Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1353

“Ugh…” His stomach felt sick. He felt like he was spinning and falling. Jo Gul slowly opened his eyes.

Blurry images flashed rapidly past his vision. He squeezed his eyes shut once more before opening them again, looking around and speaking in a hoarse voice.

“What is this…?”

“You’re awake?”

Only then did Jo Gul look down.

“Senior Brother?”

“Yes.”

The back of a familiar head was in front of him. It was Yoon Jong. Jo Gul could feel Yoon Jong’s strong back beneath him, but even that felt shaky. Jo Gul then realized he was being carried on Yoon Jong’s back.

“Where… where are we?”

“We’ve left the Ten Thousand Great Mountains and are heading north towards Gangbuk.”

“Already…? Cough! Cough! Aargh…” He tried to speak more, but his throat was dry. He coughed and coughed.

“Rest a bit more.”

“I’m fine now. Please, let me down…”

“Rest more for now.”

Jo Gul closed his mouth at Yoon Jong’s firm voice. Truth be told, though he was putting on a brave face, his condition was really bad. Just being carried was making him tired.

“So-so.”

“Yes, I’m already checking.”

“Oh… Goodness.” Jo Gul felt a pang of worry seeing Yoo Iseol still out cold.

Jo Gul moved his stiff neck to look behind him. Dang So-so, carrying Yoo Iseol, was right behind him, her hand on her back.

“Her pulse is normal… her inside injuries should be okay now. The problem is the external wounds; they won’t heal easily, so she needs to be careful for a while.”

Jo Gul blinked and looked at Yoo Iseol, who was being carried on Dang So-so’s back. Yoo Iseol was still unconscious.

‘Well…’

The injuries he sustained couldn’t compare to those of Yoo Iseol. He had just pushed himself too hard, but Yoo Iseol had truly fought until the last drop of blood. Therefore, it would take her longer to wake up.

‘Wait a minute…’ He suddenly remembered Chung Myung’s terrible injuries.

Realizing this, Jo Gul abruptly raised his head. He looked closely at Baek Cheon and Im So-byeong, who were running ahead, as well as the Hainan disciples following behind, his eyes widening.

“S-Senior Brother! Where’s Chung Myung?”

“Why? Afraid he might have died?”

“No, do you think he’s the type to die so easily? That’s not it; where did that bastard go? His body was all broken.”

“He woke up a while ago and is busy slicing up those Myriad Man House bastards.”

“With that body?”

“He claims he’s perfectly fine.”

“Oh…”

Seriously, now, he had to wonder if Chung Myung was truly a human made of flesh and bone. Even if he got hurt the most and was the most exhausted…

Yoo Iseol was still unconscious, and Jo Gul had barely woken up, yet Chung Myung had already woken up and was fighting?

“Is he even human?”

“I’m starting to doubt it myself.”

Jo Gul shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t understand it.

“Is it not dangerous?”

“It’s not too bad. Of course, I can’t say it’s completely safe, but compared to the situation in the canyon, it’s nothing.”

Indeed, it seemed that way to Jo Gul as well. Not only were those ahead looking better, but those behind also seemed to be in much better condition than before.

Yoon Jong, thinking Jo Gul seemed awake enough, quickly explained the current situation.

“Then are the others following behind?”

“Yes.”

“But… what if we get separated?”

“Hainan says that will never happen. And just in case, they’re adjusting their speed appropriately.”

“Hmm.”

Jo Gul nodded.

Jo Gul still had some questions. But he knew everyone had planned carefully. It wasn’t his place to complain, considering he had been lying down comfortably.

And if Baek Cheon and Im So-byeong had made the plan, it would probably be better than anything he could come up with.

Just then, Yoon Jong spoke, sounding annoyed.

“And you, you crazy bastard.”

“Yes?”

“You open your eyes and immediately worry about others? Think about yourself! Your body is sewn together like a messy doll.”

At those words, Jo Gul silently glanced down at his body. The arm visible through the wide sleeve clearly showed stitches like centipedes. They were thick and ugly.

“They couldn’t have stitched it up a bit better? What kind of doctor lacks such skill…”

“What was that? Want me to stitch your mouth shut?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Jo Gul quietly backed down at Dang So-so’s sharp voice from behind. He knew he couldn’t argue with her, not now, not ever.

Just then, Lee Ja-yang, who was running beside them, raised his voice.

“Straight ahead?”

“Northeast!”

“Yes!”

Having finished speaking, Im So-byeong immediately changed direction. Lee Ja-yang, confirming the direction, also kicked off the ground and leaped up, using his sword.

Clang! The sound of metal echoed briefly.

The sword energy he emitted left a small mark on the top of a towering tree in front of them. It was such a subtle trace that it was hard to notice unless you looked very closely.

Jo Gul frowned without realizing it.

“Can you see that while running?”

“Apparently so.”

“No…”

It was Lee Ja-yang who cleared up his doubts, returning to his position in no time.

“There’s no need to worry. Even if it were people from other sects, the Hainan disciples wouldn’t miss it.”

“Yes?”

Lee Ja-yang continued in a serious voice.

“The disciples of Hainan have been going out to sea on boats since they were young. To catch fish in the vast ocean, you must not miss even the smallest bubbles rising on the surface of the water.”

“Oh…”

“Not everyone is like that, but most have good eyesight. There’s no need to worry about missing the traces.”

Jo Gul nodded. He didn’t fully understand, but he could roughly understand the idea. It was like people who live in grasslands and can see far away.

“Senior Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“We… we wouldn’t be able to see that even if we died, right?”

“Probably wouldn’t even know it’s there.”

“I guess so…”

“Every sect has one of these secret techniques. Seeing it in action, it is as good as people say.”

“Every sect? Do we have something like that too?”

“We used to.”

“Yes?”

“It’s gone now.”

“Oh…”

It burned down. Right. It’s not like Mount Hua ever had anything like that. Jo Gul sighed quietly. Mount Hua’s glorious past felt very distant now.

“If even we don’t know what this mark is, other groups won’t either,” Yoon Jong said, looking confident.

“Exactly,” replied another. “Because of this special mark, they are changing direction. Even if they find our trail, they won’t know where we are going.”

“Ah, I see.” Jo Gul nodded slowly. *So that’s why they were making those strange turns while marking the trees.*

“Our friends will know the mark, right?” Jo Gul asked.

“Looks like it,” Yoon Jong said, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Huh?” Jo Gul tilted his head.

“Behind us,” Yoon Jong pointed.

Jo Gul turned quickly. At first, he saw nothing but the thick trees of the dark forest. But when he really focused his senses, he felt something coming closer through the trees. A prickle of tension ran down his spine.

A sudden tension tightened his entire body.

‘Enemies?’

But that worry soon faded away. The feeling coming from the person in front felt familiar.

“It’s Young Master Dang.”

As soon as Yoon Jong said that, Dang Pae appeared. The Hainan disciples running behind him were easy to see. One group that had been separated had rejoined them without any problems.

“Wow, he really recognized it.”

“Wouldn’t it be a secret technique, then?”

Jo Gul nodded. The thought that it was something only that sect could recognize made him feel uneasy.

“Senior Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s make one of those when we get back too.”

“Why?”

“It looks useful. And…”

Jo Gul lowered his voice, as if embarrassed.

“I’m a little envious too.”

Yoon Jong chuckled. This fool, barely awake after almost dying, was already talking about Mount Hua. And he wasn’t even fully healed.

“Yes, let’s definitely make one.”

He quietly swallowed the words he almost said.

‘If we even get to go back safely.’

While they were talking, Dang Pae came closer. He smiled brightly when he saw Jo Gul was awake.

“Disciple Jo Gul! Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine!”

Jo Gul flexed his arm to show off his bicep, but his face twisted in pain.

“Ouch…”

“Just stay still, you restless rascal!”

“Well, the ride isn’t very comfortable…”

“What, you little punk?”

Seeing Jo Gul joking around, Dang Pae smiled without meaning to.

He hadn’t known him long, and they hadn’t talked much. But the fact that Jo Gul was awake made him feel happy.

“Quiet…”

“Oh! You’re awake, Mister Accident?”

“Ringing… head… Quiet, please.”

Yoo Iseol held her head and groaned. Jo Gul tilted his head.

“You seem to be… talking like you used to? Is this regression?”

“Senior Brother, do you really want to die?”

“Senior Brother and ‘want to die’ don’t really go together, do they?” Jo Gul teased, winking.

“They do in Mount Hua!”

“That’s true too…”

The others seemed to feel the same way. Just knowing he was awake made the group feel better, even though they were still in danger.

Maybe this was Jo Gul’s real strength.

“By the way, where are we going now?”

“I don’t know. That’s up to Uncle and the Green Forest King. Or maybe that damned Chung Myung decided it already.”

“I see.”

Jo Gul nodded like he understood.

Just then, Baek Cheon spoke from the front, as if on cue.

“First, we need to get away from those guys, no matter which way we go. They’re focused on stopping us, so this area is mostly unguarded.”

Everyone agreed.

Getting through the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was like hell. But now that they were past it, almost no one was stopping them. Maybe it was too soon to say, but that’s how it seemed.

“If we can keep this up, we might reach the Yangtze River without any problems.”

“Unless someone suddenly appears, like a bishop of the Demonic Cult or something…”

“Ah, shut up!”

“Keep your mouth shut!”

“Someone put this guy back to sleep!”

Jo Gul chuckled at the shouts coming from everywhere.

They had already lost many people. But he didn’t want to act sad. They could mourn the dead later, once they were all safe.

‘Just until the Yangtze River…’

Just then, Jo Gul tilted his head.

“Oh, wait a minute. But…”

“What is it now, you little punk!”

“Senior Brother, shut up! Before I really sew it shut!”

“Ah, no, that’s not it… This mark, you said only the Hainan disciples know it, right?”

“How many times are you going to ask? Did you hit your head or something?”

“No. I mean… how does that bastard Chung Myung know and follow us?”

“Huh?”

Everyone stared at Jo Gul with blank faces. Jo Gul looked confused and stammered.

“Um… I might be too dumb to get it, but Chung Myung doesn’t know this mark, right? But he’s supposed to be at the very back.”

“That’s right?”

“Then how does he know where we are?”

Jo Gul asked, looking awkward. He thought he would be scolded and then someone would explain it.

But instead of scolding, everyone looked at each other with strange expressions.

‘Huh?’

Oh… This… This isn’t good…?

Jo Gul looked ahead, hoping for an answer. Even if these fools didn’t know, maybe those two…

“Oh…”

But then, Jo Gul saw Lim Sobyeong and Baek Cheon. The two most reliable people, the ones in charge, were standing there looking at Jo Gul like they had been punched.

“So… how does he?”

“…”

“How is he coming?”

“…”

I should trust the people I can trust… The people I can trust…