The morale of these troops followed with their captains–it plummeted to the ground.

Following Son Wol, even Poison Bloody Hand had lost, and now Yado had also fallen. And with Yado, went all the will to fight these men had.

“Ack!”

“ACK!”

Looking forward to fighting and fighting without a care were two different things.

Just like Yado, those who lost their focus on this battle fell to the swords of Mount Hua.

“Kill everyone!”

“Do not let any one of them get back alive!”

The disciples of Mount Hua were now riding high on morale as they drove back their enemies. And soon, they encircled these invaders.

Every time one of their swords drew an arc, another enemy would go pale.

“Stop!”

At that moment, a shout rose above the noise of the battle, and the faces of the Mount Hua disciples turned to one side.

Hyun Jong, their sect leader, was standing, a bit weak.

“There is no need to shed any more blood. Enemies must lay down their weapons and surrender.”

At those words, Hyun Young’s face contorted,

“Sect leader! They attacked Mount Hua and hurt our disciples! How can you show mercy…!”

“Then we have to kill them all?”

“That…”

Hyun Young tried to say something for a moment, but then he shut his mouth.

Hyun Jong shook his head,

“I, too, have no intention of discussing mercy when handling enemies. Maybe my sword is lacking, so I cannot really tell you to put mercy in your swords… but,” His eyes were filled with profound light, “Cutting down a person who has lost their will is not something a person following the Tao should do. If we cut down and kill everyone just because we are angry, are we any different from them?”

At first glance, a pitiful and sympathetic expression crossed his face as he looked at his disciples.

Actually, Hyun Jong would have added to their desire for blood, but he didn’t want to leave his disciples on the brink of madness.

Anything was difficult at first.

For one reason or another, if they took the act of murder lightly, they would one day swing their sword without hesitation and kill those who didn’t have to be killed.

This wasn’t something he wanted for Mount Hua or for his disciples.

But this time, his disciples also didn’t seem to want to back down.

Their wounded and fallen comrades?

Those who fought while watching this happen right in front of their eyes couldn’t hide their hostility towards these people, even at the direction of Hyun Jong. No, they didn’t even bother to try and hide it.

As if a fight would break out any moment, their swords remained strong.

Seeing this, Hyun Jong sighed,

“I…”

His voice spread slowly,

“I am afraid you will hurt more with this.”

They were words full of sincerity.

And one by one, his disciples unclenched their hands.

They didn’t push further. Follow his words, and do not shout. The voice of Hyun Jong, who spoke calmly, rang true. His words touched the hearts of the Mount Hua disciples much deeper than anyone else could.

“Follow me this time.”

A man riddled with wounds earned protecting them was saying this, so who could disobey?

Complicated eyes turned to Hyun Jong. Eyes full of subtle dissatisfaction too. But they all soon held back their emotions.

Trust.

Based on the confidence they had in their sect leader. And the trust in his decision.

“Drop your weapons!”

Baek Cheon shouted with a resolute voice toward his enemies.

“Those who surrender will not be hurt. You might have forgotten about the Tao, but Mount Hua doesn’t forget the Tao.”

“Those who surrender will be spared,” added Yoon Jong.

However, unlike the other two, Jo Gul was just glaring at them. It was as if he wanted to rebel against this decision.

Even the faint will which remained in the eyes of their enemies changed when their captains disappeared.

Srng! Chang!

Weapons fell to the ground one after another.

They threw their weapons away and knelt down.

Hyun Jong, who confirmed that everyone had surrendered, loudly shouted,

“Break their dantians! And put them in the cells right now!”

After giving this order, he turned to Baek Cheon,

“Baek Cheon!”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

“After locking them up, select those who are the least tired to guard the prison!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon bowed his head and then winked at the other disciples.

The disciples immediately approached the bandits and pointed their swords at their necks.

There were some who tried to resist the breaking of their dantian, but they soon realized just how bad the situation was for them. Realizing that further resistance was meaningless, they finally regained their composure and just closed their eyes.

As if to announce that everything was over, the dark clouds lifted, and the rain began to stop.

Only then did a sigh escape from Hyun Jong’s mouth,

“Everyone…”

It was then…

“What? Did you catch them already?”

Baek Cheon’s head turned at the familiar voice.

And his trembling body went stiff, a scream-like-shout escaped from his mouth,

“Chung Myung!”

His eyes widened at the sight of Chung Myung leisurely walking over.

The others weren’t reacting much different,

“C-Chung Myung!”

“That guy…! For real!”

Although he was wet and the rain had washed him, his blood-stained clothes couldn’t recover enough. The red stains and cut hems of his clothes spoke a lot about how bad the fight was.

“Fuck!”

Baek Cheon ran to Chung Myung without realizing,

“This…”

Running right in front of him, he clenched his fists tightly.

His face distorted, not knowing what to do about the large wounds that could be seen on his body.

“What the hell happened!”

Baek Cheon’s voice rang out. However, Chung Myung smiled at this,

“Still don’t know despite seeing me? We fought to the death.”

This leisurely reaction, as if it were nothing, made Baek Cheon even angrier,

“You have turned your body into rags, but that mouth is still fucking alive as always! You damned bastard!”

“Then, would you be happy if my mouth was torn off?”

“This…”

Baek Cheon bit his lip. He could tell just by looking at these wounds just how fierce the battle must have been, and just how fiercely Chung Myung fought.

But why was this guy acting so uncaring…

“You…”

A lot of words came to mind, but he couldn’t say anything. When Baek Cheon stuttered, Chung Myung smiled,

“I thought you were going to be beaten up by how much your excitement was running wild…but you handled it on your own. This time I will praise you.”

“Are you really saying this right now!”

Disciples began to flock around them.

“Chung Myung!”

“Damn it! Your wounds!”

They were also at a loss for words as they saw the scars on Chung Myung’s body.

Was there anyone who didn’t know that Chung Myung had gone to take on an entire troop on his own? However, everyone thought that since it was Chung Myung, he could never be hurt by them.

But at this moment, they realized.

The fact that Chung Myung was also a person who could get hurt, just like them.

The cuts on his body were so brutal that they could see bones, and just looking at them made the disciples feel pain.

“Soso! Where is Soso!”

Looking at Baek Cheon and the disciples around him, who were beginning to feel nervous, Chung Myung sighed.

“What a mess! Ge-get out of the way!”

“You! Get treated…”

“I am not going to die!” shouted Chung Myung as he pushed away the Mount Hua disciples.

Chung Myung shouted as he pushed away the disciples of Mount Hua, who had flocked around him. Normally several would rustle him, but now they were worried, so they didn’t even touch the wounded guy and moved away.

“What about Boarding House Head?”

“…in the medicine hall. Because it rained, we moved them.”

“Well done.”

Chung Myung lightly nodded at Baek Cheon’s answer.

Now, the eyes of Chung Myung turned to the ones kneeling. Those who lost the will and desire to fight were tightly bound by the disciples of Mount Hua.

“What is with this? Just kill all of them.”

“Sect Leader…”

“Ugh.”

Chung Myung’s face twisted.

He pursed his lips wanting to say something but then let out a deep sigh,

“Right, there is no need to kill those who don’t fight back.”

Because now was different from the times he lived in. No, in this situation, Hyun Jong would have said the same.

They were Taoists.

And one, as such, shouldn’t forget their duties.

In the first place, all the heads who should be responsible for this had paid their price.

“Are you fine? Your wounds look…”

“What? You think I will close my eyes from just this?”

Chung Myung shrugged at the question, and some of the disciples sighed in relief at this.

But Yu Yiseol, who was watching this from behind, had a dark expression.

‘Overdoing it.’

The injuries suffered by Chung Myung weren’t so light. And Chung Myung jumped up the rugged cliff with that injured body.

Yu Yiseol was exuding a mysterious qi, scaring him.

She only stopped shunning him after they had arrived back at Mount Hua and saw everything had been cleared. She wanted to speak but knew that speaking now would not be good.

“This guy.”

Hyun Jong, who pushed his disciples aside, sighed,

“Brat. Your wounds…”

“Why are you so hurt?”

Blunt words.

But there was a worry within his words, which couldn’t be hidden.

“Is it really time for you to worry about my wounds?”

Eventually, that made Hyun Jong lose control,

“Why the hell did you have to overdo it? Then! What if things had gone wrong? What were you planning to do then?”

“Ehh. Nothing would have happened, well.”

“You… You.”

Hyun Jong couldn’t say anything more.

“Sect Leader?”

At that time, Hyun Jong pulled Chung Myung to the side.

“Let’s head to the infirmary. Your injuries are not light,” said Chung Myung.

“I am fine. More than that, this…”

“If Sect Leader doesn’t move, no one will. Go ahead, at least for the sake of the children.”

“…”

Even in the midst of this, Hyun Jong couldn’t take his eyes off Chung Myung’s wounds.

“Right. I see.”

“Yoon Jong. Take the sect leader.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Yoon Jong helped Hyun Jong and headed straight for the infirmary.

As their sect leader moved, the disciples who gathered began to move little by little. After looking around, Hyun Young said,

“Chung Myung.”

“Yes.”

“Something you want to ask?”

And so Chung Myung said, looking around.

“I do not like that they are being put in prison. Even if they lose their dantians, they can still do something, and we will have to keep an eye on them.”

“Right.”

“And we should take a look around Mount Hua to see if someone missed any of the enemies. Others might come for us.”

“Right, I will look. Anything else?”

“Hong Dae-Kwang is down trying to get any information from the union branch and will arrive soon. We need to greet them when they come and also make sure we have medicine for the injured.”

“Is that all?”

“Umm…”

Chung Myung looked around and nodded,

“For now, that is all.”

Hyun Young nodded and turned his gaze to Baek Cheon, who was next to Chung Myung.

“Baek Cheon.”

“Yes.”

“Take him to the infirmary right now!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon and Jo Gul strode to the left and right of Chung Myung and clasped his arms, making him flinch.

“Why!?”

He tried to resist, but the two men who had bound him on both sides moved quickly.

And Hyun Young spoke with a stern voice.

“Didn’t you say why with your own mouth? There is nothing to do, then go and get treated right now!”

“But…!”

“Now!”

When Hyun Young screamed, Chung Myung frowned,

“No, why are you shouting…”

Hyun Young’s eyes sparked, and he groaned. Chung Myung continued to shout,

“Fine! I will go!”

“Take that guy and put him in bed!”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon and Jo Gul grabbed Chung Myung like he was a criminal being sentenced. Hyun Young, who was watching him, sighed.

‘Damned fool.’

Why did you have to push yourself that far?

Sure. How can I not know?

If he hadn’t pushed himself like that, there would have been another victim, and he couldn’t blame this child for doing what he did.

At that time, Baek Sang came and bowed his head,

“Elder, I will get them done.”

“Yes.”

Hyun Young briefly looked at Baek Sang and ordered, looking at the gate.

The sun was rising in the distance.

‘Such a long night.’

It was at this moment that the battle with the Thousand People Clan was ingrained in Mount Hua’s history. It would become known as the moment that the Mount Hua Sect bounced back from Ruin, headed to even greater heights.