The Vice Military Officer's Ruthless Counterplan
I plopped down as the Vice Military Officer. "Begin."
With the Cheonma seated on his jade throne, the meeting kicked off under Marae's lead. The unit commanders reported their troop numbers and recent achievements in detail. The Cheonma nodded along attentively, personally verifying everything. Gauging his reaction, Marae finally spoke up in earnest.
"Your Supremacy. As you can see, all of the cult's combat units are already at full capacity. We're ready to rampage toward the Central Plains martial world at any moment."
"What's the Murim Alliance up to?"
"From what our spies in the minor sects have gathered, the Alliance is still rattled from the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament fiasco. They're terrified of an all-out righteous-demonic war and just trading half-hearted barbs internally."
The Cheonma nodded calmly at Marae's measured explanation.
"We should exploit their complacency—use our embedded spies and strike forces to wipe out the Kunlun Sect and others in one go, then set up supply lines there for the full-scale war. That's the wise path, in my view."
The details would involve Marae's spies and units executing various ops, but the big picture was clear: isolate and crush the nearest target beyond the Xinjiang border—the Kunlun Sect—then ride that momentum to devour the Kongdong Sect in Gansu and gauge the Central Plains' response.
"Preparations for that?"
"The Blood Gate, made up of Lord Blood Demon's jiangshi and assassins, has already taken positions in Shanxi and Hunan. They're primed to hit the enemy from behind at any time. Even if the Murim Alliance scrambles sects in a panic under our assault, they won't coordinate in time."
The Cheonma slowly nodded at Marae's smoothly unfolding plan, and the cultists in the hall began to get swept up in the fervor.
Are these fuckers insane?
Sweat beaded on my forehead as the scene unfolded just like the game's storyline, regardless of the silent cheers around me.
This plan's a total dead end...
The story seemed to be sticking to script, with my interventions only tweaking the Wudang Sect, Dragon-Phoenix Tournament, and Dokgo Hwaryeon. Unease sprouted deep in my gut.
Of course, reality patches could veer it far from the game. But then again, even with patches, it's still a game.
Quest rewards spitting out thunder bombs and all sorts of shit...
I had no clue why quests handed out thunder bombs, but players used them—along with formless poisons and more—to block the Cheonma Singyo's advance.
Not on my watch.
Can't let the group I'm in get fucked. I turned my head, and Dokgo Hwaryeon was staring at me with eyes burning hot. Screw the staring—in a pinch like this, the husband steps up for his wife.
As their little chant-fest meeting dragged on, I leaned forward casually. Marae and the room froze at my sudden move, but the Cheonma raised a hand to quiet them.
"Yes, Vice Military Officer. Something to say?"
He smiled, assuming I, from the righteous side, was chipping in on the plan. Sorry, but I'm here to wreck it.
"Your Supremacy. May I offer counsel as the cult's Vice Military Officer on this occasion?"
Since it was official, I went formal—unlike before—and the Cheonma nodded.
"I don't oppose the cult's rampage for martial unification, but I believe we should halt the advance at Kunlun."
Marae scowled, thinking I'd suddenly sabotaged his own plan.
"Vice Military Officer, why do you think that?"
"Kunlun's honestly so isolated it's barely part of the Central Plains martial world. But Kongdong's different. It's a key hub where massive sects in Sichuan and Shaanxi can easily reinforce. Too many risks."
"We already said preparations are in place for that, Vice Military Officer."
His tone roughened, figuring I was nitpicking.
"Frankly, even hitting Kunlun doesn't sit right with me."
The hall plunged into dead silence the moment I finished.
"Surely not because of your background?"
The Cheonma's suspicious tone echoed, and heat started boiling in the room. I was the great disciple of Wudang, heir to the hero Shinjang—a Central Plains legend. Being treated like trash was inevitable.
"Your Supremacy. What we're doing here is war. Siege warfare, basically. Why toss our Xinjiang advantage and step straight into the Central Plains?"
My voice rang slowly through the hushed hall.
"Martial unification? Fine. But do we have to march into the Central Plains to achieve it?"
Marae jumped in at my out-of-left-field question.
"Then what? From past precedent, the Central Plains won't cross into Xinjiang. As military strategist, I see you're still new to the cult—lacking intel."
That goatee fucker's getting a collar from me someday.
"Then let me ask: you say our spies have the Murim Alliance's intel down pat?"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Which group in the Alliance is most fired up for an all-out righteous-demonic war right now?"
Marae eyed me warily before answering.
"Your old Wudang crew. They're leading the charge, splitting opinions down the middle."
"That's a far cry from what you said earlier. Didn't you just claim they'd never cross over?"
"They lost their top disciple—you! Of course they'd react!"
He snapped, voice cracking with frustration as I poked methodically. I smirked coolly.
"Wudang's ready to cross Xinjiang over little old me."
"Bragging about your sect?"
"Hardly. Here's the point."
I waited till the room quieted, scanning faces before speaking.
"Use your spies to kidnap the righteous sects' young talents—like you did me."
These people are deluded. This is war, not some fair duel. Sure, wuxia tales bitch about demonic invasions, but it always ends in clang-clang swordfights. Bullshit has limits. Would real demons hold back? Rape, torture, kidnapping, arson—no holds barred. That's war. Laughable, coming from someone who's seen world wars.
"Snatch all the second-gen disciples, first-gen hotshots, young heirs of the Five Great Families—the rising stars making waves. One kidnapping split the Alliance with Wudang at the helm. Let's blow it wide open. Why just torch Wudang Mountain? Drag Qingcheng, Emei, Zhongnan, Huashan, Songshan into the mud too."
I grinned, soaking in the crazy stares from below.
"No point spilling loyal cult blood in far-off lands—that's putting the cart before the horse. To hook big fish, use tasty bait. Plan accordingly. It's easy. These aren't Central Plains masters—just peak-level wannabes at best. Can't our cult warriors handle that?"
I swept the hall with a condescending gaze, and furious cultists ground their teeth.
"Worst case, Your Supremacy steps in. Nah, that's perfect. You're the world's top dog—they won't even notice their heirs vanishing. Right?"
I smiled at the Cheonma, who blinked blankly before responding.
"You want me to personally kidnap a bunch of brats... is that it, Vice Military Officer?"
"Hey, you went after my master and those monks for unification before. Don't act surprised."
He shut up at my brazen follow-up. From experience, the Cheonma was more hedonistic showboat than expected.
Power means flexing. World's best? World's biggest attention whore.
To him, my idea was fresh and thrilling: a massive kidnapping spree across the Central Plains. Imagine the Murim Alliance quaking without their successors.
Demons can't resist this.
As I awaited his reply, Fighting Demon from the upper seats spoke up.
"You want the cult's warriors acting like street thugs?"
His words said one thing, but his gleaming eyes screamed battle lust. Old vet like him got it—he just wanted a public justification.
"Thugs or warriors—what's the difference on the battlefield? Kidnapping shifts the board. The real clash happens in Xinjiang anyway. What... are the so-called demonic cultists too nice for this? Tsk."
I clicked my tongue and shook my head; faces flushed beet red.
Spy pretext should cover the justification.
Everyone nicer than me here is righteous scum.
Proposal from Shinjang's heir, righteous hero. Cleanest guy in the room. Dissenters from now on? Traitors.
"If we hold their young talents hostage, you think they'll sit still?"
Marae piped up desperately at my words.
"But what if they react unpredictably? What if they don't cross Xinjiang?"
How's this blockhead a strategist?
"Think, Strategist. Will a major sect abandon the successor they poured elixirs and resources into? Higher-ups might stay quiet, but hot-blooded youths below will riot. Prestigious families? Even worse. Lose the young heir overnight, and scheming collaterals stir shit; those brats will chase the seat with battlefield feats. Rinse, repeat—endless vicious cycle. Still think they won't cross?"
Marae's face paled beautifully as I built my case.
"Worst case, mail 'em fingers one by one. Pace it right, that's thirty declarations of war easy."
Something stabbed my temple from the side, but eye contact now felt like it'd end with me getting railed. Better not turn.
Did I overplay?
Crisis in my in-laws' house had me rambling. Uneasy as hell.