Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 967

“Hoo.”

Moyong Gun, lightly panting, looked around, his face etched with deep fatigue.

Namgoong Pyo was some distance away, leaning against a tree, tending to his sword. Though his face seemed relaxed, his pale complexion and blood-soaked clothes testified to the fierce battle he had just endured.

Ogu-mun, his large sword planted in the ground, gazed at the vast world below the cliff, while Peng Dae-ho sat precariously on the edge of the cliff, looking up at the sky.

They seemed to be resting, but in reality, they were preparing for another battle.

The battle against the forces of the Soryeeum Temple in Shanxi.

They had killed many enemies in that battle, and lost many warriors. The warriors of the Azure Dragon and Great Dragon units of the Martial Alliance were strong, but they inevitably suffered significant losses in the chaotic battle against the enemy.

The Soryeeum Temple was strong. Although they had come to patrol the area they were to occupy or to proselytize, the forces they brought were greater than the combined forces of the Azure Dragon and Great Dragon units.

Fortunately, after several clashes, both sides had retreated and were now keeping each other in check. Moreover, the allied forces seemed to have a slight advantage, so they had achieved better-than-expected results, considering they were leading inexperienced junior officers.

“It’s the final one.”

Moyong Gun looked to his side.

Jeagal Jun had approached him. His deep and robust energy was now several times fiercer, having been tempered by the battle.

“Do you think so too?”

Jeagal Jun pointed to the plains beyond the cliff.

Red clothes and flags filled their vision. It was where about five hundred troops had gathered.

“So far, we’ve fought to prevent them from moving towards the center of Shanxi. Their attacks were more intense than expected, but fortunately, not a single enemy has broken through this defense line.”

“Indeed.”

“Their preparations were thorough. The fact that we blocked all their entry points means that they also knew most of the places where they could break through to the center of Shanxi.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“So, they realized there’s nowhere else to break through?”

“Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gathered their remaining forces in one place.”

“Hmm.”

“They’ll either retreat or launch an all-out attack. They’ll choose one of the two.”

“What do you think?”

Jeagal Jun’s eyes were as deep and thoughtful as Moyong Gun’s.

“There’s a high probability that a fight will break out.”

“Why? Is it because they’re similar to fanatics?”

“Because the tail of the ‘Great Horse’ has been caught. There must be someone among them who knows military strategy, so they must know that if they retreat openly, they’ll be defeated without even putting up a proper fight.”

There are few ways to achieve victory as easily as pursuing and attacking a retreating army.

That’s why many armies have historically conducted intense retreat training. To be able to withdraw troops at any time, or even lure them into a trap.

From afar, it might seem foolish for an army to be annihilated by chasing a retreating enemy into a trap.

However, setting a trap and luring the enemy is not easy, and in many cases, armies are annihilated before even reaching the trap.

In other words, there are always situations where it’s not easy to retreat, even if you want to.

“The Soryeeum Temple forces should have tried to retreat three days ago, or at the latest, yesterday. Yet, last night, they deployed troops again to move towards the center of Shanxi.”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the balance of power had shifted towards the Martial Alliance after that one battle.

What’s more serious for the Soryeeum Temple is that even if they escape from here, they might lose the majority of their forces.

“If there’s someone among them who knows military strategy, as you say, isn’t it possible that they also predicted this situation?”

“Of course, it’s possible. But looking at their attacks and troop movements, it seems they know military strategy but lack prudence.”

Being smart doesn’t guarantee good results.

What’s important is the ability to make quick decisions and execute them based on the situation. There have been countless armies that were annihilated because they couldn’t control their anger and marched forward, even though they knew they shouldn’t.

In Jeagal Jun’s view, they were exactly like that.

“Anyway, we don’t need to force a fight by advancing recklessly. If they come, we fight, and if they retreat, we chase and kill them.”

Moyong Gun nodded.

“You’re worthy of being the young master of the Jeagal family. I’ve learned a lot from you in this battle.”

Jeagal Jun smiled awkwardly.

“It’s nothing. Actually, this is my first time experiencing such a large-scale battle, so I made many mistakes.”

He turned around.

In the distance, the surviving warriors of the Azure Dragon and Great Dragon units were huddled together, resting.

Jeagal Jun’s face showed a hint of sadness.

“If I had been more perceptive, we wouldn’t have lost those warriors.”

“Yeon-je said.”

The sudden mention of ‘Yeon-je’.

Jeagal Jun’s eyes sparkled, knowing that Yeon-je meant Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Not only him. Namgoong Pyo, Ogu-mun, and Peng Dae-ho, who were resting some distance away, also turned their heads to look at Moyong Gun, having kept their ears open.

“Was it during the Guangdong operation? I don’t remember when, but he once said something quite impressive to me.”

“What was it?”

“He said that it’s better for a warrior to maximize their strengths rather than reduce their weaknesses, and conversely, it’s ideal for a strategist to fill their weaknesses rather than emphasize their strengths.”

“……!”

“He also said that there’s a necessary action to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses. That is, ‘reviewing the game’.”

‘Reviewing the game’ is a term from Go [a strategic board game], referring to replaying a game from the beginning to examine the moves.

“He said that reviewing the game is different from regret, and that a clean review is essential for one’s own development. He said that he himself doesn’t always do a transparent review, but he always tries to clearly recognize his own strengths and weaknesses.”

“That’s a good point. But…”

Jeagal Jun’s face was tinged with bitterness.

“It’s not an easy thing to say. Especially for a strategist.”

“That’s right. Because people live or die based on a strategist’s words.”

“It’s not easy to ignore their deaths and do a transparent review for my own development.”

“It’s not easy, but you have to do it. If that’s impossible, then you shouldn’t be on the battlefield anymore.”

“……”

“In the end, it’s important to think about how much responsibility you take for the soldiers who died because of your choices, and what you can do for them. Furthermore, if you truly want to become an outstanding strategist, you must strive to develop yourself so that you can achieve the best results with fewer sacrifices.”

It’s inevitable that people die on the battlefield.

No matter how skilled a strategist is, they can’t win a battle without anyone dying. People will die, whether few or many. That’s war.

“If you can’t endure that, then train another strategist who can take your place.”

Jeagal Jun lowered his head.

Moyong Gun knew that Jeagal Jun’s condition was worse than it appeared. That’s why he kept talking about strategy and tactics. To prevent him from having unnecessary thoughts.

He also learned a lot in the process, but his primary goal was to prevent Jeagal Jun from collapsing.

Fortunately, his condition seemed to have improved compared to a few days ago.

That’s why he was saying such harsh words. That if he couldn’t endure it, he shouldn’t go to the battlefield anymore.

“He seems to be a truly remarkable person.”

Moyong Gun looked at Ogu-mun.

Ogu-mun, with both hands on the hilt of his sword, looked much more stable than the other junior officers.

“My master said that because there’s no perfect martial art in this world, a warrior can’t be perfect either. Therefore, one should become a master in their area of expertise rather than in areas they’re not good at. He said that when one reaches that point, they can be said to have pioneered their own martial art.”

“That’s true.”

“Eliminating weaknesses and taking advantage of strengths to create my own path. That’s what I’ve been doing so far. I’ve lived according to my master’s words.”

In fact, the people who had played the biggest roles in this battle were Moyong Gun and Ogu-mun.

Their martial arts were the most outstanding among them, and especially in terms of individual bravery, even Moyong Gun had difficulty keeping up with Ogu-mun.

Moyong Gun was cautious but bold when necessary, and Ogu-mun showed a tenacity that wouldn’t let go until death.

“But Yeon So-bu-ju [Young Master Yeon] grasped such a principle at a younger age than us, so it seems that geniuses are indeed born.”

Peng Dae-ho chuckled.

“I used to think there were many geniuses in the world. But after seeing Yeon So-bu-ju, I changed my mind. I realized that a true genius is like this.”

Namgoong Pyo was silent. He just kept polishing his sword.

However, there was no jealousy or sense of defeat towards Yeon Ho-Jeong on his face. It was because of the teachings he had received from his grandfather and because he had directly experienced Yeon Ho-Jeong’s talent before his eyes.

He was just silently bitter.

“You’re having an interesting conversation.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the west.

There, Tang Sang-ah, who had just climbed up the cliff, was walking towards them, shaking off her clothes with a hearty gesture.

Jeagal Jun asked with a stiff face.

“How is it, Sister?”

Tang Sang-ah shook her head.

“I don’t know. But no matter how much I look, I don’t get the feeling that they’re burning with fighting spirit.”

Among them, Tang Sang-ah was the most skilled in movement techniques. As she handled hidden weapons, her stealth abilities were also great.

So, she had gone to scout the enemy’s movements secretly, but she was saying that she couldn’t sense any will to fight.

Jeagal Jun rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

Tang Sang-ah approached Moyong Gun.

“Has everyone been resting well?”

“Yes.”

She glanced at Moyong Gun.

Moyong Gun, standing upright with the Tangma Divine Sword in his arms, looked like Yeon-wi. He resembled a noble bamboo tree.

Tang Sang-ah cleared her throat and said.

“Their movements are very strange, aren’t they? Honestly, I thought they would be gritting their teeth and preparing for battle.”

“Jeagal Brother also predicted that they wouldn’t retreat and would be preparing for a final battle. I agree with that as well.”

“The look in their eyes when we fought them was truly terrifying. It felt like they had a fanatical belief rather than skill.”

“They’re fanatics following a distorted path of Buddhism.”

“Even so, they seemed too relaxed… Could they have something up their sleeves?”

“Couldn’t you go deeper?”

“There was a super-master, so I couldn’t infiltrate inside. I was worried that if I got caught, the number of possibilities would become too many.”

It was then.

“If they don’t intend to retreat or fight, there’s only one answer.”

Everyone was startled and looked towards the Azure Dragon and Great Dragon units.

There, a young man was walking towards them.

Moyong Gun’s mouth dropped open.

It was an unbelievable moment. He never thought he would see such a shining connection in such a place.

A man with a huge axe on his shoulder was walking steadily.

“Yeon-je?!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and said.

“I’ve come a long way.”