Return of the Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 1390

“Faster!”

“Yes!”

The reply came from ahead, not beside him. Before his words were even finished, no, before he could even open his mouth to convey his intent, the sahyung-sajaes were already moving according to his will.

Baek Cheon unknowingly clenched his fist.

It might be strange to say now, but he had never felt especially in sync with those guys.

That made sense; Mount Hua’s disciples each had such strong personalities it was hard for them to blend. Without Chung Myung as their focal point, they might have spent their whole lives treating each other like strangers.

But now they moved like limbs. Not merely following orders; everyone was thinking the same way centered on Baek Cheon.

If the front seemed a little loose, Jo Gul struck like lightning to fill the gap. Before a thought that Jo Gul might be struggling could form, Yoon Jong rushed in.

Worrying that Yu Yiseol might be overexerting herself, he turned and found Tang Soso already clinging to her like a spirit. The tip of her sword, swung so passionately, carried a strong will not to burden Yu Yiseol.

Just like Baek Cheon’s own heart now.

Baek Cheon lashed his sword like lightning. The red sword qi sliced through the enemy rushing at Yoon Jong in an instant.

“Thank you, sasuk!”

“Don’t worry about me, just watch the front!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon’s eyes hardened slightly at the sight. The enemies weren’t particularly formidable, but with a time limit, it became an unbearable burden.

But fortunately, they were not alone here anymore.

“Haaaah!”

Tang Pae leaped up and shouted, swinging his hand. Dozens of beams burst from its tip and soon struck the retreating enemies right on the crown of their heads.

Jo Gul was momentarily shocked at what he saw.

“What, pine needles...?”

“They won’t even need a needle! It won’t kill, but it will help!”

“...Even the assassination technique is worth learning.”

A successor of the Tang Family backed him, and Seol So-Baek was desperately swinging the sword in his still-unfledged hand.

“Don’t leave it all to Mount Hua! We must open the path for our own survival!”

“Yes!”

And the Southern Island Sect disciples—who had always waited only for Baek Cheon’s command—were desperately trying to get ahead of the Heavenly Friends Alliance to slaughter the enemies.

“Let’s go, Ja-Yang!”

“Yes, sahyung!”

Gwak Hwan-So and Ja-Yang surged forward like a flash, cutting down the stunned Evil Sect members at once. The water-colored sword qi from their tips summoned the Southern Island sea he had once seen to this place.

A strange feeling rose on Baek Cheon’s face.

Where else could one see such a sight again? No, who could have imagined such a spectacle could exist?

Like the Tang Family’s Young lord stepping on a Mount Hua disciple’s shoulder to leap, or a Southern Island’s sect leader throwing his body at the Ice Palace lord to strike down his way.

It’s hard to label them under the Justice faction. Among those here are people you couldn’t call the Justice faction.

Different backgrounds, different regions, different lives lived. But at least in this moment no one cared about any of that. They only tried to protect the person beside them and open the path together.

“Perhaps...”

Baek Cheon’s lips twitched. He couldn’t explain it in words; he couldn’t be sure what exactly this emotion he felt was.

But such a thought came to him.

All the things Chung Myung had done: binding the divided Mount Hua, tying together sects that seemed impossible to connect with threads of fate, rescuing even those everyone said must be abandoned.

Could it be that all the deeds Chung Myung had committed were meant to create this very scene?

He would never have Chung Myung tell him directly, and asking would only earn him ridicule, but somehow he felt that way.

But strangely...

“Sasuk!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon snapped back to focus and shook his sword.

‘I’m still far from it.’

To have such idle thoughts while needing to concentrate all his mind to open the path, he was far from worthy as a Sect leader. He chastised himself and steadied his mind.

‘How much distance have we opened?’

The situation was far from good. Even though Chung Myung, Hae Yeon, and Namgung Do-Wei were buying time, they couldn’t hold out for long by themselves.

No matter how strong they were, if sheer skill alone could overcome numbers, then no strong warrior in the world would bother forming factions.

Eventually the enemy would pursue. Baek Cheon had to lead them all out of the enemy’s grasp.

He wasn’t certain. Could it really be done?

They were the bastards who had doggedly followed them all the way from Guangdong. Was it really possible to shake them off? Especially with wounded among them?

But Baek Cheon’s certainty didn’t matter. It wasn’t a question of whether it was possible. It had to be done. If not, only annihilation remained.

Then.

“Sasuk, behind...!”

Baek Cheon hurriedly looked back. Hae Yeon and Namgung Do-Wei were running with all their strength. The blood droplets that sprang up with each footfall hinted at how fiercely they’d struggled.

The two leapt over the Southern Island Sect’s disciples in a single bound and ran to where Baek Cheon stood.

“Acting Sect Leader!”

“You two have endured...”

Baek Cheon’s mouth froze. He had seen their expressions—wild as if driven by rage, yet terrified.

In that moment Baek Cheon realized one fact.

“Se-Sect...”

“Chung Myung is—”

“...”

“Where is Chung Myung? Is he still behind?”

At Baek Cheon’s question Hae Yeon bit his lip. Namgung Do-Wei, on the other hand, cried out with a desperate face.

“The Taoist...! The Taoist didn’t join us and instead changed direction and disappeared!”

“...What?”

As if struck by a sudden blow, Baek Cheon’s face went blank for a moment. Namgung Do-Wei bit his lip tightly and spat out the words.

“The Taoist who had broken into the enemy lines changed direction... damn it! How do I put this! Ah, east! He went east! Most of them chased the Taoist instead of us. No, maybe more than half! The... the numbers aren’t that different, but still...”

Namgung Do-Wei, who was usually composed, wouldn’t have babbled so incoherently. He was clearly flustered and desperate.

Even from that messy speech, Baek Cheon understood the situation immediately.

“They followed him?”

“Yes, Acting Sect Leader! We must... we must do something.”

Baek Cheon’s gaze wavered.

It wasn’t normal. For so many to be chasing a single person made no sense. It was logically impossible...

At that moment Baek Cheon’s gaze snapped sharply to one side.

“Green Forest King!”

At the screamed cry, Im So-Byeong—who had been following from behind—met his gaze. He showed no surprise, only a cold look.

Only then did Baek Cheon realize: Im So-Byeong, who would usually stay by his side offering advice, hadn’t said a word for some time.

“Ugh...”

Baek Cheon ground his teeth and clenched his fist.

There was no need to ask why this had happened; he already understood. He understood what had occurred, why Chung Myung had turned his direction, and why the Green Forest King was silent.

“That idiot bastard!”

A curse finally escaped Baek Cheon’s lips.

He knew it too. Despite his relentless efforts, the situation remained desperate. That’s why Chung Myung hadn’t joined them. If he became bait to draw the rear, those here could survive.

As Baek Cheon had seen moments ago, the abilities of those here had grown unimaginably compared to before. If they avoided facing the enemy’s main force, crossing the river alive should be possible. But if that happened...

“Then what about Chung Myung?”

Baek Cheon flinched.

Jo Gul had already leapt to his side, his eyes flickering with intense emotion.

“Then what will happen to Chung Myung?”

Only silence returned. No words were needed—they had already seen what had become of Chung Myung, who stayed behind alone to hold off the enemy.

Even using the advantage of the gorge, he had been driven to the brink of death had it not been for Jo Gul and Yu Yiseol.

But in this wide open field, could he face more enemies without anyone’s help?

“Where is he?!”

An instant reaction burst from Jo Gul’s mouth.

“East? You said east? Sasuk! Then should we change direction too...”

“No!”

But Im So-Byeong cut him off with a blade-like voice.

“That’s not what Chung Myung, the Taoist, wants.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

“Then choose.”

“...What?”

“There is only one way to survive facing the enemy’s main force: abandon the Southern Island Sect and have only the able ones escape.”

Jo Gul fell silent.

“There is no other way. The Yangtze river is not a place you can break through while dragging baggage.”

They all knew that reaching the Yangtze river was the true beginning. That the real crisis would come from then on. They had only been turning a blind eye.

“We’ll deal with that when we get there...”

“If you’re going to speak of miracles, don’t bother speaking at all. Our opponent is Jang Ilso. There are no miracles for us.”

Those who heard it shivered. These were precisely the people who best understood the weight of the name Jang Ilso.

“If you want to save the Southern Island Sect, there’s only one method: avoid facing the enemy’s main force. To do that, someone must lure them away.”

“You mean Chung Myung?”

“Yes.”

Im So-Byeong continued in a low voice.

“Fortunately, it seems they don’t particularly care about us. That Jang Ilso seems intent on killing that one at all costs, even if it means losing the Southern Island Sect and us. He didn’t seem to intend that when the Southern land march began, but it’s clear he changed his mind midway.”

“...”

“So leave him and go. That’s what Chung Myung, the Taoist, wants us to do. Then we can live.”

“Shut up with that bullshit!”

A murderous look flared in Jo Gul’s eyes.

“Who said we should sacrifice that bastard and survive? Speak sense. Mount Hua is not that kind of place!”

“Then will you go to die leading everyone?”

“Of course...”

“You should’ve known this!”

Im So-Byeong, unlike himself, shouted in a rage.

“That pact you always yammer about—it’s nothing but throwing away your life for things that aren’t truly important! If you were willing to permit that, it means you must accept anyone else doing the same, not just the self!”

For a moment the surroundings grew so silent they felt chilling. Im So-Byeong muttered with a bitter face.

“You should have known that, you foolish people.”

Jo Gul glared at him silently. But then he noticed—Im So-Byeong’s hand, half-hidden in his wide sleeve, was trembling.

So Jo Gul’s gaze naturally turned to Baek Cheon.

“Sasuk. Give the command.”

“...”

“We have to go save him!”

“Listen.”

At that moment Baek Cheon spoke in a cold voice.

“As the Acting Sect Leader of Mount Hua, I command this. Dissent will not be tolerated. Especially, any Mount Hua member who disobeys this order will be punished by expulsion from the sect.”

“...Sasuk?”

With a strange foreboding, Jo Gul looked at Baek Cheon. His chiseled face showed no hint of emotion.

“...Ignore Chung Myung’s situation.”

“Sa-sasuk!”

Jo Gul reflexively reached out hurriedly, as if to stop whatever Baek Cheon would say next. But before his hand could touch him, Baek Cheon’s cold command flowed out.

“Everyone, go to the Yangtze river. Open the path with all your strength. No objections will be tolerated.”

It was like a cold dagger slicing through their chests.