Chapter 973: Consider It An Honor, Kid (Part 3)

No strategist could reverse the flow of a battlefield once it had been broken. If that were possible, scholars from ancient times would have researched a way to escape without sacrifices in the realm of warfare. It was a common principle in the art of war. But this place was Gangho. It was a location where different elements came into play compared to the general principles of warfare.

Kwoong!

The Black Dragon King took a step. It was just a simple step, but to those watching him, it felt as if the Black Dragon King were crushing the earth beneath him. Overwhelming determination and oppression. It was like a demonstration of what it meant to be an absolute master, leaving no doubt that the term "absolute expert" was an appropriate description.

The chaotic battlefield that had been swirling like a stormy sea suddenly came to a halt.

The pirates, the Tang Family, and even the Mount Hua Sect itself—all were left with no choice but to gaze in awe at the Black Dragon King walking on the blood-soaked ground.

His appearance was reminiscent of a deity descended from the heavens, but the voice that came from his lips was by no means divine.

"...Lowly scoundrels."

As his voice surged forth from his lips, the enemies instinctively cringed in unison. The presence of an absolute master could distort the course of a battlefield simply by existing.

Originally, the Su Lo Chae was nothing more than a gathering of pirates, as they were until the Black Dragon King joined them. With him in their ranks, they had become a part of the Five Great Evils and formed one of the pillars of the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

"Hmph."

The Black Dragon King glanced at his subordinates as if they were mere flies. Then, he turned his gaze to the Mount Hua Sect.

"How dare these little brats...?"

Kwoong!

His foot stomped the ground as if he were crushing it.

"Do they have no fear of leaping around in front of me?"

The way he spoke was no different from a third-rate scoundrel. However, it was the person speaking, not his tone, that gave the speech its edge.

His voice, charged with inner power, resounded and reverberated, rupturing everyone's eardrums. When the Black Dragon King's voice resounded, the Mount Hua Sect's disciples gripped their swords tightly.

They couldn't even make out his words.

What they were feeling now was the terrifying aura emanating from the Black Dragon King.

"Black Dragon King."

Yoon Jong gnashed his teeth. He had seen the Black Dragon King from up close in the past. However, at that time, he had been fully focused on Jang Ilso and Myriad Man Manor, so he hadn't truly felt the presence of the Black Dragon King.

The Black Dragon King he saw up close now, how should he describe it?

'It's rough.'

He felt an indescribable sense of unease. Those who wielded swords inherently possessed such an understanding.

Respect for the strong.

Day by day, those climbing the steep cliff of Mount Hua, where there was no one as strong as oneself, naturally developed a sense of respect for those stronger than them. It was because they could imagine the effort and sweat they must have poured into reaching that level. Therefore, they secretly hoped for it.

An absolute expert.

People who dared to put the word "absolute" before their titles should have at least a modicum of dignity. But...

'No.'

The Black Dragon King was different.

Yoon Jong felt it once again. The extent of the fear that could arise from someone who disregarded morality and principles. It was the sheer fear of a person who could flaunt their strength, intimidate others, and lacked the minimum dignity befitting a title.

However... Yoon Jong was reminded yet again of how frightening it was for someone to disregard ethics and principles.

Such a character was to be feared, especially one who didn't hesitate to exert their strength and intimidate others. His excessive brutality even made Yoon Jong feel disgusted.

Simultaneously, he couldn't help but realize just how a single person's mere presence allowed them to perfectly control so many pirates.

"You've been playing around quite a bit."

The mocking Black Dragon King shouted as if spewing fire.

"Dare to crawl onto this island with your own feet, and I promise you'll regret it from the depths of hell! Tear every one of them to shreds, and let them become fish food!"

That determination. At that moment, Baek Cheon rose from the ground while supporting himself with his sword.

"Ptuh!"

Spitting out the blood that had filled his mouth, he glared at the Black Dragon King with a fierce look in his eyes.

"At the very least, a leader of a sect should..."

A voice that sounded as if the sky had just cleared emerged with a bluish hue.

"...know how to protect those who follow him, you bastard!"

Despite being the young master of the Namgung Family, Namgung Dowi had bet everything he had to save his sect members, even throwing his own life into the river without hesitation.

However, the leader of Su Lo Chae, the person in charge, was throwing knives at his subordinates? This was something Baek Cheon could never forgive, no matter what. His anger burned like fire.

He had fought against the Evil Sect and helped the Namgung Family when the situation was dire. To put it plainly, his grudge was against Jang Ilso, not the Black Dragon King. But seeing such an unjust spectacle had left Baek Cheon with no choice but to feel extremely resentful towards the Black Dragon King.

"Huhuhu!"

But the Black Dragon King laughed loudly and looked at Baek Cheon.

"Right. It's been a while. People like you who speak with authority in front of me."

Although his speech was slow, his powerful voice and aura made it feel overpowering.

"How do you think they ended up?"

"Well..."

Baek Cheon bit his lips tightly, as if he wouldn't yield to the Black Dragon King's intimidation.

"They were all thrown into that river. That Sword Emperor or whatever that bastard is was the same."

When the name Namgung Hwang was mentioned, the survivors of the Namgung Family glared with bloodshot eyes. The sound of teeth grinding could be heard from all around. It seemed like they were about to charge at the Black Dragon King at any moment.

However, even with their immense anger, they couldn't move right now. They knew that charging at the Black Dragon King in their current state would be nothing but throwing their lives away. Moreover, they understood that such a futile death would only mock the final efforts of their benefactor.

"People who don't know how terrifying the world is can bark as they please in their own territory. Take a look, kid. I'll rip your mouth apart!"

Tang Gunak frowned slightly.

'Not good.'

Baek Cheon calmly analyzed the situation. The situation they were currently in was not favorable at all. They had rushed onto this island by their own choice, and they were surrounded by enemies. Unless they regained their momentum and continued forward, all that remained was a futile struggle.

There was only one way to regain their momentum.

'Should I step forward?'

The burden was still heavy on Mount Hua. The fact was that the Mount Hua Sect had become significantly stronger, but facing the Black Dragon King alone was a different issue, especially in a situation like this where defeat was not an option.

As for the odds of victory? Unknown. The outcome of the battle of those who had reached a certain level could only be determined by actual combat. The only possible results were glory or death.

Tang Gunak made up his mind. His martial arts were not yet complete. Given the characteristics of Tang Clan martial arts, which were vulnerable in one-on-one combat, facing someone as formidable as the Black Dragon King would undoubtedly be a challenging task.

But now was the time for him to step forward. The leader of the Great Sahamdang couldn't just stay idle in a situation like this.

He was about to take a step forward when a voice suddenly came from somewhere.

"Ah, but kids these days..."

Tang Gunak's gaze sharply turned around as he heard the voice.

With a cerulean sword hanging from his shoulder, Chung Myung stepped forward slowly while emitting a vivid blue light.

"Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

"I've been wondering about that for a while."

He walked slowly and stood before Baek Cheon, who had just taken a step forward.

"Why are they all yapping so much? They're just small fries."

"Ch-Chung-Myung."

Baek Cheon stared at Chung Myung in disbelief.

Who in the world would dare to speak like this in front of the Black Dragon King? It was something even the great leaders of the Shaolin and Jang Ilso would not dare say.

'But this guy can.'

Because he was Chung Myung.

Yeah, he was Chung Myung.

And it seemed that even the Black Dragon King had heard about his infamous reputation.

The Black Dragon King stared intently at Chung Myung, then spoke up.

"I remember your face. Yes, you must be that Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

"Ah, I know you, too. You're the Black Dragon King."

"..."

The Black Dragon King was momentarily speechless, seeming to close his mouth before bursting into raucous laughter.

"Kahaha! Well, trying to hide your fear with bluster isn't a bad strategy, but it won't work with me. But you don't need to worry. Once your head is chopped off and you're thrown into that river, you can at least hide the fact that you wet yourself."

The Black Dragon King spoke as if growling. Then Chung Myung chuckled.

"The world has really improved."

"What?"

"A member of the Evil Sect, right in front of me, daring to talk back."

The Black Dragon King's eyes were filled with bewilderment. From the moment he became the leader of the Su Lo Chae and gained the title of the Black Dragon King, or even before that, had he ever heard someone say something like this to him?

"This..."

The Black Dragon King's eyes began to glint with fierce anger.

"What... an ignorant fool. Because you spent some time with Jang Ilso near the Yangtze River, you think you're all that?"

"It's not okay to casually talk about someone else's embarrassing past. Thinking back to that time, I still kick off the blanket in my sleep, you bastard."

"Wha...?"

Chung Myung's throat let out a sound as he turned his head from side to side. He looked somewhat irritated, as if recalling unpleasant memories.

"The more I think about it, the more I can endure things."

He then laughed as if mocking himself.

"It's just people talking nonsense."

"..."

"I also have to watch it happen."

Chung Myung revealed it.

The Mount Hua Sect today proved how strong they've become on this Yangtze River. What they left on this Yangtze River would be spread throughout the world through everyone's mouths.

So now, it was Chung Myung's turn to show.

What he has achieved in the last three years.