Chapter 1791 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect

 

Chapter 1791. That’s the Answer (1) ❀ ❀ ❀

It’s difficult to halt a storming tide with the force to crush mountains.

No, perhaps stopping it’s possible, but calming the turbulent flow entirely? That’s an impossibility. Even when met with equal strength, or even overwhelming force, the chaos of a storm can’t be subdued into a tranquil lake.

And yet, what seemed impossible was now unfolding.

Amid the battlefield blazing like an inferno, there was one place where the temperature dropped. It didn’t cool gradually but seemed icy from the start, as if the fire had never reached it. A chilling cold flowed over the ground.

With Cheong Myeong’s sudden appearance, even the most hardened Evil Tyrant Alliance soldiers froze in place.

In fact, how many of these people had actually met Cheong Myeong in person and crossed swords with him? Not even a tenth of them would have been able to recognize Cheong Myeong’s true identity just by looking at his face.

And yet, the Evil Tyrant Alliance soldiers immediately knew who stood before them.

The long hair roughly tied back, the pitch-black martial robes, and the red plum blossom embroidered on his chest—all of it spoke volumes.

Both allies and enemies alike couldn’t take their eyes off him, their breaths caught in their throats.

The suffocating tension blanketed all without distinction, yet Cheong Myeong’s unyielding gaze remained locked on a single target—his enemy.

“Quite a crowd you’ve gathered.”

As Cheong Myeong lightly swung the sword he had hung, the blood on the tip of the sword naturally dripped. The sword that had circled the air settled back into his hand.

Cheong Myeong spoke softly, his words directed at the opponents who couldn’t tear their eyes away from him.

“Did you think numbers would make a difference?”

There was no hint of menace in his tone.

Those under his gaze could tell—this wasn’t a threat meant to intimidate.

That made it all the more chilling.

“Well, I don’t mind.”

Cheong Myeong smirked.

“The more of you there are, the less lonely the road to the afterlife will be. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no one’s left behind.”

The tip of his sword scraped the ground with a grating noise.

“So there won’t be any reason for any of you to feel wronged.”

Swiish!

Three heads flew into the air at the same time.

A common sight on the battlefield, where lives were constantly snuffed out. And yet, this felt different.

As the three heads ascended into the air, time seemed to warp, the moment stretching unnaturally. It felt unreal.

The spattering blood, however, swiftly yanked everyone back to reality.

“A-ah...”

Ssssshhhh!

The sword sliced through the air again, its arc relentless. This time, it pierced a throat, exited through a chest, and embedded itself in another warrior’s waist.

It was a brutal display, far from the precise strikes one might expect from a disciple of Mount Hua. And yet, the more one watched the rough movement, the more mesmerizing it became.

It wasn’t destruction through raw power but closer to effortlessly cutting along the grain. The sword, following the path of righteousness, effortlessly sent the disoriented Evil Tyrant Alliance fighters to their graves.

As the atmosphere changed, the fervor that had filled the eyes of the Evil Tyrant Alliance soldiers froze. With pale, terrified faces, they began to hesitantly retreat.

“You fools! Don’t fall back! Fight… Urgh!” 

The voice urging the retreating soldiers suddenly went silent. Cheong Myeong had leaped past the defenders, closing the distance in an instant. His sword, already plunged into the speaker’s mouth, silenced him before he could say more.

A scorching yet chilling blade tore through the man’s mouth. But what truly immobilized him wasn’t the pain, it was the gaze of the one holding the sword.

“If you’ve got time to bark orders at others...”

“Argh... ugh...”

“….then why not step up yourself, you worthless fool?”

Crack!

The sword twisted, severing the man’s vertebrae. His lifeless body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. With a disinterested kick, Cheong Myeong sent the corpse tumbling aside before scanning his surroundings.

Enemies surrounded him on all sides.

It wasn’t surprising, it had always been this way.

“You’ve become weak...” [tl note: this is what Thousand Faced said to CM before]

The suffocating weight in his chest remained the same. But what of it?

His enemies had always been stronger than him.

This was nothing new.

“Come on, you brainless bastards.”

Cheong Myeong’s sword tore through the air.

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“Hmm.”

Watching from the rear, Jang Ilso observed Cheong Myeong’s charge with a bemused expression.

“Well, it’s a predictable entrance, but I suppose some clichés make things better.”

He spoke as if critiquing a theatrical performance, utterly unconcerned. Beside him, Ho Gamyeong’s expression was stiff with unease.

Jang Ilso leaned his chin on his hand, chuckling quietly.

“You see that, Gamyeong-ah? The atmosphere has changed.”

“…..”

“That’s the terrifying thing about war. No matter how carefully you plan or strategize, all it takes is one absurd twist to undo everything. Just like how those Heavenly Comrade Alliance fools felt earlier, the idiots over there have already forgotten they ever held the upper hand.”

Ho Gamyeong sighed and nodded.

The casualties weren’t severe yet, just a few lost lives. But even he couldn’t deny the undeniable shift in the atmosphere around Cheong Myeong’s presence.

“You’re right, Ryeonju-nim. However...”

“Hmm?”

Jang Ilso raised an eyebrow, glancing at Ho Gamyeong.

“This war is on a different scale than any they’ve fought before. One man’s prowess won’t be enough to turn the tide.”

Those who witnessed Cheong Myeong actions with their own eyes might be bolstered with high morale. Naturally, the morale of the allies who had to face that sword would plummet to the ground.

If this were a battle involving a hundred people, that alone would alter the course of the fight. Because of that, a battle that should never be lost could be lost, and a war that seemed unwinnable could be won.

All the legendary military feats passed down in the history of Kangho were likely made in such a manner. Achievements created with divine prowess that surpassed common sense, and the exhilaration of those who knew of those feats.

There is neither a reason to belittle it nor a way to deny it. Ho Gamyeong had personally witnessed how such absurd feats could unfold before his very eyes.

But not this time.

This battlefield was far too vast, and there were simply too many combatants engaged in the fight. Achieving a localized victory would not be enough to alter the overall tide of the battle.

No matter how extraordinary Cheong Myeong’s mythical skills might be, he couldn’t be in ten places at once, could he?

‘Furthermore, if what Thousand Faced Manipulator says is true, then Plum Blossom Sword Demon is not in a normal state’

How much could one person realistically achieve?

Look. While the atmosphere around Cheong Myeong had undoubtedly shifted, that change had yet to spread across the entire battlefield. A reversal in a small section would hardly be enough to make a significant impact.

“There’s no need….. to respond separately to this.”

Ho Gamyeong was never one to overestimate himself. He readily admitted that his past relentless efforts to eliminate the Plum Blossom Sword Demon had inadvertently elevated the man’s stature.

Sometimes, the best course of action is simply to leave things as they are. That was Ho Gamyeong’s conclusion for the current situation.

“Hmm… Is that so?”

Yet, Jang Ilso, wearing a cryptic smile, didn’t seem entirely convinced.

“.... Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not wrong. But the problem is that troublesome fellow probably already knows all of this, doesn’t he?”

“What do you mean?”

Ho Gamyeong stiffened, his expression hardening. 

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you yourself hold him in higher regard than I ever did?”

Ho Gamyeong fell silent.

Yes, the Plum Blossom Sword Demon likely already understood the situation completely.

Surely, he wasn’t naive enough to believe he could change the battlefield’s entire trajectory single-handedly.

“…. Are you saying he has something prepared in advance?”

“Don’t you think so?”

“But…”

Ho Gamyeong shook his head.

“That’s difficult. He may be a brilliant tactician, but even the best counterattacks require a clear understanding of the situation. Unless he has information greater than even the Beggar Union, there’s no way he could prepare anything in advance for a scenario like this.”

Jang Ilso nodded in agreement. 

“Yes. That’s what will happen.”

Ho Gamyeong clenched his fists unconsciously. 

“In that case, even if he’s the Plum Blossom Sword Demon, there’s nothing he can do.”

Ho Gamyeong’s voice grew steadier, tinged with conviction. It wasn’t arrogance or baseless optimism. In circumstances like these, only someone beyond human comprehension could possess a move capable of reversing the tide of such a massive battle.

In other words, unless the Plum Blossom Sword Demon were a god, he couldn’t possibly change the war’s outcome alone.

“Hmm.”

Just then, Jang Ilso let out a strange, delighted chuckle that made Ho Gamyeong’s chest tighten.

“Ryeonju-nim?”

“Gamyeong-ah, Gamyeong-ah… You always manage to narrowly miss the key point.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re right. Even the great Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword wouldn’t have a brilliant move to overturn this situation. Not even I could manage such a thing.” 

Suspicion flickered across Ho Gamyeong’s face. Why, then, was Jang Ilso reacting this way?

“But… was that ever necessary in the first place?”

“…. Pardon?”

“Gamyeong-ah, Gamyeong-ah.”

Jang Ilso ran his hand across his face, leaving red streaks on his pale skin where his nails had scratched.

“Preparation is only needed by those who fail to anticipate what’s coming.”

Jang Ilso burst into laughter.

“It’s only fools, unable to foresee the inevitable, who scramble to react to what’s unfolding right in front of them.”

“…..”

“The preparations were already made, long before this. That’s the kind of battle this is.”

Ho Gamyeong’s gaze shifted back to Cheong Myeong, whose sword radiance scattered in all directions.

“So your question was flawed from the start. Wondering whether he had time to prepare is a fool’s errand.”

Jang Ilso surveyed the battlefield with a chilling gleam in his eye.

“The real question is… how effective will the plan he’s been crafting for so long turn out to be?”

At that moment—

BOOOOOOOM!

An earth-shaking roar ripped through the air like an explosion.

“What?”

Ho Gamyeong’s head snapped toward the source of the deafening sound. Contrary to his expectations, it wasn’t coming from Cheong Myeong’s direction.

The ground where the noise had erupted was sunken in as though struck by a meteor. Standing imposingly at the center of the crater was a solitary figure.

Jang Ilso grinned.

“Look. That’s the answer.”

As the dust began to settle, the figure emerged. Namgung Dowi holding a gleaming white sword, his lion-like mane billowing as he roared with ferocity.

Next Chapter

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