Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1240

1246. The Beginning of Collapse (1)

“Urgent news!”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s voice was unusually agitated.

“The Gwanghyeol Sect forces that were rampaging in southern Shanxi have been annihilated by the Righteous Army, led by Black Emperor Seongju Yeon Ho-Jeong and the White Divine General Mak Won, along with the Shanxi martial forces centered around Jongnam and Huashan!”

Great Master Gong Gong’s fist clenched involuntarily.

“Furthermore, the arrogant Gwanghyeol Sect forces that entered Wudang Mountain in Hubei have also been completely annihilated, leaving not a single survivor!”

It was no exaggeration to call it a great victory among great victories.

Although most of the Bonggong [a term for the elders or leaders of a martial arts sect] had returned to their respective sects due to the war, the remaining Bonggong members sighed in relief and celebrated the victory.

Great Master Gong Gong calmly asked,

“What are our casualties?”

Jeagal Mun-Ho lowered his head and said,

“The Righteous Army only suffered a few injuries, with no fatalities. However, among the Shanxi martial forces, led by Jongnam and Huashan, there were three hundred casualties.”

Considering they were facing an army of over ten thousand, three hundred casualties was a remarkable feat.

“The casualties from the battle near Wudang are not yet clear, but according to a preliminary report, the combined casualties of the Henan martial forces and the Martial Alliance forces exceed three thousand.”

“Three thousand…”

Great Master Gong Gong’s face clouded over.

If three thousand casualties were suffered while fighting an army of over fifty thousand, it could also be considered an unbelievable victory.

However, it was hard to be purely joyful about such a victory, given the number of deaths. Compared to the enemy’s numbers, it was a great victory, but three thousand or three hundred was not a small number.

Jeagal Mun-Ho spoke in a calmer tone.

“With this, the Gwanghyeol Sect, one of the three sects and considered the strongest, is practically annihilated. Of course, some forces may be lurking in their main base, but the important thing is that the upcoming battles will be much easier.”

“…That’s true.”

“Now, we should celebrate this victory and prepare for the attacks of the remaining two sects.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho felt as much sorrow for the casualties as Great Master Gong Gong. In some ways, he might have been even more shocked.

It was he who had thought of sending troops to the Gwanghyeol Sect, even after the Martial Alliance Leader’s permission. It was a natural action as a military strategist, but ultimately, his judgment had led to the deaths of allies, so he couldn’t help but be shocked.

Still, he spoke these words because now was not the time for the leadership to waver.

He would bear all the sins. Jeagal Mun-Ho was serving as a military strategist with that mindset.

Great Master Gong Gong knew Jeagal Mun-Ho’s heart better than anyone.

“Immediately announce this fact to the entire martial world.”

“Understood.”

“And quickly provide a report on the names and organizations of the casualties. Military Strategist, you should develop strategies based on the enemy’s future movements, but order your troops to do their best in handling the fallen soldiers.”

“I obey the Martial Alliance Leader’s command.”

Having left the Martial Alliance Leader’s hall, Jeagal Mun-Ho headed straight to the military affairs office.

Upon entering his office, Jeagal Mun-Ho collapsed into his chair.

‘Still.’

No matter what, there would be casualties. This is war, after all.

Still, if this was the extent, if they had defeated tens of thousands of troops with this much loss.

That would be some consolation for the dead.

“…Hoo.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho, who had covered his face with both hands, remained still for a while.

After a moment.

Jeagal Mun-Ho, who had rubbed his face as if wiping it, shook his hands and began to organize the documents.

A strange moisture was glistening on his palm.

After organizing several documents, he called one of his subordinates.

“Deliver this to the information organizations of the entire martial world.”

“Understood!”

“And have the remaining troops gather in the conference room within half an hour.”

“Yes!”

After sending the subordinate away, Jeagal Mun-Ho looked out the window.

A hint of worry settled in his still-red eyes.

“…This is war. Can you really handle it?”

A voice filled with deep worry and emotion, unlike his usual self.

The voice traveled on the wind, reaching far to the south.

It was a father’s worry for his child.

* * *

“Urgent news.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang’s voice was calm, yet trembling with a strange agitation.

“There’s a report that the martial forces have achieved a great victory in the battle against the Gwanghyeol Sect.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes, that’s right. There were reports that the Gwanghyeol Sect was not normal, but no matter what, a great victory is a great victory.”

“The numbers…?”

“The combined forces in southern Shanxi and those who entered Wudang Mountain in Hubei exceeded sixty thousand. All of those forces were annihilated, and the pure allied casualties are estimated to be between three and four thousand.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes wavered.

An army of over sixty thousand was truly overwhelming. It was even more so because each of them was not an ordinary soldier but someone who had mastered internal martial arts.

Even if they had stopped such a large demonic force with the sacrifice of three or four thousand allies, it would be a great feat. But they didn’t just stop them; they annihilated them completely.

Has there ever been such a one-sided victory in the history of the martial world?

‘It’s a relief. It’s really a relief.’

It was a joyous occasion that deserved more than just a round of applause.

Yet, she couldn’t be purely happy. It was definitely good news, but a feeling of sadness washed over her before joy.

‘Three to four thousand…’

A huge number.

Jeagal Ayeon felt dizzy. Despite winning the war against the Gwanghyeol Sect that had invaded the Central Plains, the number of casualties was so large that it was the first thing that stuck in her mind, rather than the victory.

‘No, even if the number was smaller…’

Whether it’s one person or three thousand, death is death.

The feeling of being depressed by the death of one person was felt three thousand times, or even more, which was the difference.

Jeagal Ayeon bit her lip.

‘This is war. It’s not strange for anyone to die. Right now, I should be grateful for their noble sacrifice. Otherwise…’

If she didn’t have that level of mental strength, she wouldn’t be able to handle the military affairs.

‘I need to make this clear. If the war continues, people will be seen as numbers, not as people. That’s what a military strategist is. At least, I shouldn’t be like that.’

The fact that she realized that was already remarkable. It was a reality that military strategists who had lost such human awareness would later cause bigger accidents than any demon.

Seo Jeong-Gwang, who had been quietly watching Jeagal Ayeon, cautiously asked,

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Of course.”

“As someone who also holds a military position, I know what you’re thinking, Miss Jeagal. The Martial Alliance’s Chief Military Strategist is probably having a hard time as well.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang was quick-witted.

“But if he hadn’t worked so hard, there would have been even more casualties. Fortunately, there are many experienced people around, including Great Master Gong Gong, so the Chief Military Strategist will overcome it.”

Jeagal Ayeon forced a smile.

“My father is a strong person. He’s beyond comparison to someone like me. He will definitely overcome it.”

“What’s important now is not to be intoxicated by victory, nor to be simply saddened by the deaths of the fallen.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang pointed to a map on the conference table.

“The Gwanghyeol Sect’s forces passed through Gansu and Shanxi and reached Hubei. Their southward speed was beyond imagination.”

“It was.”

“This was a great threat to the Central Plains martial world, but in another way, it was also a great opportunity. They were only moving south without enough food or sleep, so when planning a annihilation battle, it would have been quite easy to respond.”

“But we couldn’t.”

“That’s right. Do you know why?”

Jeagal Ayeon scanned a part of the map.

“Because of the remaining two sects.”

“That’s correct.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang pointed to Sichuan with his hand.

“Currently, there’s a report that a certain demon named Blood Venerable has entered Sichuan. He’s a mysterious figure from the three sects that the Martial Alliance is also watching.”

“Yes. To catch that guy, Ho-Jeong, no, Seongju Yeon had to let go of the Gwanghyeol Sect leader he had once captured.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s voice held a strange sense of longing.

Seo Jeong-Gwang deliberately ignored her emotions.

“That’s right. In my opinion, the Blood Venerable’s westward movement and the Gwanghyeol Sect’s southward movement are not unrelated.”

“Are you saying they planned it in advance?”

“No. In the first place, there’s no way the Blood Venerable could have known that all of the Gwanghyeol Sect’s forces would move south at this moment. But the moment the Gwanghyeol Sect began to move, the Blood Venerable headed west.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes sparkled.

“Was it their intention to cut off the waist of the Martial Alliance forces that had spread a net?”

“That’s correct. An army that is unintentionally split in half has less than one-tenth of its original strength. If the Martial Alliance forces had been divided as the Blood Venerable intended, even if they had succeeded in annihilating them, there would have been extreme damage.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang’s hand moved towards Shanxi.

“At that time, our Seongju appeared and cut off the rear of the demonic forces.”

“That’s right.”

“Although White Divine General Mak Won also participated and the Righteous Army followed, if Seongju hadn’t risked his life to cut off the army… the casualties might have numbered in the tens of thousands.”

Jeagal Ayeon smiled.

“Really, he always appears in unexpected places and achieves great feats.”

“That’s right. That’s why I respect Seongju.”

“But why is this important?”

Seo Jeong-Gwang pointed between Hubei and Henan provinces.

“The place where the battle took place is in the heart of the Central Plains. And the Martial Alliance forces were gathered, and our Black Emperor Castle is to the south.”

“That’s right.”

“The reason we have been preserving our forces until now is to rush out and mop up the remaining remnants when the Martial Alliance fails to stop them.”

“Yes, I know.”

“In other words, the strongest forces of the martial world, excluding the forces of each region’s sects, were watching the heart of the Central Plains.”

At that moment, Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes wavered.

“Then…?”

“That’s right.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang’s hand continued up, pointing to Hebei and the east.

“The Blood Venerable has headed towards Sichuan. As predicted, he will go down south of the annihilated Emei [a famous martial arts sect] and climb the rugged mountains to the west. Naturally, the Sichuan forces and the Martial Alliance will have no choice but to watch them.”

“…!!”

“At this moment, if enemy forces charge down into the vicinity of Hebei or Shandong, it will be a very big problem.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s face became serious.

She had learned military strategy by drawing small-scale battle situations in one region, but when she expanded the area to the entire Central Plains, her head was about to explode.

“Shandong… it probably won’t be Shandong. There’s no reason to infiltrate while hiding. If they charge in, it will be Hebei.”

“I think so too. The problem is that’s not all.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang’s voice became even more subdued.

“Currently, the Imperial Palace has successfully settled in Jiangsu Province. I am not confident that this fact will not reach the enemy’s ears, even if it’s late.”

“You mean…?”

“The east.”

Seo Jeong-Gwang’s hand pointed to the East Sea next to Jiangsu Province.

“Considering the thorough preparation the three sects have shown so far, there’s no guarantee that they don’t have ships to transport large forces.”

“…!!”

“If one of the two sects comes down from the north like a tidal wave, the central forces of the martial world will charge up to stop them.”

“At that moment, if the remaining enemies move by ship from the east…”

“They will push straight through from the Imperial Palace.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s face turned pale.

Seo Jeong-Gwang said with a serious face,

“For the sake of even one possibility, we must warn the Martial Alliance, Hebei, and the Imperial Palace. If we make a mistake… we could end up like the Gwanghyeol Sect.”