Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 1751



Only Noblemtl

Episode 1751. I, too, am a person who has failed to uphold my duty. (1)

Crunch!

A creepy sound was heard, and a bloody hand waved the air pitifully.

“Kreuk… … . Kkeueuuu… … .”

The hand that had been meaninglessly waving the air groped around for the sword stuck in his chest. The tough skin on his palm split open and sticky blood flowed out, but he didn’t feel any pain in his hand because his chest was pierced.

“eww…….”

Despair quickly crossed his eyes that had been filled with evil, and all remaining strength left his body.

Slurp.

The lifeless body collapsed on the spot. It was a sight that was never pleasant to see. However, Cheongmyeong, who had plunged his sword into the blood cultist’s chest, looked down at the sight with an expression that showed no sympathy at all.

It’s not just because the opponent is an enemy.

Just because they look like humans and talk like humans, they are not humans. To Cheongmyeong, they are beings who have abandoned the minimum qualifications that humans should have. If that is the case, there is no need to treat them like humans, and there is no need to feel pity for them.

Crunch!

The sword that had been stuck in his chest was roughly pulled out. Cheongmyeong wiped the blood that had splattered on his face and glanced at the direction he had come from.

The corpses of the Blood Cultists who were slashed by his sword were strewn all over the place in a mess. I frowned without realizing it.

A really bad memory came back to me.

In the past, this was quite common. In places where civilians could not go, one person or two people would kill countless enemies.

But in this life, this kind of thing is not that common. The reason is… … .

Suddenly, Cheongmyeong’s eyes darkened.

‘What were you aiming for?’

It’s not a random raid.

Qingming did kill a considerable number of Blood Cultists. Furthermore, those who came to support him from places where he was not present would have joined in and cleared out the Blood Cultists.

But even so, damage would have occurred in places beyond their reach. The damage may have been greater than Qingming’s predictions.

But even so, they will also suffer considerable damage from this uprising. To be frank, was it really necessary to expend all their power like this to take the lives of people who were not particularly important?

I felt a strange sense of discomfort.

‘It seems that the feeling of unease isn’t simply because this kind of sight is familiar.’

It is an attack with no deep intentions, just for the sake of killing. It is also similar to the inhumanity of not caring at all even if it means giving up one’s life in return.

Of course, it’s not exactly the same. It can’t be. But it’s definitely similar at some point. It’s the behavior of people he knows, people he doesn’t even want to remember.

Cheongmyeong glanced down the mountain. He clenched his teeth as he followed the traces of the blood cultists who had run away far away. The muscles in his jaw bulged out as he tightened his muscles.

‘That’s overthinking.’

They are not involved in the Central Plains. No, it would be more correct to say that they are not involved in the Central Plains yet. In any case, if they were truly targeting the Central Plains again, the world would not be this peaceful.

Yes, that’s right.

Even the situation where the Sapaeyeon was targeting Gangbuk and the world of the Sado clan might be established felt peaceful to Cheongmyeong. At least, they were not approaching a world where people did not exist.

Cheongmyeong’s gaze turned towards the distant sky.

‘It’s still early.’

Not everything is ready yet.

* * *

“again.”

The cult member who was reporting shuddered at the cold gaze of the cult leader.

“That, that is. The transfer of doctrine didn’t work on them.”

“… … transfer?”

“Yes. I, I have a wound… … .”

The eyes of the cult leader revealed through the bandages became even more squinty. He was examining the wounds the cult leader had exposed, as if telling them to look at him.

The skin, which had been split open in detail, revealed the dark flesh inside. If someone who didn’t know saw it, they would have taken it very seriously, but in fact, it was just a wound that would have been cleanly attached if the bloodworm had moved.

“Who are they?”

“One of them was a member of the Volcano faction.”

“Plum Blossom Sword Ghost?”

“No. It was someone else. If the opponent was the Plum Blossom Sword Demon, I wouldn’t have even thought about fighting him in the first place.”

The Blood Leader frowned.

It is not a pleasant answer to hear. But at the same time, it is a wise word. If the political bastards hear it, they might say something like they lack courage. But at least this side has the intelligence to understand what the phrase “rejecting the snail and the snail” means.

Anyway, there is only one thing that is important right now.

“So there are other people besides Plum Blossom Sword Ghost who can use preemptive strikes. No, maybe… … .”

The Blood Cult Leader paused for a moment, lost in thought.

When I encountered them before, I didn’t really feel that way. If only the Plum Blossom Sword Ghost hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have been impossible to kill all the guys there.

‘It’s only been a few days since then.’

So now there’s someone who can use the skill? Is it possible to learn the skill in such a short period of time?

“One becomes two, and two become many.”

“yes?”

“It’s a volcano… … .”

It’s definitely rough.

The Blood Cult Leader gazed at Mt. Mudang for a moment. The mountain that had been burning pitch black was now emitting a blue light here and there. Just like those tough guys.

“so?”

“… … I judged that the damage would increase if things continued this way, so I ordered a retreat.”

“Why?”

The blood cultist said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I will not waste my teachings. It is the command that the leader gave me… … .”

The blood cult leader nodded faintly.

“Good decision.”

“thank you.”

“I just wonder if that was really the result of following my orders.”

“yes?”

Woodduck.

The Blood Cult Leader’s hand suddenly dug into the Blood Cultist’s wound.

“Kk, kkaaaaaaah! Leader! Aaaah!”

The Blood Cultist screamed, rolling his eyes open in excruciating pain as the wound was ripped open and torn apart. However, the Blood Cult Master continued to dig his fingers into the wound without blinking even once.

Wood crack!

After a moment, the Blood Master pulled his hand out of the wound, clutching a bundle of thin, worm-like tentacles.

He stroked the white tentacles soaked in crimson blood.

“It’s not moving.”

It’s not dead, it’s just unresponsive.

‘It wouldn’t be wrong to say he’s dead, though.’

Bloodworms are creatures that even the religion has not fully understood. They are simply divine creatures that have been passed down through the religion since the past.

“Not good.”

As a result, they cannot increase the number of blood worms indefinitely. If they could create blood worms indefinitely, the world would have already been subjugated under the feet of the religion.

There is another reason why the situation is even worse.

‘… … Recently, there have been successive failures in the production of bloodworms.’

Nothing has changed in the process, but the results are clearly not the same as before. This means that the future of the church is becoming increasingly dark.

In such a situation, the number of enemies that the Blood Insect’s transfer did not work on increased. I felt like I was being threatened by the enemy’s sword at the edge of a cliff with nowhere to retreat.

“Ugh… … . Ugh… … .”

The Blood Lord stared blankly at the cult member still groaning in pain.

“We must not confuse the desire to live with loyalty to the religion.”

“I’m sorry… … .”

“Return with the wounded. Gather those whose blessings have been erased separately.”

“I will do it. But… … What about the leader?”

Despite the excruciating pain, there was not a single trace of discontent in the eyes of the cult leader. The face of the Blood Cult Leader, covered with bandages, twitched for a moment.

“You don’t know.”

The blood cult leader turned around coldly.

If it were him in the past, he would have retreated here. It is not his way to accept losses. In a dwindling blood sect, there is no greater pain than losing a person.

But now he can’t do as he pleases. If he fails to carry out the order given in the name of ‘recommendation’, it’s obvious what will happen to the church.

“At least we should make some cotton. To him… … To them.”

One of the two purposes for which I came here has ended up being unsatisfactory. So I need to finish the remaining one neatly.

His bloodshot eyes looked up at the towering mountain.

“Still… …I feel like I’m on that mountain.”

A faint scent of blood tickled my nose. It was a familiar scent, a scent I had already smelled once.

* * *

“First of all, the Blood Palace appears to have retreated. The damage to the main text is not that great. The places that suffered the most damage appear to be Zhuge Liang and Murong.”

“… … .”

“In a case like this, the damage to Gaeboong and Nokrim, who were supposed to be in charge of the search, would be the greatest. However, since the two sects are not currently being mobilized to search Mt. Mudang… .”

To be exact, it’s not that they didn’t mobilize, but that they couldn’t, but that doesn’t really matter.

“There seems to be quite a bit of dissatisfaction on the part of Zhuge Liang and Murong. Depending on the case… … .”

The person speaking slowly trailed off and looked at the person sitting in front of him.

If things continue this way, there could be a strong public distrust of the current leadership of the Cheonwoo Alliance. In that case, even the factions that have not been able to speak up within the Cheonwoo Alliance so far could gain a strong voice.

If only there was a focal point that could bring them together.

Even though I knew all these words that I couldn’t bring myself to say, there was no answer from the person sitting across from me. Only other words came back.

“Okay, then go back.”

“Okay, Jang Moon-in.”

The old man closed his mouth completely. The one who had been speaking eventually stood up reluctantly.

“I will step aside.”

But even then, as if he still had regrets, the old man… … stared at Heo Do-jin for a long time. Then, he glanced at the small door in the wall behind Heo Do-jin.

Since the elder showed no intention of leaving, Heo Do-jin opened his mouth.

“Should I hurry?”

“… … No, Jang Moon-in.”

“I am no longer a long-suffering man.”

“He knows that too.”

The shaman elder sighed deeply, his eyes overflowing with regret.

Heo Do-jin, who was once so energetic that he seemed to be able to wield everything in the world, has now become an old man who has endured many hardships. The tragedy of the Yangtze River and the shaman’s phone call have taken away his firearms.

Is it just greed to think that I want to somehow return him to the way he was in the past?

“Take care of it.”

The elder tried to swallow his bitter feelings and turned his back on his regretful steps.

Even after the elder left, Heo Do-jin did not move for a while.

Heo Do-jin, who had been sitting with his eyes closed for so long that several cups of tea had cooled, finally sat up.

Squeak.

It was not the large door in front of him, but a small side door behind him. This door led to a small backyard built along the cliff at the back of the small moat.

Even in the shamanist sect, it was a secret place where entry was prohibited except for a few special people.

Heo Do-jin, who had stepped outside, silently looked at the vast Mt. Mudeungsan beyond the cliff. Then he opened his mouth.

“It seems like you still aren’t used to hiding your presence.”

His gaze turned to the back of the mausoleum. There was a small, ordinary altar, one that wouldn’t have been particularly strange to find in a Taoist temple.

Soon the altar began to vibrate faintly and began to move to the side.

Yeah, yeah.

With the sound of rocks rubbing against rocks, a well-made staircase appeared beneath the altar that had been pushed aside. It was a staircase leading to the basement. A person slowly came up from there.

He was a young man with a pale complexion.

“You… … . Um, I guess I should ask again.”

“… … .”

“If I had to call you by another name, would you rather be Baekcheon or Jindongryong?”

The young man let out a short sigh.

“If you will do as I wish, then Baekcheon is fine. Even if it goes against the grain.”

Heo Do-jin nodded faintly.

“It won’t be difficult. I too am a person who has failed to uphold my duty.”

It was a voice with a hint of bitterness.