Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1593

Abbot Beopjeong knew he would die someday. He was not young.

But he never thought death would come like this.

Something terrible was taking over his body.

‘This is happening to me…’ He felt like energy inside him was ripping him apart.

But his mind was in so much pain, the body pain felt small.

‘What did I really want?’ He wanted everything to be great, especially Shaolin.

He wanted Shaolin to be famous and respected.

Because it was hard to reach that greatness, he wanted it even more.

It was like the Buddhist teachings. He studied them a lot, but never truly understood them. He desperately wanted to understand both.

‘I am…’ Useless.

He had said that word many times in his life. He had whispered it again and again.

But had he ever really thought anything was useless? Had he ever tried to live by that word, even a little bit, instead of just saying it?

“Cough.”

Blood came up, messing up his hazy thoughts. How could there be so much blood in his thin body? It was like his greed, stuck inside him.

“Don’t be angry.”

*Creak*.

Jang Il-so walked slowly towards Beopjeong.

“Dying by my hand might be better for you.”

Beopjeong didn’t answer.

“Better than living through what’s coming, anyway.”

Beopjeong laughed weakly. Maybe Jang Il-so was right.

If he died now, people would just think he was a fool. But if he lived, he would face terrible shame and blame.

How could anyone live with that kind of pain forever?

Beopjeong tried to put his hands together in prayer, but he couldn’t.

He didn’t have the strength, or maybe Buddha wouldn’t even let him pray.

Behind Jang Il-so, many people were still dying.

If people found out the Abbot of Shaolin had lost, the killing would get even worse. He had foolishly taken on too much.

“Use…less…”

Beopjeong’s head fell forward.

Jang Il-so looked at him, a strange look on his face.

“Now, now… Such a strange copy.”

Jang Il-so raised his blue hand.

“A pig should die like a pig, right? Squealing as its throat is cut.”

Jang Il-so was about to strike when—

*Wham!*

Something slammed into Jang Il-so, stopping him. A desperate shout came, “Abbot!”

Beopgye ran in, blood spraying from where his arm used to be.

“Ooooooh!”

He punched Jang Il-so again and again with his one hand. Jang Il-so’s face twisted in anger as he blocked the punches.

“You…!”

Beopgye quickly grabbed Beopjeong and ran.

Jang Il-so started to raise his hand to attack Beopgye again, but then stopped. He slowly lowered his hand.

“Lord!”

Jeokho, pale and bowing, ran to Jang Il-so.

“I’m sorry, Lord. I didn’t think he would cut off his own arm…”

“Hmm.”

Jang Il-so looked down at Jeokho. When his eyes moved to his neck, Jeokho shivered.

He would deserve to die for this mistake. Even if it wasn’t just carelessness. Being bad at his job was worse than being careless.

“Catch him now…!”

“What do you think?”

“…Yes?”

Jeokho looked up.

Jang Il-so wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was just staring at the battlefield, which was like hell.

“Isn’t it a beautiful scene?”

“…Lord?”

“Look closely. You might never see something like this again.”

Jeokho stared at Jang Il-so, confused, then bowed again.

“I… I will go after him.”

Jang Il-so chuckled.

“How boring… Do what you want. I want to enjoy this a little longer.”

“Yes!”

Jeokho gritted his teeth and chased after Beopgye and Beopjeong.

Jang Il-so glanced at Jeokho and then looked back at the battlefield covered in blood. The flames flickered, making his face look dark.

“Haha…”

He laughed softly.

“Hahahahaha!”

Soon, his laughter turned into crazy laughter.

His shadow moved like it was dancing. The blood on the ground mixed with his shadow, like tears.

“Abbot, hold on tight! Don’t let go!”

“I…”

“Wake up, Abbot!”

Beopgye yelled, not letting Beopjeong finish. He ripped his robe and tied them together tightly.

“You have to live, Abbot! If you don’t, who can fix this mess!”

They couldn’t win this fight anymore.

Crying and being sad wouldn’t change anything. Jang Il-so had already won.

Anyone could die for Shaolin. But Beopgye believed only Beopjeong could deal with this loss and stop Jang Il-so in the future.

“I… Mu…st liv…e…”

“Brother!”

Beopgye shouted, using a word he hadn’t said in years.

He had almost forgotten it, but it was always there.

“Wake up, Brother! You are the Abbot of Shaolin! Your life is not just yours!”

If Beopgye could take this loss himself, he would.

But he couldn’t. Even if he wanted to, he wasn’t strong enough.

Beopjeong would handle this defeat and save the world from these evil people. Only he could.

So, he had to save him. Even if it meant risking everything.

“We will get out of here alive, I promise! So, hold on tight and don’t let go!”

Beopgye’s eyes were red.

He could feel regret and blame later.

Even if his soul burned with regret, even if the blame trapped him forever.

“Get out of my way!”

*Kwaaaaah!*

Power exploded from his one arm.

Everyone looked at his missing arm, but his worst wound was on his side, a deep cut from a blade.

It had cut him badly, maybe even his insides, but Beopgye kept going.

“It’s him!”

“It’s the Abbot of Shaolin!”

The bandits’ eyes lit up with greed.

Just like the good fighters who followed Jang Il-so, these bad fighters, full of greed, went crazy when they saw them.

Who wouldn’t want to capture the Abbot of Shaolin and become famous?

“Catch him!”

The enemy fighters, led by Ho Gamyeong, moved together. They charged at Beopgye like a wave crashing on the shore. Beopgye clenched his teeth and put all his energy into his fist.

“A—mi—ta—Buddha!”

He used the Arhat Divine Fist, a powerful Shaolin move.

The punch, full of true Shaolin power, pushed back the enemies.

Crack! Crack!

Beopgye gritted his teeth, unable to handle the pain from the punch. His wrist hurt badly. But he didn’t care that his fist was breaking and punched even harder.

“Ooooooh!”

He shouted like his soul was leaving his body. It was too hard to fight alone. Even when he pushed, the greedy fighters kept blocking him.

His energy was running out. But he couldn’t stop. Beopgye threw himself at the enemies again and again.

*Wham!*

He punched an enemy, sending him flying.

*Wham!*

He kicked an enemy away.

Was this how a great hero felt, fighting his way through enemies like monsters?

Pushing back everyone who attacked him, he moved forward, step by step.

Slash!

When his chest was cut, Beopgye punched an enemy.

Crack!

The moment his ribs broke, his fist punished evil.

He was losing consciousness, and his body was getting weak.

Even so, Beopgye kept moving forward. Carrying something heavy on his back.

‘Oh, Buddha.’

*Wham!*

Something hit his head hard.

His skull cracked, and blood ran into his eyes. But he kept walking.

‘Now… I get it.’

You can’t just search for answers.

Life is hard, but understanding is inside the hardship.

People who don’t face pain and only want things will never find peace.

He felt like he was close to understanding everything, to finding peace.

“Aaaah!”

But Beopgye pushed that feeling away.

Part of him wanted to give up and find peace, but he knew he had to stay here, in this terrible place.

‘It’s okay if I don’t find peace now.’

It was the understanding he had wanted his whole life. Maybe it was the peace he couldn’t even hope for. Everyone who trained wanted it.

Yet, Beopgye threw away the chance of a lifetime.

Instead, he punched. He killed again, adding to his bad deeds. A sin that couldn’t be forgiven, a karma that would make him suffer forever.

Thud!

Something cut his ankle. It was a dagger. Even though he was confused, he knew who threw it.

Soon, Beopgye fell to the ground with Beopjeong.

‘Oh, Buddha…’

He knew.

Buddha was just watching, not helping. If they wanted something, they had to do it themselves.

But he still felt angry.

‘Don’t save me…’

Beopgye turned his body. If he fell forward, the enemies would attack Beopjeong.

He had to take the hits.

‘Just save the Abbot.’

A blue blade came down.

Buddha didn’t help. He was just quiet, like the dark sky.

‘Oh, Buddha…’

But others would help, even if Buddha wouldn’t.

“Elder!”

*Wham!*

Suddenly, a powerful attack came from somewhere else, knocking away the enemies who were attacking.

“Protect the Elder!”

“Save the Abbot!”

It was Shaolin. Even if they had different reasons for being there, the Shaolin monks who had been quietly following, now rushed to help.

“Yo…u…”

“Go, Elder! We’ll take it from here!”

“You must save the Abbot!”

If they ran, they could have escaped while the enemy was busy with Beopgye. But instead of saving themselves, they came to help.

“Go!”

Someone grabbed Beopgye and pulled him up.

Beopgye, covered in blood, stood up and took another step.

Everyone who came here would die. They knew it. Yet, they stood behind Beopgye, protecting him.

Then, Beopgye knew what he had to do.

“A…mita…”

The Buddha’s name came from Beopgye’s lips.

It was the name of someone he had never reached. Yet, he had to say it.

It was a prayer for them, a resentment towards someone. At the same time, it was a wish.

He moved forward. Supporting the heavy weight on his back with his whole body.

“The light of Buddha shines everywhere… Destroying… all darkness…”

Beopgye whispered words from a Buddhist prayer, like he was in a trance, like he might die any second. A weak golden light seemed to come from his body. It was weak but powerful at the same time.