Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1685

“Aaaaargh!”

Jo Gul roared as if his lungs would burst. His blood-soaked hand trembled as it gripped his sword.

“Damn it, I did it! Blast it!”

Jo Gul pounded the hard rock face of Baegan-am with his fist and quickly turned around. Those behind him stared at him with incredibly excited eyes.

They understood.

How difficult it was to open a path in this mountain. How terrifying it was to step forward and fight in a situation where the enemy could attack from behind the flames at any moment.

But this man had confidently walked that difficult path and finally arrived here.

What Jo Gul proved here was not simply the sharpness of his sword. It was the one step he could take forward. This was courage.

The members standing here deeply felt that even if the result they created here turned out to be a failure, no one would dare say that Jo Gul lacked the qualifications.

Jo Gul commanded.

“What are you doing! Guard the rear! They’re aiming for those who are joining us! Stop them, now!”

“Yes, Vice Leader!”

Their voices were disciplined now, more than before. Jo Gul shouted, unable to hide his excitement.

“And don’t dawdle, hurry up and come! What are you doing!”

“We’re going, you bastard!”

Yoon Jong roared back, his voice piercingly loud.

“If he just shut that mouth, people would respect him twice as much, that damn fellow!”

Yoon Jong clicked his tongue and grumbled, but he still encouraged his members. They really needed to hurry and join them.

“Here!”

At that moment, Baek Cheon raised his sword high, so that everyone could see it clearly.

“Each division, form a battle formation centered here, right now!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon quickly surveyed his surroundings. Reaching the cliff was a good thing, but that also meant that the movements of the Heavenly Union had stopped.

The enemies weren’t fools either, so they would naturally try to surround, encircle, and attack.

Baek Cheon’s gaze shot towards the cliff behind him, or more precisely, the narrow paths to its left and right.

‘Narrow.’

It was a path connected to the steep cliff. It would take a long time for so many people to climb.

“Dong Ryong, they’re coming!”

“Damn it! Don’t call me that!”

Baek Cheon reflexively shouted and looked ahead. Through the still-raging flames, enemies were pushing in like angry bulls.

But…

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

“…It’s, strange.”

Baek Cheon, Jo Gul, and Yoon Jong tilted their heads simultaneously as if they had made a promise.

Clearly, enemies were swarming beyond the blazing flames. But they couldn’t easily cross the fire.

Ironically, the flames caused by the Mount Hua Sect were preventing the Heavenly Union from encircling them all at once. It was as if the Heavenly Union had erected a huge wall of fire against them.

“Should we call this a self-inflicted wound?”

“Oh? You know such words?”

“Do you think I’m Chung Myung?”

Jo Gul, feeling ignored, flared up. Yoon Jong paid no attention and focused on the front. Meanwhile, Namgung Dowi and Hae Yeon, who had been lagging behind a bit, also joined with their divisions.

“Honorable Monk!”

“You’ve worked hard, Monk!”

“It was nothing. Jo Gul did the hard work opening the path.”

“I appreciate you recogni….”

“No, it’s alright.”

“He didn’t do much, Monk.”

Jo Gul, feeling dejected, drooped his shoulders. How did he end up with these people…

“Then what do we do now, Acting Sect Leader?”

At Namgung Dowi’s question, Baek Cheon lightly furrowed his brow.

For now, they had secured a situation where they could fight the enemy while guarding their rear, as they had their backs to the cliff. Moreover, the momentum of those who had been attacking the rear had somewhat subsided.

For the moment, they had secured some breathing room.

Baek Cheon calmly replied.

“Nothing different. First, let’s firmly defend this place and break through the narrow paths on the left and right with a small number of elites!”

“Martial Uncle.”

“Why?”

“……I don’t think that’s going to work?”

“What do you mean… Um?”

Baek Cheon, who was about to ask, felt something and quickly looked up.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Something was crashing into the cliff and falling.

‘A person?’

Baek Cheon’s face hardened.

“Geol!”

“Damn it!”

Jo Gul immediately kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. He caught the falling person and landed.

“Ugh….”

Jo Gul’s hand trembled briefly. The person in his arms, riddled with a couple of blades and horribly mangled, was convulsing.

Torn and ripped, the person who had fallen was clearly wearing the uniform of the Wudang.

“Are you… alright….”

Jo Gul habitually tried to ask if he was alright, but eventually shut his mouth. Unless he was a fool, he couldn’t not know that this person was beyond hope. Even if Tang Soso were here, she wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Damn it….”

Jo Gul bit his lip in frustration. But then, the fallen man slowly opened his eyes and opened his mouth.

“Hwa… Hwasan…?”

“Yes! Hwasan!”

Jo Gul nodded vehemently.

“It’s the Heavenly Union. Are you conscious?”

“Abo…ve… My… brothers… They’re….”

“…….”

“Dan…ger… Soon… All….”

The man’s head drooped weakly to the side. The body convulsing in Jo Gul’s arms also subsided and became quiet.

Jo Gul gritted his teeth and looked down at the scene before gently laying him on the ground. Then, with a hardened face, he looked at Baek Cheon.

“Did you understand what he was trying to say at the end?”

“……He probably wanted to convey that they would soon be destroyed.”

Grind.

Jo Gul clenched his fist tightly.

Baek Cheon’s gaze remained fixed on the edge of the cliff. Those clinging to the top of the cliff like newly hatched spiderlings were still aiming for the Wudang and desperately climbing, which was truly grotesque.

The situation of the Wudang was worse than expected. Enemies were climbing the cliff, and yet, people were being pushed out of the cliff and falling.

Wasn’t this enough to guess the situation on top of the cliff?

“Let’s go, Yoon Jong!”

“Just a moment, Martial Uncle!”

“There’s no time to hesitate! You know why we came here, don’t you?”

“It’s impossible! The enemies will be entrenched in those narrow paths.”

“We have to break through!”

“It’s not about breaking through, it’s about how quickly we can get there! At that rate, the Wudang won’t last until we reach the top of the cliff.”

“Then what do we….”

“Let’s climb up!”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong’s gazes simultaneously turned towards Jo Gul. Jo Gul was pointing to the cliff behind him with his index finger raised.

“Climbing cliffs is our specialty, isn’t it!”

“Wa, wait a minute, Geol. That’s….”

“What are you hesitating about! This is the fastest way!”

“It’s too dangerous!”

“No, that’s none of my business!”

Jo Gul finally bared his teeth and glared at the two as if he would devour them.

“Are you not going to say it’s dangerous?”

“…….”

“There’s only one way to do this, why are you wasting time hesitating? We have to climb right now! This is the easiest way!”

At those words, Baek Cheon looked at the cliff again.

If he were asked if it was possible, the answer would naturally be yes.

There was no way they couldn’t climb a cliff that even those from the Sabae Ryun, known for their climbing skills, could climb. But…

Yoon Jong, who seemed to have the same thought as Baek Cheon, coldly cut off Jo Gul’s opinion.

“That’s… a story from when we were Hwasan. The moment we climb that, our carefully made battle plan will fall apart. There’s nothing we can do on top of the cliff. Then the sacrifices will increase too much.”

“Damn it! So are you saying we should just watch?”

“If we break through the narrow paths quickly….”

“It’s too late! It’s too late!”

Thud!

Jo Gul glared, slamming his fist against the cliff.

“Are you saying we should try a method that will obviously fail? Because it’s a waste to have come this far? Just to save face?”

“Geol!”

“Methods aren’t chosen, they’re created! Isn’t that right?”

Baek Cheon bit his lip tightly. Jo Gul was right. But…

“What are you hesitating about? You idiot.”

At that moment, a sarcastic voice brushed past his ear. Baek Cheon gritted his teeth.

“Damn it. I don’t have time to argue with you now….”

“Go up.”

“……What?”

Jin Geum-ryong, who had already cleared the rear, approached with arrogant eyes and looked at Baek Cheon.

“If you Hwasan climbers, you should be able to climb up in an instant.”

“Right now, I’m Hwasan….”

“Here they are, your Hwasan guys.”

As soon as Jin Geum-ryong’s words fell, familiar people rushed out from here and there. Black uniforms, plum blossoms engraved on their chests.

They were the all too familiar swordsmen of Hwasan.

“Martial Uncle!”

“We’re ready!”

“Just give the order, Senior Brother!”

Baek Cheon’s eyes flickered briefly. Conflict stirred in his heart. But…

“No. Right now….”

“Don’t say useless things.”

“What?”

Jin Geum-ryong smirked.

“The reason for creating divisions and splitting up the sects in the first place was to prevent each sect from only looking after its own interests. But surely no one here is crazy enough to be jealous of Hwasan climbing that cliff, right?”

“…….”

“So shut up and get lost. I’ll block them here.”

Having said what he wanted to say, Jin Geum-ryong shook his sword as if brandishing it and turned around. And without even looking back, he headed towards the enemy.

“From now on, I’m in command!”

As Baek Cheon stood there dumbfounded, Namgung Dowi smirked.

“You’re good brothers.”

“Who?”

“You’re both so alike in being unable to be honest.”

“No, Young Lord!”

Namgung Dowi chuckled and tapped his sword before nodding his head.

“Go, Acting Sect Leader. My mission is simply to hold out here until the Sect Leader saves the Wudang. The Namgung name would be tarnished if I couldn’t even do that much.”

Namgung Dowi smiled and looked at Hae Yeon this time.

“I’ll take care of things here, so go ahead.”

“Ci, Citron?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted to do too, Monk?”

Hae Yeon’s face flushed slightly red.

“It’s not just the monks who can act maturely. And… as you know, we’re not the only ones here.”

“That’s right!”

Someone interjected and strode forward. He was full of confidence as he waved his fan grandly.

“Young Lord Namgung has finally realized the value of this body….”

“The division leaders are here. They are holding back for now, but they will act if things get really bad.”

“……No, I’m also….”

“And each of them is a skilled fighter from a well-known family. Don’t underestimate them.”

“……Is that sneaky guy still ignoring me? Can’t important people even notice a Sabae guy?”

Namgung Dowi finally glanced over and muttered.

“If you know, then get lost.”

“What?”

As the two began to bicker as usual, Baek Cheon sighed so deeply that the ground seemed to sink.

I knew things were going too well.

When he raised his head again, everyone standing around came into view.

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, Yoo Iseol and Hae Yeon, and even the swordsmen with the plum blossom swords behind them. Baek Cheon momentarily smiled and shook his head.

“……It’s so tiresome.”

“Who’s saying it.”

“Is that what a Martial Uncle should say?”

“I thought we were going to live apart for a while.”

“Shut up, you damn bastards! Not giving up a single word!”

Baek Cheon, who had burst out, turned his gaze to the top of the cliff. A feeling of determination slowly filled his face, replacing his seriousness.

Baek Cheon commanded Hwasan.

“Right now, the Wudang are risking their lives to hold on.”

The expressions of the Hwasan swordsmen changed.

“Let’s go, Hwasan! Climb up in one go!”

“Yes!”

Whoosh!

The black flying eagles kicked off the cliff and soared upwards.

The world seen in their eyes changed. The towering cliff came down like a flat land, and in front of them, a sky as black as ink and countless stars spread out as if pouring down.

A hundred swords were cutting through that changed world like shooting stars.