Episode 1048: I Was Insane Too (Part 3)

Namgung Dowi tightly gripped his sword with all his might.

He had confidence in being helpful. He acknowledged there was a gap, but he didn't think it was so significant. So, although it might be challenging to play a significant role, he believed he could at least do his part.

However, now, he found it difficult even to keep up with those running ahead.

'What the...?'

It wasn't just him who couldn't understand.

"Damn!"

Clang!

The sword he swung pierced the neck of a demonic practitioner. Despite the fact that the sword was filled with the pure skills of the Chang Gung Mu Ae Sim Beop [don't ask lol], it not only failed to pierce the neck bone but barely penetrated an inch.

"Kahaaaa!"

The demonic practitioner, with a sword stuck in his neck, grimaced and thrust the sword toward Namgung Dowi's abdomen.

At that moment.

Paaaat!

A flying sword swiftly struck the neck of the demonic practitioner, sending it flying in an instant.

"Are you okay?"

Instead of answering, Namgung Dowi bit his lip tightly.

'Yoon Jong Dojang.'

He knew. Yoon Jong was strong.

There was a time when he thought that these people known as the Mount Hua's Five Swords gained too much fame for their skills. Certainly, Chung Myung, known as Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, was an unbeatable expert. But the others may have gained their reputation more because of Chung Myung's fame than their own skills.

So, excluding Chung Myung, Namgung Dowi thought he was slightly ahead of the rest of Mount Hua's Swords.

However, if everyone here saw what these people were showing now, no one could deny that his thoughts were completely wrong.

'Was there really such a difference?'

He knew Chung Myung was strong. He knew Baek Cheon was strong.

But watching Yoon Jong and Jo Gol effortlessly behead the demonic practitioners, even if their skills were similar, was bewildering. Even if there was a similar level of skill, he never expected the difference to be so significant.

'Damn it.'

He wondered if he had stubbornly insisted on the wrong thing. He came here to be helpful, not to protect his pride.

But here and now, he was nothing more than a novice who was holding on to their ankles. If it weren't for that, their speed would have been half a step faster.

Every time Yoon Jong and Jo Gol looked back and checked on him, there was a feeling in him that his pride was shattered, stabbing his heart. Even though he knew that all that interest and concern came from goodwill.

Paaaat!

Ahead, a vivid red aura splendidly bloomed. The sharp crimson aura swept away the demonic practitioners who were blocking the way with an immense number of flower petals.

There was no need for dialogue.

Why they needed to break through them, where they were going now, no one asked or doubted.

Because there was a guidepost over there.

The red aura rising from the front was leading everyone more powerfully than a thousand words.

Namgung Dowi slightly lowered his head. He wanted to step forward, but then he was only a hindrance to them. Instead...

"Namgung Dowi!"

Right then, Chung Myung's sharp voice penetrated his ears.

"Yes?"

"Come forward, you bastard!"

His body reacted to Chung Myung's voice before his mind could think. Reflexively, Namgung Dowi, who had pounded the ground, ran ahead, breaking through the others.

The moment he arrived right behind Chung Myung, Chung Myung grabbed Namgung Dowi's shoulder and pulled him forcefully.

"Why is the idiot trailing behind! Namgung bastard!"

"Yes?"

"Go forward!"

Chung Myung threw Namgung Dowi forward.

"Break through from the front! That's the Namgung Family! Empty your mind, and if you see enemies, just swing your sword as you please!"

"D-Do, Dojang."

"What are you doing!"

Namgung Dowi momentarily stared blankly at the demonic practitioners rushing towards him. But that was only for a moment. Soon, a strong gaze shot out from Namgung Dowi's eyes.

Suddenly.

Namgung Dowi, who gnashed his lips until they bled, immediately raised his sword.

"Huuaaaaap!"

From the moment of the cliff, an immense energy burst forth. Simultaneously, an enormous aura erupted from the tip of his sword.

A youthful, white brilliance at the sword's end. Namgung Dowi swung his sword with all his might. The dazzling white aura, symbolizing Namgung, shot forward like a cannonball.

Kwaaaang!

The approaching demonic practitioners were thrown in all directions by the explosion created by the aura. Strength flowed into Namgung Dowi's hand holding the sword.

'That's right!'

He couldn't wield the sword as intricately as the swordsmen of Mount Hua. He couldn't accurately aim for the enemy's weaknesses like them. He admitted that. He was still lacking.

But sweeping away the opponent with vast energy—wasn't that his, no, Namgung's long suit?

'This is my place!'

The emperor waits at the farthest back. But the true way of annihilating the enemy lies in being at the forefront. The place where someone with the name Namgung should stand is here, at the forefront, and nowhere else!

"See that?"

Chung Myung grabbed the back of Nangong Daowi's head and forced him to turn his head to look in one direction.

The sight of a tower rising sharply came into Namgung Dowi's eyes.

"Over there!"

Namgung Dowi immediately nodded his head.

"Just open the way up to there. We'll take care of the rest. Don't think about anything, just unleash everything you have!"

"Yes!"

With a resounding voice, Namgung Dowi, who answered, adjusted his grip on the sword.

There were no detailed explanations or anything like that. It was almost a command close to coercion. However, that alone was enough.

Chung Myung's hands fell frighteningly to his left and right, with Yoo Iseol and Baek Cheon following closely. Hye Yeon soared above Namgung Dowi's head, extending his arms forward.

"Wuooooooo!"

A majestic Buddha's light spread in waves from Hye Yeon, sweeping out in all directions.

The almost perfectly unfolded Buddha's Light Illuminating All Things pushed the demonic practitioners backward. Seizing the moment when a gap appeared, Baek Cheon and Yoo Iseol swung their swords as if they had made a promise.

Plum blossoms, and again plum blossoms. And more plum blossoms!

Delicately, gradually, blooming plum blossoms scattered like a fantasy. It was a scene where the entire world seemed to be filled with fluttering plum blossoms.

"Soga Ju!"

"Sohyeop!"

In response to the sudden urgent voices, Namgung Dowi instinctively drew upon his internal energy.

"Wooooooo!"

His sword descended vertically from above. A white beam of light fell like lightning in a world filled with golden Buddha's light and red plum blossoms.

Kwaaaang!

It exploded, swept, and pushed away. Namgung, Mount Hua, and Shaolin. Three martial sects guarding righteousness. Though it might be a bit forced now, the individuals who would eventually represent each sect stood at the forefront, leading them all.

Namgung's supremacy, Hua's illusion, and Shaolin's weight.

Their martial natures were different, but what they sought was not. So, there was no reason they couldn't harmonize. No, wasn't harmony possible precisely because they were different?

"Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Namgung Dowi, spurred by the speed at which he rushed forward, increased the pace. Baek Cheon, Yoo Iseol, and Hye Yeon quickly followed behind, left and right.

Observing Namgung Dowi's confidently advancing shoulders, Chung Myung adjusted his breathing. Then, lowering his sword slightly, he turned back to look.

Im Sobyeong, who had sneakily retreated to the rear of the group, was pushing away the demonic cultists coming after him. When Chung Myung met his gaze, Im Sobyeong twisted his face in a peculiar way.

"No! Why do I have to deal with this...?"

But before he could voice his dissatisfaction, Chung Myung diverted his gaze from Im Sobyeong and turned his head forward again.

Watching all of this, Jang Ilso observed with cold eyes.

'Raising a young tiger, it seems.'

In fact, it would be easier for that guy to step forward and handle it himself. Generally, relying on others is easier, but when the difference becomes this significant, entrusting the task and watching from the sidelines is more troublesome.

Yet, even in this dire situation, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword did not forget to nurture these youngsters.

"Hey, Evil Sect guy."

"Hmm?"

Jang Ilso frowned at Chung Myung's unexpected voice.

"Just roll your eyes and do your job. You didn't come here just to watch, did you? Even though shamelessly indulging in such behavior is the Evil Sect's nature, this is still your home, isn't it?"

A sarcastic laughter burst from Jang Ilso's mouth. Could there be anyone else in the world who could brazenly utter such words in front of him?

"I was just about to start moving in earnest."

A sapphire flame erupted from Jang Ilso's entire body.

Azure Flame Battle Slaughter (蒼炎鬪殺), Soul-Severing Flame Strength (斷魂炎剛).

As if alive, the blue flames rushed forward with sharp tongues, devouring the demonic practitioners.

"Aaaargh!"

A desperate scream erupted. Flames more solid than steel and emitting a terrifying heat; the wounds of those torn apart by the flames quickly hardened. White smoke rose from all around.

"Tsk, tsk. If you hadn't resisted, you could have died gracefully."

Stomping on the head of a fallen and struggling demonic practitioner, Jang Ilso quickly moved forward. Yet, he didn't forget to smile and speak to Chung Myung.

"Looks like you found the bishop?"

"Soon."

"More useful than I thought. Really."

Chuckling, Jang Ilso looked up at the half-collapsed temple. A hint of madness flickered in his gaze.

"There?"

"Yeah."

"The bishop. The bishop..."

A strange faint smile split on his face.

"Surely, there are guards protecting him?"

"The Disciple of the Law."

"Huh?"

"They called themself the Disciple of the Law. The one who performed the bishop's duties. They used to be called the Demonic General (魔將) in the Central Plains in the past."

"You know many interesting things."

Jang Ilso's dark eyes sank sharply. He continued.

"Well, there's no need to waste time. After shaking off these annoying things, we'll kill the Disciple of the Law and then behead the bishop. That's what we came here for in the first place, right?"

Time was passing, and who knew how the situation would change? The fact that the number of demonic practitioners had increased since before departing for this place meant that more reinforcements could be added in the future. The longer they delayed, the more unfavorable the situation would become.

'We need to strike their heads in one go.'

That's why they risked coming to this perilous place. Right now, they didn't have the luxury of leisurely opening the path starting from the outskirts.

'We just need to reach where the bishop is.'

After that, Chung Myung would just swing his well-forged sword to behead the bishop. However, Chung Myung's subsequent words completely disrupted Jang Ilso's calculations.

"Wrong."

"Hmm?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Jang Ilso's pale eyes. Chung Myung spoke coldly.

"It's not the Disciple of the Law."

Chung Myung's gaze was fixed ahead.

"It the Disciples of the Law, plural." [plural nouns aren't differentiable from singular nouns in Korean, I think.]

In an instant, Jang Ilso's face stiffened. He felt it too—the presence of beings flying towards them with a frightening aura, spewing out a terrifying vitality.

Chung Myung revealed his white teeth, laughing fiercely.

"Yeah. They're the real deal."

At that moment, over the ruined building beyond the demonic practitioners, about a dozen black shadows soared into the air.