Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1716

“Who are you!”

“What are you!”

Startled by the sudden appearance of strangers in the inner courtyard, the elite disciples of the Mount Hua Sect quickly drew their swords. They formed a strong barrier, ready to protect Baek Cheon and Heo Gong.

‘When did they get here?’

A cold sweat ran down the backs of the Mount Hua swordsmen.

They were busy taking care of the injured, but how could so many people have gotten so close without anyone noticing?

‘These are not ordinary men.’

They knew that the people who came were very strong.

No, they didn’t even need to think about it. The scary feeling coming from the strangers in the courtyard was enough to show how powerful they were.

“Who are you….”

The man, wrapped from head to toe in bandages as red as dried blood, sneered at the cautious disciples of Mount Hua.

“Is that what you care about right now? You people of this land are funny. You worry about silly things.”

A soft, evil laugh filled the quiet.

It was a laugh that was not only unpleasant but also threatening. His scary clothes, his nasty voice full of danger, and the way he stood all made the disciples of Mount Hua feel uneasy.

However, the worry and unease they felt were nothing compared to what the Five Swordsmen guarding Baek Cheon were feeling.

‘This is bad.’

Jo Gul’s whole body was covered in cold sweat. The feeling coming from the man who had suddenly appeared made his hair stand on end.

He was incredibly strong. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought this man was almost as strong as the Solar Palace Lord.

‘The Blood Palace….’

He had heard from Baek Cheon that the Blood Palace had shown up at Shaolin and left without a big fight.

The Blood Palace, whose connection with the Evil Sect Alliance was unclear, had decided to show itself now.

‘Damn it….’

As the saying goes, trouble always comes in bad times.

Even if they didn’t know why they were here, it was easy to guess that they didn’t come with good intentions.

Jo Gul looked at Baek Cheon, who was still unconscious, and bit his lip.

‘This is dangerous.’

Baek Cheon was like a bomb about to explode. Even a small touch could end his life.

This meant that if a fight started, Baek Cheon would die right away. Also, the Five Swordsmen, Tang Gunak, Mu-jin, and even Jin Hyun were all focused on Baek Cheon, giving him their energy.

‘What should I do?’

Even as he gave his energy, Jo Gul’s mind raced.

If he stopped helping Baek Cheon, Baek Cheon would die. But if he didn’t stop, the others wouldn’t be able to handle the enemies.

Which life was more important? Who should he save?

He looked around desperately. But the others who were touching Baek Cheon also seemed lost. Their eyes showed they didn’t know what to do.

‘When will this treatment end?’

The best idea he had was for Heo Gong to stop the treatment for a moment, but he couldn’t tell Heo Gong, who was completely lost in his healing work.

They were truly trapped in a hopeless situation, with no way to escape.

“You’re in a bad state. It’s a shame, really.”

The Blood Palace Lord seemed to know exactly what was happening. The corners of his mouth, hidden under the bandages, moved strangely.

His red eyes turned to Baek Cheon on the bed.

“I remember him being… quite strong before.”

At that moment, Jo Gul saw it. The Blood Palace Lord was slowly tightening his hand, which had been hanging loose, as he finished talking.

The feeling of danger grew stronger. The moment this feeling exploded, they would attack Baek Cheon and everyone else.

‘Please, someone… anyone, please!’

But even with Jo Gul’s desperate wish, red light suddenly burst from the Blood Palace Lord’s eyes.

“Shall we start by paying back what happened at Shaolin?”

The Blood Palace Lord bent his knees slightly. Jo Gul knew what this meant and quickly closed his eyes, just as—

“Your master.”

Someone spoke, stepping forward. He couldn’t even hide his shaking hands.

Surprised, Jo Gul stared at the person who had stepped forward.

‘Sasuk?’

Baek Sang had stepped forward to face the Blood Palace Lord alone. He swallowed hard and continued.

“Your master seems to have told you to leave, so why are you still here? Or are you too dumb to understand what he said?”

He was clearly trying to make him angry. He couldn’t even hide the shaking in his voice, so it just seemed like a desperate attempt. Baek Sang was that desperate.

“Master?”

But surprisingly, the Blood Palace Lord reacted to the word. It was hard to know if he was really bothered, or if he was just playing with them like a cat plays with a mouse before catching it.

“Master, you say… interesting. Who would dare to be our master? Especially someone from this land?”

A strong red light poured from the Blood Palace Lord’s eyes.

Besides his strength, there was a power in his eyes that made people shrink back. A power closer to death than evil.

But Baek Sang did not back down, even with the heavy fear.

The moment he backed down, Baek Cheon would die. Baek Sang had nowhere to escape.

“So he isn’t your master?”

“We have only one who can be our master.”

“You shouldn’t be talking about orders, after coming all this way just because someone told you to.”

“Orders… you’re a sad one. You were just talking about a retreat order, and now you’re saying the opposite.”

The small interest that had appeared in the Blood Palace Lord’s eyes quickly disappeared. But at that moment, Baek Sang spoke.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“Hmm?”

The Blood Palace Lord tilted his head. He wasn’t trying to ignore or trap his opponent. He was truly surprised by Baek Sang’s words.

“…Did you just say a deal?”

“Yes, a deal. Even if you don’t speak the language well, you should understand that much.”

“You and I?”

“Yes.”

The Blood Palace Lord looked Baek Sang up and down with a strange look.

Baek Sang’s whole body was covered in cold sweat, feeling like a snake was crawling over him. But even so, he forced out the words.

“If you’re not controlled by the Evil Sect Alliance, if Jang Il-so isn’t your master, then we can make a deal. Tell me what you want. We’ll give you what you want if you leave.”

The Blood Palace Lord moved his finger slightly. At the same time, Baek Sang’s eyes started to twitch.

Of course, he knew it was a crazy thing to do. But right now, Baek Sang had no other choice.

‘At least he’ll be interested.’

He had already heard about what happened at Shaolin from Baek Cheon. This man had a history of leaving without hesitation when he felt he was at a disadvantage. In other words, he was completely different from those Mount Hua had faced so far.

What this man wanted was profit. Complete profit, without any loss to himself. If he could promise that….

“If you really came here without any connection to their orders, then the Evil Sect Alliance wouldn’t even know you’re here. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just take what you can and leave?”

The Blood Palace Lord didn’t react. But Mount Hua and Wudang did.

“Elder! Are you crazy…!”

“Silence!”

Baek Sang glared at the one shouting from behind. The Wudang swordsman was quieted by his angry look.

Baek Sang spoke sharply.

“Keep your mouth shut. Just for a moment!”

Then, he took a deep breath and stared at the Blood Palace Lord again.

“A deal… a deal….”

The Blood Palace Lord chuckled, repeating the words.

“Yes. That’s not bad. We just need to see the profit.”

Baek Sang was happy inside, but asked calmly.

“What do you want?”

“Wealth. And elixirs. Ah, and good weapons, if you have them.”

“We can give you as much as….”

“And just one small thing.”

Baek Sang’s face became serious. It was because a strange smile appeared on the Blood Palace Lord’s face when he said ‘small thing’.

“What is it?”

The Blood Palace Lord pointed with his chin at something behind Baek Sang.

“The head of the one lying there.”

“……What?”

“It would be even better if it was a head that had been cut off painfully. We have to pay our debts, you see.”

Baek Sang’s face became even more serious.

“That’s….”

“Ah, this is something I can’t remove. Sometimes, there are things more important than wealth.”

A sneer appeared in the Blood Palace Lord’s eyes.

Only then did Baek Sang understand. The conversation he had been trying to have was just a game to the Blood Palace Lord.

“Now, bring me his head in three counts. Then I’ll let the rest of you live.”

“Wait, just a moment…!”

The Blood Palace Lord held up three fingers, which were strangely long and thin.

“Three.”

One of the fingers slowly closed.

Baek Sang quickly turned around. The Wudang and Mount Hua swordsmen behind him also turned around without thinking.

“Two.”

But there was no hesitation in the eyes of those around Baek Cheon.

“One.”

The last finger closed, and a scary voice echoed.

“The deal is over.”

Boom!

At that moment, the Blood Palace Lord burst out with red energy and jumped towards Baek Sang.

Baek Sang quickly drew his sword. He had to stop him. Even if he died here, he had to stop that monster from touching Baek Cheon!

But before his sword was even halfway out, the Blood Palace Lord’s hand, wrapped in bandages, reached for Baek Sang’s neck.

‘Ah….’

Baek Sang closed his eyes, knowing he was about to die.

KABOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion happened right in front of him. The force sent Baek Sang flying backwards, and he fell to the ground.

“Huh…?”

What?

He felt his neck, and it was still there.

‘What happened….’

Baek Sang calmed his pounding head and stared ahead. Then he saw it. The Blood Palace Lord was stumbling a few steps away, covering his face with one hand.

“Th, this….”

When he lowered his hand, the Blood Palace Lord’s face, twisted and ugly, was revealed.

Then, a voice that everyone knew spread softly.

“Don’t you dare touch him with your dirty hands, you dried-up prune.”

“Ah…!”

Baek Sang and the others jumped and shivered.

It was a voice they all knew well. And it wasn’t a dream.

Thud.

A person landed in front of Baek Sang.

“Ch….”

When they saw the familiar back in the Mount Hua uniform, Baek Sang and the other Mount Hua disciples shouted together.

“Chung Myung-ah!”