Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 495

495. The Crisis in Sichuan

Yunhyun immediately headed to the residence on the outskirts of Hangzhou.

While traveling in the carriage, Yunhyun continued discussing the current situation with Chief Strategist Yeongho-jun and Head of External Affairs Moryong-mi.

“How large is the force of the Demonic Sect that has escaped into Sichuan?”

Moryong-mi answered Yunhyun’s question.

“Cheonun-ja estimates it to be about three thousand.”

Rustle.

Moryong-mi handed over a letter from Cheonun-ja, the acting leader of the Common Faction.

Yunhyun received the letter and read through it.

The content was as Moryong-mi had said.

It also pointed out that the government troops in Nanzhou had allowed the Demonic Sect’s forces to escape into Sichuan.

Rustle.

Yunhyun handed the letter to Chief Strategist Yeongho-jun.

Yeongho-jun quickly examined the contents of the letter.

“Hmm.”

He sighed.

“For the government troops to be utterly defeated in the initial battle and hole up in Nanzhou… this is the worst-case scenario.”

Yeongho-jun muttered quietly.

He returned the letter to Yunhyun and said,

“It seems the Commander-in-Chief has lost the will to fight. He probably intends to just defend the Xi’an area at all costs.”

“Even if they buy time that way, the Demonic Sect’s forces won’t just disappear, will they?”

Moryong-mi asked, as if she couldn’t understand.

“Won’t the Demonic Sect’s forces actually increase? Moreover, if they advance into Sichuan, the war situation will become even more…”

“They see it as a rebellion.”

Yunhyun said quietly.

“Historically, most rebellions tend to subside over time. Without a proper organization and strong leadership, they naturally fall apart. Preventing the rebellion from spreading to other areas while buying time is an effective strategy.”

Moryong-mi still looked doubtful.

“But this isn’t a rebellion. They are…”

“That’s right.”

Yunhyun sighed quietly.

“They are the Demonic Sect’s forces. They just don’t want to admit it. Right now, what’s important to them isn’t suppressing the chaos, but driving out Eunuch Bak.”

Moryong-mi was dumbfounded.

Even so, how could they deny the Demonic Sect’s forces right before their eyes?

But she knew that Yunhyun’s words were accurate.

Clatter, clatter.

The sound of horses’ hooves echoed in the silence.

Suddenly, Yeongho-jun asked Yunhyun,

“Alliance Leader, will the government troops in Sichuan Province be able to respond properly?”

Currently, the unrest in Gansu is officially a ‘rebellion.’

The Regional Commander, who oversees the military affairs of Sichuan Province, is likely to see them as ordinary peasants as well.

The response will also be lax and slow.

Especially if Sichuan Province’s elite troops have been drafted into the suppression forces in Nanzhou.

“We need to make sure they respond properly.”

Yunhyun said with a firm expression.

“We must inform the Regional Commander of Sichuan that this is not a rebellion, and use his authority to command the government troops of Sichuan to prepare for the Demonic Sect’s forces.”

“Will the Regional Commander accept it?”

“I can’t be certain, but he won’t be able to ignore it completely.”

Even though Yunhyun was a Special Inspector, he couldn’t interfere in military affairs.

However, Eunuch Bak’s influence still lingered among the local officials.

Even if Yunhyun’s letter didn’t have the same power as before, they wouldn’t be able to completely disregard it.

After thinking for a moment, Yunhyun asked Moryong-mi,

“Have you heard from the Emei Sect or the Tang Clan yet?”

“I think they’re on their way. Cheonun-ja confirmed the Demonic Sect’s detour and sent an urgent report immediately.”

Yunhyun nodded.

Once it became known that the Demonic Sect’s forces were heading to Sichuan, it was inevitable that the Tang Clan or the Emei Sect would feel threatened and send news to the Azure Dragon Alliance later than Cheonun-ja.

“This is really…”

Yeongho-jun clicked his tongue.

“The problem is time.”

Sichuan is a very long distance from Hangzhou.

Even if they left right away, it was uncertain whether they could arrive in time.

“That’s right. But Chengdu in Sichuan isn’t exactly close to Nanzhou either.”

Although Gansu and Sichuan are neighboring provinces, the distance between Nanzhou and Chengdu is quite far.

It was clear that it would take quite a few days just for a force of three thousand to move.

“In any case, the fact that we need to hurry remains unchanged.”

Yunhyun nodded at Moryong-mi’s words.

No one knew whether the letter to be sent to the Regional Commander of Sichuan could arrive in time, or whether the Regional Commander would readily accept the contents of the letter.

And even if the experts of the Azure Dragon Alliance went, it was uncertain whether they could stop the Demonic Sect’s forces.

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage sped towards the residence on the outskirts of Hangzhou.

Everything was chaotic and uncertain.

***

Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Tang Clan.

“Chief Strategist.”

Tang Seol-ryeon, who was sitting in her office, brightened her eyes at the sound coming from outside the door.

Tang Seol-ryeon had relinquished her position in the Taepyeong Alliance [a powerful martial arts alliance] and taken the position of Chief Strategist of the Tang Clan.

With the Clan Lord’s seat vacant, she was effectively the highest authority in the Tang Clan.

“Come in.”

Tang Seol-ryeon said.

Rustle.

The door opened and a subordinate entered the office.

He bowed respectfully to Tang Seol-ryeon and said,

“Chief Strategist, the Regional Commander, the Surveillance Commissioner, and the Provincial Treasurer have all refused to meet. They have also stated that they will not accept the previous request.”

Gritting.

Tang Seol-ryeon gritted her teeth.

It was something she would never do in front of her subordinates, but she didn’t care.

“Even though I told them that the Demonic Sect’s forces are heading here?”

Tang Seol-ryeon said sharply.

In the past, they would have pricked up their ears at a single word of information from the Tang Clan, but now they were taking such a high-handed attitude.

“They did not acknowledge the Demonic Sect’s forces. Rather, they said that if we spread false rumors and confuse the public, we would be held responsible…”

“Ha!”

Tang Seol-ryeon scoffed.

To the government troops, thousands of peasants are nothing more than a ragtag mob.

But the ones coming to Chengdu now are by no means ordinary peasants.

Perhaps the local officials themselves are doubtful about the identity of the ‘peasants.’

Nevertheless, they refused to accept the Tang Clan’s request to ‘prepare for the Demonic Sect’s forces’ and even refused to meet.

The meaning was clear.

They meant that they would not get involved with the Tang Clan no matter what.

“Any word from the Azure Dragon Alliance?”

“Not yet.”

It was only natural that there wasn’t any.

It had only been a few days since Tang Seol-ryeon sent the letter.

The letter, which had been filled with confident content about seizing power in the Tang Clan, had suddenly turned into a desperate request for help due to the sudden news of the Demonic Sect’s forces.

“Chief Strategist, will the Azure Dragon Alliance really help us?”

The subordinate asked with an anxious expression.

Doubting Tang Seol-ryeon’s decision was something that would never have happened normally, but Tang Seol-ryeon did not blame him.

“They will definitely come to help. So don’t worry.”

However, the subordinate’s anxiety did not disappear.

His reaction now was a direct reflection of the current atmosphere in the Tang Clan.

The only people who knew that Dokseon was with Yunhyun were Tang Seol-ryeon, Cheonghong Ssangno, and the Clan Lord, Tang Cheon-byeok, who was unconscious.

Moreover, the Tang Clan was by no means on good terms with the Azure Dragon Alliance.

Wasn’t the Azure Dragon Alliance started when Azure Dragon Sword Lord Yunhyun fought against the Taepyeong Alliance and saved Emei in the first place?

So it was only natural that they couldn’t believe that the Azure Dragon Alliance would help the Tang Clan.

“How about the Emei Sect?”

“There’s no reply yet.”

Tang Seol-ryeon had also sent a letter to the Emei Sect.

If the Demonic Sect’s forces came down, the Tang Clan wouldn’t be the only one in danger.

But there was still no reply from Emei.

“…I understand. You may leave.”

“Yes.”

The subordinate bowed respectfully and left the office.

Left alone, Tang Seol-ryeon leaned back in her chair.

Thud.

“Hoo.”

A sigh came out involuntarily.

She tapped the desk with her white fingers and fell into thought.

‘…We can avoid it.’

There is a simplest way to avoid the threat of the Demonic Sect.

That is to lead all the members of the Tang Clan and evacuate.

‘But we mustn’t avoid it.’

That was the worst choice.

The reason why clans and aristocratic families are recognized in the local community is because they play the role of a self-governing corps.

If the Tang Clan abandons this city, it will become a shameful label that will follow the Tang Clan forever.

It was only natural that the name of the Tang Clan would be dragged through the mud in the Jianghu [martial arts world] martial world.

“Still, we need to prepare.”

Tang Seol-ryeon bit her lip.

The government’s measures were unreliable, and help was still far away.

She believed that Dokseon and Yunhyun would definitely come to help, but they might not be in time.

Swish.

Tang Seol-ryeon got up from her seat and grabbed a brush.

Even in the worst-case scenario, she had to avoid the Tang Clan disappearing.

Swish, swish.

Tang Seol-ryeon wrote down a list of things to secretly move and people to evacuate in preparation for the worst.

Her brush was lightly moving across the paper, but Tang Seol-ryeon’s expression remained heavy throughout.

And that evening, a letter from Emei flew to the Tang Clan.

It was a pleasant answer that they would temporarily put aside their old grudges and willingly cooperate in the face of the crisis in Sichuan.

Only then could Tang Seol-ryeon take a breather.

But the three thousand forces of the Demonic Sect were approaching Chengdu every moment.

***

Splash.

Yunhyun looked at the waves of the Yangtze River crashing against the bow.

Yunhyun was now heading to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, with the group that had subjugated the Blood Cult.

They readily accepted Yunhyun’s request.

Yunhyun first sent a letter to the Regional Commander of Sichuan, and also requested the Common Faction to send as many Taoists as possible to Chengdu.

He did not forget to inform the Emei Sect of the situation.

Cheonsu Shinni assured him that ‘If it is the Emei Sect, they will gladly cooperate with the Tang Clan to help defend Chengdu.’

“I never imagined that the day would come when I would help the Tang Clan.”

Junja Sword Jegeal-myeong said to himself.

Yunhyun smiled.

Geumhwa-yeong, who was next to him, had a puzzled expression.

“Aren’t we going to save the people of Chengdu, not the Tang Clan?”

“It’s the same thing.”

Jegeal-myeong chuckled.

“Helping the people of Chengdu who have not evacuated and the Tang Clan who cannot evacuate can be said to be the same thing, can’t it?”

The elderly Junja Sword Jegeal-myeong did not treat the young Geumhwa-yeong carelessly.

Jegeal-myeong was originally gentle, but Geumhwa-yeong was a master of Sword Energy Manifestation [a high-level martial arts technique].

Moreover, the Geum Clan, to which Geumhwa-yeong and Neungse-yeong belonged, was likely to emerge as a prominent clan in Hunan Province in the future.

“The Tang Clan can’t evacuate?”

Geumhwa-yeong, who was ignorant of the Jianghu [martial arts world] martial world, had a bewildered expression.

Then he soon nodded.

“Ah! As a martial artist with integrity, you will never back down!”

Jegeal-myeong smiled bitterly.

The Tang Clan and the integrity of a martial artist, what could be more incompatible than that?

Yunhyun also gave an awkward smile.

If Moryong-mi had been there, she would have kindly explained it, but she had to remain at the Azure Dragon Alliance headquarters as the Head of External Affairs.

“Well, what plans do you have, Alliance Leader?”

Jegeal-myeong asked Yunhyun.

Yunhyun quietly opened his mouth.

“The prerequisite is that the government troops of Sichuan respond properly. Then the Demonic Sect will not be able to easily covet Chengdu. But if that is not the case, all we can do is help people evacuate.”

If Chengdu falls into the hands of the Demonic Sect, there is nothing even the greatest masters can do.

All they could do was help the evacuees or buy some time.

“Even if the government troops of Sichuan stop the Demonic Sect’s forces, there is a problem. Unlike the Blood Fiends, the Demonic Sect’s soldiers have intelligence, so they will definitely aim for the government troops’ weaknesses. For example, a small number of elite Demonic Sect soldiers infiltrating Chengdu and causing chaos.”

The Demonic Sect’s soldiers possessed bizarre abilities as well as intelligence.

Just like how they lured the suppression forces of Nanzhou, there was a high possibility that they would aim for the government troops’ weaknesses.

“Hmm, are we going to stop that?”

“That’s right.”

At Yunhyun’s words, Junja Sword Jegeal-myeong nodded.

In other words, it meant that they would supplement the parts that the government could not take care of.

“Not bad.”

Jegeal-myeong’s words were sincere.

He liked that he didn’t recklessly step forward with chivalry or get caught up in heroism, but rather coldly judged the situation and looked for what was possible.

But Yunhyun sighed quietly.

“Of course, that’s only possible under the premise that we arrive in time.”

There was no guarantee that Chengdu would be intact by the time Yunhyun and his party arrived.

He had sent letters to the Regional Commander, as well as the Surveillance Commissioner and the Provincial Treasurer of Chengdu, but it was unknown whether they would accept Yunhyun’s warning.

Splash.

Yunhyun looked at the waves crashing against the bow.

The fast ship that Navy Commander Jinrim had given him felt particularly slow.