Chapter 265: Chapter 265
“Are you saying they are already setting out on a mission?”
Taoist Go-yeong, an elder of Kunlun, narrowed his brow at the news he had just heard.
No, it wasn’t just him.
The foreheads of many people sitting around the table were creased with a single wrinkle, just like Taoist Go-yeong.
It had only been two days since the Grand Martial World Conference ended.
The creation of the strike squad was declared that day.
But for the strike squad to already be carrying out a mission.
“Have the members of the strike squad been selected?”
Taoist Go-yeong asked as if he found it strange.
To decide the members of the strike squad in just one day was close to nonsense.
However.
“That is correct.”
“Are you saying it was really decided in one day?”
“Just how did he select them for it to…”
Those who hadn’t yet heard how Cheon-hwi selected the strike squad found it strange.
Usually, when choosing subordinates, one was bound to deliberate carefully, so it was natural to take at least a few days to pick and choose.
But to have selected all the personnel in just one day?
Didn’t it feel like he just randomly picked anyone?
“But Strategist. Even if the personnel were selected, isn’t he rushing too much? It’s barely been two days.”
“Amitabha. This poor monk also agrees with the Taoist’s words.”
“Little Taoist Cheon-hwi… No. I’ve heard that Squad Leader Cheon-hwi has selected all the members, but entering a mission immediately without any training is no different from saying they will willingly put themselves in danger.”
Words of worry poured out from here and there.
It was natural if it was natural.
It was the strike squad that had to roam the front lines in the upcoming war against the Four Black Alliances.
Yet, selecting the members of that important unit in just one day was already unsatisfactory, but to carry out a mission immediately?
Wasn’t this the same as saying they would die?
Just as everyone gathered was rebelling, the Strategist opened his mouth.
“Have you forgotten the purpose for creating the strike squad?”
For a moment, everyone flinched, and seeing that, the Strategist calmly continued his words.
“The purpose for our Alliance wanting to create the strike squad is to carry out missions in the immediate war. If we were to wait for them to train and grow, there would be no need to create a strike squad.”
It was an indifferent voice.
However, the content contained within was enough to shut the mouths of the worried people.
Just then.
“I understand the reason for the creation of the strike squad. But, is it possible?”
Do Yang-heun, a white-haired, white-eyebrowed old man and an elder of the Qingcheng Sect who had been sitting quietly, stared at the Strategist and spoke.
“I heard that the number of people in the strike squad is extremely small.”
“As you said, the number of people is small. I received a report that it is forty-two people, not even reaching fifty. If we include Squad Leader Cheon-hwi, it’s forty-three.”
“With that number of people, carrying out a mission… no, do you think they can succeed?”
Along with his words, Do Yang-heun stared intently at the Strategist.
Beneath his elegant, pure white eyebrows, his cold eyes shone. At the same time, his beard fluttered greatly as he opened his mouth again.
“It’s not just that. They say it’s less than fifty, but all of them are people who have learned martial arts from their respective sects. You’ve gathered people with different inclinations, but are you saying they can succeed in a mission without undergoing any training?”
“The number is small, but Squad Leader Cheon-hwi judged that it was enough to carry out the mission, and requested the mission from me.”
Even while receiving Do Yang-heun’s intense gaze, the Strategist spoke indifferently.
“If the mission fails, the responsibility for it will be borne by none other than Squad Leader Cheon-hwi.”
In an instant, Do Yang-heun’s eyebrows twitched once, and his eyes emitted a cold light.
“…Are you trying to pass on the responsibility?”
“Squad Leader Cheon-hwi wished for it himself.”
The Strategist’s eyes narrowed.
“Who to select for the strike squad, how to train them, and in what manner they carry out missions, all the authority lies with him. And corresponding authority comes with responsibility. Doesn’t everyone know this?”
“……”
Do Yang-heun kept his mouth firmly shut.
It was the same for the others listening.
Among those present here, there was not a single person who did not take responsibility for their actions.
Then, suddenly recalling something, Do Yang-heun sneaked a glance to his side and asked.
“Will it be okay?”
Hyeon-do glanced at Do Yang-heun, who was asking while looking at him, and nodded his head.
It was something he had already heard from Cheon-hwi.
“It does not matter.”
When even Hyeon-do agreed with those words, Do Yang-heun didn’t speak further and nodded his head.
There was only one thing he was worried about.
The fact that Danli Gwan-cheon belonged to Cheon-hwi’s strike squad.
But seeing that even Hyeon-do, following the Strategist, said that Cheon-hwi would take responsibility like this, he could at least feel relieved.
At that time, Gok Pyeong, an elder of Kunlun who had been constantly looking for a chance to speak since earlier, brought up his words.
“Still, how about waiting just a little bit? Look. Hasn’t Jade Qilin not even fully selected the personnel for his strike squad yet? It would be nice to look at if they carried out the mission together, and it would be good to help each other out.”
“That is too complacent of a thought.”
A cold voice like the dead of winter flowed out from between the Strategist’s lips.
“The war has begun. It is a time when we must move even a day earlier, but are you saying to delay the mission because of such a trivial reason?”
At the moment when Gok Pyeong’s eyes trembled slightly at the highly aggressive speech.
“The timing is just right.”
The Strategist added words with an indifferent attitude and casually looked to his side.
Then, the Vice Strategist, Seol Geom, who had been sitting quietly beside him, lowered his head once.
And the moment he raised his head and stood up from his seat.
“Hmm?”
“That is?”
In Seol Geom’s hands was a massive scroll.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Along with his words, he untied the red string binding the scroll in his hands, and simply rolled it on the table.
Roll-
Presently, as the massive paper unfolded on the table, the eyes of everyone who checked it widened.
“A map of the Central Plains?”
“But it’s different from a normal map.”
Their eyes were fixed on the map of the Central Plains.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary map, but if one looked closely, they could soon discover differences.
It was that red circles were drawn here and there, and they amounted to dozens.
When they were looking at it intensively.
“The red circles are the sects currently belonging to the Four Black Alliances.”
“Huh.”
“…Were there this many?”
The Strategist explained, and groans flowed out from all directions hearing this.
They thought there were many Unorthodox Factions, but seeing it marked on a map like this felt different.
They could truly feel that it was one of the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers.
At that time, the Strategist pointed at the Yangtze River cutting across the exact center of the map of the Central Plains and spoke.
“As you can see if you look, the Unorthodox Factions belonging to the Four Black Alliances are mostly located in the Jiangnan area below this Yangtze River.”
His finger headed towards the bottom of the map.
Just as he said, the red circles were drawn densely packed below the Yangtze River.
However, they weren’t that surprised.
Since ancient times, the Orthodox Factions and the Unorthodox Factions were like oil and water, unable to mix with each other.
Therefore, they used to build their forces while keeping a distance from each other.
And that standard was the Yangtze River.
The Orthodox Factions of Jiangbei. The Unorthodox Factions of Jiangnan.
The Orthodox Factions and the Unorthodox Factions built their respective territories in that way, and were reluctant to invade.
“If it was the era before the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers, we would have concentrated our Alliance’s combat power on this Yangtze River. However…”
The finger of the Strategist, who trailed off the end of his sentence, crossed the Yangtze River and gradually went up.
“We cannot do that now. Because right above this Yangtze River, in Jiangbei too, there are Unorthodox Factions belonging to the Four Black Alliances.”
Originally, it would be difficult for Unorthodox Factions to establish a base in Jiangbei, but ever since the noble clans spearheaded by the Zhuge Clan withdrew from the Martial Alliance, the situation began to change significantly.
Originally a fight between two, the Orthodox Factions and the Unorthodox Factions, it was a situation where the Orthodox Factions had split into two.
In that situation, the Unorthodox Factions advanced north.
And among them, the sect that successfully settled down was the White Ghost Castle, which had now been annihilated.
“Ghost Shadow Sect, Blood Rain Sword Clan…”
His hand pointed out the several red circles located above the Yangtze River one by one.
Pointing out about ten red circles like that and reciting each sect name, he presently stopped at one place.
At the same time, he spat out words in a cold voice.
“And there is the Green Forest, which can be said to be the most threatening among the Unorthodox Factions in Jiangbei.”
He pointed at the stronghold closest to the Martial Alliance for a short time and then raised his head.
“Do you know the current state of the Green Forest?”
“……”
Everyone shook their heads.
Because they had their nerves on edge regarding the recent Grand Martial World Conference and the war with the Four Black Alliances, they didn’t have time to gather information on the Green Forest.
But one person was different.
“Division occurred.”
Dragon Pearl Beggar smiled broadly and spoke.
“I heard that in a situation where the Green Forest Great Emperor went missing, a commotion broke out in the main stronghold, the Mount Heng Stronghold, with everyone saying they would become the General Stronghold Leader. And I heard the other stronghold leaders are busy taking their own shares, taking advantage of the absence of the General Stronghold Leader. Am I wrong?”
“That is correct.”
The Strategist nodded his head.
“The Green Forest is shaking. Now is the very opportunity to strike them.”
Only then did everyone understand the meaning of the words.
“So you plan to send the strike squad.”
“That is right. We must strike down the Unorthodox Factions in this Jiangbei before they join forces with the Four Black Alliances.”
At the Strategist’s words, everyone was relieved.
It would be dangerous if they moved towards the main base of the Four Black Alliances, but if it was against the Unorthodox Factions in Jiangbei, it was rather a good thing for gaining experience.
“Since the White Ghost Castle, which was the most threatening in Jiangbei, is gone too… it’s rather good.”
“If that was the case, you should have said so earlier. If it was this kind of mission, this Taoist wouldn’t have spoken sharply either.”
When Gok Pyeong, thinking he had worried for nothing, gave a scolding with a laugh.
“However, we cannot be relieved.”
The Strategist shook his head side to side.
“I received news that the Four Black Alliances also noticed, just as we found out, and several experts came outside.”
“Experts?”
“Who is it?”
“…It is the youngest disciple of the Four Black Alliances Leader, Black Yaksha, and the Guardians.”
* * *
A night where darkness had deeply descended.
The northern gate of the Martial Alliance, which normally shouldn’t open, opened, and a group of people came outside.
“P-Please go safely.”
The gate guard who opened the door looked at the young Taoist before his eyes and showed a stiff expression.
He couldn’t help it.
Because he was Cheon-hwi, the Plum Blossom Divine Hero who was currently spreading his renowned name widely in the current Jianghu.
Cheon-hwi roughly nodded his head at such a gate guard and looked behind him.
Behind him were people who still seemed bewildered, as if they hadn’t understood the current situation.
‘Actual combat is the best.’
Training? Cultivation?
Of course, those were good too.
But that was a matter for when there was time.
Wasn’t the war right in front of their noses now?
In the midst of that, there was no point in taking kids like these who seemed to have never even seen blood and trying to train them.
If they clumsily stepped forward saying they would act according to training, they would just die to a blind sword.
‘Since there’s a suitable place too.’
Cheon-hwi recalled the Green Forest stronghold he was informed of through Dragon Pearl Beggar and opened his mouth.
“Follow me.”
Cheon-hwi, who simply finished his words, unfolded the Flying Heaven Footwork.
“Heuk!”
“How can he be s-so fast!”
Those watching were shocked.
It seemed like he stomped his foot, but before they knew it, Cheon-hwi had become small far away in the distance.
It was a footwork that made mouths hang open.
Especially, Ho Gwang-gae of the Beggars’ Sect, which ranked at the top along with the Kunlun Sect purely in terms of footwork alone, clicked his tongue.
‘If I unfolded the Ten Thousand Li Wind Chasing Footwork at full power, I might be able to narrowly catch up, but…’
While thinking, he shook his head.
‘Overtaking him would be impossible.’
He didn’t unfold it at full power.
Wasn’t the tip of his advancing foot relaxed?
It was then.
Swoosh-
A single shadow passed by like an arrow.
It was none other than Danli Gwan-cheon.
“…I heard the Fine Willow Blade was weak in footwork, but it was a false rumor.”
Mu Hong muttered in a low voice.
“This is why they say you have to filter out half of the rumors floating around the world.”
Ho Gwang-gae shrugged his shoulders.
There were many rumors in the world, but there were also cases where they were exaggerated or false rumors.
Therefore, rather than blindly trusting rumors, one had to sensibly filter them out when listening.
That was the attitude of a Beggars’ Sect disciple.
Ho Gwang-gae, who was replying while looking at the dashing Danli Gwan-cheon, suddenly realized his mistake and pulled up his internal energy.
“At this rate, we’ll lose them.”
While they exchanged a short conversation, the backs of Cheon-hwi and Danli Gwan-cheon were almost invisible.
“I’m going first.”
Ho Gwang-gae, who spoke as if tossing words to Mu Hong, hurriedly unfolded his footwork, and Mu Hong also moved forward without delay following behind.
As the four of them moved further away like that.
“Damn it!”
“We must hurry and chase after…”
The remaining people also hurriedly unfolded their footworks one by one and ran, chasing after them.
“The air is nice.”
Cheon-hwi, who confirmed that everyone had departed, looked at the surroundings and muttered.
Was it because it was the night air he faced in the mountains after a long time, he felt like his nose was cleared the moment he breathed in.
At that time, someone caught up to him.
“Are you not going to pay attention to the others?”
Cheon-hwi looked at Danli Gwan-cheon, who followed closely right next to him, with a blunt expression.
“Hmm, does it bother you?”
“…If we go at this speed, there will be people who fall behind in the middle.”
Danli Gwan-cheon sneaked a glance backwards.
Most of the people following behind were panting for breath with pale complexions.
A few even looked like they were having trouble breathing.
However.
“If they can’t even keep up with this level and drop out, it’s better for them to fall behind now.”
Cheon-hwi spoke coldly.
If they couldn’t even handle this level of speed, their lives would be lost in the war anyway.
‘Plus, there’s no guy who would collapse from just this much.’
Cheon-hwi, who finished his thoughts, asked towards the two following closely right behind.
“Do you two think so as well?”
Mu Hong and Ho Gwang-gae didn’t expect him to ask them, so they were inwardly surprised, but.
“The Squad Leader’s words are correct.”
“Rather than dying later, it’s better to drop out now and preserve your life.”
They immediately answered, agreeing with Cheon-hwi’s words.
“Well, if you don’t like my method, I’d like to tell you to leave right away.”
Along with his words, Cheon-hwi stared at Danli Gwan-cheon.
“…!”
Danli Gwan-cheon felt his breath choke for a moment.
Eyes with a clear division of black and white.
His hands trembled at the indifference contained in the pupils that were blacker than the descending darkness.