Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1553

“Get out of the way!”

Wham!

Jang Han, holding his weird-looking weapon, was cut in two with one strike. His body parts flew to the left and right. The attacker didn’t even bother to dodge the spraying blood and rushed forward.

“Hee, heek!”

He moved like a demon rushing forward. One of the weak members of the evil group was overwhelmed by the force and froze.

Namgung Dowi swung his sword without hesitation, trying to cut down the person in front of him.

Clang!

But the person who should have been cut down was hit by a force from somewhere and sent flying. Namgung Dowi’s sword only sliced through the air.

Namgung Dowi frowned, his eyebrows pulling together in annoyance. He heard a calm, low sound – a Buddhist chant. It was Hae Yeon.

“Amitabha.”

Hae Yeon looked at Namgung Dowi with calm eyes.

“I know you’re in a hurry, but too much violence will hurt the one who uses it.”

“…Yes, Monk.”

Namgung Dowi answered politely, but his face still showed he was unhappy. Hae Yeon chanted a low Buddhist chant again.

Hae Yeon knew how he felt. If he heard that Mount Song was burning, he would be too hasty to care about anything else. How much more so Namgung Dowi, who led the Namgung family?

“Young Lord! There’s smoke over there…!”

Someone shouted, and Namgung Dowi hesitated for a moment.

The smoke was far from the path they needed to take. Going there to fight would delay them.

“What should we do?”

Namgung Dowi felt terrible shame.

‘What am I thinking?’

It was about saving people. Why was he hesitating?

The people in Anhui weren’t the only people. These people were people too.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

But before they could move, Hae Yeon said, “No, Benefactor. I will go that way, so please hurry on your path.”

“Monk?”

Namgung Dowi turned around. Hae Yeon nodded with a firm face.

“Are you pressed for time?”

Namgung Dowi’s face turned slightly red.

“I know what’s more urgent.”

“Saving people is always important. Nothing is more urgent than saving a life. Since someone had to go first, I thought it should be you, Young Lord Namgung.”

“…Monk.”

“Don’t you trust us?”

Hae Yeon smiled gently. Namgung Dowi looked around, confused. Then, the Hwasan swordsmen puffed out their chests and grinned, showing they were ready to handle anything.

It was their way of saying to trust them.

“Go on, then.”

Namgung Dowi nodded.

“Then… I’ll leave it to you.”

“Amitabha.”

“Let’s go!”

Namgung Dowi led his men forward. Hae Yeon’s eyes became deep pools of worry as he watched them leave.

‘I hope everyone doesn’t get too impatient.’

“Let’s go, Benefactors. We must hurry.”

“Yes, Monk!”

Hae Yeon rushed towards the rising smoke.

‘But there’s no way not to be impatient, is there?’

Having seen the tragedy himself, how could he not be impatient? The slower he was, the more victims there would be.

‘I can only hope that Buddha watches over them.’

“Amitabha.”

The Buddhist chant, filled with earnestness, flowed out.

“Senior Brother.”

Baek Cheon glanced back at the sound of someone calling him. His face showed his displeasure.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that? I told you, I’m not fit to be that kind of person.”

“Tsk.”

Baek Cheon clicked his tongue, but Baek Sang didn’t care.

“A leader should be good at fighting, right? Who would follow a leader who can’t help in danger?”

“It’s not like you’re weak.”

“Why are you talking about old times? My junior brothers and even my junior nephews are better than me now.”

Baek Sang said it casually. Anyone else would be ashamed to say that, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Is it okay for someone who’s practically an assistant leader to be just a squad member?”

“Everyone has a place that suits them. And don’t underestimate me. A squad member under the person in charge while the real leader is away is probably more influential than most squad leaders.”

“Haa.”

Baek Cheon finally sighed, as if he couldn’t win. Of course, he was still moving quickly, kicking off the ground as he went.

“So, why? Why did you call me?”

“…Are the people we left behind alright?”

Baek Cheon silently glanced back.

They were moving, killing any evil group members they found, but they couldn’t help those who had been hurt by them. Baek Sang seemed worried about that.

“I don’t mean to say that Senior Brother’s judgment was wrong. I’m just….”

“You’re worried about them.”

“…Yes.”

Baek Cheon nodded.

“I feel the same way. But we don’t have time to take care of them right now. There will be people in even greater danger at this moment. For now, saving as many lives as possible is the priority.”

“I know, Senior Brother.”

“If you’re so worried, run faster. Once we’ve cut down all the evil group members in Gangbuk, we’ll have more time then. Until then, we can only hope that everyone endures.”

“…Yes.”

“More importantly, focus!”

“Yes?”

Baek Cheon stared ahead, his face already hard.

Soon, a group of martial artists came into view.

The blades of the evil group, stained with dried blood, were in their hands.

Flames ignited in Baek Cheon’s eyes.

“Smash them to pieces!”

“Yes!”

Just as Baek Sang was about to rush out…

Whoosh!

The sound of wind being cut through rang out. Someone in white martial robes with blue patterns jumped into the middle of the evil group.

“What, what is it!”

“Who is that!”

And then…

Zzzzzing!

Sword energy exploded outwards, like a sudden blizzard, each flash of light like a shard of ice. It swept through the evil faction like a freezing wind. The evil group, who had been about to raise their blades, were swept away without even having a chance to scream.

Zzzzzing!

After the fierce blizzard died down, a dozen or so fallen evil group members and a single man standing alone remained.

Baek Cheon’s eyes met the man’s. The man was wearing a strange smile, as if mocking him. Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

“What are you doing!”

The man smiled casually. “That’s a strange question. Is there a reason to cut down the evil group?”

“No, why are you here!”

“That’s a stupid question too. There are not many roads to other places, you know? Of course, roads will cross. You are just slow.”

“Ugh…”

Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

The Jongnam swordsmen, who had quickly followed Jin Geum-ryong, lined up as if to protect him.

Seeing that, Baek Cheon’s chest burned with anger. Jin Geum-ryong stared at Baek Cheon for a moment, then chuckled.

“There’s no need to try so hard.”

“What?”

“I’ll do the dirty work for you. Isn’t that what a brother is for?”

“Who’s your brother…!”

“No.”

Jin Geum-ryong smiled and corrected himself. “Should I say it’s the duty of a stronger sect?”

“…”

“So take it easy and follow along. There won’t be much for you to do.”

Jin Geum-ryong gave instructions to the Jongnam swordsmen without even listening to Baek Cheon’s reply.

“Let’s go. We need to hurry a little.”

“Yes!”

The Jongnam swordsmen looked at Baek Cheon and the Hwasan swordsmen with cold eyes, then quickly charged forward.

“Hoo.”

Baek Sang, who had been blankly watching, let out a long sigh of disappointment.

“…They were terrifying when they were enemies, but they’re definitely reliable now that they’re on our side…”

But he quickly stopped talking.

Baek Cheon’s face was twisted beyond description.

“Baek Sang.”

“Yes? Ah… Yes, Senior Brother! What are your orders!”

“Run.”

“Yes?”

“…If we fall behind those Jongnam bastards, I’ll make you wish you had followed Chung Myung instead.”

Having watched Baek Cheon for a long time, Baek Sang knew for sure. This was not just an empty threat. Absolutely not.

“B, but, Senior Brother! As you know, we’re currently joining forces with the Beggars’ Sect…”

“So?”

“…”

“What are you doing?”

“…Yes?”

Baek Cheon stared at him with emotionless eyes.

“Run.”

“Yes! Yes, Senior Brother!”

Baek Sang and the Hwasan disciples, terrified, began to run as fast as they could. There was no way to reason with that man right now.

‘Damn it! I don’t know. I guess they’ll find their own way!’

He silently prayed for the unknown Beggars’ Sect member who was chasing after them with all his might.

Baek Cheon, grinding his teeth, soon followed behind them. His insides were boiling.

“That damned bastard…”

He could bear being told he was worse than Jin Geum-ryong. He wasn’t childish enough to get angry over small things.

But he couldn’t bear to hear that Hwasan was worse than Jongnam, not even in his grave.

“As soon as the Beggars’ Sect members arrive, contact each squad leader and tell them to increase their speed! I won’t allow anyone to be slower!”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

“Run instead of answering!”

“…”

At that moment, even without Baek Cheon’s urging, the strike teams of the Heavenly Union, scattered in all directions, were spreading throughout Gangbuk much faster than Im So-byeong had expected.

“W, what’s with this speed?”

Hong Daegwang’s face turned pale.

Countless black lines appeared on the large map of Gangbuk. The thick lines split in the middle, branching out like limbs across the vast land.

And that wasn’t all.

“There’s a battle near Jinseong!”

“Those who left from the Alliance have reportedly killed a group of evil group members near Jangja-hyeon!”

“There’s news of a battle near Hapbi as well!”

“A, already?”

News poured in from all directions. Those who were waiting quickly marked the locations of the battles on the map.

Each time a brush dipped in diluted red ink moved across the map, a red dot was marked in various places along the black lines.

“…Good heavens, they’re moving at this speed even while fighting?”

They weren’t even proper martial artists, but at best, weak members of the evil group from the Black Demon Clan. Still, fighting and regrouping would take some time.

Even as Hong Daegwang stared blankly at the map, the lines continued to branch out more finely, and the red dots increased.

“…It’s like plum blossoms.”

It was as if a giant plum tree was blooming on the vast land of Gangbuk. Hong Daegwang snapped out of it and shouted.

“T, this is no time for this! What about our guys?”

“They’ve all left. But because the other side is moving so quickly, it’s taking time to join up…”

“You bunch of idiots! We’re supposed to be the Beggars’ Sect, how can you say it’s hard to catch up because the other side is fast! Why? Have you forgotten how to beg!”

Hong Daegwang roared and yelled.

“Tell them I’ll cut off the useless feet of anyone who can’t join up by the end of the day! Now!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Hong Daegwang bit his lip.

“…Could it be that I was underestimating the Heavenly Union too much?”

Even now, the branches continued to spread, and the red dots became increasingly dense. Hong Daegwang shook his head, looking slightly tired.