Mount Hua Is Not the Place You Must Protect (3)
Any army that loses its commander is bound to see its morale collapse.
After the spear-wielding death squad fell, followed by Dokhyulsu and Yado, the Maninbang fighters lost the will to resist any longer.
"Aaaah!"
"Aaah!"
There was a world of difference between fighting with nothing but the enemy in front of you and fighting while constantly aware of where you might run.
Like Yado before them, those who lost their focus on the battle were cut down by the swords of the Mount Hua disciples like leaves torn loose in an autumn wind.
"Kill them all!"
"Don't let a single one get away alive!"
The Mount Hua disciples, growing ever fiercer, drove the enemy back. They encircled the Maninbang fighters with their backs to one another in a tight ring.
Each time a sword flashed in threatening arcs, the faces of the Maninbang fighters turned deathly pale.
"Enough!"
Then a thunderous shout burst out.
The Mount Hua disciples all turned toward the same place at once.
Hyun Jong, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, stood there in a stiff, upright posture, watching them.
"There is no need to shed any more blood. Cast down your weapons and surrender, all of you."
At that, Hyun Young's face twisted, and he barked out in outrage.
"Sect Leader! They attacked Mount Hua and injured our disciples! And you would show mercy to people like that...!"
"Then would you be satisfied only if we killed every last one of them?"
"That is... "
Hyun Young opened his mouth as if to protest, then shut it again.
Hyun Jong quietly shook his head.
"I, too, have no intention of speaking of mercy when facing our enemies. Perhaps my Dao is still insufficient, for I cannot bring myself to speak of placing mercy at the tip of the sword. However."
A deep, faraway light filled his eyes.
"It is not the act of one who follows the Dao to cut down those who have already lost their will. If we slaughter them all simply because we are enraged, then what difference is there between us and them?"
As he looked at the disciples, a trace of sorrow and tenderness flickered across his face.
Truthfully, Hyun Jong was even more eager than anyone to tear those people apart. But he did not want this to leave darkness behind in the hearts of his disciples.
Anything was difficult the first time.
If they became numb to killing for one reason or another, then one day they would swing their swords without hesitation even in situations where no killing was necessary.
That must not happen—not for Mount Hua, and not for those children.
But this time, even the disciples did not obediently follow his words.
Had not their wounded comrades fallen before their eyes?
Those who had watched that scene with their own eyes could not hide their hostility toward the Maninbang fighters, even after Hyun Jong spoke. No, they did not hide it.
Their swords exuded a fierce killing intent, as if they would resume the battle at any moment.
At that sight, Hyun Jong let out a soft sigh.
"I..."
His voice spread slowly through the air.
"I am afraid you will all be hurt even more."
It was a word spoken with complete sincerity.
Only then did one after another begin loosening their grip on their swords.
He did not invoke authority. He did not shout at them to obey. He merely spoke his true feelings in a quiet voice, and that could not help but reach the disciples of Mount Hua, who knew him better than anyone else.
"This time, listen to me."
Who could dare defy those words when the Sect Leader himself—bloodied and wounded while protecting them—spoke like that?
Complicated gazes turned toward Hyun Jong. Eyes filled with vague dissatisfaction and equally vague fervor. But before long, those complicated looks settled into a single emotion.
Trust.
Trust in Hyun Jong, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua. And trust in his decision.
"Drop your weapons."
Baek Cheon shouted at the Maninbang fighters in a firm voice.
"We will not cut down those who surrender. You have forgotten the Dao, but Mount Hua has not."
"Those who surrender will be spared."
Yoon Jong added his voice to Baek Cheon's.
Unlike the other two, however, Jo Gul still glared at the Maninbang fighters with fierce eyes, as though hoping they would resist.
Seeing the reactions of the three, even the last traces of will in the Maninbang fighters vanished.
Clang. Clatter.
Weapons began dropping to the ground one by one.
At last, the Maninbang fighters who had cast away their weapons sank to their knees.
After confirming their surrender, Hyun Jong shouted in a loud voice,
"Destroy their dantians! Then bind them all and lock them in the prison!"
After issuing the order, he looked toward Baek Cheon.
"Baek Cheon!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"Once they are locked away, choose the less exhausted disciples and assign them to guard the prison!"
"Yes!"
Baek Cheon bowed deeply, then signaled to the other disciples.
The Mount Hua disciples stepped toward the Maninbang fighters and placed swords at their throats.
Some tried to resist at the mention of destroying their dantians, but the situation had already tilted beyond recovery. Realizing that any further struggle would only cost them their lives, they finally gave up and closed their eyes.
As if to announce that everything was over, the dark clouds began to part and the rain slowly tapered off.
Only then did a long sigh escape Hyun Jong's lips.
"Everyone..."
Then it happened.
"What, you're done already?"
At the familiar voice, Baek Cheon's head whipped around reflexively.
And then his body, which had jerked in surprise, stiffened. A shout halfway between a cry and a scream burst from his mouth.
"Chung Myung!"
Seeing Chung Myung casually striding over after hopping clean over one side of Mount Hua's wall, his face twisted violently.
The others' reactions were no different.
"Ch, Chung Myung!"
"That bastard...! That punk!"
Yes, the rain had washed away much of the blood, but dyed garments did not simply recover their original color.
The crimson stains and the torn hems of his clothes spoke more clearly than a hundred words about the brutal battle he had fought.
"You crazy bastard!"
Before he knew it, Baek Cheon was running toward Chung Myung.
"You..."
He stopped just in front of him and clenched his fists.
The large wounds visible through the shredded clothing wrung his face into a hideous grimace, helpless and horrified.
"What the hell did you do!"
Baek Cheon's voice rang out like a bell. But Chung Myung only snorted, as if it were all ridiculous.
"What, can't you tell just by looking? I went and fought like hell."
That carefree attitude, as if nothing had happened, only made Baek Cheon angrier.
"You turned your whole body into a rag and your mouth still works, you damned bastard!"
"What, you want my mouth torn up too before you feel better?"
"You..."
Baek Cheon bit his lip hard.
The wounds alone were enough to tell the story. How vicious the battle had been, how fiercely it had been fought.
And yet why was this bastard still so calm at a time like this...?
"You..."
So many things came to mind, but he could not bring himself to say any of them. As Baek Cheon stammered without managing to continue, Chung Myung laughed.
"I thought you'd be getting beaten to a pulp in there... Turns out you handled it on your own. I'll praise you this time."
"How can you say something like that right now!"
By then, the disciples had begun gathering around the two of them.
"Chung Myung!"
"Damn it! His wounds!"
They, too, fell silent at the sight of Chung Myung's injuries.
Who among them did not know that Chung Myung had left through the mountain gate with the Black Claw Unit? But everyone had somehow believed, deep down, that if it was Chung Myung, he would never be injured by them.
Yet at this moment, they understood with painful clarity.
Chung Myung, too, was someone who could be wounded, just like they were.
The savage slash that had cut deep enough to show bone burned itself into the Mount Hua disciples' eyes.
"Soso! Where's Soso!"
Looking at Baek Cheon and the disciples around him, all of whom had gone pale, Chung Myung let out a sigh.
"Why are you all making such a fuss? Hey, move aside a bit!"
"You brat! You need treatment—"
"I'm not dying!"
With a bark, Chung Myung shoved away the disciples crowding in on him. Normally, several of them would have latched onto him and dragged him off by force, but now none of them dared lay a hand on his body, and all they could do was step back.
"What about Martial Uncle?"
"...We brought him to the Medicine Hall. Since it rained so much."
"Good."
At Baek Cheon's answer, Chung Myung nodded lightly.
Now his gaze shifted to the Maninbang fighters kneeling in the center.
The disciples of Mount Hua were tightly binding the people who had lost the will and strength to resist.
"What did you do to them? Just kill them all."
"The Sect Leader..."
"Hngh."
Chung Myung's face twisted slightly.
His lips moved as if he wanted to argue, but in the end he let out a deep sigh.
"Fine. No need to kill bastards who aren't resisting."
This wasn't the era he had lived in. No, in a situation like this, even Chung Mun would have said the same thing as Hyun Jong.
They were Daoists.
They must not forget their duty.
Besides, the heads responsible for this mess had already paid the price.
"Are you really all right? Your wounds..."
"What are you talking about? You think I'd even blink at this little?"
At someone's question, Chung Myung shrugged. His response was so lively and brisk that the faces of the Mount Hua disciples surrounding him loosened a little.
But Yu I-seol, watching from behind, only grew slightly darker in the face.
He's forcing himself.
The wounds on Chung Myung's body were by no means minor. And with that body, he had leaped up the steep cliff in a single breath.
He had done so while exuding a chilling killing aura that would have frightened even Yu I-seol.
Only after confirming Mount Hua's safety did Chung Myung finally relax.
She wanted to say something. But she knew that was not what Chung Myung wanted, so Yu I-seol merely pressed her lips together in silence.
"You little shit."
Before long, Hyun Jong had pushed through the disciples and come closer, speaking with a voice full of exasperation.
"You brat. Your wounds..."
"Why are you the one with so many injuries?"
He sounded testy, but the concern beneath it could not be hidden.
"And you're worried about my wounds right now?"
In the end, Hyun Jong lost his composure and shouted.
"Why on earth did you push yourself so hard! What were you going to do if something went wrong!"
"Ah, there wasn't anything wrong, though."
"You brat... You little brat."
Hyun Jong trembled, unable to go on.
"Sect Leader."
Then Hyun Young, who had come up beside him, took him by the arm.
"Please go to the Medicine Hall. Your injuries are no light matter either."
"I'm fine. More importantly, this child..."
"If the Sect Leader doesn't move, no one else will move either. Please go at once, for the sake of the children."
"..."
Even then, Hyun Jong could not tear his eyes away from Chung Myung's wounds. With a long sigh, he slowly nodded.
"Very well. I understand."
"Yoon Jong. See the Sect Leader safely there."
"Yes, Elder!"
Yoon Jong supported Hyun Jong and headed straight for the Medicine Hall.
Once the Sect Leader moved, the disciples who had gathered around them began to disperse and organize things little by little. After watching that for a moment, Hyun Young spoke.
"Chung Myung."
"Yes?"
"Is there anything you need to tell us?"
Chung Myung, who had also been looking around, said,
"Don't think locking them up in the prison means you can relax. Even if their martial arts are gone, they can still pull some bullshit, so keep a close eye on them."
"Understood."
"And we should sweep Mount Hua once, just in case there's any rabble we missed. There may be others coming back again."
"Understood. I will be sure to inspect everything. Anything else?"
"For now, Hong Dae-gwang ajusshi went to fetch the Beggars' Sect guys, so they'll be here soon. When they arrive, take them in. And check whether we need more medicinal supplies for the wounded."
"Will that be all?"
"Hmm..."
Chung Myung glanced around and nodded.
"For now, that's it."
Hyun Young nodded, then turned his gaze to Baek Cheon standing beside Chung Myung.
"Baek Cheon."
"Yes."
"Take this brat to the Medicine Hall immediately!"
"Yes!"
Baek Cheon and Jo Gul strode up on Chung Myung's left and right and firmly looped their arms through his.
Chung Myung flinched and looked from one side to the other.
"What the hell is this?"
He tried to resist, but the two men who had locked onto his arms clung to him like boulders and refused to budge.
Hyun Young lectured him in a stern voice.
"Didn't you say yourself that you were done? Since there's nothing left for you to do, go to the Medicine Hall at once!"
"But still..."
"Now!"
When Hyun Young bellowed, Chung Myung startled.
"No, why are you yelling like that...?"
No sooner had Chung Myung grumbled than sparks flashed in Hyun Young's eyes. Shaken by that terrifying aura, Chung Myung hunched his neck and quickly shouted,
"F-fine! I'll go! I'll go, all right?"
"Drag this brat to the Medicine Hall and throw him in there immediately!"
"Yes!"
Baek Cheon and Jo Gul dragged Chung Myung away toward the Medicine Hall as though he were a criminal. Watching his retreating back, Hyun Young let out a long sigh.
That damned brat.
What had possessed him to throw his body around like that?
Of course he knew. How could he not?
If that bastard had not pushed himself, there would absolutely have been casualties. Knowing that, he could not scold him—and knowing that, he was angry.
Just then, Baek Sang, who had mostly finished organizing things, approached and bowed.
"Elder. I will carry out your instructions."
"Good."
After looking at Baek Sang, who was taking charge, for a moment, Hyun Young cast his gaze far away.
The sun was rising in the distance.
What a long night this had been.
It was the moment a battle that would go down in the history of Mount Hua Sect, returned from destruction, finally came to an end.