NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 204. Collapse (2)
Right (正), Evil (邪), and Demon (魔) – Even if we leave aside the fact that the path they walk is different depending on the characteristics of the martial arts they have learned and their behavioral patterns, the martial arts world is a world where all sorts of interests and favors are intertwined.
The commander of the Jeongcheon Alliance, Jegal Changsin, had a hunch that this one decision could easily lead to the alliance collapsing.
“… … Just a moment. Just give me a moment to think about it. An hour… … No, half an hour (an hour) should be enough.”
“I see. It will take some time for the Guimeng to prepare for the expedition anyway. There will be some time before the main force arrives.”
The Shaman Sword Master nodded as if he understood the weight of the decision that Jegal Changsin was carrying, and then gestured to Okyang and Hakun. It was to indicate that they should step aside while Jegal Changsin was contemplating.
“… … .”
Was it because he was concerned about the fact that he had said something about going to help Shaolin just half an hour ago? – Hak-woon opened his mouth several times and tried to say something but stopped. Ok-yang simply said that she would give up the order to go and walked out with the others. Maeng-do, who was the liaison with the shaman and had come to deliver urgent news, followed behind him with cautious steps.
“for a moment.”
When his contact, Meng Dao, passed by, Zhuge Changxin stopped him for a moment and whispered something briefly. Meng Dao nodded slightly in response and then quickly walked away again.
Jegal Changsin, who was finally left alone, entered the office and immediately sank into his chair. Whether it was because of the shocking news he had received one after another or the weight of the decision he had to make, he felt helpless. He didn’t have the strength to show his usual calmness, so he could only barely wipe his face with one hand.
‘I don’t know if it’s the plan of Magwangcheonju himself, but if it’s something he’s done, he’s as smart as he is lofty. He’s planning to tear Bonmyeong apart with just one move.’
Zhuge Changxin thought. Now that the support of the imperial family and Hebei Peng family was completely unavailable due to the inviolability of official duties, Shaolin was clearly in danger. Although Zi Yun had mentioned the existence of the great monks of the past, he could not just rely on that and let it go. Now that it had been confirmed that the Magwangcheonju Yeon Junghyeok was a skilled enough person to defeat the Sword King Namgung Jangcheon, the destruction of Shaolin was not completely out of the question.
‘The Fujian side is completely unknown. The southeastern part of the Central Plains is completely the territory of the Demonic Clan. They say that even tax collection is not smooth… … . Perhaps the Magwangcheonju guaranteed tribute in exchange for this non-interference in official duties. The extreme demon masters of the Fujian Yuga side may have joined Magwangcheon. There may be other extreme demon masters in Magwangcheon’s main group, including Yeon Junghyeok himself… … .’
The Sword Master said that a soldier must always keep the worst-case scenario in mind. As he said, assuming the worst-case scenario, the destruction of Shaolin gradually felt like a foregone conclusion. Then, as the Sword Master said, would it be right to move to Shaanxi to destroy the Hwasisei clan for a sure profit?
‘……no.’
Zhuge Changxin suddenly realized that he was too entangled in the comfort of the six factions. The Zhengtian Alliance was not an alliance for the six factions. It was also different from the Murim Alliance, which only talked about eliminating Sima. The leader of the Zhengtian Alliance, Yuan Ming, had repeatedly emphasized and shown that the six factions were not above the alliance. If Zhuge Changxin, who had been entrusted with full authority, wavered in the face of the six factions’ crisis and showed signs of distributing his power, wouldn’t that be the very same thing as planting the seeds of the alliance’s collapse?
‘I forgot for a moment.’
After pushing up his eyelids, Jegal Changsin’s eyes began to glow with a sense of duty. The lord he had decided to serve had entrusted him with preserving the power of the Jeongcheon Alliance. Although he was only a young man, the Dark Sword Dragon, Dangmyeong, was one of the strongest warriors Jegal Changsin had seen in his long years. He could almost be called the Dragon of the People. Even the Black Lotus was practically exterminated by his own power.
The enemy – The magical forces including Magwangcheon are still unaware of the absence of the Jeongcheon Alliance Leader. That’s why they must be carrying out this kind of diversionary plan.
As Zhuge Changxin’s mind became a little clearer, he completely regained his composure and became lost in thought. What decision should he make as a member of the Zhengtian Alliance in the current situation?
We must preserve our power and further protect Sacheon━Jegal Changsin thought back to the reasons why he had settled down here in Juksan in the first place. It was because he had carefully selected the masters of Hwagyeong such as Mudanggeomjon, Okyang, and Hakun, but the most important reason was to guard against the Gwak clan of Gwiju. It was a place where they could invade Sacheon at any time.
Although he had sent someone to monitor their movements, once the entire force of the Zhengtian Alliance moved to Shaanxi, it would not be easy to respond to the movements of the Guizhou Guo family. If he got involved in a battle with the Shaanxi Hua family, it would not be easy to even escape.
In Zhuge Changxin’s opinion, that was the worst possible situation.
The territory of the Jeongpa that had been secured with difficulty due to the destruction of the Black Lotus was being invaded without warning. There was a concern that the safety of the Tang family would be threatened, and furthermore, the Jeongcheon Alliance headquarters would collapse. If that happened, the Jeongdo forces would never be able to gather again and might even be annihilated.
Above all, Zhuge Changxin believed that if the enemy intended to divert troops, it would not lead to a good outcome regardless of whether they chose Shaanxi or Henan.
That was when I had organized my thoughts.
“Military. I came because you called me.”
The polite but powerful voice rings pleasantly. There is a story among the common people that even those who do not have a Buddhist heart will find Buddha after hearing the sermon directly delivered by a voice mixed with Buddhist spirit. Indeed, the Shaolin monks showed a different presence with just their voices.
“Are you here?”
Jegal Changsin came out of his office with a much more relaxed face and greeted the monks wearing Jeongcheonmaeng’s clothes. They were the Arhat monks that Jaun had brought with him. Just a moment ago, Jegal Changsin had instructed Meng Do, who was in charge of contacting the shaman, to call them.
‘At least we shouldn’t fool the blind.’
Although they are not masters of the level of Hwagyeong, the elite Nahan monks of Shaolin are each and every one of them extremely skilled. They are skilled in handling various weapons, and above all, their passing formation is so excellent that even the Zhuge family can compete with them. In particular, the ability of the Baekpal Nahan formation (百八羅漢陣), which is multiplied by several, is needless to say.
Those Nahan monks are clearly the main force of the alliance. If they leave, the loss can be considered quite large. As a member of the Jeongcheon Alliance, Zhuge Changxin could deploy his forces without informing the Nahan monks of the crisis in Shaolin. This means that he could send them to Shaanxi Huashan or Zhongnan. Perhaps Song Qing, Yu Yang, and Xue Yun wanted that. The stronger the Jeongcheon Alliance’s forces, the easier it would be to overcome the crisis in Shaanxi.
Even if the Shaolin monks later learned of the crisis in the sect, they could have made up any number of excuses. If Shaolin had not been destroyed at that time, they could have said that they believed in its power, and if it had been destroyed, they could have said that it was to avoid increasing the number of useless deaths.
however.
Zhuge Changxin did not want to do that. No matter how valuable the Shaolin Nahansung’s history was, he thought that he should not lie to them about the crisis facing their Buddhist order. The leader of the Jeongcheon clan, Liang Yuanming, would not do that. He knew what righteousness was, was not swayed, and had established his own chivalry.
‘… … I’ve changed a lot too.’
Jegal Changsin muttered to himself as he recalled the face of the peerless young man. He had ordered the Nahan monks to be called before he could even organize his thoughts. He said he did it instinctively. He thought that if it had been him before he met Yuan Ming, he would have hidden the truth from the Nahan monks and rationalized it to himself in order to prevent loss of power.
“Listen without being surprised. I just received news that the main force of the Magwangcheon Army entered Sungsan… … .”
Zhuge Changxin conveyed the facts quickly and accurately in a calm tone.
Considering the planned inviolability of the official duties, the fact that Magwangcheon moved as if he had been waiting for it, and the distance to Hanam Sungsan, it seems that Shaolin is already engaged in a bloody battle against Magwangcheon…
The Arhats could not hide their agitation at the sudden crisis of the monks, but they still listened quietly to Zhuge Changxin’s words without interrupting him.
When Zhuge Changxin finally finished speaking, one of the monks stepped forward with his hands clasped together and opened his mouth.
“First of all, I would like to thank you for your consideration. Seeing that Shaanxi is also in crisis at the same time, I can see that there is some kind of scheme as you said. Since you insisted on telling us the truth, can I take it that you will accept our leaving the alliance and running to the temple right away?”
“Yes. Considering the distance and the time it would take for news to travel, the war between Shaolin and Magwangcheon is already over… … but I will not stop you.”
“The soldier is a warmer person than he looks.”
Na Han-seung spoke with a soft curl of his lips. His face seemed a little pale, perhaps because he had heard of the crisis at Samun, but it was enough to show his kindness. He opened his mouth again.
“As the Lord of Zhao Yun set off with the leader, he said, ‘Our origins are Shaolin, but now that we are members of the Jeongcheon Alliance, we must absolutely follow the leader’s orders. And now, we must follow the orders of Zhuge Liang, who has been entrusted with full authority by the leader.”
The death penalty is right━one of the monks stepped forward and said so.
“The current Central Plains martial arts world is weakened by evil ways and is being tainted by the devil’s way. Even if the four sects are in danger, it is something that can happen to anyone in the current situation. I heard that several small sects are being destroyed every day. It would be unreasonable to stay quiet at that time and then rush out because the six sects are in danger. I appreciate the military’s consideration, but if we allow our forces to be withdrawn in that way, I am concerned that the sect may collapse.”
“… … Are you sure it’s okay?”
When the monks said that they would not leave the temple even in the face of a crisis, Zhuge Changxin was surprised and asked back. I heard that Shaolin is fair and just, but I didn’t expect it to be this much.
Then, Na Han-seung, who had opened his mouth first, moved his lips, which were still smiling, and spoke.
“Military. Shaolin is not weak. Please do not be bound by petty interests and make decisions for the greater good. Also, isn’t it meaningful for a Shaolin disciple to be able to set an example first in times of crisis like this?”
* * *
Hanam Sungsan.
There were people coming down wearing blood-covered armor.
And among them, the one with the most unique presence, wearing a purple robe, was coming down with a limp. It was none other than Yeon Jung-hyeok, the Heavenly Lord of Magwang.
“They say old ginger is spicy, and the previous generation’s gingerbread men were definitely strong.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Lord.”
At Yeon Jung-hyeok’s muttering, the man wearing a silver mask silently got down and said. This is the signal officer of Magwangcheonju, Eunryung.
“What about the headquarters? Is it finished?”
“Yes. The resistance from the Shaolin abbot was fierce, but it wasn’t difficult.”
“Really? Then Shaolin is now… … ”
It would be no exaggeration to say that it was the destruction of a sect━ A deep silence descended on Sungsan along with the long, drawn-out voice. Not a single bird could be heard, and it felt as if the entire Sungsan had been enveloped in death along with the sunset.