Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1131

When Yeon Ho-Jeong first realized that the Shin Hwa-Gyo [Divine Transformation Cult] forces were planning a surprise attack on the northern part of the Imperial Palace, he initially thought they had shown some cleverness.

However, he was confident in his ability to defend against it. Even if their individual skills were inferior to those of martial artists, the professionally trained army was adept at overwhelming enemies with the power of the collective.

That was a strength that martial artists did not possess. Martial artists fundamentally found it difficult to form groups as large as armies. Although alliances like the Martial Alliance and the Black Emperor Castle existed, they only deployed and selected units according to the characteristics of martial artists, and did not engage in large-scale group battles involving thousands or tens of thousands.

Therefore, battles between martial arts organizations were typically limited to intelligence gathering, surprise attacks, proxy wars, and life-or-death duels, rarely escalating into full-scale warfare.

That was the fundamental difference between martial artists and soldiers.

Armies used every means possible to achieve victory.

Even the Imperial Palace’s special cannons came in various types, and while not as advanced as those of the Tang Clan, they had decent poison darts, and if necessary, they would even resort to suicide attacks with fire bombs.

It was a matter of training, not morale. Because they did not focus on individual training as much as martial artists, the power of the group increased, naturally developing into extreme tactics that utilized every available resource.

The army stationed at the Imperial Palace alone numbered 50,000.

Even with the nation’s power declining after its golden age, it still maintained a force of 50,000. If they conscripted regional armies from across the Central Plains, they could raise an army of hundreds of thousands.

Of course, those conscripted troops would be largely ineffective due to lack of proper training.

Unless they were in a dire situation where they had to fill numbers and resort to human wave tactics, conscription was unnecessary. Moreover, since the martial arts sects in each region were responsible for maintaining public order, the Imperial Palace naturally focused on training elite soldiers.

If necessary, they would commit more than half of their forces to push back the enemy. That was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s initial assessment.

And from that moment.

It was precisely from that moment that Yeon Ho-Jeong began to doubt the current situation. A nagging thought would not leave his mind.

Did the enemy not know all of this?

The Shin Hwa-Gyo had been targeting the Imperial Palace for decades, and they would have succeeded in occupying it if it weren’t for the experts dispatched by the Martial Alliance.

Would those who knew so much about the Imperial Palace be unaware of the strength of its army?

Confidence alone could not explain it. Targeting the northern part with a surprise attack was a bold idea, but Yeon Ho-Jeong sensed something more.

He tried to put himself in their shoes. A general must be well-versed in the strength and condition of their own forces, and furthermore, they must be able to think from the enemy’s perspective.

Yeon Ho-Jeong once again considered the situation from the enemy’s point of view.

Moreover, the northern surprise attack force was stationed thirty li [approximately 15 kilometers] away, as if to keep the Imperial Palace’s eyes fixed on them.

It was an incomprehensible action. Their actions were no different from telling them to prepare thoroughly because they were about to attack.

The enemy was not stupid. They would never take such an action if there was no benefit.

Suspicion bred suspicion, and eventually, that obsessive suspicion, abundant imagination, and sharp tactical insight brought out one possibility.

Shaanxi and Gansu.

He looked at the entire northern part of the Central Plains, not just the northern part of the Imperial Palace.

Unless it was a group battle between martial artists, no war ever ended with the last soldier dying.

Even if they lost only 30% of their forces, or even half at the worst, they had effectively lost. A defeated army would naturally retreat and plan for the future.

Even if the Three Teachings [referring to the three main branches of the Shin Hwa-Gyo] had struck at an unexpected moment, they would not have neglected their supply lines. If they could not penetrate the Central Plains, they would have certainly established supply lines to retreat and reorganize their ranks.

But was that all?

After resting and reorganizing their ranks there?

Where would they head next?

Furthermore, what if the time to reorganize their ranks was fast? The Saeum-Gyo [Whispering Sound Sect] and Gwanghyeol-Gyo [Blood Radiance Sect] cultivated the Sima Gong [a type of martial art]. Although it might lack the endurance of a divine art that boasted consistent power from beginning to end, it was overwhelming in terms of recovery compared to many divine arts of the Central Plains.

Rapid recovery of stamina, injuries, and internal energy.

What would happen after that? Would they return to their respective sects?

What if they didn’t return?

If they had achieved an overwhelming victory, they would not need to return to their supply lines. They would have directly invaded Gansu or Shaanxi, plundering the local people and completely swallowing the region.

In other words, returning to the supply lines meant that they had been defeated or felt burdened by a follow-up attack due to a lack of troops.

Thinking that far, Yeon Ho-Jeong could deduce one chilling answer.

Combined forces.

Different armies would merge into one.

What if the forces that attacked Gansu and the forces that attacked Shaanxi quickly reorganized their ranks and then targeted Hebei?

Hebei was where the Imperial Palace was located. If the Imperial Palace fell into enemy hands, the morale of the Central Plains would plummet beyond recovery. Knowing that, the Shin Hwa-Gyo was so obsessed with the Imperial Palace.

From that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong began to obsessively receive information about Shanxi Province, west of the Imperial Palace.

Among the reports, there was information that Yeon Ho-Jeong had predicted.

Information that unknown forces were rushing towards Hebei at a terrifying speed.

The answer was clear.

And in the face of that clear answer, Yeon Ho-Jeong could not remain still.

* * *

Dududududu!

The warhorse, galloping at an incredible speed, was exceptionally large and muscular.

It was natural. Yeon Ho-Jeong was now wielding the Gwangryongbu [Radiant Dragon Axe]. An ordinary warhorse could not carry someone who wielded and swung such a heavy weapon.

And behind him, three thousand cavalrymen followed.

The Imperial Palace’s elite cavalry unit, the Geumcheon Cavalry Corps [Golden Sky Cavalry Corps].

Three thousand out of a total of five thousand cavalrymen advanced, and behind the open western gate, the remaining two thousand cavalrymen were preparing to sortie.

‘As expected.’

Woo-woo-woong!

The Hwangryong Shinwang Gong [Yellow Dragon Divine King Art] quietly blazed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes shone brightly. The pair of eyes, dyed gold, could see those who were rushing in, raising dust clouds in the distant plains.

Even though the distance was so far, the air tainted with demonic energy seemed to make it hard to breathe.

The scattering aura of terror. It wasn’t just the cavalrymen who were emitting a sinister demonic energy, but the warhorses they were riding also seemed to be demonic creatures.

‘Was it to this extent?’

Even though they were far away, their momentum was tremendous.

You couldn’t let your guard down just because they were at the Supreme level. No, if you let your guard down, you would die. The military discipline of the cavalry unit, charging as one, was that formidable.

Hoo-woo-woong.

The Hwangryong Shinwang Gi [Yellow Dragon Divine King Qi], without leaning to either side, settled into his lungs.

It activated the lung function like the White Tiger Golden Qi. The stuffy air became refreshing, and all the impure things that had entered his lungs quickly evaporated.

‘Yes, that’s why they caused such a commotion.’

The reason why the Shin Hwa-Gyo forces, who were probably fighting fiercely with his father, were stationed thirty li away.

It was to keep all the Imperial Palace’s attention and forces focused on the north.

The Imperial Palace was incredibly vast. If all the forces were concentrated on the northern front and the flanks were attacked, it would take a considerable amount of time to dispatch troops there.

The important thing was whether they could hold out on the walls until that time.

‘Those guys can do it.’

The enemy cavalry unit, charging in, could ignore the attacks of the remaining defenders on the walls and break down the walls.

He didn’t know what kind of attack methods they had, but he could tell from their military discipline.

They were elites. They could be said to be the top units among the elite forces.

Moreover, behind that unit, not far away, he could feel the presence of a supreme master emitting another demonic energy.

‘There’s a Supreme level master.’

One enemy commander who had not died in Shaanxi or Gansu had tagged along.

If that was the case, there was no need to look further. If they had not prepared in advance, the western wall would have been breached, and the enemies would have infiltrated the Imperial Palace and created chaos.

Then everything would be over. The Supreme level masters stationed at the Imperial Palace could minimize the damage, but if the Emperor was taken hostage in the process, the war would be over.

A truly audacious decoy tactic.

Who would sacrifice 25,000 troops to occupy the enemy’s camp? He didn’t know which of the Three Teachings it was, but the one who carried out this operation was clearly a psychopath.

‘That’s not all. They were one and three. Each was acting separately. But if they carried out a strategy to devastate the Imperial Palace with a combined forces tactic on the spot, it meant that there was someone that all three teachings acknowledged.’

Looking at the enemy’s strategy and tactics, he could see through even the unknown enemy he didn’t know the face of.

Extreme combat experience and transcendent senses, the sharp insight of a military strategist that was difficult to explain with wisdom.

Yeon Ho-Jeong finally realized that he had, for a moment, dominated the battlefield.

‘There will be no more tricks left.’

They had used their brains as much as they could, and they had moved as much as they could.

All that was left was battle.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s chest swelled greatly.

“Uwaaaaaaak!”

The lion’s roar that burst out was filled with the Hwangryong Shinwang Gi.

He blew away the demonic energy and military discipline that was pushing through the air with an angry shout. A loud bang! bang! echoed in the air.

‘Five hundred jang [approximately 1.5 kilometers].’

The number of enemies was finally predicted.

‘More than five thousand, no, six thousand.’

It wasn’t just cavalry. From the rear of the cavalry, a thousand infantrymen, exuding a different demonic energy, were rushing in with footwork no less than the cavalry.

And there was a Supreme level master there.

‘Three hundred jang [approximately 900 meters].’

They were all rushing madly towards each other. The distance was closing rapidly.

‘One hundred jang [approximately 300 meters].’

Woo-woo-woong!

The golden true energy blazed like a flame on the thick axe blade of the Gwangryongbu.

The distance between Yeon Ho-Jeong and the Geumcheon Cavalry Corps was thirty jang [approximately 90 meters]. Before that distance closed, they had to completely crush the front-line troops.

With his own power alone.

And when the distance to the enemy forces reached fifty jang, thirty jang, and then twenty jang.

Pi-pi-pi-pi-ping!

The thousand archers of the Eunho cavalry [Silver Fox Cavalry], who were charging, began to fire arrows.

It was not towards Yeon Ho-Jeong, but towards the Geumcheon Cavalry Corps.

Yeon Ho-Jeong did not worry about his allies. There was no point in worrying, there was no need to worry, and it was not the time to worry.

And finally, when the distance narrowed to ten jang [approximately 30 meters].

Yeon Ho-Jeong unleashed a horizontal slash towards the Eunho cavalrymen who were charging with their spears.

Flash!

The merciless dance slash of the Gwangpung Guryongsal [Whirlwind Nine Dragon Slash], which had not been used for a long time, unfolded.

It was a simple movement, but the fluttering sleeves and the flowing hem of his robe seemed to be truly dancing.

Kwarururung!

A tremendous gust of wind poured out, turning more than ten of the Eunho cavalry’s vanguard into mincemeat.

A martial art that not only crushed the enemy to death but also ground them to pieces.

Hwaaaak!

The Shinwang Gi, which had been wandering in the upper dantian [energy center], bestowed infinite power upon the Gwangryongbu.

Chwarururuk! Kwakwakwang!

The Gwangryongbu in his right hand unleashed slashes as if possessed, and the Gyoryongswae [Dragon Binding Chain], which had suddenly appeared from his left hand, turned the enemy’s cavalry and warriors into a bloody mess.

The power that was being emitted was like a tidal wave, and the soaring fighting spirit could not be broken even if ten thousand soldiers came.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s right arm swelled up.

Puh-uh-uh-ung! Kwadudeudeuk!

The cavalry and warriors who had been shattered by the second form of the Gwangpung Guryongsal, the Rising Sky Stance, soared high into the sky. In the third form, the Mountain Collapse Stance, which was unleashed in succession, a crater with a radius of more than five jang [approximately 15 meters] was formed.

Flash!

Furthermore, the Baekryongbu [White Dragon Axe], which was tied to his waist, was shot out with the subtlety of the Sword Qi [sword energy], the fourth form, the Gwangpung Flash, smashing five enemy cavalrymen and returning.

Freely wielding all the weapons he held, unleashing the powerful martial force he had been holding back all this time, the madness of the unrivaled.

At that unrealistic destructive power, the cavalrymen of the Eunho cavalry, who had been charging without fear, were terrified and turned their horses around.

Chwarurururuk!

The Gyoryongswae, which was shot like a dagger, blew off the head of one of the cavalrymen.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body was instantly soaked in blood.

“Come!!”