Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: The Calm Before the Storm (4)
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As soon as I heard the drums, I leaped onto the roof to survey the area. In the distance, a group of riders galloped toward Hanzhong, silhouetted against the sunset.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
They numbered less than a hundred.
At this, the Eighth and Ninth Paths of Iron Blood, who were on five-minute standby, sprang into action, preparing for deployment with lightning speed.
“Eighth Path, secure the gate!”
At Woo Je-jun's shout, the warriors of the Eighth Path charged out.
“Raise your spears! Intercept the enemy!”
At Lee Geuk's command, the warriors of the Ninth Path mounted their warhorses and galloped forth.
Their machine-like precision made me nod in approval.
The problem was, they weren't the enemy. They were the main company I had left at the Nine Dragons Fortress headquarters.
A while ago, I'd sent a message to Master Bukgung, asking him to send all the remaining personnel from the Nine Dragons Fortress.
We needed every hand we could get right now.
"Damn, that scared me."
Still, I couldn't understand why they had to cause such a commotion instead of arriving quietly.
They just made my men work for nothing.
I immediately used the Flying Heavenly Wind and soared toward the gate.
The warriors of the Eighth and Ninth Paths, having realized who the newcomers were, waited for them with welcoming expressions.
Hiiing-!
Before long, the group of riders lined up before me.
As I looked them over, I couldn't hide my astonishment.
"War! Dragon!"
"...War Dragon."
Their condition was far from ordinary.
‘Seriously, what kind of training could turn them into this?’
A brutal aura and a thick, killing intent.
Each and every one of them emanated the presence of a tiger.
Spreading my senses, I saw that all eighty of them had either reached the first-rate level or were on the verge of surpassing it. A few real battles, and they would surely reach the next realm.
Even their warhorses were extraordinary.
Phiiing-!
They didn't have the physique of Captain Horse Whitey, but their eyes were bloodshot and filled with a fighting spirit that made me feel like I was facing a pack of starving wolves.
‘Wait, aren't horses herbivores?’
I couldn't help but marvel at the results of their training, wondering what methods had been used.
"Wow..."
Master Bukgung truly was a top-tier instructor.
* * *
After the brief commotion, the War King Gate became even more vibrant.
Normally, one might feel jealous seeing their comrades become stronger than them, but the warriors of the War King Gate were different.
Perhaps because they had lived as despised wanderers for so long, they now held the hope that they, too, could become masters.
With their morale boosted, the warriors dedicated themselves to training.
In the mornings, they frantically transported incoming supplies; in the afternoons, they conducted joint training to synchronize their movements; and at night, they delved into their internal arts.
This continued for about a month.
We were finally able to complete our preparations for war.
"This will be our final meeting before we march."
"Indeed."
Yu So-pyeong, who had likely worked the hardest during our war preparations, stood up.
Unlike the Path Masters of the Nine Paths of Iron Blood, who were only responsible for their own duties, he had involved himself in almost every matter.
Thanks to his efforts, the whites of his eyes were now completely bloodshot.
"First, the turmoil within Hanzhong has completely subsided."
"..."
"However, the atmosphere has grown grim. The streets are empty, and the number of merchants visiting Hanzhong has dwindled. As a result, we expect the next tax collection to be less than half of what it was."
"Hmm..."
I had prepared for this, but it still stung.
I had avoided direct conflict with the Hanzhong martial world and spent a great deal of money hosting the Noodle King Competition to stimulate the local economy, all to prevent this very situation.
Of course, now was not the time to worry about such things.
"It can't be helped. Don't worry about it."
I suppressed a sharp stomach pain and maintained a calm expression.
"Next, I will report on our supply stockpile. We have secured a year's worth of food, weapons to arm three thousand men, and clothing for the winter."
"The Merchant Guild must have taken a significant loss."
"Yes, according to General Manager Myo, the combined losses of the merchant lords amount to three thousand gold taels."
"Record it clearly in the ledgers. We will have to repay them, even if not necessarily with money."
There were many ways.
We could dispatch warriors to assist with dangerous trade routes, or help resolve any injustices they might face.
"I will keep that in mind."
As Yu So-pyeong bowed and sat down, Yuk Hak stood up.
"Including the newly incorporated Zero Path, all Nine Paths of Iron Blood have completed their preparations. The grunts of the Ten Demon Alliance will piss themselves at the mere sight of us."
Though he acted strangely at times, Yuk Hak was one of the greatest masters in the martial world, known as the Iron-Blooded Hegemon.
There might have been exaggeration in his words, but no falsehood.
Bukgung Chang, carrying on Yuk Hak's momentum, exclaimed.
"Beholding the Dragon's Body...!"
"Enough."
He cleared his throat and began his report.
"Ahem, the organization and training of the defense force that will protect Hanzhong from the moment the Nine Paths of Iron Blood depart is also complete. The total number is seven hundred, with four hundred being warriors from the Black Dragon Gate and the remaining three hundred composed of martial artists from Hanzhong. The unit commanders are Geum Ja-hwan, formerly of the Hanzhong branch, and Dragon-Slaying Gate's Master, Bak Gung-jang-hwan. The general manager is Sa Ma-heun."
I tilted my head, the name sounding familiar.
"Sa Ma-heun?"
"He is a martial artist who once worked as a contractor for the Hanzhong branch. His martial arts are excellent and his character is upright, so we have taken him in as a guest of our Black Dragon Gate."
"Ah, that guy. It's true, a man of his caliber is rare."
With skills above first-rate but below the peak, he deserved respect wherever he went.
As a descendant of a prestigious family, he must have learned excellent martial arts, giving him great potential for future growth.
"Good work."
"I am glad to have been of some small assistance to the Dragon's Body."
"..."
As Bukgung Chang sat down, Cheong So-so and Jeok Hwa-ran stood up at the same time.
They had a brief staring contest, as if vying to report first, before starting a game of rock-paper-scissors—a method I had taught them to avoid fighting.
Jeok Hwa-ran, who played scissors, smirked at Cheong So-so, who played paper, and began to speak.
"I've distributed the Red Dragon Hall's signature traps and hidden weapons to the warriors and made sure they know how to use them. They'll be very useful during a retreat."
"Thank you for taking the initiative."
"It's nothing. Hehe."
Cheong So-so shot up and pushed Jeok Hwa-ran aside.
A glare.
Jeok Hwa-ran glared at her, but Cheong So-so spoke nonchalantly.
"The medical hall's preparations are complete. We're currently producing fast-acting internal injury medicine and wound salves. In two days, everyone will be able to take two of each."
"You've worked hard."
After her report, I stood up and slowly looked at everyone's faces.
"..."
Some of them might die. No, someone will definitely die.
Perhaps we will be defeated, and Hanzhong will be set ablaze by the Ten Demon Alliance.
If that happens, not a single person will survive.
‘We must.’
Of course, I was afraid, but I couldn't show it.
The lives of so many rested on my shoulders.
Therefore, I kept my words to a minimum.
"Let's win. We must."
* * *
Above the Nine Dragons Fortress in Sichuan.
Screeeech.
A small, swift hawk cried out loudly, as if announcing its presence.
Clatter.
A window in the Intelligence Pavilion under the Fortress Lord's Hall immediately opened, and the hawk flew inside as if it were familiar with the path.
Flap, flap.
The agent from the Intelligence Pavilion who opened the window gasped in shock upon seeing the hawk.
"This is...!"
A Thousand-Li Chasing Hawk.
It was a messenger hawk used only in the most critical situations.
Startled, he grabbed the paper tied to the hawk's leg and ran to the Military Affairs Department.
And then.
"I had hoped this wouldn't happen..."
The Grand Chancellor sighed and let out a low groan.
"How much blood will be shed this time..."
The strategy was complete.
Supplies and forces were ready.
In a way, they were in the best possible condition to wage war.
However, he couldn't hide his fear.
Their opponent was the Ten Demon Alliance, a force of ten thousand demonic practitioners, and their returned Alliance Leader was a master of unfathomable strength.
He looked up at the ceiling and said.
"Send word to the Hall Masters immediately. The gates of hell have opened."
That night.
Seventeen hundred martial artists left the Nine Dragons Fortress.
* * *
As expected, the fiends of the Ten Demon Alliance left their main headquarters.
Their number was a staggering seven thousand.
Two thousand more than Yu So-pyeong had predicted.
This showed that the leader of the Ten Demon Alliance was confident.
Confident that he could hold off the Nine Dragons Fortress even after deploying most of his forces elsewhere.
‘God, Buddha, Allah...’
With the heart of an investor checking a crypto exchange app, I clasped my hands and prayed for the Nine Dragons Fortress to win.
It was only natural.
The moment they lost, the War King Gate would be burned to the ground.
Our strategy was simple.
While the War King Gate held them off, the forces of the Nine Dragons Fortress would bypass them and attack the Ten Demon Alliance's main headquarters.
If the Nine Dragons Fortress forces attacking the headquarters were defeated, we would have to face the disaster known as the Ten Demon Alliance Leader.
Conversely, if we lost, the Nine Dragons Fortress would be surrounded.
That was why we had prepared so thoroughly for this war.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
And that was why I had to be even more ruthless.
I gathered my internal energy and shouted into the air.
"Leave none of them alive!"
War Dragon!
Seven hundred riders, exuding the spirit of tigers and dragons, galloped across the plains of Gansu.
Only then did the demonic bastards spot us and hastily lock the gate of their stockade.
But Yuk Hak, riding at the very front, swung his glaive, and the gate exploded.
KABOOM!
"Stop them! Don't let them in!"
Shink! Thwack! Thwack!
"Keuk!"
"Gah!"
Following behind him, the warriors of the Iron Blood Zero Path charged in and began to slaughter the enemy.
This all happened in Wudu County, at the southernmost tip of Gansu Province, on the border with Shaanxi.
A massacre in broad daylight.
As the entire Nine Paths of Iron Blood entered, the bodies piled up exponentially, and the flowing blood formed a river.
Phiiing!
Thump.
A demonic bastard aiming for my back was kicked by Whitey's hind legs, and his head burst.
It was proof that Whitey's senses had transcended those of a normal animal.
After the slaughter, the warriors of the War King Gate began to search every corner of Wudu County to eliminate the remaining stragglers.
And then.
"I surrender! Please, spare my life."
A man who appeared to be the leader dropped his weapon and fell to his knees.
It seemed he had been hiding, trying to save his own skin.
Pow.
I immediately fired a Battle Lord Arrow and blew his head apart.
"We don't need prisoners. Finish up as quickly as possible and move on."
Our operation's success depended on speed.
I waited for a short while, listening to the screams, until there were no more demonic practitioners left alive.
Now, all that was left was to burn Wudu County to the ground.
"Gather the people."
"War Dragon."
A moment later, I spoke to the townspeople, who were all trembling with fear.
"I will give you fifteen minutes. Prepare to leave this place."
"...If we leave the home we've lived in our entire lives, where are we supposed to go?"
An old man, who appeared to be the village chief, stepped forward.
"Go to Hanzhong. You will be provided with food, shelter, and land to farm."
"But..."
As expected, the people didn't believe me.
To be honest, I wouldn't believe it either.
A group of strangers had suddenly invaded like a bolt from the blue and were now telling them to just go to Hanzhong.
However, there was no time to persuade them.
Fwoosh.
At my signal, a warrior set fire to the enemy's stronghold.
"This place will soon burn to the ground, leaving no trace. If you still wish to stay, I won't stop you."
And so, the people packed their belongings and left, and we burned the entire area to the ground as planned.
Perhaps because we had driven the people out, the smoke rising from all directions seemed to reflect my own uneasy heart.
‘Should I just quit all this and go live in the mountains?’