Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1263

Jeagal Mun-Ho, who had received information separately from Ga Deuk-Sang, was also in a state of complex thoughts.

‘The north… the grasslands.’

They knew of their existence, but they hadn’t thought they would become a threat.

In reality, their offensive wouldn’t be anything significant. The problem was that if the Three Teachings [a collective term for three powerful and influential religious or philosophical groups] were controlling them, civilian areas could be devastated after the battle.

Jeagal Mun-Ho tapped the letter with his finger, lost in thought.

‘This message arrived in two days. Even though this is very important information, it took two days. Since they didn’t use the Ojeong Shin-eung [a method of rapid communication], it means they sent this information to the Black Emperor Castle the fastest.’

The current state of the Martial Alliance’s forces, and the situation of the Black Emperor Castle.

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s thoughts, after considering various angles, gradually began to organize.

‘Head of the Ga Clan also knows that the movements in the north cannot be ignored. If it were Lord Yeon, he would have responded immediately. That is, the Black Emperor Castle’s forces or the southern martial forces will be sent north. But they can’t pour in all their forces.’

Jeagal Mun-Ho looked at the map.

‘The East Sea… Lord Kwon is by His Majesty’s side. In the worst case, there is no problem in evacuating His Majesty. Then, the Black Emperor Castle is likely to send the maximum number of troops to the east and the remaining troops to the north.’

Seeing a thousand miles while sitting. It meant they knew each other that well.

‘Things have become urgent.’

Jeagal Mun-Ho immediately went to find Gong Gong.

A short while later.

“…I see.”

The atmosphere in the Martial Alliance Leader’s hall was so heavy that no one could even make the common joke about feeling like their head was about to explode.

“We can’t just sit back and watch, can we?”

“We will soon receive word from Lord Yeon. We don’t know whether the Lord will move to the north or the east sea, but it is clear that he will send more than half of his forces to the east sea.”

“Of course, he has to. His Majesty is there.”

“The problem is the Martial Alliance. There are still forces left, but we don’t know how much force the Saim [a mysterious and powerful organization] has put into the north. If we pour in all our forces, the Martial Alliance could be destroyed.”

Gong Gong nodded.

“Military Advisor.”

“Speak, Alliance Leader.”

“From this moment, move the main documents and the most important items within the Alliance to safe houses outside the Alliance.”

“What?!”

Jeagal Mun-Ho was startled.

“Alliance Leader, does that mean…?”

“I will mobilize all the forces of the Martial Alliance.”

“Alliance Leader! That won’t do!”

“Why not?”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s face showed urgency.

“The Martial Alliance has become the center of the White Path [a term referring to the righteous martial arts world]! Just the fact that the Martial Alliance is vacant will be a huge blow to the White Path martial world…!”

“So, that work must be done as secretly as possible. I hope you use trustworthy people.”

“Still, it won’t do. The Martial Alliance is a natural fortress, and even if the enemy were to come here, it could be defended with only one-tenth of the forces!”

“What if they bypass the Martial Alliance?”

“Yes?”

“What will you do if they bypass the Martial Alliance and start devastating the surrounding area?”

At that moment, Jeagal Mun-Ho was speechless.

Of course, that possibility was not zero. But Gong Gong’s idea was too radical. It was no different from saying that they would dismantle the Martial Alliance from this moment on.

“That is too hasty a judgment, Alliance Leader.”

“Then I ask you. If we defend the Alliance with minimal forces, how many forces can we mobilize?”

“…At the very least, we can mobilize a large army of at least twenty to twenty-five thousand.”

That was the number of martial artists belonging to the Martial Alliance, so it could be said to be a truly powerful force.

Gong Gong shook his head.

“If we send them when we don’t know how far the enemy will advance south, are you confident that we can win?”

“Alliance Leader. In this situation where there is very little information about the enemy, to be certain of victory or defeat is…”

“Military Advisor. I am not saying that we should give up the Martial Alliance.”

“Yes?”

“The Martial Alliance is an alliance, but it has already become the center of the White Path martial world. And a center is not something that disappears just because a building disappears and no one lives there.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s eyes wavered.

Gong Gong sighed.

“I know. The Martial Alliance must not waver under any circumstances. That is what a headquarters is supposed to be. However, countless martial artists in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei have lost their lives fighting the enemy.”

“…Alliance Leader.”

“Although I am not good at strategy, I can guess that this attack is the final attack of the Three Teachings. Am I wrong?”

“That is correct. That is why the headquarters must not waver even more.”

“Looking at the atrocities and tactics that the Three Teachings have committed, we can see that they are not easy enemies. If countless patriots, including Lord Yeon, had not risked their lives to stop them, the Central Plains would have become their world long ago.”

“……”

“Those guys are trying to wage a real all-out war. They are giving up all the tactics and groundwork they have done for decades.”

“Alliance Leader…”

“Their offensive will surely be beyond imagination. They are not just going to rush in recklessly, but they must have the intention to crush us even if they have to endure countless sacrifices, right?”

That was true.

The reason why the Three Teachings had been sending spies, devastating regions, and shaking the imperial palace was because they wanted to win the war with as little loss as possible.

And that was also the beauty of all wars. Even if you win a war, if both sides suffer near-total annihilation, can that really be called a victory?

“Alliance Leader. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not just saying that the Martial Alliance should not be dismantled because it is the center.”

“I am listening.”

“Although the Shin Hwa [a powerful cult] and Saim are waging an all-out war with the Central Plains, war is not just about forces clashing. They will surely mobilize all the intelligence agents they can, and in the process, they will try to grasp the route of our forces, troop operations, material transport, funding, and who among the key figures has died or survived.”

“……”

“The Martial Alliance is an alliance built in the heart of the Central Plains, and it is in an extremely ideal location for the connection with the Black Path [a term referring to the unorthodox martial arts world] martial world, beyond simply being the center of the White Path martial world. In this situation, for all the forces of the Martial Alliance to move would be a path to self-destruction.”

It was truly a persuasive argument.

And at that moment, Gong Gong smiled.

“Military Advisor’s words are indeed correct.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for listening to the advice of an inadequate military advisor.”

“Then, please don’t stop me from doing this.”

“Yes?”

“I will personally lead all the masters except for the minimum forces.”

“A, Alliance Leader!”

“I have said it before. I am not qualified to be the Alliance Leader. Isn’t it time to show everyone that those words are sincere?”

“How, how can you do this?”

“I am not saying I will do it without thinking. Leave the next Alliance Leader here, and work with him to take charge of internal affairs and intelligence warfare.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s eyes wavered.

“Alliance Leader…”

“Many martial artists are going to the front lines to fight. I can’t stand it anymore. Even if I can’t command, just the fact that the Martial Alliance Leader is directly on the front lines encouraging the martial artists will greatly boost the morale of our forces.”

Gong Gong’s smile was like that of a Buddha.

“Even if I am just an Alliance Leader in name, I need to play the role of a puppet to be satisfied.”

“……”

“That’s why my master said I was inadequate. The reason I didn’t want to reach the Supreme was also here. But…”

Gong Gong rose from his seat.

“I think it’s fortunate now. It’s an opportunity to go on the path of reincarnation with the people who have trusted and followed this inadequate person.”

Only then did Jeagal Mun-Ho understand. Gong Gong’s intention in pushing himself so hard, even to the point of using the extreme measure of dismantling the Martial Alliance.

Gong Gong had no intention of actually dismantling the Martial Alliance. No, if that was actually the best option, he would have made the decision without hesitation, but his real intention was different.

The Alliance Leader’s participation in the war.

He had taken such a drastic measure to induce a situation where he would no longer stay in the Martial Alliance and go to fight with the soldiers.

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s eyes welled up.

The sternness returned to Gong Gong’s smiling face.

“Prepare the warriors so that we can depart as soon as possible. Furthermore, request that all the key figures of the Beggars’ Union be dispatched to the Martial Alliance to help with intelligence warfare and spy detection.”

“…Understood.”

“Thank you for your hard work in serving an inadequate person.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho bowed his head.

Even if he didn’t die in this war, Gong Gong would give up his position as Alliance Leader.

“It was an honor to serve the Alliance Leader.”

Gong Gong smiled brightly again.

“Now, let’s show those guys a taste of our wrath.”

* * *

“This has arrived.”

Tang Gwan showed Ha Eun-Gyo a letter from the Beggars’ Union.

Ha Eun-Gyo tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“Why are the tribes of the grasslands…?”

She had plenty of experience in the martial world, but she didn’t know much about war.

Tang Gwan also didn’t have an outstanding strategic plan like others. But his experience in countless bloody battles, his merchant instincts, could smell the scent of blood blowing from the north.

“It seems that another large army is coming down from the north.”

“A large army?!”

“The forces of the Black Emperor Castle will probably come up as well. I don’t know if that bastard will come, but it’s certain that the northern area will be in chaos.”

Ha Eun-Gyo’s eyes turned cold.

“Is it the Saim?”

“That is highly likely.”

“I will also participate in the war.”

“Understood.”

Tang Gwan immediately went to find his younger brother.

“How much antidote have you made?”

“If you mean the antidote for that… the Hwangpung Poison Bullets [a type of poison projectile] used by the Saim?”

“Yes.”

“We are still making it. We have accumulated a total of one hundred gwan [a unit of weight] by three days ago.”

“How much did you send to the Martial Alliance?”

“We sent ten gwan as a trial.”

One hundred gwan in bags was a considerable amount, but the problem was that they didn’t know how much would be needed for detoxification.

“From now on, move all one hundred gwan of the antidote to Shaanxi.”

“Yes?”

“Furthermore, release the family’s extreme poisons and Geumyong [a type of hidden weapon] hidden weapons. All the Tang family members who can spread poison and throw hidden weapons will head to Shaanxi tomorrow.”

“B, Brother?!”

“You will take care of the family until we return.”

Tang Yun was flustered, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Is it war again?”

“Yes, it seems a war is breaking out in the north. It won’t be Shanxi or Hebei, so they will probably come into Shaanxi or Gansu. Among them, Shaanxi is highly likely.”

“Then, after watching the situation a little more…”

“I have already learned how important speed is in this fight.”

“……”

“Also, contact the Sichuan sects and tell them to head to Gansu.”

“Brother! Then Sichuan will be empty!”

“I know.”

Tang Gwan’s eyes, looking far to the north, deepened.

“Until now, we have been ignoring the sacrifices of our fellow Central Plains people in order to protect our own territory. But we can’t do that anymore, can we?”

“……”

“Don’t worry. Sichuan will be fine.”