Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1384. Of course, that won't happen (4)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
"Damn it, he'll appear in my dreams now! That cursed bastard!"
Jo-Gol poured out curses. By now, just seeing Ho Gamyeong's face was enough to make his stomach churn. If asked to name the most hated person in the world, without a moment's hesitation he would choose Jang Ilso... No, Bop Jeong? Hmm...
Anyway, if someone asked, he would name Jang Ilso or Bop Jeong, but if asked to name the scariest person in the world, he was confident he could shout Ho Gamyeong’s name without hesitation.
Even that bastard Chung Myung, who would sometimes barge into his room in the middle of the night with crazed eyes, wasn’t as persistently terrifying as that man.
And though he was whining with his mouth, the situation was far more serious than his voice suggested. The real enemy had appeared again, incomparable to the ragtag bunch blocking their path.
'Already?'
Baek Cheon's situation was the same.
He had expected them to catch up eventually, but not this fast. He thought it would be at least after they had nearly reached Nanjing.
But now was not the time to sit around analyzing where his predictions had gone wrong.
"Break through at full speed!"
"Yes!"
This area was adjacent to the Yangtze River, and is a wide plain. Unlike before, there was no immediate danger of being herded into difficult terrain by their enemies’ tactics like before, but on the other hand, it meant there was nowhere to hide.
So now, the only option was to clash head-on and break through.
“Hye….”
Baek Cheon urgently tried to call Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi, but they were already leaping toward the rear. It seemed they knew what to do without being told.
Somewhat relieved, Baek Cheon decided to do what he needed to do.
Kwang!
With a powerful stomp that nearly cracked the ground, he shot forward and surged past Gwak Hwanso in one breath.
“Iseol, Jo-Gol, Soso! Cover from behind!”
"Understood!"
“Acting Sect Leader! We'll help too!"
"Stay close!"
Without looking back, Baek Cheon barked at Gwak Hwanso while releasing torrents of red sword energy from his blade.
"Taaaaaaap!"
The plum blossoms violently erupting surged toward Evil Sects like a valley stream swollen with heavy rain. The faces of Evil Sects turned deathly pale.
“Do- Dodge….”
Before they could even finish their screams, the martial artists were helplessly swept away by the surging sword energy. Baek Cheon shouted.
"The Yangtze River isn't far. Let's go in one breath!"
"Understood!"
Watching from afar, the corner of Ho Gamyeong’s mouth twitched slightly.
“We’re not too late.”
Common sense dictates that a smaller group with higher martial prowess shouldn’t be caught by a larger group with lower martial prowess. Yet this impossible feat became possible because of the foolish choice those people made.
Ho Gamyeong narrowed his eyes. The injured they were carrying were clearly visible.
'No matter how skilled they are, they can't reach their full speed while carrying the injured.'
On top of that, they had to constantly find cover to avoid detection, meaning they hadn’t even managed to move at half their usual speed. Catching up to such people wasn't particularly difficult.
"Stupid fools."
If it were him, he would have mercilessly abandoned the injured. Even if they could eventually recover and become assets again, there was no point in risking total annihilation for those who couldn’t fight right now.
But both Ho Gamyeong and they knew. They could never make that choice. The two words of ‘benevolence and righteousness’ that they had endlessly proclaimed had become shackles binding them. Shackles that they can never break free no matter how much they struggle.
"Every choice has its price. Kill them. Leave not one alive."
Myriad Man Manor members charged forward without a word.
Their eyes brimmed with vicious malice.
Ho Gamyeong wasn’t the only one who bore a grudge against Righteous Sects. Even if the Evil Sects lack camaraderie, if they didn’t harbor resentment after being toyed with by a smaller, weaker group, they wouldn’t even qualify as martial artists, let alone Evil Sects.
Moreover, they were Myriad Man Manor members. People who might forget favors but never forget grudges. Like predators who’ve found their escaped prey, Myriad Man Manor members poured out their killing intent.
“Kuhahahaha!”
Naturally, those who stood blocking their path like a red wave were the guardians of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
“Monk!”
“I know, Siju!”
Standing side by side at the frontline, Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi exchanged glances.
One was the greatest talent of the Thousand-Year Shaolin, who was certain to represent Shaolin, the leader of Ten Great Sects. And the other was sogaju of the greatest family in the world, Namgung Dowi, who was expected to walk only the path of glory and inherit the name Namgung.
These two, who should have walked the most blessed paths in the martial world, now stood together in the most dangerous and burdensome place in the current Kangho.
But there was not the slightest hesitation in their eyes. They were here by their own will, and no one else’s.
"Oooooooh!"
“Taaaaaaaap!”
The fist force and sword energy emitted by the two fiercely shot toward the charging enemies.
Kwaaaaang!
The radiant light of Shaolin and the sword energy of Namgung exploded like a bomb, momentarily illuminating the world. It was a truly powerful strike. The charging Myriad Man Manor members were literally shattered in a single blow.
'How formidable.'
Ho Gamyeong watched the scene without blinking, unconsciously biting his lip.
Common sense dictated that they should have been exhausted by now. Thus, their fists should have weakened, and their swords should have dulled.
But what they were showing now was even sharper than what they had shown before. Even to Ho Gamyeong, whose martial prowess wasn’t particularly high, it was clearly visible.
'Are they growing even in this situation?'
He understood it in his head.
They were the most promising talents in Kangho, and they had experiences that couldn't be had anywhere else.
He was sure of it—there was no one else in the entire Righteous Sects who had survived fights as brutal as these.
But knowing it in his head and witnessing such talents grow before his eyes felt entirely different.
Perhaps what Ho Gamyeong was feeling now was fear. The fear of someone watching a predator grow day by day, right before his eyes, completely out of his control.
Ho Gamyeong clenched and unclenched his fist lightly. But now, he had a chance to cut off the breath of the still-growing predator.
By taking their lives?
No.
Ho Gamyeong's gaze turned to one side. Toward the true lifeline of the beast called Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Toward the source of their growth.
'Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. No… Plum Blossom Sword Demon.'
His eyes met with Chung Myung's, who was glaring at him with cold eyes from the center of the group. Ho Gamyeong’s eyes brimmed with killing intent.
“Listen. This isn’t my order. It’s the order of Ryeonju-nim. Carry it out with your lives on the line!”
"Yes!"
"Even at the cost of any sacrifice."
The moment those words came out, the faces of the subordinates hardened as much as they possibly could.
“Do not let Plum Blossom Sword Demon escape. Kill him at all costs! Even if it means letting everyone else go!”
"We obey!"
Ho Gamyeong slowly nodded his head as the thunderous response filled the air.
He had suffered a miserable defeat. Perhaps the mistake he had committed could not be made up for in his entire lifetime.
But he could say with confidence that it wasn’t a meaningless defeat.
Because that very loss had led Lord Ryeonju to personally decide that Plum Blossom Sword Demon must die.
“You can never survive, Plum Blossom Sword Demon.”
Ho Gamyeong muttered as if making a pledge to himself.
* * *
“They’re closing in from both sides!”
"We've been through this before, respond!"
Hainan Sect was no longer Hainan Sect of the past. Even without receiving any specific orders, they moved on their own to counter. Swift, and also precise. So much so that there was no need to even open their mouths.
However…
“This isn’t good.”
It didn't appear that way to Im Sobyeong's eyes. He glanced at Chung Myung beside him and asked.
"Isn't this earlier than expected?"
“….”
“Then there must have been an unforeseen variable… In situations like this, I usually think of one thing first.”
“That’s not it.”
"So you're saying there's no traitor?”
“No, there can’t be.”
A strange light flickered on Im Sobyeong's face. He noticed that numerous implications were contained in that answer.
Chung Myung didn’t say there wouldn’t be a traitor. But he wasn’t considering the possibility of a traitor.
Because in this situation, rooting out a traitor would be meaningless.
Instead, he had chosen to trust his allies and move forward. Even if that trust meant leading them all straight into the abyss.
“You’re still as extreme as ever.”
Im Sobyeong nodded with a slightly detached expression.
"But what will you do? We've already used all viable tactics, and the enemies are closing in from behind. The Yangtze River is just around the corner, but by the time we reach it while engaging these enemies, there will be only about ten people left."
Ten.
Chung Myung understood why Im Sobyeong specifically mentioned the number. He was subtly urging him to abandon Hainan Sect.
"Wasn't it already decided from the start?"
Chung Myung had said it himself.
That if they faced a truly insurmountable crisis, he would abandon Hainan Sect. Because the lives of Heavenly Comrade Alliance disciples were far more important.
If those who came with him from Heavenly Comrade Alliance lost their lives while trying to save Hainan Sect, none other than Chung Myung would be unable to forgive himself.
"Or was Dojang truly a more magnificent chivalrous hero than I thought?"
Chung Myung raised the corner of his mouth crookedly and sneered.
"As I've said each time… I’ve never once thought of myself as a righteous hero. I don’t want to be one either.”
His voice carried a strange weight. Im Sobyeong's eyes took on a strange light as he looked at Chung Myung for a moment, then nodded.
There was one reason he was able to regain composure after escaping the gorge. No matter what failures they faced, as long as the enemy didn’t block their path, the option to abandon Hainan Sect and survive with just Heavenly Comrade Alliance was always there.
“That’s a good answer. Then isn't the conclusion already determined?"
"Of course, that's what I'll do. However..."
“…Yes?”
A chilling voice reached Im Sobyeong's ear.
"This much isn’t even a crisis."
"…Dojang?"
Chung Myung's eyes were seething.
It was an uncharacteristic sight, as he had recently been showing only dark and calm gazes. Im Sobyeong felt his heart sink. He had a gut feeling. Chung Myung had finally let go of something he had been suppressing all along.
"So you'll come out like this?"
Chung Myung muttered as he turned and walked forward.
Im Sobyeong, who noticed what he was going to do, hastily reached out his hand. He tried to grab Chung Myung’s sleeve, but all he caught was empty air. Chung Myung was already running.
“Dojang! Dojaaaaang!”
Im Sobyeong shouted until his throat was about to burst. His vision blurred with red. He didn't know why he was in such a frenzy, but he felt like his insides were about to explode.
|Note
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