Return of the Mount Hua Sect Chapter 1386: Underestimating People. (1)

“Ooooooh!”

The Ten Thousand People Clan swordsman at the front, eyes bloodshot, brought his blade down toward Chung Myung.

Kaaaang!

The qi-enhanced single strike lost its force the moment it struck the slender, rising sword; it felt as if the blade had hit an iron wall.

But there was no time to shudder. The sword, gliding obliquely along the blade, pierced his throat.

Sploosh!

“Gurgle......”

The Ten Thousand People Clan swordsman, horror in his eyes, reflexively tried to grab the sword lodged in his neck, but before his hand even touched it the blade twisted. With a horrific sound his life was brutally cut off.

“Huaaaaagh!”

The sight of blood only excited the Ten Thousand People Clan swordsmen more; they surged at Chung Myung with increased ferocity.

Paaaat!

And what greeted those Ten Thousand People Clan attackers was a swift sword like a ray of light. Dozens of afterimages of the blade split and shot toward them, like what Jo Gul had shown—but far more precise and much faster!

Kwaduk! Kwaduk! Kwaduk!

Holes like wind tunnels appeared in the bodies of those charging. Their flesh collapsed as if shedding a husk, before they could even scream.

A wide clearing formed around Chung Myung for an instant, but it was quickly filled again by attackers pouring in, like water rushing to fill a scooped-out pool.

“Taoistt!”

From behind, Namgung Do-Wei, seeing Chung Myung, shouted loudly. The Ten Thousand People Clan pressed at Chung Myung with terrifying momentum—nearly a thousand of them focusing solely on him, swirling into the hole in the ground like a vortex.

It was a terrifying sight never seen anywhere else; merely watching made the chest constrict.

“No, don’t......!”

Suddenly!

Someone grabbed Namgung Do-Wei’s shoulder as he reflexively lunged forward. Turning, he saw Hae Yeon standing with a stern face.

“Do not act rashly!”

“But the Taoist is right now......”

“Do not forget your duty, young lord of Namgung!”

Namgung Do-Wei flinched. Hae Yeon was right. His duty was not to rescue Chung Myung but to delay their pursuit as much as possible.

And Chung Myung would be thinking the same—he was doing that very thing now. Trying to assist him here would be foolish. He must hold the line and quickly rejoin the main force once they pull away.

“Kahaaaa!”

And, looking coldly at the reality, helping Chung Myung was impossible—forces left even after surrounding him now charged at Namgung Do-Wei and Hae Yeon with ferocity.

“Haap!”

Namgung Do-Wei flicked his sword and released sword qi. A white blade qi imbued with powerful internal qi poured out, crushing the charging Ten Thousand People Clan into pulp.

But the space created, stained with blood, was soon filled by other Ten Thousand People Clan attackers—perhaps even more forcing their way in.

Hae Yeon shouted decisively.

“Withdraw!”

“M-Monk! Right now......”

Before Namgung Do-Wei could reply, Hae Yeon’s grip on his shoulder conveyed strong force. A dizzying vertigo hit them as their bodies were already pushed back nearly ten paces.

Hae Yeon’s Diamond-Static Divine Method was at its peak. But the enemies, unconcerned by that near-miracle, only poured out cold killing intent and kept chasing.

Wooooooong!

Hae Yeon swept both hands in all directions. Golden-tinted palm shapes formed one after another in the air along his fingertips. Those hands, like the Thousand-Hand Avalokiteshvara, blocked the relentless attacks from all sides.

‘Thousand Buddha Hands!’

It was a Shaolin technique famed across the land. The Ten Thousand People Clan hesitated before the wall of force; indeed, the power radiating from each palm-shadow pushed them back before they could approach.

“Eek...!”

At that moment, the retreating Ten Thousand People Clan widened their eyes. The phantom palm-shadows vanished in dazzling light—and a strong white sword qi descended upon them.

Kwaaaarrrng!

Namgung Do-Wei’s sword qi surged through the gap Hae Yeon had opened. Their combo flowed as if they had sparred together for decades—perfectly linked! Yet the faces of those who landed the sequence were not cheerful.

Because as much space as they created, other Ten Thousand People Clan pressed in. Over a thousand of them circled around Chung Myung, spinning and spinning—malice and obsession to never let him go were palpable.

And then, at that moment.

Fwaaahhh!

A splendid plum blossom bloomed in the midst of the black-and-red whirl. Like a plum tree that roots and blooms even in filthy mud.

“Taoist! What on earth......!”

Namgung Do-Wei cried out in shock.

It was brilliant. Overwhelmingly powerful—sword qi that could only inspire awe in people. The idea that a person could create such a scene with a sword sent chills down the spine.

But everything has a cost. That blade must be consuming enormous internal qi. It wasn’t the kind of technique Chung Myung would use in his current impaired state.

“Taoist!”

Hae Yeon also, startled, stared at the blossoming plum.

Chung Myung normally deployed a blade so efficient it could be called extreme—he never wasted energy needlessly. But the sword Chung Myung was displaying now was excessively ornate, almost ostentatious.

It seemed as if he wanted to fix everyone’s gaze on the tip of that blade.

They assumed Chung Myung would slip away by now, so this was all the more bewildering.

“It’s too late! Taoist, what on earth are you thinking!”

A roar burst from Hae Yeon’s mouth.

They had spent a long time together. Hae Yeon trusted Chung Myung utterly—more than Namgung Do-Wei could even imagine.

But Chung Myung’s current actions were so strange they shook even that great trust.

Then Namgung Do-Wei shouted like a scream.

“Monk! There!”

A black line of a sword rose in the air, slicing through the blooming plum. The line was Chung Myung, fiercely deploying his divine method. The two men felt a momentary relief.

There would be no suicidal “jade smash.” The Chung Myung they knew would never do such a reckless thing.

He was simply a bit later than expected—he was surely extracting himself from within. Hae Yeon shouted.

“Let us withdraw too!”

“Hold a bit longer and we can join him!”

Hae Yeon fell silent at Namgung Do-Wei’s words. It made sense: if they helped Chung Myung and pulled out together......

But at that moment Hae Yeon’s gaze faltered.

The black line in the air was moving in a somewhat odd direction. If he were chasing the main force, it should head toward their location. Even to sow confusion for the pursuers, it shouldn’t stray far north.

But the black line was clearly moving away from them.

“What!”

Before he could assess or give chase, the Ten Thousand People Clan filled Hae Yeon’s vision.

“Oh, ooooo!”

Hae Yeon desperately released his power. In the chaos it contained barely half his usual force, and it was impossible to subdue all the Ten Thousand People Clan at once with that.

“Dieeee!”

The legs of those struck by Hae Yeon’s palm were crushed, yet they did not lose consciousness. Even as they fell they clawed and slashed wildly.

Kakak! Kakak!

Blades rained down on Hae Yeon, who had drawn his internal force to its peak. Shaolin body martial arts, arguably unrivaled in external technique, protected him, but blades still sliced skin and blood spurted.

“Ugh!”

Hae Yeon did not collapse; he rooted himself and unleashed a lion’s roar.

The supreme great ability he unleashed in an instant pushed the rushing enemies away like a torrent.

But only for a moment—the enemies began to charge again.

“Back, back!”

In an instant the situation turned. One misstep and they’d be surrounded and torn apart alive.

“Guh!”

Hae Yeon and Namgung Do-Wei were pushed back again and again like a tiny boat on a raging current, not by choice, but because they could not withstand the enemy onslaught.

And what caught their eyes was the Ten Thousand People Clan moving with the fluidity of black water.

“Taoist!”

A thunderous shout erupted from Hae Yeon.

The troops pushing them back were all turning and being channeled to one side. What awaited at the end of that current was obvious without looking.

Chung Myung.

He was drawing the enemies away, heading in a completely different direction from where Mount Hua and the Southern Island Sect were fleeing.

“Damn it! That damned man!”

A rare curse escaped from Hae Yeon’s lips.

They tried to turn the situation around somehow, but it was already impossible. Just avoiding being swept up by the pressing attackers was exhausting—a limit had been reached.

Kwoong!

A punch, released like a scream, momentarily rebounded the barrier in front. With that brief clarity, Hae Yeon saw clearly: Chung Myung, flanked by elite Ten Thousand People Clan in red garments, running east—completely away from where they needed to go.

“Taoissssstttttttt!”

A cry so desperate it could only be called tragic burst out, too distant to reach Chung Myung.

Ho Ga-Myung’s gaze, watching the situation, was chillingly calm.

“Commander, the enemy has split directions! What shall we do?”

“We will split our forces into two as well.”

“Yes? Our objective is......”

“The moment the main force is secure, that Plum Blossom Sword Ghost will try by any means to shake us off and escape. But if he thinks the main force is still in danger, he’ll try to hold as many of us as possible, despite knowing that’s the more dangerous option.”

“......”

“It’s the predetermined sequence. Do as ordered.”

“Yes!”

Ho Ga-Myung bit his lip lightly.

‘We should have done this sooner.’

Seeing Mount Hua and Chung Myung as a single unit was the mistake. They could have been separated this easily.

‘This is why I pledge such loyalty to the alliance lord.’

Because Jang Ilso is someone who can paint the picture he wants so easily even from afar.

“When cornered, humans look for an escape. But if there are only two choices, they will pursue whichever they think is the better path.”

A phrase heard countless times before......

Ho Ga-Myung was curious.

If only one of two outcomes could be achieved, would that Plum Blossom Sword Ghost choose his own life or the lives of those few sahyung disciples?

“Either way, you will fall by this, Plum Blossom Sword Ghost.”