Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 593

The tip of the sword trembled. It was a small quiver at first, almost pitiful, like a scared animal. Then, the trembling grew stronger, shaking the sword, shaking Chung Myung’s hand, until it felt like the whole world was vibrating.

Hwaaaaaaah!

With a roar like fire, crimson blossoms burst from the sword’s tip. They spread quickly, like drops of red ink falling onto white paper.

In moments, the air filled with swirling red petals. The bandits stared, eyes wide with horror at this strange and beautiful magic.

“What magic is this!?”

It was a truly beautiful and chilling sight. And soon, the petals began to crave blood, as if to prove their redness.

Scritch!

Each petal sliced through them with a sharp whisper, a sound that hinted at the tearing of flesh and bone.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

“Ack, my arm! My aaaaaarm!”

Wham!

A sword, piercing through the plum blossoms, plunged into the mouths of the bandits, who were screaming in agony.

Crack!

The trembling, convulsing body soon slumped, adding its weight to the sword.

Despite killing so many times, the weight of each life on his sword never felt lighter.

Drawing his sword, Chung Myung unleashed a chilling aura and charged into the center of the bandits.

Wham!

Blossoms scattered, and blood spurted.

As Chung Myung mercilessly slashed through an opponent’s heart, a fleeting look of discomfort briefly crossed his face.

‘Not enough.’

This wasn’t it.

Originally, his sword was several times sharper and several times more precise.

Since being reborn, he had never once wielded his sword as perfectly as he used to. It was as if his entire body was bound by chains and trapped in a cage.

The more he moved, the more a terrible thirst gnawed at his nerves.

Scritch!

Hot blood splattered on Chung Myung’s face. Wiping it away with his sleeve did not erase the sensation, and the blood spread even further.

Faster, stronger.

He wanted to reach his lost sword. He wanted to grasp it in his hands again, even a little sooner.

That impatience dulled the tip of his sword. The stifling feeling that kept churning from within gradually twisted Chung Myung’s face, which had been expressionless.

“Not enough!”

His murderous sword, filled with twisted emotions, pierced, cleaved, and finally tore apart the bandit’s flesh.

Blood and flesh rained down, but Chung Myung merely ground his teeth in frustration at his body, which felt heavy and slow, like moving through thick mud, and refused to move as he wished.

‘I couldn’t face the bishop alone.’

There were countless stronger people in the world. If he had been even a little weaker, Chung Myung and his companions would have all died in the Northern Sea.

If that had happened, the future of Mount Hua would have been obvious.

The world was overflowing with strong people. And someday, a true demon would descend upon this world.

‘I must become stronger. More than now, more than in the past!’

Chung Myung gripped the sword hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned white, just as he was about to charge forward.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

“Push them back!”

“Smash their heads in!”

Chung Myung involuntarily turned his gaze towards the voices erupting from here and there.

The disciples of Mount Hua, who had been suppressed by the Blood Clan’s momentum, were now pushing back with twice the morale they had before the Blood Clan’s appearance.

Jo Gul, at the forefront, wielded a concise and swift sword. Jo Gul fought with a focused frown, his sword movements sharp and quick, just like his usual witty remarks. His movements were remarkably similar to Chung Myung’s.

Yoo Iseol, who had leaped into the heart of the enemy ranks, was wreaking havoc with sword energy and martial arts that bordered on the fantastical. Her astonishing concentration and her relentless pursuit of perfection in her swordsmanship were unchanged from when they first met.

While the two pushed back their opponents, Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon guarded their fellow disciples, aiding those in danger and bolstering their fighting spirit.

And…

“Amitabha!”

Hae Yeon’s fist surged forth. Here, Chung Myung’s tightly closed lips finally loosened.

“Kuh!”

At that moment, a Blood Clan member’s sword pierced a Mount Hua disciple’s shoulder. However, instead of cowering from the injury, he glared at the Blood Clan member with furious eyes and attacked.

Red petals unfurled.

It was still unrefined, and it was at a level that was almost laughable to call it plum blossoms, but nonetheless, plum blossoms were plum blossoms. Just because it was clumsy didn’t mean its essence disappeared.

The plum blossoms, which had been sparsely blooming here and there, soon dyed the surroundings red. It was just like the scenery of Mount Hua, he thought, remembering the mountain slopes covered in vibrant plum blossoms in spring.

Chung Myung, who had been staring blankly, bit his lip tightly.

‘They’re really a pain in the neck.’

Even though he didn’t tell them to follow, they stubbornly clung to him as Chung Myung ran ahead. Even his former senior brothers had eventually given up on following him, yet these guys, who didn’t even reach their heels, were fearlessly chasing after Chung Myung to their deaths.

“Don’t just leave him to run wild alone! We are Mount Hua!”

At Baek Cheon’s nagging shout, Chung Myung gripped his sword tightly with a slightly distorted face.

‘They don’t know their place.’

Do they even know who I am?

‘…No, actually, I’m the stupid one.’

He couldn’t do everything alone. No matter how strong he was, no matter how strong he became, he had already learned the hard way that he couldn’t do anything alone.

But whenever his head filled with blood, he always reverted to the past.

‘What I need to do now…’

Chung Myung, who had been quietly watching them, suddenly roared.

“Your stance is open, Jo Gul, you little punk!”

“I’m your senior, you crazy bastard!”

Chung Myung grinned at Jo Gul’s immediate retort.

‘Yeah. He’s gotta do at least that much.’

It was true that those Blood Clan members were strong. Of course, the Mount Hua Five Swords would be fine, but the remaining disciples were clearly still outmatched.

However, now was not the time to protect them unconditionally, but the time to trust them.

To bloom proper plum blossoms, they had to face their share of rain and wind and endure the cold winter.

“Hooooh!”

Chung Myung took a deep breath. Then, his usual playful expression returned. He tilted his head, looking at the bandits who were cautiously wary of him.

“Tsk tsk. That’s why you’re just bandits.”

“You… !”

“It seems like there are people who will let you off if you’re that scared, but sorry, I’m not one of them.”

“…”

“But I’ll give you one piece of advice.”

The corners of Chung Myung’s lips curled up into a smirk.

“If you want to live, run away! You bandit bastards!”

Meanwhile, Go Hong was surveying the battlefield with a horribly distorted face.

“Why can’t you even handle those punks properly!”

The Blood Clan members, who had been so formidable, were now blocked by Mount Hua’s defense and were not achieving any real results. Clearly, their overall strength was much higher, but the Mount Hua guys, shoulder to shoulder, were putting up an amazing fight.

Moreover, just when they managed to break through one flank, a few particularly noticeable guys would swoop in like ghosts to provide reinforcements, turning it into a complete waste.

“Kraaah!!”

“Ack!”

The Blood Warriors were increasingly collapsing. The Mount Hua disciples, however, retreated behind their formation to avoid fatal injuries and stay alive. Their numbers were dwindling as a result.

Besides, there was one particularly problematic fellow.

“What are you bandit bastards glaring at! I’ll pluck your eyeballs out!”

Gohong watched Chung Myung fight through the Daebyeolchae bandits like a wild animal. Anger boiled inside him.

‘That dog-like bastard!’ he thought.

All the problems started with that one. Precisely that one.

“Ch-Chief! The situation is…”

“Shut up!” Gohong kicked Lee Jung-bang, who had approached him with irritating words, sending him flying. With a glaive in one hand and a long spear in the other, he roared.

“Get out of my way! You useless lot!” At the sound of his voice, like a bear’s roar, the bandits scrambled back in terror, clearing a path between Chung Myung and Gohong.

Chung Myung cut down the bandits, then straightened his back and stared intently at Gohong across from him.

Gohong spoke first.

“A young pup, ignorant of the world, running wild.”

“Good for you for being old, you bastard,” Chung Myung retorted.

“…What?” Gohong’s face contorted with rage. He gripped the long spear so hard it seemed it would break. Twisting his upper body, he flung the long spear, his waist snapping back like a rubber band.

“Heaaah!”

Kwaaaaaaaah!

The long spear spun so fast it blurred, and a wave of power seemed to come off it, like heat from a fire. Chung Myung’s eyes widened as he saw the long spear hurtling towards him like a cannonball.

Kwakakak!

Chung Myung swung the Plum Blossom Sword, known for its quick and beautiful movements, to meet the spear. But the force of the impact was far greater than he expected.

Clang!

The Dark Plum Blossom Sword couldn’t withstand the force and was knocked away. Chung Myung gritted his teeth and quickly twisted his waist to the side.

Kwaaaa!

The spear, full of strong power, narrowly grazed Chung Myung’s shoulder, tearing his clothes and skin.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The spear hit the ground behind Chung Myung with a crash that shook the mountain, sending dirt and rocks flying everywhere.

“…”

Chung Myung raised his hand and lightly brushed his cheek. Blood flowed freely from the torn skin.

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung, licking the blood from his fingertips, smiled.

“This guy, he’s more of a big shot than I thought?” Chung Myung’s heart pounded. ‘That was close!’ he thought, a grin spreading across his face. ‘This guy is actually a challenge!’

He had momentarily forgotten.

The Green Forest bandits might be a motley crew, but their chiefs were by no means pushovers. Daebyeolchae was a very strong group among the Green Forest bandits, so its chief would undoubtedly be among the best.

Gohong, gripping his glaive, strode towards Chung Myung.

Thud! Thud!

With each step, the entire mountain seemed to vibrate. Gohong watched Chung Myung fight. Anger boiled inside him.

“A fool who doesn’t know his place!” His eyes were filled with ferocious murderous intent.

“I’ll make you pay dearly for daring to act up in front of me! I’ll let you know why I’m called the Mad Bull!”

“Oh, really?” Chung Myung roughly wiped the blood from his hand.

“Goodness, a person without fame can’t even live in peace.”

The corners of his lips curled up in a smirk.

“Well, it’s fine.”

He raised his sword, aimed it at Gohong, and sneered.

“If I cut off the head of a mad bull, maybe I’ll get a proper title instead of some embarrassing nickname like the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua? Maybe you should retire and take a nap, old man!”

“You bastard!”

“So come on. I’ll cut that neck off nice and clean for you.”

“I’ll kill you!” True to his title of Mad Bull, Gohong charged straight at Chung Myung with a truly terrifying momentum.

Spin.

Chung Myung, gripping his sword, grinned with delight and rushed to meet Gohong.

“Heaaaah!”

“Aaargh!”

Gohong’s glaive came crashing down with the force to split even a mountain.

In response, Chung Myung’s Dark Plum Blossom Sword flashed like silver lightning.

Soon, the glaive and the sword collided in the air.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

With a sound like a collapsing mountain, an immense pressure erupted like a storm, sweeping away everything in all directions.

“Aaaaaaaack!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”

The bandits, caught in the storm of energy, screamed and were flung over the mountain fortress and down the cliff.

Grrrrk!

The two, pressing their swords and glaives against each other, drew upon all their inner strength and pushed against each other.

Crack! Crack!

The muscles in their arms screamed in agony, and their bones twisted. But Chung Myung, without yielding an inch, pushed his sword even harder.

“Ugh…”

Gohong, also seemingly taken aback by the unexpected force, gritted his teeth and pressed down even harder on his glaive.

Gagagak!

Sparks flew between the two weapons.

And the upper bodies of the two gradually leaned towards each other. As they struggled, their weapons finally lowered to chest level, and their heads collided with full force.

Boom!

The sound of their heads colliding was too loud and dull to be just that; it was a resounding explosion.

Force against force.

As if they needed no technique, they pressed down on each other with sheer strength. The two snarled like beasts, their foreheads pressed together.

Blood flowed from their broken foreheads, soaking their faces, but neither of them would back down first.

“Heaaah!”

“Oooooooooh!”

Kwooooooong!

Eventually, the massive shockwave created by the collision of their inner energies violently pushed the two back.

Boom!

Thud!

The two, pushed back and falling at the same time, sprang up without either being first and shot towards each other again like rays of light.