Return of the Mount Hua

I wanted to meet you. (4)

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Killing intent soon becomes rage, and rage becomes the momentum.

With bloodshot eyes, the Red Dogs surged towards Jo Geol in one breath and brought his blade crashing down.

There was no common battle cry, no rage-filled curses. It was a strike wholly committed to obliterating the enemy.

It was a chilling blow. It showed clearly how those called so-called ‘Red Dogs’, bearing a derogatory name, had become a symbol of terror.

However, the opponent also had more than enough ability to prove his own fame.

Kaaang!

A single light thrust of the sword deflected a blow capable of splitting a living person in two. For a moment, shock crossed Red Dog’s bloodshot eyes.

Paaat!

The swift sword that followed pierced straight through Red Dog’s shoulder. Had he not leaned his body back and twisted at that split second, it would have been his heart, not his shoulder, that was pierced.

“Keuk……”

A stifled groan escaped from Red Dog’s tightly shut lips.

It was not because of pain. Even if they were captured by the enemy and torn apart piece by piece, Red Dogs would never let out so much as a scream.

So, this groan was born of shock, not pain.

“I told you so.”

Pulling his sword out of the Red Dogs’s shoulder, Jo Geol smirked.

“When you see a dog butcher, you should run away. A wretched mutt like you.”

“You…”

The Red Dog ground his teeth. But contrary to his initial momentum, this time he could not recklessly charge in. Jo Geol watched this and sneered sharply.

“What’s wrong? Are you scared or something? Looks like Jang Ilso isn’t much good at raising dogs, either.”

‘One Sword Splitting Light… Jo Geol!’

There were few who knew Hwasan as well as Red Dogs did. Hwasan was an enemy of Jang Ilso. They had faced each other several times, clashing fiercely. One day, he would have to root them out for good. That was how Red Dogs regarded Hwasan.

Thus, this one believed he had perfect the knowledge of the skills of that man, called ‘One Sword Splitting Light.’

Until just a moment ago.

It took only a single exchange of blows for that thought to be utterly shattered.

‘Just how much stronger has he become in this short time…’

Swaaaak!

Before the thought could fully form, a ray-like sword energy burst from Jo Geol’s blade.

He twisted his body with all his might, but he couldn’t fully evade the sword energy. It tore through various parts of his body, leaving blood spraying from the gaping wounds.

Slaaaash!

Even from the sound of flesh being sliced, he could tell – it was certainly no shallow wound.

But there was no time to feel pain. If he lost focus for even an instant, that sword, akin to a viper, would sink its fangs into his vital points.

Slaaaah!

The sight of Hwasan’s distinctive red sword energy stretching out and surging in countless waves was chilling, like red rain falling from the sky.

‘Just once!’

The Red Dog gritted his teeth.

Just once. Only one chance is all it takes.

By nature, a swift sword leaves no chance to recover.

If he could just strike once, if he could break that continuous onslaught just once, he could drive his blade into that body. Just once!

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Flesh splits open. Fingers are severed. A slash above his eye leaves his vision dyed red, and a blade buried in his thigh severs a blood vessel.

‘Ha, just once!’

Kwaduk!

The sword lodged in his neck tore at it like a beast’s maw, drenching his clothing in blood in an instant.

“Ggrrh…..”

Just as a groan was about to escape, Jo Geol’s sword came flying towards the center of his face. With all his might, he threw his head back, and the sword passed just above it.

Or so he believed it had.

Suddenly, Jo Geol’s sword twisted like a venomous snake. Then it shot towards his upturned face, baring its fangs.

Chwaaaak!

Dark crimson blood shot into the air. The droplets of blood, scattered across the hazy sky, eventually spread out slowly.

Swiiish!

The sword that had slashed across his face spun in midair and came crashing down from above like a bolt of lightning. Sensing impending death, the Red Dog bit down hard on his lip.

But at that moment.

Kaaang!

A blade suddenly flew in and deflected Jo Geol’s sword.

Time, which had felt as though it were slowing, abruptly returned to its normal pace.

Losing his balance, the Red Dog collapsed to the ground.

“Huh-uhk! Huh… uhk!”

It was a struggle just to breathe. It meant that throughout that relentless series of attacks, he hadn’t even been able to gasp for air.

‘This is…’

His entire body was soaked in sweat. Had salvation not arrived just then, he would have been driven to the brink from start to finish – unable to land even a single proper strike – and ended up with his head chopped off.

It was truly an overwhelming disparity. Had One Sword Splitting Light, Jo Geol, always been this powerful?

“…Get up.”

What pulled him back to reality, his mind momentarily blank, was his comrade’s cold voice. He staggered to his feet.

Jo Geol rested his sword on his shoulder and whistled.

“Three people… no, three mutts. Am I considered a bigshot now?”

Looking at the three Red Dogs before him, Jo Geol smirked.

“But what to do? Three of you won’t be enough, I suspect.”

Even faced with such seemingly absurd composure and mockery, the three Red Dogs made no rebuttal. It wasn’t because they deemed him unworthy of a response.

Rather, they thought there might be truth to his words.

Though he was their enemy, they had no choice but to acknowledge it. Jo Geol’s sword had reached that level.

“You are strong.”

“Well, I can at least thrash three bastards.”

“But the entirety of Hwasan surely isn’t like you.”

“…”

That remark made Jo Geol’s gaze grow slightly sharper.

“Go on, raise a ruckus all you want. In the end, all your comrades are going to die anyway. Maybe I’ll enjoy watching that scene nice and slow, then see how you wail while you’re dying. That wouldn’t be so bad, right?”

For a moment, Jo Geol stood silently. Then his shoulders gave away a faint tremble, and he began to chuckle. Red Dogs’ eyes grew sharp.

“What’s so funny?”

“Ah, sorry. I called you a mutt to rile you up, but now I see your intelligence is even lower than that of a mutt. I guess I owe them an apology.”

All three Red Dogs’ expressions twisted.

“You bastard…”

“Even after all that, you still don’t get it? We’re always stronger than you think – no matter when.”

The Red Dogs’ heads wavered faintly.

They almost turned their gazes away, seized by the urge to see what was happening elsewhere.

“And one more thing.”

Jo Geol pointed his sword and gave a sly grin.

“It’s true that not everyone in Hwasan is like me, but your conclusion’s off. There’s no one in Hwasan weaker than I am.”

Hmm, is there maybe one? Jo Geol tilted his head casually and mumbled. All three of the Red Dogs ground their teeth.

“You arrogant wretch, you’re second to none at running your mouth…!”

Paaat!

Before the Red Dogs could even finish speaking, Jo Geol’s sword energy poured onto them. It was an impeccable strike, perfect in both speed and precision.

Claaang!

On reflex, they swung their blades to deflect the attack, but the next burst of sword energy was already right before their throats.

“Kuuk!”

All three Red Dogs were pushed back. 

Jo Geol watched everything calmly. Though in the midst of a fierce battle, he felt none of the heart-pounding thrill that normally raged like fire. Instead, he simply observed his opponents with unusual composure.

Not even a hint of a possibility of a defeat crossed his mind.

He himself could sense it. His sword had changed. Everything his body and mind had accumulated from crossing the brink of death time and time again was now gathering at the tip of his sword.

A slight leisure gave rise to this phenomenon.

He had always felt the need, yet had never been able to capture it. Now, he thought he understood why. He had always taken pride in leading the charge, but perhaps that was nothing more than arrogance born from not trusting what lay behind him.

He did not look around anxiously. He did not glance back. Even if it wasn’t Yoon Jong, Baek Cheon, Yu Iseol, Chung Myung, Soso or Hye Yeon – it didn’t matter.

All disciples of Hwasan are strong. There was no need for Jo Geol to protect them.

At last, his body found a sense of ease. Perhaps the term ‘prudence’ better described the awareness that now sharpened his entire being.

When his focus was wholly on the enemy, on himself, and on a single sword – something new began to take form within Jo Geol’s blade.

Swiiish!

It was fast enough, but compared to his previous swift swordsmanship, it fell slightly short, grazing the enemy’s flank.

‘This bastard..!’

For a moment, faint excitement flickered in Red Dog’s eyes.

A swift sword is also the hardest sword form to maintain. Those who believed that Jo Geol, who used that fierce quick blade, had just revealed a temporary limit rapidly shifted their weight forward. Their plan was to charge explosively and cut that body in half in a single stroke.

But at that very moment.

Parrrr!

A chilling yet familiar ripping sound reached their ears.

Shudder!

They knew what horrifying scene always followed that small, feeble noise. At least for those who bore the name ’evil’ that sound was more terrifying than the wails of vengeful spirits.

All three of the Red Dogs instinctively turned their gazes. Under normal circumstances, one would never look away from an enemy standing before them, but their instincts all screamed in unison: something was happening behind them.

At the moment they turned, they saw it – the sight of dozens of plum blossoms rushing towards them.

‘The sword energy that brushed past… from behind?’

Plum blossoms burst into bloom all at once, flourishing in abundance, as the word ‘resistance’ vanished from Red Dogs’ minds.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

Countless sword energies, transformed into petals, descended upon the Red Dogs.

Dozens of wounds were carved into their flesh – slash after slash, slicing and being sliced.

Each individual wound was not fatal, but once those wounds accumulated one after another, there was no escape from the impending death.

The brutally sliced Red Dogs trembled where they stood.

One of them opened his mouth as if to speak, but only dark red blood trickled out.

The shock in his eyes surged and receded, desperately attempting to convey his final thoughts.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Before long, the three of them… or rather, what must now be called three corpses, collapsed facedown.

With a single stroke of the sword, three Red Dogs had lost their lives.

For a moment, silence descended in his ears.

Jo Geol stared blankly at the scene, then looked down at his sword.

‘What… did I just do?’

He had grown stronger. But the Red Dogs were undoubtedly strong as well. They weren’t opponents who could be dispatched this easily. There was only one reason: the technique he had just performed.

It was clearly his own sword strike, yet he himself did not know what had transpired. It was the sword of Hwasan, and yet not the sword of Hwasan – a sword form he has never learned, an unknown technique.

‘What is this…’

He tried to replicate it, but the memory would not come. Only a hazy sensation remained, tingling at his fingertips.

Bang!

Just then, a thunderous roar erupted nearby, snapping Jo Geol back to his senses.

“Argh! Dammit!”

Jo Geol clutched his curly hair, as his face twisted in frustration.

Surely, he felt something like this before! Why is it that the spark of enlightenment only ever appears at moments like this?

“Ugh…”

But then he let out a long sigh and pushing away his distracting thoughts.

‘Not now.’

He had to let go of his lingering attachment.

If he had unleashed that sword technique once, then someday – if not now – he would be able to do it again.

Now wasn’t the time to chase after the vanishing sensation, but the time to fend off the swarming enemies.

‘Still, compared to before…’

He felt certain that something was becoming more distinct.

At the same time, he had a powerful premonition. If he could make this lingering sensation in his fingertips his own, he was sure he could reach a dimension entirely different from what he had known so far.

Of course, it was a far-off path.

“I have never thought it would be easy in the first place.”

As Jo Geol swung his sword broadly, he let the pang of regret spill out along with the droplets of blood. 

“Jo Geol of Hwasan Sect is right here, you bastards!”

He shouted it as a warning to his enemies, then charged forward.

The resolute confidence in his booming voice echoed louder than anything else amid the vast battlefield filled with so many warriors.

Next chapter >>>

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While ‘hazy sky’ was mentioned, I came to a thought that I had imagined it more like a clear sky. It feels like in these recent chapters everything finally starts paying off.

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