Have You Ever Seen Hell? (5)

“Sasuk! The rear…!”

“I know!”

“The back is collapsing, sasuk!”

“I said I know!”

Jo Gul, who had been shouting in alarm, flinched at Baek Cheon’s roar.

Even so, Baek Cheon was spreading his sword without the slightest tremor.

Pahaaaat!

The sword aura pouring from the tip swept away the enemies blocking the way in an instant.

“Aaaaaah!”

The martial artists of the Ten Thousand People Clan, whose focus had briefly faltered at the tremendous scene unfolding behind, were helplessly swept by Baek Cheon’s sword qi and screamed.

“Push forward!”

“But…!”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up and concentrate ahead!?”

Baek Cheon barked fiercely.

Jo Gul’s sword trembled slightly.

“If we can’t break through anyway, we all die! Saving one or two more isn’t the end!”

Only after hearing Baek Cheon’s words did a resolute light appear in Jo Gul’s eyes.

“Uaaap!”

Swaaaek!

The swift sword cleanly pierced those who had been hesitating and retreating, one after another.

“Aaaaaah!”

Paat!

He pushed off the ground with force and advanced.

Jo Gul’s sword produced dozens of sword forms at once.

The sword forms, shot with the force as if to fill the gorge, flew fiercely toward the enemies.

The moment Jo Gul appeared somewhat excited, Yoon Jong, as if like a ghost, leapt past him and charged forward.

His sword pushed aside those who were retreating all at once.

Baek Cheon reinforced their determination.

“If you’re worried about the rear, open the way with full force instead! That’s the only way we can save everyone!”

“Yes, sasuk!”

Yoon Jong and Jo Gul increased their momentum and surged forward.

“Get out of the way, you bastards!”

An unstoppable, piercing momentum.

They moved at a speed as if passing through a gorge with no one to block them.

But even that speed felt unbearably slow to them now.

No wonder, their hearts had already run far ahead, leading everyone.

Baek Cheon desperately held back an instinctive urge to turn his head back.

Fixing his gaze only forward, he scolded himself.

‘Don’t look back!’

He wanted to run back at once.

But what he had to do now was perfectly clear.

Trying to resolve everything by oneself is greed and arrogance.

‘I’ll entrust the rear!’

Baek Cheon forcefully shook his sword to send his will to the rear.

He could picture it without even looking.

What those struggling in the rear might be looking at.

The small back he had always seen standing before him—that small back would be steadfastly protecting everyone.

“Don’t just stare blankly—follow them!”

At Baek Cheon’s shout, Southern Island Sect’s disciples were startled and snapped back to their senses.

“Hurry!”

Soon, Southern Island Sect’s disciples, teeth clenched, began sprinting with all their might along the path Jo Gul and Yoon Jong had opened.

---

Chung Myung’s cold, settled gaze pressed down on the Ten Thousand People Clan’s warrior.

Perhaps because of that, even the fierce Ten Thousand People Clan’s warriors only growled and could not easily rush at Chung Myung.

Chung Myung watched them and spoke.

“Green Forest King.”

“Yes.”

“Send the elders to the back side.”

“Understood.”

“That drooping octopus head too.”

“…Very well.”

But even after answering, Im So-Byeong did not move for a moment.

He simply stared fixedly at the back of Chung Myung’s head with a grave expression.

“You idiot…”

Sensing that gaze, Chung Myung smiled faintly.

“What, do you think I’m ready to die here or something?”

“…It’s not that, but…”

“Don’t be silly. I’m someone who knows how precious my life is.”

“…”

“And against those kinds of bastards, there’s no need to brace for a final strike. Just…”

Chung Myung trailed off for a moment and snorted with a laugh.

However, there was one regret.

“Tang Pae.”

Tang Pae flinched and raised his head at Chung Myung’s call.

Tang Pae’s face was as pale as could be.

Because he knew well what he had done.

He could endure others’ reproach.

But if he heard ‘it’s okay’ from Chung Myung’s mouth, he felt he would truly collapse.

After all, that would be no different from saying the Tang Family’s limit.

Tang Pae prayed and prayed that such a miserable word would not come out.

Then Chung Myung stretched out his hand forward.

Paaaaat!

Something was pulled out at furious speed from the mound of corpses piled up like a small hill.

Chung Myung snatched it and casually tossed it toward Tang Pae behind him.

“Uh…”

Tang Pae, taken by surprise, stared blankly at what he held in his hand.

What Chung Myung handed him were the assassin blades that hadn’t been retrieved amid the fierce battle.

“Stick to my back.”

“…Yes?”

“I mean, guard my back.”

At that surprising command, Tang Pae’s eyes slowly widened.

So now…

“Why? Can’t you do it?”

“Ah, no! I still have the strength to do it!”

He didn’t dare unleash his full strike, but he could throw secret blades as much as needed.

Isn’t the advantage of the assassin blades that they consume little internal qi if you don’t spam the ultimate moves?

“But I…”

Would he be of help to Chung Myung? In a situation like this?

He swallowed the question, unable to voice it.

But Chung Myung seemed to guess what Tang Pae had swallowed and shrugged his shoulders.

And he spoke casually.

“Even clumsy is better than nothing. Right now, familiarity is needed.”

Familiarity?

Tang Pae couldn’t understand those words.

Chung Myung continued.

“Don’t worry. They’ll fill in what’s lacking.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that…?”

Fortunately, the answer to that question came very quickly.

Step.

A very small footstep sounded beside Tang Pae.

Turning around, there stood the cold Yu Yiseol with an expressionless face.

As if this had been the place she should have been from the start.

Yu Yiseol spoke softly.

“Do not step forward.”

“…Yes?”

Tang Pae repeated, taken aback by the abrupt remark.

Yu Yiseol answered simply.

“I’ll be going ahead already.”

Tang Pae slowly nodded.

His role was to check and restrain with the assassin blades.

So if he went beyond that role and advanced excessively, he’d only become a hindrance.

Though he fully understood Yu Yiseol’s words, Tang Pae had no intention of doing things halfheartedly.

Desperation and resolve shimmered in his eyes.

He clenched his hand gripping the assassin blades.

‘I’ll pour everything out.’

That would be the least duty toward the one who believed in him!

“Move!”

Only then did Im So-Byeong relax and begin leading the elders.

A few elders coughed up blood as they tried to take a step, but Im So-Byeong shouted coldly.

“Whether you die running or die here makes no difference! Move, now!”

The elders gritted their teeth and ran forward.

Their high internal qi was holding them up, but any moment they might suddenly collapse.

But still, they had to move. Because they’re alive. Because they’re not dead yet.

They had to struggle until the moment their strength failed and they fell.

Im So-Byeong supported the trembling Hae Yeon on his back, lifted him up, and looked back.

“I’ll go ahead first! Don’t be late and follow right up!”

“Enough with the nagging.”

When Chung Myung said that indifferently, Im So-Byeong glared at him sharply once and then moved away.

Now only Yu Yiseol and Tang Pae remained behind Chung Myung.

Chung Myung smiled at the strange feeling.

‘Honestly, I’m not used to this kind of situation.’

He’s broken through countless times, but delaying and retreating like this just doesn’t suit him.

In the past, there were plenty of people to do this for him, so he could just jump into the fray and wreak havoc.

But not now. Now he can’t only do what he wants.

He must do not what he wants, but what he must.

“Growing up is tiring.”

“No, not yet.”

“Yay, yay.”

Contrary to the teasing tone, there was no smile on Chung Myung’s face.

The reason the enemies aren’t fully swarming them is simple.

As long as they don’t have time to cultivate energy, it’s more advantageous to stall and wait until the poisoning worsens.

Ho Ga-Myung knows that fact and therefore hasn’t given the order.

But not anymore.

“Now…”

Chung Myung slowly lifted one foot.

This standoff cannot last forever.

Then there’s no need to drag it out.

Chung Myung knows when the beast that wouldn’t attack prey with its back turned would bare its teeth.

“Let’s begin.”

The moment that foot was set down not forward but clearly in the direction of retreat.

“Kraaaaah!”

As if a taut leash had snapped, the Ten Thousand People Clan swordsmen who had been lowering their stances simultaneously surged at Chung Myung with heated momentum.

The tremendous killing intent, like something forcefully held down bursting at once, crashed over Chung Myung.

In that chilling killing intent, the corner of Chung Myung’s mouth rose.

He poured his internal qi fully into the Dark Fragrant Plum Blossom Sword.

The arm muscles holding the sword surged, and blood pulsed fiercely through his body.

The Ten Thousand People Clan swordsmen screamed and slashed with their blades.

Three in front, and two above the head!

The blades flying from above and below at once looked like the gaping maw of a giant monster.

Chung Myung pulled his sword back as far as possible.

And just as the monster-like blades were about to tear into Chung Myung’s body.

Paaaaat!

The sword shot out at an incredible speed.

It was a powerful sword strike more like shooting an arrow than swinging a sword.

In an instant, Chung Myung’s sword, turned into a beam of light, pierced the throats of the five Ten Thousand People Clan’s warriors attacking at once.

Bang!

At the same time, his foot struck the ground.

He did not move forward.

Tang Pae, Yu Yiseol, and Chung Myung—they had all suddenly fallen back.

Seeing the three retreat between the fallen bodies of their comrades, madness filled the eyes of the Ten Thousand People Clan’s warriors.

“Chase themmmm!”

No matter how strong the opponent, even if the path leads to death, the side chasing a fleeing enemy will inevitably have their morale raised.

The fact that they could pursue the great swordsman with blades in hand was enough to unleash the Ten Thousand People Clan swordsmen’s cruelty.

“Kraaaaah!”

The Ten Thousand People Clan warriors, letting out beast-like roars, charged almost on all fours.

Those who were still breathing collapsed as they were trampled, but the attackers didn’t care.

They simply howled like beasts and were busy pursuing Mount Hua’s Sword Saint.

Swaaaaek!

Tang Pae’s assassin blade pierced the skull of a charging attacker in an instant.

“Get outta the way!”

A blade flying from behind sliced through the waist of a convulsing man in one strike.

They struck away the severed upper body of a comrade and, with chilling ferocity and killing intent, targeted Chung Myung.

“Aaaaaah!”

A blade, as if it would split the world in two, dropped straight toward Chung Myung’s head.

An attack that had completely abandoned any concept of defense.

It was a strike that poured everything into a single swing, a blow that didn’t think of any consequences.

Crunch!

Chung Myung’s thrust sword pierced through a Ten Thousand People Clan warrior’s throat and poked out the nape.

But the blade, already driven by momentum, did not stop; instead it accelerated and came down toward Chung Myung’s head.

Paat!

Chung Myung lightly pushed off the ground with his foot.

Then the blade, carrying a fierce gust, whistled past an inch from his face.

His bangs were blown back by the wind pressure.

A chilling sensation followed, as if his skin had been scraped by a coarse saw.

Not a bit of the blade touched him, yet the malice and momentum carried by it pierced the air and seemed to penetrate into his body.

Receiving that eerie yet familiar sensation throughout his body, Chung Myung mercilessly twisted the embedded sword in an instant.

Pahaaat!

As he infused internal qi, the pierced throat burst open at once and the now-detached head shot up.

Warm blood sprayed into the air.

Like a salvo announcing the brutal battle about to begin.