Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1596

Jeok-ho felt the blood in his entire body turn cold.

Even though he had never seen this person before, Jeok-ho knew who it was right away. He couldn’t help but know.

There are many people in the world, but only a few could make him freeze with just one word.

Looking at the black uniform and the sword at his waist, there was no need to think further.

“Hwasan… Sword Saint,” he whispered, his voice like a groan.

Jeok-ho gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword. Could he do it? It was just one person. Maybe he couldn’t win, but could he at least attack Beop-jeong? If he risked everything…

Gulp.

But Jeok-ho couldn’t raise his sword. The moment he looked into the Sword Saint’s eyes, he knew. If he attacked, he would die. He wouldn’t even get close to Beop-jeong.

‘This is the Hwasan Sword Saint… No, the Plum Blossom Sword Demon.’ He was much stronger than Jeok-ho had imagined. Even if he tried his hardest, he couldn’t win. He would just die for nothing.

*Sound of teeth grinding*. Humiliation rose up in him. He gritted his teeth, angry at himself.

Just then, he heard people running towards them from behind the Sword Saint. It must be his friends.

If he waited any longer, Jeok-ho knew he wouldn’t escape alive.

Jeok-ho didn’t know if it was mercy, or if the Sword Saint just didn’t care about him. But he had to run now, while the Sword Saint wasn’t attacking.

Jeok-ho backed away silently.

“…I’ll see you again,” he said, trying to sound brave. He glanced at Beop-jeong and then ran.

Cheong-myeong watched Jeok-ho go with cold eyes.

Then, Hye-yeon ran up to Cheong-myeong, and her eyes went straight to Beop-jeong.

“M-Monk…!”

Hye-yeon, who was blankly looking at Beop-jeong with wide eyes, quickly looked around. Then, she shouted like a scream.

“E-Elder!”

Hye-yeon rushed to Beop-gye, who looked terribly hurt. She hugged him, and his body went limp in her arms.

“Elder! Elder, wake up! Elder!”

Blood poured from deep cuts on his neck and chest. Just looking at him, Hye-yeon knew he was dying.

Hye-yeon screamed again.

“Elder!”

Tears streamed from her eyes as she quickly tried to send energy into Beop-gye’s body. Would it work? After a moment, Beop-gye’s eyelashes moved. Slowly, his eyes opened.

His unfocused eyes stared blankly into the air for a moment, then barely saw the person hugging him.

“Hye… Yeon…?”

“E-Elder! It’s me! It’s Hye-yeon!”

Hye-yeon grabbed Beop-gye’s limp hand. Beop-gye looked at her tearful face, his voice weak and fading.

“The Abbot… is he…?”

“…He’s alive, Elder. The Abbot is…” Hye-yeon stopped, unable to speak because of the lump in her throat.

A small smile touched Beop-gye’s lips. To Hye-yeon, the smile looked peaceful, like he was finally at rest.

“Thank goodness…” Beop-gye’s head fell to the side. Hye-yeon held his limp body close. Her shoulders shook with sobs.

Cheong-myeong, who had been silently watching the scene, quietly looked down.

Whether he had lost consciousness or couldn’t bear to look ahead, Beop-jeong was motionless with his face buried in the ground.

Cheong-myeong stepped away from Beop-jeong. Anger burned inside him, but he couldn’t let it out yet. He had to see for himself what had happened. He had to see the future of the world.

*Thud*. Cheong-myeong walked. He passed the fallen Beop-jeong, the crying Hye-yeon, and Beop-gye, now forever silent. His steps got faster and faster, until he was running like the wind. The tall trees swayed, their leaves whispering.

*Tap!* It wasn’t far, but it felt like he was running for forever. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to see what was coming. But soon, he was through the trees, and a huge open space stretched out in front of him.

Cheong-myeong bit his lip hard. The ground was covered in blood and dead bodies. The battlefield was huge, and even far away, as far as he could see, there was only death and destruction.

Cheong-myeong took in the whole scene, every detail. There were too many dead bodies to count, broken weapons everywhere, and a terrible smell of blood and death hung in the air. And even among the dead, people were still fighting, like greedy birds picking at scraps.

Cheong-myeong felt sick to his stomach. Maybe it was despair. This terrible scene reminded him of something awful from his past, something he could never forget.

*Sound of grinding teeth*. His fist was clenched so tight it made a sound. He looked towards the middle of the battlefield. And there he was. Jang Il-so was staring right back at him.

They were very far apart, so far that normally they wouldn’t even see each other. But they were locked in each other’s gaze, like it was meant to be. Even from this distance, Cheong-myeong could hear him. He saw Jang Il-so’s red lips move, and a soft, laughing voice seemed to echo in Cheong-myeong’s mind.

“Oh, my… A special guest has arrived.”

Jang Il-so smiled, like he was greeting a friend. His eyes curved into a smile that looked almost kind at first. But now, no one would believe that smile. He looked truly happy about all this death.

“But… you should have come faster, don’t you think?”

“Haha! Hahaha!” Jang Il-so’s loud laughter echoed across the battlefield, hitting Cheong-myeong like a blow.

Cheong-myeong’s fist shook with rage. He was full of anger and hate, but he couldn’t release it yet. Jang Il-so’s laughter kept ringing in his ears.

While Jang Il-so seemed to enjoy all this death, Ho Ga-myeong stared at Cheong-myeong with a very serious face. It was hard to see Ho Ga-myeong clearly from so far away. But the deadly anger coming from Cheong-myeong felt like a blast of icy wind, even from this distance.

His back became damp with cold sweat.

He thought he could never come. How carefully he and Jang Il-so had dug a trap to separate that unpredictable monster from this battlefield. He even gave up the Black Dragon King’s life without hesitation to lure in the Plum Blossom Sword Demon.

Even so, that monster had arrived before the blood on the battlefield was even dry. If Cheong-myeong had been just a little faster, or if their trap hadn’t been so well planned, they would have lost. But now, it was clear that the Evil Sect and Jang Il-so had won.

Jang Il-so spoke again.

“So… I told you.” His voice was so quiet, Cheong-myeong might not even hear it. But the meaning was clear.

“Choice.” Jang Il-so’s laughing eyes suddenly turned cold and cruel. He started walking slowly towards Cheong-myeong, like a hunter stalking its prey.

“Choices are important.”

Soon. Cheong-myeong, who had been staring at them, also took a step forward. Ho Ga-myeong’s eyes widened. ‘Could it be…?’

*Thud*. Cheong-myeong took another step towards them. Ho Ga-myeong’s eyes grew even wider. ‘Is he really going to attack? Here?’ Ho Ga-myeong clenched his fist without thinking.

Impossible. Even if Cheong-myeong was angry, he wouldn’t be so stupid. But… it was Cheong-myeong. Maybe anger had made him reckless. What if he really was going to attack? Ho Ga-myeong clenched his fist tighter. ‘I could kill him here.’ A powerful desire surged through him, burning hot. He didn’t need to attack first. Just a little closer… ‘Just a little more…’ Jang Il-so might not like it. But this had to be done. Now that the Nine Sects were destroyed, if they could also kill the Plum Blossom Sword Demon, nothing could stop the Evil Sect anymore. He could almost feel the world within his reach. ‘Just a little…’ His fingers twitched, ready to attack.

“Hmm,” Jang Il-so hummed, relaxed. He slowly raised his hand. Everyone watched his fingers, holding their breath. They had just won a great victory against the Nine Sects. With just one gesture, Jang Il-so controlled everyone who was still filled with the thrill of victory. He was incredibly powerful now. No one in the world could challenge him. And the Evil Sect was completely loyal to him. The moment his hand dropped, everyone would attack, no matter who they were or where they came from. They would destroy anyone who dared to disrespect their leader, the one who had won such a huge victory. Everyone waited, muscles tense, holding their breath.

“Well, then….”

*Tap*. Instead of lowering his hand, Jang Il-so just flicked his fingers lightly. No one understood what he meant. Everyone looked at him, confused. Jang Il-so smiled.

“Let’s run away. Quickly.” Everyone’s faces went blank with shock. Ho Ga-myeong started to speak, surprised by the order.

But Jang Il-so turned away, like running was the most natural thing in the world.

“L-Leader!” Ho Ga-myeong hurried after him, calling out. Jang Il-so looked back, his eyes calm again.

“Why are you surprised?” Ho Ga-myeong felt dizzy at the casual question.

Everyone was still frozen, not believing Jang Il-so’s order. Jang Il-so looked around at them.

“What are you waiting for?” He smiled, a smile that was too bright, too calm, and somehow scary. Everyone who looked at him quickly looked down.

“Retreat. Now!”

“Yes!” The Evil Sect started moving quickly, rushing away.

Jang Il-so looked away. He saw Cheong-myeong still walking towards them. Jang Il-so mouthed words clearly, so Cheong-myeong could read his lips.

“You’re like an actor who arrives after the play is over. You’re too late. Go home.” The insult hit Cheong-myeong hard.