Chapter 166
Jang Hong's words were like a bolt from the blue.
Although he had expected that the White Lotus Cult would one day walk the path of conquering the Central Plains.
Why on earth, now!
He had just formed a subjugation army and had even drawn out cooperation with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and was about to raid the Gansu cult branch...
Coincidentally, it was the White Lotus Cult that had revealed its black hand first.
Moreover, the Iron Fist Sect was a large sect that had the greatest influence in the region after the three major forces of Sichuan: Emei, Qingcheng, and Tang.
The fact that such a sect had been annihilated overnight was an unbelievable great disaster and a shock.
"Jang Hong... is it true? Are you saying that the Iron Fist Sect has been annihilated?"
"That is correct, Alliance Leader!"
When Abbess Hongryeon asked Jang Hong with a pale face.
So-ah asked with a tragic voice.
"Great Hero Jang Hong... does anyone else know about this fact?"
"Ah! Young Hero Jin. Only the aides know about this. It has not yet been reported to the Cheonmun-gwan or the Council of Elders. It is customary for such a big matter to be reported to the Alliance Leader first."
At that.
"Phew..."
So-ah let out a long sigh.
Then.
"That's a relief."
"What do you mean?"
"Great Hero Jang Hong. For the time being, you must not tell anyone about this fact. Especially not to the subjugation army that has gathered from Sichuan!"
"What do you mean by that? A terrible disaster has occurred in Sichuan. Of course, isn't it the proper order to inform the members of Sichuan first?"
"No. If we do that, it's over. We have barely gathered the members, and if we inform them of that fact, everyone will scatter. That's what the White Lotus Cult wants. There is a high probability that this will lead to our certain defeat."
Everyone sympathized with So-ah's words.
But just because they sympathized did not mean they agreed.
Right now, even Abbess Hongryeon and Myo-seon were martial artists of the Emei Sect of Sichuan.
If the White Lotus Cult were to go on a bloody rampage in Sichuan, it would be the proper procedure for the two of them to return to their main mountain immediately.
Therefore, Myo-seon strongly expressed her opinion to So-ah.
"So-ah. That's like saying we should sacrifice the small for the great, right? Of course, from a macroscopic point of view, you're right, but in reality, it's an overly hard-line response. Even if we delay the Gansu subjugation, it's right to protect Sichuan now."
It was a surprising thing.
Myo-seon had never been on the opposite side of So-ah until now.
She was someone who had always respected and agreed with So-ah's opinions and had given him her support.
But in the current situation, she could not do that.
Although Sichuan was Myo-seon's hometown, it was also the home of the Emei Sect, where her master and her own soul were.
For Myo-seon, the rise and fall of Sichuan was a more important value than her life and the great cause of the martial world.
But.
"Myo-seon-ah."
"So-ah..."
"I'm not saying we should abandon Sichuan."
"Huh?"
"Of course we have to protect Sichuan."
"...Then?"
"We can subjugate the White Lotus Cult while protecting Sichuan."
"Is there such a way?"
Although it was a gloomy situation, Myo-seon, with her curiosity piqued, asked with her eyes wide.
"There is. Alliance Leader!"
"Yes, So-ah."
"I have something to say to you, the military strategist, Great Hero Zhuge, and Elder Baek. I will tell you the details when the two of you are gathered."
"Alright. Then I will bring Lord Baek and Military Strategist Zhuge right away."
Abbess Hongryeon was also curious about what So-ah would say.
But since So-ah had shown the feat of setting up a plan and solving it in the face of any difficulty, she decided to trust So-ah this time as well.
"Jang Hong. You, right now, send a message to Military Strategist Zhuge and Lord Baek."
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
"And."
"Yes!"
"As So-ah said, keep this fact a secret from everyone in the alliance."
"I understand."
***
A little later...
In the Alliance Leader's office, there were only four people: So-ah, Abbess Hongryeon, Baek In-hwa, and Zhuge Hyuk.
Since the matter was urgent, as soon as the people gathered, So-ah informed them of the disaster in Sichuan and continued to speak in a serious tone.
"The timing is quite coincidental. The fact that the White Lotus Cult has launched a preemptive strike as soon as the negotiations with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have ended means, in a word, that there is a spy in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or in our Martial Alliance."
At that, everyone nodded their heads as if they sympathized.
"But we don't have time now. We don't have the luxury to spend on finding the spy. I just hope that the spy is not a key figure in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult or the alliance."
Military Strategist Zhuge, who had been listening to So-ah's words in silence, opened his mouth.
"Probably not a key figure on the alliance side. Didn't we already interrogate the spy, Kwon Hyo, and weed out most of them?"
"That would be a relief. But we must prepare for the one in a million chance. So, we must not announce the bloody disaster in Sichuan through the official position of the Martial Alliance."
"What Young Hero Jin means is?"
"We will subjugate Gansu as planned. And I will go down to Sichuan."
"So-ah!"
"So-ah!"
"Young Hero Jin!"
Baek In-hwa, Abbess Hongryeon, and Zhuge Hyuk all could not hide their surprise.
But So-ah, without caring, said again.
"If we stop the subjugation plan and handle Sichuan, it will be like drawing the picture that the White Lotus Cult wants. But we can't just leave Sichuan alone either."
This time, Abbess Hongryeon intervened.
"So-ah. They are the ones who annihilated the Iron Fist Sect. At that level, it must be at least 10% of the White Lotus Cult's true power. But to say that you will handle it alone is like saying you will carry firewood and jump into a fire pit. I know well that you have overcome any difficulty on your own until now, but this time, I cannot give you my support."
Abbess Hongryeon's position seemed firm.
It was not because she thought that So-ah would not be able to handle the disaster in Sichuan.
But because no matter how she thought about it, this journey was clearly a path of death with more harm than good.
She could not bear to see So-ah enter such a path of hardship.
But.
"Alliance Leader. I'm not alone."
"Then?"
"I will send a carrier pigeon to the young leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. I will tell him to come to Sichuan. Also, since the White Lotus Cult is a wicked group that uses evil arts and handles demonic beasts, I plan to go with Brother Woo-chi."
So-ah said with a voice full of confidence.
Of course, although it was not actually the case, he had unfolded his own acting skills to persuade the people.
'The subjugation must continue as planned. Besides, if the White Lotus Cult has poured its power into Sichuan now, on the contrary, the power of the Gansu cult branch must be considerably weakened. It's a chance that will never come again.'
That was So-ah's thought.
If a large sect like the Iron Fist Sect was annihilated overnight, the power of the White Lotus Cult members who had headed to Sichuan now must be nothing short of their core power.
In other words, it meant that if they were to subjugate the Gansu cult branch right now, the matter might become easier.
Of course, it was attached with the premise that the contact with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had to be made easily, and that he and Jeon Woo-chi had to perform an activity that was close to one-man-army.
Just then.
Baek In-hwa, with a serious expression, opened his mouth in a low voice.
"So-ah. It makes sense. If we delay the subjugation of Gansu now, it will be a bad move. But even if you receive the help of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it is dangerous for you and Woo-chi to go to Sichuan alone. I would rather accompany you. Although this old man is insignificant, I have the shallow talent to save you from the pit of hell in an emergency."
'If it's Lord Baek.'
'If that person is so confident, he must have a way out!'
Abbess Hongryeon and Zhuge Hyuk also thought that it would be better if Baek In-hwa were to go with So-ah.
But.
So-ah's thought was different.
"That won't do. The true power of the Gansu cult branch is the demonic beasts. Although the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult has the 12 monks of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall, the Orthodox Path has no such thing as a sorcerer. Elder Baek, you must go out and resolve the emergency situation caused by the demonic beasts."
"So-ah..."
"Elder Baek. Brother Woo-chi has also grown surprisingly recently, right? Now his carpet flying skill far surpasses the lightness skill. Brother Woo-chi is enough. Also, I will handle Sichuan together with the help of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, so please trust me."
"Hmm..."
At So-ah's earnest request, Baek In-hwa could not answer anymore.
As So-ah said, he also trusted the ability of his disciple, Jeon Woo-chi, who had grown rapidly recently, and he knew well that So-ah had shed his skin as a mythical martial artist who had crossed the gate of the Profound Realm.
And...
"Alliance Leader. And Military Strategist. When I became the head instructor of the Baekmu Academy, everyone doubted me. But I guided the cadets more diligently than anyone else, and they have now become respectable officials and have grown up to be the branch leaders and deputy branch leaders of each branch."
So-ah unfolded one of his specialties, the acting divine art, to the extreme.
Starting with his two eyes, which were moist and melancholic, he put a firm determination on his face as if he would chew even a stone, and began to speak in a calm and low voice.
"Also, when the seniors were poisoned by the Ten Fragrances Tendon Severing Powder, I persuaded the Poison King of the Namman Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons and fought against thousands of vampire bats to get the antidote."
"So-ah..."
"Young Hero Jin..."
As his words continued, Abbess Hongryeon and Zhuge Hyuk could not help but become like dumb people who had eaten honey.
Because it was all true, and it was a fact that So-ah himself had done all those things.
"And. I visited the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and even succeeded in negotiating with them. All these things were by no means easy. But I always did it."
"..."
"..."
"It's the same this time. I will definitely do it."
With his words, So-ah firmly closed his mouth.
But, unlike a moment ago, So-ah's eyes, which had been wet with melancholy, were filled with a volcano-like desire.
The moment they saw those eyes, Abbess Hongryeon and Zhuge Hyuk looked at each other.
Thus, as if the two had reached a silent agreement through their eyes, they nodded their heads.
"Alright, So-ah. This old woman will trust you this time as well."
"Grandma Hongryeon!"
"I will also trust Young Hero Jin. There is nothing to trust or not to trust. I'm just sorry. Because I have placed a heavy burden on your shoulders."
"Military Strategist! Thank you."
Only then did a bright color spread across So-ah's face.
In fact, this decision of Abbess Hongryeon and Zhuge Hyuk was nothing short of a courageous decision.
First, if So-ah failed to handle the disaster in Sichuan, he would be resented by the martial artists of Sichuan who had gathered at the main office.
Moreover, since they had to bear the burden of subjugating the Gansu cult branch without So-ah, who was proficient in strategy and tactics, how could it not be a courageous decision?
But the two had to follow So-ah's words.
Considering his merits so far, it was only natural to trust and support whatever opinion So-ah put forward.
"Military Strategist. Lord Baek. Now the two of you must be active as the head of the vanguard. I will make a list of the vanguard members by this evening and send a letter to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
"Alright."
"I understand, So-ah."
"And Alliance Leader. I will quickly break the heads of the heretical cult brats in Sichuan and follow you right away. Maybe I'll even arrive in Gansu first."
"Yes. I hope it will be so."
In the end, So-ah once again created a myth that completely broke the customs and common sense by using his acting skills, his track record so far, and furthermore, his connections.
***
Late at night.
So-ah, who had roughly planned the overall strategy and had documented it, visited Jeon Woo-chi's quarters.
Despite the late hour, Jeon Woo-chi was sitting cross-legged on a flat bench in front of his quarters, training his magical power.
"Brother Woo-chi!"
"You've come, So-ah."
"You heard from Elder Baek, right?"
"Yes. You're going to take me to Sichuan?"
"Brother. This time it's for real, for real. If all sorts of miscellaneous demonic beasts have come out into the world, you will have to be more active than me."
"Leave it to me. I've also grown in the meantime."
"Let's earn our keep properly this time. Huh?"
Oh, you're ruining the mood again.
A vein popped out on Jeon Woo-chi's forehead.
But seeing is believing...
Judging that one action was better than a hundred protests, Jeon Woo-chi pulled out a brush from his bosom.
"Oh? Is that the Heavenly Will Brush?"
"You punk, watch carefully."
Simultaneously.
Jeon Woo-chi waved the brush here and there in the air.
At that.
"Huh?!"
As if a swordsman were emitting a sword gang streak, a wave of ki was being formed in the air and was drawing a specific shape!
That shape was becoming a character that So-ah could not understand, and it seemed to be the Sanskrit of India.
The moment that character was completed.
With a huge roar, a true spectacle unfolded where a thick light beam made of fluorescent light stretched to the end of the sky.
'Wow! This brother's skill is improving day by day.'
(End of Chapter)