Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1797

The air seemed to still, the shouts and screams fading as if swallowed by a sudden, heavy silence. A strange, unsettling calm descended.

Those shouting loudly, those rushing in with tense faces, those terrified and struggling wildly…

One by one, they faded away, until only one person remained.

Tang Gunak stared intently at the single figure standing before him.

There was no sign of the usual evil sect aura – no obvious sinister energy. Yet, it wasn’t like the righteous sects either. Instead, there was a powerful sense of freedom.

Tang Gunak recognized this feeling in some people.

‘Ronin.’

Ronin were drifters, belonging to no sect, their swords their only allies. It was said this path rarely led to the peak of martial arts.

And yet, from the body hidden under those clothes, he could feel a dangerous power waiting to explode.

‘It’s like a beast wearing human clothes, pretending to be human.’

Tang Gunak’s instincts screamed at him. This man’s power could be as great as the Thousand-Faced Manipulator or the Sun Palace Lord.

At that moment, Jeok Ho’s sword moved.

Whoosh.

Tang Gunak twisted his body and quickly threw two daggers from his sleeve.

Clang!

Jeok Ho’s sword aura just missed Tang Gunak’s side, while Tang Gunak’s daggers bounced off Jeok Ho’s blade and flew upwards. Tang Gunak caught the daggers in the air and glared sharply at Jeok Ho.

The tension between them grew thicker.

Tang Gunak’s skin stung from the sharp sword aura that had passed by him.

Jeok Ho broke the silence.

“It’s a well-deserved reputation.”

“…That doesn’t seem like the right thing to say right now.”

It was said true skill always earned fame. But this man before Tang Gunak was an exception.

Someone this skilled, yet unknown…

Tang Gunak’s face hardened as he realized something. This incredible skill, and that…

“The Black Blade.”

He looked at the black blade in Jeok Ho’s hand, and a cold dread filled him as one person came to his mind.

“The one who led the chase when the Tang family retreated to Shaanxi.”

Jeok Ho’s eyes shifted slightly.

“The one who killed Elder Tang Wei and slaughtered countless members of the Tang family… Jang Ilso’s dog.” A cold fury, long buried, stirred within Tang Gunak.

…

“I heard his favorite weapon was the Black Blade.”

A murderous look flashed in Tang Gunak’s eyes.

“Was it you?” Tang Gunak’s voice was low, dangerously soft, the question heavy with years of grief and rage.

At that time, Tang Gunak had arrived too late to see the killer. But he had seen, very clearly, the horrible bodies of his family torn apart by that blade. He had never forgotten it, not for a single day.

“Answer me.”

“I don’t want my emotions to get in the way of this fight, but…”

Jeok Ho nodded calmly.

“That was my doing.”

Tang Gunak’s lips twisted into a slow, cruel smile.

“You dared to show your face in front of me.”

“I am just following orders.”

Tang Gunak chuckled darkly. He knew that this man was just a hunting dog. If a dog kills because its master commands it, then the master is to blame.

But that wasn’t a reason to let the hunting dog live.

Fwoosh!

Clang!

The sound of daggers being thrown and blocked happened almost at the same time. It looked like their earlier fight, but the result was very different.

Shudder.

Jeok Ho’s Black Blade, which had blocked the daggers, trembled slightly. Jeok Ho looked down at his wrist, his face becoming serious. Even after just blocking small daggers, his wrist was throbbing as if he had faced a huge force.

“Then let me make it clear.”

…

“You will die because of that command.”

At Tang Gunak’s grim words, Jeok Ho grinned, showing his teeth. “As you wish,” Jeok Ho replied, a hint of steel in his voice despite the impossible odds.

Jeok Ho gripped his blade tightly and charged at Tang Gunak.

Shiiing!

Chung Myung’s sword cut through those in his way, splitting them in half.

Even though his enemies were backing away instead of attacking, his strikes showed no mercy. It was not the kind of sword fighting you would expect from a Taoist.

If Cheong Mun saw this, he might frown. If Hyun Jong saw it, he would probably look away.

But Chung Myung’s sword showed no hesitation.

His enemies might seem weak to him, but to others, they were powerful oppressors. The mercy Chung Myung might carelessly give could become terrible tyranny for someone else.

“S-Spare me…”

Crunch!

As one man, shaking and wetting himself in fear, waved his hands desperately, Chung Myung’s Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword stabbed into his throat.

“Urgk…”

The man’s wide eyes filled with anger, terror, and despair. Then, all those feelings faded into a dull gray.

For the dead man, and for the one who killed him.

“Cough.”

Suddenly, Chung Myung coughed softly. He tasted blood in his mouth, but he clenched his teeth and swallowed it back down.

‘Damn it.’ Each swing was victory, but each victory chipped away at his own life.

The energy that the Dalai Lama had controlled inside him rushed out the moment he drew his sword. The more he used his inner energy and swung his sword, the faster it ate away at him.

Even so, Chung Myung had no intention of stopping.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Cornered and desperate, the Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors charged, a wave of fear disguised as fury.

“Die, you monster! Gaaaah!”

The angry shouts filled his ears, but the anger was just hiding fear.

Chung Myung blocked three swords coming at him. Then, spinning his body smoothly, he slashed a perfect curve in the air with the tip of his sword.

Swish!

Three heads flew into the air at the same time.

Clang!

Chung Myung continued, swinging his sword to knock away the heads. One of the heads hit the chest of an enemy trying to sneak up on him from behind.

“Urk!”

The Evil Tyrant Alliance warrior stumbled back, then froze in horror when he realized what had just hit him.

“W-Waaaaah!”

Even those used to the harshness of the martial world screamed in fear at Chung Myung’s brutal skill. Before the screaming warrior could understand what was happening, his head was quickly cut off, just like the others.

Slash!

Hot blood sprayed outwards, a gruesome rain that speckled Chung Myung’s face and robes. He didn’t flinch, the metallic scent of it lost in the wider stench of battle. He just turned his cold eyes to the remaining Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors, who were still alive—for now.

“Ugh…”

“Ah… ah…”

Those caught in his gaze froze in place.

It wasn’t just that their enemy was incredibly strong. This was a basic fear – the kind a small animal feels when facing a huge predator. The kind that makes you unable to move.

And this predator had no intention of letting prey that showed weakness escape.

Boom!

Chung Myung stomped hard on the ground, launching himself forward like a spring suddenly released. He twisted his body, putting every bit of his power into his sword.

Then came a long strike!

Swoooosh!

Chung Myung’s sword cut through the air with force. The red sword aura stretched out, quickly and cruelly sweeping through everything in its path.

The Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors panicked and tried to run, but their bodies, frozen in fear, wouldn’t listen to their minds. In the end, a terrible slaughter happened.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

Heads, bodies, arms, and legs – everything the sword aura touched was cut off.

When it was over, a large half-circle area around Chung Myung was covered in broken bodies and pools of blood. Even in the middle of this chaotic battlefield, it was a shocking sight.

“Ah…”

In one strike, dozens of lives were ended. Those who saw the destruction trembled and backed away without thinking. Only the swordsman who had caused it all stood there, still and uncaring.

Chung Myung’s gaze swept over the survivors, silent and emotionless, sending shivers of pure terror down their spines. Boom! The battlefield shuddered with a distant explosion, but none dared look away from the demon before them. His presence was a weight, crushing their will to even blink.

Boom!

A loud explosion echoed from somewhere on the battlefield. But none of the Evil Tyrant Alliance members dared to turn their heads. They couldn’t look away from this demon in human form.

They were afraid to look at him. But they were even more afraid to turn away.

But the demon didn’t seem to care. Even facing thousands of enemies, he calmly turned his gaze towards the explosion. No, it was more than that – he seemed to be watching the entire battlefield.

His eyes stopped on three people fighting fiercely with the Sun Palace Lord.

Even against such a powerful enemy, Hye Yeon, Namgung Dowi, and Lee Songbaek showed no signs of giving up. Chung Myung quietly memorized their faces.

Shaolin, Namgung, and Zhongnan.

The three sects that once represented the peak of the martial world. Adding Mu Jin and Jin Hyun, who were holding back the Sun Palace forces, meant that almost every sect that had once ruled the Kangho was now here.

Chung Myung couldn’t take his eyes off them.

In the past, they had also fought together – against the Demonic Sect.

But things were different now. This wasn’t like before.

Hye Yeon’s iron fist clashed with the Sun Palace Lord’s strength. Lee Songbaek desperately blocked the returning energy aimed at Hye Yeon, allowing Namgung Dowi to take the chance and launch a strong sword attack.

At the same time, Mu Jin and Jin Hyun’s strong defense held back the Sun Palace’s forces, stopping them from helping.

Zhongnan blocked the enemies’ advance. Shaolin pushed them back. Namgung attacked their weak points. And Wudang protected their allies.

Many people were watching this moment. Even without knowing it, they would learn from it. They would understand what worked – what they needed to do to survive, to win.

Slowly, change was spreading. One by one, people started moving into their proper roles. They weren’t just fighters acting alone anymore. Together, they became something bigger.

Chung Myung took in the whole scene. Time seemed to slow down. Though his face stayed calm, a small feeling inside him brought back a clear memory.

A familiar face appeared – not just in his mind, but almost as if he was really there in front of him.

“…Jangmun Sahyung.”

Chung Myung spoke softly, just a breath.

This scene would have been everything his Jangmun Sahyung had wanted to see. He had given his life to this dream, but died before it could happen.

Was he watching this moment now?

Even as they fought a powerful enemy and faced the worst possible outcome – total destruction – they had never truly been united. But now, they willingly supported each other, standing together against the enemy. Was he seeing this?

Cheong Mun had failed to make it happen. Even though he gave everything, he hadn’t lived to see it. But these people… these warriors had made it real. It was just a start, but the change was definitely there.

And now, Chung Myung understood why Cheong Mun had failed.

“You tried to protect them, but…”

His voice was a little sad.

“…It wasn’t about protecting – it was about trusting.”

That slight sadness changed into a smile – not of triumph, but of peace, a gentle radiance that seemed out of place on the blood-soaked battlefield.

“You foolish old man…”

As if hearing him, Cheong Mun, who had been looking at him, smiled warmly.

— Ah, I see it now.

It was the kindest, most wonderful smile.