Return of the Mount Hua Sect Chapter 1398: To The Place You Belong. (3)

Gripping the shoulder of the unconscious Chung Myung, Baek Cheon’s hands trembled slightly.

Is he still alive? Is he still breathing?

He was even afraid to check. The faint warmth he felt at his fingertips seemed like it might cool at any moment.

‘Chung Myung...’

To him, Chung Myung was like Mount Tai.

A mountain that never wavered, never showed weakness in any situation, someone others could neither understand nor should try to understand.

But now that mountain-like man lay unconscious with wounds severe enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if his breath stopped at any moment.

Why did he forget sometimes?

That this man was still human—wounded like the others, feeling pain, worrying like any other person.

Baek Cheon placed his hand on Chung Myung’s abdomen and breathed energy into his body.

“Just wait a little. I’ll get you to a safe place soon. Just... just hold on until then.”

Baek Cheon whispered to the already unconscious Chung Myung and pulled him closer.

Baek Cheon’s gaze, as if suppressing something boiling, shifted away from Chung Myung. There stood Ho Ga-Myung, watching the scene with an expression like a cracked, cold mask.

What flickered across Ho Ga-Myung’s face was unmistakably bewilderment.

‘How...’

That presence had clearly not registered in his senses until a moment ago. Yet it appeared in an instant as if it had cleaved through the space itself. And moreover...

Ho Ga-Myung’s gaze dropped slightly.

There lay the corpse of Shib Bi, felled with his neck severed. Even if his specialty was escorting and assassination, Shib Bi was a murim warrior whose power would be formidable anywhere in the murim world.

And he had been cut down with a single stroke.

Of course, Ho Ga-Myung wasn’t the highest calibre of warrior, so deceiving his attention might not be that hard. Striking the neck of a distracted Shib Bi in one blow might not be terribly difficult either.

But the problem was that, by the measurements Ho Ga-Myung had made of Baek Cheon’s martial power, such a thing was impossible.

Was he to believe that that man’s power had surged dramatically in such a short time?

Ho Ga-Myung met Baek Cheon’s intense gaze and muttered.

“Those Mount Hua bastards... each and every one of them has a knack for startling people.”

Even Ho Ga-Myung couldn’t clearly tell whether the tone carried admiration or mockery.

‘Even so, nothing will change.’

Ho Ga-Myung coldly glared at Baek Cheon.

Baek Cheon’s body was covered in wounds. Blood had soaked his clothes through and dripped in drops. Chung Myung’s injuries were severe, but Baek Cheon’s were hardly less so.

He had probably run here without tending to his own body.

Thanks to that, he’d managed to prevent Chung Myung’s head from being severed, but with his injuries it would be impossible for him to escape this place carrying the unconscious Plum Blossom Sword Ghost.

“You planning to die with him?”

“...”

“Foolish to call it loyalty, and too stupid to call it strategy.”

It was provocation aimed at rousing Baek Cheon, who must have lost his senses upon seeing Chung Myung’s condition.

But Baek Cheon showed no reaction at all. He only stared at Ho Ga-Myung with an unmoving look—an emotionless gaze devoid of even the smallest shred of feeling. Even Ho Ga-Myung felt a faint chill before it.

As his stomach twisted, Ho Ga-Myung opened his mouth, but Baek Cheon spoke first.

“...Die?”

“...”

“Who?”

The voice carried no emotion, but beneath that feigned coldness a fierce anger slowly revealed itself.

“Do you lot dare claim you’ve killed someone?”

Hearing that, Ho Ga-Myung wore a faintly bitter smile, as if somewhat relieved to confirm the anger.

“Do you think he’ll make it back alive?”

“Not with me, probably impossible.”

“I know that...”

“But.”

Baek Cheon spat out the words.

“With us, it’s different.”

At that moment something flew over their heads. As Ho Ga-Myung hastily looked up, the Ten Thousand People Clan members around quickly formed a protective circle around him.

Swoooosh!

With a sound like a fine sword slicing silk, the heads of two Ten Thousand People Clan members near Baek Cheon were sent spinning into the air.

Thud.

The one who had turned the two into lost spirits with a single stroke gently landed and first checked on Chung Myung.

The usual indifference that always shaded her face cracked for a moment. Yu Yiseol, lips bitten and face contorted, looked at Chung Myung for a moment before turning her gaze to Baek Cheon.

Before any question could be asked, Baek Cheon answered briefly.

“...He’s alive.”

That was the question she’d wanted answered. Sensing her thought, Baek Cheon’s reply made Yu Yiseol give a faint nod. Then she slowly turned and glared at the Ten Thousand People Clan members surrounding them.

Another person dropped down from above in succession.

Boom!

The strong landing kicked up clouds of dust in all directions. When the dust settled, those present saw the back of a figure whose red monk’s robe fluttered.

Silence fell over the area.

The monk who had landed stared at Chung Myung as if he were a statue, motionless. After a long, frozen moment, he turned his head so slowly it was suffocating.

Flinch.

The Ten Thousand People Clan members who met that gaze involuntarily took a step back.

Those eyes were not what one would expect of a monk in robes; the hatred burning in them oppressed everyone.

Grit.

Hae Yeon bit down hard on her lower lip.

Her anger turned into killing intent. Hae Yeon, half-forgetting she was a devout, veins bulged blue on her fist.

But before that ferocity could fully burst forth, several shadows swooped in one after another.

“Chung Myuuuuung!”

Jo Gul, who had landed, sprinted with all his strength toward Chung Myung. His outstretched hand stopped just in front of him.

He couldn’t bring himself to touch him—there wasn’t a single spot without injury.

“Ugh...”

Jo Gul’s hand trembled uncontrollably. It wasn’t from anger—it was the fear of possibly losing something that mustn’t be lost.

“S-sahyung. Sahyung... Chung Myung is...”

Beside him, Yoon Jong stared intently at Chung Myung without saying a word, as if he intended to etch every wound on that body into his memory.

“Move!”

Pushing past the two, Tang Soso ran up and clung to Chung Myung. She jabbed a few needles in like lightning and then reached back, shouting.

“Great Rejuvenating Pill, quickly!”

“Here!”

Taking the vial handed by Tang Pae, Tang Soso pried open his mouth as if breaking the entrance and poured it in. With trembling hands she quickly found a few pressure points and pushed the medicine down into his throat.

“Th-this spot... ah... and here...”

She was at a loss where to begin.

There wasn’t a single wound that wasn’t serious, not a single place that wasn’t grave. It was a miracle he was alive with such injuries, and his old wounds had worsened, leaving his condition at its worst.

Though Chung Myung had survived countless injuries before, this time it was not a situation to be optimistic about.

“Please, sahyung... please!”

Tears streamed endlessly from Tang Soso’s eyes.

She’d expected him to be at death’s door, but not to this extent. Just seeing the layers of wounds carved into his body made her vividly feel how much pain he had endured.

“Ah...”

Seol So-Baek’s face looked almost spiritless. Shock, sorrow, fear, and anger seemed to overwhelm him at once; his whole body trembled like a leaf.

But no one here tried to comfort or reassure Seol So-Baek.

Everyone’s attention was focused on Chung Myung. There was not a single person with the capacity to spare concern for Seol So-Baek right now.

“...Taoist.”

Namgung Do-Wei’s eyes shimmered with cold killing intent. Even Im So-Byeong twisted his face and bared his teeth.

Uncontrollable wrath. A hatred that seemed to burn the body.

Had they arrived any later, Chung Myung would not be of this world. Or perhaps he would no longer even be considered among the living.

Thus they could only be enraged. They could only hate.

The life path they had walked, the comparatively easier road, had been sustained by Chung Myung’s blood and suffering.

“Sahyung... sahyung, please...”

Tang Soso frantically staunched Chung Myung’s wounds and applied medicine. It was doubtful whether such flustered actions could truly heal him, yet her hands did not stop for a moment.

Then Baek Cheon’s cool voice reached Tang Soso’s ear.

“...Can he live?”

Tang Soso visibly flinched. She couldn’t bring herself to answer with certainty and simply tended to Chung Myung’s wounds.

“Soso.”

“...”

“Soso!”

At last Tang Soso glared at Baek Cheon with eyes full of grief and anger; a venomous gleam was in her eyes.

But Baek Cheon didn’t flinch and pressed her again.

“Answer me.”

“...”

“Now.”

Tang Soso bit her lip until it bled.

“As... as it stands...”

At those words Baek Cheon’s eyes closed involuntarily.

A hellish silence descended. At the end of that silence, when no one could speak, Baek Cheon opened his eyes again.

“At this rate, he’ll die...”

“...”

“So that means he can live only if things aren’t left like this. What’s the way?”

Tang Soso’s pupils trembled violently for a moment, as if Baek Cheon had pointed out something she hadn’t even thought of.

“F-father.”

“Father?”

“Father! We must go to the Tang Family Lord! If anyone can—”

“Understood.”

Baek Cheon nodded at once without hesitation.

Breaking through them to reach Tang Gunak would certainly be difficult. But it would be a thousand times easier than standing by and watching Chung Myung die.

The others seemed to think the same. The moment Tang Gunak’s name was spoken, everyone prepared to move.

Red killing intent flowed from the tip of Yu Yiseol’s sword—anger more vivid than any words or expression.

A heavy killing intent poured from everyone. A firm resolve stood tall in their eyes without the slightest wavering.

Baek Cheon tightened his hold on Chung Myung’s shoulder.

‘You’ll probably be angry.’

He would surely call it foolish. But everyone here shared the same thought.

Even if it costs them their lives, they would save Chung Myung.

‘I’ll take all the anger you want to give. So... so please never... never!’

Baek Cheon rose, cradling Chung Myung, and spoke softly. Even now he continued to pour his qi into Chung Myung without stop.

“You know what needs to be done, don’t you?”

There was no reply—none was needed. Now was a time for action, not meaningless words.

There was only one thing Baek Cheon had to say at that moment.

“Let’s go.”

Different sects, different origins, different stances.

All of that was set aside for a single purpose. The ones who had become one seamed line of lightning and shot toward the way they must go.