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1.
Farmers spurred their efforts to prepare firewood for the winter, while merchants reduced their orders in preparation for a market economy that would freeze solid like the water of a lake.
The warriors dispatched to a place ten thousand miles away from their hometowns felt even lonelier due to the coldness they felt every time they woke up in the morning.
But even this is only until today.
After the Black Dao sects that had been preparing for battle in Sichuan returned to their respective sects, they began sending some support supplies.
The plan announced by the Black Alliance was originally a joint operation, but even so, no one was brave enough to fight back-to-back with those who were enemies until yesterday starting today.
Moreover, compared to the White Path, which had spread its prosperity throughout the regions, the support supplies sent from the financially unstable Black Path martial arts world were incredibly meager.
However, despite all these circumstances, the morale of the Murim Alliance was higher than ever.
The sense of security from no longer having to worry about what lay behind was a sweet reward that could not be exchanged for anything else.
Furthermore, led by the Poison King of the Tang Clan, many sects affiliated with Qingcheng, Emei, and Baekpalbong also spared no support for the Murim Alliance.
The Poison King stood before the men overflowing with malice and placed his hands firmly on his hips.
“We’ve dragged this war on for too long! Now is the time to end it!”
“““Waaaaaaah!”””
“Therefore, now is the time to show those bastards what happens when they defy the will of Heaven!”
“““Let’s goooooo!”””
Originally, the Head of the Blue Dragon Pavilion of the Murim Alliance was supposed to lead the unit, but considering the symbolism and the morale of the warriors, it was decided that the Head of the Blue Dragon Pavilion would actually command it, while the Poison King would perform the role of captain on the surface.
As expected, this strategic decision by the leadership and military departments boosted the morale of the White Path martial arts world tremendously.
If there are beings using bizarre sorcery in the enemy camp, our side has the Poison Man and the Poison King.
This simple and clear sense of stability, combined with the expectation that the war would soon end, made the warriors of the Murim Alliance more ferocious than ever before.
The formation masters sent by the Mosan Sect and the Jegal family were the first to break through the Qimen formation set up by the Blood Cult.
Then, the poisoners cleared away the poisons scattered all around to open the way, and the White Path martial arts world poured unhinderedly along the entrance leading directly to the Blood Cult.
“Kill! Kill them!”
“They are bastards playing with corpses! Don’t let a single one of them live!”
“We don’t need prisoners! Don’t leave even a single weed here!”
The White Path martial arts world, filled with rage due to the tyranny the Blood Cult had committed, swept through the Blood Cult like a storm.
In the deepest basement of the Blood Cult, one hundred corpses prepared to be turned into zombies were discovered, and more than two hundred corpses showing clear signs of failed attempts to turn them into zombies were found.
This terrible sight spread by word of mouth to the dispatched unit, and among them, in addition to their long-standing anger, a sense of duty to annihilate all beings defying heaven burned brightly.
There was not even a shred of mercy left in their hands.
He killed all the warriors and sorcerers of the Blood Cult, took all the data from the research institute and laboratory, and set it on fire.
“Ha, I surrender!”
“P-Please spare my life!”
“I will tell you everything I know……!”
There were those who surrendered early upon realizing that the Blood Cult’s life was over, but the Martial Arts Alliance did not tolerate any exceptions.
Most of the personnel, with the exception of some sorcerers to be mobilized for sorcery research.
In particular, all those who had mastered the Blood Cult’s martial arts were beheaded on the spot.
While sweeping through the Blood Cult with storm-like force, the Poison King Tang Heze took Meng Zhuyuan with him to examine the corpses and materials used in the experiment.
“Tsk tsk. You can tell just by looking at it that it’s nothing special.”
“Is, is that so?”
The level of study is low, and the experiment is sloppy.
At Dang Hyeok-je’s words, Meng Ju-won nodded, forcing himself to suppress the rising nausea.
“I-I see. But why am I here…?”
He is a soldier belonging to the support unit.
After all, isn’t it the custom of the military to merely formulate operational plans and not to venture deep into the battlefield?
You need to see this situation to understand the enemies.
“…….”
Just when I thought I had gotten used to that strange way of speaking, I still can’t understand a thing he’s saying.
No, what would I, the Director of the Communications Department, do by finding out about the enemy?
“Tsk tsk. To think they sent such an idiot in such a critical situation. I’m going to have to take that narrow-minded bastard to the test.”
Stupid? To call me a fool, the top talent at the Ministry of Communications… …
Well, it’s true that Zhuge Xiaoming is petty, but…
At Dang Hyeok-je’s clicking of the tongue, a vein bulged on Meng Ju-won’s forehead, but he tried hard to hide his emotions.
Because I haven’t yet decided for sure how far I can go with this.
Poison King spat out a remark while looking at Meng Zhuyuan, whose face had turned pale.
“Their main weapons were sorcery and steel arrows. But they lacked the ability to craft steel arrows. Do you still not understand what that means?”
“ah!”
Only then did Maeng Ju-won feel a stinging sensation in the back of his head, as if he had been struck.
“Surely not… Are you saying there are other entities behind it?”
Maeng Ju-won pieced together the fragments in his mind, imagining a situation that absolutely must not happen.
How much wealth and human lives did the Murim Alliance pour into dealing with just one Blood Cult?
Moreover, even if the situation in Sichuan is resolved, it will not benefit the Murim Alliance.
Because I simply protected what I originally had.
But what if they aren’t the main culprits?
I do not know how many pillars of the Murim Alliance were uprooted to deal with these mere tails.
If enemies of this caliber appear just a few more times, we will face a crisis of survival, but if the mastermind behind it reveals themselves…
The Murim Alliance will eventually fall.
Tang Hejie was talking about that right now.
It’s not certain.
The Poison King of the world is famous for not speaking in a hoarse voice, unlike Murong Jiang.
There is no way he would have brought it up based on mere prediction.
As if to prove this, a shadow falls across the Poison King’s face.
Still, you have to prepare.
preparation…….
It is something that is very easy to say, but difficult to put into practice.
However, seeing the stiffened face of Tang Hejie, it seemed he was already thinking about the harsh future ahead.
“You’d better get used to it. This isn’t the last time you’ll see a scene like this.”
Leaving behind Meng Zhuyuan, whose face had turned pale from repeated vomiting, Dang Hedi turned around.
And at that moment, Maeng Ju-won felt goosebumps all over his body. ‘S-surely not… that I have to wander around like this for the rest of my life?’ Why hadn’t I thought of that?
“If war breaks out, not only will the Murim Alliance be shaken, but I, as a soldier, will also be dragged to the battlefield. ‘I, I’m screwed…’ At the thought that his lifelong wish might never come true, fear and despair began to fill his heart.”
one side.
Regardless of Maeng Ju-won’s mood, the warriors of the Murim Alliance were savoring their victory.
War devastates everyone.
The warriors who participated in the battle felt unparalleled joy simply at the fact that the war had ended and they could return home.
Warriors from all sects, including Dangga, Cheongseong, Ami, and Baekpalbong, left their respective factions, linked arms, and fully savored their victory.
“Waaaaaaah!”
“I won!!!”
“Let’s go back!!!!”#“Have you satisfied your curiosity?”
Damak, who had been lifting his teacup at Cha Seok-du’s question, put it down again.
“Actually… I still don’t really know.”
Just before Jin So-un woke up, Dam-ak wanted to meet Jin So-un faster than anyone else.
He had to identify the unknown entities that appeared in his quarters.
However, a person who survived the crisis of death.
The Murim Alliance delegation was indeed the first to see Jin So-un.
Nevertheless, Dam-ak made a request to Cha Seok-du, and Cha Seok-du had to make a request to the Murim Alliance delegation once again.
“But… ‘To think that the little brat from the Tang family would be a stumbling block.’ Naturally, I expected Ak Byeong-bi to be the first to refuse, but on the contrary, he didn’t seem to mind at all.”
Instead, a little kid named Dang Seo-hui was stubborn.
He even threatened that he absolutely had to see him wake up.
Although this was merely a simple expression of personal emotion beyond a political choice or decision, it could not be easily suppressed.
From the start, he wasn’t someone who could be persuaded by Akbyeongbi or Ilmyeong.
Cha Seok-du, knowing just how stubborn the Dang family was, was about to back down.
Il-myeong sent a telepathic message.
– If you let him play the role of the lord, he will back down.
Buryeonju game?
What is that, you bad monk!
The telepathic sound was heard again by Cha Seok-du, who couldn’t even begin to guess what on earth it was.
You just need to lead the warriors of the Four Emperors’ Peak and circle around the Four Black Alliance a couple of times.
So-called advice(?)
Well, Cha Seok-du made a proposal to Dang Seo-hui with a skeptical thought.
“……
“Well, then it can’t be helped. It’s a shame, but we have to concede the first meeting.”
Dang Seo-hui accepted this after deep anguish.
She wore the Four Emperors’ Iron Armor that didn’t even fit her body.
Although Hwang Bu-sik suffered a bit because he rode on his shoulders and marched around the Saheukryeon a couple of times.
Neither he nor the warriors of the Four Emperors’ Peak were particularly displeased.
Isn’t he Jin So-woon’s comrade who saved the Black Alliance?
Anyway, considering it was a position created after going through such a series of events, to hear that you don’t know.
As Cha Seok-du’s brow furrowed, Dam-ak slowly stroked the teacup.
“He risked his life for his own disadvantage. They say that is the ‘cooperation’ Baekdo speaks of, but… my reason does not feel that he truly practiced ‘cooperation’.”
For some reason, the corners of Damak’s eyes are drooping.
If his face had been like a sharp wildcat until now, today he felt like a sullen puppy for some reason.
Cha Seok-du chuckled as he watched Damak.
“Isn’t it because you keep thinking only rationally?”
“What is that…….”
I mean that I roughly understand.
Damak’s lips parted.
You mean you understand?
That’s because you and he are both lonely beings.
Damak furrowed his brow.
I have spent my entire life keeping books and writing close by, but the only thing I haven’t learned is martial arts; otherwise, I am a man second to none.
To think that someone like me is a lonely existence.
Cha Seok-du looked at Dam-ak, who was lost in thought, with warm eyes.
Do you know where that child comes from?
I heard it is the Taeeulmun.
“Right, if we compare Taeeulmun to the world you came from… yeah, you could say it’s something like a small village school tucked away in a remote corner.”
Cha Seok-du grinned, wondering what was so funny.
I mean a village school where the teacher is incompetent, they can’t even collect the daily fees properly, and water leaks from the roof.
“At a village school like that, that… what was it… the exam you passed….”
Are you talking about the local civil service examinations and the national civil service examinations?
Cha Seok-du nodded vigorously.
“Right! Didn’t they say that if you pass that, you become a Jinsa?”
“yes.”
That is the fellow’s position.
The smile that had hung on Cha Seok-du’s lips vanished before he knew it.
“What happens to the child who passed like that when they go to Beijing? Do they succeed and enjoy wealth and glory?”
it’s tough.
Passing the provincial and national civil service examinations in such poor conditions is remarkable, but ultimately, it meant having no background whatsoever.
At the very least, if you come from a good academy, you can forge connections. A dragon born from a stream, however, quickly falls due to the hangers-on hanging below it and those who try to keep it from soaring.
No matter how successful you are, you will merely live as the master of a stream.
Cha Seok-du, observing Dam-ak’s expression, nodded lightly.
“That fellow Jin So-un is in the same position. So he is bound to be lonely all the time.”
People from the stream may look at the dragon and say it is amazing, but the dragon itself feels frustrated at the thought that it cannot fly freely across the world.
“His name resounds throughout the land, yet he must ultimately feel a loneliness piercing to his very bones. The Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Clans, and the Twelve Peak Stars of the Hundred and Eight Peaks are masters of political maneuvering no less than the nobility of Beijing. Moreover, they possess private military power that the nobles do not have.”
Come to think of it, the Jianghu is more ruthless than Beijing.
In that place, only power struggles led by the Emperor take place, but in the Jianghu, isn’t the direct exercise of force taking place?
Damak realized once again just how terrifying a place he had stepped into.
Cha Seok-du cast his gaze toward the pavilion where Jin So-un was and continued speaking.
“He must have been lonely. He must also know that his future path will be lonely.”
Eventually, Cha Seok-du shifted his gaze to Dam-ak.
“You caught the eye of a guy like that—you, standing alone in an unfamiliar world, preparing for revenge. He couldn’t easily turn his head away.”
At Cha Seok-du’s words, Dam-ak’s face flushed bright red.
I felt Jin So-un’s heart once again.
For some reason, the faces of the friends I used to compete with at the academy in the past came to mind.
“Even though I am… an enemy?”
A smile unconsciously forms on the corners of Cha Seok-du’s lips as he discovers Dam-ak’s flushed face.
“That may be the case in politics, but it is the same in the world of martial arts. There are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies. That is why that friend wanted to look out for you as long as we were comrades, even knowing that he would put himself in a difficult situation.”
A difficult situation?
“In any case, didn’t the Divine Being of the White Path even sacrifice his life to save the Black Alliance’s main army? Do you think the Murim Alliance’s Inspection and Execution Offices will just sit idly by? They will try to find fault with it by any means necessary.”
Come to think of it, the Murim Alliance delegation head is the Inspection Pavilion’s three
I also heard that the clan head is a vicious person.
If even the utterly ignorant Dark Sect members are grinding their teeth, it means he is no ordinary vicious human being…
I started to worry about Jin So-un again.
“Would you be okay?”
Cha Seok-du laughs at Dam-ak’s question.
“Why? Are you suddenly worried about your friend?”
“Tch, friends? What friends… I just don’t like getting indebted.”
“Well, he’ll figure that out on his own. If he can’t stand the Murim Alliance’s persecution anymore and switches allegiance to the Dark Alliance, that wouldn’t be so bad in its own way.”
Cha Seok-du let out a hearty laugh and continued speaking.
“Anyway, paying off the debt would lighten the burden for us. That bastard has been causing quite a ruckus, after all.”
“yes?”
Cha Seok-du shook his head as if he were fed up.
“He came to me, ranting and raving, demanding I pay him for saving you. I wonder how a guy who barely survived can be so full of energy.”
Damak spoke cautiously.
“How far do you think it goes?”
“Well, what he wants is an alliance, but… he already said he wouldn’t form an alliance, so wouldn’t it be ridiculous to go back on his word?”
That is correct. It would be best to avoid showing any signs of wavering as much as possible.
It is the foundation of the study of kings.
The crowd does not like a shaky throne.
Cha Seok-du nodded and asked Dam-ak.
“There are some items from the White Path in our Black Alliance’s treasury, aren’t there?”
During the formation of the Black Alliance, the major sects had to pay a participation fee exceeding a certain amount.
However, the Black Dao sects, unwilling to pay out of their own pockets, paid with valuable but unusable antiques or lost martial arts manuals of the White Dao sect as participation fees.
From Cha Seok-du’s perspective at the time, it was an absurd act, but the time has come for it to shine.
“How about sending a few of those?”
That would be enough as a symbol of friendship.
“Right. Anyway, if the item is decent, Jin So-un will get scolded a little less. How would you like to prepare it?”
After contemplating for a moment, Damak bowed his head.
Yes. I will find a suitable one and prepare it.
Damak spoke simply, but Cha Seok-du knows.
That Damak is already starting to rack his brains.
And that was to prevent the friend belonging to Baekdo from falling into danger. #I was currently facing a crisis.
“Oh, what brings you here?”
And that too during a pretty big crisis.
I have been avoiding being alone with Akbyeongbi as much as possible.
Because there was no real excuse for what happened within the Black Alliance.
I understand finding the hidden culprit, but risking one’s life for Damak was a bit too much, even in my opinion.
Therefore, I tried to pressure Cha Seok-du to somehow secure the alliance, but he wouldn’t budge at all.
“So, you’re saying you’ve finished pooping? I’m the only one who ended up like a bird.” If you looked at the distant future, saving Damak was the right thing to do, but right now, the biggest problem was how to persuade Ak Byeong-bi or those guards of the Alliance Leader’s Palace.
No matter how you look at it, saving the Black Sect’s entire army would be considered crossing the line.
Anyway, I tried my best not to arrange a face-to-face meeting until I returned to the academy.
Eventually, Akbyeongbi arranged a meeting.
How am I supposed to avoid this… … .
Oh dear, my body aches. I’m a bit tired, so may I leave the room first?
Just as I was about to awkwardly stand up.
Ak Byeong-bi spoke, his eyes shining with sharp intensity.
“Are you planning to join the Black Path?”
My body froze abruptly.
My brow furrows deeply.
What is this guy talking about?
