Return of the Mount Hua Sect (HTL 1634+)

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The faces of the Evil Tyrant Alliance's warriors facing Baek Cheon twisted grotesquely.

".... A hero?"

"A wandering hero, you say?"

They then burst into incredulous laughter.

"Is he insane?"

They weren't even angry, just utterly flabbergasted.

It wasn't just because of the absurdity of the word "wandering hero."

His face was clearly sickly, and his arms were thin as tree branches. Just that alone was ridiculous enough, but he even had some strange, unfamiliar contraption attached to one arm.

Despite all this, his expression was solemn, making it hard for the onlookers to decide whether to laugh or cry. There was hardly a shred of harmony in his appearance.

It was as if a deranged madman had lost his mind and charged in without any sense.

It seemed that one of their unlucky comrades had been caught off guard by that blind blade.

"He looks normal, but it seems like he's lost his mind."

".... Though, he does seem familiar somehow."

"You've seen him before? No way. You'd never forget someone like that."

"That's true."

The slight wariness they had felt quickly dissipated.

Indeed, the man's appearance was unforgettable once seen, though not in a good way.

"Alright, just go. Even if we're called evil sect, we have some sense. We'll let you live this time, so just go."

The leader of this Evil Tyrant Alliance group waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a nuisance.

Of course, it's not like they were the type to show mercy just because someone was a lunatic or cripple. But right now, there were plenty of more interesting targets around. There was no need to waste time on someone like this.

But the odd man in front of them didn't seem to appreciate the rare kindness they were showing. Instead, he shakily raised his trembling arm, as if he was going to do something.

"Huh?"

It was such a bizarre and difficult sight to watch that their gazes naturally focused on him. Finally, the strange man inserted his finger into his ear, as if to clean it out, and spoke with a sneer.

"Did I.... hear a dog barking?"

"..."

"No, that would be unfair to the dog. Maybe I should say it was the sound of something even less than a dog?"

The Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors eyes narrowed sharply. Just from his tone alone, they could tell that this man wasn't actually insane.

"You... do you have a death wish?"

The leader of the group scowled as he strode towards Baek Cheon. His steps were rough, with no hint of caution.

The Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors approached him, filled with rage, and without a moment's hesitation, swung his blade diagonally, as if to slice Baek Cheon in two.

"Whoa."

"Tsk, that brute...!"

The others watching clicked their tongues or chuckled at the sight.

It seemed excessive to use such force against someone whose limbs were barely functional. This implied that they were all certain the attack would split the strange man in two.

It wasn't an entertaining scene, so they turned away in disappointment.

But at that moment...

Kak!

"Huh?"

A strange sound reached the ears of those who had turned away.

It wasn't the sound of a blade cutting through flesh and bone. It was the familiar sound of metal. A sound that shouldn't have been heard in this situation.

Puhk.

A moment later, the sound of something piercing flesh caused everyone to pause and look back.

The sword that had been swung fiercely from the upper left to the lower right was now pointed skyward. A sword that had been swung down with great force, why was it now thrust upwards into the air?

That wasn't the only odd thing.

The strange man's sword, attached to that ridiculous contraption, was now buried in the neck of the comrade who had just swung his sword with such ferocity.

"Wha....?"

"Ugh... urk..."

Drip, drip.

The sound of blood trickling down and soaking the ground was heard. The other Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors, who had been staring blankly at the scene, finally snapped back to their senses.

"What the...!"

Thud.

As Baek Cheon pulled out his sword, the body crumpled and fell to the ground.

It was truly an unbelievable sight. If it weren't for the blood dripping from the strange man's sword and the gaping hole in their comrade's neck, they would have refused to believe it.

Their fallen comrade had survived countless deadly situations since leaving the Black Ghost Fortress. Yet, now he had lost his life to someone who looked like they couldn't even catch a rat. It was more reasonable to think that accepting this reality was itself irrational.

"You...."

It was difficult to even speak. Even though his body wasn't in good shape, if they had sensed even a minimum amount of threat from him, they wouldn't have let their guard down so easily.

Yet now, after two of their comrades had lost their lives, they still couldn't feel any presence or aura from this strange man.

Third-rate. No, perhaps even lower. To think someone who seemed to be at that level had taken their comrade's life left the rest feeling utterly perplexed.

Even those who typically didn't feel camaraderie now found themselves overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. Astonishment, anger, shock, disbelief... and a strange sense of emptiness.

"What did you do?"

Their mixed emotions created an unpleasant feeling they had never experienced before.

They checked several times to see if they had missed something, but there was still nothing special about the man in front of them.

Moreover, his appearance was confusing. He didn't bear the symbol of any reputable martial sect, relied on a strange device to support himself, and wielded a sword that looked like a cheap, ordinary iron blade.

"Answer me, you worthless scum!"

Unable to contain his frustration, one of the Evil Tyrant Alliance warrior let out a chilling roar as he charged towards Baek Cheon.

"W-Wait!"

Sensing an unknown danger, another tried to stop him, but the sword had already reached just above Baek Cheon's head.

And this time, everyone saw it clearly.

Kagang!

A sword technique that seemed to defy gravity.

Of course, it didn't make sense. Water flows from top to bottom. Even so, this was the only way to describe it.

The sword moved smoothly upward, like water flowing, and gently pushed aside the blade that had been swung down with all its strength.

Tang.

As the sword barely missed Baek Cheon's head and glanced past him, the sword that had been pressing against the blade's surface slid smoothly to the back of the blade, adding force to the descending slash.

"Huh?"

The blade, now moving with even more force than its wielder had intended, naturally caused him to lose control.

Boom!

The blade crashed into the ground, shattering it.

Slash!

Using the recoil from the blade embedding into the earth, Baek Cheon's sword rose and sliced through the neck of the Evil Tyrant Alliance warrior.

"Ugh...."

The warrior's eyes reflected disbelief as his neck was cut. He tried to speak, looking directly at the person who had cut him, but no sound emerged to convey his will. Only the sound of air escaping through the split in his neck echoed hollowly.

Thud.

Another life ended, the body falling to the ground.

The crackling flames, the sporadic screams, and the intense roars of pain surrounded them, but an eerie silence filled the atmosphere.

In that silence, Baek Cheon gripped his sword tighter.

'It's working.'

His sword had nearly pierced the enemy's throat.

To be honest, up until this moment, he wasn't entirely sure.

Even though he had been trained by Heo Do-jinin, real combat was a different story. He couldn't be certain if this method, where he poured every last bit of his strength into his strikes, would be effective against his opponents.

But now, his doubts were gone, replaced by certainty.

Even though summoning his internal energy each time he swung his sword, deflecting strikes that would otherwise shatter him, and moving his sluggish feet to face his enemies was still difficult and frightening...

Nevertheless...

'I can... fight.'

With this newfound confidence, his mind became sharply focused.

"You bastard...."

A cold, piercing glare shot through Baek Cheon.

He knew that the few successes he had so far were mere flukes, results of catching the enemy off guard due to their hasty underestimation of his appearance.

But now, they wouldn't take him lightly anymore. He could no longer rely on luck.

Yet, despite this, no new fear crept into him.

The crucial thing was that he could fight, that he could swing his sword again.

"You pitiful creature, I was going to let you live, but now... I'll make sure you die a miserable death."

"Even with this pitiful appearance, I think I'm still better off than you."

"You...!"

Rage flared in the eyes of the Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors.

"I'll tear that insolent mouth of yours apart!"

With a killing intent that felt like it could stab through flesh, the Evil Tyrant Alliance warriors charged at Baek Cheon.

In the past, they would have been cut down in a single strike... No, they would have been too afraid to even stand before Baek Cheon.

But now, they were formidable foes that Baek Cheon couldn't easily defeat, even if he risked his life.

If asked whether he was scared, the answer would be obvious: yes, he was. But that was only natural. It wasn't that he fought because he wasn't afraid—it was precisely because he was afraid that he fought.

"Come on!"

Baek Cheon shouted with all his might, raising his sword.

❀ ❀ ❀

In the charred woods, among the ashes, a group of people was rushing through the mountainside where the end and beginning seemed to coexist.

"Hurry, faster!"

"We're running as fast as we can!"

"We need to go even faster!"

"Dammit, we know!"

The disciples of Mount Hua, faces stern with determination, urged each other on as they ran desperately.

'Damn it!'

Thick black smoke rose from every village they passed below. Even without looking closely, it was clear what was happening.

Of course, it could be a trap.

But what difference does that make? Should they just ignore the dying people because it's obviously a trap?

They couldn't do that. They mustn't.

Even if it was a hellish inferno, they had to go.

"Those damn Evil Tyrant Alliance bastards! They're going to kill everyone!"

Someone growled in frustration. The faster they ran, the harder their hearts pounded.

They were deeply concerned about the safety of the villagers, but at the same time...

"Sahyung, do you think Sasuk is okay? What if...."

"Don't say such ominous things!"

"....Yes."

Yoon Jong abruptly cut off Tang Soso's words and bit his lip in secret.

If Baek Cheon was still nearby, could he survive this disaster in his current state? No, could someone like him, with his personality, even stay hidden and keep himself safe?

Would it not be a relief if he hadn't been the first to rush out?

Yoon Jong's legs pushed harder, increasing his speed. At that moment, Jo Geol spoke to Tang Soso.

"What about Cheong Myeong?"

"I don't know. I have no idea where he is."

"Why has that damn guy been going off on his own so much lately!"

Listening to Jo Gul's irritated voice, Yoon Jong silently gritted his teeth.

There were so many unresolved matters plaguing his mind, continuing to weigh him down.

These were worries he never had to bear before, but now they were all his responsibility.

"Should we be okay? Or should we look for Cheong Myeong Sahyung first..."

"We are Mount Hua, even without Cheong Myeong."

"....."

"And Mount Hua doesn't turn its back on those in need. That's all that matters, right?"

"Yes!"

Listening to Tang Soso's resolute response, Yoon Jong nodded.

Yes. That's enough of a reason.

"Let's hurry!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded with a roar.

'Please.....'

Yoon Jong fervently hoped that Baek Cheon wasn't caught up in this mess.