Return of the Mount Hua

Think of it as an honor, greenhorn. (5)

ROTMHS Glossary || About page

The side wounded by the sword throbbed, and soon, excruciating pain surged.

The Black Dragon King was far from a fool. His actions and harsh words were to some extent intentional. Unlike his external demeanor, his rationality mostly saw the harsh reality.

But right now, if it weren’t for the throbbing pain in his side, he might have doubted if this situation was a dream.

‘I couldn’t see him.’

That guy’s presence and that sword, both gone unseen.

‘Complacency?’

It was a laughable thought.

The Black Dragon King had resolved to use all his power. In a situation where so many were watching, he had to display an overwhelming presence and turn the tide of the battlefield toward the Surochae’s side. There was no room for complacency when a task had been assigned.

Yet, he didn’t see anything. At all.

‘How…?’

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

If that was the case, it meant his speed truly exceeded what he could perceive. Could a mere novice surpass someone who was experienced like him?

‘It’s impossible.’

It was an impossible thing.

The fact that the Black Dragon King was not a fool made it even harder to accept.

There is always a limit to everything in the world.

A tiger tearing apart a house-sized bear or crushing rocks might be possible. Perhaps, once in a thousand years or once in ten thousand years, such a beast could emerge.

But doesn’t a tiger that soars in the sky transcend the category of a “beast”? People can imagine unruly beasts on the ground, but they do not imagine tigers flying in the sky. That’s common sense.

To accept Chung Myung’s existence as he saw it now was no different from asking him to believe that there is a tiger that soars through the sky, striking down lightnings.

Throb! Throb!

His instinct and wounds screamed at him to step back from the opponent.

But his rationality was shouting loudly that he must not show weakness in this place.

In the fierce battle between instinct and reason, the Black Dragon King couldn’t grasp what reaction he should display.

Swish.

Chung Myung, turning around with his the sword, walked toward the Black Dragon King.

T- twitch.

The Black Dragon King found himself desperately trying to hold back his foot, which seemed to want to move backward unconsciously. Would the renowned Black Dragon King step back against such a novice? Even if Chung Myung were to tear him apart and kill him, the shame would never disappear.

‘What are you thinking?’

He clenched his teeth.

Strong or weak, what did it matter in the end?

He couldn’t retreat now. If he withdrew here, he would lose the right to be called the Black Dragon King. Surochae would be torn to pieces, everyone would mock him, and he would be haunted by ridicule for the rest of his life.

Evil sects could be ruthless if needed, but he must never become a laughingstock.

Kwoong!

With renewed determination, the Black Dragon King forcefully struck the ground with his blade. He held it firmly with both hands, aiming it at Chung Myung.

“Huwook!”

Forget everything. What this guy’s skills were like in the past, how he became so strong in just three short years—none of that mattered in this battle.

The only thing he needed to think about was how to kill him!

Oooooooom!

When you can’t gauge your opponent’s full power, the best course of action is defense. But the Black Dragon King charged forward instead. His judgment was not to get dragged into the opponent’s flow.

With the massive Guandao in hand, his explosive charge alone was intense enough to take one’s breath away. The dark aura emanating from the tip of the sword captured everyone’s attention.

However, this fierce momentum seemed to have no effect on Chung Myung. Even as he saw the Black Dragon King charging fiercely, his eyes remained as they were from the start.

Even his walking seemed unaffected, and there was no change in his stride. It was like his two eyes couldn’t see the Black Dragon King’s figure.

Kwaaaaah!

The pressure of his aura shook the entire island. With all his inner strength in his Guandao blood spurt from his wounded waist, the Black Dragon King collected everything without waste. He twisted his body and brought down the blade with all his might.

Paaaaaah!

At the sound, shivers ran down the spines of everyone present.

It wasn’t just momentum or inner strength. His inner strength was entirely contained within that thrust, without a trace leaking outward. So, the roaring sound was purely the result of the Black Dragon King’s physicality.

His highly trained body, like rubber, possessed incredible elasticity as it rotated fiercely, fully channeling his power into Guandao. Just this process alone was creating a storm with his body.

And that blade, filled with the power of his body and inner strength, descended like it would split heaven and earth in two. It was an incredible sword energy aimed directly at Chung Myung’s head. The speed was staggering.

A sword so great that even Baek Cheon, who was watching, had to clench his fists and tighten the muscles of his entire body.

‘That guy!’

However, in that moment, a sense of bewilderment crept into the Black Dragon King’s eyes.

Despite the Guandao falling as if it would cleave his head in two, Chung Myung showed no reaction. There was no movement to evade, no effort to block.

He simply looked at the descending blade with eyes that seemed to be observing, utterly indifferent to the Black Dragon King.

And that was the moment.

The sword that had been hanging low suddenly shot up like lightning, not towards his head but toward his descending blade.

The Black Dragon King instinctively amplified the amount of aura being pushed into the Guandao.

Kwoong!

It was a sound that echoed not externally but within the Black Dragon King himself. The impact was so dull and profound, it had penetrated his entire being at that moment.

But that was it. The power contained in Chung Myung’s sword was too feeble to block his blade.

‘Just a bit!’

With the force to slice Chung Myung from head to toe, he exerted strength on the weapon he clenched in his hand.

But, to his surprise, his opponents sword, which had been clashing with him, was thrown away like a leaf in a storm.

Yet, at that very moment…

Paaaah!

The sword that had been thrown away flew back like a gleam of light and clashed with the Black Dragon King’s sword again.

Kwoong! Kwoong! Kwoong!

Inside the Black Dragon King’s ears, the deafening and massive rumble erupted repeatedly, not from the outside but from the inside.

The source of that rumble was none other than the handle he held. His weapon was vibrating at an incredible speed, causing his body to resonate like a massive drum.

“This, this is…!”

The Black Dragon King stared intently.

It may have been a mere blade, but it was not something that could be dismissed so easily. The sword, far from being just a simple sword, was painting countless traces in the short distance between the Guandao and Chung Myung.

It was like a meteor shower, shooting up from the ground to the sky. Like the fleeting flashes of stars in the night sky, the fantastical traces drawn by this swordsmanship were assaulting the Black Dragon King’s blade.

The power contained in each strike of the sword could not be compared to the his own. However, before the energy from the first strike had dissipated, the second strike collided with his sword, and before that force could transmit through his body, the third strike came.

This continued for dozens of strikes.

As if breaking a moment into dozens of fleeting instants, when the cumulative force of these strikes gathered at the center of the Guandao’s blade, everyone’s mouths dropped open.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The Black Dragon King’s weapon was thrown away.

Enormous Guandao. It was none other than the weapon wielded with all his might by the Black Dragon King that clashed with the slender blade and was sent flying, creating a surreal scene.

However, the one experiencing this shock most extremely was none other than the Black Dragon King himself. His eyes widened as if they were about to tear apart.

Kwong!

Before the shock could even reach his head, the Black Dragon King slammed the ground. His instincts alerted him to the danger of staying within striking distance of his opponent once he lost control of his weapon.

However, his opponent was Chung Myung. As he pushed back and began to retreat while hitting the ground, Chung Myung instantly followed him.

Sweesh!

Eventually, the Black Dragon King’s thick pectoral muscles were sliced apart by Chung Myung’s sword with disconcerting ease. He keenly felt the sensation of his chest being split open.

But there was something even more chilling.

The twisted corners of his eyes, the lips that curled up, exposed white teeth – when the Black Dragon King saw these, it felt as if the blood in his entire body had gone ice-cold.

Unable to contain himself any longer, the Black Dragon King let out a convulsing scream.

“Aaaargh!”

The Guandao, which had been thrown away, once again surged towards Chung Myung’s head.

In that moment, Chung Myung’s sword swiftly plunged into the Black Dragon King’s wrist, who clasped the handle in the center.

Thunk!

Steel-like muscles tore, sharp metal dug into bone. But beyond the chilling sensation, something even more profound pierced the Black Dragon King’s chest.

But…

“Aaaaaaaargh!”

The Black Dragon King is the Black Dragon King, after all. He wielded Guandao with an intention to slice through Chung Myung, paying no heed to the sword lodged in his wrist, as if saying he would cut his enemy apart no matter the cost.

However, in that moment, the Black Dragon King had to realize something.

There must certainly be someone even more insane in this world.

Thunk-thunk!

Something prevented the falling blade halfway. Realizing the identity of what had blocked his sword, the Black Dragon King widened his eyes.

“A hand?”

Using his left hand, Chung Myung had stopped the blade he had swung. Chung Myung’s hand was brutally shattered, blood spraying out like a fountain. But between the blood, Chung Myung’s eyes remained as cold as ever.

Thunk!

Unhesitatingly, the sword that had been lodged in the Black Dragon King’s wrist came out, pouring forth dozens of sword energies.

He instinctively tried to pull his long spear. However, the hand clinging to the sword refused to let go easily, as if glued to it.

“This damn dog!”

The Black Dragon King raised his inner strength and pushed it out into the blade. The hand gripping the sword was torn and ripped as it was forcibly pulled away.

But the Black Dragon King knew that he had to pay the price.

As the battle raged on, Black Dragon King’s body bore the brutal consequences of Chung Myung’s relentless attacks.

Thunk!

A vivid red line was carved into his upper arm.

Thunk!

The sword energies that penetrated his thigh severed all his muscles.

Thud!

The sword that pierced his side created a gaping hole in his steel-like abdomen.

Intense pain began to spread throughout his body.

“Ugh, aaargh!”

Once again, the image of the sword piercing his abdomen was clear in the Black Dragon King’s eyes. His face flushed with desperation. He concentrated his inner strength on his abdomen and squeezed the sword embedded in his belly. Then, he pushed Chung Myung away, thinking,

‘Without the sword…’

He looked at the Guandao hurtling towards his face, and a faint smile crossed Chung Myung’s lips.

A moment later, something the Black Dragon King had never imagined happened. Chung Myung released the grip on the sword stuck in the Black Dragon King’s belly.

‘What?’

Shock and disbelief painted the Black Dragon King’s face as he witnessed Chung Myung letting go of the sword stuck in him.

He reached out his battered hand and caught the Guandao the Black Dragon King had launched. His hand, partially mangled, struggled against the pressure, and it ultimately tore apart, spattering blood and flesh.

The Black Dragon King’s jaw dropped in utter astonishment at the unexpected turn of events. Chung Myung had caught the spear with a hand that was barely holding together.

However, the next moment, what the Black Dragon King saw was Chung Myung’s knee flying towards his face.

Kwaaaang!

The Black Dragon King was sent sprawling, blood splattering as he crashed into a sand dune. The island fell into eerie silence as if all life had been sucked out of it.

Cough!

Coughing up blood, the trembling Black Dragon King managed to raise his upper body. Even then, his enemies’ sword was still impaled in his belly.

‘…Insane… this guy is insane…’

Where else in the world could one find someone like this? Even the most wicked Sapa wouldn’t fight like this, throwing their own bodies around like that. This was, without a doubt, the behavior of a madman.

In his hazy vision, he saw Chung Myung examining his left hand, which was in a sorry state. He nonchalantly wiped the blood flowing from his hand as if it were bothersome.

“The sword.”

As Chung Myung words trailed off, a white-bladed sword flew over. He reached out and caught the flying sword with a slight smile.

“Good.”

It was the Amhyangmaehwageom* [Chung Myung’s sword], the sword he had first thrown onto this island. Jo Geol had cleverly retrieved it.

He nodded, as if he liked the feeling of the sword in his hand. Then he glanced at the Black Dragon King again and shifted his footing.

Thud, thud.

With each step he took, blood oozed from his left hand and gradually stained the white sand beneath, creating a rather eerie scene.

“Get up.”

From Chung Myung’s mouth came a voice colder than a northern wind.

“Don’t hide behind the fact that you’ve got holes in your body.”

You think you know about war? You guys?

A twisted smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Let me tell you. The war you guys wage is nothing but child’s play compared to a real thing.”

Those who glimpsed the young madness in Chung Myung’s eyes lowered their gaze without even realizing it.

Next chapter >>>

________

If you want to support my translations you can subscribe to my Patreon. 50+ more chapters translated there! I try my best to provide accurate and easy to read translation. Your support will help me to keep posting!

________

*Amhyangmaehwageom – 암향매화검(暗香梅花劒). 암(暗) – as a first character in Tang Bo’s title Amjon. I want to talk about 香 – this is not just “fragrance/scent” it’s an incense. It’s kind of a specific name/smell. Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword is okay, but consider it has some nuance. I usually call it Dark Plum Sword for short, cause it’s very long to type and the author of the novel uses 암매검 (Ammaegeom – 暗梅劒) themselves.