Return of the Mount Hua

Think of it as an honor, greenhorn. (2)

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“Eek! Die!”

A throwing spear flew rapidly towards Namgung Pyeong’s throat.

Instinctively realizing that he couldn’t block it, Namgung Pyeong tightly closed his eyes. But then…

Kakang!

From somewhere, a sword flew like a streak of light, forcefully intercepting the throwing spear aimed at Namgung Pyeong. Without losing momentum, the sword pierced through the neck of the enemy holding the throwing spear.

Fwoooosh!

Namgung Pyeong stared dumbfounded at the blood spurting from the enemy’s neck.

“Step back.”

“…”

“Step back.”

“Yes? Oh… yes!”

Namgung Pyeong responded in surprise. The female swordsman who had silently protected him stood firmly in front of him.

And it began.

“Oooooo!”

Like a landslide.

Just like soil pouring down a steep slope, the black wave surged through the opening among the enemies.

The black wave, contrasting with the white swords, cut through the air like the wind.

For the enemies who had been overwhelming Namgung clan, it was a catastrophic sight.

Everything in the world is relative. From Namgung Clan’s exhausted perspective, the approaching enemies were like fierce beasts, but in front of the advancing wave of Hwasan’s disciples, they were nothing more than drifting leaves.

Paaaat!

Young swordsmen who surged forward unleashed their swords. Like a single person wielding them, the dozen or so swords followed the same trajectory, piercing coldly into the chests of the enemies who couldn’t find a way to escape.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Like dogs… ugh…”

The eyes of the enemies who witnessed their comrades being instantly defeated before their eyes filled with terror.

Those who follow profit tend to become more ruthless and aggressive than anyone else when they gain the upper hand. But when their own lives are in danger, they become bigger cowards than anyone else.

It’s only natural. What’s the point of enduring on the battlefield where one’s life is at stake if you value your own life above all else?

Unfortunately for them, there was someone here who understood the nature of such people better than anyone else.

Thump!

Someone stepped forcefully and shouted, “Destroy them!”

Before the words even finished, five streams of black sword energy soared into the air.

Baek Cheon, Yu Iseol, Yoon Jong, Hye Yeon, and even Jo Geol, who had given his all to catch up with them, moved as if they had become extensions of Chung Myung’s sword, carrying out his will.

“Attack!”

At Baek Cheon’s command, from the four of them, red plum blossoms bloomed in unison, unlike the practical swords they had displayed until now. It was an incredibly extravagant sword technique, as if they intended to cover the whole Maehwado with plum blossoms. Countless plum blossoms bloomed gracefully from the swords of these four.

And at the center of it all…

“Ah-mi-ta-bul!”

With a majestic invocation, a burst of golden energy erupted. It was the Universal Illumination of Buddha’s Light, illuminating everything with a resplendent glow. The sight of the majestic Buddhist light rising amid the sea of red plum blossoms that surrounded Namgung Clan was truly overwhelming.

Parralack!

The plum blossom petals soared through the air like a tempest, raining down upon the enemies. The enemy frontline had met with waves of golden energy.

“Aaaaaah!”

Those struck by the Buddhist light cried out in pain.

“Aargh! My arm!”

“Crack…”

The enemies were in agony as they were struck by the Buddhist light and the falling plum blossoms.

The sharp plum blossom sword energy that engulfed them forced the enemies to scream in agony. Despite their light appearance, the sword energy petals were incredibly sharp, capable of cutting through flesh just by grazing it and shattering bones when struck directly.

In the densely packed battlefield, these deadly plum blossom petals showcased their full power. Others weren’t just spectators.

“Protect Namgung!”

With Baek Sang’s shout, Hwasan’s swordsmen rallied their strength and struck the ground with force. Charging like a wave, they impaled the terrified enemies, pushing them back.

“Urachaaaa!”

Paaat!

Baek Sang’s sword pierced the enemy’s chest right in the center, rendering them powerless. He promptly withdrew his sword and charged towards the next enemy.

Though one enemy, in their final act, managed to throw a harpoon at him, Baek Sang paid it no mind.

Kakang!

Gwak Hwe’s swift strike deflected the harpoon . Baek Sang knew he had a job to do, and he had full faith that those following him, his Sajes and Sahyeongs, were more than capable of carrying out their tasks. There was absolutely no reason to doubt them!

“Keep your head cool.”

At that moment, a voice echoed in Baek Sang’s ears, causing him to shudder.

“Yes, Sasuk.”

Swoosh!

After effortlessly dealing with an enemy who had targeted Baek Sang, Un Geom with his calm eyes surveyed the surroundings. His gaze had a calming effect on his disciples, who had become agitated amid the battle’s heat. Their fiery spirit subsided, and they once again showed cold determination in their eyes.

Thump!

At that moment, the soaring Ogeum descended like a protective shield around Namgung, guarding his surroundings.

“What the hell! Are you trembling at just their numbers? Crush them right away! Ugh!”

One of the pirates, who had been about to rant and rave, couldn’t complete his words and fell backward. A deep blue sword wound marked his forehead.

Of course, that wasn’t the end.

“Aaaargh!”

“Ouch! My face! My faaace!”

Once again, a downpour of sword energies caused a part of the encircling enemy formation to collapse. Their shoulders were so tightly packed that there was no way to avoid this.

The pride of the Surochae, their sheer numbers, had become a hindrance. Ironically, from the standpoint of the defending side, there couldn’t be a more convenient battle.

The enemies charging forward were all decimated by plum blossom swordsmen. They only needed to scatter their sword energy as they pleased in any direction they desired. On a battlefield where defense was unnecessary, the Tang clan exhibited maximum efficiency.

“Hmm,”

Tang Gunak, his gaze as cold as the first time he encountered Chung Myung in the past, observed the enemy and uttered his words as if he was spitting them out.

“Show these guys what true pain is.”

“Yes!”

Upon receiving the order from their leader, the Tangga’s disciples swiftly waved their hands. With every hand drawn out from their sleeves, agonized screams poured out from the enemy’s mouths.

The swordsmen of Namgung, who couldn’t believe this situation and couldn’t let their guard down for a longest time, sat down in disbelief as they stared at the Hwasan and Tangga.

“They… came…”

“Really… reinforcements have arrived…”

They couldn’t bring themselves to say,

“We survived.”

They knew it all too well. Occupying this island was by no means the end. They had to escape this island to truly survive.

But that was a logical thought, and what their hearts were saying was entirely different.

They turned their gazes towards Namgung Myeong. No, to be precise, they gazed at the one who had collapsed unconscious in Namgung Myeong’s embrace.

As he looked at the collapsed Namgung Dowi, no matter how hard he tried to hold back, his eyes kept tearing up, and his vision blurred.

“Young Lord…”

How many sacrifices did he make? To become a ragged body and suffer such torments was a minor matter.

For the sake of saving them, Namgung Dowi had even sacrificed Namgung Hwang, who was both his father and lord.

Thinking about what emotions Namgung Dowi must have had to come this far, he couldn’t muster the courage to face him. And yet, it was Namgung Dowi who had finally led the reinforcements here, and now those people were protecting them.

“Push forward!”

Hwasan and Tangga. Who would have imagined that they would come running for Namgung’s sake? Even the Gupailbang had abandoned them. Odaese-ga [Five Great Families], whom they had believed in as their blood brother, hadn’t shown their faces here.

But Hwasan and Tangga, who had nothing to do with them, stepped into Maehwado without any conditions, all for their sake.

They knew how dangerous this place was, yet they had come, willing to face all the risks to save Namgung Clan.

How could one express this emotion?

“Rise and take up your swords!”

At that moment, Namgung Myeong held Namgung Dowi and shouted loudly.

“If you still have the strength to hold a sword, then get up even if you have to use all your powers! You are Namgung’s warriors. Just because you receive help, do you intend to sit down and wait like cowards? If sacrifices are needed, we will make them, and if blood needs to be shed, we will shed it! Don’t take their determination for granted!”

His words struck everyone like lightning, snapping them back to their senses. Their eyes regained their fierceness.

Trembling, the Namgung’s swordsmen managed to rise to their feet and staggered forward, aiming to join the Hwasan’s swordsmen surrounding them.

Seeing this sight, Chung Myung couldn’t help but smile wryly.

‘At any rate, they are not cowards.’

These people, weary as they were, didn’t just sit idly and wait for help to arrive.

‘Well, that’s Namgung for you.’

From the beginning, Namgung family had been unrivaled, driven by nothing but their pride.

Chung Myung’s cold eyes surveyed the battlefield. The heat of the intense battle could consume anyone. Both the side with the advantage and the side at a disadvantage were ultimately swept away by this tide.

But Chung Myung’s eyes were sharper than ever, encompassing the entire battlefield.

This war had already ended.

No, in truth, it had been over from the beginning.

The people who had given up hope of reinforcements ever coming to the Maehwado were suddenly confronted with the unstoppable force of Hwasan and Tangga.

In a proper battle where both sides could fully utilize their power, Surochae would never have been a match for Namgung Clan’s forces.

Surochae had won by pushing Namgung into a situation favorable to them. Now, Maehwado had become a battlefield advantageous to Hwasan and Tangga. All that remained was to be swept away.

‘Unless…’

Quaaaang!

At that moment an eerie sound like a huge rock rolling down a mountain rang through the battlefield. Baek Cheon’s head jerked sharply to the side.

‘What’s going on?’

But all that was visible were everyone the terrified and retreating. However, Baek Cheon’s instinct was faster than his thoughts.

Thump!

With a decisive stomp on the ground, he launched his body forward. Just as he did, the bodies of the enemies in front of him were torn apart, and a fierce, dark blade flew towards Hwasan’s swordsmen.

“Aaaargh!”

As if he knew what was happening, Baek Cheon blocked the oncoming sword strike and swung his sword with all his might.

Quaaaang!

Baek Cheon’s body, which had twisted the blade aside, was catapulted backward like a lightning bolt. After hitting the ground once, he rebounded into the air. Hwasan’s disciples screamed in horror at the sight.

“Sasuuuuuk!”

“Sahyeong! What the hell is this!”

Baek Cheon flipped in mid-air and landed on the ground with a thud.

Thud.

Sitting on the ground for a moment, he planted his sword into the earth and used it to support his body.

Fresh red blood trickled from his lips.

“This…”

Baek Cheon’s eyes turned bloodshot. He didn’t care about his own physical condition anymore. He was on the verge of losing his sanity due to anger.

“This son of a bitch…”

How… How could someone throw a blade at the backs of their subordinates!

“This…!”

Something caught Baek Cheon’s attention clearly.

A vivid crimson path formed from the corpses of Surochae who had just been killed and the flowing blood. At the end of that path, amidst the enemies…

“…These little bastards.”

The Black Dragon King, whose hair was soaring with anger, approached with a terrifying pace that seemed capable of crushing the earth.

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