Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Jo-Gol’s thrust cut through the air like a hawk targeting its prey. His sword, characterized by speed and conciseness, shone brighter than anyone from Mount Hua in such a situation.

Yoon Jong stood next to Jo-Gol, who was jumping like a fish out of water and shouted at him from time to time.

“Don’t rush out, man!”

“Argh! I know!”

Every time Jo-Gol’s feet twitched, Yoon Jong noticed it like a ghost and grabbed the leash.

Jo-Gol bit his lip hard. He knew he had to hold his ground. It wasn’t the time to rush out and cut off the enemy’s breath.

But no matter where he looked, he could see enemies surrounding them from all sides.

‘I can’t breathe.’

The numbers were overwhelmingly against them. No matter how many they took down, it felt endless. No matter how much they tried to minimize the consumption of internal strength, they were still human and could not avoid becoming exhausted from fighting like this.

If they continued this war of attrition, wouldn’t their side be the one that ultimately falls first?

‘Just a little more….’

“Hold it!”

“Damn it!”

A curse eventually burst out of Jo-Gol’s mouth.

He could clearly see the poorly wounded enemies rejoining the front lines. If they could definitively cut off the enemy’s breath, the situation might improve, but with their current strategy of only defending their position, there was no way to prevent the wounded from rejoining.

“What can a Taoist do if he can’t endure this!”

“I know, damn it! Enough with the nagging!”

Jo-Gol gritted his teeth and shook off his sword. Since he couldn’t stretch his feet, he had no choice but to use each sword strike more precisely.

Yoon Jong sighed softly with a stern look on his face as he watched Jo-Gol’s swords getting sharper.

‘We have to endure.’

Yoon Jong was not unaware of why Jo-Gol was acting like that. He himself wanted to rush forward immediately, but how would it be for Jo-Gol, who is impatient?

‘It feels like I’m falling further and further into a swamp.’

Breaking through the enemy that swarmed like clouds was not an easy task. But holding out against such an enemy was difficult in a different way. More than anything, it nervous him that there was no way to end the fight on their own.

Had there ever been a time when they so painfully felt their internal strength draining with each swing of the sword? If they hadn’t been Mount Hua’s disciples, whose internal strength was unusually high for their age, they might have already been unable to overcome the stress and committed suicide.

Kung!

At that time, a powerful sound of energy impact was heard.

Paaaaaat!

Red-colored sword energy instantly adorned the air. Dozens of sword shadows swept away not only the people rushing in front, but also those running from the sides in a single stroke.

“Keuuaaaak!”

The release of sword energy was merely a quick thrust, so it wasn’t enough to inflict fatal wounds. However, it was possible to pour cold water on the momentum of the enemies who were charging forward fearlessly.

Yoon Jong saw the person who unleashed sword energy.

Baek Cheon clenched his teeth and let out another burst of sword energy. He was aware of Five Swords’ exhausted state and was trying to brighten the atmosphere even if it meant overexerting himself.

One after another.

“Ooooooo!”

Golden light rushes into the space left open by Baek Cheon. Hye Yeon supported Baek Cheon and shot his fist energy without missing a small gap.

“Huuk! Huuk! Huuk!”

Rough breaths were pouring from Hye Yeon’s mouth, which usually maintained even breathing.

The others were in the same condition.

Even Yoo Iseol, who was swift like the wind, and Tang Soso, whose sword never lost its cheerfulness, were becoming heavier and duller. Protecting those behind while withstanding the endless waves of enemies was a task that consumed more stamina than they thought.

“Baek Cheon Dojang! Let’s change the vanguard!”

Namgung Dowi, who was anxious behind his back, shouted. But Baek Cheon did not look back.

‘That man is nearly dead!’

Although his spirit is worth commending, it is not a fight that Namgung Dowi can withstand. If it were his usual self, it is still questionable. This is especially true now that he had exhausted all his inner energy breaking through to this point.

In the brief glance, Baek Cheon his eyes met Im Sobyeong. That was all, but he then looked forward again and shouted.

“Hold on!”

He gritted his teeth as he swung his sword.

‘I trust you!’

It wasn’t Im Sobyeong he trusted.

It was the judgment of Chung Myung who had brought Im Sobyeong this far. There’s no way he would have dragged Im Sobyeong in without any thought. If Chung Myung believed in him, there was no reason they couldn’t trust him as well.

It was then.

“Kahaaaaat!”

Red Dogs rushed to the place where Mount Hua’s disciples had shaken.

“Red Dogs?”

Baek widened his eyes in surprise. He hurriedly looked towards Jang Ilso, and saw Jang Ilso smiling strangely while fighting. Even though his life seemed to be in danger as he had to let go of more than half of Red Dogs, his face was still full of ease.

‘Thanks for the gift. Damn you!’

Baek Cheon spit out his thoughts only inside and focused on the battlefield again.

“Clench your teeth and protect Chung Myung!”

His sword sliced through the air like an illusion.

“This…”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s face was completely distorted.

Unable to overcome his impatience, Red Dogs burrows into the side of Black Ghost Fortress elites that rushed forward to his order. The formation he had built was completely falling apart.

‘Damn it.’

Originally, this situation could not have happened. There would have been Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold at the center, and he would never have let it collapse so helplessly.

But now, even for Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, there was no way he could do anything. He was so excited that the blood rushed to his head, so he couldn’t hear the voices shouting from behind.

Thanks to the rigorous training, the formation still held its shape for now, but its collapse was only a matter of time.

Moreover, he saw it clearly.

“Jang Ilso!”

The sight of Jang Ilso taking one step forward as if enticing someone. There is no need to think about what that appearance must have looked like in the excited eyes of Black Ghost Fortress elites.

Jang Ilso of the world is in a situation where he has lost his strength and is presenting his neck willingly in front of them, who can not lose their senses? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cut off the head of Jang Ilso, Bangju of Myriad Man Manor and leader of Evil Tyrant Alliance, with their own hands.

At this moment, the formation he had carefully prepared was now twisting and shaking out of his control at this very moment.

‘These fools!’

If they just calmly performed their roles as instructed, this situation could never fail. Why are they acting so foolishly?

‘No.’

Clearly, Jang Ilso is now putting his own life in danger. However, in doing so, he is creating a definite crack in Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s encirclement. They may not have the strength to break through that crack right now, but….

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s gaze suddenly turned and headed towards Mount Hua’s sect.

‘What if that guy completes his meditation?’

Wouldn’t it be all too clear what would happen next?

If something happens and they lose sight of these guys here, the fate of Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold is as good as sealed. He will be reduced to such a miserable situation that it would be better to take his own life.

“Deploy all remaining forces.”

“It’s different from the plan….”

“Hurry!”

“Yes!”

The reserves standing in front advanced all at once. Since they were the trump card kept for such a moment, they can prevent the cracks that are occurring there now….

‘No, it’s not enough….’

Kkadeudeuk.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold bit his lip without realizing it. Just those forces alone were not enough to solve the problem. After all, it was a place meant for Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold himself.

‘What to do?’

No matter how much he bounced the abacus within his head, he couldn’t easily reach a conclusion.

‘Is it better for me to jump in now?’

If Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold jumps in, stabilizing the encirclement will not be a big issue. Although more than half of his strength has been lost, his resourcefulness has not disappeared.

‘First of all, even if it’s a bit dangerous….’

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who could not resist the temptation, was just about to stretch out his feet.

‘Wait.’

His foot stopped in mid-air.

‘Why would Jang Ilso do this?’

Jang Ilso was now shaking up the encirclement. Even using his own life as bait.

Why? If that Mount Hua punk wakes up, will he rely on him to break through? Was Jang Ilso really the type to entrust his life to someone else in such a situation?

“Ha… haha.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold laughed as if it was ridiculous.

He seemed to understand. Why did Jang Ilso do such a thing?

He looked at Jang Ilso, who was walking a tightrope of death, with an extremely icy gaze.

“The purpose is… it is me from the beginning. Jang Ilso.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold loathes the most when plans don’t go as intended. Jang Ilso must have expected that if things began to go awry, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold would step forward in person.

The clear crack created by Jang Ilso was not meant as a means to escape the encirclement. The crack itself was a bait to attract Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.

It’s a funny thing.

If Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold had not lost his arm, he would have immediately thrown himself into that crack without hesitation. But having lost confidence in his own strength, he was forced to think twice.

Paradoxically, it was Dan Jagang that saved his life at this moment. Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s arm, cut off by Dan Jagang, saved his life.

“…That was a good move, Jang Ilso.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s eyes quickly regained their composure.

One of the great aspects of Jang Ilso is that he can set such a trap even in this situation, but this also means that Jang Ilso has no other option than to risk his own life as bait.

‘I won, Jang Ilso.’

A chilling smile appeared on Great Master of Ten Thousand’s lips.

“Wei Chung.” (Prev. Wei Chong)

“Yes.”

“Deploy all remaining guards.”

“Boju-nim?”

“It’s fine. It’s merely their last struggle.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold gripped the sword at his waist. The hesitation from a moment ago is nowhere to be found.

“Even if that guy completes his meditation, it’s the same. As long as we don’t give him any openings, we can kill them all. Deploy them!”

“…Yes!”

Following Wei Chung’s instructions, even the guards surrounding Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold jumped into the front line.

And the effect was immediate.

Paaaaaat!

The elite forces of Black Ghost Fortress, who jumped into the lead, immediately pushed back the disciples of Mount Hua, who were struggling to hold on, and attacked the rampaging Red Dogs as if devouring it.

It was the moment when the fluctuating battle lines regained its colors momentarily.

“You damn bastards.”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold shook his head.

They didn’t know who should be targeted first. However, it is clear that they were targeting someone like Im Sobyeong or Jang Ilso. They could not have guessed in advance that something like this would happen, but as soon as it unfolded, they cooperated with each other as if they had planned this all along.

If Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold had been lacking a little more, Jang Ilso’s last move would have pierced Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s neck.

However, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold no longer paid attention to what Jang Ilso’s move was. He doesn’t know what the secret move is, but it’s best to leave it as an eternal question with Jang Ilso’s death.

“He keeps others on toes until the very end.”

Anyway, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold won this fight. Even if it doesn’t come from his full capabilities ability but thanks to a gift from Dan Jagang, isn’t it Kangho’s belief that luck is also skill?

“Keuk!”

“These, these guys!”

Mount Hua’s disciples, who were struggling, began to gradually fall back.

Black Ghost Fortress elites, who had regained their composure, was not in a hurry and slowly tightened and pushed them.

The rampaging Red Dogs began spraying blood everywhere.

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s smile grew even deeper as he saw the battle line starting to stabilize completely. Now all that’s left is to admire these people who are about to die in their ugly state.

“In the end, the one who laughs last wins. Isn’t that right, Jang Ilso?”

What Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold was most curious about at this moment was Jang Ilso’s expression. Now that the last gamble that cost him his life has failed, what kind of expression will Jang Ilso make?

But….

At that moment, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold saw it.

Jang Ilso’s gaze is only focused fixated on Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, even while surrounded by Black Ghosts Fortress that threatens to rip off his neck at any moment. He wore… an eerie smile.

“What…?”

For a moment, Goosebumps ran down all over Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s body and he instinctively looked around. But no matter how much he looked around, there was nothing that could be a threat.

‘Has he gone mad?’

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who was looking at Jang Ilso with eyes full of doubt, gritted his teeth.

“Wei Chung!”

“Yes!”

“Go and cut off Jang Ilso’s head!”

“…Do Boju-nim mean Jang Ilso?”

“Yes! Finish it with your own hands!”

“But, Boju-nim.”

“Hm?”

“Is there really a need for that?”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold, who was watching the front line, frowned for a moment.

What kind of complacency is he talking about in this situation….

Flinch.

At that moment, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold was so shocked that his shoulders shook.

“You?”

He felt something was strange and instinctively turned his head. No, he tried to.

Kwadeudeudeuedeuk!

Before he could, he felt a tremendous pain in his side. The pain of cold daggers piercing through his flesh and tearing his lungs.

“Keok….”

Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s body began to tremble like aspen due to the pain that made him suffocate and his mind went blank.

What has happened? What…

He turned his trembling head with difficulty and finally saw it. It was the figure of Wei Chung chillingly with hand buried in his side.

“You….”

The first thought that came to mind was ‘betrayal’. But that thought was dismissed faster than it had appeared. If Wei Chung was someone who would betray him, would Master Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold have kept him by his side?

“You… aren’t… Wei Chung.”

A person who is not Wei Chung, but who can transform into himself so perfectly that Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold does not even suspect.

There is only one such being in the world.

“Thousand-Faced….”

Black blood flowed back from Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold’s mouth.

“Thousand-Faced… Gentle…man.”

Wei Chung. No, Hao Sect’s Munju, Thousand-Faced Gentleman answered.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you, Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold.”

His voice was laced with a mocking laughter.