Chapter 550:
‘Already?’
This was earlier than expected. It hadn’t been long since he’d received reports that they hadn’t even entered Anhui yet, and now they were saying the main force had entered Hefei in such a short time?
“What’s the situation?”
“We’re still assessing the circumstances. What’s certain is that the enemy’s main force has now entered Hefei.”
“Hmm.”
Gwon Geuk strongly felt the absence of the Divine Strategy Four Advisors. If the Divine Strategy Four Advisors were by his side at a time like this, Gwon Geuk wouldn’t need to rack his brains. But right now, the Divine Strategy Four Advisors couldn’t join the campaign. To respond to the expanded front lines and rapidly changing situations, it was better for the Divine Strategy Four Advisors not to come to the front.
He understood that. However…
‘The lack of a trustworthy mind is definitely a problem.’
Thinking he’d need to discuss this matter later, Gwon Geuk opened his mouth.
“Their speed?”
“Moderate.”
“Moderate…”
Then they didn’t intend to rush in with mobile warfare all at once. It meant they had rapidly increased their speed on the way to Hefei, then slowed down the moment they reached Hefei.
The probability of entering urgent combat had decreased, one could say. But he couldn’t let his guard down either.
“Reporting!”
Before the words had even finished, another report came flying in.
“Hundred Sword Castle, which entered Hefei, is not entering the city but setting up camp on the outskirts.”
“Camp… Are they making a bivouac?”
“It seems so.”
Rushing here urgently and then suddenly camping…
“Are they telling us to come out and play?”
Gwon Geuk didn’t have the eye to understand the enemy’s military tactics, but he had enough experience to grasp their intentions. Coming all the way here just to set up camp meant they wouldn’t give the Righteous Martial Alliance forces time to rest comfortably.
If the distance they’d set up camp was close, both sides would inevitably feel burdened. But Hundred Sword Castle was a single force, while here various forces were mixed together. The burden each side bore was different.
“Do they intend to spend the night like this?”
Gwon Geuk fell into contemplation.
‘Don’t they know?’
What if they knew all about this side’s situation?
Then rushing in immediately would be right. Meekly allowing Shaolin to join would be nothing short of foolish. Forces should be struck before they gather. This was one of the most basic principles of warfare.
Thinking in reverse, it would mean they hadn’t yet obtained information that Shaolin hadn’t joined this side, but…
‘That can’t be right.’
There was no way they wouldn’t know.
Hundred Sword Castle had been plotting against the Central Plains for a long time. Such people couldn’t have overlooked the importance of information. Thoroughly planting informants before entering war was the most basic of basics. Their current movements would be completely exposed to Hundred Sword Castle’s hands.
Yet they weren’t attacking?
Gwon Geuk’s hand gripped his knee.
‘What are you aiming for, Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families?’
If the opponent were the Demonic Cult, there would be no room for contemplation. Gwon Geuk knew all too well what the Demonic Cult wanted and what they aimed for. But confusion arose because the opponent was Hundred Sword Castle.
“Alliance Leader?”
“We wait.”
“Did you say wait?”
Gwon Geuk nodded.
“There’s no need for us to move first. We’ll wait for Shaolin leisurely.”
“Understood.”
As the reporter went outside, Song Hyeon and Namgung Jo-hwi let out sighs.
“They’re already…”
“I’m sorry. I should have noticed first.”
“Family Head Namgung, please don’t say such things. The informants of Beggar’s Sect and the Righteous Martial Alliance also failed to report in time. Doesn’t that mean they moved that much more swiftly? No matter that this is Anhui and Hefei, there would have been limits for the Namgung Family as well.”
“I have nothing to say.”
Namgung Jo-hwi bowed his head slightly.
“Not moving… What do you think their reason is?”
“They must be waiting.”
“Waiting… For what?”
“I don’t know that either. However, there’s something I can predict. They probably didn’t want the current situation either. They naturally would have thought there would be a joint attack from both the Demonic Cult and our side. They wouldn’t have calculated fighting us alone. So it would make sense for them to be wary of escalation and wait for the Demonic Cult to arrive.”
“Then there would be no reason to enter Hefei…”
“I don’t know even that much. The military department will give their opinion.”
Gwon Geuk spoke decisively.
“Nothing is confirmed yet. So please everyone, comfort the children well so they don’t panic.”
“Yes.”
“I ask this of you.”
“Don’t worry, Alliance Leader.”
As the two left the barracks, Gwon Geuk slowly rose from his seat.
‘Hundred Sword Castle.’
Gwon Geuk, who had come outside the barracks, looked far into the distance. Probably beyond this darkness, Hundred Sword Castle’s main camp would be there. A distance even his eyes couldn’t confirm. But a distance they could rush in at any time if they set their minds to it.
“The consequences of choices are borne by those who make them.”
He didn’t think Hundred Sword Castle’s anger was wrong. But all anger must be based on righteous power. Anger without power is merely empty.
Gwon Geuk would let them know. That their power was still insufficient.
He would definitely make them pay the price for being unable to live quietly and hastily plotting against the martial world. Even if they were righteous and Gwon Geuk himself became the villain.
If he could reduce even a single drop of blood, Gwon Geuk wouldn’t hesitate to take on infamy himself and burn at the bottom of hell.
***
“Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families.”
“That’s right, Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families.”
Guwangqushen sighed as he spoke.
“That name is too famous. Not only to those who use swords, but anyone who learns martial arts would have heard that name.”
“Of course.”
The Historian nodded vigorously.
The name Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families had symbolic meaning.
Those who used swords had no choice but to regard Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families as their idol. And the same was true for those who didn’t use swords.
Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families had reached a realm that no sect dared to touch.
“The ten thousand swords of Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families were great. And producing that Sword Emperor was also remarkable. There are countless sects under heaven, and they all try to argue for being the best under heaven, but the only place that could boldly say ‘we are the best under heaven’ was Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families alone.”
“That’s right.”
Though Shaolin claimed to be the North Star of the martial world, it couldn’t dare be compared to the might of Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families in its prime. There was no sect that could say it stood before Shaolin, but Shaolin also couldn’t ignore all other sects.
When Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families dominated the martial world with the Sword Emperor at the forefront, they didn’t dare to raise their voices before Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families. A force that boasted of being the greatest in history, plus a tremendously violent tyrant who could turn even that mighty force into house servants. Who could dare think of plotting against Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families?
If the current Shaolin tried to imitate the Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families of that time, even Shaolin’s foundation stones would be uprooted before the year was over.
“Because Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families existed, the Central Plains didn’t have to hand over the position of the greatest of all time to the Demonic Cult. At that time, they were merely a family that had become legend, but they were certainly fulfilling that role.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So people didn’t think about it.”
“Pardon?”
“That Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families wasn’t a legend.”
The Historian quietly looked at Guwangqushen. It was because it was difficult to guess the meaning of his words.
“Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families isn’t a legend. It was certainly a place that actually existed. But Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families was being treated as a mere legend. What do you think the reason was?”
“…The reason?”
The Historian, who had quietly organized his thoughts, opened his mouth.
“Because there was no substance?”
“That’s right.”
Guwangqushen nodded as if pleased.
“If Shaolin disappeared from Songshan now… Shaolin would have become a legend. The same would be true for Wudang. The reason they didn’t become legends wasn’t because what they accomplished was small. It’s because they’re still breathing together. But Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families wasn’t like that.”
Gulp gulp.
Guwangqushen greedily swallowed the remaining alcohol and smacked his lips while looking at the empty bottle. The Historian naturally threw one of the bottles he’d placed behind him to Guwangqushen.
Then Guwangqushen giggled and caught the bottle.
“You’re finally getting some sense.”
“Don’t interrupt the story, Divine Beggar.”
“Right, I should continue the story. Ten Thousand Sword became legend because it didn’t exist, and became myth because it didn’t exist. But tell me, haven’t you ever thought it was strange?”
“…”
While uncorking the bottle, Guwangqushen continued.
“When it’s a legend, ‘that family mysteriously disappeared one day’ isn’t strange. All legends are like that. But if you think this isn’t a legend, it becomes strange. Why did Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families disappear so mysteriously? Why did Ten Thousand Sword Hundred Families, which was at its peak?”
“That’s…”
“Right, it’s an obvious story. When human stories don’t flow out, it means there’s something to hide.”
Guwangqushen spoke bitterly.
“Is it an ugly story?”
“It’s ugly.”
“Is it a story you don’t want to tell?”
“It might be.”
“Then won’t you tell it?”
“No. I must tell it.”
Guwangqushen spoke resolutely.
“You seem to be mistaken, but I have no intention of hiding the ugliness of the martial world. Why should I?”
“I thought you would say that. It’s just that you seemed to be hesitating…”
“I’m not hesitating.”
The Historian straightened his posture.
Guwangqushen’s aura was slightly changing.
“The ugliness wasn’t the problem. Such filthy stories are scattered all over the martial world. The problem wasn’t their ugliness, but that the story hadn’t ended yet.”
“What do you mean it hadn’t ended?”
“A story that should have ended as legend was continuing.”
“What do you mean by that… Are you perhaps speaking of Hundred Sword Castle?”
“It’s a bit different.”
Guwangqushen lifted the bottle again.
Cold wind seeped into the quiet hut.
“It was all tangled up. But no one knew how tangled the situation was. Even Hundred Sword Castle didn’t know.”
“And…”
Guwangqushen smiled lightly.
“Even the person who created this entire game didn’t know what situation he was in.”
“The person who created the game? Are you speaking of the Martial Sovereign?”
“No. I mean it literally. I’m talking about the one who created this entire war.”
“…”
“It would be hard to understand.”
Guwangqushen put down the bottle and straightened his posture.
“Now, this story too approaches its end. Listen well. It’s your role to decide whether this story should be passed down to future generations or not.”
Guwangqushen spoke heavily.
“Where should I start the story? Yes, first would be Ten Thousand Sword’s resentment. Gwon Geuk thought Hundred Sword Castle was aiming for something else, but actually it wasn’t like that. Hundred Sword Castle was creating a stage.”
“A stage?”
“A stage where they could convey their voice to everywhere under heaven. Yes, Hefei was just the right place for that.”
Guwangqushen sighed and said.
“And it was also the right place to start a war.”
The story that would end everything was now beginning.
