Chapter 433 : The Season of Harvest (5)

Il-mok ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍shared everything he knew about the Merkit tribe.

"The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Merkit... or rather, the Mierqi tribe, is likely a powerful faction within the northern steppe. Remember the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi we faced back in Qinghai? The corpse that was used to create the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi belonged to the chieftain of the Jarchigud tribe up in the north. And the one who killed that chief was the Khan leading the Mierqi tribe."

The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍name Heavenly Blood Jiangshi made everyone in the room go quiet; the expressions of those participating in the meeting grew incredibly grave. 

It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was highly unlikely that the Khan of the Merkit tribe could rival the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, but he’d at least been a master who had reached the Realm of Truth

If ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that Khan who killed a man like that had been building his power for years, then the scale of what he'd amassed was nothing to brush off.

"So ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍what you're saying is, these Mierqi bastards might actually come after us?"

Wi Jin-hak's question was met with a measured response from Zhuge Mun.

"Based on what the Deputy Master of the Missionary Hall has told us, we can't be certain of that just yet."

Zhuge Mun held up three fingers. "There are three broad possibilities. Either the ones who sent warriors to scout the south exercise restraint, or they invade the northeastern direction occupied by the Imperial Family, or they invade the northwestern direction occupied by us."

He tapped the map with his folded fan.

"According to the Deputy Master, the Mierqi tribe's territory sits a fair distance from the nomadic tribes we've already absorbed into the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

The fan drifted past the edges of the Central Plains map and came to rest on the bare table beyond it.

"From a purely geographical standpoint, the easiest path of invasion for them actually leads directly into Hebei, Shanxi, and Liaoning."

He slid the fan back down from the empty space and brought it to the border at the edge of the map.

"The variable here is the Northern Military Command stationed there.

"Their problem is that the Northern Military Command is still stationed there. In fact, one could argue that the lingering threat of these northern nomads is the very reason why the Imperial Family hasn't mobilized the Northern Military Command against us yet."

Everyone in the room nodded at that statement.

When they really thought about it, the Cult had only clashed with three of the Han Dynasty’s five armies. Perhaps due to these border issues, the Imperial Family had still not mobilized the Northern and Eastern Military Commands.

Il-mok found himself drifting into a thought.

‘I guess having a massive empire isn't always a good thing after all.’

The more land you had, the more you had to defend. And it wasn't a story exclusive to the Imperial Family.

The Divine Cult had barely seized a third of the Central Plains and was already having to keep an eye on the east, the south, and now the north on top of that. If something blew up in Muslims territory, they'd have to start watching the West too.

‘The United States really was an OP location.’

A fertile land boasting both tremendous size and productive capacity. Yet despite its massive size, it only shared land borders with just two countries.

Looking at the geopolitical nightmare of the Central Plains, Il-mok couldn't help but marvel at how ridiculously overpowered North America was.

‘Right now it's still just the natives living there. Come to think of it, what year was America 'discovered' in my old world?’

Should he just build a massive ship and go find the American continent first? 

Ah, wait. They have to conquer the entire eastern coastline of the Central Plains first before building a shipyard.

As Il-mok entertained his ridiculous daydreams, Zhuge Mun's sharp voice snapped him back to reality.

"There's one more reason the Mierqi tribe might actually prefer the northeast. Compared to the land we hold, there's a lot more to plunder over there."

He swept his fan across the map, landing just south of the border.

The area he was pointing to was the Northeast Plain and the North China Plain, two of the three great plains of the Central Plains.

"Not only is the northeast closer geographically, but the spoils they can pillage are also vastly more plentiful over there. However, they need to break through the Northern Military Command holding the border to reap the harvest. On the other hand, our side is farther away and there's less to take, but the border is wide open."

This time, the fan came to rest over the northern reaches of Gansu and Shaanxi.

Wi Jin-hak looked at Zhuge Mun. "So in your assessment, which way do you think they'll go?"

"I don't know."

The room blinked owlishly at that.

His answer not what anyone had expected.

But Zhuge Mun remained unbothered by the stares.

"There's no information on what kind of man the Khan of the Mierqi tribe actually is, so I can't say. I was only laying out the probabilities."

He let that sit for a moment, then took a breath and continued.

"Let us break it down. The best case for us is if they go for the northeast. If they stay put, nothing changes. And if they come for us, that's the worst case. Which is exactly why we need to prepare for the worst case."

His fan swung back toward northern Gansu and Shaanxi.

"Fortunately, the border fortresses and walls that were under the Western Military Command's jurisdiction are all intact. So starting now, we should reinforce those fortifications and start stockpiling grains and military supplies in case of war. It’s undeniable that we need to defend ourselves, but what’s more important is to limit and steer the Mierqi tribe’s movements.”

While the others were still puzzling that last part out, Il-mok caught on.

"Ah, I get it. If both the nation’s border and our border look like heavily fortified death traps, the nomads will naturally choose the path that offers the highest reward. They'll attack the east because it's closer and packed with vastly more food to plunder."

"Exactly."

Wi Jin-hak finally grasped the flow of the conversation and nodded. "I agree with the Chief Strategist's point that we need to reinforce the northern defenses. The question is who to send."

It was undoubtedly the single biggest hurdle in the plan. 

They were already stretched thin fighting the Imperial Family and really had no man to spare for the northern steppe.

"We are merely preparing ourselves for war, not fighting one in there. Therefore, we don't need to waste a battle-hardened general on the task. And as it happens, the right person just presented themselves, so it shouldn't be difficult to arrange."

Everyone looked puzzled at the mention of the right person.

Zhuge Mun's gaze settled on Jong-ri Chu.

"Since trade with the Muslims has already fallen through, the Heavenly Light Merchant Guild led by the Deputy Master has no reason to head west again. On top of that, the Deputy Master has spent years going back and forth between the north and the Western Regions, so he's well acquainted with handling the nomadic tribes who have pledged themselves to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He could use them to monitor the Mierqi tribe's movements while simultaneously reinforcing the border fortresses and walls against a potential invasion."

It was the best solution anyone could come up with without pulling people off the active front.

Wi Jin-hak apparently agreed there was no better option, because he nodded and turned to his Sixth Brother.

"I'll leave the task of reinforcing the northern border to the Deputy Master."

Jong-ri Chu, who had just gone from Deputy Master of the Missionary Hall to being handed the entire northern frontier, stared into space with his soul seemingly leaving his body.

Seeing that devastated look on his face gave Il-mok intense déjà vu.

‘...I'm not seeing things again, am I?’

***

The meeting went on for quite a while after that.

They discussed who would lead the unit sent as reinforcements to the north if the Mierqi tribe invaded, despite their preparations; how they would divide and organize the newly joined martial artists and fresh recruits; and who would lead them.

As the discussion moved to the new arrivals, it was only a matter of time before the subject of Jeok Ri-gang came up.

"I honestly never imagined that man would actually pledge himself to our banner."

The Beggar King's words were met with a nod from Hwangbo Ak.

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang, however, wore a look of open concern.

"I won't deny that he's useful in a fight. But placing trust in a man like that would be dangerous, my Cult Leader."

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang's warning to Wi Jin-hak prompted Il-mok to speak up in Jeok Ri-gang's defense.

"The Grand Teacher is right that we can't fully trust the man. But does it really matter that much? We just need to treat him like a vagabond we hired for the duration of the war. A fairly capable one at that."

Wi Jin-hak nodded in agreement.

"The Left Guardian is correct. If he achieves great merit, we simply need to bestow a fitting reward upon him after we win the war."

"But what if he ends up in a position of power and starts abusing it for his own gain?"

"If that happens, we deal with it then. Merit is merit, fault is fault. And punishing a man simply because he seems suspicious when he's committed no actual crime yet is unreasonable."

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang didn't push further after that.

"I will defer to your judgment, Cult Leader."

After cementing his intention to use the Battle King, Wi Jin-hak turned to look at Il-mok.

"This one's your doing as well, Left Guardian."

"He came on his own. How does that count as anything I did?"

Wi Jin-hak shook his head with a laugh. "Hahaha. But he did come because of the things you’ve prepared, correct? If I am being completely honest, I’m actually doubtful about the viability of your projects, but because it’s from my genius youngest brother, I simply decided to trust you and see it through. You really haven’t disappointed me, Left Guardian. Your brilliance knows no bounds. Hahaha!”

"You flatter me too much. This was pure luck. I never expected the Battle King to actually show up."

As Il-mok bowed his head in humility once more, Wi Jin-hak looked at him with warmth. It was an expression that hadn't appeared much since the war had started.

"If Jeok Ri-gang wasn't what you were after, then the others who came must have been part of your plan all along."

The continued praise left Il-mok smiling sheepish.

The propaganda operation had been a massive success, meaning this was undeniably his achievement. Yet, the reason for his awkward smile wasn't mere humility.

It was because he still wasn't satisfied with what had been achieved.

Back when the war with the Imperial Family was still just being planned, Il-mok had sat in a meeting with the late Supreme Ultimate Sword Immortal, the Beggar King, Hwangbo Ak, Zhuge Mun, and the Cult Leader Wi Jin-hak.

He declared that through propaganda, they would widely spread the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's cause and entirely flip the narrative of this war, transforming it from a rebellion into a war between the corrupt establishment and the oppressed underclass.

He had warned them that it wouldn't yield immediate results. But if they could drag the Imperial Family through the mud, many sympathizers would eventually rise up.

And he hadn't been thinking just about the small trickle of martial artists joining their side now.

History had a pattern. When eunuchs seized control of the court and corrupt officials ran amok, the dynasty would inevitably rot and uprisings would follow.

They might start out small and scattered, but the ripple would spread across the land, and even the most powerful empires would eventually crumble.

It had happened to most of the great nations that had ever existed.

From the very beginning of this war, Il-mok had been building toward that picture as he prepared his propaganda. He envisioned a future where the Divine Cult would lock the Han Dynasty into a grueling stalemate and give enough time for uprisings to erupt across the Central Plains.

If they could just hold out until then, the fall of the current Han Dynasty would collapse under its own weight.

There was just one problem.

'I just have no idea how long we have to bleed before the spark will catch fire.'

As to when that glorious day of reckoning would actually arrive, not even Il-mok knew for sure.

***

The day after the discussions concluded, Jong-ri Chu set out for the north with the people who had traveled the western routes alongside him, as well as additional personnel selected to support his mission.

The rest of the commanders quickly reorganized their bloated ranks and marched back to their respective frontlines.

Not long after that, scouts reported that the massive Central Military Command had also begun to mobilize.

Meanwhile, near Dechang County in southern Sichuan Province, the Southern Military Command had pulled back from its offensive against the Sichuan rebels and was now establishing a camp in the area.

There were a few reasons they'd chosen to retreat.

The main one was that the Central Military Command had retreated first. It was their judgment that if the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were to pour all their strength into the south while the Central Military Command stepped back to reorganize its units, the Southern Military Command could find itself in grave danger.

On top of that, the Southern Military Command intended to copy the Central Military Command’s strategy and forcibly draft their own massive wave of peasant reinforcements.

"Starting now, take the soldiers and conscript able-bodied young men from Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou!"

The Southern Military Commander issued orders to several of his surviving officers.

Acting on his command, the officers each took a portion of the remaining Southern Military Command and marched off toward separate provinces.

The total forces sent to Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Guizhou came to nearly twenty thousand men.

If they were simply asking for volunteers, they wouldn't have needed such a massive escort. But because they were intending to rip peasant boys from their homes by force, armed coercion was a necessity.

Ten-odd days passed after those twenty thousand men were sent out for conscription. Then one day, the Southern Military Commander slammed the table with a look of barely contained frustration.

BANG!

"It's been over ten days already! Why the hell are these idiots taking so long?!"

The reason for his impatience was simple. Scouts had just reported that the Divine Cult’s army had marched out of Chengdu and was heading straight for their encampment.

His side had sent out twenty thousand men to recruit more soldiers. Meanwhile, the enemy had only grown larger.

"Although the rebel bastards are approaching, they certainly won't be able to attack us right away, sir."

"Just a few more days, and the men we sent out will return with a hundred thousand troops."

"That's right, Commander. If we can just hold until then, we can wipe out every last one of those rebel bastards who dared march on us!"

The officers left behind in the command tent scrambled to calm their furious commander.

They understood why he was panicking with an enemy army marching down their throats, but his expectations were completely detached from reality.

It was impossible for those twenty thousand men who had been scattered throughout four separate provinces to come back with thousands of peasants in tow and arrive at the frontline in time.

The Central Plains were simply too vast for that.

However, it was true that if they could just hold out for a few more days, the massive wave of conscripts would finally arrive.

Just then, urgent footsteps approached from outside the command tent.

"Urgent report!!"

Hearing the shout ringing out from the flap of the tent, the Commander immediately bellowed.

"Get in here!"

The messenger burst through the tent flap before the words had even fully left his mouth.

"Have the Demonic Cult bastards already arrived?!"

The commander braced for the worst, but the messenger shook his head frantically.

"N-no, sir!"

The commander blinked at the news. He then asked about the best-case scenario this time.

"Then have the conscription teams finally come back? Which province returned first?"

"Th-that's not it either, sir!"

If it was neither of those things, then what the hell could be so urgent it warranted sprinting into the command tent?

Everyone in the tent traded baffled glances. The messenger was barely able to get the words out between gasping breaths. "A-a revolt, sir!! The Jin Family of Guandong and the Hainan Sect have joined forces and raised a rebellion in Guangdong Province!!"

It was, for the Southern Military commander, the worst-case scenario that he had not even dared to imagine.