Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 763

“Ugh!” Baek Cheon gasped, teeth clenched tight.

A thick, black liquid oozed down his hand, the one gripping the rough net. His skin, already pale, instantly blackened where it touched. The dark poison seeped into his sleeve, spreading like ink on cloth. A foul, chemical smell stung his nostrils.

“Don’t breathe it in!” Tang Soso shrieked, her voice cracking with fear. “It’s poison! Don’t breathe!” Her eyes were wide with horror and guilt, tears welling up. *It’s my fault,* she thought, her heart sinking.

She was from the Dang Family of Sichuan.

Of course, in the Sichuan Dang Family, which favored men, she couldn’t learn everything about poison. But because she was from the Dang Family, she knew more about poison than most fighters.

Yet, she hadn’t noticed the enemy using poison.

But really, it wasn’t her fault, even though she blamed herself.

If everyone could use what they learned perfectly in real fights, the Jianghu would be full of geniuses. She knew poison in books, but she had never fought someone using it. Learning is different from real fighting.

Being from the Dang Family, who made poisons, actually made it harder for her to think someone else would use poison against *them*.

“Ugh! This!”

“It’s getting through our clothes! Use your inner strength to block it!”

“Aaargh! This net has barbs!”

“Damn it!”

Groans came from the Mount Hua disciples.

They were confused.

They were good at fighting directly. They had always faced enemies head-on. But the enemies they had fought so far were those who fought fair.

Either attacking strongly or giving up. They were not used to enemies who used tricks, not just strong attacks.

“Venerable One!”

“I know!”

Hae Yeon gritted his teeth and raised his fist.

Kwahhh!

The strong punch shook the net, but because it was full of holes, the force was spread out, and it didn’t push the net away completely.

“Don’t give them a chance! Stab them!”

The bandits, seeing the Mount Hua disciples confused, rushed onto the net. Sharp awls, thin spears, and long claw blades (gloves with long blades) were perfect for stabbing through the net.

Swish! Swish!

Spears and awls stabbed through the net.

“Son of a…”

“These bastards! Ack!”

The Mount Hua disciples swung their swords to block the spears and dodge the awls, but the heavy net tangled them up, slowing them down. Every time they moved, the net grabbed and stretched their bodies.

The net felt hot where it touched, and they felt dizzy. If this continued, the result was clear.

“Jo Gul, Yoon Jong!”

“Yes, Sasuk!”

Even in that situation, Jo Gul and Yoon Jong heard Baek Cheon’s voice.

“Knock the net away! Just once!”

“Yes!”

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong looked at each other.

“Venerable One!”

“Hae Yeon! One more time!”

“Understood! Chaaa!”

Hae Yeon punched the net upwards.

Kwaaaaah!

The net, with the bandits on it, was too heavy. Hae Yeon’s punch was strong, and the net shook hard. The net, already hit several times, started to tear, making holes.

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong put their swords on the ground and raised their hands.

“Taaaah!”

“Hwaaaah!”

Blue energy came from their hands.

It was just the basic Bamboo Leaf Hand technique, but with their special training, it was strong enough to push the net up for a moment. It wasn’t as strong as Hae Yeon’s punch, but it worked.

“Hoo…”

Baek Cheon took a deep breath and lowered his sword.

“Not enough.”

Yoo Iseol kicked off the ground and jumped up.

Whoosh!

She spun her sword and threw it. It didn’t hit hard. The flat side of the sword hit the net with a thud.

Then…

Spin.

She flipped in the air and kicked the sword that was touching the net.

Wham!

The net flew higher. The bandits on it couldn’t hold on and rolled off.

“Hooo…”

Baek Cheon kept his eyes closed. He trusted his fellow disciples to give him time.

Baek Cheon opened his eyes and moved his sword slowly.

Gooooooo.

A beautiful sunset-colored energy formed a crescent shape and flew towards the net. It crackled with energy, leaving a trail of light.

“Sword Qi?”

“No, no! It’s Sword Essence!”

Kagaagaaga!

The burning Sword Essence tore the net apart. The force sent the torn net flying.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

“My face! Aaaargh! Help me!”

The bandits covered by the poisonous net screamed.

“Form a formation!”

“Yes!”

The Mount Hua disciples formed a circle around Baek Cheon.

“Hoo! Hoo!”

“Ugh…”

They escaped the net, but they looked bad. They were hurt by the bandits’ spears. The places where the net touched burned like fire ants crawling on their skin, making them gasp. They felt dizzy, like their feet were floating.

“Here!”

Tang Soso took out antidotes and gave them to her fellow disciples. Her voice was desperate, cracking with emotion.

“Well prepared.”

“It’s not much. It only helps for a short time. This poison is too strong to cure with this little pill.”

“It’s good enough.”

The Mount Hua disciples swallowed the pills. Tang Soso could handle it because she had the Dang Family’s poison resistance, even though she wasn’t very strong. But Baek Sang looked like he was about to fall over.

“Sang-ah, are you alright?”

“Don’t worry about me, Sahyung. I would rather hurt myself than be a problem for you.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. No one’s dying.”

Baek Cheon said, gritting his teeth.

*This is the worst.*

He never thought they would fall for such a trick. He had heard that disciples from famous families with little experience often died from the Demonic Sect’s schemes, but he thought that was just a story.

*Was I arrogant?*

Mount Hua had achieved a lot.

But they could do it because Chung Myung was there. Without Chung Myung, they would still be stuck in Mount Hua, barely surviving Jongnam’s control.

What made him so confident that he could do everything with just this group?

He should have been more careful. He should have remembered he was still new to this and needed to be very cautious, like checking each stone carefully before stepping.

Baek Cheon knew instantly he had made a mistake. It was too late now to regret his arrogance.

His hand, the one that had grabbed the net, was already swollen and throbbing. Even though he used all his inner strength and special pills to fight the poison, it was still spreading through his body.

Every moment they wasted made their situation worse.

But the problem was that they didn’t have the ability to break through those blocking their path in such a short time, and they couldn’t swim across the Yangtze River with the poison spreading through their bodies.

Rats in a trap.

That was exactly their situation now.

“Get out of the way.”

Then, the river pirates blocking the front parted to the left and right, and a man wearing a water-colored overcoat strode forward.

Standing before the disciples of Mount Hua, he spoke with a faint sneer.

“Looking good, you little whelps. You believed in your empty reputations as the Five Swords and strutted around.”

“⋯⋯.”

“The easiest to die in the Jianghu aren’t the nameless warriors. It’s brats like you who have just earned some fame. Those kinds of guys think they’re really something.”

He knew it was a provocation.

But each and every word pierced him to the bone. He knew the pirate was right. They *had* been arrogant, too confident in their Mount Hua name. Now, that arrogance might cost them their lives.

“If you surrender obediently now, I might spare your lives.”

Baek Cheon’s eyes wavered slightly.

Normally, he wouldn’t even give such words a second thought, but he couldn’t afford to do that now. Because if he resisted, it wouldn’t just be him who died.

“What’s that blue guy talking about? He’s showing how stupid he is.”

“Well, river pirates *are* stupid. But we shouldn’t make fun of people for being stupid.”

“⋯⋯Then, is he going to talk about our faces now? Because he’s not very good-looking himself.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t insult his looks. Let’s insult his personality instead. He doesn’t seem very nice.”

“Yes, I will.”

Startled by the blatant voices coming from behind, Baek Cheon turned around.

Jo Gul, with his sword slung casually over his shoulder, and Yoon Jong, standing next to him, smirked at him. Jo Gul’s seemingly silly comments hide his loyalty and bravery. Yoon Jong is calm and supportive, always by Jo Gul’s side.

“Why is our esteemed martial uncle being like this today?”

“The disciples of Mount Hua do not know how to retreat. Isn’t that right?”

“⋯⋯.”

These mudfish…

At that moment, Yoo Iseol, who had been standing silently, stepped forward and stood beside Baek Cheon. Then, Baek Sang also walked forward and aimed the Broken Pot Black Fish at the pirates with his sword. Yoo Iseol is silent and strong, showing her support through action.

“Junior brothers, fall back.”

“I’ll go first, you guys!”

Hae Yeon also stood beside Yoo Iseol with a gentle smile. Hae Yeon is peaceful and optimistic, even in danger.

“Amitabha. It’s not even over yet, friend, but you look too worried.”

“⋯⋯Venerable Monk.”

“That’s right! We just need to crush them all!”

Tang Soso, holding her sword, shouted bravely and stood next to Baek Sang. With Jo Gul and Yoon Jong standing to their left and right, everyone lined up around Baek Cheon. Tang Soso is brave and eager to fight, despite being young.

“First, we need to create a path of retreat to that cliff behind us.”

“Climbing cliffs is our specialty.”

“Amitabha. This humble monk is now about the level of a flying squirrel from Mount Song.”

“You’re still far off, Venerable Monk.”

“Agreed. Still far off.”

Listening to them whispering among themselves, Baek Cheon shook his head.

‘Those damned bastards.’

When their lives were on the line, they should at least be serious.

“Alright, you damned bastards. Let’s see you try to kill us.”

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

No matter how desperate the situation, he mustn’t lose himself. In that sense, everyone here was a better warrior than him.

When Baek Cheon also pointed his sword forward, the Broken Pot Black Fish grinned. It was a clear sneer.

“You’re a bunch of fools. You wouldn’t stand a chance even with healthy bodies, but with those bodies?”

“We might be fools. But I know one thing. Sometimes, you have to be a fool to live.”

“Hmph! Your mouth is still alive.”

The Broken Pot Black Fish snapped his fingers.

“Kill them all and throw them to the fish!”

“Yes!”

After giving the order, he retreated cautiously, never letting his guard down. Baek Cheon bit his lip.

‘Damn it.’

That pirate was very careful, much more cautious than Baek Cheon expected from someone in the Jianghu.

From the moment he stepped forward to the moment he retreated, he hadn’t shown a single opening.

If that guy had been arrogant and stepped up to fight directly, there would have been a chance. But now that he had left it to his subordinates and retreated, there was no more opportunity.

‘No, it’s not over yet.’

He would open a path no matter what it took. And he would definitely save his junior brothers and sisters. Even if he had to die in this place!

“Martial Uncle.”

“Don’t even think about saying nonsense! I’ll open the path.”

“No, Martial Uncle⋯⋯.”

“I said enough! Follow the Great Senior Brother’s words!”

“No, that’s not it!”

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon tilted his head and looked at Jo Gul. He thought Jo Gul was going to say something about opening the path, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Jo Gul looked at Baek Cheon with a tearful face.

“M-Martial Uncle! I keep hearing things!”

“⋯⋯Hearing things?”

“Yes. I shouldn’t be hearing it. That⋯⋯ that guy’s voice or something.”

Baek Cheon’s face twisted.

‘Geol, that guy, he was pretending not to be, but he was trembling inside.’

So, he must be hearing the voice of that guy who shouldn’t be here.

“Don’t worry. Even if I’m not as good as that guy, I can still open a path. So⋯⋯.”

“No, I really hear it!”

“What nonsense⋯⋯.”

At that moment, Baek Cheon’s body flinched.

“Huh?”

Ah, no. Right now⋯⋯.

“Wait. I think I heard it too?”

“Me too.”

“⋯⋯Is there another person in the world who can make such a nasty voice⋯⋯?”

The disciples of Mount Hua looked at each other. And right then.

“⋯⋯Aaaaargh!”

At the sound that pierced through clearly, the disciples of Mount Hua were startled, forgetting about the river pirates in front of them, and turned around. It was as if they had rehearsed the movement.

“⋯⋯What’s coming?”

“Looks like it, right?”

“⋯⋯What kind of ghost is that?”

It was clearly visible. From the distant center of the river, a small boat was heading towards them, creating a spray of water and approaching at an incredible speed.

“C-Chung Myung⋯⋯.”

“Yaaaah! You bastards! I thought you ran away on a boat, but why are you fighting on land! Aoh, I’m so pissed!”

Huh.

Heh heh.

Heh heh heh heh.

That’s right.

Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.