Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1296

“Excuse me,” a Hainan disciple said, wincing and holding his arm. “My arm… it hurts a lot.”

“It’s just a scratch,” someone replied dismissively. “Go to Tang Soso over there. She’ll clean it.”

“Soso,” he mumbled, trying to sound important. “Remember, I’m your older brother…”

Tang Soso stopped treating a wound and looked up, impatient. “What do you want, Brother?”

“…Nothing,” he said quickly, shrinking back under her gaze.

Accompanied by the Dang Family disciples, Tang Soso quickly began tending to the wounds of the Hainan disciples. Though the Dang Family was confident in their medical skills, seeing Tang Soso treat the injuries made it impossible for them to step forward and take the lead.

“When did you learn all that? You’re incredibly skilled.”

“Brother, just try being in this cursed sect for a year. You’ll become very good at fixing wounds quickly.”

“Ah…”

Internal injuries were one thing, but when it came to external wounds, there was no denying that Tang Soso was far more proficient.

“H-Here, quickly…”

“Don’t make a fuss over a scratch. Can’t you see there are people with much worse injuries?”

“S-Sorry.”

“Next!”

“Yes, Miss! I…”

Geum Yang-baek frowned as he watched the disciples flock to Tang Soso.

‘…A medic.’

There was no way that the Hainan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, wouldn’t have a medical division. However, most of the members of that division had left Hainan during this upheaval. It was likely because they weren’t key combatants and had no reason to risk their lives fighting.

‘Even if they were here, would they be of any help in this situation?’

Probably not.

They wouldn’t have experience treating people with such severe injuries. At best, they’d know how to care for those with internal injuries. If they had come, they would probably have been more of a problem than help.

“…And that person?”

“She’s from the Dang Family,” Baek Cheon answered Geum Yang-baek’s question calmly.

“She’s the daughter of Tang Gunak, the head of the Sichuan Dang Family. She joined Mount Hua due to a connection. Now, she’s the main force of Mount Hua’s medical division.”

“…The medical division’s…”

“Yes.”

“Our sect has so many people getting hurt that she’s improved a lot.”

“…”

“So, you don’t need to worry about injuries. Of course, severe injuries might be a bit difficult, but we can handle most treatments here.”

A sigh escaped Geum Yang-baek’s lips.

Seeing the people eagerly receiving treatment, he finally realized how important a medic was on the battlefield. He had prepared himself for a life-or-death war with the Four Evil Sects, yet he had been shockingly careless in this aspect.

Geum Yang-baek felt frustrated with himself.

“When did Mount Hua… start preparing all this?”

“We didn’t exactly prepare it. It just naturally turned out this way.”

“…You’re being too modest.”

Baek Cheon simply gave a bitter smile at Geum Yang-baek’s words.

It might sound like modesty, but Baek Cheon was just stating the truth. Would Mount Hua have strengthened the medical division in preparation for a war in the distant future?

Soso joined by chance, and her skills improved a lot from treating many injuries during training and real sword fights.

Soso’s abilities were remarkable, but normally, as the youngest of Mount Hua, it would have been difficult for her to gain so much influence. But the reason Tang Soso was able to receive support and grow to her full potential was…

Baek Cheon glanced at Chung Myung.

‘It’s probably because that rascal always let Soso win.’

No, looking back, Chung Myung was the only one who raised his voice to emphasize the importance of a medic.

If you asked if Mount Hua had prepared for this, the answer would have to be no…

“But we don’t have time to keep doing this. The enemy is closing the distance as we speak.”

“…I suppose so.”

Geum Yang-baek nodded heavily.

Still, it was fortunate that there was someone who could provide treatment, even if it was just this much. If they were forced to continue marching without tending to their wounds, the situation would only worsen as the time they were chased by the enemy grew longer.

“Don’t worry too much about what Chung Myung said,” Baek Cheon said gently.

“Acting Sect Leader,” Geum Yang-baek replied, shaking his head slightly.

“He talks tough, but he cares,” Baek Cheon continued.

“Acting Sect Leader,” Geum Yang-baek said, a hint of understanding in his voice. “I’m not a child. I know how hard it is at the front. It was my job to lead the way. Why would I be angry at someone who is doing that, no matter what they say?”

Baek Cheon nodded, relieved. “Thank you, Geum Yang-baek.”

“No, I truly mean it. In our Hainan…”

Geum Yang-baek stopped speaking mid-sentence. But Baek Cheon could tell what he was going to say.

If Hainan had even one person like Chung Myung, the situation wouldn’t have come to this. That was probably what he wanted to say.

But it wasn’t something a sect leader should say. It could easily be interpreted as disrespecting the other disciples, and even the elders.

Baek Cheon took a long breath and asked Tang Soso.

“Soso, are you almost done?”

There was much to say, but this wasn’t the time for leisurely conversation. Even now, the enemy was closing the distance.

“I’m done! Martial Uncle!” Tang Soso answered immediately and quickly surveyed her surroundings. Then, she frowned slightly as if something had caught her eye.

“You there!”

“Yes?”

“You have a wound on your stomach! Come here quickly!”

“Ah, no. It’s fine.”

“Why are you deciding that? The medic decides that! Honestly, you swordsmen think your bodies are made of iron!”

“…Yes?”

“Are you coming or not?”

The man who had been scolded ran towards Tang Soso with a dejected expression. Tang Soso roughly pulled up his clothes and quickly examined the wound. Her hands were decisive as she applied ointment and roughly stitched the open wound.

“Ugh…”

“Don’t make a fuss. There are people in much more pain.”

“…Yes.”

Tang Soso, who had finished bandaging him, looked around and spoke to everyone.

“There are limits to the treatment we can provide while fleeing. We’ll only be able to do emergency care then.”

“Yes.”

“But still, come to me as soon as you have a chance. If you keep putting it off and neglect your injuries, you’ll really become a burden later. Do you understand?”

“Understood.”

“Good.”

Tang Soso jumped up from her seat and turned to Baek Cheon.

“I’m really done, Martial Uncle.”

“Alright.”

Baek Cheon smiled faintly and nodded.

The situation was still urgent, but the thought that Tang Soso was Tang Soso no matter where she was made him smile strangely.

“Everyone, let’s set off immediately.”

“Yes.”

“Remember, the enemies we’ve faced so far aren’t the full force of the Four Evil Sects. The real Four Evil Sects will probably be facing us soon.”

At those words, the thread of tension that had briefly loosened tightened again. Everyone felt a chill down their spines and hardened their faces.

Baek Cheon was deliberately bringing up a fact that they knew but didn’t want to think about, and presenting it to everyone.

“But if you just follow the instructions properly, we will definitely lead you to Gangbuk. So, please do your best.”

“Understood, Acting Sect Leader.”

Geum Yang-baek answered before his disciples. As he took the lead, the other disciples all nodded. The trust that had slightly fallen seemed to have recovered a lot thanks to Tang Soso.

“Venerable Hye-yeon, are you alright?”

Hye-yeon smiled gently at Baek Cheon’s question.

“Five is no problem.”

“Venerable…”

“However… even if Disciple Chung Myung gets injured, please don’t bring him to me. I’d rather die than carry him on my back. If it really comes down to it, just gag him and leave him.”

“What, you little…!”

“…Amitabha.”

Baek Cheon chuckled at Hye-yeon’s jest.

A person’s true strength comes out at times like this. In that sense, Tang Soso and Hye-yeon were truly strong people.

“Let’s depart. Maintain the formation well.”

“Yes!”

Those who had tended to the injured immediately began to run again.

Whoosh!

‘Indeed…’

Gwak Hwan-so nodded inwardly, impressed.

The difference between circulating his energy briefly and not doing so was enormous. He could feel strength returning to his legs. Thanks to that, he was able to move forward with definite speed.

The problem was that there would be even less time to circulate his energy like this in the future.

Just then, he overheard Jo Gul talking to someone.

“Senior Brother.”

“Hm?”

“Doesn’t it seem like the encirclement has loosened a bit? I don’t sense anything ahead. It could be that my senses aren’t reaching that far, but…”

“You’re probably not mistaken,” Yoon Jong answered calmly.

“Even though the Four Evil Sects have a lot of numbers and control Gangnam, they don’t have enough to fill the entire region with their forces, do they?”

“That’s right.”

“In the end, they’ll have no choice but to set up several layers of moderate encirclements. Since we broke through the first encirclement, we’ll probably be passing through a section without enemies for a while.”

“Then isn’t it easier than we thought? That means we only have to break through a few more times…”

Yoon Jong’s voice cut in heavily before Gwak Hwan-so could agree.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“The Four Evil Sects probably didn’t think they could stop us with the first line of defense either. The role of the first line of defense is just to delay us, even if only for a moment. To buy time to set a proper trap in the next line of defense.”

“…You mean a line of defense where the Four Evil Sects are fully mobilized?”

“That’s right.”

“Well… we expected that anyway, didn’t we? We can break through it if we keep going like we are now.”

“Yes. I think so too.”

Yoon Jong smiled at Jo Gul and glanced back. He saw Hye-yeon running silently with the bundle slung over his shoulder.

‘If we can keep going like we are now…’

The most serious problem wasn’t on the outside.

Just now, Yoon Jong had clearly witnessed the possibility of a rift. This time, Tang Soso and Hye-yeon had stepped up, so they were able to get through it somehow.

But what if the number of injured increased?

What if more people got hurt? If they had to slow down to help them, it could become a bad situation. Slower movement might mean more attacks and even more injuries.

What would they do then?

Would they die with the injured? Or would they abandon their fellow disciples, who were like blood brothers, and hurry on?

Mount Hua had found the answer.

They had gone through many things for a long time, fighting and arguing with each other, and accepting what path they had to take. Repeating things that others pointed fingers at as meaningless.

But Hainan didn’t have that process.

That’s why they would have to face it from now on. What does it really mean to uphold that grand benevolence and morality that they only talked about with their lives on the line?

Perhaps… at the end of this seemingly impossible act of dominating Gangnam, what they would have to face was a confrontation with their own ugly selves, which they had been suppressing deep inside their hearts.

‘Primal Deity of Heaven.’

Yoon Jong closed his eyes tightly.

He could only hope and pray that the hell that Mount Hua would one day have to face wouldn’t leave too deep a scar on them.