw it.
Im Sobyeong and Baek Cheon. The two most reliable people responsible for everything about their group were standing there looking at Jo-Gol with faces like they had just been hit by something.
“That’s…true?”
“....”
“How is he keeping up?”
“....”
You’re supposed to trust the reliable ones… You’re supposed to…
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