Chapter 587

**C587**

**Chapter 587: The Lazy Falls into Despair (2)**

Not even Supreme Sovereign could anticipate Song Hyun’s sudden assault.

That’s why he couldn’t stop him.

Under normal circumstances, perhaps Supreme Sovereign would have been able to. But even he had lost his composure at that moment. When he reacted, Song Hyun had already passed him and was launching himself towards Baek Hoemyung.

Ah!

Supreme Sovereign’s hand reached out towards Song Hyun’s back. It wasn’t a gesture of restraint, but an unconscious act of anguish.

“Baaaaaek Hoemyuuuuung!”

A heartbreaking scream.

It wasn’t just anger, but a shriek filled with hatred.

The fact that this scream came from the mouth of the leader of Wudang Sect, and not anyone else, clearly showed the gravity of the situation.

The guards moved to protect Baek Hoemyung, but Song Hyun’s gaze did not leave him.

His sword displayed a bluish glow.

The Demon-Expelling Sword.

It was not the soft essence characteristic of Wudang Sect’s swords. It was a sword of pure slaughter, imbued with the intention to murder.

And it didn’t stop there.

Even if it was full of murderous will, a sword changes according to its target. His was not a sword of resentment.

It was the Demon-Expelling Sword, willing to sacrifice its wielder’s life to eliminate the demon that was corrupting the world.

He rose.

With a sound like tearing silk, Song Hyun’s sword parted everything in front of him.

Shhhiiing!

Clean Cut in Half.

The guards who tried to block him were bisected at the waist, their bodies split in two.

Passing through the rain of blood, Song Hyun’s sword became a ray of light.

“Baaaaaek Hoemyuuuuung!”

Anger.

Frustration.

Despair.

Those turbid emotions transformed into a murderous instinct. The guilt for not being able to save his brothers was turning Song Hyun into a beast.

Anyone who faced that fury head-on would have felt chills. A coward would have collapsed on the spot.

But Baek Hoemyung’s reaction was different.

“Hmm.”

Seeing Song Hyun lunging towards him, Baek Hoemyung gave a mocking smile.

“How naive.”

Ching.

He unsheathed his sword. The steel shone in the sunlight as it traced a gentle curve.

Soft. Circular. And soft again.

Like a willow branch receiving a hurricane, his sword, seemingly without strength, traced a slow curve to intercept Song Hyun’s attack.

Griiiind.

The swords clashed, but there was no rumble or metallic sound. Just a subtle rub before Baek Hoemyung’s sword slid over Song Hyun’s.

He didn’t face the force head-on, but redirected it fluidly. Unable to contain his own momentum, Song Hyun’s sword bounced, unable to withstand the accumulated force.

An exposed chest.

Song Hyun sensed his fate.

“Did you forget the principle of ‘The soft overcomes the strong’?”

A counterattack followed.

Ssshhhk.

Baek Hoemyung’s sword, wielded like a game, pierced Song Hyun’s heart.

“The soft can overcome the strong. Isn’t that the teaching of Wudang Sect? If you forgot the lessons of your own clan, allow me to remind you. I hope you don’t forget it in the afterlife.”

Gluuub.

Blood spurted from his mouth. No one can survive with a broken heart. Even with his profound internal energy, he could only prolong his agony briefly.

If he couldn’t defeat his enemy with his last strength, what should he do?

After staring at Baek Hoemyung with bulging eyes, Song Hyun slowly turned his head.

He saw Supreme Sovereign, his face contorted, his disciples paralyzed by shock, and the troops plunged into chaos.

How did we get here?

That question plunged him further into misery.

Baek Hoemyung’s words echoed in his mind:

“The soft overcomes the strong.”

Yes, that was the teaching of Wudang Sect.

He had learned and cultivated it all his life. He had dedicated his existence to forging an unbreakable sword. But in his final moment, in the most crucial instant, his sword had not followed the teachings of his clan.

Instead, Baek Hoemyung had shown him what he should have done. Even in his calm state, Song Hyun would not have reached that level.

Was there anything more tragic than that?

“Maes… tro.”

Tears welled up in Song Hyun’s eyes.

“I’m… sorry.”

Thud.

His body fell to the ground.

It was the death of the leader of Wudang Sect, a figure who had marked an era. But the moment was not conducive to mourning. Among the maddened crowd, no one could stop to mourn a death.

In a place where life loses all value…

That is a battlefield.

Tap.

Supreme Sovereign stepped forward. Baek Hoemyung’s gaze rested on him.

“What do you plan to do now, Alliance Leader?”

“……”

“Do you now understand, even a little, our resentment?”

Supreme Sovereign’s gaze was fixed on Baek Hoemyung. In that instant, Baek Hoemyung couldn’t help but shudder.

An unwavering gaze.

Although he was cornered in the worst of situations, Supreme Sovereign had regained his composure.

“I already know your resentment.”

“……”

“And I also know that this is something we must endure. But… I am only left with sadness. How did we get here?”

A sigh.

But it was not the lament of a weak man begging for mercy from the strong. It was more of a feeling of regret.

“If you surrender, I will grant you a dignified death.”

Baek Hoemyung raised his sword, shining in the light.

Supreme Sovereign knew it.

He was the villain here.

It couldn’t be said that their revenge was completely just. Their method and extremism were reprehensible. But if it had to be forcibly divided between good and evil, Supreme Sovereign and the Righteous Martial Alliance would be the bad guys.

But what did that matter?

“I admit it.”

Supreme Sovereign spoke clearly.

“I underestimated the resentment of the Baek Family. I didn’t know how deep it was. I also recognize that I belittled them. I must apologize.”

Baek Hoemyung’s face twisted slightly.

That serenity irritated him.

He knew very well that hell was unfolding behind him. Even if he didn’t see it, he felt it with his instincts, he heard it in the screams.

But Supreme Sovereign did not flinch.

“But you don’t understand either.”

“What don’t we understand?”

“That you are also underestimating the Righteous Martial Alliance.”

Supreme Sovereign spoke without a shred of doubt.

“We have faced countless crises and attacks. The Alliance Martial is not a giant tree. They think it is enough to knock it down. But the Alliance has fallen and been trampled countless times. However, it has never disappeared or collapsed. We are like weeds.”

Supreme Sovereign clenched his fist.

“It doesn’t cost me to hand you my head. But asking me to surrender is an insult. No, maybe it’s a compliment. Surrendering is not that easy. Sometimes it’s the hardest thing.”

Supreme Sovereign turned without waiting for an answer.

As if showing his back to Baek Hoemyung didn’t matter.

“Hey, young master.”

“……”

“The title of Young Master of Baekgeom Fortress also makes you part of the Alliance, doesn’t it? As Alliance Leader, I feel like I haven’t taught you anything. Allow me to do it today. Watch closely. This is how an old man who has lived under the grace of the Righteous Martial Alliance dies.”

He couldn’t attack.

Supreme Sovereign’s back.

That back crushed him.

What…?

It wasn’t a matter of brute force.

Supreme Sovereign was strong, of course.

But in Baekgeom Fortress there were many more powerful than him. Baek Hoemyung knew it. Although what Supreme Sovereign showed was impressive, it didn’t even compare to Cheon Ryu. Even Baek Hoemyung was sure he could beat him.

However, he couldn’t move.

What the hell is this?

Now, Baek Hoemyung felt the same way Supreme Sovereign had felt moments before.

The confusion of witnessing something he couldn’t understand.

The difference was that the Righteous Martial Alliance did not understand the situation, while Baek Hoemyung did not understand Supreme Sovereign.

The pressure of that back overwhelmed him.

He couldn’t understand it.

He could have attributed it to Supreme Sovereign being someone exceptional, but he couldn’t.

He had grown up seeing the Clan Patriarch.

Supreme Sovereign wasn’t even comparable. So why did he feel this?

“Sima Cheonse…”

At that moment, Supreme Sovereign acted.

“If something is wrong, it must be corrected. Even at the cost of a price.”

Wooooooong!

His energy was not directed at Baekgeom Fortress, but at the Righteous Martial Alliance.

An overwhelming energy.

A crushing pressure.

But it was not violent, but enveloping.

A whirlwind.

The ground rose, the wind roared like a storm. Everyone cowered under the pressure. Even the maddened and those trying to contain them backed away.

“Do not resist.”

Supreme Sovereign’s voice resonated loudly.

“Accept it! Let go! Go! Go and open a new path!”

Those who retained their sanity understood.

“That’s right.”

Gong Mu, the Abbot of Shaolin, was the first to understand.

“The Leader is carrying the weight. Then this monk will also help.”

“Abbot!”

“Amitabha, do not stop him. In the end, isn’t this part of the suffering? Finding the place of death is also a blessing.”

Gong Mu’s energy also flowed smoothly.

“A-Abbot!”

“Go. This is not the place where you should die. It is the tomb of fools who, knowing their guilt, did not have the courage to redeem themselves. Not a bone will remain in this world.”

Wooooong.

His Arhat Fist emanated a comforting warmth.

The tide swept them away.

Those affected by the madness resisted the energy that pushed them. It was natural for those who had lost their reason.

But those who still thought understood what they had to do.

There were no tears.

No screams.

The guilt of having to abandon everything to survive sealed their mouths.

Finally, they began to rise.

Those who lightened their bodies let themselves be carried away by the energy. Their figures floated for a moment before being thrown backwards.

The energy intensified.

One after another, they jumped. One more, and another more!

Those who saw their example imitated them.

Soon, dozens, hundreds of bodies flew like kites, leaving the battlefield.

“What…?”

Baek Hoemyung reacted.

“Stop them!”

It was unheard of.

He had never imagined it. Using his energy to launch those who could not escape on their own. Although it was not a complete escape, it was the best way to save lives.

Regaining his composure, Baek Hoemyung looked at the back of the Supreme Sovereign.

What were you thinking?! That’s the enemy’s back!

Wielding his sword, Baek Hoemyung pounced.

Stab!

The sword pierced Supreme Sovereign’s back and came out through his abdomen.

A drop of blood fell to the ground.