Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1768

“Jo Gul!”

Yoon Jong ran into the village. His face tightened when he saw what was in front of him. He wanted to turn away from the horrible scene, but he knew he had to see everything as a leader.

“Where is that bastard?”

“Yoon Jong! Over there!”

Baek Ja saw Jo Gul first and pointed, shouting. Yoon Jong saw Jo Gul running away in the distance, and anger boiled up inside him.

“That damned brat!”

Jo Gul was like a young, wild horse that was hard to control. Baek Cheon and Cheong Myeong seemed to control him well. How did they manage that?

“He seems to be chasing the Four Faction Alliance. What are we going to do?”

Yoon Jong bit his lip. Pursuit was important, but there was something just as crucial.

“Sasuk!”

“Hm?”

Baek Sang turned, surprised by Yoon Jong’s call.

“There will be survivors hidden inside the houses. They’ll be afraid of us with our swords and won’t come out, so persuade them and move them to a safe place. Take a few more people with you.”

“Ah, alright.”

“And So So! Treat the injured. Hurry!”

“Yes, Sahyung!”

“About ten of you, break off and put out the fires! If we’re not careful, those hiding inside might get hurt. Move now!”

“Understood!”

“Yes!”

Yoon Jong turned sharply and shouted.

“And the rest of you, follow me! We’re pursuing the enemy!”

He didn’t wait for a response, sprinting towards the enemy with all his might.

‘Don’t overdo it, Geol!’ He had to support Jo Gul and Yoo Iseol immediately to ensure they didn’t find themselves in danger.

“Military Advisor! They’re…!”

Ho Gamyung silently turned around. His eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion. He could see that the pursuers were almost upon their rear guard.

Only two people, but…

‘Fast.’

A terrifying speed.

He hadn’t heard that Mount Hua was so fast and light on their feet, but judging by their speed alone, they seemed as fast as the quickest fighters.

Of course, they were still some distance away from reaching Ho Gamyung in the center, but the fact that the rear guard had been caught up so quickly was certainly threatening.

“O-oh!”

The face of the man at the very rear turned pale. The pursuers’ momentum felt very dangerous.

Those who had already fought countless battles knew from experience that fighting an opponent stronger than oneself wasn’t as difficult as one might think.

They could use more soldiers, or try to slow them down. Even if not, there were countless ways to stand against a strong opponent.

But there was one instance where one couldn’t stand against a strong opponent.

“U-Uaargh!”

When a strong opponent attacked from behind as they fled.

Shwick!

The severed head soared into the air. Its eyes tightly shut as if sensing its fate, the head spun in the air before plummeting into the dirt. A miserable end, but a death close to a blessing compared to the deeds they had committed.

“Where do you think you’re going, you sons of bitches!”

Shwick!

Jo Gul’s sword relentlessly pierced the enemies’ bodies. Blood and flesh splattered in all directions.

His sword, honed in real combat, had now reached a level that even ordinary members of the Four Faction Alliance found difficult to handle. To face a sword that could take your life even in a head-on confrontation from behind? The result was so obvious that even a child would know.

Like the teeth of a tiger chasing a flock of sheep, Jo Gul’s sword mercilessly plunged into the enemies’ backs.

“Aaaargh!”

Screams erupted each time the sword rapidly rotated, tearing through their insides. When a Four Faction Alliance member collapsed, Jo Gul would show no mercy, severing their head completely.

Fwoosh!

Blood spurted out like a fountain, but Jo Gul didn’t properly see this sight. He had already leaped past that spot, heading only forward.

“Military Advisor!”

“Hmm.”

Ho Gamyung pondered for a moment with a cold expression.

‘Only two?’

The pursuit was much faster than expected, but it was only possible because there were only two of them. Who would dare imagine that a mere two people would chase after this many?

Those Mount Hua bastards never stay within expectations.

“Military Advisor! The damage is increasing!”

The logical course of action would be to stop the army and confront them, but the problem was that it wasn’t feasible.

They weren’t opponents they could handle while fleeing.

Ho Gamyung looked beyond the rear guard, who were being helplessly attacked, into the distance.

‘Mount Hua.’

The main force of Mount Hua was pursuing them. If they were tied down here and delayed, they would be quickly overrun. To fight Mount Hua with the current forces here? It was like killing themselves.

Mount Hua might not be the strongest sect in the world, but at least from Ho Gamyung and the Four Faction Alliance’s perspective, they were the sect they least wanted to face.

“Damn it! Why does it always have to be like this…?”

Curses erupted from the officers’ mouths. Whenever they got involved with Mount Hua, things always went strangely wrong, so it was understandable.

If they had moved just half a beat earlier, they could have escaped leisurely without any sacrifices. But that half a beat was, in the end, skill. The officers, being strategists themselves, knew that fact better than anyone.

“Military Advisor! Go on ahead. We’ll hold them back!”

In the end, they resorted to the next best option.

“You must return safely, Military Advisor! Leave the rest to us.”

However, Ho Gamyung glanced at his officers and said calmly.

“There’s no need for that.”

“Military Advisor!”

“Tell everyone to stop.”

“Yes?”

The officers’ eyes widened at the incomprehensible order. But Ho Gamyung calmly stopped, and only then did the officers frantically grab those who were fleeing and stopped them.

“S-Stop the entire army!”

Those who had been terrified barely managed to line up again and pointed their weapons at the pursuers behind them.

“Ha…”

Jo Gul, who was now covered in blood from head to toe, stopped. The corpses and bloodstains marked a long trail behind him. A path of blood, literally.

He took a deep breath and glanced back. Yoon Jong was leading the other Sahyung rapidly approaching.

Then there was no need to force an attack. Just slowing them down would do. Yoo Iseol seemed to have the same thought, as she calmed her slightly heaving shoulders.

Jo Gul sneered.

“Looks like you realized it’s no use running? Took you long enough to figure it out, you stupid bastards.”

“No. It’s just that there’s no need to run away.”

Ho Gamyung calmly responded to Jo Gul’s words.

“…What?”

“Bring them.”

“Yes, Military Advisor.”

The officers, exchanging somewhat suspicious glances, followed the order.

‘What are they doing?’

Jo Gul watched their actions with a doubtful gaze, when an enraged voice came from behind.

“What are you doing, you bastard!”

Yoon Jong, who had chased after them with a desperate determination, roughly grabbed Jo Gul’s shoulder.

Jo Gul grinned, pointing his sword ahead. “We caught them, right?”

Yoon Jong frowned. “Is that all you can say about this?”

“Ah, let’s save that for later. Let’s deal with these bastards first.”

Jo Gul raised his sword.

Yoon Jong sighed deeply. An unbearable irritation surged within him, but Jo Gul was right. Something felt wrong. Why did they stop? Why were they waiting?

“Th-that?”

“Huh?”

Several of the Mount Hua disciples, who had been suspiciously observing the Sahe Alliance group, widened their eyes in astonishment.

“Those crazy bastards….”

They hadn’t seen any survivors in the village earlier, even though Jo Gul had arrived before the massacre was complete.

Yoon Jong had assumed that the terrified people were hiding in the burning houses, unable to come out. It was the only explanation.

But at this moment, Yoon Jong realized later that there was another reason. A terrible possibility that Chung Myung or Baek Cheon would have noticed immediately.

“Aaaaargh!”

A group was dragged out by the Sahe Alliance members. They had deep wounds on their arms and legs, bleeding and struggling to move.

These were… ordinary people, with no trace of martial arts training.

The moment he saw the terrified look in their eyes, Yoon Jong clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white.

“P-please, save us! Please! Please!”

Women, children, the elderly… all of them were weak. And there were so many of them, more than could be counted on two hands.

Soon, the Sahe Alliance members held their weapons to the necks of those who had been dragged out. It was a threatening gesture, as if they would cut off their fragile lives at any moment.

“There’s no need to run away. We’re not the ones who need to run.”

“You… you son of a bitch….”

Jo Gul’s eyes were bloodshot.

He wanted to carve up Ho Ga-myung’s cold face as he watched the situation. It was hard to tolerate the fact that such a scoundrel was speaking as if he were human. His anger was so intense that his body felt like it would explode at any moment.

“Let’s make sure they understand.”

Ho Ga-myung remained calm despite all the hateful glares. He reached out and grabbed a woman by the scruff of her neck.

“If you don’t retreat, they will all die.”

“You….”

“I promise. If you retreat, there will be no more bloodshed today. I don’t know about tomorrow, but at least these people can be saved today.”

A faint sneer appeared on Ho Ga-myung’s lips.

“If you really care about these people, you’ll know what the answer is.”

Jo Gul choked out, “Shut up… you monster.”

Ho Ga-myung’s hand flashed. *Crack!* The sickening sound of bone and flesh tearing ripped through the air.

A stunned silence fell. Every Mount Hua swordsman froze, their blood running cold.

Eyes widened in horror, fixed on the scene before them.

A thin, cruel blade stuck out from the woman’s chest, right below her ribs. Her eyes, wide and empty, stared up at the sky for a moment before her body went limp and she fell to the dusty ground.

Ho Ga-myung’s voice was flat, devoid of any emotion. “I am serious.”

“You bastard! Aaaaargh!”

Yoon Jong desperately held down Jo Gul, who was about to charge out, unable to hold back any longer.

“Calm down, you idiot!”

“Senior Brother! That bastard! Senior Brother! Aargh!”

Plop!

Ho Ga-myung, having carelessly thrown away the woman whose life had been taken, pulled another hostage forward. His expression remained unchanged.

This time, it was a very young girl. She was too scared to even cry, and was just hiccuping.

In that moment, Jo Gul’s reason flew away. Rage burned in his chest, but a cold fear crept into his heart. *What if he hurts the child? What if she dies because of me?*

“You seem to be misunderstanding, this isn’t a negotiation. It’s an order. Retreat. Otherwise, everyone here will die.”

Ho Ga-myung’s eyes darkened.

“Since we have some history, let me give you some advice. Not retreating is also an option. If you can cut off my head at the cost of killing a few dozen civilians, it would definitely be a worthwhile deal for you.”

“You….”

“No one will ever know anyway. Right?”

Crack!

“Aaaaargh!”

Ho Ga-myung’s dagger pierced the child’s arm.

“It seems to hurt. Tell me, who do you resent more right now? Me? Or those guys over there who are stubbornly holding their ground out of pointless pride?”

The child couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

“I promise. If they retreat, you will live. I won’t lay another finger on you.”

“……”

“If you die here despite this promise, it won’t be my fault.”

At that moment, Jo Gul saw it.

The resentment filling the eyes of the civilians captured by those men, including the child. Mount Hua, who had come to save them, had instead become the target of their resentment.

“You, what are you….”

But it wasn’t their fault. That vile man had made it so. That heartless demon.

How could a person be like this?

Jo Gul stared at Ho Ga-myung with a blank look on his face.

There was a time when he thought that those men were perhaps not so different from them, just ordinary people. He wanted to rip out his tongue for uttering such words back then, if only he could.

“It seems you still don’t understand, since you’re not moving.”

Slice! Slice!

In an instant, two more heads were severed.

“Stop! You bastard! I said stop!”

“I don’t make empty threats. I don’t have time for that. Decide. Will you retreat, or will you kill me? Or….”

Ho Ga-myung’s voice was so calm that it felt alien.

“Will you just turn a blind eye and drag out the time, running away from the guilt you’ll have to face?”

“You….”

Yoon Jong, who had been biting his lip until it bled, opened his mouth.

“……I will kill you. I will definitely kill you.”

“By all means.”

Yoon Jong gritted his teeth and turned his head.

Yoon Jong whispered, his voice heavy with pain, “Go.”

“Senior Brother!”

“The hostages must be released. If you want to leave even their corpses intact.”

“Now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, there’s no need to bother.”

“Get lost.”

Yoon Jong glared at Ho Ga-myung with murderous intent. After a moment, a deep sneer appeared on Ho Ga-myung’s face.

“Well done for choosing to give up.”

With these words, Ho Ga-myung turned around.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, strategist.”

The Sahe Alliance slowly moved away from them. There was no sign of haste. It was as if they were mocking them.

The Mount Hua swordsmen could only stand there like stone statues, watching the scene.

“Ugh….”

They had been utterly defeated and utterly humiliated.

“……I’ll kill him. I will, without fail.”

It was the moment when everyone in Mount Hua engraved the name Doksim Najchal, Ho Ga-myung, into their hearts.