CLS-Chapter 587

Chapter 587:

Even Gwon-geuk hadn’t anticipated Song-hyeon’s sudden charge.

That’s why he couldn’t stop it.

Under normal circumstances, Gwon-geuk might have been able to stop it. But Gwon-geuk too was unable to maintain his composure right now. By the time he came to his senses, Song-hyeon had already passed him and was flying toward Baek Hoe-myeong.

‘Ah!’

Gwon-geuk’s hand reached toward Song-hyeon’s back. It wasn’t a gesture of intent to stop him. It was a hand extended unconsciously in regret.

“Baek Hoe-myeooooooong!”

A cry of anguish.

It was more a desperate cry filled with malice than anger.

The fact that this cry was coming from none other than the Sect Leader of Wudang starkly illustrated the current situation.

Guards moved in front of Baek Hoe-myeong.

But Song-hyeon’s eyes never left Baek Hoe-myeong.

The sword emanated a blue sword aura.

The Demon-Slaying Sword.

This wasn’t Wudang’s sword, which was based on gentleness. It was a killing sword filled with murderous intent, determined to kill the opponent at all costs.

And it didn’t stop at being just a killing sword.

Even if filled with the will to kill an opponent, a sword changes depending on who that opponent is. Right now, his sword wasn’t a sword of vengeance.

It was the Demon-Slaying Sword, willing to sacrifice his life to eliminate the demon that was disrupting the world.

It swung down.

With a sound like tearing silk, Song-hyeon’s sword sliced through everything in front of him.

Chwaaaaack!

One Strike, Two Parts.

The waists of the guards blocking his path were instantly severed, their bodies split in two.

Piercing through the fountain of blood that poured forth, Song-hyeon’s sword became a single flash of light.

“Baek Hoe-myeooooooong!”

Rage.

Helplessness and despair.

Those turbid, mixed emotions instantly transformed into killing intent. The self-blame for failing to prevent the deaths of his martial brothers was turning Song-hyeon into a beast.

Anyone facing that momentum head-on would inevitably feel a chill. Those with weak hearts would have collapsed on the spot with trembling legs.

But Baek Hoe-myeong’s reaction was completely different.

“Hmm.”

Watching Song-hyeon flying toward him, Baek Hoe-myeong smiled faintly.

“How foolish.”

Chaeng.

A sword was drawn from his waist. The sword, brilliantly reflecting the sunlight, traced a gentle arc.

Gently, and roundly. And gently again.

Like a willow branch meeting a raging storm, the seemingly powerless sword slowly traced an arc as it received Song-hyeon’s sword.

Geuk geuk geuk geuk.

Though sword met sword, there was no explosive sound or sharp metallic ring. There was only the sound of swords sliding against each other, and then Baek Hoe-myeong’s sword flowed along Song-hyeon’s blade.

Not receiving the force head-on but gently deflecting it. Unable to control the momentum of his thrust, Song-hyeon’s sword, unable to bear the reverse force carried on it, was flung away.

His chest lay exposed.

Song-hyeon sensed his fate.

“Have you forgotten that the soft overcomes the hard?”

The following strike.

Seo-geok.

Baek Hoe-myeong’s sword, swung as if in play, split Song-hyeon’s heart.

“Softness can overcome hardness. Wasn’t that Wudang’s teaching? If you’ve forgotten your sect’s teachings, I’ll teach you once more, so don’t forget it in the afterlife.”

Ju-reuk.

Blood began to flow back up through his mouth. A person whose heart is split cannot live. Even with his high internal energy, he could only extend his life briefly.

What should one do if they cannot defeat the enemy with their remaining strength?

Song-hyeon, who had been glaring at Baek Hoe-myeong with bulging eyes for a long while, slowly turned his head.

In his eyes, he saw Gwon-geuk looking at him with a distorted face, disciples in a daze, and troops filled with confusion.

‘How did it come to this?’

How did it happen?

What made him even more miserable were Baek Hoe-myeong’s words.

The soft overcomes the hard.

Yes, that was Wudang’s teaching.

The Wudang teaching he had learned and contemplated his entire life. He had devoted his whole life to having an unwavering sword at any time or place. But at the end of his life, at the most important moment, his sword failed to follow Wudang’s teachings.

Rather, Baek Hoe-myeong had shown the sword he should have displayed. To a level that even he, maintaining his composure, couldn’t dare follow.

How could he be more miserable than this?

“Alliance… Leader.”

Tears welled up in Song-hyeon’s eyes.

“I’m sorry…”

Thud.

His body collapsed.

The Sect Leader of Wudang.

Though it was the death of one who had dominated an era, the situation wasn’t good for mourning his death. One cannot mourn someone’s death amidst those who have lost their reason and are running wild.

A place where the value of death becomes infinitely light.

This was the battlefield.

Step.

Gwon-geuk took a step forward. Baek Hoe-myeong’s gaze turned toward Gwon-geuk.

“How is it, Alliance Leader?”

“…”

“Can you now understand even a little of our resentment?”

Gwon-geuk’s gaze turned toward Baek Hoe-myeong. The moment he received that gaze, Baek Hoe-myeong couldn’t help but flinch unconsciously.

An unwavering gaze.

Even though cornered in the worst dead-end with no way out, Gwon-geuk was already regaining his composure.

“I already know the resentment.”

“…”

“And I also know this is something we must endure. It’s just… just sad. How did we come this far?”

A sigh.

But that sigh wasn’t a plea for mercy from the weak to the strong. It was more like regret.

“If you offer your neck obediently, I’ll grant you a death befitting you.”

Baek Hoe-myeong pointed his sword forward. The sword gleamed in the light.

Gwon-geuk knew.

Here, he was the villain.

Their revenge couldn’t be called completely justified. There was plenty of room for criticism regarding their methods and extremism. But if good and evil, which couldn’t be truly divided, had to be forcibly separated, it would be Gangho and Gwon-geuk who would stand on the side of evil.

But so what?

“I acknowledge it.”

Gwon-geuk said clearly.

“I’ve understood the Baek Family’s resentment. But I didn’t know how deep that resentment was. I also acknowledge that I underestimated you. I should apologize.”

Baek Hoe-myeong’s face twisted slightly.

That composure was irritating.

He must know all too well that a scene of hell was unfolding behind him. Even without looking, he would feel it with his senses and hear it with his ears.

But Gwon-geuk wasn’t shaken.

“But you don’t know well either.”

“…We don’t know?”

“I mean you’re also underestimating Gangho.”

Gwon-geuk spoke with an unwavering face.

“We’ve experienced countless crises and faced countless invasions. Gangho isn’t a great tree. You might think you can just knock it down and be done with it. But Gangho has fallen countless times and been trampled countless times. Yet it never disappears or crumbles. Yes, it’s like weeds.”

Gwon-geuk clenched his fist.

“Offering my neck to you isn’t difficult. But telling me to offer my neck obediently is an insult. No, it might actually be praise. Giving up isn’t something that comes easily. Sometimes that’s even harder.”

Without waiting for an answer, Gwon-geuk turned his body.

As if showing his back to Baek Hoe-myeong didn’t matter at all.

“Look here, Young Castle Lord.”

“…”

“The position of Young Castle Lord of Baek Sword Castle is also part of Gangho. Though I’m in the position of Alliance Leader, I feel I haven’t taught you anything, so let me show you one thing here today. Watch well. This is how an old man who has lived receiving Gangho’s grace dies.”

He couldn’t charge.

Gwon-geuk’s back.

That back was pressing down on Baek Hoe-myeong.

‘What is this…?’

It wasn’t the strength of martial power.

Gwon-geuk was strong. Of course he was strong.

But Baek Sword Castle had plenty of experts who surpassed Gwon-geuk. Though Gangho didn’t know it, Baek Hoe-myeong knew. The ability Gwon-geuk had just shown was certainly remarkable, but to this degree, it couldn’t even compare to Cheon-ryu. Even Baek Hoe-myeong could be confident of victory against Gwon-geuk.

Yet he couldn’t move.

‘What on earth is this?’

A moment ago, Gwon-geuk and the others had felt an emotion that Baek Hoe-myeong was now feeling exactly.

The confusion that comes from witnessing something beyond one’s understanding unfolding before one’s eyes.

The difference was that the Righteous Martial Alliance hadn’t understood the situation, while Baek Hoe-myeong didn’t understand Gwon-geuk as a person.

The pressure of that back was crushing Baek Hoe-myeong.

He couldn’t understand it.

Gwon-geuk was a great person, so he was emitting this pressure—if he understood it that way, it would be over. But he couldn’t.

He had grown up watching his Family Head his entire life.

Gwon-geuk couldn’t even be compared to the Family Head. Then why was he feeling this way?

“Sima-cheon…”

At that moment, Gwon-geuk moved.

“If something is wrong, it must be corrected. Even if there’s a price to pay.”

Wooooooooong!

His fist power began to pour out toward the Righteous Martial Alliance, not Baek Sword Castle.

Tremendous force.

Tremendous pressure.

But it wasn’t rough at all—it was a pushing force.

Everything was swept away.

The ground shot up to the sky, and wind raged like a storm. Everyone cowered under the pouring pressure. Those who had gone mad and were struggling desperately, and those who had been emitting killing intent to stop them—everyone alike cowered.

“Don’t resist.”

Gwon-geuk’s voice rang out thunderously.

“Accept it! Be pushed back! Go! Go and open a new path!”

Those who were conscious understood Gwon-geuk’s words.

“Indeed.”

Gong-mu, the Abbot of Shaolin, was the first to realize what Gwon-geuk’s action meant.

“The Alliance Leader is trying to bear the burden. Then this monk should help too.”

“Abbott!”

“Amitabha, there’s no need to stop me. In the end, isn’t it suffering? Finding one’s place to die is also a blessing.”

Gong-mu’s fist power also flowed out gently.

“A, Abbott!”

“Go. This isn’t a place for you to die. It’s the grave of foolish ones who knew their original sin but couldn’t muster the courage to atone. Not even a bone fragment should be left in this world.”

Wooooooooong.

His Arhat Fist poured out with warmth.

They were pushed back.

Those suffering from madness all resisted the rushing force. When force pours in, they resist and fight back. For those without consciousness, that was all too natural.

But those who were conscious figured out what they needed to do.

There were no tears.

There were no shouting voices.

The guilt of having to abandon and leave to survive sealed their mouths.

Finally, they rose.

Those who had lightened their bodies rode the incoming force. Their bodies, which had floated up in an instant, were blown backward in a flash.

The force grew stronger and stronger.

One more jumped up. One more, and another!

Seeing the response of those who had realized, others began to copy their movements.

Eventually, dozens, hundreds of bodies were blown away from the battlefield like kites blown by the wind.

“What is this!”

Baek Hoe-myeong suddenly snapped to attention.

“S-stop them!”

Extraordinary.

It was a method he had never imagined even once. To load those who couldn’t escape on their own onto force and blow them away. Complete escape would be impossible, but in terms of saving their lives, it could be called the best strategy.

Baek Hoe-myeong, who had come to his senses, turned his eyes toward Gwon-geuk’s back.

What had he been looking at! That was the enemy’s back!

Baek Hoe-myeong, gripping his sword, charged toward Gwon-geuk.

Kwa-deu-deuk!

The sword that pierced through his back came out through his stomach.

A drop of blood pooled on the sword tip fell to the ground.