Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 968

Arrows rained down, and sharp harpoons shot up from the water.

They had to endure all of it on the Jang River.

The situation was terrible, much worse than just ‘unfavorable’. Yet, the Mount Hua swordsmen never slowed down.

It was as if the burning energy of those running ahead was pushing them onward.

Namgung Dowi ran with them, desperate not to fall behind in the intense heat. His heart pounded in his chest with fear and excitement.

‘This is Mount Hua.’

Namgung Dowi knew how difficult and frightening it was to face river pirates on the Jang River. The scars on his body proved it.

Yet, even in this dangerous situation, the Mount Hua disciples wielded their swords and ran as if they were on flat ground.

Was it thanks to the wooden plank?

‘Impossible!’

Splash!

Jogol yanked him sharply as he slipped sideways, misstepping on the wooden plank.

“Th-thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, just run! I’ll help you!”

“Yes!”

It might look easy.

But running and accurately stepping on small wooden planks floating on the flowing river was not easy. Just running wasn’t easy, but maintaining that speed was shocking.

If they hadn’t protected him, Namgung Dowi would have fallen into the water several times. Yet, while holding onto Namgung Dowi and running, they deflected arrows and quickly defeated the attacking river pirates.

How was this possible?

Their movements were amazing and scary. It looked like they had fought many times in places like this, where it was hard to even stand.

Yes, it was skillful.

It was unbelievable, but they seemed used to this kind of fight. What kind of training did they do to allow those of similar age to him to show such skill?

Did he not know the Mount Hua Sect well enough? Or did the world not know the Mount Hua Sect?

What they were doing now proved that people were wrong about them. People thought Mount Hua was just an ordinary sword school from Shaanxi.

‘No! No!’

Namgung Dowi bit his lip until it bled.

He shouldn’t judge them based on this alone. Even if everyone focused on their martial prowess, Namgung Dowi had to see something else.

They knew. The moment they jumped into the Jang River, they knew what kind of battle they would fight.

Therefore, what Namgung Dowi had to see was not their strength, but their courage.

The courage to jump into the rain of arrows without hesitation.

The courage to be prepared to be dragged down into the dark water and rush into the river swarming with river pirates.

Even if everyone else didn’t know, Namgung Dowi had to understand their courage.

So…

‘I won’t hold them back, even if I die!’

“Taat!”

Namgung Dowi fiercely swung his sword, deflecting the arrows. Seeing this, Chung Myung smiled even amidst the falling arrows.

“Not bad, bookworm!”

Namgung Dowi faced Chung Myung, gritting his teeth. Chung Myung grinned and said.

“Don’t fall behind, even if it kills you!”

“Yes!”

Paaah!

Chung Myung’s sword flashed like a silver lightning bolt, slicing the neck of a river pirate who leaped from under the water.

At the same time, his gaze quickly turned backward. He glanced at the Tang family and shouted without delay.

“Jogol, Senior Brother!”

“Got it!”

They didn’t need to say more.

Namgung Dowi didn’t understand what was happening, but the Mount Hua people seemed to understand each other perfectly without speaking.

Jogol, who had been running as if to protect Namgung Dowi, kicked off the plank and soared into the air. Like a raptor hunting for fish, he plunged powerfully beneath the surface.

Puh-oong!

With a splash as if a cannonball had fallen, Jogol jumped into the water, and at the same time, some of the Mount Hua swordsmen who had been running at full speed followed him straight in.

Without proper instructions, some jumped into the water while others continued to run forward without even looking.

‘What is this?’

A moment of bewilderment crossed Namgung Dowi’s face.

Meanwhile, in the deep waters of the Jang River.

Oh Ja-hyung was rapidly rising toward the surface. Around him were the members of the Black Shark Squad he led.

‘Damn it!’

The First Division, which had attacked Mount Hua, had all become fish food. They couldn’t even properly thrust their harpoons before being pierced by sword energy fired into the water. And that wasn’t all. Those who barely managed to get their heads out of the water had their necks cut off without even taking a breath.

Those bastards attack and defend as if they are looking into the water. The reason his body temperature is gradually dropping is probably not just because the water is cold.

But there’s no need to target difficult enemies. Mount Hua isn’t the only one here right now.

‘The Tang family bastards!’

In a way, the Surochae, who had mastered underwater combat, were natural enemies of the Sichuan Tang family. Any hidden weapon would have its power halved when entering the water, and any poison would not be able to exert its power in the water.

There’s no need to fight them on the water. If they thrust harpoons from below and drag them into the water, they can be easily toyed with.

The moment the Tang family reached above his head, Oh Ja-hyung’s eyes flashed. As he sent the attack signal, the Black Shark Squad doubled their speed and soared toward the surface like fired arrows.

‘I’ll make you regret coming to this Jang River in hell!’

But it was at that moment.

“Glug!”

Even in the water, a scream echoed. Oh Ja-hyung, turning his head, saw one of the Black Shark Squad members convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

‘What?’

No, it wasn’t just foam that he was spewing out.

The blood flowing from his side was dyeing the river red.

‘Wh-when?’

When did he get attacked?

The question was soon answered.

Oh Ja-hyung stared blankly at the unbelievable sight with wide eyes.

Behind his subordinate, who was sinking into the water, Mount Hua swordsmen in black uniforms were rushing in with incredible speed.

Mount Hua literally refers to a mountain in Shaanxi. In other words, it means that they have no connection to water in their lives.

But the movements of those in front of him were so fast that it was hard to believe that they had not professionally learned underwater combat.

‘How…’

Shwaaaaa!

At that moment, the sword of the young man charging in at the forefront cut through the water like a ray of light. The quick sword pierced Oh Ja-hyung’s neck in one go.

“Kheu-heu… heuk…”

Along with the pain, river water forced its way into the hole in his neck. The sensation of heading towards death was more disgusting and vivid than he had imagined.

Crack!

The sword twisted inside his neck. Only after tearing through the wound and leaving an irreparable injury was it pulled out.

“Keureuk…”

Oh Ja-hyung’s body slowly began to sink to the bottom of the deep water.

In his fading consciousness, the last thing Oh Ja-hyung saw was the smile on the lips of the young swordsman who was diving past him.

‘Mount Hua…’

The true value of the training that had been carried out in the valleys of Mount Hua, swinging swords to the point of near death, was being demonstrated here on the Jang River. Compared to those swirling, deep, and turbulent valleys, the waves of this vast Jang River were nothing to them.

The swordsmen, led by Jogol, defended the Tang family from below, wielding sharp swords at the river pirates.

“Run!”

Baek Cheon charged forward.

Rather than cutting down each of the river pirates who occasionally thrust harpoons, he focused on avoiding and leaping over them, not slowing down his speed. He knew. When a group of this size ran forward in a single line, if the speed of the leader decreased, they would become entangled and show gaps.

And no matter what happened, he could never stop. Their lives and the lives of the Namgung family were on his feet!

It was at that moment.

Kuaaaaaaang!

With an ear-splitting roar, something flew towards Baek Cheon at an incredible speed.

‘A White Thunder Cannon?’

The cannonball crossing the sky was clearly visible to Baek Cheon. But before he could make a choice, someone soared towards the cannonball.

Kuaaaaaaang!

The one who soared up deflected the flying cannonball by swinging his sword.

“Yoon Jong!”

The moment Baek Cheon shouted his name, Baek Sang flew towards another cannonball.

Kuaaaaaaang!

Baek Sang’s sword knocked away the flying cannonball!

“Go, Senior Brother!”

“Don’t stop!”

“Are you daring to order me, you wretched bastards!”

Baek Cheon grinned and ran forward, and forward again.

Kwang! Kwang!

But the river pirates were not about to give up so easily. The approaching pirate ship turned sideways and aimed at them. The cannons of the White Thunder Cannon placed on the deck continued to spit fire.

“These…!”

Just as anger flashed across Baek Cheon’s face.

“Sasuk!”

A voice was heard.

No more words were needed.

Baek Cheon twisted his waist and took a stance to swing his sword, but with the flat of the blade, not the edge!

Paat!

Then, something that flew like a flying squirrel from behind added a heavy weight to his sword. Before that sensation could even reach his head, Baek Cheon swung his sword with all his might, sending what was on it flying far away.

Shwaeeeeee!

A streak of black light cut through the water of the Jang River.

“Wh-what is that!”

The river pirates were horrified as they saw something flying towards them like a cannonball.

Kuaaaaaaang!

The human cannonball that Baek Cheon had launched crashed like a meteorite onto the deck of the ship that was firing the White Thunder Cannon.

The solid wooden deck shattered like tofu, and fragments of wood flew in all directions.

Before those scattered pieces of wood could even fall to the ground, a sword energy cut through the river pirates on the deck.

Swish. Swish!

Red blood splattered on the wood that soared into the sky. Chung Myung’s face, which had sliced through the river pirates firing the White Thunder Cannon in one fell swoop, was also stained with the river pirates’ blood.

“Ah… Ahh…”

Paaht!

Chung Myung, shaking off the blood on his sword, turned his gaze to the river pirates who were still alive. The moment their eyes met, Chung Myung’s lips twisted, revealing his pearly white teeth.

“This is…”

His voice seemed to be mixed with the stench of blood.

“It’s a fight you started.”

Bang!

Chung Myung kicked off the deck and plunged into the midst of the river pirates. More than a dozen heads soared into the air at once, and the red blood that gushed from that spot poured onto the Jang River.

The Demon of Mount Hua.

It was the moment when that Demon of Mount Hua, who had even terrified the Demonic Sect’s leaders, appeared on the Jang River.