Chapter 1857 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1857. From here on, I’ll be the one to face you. (2) ❀ ❀ ❀

A short while ago.

‘It’s late! It’s late! Damn it, if we keep going like this, we’ll be late!’

Jo Geol looked up at the sky, his gaze burning with anxiety.

A small golden bird was flying off in the distance. Even so, Jo Geol remained on edge, because he could clearly see the bird slowing down at intervals.

Jo Geol bit his lip hard.

‘Even in a situation like this…’

Someone else’s life could be hanging by a thread. He had to hurry, even more.

But this was the limit right now. Everyone was already exhausted. Jo Geol hadn’t actually fought—he had only gone to defend Wudang—so he wasn’t as worn out. But if he had been fighting here alongside everyone else, he wouldn’t be in any better shape.

Even so, just knowing there was a reason for the delay didn’t ease his impatience.

‘Damn it!’

Unable to contain his frustration, Jo Geol clenched his sleeve as if he would tear it apart.

“Jo Geol.”

“Huh? Ah… Sahyung.”

Jo Geol instinctively bowed his head slightly. Yoon Jong’s tone was different than usual. To Jo Geol, it felt like a scolding.

But then unexpected words followed.

“You can run, right?”

“…What?”

Jo Geol quickly lifted his head to look at Yoon Jong, who met him with a firm gaze.

“Can you or can’t you?”

“Well…”

As soon as Jo Geol realized Yoon Jong’s intent, his eyes turned fiercely sharp.

“Damn it! What kind of question is that? I could run to the ends of the earth if I have to!”

“Good.”

Yoon Jong lightly placed a hand on Jo Geol’s back.

“We can’t follow right away. You know that, right?”

“Yes!”

“But you can. So go. Go and save even one more person.”

“Yes!”

“Go!”

Yoon Jong gave Jo Geol a strong push on the back. Jo Geol’s body shot forward like an arrow released from a taut bowstring.

As he surged ahead, overtaking those who had gone before him, Jo Geol saw the figure of the one who had been leading the charge. That person, who had been looking only forward, turned back and made eye contact with him.

No words were exchanged. None were needed.

Jo Geol met that steady gaze and pushed off the ground even harder.

Fweeeeee!

As Jo Geol dashed forward like a streak of light, the golden trail in the sky also accelerated. Two different trajectories—one on the ground and one in the sky—stretched forward again and again.

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Jang Ilso furrowed his brows slightly.

‘When?’

He hadn’t even realized when the person appeared.

Though his attention had been focused on finishing off the Tang Family’s daugther, it was still strange that he hadn’t noticed someone getting so close.

Even more absurd was the fact that the intruder was merely a second-generation disciple from Mount Hua. If this was truly the person Jang Ilso thought he was, such a thing should’ve been impossible.

This could only mean one thing.

Throb.

Jang Ilso stared down at his hand. A red mark remained on his pale skin—the wound left by the opponent’s sword.

A faint laugh slipped out.

“Honestly…”

Jang Ilso muttered coldly.

“They say it’s the best sect for making people’s stomachs hurt.”

His tone was clearly laced with irritation. But even as he said it, he slowly lowered his hand.

Jo Geol, still on edge like a hedgehog with its quills raised, frowned at the sight.

“What? Are you planning to surrender or something?”

Jang Ilso turned without answering. He could see his subordinates beating back the remnants of Heavenly Comrade Alliance. Namgung Dowi and his group were fighting desperately, but their numbers had already dwindled significantly.

Snap.

Jang Ilso snapped his fingers. At the crisp sound that echoed across the battlefield, all eyes turned toward him.

“Return.”

At the unexpected command, a flicker of confusion appeared in the eyes of the Blood Cult and Demonic Cult warriors. But only for a moment. They immediately abandoned the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and regrouped behind Jang Ilso without hesitation.

“…Huff.”

Namgung Dowi, who had been staring blankly at the scene, staggered slightly. The tension breaking made his legs momentarily give out.

‘Why?’

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they barely survived. That’s why the question remained unanswered—why had they suddenly retreated?

Lee Songbaek, bloodied and confused, also glanced between Namgung Dowi and Jang Ilso, not understanding what was happening.

“What are you doing?”

The enemy’s incomprehensible actions naturally provoked suspicion. Jo Geol couldn’t hide his confusion as he pointed his sword more threateningly at Jang Ilso, full of murderous energy.

Jang Ilso let out a soft laugh.

“Catch your breath. It would be quite embarrassing if you collapsed from exhaustion now.”

“What…?”

“No need to worry. I’m not planning anything. I’m just waiting to welcome someone.”

“Welcome?”

Jang Ilso’s gaze passed over Jo Geol to the space behind him.

“He’ll be here soon, won’t he?”

“….”

“Right?”

At that moment, a chill ran down Jo Geol’s forearm. An intense wave of disgust seized his mind.

“This bastard…!”

Jo Geol was the one standing before Jang Ilso. And yet, Jang Ilso’s eyes were not on him. He was looking beyond Jo Geol—waiting for Cheong Myeong, who would be arriving soon.

That realization crushed Jo Geol’s pride without mercy.

“You damned…”

Jo Geol was about to shout in anger, grinding his teeth, when Jang Ilso shook his head first.

“Ah ah, no need to get so worked up. It’s not like I was trying to ignore you.”

“….”

“If I had to put it into words… well, yeah, something like that. Even so, my opponent lies elsewhere.”

Jo Geol ended up keeping his mouth shut.

Jang Ilso looked past him again, scanning the surroundings slowly. All the countless people present here, and this desolate land.

It was all quite pitiful. Not the scene he had imagined. But still…

‘Well, the stage doesn’t really matter.’

Jang Ilso slowly wiped the rainwater from his face. The makeup that had once adorned it, and the dried blood, had now mostly washed away.

“Tsk. Come to think of it, I must look like a mess.”

Jang Ilso slipped his hand into his sleeve. Everyone around him, including Jo Geol, flinched and instinctively stepped back.

“So jumpy.”

But what Jang Ilso pulled out of his sleeve was something no one expected.

“What is that?”

“…A… powder case?”

Among those present, only Tang Soso recognized the item at a glance and let out a dry chuckle.

“Hmph.”

Unbothered by the reactions around him, Jang Ilso opened the small powder case and began to apply makeup.

“This... lunatic.”

Jo Geol was stunned. Even seeing it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe.

Sure, Jang Ilso cared a great deal about appearances. But he wasn’t so deranged as to obsess over his looks even in a situation like this.

So what did this act mean?

Everyone was speechless, each trying to interpret Jang Ilso’s behavior in their own way. Meanwhile, Jang Ilso leisurely reapplied lipstick and slipped off a bracelet to tightly bind his hair.

“Hmm. This should be good enough. I wish I had a mirror.”

Clicking his tongue in disappointment at not being able to check his appearance, Jang Ilso finally turned his gaze to Jo Geol.

And at that moment, Jo Geol was seized by an odd feeling.

“You…”

Until now, Jang Ilso’s bizarre behavior had evoked extreme fear in Jo Geol—a disorienting unease that naturally comes when facing something incomprehensible, paired with the anxiety of having to confront such a person.

But this… this was different. Jo Geol couldn’t quite put it into words, but something had clearly changed.

And then it happened.

“Looks like he’s finally arrived.”

Jang Ilso’s shadowed gaze passed over Jo Geol to somewhere beyond. Jo Geol turned around instinctively.

In the distance, a group was approaching.

“Oh dear, oh dear. No need to hurry like that.”

Everything around them seemed to freeze.

Sshhhhhhh.

The sound of rain pierced Jo Geol’s ears. So quiet had the surroundings become that even the raindrops were now distinctly audible.

And in that stillness, they finally arrived before Jang Ilso. Mount Hua. And…

“Cheong Myeong-ah.”

“Sahyung!”

Cheong Myeong glanced at Jo Geol. Jo Geol swallowed dryly without realizing it. He had no idea how to explain the situation.

Luckily, it seemed Cheong Myeong didn’t need an explanation.

“Cheong Myeong…”

Tap.

Cheong Myeong lightly patted Tang Soso and Jo Geol on the shoulder. Then, as if to say that was enough, he passed by them and walked forward.

Step.

Cheong Myeong stopped. Now, before him stood only one person.

Cheong Myeong and Jang Ilso stood face to face. That was all. It wasn’t the first time. Nothing about this felt new.

But this time was undeniably different.

Everyone could only remain silent. No one dared to intervene.

The rain sounded light compared to the heavy silence.

Though it hadn’t lasted long, the tension made it feel like an eternity. Then finally, Jang Ilso spoke first.

“My, my…”

His long, slanted eyes curved gently.

“You're late.”

His tone and voice were so warm it almost felt affectionate. That one line, so out of place in this situation, only made it all the more chilling.

Yet even as everyone shivered with unease, Cheong Myeong alone calmly met Jang Ilso’s gaze.

“Seems like you’ve been waiting.”

“Hmm, well…”

Jang Ilso chuckled softly.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really waiting. I could’ve resolved everything without you, and that wouldn’t have been so bad. It would’ve been easier, after all. But even so…”

Trailing off, Jang Ilso tilted his head slightly.

“Maybe, deep down, I was hoping for this moment. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes. I do.”

Cheong Myeong had felt that way too.

He hated the Heavenly Demon more than anything. He was willing to do anything to erase the Heavenly Demon from the world. But at the same time, he didn’t want anyone but himself to be the one to defeat the Heavenly Demon.

“Because if it's handed to you for free, it's meaningless.”

“Exactly. It has to be earned.”

Jang Ilso nodded. The two of them smiled at each other.

Yoon Jong felt that their smiles oddly resembled one another. Though it shouldn't be possible.

Then, Cheong Myeong spoke again.

“But you're wrong about one thing.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“You said you were hoping for this. But that’s not quite right.”

“Oh? Then what is?”

“To be precise, it’s not that you hoped—it’s that you knew. You knew this would happen, eventually.”

Jang Ilso’s lips curled upward. It wasn’t just satisfaction—it was clear he was genuinely delighted.

His bewitching gaze wrapped around Cheong Myeong.

“That’s why... I just can’t hate you.”

Everything would be settled here.

Sensing it instinctively, the two of them stared at the opponent who would be their last.

Next Chapter

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