Chapter 521
Chapter 521
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 521
Chapter Title: Schemes and Counterschemes
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“This can't be.”
Seong Jo-yeong's mouth fell open.
“They've laid a formation across this entire gorge?”
Even if the Celestial Cult had deep coffers, setting up a formation across a gorge spanning over forty li?
To install a formation across this entire area, even with dozens of master formation artists, would be impossible to complete in a short time.
‘Does this mean they've been preparing for this fight for a long time?’
“Unbelievable!”
Unable to watch any longer, Seong Jo-yeong dashed forward, launching himself into the air.
His martial arts were superb; unlike the members of the Celestial Unit who needed protruding rocks for footholds, he used the Ladder to the Heavens technique to ascend to the cliff's edge in a single breath.
*Whoosh.*
But the formation activated again, and the cliff he had almost reached stretched endlessly higher.
*Splaash!*
Simultaneously, water diluted with the Nine-Fever Palm Toxin poured down on Seong Jo-yeong's head.
Not only that, but boulders and hidden weapons like crossbow bolts, which hadn't been used before, rained down all at once.
“Hmph.”
Seong Jo-yeong immediately drew his sword, creating a wide sword screen to block the downpour of hidden weapons and palm toxin.
*Zhiiing!*
Finally breaking free of the formation's influence, Seong Jo-yeong reached the top of the gorge, his eyes widening.
The ambush party was nowhere to be seen. Under the dark sky, there was only the desolate cliff.
“Aaargh!”
“Kugh!”
Meanwhile, screams erupted from below.
It seemed the Celestial Cult's forces were ambushing from the opposite side of the gorge.
They were raining hidden weapons and poison down on the Divine Might Division waiting below.
“The entire top of the gorge is covered in a formation?”
Seong Jo-yeong focused his inner energy into his eyes and carefully scanned the opposite cliff.
But he saw nothing.
Yet, poison and hidden weapons were raining down below.
The ambush party was clearly concealed by the formation, attacking from the shadows.
“You bastards!”
Seong Jo-yeong was a man of outstanding martial skill and a bold personality, but he lacked strategic sense and was not adept at improvising.
*Fwoosh!*
Seeing his men trapped, he descended and then leaped up to the opposite gorge.
“Where are you hiding!”
He swung his sword, sending powerful waves of true energy rippling outwards.
But only mist scattered in all directions; the ambush party remained unseen.
“Haaah!”
Enraged, Seong Jo-yeong unleashed Iron Thorn Primal Spirit, the most powerful technique of his unique Flying Eagle Sword Art.
Sharp sword energy spread out like petals, and with a crackle of sparks, a portion of the mist vanished.
He had forcibly destroyed part of the gorge's formation by unleashing his potent sword energy.
“This is...”
Where the formation was revealed, there were no people, only devices designed to launch poison and hidden weapons.
“Thorough. Too thorough.”
Seong Jo-yeong wore a look of utter defeat.
If they had installed such a powerful formation across a forty-li gorge...
Unless an expert in dispelling formations arrived, he could swing his sword all night and still not break it.
Besides, if he spent his time breaking the formation like that, true masters from the Celestial Cult could use his absence to launch a surprise attack on his men.
‘There must be people somewhere. But...’
I can't play hide-and-seek here, not knowing how many enemies there are.
When there's no strategy to escape a crisis, the proper course is to retreat immediately and preserve one's forces.
“Retreat!”
In the end, Seong Jo-yeong had no choice but to order his men to retreat.
***
Muk In-hyeok, leading the cavalry of the Heavenly Martial Corps, headed to Danyong Prefecture and entered the area near Yangmun Mountain, where the Celestial Cult was based.
He was a man not only of outstanding martial skill but also of vast battlefield experience.
He commanded the three-thousand-strong army of the Divine Might Division as if they were his own limbs.
His subordinates, too, moved in an orderly fashion, maintaining a stern atmosphere.
But as they entered a village at the mouth of the valley leading to Yangmun Mountain, an unexpected scene greeted them.
A large crowd of people stood blankly in their path.
They were not martial artists, but ordinary commoners who lived in the village.
Their numbers were at least two or three hundred.
It seemed as if every commoner in the village had come out.
“What is this?”
Yang Gwon, the leader of the Flowing Sword Unit at the head of the column, addressed the commoners.
“Our corps needs to pass. Please clear the way.”
An old man, who appeared to be their representative, clasped his hands and spoke earnestly.
“Great warriors, the Celestial Cult is not a bad place.”
“What do you mean?”
As Yang Gwon frowned, the people behind the old man began to plead along with him.
“Please, do not harm the Celestial Cult!”
“The Celestial Cult helps us whenever we are in need!”
‘Just as I thought. So this is their move.’
Watching from a distance, Muk In-hyeok nodded.
The young grand master, Seonwu Jin, had said the Celestial Cult would use the commoners in a ploy.
Of course, Muk In-hyeok had anticipated something like this. So, he wasn't particularly surprised to see the commoners blocking the road.
‘A transparent scheme.’
“Move aside!”
Yang Gwon shouted at the commoners blocking their path.
“The Celestial Cult is a heretical sect that has lured and killed innocent martial artists! If you defend them, you will be treated as their accomplices!”
“Great warriors, if the Celestial Cult falls, we will fall too!”
But the commoners would not listen to reason.
Yang Gwon issued a few more stern warnings, but they stubbornly continued to block the way.
“This is your final warning. Clear the path!”
Yang Gwon spoke with a solemn expression, and though the commoners were afraid, they did not budge.
Finally, he turned his horse around and reported to Muk In-hyeok, who was waiting behind him.
“Vice Commander, these commoners are intractable. It seems we'll have to scare them into clearing the path.”
There would be no end to it if they started listening to the commoners' pleas.
Instead of persuading them, Yang Gwon intended to display their overwhelming power to force them to move.
“No, wait.”
Muk In-hyeok, who had been thinking, spoke again.
“You must not lay a single hand on the commoners.”
Then he addressed his men.
“Dismount and use your lightness arts to pass through.”
“Sir?”
“If we rashly harm the commoners, it will only backfire. That is precisely what the Celestial Cult wants.”
“But...”
Yang Gwon hesitated, but seeing the stern look in Muk In-hyeok's eyes, he clasped his hands.
“Understood.”
In the end, the corps members leaped over the commoners in a series of bounds.
“Aigoo!”
“Oof!”
But just then, the commoners blocking the path cried out.
They had tried to forcibly stop the leaping warriors and had been knocked over in the collision.
“Do not block the way!”
Some of the warriors, annoyed by commoners clinging to their trouser legs, shook them off irritably.
“Pfft!”
But then something strange happened.
Every time a commoner was coldly pushed away, they would vomit blood and writhe on the ground.
“Ughhh...”
The fallen commoners frothed at the mouth with blood.
Seeing this, the other commoners began to shout in fury.
“The masters of the Martial Alliance are using their skills to kill people!”
“They're killing commoners!”
As the people shouted, Yang Gwon yelled back.
“Don't speak nonsense!”
The warriors hadn't used any internal energy; they had merely pushed them away lightly.
But the enraged commoners roughly grabbed Yang Gwon by the collar and began to protest.
“Do you martial artists think you can just use your strength to strike people like this!”
“Are you even human!”
“Hey, you bastards! Go on, try and kill me too!”
As the commoners surged forward, protesting all at once, Yang Gwon unwittingly shouted.
“I told you, we didn't use any force!”
And he used his internal energy to lightly push away the commoners shaking him.
‘No!’
Seeing this, Muk In-hyeok shouted.
“Yang Gwon! Do not engage!”
He had already anticipated that the Celestial Cult would mobilize the commoners to block their path.
But he had never imagined they would go so far as to have them ingest drugs to make them vomit blood or feign seizures to cause trouble.
‘It's a scheme to spread rumors that our Alliance is slaughtering commoners!’
There were surely agents of the Celestial Cult among the commoners.
But it was already too late.
“Martial artists are slaughtering commoners!”
“Just kill us!”
As if on cue, the fallen commoners began to scream at the top of their lungs while lying on the ground.
Flustered, Yang Gwon didn't know what to do and turned to Muk In-hyeok.
“Vice Commander, they...”
“Enough.”
Muk In-hyeok shook his head, his expression grim.
The street had already descended into chaos, and some commoners were charging at the warriors of the Divine Might Division.
This was no spontaneous act, but a meticulously planned performance, like a scene from an opera.
“As long as the commoners are gathered and determined to obstruct us like this, trying to pass through Danyong Prefecture to strike the Celestial Cult is already a mistake.”
“Vice Commander.”
“We will return to the main camp for now.”
Muk In-hyeok spat out the words and immediately turned his horse around.
The Divine Might Division and the Heavenly Martial Corps returned to the barracks on the Haseo Plains, where the command headquarters was located.
Just as Bu Eun-seol had predicted, they had not only failed to break through the Celestial Cult's defensive line...
...but had fled back here, unable to even overcome the traps they had laid.
“It happened just as Grand Master Seonwu predicted.”
Seong Jo-yeong said coldly, looking at the calmly standing Bu Eun-seol.
“Since you foresaw everything, I trust you have a countermeasure.”
He added another remark, clearly resentful.
“Our Alliance's advance force has made such a disgraceful retreat. You're not just standing there smiling without any plan, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
“As you must have realized, Vice Commander, the Celestial Cult has been preparing for battle with our Alliance for a long time. They likely anticipated that the events at the Sword Tomb would be discovered.”
He then stared intently at Seong Jo-yeong.
“I heard they set up an immense, layered formation in Jangsan Gorge and are dispersing a cheap, mass-produced poison.”
“That's right. So?”
“We must break through, one way or another. Vice Unit Leader Tae!”
At Bu Eun-seol's call, Tae Mu-ryong and the elite members waiting outside the barracks entered.
In his hands was an enormous piece of cotton cloth.
“How did it go?”
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Tae Mu-ryong bowed his head and replied.
“It was effective. We managed to exhaust most of the Nine-Fever Palm Toxin and hidden weapons within half a day. The Divine Might Division should be able to advance again now.”
“What is the meaning of this?”
Seong Jo-yeong asked, and Bu Eun-seol answered.
“No matter how abundant the Celestial Cult's funds and manpower are, it is impossible to set up a formation across the entire forty-li gorge.”
“Nonsense. They really did set up a formation across the entire gorge.”
“Did you truly... search the entire area?”
Seong Jo-yeong could not answer Bu Eun-seol's question.
Fearing he would be disgraced if he lingered there, he had simply retreated with his forces intact.
“Judging by the nature of the formation in the gorge, they likely only prepared for masters ascending the cliffs.”
Bu Eun-seol pointed to a map and said.
“They wouldn't have mobilized such vast funds and personnel just to defend one pass in Jangsan Gorge.”
Turning his head, Bu Eun-seol once again addressed Seong Jo-yeong.
“They must have expected you to retreat after encountering an unexpected trap, Vice Commander Seong. And they would have hoped you would spend much time agonizing over how to break through it.”
Seong Jo-yeong's face turned red.
He didn't want to admit that his insight and knowledge of strategy were inferior to those of a mere young grand master.
“In the end, what you're saying is also just an assumption, isn't it?”
“It is. That's why I had it confirmed.”
Bu Eun-seol gestured toward Tae Mu-ryong and his men.
“I had a unit advance through the gorge while holding up a large cotton cloth.”
“A cotton cloth?”
“Yes. It was only to shield them from the palm toxin. We were testing to see just how many hidden weapons they would unleash, and how many attacks they could sustain.”
Bu Eun-seol looked at Tae Mu-ryong and nodded, and the latter began to speak.
“Just as the Grand Master said, they only poured down the palm toxin. There were no further attacks with hidden weapons or rocks.”
Seong Jo-yeong's mouth fell open.
Just as Bu Eun-seol had said, the Celestial Cult had merely, for that one time...
...put up a bluff, a trap that seemed capable of stopping a large army.
Hearing the full story, Seong Jo-yeong's face burned with shame.
He had failed to assess the situation calmly, believing the entire gorge was covered in a terrifying formation.
And he had concluded that to pass through, they had to destroy the formation and eliminate the ambushers on the cliffs.
But it was just a simple bluff.
No matter how vast their funds, they couldn't have set up a formation or stationed ambush parties across an entire forty-li gorge.
“Then we can just pass through the gorge with these cotton cloths. As long as we can avoid the palm toxin.”
“Exactly.”
Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
“After a short rest, you can immediately advance into Jangsan Gorge again.”
“We will.”
Seong Jo-yeong nodded, looking embarrassed.
Then, Muk In-hyeok stepped forward.
“Just as you predicted, the commoners took action.”
He calmly explained the situation in Danyong Prefecture to Bu Eun-seol.
“They all seem to have been bought by the Celestial Cult long ago. If our Alliance's warriors try to force their way through, they'll cling to them like vengeful ghosts and insist that our men attacked them.”
Muk In-hyeok sighed and shook his head.
“The bigger problem is the Celestial Cult's spies hidden among the commoners. As long as they are there, this problem won't be easily solved.”
Rumors that the Martial Alliance's warriors had attacked commoners had already spread widely throughout the Haseo region.
The problem was that it's easy to create false rumors, but it takes a long time for the truth to be revealed.
If they waited for the truth to come out, the Heavenly Martial Corps wouldn't be able to pass through Danyong Prefecture even after a month.
“The trust the Celestial Cult has earned from the commoners is due to the food they hand out like acts of charity.”
Bu Eun-seol, who had already finished his investigation using the Soul Investigation Unit, began to speak.
“In truth, heretical sects and the common people unite quickly, but they also turn on each other just as fast. At first, the sect appears endlessly beneficial, but in the end, they always end up sucking the commoners dry.”
Bu Eun-seol continued.
“The Celestial Cult has already lost the hearts of the commoners long ago.”
“Lost their hearts? Impossible. I have also investigated, but I heard no such stories.”
As Muk In-hyeok shook his head, Bu Eun-seol spoke firmly.
“Information is like food. The ingredients must be carefully selected from the start, and old information spoils. Only freshly prepared information has the proper flavor.”
Muk In-hyeok was speechless and closed his mouth.
As Bu Eun-seol had said, his information on the Celestial Cult was merely a reconfirmation of old rumors he had his subordinates check.
“The truth is, they are only cooperating because the Celestial Cult threatened them, saying that if a fight broke out with the Martial Alliance, Danyong Prefecture would also become a sea of fire.”
Muk In-hyeok had no choice but to speak honestly.
“I also felt something was amiss, so I reinvestigated the details on our way back. But even knowing the truth, there's no way to resolve this right now.”
His voice was slightly irritated.
In truth, when such problems arise, the strategists, centered around the commander, should analyze the situation from all angles and devise a plan.
Seong Jo-yeong wasn't one to use his head, so his pride wouldn't be hurt by such matters.
But Muk In-hyeok was different.
He was the Vice Commander of the Heavenly Martial Corps, known for his prowess in both literary and martial arts, and had experience winning on many battlefields.
But Bu Eun-seol was grasping the situation as if he had foreseen everything, and was readily providing solutions to Seong Jo-yeong... which made him secretly furious.
“Slow the offensive and calmly observe the situation. Dissatisfaction is bound to erupt. When divisions appear, if we attack again, we can surely break them.”
“Hahaha.”
Muk In-hyeok, who had been waiting to see what he would say, burst into a disbelieving laugh.
“Yes, that is the correct method. However, if we wait for that, the seasons will change. I suppose our corps should take up farming here in the meantime.”
Despite his sarcastic remark, Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
“Give me six days.”
“Six days?”
“Yes. I will resolve it within that time.”
“You mean to say you can quell those malicious rumors in six days?”
“I can.”
“That's absurd.”
Turning the hearts of the brainwashed commoners and severing their ties with the Celestial Cult was not something that could be resolved in a short time.
And yet he claimed he would solve it in six days?
“Why would I speak nonsense to the Vice Commander?”
At Bu Eun-seol's bold words, the look in Muk In-hyeok's eyes changed.
“And if you fail?”
“I will immediately step down from my position as Acting Supreme Commander.”
“Very well, then.”
Muk In-hyeok snorted and said.
“If you can change public opinion within six days, I will no longer question your words.”
Such a statement was an admission that he had not acknowledged Bu Eun-seol as the Acting Supreme Commander until now.
In other words, it meant he was disregarding Gongson Dan-gyeong's supreme command.
But Bu Eun-seol did not take issue with it. The stronger the resistance now, the more they would acknowledge him later.
“In return, the warriors of the Heavenly Martial Corps also have a task to perform.”
“And what is that?”
Bu Eun-seol wore a subtle smile.
“Passion and sincerity. And a little bit of labor.”