Chapter 1508

Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1508. There are some people who can be solved with words (3)

Editor: Hoamz

Co-Translator: Xoxo

Tension crossed Lone Tiger Divine Beggar's hardened face.

He had never harbored even a shred of doubt about being Beggar Union's number one. Why else would his alias be One Tiger Among Pack of Dogs?

But even he could not dare to dismiss the bright blue upstart rushing toward him now. Because that upstart was none other than Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung.

Kuung!

As One Tiger Among Pack of Dogs stomped the floor powerfully, a brilliant blue internal strength burst from the center of his palm.

“Taa!”

A short battle cry accompanied the palm strike that collided head-on with Chung Myung's approaching sword.

Kwaaaaang!

Fearsome energy waves swirled in all directions. The palm force Lone Tiger Divine Beggar had launched split sharply to the left and right like a torrential stream meeting a soaring cliff.

Chung Myung ran through that split space. His eyes were cold.

Paaat!

An eerie light flashed for a moment before a white sword flew straight for Lone Tiger Divine Beggar's neck.

“Guh!”

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar hurriedly twisted his neck to the side while striking the flying sword's surface with his palm. It was a move that combined both evasion and defense. But Chung Myung’s sword, imbued with pure internal energy, still left a red gash on Lone Tiger Divine Beggar's neck.

Sogok!

Hot pain spread across his neck. But before he could even fully register it, Chung Myung’s Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword twisted like a snake and aimed for his heart.

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar barely managed to contort his body without even time for a shout.

Sogok! Sogok!

The blade grazed perilously close to his chest and back, sending vivid crimson droplets front and back. At this rate, he would clearly be helplessly pushed back.

“Haaap!”

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar pushed all his internal strength and stretched out a palm strike toward Chung Myung.

But what he saw next moment was the eerie corners of Chung Myung's lips briefly revealed through the palm force he had unleashed.

Paaaaat!

Chung Myung's sword pierced through like lightning into the momentary gap before the palm strike fully shot. Lone Tiger Divine Beggar’s eyes widened.

'What?'

He’s not retreating even with this much palm force flying straight at him?

Kwadeuk!

Chung Myung’s sword plunged into Lone Tiger Divine Beggar’s shoulder in a single motion.

An unbearable pain washed over him, but Lone Tiger Divine Beggar grit his teeth and raised even greater internal strength. He intended to pay back the damage to his shoulder with the brat’s life.

But then.

Ududeuk!

With a gruesome sound, the sword embedded in his shoulder twisted. His outstretched arm was also forcibly twisted along with it.

Kwaaaaaaa!

This slightly diverted the palm force's trajectory. Chung Myung met it with his left hand, deflected it, and threw his body back without resistance. He retreated swiftly like a fallen leaf floating down rapids.

Tak.

Chung Myung, who had spun once in midair and landed on the ground, leisurely cracked his neck left and right. Red drops of blood dripped from the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword held in his right hand. It was none other than Lone Tiger Divine Beggar’s blood.

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar stared blankly at Chung Myung like a man who had lost his soul.

‘How…’

How can a person be like that?

He had seen it with his eyes. He had experienced it with his body. And yet he couldn’t understand what had just happened.

How could someone charge towards a palm force powerful enough to tear a man’s body to shreds just by touching it? How could one even avoid it without injury after doing so? Just how?

Having come to this, Lone Tiger Divine Beggar couldn't help but keenly realize.

'He's on a whole different level...'

This wasn’t about the high or low (고하(高下)) of internal strength or the finesse of techniques. That man’s sword was beyond the level he had imagined.

‘He’s this strong?’

Who in the world didn’t know that Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword Chung Myung was strong? Moreover, he's a Beggar Union elder. He couldn't not know, and mustn't not know.

But the degree of that ‘strength’ was the issue. The movements that Chung Myung had shown just now were far beyond the level of martial arts of Mount Hua sword technique known to the world.

Then, Chung Myung’s indifferent voice brushed past his ear.

“Is that technique the Eighteen Palms of Chasing Righteousness?” (추의십팔장(追義十八掌))

"H- How do you know that?"

Chung Myung clicked his tongue with a displeased expression at Lone Tiger Divine Beggar's instinctive response.

"Tsk. An elder learning a palm technique that only the sect leader can learn. I guess Beggar Union is done for.”

- What about Mount Hua then?

"Kaak! Get back up there!"

This guy comes out without knowing time or place! Are those the same? This and Violet Mist Divine Art are different! How dare you compare us to a bunch of beggars!

Chung Myung sighed and flicked the tip of his sword as if annoyed.

“Well, whatever. It’s all the same if the one who learned it disappears.”

Geuggeuk.

Chung Myung scraped the floor with his sword and took a step toward Lone Tiger Divine Beggar. At that moment, Lone Tiger Divine Beggar unconsciously took a step back.

“Why? Thinking of running away?”

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar's face turned bright red as he realized his disgraceful action belatedly. Chung Myung raised one corner of his mouth as he looked at him.

"Somehow, what you say and what you do are quite different?”

"You bastard..."

“Anyone can talk big, right?"

Chung Myung's voice sank coldly.

“Saying you’ll set Beggar Union straight, that you can do it, that you’re different…”

“...”

"For someone who's never stood on the line between life and death and never been under pressure in their life, such words come out easily. Since all you need to do is point fingers from behind."

"You damn brat!"

“Lone Tiger Among Pack of Dogs, you seem to think that’s some kind of great title. But if you look at it another way, it means the only thing you had to compare yourself to your entire life was a dog, you know?”

Chung Myung aimed the tip of his sword at Lone Tiger Divine Beggar.

“When a tiger who lorded over dogs meets a tiger who fought fiercely in the mountains, it gets bitten to death. That's no longer even a tiger, just a dog wearing a tiger's mask. Just a dog that barks a bit loudly."

"Shut up, you bastard!"

Though he clearly knew all these words and actions were the bastard's strategy to provoke him, Lone Tiger Divine Beggar couldn't hold back his anger. When in his life had he ever been humiliated like this? And by a fellow Righteous Sect member, no less.

“Look, even now. A tiger doesn’t bark, it bites, you see? This is why you’re a dog.”

Chung Myung approached Lone Tiger Divine Beggar with a sardonic smile.

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar bit his lips until they bled while being extremely wary of him.

How could hw not want to crush that arrogant mouth? But Lone Tiger Divine Beggar wasn't a fool. With just one exchange, the superiority had already been determined. As absurd as it was, he couldn’t match that man. He, widely acknowledged as the best in Beggar Union, could not defeat that upstart from Mount Hua.

Now what should he do?

At that moment, the other elders who had been watching the situation flew over in an instant and stood as if to guard Lone Tiger Divine Beggar.

“Elder!”

“We will help you!”

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar bit his lower lip even harder. The other elders had realized it too. That Lone Tiger Divine Beggar alone couldn’t face Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword. Truly, he had never experienced such humiliation.

“Oh?”

Chung Myung, of course, did not miss this opportunity and sneered scathingly.

"How generous of the esteemed elders of Beggar Union to hold this junior in such high regard that they would even do combined attacks. I'm so honored that I don't know what to do with myself."

"Shut up, you bastard!"

The elders' faces also flared up bright red. Though the situation was urgent, they were still aware that this was a shameful act they couldn't proudly speak of anywhere.

"Well, I suppose the elders could do that....”

Chung Myung's gaze was fixed on Lone Tiger Divine Beggar among the elders.

“You were acting all high and mighty as the tiger among dogs, but it seems you have no problem hiding behind the dogs? At this rate, who can even tell which is the dog and which is the tiger?”

“Grrrgh...!"

“Elder! You must stay calm!”

“You’re well aware of his nature and cunning tongue, aren’t you? Please, remain composed!"

Chung Myung chuckled. Then he spun the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword in his hand once before gripping it again.

"So what if you know? What difference does knowing make? Is there anything you haven’t done until now because you didn’t know? Didn’t you fail to do it even when you knew full well?”

“You…”

“I want to restore the Righteousness of Beggar Union, but in the process, I cannot help but combine attacks on my juniors. You don't want to make Beggar Union cowardly anymore, but covering up the truth and assassinating Sect Leader is inevitable work."

“You bastard! What do you know…”

“What a load of bullshit.”

Chung Myung let out a curse as if laughing. His voice sounded like he wasn’t even angry anymore.

When people have room to breathe, they take care of all sorts of things. But when driven into a crisis, that’s when they start to show their hidden true colors.

"This stench doesn't seem to be just because this is a beggar den? Right?"

Lone Tiger Divine Beggar, glaring at Chung Myung with bloodshot eyes, shouted.

"Any means that achieves the result is the truth! I will endure this humiliation."

"Ah, that so?"

Chung Myung sneered and held his sword in a reverse grip. At the same time, the smile vanished from his lips.

“Though you probably won’t understand even if I say it, I’ll give you one piece of advice.”

Chung Myung's gaze briefly turned to the side.

He could see his comrades engaged in desperate struggle against dozens of Beggar Union elders. They knew they were outnumbered, yet they refused to retreat.

"Righteousness isn't about results but process."

“...”

“There’s no way you would know this.”

Paat!

Chung Myung kicked off the ground and flew straight towards the elders.

“Kill him!”

The elders too summoned all the internal strength they had and countered.

Kagaaang!

“Ghk!”

Jo-Gol bit his lip tightly. The sword he had thrust out had just been blocked and knocked away by a short staff that shot up from below.

The sword strikes that had been effective just a moment ago were now being blocked time and again.

‘Damn.’

Though he had momentarily struck at openings and seized the initiative, that advantage unfortunately didn't last long.

Beggar Union was originally known to have the weakest average martial prowess among Ten Great Sects, but these were still elders he was facing. Worse, they were fighting back in numbers several times greater, making it impossible to maintain the upper hand from the start.

“No, the more I think about it, the more unfair it feels! Why is it that we’re always stuck in these kinds of fights!”

“Shut up and fight, you bastard!”

“I know!”

Jo-Gol grit his teeth.

‘Still, we can hold on for now!’

They weren't surrounded, and it helped that the elders couldn't fully focus on their fight with them.

On their side, they could fully trust Chung Myung’s strength, but the elders didn’t have complete faith in Lone Tiger Divine Beggar.

“Eek!”

Jo-Gol quickly lowered his head and dodged the flying short staff. Several curls of his hair were sliced clean off by the blue energy on the staff and scattered through the air.

"Haap!"

At that moment, Yoon Jong quickly stepped forward in Jo-Gol’s place. He had perceptively noticed Jo-Gol’s breathing becoming momentarily disrupted and took his place.

Thanks to that, Jo-Gol got a brief respite and quickly looked around while catching his breath.

‘We can’t hold out for long!’

But that was fine. Their goal wasn’t to win anyway. If they could just tie up the elders’ feet like this, Chung Myung would surely take care of Lone Tiger Divine Beggar.

Just as he renewed his resolve and was about to charge forward again, Jo-Gol froze.

"Hm?"

Something had caught his eye. A look of suspicion crossed his face.

‘What’s that?’

He felt a strange sense of unease from the battle happening on the other side.

Kaaang!

An incoming short staff and a plum blossom sword clashed violently in mid-air. The sword, overwhelmed by the force, was pushed back abruptly.

‘Pushed back?’

Why?

Jo-Gol had already experienced the power and weight behind the elders’ staff strikes. They were certainly strong, but absolutely not to the degree of being pushed back so easily.

But that plum blossom sword was now unable to handle the staff's force. Moreover, neither sharpness nor strong momentum could be seen in its movements.

“Sasuk...?”

Moreover, he couldn't help but be surprised because the owner of that unsteady sword was Baek Cheon.

“Sa- Sasuk!”

That wasn’t Baek Cheon’s sword. Baek Cheon’s sword that Jo-Gol knew was smooth, exquisite, and grand beyond compare.

But before the panicked Jo-Gol could even run towards him, something happened.

Kaang!

The sword struck by the staff couldn’t overcome the rebound and bounced upward for a moment.

“You bastard!”

Through the opening that was created, a short staff imbued with blue energy plunged in without mercy.

Peoeok!

Jo-Gol saw it.

The sight of Baek Cheon's body, struck in the chest by the flying short staff, crumbling on the spot as if it were a lie.

"Sa...."

He saw the sight of the short staff dropping straight down toward the back of Baek Cheon’s head as he toppled forward.

“N- Nooooooo!”

A desperate scream burst from Jo-Gol’s mouth, far too late.

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