Chapter 1396: To Where You Belong (Part 1)

Ho Gakmyung's expression darkened as he pounded the ground.

Despite usually keeping emotions hidden behind a stoic facade, he couldn't help but reveal his true feelings in the face of the gruesome scene before him.

All he saw were dead bodies.

Corpses miserably scattered across a ground stained with crimson blood, it was an indescribable spectacle of carnage.

'Could one person really have done this…?'

Before anger, a sense of awe overcame him. This was definitely not a sight created solely through strength.

Who other than the Plum Blossom Sword Demon could create such a scene in the world?

Witnessing this scene, it became clear why the act of killing a single person had become so challenging and elusive.

Even without Ho Gakmyung's confirmation, anyone in this situation would reach the same conclusion, given the shocking scenes he had orchestrated.

How many lives had that one person taken to create this gruesome sight?

How many times had he swung his sword?

'But the price he paid will not leave him unscathed.'

As long as he was human...no, even he wasn't human and was a monster, such deeds could not go without consequences.

"Hurry up."

"Yes!"

Ho Gakmyung increased his pace, realizing that his own fate hung in the balance. This time, the thread of that man's life must be severed.

❀ ❀ ❀

"He's pushed through! Don't let him escape!"

Clang!

He never regretted anything.

A sense of loss at his powerlessness? Compared to the losses he had suffered, the meager possessions he had accumulated in this body seemed trivial.

"Surround him! Don't give him a chance to escape!"

Slash!

But if he had that power, he could have blocked the blade that now pierced his shoulder. He could have avoided the sword that dug into his side. He could have mocked them effortlessly while facing so many opponents.

If only he had focused solely on regaining power since his return… No, even if he had just prioritized himself a little more, he could still have been a Sword Saint here. Proud and resilient, even in this moment.

So, was he genuinely regretful?

Well...

Paaaa!

The extended sword pierced through the enemy's throat without mercy. An indescribable expression crossed the face of the foe who couldn't believe the moment of death. Soon, blood gushed out.

"Grrgh..."

The weight of the blade felt heavy. The weight of a whole person. It should have felt as light as a feather under normal circumstances, but at this moment, that burden seemed overwhelming.

Was he exhausted? Or was the weight of life he felt no longer the same?

"This despicable…"

Chung Myung, appearing as if he would collapse any moment, didn't fall. The opponent, who had momentarily hesitated due to the unexpected resistance, allowed Chung Myung to catch his breath.

The world alternated between blurry and clear. How many enemies were left? He had long given up counting.

'Hot...'

His body felt like a furnace. No, it seemed as cold as boundless ice. Perhaps both.

His internal energy had long been exhausted, and the wounds he had sustained were steadily eating away at his body.

The price for killing so many, while not necessarily high, was unmistakably forcing Chung Myung into a single, inevitable outcome.

His head felt infinitely heavy. He swept the area with half-closed eyes. All he could see were figures clad in red attire.

Once upon a time, scenes like this were all too familiar. Breathing within this chaos felt natural. But now, why did such a sight feel unfamiliar, as if Chung Myung had grown weak? Or was it...

Swoosh.

The lifeless body of an enemy, breath extinguished, slid off the sword. The weight that had burdened him vanished, yet the sword still felt heavy. Almost too heavy to lift.

The world continuously lost its boundaries.

Now, it seemed as if there was nothing left in the world except enemies. Yet, the reason he couldn't look away, the reason he couldn't let go of the grip, what was it? 

Was there still regret?

People who have never truly been understood by others tend to mock everything. Even themselves. It's a habit. It's better to receive hostile gazes than strange, detached looks from others. Because that kind of understanding holds a different meaning.

Even this time, he tried to force a smirk, but his face remained unmoved. His smile no longer carried any leisure or dominance.

'Even my bluff has run out...'

Laughter escaped him. Not a mocking laughter to threaten the enemy, but a laughter mixed with self-pity.

"What are you doing? Kill him! He has reached his limit!"

"Hyaaaaaaaap!"

Someone thrust a spear abruptly. Instinctively, Chung Myung swung his sword to block the oncoming attack.

Thunk!

A sharp metallic sound and the sound of the blade piercing flesh almost resonated simultaneously. It was a sound that traveled not through the air but through the flesh, eerie and bone-chilling.

At the moment of collision, the one repelled was the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Blade, which had cut down countless opponents, a sword that had never once betrayed Chung Myung's will.

In truth, the spear technique itself wasn't particularly remarkable, but even his weakened sword couldn't block a common attack.

"Oh..."

Aargh!

Chung Myung gritted his teeth and swung the sword again. The Myriad Man Manor's head, shaken by his accomplishment, detached from the body.

Chung Myung's knee gave way.

The sword now felt infinitely powerless, and his reactions were gradually slowing. Everything accumulated within seemed to reverse, flowing out of his body.

"Cough..."

Every cough brought forth a mixture of blood. But the body, which had seemed on the verge of collapsing, somehow regained balance.

"Cough! Cough!"

The strangely heated glares of the onlooking enemies became evident. The end seemed imminent.

The infamous Plum Blossom Sword Demon was coming to an end before their eyes. Perhaps... perhaps, with their own hands, they could achieve the feat of beheading this beast.

Dangerous yet fatally tempting. There was certainly no one here who could resist it.

Those who had swallowed dry saliva cautiously extended their feet toward Chung Myung. The circle around him began to shrink, bit by bit.

Squelch.

Chung Myung grabbed the spear lodged above his heart with his left hand. He exerted force to pull it out, but the hooked tip was deeply embedded, making it difficult to extract.

Creak.

Finally, without hesitation, he broke the spearhead. Spitting out the blood accumulated in his mouth, he disposed of the broken tip.

His field of view narrowed. Only enemies filled the reduced space. The entire world was brimming with enemies. Enemies, enemies, enemies, and more enemies.

'...Just cut them down.'

Cut them down, bring them down. And open a path. Just like he had done countless times before. Then he could open a path.

'What comes after that?'

There would be more enemies, of course. Even if he felled them, new enemies would inevitably appear.

Cut, cut, cut them down again. Cut them down once more...

At the end of it all, what remained?

"Hoo..."

Whether it was a laugh, a groan, or a cry, an indiscernible sound escaped from his lips. Nothing would change. It had always been like this.

He never overestimated his strength. He never foolishly believed that he would return alive from any battle. Despite participating in fights where death was always a possibility, he had managed to survive. Even though he never particularly wished to survive desperately.

It wasn't surprising that his luck ran out here.

An ending that everyone faced. Chung Myung, too, faced the inevitable conclusion he should have faced. Extremely slow, extremely clear.

Supporting himself with the sword, Chung Myung struggled to lift his crumbling body.

"Die!"

Before the opponent could extend their blade, his sword moved one step faster. The sword energy emitted from the sword's tip unmistakably struck the opponent's chest.

"Urk..."

The wounded opponent staggered for a moment, but that was it. Clutching the injury, they didn't collapse, holding their ground.

Even the sword energy couldn't exert its full force now. It couldn't penetrate the fragile human body perfectly.

Any regrets?

No. There was nothing to regret.

In the past, he saved the world, but ironically, he lost everything that shouldn't have been lost.

But this time was different.

'I... I protected them.'

It should have been done sooner. Yes, it should have been done sooner.

He didn't want to experience the pain of being the only one left in a world devoid of everything. Foolish and immature as it might be, this was the only path he could choose from the beginning.

"Sahyung..."

You wouldn't know. You wouldn't know how far the mission you entrusted to me pushed me.

You wouldn't understand. The dead can't know anything.

You would never understand what it felt like to be the one left alone after everyone else died.

I'm telling you now... I'm not as impressive or strong as you think.

Paaaat!

Dozens of knives flew towards him.

Before his consciousness could react, Chung Myung's sword cut through the air. The instincts engraved in his flesh didn't forsake him until the very end.

Clang!

The knives shattered into pieces. Shards of broken knives pierced the enemies and embedded into various parts of Chung Myung's exhausted body.

"Cough!"

Nauseating blood continued to seep out. It felt bizarre, as if the blood inside his body had completely dried up, yet it kept flowing.

Struggling to raise his head, he saw the dawn breaking. The reddish sky of early dawn looked down at him. Like the unforgettable sky of that day.

As he remembered the last moments at the Mount Hua Sect.

On that day, if his Sahyungs, dying one by one, had hoped for Mount Hua to bloom again, and if what he had wished for most at that time was to save more people with his own death...

Hadn't Chung Myung fulfilled that role now?

What he sought to achieve had been accomplished. What his Sahyungs wished for had been fulfilled. Of course, they were unreliable, pathetic, and downright stupid... but they were good people.

Wasn't that enough?

They would endure. Even without him.

No matter how cold the cutting wind blew, they would withstand it and continue. They would continue the things that those who crumbled in the past tried so hard to protect, strengthening his resolve.

'Do you resent me?'

They would. Because they were those kind of people. They would get angry, curse, and cry again...

But soon, it would be forgotten.

Just like he forgot his Sahyung and embraced a new life with new companions. Just like he laughed and shouted with the new Mount Hua instead of the past one.

His absence would momentarily sadden everyone, but eventually, it would be forgotten. Just like wounds healing and grass growing again on the once arid land.

It was a bit... just a bit... resentful.

"What are you doing?! Kill him! Kill him now! He has reached his limit!"

Enemies charged.

His vision blurred, and his arms no longer moved. Sensations had dulled. The current him, now too feeble and small to defeat someone, felt too insignificant.

Squelch!

The blood flowing from the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword touched his fingertips.

It seemed to have hit somewhere on the enemy, but it was unclear. His legs wouldn't listen to him.

Nevertheless, he had to cut down one more.

The life he cut off would make those who survived a little safer. So, one more! Just one more... 

Squelch.

'Sect Leader Sahyung'

Would he smile? Should he praise Chung Myung for coming back and accomplishing the task?

Maybe he would scold him. He had always been like that. He might be angry that Chung Myung had pushed himself so hard.

It would be nice if...

'I did my best, Sect Leader Sahyung.'

So... so just give me a little... a little pity.

Finally, his knees gave away. The ground seemed to surge up. The world was spinning so much he couldn't tell where he was.

This was a different death from that time. Another, different death was approaching him.

It was okay. He left it behind.

Somewhere in Shaanxi, in the blossoming Mount Hua, in the hearts of those who would cry, on the still young sword tip, he had left enough.

So even if this was the end, there was no more regret. But...

"Cut off his breath!"

"He's done! Cut his throat!"

Yet, even so... even so...

Kaaaaang!

A flying blade collided with the suddenly rising sword. Chung Myung jumped into the midst of the enemies, and the cruel, pouring sword energy instantly split them in half.

"Ah..."

Chung Myung's mouth opened, and an animalistic scream burst out.

"Ah... Aaaah!"

He wanted to live.

The forcibly extracted sword energy cut through those who were innocent. Muscles burst, bones twisted, but he swung the sword again and again.

He wanted to live.

"Aaaaaaah!"

He wanted to live and laugh again. He wanted to return to Mount Hua.

The place he left. The place he had to return to.

The place where everyone was waiting for him.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Chung Myung's howl, as he leapt through the blades of the enemies, echoed loudly through the forest.

He wanted to live.