Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1326

“Hyaaah!” Jo Gul yelled as he stabbed at the enemies coming at him. He was still fighting strongly, even faster than before, but his face was becoming serious.

“Haa… Haa!” *Almost there.* He could finally see the end of this terrible canyon. *Just a little further…* Jo Gul pulled his sword back after pushing it through an enemy’s throat, and he gasped for air. Sweat poured down his face, and his sword hand started to shake a little.

*Already?* He felt his energy draining. This didn’t make sense. Because his sword moves were simple thrusts, they usually didn’t use much energy. He should be able to fight like this for days without stopping. But it was happening. He couldn’t ignore it.

It wasn’t just energy. Everything was draining fast. Stamina, energy, even his strong mind was getting tired, which he thought was impossible. *Is it this bad?* Everything was being used up quickly.

As soon as Jo Gul looked tired, Yoon Jong moved to the front. Yoon Jong’s back was also wet with sweat. Jo Gul looked at Yoon Jong, surprised. He tossed his sword up and quickly shook the sweat off his hands. He understood again how hard it was to fight in front, leading the way for everyone.

*Don’t complain! There are three of us!* Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon must be feeling just as much pressure. He couldn’t show weakness. And if anyone was feeling pressure, it would be Baek Cheon…

Jo Gul turned quickly to Baek Cheon and stopped for a moment. He thought Baek Cheon would be ready to attack, but Baek Cheon was strangely looking behind them.

“Sasuk?” Jo Gul asked, confused. But Baek Cheon didn’t seem to hear him. He just kept staring behind them.

“Pah!” Chung Myung spat out blood. It filled his mouth. He glared at Gwoelyang in front of him. *What a mess.* He was in terrible shape. Everything felt wrong.

*Damn it! Does this body think it’s a tool that can be replaced when it breaks? If I keep going like this, I’ll die soon.*

*Those Dang family doctors are always the same… All doctors are the same. They just say the same thing. If you are hurt, rest. Your body won’t heal itself.*

*Who doesn’t know that?* He would rest if he could. But he couldn’t.

Chung Myung had become stronger. In just a few years, he had become more than half as strong as he was before. He had slowly built up his energy, little by little, until he felt strong enough. His sword skills were almost perfect for this body. But he still wasn’t as strong as he used to be.

He didn’t have enough energy. In his past life, he had built up energy for almost 70 years. But in this life, it was less than 10 years. Even with the Jasodan pill, could a pill really make up for that much time?

This journey from Hainan, fighting at the front, was so hard it would have tired even his past self. But he had done it with a body and energy that weren’t ready, so it was no surprise he was breaking down.

*Just defeat the enemy.* He had stopped caring about everything else for that one goal, and this was the result.

Of course, he could have stopped to heal and rest. Even if he did that, they would still have reached this place. The Five Swords were strong now, good enough to show off even to the old masters of Mount Hua. And the young leaders of the Heavenly Union were also helping a lot.

So, even if Chung Myung didn’t push himself, they would have done well and come this far. But at least thirty more Hainan disciples would have died.

*Thirty, huh.* Chung Myung laughed suddenly. It wasn’t funny at all. He knew better than anyone how small one person’s life was, and how pointless it seemed to save a few lives in this big war.

If it was the old Chung Myung, he would have thought about his own body first, not about saving those thirty people. Because if he fell, many more than thirty would die. That was not being emotional, but being logical. Yes. That was right. But…

*You will understand one day.* *I wish it wasn’t now, Sect Leader.* He kept laughing, even though he knew it was wrong.

*Who cares about Hainan?* Finally, he had to admit it.

He had changed Mount Hua. He had rebuilt Mount Hua and given hope to the Mount Hua disciples, who were used to losing. This was like going back to his past for Chung Myung. He was trying to make Mount Hua like he remembered it, like it could be again. To be Chung Myung. To be the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

But… now he had to admit it. The one who had changed the most was not Mount Hua, or the Five Swords, but Chung Myung himself. He realized this when he was teaching and training them.

How strong someone is in fighting doesn’t decide their worth. Even people he had called very foolish were all trying hard to live. Even people used as things to be used and thrown away in war.

Small lives. Lives that ended like numbers. Each of those small people had their own life. Even those called useless were very important to someone.

Chung Myung had wanted to protect Sect Leader. He had wanted to save Dang Bo and bring Cheongjin back to Mount Hua safely. He had wanted to bring all the Mount Hua people back to Mount Hua. He would have done anything to do that. Anything.

But now he knew. He understood. People who seemed small in the big world of fighters, just a number… were Cheong Mun, Dang Bo, and Cheongjin to someone.

Someone would want to protect them, like Chung Myung had wanted to in the past. Someone would be sad for the rest of their life because they died.

Thirty. A small number, but Chung Myung couldn’t think of it as unimportant anymore. Maybe it was better not to know this.

*Will Cheongjin laugh?* Chung Myung suddenly wondered. What would Cheongjin say if he heard this? Would he laugh and say it was nonsense? Or would he be surprised and laugh, saying Chung Myung had finally become a good person?

He didn’t know. Because Cheongjin was already dead.

“Sajil…” Yoo Iseol’s voice came from behind him. He heard worry in her voice. Not just a little, but a lot. He could hear it clearly. Worry in Yoo Iseol’s voice. *It didn’t fit her.* But it was even worse that *he* was making her worry.

Chung Myung spun his sword in his hand. *Throb.* His leg hurt terribly. His energy was gone. He had tried to get more energy while running, but it wasn’t enough. The wound he had closed up would open again if he moved quickly. The only good thing was no inside injuries, but that wasn’t good enough. Even so…

Chung Myung smiled a little. “Should we go now?”

As Chung Myung leaned forward a little, Gwoelyang stepped back without thinking. His strength was not as strong as before. Gwoelyang looked closely at Chung Myung, watching him carefully. *What is it?* He should be at his limit. No, he should have been past his limit already.

His injuries were so bad, even a great fighter would have trouble moving. And it was worse than it looked. The poison from the sword was still in his body, even a little, and would keep hurting him.

But Chung Myung seemed just as strong as before. No, even stronger, even scarier. Just looking at him made Gwoelyang feel scared and uneasy, like his skin was crawling.

*He’s bluffing.* Gwoelyang bit his lip hard. Ho Gamyung had told him. He said that when Chung Myung was almost at his limit, he would bluff to hide it. So, he shouldn’t believe Chung Myung’s words or actions. He should treat him like a weak animal, and take his time…

*Whoosh!* But then, Chung Myung suddenly moved so fast he disappeared, and then he was right in front of Gwoelyang. Gwoelyang was terrified and raised his sword.

*Clang!* He raised his sword quickly, in panic, and blocked Chung Myung’s sword. But when the swords hit, Chung Myung’s sword, instead of being pushed away, moved even faster towards Gwoelyang’s neck.

Gwoelyang felt the sword almost touch his neck and twisted his head as hard as he could. *Crack.* He just managed to avoid getting his neck stabbed, but he was still cut. The sword cut into the side of his neck, very close to a dangerous spot, and sliced through his skin.

Gwoelyang stepped back without thinking, not even feeling the pain at first. It was so fast. If he had been slower for even a moment, his neck would have been stabbed for sure. Gwoelyang’s face turned white as he realized he almost died.

But Gwoelyang had fought in many battles. Even now, he watched Chung Myung closely. Chung Myung’s legs were bent a little, and his sword hand was tight. *He’s coming!* Gwoelyang became alert and stood straight.

That beast would not miss a chance once he got one. Now that Gwoelyang had shown weakness, he would attack to finish him this time. Gwoelyang gathered all his energy and stood firmly on the ground.

*Whoosh!* Chung Myung jumped off the ground. Gwoelyang’s hands gripped his sword tightly. *If I just block it…*

But then, Gwoelyang stopped thinking. Chung Myung, who had jumped, moved very fast. Not towards Gwoelyang, but backwards.

*What…?* Chung Myung, now behind him, smiled in a mocking way. Only then did Gwoelyang realize he had been completely tricked and made fun of. Chung Myung was already running fast down the canyon, with Yoo Iseol and Dang Pae.

“This…!” *Crack!* The sound of bones cracking as he squeezed his sword hand too hard. Gwoelyang woke up at that sound and shouted loudly.

“Chase them! Now!”

“Yes!” The Blood Sword Clan members, who had been watching Chung Myung in shock, were shocked and ran. Gwoelyang watched them run away and bit his lip in anger.

“These damn fools…” Being completely tricked and made fun of, even for a moment, hurt Gwoelyang’s pride a lot.

“Aaargh!” He let out a loud scream, like he was going crazy, and then ran after Chung Myung with all his strength, towards the end of the canyon.