Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1130

The Great Battle of the Three Demons (6)

About ten days ago.

Tang Gwan and the Green Brigade experts, who had been pursuing Jima-hu and the Jima spirits she controlled, launched a night raid.

Both the Gansu martial forces and the Jima spirits were utterly exhausted. In that state, they suffered considerable damage when attacked by the Tang Clan’s elite forces.

Jima-hu would immediately rush to the rear and swing her sword when the Tang Clan forces attacked, and when she appeared, Tang Gwan would step forward to confront her.

However, they couldn’t bring it to an end.

In terms of troop strength alone, Tang Gwan and the Green Brigade should have been annihilated.

The problem was that they were masters of poison and hidden weapons, and to handle poison darts, they had to master footwork and movement techniques to the highest level.

Jima-hu also had no intention of losing troops by clashing with the elites led by Tang Gwan. They had shaken Gansu enough, and all that was left was to retreat. Unless they reorganized their ranks and fought again, they had to let their soldiers rest.

Thus, through three days of hit-and-run tactics, the number of Jima spirits, which had been 1,700, was reduced to 1,300. In the raid, a staggering 400 demons lost their lives.

Even so, Jima-hu did not try to fight. She didn’t even resent Tang Gwan.

That’s how war is supposed to be.

No fool would let a retreating enemy go just because they made a promise in front of them. Jima-hu knew this, and she also knew that the way to end the battle was to get out of Gansu as quickly as possible.

Tang Gwan also didn’t overdo it.

No matter how great the Green Brigade’s agility was, they were still human. Each time they launched a raid, their inner energy and stamina decreased, and the number of casualties increased day by day.

They had harassed them enough and reduced their forces significantly. The fleeing enemies were extremely exhausted, and crucially, Tang Gwan himself had also suffered considerable inner energy and stamina depletion.

In the end, Tang Gwan returned to Gansu’s capital with the Green Brigade after harassing the enemy for three days.

“How did it go?”

At Cho Geom-ja’s words, Tang Gwan shook his head.

“We couldn’t eliminate them all.”

Having regained his reason, Cho Geom-ja felt relief rather than disappointment at Tang Gwan’s words.

“Thanks to the Tang Clan Leader and the elites, the Gansu forces were able to survive.”

Cho Geom-ja bowed respectfully, clasping his hands.

“I am grateful for the Tang Clan’s participation.”

Tang Gwan smiled wryly and took Cho Geom-ja’s hand.

“Please don’t. Whether it’s Gansu or Sichuan, if one is breached, the entire Central Plains will suffer. Even if we didn’t win, if we didn’t get breached, that’s a victory, isn’t it?”

Of course, that was nonsense. Tang Gwan thought he had suffered losses in this battle.

To put it bluntly, it was close to a defeat. However, he couldn’t say anything that would demoralize the already depressed Cho Geom-ja and the Gansu forces.

Cho Geom-ja also knew Tang Gwan’s feelings. That’s why he felt even more ashamed.

If they had moved according to his advice, at least over a thousand lives wouldn’t have been wasted.

“Thanks to the Tang Clan’s participation, the Gansu martial world did not collapse, and we also gained great enlightenment. I will make sure to properly assess the situation so that such a thing never happens again.”

“That’s enough. Let’s not be too depressed.”

“Then, for now…”

Cho Geom-ja looked to the northeast.

“Did the enemies enter Qinghai?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Tang Gwan frowned.

“We did reduce their forces by three or four hundred in the night raid, but in the process, the Green Brigade also suffered quite a few casualties. I also found it difficult to continue the battle, so I retreated for now…”

“…?”

“Their movements were strange. They seemed to be heading to Qinghai, but then they changed direction and headed west.”

“West?”

If you go west from northern Gansu, you reach Shaanxi Province, and more broadly, the grasslands and deserts north of Shaanxi Province.

“I don’t know what their intentions are. However, considering their condition, they are definitely not trying to join the battle in Shaanxi.”

If Tang Gwan said so, then it must be so. Cho Geom-ja nodded.

“They must have set up supply depots everywhere in the outer regions. They must be exhausted from the continuous battles, so it would be difficult for them to participate in consecutive battles, even to reorganize their ranks.”

“I think so too, but…”

A suspicious look appeared on Tang Gwan’s face.

‘Is that really all there is to it?’

Whatever their intentions, Tang Gwan and the Gansu martial world could not move.

If another enemy army attacked in this state, Gansu would collapse. That was also one of the reasons why Tang Gwan didn’t chase Jima-hu further.

‘No matter what they’re aiming for, we can’t move. We also need to reorganize our ranks here and prepare for any possible battles.’

Cho Geom-ja thought they would retreat, but Tang Gwan thought differently.

‘They were a strong force, but… I don’t know.’

As he ascended to the Supreme Realm, Tang Gwan’s upper dantian [an energy center in the body] became as vast and deep as the sea.

Logically, Cho Geom-ja’s words were correct. However, the warning bell ringing in his developed upper dantian made Tang Gwan uneasy.

‘There’s definitely something. Something we don’t know about.’

Tang Gwan sighed.

“Let’s rest for now.”

Whatever they were aiming for, they had no choice but to do what they had to do.

And so, time passed.

* * *

There were more people chasing the Silver Tiger Cavalry.

There was Moyong Woo, the vice-leader of the Martial Alliance, and So Hyun-rip, who led the Tiger Horse Cavalry.

However, they had difficulty properly pursuing the Silver Tiger Cavalry.

It was entirely due to the horses they rode. No one knew how they had raised such horses, but they had not only turned the nimble, small horses of the north into giant warhorses, but they had also crammed them with incredible speed and unbelievable stamina.

Moyong Woo had only eliminated two horses in pursuit, and So Hyun-rip and the Tiger Horse Cavalry had eliminated hundreds.

But that was all. Even with the Tiger Horse Cavalry joining in and causing many casualties, even the elite cavalry unit led by the Saintly Sky King could not completely annihilate them.

In the end, Moyong Woo had no choice but to return to the front lines. It was pointless to chase them any further, and he himself had no energy to fight.

Conversely, So Hyun-rip and the fifty Tiger Horse Cavalry did not return to the front lines and turned north. They were also very tired.

When Moyong Woo returned, Mak Won was there.

“Senior Mak.”

“Vice-Leader.”

Mak Won’s face was full of worry and self-reproach.

“If I had participated in the battle in time, the outcome would have been different. I am truly ashamed.”

He felt unspeakable anguish at the fact that he had been completely tied down after approaching the ten thousand cavalry.

Namgoong Seung shook his head.

“It’s not your fault. In the battlefield, any variable can pop up. You did your best in your own way. Don’t blame yourself so much.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Apart from that, after thinking about it, I think I know what you were hit by.”

Mak Won’s eyes widened.

“You know?”

“Their leader sprinkled an unknown powder on me. I burned most of it with my sword fire, but just inhaling a tiny amount made it impossible to use my upper dantian.”

“…!”

“Judging by what he said, I don’t know what would have happened if I had inhaled a large amount. I might have suffered permanent damage to my upper dantian, or perhaps I might have been poisoned by the demon and gone mad.”

Mak Won recalled how he had been suppressed by an unknown force at the time, unable to move as if his whole body was bound by chains.

“It’s probably not the appearance of some great formation or transcendent master. If there was a master who could bind someone like you with just their aura and even degrade their cognitive abilities, he would no longer be human. He would be a god.”

It wasn’t that he was deliberately praising Mak Won.

Both Namgoong Seung and Mak Won had entered this realm while being called geniuses of their time. Although there was a difference in their realms, in some cases, it could be seen as a difference of only a hair’s breadth.

To make such masters go into a state close to mental confusion without even touching them? It was impossible.

“It’s more likely that you were trapped in a formation. The world is vast. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a formation that could hold a master of the Supreme Realm.”

“The problem is, how did they know I would go there?”

At that moment, Moyong Woo shook his head.

“They were professionally trained cavalrymen. That means they know more than anyone about scouts, detachments, and reconnaissance.”

“…!”

“Looking at the timing, that rest was their last. After that, they immediately charged in here. They must have done something in the area for their last rest before the war.”

“Hmm.”

It was not clear, but Moyong Woo’s words made sense.

“Just in case, Senior Mak and Elder Mu-sang should get a medical examination from a doctor. A doctor who specializes in martial artists.”

“I should.”

Mak Won, who had been sighing deeply, suddenly asked as if he had just remembered something.

“By the way, how far did you chase them?”

Moyong Woo smiled wryly.

“I couldn’t chase them far. In a pursuit battle, the retreating side can suffer extreme damage, but I only killed two cavalrymen.”

Mak Won clicked his tongue.

He knew very well how strong Moyong Woo was now. It was no exaggeration to say that he was one of the top martial artists in the current martial world, excluding the Supreme Realm masters.

And yet, he had only managed to kill two while chasing them. Even considering the issues of inner energy and stamina, it was an unbelievable number.

“They were that strong.”

“Yes.”

Moyong Woo, who was about to continue speaking, suddenly noticed confusion on Mak Won’s face.

“Senior?”

“Hmm?”

“Is there something bothering you?”

Mak Won sighed.

He spoke honestly.

“I heard that Saintly Sky King So Hyun-rip participated with his subordinates.”

“That’s right. I don’t know where he suddenly came from, but if Senior Saintly Sky King and his fifty cavalrymen hadn’t helped, the damage to the Shaanxi forces would have been exponentially greater.”

“He is my senior brother.”

Moyong Woo nodded.

“Yes. I know that from across the border.”

“Did Ho-jeong tell you?”

“Yes.”

Mak Won smiled wryly. Well, as the vice-leader of the Martial Alliance, it was information he had to know.

“He saw me as a traitor to the sect, and I saw him as a depraved person who had disturbed the sect. We could not understand each other. In the end, we were only senior and junior brothers in name, and our relationship solidified into one of killing each other.”

“…”

“Before the war broke out, I had a life-or-death duel with him. The match was not decided, but the fact that I, who thought I was a martial artist of the martial world, couldn’t even participate in the war, and that he, who had distanced himself from the martial world, helped our side, isn’t that a cruel twist of fate?”

Moyong Woo shook his head.

“This is not the time to think about such things. What matters is the future. There will be a time when Senior Mak will play a big role.”

Even at Moyong Woo’s words, Mak Won only sighed as if his heart was heavy.

Namgoong Seung asked.

“So, where did they head?”

“It seemed like they entered the northern grasslands and the western border.”

“Hmm, they must have been trying to reorganize their ranks. Even those guys who seem like they’ll never fall must have been exhausted. If they have any sense, they would have set up supply lines and depots near the border between the Central Plains and the outer regions.”

Moyong Woo’s thoughts were similar.

However, he felt a sense of unease.

‘Their movements were unwavering. Is it just a simple retreat?’

Whatever it was, the Shaanxi martial world also needed to rest and reorganize their ranks.

‘I hope nothing else happens.’