Chapter 165
“Huh? Senior Martial Brother Jinseong, where are you going in such a hurry…”
“Oh, you…”
Tap, tap, tap-!
Normally he wouldn’t act like this, but this time Ha Jinseong ignored everyone he passed and just ran.
He was on his way to the General Strategist, Jegal Tak.
‘There is a Demonic Cult Elder named Hwawang who possesses Extreme Yang Martial Arts.’
He had heard an unexpected story from the person suspected of being another Regressor.
A Demonic Cult Elder with Extreme Yang Martial Arts…
‘Come to think of it, even though I am living my Second Life, I don’t know the Demonic Cult in detail…’
How incompetent could he be?
Even after receiving the blessing of regression…, something others could not obtain no matter how desperately they wished for it, he failed to protect a single thing.
‘What would happen if that guy and the other Demonic Cult bastards surrounded Mount Hua and set it on fire?’
In his past life, even if everyone in the Mount Hua Sect had fought the Demonic Cult and died, the Main Headquarters containing the history of the Mount Hua Sect had never burned down to nothing.
But because of his wrong choice, Mount Hua… and the Murim Alliance had fallen into a more dangerous situation than in his past life.
‘Please…, please let nothing happen…’
If his Murim Alliance brothers or Mount Hua comrades met a terrible fate because of his wrong choice…, he felt he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes peacefully even in death due to the guilt.
It was then.
BOOOOM-!!
“…!”
Along with an explosion loud enough to momentarily halt his running…
“It’s a Demonic Cult raid-!!”
…someone’s urgent shout rang out.
It was the beginning of what he had feared the most.
* * *
I first gathered my subordinates in one place.
Fortunately, they must have been nearby, as they quickly huddled together at Dongryong-i’s and my call.
I gave my orders loudly and clearly so that all my subordinates could hear.
“The Demonic Cult bastards are probably surrounding Mount Hua right now. You guys need to find a gap somehow and break through.”
“…”
Breaking through the Encirclement Line was no easy task, so my Subordinates' faces stiffened.
Among them, Bongchun-i cautiously raised his hand and asked me.
“Um…, Leader. No matter how untrustworthy the Murim Alliance is, there are massive troops here, so can’t we just hold out together at the top?”
“Hey, you Bastard. Do you want to stay here together, inhale smoke, get high, and die? The Demonic Cult Bastards are definitely going to start setting fires from below. If we don’t get out fast, we’re all dead.”
This time, the Youngest raised his hand and asked.
“Elder Brother, then wouldn’t it be better for just us to run away? If we ride on Lord Imugi’s back, we could all get out together…”
“…”
Right, if we ran away by ourselves, we could escape safely on Yongyong-i’s back.
However…
“Then the Murim Alliance guys will all die here.”
“…”
“If all the Murim Alliance bastards die, there’s no future. We have to save the ones we can save.”
If all the Murim Alliance kids die, who’s going to fight the Demonic Cult?
Somehow, we had to save the ones we could.
“Anyway, it’s going to be extremely dangerous from now on, so absolutely do not scatter and stick together, Haomun Leader.”
“Yes, Great Hero.”
“Please take charge of these guys while I’m gone. You’re the only one I can ask this of, Haomun Leader.”
When I entrusted my subordinates to the Haomun Leader, she tilted her head.
“…Pardon? You want me to lead the Executives? Then what about you, Great Hero…”
“I’m…”
BOOOOM-!
I answered while looking at the pillar of fire soaring from the foot of the mountain.
“I have something else to do. Ah, Yongyong-a. You stay behind.”
“…Ehh? Why me…?”
“You have something to do following me. The rest of you, take care of yourselves. Let’s meet alive at the Foot of the Mountain.”
“Yes! Leader!”
Like that, listening to my Subordinates' resounding reply, I grabbed Yongyong-i by the scruff of the neck with one hand and ran toward where the Original Protagonist would be.
* * *
Sure enough, the Murim Alliance’s Command bastards were gathered in the Great Hall where we had our Strategy Meeting earlier, along with Jegal Tak and Ha Jinseong.
“First, we need to get out of Mount Hua as quickly as possible…”
“That’s why we’re trying to figure out how right now…”
However, opinions were still divided among them, showing no signs of unity.
I ignored those guys and headed straight for Jegal Tak to ask.
“Hey! General Strategist!”
“…General Stronghold Master.”
“The situation? How’s the situation?”
At my urgent question, Jegal Tak answered in a dark voice.
“…For now, the Martial Artists of the Murim Alliance are holding out well at the defense line at the Foot of the Mountain. But the defense line is narrowing due to the Fire Attack. No, how can they even carry out a Fire Attack at such a fast speed in the first place?…”
Perhaps when they first set up the Defensive Formation on Mount Hua, the Murim Alliance hadn’t completely failed to anticipate a Fire Attack.
With the Murim Alliance’s overflowing manpower, they probably had the confidence to quickly handle the fire attack even if the Demonic Cult carried out a Fire Attack.
But Hwawang was an existence who could ignore all of that and turn this place into a sea of fire.
Even now, the flames are spreading in the blink of an eye.
“Ah, damn it, if you don’t know, you should be moving right now. What is everyone doing here? Hey! Murim Alliance Leader!”
“…I am listening, General Stronghold Master.”
I approached the Murim Alliance Leader, who had been calmly observing the situation, and said:
“If that defense line is breached, we all die. But even if the defense line is just pushed back, we all burn to death, you know? So fuck, go and try to stop them somehow. You’re the Murim Alliance Leader, after all.”
“…”
Namgung Hwa-Cheon looked into my eyes and stared as if momentarily bewitched, then…
“…Understood.”
…soon took a breath and shouted toward the Sect Leaders and Family Heads gathered in the Great Hall.
“Everyone, focus!!”
“…!”
When the Murim Alliance Leader shouted with his voice full of Internal Energy, it drew the attention of the Sect Leaders and Family Heads who had been busy talking among themselves.
“From now on, each Sect Leader and Family Head will lead their Disciples to their designated areas and hold the defense line! I will go as well! The defense line must absolutely not be pushed back!”
Still, with the Murim Alliance Leader stepping up and taking action like this, the Sect Leaders and Family Heads also began to move.
Even though it looked unreliable, leaving the defense line to the Murim Alliance was the only option anyway.
Jegal Tak watched that sight before asking me.
“What will you do, General Stronghold Master? Will you follow the Alliance Leader to hold the defense line…?”
“The defense line is important too, but shouldn’t we put out that fire first? I’ll go and come back.”
“You’re going to stop the Fire Attack…? How…?”
“That’s easy; I just have to kill the guy setting the fires, right? I’ll be back …with this guy.”
“…!”
When I pointed at Ha Jinseong, the guy who had been wearing a dying expression jumped in surprise.
I took that moment to lean in close to his ear and whisper.
“You have to clean up the shit you took. Isn’t that right?”
“…”
Ha Jinseong looked at me with wide eyes before soon nodding his head.
“…Of course. I will definitely clean it up - the shit I took.”
“Right.”
As expected of a guy who used to be a Protagonist, he’s got fighting spirit.
Anyway, this was settled.
The Murim Alliance would block the defense line, and we would catch that Arsonist bastard.
If we could somehow put out this urgent fire, wouldn’t we also have a hope of victory?
“Yongyong-a, go out right now and get ready to fly.”
“Where? Where are we flying to?”
At Yongyong-i’s question, I pointed into the distance.
Over there…
BOOOOM-!!
“…Let’s go catch that crazy bastard.”
…even now, pillars of fire are soaring up, and the surroundings are burning.
* * *
“Heheheh.”
A middle-aged man was passing through the mountains, humming a tune.
At first glance, there was nothing strange to feel about that scene, but…
Whoosh-!
BOOOOM-!!
…as he passed along the Mountain Path, when he occasionally swung his fist, extreme yang energy radiated out, and at the same time, a Fiery Wind soared and the trees burst into flames.
He was Myeollyeom Hwawang.
He was the one for this generation who had inherited the Extinguishing Flame Demonic Art, a Unique Martial Art with a long history within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
His mission in this operation was simple.
It was simply to circle around Mount Hua and burn the mountain down.
For him, who had lived his entire life in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains bound by the rule that he must not burn down the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, this mission was no different from a reward.
Furthermore…
“The outside air is quite nice.”
…how long had it been since he had an outing like this?
The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, where he had lived his entire life, were a truly boring place.
First of all, the people were no fun.
Old Men like the Grand Elder, Dark Heaven Sword King, Gwangso Beop-Wang, and Blood Demon Corpse King were all unapproachable Monsters, and the young ones like Salwang were far too taciturn.
“Aaaaargh-!!”
“It’s hot!! Save me!!”
“See how fun it is when they scream like that.”
Hwawang happily strolled through the mountain, using the screams created by his flames as background music.
It was then.
-Roooaaar-!
“…!”
Suddenly, something long appeared above his head, and from there…
Thud.
“…”
A few figures jumped down.
“Ah…”
Hwawang was immersed in joy upon seeing the revealed figures.
Living in a closed-off place like the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, he had not formed connections with many people.
“Pacheonmun Sect Leader…!”
The Young Man who appeared before him now…, the one he had formed a connection with a few years ago, was…
“It’s been a while!!!”
…the existence he had sworn in his heart to personally burn to death.
* * *
Following the flames, I could indeed find Hwawang, who was gleefully setting fires.
When I jumped down from the Imugi’s body in front of him, the guy looked at me and smiled.
“Pacheonmun Sect Leader…! It’s been a while!!!”
“Pacheonmun Sect Leader…? Is he perhaps referring to you, General Stronghold Master? Have you met a Demonic Cult Elder before…?”
“…”
Ha Jinseong looked at me with a somewhat surprised expression.
I didn’t bother answering his question and instead drew my sword.
That Hwawang bastard and I had definitely crossed paths before.
‘Oho…? Is that person the next generation’s Pacheonmun Sect Leader?’
That guy was one of the bastards present on the night my Master died.
Grind.
Thinking about that time made me extremely annoyed.
Enough to make me want to burn that arsonist bastard alive.
“I met this bastard after a long time, and he’s starting forest fires again. Does he want to die?”
“Ahaha-! You must not know how fun it is to set fire to a mountain! Why don’t we try doing it together?”
“Fuck off, you bastard. Keep our rivers and mountains green.”
In the name of a righteous bandit, I’ll have to slice that environmental destroyer in half.