Chapter 438 : Warlords Vying For Supremacy (5)

By ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍the time darkness had descended over the land, a small group slipped out of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's camp and moved under the cover of night.

They ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍passed by the Southern Military Command's encampment and headed toward the forces that had advanced from Guangdong Province.

The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍men from Guangdong drew their weapons the moment this group appeared out of nowhere in the dead of night, some even nocking arrows. But the commotion died down a bit once the newcomers showed their faces.

"This ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is Cheongmok of the Qingcheng Sect. I've come in person because I have something to discuss with Sect Leader Nangyang and the Head of the Jin Family."

Part ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍of why the tension eased was that there were only five of them. The other part was that Cheongmok and the rest were all from the Qingcheng Sect.

People ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍with too much time on their hands had plenty to say about Qingcheng throwing in with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but at the end of the day, Qingcheng was a renowned orthodox sect within the Central Plains’ martial world.

Same as how the Guangdong Jin Family belonged to the Seven Great Families, and the Hainan Sect belonged to the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.

This shared orthodox background was the very reason why Taoist Master Cheongmok had volunteered to be the envoy. If they had sent one of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s elite masters, there was a risk that a bloodbath would break out before negotiations even started.

‘Heavens only know what kind of mess he'd cause if we sent Dokgo Ryong over. And while Baek Un-hak think he’s better than Dokgyo Ryong, the two of them are actually the opposite sides of the same coin. Lunatics all of them.’

So rather than sending either of those two lunatics, Cheongmok had volunteered himself since he was the better option.

But no matter how famous an orthodox expert he was, the guards weren't about to just wave him through the gates during an active war.

"I will notify the two leaders. Please hold your position here for a moment."

Hearing the Jin Family guard's firm instruction, Taoist Master Cheongmok nodded without complaint.

A short while later.

"Right this way, please."

The high command must have given the green light, as an officer marched out from the center of the camp to escort him. Following the man's lead, Cheongmok stepped into a makeshift command tent and clasped his hands together in greeting.

"It's been quite a while, Head of the Jin Family, Sect Leader Nangyang."

"It has indeed, Taoist Master Cheongmok."

"Did you happen to find some rare elixir somewhere? You're looking better than ever since I last saw you. Hahaha."

Nangyang responded calmly, while Jin Gyu teased him about how much his cultivation had advanced since they'd last met, an improvement that was hard to miss.

After a bit of small talk to ease the mood, Jin Gyu's expression turned serious.

"So, what brings you here at this hour? Shouldn't you be up north?"

Cheongmok answered honestly to that question.

"The Head of the Jin Family and Sect Leader Nangyang may have already heard, but the Eastern Military Command has started moving."

Jin Gyu clicked his tongue, while Nangyang's face took on the look of a man who'd been expecting bad news to finally arrive.

Their reactions told Taoist Master Cheongmok that word hadn't reached them yet.

He did not regret speaking out of turn, however.

In his view, trying to gain an edge through deception would only damage the trust between them, and that would just cause bigger problems down the line.

"It is precisely because of this issue that I came here to establish a proper alliance, or at the very least, a temporary one that holds until the Han Dynasty falls."

Jin Gyu tilted his head at that.

"Hmm. If the Eastern Military Command is on the move, we might need to head off to deal with Guangdong right away. Is there a particular reason you're telling us this and proposing an alliance now?"

"Because a true alliance requires at least a baseline of trust, does it not? More importantly, I told you because I know for a fact that neither of you is stupid enough to make a foolish choice."

Seeing Cheongmok drop the pleasantries and cut straight to the point, Jin Gyu let out a highly amused chuckle.

"A foolish choice, huh. Well, I suppose it would be pretty foolish to leave the Southern Military Command at our backs while we go deal with the Eastern Military Command. Especially with their neck already in our grip."

Jin Gyu and Nangyang both already knew where this was going. The second they launched a pincer attack with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Southern Military Command was finished.

Leaving an entire imperial army alive at their rear just because they were too paranoid to team up would inevitably come back to bite them.

But there was still one issue left.

"Even so, launching a pincer attack only for us to bear the brunt of the casualties does not paint a very pleasant picture."

It was the question of whether they could truly trust the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

When Jin Gyu put it just as bluntly, Cheongmok answered with a smile.

"That's why I came myself. I won't be returning to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's camp until the Southern Military Command is dealt with. I'll fight alongside the two of you here, and if the Divine Cult tries anything underhanded, I'll gladly stand and fight against them with you."

Jin Gyu didn't bother asking how they could possibly believe that.

After all, both he and Nangyang were here. No matter how much Cheongmok's skills had grown, he wasn't on a level where he could take both of them on alone.

If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult tried something, they could just use Cheongmok as a hostage.

Cheongmok knew that too, and that was precisely why he'd dared to come here in the first place.

"Fine. When are you thinking of striking the Southern Military Command? You know as well as I do that we don't have much time left."

"You don't need to worry about that. At dawn tomorrow, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult will move immediately."

Nangyang who had been silently listening to the exchange suddenly frowned. "But if you're staying here, Taoist Master Cheongmok, who's going to relay our decision back?"

Cheongmok answered.

"Whether the two of you accept or not, the attack will go ahead at dawn tomorrow."

"Well now…"

"I can't tell if that's brave or just plain reckless."

Given their orthodox roots, neither man had a particularly high opinion of the Cult to begin with, and this suicidal plan left them speechless.

Taoist Master Cheonmok could only offer an awkward laugh at their reactions.

"Well. Can't say I disagree."

Whether Dokgo Ryong was a fearless genius or just a reckless madman… Even Cheongmok couldn't say for sure.

***

Early the next morning.

The Southern Military Commander had forced himself to sleep despite his uneasy nerves, but he woke with a start at the sound of commotion coming from outside his tent.

"Wh-what's all this noise about!?"

In response to his shout, an officer came running into the command tent.

"S-sir! The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult forces are on the move!"

"What!?"

The Southern Military Command Commander scrambled to his feet and sprinted out of his tent as he hastily strapped on his armor.

When he climbed up onto the platform, he saw the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult soldiers standing in perfect formation marching at them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sounds of the wardrums accompanied their footsteps as they marched.

"Archers! What are the archers doing!?"

"Hurry and send the shieldbearers to the front!!"

With a pale face, the Southern Military Command Commander barked out orders.

Half-asleep soldiers and panicked officers scrambled wildly around the camp. The disorganized volley of arrows fired by the groggy archers wasn't much of a threat. Before the Southern Military Command's camp could even form a proper defensive line, the Cult's vanguard clashed with their garrison.

For the past two weeks, the Southern Military Command has been hiding behind a makeshift barricade of packed mud, wood, and stone. It was a solid defense against normal soldiers, but an improvised wall could only do so much.

Especially when confronted with this.

Boom!

The arrival of an old master who could shatter that barricade with a single swing of his massive sword was nothing short of a disaster for the Southern Military Command.

"KUHAHAHA! Is there nobody in this army who can stop this Dokgo Ryong?!"

It was an unbelievable sight.

The man who was supposed to be the supreme commander was out on the front lines, cutting down enemy soldiers himself.

"Right Guardian! Are you trying to get yourself killed!?"

Baek Un-hak was right there on the frontline next to him, furiously unleashing a storm of hidden weapons.

He acted like he was angry about the lack of strategy, but it was obvious he was actually annoyed that all the attention was on the other man.

With both men who were supposed to be in command running wild on the front lines, the job of actually directing the troops fell to Yang Gwang, the former Provincial Military Commander of Gansu.

"Send the right and left flanks! Target the enemy's sides! I want every single enemy officer dead!!"

Thanks to the two masters' efforts and Yang Gwang's command, the Southern Military Command's lines slowly began to crumble.

"What are you idiots doing?! Abandon the broken barricades! We have a secondary barricade built in the rear! Fall back and reform the lines there, now!!"

While the Southern Military Command Commander was shouting orders in a fury—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of drums rang out again, this time from behind them.

The Southern Military Command Commander felt a chill down his spine.

It didn't sound like drums from their own side. It sounded too far away for that.

A moment later, his officer's shout turned that dread into reality.

"Commander!! The Guandong rebels are attacking too!!"

The rebel forces that had set out from Guangdong Province had finally joined the assault.

Most of the men from Guangdong weren't soldiers, so their attack wasn't nearly as organized as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's.

But by then, the Southern Military Command's attention was already focused on the north.

Worse yet, leading the chaotic rebel charge were three supreme martial masters who could rip through the Southern Military Command's makeshift wooden walls like wet tissue paper.

When the Southern Military Command Commander turned to look behind him, he saw Jin Gyu, Nangyang, and Cheongmok running wild on the front lines.

In the face of the staffs and swords they wielded, neither the barricades nor the soldiers seemed to matter at all.

The Southern Military Command Commander squeezed his eyes shut, then turned back to face forward again.

"BWAHAHAHA! Come on! Who's next?!"

"Behold my magnificent skills!"

And there, two more lunatics were going berserk.

***

A few days later.

News of the victory in Sichuan began to spread to Shaanxi Province as well.

"To stabilize southern Sichuan and Yunnan Province, twenty thousand troops led by the Qingcheng Sect and Yang Gwang have been left behind. The Right Guardian and the Divine Cult's Missionary Hall Master are bringing the rest of the troops to Shaanxi."

Il-mok let out a sigh of relief at Jin Hayeon's report and gave the order.

"We'll move the troops north."

It wasn't as if Il-mok was acting on his own authority.

This had all been agreed upon back when Jong-ri Chu had sent word that he'd use his silver tongue to play the Mierqi tribe’s envoy for a fool.

Once the Southern Military Command in Sichuan had been dealt with and reinforcements had arrived, Il-mok's forces would head north.

Il-mok looked toward the north with an anxious expression.

‘We need to move as fast as possible.’

His Sixth Brother was doing a fine job buying time with his skills, but unless the enemy was completely brainless, it wouldn't be long before they caught up to his lies.

***

While Il-mok's forces were marching toward the northern border with news of the victory in Sichuan, in front of the fortress where Jong-ri Chu had been staying, over a thousand nomad warriors sat mounted on their horses, glaring at the fortress walls as if putting on a show of force.

But this suffocating tension wasn't just building outside the gates.

Inside the fortress, in the tent where Jong-ri Chu always met with Namguru.

Today, too, the two men sat across from each other at a table.

"The Khan has sent word. He says that until you send the grain you promised us, you're to send an envoy to live in our Mierqi territory."

"You’ve been living quite comfortably as our guest here. Is that really necessary?"

"I've spent over ten days here. Don't you think it's about time an envoy from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult spent some time in our Mierqi lands? Or perhaps, is there some reason you cannot send an envoy?"

His expression seemed to be asking, 'Don't tell me you have been deceiving us this entire time?'

Jong-ri Chu knew that his lies had caught up with him. But he didn't let a hint of that show on his face.

"Hahaha. Now that I think about it, that's true. Seems fair enough, all things considered."

"Hahaha. It is a relief to see we are of the same mind. Then, who will you send as the envoy?"

Jong-ri Chu answered without a moment's hesitation. "I'll go myself."

"Oh? This envoy is meant to guarantee the alliance. Will your name carry enough weight for that?"

At Namguru's blunt question, Jong-ri Chu laughed like a fool and replied. “Believe it or not, I was the late Heavenly Demon’s Sixth Disciple. Why else do you think someone my age would be put in charge of guarding this northern border?"

He had received the news a few days ago that the Jin Family and the Hainan Sect had sparked a rebellion in Guangdong. Perhaps very soon, the Southern Military Command would be wiped out and the tide of war would shift in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's favor.

So at the very least, he had to buy time, even if it was only a few more days.

‘Even with my limited skills, I'm glad to have been given the chance to buy us some time.’

Even if it meant losing his life in the process.