Chapter 663: General Geumo
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 663: General Geumo
"Haa... I want to fuck so bad... I want to suck on some tits... shove it in a pussy and just pound away... Fuuuuuck... Why am I the only one... who can't do it...!"
Lee Jae-won lamented his fate with a drained expression.
Since officially declaring the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, Lee Jae-won had been living an unprecedentedly busy life.
Preparing for war meant that hundreds of documents requiring his approval piled up every single day. Consequently, he had been forced into an involuntary life of celibacy, buried under a mountain of work.
This forced abstinence made him irritable and only intensified his craving for sex.
By nature, humans possess a psychological tendency toward reactance. When someone takes something away, threatens, or forbids it, the natural response is to resist. It was a primal human instinct to try and reclaim the freedom lost to a prohibited action.
And right now, Lee Jae-won was being forcibly prohibited from sex.
Public opinion regarding the serial rape and murder cases was already poor, and until the Alliance—which was currently in a state of unrest due to the impending war—stabilized, he couldn't even get a whiff of a woman.
Because of this situation, his longing grew even more intense.
He wanted to kidnap a decent-looking girl right this second, rub his cock against her, and blow his load.
But he couldn't.
Having been singled out once as a suspect in the serial rape and murder cases, he had to be extremely careful with his every move. The eyes of the Alliance members were constantly upon him.
"This is annoying as hell, fuck."
Lee Jae-won spat out a curse.
His annoyance had now crossed over into rage. He realized that his personal paradise, where he could do anything he wanted, had completely collapsed. Now, he had to watch his step and be cautious with every single action.
He, the Cheonmu Alliance Leader and the hero who saved the Murim.
'I can't take this... I have to start the Great War of Righteousness and Demons as soon as possible.'
Lee Jae-won made a firm resolution with a hardened face. He had to trigger the war quickly, no matter what.
He was certain that if he became a hero once again through the war, he could restore his personal paradise.
'And while I'm at it, I'll kill all those sons of bitches too.'
Lee Jae-won's eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he sank into thought.
This Great War of Righteousness and Demons would be a field of slaughter. He intended to kill everyone who had opposed him and leave only those who worshipped him. If he eliminated the dissenters and kept only the sycophants, he could rebuild it.
His paradise.
"Hehehehe... Hehe."
Lee Jae-won began to let out a repulsive laugh. Just imagining it made him giddy—the fact that he could once again kidnap, rape, and kill.
He was in the middle of that disgusting laughter when—
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on the door echoed.
In an instant, Lee Jae-won wiped the foul smile from his face.
"Who is it?"
He spoke with a dignified expression.
"It is I, Alliance Leader."
A familiar voice came from outside.
"Enter."
Lee Jae-won immediately granted him permission.
Creeeeeak.
The door began to open.
Step.
A middle-aged man dressed as a scholar appeared. It was Zhuge Chan, the Chief Strategist of the Cheonmu Alliance.
'What the hell does this guy want all of a sudden?'
Lee Jae-won tilted his head in confusion. He was puzzled by the sudden appearance of someone he hadn't summoned.
"I greet the Alliance Leader."
Zhuge Chan stopped and bowed deeply. He was exceedingly polite.
"Welcome, Strategist."
Lee Jae-won greeted him with a casual wave of his hand.
"By the way, what brings you here at such a late hour?"
He asked point-blank, wanting to know the reason for the visit.
"I have something urgent to discuss, so I took the liberty of seeking you out, Alliance Leader."
Zhuge Chan spoke with an apologetic expression.
"Speak. What could be so important that the Strategist himself had to make such a heavy trip?"
Lee Jae-won continued with a calm face.
"A letter has arrived from the Imperial Court."
"From the Imperial Court?"
Lee Jae-won asked, looking puzzled. It was unexpected for the Imperial Court to be mentioned out of the blue.
"Did you not request support from the Imperial Court a few days ago?"
"......"
At Zhuge Chan's words, Lee Jae-won kept his mouth shut. He had absolutely no memory of it.
"Did you not personally stamp the approval documents just a few days ago, Alliance Leader?"
When Lee Jae-won didn't respond, Zhuge Chan asked back with a confused look. The request for support from the Imperial Court was a matter the Alliance Leader had approved himself. Seeing him unable to remember it felt strange.
"Ah... ah... now I remember... Right... I did stamp it myself..."
Lee Jae-won spoke as if the memory had just returned. Of course, in reality, he still had no clue. But he felt like he would be mocked if he admitted he didn't remember. So, he pretended to know.
"Has it arrived already? That was a quick response..."
Lee Jae-won continued, acting surprised.
"Given the gravity of the situation, it seems the Imperial Court is also paying close attention."
"I see."
Lee Jae-won nodded and continued.
"So, what was their answer to the request for support?"
He asked with a curious expression.
"The Imperial Court says they will send reinforcements."
Zhuge Chan spoke with a calm face.
"What!?"
Lee Jae-won asked back in shock. It was a completely unexpected answer.
Fundamentally, the Government and Murim operate under a non-aggression pact. They do not interfere in each other's domains. So, how could he have expected them to readily provide support?
"Is that true?"
"It is, Alliance Leader."
"......It's questionable... To think the Imperial Court would involve itself in the affairs of the Murim."
"It seems they intend to use this opportunity to pull the Demonic Cult out by its roots. From the Imperial Court's perspective, the Demonic Cult must be an incredibly uncomfortable presence, like a thorn in their throat."
Zhuge Chan continued in a steady tone.
"Hmm... That certainly makes sense."
Lee Jae-won nodded slightly, seemingly convinced. He felt that Zhuge Chan's reasoning wasn't wrong.
In the past, the Imperial Court had waged war against the Demonic Cult. They couldn't tolerate the cult's behavior of deceiving the world and deluding the people into hostility toward the Court. At that time, they sought cooperation from numerous Murim sects and suppressed the cult's fanatics.
Pushed back by their momentum, the demons fled far away to the Hundred Thousand Mountains and settled there. The terrain was treacherous and the weather was harsh, making it difficult even for the Imperial Army to approach. Eventually, the Imperial Army had to stop the suppression and withdraw, allowing the Demonic Cult to survive and maintain its lineage.
Since then, the Imperial Court had planned several more suppressions, but they always tasted the bitterness of defeat. The rugged terrain of Mount Tianshan and the foul weather perfectly hindered the Imperial Army's progress. Ultimately, the Imperial Court gave up on the suppression and simply kept a watchful eye on them, wary of when they might invade the Central Plains again.
Knowing that history, it made sense why the Imperial Court would readily accept the request for support.
The main reason the Imperial Court had failed to suppress the Demonic Cult in the past was that they considered it a waste. They didn't think it was worth sacrificing countless soldiers just to crush a single religious organization. Furthermore, the military costs were a significant burden. Fundamentally, maintaining an army consumed an astronomical amount of money.
Food for the soldiers.
Clothes for the soldiers.
Weapons for the soldiers.
Water for the soldiers.
Maintaining them for just one day cost tens of thousands of nyang. It wasn't efficient to spend such vast sums of money to run an army just to take down a pseudo-religious group. Moreover, in places like Mount Tianshan where the terrain is rough and the weather is bad, the suppression would inevitably be delayed, naturally increasing the operating costs of the army.
Therefore, the Imperial Court had no choice but to give up on suppressing the Demonic Cult. They believed it was better to preserve the army and reduce costs rather than annihilate them.
From the Imperial Court's perspective, hearing that the Cheonmu Alliance and the Demonic Cult were going to war was something they could only welcome with open arms. Since the combatants were martial artists—who were little more than outlaws—and not soldiers for the Emperor, it didn't matter if they lived or died. Furthermore, since the Alliance was bearing all the necessary funds for the war, how could they not be pleased?
Under these circumstances, the Imperial Court had accepted the Cheonmu Alliance's request. They judged it to be a situation where they could achieve maximum efficiency with minimum cost.
"When did they say they would set out?"
Lee Jae-won asked Zhuge Chan curiously.
"They said their departure would be synchronized with the Alliance's departure."
"Hmm... They could have come earlier..."
"Since maintaining an army is expensive... they likely felt burdened by waiting in advance."
Zhuge Chan continued with a troubled expression.
"Well, I suppose I can understand that..."
"Then, where are you thinking the initial rendezvous point should be?"
"It seems likely we will rendezvous at the Tang Clan."
"At the Tang Clan?"
"Yes. Since we need to reach Xinjiang beyond Qinghai Province... meeting at the Tang Clan is geographically the most appropriate."
"......My thoughts exactly. It would certainly be better to meet in Sichuan, which is right in the middle."
Lee Jae-won nodded as if he agreed.
"By the way, how many troops did they say they would send?"
Lee Jae-won asked with a questioning look. He was curious about how many Imperial soldiers would be coming.
"They said they would send an army of ten thousand."
Zhuge Chan answered politely.
"Ten thousand!?"
Upon hearing that, Lee Jae-won's face twisted into one of blatant disappointment. He felt the number was far smaller than expected.
What was the symbol of the Imperial Court? Was it not the Million-Strong Army? Even the greatest masters in wuxia novels would tuck their tails and keep quiet at the mention of a million-strong army. That was how powerful the symbol of the Imperial Court was.
But instead of a million, they were sending ten thousand? How could he not be disappointed?
"Is that really all?"
Lee Jae-won asked, frowning slightly.
"An army of ten thousand is still a very large number, Alliance Leader."
"In the past, didn't the Imperial Court try to suppress the Demonic Cult with a hundred thousand? But ten thousand? How can they think of fighting a war with a number smaller than in the past?"
Lee Jae-won continued, his face fully contorted in a grimace.
"Unlike then, the Cheonmu Alliance is with them this time, isn't it? They must be placing their trust in the Alliance."
Zhuge Chan continued in a calm tone, trying to soothe Lee Jae-won.
"Still, I don't like it one bit... If they sent a hundred thousand, we could suppress the Demonic Cult much more easily..."
He didn't like it. Those people who sent a mere ten thousand. How could they think of suppression with ten thousand when they had failed with a hundred thousand? Their scheme was too transparent—the Imperial Court's ploy to achieve the suppression of the Demonic Cult by using the Cheonmu Alliance's sacrifices as a stepping stone.
'Those bastards.'
Lee Jae-won cursed inwardly. If the Alliance's power was depleted, he was the one who would be in trouble. What was the point of a place where he was supposed to reign like a god if there were no people left? That was why he disliked the Imperial Court's scheme—their behavior of taking all the glory while only putting in a token effort.
'Just you wait, you sons of bitches.'
Lee Jae-won vowed to himself. He would pretend to catch the Demonic Cultists while also taking down those Imperial bastards.
"........Still, I think we should be grateful just for the support. After all, the Imperial Court had no obligation to involve itself in Murim affairs."
Zhuge Chan continued, defending the Imperial Court in his own way. He recognized that the Court didn't necessarily have to step forward and help.
".............."
Despite his defense, the frown on Lee Jae-won's face showed no signs of fading. Rather than feeling helped, he felt strongly that the assistance was half-hearted.
After frowning like that for a while—
"So, who is the commander?"
Lee Jae-won finally asked with a curious expression.
"I believe that is still undecided."
"Undecided?"
Lee Jae-won asked, looking puzzled.
"Yes. They say there is no suitable person. The Grand General has gone missing, and General Geumo is said to have entered closed-door meditation."
"General Geumo?"
Lee Jae-won asked with a confused look. Lee Jae-won knew about Grand General Lee Yeon. He had once looked on with disdain as Lee Yeon was repeatedly praised as a great hero who saved the country from foreign powers.
But he had definitely never heard of General Geumo. Who on earth was this person to be mentioned alongside Lee Yeon?
"I am referring to Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa."
".........Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa?"
At those words, suspicion began to cloud Lee Jae-won's face. Did 'Commandery Princess' not refer to a woman of the Imperial family? How could a woman be a general?