Chapter 1662 - Wherever That Place May Be (2)
Mount Wudang. The sacred place of Taoism is known as Hyunak.
The flames enveloped that sacred mountain. But the real horror wasn't the burning mountain, but what was happening to those on it.
"Ahhhh!"
The Pine Pattern Ancient Sword, symbol of Wudang, pierced the throat of an Evil Faction practitioner instantly. A quick strike without a trace of mercy. However, the tip of the sword trembled visibly, contrary to its speed.
The eyes of the sword's owner were the same. Jin Rip, a Second-Class Disciple of Wudang, was more confused than ever.
Of course, those charging at him now were not worthy opponents. The sword he had perfected for decades as a Second-Class Disciple of Wudang had become even stronger during the long period of seclusion. He was confident he could face not only two or three but even ten of those Evil Faction scoundrels.
So, the real problem wasn't the people.
"Sajae! The fire, it's approaching!"
"I know, Sahyung!"
The problem was that the fire was quickly consuming the entire mountain, and even in the short time he was held back by these minions.
No matter how skilled a martial artist is, surviving in a raging inferno is not an easy task.
He had to get out before the fire spread further.
"Sajae, we must retreat now!"
"I know!"
But it was easier said than done, and the enemies did not let him go easily.
Clang!
Jin Rip, who was trying to retreat, shuddered and quickly raised his sword. Another blade suddenly flew towards his head as if to split his skull open.
"Damn it!"
Jin Rip's insides burned black with frustration.
Meanwhile, the flames grew larger, and more Evil Faction scoundrels crowded in.
'These damned bastards...!'
The sight of these Evil Faction minions, who rolled on the ground with flames on their clothes and yet pounced on the Wudang swordsmen with a wild look in their eyes without even thinking of putting out the fire, was truly eerie.
The smell of burning flesh and mixed wood was overwhelming.
His back was soaked in sweat. The world mocked these Evil Faction scoundrels as if they were nothing more than a disorderly mob. But could such a reckless and self-destructive force really be called a mere disorderly mob?
"...Sajae!"
"I know..."
"Ahhhhh!"
At that moment, a scream made Jin Rip turn his head sharply.
He saw a figure with a sword stuck in its side, screaming in agony. Jin Rip let out a thunderous scream.
"Saaahhyyunngg!"
In hindsight, everyone's situation was no different from Jin Rip's. Even his Sahyung was distracted, trying to take care of him, which made him unable to dodge the sword that struck him.
"Get out of the way! Aargh!"
Jin Rip, summoning all his inner energy, swung his sword horizontally, splitting the enemy in front of him in two and leaping forward. He barely managed to deflect the sword flying towards his senior brother's neck.
Clang!
Feeling the heavy force in his grip, Jin Rip realized in an instant. If he had arrived a moment late, his senior brother's head would have flown off.
Jin Rip collided with his staggering senior brother, pushing him aside, and then rolled on the ground, wildly swinging his sword at the enemies.
He had long lost his composure. The growing smell of burning made it hard to breathe, and the fear of losing his head loomed over him. His heartbeat filled his ears.
When he rolled and stood up again, he saw the flames a meter high and the smoke curtain rising ever higher into the sky.
And Jin Rip remembered.
Black Dragon King...
The towering cliff that seemed to reach the sky, the despair named cliff. He remembered feeling completely helpless in front of that cliff.
They overlapped. The burning flames and the cold Yangtze River of then.
They were things that could never be the same, yet to him, they didn't feel different now.
"Sajae... Rip."
At that moment, his senior brother's voice reached him. Jin Rip shouted in a hoarse voice.
"Sahyung! Hang on! I'll get you to safety!"
"I can still... I can still fight..."
"Stay still!"
Jin Rip shouted and gritted his teeth.
Perhaps it really wasn't different from the past. The escape route was narrowing, and fighting the enemy was different from what he thought. The enemies were forcing them into an unknown battle.
Yes, only in terms of the situation, it wasn't different.
But this time, it had to be different. Because Jin Rip had changed since then.
'I am not who I was in the past.'
The Jin Rip, who only trembled in fear at the Yangtze River, is no longer here. If he still was the same as before, what would have been the use of the time spent in closed-door training?
"Don't be ridiculous! Evil Faction bastards!"
Jin Rip shouted as he swung his sword.
At the same time, fierce battles similar to Jin Rip's were happening in various places in Wudang. Although the flames had not yet reached the heart of Wudang, the war had already begun.
Crack!
The veins on Heo Gong's hand bulged as he gripped his sword.
"This... despicable..."
He knew. He knew that talking about cowardice in a life-and-death struggle made no sense. Even if it were, fire attacks would never fall into that category.
However, the reason Heo Gong ended up saying this was because this fire attack was so fatal to Wudang.
He gripped his sword so tightly it seemed it would break. Even at this moment, the elders clamored loudly.
"Fire attack! Ha, why didn't we think of that?"
"What do you think? It's impossible to imagine such a thing could happen! Do you know how extensive Wudang is? It's absurd to think they could burn the entire mountain!"
"But it's happening!"
"It's because it's the Evil Tyrant Alliance... Only possible because it's the Evil Tyrant Alliance. No one else could have done it."
That wasn't wrong. Indeed, only the Evil Tyrant Alliance could have dared to attempt something like this.
After all, setting the entire mountain on fire would require an enormous amount of manpower and even mobility. Additionally, they would need the ability to command them as if they were one body.
And above all...
"Wudang is not just us! Even if there are no villages, aren't there many people living in huts on Mount Wudang? Without a beastly determination to burn them all to death, they couldn't have done it!"
"..."
"Yuanshi Tianzun! Yuanshi Tianzun! This is not something a human would do. No human could."
"What's the use of saying such useless things now? This is not the time to condemn their evil deeds, but to devise a countermeasure!" shouted Heo Dam as if to reprimand.
But even Heo Dam couldn't continue speaking.
To be fair, how could anyone quickly come up with a plan against the rapidly approaching sea of fire, devouring everything in sight, and the enormous walls of smoke rising above it?
The growing disaster was not something mere humans could handle.
"We have to retreat!"
"What?"
"The back of the mountain is not yet on fire. We have to guide everyone and escape right now. Otherwise, we will all die!"
"What nonsense is that? Didn't we decide to face them here?"
"This is different! We said we would fight the enemy, not die burned in a forest fire!"
"It's just a fire! Even if we can't prevent the mountain from burning, we won't die burned!"
"How can you be so complacent? Do you think they will just watch us? The problem is not the fire itself, but the fact that they attack us along with the fire."
Heo Pyeong shouted without backing down.
"Once the forest covering the mountain burns, there will be nowhere to hide! How do you expect to face those swarms like ants in such a situation? This is a death trap!"
"So what? Are you saying we should flee?"
"Of course! We should escape for now."
"Like we did at the Yangtze River?"
Heo Pyeong shuddered.
"Well..."
"So you're saying we should make the same excuses and retreat like we did then? Back then, we couldn't predict the falling rocks and oil, so we had no choice, and now we're saying we couldn't foresee them setting a fire, so we have no choice?"
The flames seemed to ignite in Heo Dam's eyes.
"And then you expect the people of Kangho to understand? Do you expect to keep claiming that Wudang doesn't flee from the enemy?"
Heo Pyeong couldn't say a word and shut his mouth.
Maybe they could argue. It wasn't an entirely wrong statement. But undoubtedly, no one in the world would try to understand Wudang's position.
No, rather they would mock them and despise them, claiming that the people of Wudang would do anything to survive and that they are cowards, always fleeing at the sight of the enemy.
It was a disgraceful retreat. If it ended like this, even the time spent enduring humiliation and hardships and perfecting their skills would be meaningless.
No, they would think it would have been better not to have secluded themselves. They would hear people say that even after all that seclusion, nothing had changed.
"But..."
Heo Pyeong's shoulders began to tremble.
"But we can't die like this, can we?"
"..."
"We can't accept an obvious outcome with our eyes closed, right? Sahyung!"
At this point, Heo Dam couldn't respond confidently.
Would they choose to die to preserve their honor or survive to end the disgrace?
Choosing between these two options might not be so difficult for them, as they are disciples of Wudang.
But this is not such a choice.
Should they quietly forget the humiliation and die?
Or should they cling to their honor, even if it means dying later?
No matter how resolute their determination was, choosing between these two wasn't easy.
Naturally, all eyes turned to one place.
The person who should make the decision, Heo Sanja, is not here now. No, even if there was a temporary substitute for the Sect Leader, the direction of the gaze wouldn't change.
Faced with everyone's gaze, Heo Gong bit his lips tightly.
"Even if it means dying like a dog."
"Sahyung... Sahyung..."
Heo Gong. The youngest of the Heo. Therefore, he should become the center of Wudang in the coming decades.
He spoke firmly while releasing his lips.
"We are here to prevent repeating the same mistake. Not to die honorably, but to avoid living in disgrace, even if it means dying like dogs. Isn't that right?"
Heo Gong looked at the elders.
Some faces showed disappointment, while others showed determination.
"But this way..."
"Withdraw your defense. If we have come to this, the ambush is meaningless."
"Retreat? To where?"
Heo Gong's gaze shifted to the side. Even in the middle of the undulating landscape of Mount Wudang, it was the most treacherous place.
"We will take refuge in Baeganam."
"Ah..."
Baeganam was called so by the Wudang because its long and high cliffs resembled a white face.
"Sahyung, what do you mean?"
"Yes."
Heo Gong nodded.
"Since we have come to this, it would be good to change perspective."
It's completely opposite to what happened before at Janggang. This time, it's time for them to climb the cliffs. The cliffs bear the name of Wudang.
"Let's go!"
"Understood!"
Heo Gong immediately stomped on the ground. Some elders also gathered courage and leaped. But...
"...Baeganam."
"Let's go."
In the eyes of some of those who followed, there was clearly a fear that shouldn't be there.
'Isn't this just... just dying like dogs?'
Still hesitant, a person directed their gaze to the left. There was a large rock. And in its center, there was a long crack as if it had been cleaved by a sword.
