Even if it fades into ridicule. (4)
“Haah!”
White sword energy erupted in streams from Namgung Dowi’s sword. It was a heavily weighted aura.
Anyone with a good sense of martial arts could perceive that the energy in that sword had surpassed mere intimidation and reached the realm of dominating force.
The number of enemies was steadily increasing. The foes that had spread across the mountain to attack Wudang were now converging, not to attack Wudang, but targeting Cheonumaeng.
Yet Namgung Dowi could not retreat a single step.
‘I must hold out.’
For those on the cliff, the place Namgung Dowi defended was their only escape route. If he failed to protect this spot, Cheonumaeng would truly be besieged on all sides.
The immense responsibility imbued Namgung Dowi’s sword with an even heavier power. A true ruler is one who bears a burden no one else can share on his shoulders.
“Do not underestimate me! Haaah!”
Just as Namgung Dowi was about to swing his sword with all his might once more-
“Reckless.”
“Huh?”
Someone suddenly stepped in front of Namgung Dowi and swung their sword. The long sword scattered fragments of white sword energy into the air.
Namgung Dowi found himself momentarily captivated by the dazzling display of sword energy that spread out like a canopy covering the night sky.
It was magnificent. Yet, it was more than just magnificence.
Though it felt paradoxical, the dazzling white sword energy, scattered like snowflakes, conveyed a severity that contradicted its appearance. It was akin to the steadfastness of an ancient tree with deep roots.
“…Jin Geumryong?”
Namgung Dowi uttered the name of the person who had stepped in front of him. Jin Geumryong was the senior disciple of Jongnam, unanimously praised as the future Sect Leader of Jongnam. He was one of the ‘Five Dragons,’ a group of prodigies once considered the future leaders of Gangho alongside Namgung Dowi. And above all else…
‘Baek Cheon. Vice Sect Leader’s older brother!’
A man who could rightfully bear those numerous titles glanced back at Namgung Dowi. Although their eyes were astonishingly similar, the look in them was vastly different. It was remarkable how two brothers who resembled each other so closely could seem so different with just a difference in their gaze.
Jin Geumryong spoke,
“They say everyone with the Namgung surname is arrogant, and it seems that isn’t wrong.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Namgung Dowi’s face hardened.
“I mean there’s no need to act as if you must shoulder everything alone.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re not the only one here.”
Wooong!
As soon as he finished speaking, powerful sword energy surged from another direction.
The downward slash cut through, sweeping away the enemies charging toward them over the burning mountain.
“Ah…”
An involuntary exclamation of awe escaped Namgung Dowi’s lips.
How could one describe that sword energy?
It was powerful, yet not excessive. It was swift, yet not hasty.
The strength and speed clearly did not match Namgung’s, but that sword contained everything Namgung lacked.
At the core of this balance lay a gravity different from Namgung’s. It was not the heaviness born from the weight of a monarch but rather the gravity emanating from one who adheres to the duties of a swordsman.
‘That is Jongnam’s… the Thirty-Six Swords Under the Heaven [천하삼십육검(天下三十六劍)]!’
With a single strike, Jongli Gok had stopped the enemy’s advance and retracted his sword, assuming the low guard stance symbolic of Jongnam.
And at that moment.
Boom!
A massive figure the size of a mountain easily smashed the charging members of Sapaeryeon to the ground.
“How dare you!”
A beast-like roar erupted from the Beast Palace Lord, Maeng So.
As he leaped forward like a flying tiger and kicked the enemy’s side, his corpse, killed with a single blow, was flung like a cannonball into the enemy ranks.
Boom!
The ones who collided with the lifeless body were thrown in all directions, unable to even scream.
The overwhelming spectacle momentarily brought the flow of the battlefield to a halt.
“I couldn’t just stand by and watch,”
Jongli Gok said calmly, meeting Namgung Dowi’s eyes.
“And… it seems that command structure has become meaningless at this point.”
His gaze turned toward the cliff.
“Now they’ve abandoned the strategy and are climbing the cliff. What on earth are they thinking…?”
“That is what gives it meaning.”
Someone spoke as if in response, slowly stepping forward to stand at the front of Cheonumaeng like Jongli Gok.
“It’s something we wouldn’t dare imagine.”
“…”
Jongli Gok frowned slightly.
“Do you really think so, Shin Gae?”
“Of course.”
“You, of all people, should know that clever tactics aren’t always the answer.”
“That’s true. But always offering only the orthodox and right solutions isn’t the answer either…”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae glanced at Hwasan swordsmen climbing the cliff and gave a small nod.
“Now I understand.”
Jongli Gok’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was an enigmatic statement.
“Anyway, I take it that means we can go wild now.”
A deep blue aura enveloped his sword.
“Then, I won’t refuse!”
Swoosh!
Jongli Gok’s sword energy extended fiercely in all directions. At the same time, those standing behind him, emboldened by his presence, drove the enemy back.
Namgung Dowi’s shoulders involuntarily began to lower. The tension he had built up was beginning to ease slightly.
Jin Geumryong asked,
“Do you understand now?”
Namgung Dowi’s face flushed slightly. Despite knowing the other leaders were present, he had thought he needed to take charge of everything. Realizing how arrogant that was, he found it hard to hold his head up properly.
“I was rash, given that the division leaders are here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
Namgung Dowi blinked in surprise.
“Not the division leaders, but me. I’m here, so there’s no need for you to push yourself so hard.”
“…”
“Don’t waste your energy unnecessarily. Just guard the rear. I’ll handle the front.”
With those words, Jin Geumryong quickly turned his gaze and advanced, swinging his sword at the enemies.
Left behind, Namgung Dowi was too taken aback to say anything, his expression reflecting utter disbelief. Just then, someone passing by gave him a slight bow.
“Apologies. Our Sahyeong’s way of speaking is a bit… like that.”
“…”
“But in my opinion, Namgung’s martial arts seem quite taxing. We’ll take care of the front, so please handle the rear.”
“Huh?”
“Well then.”
The neatly dressed man offered no further explanation and quickly moved forward to stand beside Jin Geumryong.
Watching the scene in a daze, Namgung Dowi’s face slowly began to twist like a demon’s.
“Those…!”
He was beginning to understand why people at Hwasan would grit their teeth whenever they heard the name Jongnam.
❀ ❀ ❀
The cold wind swept between the two people standing merely three jang apart.
‘Poison King, Tang Gunak.’
Cold sweat trickled down Cheon Myeon Susa’s forehead.
One of Gangho’s foremost masters of hidden weapon arts was standing directly in front of him.
He couldn’t afford to look away.
The pain radiating from the short dagger embedded in his shoulder constantly reminded him that he must not take his eyes off this man, even for a moment.
Ordinary hidden weapon techniques were one thing, but the concentrated, penetrating strikes of Tang Gunak’s dagger were a bad match against his martial arts.
‘Damn it.’
Being distracted by those Hwasan bastards and failing to notice Tang Gunak approaching to this distance had been a critical mistake.
‘But I have to stop them somehow.’
What he had said to Baek Cheon earlier was not his true evaluation. It had merely been a ploy to break their morale.
Even without Hwasan Geomhyeop, Hwasan Sect was still a significant threat. He couldn’t allow them to climb the cliff. Not under any circumstances.
As the standoff continued, tense and unresolved, Baek Cheon suddenly kicked off the cliff, giving him no time to prepare a plan or brace himself.
‘That…!’
Cheon Myeon Susa’s eyes widened.
‘That madman!’
He was dead. Absolutely dead. If Tang Gunak’s dagger had been even a moment later, that Baek Cheon would have already been a headless corpse. And Baek Cheon himself knew this better than anyone.
He had narrowly escaped crossing to the other side, yet how could he charge in again without a moment’s hesitation?
The instant Baek Cheon moved, the rest of Hwasan, as if they had been anticipating it, simultaneously began climbing the cliff once more. It was a truly astonishing sight. Blood vessels popped in Cheon Myeon Susa’s eyes.
“Help Munju!”
At that moment, understanding the situation, Haomun’s members behind Cheon Myeon Susa leapt down the cliff without delay.
Hwasan surged upwards as Haomun descended, and around the two giants, Cheon Myeon Susa and Tang Gunak, the two forces rushed fiercely toward each other.
Swords swung and sliced, with blood splattering into the air. Someone’s scream stretched out, twisting into a grotesque sound. The impact of swords and blades colliding shook the skin, and the heat of sprayed blood washed over their faces.
The world seemed to move in slow motion.
Yet even in the chaos, Cheon Myeon Susa’s gaze remained fixed on Tang Gunak.
Then, one of his subordinates intervened, blocking the line of sight between Cheon Myeon Susa and Tang Gunak. But he still couldn’t move. Even if the view was obstructed, that presence was still there.
A white blade slowly emerged from the throat of Haomun’s member blocking the way. The droplets of blood spurting from the tip of the blade floated up, hitting against Cheon Myeon Susa’s face.
As the dying body tilted sideways, Cheon Myeon Susa had to witness it – Baek Cheon, drenched in blood, had somehow reached his feet.
At that very moment, Cheon Myeon Susa’s patience snapped.
Before he could even summon a shout, the force from his hand erupted towards Baek Cheon. It was an act of resolve. Even if it meant suffering a fatal blow from Tang Gunak, he was determined to cut off Baek Cheon’s breath.
But then, Cheon Myeon Susa clearly saw it.
Even in the face of impending death, which he had already brushed past once before, Baek Cheon, staring at him with unwavering eyes, showed no sign of fear.
Even Cheon Myeon Susa, who had tasted the bitterness of the world countless times, felt a chill run down his spine.
Crack!
Tang Gunak’s dagger pierced Cheon Myeon Susa’s outstretched hand.
But his hand did not stop. He had expected this much. Even if his hand was completely impaled, he had to end the life of this tenacious bastard.
However.
Boom!
A sword extending from behind Baek Cheon intercepted the hand that held all of Cheon Myeon Susa’s resolve.
The remaining force was blocked by two swords infused with crimson energy, as if to ensure that the person standing before him would never be harmed.
‘What…?’
And at that moment, Cheon Myeon Susa realized, or perhaps he was forced to realize, that Baek Cheon’s gaze was not directed at him.
Their gazes had missed each other. While Cheon Myeon Susa was looking at Baek Cheon, Baek Cheon was staring beyond him, somewhere else entirely.
In the instant that Cheon Myeon Susa understood this, Baek Cheon’s body leaped over him into the high sky above.
Thud.
In the peculiar silence, Baek Cheon climbed the towering cliff, and finally landed atop the summit of the White-Faced Cliff.
Those who had filled the summit halted their movements and watched him.
The surging members of Sapaeryeon, Wudang swordsmen on the verge of collapse, Jin Hyeon, Mu Jin, and even Heo Gong, who was gasping for breath on one knee, all stopped.
“Baek Cheon, Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan.”
His voice reached all their ears clearly and distinctly.
“We have just arrived.”
Woong!
His words were accompanied by the resounding cry of his sword.
________
The latest chapters of the novel – Patreon or Buymeacoffee – caught up to the ongoing there. Currently aligning my blog and my Patreon schedule-wise so the new schedule here soon too.
Return of the Mount Hua 
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