Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 874

‘How strange,’ Gal Cheon-rip thought, his eyes narrowing. People think battles end when one side is completely destroyed. But that’s not true. In real battles, if one army loses badly, they break apart and run. Losing a lot of soldiers, like thirty percent, makes an army lose hope.

‘Don’t be silly! You demons!’ someone yelled. ‘I’m still alive!’ another cried.

*What are these people?* Gal Cheon-rip wondered. Even with their friends dead all around them, their eyes still showed they wanted to fight. They looked ready to fight until they all died.

One soldier, his leg cut off and a knife stuck in his stomach, still swung his sword as he fell. Another, with a deep cut on his neck, grabbed at enemies with his arms, even as he coughed blood.

*Are all these good people like this?* Gal Cheon-rip thought. *No, impossible.* If all good groups fought like this, the evil groups would have been defeated long ago. Even powerful families are making deals with the evil groups to save themselves. Why are these men willing to die here?

‘Very strange,’ Gal Cheon-rip repeated. But he knew it wouldn’t change anything. ‘They can’t really hurt us,’ he thought. ‘They are just wasting time.’ He even said out loud, ‘If they ran away while they could, many would live. What idiots.’ Gal Cheon-rip watched the fight, laughing at them.

*Crack!* Iron Ghost’s face became angry. He was about to smash the head of the man in front of him when five swords suddenly came at him.

“Ugh!” Iron Ghost jumped back, blocking all the swords. He was strong and tough, so normal swords wouldn’t seriously hurt him. He could even let them hit him without much damage. But he didn’t want to get hurt at all. *These fighters are tough,* he thought.

The fight changed when that beggar joined in. No, it really changed when the beggar said the name ‘Hwasan.’ After that, even when people screamed and died right beside them, these men didn’t even flinch. They just kept fighting, like they would never stop.

*Battles are strange things,* Iron Ghost thought. *You might think if people don’t care about dying and just attack, they would win quickly. But it’s not like that.* *Even these crazy fighters don’t want to get hurt badly just to hurt someone weaker.*

“Die!” Suddenly, a sword came at Iron Ghost’s face. It was from a fighter of that Hwayoung Gate group, or whatever it was called. Iron Ghost noticed that the men in uniforms were the craziest fighters of all.

“These guys are insane…” Iron Ghost growled, hitting the sword away with his hand. Then, he stabbed his sharp fingers into the chest of the Hwayoung Gate fighter.

*Crack!* “Ugh…” He was about to grab and crush something inside when something sharp flew towards his neck.

Iron Ghost pulled his hand back fast as lightning, and hit the sword away.

*Wham!* Blood shot out like a fountain. Even though the hit must have hurt him badly, the attacker didn’t move back. He swung his sword again.

*Crack!* This time, Iron Ghost’s shoulder was cut a little, and red blood appeared. Iron Ghost stepped back, surprised, and looked at his shoulder.

Wi Rip-san, the leader of Hwayoung Gate, was unsteady on his feet. He forced his shaking legs to stand firm and pointed his sword. Iron Ghost chuckled softly. He looked at Wi Rip-san, who was covered in cuts and bleeding a lot. Iron Ghost wasn’t even angry, just amused.

“…A dead man walking.”

“But I’m still alive,” Wi Rip-san said firmly.

“Gate Lord!”

“Gate Lord, get back! We’ll fight this monster!” the Hwayoung Gate fighters yelled. But Wi Rip-san didn’t move, as if he didn’t hear them.

“…If you want to kill my men, you have to kill me first. That’s what Hwasan teaches.”

“Very brave words. Too bad your sword isn’t as strong as your talk.”

“I’m strong enough to hold you here.”

“…Looks like Hwasan teaches you to talk big first.”

Wi Rip-san smiled strangely at this mean comment.

“Well, you’re not completely wrong,” he said.

“What?” Iron Ghost asked, confused.

“Come on, monster. If my sword can stop you, you won’t even be able to beat a young student from Hwasan.”

“Oh, really?” Iron Ghost repeated, sounding interested.

Iron Ghost rushed forward and slammed into Wi Rip-san. Just then, Wi Rip-san quickly swung his sword and hit Iron Ghost’s shoulder. But the sword barely cut through his skin. Instead, *Thud!* Iron Ghost’s shoulder, like a bull charging, smashed into Wi Rip-san’s chest. Wi Rip-san’s chest broke inwards. He coughed up blood and flew backwards.

*Plop!* “Gaaaaate Lord!”

“That monster! He hurt Gate Lord!”

“Everyone, back!” someone yelled loudly to the Hwayoung Gate fighters who were about to attack in anger. The Hwayoung Gate fighters stared at Wi Rip-san on the ground, their eyes filled with fear.

Wirip-san’s arms shook as he struggled to push himself up from the muddy ground. Dark, thick blood bubbled from his mouth with each ragged breath. He tasted iron and dirt.

“I… I’m still alive,” he gasped, his voice weak.

He gripped his sword, the metal cold and slippery with his own blood. Slowly, he raised it again, pointing the tip towards the towering Iron Ghost.

“You… you’ll have to get past me,” Wirip-san spat, his voice filled with hate. “You villainous bastard!”

The Iron Ghost roared with laughter. “Haha! Good! Very good!” He charged towards Wirip-san.

Whoosh!

The sound of the spear tip cutting through the air was like a wail from the underworld.

With a chilling gust of wind, the sharp spear tip struck Hong Dae-kwang’s chest, piercing through the end of his Tague Bong.

Thwack!

The spear blade plunged more than halfway through his chest. With a swift motion, the spear was withdrawn, this time piercing Hong Dae-kwang’s side.

Scratch!

His side was deeply torn, exposing bone.

“Kch!”

But even with such serious injuries, Hong Dae-kwang showed no sign of backing down.

He seized the spear shaft with one hand as it was being withdrawn from his side, halting it. Then, he swung the Tague Bong towards the Revolving Spear Ghost’s jaw.

“Huh?”

Surprised, the Revolving Spear Ghost yanked the spear back with force. The spear blade sliced through Hong Dae-kwang’s grip and deflected the Tague Bong.

Tap tap.

Although he had inflicted wounds, the Revolving Spear Ghost retreated. He glared at Hong Dae-kwang with a displeased expression.

‘I wondered if you could still talk like that even with holes all over your body, didn’t I?’ he thought.

The Revolving Spear Ghost thought Hong Dae-kwang would stop talking after being hurt. But he was wrong. Hong Dae-kwang kept speaking, even with wounds all over his body.

Shoulder and chest, belly and legs.

Even with nearly ten holes the size of a child’s fist riddling his body, Hong Dae-kwang did not fall. Instead, he mocked him, even though the rags he wore were stained black with blood.

“Running away…? Getting scared… perhaps?”

“…Madman.”

“Heh…. You don’t seem to know beggars very well… Those who have nothing have nothing to fear… from death.”

Hong Dae-kwang’s eyes shone with a fierce blue light.

Seeing this, the Revolving Spear Ghost clicked his tongue briefly.

The Revolving Spear Ghost was annoyed. This weak fighter was getting in his way and was ready to die fighting. Because of this, the other fighters were also becoming braver.

Of course, that spirit didn’t reverse the situation. But compared to a moment ago, things had definitely become more troublesome.

“To put it another way…” The Revolving Spear Ghost wore a grotesque smile.

“If I kill you miserably, their morale will drop. Very well, let’s see how long you can endure. Ten holes you can withstand, but what about twenty? Thirty?”

“……”

“Let’s see if their expressions will remain the same when you die a miserable death, not a drop of blood left in your body.”

His spear, filled with a chilling energy, flew towards Hong Dae-kwang.

Clang!

The swung sword collided with the heavy blade and bounced back. The sword that deflected his own flew on, undeterred, grazing his neck.

A chilling pain shot through his neck, but there was no time to check how deep the cut was. The moment he lost focus, there would be no need to check how much his neck had been cut, that much was certain.

‘Helpless,’ he thought.

A trickle of blood ran down from his tightly clenched lips.

‘If only I were stronger…’

Even as he was pushed back by the sword of the unknown heretic, another life was extinguished.

If he had been stronger, could he have prevented it? Could he have saved them? Why hadn’t he devoted himself more to training? Why wasn’t he as strong as them?

Even if it meant joining Hwasan, he had to become as strong as them. Wi So-haeng understood at this moment. Those without power could protect nothing.

“Aaaaargh!”

‘Helpless…’ he thought.

Another precious life was lost. The ground they trod was already stained crimson with someone’s blood.

Whose blood could it be?

It was the blood of those who risked their lives to protect this place. Their dazzling spirit, their courage, were all too helpless before the swords of those villains.

If he had formally entered Hwasan and mastered the sword, would things be different now?

Clang!

His sword, which had blocked the incoming blade, was knocked upwards. Following that, he was kicked squarely in the chest by a flying foot.

Thud!

With an impact that felt like the world was turning upside down, Wi So-haeng spat out blood and was thrown backwards.

“Young Master!”

“Damn it! Young Master!”

He landed headfirst in the dirt, clutching at the soil. The smell of blood-soaked earth that rushed into his nose was more agonizing than the terrible pain in his chest and head.

Wi So-haeng, who had been twitching, turned his body over again and struggled to raise his upper body.

“Aaaaargh!” He was dying.

“Ack! Ack! Aargh! You dog-like bastards!” Those who had been struggling to endure were dying, spitting out blood. The wide-open eyes of the fallen, the sorrow that remained in those eyes that could not bear to close even in death, seemed to tear at Wi So-haeng’s heart.

“Ah…” Hot tears began to stream down Wi So-haeng’s face.

Hwang Jong-i rushed to Wi Sohaeng’s side and grabbed his shoulder to support him.

“Are you alright, Young Sect Leader?”

But Hwang Jong-i’s words barely registered in Wi Sohaeng’s ears.

“Ah….”

Everyone will die. Everyone.

Friends, rivals, those who felt like family – all of them would die here today.

Suppressing the resentment and sorrow that filled his chest, Wi Sohaeng gritted his teeth and rose to his feet.

He knew he was going to die anyway.

But… if it were Chung Myung Dojang, he wouldn’t have whimpered until his dying breath.

Wi Sohaeng, his face smeared with tears, gripped his sword as if to break it. Now he seemed to understand how much he had carried on his shoulders and how much he had fought through in great fear.

In Wi Sohaeng’s eyes, as he gripped his sword, he saw someone’s blood scattering into the sky. The red blood, visible through his blurred vision, was like a blooming red plum blossom, but it smelled sharp and metallic, not sweet like flowers.

He almost fell, his legs shaking, but he fought to stay standing. With trembling hands, he gripped his sword and bit his lip until it bled.

‘I am….’

He saw Wi Rip-san being struck by an enemy’s blade. Wi Rip-san’s distorted face and the blood gushing from his chest.

Crack!

With a gruesome sound, a spear blade protruded from Hong Dae-kwang’s shoulder as well. Hong Dae-kwang clutching the spear shaft and staggering was etched into Wi Sohaeng’s blurred eyes.

‘I am….’

“Aaaargh!”

Another scream rang out.

Even if he couldn’t stop them, he shouldn’t just stand by and watch from behind.

“I am the Young Sect Leader of the Hwayeong Sect! You sons of bitches!”

Wi Sohaeng once again raised his sword and charged forward, bursting with fury that felt like it was setting his chest ablaze.

“Y-Young Sect Leader!”

“Young Sect Leader!”

He heard someone discovering him and trying to stop him, but Wi Sohaeng’s gaze was fixed solely on the vile enemy who was plunging a sword into a Hwayeong Sect member’s stomach right before his eyes.

“Aaaaargh!”

He roared as he swung his sword in a wide arc, putting all his fear and anger into the blow.

This was the best sword fighting Wi Sohaeng had ever done. But when it hit the enemy’s sword, which seemed to move without effort, his sword broke instantly.

Clang!

The sword, tearing through his grip, spun and soared into the sky.

‘Ah….’

For a moment, the world slowed down.

The sword, which was surely spinning rapidly, appeared to Wi Sohaeng to be moving far too slowly.

And he could clearly see the blade, imbued with rough energy, flying towards his chest, which had been completely exposed due to his raised arm.

Someone’s shout.

Thick sweat streaming down his face.

The trembling felt in his torn grip.

And even more distinctly, the scent of death approaching.

‘I… wasn’t a coward.’

Accepting the pain he would feel in his chest and the death that would follow, Wi Sohaeng slowly closed his eyes.

‘Dojang…’

Was the image of his grinning face in his final moment appearing because he desired revenge? Or simply because he missed him?

Would he be able to meet him in the afterlife and say that he hadn’t been cowardly until the very end?

The path to death was long.

He couldn’t tell if the vile enemy’s blade hadn’t yet pierced his heart, or if his thoughts were continuing even after his death.

It was then.

Thud.

A sensation as if something lightly touched his head instantly pulled Wi Sohaeng back to reality.

A slightly large and warm hand.

“Well done, kid.”

Wi Sohaeng opened his eyes.

What was before his eyes was neither the blade that had pierced his chest nor the one who wielded it.

It was the broad back of someone wearing black martial attire.

“Uh….”

Wi Sohaeng’s eyes grew wider and wider until his mouth fell open.

“Cheo… Cheong….”

How could he not recognize it? That back. That person.

Wi Sohaeng bit his lip tightly. He felt like he would burst into tears if he said just one more word.

Even so, one word that he couldn’t hold back slipped out from his lips.

“…Dojang.”

The back of the one he had missed so much was there.