This is the fight you started. (3)
The razor-sharp sword, sharpened to a frightening degree, precisely sliced through the center of the swirling blood droplets. It effortlessly drew a graceful line as it severed the throat of a pirate with his mouth agape.
Paaaang!
The strike was so perfect that there was no hint of resistance even at his fingertips. A feeling of dread fell into the hearts of the enemies who saw this scene.
No one would never understand the feelings of the pirates upon seeing this sword. Only those who had experienced it could truly comprehend. Those who had taken many lives understood. Taking a human life was never an easy task.
No matter how accustomed one was to killing, when it came to piercing a human’s vital points, there was always a small moment of hesitation or wavering. It was an instinct of humanity that could not be overcome by willpower or determination.
But there was no such thing with Chung Myung’s sword. Even in the moment of beheading a person, there was no hint of hesitation or trembling.
A sword capable of taking countless lives without hesitation.
The enemies who experienced what it meant to wield such a sword were left trembling with a chilling sensation in their blood.
“Ugh…”
So perhaps it was a fortunate thing. The fact that the sword did not allow the victim to even feel the full extent of their fear.
Crash!
Chung Myung charged towards the pirates, hitting the ground so hard that the deck shattered.
“Aaargh!”
Those overcome by fear screamed and convulsively launched their harpoons. It was not an attempt to strike down their opponent; it was more of an instinctual movement to block the opponent’s approach, a determination to not let them pass.
Regardless of intent, a scene where dozens of harpoons were flying towards a single person was undoubtedly terrifying.
Yet, the young swordsman, his eyes filled with an icy chill, merely raised the corner of his mouth in a smile as he looked at the dozens of flying harpoons.
Swish.
It was an almost surreal sight. Even as dozens of harpoons flew towards him, the swordsman, with a wry smile, calmly pierced through the tiny gaps between them.
Swish.
Through the forest of harpoons, he moved like a ghost, diving towards the minuscule openings. Chung Myung slightly deflected the harpoons coming at him from the side, twisted his shoulders to push aside those passing close to him. In this way, he navigated the forest of harpoons, creating space for himself.
The pirates widened their eyes in shock.
In that moment, they faced a demon swilling widely amidst the sea of harpoons.
Thunk.
The sword, aimed down and to the left, moved slightly forward.
What began slowly gained explosive acceleration, drawing a perfect straight line.
In an instant, the crimson sword strike severed the neck of one of the pirates, and then it swiftly flew towards another’s face. The enemy had no chance to flee and screamed like a wild beast.
Paaah!
No, he tried to scream. But before the scream could fully escape his mouth, Chung Myung’s sword beheaded him.
Five bodies were split in half in a single strike. The upper body, unable to withstand the power embedded in the sword, spun in mid-air. Blood sprayed like a rain from hell.
One sword strike took down more than a dozen lives. Seeing the severed lower bodies still spouting blood into the air, the pirates hesitated and staggered backward.
There were still dozens of comrades on their ship, but only one enemy. Yet, in the face of the carnage, what did these facts matter?
Chung Myung turned his gaze while being showered in splattered blood. On his still-red face, black hair clung with fresh blood.
His coal-black pupils stared at the enemies without revealing any emotion.
“Ugh…”
Chwaaak!
Finally, he wiped away the blood that clung to his sword and moved like a predator, searching for his next prey.
“Help us!”
Collapse was imminent.
The pirates screamed desperately, turning their bodies, sometimes stabbing their own comrades with harpoons without realizing it, and running frantically as if their lives depended on it.
There was only one thing on their minds:
‘I want to live!’
Being in the same space as that devil meant only death. The pirates who understood this had one sole task – to escape the clutches of the demon and survive.
When they fled, there was no thought of returning, no regrets. To those who had learned what true fear was, could they spare any thought for anything else?
With their heads emptied of all thoughts, they leaped out of the ship, wearing expressions that seemed to say that nothing else mattered as long as they could escape into the river. Once they plunged into the water, they believed that the demon couldn’t pursue them.
However, it was unfortunate that once the demon saw blood, there was no mercy.
Paaah!
Without hesitation, Chung Myung’s sword, which moved with uncanny speed, slashed through the backs of the running pirates. It struck their ankles as they pushed off the deck, and severed their spines as they fell.
Chwaang!
As Chung Myung hit the deck again and rose, he extended his sword’s energy, cutting mercilessly through the backs of the pirates leaping out of the ship.
The crescent-shaped sword energy sliced through the air, exacting retribution on those who dared to show their backs to him. Their agonizing screams echoed above the waters of the river.
Thud! Thud!
Unfortunately, the enemies were not happy when they reached the water they so desperately wanted to be, where the demon’s sword could not reach. Because the dead can neither be happy nor sad.
Plunge!
On the deck, Chung Myung’s eyes turned to the trembling enemy in front of him. He was unable to jump off the deck because his ankles were cut. He stammered, his face turning pale.
“Wh-what should we do, those who are running away…?”
To which Chung Myung chuckled,
“Are we supposed to show mercy to those who fight us to the death and then turn and run away?”
Chung Myung slowly approached him,
“You guys do whatever you want, that’s how it’s supposed to be, right? Because you’re pirates? And we have to abide by some morals?”
As he got closer, the pupils of the pirates’ eyes trembled.
“Of course, it’s possible. There are guys like that. But…”
With a swift motion, Chung Myung’s sword mercilessly pierced the pirate’s heart,
“Not me.”
The pirate looked blankly down at the sword stuck in his chest.
With a pull, as the sword was drawn out, his lifeless corpse dropped. Without any hesitation, Chung Myung, who confirmed that there was no one standing on the deck, leaped into the air and soared away from the ship.
And as he flew forward over the water, he twisted the corners of his mouth.
He wasn’t heading towards the Maehwado but towards another ship approaching the disciples of Hwasan and Sichuan Tang.
“These damn bastards!”
From the Black Dragon King’s mouth, rage exploded.
“What the hell are you doing! You worthless scum!”
His eyes turned bloodshot.
Those damn Hwasan guys were crossing these waters as they pleased, but the elite pirates under his command couldn’t stop them at all.
Arrows fired from above and harpoons thrust from below were of no use. Even the carefully arranged White Thunder Canons were being shattered in an instant. There was no way to understand how this could be happening.
Even Namgung Clan and even that Shaolin had feared the Surochae, and yet how could Hwasan overpower them in their own territory?
“The wooden planks!”
The Black Dragon King shouted until his throat was raw.
“Destroy the footing, you fools! Don’t confront them, break the footing! They’re nothing if you drag them into the water! Target the planks in front of them!”
His judgment was undoubtedly accurate.
Sometimes, very small factors can make a tremendous difference. It was clear that all of this situation had originated from the small wooden planks that Hwasan’s swordsmen were stepping on.
But no matter how sound the judgment, if it’s not swift, it’s meaningless.
The Maehwado that seemed distant to the point of being unreachable now felt within reach as they rushed like on a flat land. When the Black Dragon King shouted, the vanguard had already almost reached the island.
“These damn rats!”
The Black Dragon King raised his Guandao [a blade on a handle, a type of weapon], exuding an energy as if he would destroy the Black Dragon Ship.
Roarrrrrrr!
The aura at the tip of the Guandao began to grow. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Baek Cheon, who led the way at the front.
“Dieeeee!”
Swwwoooooooooosh!
His Guandao descended fiercely from above to below!
The energy erupted from the Guandao towards Baek Cheon. It was the very same weapon that had submerged the Sword Emperor into the flowing water. This Guandao, proving without a doubt why the name Black Dragon King reigned in terror upon this Yangtze River.
Swwwoooooooooosh!
The unleashed energy tore through the surface, creating a long line on the waters of the river with its sheer force alone.
The Black Dragon King was confident that this energy could change the situation. After all, with that nimble sword, there was no way to block it.
In that moment, Baek Cheon, who had been charging straight ahead, caught a glimpse of the flying sword energy. But that was it.
Despite clearly seeing the attack he continued to charge ahead even faster.
At that bewildering moment, the Black Dragon King swallowed his frustration in vain.
“Ah-Mi-Ta-Bul!”
A chant resounded.
A chant that could be heard anywhere in the central plains, but a chant that should never have been heard on the Yangtze River.
“What?”
Then, someone rose before the energy aimed at Baek Cheon like a beam of light. From him, a golden, majestic light radiated like the sun.
“Shaolin?”
The Black Dragon King widened his eyes.
Taaaaaaaap!
Rising Hye Yeon pulled back his clenched fist and struck it forward with all his might.
Woooooooooooom!
The White Heavenly Divine Fist collided with the energy aimed at Baek Cheon. The sword energy that had been heading straight towards Baek Cheon twisted upward, passed over Hwasan’s disciples and slammed into the Surochae’s ship that was encircling them from the opposite side.
Swwwoooooooooosh!
Aaaaaaah!
“Water’s flooding in! Stop it! The ship’s sinking!”
The power of the energy was indeed remarkable – it cleaved through the Surochae’s ship and allowed the blue waters of the Yangtze River to rush in like a whirlpool.
But the sight of the ship didn’t register in the Black Dragon King’s eyes at all. His gaze was solely fixed on one person who had been bounced back and thrown out by the aftermath of his energy.
That person wore black robes, just like the disciples of Hwasan. But even so, their identity wasn’t clear, was it?
There was only one question in his mind.
‘Why is Shaolin here? Why!’
But there was no one here to answer his shout.
Meanwhile, Baek Cheon, who ignored the Black Dragon King’s energy and trusted Hye Yeon, pushed forward even more.
Thunk!
A moment later, as if smashing the planks, Baek Cheon’s body soared into the air. Leaping over the rippling river, he turned into a black line and cut through the blue sky.
And finally.
Kwoooong!
Baek Cheon’s two feet touched the ground, not a wooden plank, right here, on the Maehwa Island.
“…”
The Surochae’s pirates who had confronted him at the edge of the island looked at him with dismayed faces.
As Baek Cheon, who had bent his body upon landing, slowly straightened his upper body, he spoke,
“Follow Sect Leader’s orders.”
“…”
“Defeat the pirates and rescue Namgung Clan.”
Baek Cheon raised his sword, aiming it forward.
“Defeat them all!”
In that moment, swordsmen who had arrived at Maehwa Island rushed past Baek Cheon and charged at the pirates.
“Aaaaah!”
“Take them down!”
From the tips of their swords, a crimson energy burst forth in unison. The energy soon bloomed vividly, like a fitting crimson plum blossom on Maehwa Island.
Truly beautiful and powerful.
Return of the Mount Hua 
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