Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1100

“Report the numbers!”

Han Bi, having quickly received the troop reports from the unit commanders, approached Muk Bi.

“Seventy dead, fifteen seriously injured, and seventy-eight lightly injured. A total of one hundred and sixty-three casualties.”

They had wiped out the enemy’s five thousand troops. If the allied forces’ casualties were one hundred and sixty-three, it was indeed an overwhelming victory.

It was regrettable that comrades had died, but a victory was a victory. Muk Bi nodded, and Han Bi raised his fist.

“We won!”

“Woooaaahhh!!”

The shouts of the unit commanders seemed to shake the entire Liaoning Province.

Muk Bi spoke quickly.

“Even if we return at maximum speed, not many troops will be able to reach the imperial palace before the surprise attack force from the north appears. First, take care of the wounded.”

“Understood.”

Many were uninjured, and there were three hundred who hadn’t actually participated in the battle.

Even so, they had to rest now that the battle was over. A battle wasn’t just about fighting the enemy; it also drained physical strength. It was a matter of life and death. Just witnessing a battle firsthand was enough to exhaust the mind and body.

Muk Bi said to Gang Ryang,

“I will return to the imperial palace first. Have the unit commanders regroup the troops and return slowly.”

Gang Ryang said with a worried tone,

“You must be tired too, Sister.”

“I’m not that tired. And now is not the time to worry about that. No one knows how strong the surprise attack force from the north of the imperial palace is. It’s important to have even one more person return as quickly as possible.”

Mojaseon said,

“I will go.”

“Of course, Palace Lord, you must go as well. And I must go too. We need someone who can explain in detail how this battle unfolded.”

“Even if that weren’t the case, Commander Muk’s archery seems to be a great threat to the enemy. Let’s go together.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Muk Bi looked at Gang Ryang.

There wasn’t even a hint of apology. Now was wartime. They had to think and act based on the war itself, not personal feelings.

“I’m entrusting the troops to you. There shouldn’t be any problems until we return, but there’s a possibility that the enemy’s rear forces exist. Once the unit commanders have recovered their strength, they must return to the imperial palace as quickly as possible.”

“I know. Don’t worry and return quickly.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Muk Bi, having said the same to Han Bi, spoke to Mojaseon.

“Let’s go.”

“Good.”

Whoosh!

The two women ran towards the west.

It was a speed that was on a different level from when they had come with the unit commanders. Muk Bi’s movement technique, befitting an archer, was not inferior to Mojaseon’s. In fact, in terms of speed alone, her movement technique allowed her to run faster than Mojaseon.

Mojaseon said as she ran,

“That was an impressive martial art.”

“You flatter me.”

“Commander Muk’s archery is the best in the world. It was so impressive that I think I should have the disciples of my palace learn archery.”

Muk Bi smiled wryly and said,

“The existence of an archer is indeed a threat to the enemy, but it is difficult to properly train even one archer. The Ice Palace was a strong sect even without archers, wasn’t it?”

“Seeing a master like Commander Muk makes the Ice Palace’s martial arts seem to lose their luster. It was truly impressive.”

She seemed quite surprised. There was a faint excitement on Mojaseon’s face, which rarely showed any change in expression.

Even though a master of the Supreme Path [a high level of martial arts mastery] was genuinely praising her, Muk Bi was not happy. It was not the time to be happy.

Although she was in charge of the eastern front, Muk Bi had the entire war in her mind.

‘The Gansu war will somehow work out. Even if we lose, the enemy will also suffer fatal damage.’

It wasn’t because she believed in the strength of the Common Faction or the Gansu sects.

What she believed in was Tang Gwan. The head of the Sichuan Tang Clan was a great master who aimed to become the next Saintly Heaven [a legendary figure of immense power], and he was especially the best master of poison and hidden weapons.

Tang Gwan, who possessed martial arts capable of mass destruction, would somehow be able to change the tide of the Gansu battle.

‘The problem is Shanxi.’

Although she was returning to the imperial palace, this was to solidify their position, like in a game of Go [a strategic board game].

The imperial palace’s forces were enormous. Although they might not be able to face one of the three sects head-on, they had gathered enough great masters to put up a close fight if they were to engage in a full-scale battle with half of them.

The individual soldiers might be stronger on the other side, but the imperial palace had geographical advantages and many means of warfare besides martial arts. Especially, there were many Supreme Path masters.

In the initial battle, the imperial palace had little to worry about.

The most worrying thing was Shanxi.

‘If Gansu is the blazing fire, and Liaoning and the imperial palace are the divine light, then Shanxi is likely the dark yin [a concept representing darkness and passivity]. The problem is that they sent cavalry.’

If the number of cavalry was ten thousand, it was a truly enormous number.

Muk Bi knew this because she had operated cavalry herself. Even if there were five hundred martial arts-trained cavalry, they could devastate most sects in less than half a shichen [a Chinese unit of time, approximately two hours]. Especially if they fought on a plain, their power would increase three or four times.

‘They said the horse riding skills of the northern nomadic tribes were amazing. It’s not just that they are good at handling horses, but it’s because they have many excellent horses.’

She didn’t know what kind of horses they were, but if the Dark Yin Sect wasn’t foolish, they wouldn’t have sent just anyone to this important initial battle.

Of course, just the number ten thousand was enormous.

‘Cavalry is powerful, but it can be easily defeated by skilled martial artists. It’s entirely because of the horses.’

No matter how excellent a horse is, it cannot avoid the attacks of a master who can break space, shoot palm strikes, or wield sword energy.

Of course, such masters were not common, but even those at the so-called first-class level would not find it difficult to attack ordinary cavalry.

Would the Dark Yin Sect have sent ten thousand cavalry without knowing that?

‘They are confident. They are confident that they can wipe out any force from the Central Plains. Otherwise, there would be no reason to operate cavalry, which requires several times more supply troops.’

It was a rational thought.

‘The Myeolsa Army and the Tangma Army, that is, the Righteous Army, also underwent many practical battles and life-threatening training to develop the ability to protect their horses while crushing the enemy. Naturally, the cavalry of the Dark Yin Sect, who have been preparing for war for a long time, will have a higher level of horsemanship than the Righteous Army.’

What if the Righteous Army had ten thousand troops right now?

It was a rash statement, but Muk Bi was confident that she could break through the Mount Hua and Jongnam sects and advance south. To be a little more aggressive, she was confident that she could win depending on the tactics.

‘Young Master Yeon said that they wouldn’t have deployed Supreme Path masters without attacking all three regions at once. That means there are masters of that level in Shanxi as well.’

An unconcealable anxiety settled on Muk Bi’s face.

‘The Shanxi battle, can we really win?’

* * *

Moyong Gun, having reached a low hill, raised his Tangma Sword. Then, the two thousand troops stopped their advance.

Namgoong Seung asked,

“Why are we stopping?”

“The scouts will tell us the enemy’s position.”

“As we know, they already know that we are preparing for battle.”

That was correct.

As they faced a high and large hill, Moyong Gun, as well as all the soldiers, could feel the military flags approaching from the other side.

Of course, it wasn’t just the military flags.

Thud thud thud.

The vibrations of the horse hooves, shaking the ground, could be felt even here.

It wasn’t a thousand, but ten thousand. With ten thousand heavy cavalry moving, this level of vibration was natural.

Moyong Gun turned around.

An unconcealable tension was cast on the faces of the soldiers. They were forged by outstanding battle experience, but they had never faced ten thousand cavalry before.

Even Moyong Gun himself had no such experience.

“If we seize the hill before the enemy comes up, they will surely bypass us and attack Mount Hua and Jongnam. Naturally, we will have to scatter as well.”

“What the young alliance leader says makes sense. The problem is that we have to hit and run.”

Namgoong Seung pointed to the hill with his hand.

“Although the slope is gentle, it is still a hill. The destructive power of the cavalry chasing us as we retreat will be several times stronger. Many soldiers will die.”

“I know.”

There was no wavering on Moyong Gun’s face as he answered.

Namgoong Seung, who had been quietly watching him, sighed.

“It is impossible to win without losing a single life. I will just follow the young alliance leader’s orders.”

“I have no intention of losing troops meaninglessly either. Fortunately…”

Moyong Gun looked at Cheon Hyo-Rak and Hwa Hyang.

“We have four masters above the transcendent realm on our side.”

“Four Supreme Path masters would be one thing, but one Supreme Path master and three transcendent masters will have difficulty stopping the enemy’s advance.”

“I know.”

The three-unit and four-unit leaders were skilled in splitting and combining formations. Even a cavalry unit would be flustered in the face of a tactic where they scattered and then charged and attacked on command.

If it was operated properly.

“One thing is strange…”

Moyong Gun asked Cheon Hyo-Rak,

“Did Senior Mak Won go far?”

It was Mak Won’s absence.

From the beginning, they hadn’t expected Mak Won, Cheon Hyo-Rak, and Hwa Hyang to come, so it couldn’t be called an absence, but it bothered him that Mak Won, who had gone on reconnaissance, had not yet returned.

Even the enemy was rushing towards them with the hill in between. Considering Mak Won’s abilities, there was no way he wouldn’t have been able to read their movements.

Cheon Hyo-Rak’s face clouded over.

“I don’t know either. He is such a capable person, so I don’t think he would have been defeated by the enemy, but…”

Moyong Gun nodded.

“He will be safe.”

He was curious, but now was the time to focus on other things.

After a while, the scout came down.

“The distance to the hill is about five hundred jang [a Chinese unit of distance, approximately 1.6 kilometers]! It must be close to two hundred jang by now!”

Moyong Gun silently extended his Tangma Sword forward.

Swish!

The two thousand troops of the Martial Alliance quickly began to climb the hill.

Thud thud thud.

The sound and vibration of the horse hooves coming from the other side became even more intense.

The other side was also climbing the hill. Moyong Gun shouted,

“Increase the speed! As soon as we occupy the high ground, we must push forward!”

How long had they been running?

Suddenly, Namgoong Seung’s eyes flashed.

“I’ll go first!”

He seemed to have noticed the presence of the enemy commander, a Supreme Path master. Namgoong Seung flew to the top in an instant.

It was then.

Whoosh!

Was there such a thing as a gloomy and sticky fire?

A contradictory energy that could not exist in reality surged from beyond the hill.

Neigh!

The roar of a horse shook the heavens and the earth.

Namgoong Seung, who had reached the top at lightning speed, widened his eyes.

“This!”

Clang!

The entire hill vibrated with the tremendous resonance.

Moyong Gun’s eyes shook.

‘Senior!’

It was full power from the start. The blue energy that surged from Namgoong Seung’s body began to spread in all directions.

Boom!

The area around the hill was instantly devastated.

The enemy’s movements were truly fast. If they went up like this, they would be caught in the battle and suffer many casualties.

“Left and right!”

As they had been trained, the Martial Alliance troops split to the left and right and climbed the hill.

At that moment, Namgoong Seung’s shout was heard.

“It’s too late! Retreat!”

The Sword Saint’s urgent voice was heard.

Whoosh!

The ten thousand cavalry, having crossed the hill at a speed that defied common sense, charged down, widely deployed.