Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1402

“Enemy! They’re here!” someone yelled.

Then, another voice, filled with shock, cried, “It’s Huashan! Huashan is attacking!”

Panic filled the air. Desperate shouts echoed through the trees.

But Ho Gamyeong didn’t hear them. Frozen like a stone, Ho Gamyeong stared, his eyes wide as he watched them charge. The ground shook with the sound of running feet.

‘Why?’

Ho Gamyeong, who had always laughed at Huashan, froze. His mind went blank. He couldn’t understand what he was seeing.

‘How?’

Why were the Cheonwu Alliance and Huashan here?

It should have been impossible. Even having crossed the Yangtze, finding their trail in this vast Jiangnan territory should have been impossible. So how could this be happening?

“Why…?”

A suppressed voice leaked from his lips. The murmur, like a lament, finally exploded into a shout.

“Whyyyyyyy!”

The entire forest echoed.

Footsteps shook the earth, and with that resonance, nearly a hundred Huashan disciples charged forward as one. The fury in their eyes poured onto the Maninbang members who threatened Huashan’s swords.

No one commanded it. Nothing was prearranged.

Without a command, the Huashan disciples moved as one. They formed a sharp point, like an arrow, aimed straight at the enemy. They rushed forward with great power.

“O-Oncoming!”

“B-Block… No! Get back! Run!”

Desperate screams erupted from everywhere. But they soon had to face the one-armed swordsman rushing at them, exuding a murderous aura like a Shura.

“Ooooooh!”

The Plum Blossom Sword, filled with red sword energy, struck the neck of an enemy, carrying boiling rage.

Wham!

The head of the Maninbang member, his face twisted with terror, flew into the air.

The Un Sword, having instantly taken a life, plunged into the enemy ranks even faster.

“Charge! Raaah!”

Wham!

Hyun Sang, kicking off the ground fiercely, unfurled his sword. Red sword energy spread like plum blossoms in all directions, blooming brilliantly.

“F-Fall back… Kraaah!”

The Maninbang members were helplessly pierced by the sword energy.

The swords of the two at the forefront were strong. And the swords of the Huashan disciples that followed were even more powerful.

Wham!

Red sword energy exploded like firecrackers, cracking and booming through the forest in succession. If viewed from the sky, it would look like red plum blossoms blooming one after another along the path the vanguard was advancing.

Truly a beautiful and fantastic sight.

But that beauty harbored a deadly blade.

Slicing! Slicing!

Each time the sword energy, fluttering like flower petals and appearing endlessly delicate, scattered in all directions, crimson wounds invariably bloomed on the bodies of the enemies.

“Aaargh!”

Pale blue murderous intent surged in the eyes of the Huashan swordsmen.

Because they clearly saw it etched in their minds: their martial brothers, dying with wounds all over their bodies.

Grrrr!

No one loudly denounced the enemy. No one encouraged those around them. Instead, they poured their overflowing anger and hatred into their blades without reservation.

Even shouting was a luxury. The only thing they had to do now was to save their bleeding brothers.

Wham!

The sharpened and honed red sword energy mercilessly ravaged the enemies. The Huashan swordsmen, having become one red sword, moved forward, only forward.

“B-Block them! Don’t let them open the front lines…”

Crack!

The one who was about to shout in panic fell backward as he was. A dark poisoned dart was lodged in the mouth of the one who died without even closing his eyes.

“P-Poison!”

“It’s the Dang Clan! Ack! Duck your heads!”

Wham!

They tried to reorganize their ranks, but there was no way when numerous hidden weapons flew over their heads and black poison powder burst.

The Maninbang members’ ranks began to crumble.

“Cover them! Don’t let them hold back Huashan!”

At Dang Jan’s cry, the Dang Clan members shouted until their throats burst.

In front, the disciples of Huashan were being fired as one sword, and above their heads, the Dang Clan, masters of poison, were scattering hidden weapons and poison.

It was truly a terrible combination. It would not have been easy to deal with even if it were the Maninbang in perfect condition, let alone the Maninbang who had exhausted almost all their strength chasing them from Hainan to this place.

“Why, why are the Huashan bastards here!”

“D-Don’t push, you bastards!”

Those who tried to retreat, those who tried to fight back, and those who hesitated were all entangled, and the formation collapsed.

Green flashes were embroidered around the redly blooming plum blossoms.

At that time, one of the Maninbang members shouted.

“Damn it! Don’t panic, there are only a few of them anyway…!”

Wham!

But his body was soon swept away by a huge white sword energy that flew in from somewhere. And following that, swordsmen wearing sky-blue uniforms appeared.

“Save the Young Lord and the disciples!”

“Understood!”

Blue sky was cast over the forest of plum blossoms. The Namgung Clan swordsmen, more than worthy of the name Azure Sky, rushed towards the Maninbang members with all their might.

“Clan Lord! We have arrived!”

Following them, swordsmen wearing white uniforms as cold as ice, and the warriors of the Beast Palace led by Beast Palace Lord Maeng So, also rushed in.

“Sweep away the Maninbang bastards!”

“Yes!”

With Maeng So’s thunderous shout that seemed to echo to the sky, the Beast Palace members charged fiercely like beasts aiming for their prey.

Those who called each other friends. Those who called themselves disciples gathered here. To protect those they must protect.

And.

“Save the Huashan Sword Master! Now is the time to repay even a little of his grace!”

“Yes!”

Along with the cry of Hainan Clan Lord Geum Yang-baek, the disciples of Hainan, led by Gwak Hwan-so, also charged with all their might.

Although their bodies were already exhausted, if they were people who discussed chivalry with their mouths and justice with their swords, there was something they had to do even if they were about to die.

Those who were united in one mind rushed towards the enemies like lightning.

“Damn it! Why here…!”

“Block them! Block…”

Swords flew towards the enemies who wielded their swords like madmen.

Wham!

One severed head soared into the air. Hyun Jong, who had mercilessly blown away the enemy’s head with one sword, clenched the Plum Blossom Sword tightly.

His children were right there.

Seeing his disciples bleeding all over and unable to even lift their bodies properly, Hyun Jong felt a terrible anger in his heart that he had never felt before in his life.

Who was it?

Who dared to make those children bleed?

Wham!

The sword, filled with powerful internal energy, instantly bisected the retreating Maninbang members. Warm blood splattered and stained his white hair, but Hyun Jong walked the blood-stained path without the slightest hesitation.

This was the price for his hesitation.

The children were shedding the blood he should have shed.

Who exactly were they? Who were those who made those children bleed?

Wham!

The Violet Mist Divine Art was deployed to its extreme.

An enormous sword energy fell forward, causing a huge explosion that was difficult to even stand in.

Slice!

At that moment, a sword flying from the side grazed Hyun Jong’s cheek. His skin split and blood splattered, but Hyun Jong did not feel even the slightest pain.

What truly pained him was not the wounds etched on this old body.

Every scratch left on the children’s bodies, every drop of blood shed here, was like a rusty dagger piercing Hyun Jong’s heart.

“Ugh, aargh!”

Wham!

Hyun Jong, having bisected the enemy in one blow, kicked off the ground.

“Protect the Supreme Elder!”

The Huashan swordsmen moved to Hyun Jong’s left and right in perfect order.

Their will was conveyed without having to be expressed in words. They looked at the same place without having to be ordered.

“B-Block…”

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Green flashes were invariably embedded in the crowns of the heads of those who rushed towards Hyun Jong.

Hyun Jong advanced through the collapsing bodies that had become cold corpses. Red sword energy was blooming from his sword.

“Hyun Sang!”

“Yes!”

Hyun Sang, known as ‘Un Sword’, became his sword and drove back the enemy.

“Un Sword!”

“Yes!”

The Hundred Plum Blossom Warden, Un Sword, became his shield and pushed back those who rushed in at once.

Hyun Jong advanced along that path. Along the path that the swords of Huashan had pierced and the shields of Huashan had blocked. Along the path that all of them had opened with one will.

Wham!

And Hyun Jong advanced towards the path he had broken with his sword.

Thud. Thud.

Hyun Jong’s steps gradually slowed down little by little.

Thud. Thud.

And after a while, his feet finally stopped completely.

Hyun Jong, who had come here by breaking through all those who stood in his way, silently looked at those in front of him.

His vision kept blurring. Even if he opened his lips a little, it felt like weeping… No, wailing would pour out.

“Ah…”

A dazed voice flowed from someone’s mouth. As if he couldn’t believe the reality that he was here now.

Thud.

Hyun Jong, who had moved a little closer, heavily tapped the shoulder within his reach.

“Clan…”

Jo Gul looked at him as if possessed.

“Clan Lord…”

Yoon Jong, Tang Soso, and Yoo Iseol too.

Hyun Jong, who had grasped the shoulders of his disciples one by one, who still couldn’t let go of their swords, stood in front of one person kneeling at the very back.

He just looked at him silently for a while. At Baek Cheon, who was clutching Chung Myung as if protecting him even in this state.

It was said that the heart was torn apart at times like this.

Just as Hyun Jong reached out his trembling hand, Baek Cheon flinched and moved his body. Hyun Jong’s hand stopped abruptly because of that.

“I report to… the Supreme Elder.”

Even in the midst of all this, Baek Cheon, who had somehow managed to compose himself, paid his respects to Hyun Jong.

“Dae Huasan… Acting Clan Lord Baek Cheon, I have not been able to complete the order…”

“……”

“……But I have carried it out… in a way that does not go against the will of Huashan.”

Hyun Jong’s stopped hand moved slowly again. And soon it landed on Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

The hand, which no longer trembled, gently patted Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

“More than.”

“……”

“It was more than wonderful. You have done Huashan proud, Baek Cheon.”

This time, Baek Cheon’s shoulders trembled finely. Hyun Jong, who accepted the trembling as it was, slowly nodded his head.

A soft smile bloomed on his wrinkled lips. It was a smile that was endlessly benevolent and made those who saw it feel at ease.

“Leave the rest… to me and your martial brothers. Because we have come now.”

The disciples of Huashan, who had rushed in crushing the enemy, surrounded their wounded martial brothers as if protecting them.

Looking at their backs with firm will, Baek Cheon finally let go of what he had been suppressing and suppressing. His eyes became hot, and soon tears poured down his blood-caked cheeks.

“……I obey the order, Supreme Elder. His voice was thick with tears, but filled with relief.”

Just as Chung Myung was not alone, they were not alone either.

It was here. The place they had to go.

The place they had to return to had reached them here.