Chapter 294: Chapter 294
Four days passed after the Emei Holy War.
During that time, the Emei Holy War that happened this time was greatly talked about in Sichuan.
“Keu-eu, didn’t everyone see it three days ago? I mean the sight of Mount Emei shaking like a landslide occurred!”
“Eheo! Do you think it was just one or two people! Not a hundred, not a thousand, but two thousand people! A military force of two thousand attacked the Emei Sect!”
“The supreme master of the Unorthodox Faction, one of the Seven Monster Immortals, Blood Tear Joy King Nong Jil, had her life cut off by the sword of the Plum Blossom Divine Hero who bloomed beautiful plum blossoms…”
At the marketplaces or guest houses near Mount Emei, gossips chattered about this Emei Holy War as if competing. They were busy sharing the story until the saliva in their mouths dried up.
The talking topic that burst out after a long time in the quiet Sichuan was enough to thickly line the storytellers’ coin pouches.
Thanks to that, the rumor spread quickly.
And the more the rumor spread, people’s interest flocked towards Cheon-hwi who showed an overwhelming divine might.
Amidst such a commotion, Cheon-hwi brought the two guests who suddenly visited inside.
The guests who visited were a man and a woman.
‘Why did they come?’
Cheon-hwi stared blankly at the two.
They were people who arrived at the Emei Sect two days ago and were those taking on the roles of vice unit leaders of the Chivalric Escort Unit and the Demon Suppressing Unit respectively.
“I am sorry for visiting suddenly.”
The middle-aged man whose thick sword eyebrows were charming scratched his head as if feeling awkward.
He was the vice unit leader of the Chivalric Escort Unit, and was Dong So-gang, whose chivalrous name was high even in the Martial Alliance under the title Eight Flying Illusion Sword.
Cheon-hwi looked at him like that and asked.
“So what is the matter?”
“Jjeop, that is…”
The moment Dong So-gang was about to speak.
“We came because we have something to hand over to Young Hero Cheon-hwi.”
The woman next to him cut his words off.
Had she become thirty years old now.
Her face, which flowed with fluttering hair, was white enough to look pale.
White Faced Jade Hand Seong Ye-bin.
She was the female master who rose to the vice unit leader position of a Martial Alliance battalion at the youngest age before Cheon-hwi.
Soon, she who took out a paper from her sleeve placed it on the table and spoke quietly.
“It is a draft order sent from the Alliance.”
* * *
The Great Hall of the Martial Alliance.
Despite Strategist Zhuge Gong’s sudden summons, the roughly thirty seats surrounding the round table were in a state of being more than half filled.
Excluding the Three Squads and Four Units that set out on missions, and the Martial Alliance Leader and Sword Pavilion that had not attended from before, everyone gathered.
Zhuge Gong scanned those who firmly closed their mouths amidst the stiffly hardened atmosphere.
And he carefully parted his closed lips.
“Thousand Swords Villa has collapsed.”
“Heo-eo.”
“Thousand Swords Villa…”
Light sighs were spat out of their mouths from everywhere like exhaling held breath.
Then suddenly, someone opened his mouth.
“I heard previously that reinforcements were dispatched to Thousand Swords Villa… just what exactly happened?”
Along with the words, the elder of the Iron Blood Sword Clan, Iron Sleeve Flying Sword, glared his eyes fiercely while looking at the strategist.
Right now, he was in an agitated situation.
It was because the relationship between Thousand Swords Villa and the Iron Blood Sword Clan had been special since a long time ago.
It was a natural thing since the Heavenly Sword and Thousand Cultivations Ten Thousand Swords, who were sworn brothers hundreds of years ago, respectively founded the two sects.
“Did you send a rabble because Thousand Swords Villa is not a great sect?”
When Iron Sleeve Flying Sword, whose voice gradually grew louder out of anger, was about to raise his upper body due to surging emotions.
“We dispatched the Death God Squad.”
The situation was reversed by the strategist’s quiet words that flowed out indifferently.
“Are you saying you sent the Death God Squad…?”
“Then how did it get exterminated?”
Not only Iron Sleeve Flying Sword but the people around inhaled in surprise.
At the same time, their eyes wavered.
The Death God Squad was a place whose mission performance ability was outstanding even among the Three Squads of the Martial Alliance.
There had been no failures for a dozen years, and they had perfectly performed their given missions beyond simple success.
Therefore, they were to the extent that the Martial Alliance only dispatched them for very important missions…
Iron Sleeve Flying Sword swallowed his saliva.
If it was to the extent of sending the Death God Squad and not anyone else, it meant that the Martial Alliance had paid the utmost attention to Thousand Swords Villa.
“T-Then what happened?”
Iron Sleeve Flying Sword’s voice trembled.
The Death God Squad was a group that possessed the military force to exterminate a mere minor sect in a single breath.
Even though they went as support, Thousand Swords Villa was exterminated, wasn’t it.
“Thousand Faced Fox, Yin Underworld True Heavenly Lord, Broad Cold Ghost Mother, Blood Falcon Bird…”
Out of the blue, the strategist listed titles.
The expressions of everyone listening hardened.
The owners of the recited titles were all sect leaders of minor sects who were quite famous in their respective regions, and were masters of the Limitless Realm.
The strategist, who quietly spoke the titles of about ten people like that, briefly stopped his words and looked around the gathered people before opening his mouth again.
“They respectively led their disciples and unexpectedly attacked Thousand Swords Villa.”
“…”
Silence flowed in the Great Hall.
Even if Thousand Swords Villa and the Death God Squad combined their strength, if the military force Zhuge Gong mentioned was true, they wouldn’t have been able to prevent the extermination.
Ten Limitless Realm masters.
And even the disciples of those sects.
It was no ordinary military force.
Zhuge Gong added to the words he was saying while scanning those who had closed their mouths.
“At least, it is said that a few disciples, including Thousand Swords Villa’s young sect leader, fled together with the Death God Squad and succeeded in safely taking refuge at the branch located in Yichang.”
“…That is fortunate at least.”
Iron Sleeve Flying Sword said bitterly.
At first he was angry, but listening to Zhuge Gong’s words, he had come to know that the Martial Alliance had put in their utmost effort.
Rather, it was fortunate that they were alive even if it was a small number of people.
“But that is not all.”
Zhuge Gong said calmly.
“The Four squads of the Divine Dragon Squad that was guarding the Yangtze River basin were annihilated, and the Iron Blood Squad was rather routed while trying to stop the secret meeting between the Ten Nights Sect Leader and the Return to Origin Divine Palace Lord.”
“Such a thing…”
“Are you saying the Divine Dragon Squad and Iron Blood Squad failed their missions?”
At that time when everyone lost their words.
The Diancang Sect’s elder, Song-baek, said hastily with anxious eyes at the strategist’s words.
“R-Right now, are you saying the Four squads of the Divine Dragon Squad have all been annihilated?”
“That is right.”
“This cannot be…”
Song-baek closed his two eyes with an aghast expression as if the sky had collapsed.
It wasn’t just him.
All the elders of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang were like that.
It could not be helped.
It was because the Divine Dragon Squad was a battalion composed only of up-and-coming stars of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
“What happened to the Iron Blood Squad? Was it not annihilation but just being routed?”
Jade Flute Divine Sword, who attended as the representative of the Council of Elders, asked while frowning his eyes.
His expression was sharp.
His edge was sharpened due to the successive sad news.
“Forty-eight people died, two hundred people received light injuries, and one hundred people received heavy injuries requiring them to recuperate for at least a year, the Iron Blood Squad Leader sent a missive.”
Groans flowed out from everywhere.
It was a result no one expected.
“How about the other places?”
Shaolin’s Great Master Won jong opened his mouth.
“There is no damage in other places. Rather, the Chivalric Escort Unit and the Demon Suppressing Unit that were guarding the Yangtze River basin found martial artists of the Four Black Alliances who were secretly trying to cross the Yangtze River and infiltrate, then captured them and handed them over to the government office.”
At the news of victory heard for the first time, everyone caught their breath for a moment.
Thanks to that, the heavy atmosphere was also renewed, and their complexions which had completely hardened returned at least a little bit.
It was then.
“Strategist.”
The Qingcheng Sect’s Elder Do Yang-heun, who had continued to be restless from before, hastily spoke as if he had been waiting.
“What happened to the Blood Shadow Squad and the Ghost Shadow Squad that crossed into Sichuan?”
At those words, Abbess So-yeon who similarly showed an anxious appearance from the side added her words.
“Did the Demon Suppressing Unit’s Third Battalion and the Chivalric Escort Unit’s Second Battalion arrive on time?”
It was a tone mixed with urgency.
Zhuge Gong turned his head to the side without a word and looked at Seol Geom who was sitting.
“As for the story regarding that, the Vice Strategist will explain in detail.”
Everyone’s gazes shifted there.
“Haha.”
Seol Geom laughed as if he felt awkward.
Following that, he scratched his head with his folded folding fan, and moved his lips.
“As soon as they who crossed the Yangtze River entered Sichuan, they immediately moved to the Emei Sect.”
Seol Geom spoke slowly and turned his gaze.
“We certainly received the information from the Beggars’ Sect. Isn’t that so? Sect Leader.”
Dragon Pearl Beggar looked at Seol Geom asking while looking at him as if he was dumbfounded, then opened his mouth.
“That is right.”
Everyone stiffened at Dragon Pearl Beggar’s definitive answer.
It was then.
“T-So…”
Abbess So-yeon stuttered her words.
Having heard the detailed contents now, she was in a state of being even more uneasy.
Knowing that it was close to impossible to stop them with the Emei Sect’s military force, her expression had darkened immensely.
“…What happened to our sect?”
Seol Geom smiled gently, and answered.
“The Emei Sect achieved victory.”
“I-Is that really true?”
“Why would I lie?”
At Seol Geom’s words confirming the Emei Sect’s victory, Abbess So-yeon drooped as if she momentarily lost her strength.
It was because the tension was blown away.
“Immeasurable Life Buddha. It is fortunate.”
“As expected of the Emei Sect.”
Words of relief came out from here and there.
“Fortunately, it seems the Demon Suppressing Unit and the Chivalric Escort Unit arrived faster than expected.”
When Do Yang-heun finally added a word.
“That is not it.”
Seol Geom cut his words right off.
‘It shouldn’t be passed over like that.’
He, whose eyes shone, continued his words.
“The Demon Suppressing Unit and the Chivalric Escort Unit arrived after all the attacks were over.”
“The Demon Suppressing Unit and Chivalric Escort Unit were not there?”
“Then are you saying the Emei Sect held off that faction all alone?”
Seol Geom smiled warmly.
As if he had waited for this question.
“There are people who went to help the Emei Sect before that. Great Hero Nam cheon, the Lone Clear Sword, led the Qingcheng disciples and headed to the Emei Sect, and the martial artists at the Martial Alliance branch also moved busily.”
“That is amazing. To send disciples to help the same Orthodox Faction even when your own sect is in a dangerous situation.”
“It is an exemplar of the Orthodox Faction.”
Exclamations came out from here and there.
At that, Do Yang-heun made a pleased smile, and Abbess So-yeon expressed gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“Heoheo, no. It is a duty one must properly do as the same Orthodox Faction. If our sect were to be attacked, wouldn’t the Emei Sect also do the same?”
“Immortal…”
Around the time Abbess So-yeon looked at Do Yang-heun with moved eyes, Seol Geom moved his lips.
“And among the ones who gathered like that, the person who displayed the greatest active role is someone else.”
Everyone listened closely to Seol Geom’s words.
“Great active role?”
“Who is that?”
“The Extermination Unit Leader, the Plum Blossom Divine Hero.”
Seol Geom quietly leaked his words while deliberately mixing the title ‘Extermination Unit Leader’.
“Do you know who the person is that led the Blood Shadow Squad and the Ghost Shadow Squad and commanded the military force of two thousand people from the front lines?”
“Isn’t it the Blood Shadow Squad Leader and the Ghost Shadow Squad Leader?”
“It is only those two.”
“I heard that the Ghost Shadow Squad and Blood Shadow Squad do not listen to words other than from their squad leaders.”
When most nodded their heads as if agreeing to the Diancang Sect Elder Song-baek’s words.
Seol Geom spat out shocking words.
“Nong Jil led them.”
“N-Nong Jil?”
“The Blood Tear Joy King…?”
The majority could not hide their astonishment.
One of the Seven Monster Immortals, Blood Tears Joy King Nong Jil.
Her name was widely known as a master who could be counted on one’s fingers in the world beyond the Four Black Alliances.
At that time, Seol Geom moved his mouth again and spat out even more shocking words.
“And this time, she lost her life at the hands of the Extermination Unit Leader, the Plum Blossom Divine Hero Little Taoist Cheon-hwi.”
“…!”
“W-What?!”
The people gathered in the seats dropped their jaws.
Especially, a few people who had directly witnessed Nong Jil’s martial prowess in the past had their two eyes widened almost as if they would pop out.
“He routed the Green Forest Great Emperor, and now even Nong Jil…”
While mutterings flowed out, a few gulped down dry saliva.
It was a martial prowess unfitting for his age.
It was to the extent that his stage looked distant.
At the same time, their gazes flocked to one place even though no one decided it.
It was right the place where Immortal Hyeon-do was.
‘To think they only recognize our Hwi now.’
When he made a proud smile.
“Fortunately, a few victory news items were heard like this, but as I said before, the situation is not good.”
Zhuge Gong turned the atmosphere around.
Rejoicing was also only for a moment.
“If we only defend the city like this so that they cannot cross the Yangtze River, we will eventually be pushed back by the Four Black Alliances’ offensive someday.”
Dragon Pearl Beggar reacted to those words.
“In other words, are you saying let’s step up to attack first?”
Zhuge Gong nodded his head.
“…It won’t be easy, right?”
“Even so, if we go on like this, we will repeat defeat and victory in the same state as now, and the war will not end.”
“That is also true.”
Dragon Pearl Beggar accepted it.
Ultimately, in order to end the war, either the Four Black Alliances had to collapse, or the Martial Alliance had to collapse.
“…Is there a place you have in mind?”
Great Master Won jong carefully asked.
If they transitioned to an offensive, where they aimed at first was very important.
“The Ten Nights Sect and the Return to Origin Divine Palace are in a situation where they joined hands through the meeting this time, making them difficult to target. And Broken Rock Mountain Manor is unreasonable because it is in Guangxi. Since we must attack hurriedly, we don’t have time to go all the way there.”
Everyone agreed with Zhuge Gong’s words.
Just as he said, if the Ten Nights Sect and the Return to Origin Divine Palace combined their strength, a preemptive strike was dangerous.
And Broken Rock Mountain Manor was too far.
“Then the Sun Moon Sect would be good. It is because their military force has greatly decreased recently due to the war with the Divine Spear Yang Clan.”
The Kunlun Sect’s Elder Gok Pyeong said as if hitting the mark.
However.
“I also plan to exclude the Sun Moon Sect.”
“Hmm? The Sun Moon Sect?”
“Is there a reason?”
“The Sun Moon Sect Leader would have also thought the exact same thing. Thus, the probability that the Sun Moon Sect requested support as soon as the war broke out is high.”
“Hmm.”
Groans flowed from everywhere.
If the Four Black Alliances’ support was added to the Sun Moon Sect, the opponent would not be easy.
“Then the remaining one place…?”
At Gok Pyeong’s question, Zhuge Gong nodded his head.
“There is only that place. Among the Five Imperial Sects, the one that is located in the nearby Guizhou, and is the most heterogeneous evil cult in the Central Plains…”
Zhuge Gong, who was speaking, half-closed his eyes.
“The Immortal Heaven Cult. They are the sect the Alliance will attack this time.”