Chapter 425 : Guerrilla (4)

A ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍few days later, the letter Eunuch Bang had sent finally reached the Forbidden City.

It reported that a false alliance had been formed with the Orthodox Faction and that the guerrilla warfare would soon be put in motion in accordance with the Supreme Eunuch's instructions.

It should have been a cause for celebration, but the Supreme Eunuch's expression was anything but pleased.

The reason was the news that had arrived from Sichuan.

"Hah. I can't believe I’ve been entrusting this grand undertaking to a bunch of brain-dead idiots."

A report had come that Eunuch Cha was dead.

The Supreme Eunuch exhaled a long sigh.

That said, Eunuch Cha's death didn't really change all that much.

Target the common people to provoke localized skirmishes. Grind down the martial world’s thugs and the Demonic Cult followers until the losses pile up on both sides.

There was no real reason to abandon that strategy, but the losses on the imperial army aren’t small. The Supreme Eunuch couldn't shake the feeling that he needed another move to throw the enemy off-balance.

He turned it over in his mind again and again, until something finally came to him, and he issued his order.

"Summon the Commander of Embroidered Uniform Guard here at once."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard are known as the Emperor’s personal blade alongside the Eastern Depot. And at the head of that organization sat the Commander.

By rights, the Commander's authority should have rivaled that of the Supreme Eunuch who stood as the head of the palace eunuchs. Yet Supreme Eunuch called the man in as though summoning a servant.

"Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Yeo Hwi, presenting himself before the Supreme Eunuch."

And the Commander bowed with deep reverence as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"The resistance from the Demonic Cult and those Central Plains rabble has proven fiercer than anticipated. It seems the Eastern Depot is starting to reach its limits on its own."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard are likewise prepared to do whatever is necessary for the peace and security of the imperial household. Please give the order."

The unwavering loyalty in the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's reply drew a satisfied smile from the Supreme Eunuch.

He had ruled the empire from the shadows as its undisputed second-in-command for decades.

The current Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, along with all of the organization's key figures, were men he had personally trained and placed.

The same went with the three Brush-Holding Grand Eunuchs.

If anything, one could argue that he had poured even more care into the Embroidered Uniform Guard than into the Eastern Depot.

The reason was that while he was too occupied preparing his grand design, it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had to stay at the emperor's side every single day.

They served as the Son of Heaven’s “protector” and ensured that the Emperor would never dare to abandon the sacred mission inherited from his predecessors or harbor any traitorous thoughts.

"Issue orders to the two Vice Commanders and have them form two separate units. One will march toward the Central Plains and join the main army for the guerrilla campaign to be fought there. The other must head for Xinjiang."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had two Vice Commanders as second-in-command and both were serving as top-tier enforcers whose martial arts were easily on par with Brush-Holding Grand Eunuchs.

Moreover, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard himself stood a cut above them.

"Which of the two should be sent to the Central Plains?"

"I'll leave that to your judgment. Just know that the Xinjiang assignment will be the harder of the two."

Supreme Eunuch stroked his beard, dragging out his explanation like a grandfather giving a lecture.

"Very soon, the Central Plains will descend into guerrilla hell. The Demonic Cult dogs will have their hands full just trying to manage those skirmishes. We exploit that chaos and push our way into Xinjiang while they're scrambling to hold their lines."

“If the mission demands caution and calculating judgment, it would be best to entrust it to Vice Commander Mo Gyu-pil.”

"Make it so."

Supreme Eunuch gave a nod of approval and then stroked his beard again.

A cruel smirk played on his lips as he gazed toward the direction where Xinjiang lay.

"It would hardly be fair if only the common people of the Central Plains were the ones dying. Let's make sure the peasants in Xinjiang get to share the fun."

Supreme Eunuch was genuinely curious.

Would those Demonic Cult bastards really keep sitting quietly in the Central Plains once they realized their own backyard was being burnt to the ground?

***

Mount Wudang, Hubei Province.

A few days after the overwhelming victory against the Central Military Command at Ankang.

Hwangbo Ak arrived with his clansmen and was now attending a war council inside Wudang Sect’s main hall.

"We've heard the news. A great victory at Ankang, they say?"

Zhuge Mun asked, and Hwangbo Ak answered him with a laugh.

"Haha, that's right."

"Both Miss Jin and the Head of the Hwangbo Family have worked incredibly hard. The long journey back and forth while staying hidden from the enemy must have been exhausting."

"It was entirely thanks to the Left Guardian's foresight. I simply did what needed to be done," Hwangbo Ak replied to the Wudang Sect Leader's praise.

As Hwangbo Ak Hwangbo Ak waved his hand modestly, Zhuge Mun spoke. "How can this be credited to the Left Guardian alone? The Head of the Hwangbo Family and Miss Jin suffered through a grueling journey. And above all, wasn't this a great victory born from the combined efforts of  all of you who refused to break under impossible conditions?"

It was a remark meant to honor those who had fought in battle after battle against the martial artists of the Anti-Demonic Cult Alliance, and especially those who had endured the brutal challenge of facing the Divine Monk.

Zhuge Mun knew that even though Il-mok was the mastermind behind the victory, people's feelings were delicate; if they only praised the Left Guardian without giving everyone a little bit of credit, the other would soon grow resentful.

Zhuge Mun wanted to ease the others' feelings at least a little.

Hwangbo Ak seemed to catch the intent behind the words, because he nodded in agreement.

"The Head of the Zhuge Family speaks true. If the people in this room hadn't held the Divine Monk at bay, the Left Guardian's wisdom wouldn't have had a chance to shine."

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang, who was attending the council as the representative of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, chimed in.

"Had the Cult Leader not been able to hold that old monster back, we would have crumbled long before any of this."

The moment those words left his mouth, every eye in the room turned in unison toward the distant peak where the Cult Leader had secluded himself alone to suppress the rampage of the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.

"How... is the Cult Leader faring?"

Hwangbo Ak voiced the question carefully, and Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang offered a reassuring reply

"I haven't been able to see him directly, but it seems he's gradually bringing the Heart Demon under control."

This was reported by the Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord who had been standing watch near the peak. On top of that, the ferocious aura that had been seeping out over the mountaintop had become almost nonexistent lately, so the mood in the room was one of relief.

Seeing the room go quiet, Zhuge Mun quickly steered the conversation back to the war.

"In any case, seeing the Head of the Hwangbo Family arrive with his entire household means the situation in Ankang has been stabilized to some degree."

"Yes. The Central Military Command took heavy losses and pulled its forces back to the rear. That's what gave us enough breathing room to send reinforcements here."

"Perfect. Once the Cult Leader recovers from his internal injuries, we can stop playing defense and finally hit those bastards where it hurts."

Everyone nodded in agreement with the Beggar King's words.

And so they waited, watching for developments as Wi Jin-hak continued his recovery.

Several more days passed.

By pooling the resources of the Divine Cult's Dark Shadow Pavilion, the Maitreya Luminous Cult’s hidden networks across the land, and the massive information web of the Beggars’ Gang, they kept their information up to date.

In the process, a handful of troubling reports made their way back to them.

One was that the Central Military Command that had reportedly retreated to the rear had begun forcibly conscripting ordinary citizens in Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Henan.

The other was that the main body of the Central Military Command was now marching toward Hubei rather than Shaanxi.

"It looks like the Imperial Family has fully committed to working alongside the martial world’s folks."

Zhuge Mun nodded at the Beggar King's words.

"I'll send a request for reinforcements to Shaanxi. It looks like we'll need to concentrate our full strength here and leave only the minimum number of troops necessary to hold Hanzhong and Ankang."

While that conversation was still going on inside Wudang Sect's main hall, a commotion stirred just outside the entrance.

"U-urgent news!!"

The shout from a Beggars’ Gang member that followed sent the Beggar King snapping to his feet.

"Get in here, now!"

The beggar rushed inside and thrust a letter into the Beggar King's hands.

The Beggar King read through its contents and then tilted his head with a puzzled look.

"What does it say?"

In response, the Beggar King passed the letter over to him. Unlike the puzzled Beggar King, Zhuge Mun’s expression turned grave the moment he scanned the message.

"Sigh."

It was uncharacteristic of him to sigh like that.

He then opened his mouth to explain the letter's contents to those waiting anxiously around him.

"Just as we anticipated, the Orthodox Faction’s people have begun moving in coordination with the Central Military Command. However, rather than advancing directly toward us here, they've split their forces into multiple units and are moving separately."

"???"

"Wait, why would they go somewhere else? We’re all gathered here in one spot. Why would they split up their own army?"

"Maybe they’re trying to encircle Mount Wudang and hit us from every side at once?"

As the room erupted into a flurry of theories and wild guesses, Zhuge Mun raised his hand for silence.

"Literally what I said. They're ignoring us entirely and going to strike at our soft underbelly. They're not targeting us, they're targeting the helpless common folks on the other side of this mountain."

"!!!"

"Why the hell would they go after innocent civilians?"

“To the martial world’s folks like us, those may be uninvolved civilians. But in the court's eyes, any people who haven't taken up arms against us are still complicit in rebellion. That's how the court thinks."

"That's... that's insane. How could they possibly..."

The Wudang Sect Leader, the Supreme Ultimate Sword Immortal, and the Beggar King had gone pale with shock, while Hwangbo Ak and Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang were practically shaking with barely-contained fury.

"We need to go out there right now and kill every last one of them!"

Zhuge Mun nodded in agreement with Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang's furious outburst.

He knew that holding their position was the smart play. But with the enemy now going after the civilians in the rear, they couldn't just sit here and wait it out.

It wasn't affection for the common people that drove Zhuge Mun to that conclusion. He was too cold-headed for that.

He knew if they stayed put while all the civilians in their rear were slaughtered, their supply lines would be cut off, and they'd slowly wither and die.

"We must stop their atrocities, but there is one major problem. They've split into multiple units, which means we can no longer pinpoint the Divine Monk's exact location."

Some in the room hadn't yet grasped what Zhuge Mun was getting at and still wore puzzled looks, but those who did understand wore grave expressions.

"If we deploy our forces blindly, the Divine Monk will just hunt our masters down and kill us off one by one."

Zhuge Mun nodded at the Wudang Sect Leader's words.

"This guerrilla campaign is going to be a giant game of chess. Information and tactical maneuvering will matter more than anything else. Until the Divine Monk's position can be confirmed, you must all refrain from personally taking the front lines as much as possible, even if battles do break out."

"Are you out of your mind?! You want us to just sit back and watch our men get butchered?!"

Zhuge Mun met Hwangbo Ak's questioning expression with a nod.

“We must. Every time one of our masters falls to the Divine Monk, our chances of winning this war are cut in half. But don't worry. The enemy is in the same boat. They suffered a bitter setback once before, so even the Divine Monk won't be able to move recklessly."

He was referring to the previous battle where Wi Jin-hak and five other elite fighters had driven the Divine Monk back.

***

A few days later, the news from Mount Wudang reached Ankang as well, and Il-mok issued his orders and began assembling a relief force.

Twenty thousand troops would remain in Ankang to hold the defense, fifteen thousand in Hanzhong, and Il-mok himself would personally lead the rest to Hubei.

"Left Guardian, the boys from Hanzhong have just marched in. The soldiers stationed in Ankang have also finished reorganizing their units, so we should be ready to depart together shortly."

Il-mok rose to his feet at the report from the Gansu Provincial Military Vice Commander who would be taking full charge of Ankang's defense in his absence.

"I'm counting on you to hold Ankang and Hanzhong."

"Don't worry, sir. I'll coordinate with the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord to guard this place. No matter what happens, we'll hold."

Il-mok gave a nod at the Vice Commander's answer, then turned and walked toward the door.

Just as he was about to step out, the Vice Commander voiced his worry with some hesitation.

"Left Guardian, I apologize if this is overstepping, but there's one thing I'm worried about."

"Is it about the defense of Ankang?"

The Vice Commander shook his head.

"No, sir. It's about the enemy’s new strategy of targeting civilians. If they’re willing to play this dirty, aren't we leaving our rear wide open?"

"The rear, meaning Gansu?"

"Yes. As things stand, the bulk of the allied forces is concentrated in Hubei, here in southern Shaanxi, and in certain parts of Sichuan. If a splinter unit exploits that gap and slips into Gansu, or even pushes beyond into Xinjiang, the damage could be severe."

In response to his worry, Il-mok offered a strangely confident smile.

"There's no need to worry about that. They are there."

And with that, Il-mok walked out the door, leaving the Vice Commander staring after him in confusion.

"They?"

He couldn't make sense of it.

He knew perfectly well that the title of Left Guardian made Il-mok one of the two people second only to the Cult Leader in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, alongside the Right Guardian.

And yet, he couldn't begin to imagine what kind of people the Left Guardian would refer to with such a respectful tone.