Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 804

“Elder!” someone shouted, voice shaking.

Beopgye yelled back, “I see it! I know!”

Beopgye raised his voice, which was unusual for him.

The Shaolin always taught their monks to keep a steady mind. Beopgye knew how important this was.

But what he saw was so shocking, it made Beopgye forget all his training. Blood was everywhere, and people were screaming.

Those who were alive just moments ago were now dead, their bodies scattered around.

“Elder! We have to go!”

“Get off the ship!” Beopgye shouted.

He jumped off the ship and landed on the shore.

The heavy, disgusting smell of blood filled his nose. The strong, sharp smell of gunpowder mixed with dust and other smells he couldn’t place. It was so awful, it made him feel sick.

The other Shaolin monks also looked disturbed.

“Hurry! We don’t want people to say Shaolin only came to watch!”

“Yes!”

Beopgye gave the signal, and the Shaolin monks rushed forward. The sight of Shaolin monks in yellow robes, using their lightness skills to move quickly, was both amazing and scary.

But Hye-yeon stayed behind.

He closed his eyes as he watched the other monks run ahead.

‘No.’

‘This isn’t right.’

‘Shaolin shouldn’t be like this. The Shaolin I know was never like this.’

Fighting the enemy was natural, but it needed to be for the right reasons.

But the Shaolin monks rushing forward now didn’t seem to care about protecting people. They just wanted to be better than the other groups.

‘Why does it feel so empty?’

Hye-yeon bit his lip.

He kept thinking about one person.

Someone who always said fame and glory were everything, and who hated to see other groups become famous.

But in the end, his actions always helped everyone.

‘So different.’

Cheong-myeong argued for personal gain but acted fairly, while Shaolin argued for what was right but chased after profit. At least, that’s how it seemed to Hye-yeon.

This made Hye-yeon hesitate.

He hadn’t spent much time in Hwasan, but it had a strong hold on him. He remembered specific moments that made him feel this way.

“Amitabha.”

He sighed and looked back.

He couldn’t see anything from here. All he could see was the cliff and the Cheongseong ship coming into the valley.

The person who always ran ahead was nowhere to be seen, and neither were those who supported him.

‘Let’s not think about it.’

Hye-yeon said a small prayer.

Even though this situation bothered him, he couldn’t leave the other monks to fight alone.

“Amitabha!”

He pushed aside his confusion and ran forward.

“Kugh! Damn it!”

“You dirty bastards! Four of you ganging up on me! And you call yourselves righteous sects!”

“Don’t back down!”

The battle quickly turned in one direction.

Not everyone from each group was here. Some people were left behind, and others couldn’t fit on the ships.

But the same was true for the Black Dragon Corps.

Only by gathering all the forces of the Eighteen Rivers of the Jang River could they compare to one of the groups here. Even if the Black Dragon Corps was half of that strength, it would be hard for them to face even one of the groups that came here.

But now, four groups were working together.

The Black Dragon Corps had no chance of winning.

The majestic sword of the Namgung Clan and the sword of the Wudang, full of power, struck down the pirates as if they were competing.

“Amitabha!”

The Shaolin monks lived up to their name.

The golden energy from their fists easily pushed away those who rushed in.

Shaolin monks didn’t just use fists. They knew how to use many weapons. But they preferred fists because it was a way to defeat opponents without killing them.

Beopgye struck down a pirate and then shouted loudly.

“Being kind to living things is important for Buddhists! But sometimes, we must fight evil to help others. Don’t hesitate to fight when you need to!”

“Yes!”

The blue, white, and yellow forces quickly defeated the black pirates of the Black Dragon Corps.

‘Where is the Black Dragon King?’

‘Where is the enemy’s leader?’

Now that things had gone this far, it didn’t matter how many pirates they defeated. The only thing that mattered was who would defeat the Black Dragon King, the leader of the Jang River pirates.

“Push in!”

“Cut them down!”

The Black Dragon King would be inside that building. The winner would be the one who broke through and got inside first.

‘I’ll be the first!’

Namgung Hwang’s eyes burned with desire.

The Black Dragon King was a powerful figure who looked down on everyone, even among the evil villains of the Demonic Sect.

But Namgung Hwang was also the Sword Emperor.

He couldn’t lose to the Black Dragon King.

But many others wanted to be the one to defeat him. He had let others go first, but Heo Do-jin and Beopgye wouldn’t let him defeat the Black Dragon King.

‘I can’t let someone else take the credit after I’ve done all the work!’

If they cut off the Black Dragon King’s head, the Namgung Clan, who had led the way, would be forgotten.

Namgung Hwang’s sword energy exploded, clearing the front.

“Clan Leader! Save your strength!”

“We will clear the way!”

Namgung Dowi charged forward. Namgung Hwang watched him, annoyed.

He was impatient, but the Black Dragon King was a strong opponent. If he wasted his energy here, he might lose to the Black Dragon King.

Namgung Hwang held back his eagerness and turned to the side.

Heo Do-jin, with white and black energy around his sword, gently swung it.

It was a strange sight.

Softness and speed usually don’t go together. But in that sword, they did.

The sword seemed to move slowly, but it quickly found the enemy’s weak points.

‘Heo Do!’

Namgung Hwang wanted to win.

Imagine two powerful leaders. One is Namgung Hwang, head of the Namgung Clan. People say his clan is the best in the world. The other is Heo Do-jin, leader of the Wudang Sect, known as the top Taoist school.

These two groups are big rivals. They both want to be known as the best sword fighters.

Even though they are rivals, Namgung Hwang and Heo Do-jin have never actually fought each other with swords.

They are not enemies who hate each other. A real fight could be too dangerous for both of them, and a simple practice fight would not be good enough for leaders like them.

Namgung Hwang looked hard at Heo Do-jin, his eyes like sharp knives. Heo Do-jin turned to look back, calm and relaxed.

Namgung Hwang’s mouth became a thin line. He saw how calm Heo Do-jin looked, even when facing him.

‘Is he still so calm after seeing my sword?’ Namgung Hwang thought angrily.

He grabbed his sword handle tightly, his knuckles white.

“Okay then,” Namgung Hwang said loudly. “Let’s see if you can stay calm for long!”

He was filled with a need to win, like a fire inside him. Namgung Hwang pushed forward quickly.

“Clan Leader, be careful!” someone shouted.

“Don’t use up all your energy!” another cried.

“Move aside!” Namgung Hwang yelled back, not slowing down.

*CRASH!*

Namgung Hwang swung his sword again. Bandits flew through the air like rag dolls. He roared like a storm.

“Save my energy? For the Black Dragon King? Never! I am Namgung Hwang, the Emperor’s Sword!”

If anyone else said that, it would sound like bragging. But everyone knew Namgung Hwang’s sword had proven he was that good.

*CRASH!*

Again, Namgung Hwang’s sword cut through the bandits, leaving them in pieces. The Azure Sky Sword Squad, protecting him, felt even more brave and strong, like they could reach the sky.

“Go with the Clan Leader!”

“Don’t let him stop!”

Sects and clans are different. Clans are strong because everyone is loyal to their leader and to each other. You could really see the power of a clan here, with everyone connected like family.

*CRASH!*

“Hmm,” Heo Do-jin said quietly. He frowned, watching Namgung Hwang rush forward so wildly.

‘He’s like an angry wild pig,’ Heo Do-jin thought.

‘That’s not the best way to use a sword.’

‘But still…’

Heo Do-jin touched his chin, thinking. He felt a little bit competitive himself, even though he was old. His heart was beating faster than normal.

He held up one finger.

“Stay calm,” he said softly, but his voice was clear for all the Wudang disciples behind him to hear.

“Wait for the right moment. Then, act quickly and surely. Don’t get too excited.”

The Wudang disciples were getting restless because the Namgung Clan was moving faster. But Heo Do-jin’s words helped them focus again. They breathed deeply and fought the bandits harder.

‘Beopgye is making a mistake,’ Heo Do-jin thought.

‘If Namgung Hwang or Byeok Hyeon-ja were leading the Shaolin, Beopgye could help. But with Beopgye in charge, Shaolin won’t stand out today.’

“Forward!” Heo Do-jin shouted.

Namgung and Wudang pushed harder at the same time. The bandits’ line of defense, already weak, broke apart.

“No… it can’t be…” a bandit gasped.

“I can’t hold them back anymore!” another cried.

Heo Do-jin and Namgung Hwang saw their chance.

“Move! Get out of my way!” Namgung Hwang roared.

As Namgung Hwang broke through, Heo Do-jin jumped high, like a bird taking flight. He went over the heads of the bandits and into the main building.

“Hey!” Namgung Hwang shouted, annoyed.

His eyes flashed with anger.

“Taaah!” Namgung Hwang yelled, putting all his strength into one strike. He smashed through the remaining bandits and ran after Heo Do-jin like a hungry wolf.

“Damn it!”

*CRASH!*

Namgung Hwang kicked down the doors of the main building in one kick. He looked around quickly, his eyes burning.

‘Where is he?’

He moved without thinking, running like a fast arrow towards the broken door in the middle of the building.

“Black Dragon King!” Namgung Hwang shouted again.

He stopped suddenly.

He saw a big room inside. In the middle was a fancy chair, looking important. And Heo Do-jin was there, staring at the chair, his face serious.

“Where is the Black Dragon King?” Namgung Hwang asked, confused.

“…He’s not here,” Heo Do-jin said slowly.

“What? What do you mean?”

Namgung Hwang’s face changed, showing he was completely lost.

This place was the heart of the Black Dragon Camp, the most important base for the Janggang River bandits. Even if the Black Dragon King was strong, he couldn’t survive if he lost this camp.

So why wasn’t he here, defending his own base?

Beopgye arrived a little later. He frowned when he saw Namgung Hwang and Heo Do-jin looking blank.

“The Black Dragon King isn’t here?” Beopgye asked.

“…It seems so, Great Master,” a disciple replied.

“How can this be…” Beopgye said, sounding shocked. He couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Wait, did you say the Black Dragon King is not here?” someone asked again.

Heo Do-jin got annoyed at the question being repeated. He turned to speak sharply, but then he saw who was talking. His eyes opened wide.

“Cheongseong was supposed to be on the upper level, right?” Heo Do-jin asked, surprised.

If Byeok Hyeon-ja was here, it meant the Cheongseong disciples were here too.

“Why are you here?!” Heo Do-jin demanded. “Why are you down here?”

“W-Well,” the Cheongseong disciple stammered, “you said we should deal with bandits on the river and help those upstairs, right? But then you all came in here without saying anything. I thought the plan changed.”

“This…” Heo Do-jin was speechless.

He felt a wave of shock and anger.

‘How can he lie so easily!’ Heo Do-jin thought, furious.

He knew the Cheongseong disciple just wanted to look good and get noticed. He had ignored the plan and followed them. But there was no time to argue about that now.

“The way out?” Heo Do-jin asked quickly. “Is there another way to escape?”

“It was easy to get in,” the Cheongseong disciple said. “I didn’t think we’d need another way out…”

Heo Do-jin’s face became hard and cold, like stone.

“So,” Heo Do-jin said slowly, “are you saying everyone is trapped in here? Is this a trap?”

As soon as he said the word “trap,” the other leaders’ faces went pale.

“No, surely not…” one whispered.

“No! It can’t be a trap!” another said loudly. “The Black Dragon Camp is here! This is their main base! It’s like their heart! Why would they risk their own heart to make a trap?”

“…Maybe the Black Dragon King would,” Heo Do-jin said quietly.

“What do you mean…”

“Ah!” Beopgye suddenly understood. He gasped. His face turned white as a ghost.

“A trap…” Beopgye whispered, horrified.

Just then, it happened.

“Uahahahahahahahahahaha!”

A huge, deafening roar exploded from above them.

The loud laughter, full of scary power, bounced off the high cliffs around them. It echoed and echoed, seeming like it would never stop.

In that moment, everyone knew, deep down, that something was terribly wrong.