Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1345

Ho Ga-myung stared hard at the adjutant. His face was thin and tired, like he hadn’t slept in days.

“The entrance?” he asked, his voice rough.

“Still nothing…” The adjutant’s voice shook.

He had never seen Ho Ga-myung look so messy. He could feel the anger coming off him like heat.

Ho Ga-myung’s hand tightened on the sword at his side. It looked like he might draw it any second.

But instead of a sword, he spoke, his voice low and sharp. “Find it.”

“Yes!”

“Do whatever you must.”

The adjutant bowed quickly and deeply.

Ho Ga-myung turned away, his eyes fixed on the sharp mountain peaks in the distance. They looked like giant knives pointing at the sky.

Ho Ga-myung bit down hard, his teeth grinding.

His lip split, and a thin line of blood trickled down his chin.

‘That Mount Hua Sword Master…’

He had been tricked, completely outsmarted by this Mount Hua Sword Master. What made it worse was he couldn’t understand *how*. He couldn’t see where he had gone wrong.

How could this have happened?

Could it be that these newcomers, who had just arrived in Guangdong, knew about a secret place that even *he* didn’t know?

It was unbelievable.

‘No… impossible.’

His thoughts were spinning in his head, making him dizzy.

But denying it wouldn’t change anything. The impossible had happened. No matter how much he wished it wasn’t true, it was.

He had risked everything. He had suffered huge losses. He had even gone against the orders of Jang Il-so. (Maybe add: *Jang Il-so, his leader, had told him to be cautious, but he had ignored him.*)

His carefully made plan, the one he had bet everything on, had disappeared like smoke.

What if they escaped into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?

‘No, that cannot happen.’

Beyond these dangerous mountains lay the wide open lands of Gangnam. Even with all the power of the Four Seas Alliance (Maybe add: *a powerful group he belonged to*), they couldn’t control all of Gangnam.

How could he catch them in that vast place, when he couldn’t even catch them here in Guangdong, which he knew so well?

“Send every man we have into the mountains.”

“…Sir?”

The adjutant was shocked and stared at Ho Ga-myung’s back.

“They can’t hide forever. They’ll have to come out eventually. And when they do, we will be there to catch them.” Ho Ga-myung’s voice was cold. “And kill them.”

“…Military Advisor, you mean… in *there*?” The adjutant pointed towards the mountains, his voice barely a whisper.

Ho Ga-myung turned slowly. The look in his eyes made the adjutant jump back.

“I… I apologize.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Yes, sir!”

The adjutant bowed again, trembling.

Only when Ho Ga-myung looked away did the adjutant dare to raise his head. He stared at the mountains, his heart pounding.

A terrifying mountain range, full of unknown dangers.

‘In here?’ he thought, fear gripping him.

Was he being ordered to face the Mount Hua Sword Master in *that* place? That monster?

Just the thought made him feel sick. But he knew arguing was useless with Ho Ga-myung like this.

All he could do was obey and pray. Pray that the Mount Hua Sword Master, with his deadly sword, would not find him.

*Crack, crack.*

Cheong-myeong stretched his neck and moved his hands, making fists and opening them again.

‘Different,’ he thought.

He knew he wasn’t as strong as he had been before, in his past life. This fight had shown him that clearly. But he also had new strengths.

The biggest one was how fast he healed.

The pure energy inside him, energy he had drawn from the world around him, made him recover in ways he never could before.

Even serious injuries were healing quickly.

He could feel his body getting better already.

Sweat poured down his face and back as his tight muscles relaxed and his blood flowed freely again. The bad things that had built up in his body during the fight were leaving as sweat.

He knew that after sweating like this, he would be almost fully recovered.

‘It was worth it,’ he thought.

He wasn’t as powerful as he once was, but the path he was on now, the one he was building for himself in this new life, was even greater than before.

*Pat, pat.*

Cheong-myeong ripped off the bandages from his chest.

Baek Cheon, about to yell at him, stopped when he saw Cheong-myeong’s chest. The wound was already gone.

“…Are you even human?” Baek Cheon asked, amazed.

“Sometimes I wonder myself,” Cheong-myeong said with a small smile. But Baek Cheon still looked worried.

“Someone who heals like that…” Baek Cheon started.

“What?” Cheong-myeong asked.

“If you can heal so fast, you didn’t have to push yourself so hard with your leg, did you?” Baek Cheon’s voice was tight.

“Oh. You’re right!” Cheong-myeong said, as if just realizing it.

“You idiot!” Baek Cheon hissed.

Baek Cheon knew why Cheong-myeong had fought so hard, without stopping. If he hadn’t, things would have been much worse for everyone.

But knowing that didn’t stop him from being angry and worried.

Baek Cheon sighed heavily. Cheong-myeong, acting like nothing was wrong, asked, “How is Jo Gul?”

“Yoon Jong is looking after him in another room.”

“He wasn’t hurt that badly. Kids these days are weak,” Cheong-myeong joked.

“…Do you even hear yourself? Anyone else would be dead ten times over,” Baek Cheon said, shaking his head.

“Tsk, tsk. Weaklings,” Cheong-myeong repeated, but he was smiling a little. Baek Cheon’s face twisted in annoyance.

“Are you laughing?”

“Would being serious help?” Cheong-myeong shrugged.

“…” Baek Cheon didn’t answer.

“Relax your face, Martial Uncle,” Cheong-myeong said lightly. (Maybe add: *Martial Uncle was a title showing respect.*)

“You…” Baek Cheon started to argue.

“People are watching,” Cheong-myeong cut him off.

Cheong-myeong’s words, though said lightly, made Baek Cheon think. His face showed a mix of emotions.

“Everyone is watching you, Martial Uncle. Your face tells them everything. If you keep looking so worried, everyone else will panic too. And you’re not exactly helping with that grumpy face of yours.” Cheong-myeong teased.

“Have you ever said anything nice in your life?” Baek Cheon grumbled.

“I’m practically the most handsome person here,” Cheong-myeong joked, puffing out his chest.

“…Forget it,” Baek Cheon sighed. He felt heavy inside.

He knew Cheong-myeong was right. He shouldn’t show his worry. He had to be strong for everyone else.

But it was hard.

He had almost gotten Cheong-myeong killed. He had almost led Yoo I-seol and Jo Gul to their deaths. His judgment had been wrong. If he had just been a little smarter…

*Tap.*

Cheong-myeong gently patted Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

“…What?” Baek Cheon asked, surprised.

“I couldn’t have done what you did,” Cheong-myeong said quietly.

“…” Baek Cheon was silent.

“Your decisions were right, Martial Uncle. Better than anything I could have come up with.”

“…Don’t give me silly compliments,” Baek Cheon mumbled, but he was a little touched.

“You’re not completely useless, though,” Cheong-myeong added with a smirk.

“What did you say, you brat?” Baek Cheon glared, but Cheong-myeong was already looking at Yoo I-seol.

He saw wounds on her arms and legs, but they seemed to be healing well. The special healing skills of their Taoist sect (Maybe add: *a group focused on spiritual practices and martial arts*) were very powerful.

But even if there would be no lasting damage, she had still been hurt.

Cheong-myeong then looked at Dang So-so, who was asleep, completely worn out. Even the small cuts on her fingers showed how much she had worked.

Sword fighters finished their job when the battle was over, but for doctors like her, the fight just began. She had probably saved many lives and lost many too.

Cheong-myeong’s eyes turned cold and serious.

He took a step forward.

He walked slowly, looking around.

He saw the Hainan disciples (Maybe add: *fighters from the Hainan clan, their enemies*) lying all over the open space. They were asleep like dead bodies, messy and disorganized, with no sign of their proud past.

“You understand, right?” Baek Cheon said behind him, his voice serious.

“Everyone fought as hard as they could. We can’t recover fully in just two days. If we go out there now, we’ll be walking into our own deaths.”

“Hmm,” Cheong-myeong nodded.

“That’s true, partly. But not completely. That crazy Doksimnajal (Maybe add: *their enemy leader, known for his poisonous skills*), he’ll be furious right now, trying to find the entrance to this place.”

“…” Baek Cheon was worried.

“And he’s good. He’ll find it soon. He’s just too angry to think straight right now.” Cheong-myeong explained.

Baek Cheon bit his lip.

Cheong-myeong was right. They couldn’t stay hidden here forever.

Just then, the others who had seen Cheong-myeong wake up rushed over.

“Sect Leader!” they called out.

“Are you okay?”

“You’re badly hurt! You should be resting more!”

Cheong-myeong chuckled, looking at Namgoong Dowook, Dang Pae, and Hae Yeon, who were all looking at him with worry.

‘I’m getting old,’ he thought to himself.

Making these young ones worry about him.

“Where’s Im So-byeong?” Cheong-myeong asked, using his formal name.

“I’m here,” Im So-byeong said, walking slowly towards them. (Maybe add: *Im So-byeong was also known as the Green Forest King, a title he had earned for his clever strategies.*)

“They say even the Devil is scared of people with bad tempers. Looking at you, Sect Leader, I think it’s true,” Im So-byeong said dryly.

Cheong-myeong laughed. “You got beaten up by Ho Ga-myung and now you’re taking it out on me.”

“Wh- who said I got beaten up?” Im So-byeong protested.

“Should I say you were crushed then?” Cheong-myeong teased.

“Ugh…” Im So-byeong clenched his fist, annoyed. He took a deep breath and asked, “What are you planning to do now?”

“About what?” Cheong-myeong asked back.

“The situation. We can’t stay hidden here. We have to leave. But everyone is in such bad shape…” Im So-byeong gestured to the tired group.

Everyone’s faces fell.

They had barely rested, but they all knew how dangerous things were.

“What are we going to do?” someone asked, fear in their voice.

“…” Cheong-myeong paused.

“You should be asking *him* that,” Cheong-myeong said, pointing to Im So-byeong.

“Huh?” Im So-byeong looked confused.

“Because everything has changed now,” Cheong-myeong said, a strange look in his eyes.

“…What are you talking about?” Im So-byeong asked, even more confused.

Cheong-myeong looked at each person in front of him.

They were all hurt, some more than others. He saw bandages, bruises, and exhaustion on their faces. They were all marked by the brutal fight they had just survived.

“Where is Jo Gul?” Cheong-myeong asked, his voice low.

“Over here…” Namgoong Dowook led him to where Jo Gul lay unconscious. Cheong-myeong stared down at him, his face unreadable. He looked at every cut and bruise on Jo Gul’s body, as if memorizing them.

After a long silence, Cheong-myeong turned to Im So-byeong.

Im So-byeong flinched.

Cheong-myeong’s eyes were like ice. Im So-byeong felt like he was looking at a stranger.

It wasn’t just the coldness in his eyes. It was something else, something… different. It was Cheong-myeong, but it wasn’t, all at the same time.

“Sword,” Cheong-myeong said, holding out his hand.

“…” Baek Cheon, who had been holding Cheong-myeong’s sword, hesitated for a moment, then gave it to him.

He had kept the sword to stop Cheong-myeong from acting rashly while injured. He had planned to keep it until Cheong-myeong was stronger.

But now, looking at Cheong-myeong, he couldn’t refuse.

“Im So-byeong,” Cheong-myeong said, using his full name again.

“Yes, Sect Leader,” Im So-byeong replied, his voice careful.

“Get everyone ready. We’re leaving this place. Now.” Cheong-myeong’s voice was firm.

Im So-byeong nodded quickly.

He was a strategist himself. He knew that if they could escape these mountains, they could reach the Yangtze River quickly.

Ho Ga-myung had focused all his forces in Guangdong, trying to trap them. Now, Ho Ga-myung would pay for that mistake.

But Im So-byeong also knew the danger. The Heavenly Union and Hainan (Maybe add: *their weakened allies and their own injured group*) were in no condition for another fight, even in these mountains.

And by waiting here to recover, they had given their enemies time to surround them again.

Cheong-myeong knew all of this.

And yet, his words meant he had a plan to overcome it all. Alone.

“What are you going to do?” Im So-byeong asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Cheong-myeong smiled, a wild, unsettling smile.

“I have a debt to settle,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

His lips curled back, showing his teeth, sharp and white.

“They will learn what it means to come after us in *my* mountains.”

It was time to teach them the lesson he had learned the hard way, long ago.