Chapter 1325
That’s true, if it’s a human. (5)
“Urracha-aaaah!”
Jo Geol pierced through the approaching enemies one after another.
The momentum showed no sign of waning, but… No, it became even sharper than before, yet his expression was gradually hardening.
“Heuk! Heuk!”
Almost there.
The cursed end of this damn gorge was finally in sight.
Just a little more…
Gasping for breath after piercing through the neck of another charging foe, Jo Geol’s face was already drenched in sweat, and his hand holding the sword began to tremble slightly.
‘Already…’
It felt like his inner strength had reached its limit.
Logically, it made no sense.
Jo Geol’s sword primarily focused on stabbing. Because of this characteristic, his sword didn’t consume much of his inner strength.
In a fight like this, one shouldn’t tire even after three days and nights of repetition.
But the absurd had already unfolded, so it couldn’t be denied.
It wasn’t just the inner strength.
There was a feeling that everything that had been filling him was rapidly depleting. It hadn’t even been a fraction of a moment since he started fighting properly.
‘How could this…’
Everything was being consumed rapidly. Not just his physical strength and inner strength, but even the mental fortitude that he had once been confident in, which would not lose to anyone.
As soon as Jo Geol showed signs of fatigue, Yoon Jong dashed forward fearlessly.
But even Yoon Jong’s back was damp with sweat.
Observing this silently, Jo Geol tossed his sword lightly into the air and vigorously shook off the sweat that had soaked his hands.
Once again, he realized the harsh pressure of fighting at the forefront, of leading the way ahead of everyone else.
‘Don’t whine! We’re just three here!’
Both Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon would be struggling under such pressure. But he couldn’t afford to show weakness like this.
And if anyone should succumb to pressure, it should be Baek Cheon
Reflexively, Jo Geol glanced at Baek Cheon. He had expected him to be vying for the opportunity to lead from the front, but surprisingly, Baek Cheon was looking somewhere towards the rear.
“Sasuk?”
Jo Geol called out with a puzzled voice, but Baek Cheon seemed oblivious, fixating on something behind.
“Pfft!”
Spitting out the blood gathered in his mouth, Chung Myung glared at Goe Ryang.
‘This is a mess.’
His body was in such a state of disarray that it was practically falling apart.
– Damn it! Do you think you can just replace parts like a broken carriage? Keep acting like that, and you’ll be dead soon, Hyeong!
Whether then or now, these physician bastards are all the same.
They just keep repeating the same old nonsense.
If you’re injured, you should rest. The human body doesn’t just magically heal itself conveniently.
‘Who doesn’t know that?’
If he could rest, he would have rested. The problem is, he can’t.
Chung Myung has become stronger. In just a few years, he has caught up to more than half of his past prowess.
He has accumulated inner strength like gathering ant tears, to the point where he no longer feels insufficient, and his swordsmanship has become almost second nature to his body.
But that doesn’t mean he has fully regained his past abilities.
The most lacking aspect is his inner strength.
In his past life, he accumulated inner strength for nearly seventy years. But in this life, he has had barely ten years to accumulate it.
While he received benefits from the newly manufactured Jasodan, but who would focus on things like internal energy cultivation and martial arts if they could overcome all that with just the elixirs?
The journey from Haenam to here, standing at the forefront, was a treacherous path even by his past standards. Enduring it with an unripened body and inner strength, it’s no wonder his body is wearing out.
He only brings down enemies. Despite cutting off all attention to everything else for that sole purpose, this is the result.
Of course, there was also the option to retreat to manage injuries and catch his breath. Even if he had made such a choice, he might have still reached this point.
The current Ogeom has grown enough to confidently present them to the damn old bastards from Hwasan of the past, and the little chicks of Cheonumaeng have done their fair share as well.
So, even without Chung Myung pushing forward, they would have made it here, leading everyone well.
But at least thirty more of Haenam’s disciples would have died.
‘Thirty.’
A faint smile escaped Chung Myung’s lips.
It’s not even funny.
Is there anyone who understands better than Chung Myung how insignificant human life is, and how futile it is to save a few lives in the vast whirlpool of war?
If it were Chung Myung of the past, he would have prioritized thoroughly considering his own body over saving those measly thirty lives.
Because if he collapses, not thirty but many more would die. This isn’t cold-heartedness, but a rational judgment.
Yes, that’s right. Clearly. But…
⁃ You’ll come to understand someday.
‘It would have been better if it weren’t now, Sect Leader Sahyeong.’
A smile kept slipping out, despite knowing it wasn’t the appropriate situation.
‘What does someone like Haenam know?’
In the end, he had to admit it.
He transformed Hwasan. He lifted the crumbling Hwasan back onto its rightful position and instilled ambition in the disciples who were drowning in despair.
For Chung Myung, this was a thorough regression to the past. It was the act of recreating the beloved Hwasan that remained vivid in his memory, as if it were still within his grasp.
All for him to become Chung Myung. To become Maehwa Geomjon of Hwasan.
But… now he had to admit it. The person who changed the most in that process was not Hwasan or those Ogeom brats, but Chung Myung himself.
Through teaching and refining them, Chung Myung finally came to understand.
The worth of a person is not determined by their status. Even those whom Chung Myung once ridiculed as being utterly foolish are all living their lives desperately. Even those who are used as expendable commodities in war and then discarded.
Insignificant lives. Lives that end merely as numbers.
Each of these insignificant people has their own life. Even those who were dismissed as worthless have irreplaceable meaning and value to someone.
Chung Myung wanted to protect Sect Leader Sahyeong. He wanted to save the damned Tang Bo, and he wanted to see that bastard Chung Jun alive and well, returning to Hwasan.
He wanted to somehow send all the people of Hwasan back to Hwasan.
If he could, he wouldn’t have hesitated to do anything. Anything at all.
But now he knows. He has found out.
From the perspective of Gangho’s expansive gaze, these people may seem insignificant, mere numbers… But to someone, they are Chung Mun, Tang Bo, and Chung Jin.
Someone may desperately want to protect them, just as Chung Myung did back then. Someone may have to live a lifetime in pain because of their deaths.
Thirty. Just a trivial number, but now Chung Myung can no longer dismiss it as trivial.
He would have been better off not knowing.
‘Will you laugh at me?’
Chung Myung suddenly wondered.
How would Chung Jin react if he heard these words? Would he laugh at the absurdity of it? Or would he be amazed and laugh, realizing that Chung Myung had finally become a Taoist?
It’s impossible to know.
Chung Jin is already dead.
“Sajil…”
Yu Iseol’s voice came from behind. There was a subtle concern in it. No, the concern was so evident that it could be felt without even paying attention to it.
Her voice said she was worried.
‘It doesn’t suit her.’
But what was even more unfitting was the fact that it was he himself who let concern seep into Yu Iseol’s voice.
Chung Myung lightly adjusted the Dark Plum Sword he was holding.
Thunk.
The pain radiating from his leg was dreadful. His inner strength had already been depleted long ago. Even though he tried to gather his inner strength during the intervals of running, there was only so much he could do.
The wound that he had barely managed to close would surely reopen with every vigorous movement.
The only remotely good thing was that he hadn’t sustained any internal injuries, but that wasn’t much of a consolation in the current situation.
Nevertheless… Chung Myung’s lips curled up slightly.
“Shall I go first?”
As Chung Myung leaned forward slightly, Goe Ryang unconsciously stepped back. His momentum was noticeably diminished compared to before.
Goe Ryang squinted his eyes suspiciously, scrutinizing Chung Myung’s condition several times.
‘What’s going on?’
He had reached his limit. No, he should have reached it already. Even for a master at the peak, the injuries across his body would make movement difficult.
And in reality, it would be even worse than it appeared. The poison smeared on his sword would still be lingering in his body, continuously disturbing his insides.
However, Chung Myung’s momentum showed no signs of waning, not even a bit. In fact, it became even more formidable than before. Just facing him now made one’s blood curdle and skin split.
‘That’s just a bluff.’
Goe Ryang bit his lip tightly.
Ho Gamyeong had already mentioned it. As he nears his limit, he resorts to bluffing to conceal his true condition. So, there was no need to be deceived by his words and actions.
Like toying with a wounded beast, leisurely…
Pa-a-a-a-a-a-t!
However, in that moment, Chung Myung’s figure disappeared abruptly, only to reappear in front of Goe Ryang like a sudden illusion.
Startled, Goe Ryang raised his sword.
Kaaaang!
In a hasty move, he managed to block the flying Dark Plum Sword. But as their swords clashed, instead of being repelled, Chung Myung’s sword surged even faster towards Goe Ryang’s throat.
Sensing the sword almost touching his throat, Goe Ryang twisted his neck with all his might.
Thunk!
Despite narrowly avoiding being pierced through the throat, Goe Ryang couldn’t escape the slash. Chung Myung’s sword grazed past his neck, slicing through the side just beside the carotid artery.
Without a moment to feel the pain, Goe Ryang hastily retreated. If he had hesitated for even a moment longer, his throat would have been pierced without mercy.
Realizing he had narrowly escaped death, a flicker of relief flashed across Goe Ryang’s face.
However, Goe Ryang, seasoned by countless battles, quickly regained his composure.
Even amidst the chaos, his eyes remained locked on Chung Myung, noting the slight bend in his leg and the tension in the hand gripping the sword.
‘He’s coming!’
Goe Ryang snapped back to his senses, quickly readjusting his stance.
That beast is not one to miss an opportunity. Since Goe Ryang has already shown weakness, he will surely rush in to kill him this time.
As Goe Ryang gathered all the energy he had left, planting his feet firmly on the ground, he prepared himself for Chung Myung’s next move.
Paaaaaat!
Chung Myung slammed the ground. Goe Ryang’s hands holding the sword were full of strength.
‘As long as I block it…’
But soon, his mind went blank.
Chung Myung hit the ground and moved at high speed.
Not from to the front where Goe Ryang was, but to the back.
‘What…?’
Chung Myung, propelled backwards, let out a blatant sneer.
Only now did Goe Ryang realize he had been thoroughly played, but Chung Myung was already leading the way through the open gorge, accompanied by Yu Iseol and Tang Pae.
“Ah…!”
Thunk!
A jarring sound emanated as excessive force strained the hand gripping the sword, nearly contorting his joints. Goe Ryang, shaken by the noise, shouted urgently.
“Pursue them! Now!”
“Yes!”
Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, the members of Blood Sword Squad stared at Chung Myung in bewilderment before hastily rushing after him. Catching a glimpse of their fleeting figures, Goe Ryang gritted his teeth.
“This damn piece of…!”
Though momentary, the fact that he had been thoroughly played by his opponent gnawed at Goe Ryang’s pride.
“Aargh!”
Letting out a scream akin to a seizure, he immediately started to pursue Chung Myung with all his might towards the end of the gorge.
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