Chapter 1817 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect
The Blood
Palace Lord subtly shifted his gaze, revealing a chaotic battlefield tangled in
confusion in the distance.
“Heh heh.”
His lips,
concealed by bandages, twisted slightly.
Though they
were too far for any sound to be heard, the Blood Palace Lord clearly caught
it—a desperate scream from someone in agony.
“Looks like
you’ve finally noticed.”
“We’ll
hurry.”
The Blood
Palace follower, trying to guess the Blood Palace Lord’s intent, responded
promptly. But the Blood Palace Lord slowly shook his head and unexpectedly
uttered something unusual.
“No. Slow
down.”
The follower’s
eyes showed confusion. Still, he refrained from asking, “Why?” and simply
raised his hand to instruct those following him.
The Blood
Palace Lord chuckled quietly, seemingly pleased.
Rushing up
the mountain to finish the job wouldn’t be a bad approach. Inflicting the
utmost despair on them would certainly be enjoyable. But his mission wasn’t to
bring despair—it was to sow confusion.
“Now then,
what will you do?”
As always,
cracks begin from the smallest fissures, just as Ryeonju said.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Jin Hyeon!”
Startled, Mu
Jin hurriedly ran toward Jin Hyeon.
“What’s
going on?”
“Over there!”
A panicked Jin
Hyeon, barely able to steady his trembling hand, pointed toward Mount Wudang. Mu
Jin squinted hard with his remaining eye to focus on where Jin Hyeon was
pointing.
“That’s…”
Though faint
due to the distance, Mu Jin quickly recognized it. Those were the same fiends
who had previously infiltrated Wudang.
‘Blood
Palace!’
Suspicion
flickered in Mu Jin’s eyes.
“Why are
they over there…?”
“....
Wudang. They’re targeting Wudang, aren’t they?!”
“Targeting
Wudang? But we’re here.”
“Sasuk!”
Jin Hyeon,
overwhelmed with frustration, shouted.
“There are still
people there!”
At that
moment, Mu Jin’s heart sank. His wide eyes trembled in shock.
‘The
injured…!’
Some of
their comrades, severely wounded from previous battles, were still recovering
at the Wudang medical hall.
If those
vile intruders launched an assault on Wudang now?
“No, no…”
The wounded
wouldn’t even have the chance to resist before being slaughtered. The halls of
Wudang would be reduced to ashes along with them.
“We, we have
to go, Sasuk! Right now!”
“What?”
“We need to
gather our disciples and rescue the injured immediately! There’s no time to
waste!”
Mu Jin’s
face turned deathly pale. Beyond the distraught Jin Hyeon, Wudang’s disciples
were still fighting against the enemy alongside the swordsmen from Mount Hua,
barely holding the line.
Mu Jin’s
hands trembled uncontrollably. Jin Hyeon, desperate, urged him once more.
“Sasuk! What
are you doing? Hurry…!”
“No… it won’t
work.”
“....What?”
With a
blood-drained face, Mu Jin spoke with difficulty.
“If we leave
this position now, the frontlines will collapse instantly. The outcome of the
war will become unpredictable.”
Jin Hyeon
stared at him, dumbfounded as though he’d been struck.
“What are
you saying right now?”
“I’m saying
we can’t pull back.”
“Sasuk!”
Jin Hyeon
grabbed Mu Jin by the shoulders, his eyes bloodshot.
“They’re
there! Our sahyungs! And our sasuks are over there!”
“….”
“They were
wounded fighting against the evil sects to protect Wudang! And now you’re
saying we should just abandon them to be slaughtered by those evil sects?”
“Jin Hyeon!”
“How can you
say something so absurd?!”
Mu Jin
clenched Jin Hyeon’s wrists tightly.
“Calm down.”
“Sasuk!”
“You know
what they’re after, don’t you?!”
In the end, Mu
Jin raised his voice as well. He clenched his fists tightly.
There was no
need for the enemy to climb that particular ridge. There were many paths to
Wudang, and they could easily sneak through undetected.
Yet they had
deliberately chosen a route visible from here. The reason was obvious.
“They want
us to abandon the battlefield and run to Wudang. They’re hoping we’ll retreat
from this front.”
“….”
“Don’t you
already know that’s what Jang Il-so is after?”
Jin Hyeon
bit his lower lip. Hard enough to draw blood.
“So you’re
saying we should just let the wounded sahyungs be slaughtered by those evil
sects to thwart Jang Ilso’s plan?”
“Jin Hyeon!”
“Do you not
understand what’s more urgent? What are you even saying right now?!”
Jin Hyeon
shoved Mu Jin hard.
“Forget it!”
“What are
you doing?”
“If sasuk
won’t go, I will. I’ll take whoever’s willing and go!”
“I said no!”
By now, Jin
Hyeon’s eyes blazed with defiance. He could no longer tolerate it. He couldn’t
let Wudang fall further into ruin. This wasn’t about ambition or pride.
Victory
achieved by abandoning the wounded? What meaning would such a victory or a
protected Wudang hold?
As Jin Hyeon
turned to dash off, Mu Jin blocked his path.
“Stop. I
told you, I can’t let you go.”
Jin Hyeon’s
face twisted in anguish.
“We don’t
have time for this. Move!”
“….”
“I said
move!”
Jin Hyeon
took a step forward, ready to push Mu Jin aside.
Shing!
Suddenly, Mu
Jin’s sword was drawn, its pointed directly at Jin Hyeon.
In utter
disbelief, Jin Hyeon muttered.
“Sasuk…?”
He stared
blankly at the drawn sword and the resolute Mu Jin gripping it tightly.
“Regain your
composure, Jin Hyeon.”
After a long
silence, Jin Hyeon’s eyes began to blaze with anger, on the verge of eruption.
The
confrontation wasn’t limited to just these two.
A
battlefield is often a wild, unpredictable beast that disregards common sense
entirely. Critical matters may be ignored as if they were nothing, while
trivial incidents can ignite a fierce blaze across the entire battlefield.
The standoff
between the two might have initially seemed like a mere ripple in this vast
battlefield. However, its influence spread rapidly and bizarrely.
“What’s
going on over there? Why are they acting like that all of a sudden?”
“Look!
Behind us—there are enemies behind us!”
“Behind us?!”
“Mount Wudang!”
The
appearance of enemies in the distance brought two different reactions among the
warriors of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.
“Enemies...
in Mount Wudang?!”
For the
disciples of Mount Wudang, it sparked fears that their headquarters might be
invaded.
“Behind us?
When did that happen?”
For non-Wudang
warriors, it was the shock of realizing a significant force had appeared at
their backs.
And both
perspectives evoked a single emotion that could be broadly categorized into
one. It is fear.
The creeping
fear gradually spread. Even those unaware of the details instinctively glanced
around nervously, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
The
disciples of Mount Wudang were naturally the most reactive.
“Shouldn’t
we go and help them?”
“Calm down
for now, Saje.”
“Calm down?!
If we don’t go now, we might be too late! We could already be too late! What
are we doing here?”
“We can’t
abandon this position!”
“But the
headquarters needs us just as much! At least those here can put up some
resistance!”
“Isn’t there
a role given to Wudang since we chose to fight here?!”
“It’s also
our role to save them!”
Though not
yet chaotic, the growing murmur threatened to fracture the battlefield.
“Sahyung!”
“....”
Jo Geol and
Yoon Jong were keenly aware of the change in atmosphere.
“Jang
Ilso...”
Yoon Jong
gritted his teeth.
The Heavenly
Comrade Alliance had been successful so far because everyone shared the same
resolve.
There was no
need for lofty ideals or grand rhetoric. They simply focused on fighting the
enemy before them with all their might, knowing it was beneficial for everyone.
But what if
that resolve began to waver and eventually crumble?
What if the
thought that fighting here wasn’t the best course of action took root and
spread? Would the flow of the battlefield remain the same?
Yoon Jong
already knew the answer to that question.
“What should
we do, Sahyung?”
“Now...”
Just as Yoon
Jong was about to respond thoughtfully, Jo Geol interrupted with sudden
urgency.
“They say
the wounded are being attacked. Should I just rush there as well?”
“....”
“Sahyung?”
Yoon Jong,
momentarily speechless, felt his face flush.
‘I...’
He had been
thinking about how the battlefield might shift if people changed their minds.
But when it came to saving the wounded sahyungs, he felt he couldn’t get
involved.
Yes, that’s
exactly what he was thinking.
But Jo Geol
was different. His entire mind was focused solely on the injured who might be
sacrificed. The advantage or disadvantage of the battlefield was a distant
concern—perhaps already erased from his thoughts.
It was
simple and reckless. Hardly fitting for someone entrusted with a key role in a
war that would decide the fate of the Central Plains.
But....
“Sahyung, why
aren’t you saying anything?”
Jo Geol was
growing impatient, shuffling his feet. Yoon Jong bit his lip.
“Can you
make it in time?”
“It’s
already too late, technically.”
Jo Geol
answered confidently, his eyes shining brightly.
“But I’ll
get there faster than anyone else!”
Yoon Jong
nodded decisively. Of course, if Jo Geol left the battlefield, the front line
might collapse. Others would likely have to fight even harder to hold the line.
‘But so
what?’
Mu Jin’s
decision to block Jin Hyeon wasn’t wrong.
Wudang had
no choice but to remain where they were. The injured were their sahyungs,
making the decision even tougher. If they are accused of causing great
sacrifices due to personal feelings, it could tarnish Wudang’s name forever.
However,
Mount Hua can do it.
“Go, Jo Geol!”
“Yes!”
Yoon Jong
locked eyes firmly with Jo Geol.
Jo Geol knew
that leaving the battlefield would burden many. Still, he remained steadfast.
Because he
believed without a shred of doubt that Yoon Jong, Yoo Iseoll, Tang Soso, Cheong
Myeong, and Baek Cheon would handle things in his absence.
To the saje
who gave him that look, there was only one thing that a sahyung could say.
“I’ll cover
for you.”
“....”
“Go! Faster
than anyone!”
“Yes!”
Jo Geol
clenched his fist and struck his palm confidently. Then, with a powerful
kick-off, he shouted,
“Follow me,
a few of you!”
“Yes, Sahyung!”
“I’m coming
too!”
Several Baek
and Cheong disciples immediately followed after Jo Geol.
It might all
be in vain. By the time Jo Geol arrived, everything might already be over. But Yoon
Jong, having experienced countless battles, knew one thing. Sometimes, even
meaningless efforts carry meaning.
“I’ll cover
your absence-...”
Yoon Jong
was about to shout loudly when a startled voice cut him off.
“Sa, Sahyung!
Look at that!”
Yoon Jong
turned sharply, his eyes widening in shock. His pupils trembled violently.
“That...!”
Between the
ancient pavilions at the entrance of Mount Wudang’s summit, thick black smoke
was rising.
“That...”
Soon, a
crimson blaze, like the blood-soaked maw of a demon, engulfed the pavilions and
rose into the sky.
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