C1690. Even if the Mockery Fades Away. (5)
In a field of vision tinged red with blood, Baek Cheon saw everything clearly.
The blade of the sword that sought his life, the faces of the enemies filled with malice and a thirst for blood, the darkness of the night that seemed to swallow even the screams of the dying.
Beyond that despair, the figure of a tall young man dressed in the black uniform of the Mount Hua Sect could be seen.
"Ah..."
A groan of pain, or perhaps immense joy, escaped Mu Jin's lips.
Baek Cheon and the Mount Hua Sect had finally reached the summit of White Cliff.
How could one express this emotion?
The feelings were so intense that no words could adequately describe the torrent of emotions that flooded the disciples of the Wudang Sect, who had been holding out for so long.
But Baek Cheon, seeing those who were fighting, felt something completely different.
Enemies filled the narrow summit of the cliff, and the Wudang Swordmasters were surrounded.
"Are these all that's left?"
Baek Cheon pressed his lips together tightly.
The Wudang Sect was, along with Shaolin, one of the most prestigious sects in the world. But the number of swordmasters he saw did not match that reputation.
Where were the others?
Baek Cheon lowered his gaze slightly.
The blood staining the cliff floor said it all. Blood blackened and dirtied by the footprints of the Evil Tyrant Alliance members.
The tip of his sword trembled slightly.
At the feet of his enemies, he saw a hand sticking out. A hand with hard calluses and no color, pale, clearly showing the fate of its owner.
How many had been sacrificed under the swords of these bastards?
Though it was not too late to turn the situation around, many were still alive.
The Mount Hua Sect and the Heavenly Comrade Alliance had done everything possible.
But this... this was too much...
Just as Baek Cheon was trying to suppress the growing sense of hopelessness, a voice full of contempt rang in his ears.
"What do you think?"
Baek Cheon turned his head.
Thousand-Faced Gentleman, having avoided Tang Gunak's dagger, had distanced himself and was looking at him from the edge of the cliff.
"Isn't this very different from what you expected?"
Baek Cheon could not deny it.
He had hoped that more would have survived. He had hoped that their efforts would have saved more people.
But the reality they faced was simply devastating.
"Sometimes, stupidity can result in a good outcome. But most of the time, fools end up predictably."
Thousand-Faced Gentleman cast a disdainful look at the Wudang disciples who were leaning on each other.
"If they had set aside their honor and fled, most would have survived. If they had chosen practicality over glory, they could have rebuilt their halls at any time."
"..."
"This is the result of foolish pride and a ridiculous sense of justice. All their suffering has been in vain."
Thousand-Faced Gentleman's biting words made the eyes of the Wudang Disciples tremble.
Less than half remained, perhaps not even a third. They had fallen into the enemy's trap, and more of their comrades had died under the swords of the invaders.
Though the summit of White Cliff, Wudang's sacred mountain, was now filled with the bodies of their enemies, it would not reverse the losses they had suffered.
Perhaps they themselves, in their attempt to protect the essence of Wudang, had cut off their own survival.
That horrendous reality prevented the Wudang Disciples from welcoming Baek Cheon with the joy he deserved.
Baek Cheon could guess their feelings.
The tight-lipped mouths and trembling eyes said it all. Despair and sadness were on their faces, and Baek Cheon also gritted his teeth.
"Illusions are sweet, aren't they?"
"..."
"Living in a dream might be better than facing a bitter reality. But those who don't wake up in time end up facing an even worse reality. Like these here, and soon, like you too."
Srrrng.
At that moment, Baek Cheon suddenly sheathed his sword. Looking at the Wudang Disciples with empty hands, everyone was baffled.
"Uh?"
Even Thousand-Faced Gentleman seemed puzzled.
Baek Cheon made a formal bow towards the Wudang Disciples.
Without saying a word, it was a simple and direct gesture of respect.
But no one could look away. Even those who threatened Wudang at that moment, and Thousand-Faced Gentleman, who mocked Baek Cheon, were captivated by the moment.
Thousand-Faced Gentleman sneered.
"What a useless gesture..."
"Shut up."
Interrupting him, Thousand-Faced Gentleman's face twisted in anger. Though he belonged to the Evil Faction and Baek Cheon to the Righteous Faction, hearing that from someone so young infuriated him.
However, Baek Cheon did not look at Thousand-Faced Gentleman but continued to look at the Wudang Disciples seriously.
"They can't understand this. They don't want to understand it. But... listen carefully."
Baek Cheon stared intently at the Wudang Disciples.
"There is no will without value in this world."
For a moment, the shoulders of the Wudang Disciples trembled slightly.
"Whether it's faith, duty, or a sense of justice in the heart. Whatever the reason, we fight. Even if it involves sacrifices, even if we lose what we must protect. Even if..."
Baek Cheon, pressing his lips together, spoke again.
"Even if it fades away in mockery."
In the silence of the battlefield, Baek Cheon saw something.
The eyes of the Wudang Disciples, which were filled with despair and self-loathing, calmed down and filled again with firm determination.
Then, Baek Cheon's gaze turned to Thousand-Faced Gentleman. This time, his gaze was sharp and merciless, like a well-sharpened blade.
"Remember this, Evil Faction."
"..."
"We do not fight just to survive. We fight to protect and leave a legacy. The death of someone who fights only to survive may have no value, but the death of someone who fights to protect always has eternal value. Because they have protected what needed to be protected."
Thousand-Faced Gentleman smiled disdainfully.
"Protect?"
"Yes."
"Then... if what you must protect is trampled upon, will it then be a meaningless death?"
"No. You won't have that opportunity."
Srrrng.
Baek Cheon unsheathed his sword again, pointing it at Thousand-Faced Gentleman.
"Because we have arrived."
Just as he finished speaking, someone jumped off the cliff like lightning.
Tack.
A figure as light as a feather landed next to Baek Cheon after having leapt high over the cliff.
"We're late."
"Yes, Sahyung."
And then, two other shadows rose over the cliff, followed by two more who joined behind Baek Cheon.
"Damn it! Wudang still has survivors...!"
"Calm down, there are still survivors."
"This..."
As Jo Gul contained his rage by biting his lips until they bled, Yoon Jong also chewed his anger silently.
Hyun Jong, who had arrived after, let out a loud roar, and Tang Gunak, standing behind Baek Cheon, looked at Thousand-Faced Gentleman with serious and calm eyes.
Baek Cheon spoke with a firm and unwavering voice.
"We will not let that happen."
Thousand-Faced Gentleman silently looked at Baek Cheon before diverting his gaze to the Wudang Disciples. He felt that the sparkle in their eyes, which had been fading, began to revive.
'Damned. Those bastards were almost dead.'
The Wudang Disciples, who could barely open their eyes and were awaiting their death, were now ready to fight to the end.
'If we had had half an hour more... no.'
With just a bit more delay, they could have eliminated all the exhausted Wudang members. Then, they could have crushed those hanging on the cliff and those who had reached the top, leaving them defenseless.
However, lamenting for too long was a waste.
Thousand-Faced Gentleman clenched and unclenched his fist, causing blood to drip from the wound inflicted by Tang Gunak. The throbbing pain filled him with rage.
Allowing these to get here was a failure. Getting injured in the process of stopping them was an act of clumsiness.
But he still had not lost the advantage.
'Perhaps... it is better this way.'
Now that these had arrived here, they had no escape route. If he managed to exterminate all the Mount Hua Sect members here, it would be a greater achievement than destroying Wudang.
At that moment, he saw the Mount Hua disciples starting to reach the cliff summit one by one. He could not let them settle there.
"With that number of people, do you really think you can speak so highly? That's how the Righteous Sects are."
The confused eyes of the Evil Tyrant Alliance members regained their composure upon hearing the word "number."
Exactly. Though the situation had changed a bit, the fact that they were in a favorable position had not changed.
"Kill them all!"
Thousand-Faced Gentleman shouted, infusing his shout with internal energy.
"Tear them apart and let them know they have entered the wolf's mouth! Today this place will be their grave!"
"Ooooooooh!"
"Aaaaaaah!"
The excited members of the Evil Tyrant Alliance charged towards the Mount Hua Disciples who were at the edge of the cliff.
"They're coming, Sasuk!"
At Yoon Jong's shout, Baek Cheon stepped forward with his sword.
In front of them was a horde of enemies, and among them, the Wudang disciples were still surrounded.
Could they save them?
'There's no need to think about it.'
The desire to make it possible was not just a matter of fervor.
What was important was that they had come this far for them. And behind him were his fellow disciples.
"Mount Hua!"
"Yes!"
The Mount Hua Swordmasters who had reached the cliff summit responded with a resounding shout.
"Pierce through the enemies and save Wudang!"
"Taaah!"
Before Baek Cheon's words had faded, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul surged forward like beams of light. Just behind them, other Mount Hua disciples followed.
The surge of energy headed towards the rising tide of enemies.
Tang Gunak's robe billowed as he charged forward, and the demonic faces of the Evil Tyrant Alliance members drew closer and closer. The energy from both sides clashed, distorting the air to the point it seemed ready to explode.
In that violent space, Baek Cheon's gaze met Mu Jin's.
In a world where time seemed to flow slowly, Mu Jin's one eye formed a gentle curve that didn't match the desperate situation.
No matter the meaning of that smile.
Baek Cheon, holding that gesture in his heart, lunged forward with his sword held high.
'Yes.'
Why fight?
Why accept the sacrifice?
Why not retreat despite knowing the futility?
The answer was here.
It wasn't just about survival. Even if they were weak, even if they were not enough.
'It is to protect.'
As long as it could be upheld, a legacy could be left. Their will, their life. It could be passed on to those who would follow and to those who would come after.
"Baek Cheon of Mount Hua is here! Come, everyone!"
His powerful voice, his energy, and his expression shone with a single will.
As if it would never fade.
