Still, What Can We Do? (1)

“This, damned!”

A curse slipped out from Jo Gul’s mouth. Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword forward with all his might.

Kaaang!

The moment swords clashed, the muscles in his wrist twisted. He somehow suppressed a scream, but there was no stopping his body from bouncing backward from the impact.

‘Ugh!’

Someone caught and supported his back as he was shot backward like a cannonball.

There was no need to turn his head to confirm. Feeling Yoon Jong standing behind him, Jo Gul instinctively pulled back his foot. Then, as he stepped on Yoon Jong’s knee, Yoon Jong lightly flicked his knee, lifting him upward.

“Hyaaah!”

Jo Gul soared up and then fell down, while Yoon Jong charged straight ahead.

As he charged forward, Yoon Jong focused on the person ahead. The moment he saw Chung Myung’s two eyes, chillingly cold, a shiver ran through his chest.

“Ugh!”

Yoon Jong’s sword, enduring that pressure somehow, swung with utmost delicacy. Unlike his burning chest, it was a perfectly orthodox sword technique.

Jo Gul’s sword descended overlapping Yoon Jong’s sword. A fast and sharp sword, perfectly contrasting Yoon Jong’s.

But.

Bang!

Chung Myung’s sword moved like a flash and simultaneously struck both swords away. It was twice as fast as Jo Gul’s sword and twice as delicate as Yoon Jong’s.

And the power contained within it was incomparable.

“Ugh!”

A painful groan escaped. This was already expected. After all, how many times had they faced that damn guy?

Plum blossoms bloomed simultaneously from the swords of the two as they bounced back. Having gained the upper hand, that guy would surely attack. So first, they needed to bind his feet…

‘Huh?’

At that moment, Yoon Jong’s eyes widened.

As he bounced back and extended his sword path, the Namgung Family’s swordsmen entered it. If he extended his sword like this, they would surely be swept away by his blade.

Startled, Yoon Jong turned his sword sideways. Chung Myung did not miss the opportunity and pierced Yoon Jong’s side.

“Ah, no!”

Kuuuung!

Yoon Jong, kicked in the side, flew like a kite with a broken string. Jo Gul, left alone absurdly, swung his sword somehow despite his shock. But what strength could be in a sword suddenly twisted in panic?

“Kweeeeeeek!”

Jo Gul, kicked in the face, bounced away making a sound like a pig’s throat being cut.

And at that very moment.

“Huh!”

Namgung Do-Wei, realizing his mistake, widened his eyes. Chung Myung, who had quickly dealt with Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, was now charging toward him with eyes so cold they were almost indifferent.

“Eek!”

His knees trembled for a moment, but Namgung Do-Wei desperately put strength into his legs and swung his sword fiercely.

Namgung’s sword is completely different in texture from Mount Hua’s sword. Strong and heavy!

But…

Kwaaaaaang!

Namgung Do-Wei’s face twisted horribly.

The moment the swords touched, his sword was weakly bounced back. His full-power swing could not handle Chung Myung’s lightly flicked sword.

Absurdly, that playfully swung sword contained several times more profound qi than his own sword.

Soon after, Chung Myung, without changing his expression, punched Namgung Do-Wei’s chin.

Pah!

Namgung Do-Wei bounced away like a kicked ball.

Paaat!

Chung Myung, kicking the ground immediately after hitting, caught up with the bouncing Namgung Do-Wei.

Grab.

Chung Myung grabbed Namgung Do-Wei’s shoulder and pulled his half-conscious body forward, charging toward Tang Pae.

“Damn it!”

Tang Pae, holding two short swords in both hands ready to throw at any moment if Chung Myung charged at him, was momentarily stunned and froze. His eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Chung Myung was charging at him with Namgung Do-Wei like a shield in front of him. How could he even throw his short swords now?

If Tang Pae had been a bit calmer, he would have first created distance or thrown a returning throwing knife to target Chung Myung’s back avoiding Namgung Do-Wei, or at least scattered poison powder.

But faced with an unexpected situation, Tang Pae hesitated for a moment, unable to find a way. When facing someone like Chung Myung, even a moment’s hesitation is fatal.

Paaat!

A sword extended from Namgung Do-Wei’s armpit rushed toward Tang Pae like a flash. Terrified, Tang Pae ignored the short swords in his hand and rolled his body sideways. But at that moment, Chung Myung threw Namgung Do-Wei’s body, which he was holding, directly at Tang Pae.

Tang Pae hesitated for a moment, tightly closed his eyes, and dodged the flying Namgung Do-Wei. If he caught the guy, the aftermath would be too obvious.

‘Damn it.’

But Tang Pae instantly regretted that choice.

Chung Myung was already waiting where Tang Pae dodged Namgung Do-Wei, as if he had anticipated that choice.

If only he had caught it and taken the hit, he might have at least kept some justification…

Bang!

“Aah!”

Tang Pae, kicked in the chin, flew like a cannonball and rolled on the ground. Rolling over, he landed beside the already sprawled Namgung Do-Wei.

Thud.

Chung Myung landed on the ground and looked around with indifferent eyes.

“Ugh…”

“Oh, I’m dying…”

The situation was simply miserable. Those who hadn’t even properly resisted were all groaning, clutching various parts of their bodies after being smashed in an instant.

Chung Myung quietly sighed as he watched their pitiful state.

“No… Chung Myung…”

Jo Gul tried to say something but quickly shut his mouth. Chung Myung’s expression was unusually stern.

Chung Myung glanced coldly at Jo Gul, then looked over the fallen and spoke.

“It’s been three days.”

Hearing that, Jo Gul silently bowed his head deeply.

“Three days have passed, and nothing has changed. In fact, it’s worse than at the start.”

Their faces twisted hearing that. Wasn’t that obvious? They had been beaten for three days straight; naturally, they were more exhausted and weaker.

But their thoughts vanished as if washed away the moment Chung Myung spoke again.

“You seem to be mistaken. Do you think you’d get a next chance if this were a real fight?”

It wasn’t that the words held great meaning, but the emotion in his voice was so heavy that their hearts sank and shoulders trembled.

“Do you believe things will somehow work out?”

“…”

“Do you think if you just do whatever, things will be resolved? That someone will clean up the Four Sects Alliance, and someone will deal with the Demonic Cult?”

The surroundings fell silent as if a mouse had died.

“And if you happen to meet a strong enemy by bad luck, it’s just over if you die?”

His voice was so dark and heavy.

Even those who were inwardly resentful couldn’t meet Chung Myung’s eyes at this moment. Usually, he would shout and curse in anger, but now he spoke calmly without emotional fluctuation. That made it even heavier and deeper.

“Yes, try that. Then you’ll know. The truly terrifying thing is not dying, but surviving.”

“…”

“Surviving, and realizing the moment that the guy you fought and cursed with until yesterday will never return.”

Chung Myung, staring coldly at everyone, turned his body.

“I don’t know if fools like you will understand what I’m saying.”

He slid his sword into its sheath and left the training ground. Tang Gunak, Meng So, and the elders, watching the scene, also left the training ground with stern faces.

Even after they all disappeared, silence lingered in the training ground for quite a while.

After a moment.

“Um…”

“So great, damn it.”

Just as Namgung Do-Wei was about to say something, Im So-Byeong cursed loudly.

“Damn it, you’re so great I have no rebuttal. That’s why people who only spout righteousness die first. Because they get stabbed in the back.”

Namgung Do-Wei looked at Im So-Byeong with bewildered eyes. To sarcastically say something that is actually right is quite a skill.

“Ah, damn it!”

At that moment, Jo Gul shouted out his frustration loudly.

“I don’t understand! When we fought among ourselves, we weren’t beaten this miserably! So why is it such a mess now?”

Jo Gul’s anger was somewhat justified.

Mount Hua had exchanged swords with Chung Myung for years. Though they couldn’t claim to have drawn out his full strength, it still wasn’t a fight they would lose so easily.

With added strength, logically it should have been a superior fight, but the situation kept worsening, which was frustrating to him.

But that was Jo Gul’s perspective; other sects had to see it differently.

“So are you saying we did something wrong?”

When Tang Zhan ground his teeth, Jo Gul glared at him fiercely.

“Then what did we do right…”

“Stop it.”

“No, sasuk! I didn’t say anything wrong…”

“I said shut up.”

Jo Gul shrugged his shoulders.

Yoon Jong rarely shows anger to anyone but Jo Gul. But someone who shows even less anger than him is Baek Cheon.

That Baek Cheon was now coldly glaring at Jo Gul.

“No… I…”

Jo Gul bowed his head deeply. Seeing this, Baek Cheon looked at Yoon Jong and asked.

“Did you not know there was someone behind you?”

“…I knew.”

“Then why did you extend your sword like that?”

Baek Cheon scolded coldly.

“Because you thought you’d dodge on your own? Because you didn’t care about them? If someone is lacking skill, you should know your place and keep your distance.”

“Th-that’s…”

“Since when did such arrogance fill you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Yoon Jong dared not rebut and bowed his head deeply.

Baek Cheon, coldly looking at Yoon Jong and other Mount Hua disciples, glanced at other sect members. Those who met his eyes involuntarily lowered their heads.

Baek Cheon slowly stood up. At that moment, everyone’s gaze focused on him.

Everyone suddenly felt the weight of Baek Cheon, the great disciple of Mount Hua.

Except for Im So-Byeong, no one here had more influence than Baek Cheon.

No, perhaps Baek Cheon’s influence was even greater than Im So-Byeong, the Green Forest King. The position of next sect leader of Mount Hua was immense, at least within the Heavenly Friends Alliance.

When such a person got angry, no one dared to complain.

Tang Pae, the young lord of the Sichuan Tang Family, Namgung Do-Wei, the actual real lord of the Namgung Family, the Beast Palace, the Ice Palace, and even Im So-Byeong all looked at Baek Cheon without a word.

“Everyone…”

Baek Cheon opened his mouth. Everyone flinched. They expected a sharp reprimand.

But then, Baek Cheon bowed deeply to everyone.

“I’m sorry.”

Everyone looked at Baek Cheon with blank faces.

The surroundings fell silent as if a mouse had died.