Chapter 226
Chapter 226. Request for Reinforcements
Namgung An went straight into the Spring Pavilion. However, the Four Seasons Hall Lord was nowhere to be seen. It was only after quite some time that the Hall Lord entered the Spring Pavilion's secret chamber.
"I apologize. I did not expect you to come so quickly, so I am late."
Only after Zhuge In-hwi had taken his seat did Namgung An ask,
"For what reason did you summon me at this hour?"
"I have received information that the Blood Sect's armed force has attacked Sichuan."
Namgung An's expression twitched ever so slightly.
It was a matter that demanded further explanation, but Zhuge In-hwi held his tongue.
"I will explain the details once the others arrive."
Namgung An exercised patience and agreed. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long.
Before long, the door opened, and the Wudang Sect Leader entered. Almost simultaneously, the Mount Hua Sect Leader arrived as well.
The moment the Mount Hua Sect Leader sat down, he asked,
"For what reason did you call us here?"
Zhuge In-hwi gave the same answer he had given Namgung An. At that, the Mount Hua Sect Leader clicked his tongue.
"Then why is the one with the most urgent circumstances the last to arrive?"
"The Tang Clan informed me of this matter, so the Tang Clan Head likely had something he needed to deal with first."
After finishing his words, Zhuge In-hwi tilted his ear toward the outside. Footsteps were approaching. As everyone in the room heard them, silence fell.
Creaak.
At last, Tang Ji-ha arrived. Once he took his seat, Zhuge In-hwi opened his mouth.
"It is said that the Blood Sect's Sect Leader has sent an armed force to Sichuan. Their numbers are estimated at three to four hundred. The Emei Sect attempted to block them first but failed."
At the mention of the Emei Sect, the Mount Hua Sect Leader's ashen brows rose sharply.
"What does that mean? Was the Emei Sect ambushed by the Blood Sect?"
"The exact circumstances still need to be confirmed, but Emei does not seem to have been the target. Because they appeared at Emei Mountain, the Emei Sect tried to stop them, but after sustaining many injuries, they retreated back to their main estate. The enemies also descended the mountain, leaving only around fifteen men behind."
The Four Seasons Hall Lord added, as if organizing the information,
"This means the armed force's objective was not the Emei Sect."
The Wudang Sect Leader, who had been listening quietly, asked,
"Hall Lord, do you know their objective?"
"According to the interrogated Blood Sect member, the Sect Leader was greatly enraged by the fact that Young Lady Tang made an antidote. Thus, he intends to annihilate the Tang Clan to punish her. If those words are true, then the Tang Clan is their objective."
Tang Ji-ha, having already heard this, showed no change in expression.
Reading the room, Namgung An spoke up.
"It depends on their level, but if their numbers are three to four hundred, wouldn't the Tang Clan estate be able to hold them off? Of course, I am aware that the Tang Clan's main forces are currently in Hubei. Still, the Tang Clan of Sichuan is not a sect that would collapse to merely four hundred Blood Sect members, is it?"
As if in agreement, the Wudang and Mount Hua Sect Leaders cast reassuring looks toward the Tang Clan Head. However, the Four Seasons Hall Lord cut off their optimism.
"They say there were only about fifteen Blood Sect members left on the mountain, yet the Emei Sect was unable to even drive them out and instead went into a defensive posture. They are not ordinary martial artists, so even the Tang Clan would find it difficult to deal with them. Four hundred is by no means a number that can be ignored."
The Mount Hua Sect Leader, who had been listening in silence, frowned.
"Not ordinary martial artists?"
"Yes."
As if this had been his intention from the start, Zhuge In-hwi immediately explained the Blood Sect's armed force.
"When struck by their blades, the flesh immediately rots black, and those afflicted by their palm techniques have their internal organs fester and die."
A brief silence followed.
Everyone seated there had heard of such traces before.
The Wudang Sect Leader asked in a voice full of doubt,
"Are those not the scars of Demonic Arts?"
The Demonic Sect had been annihilated decades ago. It sounded like a correction of erroneous information, but Zhuge In-hwi delivered a shocking statement.
"Yes, it is said to be an armed force that uses Demonic Arts. However, they say it is difficult to call them the Demonic Sect. They did not join the sect of their own will but were forcibly trained in Demonic Arts. It is a situation similar to the North Sea Ice Palace and the Great Desert Solar Palace."
At that, the Mount Hua Sect Leader suggested in a slightly brighter voice,
"Then how about attempting dialogue with them? Did not the bloodline of the North Sea Ice Palace also break away from the Blood Sect? They, too, might wish to become independent and rebuild the Demonic Sect."
Zhuge In-hwi shook his head.
"In the North Sea Ice Palace, most of the palace members were descendants of the Ice Palace Lord, but on the Demonic Sect's side, there are not many descendants of the Sect Leader or nobles. Unlike Ice Arts, lineage does not seem particularly important for mastering Demonic Arts."
He relayed the Blood Sect member's words without filtering them.
"They took in children with aptitude and trained them, so they have no attachment to the Demonic Sect. Moreover, those who have fully mastered the demonic heart method are already devoured by demonic energy and overwhelmed by killing intent."
The atmosphere darkened. Zhuge In-hwi listened quietly to the silence, then added his own thought.
"Of course, all of this is based on the Blood Sect member's words, so we must verify it directly."
Namgung An asked with a grave expression,
"How long has it been since they crossed into Sichuan?"
"About two days, they say."
"Two days from Emei Mountain, then... perhaps they have already arrived at the Tang Clan estate."
Namgung An let out a sigh and furrowed his brow.
"Shouldn't the Alliance Headquarters send support immediately?"
At those words, Zhuge In-hwi replied in a low voice,
"At first, I thought the same. However, I began to suspect that this might be the Blood Sect's ploy to draw our forces away from the headquarters."
No one could refute the Four Seasons Hall Lord's words.
In war, diverting attention elsewhere and then striking the main base was commonplace. There was no way the leaders of great sects and noble clans would be ignorant of such a strategy.
Lamplight reflected in Zhuge In-hwi's sky-colored eyes. Lowering his head slightly, he spoke calmly.
"Although this is merely my personal view, I expected that if the Blood Sect were to make a move, they would strike Hubei first. It was the Four Directions Hall that intervened in the Blood Sect's internal conflict and allowed the North Sea Ice Palace to become independent, and the information gathered on the Blood Sect thus far is held by the Four Seasons Hall. Moreover, both the antidote that angered the Sect Leader and the person who made it are at the headquarters. If the Blood Sect were prepared for an all-out war, attacking the headquarters would be the course that fits their cause."
"Is it not because the headquarters would be too difficult to deal with?"
"Annihilating the Tang Clan might be relatively easier, but the gains would be just as small. Furthermore, the Tang Clan's main forces are currently outside, so total annihilation is impossible. As long as those at the headquarters return, the Tang Clan can be rebuilt at any time. Thus, even if they were to destroy the Tang Clan, it would not strike fear into the Murim of the Central Plains."
Zhuge In-hwi added, as if letting out a sigh,
"From the outset, it does not seem that they even wish the Central Plains to be afraid."
"So you believe there would be no benefit at all to the Blood Sect?"
"Yes. At most, they would gain the satisfaction of venting the Sect Leader's anger. The Blood Sect has never once known defeat, so it seems possible they might commit an arrogant mistake while intoxicated by emotion."
Zhuge In-hwi believed there was no rational reason behind the Blood Demon's actions.
Striking the Tang Clan would be an enormous blunder—wasting an armed force painstakingly nurtured, and rendering meaningless all the time spent lying low.
It was a course of action that made no sense.
It felt like a child smashing the rubble before rebuilding a tower, venting his frustration while he still had the chance to undo a mistake.
Yet even as Zhuge In-hwi viewed the Blood Demon with such disdain, he strove to judge the situation rationally.
"Therefore, I believe the attack on the Tang Clan may be a feint. If the intent is to assault the now-empty headquarters while we dispatch reinforcements to the Tang Clan, then it becomes understandable."
The four sect leaders agreed with the Hall Lord's conjecture. That interpretation simply made more sense.
Reading the room, Zhuge In-hwi finally stated the reason he had summoned them.
"That is why I ask that those present here go to Sichuan together with the Tang Clan."
The Mount Hua Sect Leader narrowed his eyes.
"If we leave, the headquarters will be emptied. If, as you say, the Blood Sect comes to attack the headquarters, what then?"
The Hall Lord calmly cut off the sect leader's concern.
"I have already sent letters to those who departed the headquarters earlier. I informed them that the Blood Sect appears to be stirring in Sichuan, and asked that they either go to assist there, or return to the headquarters to discuss sending a second wave."
Zhuge In-hwi continued in a dry tone, as if harboring no great expectations.
"The Emei Sect and the Qingcheng Sect will urgently return to Sichuan, where their main sects are located. The other sects will likely return to the headquarters. Joining a war as a vanguard without consulting one's main sect is burdensome, but returning to the headquarters to discuss dispatching a second wave carries no such burden and preserves one's standing. If they return and fill the headquarters, it will not appear that our strength has been depleted."
Moreover, even if those returning sects did not wish to participate, should the Blood Sect launch a surprise attack on the headquarters, they would have no choice but to fight together.
The sect leaders, understanding the Four Seasons Hall Lord's words, fell silent for a moment.
They too were left with two choices: depart for Sichuan to drive off the Blood Sect's armed force, or remain at the headquarters to discuss sending a second wave with the others.
After some deliberation, the Wudang Sect Leader spoke.
"If we depart for Sichuan, when would we leave? The situation does not seem to allow much leeway."
"If the Blood Sect's sudden assault is true, we should depart immediately. However, I ask that you wait for about two days."
Tang Ji-ha looked at the Four Seasons Hall Lord with a hardened expression. Sensing that pressure, the Hall Lord spoke.
"When Young Lady Tang disappeared previously, I reported to you all about the passages, so you should be aware of the Blood Sect's formations."
The Four Seasons Hall Lord explained why he had asked them to wait.
"The Blood Sect member said he traveled from Emei Mountain to Hubei in just two days using a passage. If we move through that passage, it will likewise take us only two days to reach Emei Mountain. However, if we go directly, it would take ten days, and even if we rush using qinggong, with so many people, it would still take at least seven days and nights."
"Are you interrogating the Blood Sect member now to learn the location of that passage?"
"No. The Blood Sect member has already told us the location. At present, the Four Directions Hall Lord has personally departed to confirm whether that passage truly leads to Emei Mountain."
At the mention of the Four Directions Hall Lord, the expressions of the four men twitched. The Hall Lord who had spoken Peng Sihyeon's name, however, continued indifferently.
"At the Hall Lord's speed, she will return within two days, three at the latest, so please wait. If the passage does not lead to Emei Mountain, she will return even sooner."