Return of the Mount Hua Sect (HTL 1634+)

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Jin Geumryong gripped his sword tightly, his gaze fixed on the two figures flying toward Lee Songbaek, faster than he could react. He bit his lips softly.

Under normal circumstances, his insides would have been burning with fury, and his wounded pride would have pierced through his skin. Yet strangely, Jin Geumryong found himself maintaining a surprising level of composure.

'It's meaningless.'

In the past, he wouldn't have tolerated the mere idea of someone standing in front of him. The sense of falling behind would have been unbearable.

But now, he could accept it.

Such matters seemed trivial. He had come to realize there were far more valuable things in the world.

For him, there was now something more important than the recognition or fame of others. Perhaps even more significant than 'Zhongnan' itself.

"I'm merely entrusting this for a while."

Murmuring these words through clenched teeth, Jin Geumryong shifted his gaze from the Sun Palace Lord to other enemies. A dense swarm of chaos stood before him, and he scrutinized each face one by one.

"How is it?"

".....My wrist hurts a little."

"Compared to the Black Dragon King?"

"It's hard to even compare their backgrounds."

Hye Yeon nodded gravely.

If the Black Dragon King was the incarnation of dominion, the Sun Palace Lord was the master of weight. It was hard to argue which was superior, but one thing was certain.

The Sun Palace Lord's martial arts were closer to pure technique.

"Siju, in my opinion..."

"Yes, Monk."

Even before Hye Yeon could finish, Namgung Dowi nodded, as if he already knew what Hye Yeon wanted to say.

"Should we say that it feels similar?"

"I think so, too."

Martial arts that overwhelmed the opponent with profound power—these bore a resemblance to the techniques of the Shaolin Sect, once the leader of the Ten Great Sects, and the martial arts of the Namgung Family, the head of the Five Great Families.

The difference lay in the effect of their internal energy. While Shaolin pushes away, and Namgung shattered, the Sun Palace Lord's techniques burned and melted.

In essence, the phenomenon varied, but the core of all three are not vastly different.

Thus, it was apt to call it pure technique.

For someone with overwhelming power, great techniques were unnecessary. Techniques merely compensated for a lack of power.

Throughout the history of the martial world, even as everything changed, Shaolin and Namgung had retained their positions for this very reason.

From this perspective, the current situation wasn't ideal.

When martial arts of similar essence clashed, it was inevitable that the weaker one would break.

"It makes me feel like apologizing."

"Excuse me? To whom?"

"To Jo Geol dojang."

"...What?"

Namgung Dowi, caught in the tense standoff, looked at Hye Yeon with a puzzled expression. Hye Yeon smiled awkwardly.

"When Jo Geol dojang complained about me in crude terms, I thought it was just whining."

"Ah... Are you referring to that talk about 'dog-like nonsense' or something?"

"Yes. But now that I see this siju in person... I realize it wasn't much of an exaggeration."

Namgung Dowi chuckled softly.

"If Jo Geol dojang heard this, he'd gloat and say, 'See? I was right.'"

He raised his sword upright.

"Then, why don't you use your mouth to tell him yourself?"

"After knocking that siju to the ground, right?"

"Precisely."

Hye Yeon lowered both hands slowly, adopting a stance. Even if the opponent was stronger, retreat was not an option.

From the Sun Palace Lord's perspective, it was almost laughable.

This wasn't a fair match.

He had never considered the youngsters of Zhongnan as his opponents. Clearing out these lowly pests was a mere distraction. Since he had personally stepped onto the battlefield, he expected opponents worthy of his stature.

Even if the righteous sects were fragmented, surely there were still masters or elders of the Ten Great Sects around.

Strike the grass to startle the snake [tachogyeongsa, 타초경사(打草驚蛇)]. He planned to execute these remnants publicly, swiftly seizing control of the battlefield.

[tl note: 타초경사(打草驚蛇) is a Chinese idiom, refers to a strategy of provoking a reaction to reveal hidden threats or opponents. In this case, the Sun Palace Lord employs this tactic to lure stronger enemies out of hiding by creating chaos, expecting significant figures like sect leaders or elders to appear. However, he is disappointed when only less notable characters emerge, highlighting the mixed outcomes of such a strategy.]

But the master who came out after beating the dog turns out to be just these small fries...

"Coming to the Central Plains wasn't so bad after all. I didn't expect to find such infuriating fools everywhere."

"Hmm."

"Ah...."

The Sun Palace Lord's cold taunt elicited peculiar reactions from the two before him. Their awkward expressions suggested they had a lot they wanted to say....

"How does one even respond to this...?"

"Hahahaha! Care to explain, Monk?"

Hye Yeon looked troubled, while Namgung Dowi burst into laughter, leaving the Sun Palace Lord momentarily at a loss.

Namgung Dowi shook his head.

"If you're this angry already... you should consider yourself lucky. If you met that person, you'd have coughed up blood and fallen into qi deviation."

"Highly plausible. Amitabha."

Namgung Dowi chuckled.

"No, no, wait... He might be decapitated before he reaches that point?"

"That's also a possible story. No, that seems even more likely."

The Sun Palace Lord's face slowly grew expressionless.

There's a saying that overwhelming anger leads to emotional detachment. It seemed true. His rage translated directly into action.

Wiiiiiing!

A sound like thousands of bees taking flight rang out as the Sun Palace Lord's qi surged toward the two. The scorching, devastating power roared forward like a sun descending upon the earth.

But Namgung Dowi and Hye Yeon did not retreat. Instead, they stepped forward.

"Monk!"

"Yes!"

Two could do it. Alone, it wasn't possible. But together, it was.

Paaat!

Hye Yeon's monk robe billowed as he planted his fist at his waist, adopting a steady stance.

"Amitabha."

Chanting a low prayer, he extended his fist deliberately.

Arhat Divine Fist.

One of Shaolin's supreme techniques, rivaling the legendary Hundred-Pace Divine Fist, it bore the title of Divine Fist.

Its power was enough to suppress the Sun Palace's blazing might.

And then—

"Haaaaaah!"

The emperor's powerful sword strike, as if he were carrying a mountain on his sword, collided with the Sun Palace Lord's tremendous internal energy.

They trusted implicitly that their combined strength would withstand the Sun Palace Lord's overwhelming force.

But in that moment, both of their eyes widened.

Vuuuung!

Even though Namgung's sword energy struck directly, the force wasn't shattered and continued pressing forward. It wouldn't last unscathed forever. But what if such unrelenting momentum collapsed all at once?

Kwaaaang!

Soon, a massive storm of energy poured down like a torrent toward Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi.

Kwaaaang!

The chaotic surge of energy formed a violent current, one that no human of flesh and bone could endure. It relentlessly swept through them for what felt like an eternity.

And finally, when the storm subsided...

"....."

"....."

Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi stared ahead, astonished.

They had both risked everything, pouring their strength into their single strike. It was a gamble that could have decided the battle in one blow. Normally, such recklessness would have ended in catastrophe.

But that catastrophe was prevented by a single swordsman.

"Not just two..."

Lee Songbaek.

With a single steel sword, he had erected a wall of swords, shielding Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi. Without even turning to face them, he shouted.

"But three of us!"

For a moment, Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi exchanged glances. Then, they nodded slightly and naturally stepped forward to stand beside Lee Songbaek on either side.

"This pressure is overwhelming. Fighting at this distance would be unwise."

"I think so too, siju."

Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi. Even these two warriors, with their immense internal energy, concluded that it was reckless to confront the Sun Palace Lord's force directly.

Namgung Dowi shook his head in disbelief.

"Then the answer is… we have to get close to him."

"Amitabha. One misstep, and our internal organs will melt away."

"Are you afraid, monk?"

Hye Yeon's calf-like eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze showing faint dissatisfaction.

" "I think Namgung siju needs to learn some swordsmanship."

"I've had enough of those through sheer agony, thanks to someone."

"…..Fair enough. But perhaps a bit more wouldn't hurt."

Everyone here is a trampled sprout. Who was broken and hurt, unable to grow properly as they originally wanted.

But now, where were they standing?

"Let's go, monk."

"Don't lag behind, Songbaek siju."

"I'll stick close, even if it kills me."

The outcome of this battle would answer it all.

Swish!

The three of them simultaneously kicked off the ground, transforming into streaks of lightning as they charged toward the Sun Palace Lord.

"You wretches!"

Annoyed by their audacity, the Sun Palace Lord cursed and spread his hands wide. A terrifying wave of heat radiated outwards.

"I'll turn you into ash, you rat-like pests!"

Blazing fury erupted as heat, scattering in all directions.

Elsewhere, Tang Gunak struggled to keep his focus away from the Sun Palace Lord. He had to dedicate all his strength to a singular purpose.

"Namgung Dowi, Hye Yeon, Lee Songbaek."

Each was a towering name, perhaps destined to lead the martial world in the future—if not starting now.

But even so, they seemed inadequate before the Sun Palace Lord's overwhelming presence. Adding all three of their strengths still left a gap.

Yet Tang Gunak could not help them.

'I must find him.'

In this chaos, there was someone as dangerous—if not more so—than the Sun Palace Lord. Someone whose presence could destabilize everything.

Thousand-Faced Manipulator, Dam Yeohae.

A being capable of sowing discord anywhere, anytime.

Perhaps Dam Yeohae posed an even greater threat to the Heavenly Comrade Alliance than Jang Ilso or Ho Gamyeong. Someone had to stop him, and that someone was Tang Gunak.

'Where is he?'

The head of the Tang Family must possess two essential traits, sharp eyes and dexterous hands.

But to become a great leader, there was one more necessity, intuition.

The Thousand-Faced Manipulator could not be tracked with sight alone. Without locating the enemy, even the most skilled hands were useless.

Thus, Tang Gunak relied solely on his senses to track his foe. He had to find him, wherever he was.

'He is definitely there. Not far away.'

He must....

Sharpening his senses to the utmost, Tang Gunak suddenly froze.

Something cold and sinister prickled his nerves.

It was faint but unmistakably deadly—a presence so covert yet overwhelming it sent chills down his spine.

Tang Gunak twisted his body with all his might. At that exact moment, a slash narrowly missed his face.

"Aaaaagh!"

A scream rang out in the distance. But the slash wasn't meant for just one—it cleaved through at least four others. Likely, three of them didn't even have time to cry out before being split in two.

Tang Gunak gritted his teeth, his forehead damp with cold sweat.

'What is this, this blade energy?'

He is the Poison King, unmatched in poison and hidden weapons. Who else could deceive his eyes and strike with such precision? And with a blade so heavy, no less?

From the direction of the attack, a man slowly emerged, walking toward Tang Gunak.

Tang Gunak instinctively understood. He might be facing the strongest opponent of his life.

With piercing eyes and firmly set lips, the man exuded a fierce presence. His rugged jawline was dotted with short stubble, adding to his savage appearance.

He resembled a sword—pure, cold steel incarnate.

"Poison King, Tang Gunak."

"…Who are you?"

"Jeok Ho (赤虎)."

"Jeok Ho?"

The name was unfamiliar, but that didn't matter now.

"It's the command of Ryeonju-nim."

Jeok Ho slowly sheathed his blade backward, the reverse of drawing it.

"You will die here today."

Tang Gunak instantly realized. This was a fight for his life. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready for battle.

[tl note: For those who forgot, Jeok Ho was the person who reported Ho Gamyeong to Jang Ilso when HG secretly wanted to kill Chung Myung during the Southern Island (haenam) arc (not exactly reporting about CM, but reporting that HG did something outside of orders). He was also the one who wanted to kill the abbot when he was dying (with Bopgye) at the end of the war, but Jeok Ho backed off when CM appeared haha.]