War
War and battle were two entirely different things. A battle was what I had been doing up until now—clashing with each other's cultivation techniques and weapons on a suitable terrain. It was akin to a duel, small in scale, treated as a mere scuffle breaking out somewhere.
"War is different."
War was cut from a completely different cloth, starting from the very way it manifested. Countless cloud-ships packed the sky. They were crammed to the brim with armed soldiers, and in the center floated the largest and most magnificent flagship, carrying the family head, Gang Baek-jin.
On the ground below, giant demon beasts and moving houses and pavilions on legs transported everything from personnel to all kinds of materials and weapons. Leading the vanguard was a Samgeuk elder, the commander of the Gang family's strongest military force.
So this is war.
Between the warships, colossal bamboo-tube launchers—clearly reminiscent of fixed artillery batteries—exposed their barrels. The array-inscribed bombs rolled inside those bamboo tubes... would undoubtedly inflict effective damage even on those in the Qi Circulation realm.
Noona had said that if they used custom-made shells, those in the Qi Circulation realm would suffer fatal wounds if they were unlucky. Even a Samgeuk elder would find it hard to emerge unscathed if trapped in an array and subjected to concentrated fire.
I finally realized why people in martial arts novels made such a fuss about the imperial court and cannons. It meant that with a simple click of a cannon, you could easily wreck someone in the Qi Circulation realm.
That was the sheer power of a great sect. It was the research result of massive conglomerates, designed to help the weak face the strong, or to prevent a suddenly appearing supernova from easily taking their place. After all, giant factions wanted the weight of the years they had accumulated to mean something.
And in war, defense was always easier than offense. The defending side is always better at setting traps, and the difference in preparation time is massive from the start.
"Killing a few is one thing, but conquering an entire cultivator sect is going to be a pain in the ass."
How many arrays and siege engines must they have installed to protect their sect? My head was already hurting.
True. A sect is an organization, not an individual. Plural, not singular. A place where countless cultivators have lived and continue to live since the day of its founding. Conquering such a place easily would feel like an absurdity, but the world was never fair to begin with.
"I see the gateway fortress!"
Not just the Gang family, but Wave Gate and Snow Demon Valley as well. The allied forces of Yagwi City's three major factions were currently heading toward the border zone and meeting point between humans and monsters.
And before long, a high, winding mountain range appeared, looking like a giant dragon laying down to rest.
"The Screaming Mountain Range. It's my first time seeing it in person. Hehe."
Noona chuckled softly, staring at the undulating mountain range. Naturally, it was my first time too.
The Screaming Mountain Range. The Great Wall of this world, carving a massive line across the continent from the northern sea to the southern sea, as if its sole purpose of existence was to divide the territories of humans and monsters. A natural border inhabited not only by those in the Qi Circulation realm but also by the monstrous beasts and eccentrics of the Samgeuk realm.
Under normal circumstances, both sides would have built gateway fortresses near the mountain range, using the spires to watch for incoming attacks. But now...
"It's been destroyed."
"Those human bastards are quick on the uptake. Or was it a spy?"
It was thoroughly demolished. Thoroughly, as if to ensure we couldn't make use of this place. Destroying what would have been the enemy's intermediate base. It was a natural strategy.
Up above, on the ships carrying the leaders of the three major factions, they seemed to have anticipated this, merely issuing a simple order to recapture it.
"The more military merits, the better. Unless those humans are complete idiots, they wouldn't have left any key personnel behind in a place like this, so there might not even be anyone in the Qi Circulation realm."
"So you're saying if I hit them, they'll spit out merits?"
A merit point fever time event? I couldn't pass that up. Besides, the position I wanted in this war was exactly that of a vanguard commander. Kill a lot, take a lot. After all, what other method was as immediate as slaughter when it came to seizing what belonged to others?
Soon, several ships, including mine, began to descend. The scouts tensed up, but... if you're that slow, how do you expect to scavenge anything?
'Ryeo-ah.'
The moment the location was confirmed, I leaped.
"Wh-What?!"
"What is that crazy bastard doing?!"
In other words, I free-fell straight down from a ship still floating high in the sky. I could feel tens, hundreds, thousands of eyes looking down at me from the ships filling the sky. Some were horrified, some clicked their tongues at my recklessness, and others watched with intrigue. Those who recognized my realm probably wondered why I had volunteered for the scouting party.
And.
At the very top, in the center of the massive fleet. I felt three sharp, violent gazes from there. Because I had stepped onto the threshold of the Samgeuk realm, I could feel those heavy gazes even more vividly. It felt as if those gazes were pressing down even harder on my plummeting body, as if urging me that this speed wasn't enough.
With my clothes fluttering, listening to the cool sound of the wind splitting apart—
BOOM!
I landed, crushing the array the humans were preparing right under my feet. The fortress of stone and wood shattered. The stone slabs on the ground split and flew into the air, and even before that, the thoroughly crushed, unactivated array scattered in colorful fragments like a broken glass marble.
Taking in the quite spectacular sight, I fluttered my gold-embroidered robe and raised my Dokkaebi club, which had recently been engraved with some wicked tattoos.
"So an array really can be broken even without spells or cultivation techniques."
Enjoying the horrified stares of the humans looking at me after I plummeted from the sky.
"Spells and bullshit don't mean a thing—pure physical force is king. The pinnacle of martial arts is right here. You just hit it hard enough, and all the cultivators' spells and arrays shatter anyway."
The human in the Qi Circulation realm—no, a guy too pathetic to even be called that—snapped out of it and shouted.
"Attack!"
"You want me to strike you down? Got it."
Cleaning up didn't take much time after that. If I had to describe how long it took, let's just say I finished before the others even set foot on the ground.
"How bold. It seems Family Head Gang has quite a few hot-blooded descendants."
"Isn't he perfect for boosting the morale of the allied forces? He deserves praise."
"Haha. We must give him more than just words; there must be a reward."
In the center of the fleet—specifically, on the ultra-luxurious flagship where the Samgeuk monsters and the leaders of each faction rode—I was summoned to where Gang Baek-jin and two others sat side by side.
"Only by ensuring clear rewards for courage and merit will everyone fight bravely, will they not? A good precedent must be set so their bodies and minds will naturally understand and follow."
And Gang Baek-jin was showing a benevolent attitude he had never once shown me before. While "benevolent" could be interpreted in many ways, the mere fact that he was paying attention to others' opinions was already shocking enough.
"Of course. Family Head Gang is correct."
"A generous reward for the first precedent will naturally make many others follow."
Of course, the other two seemed to be keeping up appearances just as much as Gang Baek-jin, if not more.
"Step forward, Warrior Gang Hayun. I am Seol Yo-hwa, the Valley Master of Snow Demon Valley."
A woman who was entirely white—from her hair and skin to the clothes she wore—called out to me.
"Yes."
"The others and I wish to bestow a reward upon you."
Overall, she looked like a middle-aged woman pretending to be young. Covering her wrinkles with white powder, hiding her age with pure white, elegant garments. Because she hid and hid, her entire body seemed decorated in white. Yet, her breath and gaze carried a bone-chilling cold.
Come to think of it, didn't they say the Valley Master of Snow Demon Valley is the oldest among the leaders of the three major factions?
And not just by a little. Her age gap with the Sect Master of Wave Gate, the youngest among the family heads, was said to be nearly double. Considering that the Sect Master of Wave Gate wasn't exactly young, it meant that even for a Samgeuk cultivator, her lifespan was slowly running out. Even with the support of a massive faction at the supreme realm of Samgeuk, was it impossible to hide aging when one was on the verge of death?
I didn't know why Ryeo-ah was empathizing so much, but she shuddered on behalf of the old woman. Did you cultivate just because you hated getting old?
Well, sure. The old woman, who had been maintaining her posture, tossed something from her sleeve.
"It is Clear Spirit Sap. Washing your eyes with it will enhance your vision."
Next, the youngest-looking giant, who uniquely had five horns growing from his head, chuckled and tossed a jade box.
"Well done. This Sect Master commends you."
"It is an honor."
"It is a fruit called the Thousand-Li Ear Fruit. The name is a bit of an exaggeration, but it will develop your hearing so you can hear sounds within a thousand li."
Even just hearing about them, they sounded incredibly precious. Finally, it was Gang Baek-jin's turn. He looked at the old woman and the five-horned giant, then laughed boisterously.
"Bwahahaha! Since you two have bestowed such generous rewards upon my foolish son, I feel quite pressured. As his father, I suppose I must be prepared to bleed a little as well!"
"Hoho, no need to be so modest."
"There is no one in Yagwi City who does not know that your family's vaults are overflowing with spiritual medicines and rare treasures, so do not act so stingy."
Gang Baek-jin shook his head with exaggerated helplessness. Then, he pulled a jade box from his sleeve as well.
"This is from my personal collection, not even found in the family vault, but I shall give it to you. It is called the Divine Elixir of Sensory Awakening. If I hadn't already reached the peak of the Samgeuk realm and had no use for it, I would never have given it to you, you rascal."
Is it good? It must be good, right? For now, I quietly accepted it.
"I am truly honored. I will continue to devote myself, Family Head."
"Good, good."
The other two would surely react and let me know just how good of an item it was. Sure enough, both of them looked at Gang Baek-jin and spoke up.
"My. Even if he set the first precedent and has a promising future, it seems you cherish this child quite a bit."
"Oh! You actually possessed such a thing, Family Head Gang?"
"Not at all. I only managed to find it after reaching the late stage of the Samgeuk realm. It would have been better if I had found it earlier, but now it is nothing more than a white elephant I am glad to be rid of."
Yep, it's a good item.
Excellent. Of course, in any army, it was only natural to highly commend someone who achieved great merit in the first battle. Morale was a fickle thing—once it tanked, no amount of effort could raise it back up. But even considering that special circumstance, the rewards were delicious. Gang Baek-jin had probably coordinated this beforehand. And the gifts I received had names that suspiciously felt like they would trigger a set effect.
Vision, hearing, and even a bottle of incredible liquor.
"Now, run along. It will take some time to cross the mountain range anyway, so refine the spiritual medicines you received in the meantime."
"Ah, Hayun. If you drink the elixir-wine I gave you too quickly, you will regret it. I recommend consuming the other two first, and saving the wine for the absolute best moment."
It was a clear dismissal. I bowed to them and left the ship.
"Phew. This is tough. Ah, Jeongha, there's an array over there!"
"Ah, eek! You should've told me sooner!"
Amidst the battlefield where blood and flesh clashed and were crushed.
"Die!"
"Whatever."
CRUNCH!
I added another corpse to the mountain of bodies and stretched my stiff shoulders. With all kinds of spiritual medicines, the best mentor in Ryeo-ah, and even two Dharma treasures, I thought I'd need to face someone in the Samgeuk realm to actually struggle. But it seemed I was wrong.
"Fucking humans."
I moved my left foot, trying to swing my Dokkaebi spear. Of course, the muscle strength of my left third toe was extremely solid and tough... wait, what the fuck?
CLANG!
I shattered the fucking illusion array. Then I slaughtered the other humans nearby.
"These motherfuckers are playing dirty."
Monsters' cultivation techniques were crude and wild. Reflecting their naturally tough, robust bodies and impatient temperaments, they were rough to the extreme. But humans were humans. Even after becoming cultivators, it was difficult for them to compensate for their weak physical abilities, and their efficiency was garbage. Thus, human cultivation techniques had no choice but to evolve in a completely different direction from those of monsters.
"Those motherfuckers are setting up another barrier!"
"Someone destroy those goddamn artillery batteries!"
Barriers. Humans loved using barriers. Beyond just setting them up, they rode them like flying Dharma treasures, wielded them like weapons, and sometimes even embedded barriers into their own bodies to fight. Ah, this is so frustrating.
"Hahaha! Die trapped in my Invincible Absolute Great Heavenly Illusion Array, you monster!"
"Then die."
I raised the Red Agate Bow. Two rocks twisted together like a pretzel to form an arrow.
"Wait, why does he have a Dharma treas—"
The arrow pierced straight through dozens of layers of the bodies of those bastards who were crouching like turtles inside their cowardly barrier. As the arrow left a massive gouge across the ground and the barrier, everyone's eyes locked onto me.
"As expected, guns—no, bows—are the best."
If a person gets hit by an arrow, they ought to die.