Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 962

“Gwanpyeong!” Namgung Myeong’s voice cracked as he called out.

He pressed his hands harder on Gwanpyeong’s dantian, focusing all his energy there, trying to keep the man alive. Gwanpyeong’s eyes fluttered, barely open.

“Just a little… hold on just a little longer!” Namgung Myeong pleaded.

Around them, the injured were fading fast. Their wounds were terrible, but something else was worse: they were losing the will to fight, the light in their eyes dimming.

Hope was slipping away.

“The Young Lord will save us! He will! Just a little longer! Please, hold on!” Namgung Myeong shouted, his voice raw with desperation.

He had used up all his own energy. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force out even the smallest bit more. Sweat poured down his face like rain, stinging his eyes. But Gwanpyeong only grew weaker.

“Didn’t I tell you to hold on! You damn bastard!” In the end, a desperate cry burst from Namgung Myeong’s mouth.

He took his hand off Gwanpyeong’s dantian and grabbed his collar tightly.

“Didn’t you see it with your own eyes? How the Lord fought! Why the elders gave their lives!”

A flicker of focus returned to Gwanpyeong’s fading eyes.

“Are you going to make their deaths meaningless! They gave their lives to save you! Then at least you have to hold on, you sons of bitches!”

Namgung Myeong’s desperate cry was like a scream. The injured, whose consciousness was fading, and those who were caring for them, all lowered their heads and swallowed their tears.

Gwanpyeong’s gaze, which had been staring blankly at the distant sky, moved with difficulty and reached Namgung Myeong.

“Lo…rd…” His parched and chapped lips parted slightly.

“Young…Lord… The Young…Lord…”

“Yes!” Namgung Myeong desperately grabbed Gwanpyeong’s hand tightly.

“He will definitely come! He will definitely find a solution and return! So hold on a little longer! Grit your teeth and hold on!”

Nothing had really changed.

Gwanpyeong’s lips, which had been slightly open, were now tightly shut. His condition was still bad, nothing had really changed. But for Namgung Myeong, this small sign was enough. It meant Gwanpyeong hadn’t given up on living.

Namgung Myeong gritted his teeth and raised his head.

“Don’t forget why the Lord risked his life.”

Everyone’s eyes sharpened.

“If you are those who have witnessed that death with your own eyes, if you are those who bear the name of Namgung that he sought to protect, then at least you must not die shamefully! So, by any means, hold on desperately until the Young Lord returns!”

“Yes!”

Namgung Myeong bit his lip and looked up at the sky. He was afraid that if he accidentally met the eyes of his people, tears would burst out.

Namgung, who had lost the Lord and the elders, had lost its center. Namgung Myeong alone could not lead them. So, the only one they could rely on was Namgung Dowi.

‘Young Lord…’

He knew that the expectations placed on Dowi, who was still young, were too great and harsh.

But that was the destiny of the one who would become the Lord of Namgung.

‘Please, as soon as possible…’

Namgung Myeong’s gaze turned to the vast land beyond the river, to the land where Namgung Dowi would be standing.

A streak of light cut through the dense forest.

Soon, dozens of streaks of light followed behind, tearing through the earth.

“Huff!” Rough breaths escaped from Zhao Kai’s mouth.

Zhao Kai was a Beggar Clan elder, known for their lightness skill. He was usually very fast. But now, he could only follow behind those who were running.

The beggars of the Beggar Clan who had come with him had long been left behind and out of sight.

‘This…’

Of course, the circumstances had to be taken into account. Zhao Kai had taken Namgung Dowi and run at full speed to Wuhan, exhausting all his stamina.

But Zhao Kai thought, ‘Haven’t they traveled between Jiujiang and Wuhan many times today already?’ How could they still run so fast?

Zhao Kai’s gaze turned to Baek Cheon, who was running with the unconscious Namgung Dowi on his back.

Every time Baek Cheon’s feet strongly kicked the ground, his body shot forward, but there was not even a small tremor in his upper body. He was trying his best not to put too much strain on Namgung Dowi, who was deeply injured.

“How is he?”

“Not good,” Tang Soso answered softly, examining Namgung Dowi’s condition.

“He’s lost too much blood.”

Tang Soso bit her lip slightly.

Namgung Dowi had several serious injuries that needed immediate treatment. To drag such a person to the battlefield? From a doctor’s point of view, this was madness.

But Tang Soso was a doctor, and also a martial artist. Therefore, she could also understand Namgung Dowi’s position. His family-like people were waiting for death under the enemy’s blades. Would he leave them and stop here to recover?

He would rather die than do that.

‘But his condition is…’

Tang Soso’s gaze turned to Namgung Dowi’s face, which had no color at all. His pulse was too faint and irregular. It wouldn’t be strange if he died at any moment.

“Cough!” Namgung Dowi, who was unconscious, coughed up a lot of blood. Tang Soso was flustered and grabbed Baek Cheon’s shoulder.

“Master! No more…”

“Step aside.” Then, Tang Gunak suddenly intervened and approached. Tang Soso turned around and gave up her place next to Namgung Dowi.

“Hmm.” Tang Gunak’s expression hardened slightly after briefly examining Namgung Dowi.

“Hwasan Sword Saint.”

Chung Myung, who was running ahead, glanced back.

“His condition is very critical. At this rate, he could die on the way.”

“What are you going to do?”

Chung Myung answered as if there was no need to think.

“A martial artist on the battlefield… If he can die on someone else’s back, that’s a luxury.”

It was a chillingly cold statement. But Tang Gunak nodded as if he knew it would be.

“This is not a suitable situation to use the Dang family’s Elixir. Do you have any Elixir or spiritual medicine that you brought with you?”

Chung Myung’s head turned towards Hyun Jong. Hyun Jong opened his mouth without delay.

“Hyun Young!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“Give him the Purple Cloud Pill.”

“Yes.” There were not many Purple Cloud Pills left in Hwasan. This was because the supply of materials had been cut off due to the severance of exchanges with Yunnan during the closed-door training.

Therefore, this Purple Cloud Pill was all the more important. They did not know what would happen on the road they were running on now, and this one Purple Cloud Pill might save one more Hwasan disciple.

But neither Hyun Jong, who gave the order, nor Hyun Young, who received the order, showed any hesitation. Hyun Young took out the Purple Cloud Pill from his chest and handed it to Tang Gunak without delay.

“Hmm!” Tang Gunak, who received the wooden box, immediately opened the lid. A clear fragrance brushed past his nose. It was a spiritual medicine that was unusual at a glance. This was a precious item that could not be dismissed as a simple Elixir.

Tang Gunak nodded and put the Purple Cloud Pill into the mouth of Namgung Dowi, who was being carried on Baek Cheon’s back.

After pressing the blood points to force him to swallow the spiritual medicine, he put his hand on the back of Namgung Dowi and began to pour energy into him.

It was hard to control his energy and treat Dowi while running. Even a small mistake could hurt both Dowi and Tang Gunak.

But Tang Gunak’s hand was bold.

As time went by, thick drops of sweat sprang up on his forehead.

Those around him watched the scene seriously. It was by no means an easy decision for someone heading to the battlefield to expend so much internal energy that he was sweating like that.

That meant that Tang Gunak was also putting his heart into Namgung Dowi.

How much further did they run like that?

“Hoo…” Finally, a breath poured out of Tang Gunak’s mouth all at once.

“I’ve passed the dangerous moment. But if I overdo it here, the spiritual medicine I ate will be useless. Right now, I’ve only barely connected the pulse that was about to break.”

He said, looking at Chung Myung.

Tang Gunak was saying indirectly that he might die if he used more energy.

But Chung Myung did not even blink an eye when he heard those words.

“Are you still going to take him?” He smiled at the question again.

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“I can’t stop you.” Tang Gunak shook his head.

But he also thought the same as Chung Myung. As a doctor, he had tried to dissuade him out of courtesy, but if he were in Namgung Dowi’s position, it would be the same.

‘Even if his limbs were cut off, he would crawl to the Yangtze River.’

There were things more important than life to a martial artist at times.

Tang Gunak’s gaze turned slightly to Baek Cheon.

Tang Gunak was amazed. The Sect Leader gave a precious medicine to a stranger without hesitation. Chung Myung was determined to take a dying man to the Yangtze River. They were all incredible, but…

‘The most surprising thing is this one.’

Baek Cheon was running with someone who had lost consciousness due to injury on his back. It was not easy to maintain this speed while carrying someone, but it was amazing that he was maintaining that speed with such stability that it was admirable.

It was even more so considering his young age. He had both amazing internal strength and delicate energy control at the same time, which was shocking.

If Baek Cheon had not carefully protected Namgung Dowi, he would not have been able to even attempt treatment in this situation.

Tang Gunak looked around with new eyes.

From the Hwasan disciples who were running at full speed while fixing their eyes on the front, he felt an overwhelming pressure.

He had already confirmed Chung Myung’s growth with his own two eyes. What he felt in the martial arts competition was the conviction that Chung Myung had not yet shown him everything.

But maybe what we should pay attention to is not the Hwasan Sword Saint, but these people.

Before he knew it, the distance between Hwasan and Dangga was gradually widening. The elite of Dangga were struggling just to follow them.

Of course, lightness skill was not a measure of the height of martial arts, but it was still a meaningful sight.

Even while Tang Gunak was thinking about so many things, the Hwasan disciples, including the Five Swords, were just strengthening their will.

‘Faster.’

Baek Cheon’s feet kicked the ground.

If they were late and Namgung was massacred, all of this would be in vain.

‘I can’t stand to see that happen.’

He didn’t even want to think about chivalry or the current situation anymore. What meaning would that have now?

Baek Cheon just wanted to protect the earnestness of this martial artist on his back.

Baek Cheon knew he would do the same if Hwasan was in danger.

‘Don’t worry. I will definitely take you to the Yangtze River!’

Baek Cheon, who gritted his teeth, shouted as if roaring.

“Increase the speed! We must not be late!”

“Yes!” The swordsmen of Hwasan, accompanied by Namgung Dowi, ran out with even more vigor.

But even so, time flowed mercilessly.

Finally, the sun of the fifth day that Jang Ilso had spoken of began to rise beyond the Yangtze River.