Chapter 1401: That Was Amazingly Splendid. (1)

“Enemy ahead! Enemy, soldiers!”

“It is Mount Hua!”

“Mount Hua is attacking, Commander!”

A frantic, no, a desperate wail poured out.

But that cry did not reach Ho Ga-Myung. Frozen like a stone in place, he stared with wide eyes at the onrushing figures.

‘Why?’

Ho Ga-Myung, faced with something beyond the limits of his imagination, could think nothing, could make no response.

‘How?’

Why is the Heavenly Friends Alliance, the Mount Hua, here?

It shouldn’t have been possible to find them. Even if they had crossed the Yangtze, in this vast Southern land it would have been impossible to track their whereabouts. So how did this happen?

“Why…”

A stifled voice slipped out between his lips. What had been a mutter swelled and finally burst into a shout.

“Whaaaaat forrrrr!”

The whole forest echoed.

Footsteps shook the earth, and with that rumble a hundred Mount Hua disciples charged as one. The rage in their eyes poured out directly onto the Ten Thousand People Clan members who threatened Mount Hua’s swords.

No one had given orders. Nothing had been prepared in advance.

Yet everyone’s will to run toward a single place naturally formed their ranks into a single shape.

A wedge piercing the enemy. No, closer to a straight, thrusting blade, Mount Hua’s swordsmen formed a formation like a long spear and, with explosive force, drove toward the Ten Thousand People Clan’s encirclement.

“Oh, they’re coming!”

“B-b-block them… No! Get out of the way! Move! Move!”

Urgent screams burst out everywhere. But they soon had to face one-armed swordsmen who, like asura, let out a killing intent and charged.

“Oooooo!”

The Plum Blossom Sword, filled with red sword qi, carried boiling rage and struck the enemy’s neck.

Swoooosh!

A Ten Thousand People Clan disciple’s head, cut off with a face twisted in terror, shot into the air.

Having severed a life in an instant, Un Geom leapt into the enemy lines at an even greater speed.

“Break in!”

Kraaaang!

Hyun Sang slammed his foot into the ground and spread his sword. Red sword qi bloomed and spread like plum blossoms in all directions.

“R-retreat… Gyaaah!”

Ten Thousand People Clan disciples were helplessly pierced by the sword energy.

The two swords at the front were strong. And the swords of the Mount Hua disciples that followed were even more powerful.

Swoooosh!

Red sword qi kept bursting like fireworks. From above, it would look like red plum blossoms blooming in sequence along the path of the vanguard.

Truly a beautiful, fantastical sight.

But the beauty concealed a deadly blade.

Shick! Shick!

Each time the sword qi, fluttering like petals and seeming infinitely delicate, scattered in all directions, crimson wounds inevitably bloomed on the enemies’ bodies.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

A cold, blue killing intent rippled in the eyes of Mount Hua’s swordsmen.

Because they could see clearly what was before them: their sahyung, wounded all over the body and dying.

Crunch!

No one shouted insults at the enemy. No one cheered those around them. Instead, they poured their overflowing anger and hatred into their blades without reserve.

Even shouting was a luxury. There was only one thing they had to do now: save their bleeding sahyung-sajaes.

Swoooosh!

The honed red sword energy mercilessly ravaged the enemy. Mount Hua’s swordsmen, united as a single red blade, moved forward, only forward.

“D-damn, stop them! Don’t let them break through…”

Krrraak!

The one who had tried to shout in panic fell backward. A black poisoned dagger stuck in the mouth of the one who died without even closing his eyes.

“P-poison!”

“It’s the Tang Family! Aah! Bow your heads!”

Swoooosh!

They tried to reorganize their ranks somehow, but countless daggers flew from above and black poison dispersed, so there was nothing they could do. The Ten Thousand People Clan’s formation began to crumble.

“Provide cover! Don’t let Mount Hua gain a foothold over us!”

At Tang Zhan’s shout, the Tang Family members screamed at the top of their lungs.

In front, Mount Hua’s disciples fired like a single blade, while overhead the Tang Family launched hidden weapons and poison that scattered.

It was a truly vicious combination. Even a Ten Thousand People Clan at full strength would find it difficult to face this, not to mention the Ten Thousand People Clan who had nearly exhausted themselves pursuing from the Southern Island to here.

“Why, why are Mount Hua’s bastards here!”

“D-don’t push, damn you!”

Those trying to retreat, those desperately trying to fight, and the hesitant all tangled together as the formation fell apart.

Around the red-blooming Plum Blossoms, green flashes of light embroidered the air.

At that moment, a Ten Thousand People Clan disciple shouted.

“Damn it! Don’t panic, there aren’t that many of them…!”

Kraaaang!

But his body was swept away by a massive white sword qi that came from somewhere. Following it, swordsmen dressed in sky-blue robes appeared.

“Save the Young lord and the alliance members!”

“Acknowledged!”

A blue sky was cast over the Plum Blossom grove. The Namgung Family’s swordsmen, fitting the name of blue heavens perfectly, rushed with all their might toward the Ten Thousand People Clan disciples.

“Palace Lord! We’ve arrived!”

Following them came swordsmen in ice-cold white robes, and warriors of the Beast Palace led by Beast Palace Lord Meng So also charged in.

“Sweep away the Ten Thousand People Clan bastard!”

“Yes!”

With Meng So’s roar booming as if to echo to the heavens, the Beast Palace forces charged fiercely like predators hunting prey.

Those who called each other friends. Those who called themselves the alliance members had gathered here to protect those they must protect.

And then.

“Save Mount Hua’s Sword Saint! Now is the time to repay at least a bit of debt!”

“Yes!”

With Southern Island Sect Leader Geum Yang-Baek’s cry, the Southern Island’s disciples led by Gwak Hwan-So also charged with all their strength.

Though their bodies were already exhausted, those who spoke of chivalry with their mouths and of justice with their swords had duties they must perform even if it cost them their last breath.

United in one will, they surged toward the enemy like lightning.

“Damn it! Why are they here…!”

“Block them! Blo…”

Swords flew continuously toward the enemies who slashed like madmen.

Swoooosh!

A severed neck shot into the air. Hyun Jong gripped the Plum Blossom Sword tightly, having cut an enemy’s head off with a single, merciless strike.

His children were right there.

Bleeding all over their bodies.

Seeing disciples too weak to raise their bodies, a fierce anger unlike anything he’d ever felt before rose in Hyun Jong’s chest.

Who did this?

Who dared make those children bleed?

Swoooosh!

A sword steeped in immense internal qi cleaved a retreating Ten Thousand People Clan member in two at once. Warm blood splashed and stained the white hair, but Hyun Jong walked the blood-soaked path without hesitation.

This was the price for his hesitation.

The blood he should have shed was being shed by the children.

Really though, who are they? Who made those children bleed?

Kraaaaang!

The Purple Cloud Divine Arts unleashed at full intensity.

A tremendous sword qi fell forward, causing an explosion so massive it was hard to even stand.

Shick!

At that moment a blade flew from the flank and brushed Hyun Jong’s cheek. Skin split and blood spattered, but Hyun Jong felt not even the smallest pain.

What truly pained him was not wounds carved into this old body.

Each nick on the children’s bodies, every drop of blood spilled here, lodged into Hyun Jong’s heart like rusted daggers.

“Ugh, aaaah!”

Kraaaang!

Hyun Jong stomped the [N O V E L I G H T] ground after cleaving an enemy in two with a single strike.

“Cover the former Sect Leader!”

Mount Hua’s swordsmen moved in perfect unison to Hyun Jong’s left and right.

Their will was communicated without words. No order was needed; everyone looked to the same place.

“D-damn, stop…”

Krrrak! Krrrak! Krrrak! Krrrak!

Green flashes of light struck and pierced the skulls of those charging at Hyun Jong without fail.

Hyun Jong advanced through the collapsing bodies turned cold corpses. Red sword energy rose from his blade.

“Hyun Sang!”

“Yes!”

Martial Hall leader Hyun Sang became his sword and drove back the enemies.

“Un Geom!”

“Yes!”

White Plum Blossom Boarding Hall Leader, Un Geom became his shield and pushed away the attackers at once.

Hyun Jong advanced along that path—the path Mount Hua’s blades had pierced and Mount Hua’s shields had guarded. The path opened by everyone’s united will.

Kraaaang!

And Hyun Jong walked toward the path cleaved open by his own blade.

Step. Step.

Hyun Jong’s steps gradually slowed.

Step. Step.

And after a moment, his footsteps stopped completely.

Having broken through all who stood in his way to come here, Hyun Jong silently gazed at those before him.

His vision kept blurring. If he parted his lips even slightly, sobs, no, wails, would pour out.

“Ah…”

A dazed voice escaped someone’s mouth, as if they couldn’t believe the reality of Hyun Jong being here.

Step.

Hyun Jong stepped a little closer and gave a heavy pat to the shoulder his hand reached.

“Sect…”

Jo Gul stared at him as if spellbound.

“Sect le…”

Yoon Jong, Tang Soso, and Yu Yiseol as well.

Hyun Jong, touching the shoulders of disciples still unable to let go of their swords one by one, finally stood before someone kneeling on one knee at the very back.

He stood in silence and just looked for a moment, at Baek Cheon, clutching Chung Myung as if protecting him even in this state.

They say the chest feels torn; this must be what they mean.

Just as Hyun Jong reached out with a trembling hand, Baek Cheon flinched and moved. Hyun Jong’s hand stopped abruptly.

“I report to the Former Sect Leader…”

Even so, Baek Cheon managed to compose himself and saluted Hyun Jong.

“The Great Mount Hua Sect’s… Acting Sect Leader Baek Cheon, I could not fully… carry out the order, but…”

“…”

“…I carried the mission out without betraying Mount Hua’s will.”

Hyun Jong’s paused hand moved slowly again and then settled onto Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

A hand no longer trembling gently patted Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

“Amazing.”

“…”

“Amazingly splendid.” This time Baek Cheon’s shoulders trembled in small motions. Hyun Jong accepted that tremor as it was and nodded slowly.

A gentle smile bloomed at the corners of his wrinkled mouth. Tears gathered at his eyes and the kindly smile reassured those who saw it.

“Leave the rear to me and the sahyung-sajaes. We’re here now.”

Mount Hua’s disciples, smashing through the enemy, surrounded and escorted their wounded sahyung like bodyguards.

Seeing backs imbued with resolute will, Baek Cheon finally let go of what he’d been suppressing and suppressed again. His eyes grew hot, and tears streamed down his face already dried by blood.

“…I receive the command, Former Sect Leader.”

Just as Chung Myung was not alone, they themselves were not alone.

They were here. The place they had to go.

The place they were supposed to return to had come to them here.