Chapter 1710
That will be enough. (5)
A chilling cold wind swept over the cliff that had been boiling like molten lava. No one could immediately comprehend the scene unfolding before them.
The silence was finally shattered by the anguished cries of the Sun Palace’s Guardians.
“My Lord! Lord!”
The Guardians, who had been staring blankly at Jin Pyeong’s collapsed figure, suddenly snapped back to reality, screaming as they rushed towards him.
“What are you all doing? Protect the Lord!”
The Guardians, their rage burning like a wild beast’s fury, surrounded the Sun Palace Lord, their bodies emanating the fierce hot yang energy.
“Lord, are you alright? My Lord!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
His breath was faint but still present – he was alive, but just barely. The Guardians desperately channeled their energy into his body, determined to keep him breathing, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Jo Geol, who had been watching in a daze, suddenly snapped his head around in shock.
“Sasuk!”
As if on cue, Baek Cheon, who had been standing upright, crumbled to the ground.
Thud.
Jo Geol’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to hide his shock.
Baek Cheon’s robes had burned up to his shoulders, and his exposed arms were charred, blackened like crimson-red charcoal.
“Ugh…”
The sight was utterly devastating, and Jo Geol, trembling, tried to rush over to Baek Cheon but collapsed in place. His mind had already raced ahead, but his legs refused to cooperate.
“This…!”
Jo Geol gritted his teeth and clawed at the ground, desperately trying to drag himself forward by digging his fingers into the earth. But now, even the slightest movement was a struggle, let alone summoning any strength.
“This damn…! Damn it…”
Cursing in helpless frustration, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud shout that echoed across the battlefield.
“Protect Sahyeong!”
It was Baek Sang.
“Chung disciples, tend to the wounded! Baek disciples, protect the disciples of Wudang! The enemy’s formation has collapsed, so we’ll retreat from here immediately!”
“Yes!”
Even before the command was fully given, someone rushed towards Jo Geol. Lying there, he recognized the figure and muttered weakly.
“…Gwak Hoe.”
“Damn it! Do you have nine lives or something? What were you thinking?!”
Gwak Hoe nearly grabbed Jo Geol by the collar as he dragged him up. Jo Geol, desperate, protested.
“Not me, get Sasuk first…”
“Ah, you just won’t shut up, will you?!”
Gwak Hoe ignored Jo Geol’s plea and lifted him onto his back. Meanwhile, other Chung disciples rushed in to carry the exhausted Yoon Jong and Yu Iseol, who had also collapsed.
“Sahyoeng!”
Baek Sang, who had been the first to run towards Baek Cheon, hesitated as he tried to lift him. The reason was clear.
“Ugh…”
He couldn’t bring himself to touch him.
Baek Cheon’s arms were so severely burned that even the slightest contact might cause the flesh to peel away. Worse still, they might crumble to dust, as if they had been scorched all the way through.
But was there any part of his body that wasn’t damaged? To be honest, there didn’t seem to be a single unscathed area.
It was incomprehensible how he was still alive in such a state.
Damn it.
With trembling hands, Baek Sang carefully lifted Baek Cheon. His heart felt like it would burst from the pressure, as he clenched his teeth, scanning the surroundings.
“Baek disciples.”
“Yes, Sahyeong!”
Baek disciples, who had already gathered the disciples of Wudang and slung them over their shoulders, stood protectively by Baek Sang’s side. They were ready even before he called them.
“Not a single one of them, not a single attack… let anything touch Sahyeong’s body.”
At his solemn command, the gazes of the Baek disciples shifted to Baek Cheon, who was cradled in Baek Sang’s arms. The sight of Baek Cheon, who had sacrificed so much to save everyone and ended up in such a wretched state, ignited a fierce determination in the eyes of Hwasan swordsmen.
Baek Sang’s sharp gaze was already locked onto the Sun Palace warriors who were blocking their path. With the Sun Palace Lord fallen and the Guardians rushing to his side, the once-impenetrable defensive line was now full of gaps.
There was no need for further words.
Boom!
Amid the sound of the collapsing cliff, Baek Sang’s voice roared out.
“We’re breaking through! Now!”
“Yes!”
The disciples of Hwasan raised their Plum Blossom Swords and charged forward in unison.
“Ugh, ugh!”
“The Lord! Protect the Lord first!”
“But if we do that, those bastards… the orders…”
“Damn it! The Lord is in danger, and you’re worried about orders? Who dares to give orders to the Sun Palace?”
Once a dam is breached, there’s no stopping the flood.
With the cornerstone of Jin Pyeong, the Sun Palace Lord, removed, the Sun Palace’s defenses crumbled with shocking ease.
The Sun Palace warriors, now in disarray, began to retreat, unable to muster the courage to face Hwasan swordsmen, who were brimming with killing intent.
“Out of the way! Move, or I’ll kill every last one of you!”
Baek Sang shouted, swinging his sword not to kill, but to intimidate.
The Sun Palace warriors, disoriented and leaderless, found themselves easily intimidated by even the mere threat posed by Baek Sang’s aggressive, though unrefined, display. What might have seemed like a desperate bluff was more than enough to keep them at bay.
“Urgh…”
Surrounded by the Guardians, the Sun Palace Lord, Jin Pyeong, caught sight of the chaotic scene through his blurred vision. With great effort, he raised his trembling hand, attempting to issue an order.
The Guardians quickly intervened in panic.
“My Lord!”
“My Lord, you mustn’t strain yourself! Your internal injuries are severe.”
“Those bastards… cough, cough!”
Jin Pyeong, struggling to speak, suddenly coughed up a torrent of dark, clotted blood.
“More energy! Pour more energy into him! Now!”
“Yes!”
In Jin Pyeong’s fading vision, he could make out the sight of Baek Cheon being carried by Baek Sang. Despite looking as good as dead, Baek Cheon was still alive and was being taken away from this place.
Although his life might end as soon as he leaves this cliff, the undeniable truth remained: the Sun Palace Lord Jin Pyeong had failed to keep them bound to this deadly cliff.
“Ugh, ugh…”
But that wasn’t all that he could see.
“Those damned outsiders! They deserve death!”
“Do you think you can kill us so easily?”
Hwasan wasn’t the only force surging through the breached defenses.
Following the path carved by Hwasan, the remnants of Sapaeryeon surged forward like vengeful ghosts, their fury ignited by the threat to their lives. They charged in like a torrential flood, roughened by the storm.
“Ahhh!”
The swords of Sapaeryeon’s warriors plunged deep into the chests of the retreating Sun Palace warriors. Moments ago, these factions had fought together against Wudang, but now, as if they were mortal enemies, they were tearing each other apart.
The Sun Palace Lord’s body, which had been trembling, suddenly convulsed and then went limp, as if all the strength had drained from him. The Guardians, terrified, rushed to support him.
“My Lord!”
“Bring more people! We must save the Lord!”
“My Lord!”
Leaving the chaotic scene of the Sun Palace behind, Baek Sang, having broken through the enemy lines, anxiously scanned his surroundings.
Where should they go? Where could they escape to, where they might survive?
The mountain was still ablaze, with flames licking at the sky. There was no telling how many enemies might still be alive, pursuing them.
And even if they managed to break through the flames and evade their pursuers to find safety, Baek Cheon might not survive the journey.
‘No…’
At first, Baek Sang believed that once they overcame the Sun Palace Lord, they would have a chance at life. But now, the situation had changed. Charging ahead recklessly would only lead to disaster.
They needed to find a safe place immediately, somewhere they could treat Baek Cheon. The other Five Swords also required urgent care!
His mind felt like it had frozen under the pressure. Where in this hellish mountain could they find a place safe enough to tend to the wounded?
Each step he took felt heavier, as if the ground beneath him was giving way, ready to swallow them all into a bottomless pit.
‘Someone…’
Desperately, Baek Sang looked around, hoping for guidance, but there was no one to offer it.
Baek Cheon, Yu Iseol, Yoon Jong, Jo Geol, and even Hye Yeon – all of them were unconscious, their bodies limp as if lifeless.
It had to be him. No one else could do it. It wasn’t about them helping him – it was about him saving them.
With each passing moment, Baek Cheon’s breath against his back grew fainter, as if it might stop altogether.
“Sahyeong, Sahyeong!”
Baek Sang called out urgently to Baek Cheon, trying to suppress the overwhelming dread that was creeping into his chest.
“Don’t worry, Sahyeong. I will get you to a safe place. So, please! Please don’t die until then! Sahyeong, do you understand? Please?”
But there was no response.
“Baek Sang Sahyeong! We need to get somewhere! Anywhere-”
“I know! I know that, damn it!”
Baek Sang bit his lip hard, feeling the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders.
A physician was needed, and the only option left was to make a desperate run down the mountain. It didn’t matter if the way was through a fiery inferno or a demon-infested hell. If that was what it took to save them, Baek Sang would face it without hesitation.
“Down the mountain…”
Baek Sang had just resolved himself and tightened his grip on Baek Cheon, ready to turn in that direction, when.
“It’s too dangerous down there!”
“What?”
The familiar voice made Baek Sang quickly turn his head.
Standing beside him, as if appearing out of nowhere, was Tang Gunak. The dried blood on his lips and the torn fabric of his clothes hinted at the fierce battle he must have endured.
“Lord Tang!”
“Stay put!”
His words were brief, but Baek Sang understood them perfectly. He nodded frantically, the presence of Tang Gunak was like finding a lighthouse in the middle of a vast, stormy sea.
“Lord! Sahyeong! Baek Cheon Sahyeong is…!”
Tang Gunak’s face grew stern as he examined Baek Cheon. His skin was burnt to a deep crimson, with patches that had turned black and hardened. Even the exposed flesh beneath the cracked skin wasn’t bleeding anymore. The once strong arms now looked beyond saving. Tang Gunak involuntarily closed his eyes, his expression one of deep concern.
Seeing this, the color drained from Baek Sang’s face.
“Lord… Sahyeong… will he be alright…?”
Tang Gunak cut him off sharply.
“This is no time for talking! Every second counts – move forward if you want to save them!”
“Yes, I understand!”
Tang Gunak bit his lips, the dried blood cracking as he did so.
“But where do we go?”
“To a place where we can save lives.”
“And where is that?”
Just as Tang Gunak was frantically trying to think, a faint voice reached his ears.
“Up… go up…”
“What?”
“Up… above… to the top.”
Both Tang Gunak and Baek Sang quickly looked upward. Ahead of them lay a steep mountain path, and at its summit stood a cluster of old, majestic pavilions overlooking the scene below.
The place that the disciples of Wudang had risked their lives to protect.
“…Wudang.”
“…Yes.”
“There’s no other choice.”
Tang Gunak turned his gaze to the one who had pointed this out.
Heo Gong, though still barely conscious and slung over the back of Hwasan’s disciple, was resolutely pointing upwards.
Where else on Mount Wudang could be safer than within the Wudang Sect itself? It was the ideal place in these mountains to treat the wounded.
“Let’s go! Hurry up!”
“Yes, Lord!”
Tang Gunak led the charge.
“Follow Lord Tang!”
“Aaaaaagh!”
Instead of words, a chorus of roars erupted from all around. The disciples of Hwasan sprinted up the steep slopes of Mount Wudang like wild beasts, pushing their legs to their limits, pouring every last ounce of strength into their stride.
Suddenly.
Boooooooooooooom!
A tremendous noise, unlike anything they had ever heard in their lives, exploded behind them. Even in their desperate situation, they couldn’t help but flinch and turn to see what had happened.
Crack! Crack!
The cliff, where the remnants of Sapaeryeon were still desperately trying to escape, began to crack and splinter.
Boom!
With a horrific sound like the sky itself collapsing, the entire cliff began to shatter and crumble, as if it had been pierced by a divine spear.
Gasps escaped from everyone’s lips.
“Ah…”
The malice of humans had, in mere moments, shattered the ancient and sacred landscape that had stood for thousands of years.
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