Shaking the Board (6)
“Who are you…?”
“Amitabha.”
Beom-oh performed a half-palm salute.
“This monk is called Beom-oh of Shaolin.”
“Ah.”
Moyong Woo returned the courtesy with a fist-palm salute.
“I am Moyong Woo, commander of the Tangma Army under the Uijeong Army. It is an honor to meet one of Shaolin’s genius monks.”
Shaolin’s genius monk.
It was both a title meant to show high regard for his opponent and a form of polite respect. In truth, Beom-oh was indeed known as one of the most outstanding talents within Shaolin.
Beom-oh shook his head.
“That title carries far too much weight. Please, simply call me Beom-oh.”
Had this been the Beom-oh of the past, he would have been puffed up with pride. He might even have felt slightly uncomfortable with Moyong Woo’s use of the informal “-o” speech. After all, in Beom-oh’s eyes, Shaolin had always stood at the very peak of the martial world.
But not anymore.
Having fully awakened the Dae-seung-beom-cheon-shin-gong and broken through the wall of Mu-jong, Beom-oh felt a profound change within himself. It was almost miraculous. Was I truly possessed by Mara? Of course, that didn’t mean his lofty self-esteem had vanished entirely.
He simply believed he had finally returned to a temperament that matched his true ability. There was still a long road ahead, but he had decided to be satisfied with the fact that he no longer viewed the world through eyes clouded by arrogance.
Though continuous self-cultivation would still be necessary…
“By the way, what brings you all the way out here? From what I heard from Dae-su, there was no mention of anyone from Shaolin accompanying us.”
“I came together with the master of the Geumgang Kwonmun. The abbot of our main temple sent Master Mun to assist the Uijeong Army, and this humble monk followed his senior brother here.”
“I see.”
Beom-oh reached into his robes and pulled out a plaque, which he handed to Moyong Woo.
This token symbolizes that I am a martial monk of Shaolin.
Moyong Woo smiled.
“There was no need to show me. The Buddhist energy radiating from your entire body is more than enough to tell me you are a martial monk of Shaolin.”
“Thank you.”
“Truly impressive. I feel like I’m truly understanding the saying that all martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin. I have rarely seen such a dignified yet calm aura.”
It was genuine admiration.
Just as even the greatest divine sword in the world becomes nothing more than a butcher’s knife in the hands of a commoner, not every practitioner of Shaolin’s martial arts is both strong and virtuous.
In Moyong Woo’s eyes, Beom-oh was a supreme expert who had properly mastered Shaolin’s orthodox techniques. Although the aura he emitted was rougher and more aggressive than that of other Shaolin monks, the level he had reached was undoubtedly that of a transcendent master.
Beom-oh shook his head.
“That is not what is important. The reason this monk followed you all the way here was because of the urgent fighting spirit left behind in the places the Tangma Army had passed through.”
“You sensed that?”
“I did.”
Truly remarkable. If he could feel unease from nothing more than the lingering fighting spirit left by five hundred warriors, his qi sensitivity was far from ordinary.
“Everyone was in a hurry because we were moving under orders from Dae-su.”
“It seemed that way. I managed to catch up to this area fairly quickly, but since there didn’t appear to be any major incidents, I decided to observe the situation first.”
It wasn’t entirely without incident. After all, there had been a hundred assassins guarding this place called Night Castle, and the Tangma Army had engaged in a brief but fierce battle to annihilate them.
Of course, the assassins who had been caught off guard were overwhelmed from the first clash, but the Tangma Army had still suffered considerable losses.
Night Castle was an impregnable fortress. Moreover, the Tangma Army was unfamiliar with the terrain, and they were composed entirely of cavalry.
Though they were incredible warriors capable of performing divine horsemanship even in mountainous warfare, casualties were inevitable. Fortunately, there had been no deaths, but the number of moderately and lightly wounded had reached a staggering seventy.
“However, it seems a problem has arisen.”
Moyong Woo’s eyes gleamed.
“A problem? What kind of problem?”
“Nearly a thousand assassins are camped not far from here.”
“……!”
Moyong Woo’s face hardened instinctively.
Although they had seized the enemy’s main base, the fortress was labyrinthine, with narrow and confusing paths. It would take at least three or four days to fully memorize the layout of the castle’s interior.
That was why Moyong Woo and his unit leaders had split up to plant flags at key locations. The rest of the troops were resting and standing guard in preparation for enemy attacks.
And yet they hadn’t known?
“They seemed extremely familiar with the environment here. From where I stand, I cannot see them. But in reality, they are watching this place with hungry eyes.”
“Is that true?”
“It is.”
Well, a Shaolin monk would have no reason to lie about something like this.
“I found it strange that the assassins revealed themselves so openly. But now that I’m here, I understand. From this location, it is impossible to see them. They have cleverly concealed themselves using the terrain.”
Furthermore, since they were skilled in stealth techniques and specialized in erasing their presence, even the great Moyong Woo would have found it difficult to detect them.
“Would you like to see for yourself?”
“Let’s do that. I think we should…”
Suddenly, Moyong Woo’s eyes deepened.
“No. I will not move from here.”
“……?”
Beom-oh asked with a puzzled expression.
“You don’t need to confirm it yourself?”
“Of course it needs to be confirmed. But I must not move.”
Moyong Woo looked around.
“This place is not a simple fortress. Perhaps because it was where assassins lived, the structure is incredibly complex and intricate. Even memorizing only the visible paths would take a full three or four days.”
“……”
“We have already discovered three secret passages. If even a few of them infiltrate this place, we could be caught completely off guard.”
“Hmm.”
“At the very least, my presence here is necessary to minimize damage. That is why I cannot move.”
Moyong Woo knew his position well. He clearly understood why the left commander must not be easily shaken and why he must not move lightly.
The sense of stability and command structure provided by a leader was crucial regardless of the organization’s nature.
Beom-oh nodded.
“I don’t fully understand, but if that is the case, please send a trustworthy subordinate with me.”
“They are all trustworthy. However, as you said, if the enemy is hiding in such a cunning manner, it would be better to attach someone well-versed in strategy and tactics.”
Moyong Woo turned his head.
“Squad Leader Jin!”
“Yes, Commander!”
Squad Leader Jin Pae quickly approached.
“Go with Monk Beom-oh to confirm the assassins’ positions. You must thoroughly investigate the terrain where they are hiding and all possible attack routes.”
“I will carry out the order.”
Moyong Woo continued speaking.
“……”
Beom-oh’s eyes sparkled.
Moyong Woo’s mouth was clearly moving as if he were speaking, yet no sound came out. However, Jin Pae kept nodding as though he could hear Moyong Woo’s voice. Sound transmission. It seemed he had given him some sort of secret order that was not meant for Beom-oh’s ears.
It made sense. Every organization had matters that outsiders should not know about.
A moment later, Moyong Woo spoke to Beom-oh.
“Then, I leave it to you.”
Beom-oh nodded.
“Let’s go.”
“Monk Beom-oh.”
“Is there something else?”
Moyong Woo performed a fist-palm salute.
“Thank you.”
Beom-oh shook his head.
“Let’s save such thanks for later. You are Squad Leader Jin, correct? Let us depart immediately.”
“As you wish.”
BOOOOM!
The two men swiftly left Night Castle behind.
When they had put some distance between themselves and the fortress, Jin Pae asked,
“You are Monk Beom-oh, correct?”
“That is right.”
“May I ask which path you took to get here?”
Beom-oh pointed toward the northeast.
“I came along the trail over there. There are many trees on both sides and large rocks scattered about, making it suitable for hiding one’s body.”
“And the assassins have set up camp in the direction we are heading?”
“Correct. But why do you ask?”
Jin Pae’s eyes gleamed.
“As you saw, simply changing direction does not mean we won’t be exposed to the enemy’s eyes. Just as we could not see them from the main base we seized, even if you hid your body, there is still the possibility that the assassins have already located you.”
Beom-oh shook his head.
“That cannot be. The reason I was able to find where they were camped was because I followed behind them. At least from what I saw, the assassins could not see this fortress either. Their field of vision was restricted.”
“On the surface, yes.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I felt while investigating the castle is that the assassins are far more cautious than we imagined. Moreover, the fortress we have taken was the residence of the man known as the king of the Central Plains’ assassins.”
“……!”
“They would not have created passages only inside the castle, but throughout the surrounding area as well. Furthermore, first-rate assassins usually establish their own safe houses across the Central Plains. If it is the one called the Shadow God, he would have done even more, not less. It is possible that hundreds or even thousands of safe houses and passages are connected throughout all of Guangdong Province.”
“Hoo…”
This was the harsh side of the gangho that Beom-oh had never known.
Having always walked only the bright paths of the gangho while learning the highest martial arts, there were things Beom-oh could not know. In that regard, Jin Pae actually knew even more than Moyong Woo.
“And the commander is also aware of this.”
“……?!”
Jin Pae looked around.
“Mm, the surroundings are completely blocked off. The flow of air is normal as well… This should be far enough.”
Tap, tap.
Jin Pae stopped walking.
Beom-oh spoke urgently.
“What are you doing? There is still quite a distance left!”
“Please return from here, Monk.”
“W-what?”
“From this point on, I will act as bait. Please go back and assist the commander.”
“What are you saying? Assist the commander?”
“Going to the place where the assassins are camped is something I can do alone.”
“They are masters of stealth! If you make even the slightest mistake…!”
“Why do you think the assassins revealed themselves so openly?”
“……?!”
“If they had a clear purpose such as reacting to enemy movements or eliminating targets, they would never have shown themselves. Yet they did.”
“That’s…”
“There is no target to eliminate. Nor is it to react to enemy movements. Rather, they want to see how the enemy reacts and respond accordingly.”
“……!!”
“If my thoughts align with the commander’s, the assassins will absolutely not kill me. They will send me back. To draw out the forces inside the castle.”
Beom-oh’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“Then… why did you bring me at all?”
“To serve as a guide and as insurance. There is also the possibility that the enemy saw you.”
“……”
“There are two possibilities. Either the assassins have set a trap there, or they intend to infiltrate the castle. That is why they revealed themselves.”
“Isn’t that just speculation?”
“Yes, it is.”
Jin Pae’s eyes turned cold.
“Even if it is speculation, I must risk my life to find out whether it is right or wrong.”
Half a shichen later.
“Lord Yayul.”
“Speak.”
“Just now, a man presumed to be a warrior of the Martial Alliance observed our movements and returned.”
Yayul Jeok’s eyes flashed.
“It is clear that the Shaolin monk leaked information about this place.”
“What is the minimum time until they can dispatch troops here?”
“Since they are not familiar with the terrain, they will move with maximum stealth. Judging by the distance, they could launch a surprise attack in as little as two shichen, or at most three.”
“If by any chance they do not move, we will charge the gates right before dawn tomorrow.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
“Good.”