Chapter 15
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 6.3
Chapter Title: Mi Family Clan
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Beyond that, the bandit stronghold's own forces couldn't be ignored.
If they made good use of the mountainous terrain's characteristics, they could exhibit power comparable to any elite soldiers.
"The problem is that controlling the bandits isn't easy."
These were the types to pull dirty tricks at the slightest opportunity.
Controlling them would be impossible for anyone short of an extraordinary figure.
"That's why the Blade Lord sent the Chief Protector."
If Mi Ryang was the Blade Lord's left arm, then the Chief Protector was like his right.
He was a master from the previous generation, just like the Blade Lord, and a close friend who had trained alongside him since childhood, sharing life-and-death battles.
His martial prowess ranked second only to the Blade Lord's in the clan, which gave him tremendous standing within the family.
In the past, the Chief Protector had been outranked by the elders, but ever since he rose to that position, even the elder council couldn't treat him lightly.
And it wasn't just him sent to the stronghold.
Various protectors under the Chief Protector had taken key positions there.
"That explains how they shook up the region so quickly."
As one mystery unraveled, An Hoe could sense the Blade Lord's mad obsession on another level.
If this came to light, the Mi Family's hard-earned reputation would crumble spectacularly.
It might even cause shockwaves no less than if they were plotting rebellion to claim the throne.
They had done it, one way or the other.
"They must be confident it won't be exposed? Or maybe that's not even the issue? Either way."
In any case, the Mi Family wouldn't see good days ahead.
"No wonder public opinion is so negative about this rebellion."
But the Mi Family's problems didn't end there.
This had to do with the forces they had allied with.
As An Hoe had predicted, among their allies were the kingdoms of Jin and Song, for whom Yan's collapse would be a boon.
That was trouble in itself, but it paled in comparison to the faction he would mention next.
"To think they'd join hands with Evil Spirit Castle!"
Evil Spirit Castle was the force behind the great Honam War of the past.
It was the lair ruled by Demon Lord Sa Gwi, which the Honam Five Great Clans had barely driven out after uniting their strength.
And the Blade Lord had joined hands with them.
"Not directly, but in some ways, it's even worse."
The Blade Lord was paving the way for Evil Spirit Castle to re-enter Honam.
He was indirectly aiding their advance into the region under the shadow of the Mi Family name.
There was only one reason for such madness.
They hoped that when the Honam martial world erupted in chaos from their rebellion, Evil Spirit Castle would emerge to divert attention.
"Nothing like this happened before my regression. Which means... there's a high chance this is all happening because of me?"
They might have allied in the original history too, but the odds were extremely low.
The Blade Lord had fought at the heart of the Honam Great War.
He knew better than anyone how dangerous Evil Spirit Castle was, so even blinded by lust for power, he'd hesitate to do something so insane.
Above all, in the original history, there had been no need to ally with them.
By the time they launched their rebellion, the royal family was already depleted of strength.
"But with the White Crane Elder intervening early in the political scene, things changed."
Starting with crushing what should have been a fatal rebellion ahead of time, the royal family was charging toward a new golden age through his superhuman administrative skills.
It was like the long-awaited opportunity right in front of them had slipped away.
A deranged Blade Lord would be just desperate enough for such insanity.
"Evil Spirit Castle too... This is beyond what I can handle alone."
At minimum, the Honam Five Great Clans would need to step up again.
The best scenario would be for all five clans to unite like they did during the Honam Great War, but even if not, it would be fine.
"Their power has changed drastically from back then."
Just looking at the Jang Family, their forces had grown several times stronger than before.
In terms of raw military power, it was at least double, without a doubt.
Moreover, Evil Spirit Castle had rampaged so fiercely back then because of Demon Lord Sa Gwi.
"The current castle lord isn't a pushover, but he can't compare to Sa Gwi."
Beyond that, Evil Spirit Castle hadn't fully advanced into Honam yet.
If they moved early...
"The Jang Family alone could hold them off."
As An Hoe organized his thoughts, he soon furrowed his brow.
He realized there were multiple urgent matters demanding his attention right away.
"They've been busy, haven't they? Throwing in this many supplies and men already."
He grumbled that tonight would be particularly long.
"!!!"
The castle lord opened his eyes to a foul stench of blood and couldn't hide his shock.
The moment he did, he came face-to-face with a severed head.
Anyone else would have been out cold for a while.
But the castle lord was no ordinary man.
With his bold temperament, he quickly composed himself and recognized the head's owner.
"Jang Suk?"
Though its face was twisted in terror, there was no mistaking it was Jang Suk.
He was the one who had oppressed his family, bearing an enmity as irreconcilable as the heavens and earth.
The head of this man he wouldn't mind devouring whole now lay severed on his desk.
The castle lord wondered if it was a dream.
He realized it wasn't when he spotted the blood-written letter on one corner of the desk.
-Rustle-
He hurriedly unfolded it, and soon understood the situation.
The content was brief, but it revealed why the writer had done this.
"To think there was still someone like this?"
The writer hadn't revealed their identity.
Instead, they detailed why they'd taken action, and exactly where the Mi Family's forces were hidden—information they'd uncovered.
They expressed hope that, with the inner castle now cleared, he would serve the royal family and handle the aftermath.
"A great hero!"
There were many self-proclaimed heroes in the world, but few who followed grand justice over petty grudges.
The path was arduous, offering no personal gain.
Yet here was a hero with the noble aim of averting national calamity—truly worthy of the title great hero.
"This isn't the time for that."
The castle lord quickly summoned men to confirm if the Mi Family warriors who had infiltrated the inner castle were truly eradicated.
Once verified, he wasted no time.
He called in the officers who had been relegated to minor posts, tasking them to resume command of the garrison soldiers.
In less than half a day, the officers had rallied the troops.
Then, he ordered a raid on the grand estate housing Mi Ryang—the most critical of the Mi Family holdouts noted by the hero.
-Boom!-
They smashed through the gates, charging in with hundreds of soldiers, only for their momentum to falter immediately.
They discovered the enemies they were meant to face had already been brutally slaughtered.
"Urk... This was supposed to be human?"
"Hm? Isn't this one of the Mi Family elders?"
"Elder? Yeah, that's him. The one who was with the lord when he visited. So arrogant."
"...Terrifying. Truly terrifying."
"What's so scary? They're just piles of corpses anyway!"
One officer snapped at his fearful colleague, as if to jolt him back to his senses.
But the fear wasn't from the gruesome corpse piles.
"Don't you see? One person did this to them."
"!!!"
"W-what do you mean?"
The officers initially denied it, but soon realized it was true.
Their faces paled.
Someone with such ruthless, vicious hands was still out there, sparking deep dread.
The one who left Jang Suk's head on the lord's desk was likely the same person.
"...A hero? Or a demon?"
One of them finally spoke through his inner turmoil, but no one answered.
"The streets are unusually rowdy today."
"Yawn~ Yeah?"
An Hoe, yawning lazily in response to Song Hwa's words, replied with half-lidded eyes.
Song Hwa showed some curiosity at his even drowsier-than-usual demeanor but continued.
"Yes. Unlike before, soldiers are appearing all over the streets."
"Any damage to our branch?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Manager Wang Sam even said it seems like good news, so no need to worry."
"Hmm..."
An Hoe inwardly admired Wang Sam's insight.
For someone unfamiliar with Juyang City's situation to judge so accurately wasn't easy.
Thanks to that, An Hoe felt no need to discuss it further and munched on the snacks Song Hwa brought while continuing his thoughts.
'The lord's abilities are better than expected. This buys me time to observe the situation before moving.'
He liked that fact.
He'd rampaged fiercely last night, but truthfully, he hadn't wanted to step up so prominently.
He wasn't afraid of bloodshed, but acting through this law-bound body had thrown his movements off here and there, causing early pain.
"Sigh~. It's been a while since you ate like this. Slow down, or you'll choke."
"Munch munch... Mm."
As An Hoe stuffed his mouth full, a startled Song Hwa brought honey water.
But intent on replenishing calories even a little, he just nodded absently and kept eating.
Calories were recovery for the body; no helping it.
After holing up in his room for days, eating and drinking, An Hoe also kept an ear on outside news.
It wasn't hard.
He just needed to ask Wang Sam, who already had eyes and ears out, to pay extra attention.
Even from an outsider's perspective, it might seem bothersome, but Wang Sam followed his wishes without a hint of complaint.
He diligently gathered and summarized reports, letting An Hoe grasp Juyang City's events in detail from his room.
"Impressive troops! Even after I drained their strength, cleaning up the remaining Mi Family stragglers shouldn't have been easy."
In under three days, the Mi Family forces had been uprooted.
Two days later, An Hoe knew it was time for him to move.
"We will subjugate Red Bear Stronghold! All willing mercenaries, report to the magistrate's office!"
The lord had issued exactly that decree.
The sudden subjugation announcement threw all of Juyang City into bustle.
An Hoe, however, had anticipated it.
Looking at the documents left at Mi Ryang's residence, anyone could see Red Bear Stronghold was backed by the Mi Family.
"Smart not to mention the Mi Family."
It was practically wartime already, yet he held back.
The moment the lord called out the Mi Family's misdeeds, they would have no choice but to go all-out on Juyang City.
But if he didn't mention them, as now, the story changed.
"The Mi Family can't move easily. Too much opposition within the clan."
The Blade Lord's influence was great, but quelling that backlash wasn't simple.
Especially now, after sacrificing his own limbs to advance the rebellion timeline.
"And about thirty percent of those limbs died in the past few days."
Impressively, An Hoe alone had handled over half of them.
In terms of raw power, it was over seventy percent.
If Red Bear Stronghold fell too in this situation, the Blade Lord would have to abandon the rebellion.
"Of course, that doesn't mean it's all over..."
No, there might still be far worse ahead—child's play by comparison.
Stopping Evil Spirit Castle's advance into Honam, the Blade Lord's maddest blunder.
"Time to visit Grandfather."
This was beyond what he could handle solo; at least, he'd need to pull in the Jang Family.