Becoming the Swordmaster Rank Young Lord of the Sichuan Tang Family Chapter 203

Episode 202. Sure Profit

“… … .”

Zhuge Changxin was speechless. He felt dizzy and closed his eyes tightly. The word ‘unconventional’ seemed to be engraved on his mind like a seal over and over again.

It was a failure━

It was certainly not a bad choice to settle down here in Juksan, but the strategy of prolonging the standoff ended up working in favor of Magwangcheon. This was because Shaolin was isolated due to the imperial declaration of non-interference in official affairs.

‘No matter how quickly the rumor spread, it was already too late to seek help.’

I don’t know if it was the pace of some of the most skilled warriors, but it was too far to lead the large army of the Jeongcheon Alliance all the way to Hanam. I should have made a base a little further east – so that I could immediately detect and respond to Ma Gwangcheon’s movements.

Regret came flooding in. The thought of being complacent came to mind several times. Why did I vaguely assume that the reason why Ma Gwangcheonju Yeon Junghyeok was holding his breath was because Namgung Se was injured during the process of destroying the clan? Did I secretly hope that Ma Gwangcheonju Yeon Junghyeok was not such a great master that he could kill the Sword King Namgung Jangcheon without getting hurt? Maybe I just didn’t want to acknowledge his inaction.

‘… … This is why you are completely disqualified as a soldier. Innovation, innovation. Have you already forgotten the basics of military strategy that sometimes small variables can determine victory or defeat in a battle?’

Zhuge Changxin collected his wits in a short self-reproach. As his head cooled, a new sense of guilt weighed on his shoulders. There were many reasons for stationing troops in Juksan, but the decisive factor was its proximity to Shaanxi. It was not without its convenience that the main forces of the Hwagyeong masters, the Okyang of Hwasan and the Hakun of Jongnam, were taken into consideration. If Jaun of Shaolin had accompanied him, wouldn’t he have settled somewhere other than Juksan? A place that also took Shaolin’s safety into consideration.

In other words, if Shaolin was to be destroyed because of this incident, Zhuge Changxin would also bear some responsibility. Even if others did not think so, Zhuge Changxin himself already felt guilty.

Anyway, the thing had happened, and as a soldier of the Jeongcheon Alliance, he had to do whatever he could to handle it.

“What do you plan to do, soldier?”

As soon as Jegal Changsin opened his tightly shut eyes, Hakwoon asked him in a whining tone.

“As you know, Zhuge Liangjun, Shaolin is a Buddhist sect that has protected the Central Plains martial arts world for a thousand years, and it is the spiritual pillar of our sect. Even if we knew that Shaolin was in danger, we could not do anything about it. Even if we knew it was too late.”

“The imperial family’s declaration of inviolability of official duties was a disaster of sorts. It was not something the military could have predicted. Judging from your expression, it seems that you are quite disturbed. Please calm down and give instructions quickly. The military, and no one else, has the authority to move the army.”

Hak-un and Ok-yang said that they were willing to go to support Shaolin. Among the six factions, there were some that were not on good terms with each other, such as Hwasan and Jong-nam, but Shaolin had maintained a smooth relationship with most of the Jeong-do factions since the old days, perhaps because of the virtue it had built up over a long time. You could call it loyalty.

“… … If that’s what you two think.”

It may not be too late━Zhuge Changxin added as he continued.

“Shaolin’s power is rarely known. The power of Shaolin that people talk about is usually limited to the contemporary era. Master Ja-un once said that there are many great monks from previous generations who have not yet passed away due to their strong martial arts. If that is true, even if they fight an all-out war with Ma Gwang-cheon, they will not be defeated in a short period of time like Nam-gung Se-ga. There may still be time.”

If the two of you were to walk together, you could arrive before Shaolin collapsed━ Zhuge Changxin’s words stopped before he could finish. This was because Meng Dao, who was in charge of communicating with the shaman, rushed in.

“Urgent news! Urgent news from the shaman… …!”

“also?”

Jegal Changsin frowned and asked back. It was just now that I received urgent news that Ma Gwangcheon had moved to attack Shaolin. It was hard to imagine that something more serious could happen here, but since the news came from none other than a shaman, there was something uneasy about it.

This is because the land of Hubei has been the base of shamans since the beginning. It is said that the area and power that shamans were in charge of has been greatly reduced due to the Magwangcheon located in Hubei Wuhan, but because of this, shamans have become more active in gathering information on the situation of not only Hubei but also Gangho. Since the Zhuge family once maintained its lineage under the protection of shamans, Zhuge Changxin was well aware of this fact.

Even if they didn’t know, the shaman would already have known about the royal family’s declaration of non-interference in official affairs and the fact that Ma Gwang-cheon had moved. There was no way they wouldn’t have known about the news that Jeongcheon-maeng, which had no base in Hubei, had received. No, perhaps it was the shaman who relayed the information to Hak-un and Ok-yang. If you think about it, it was strange that the urgent news was delivered to them first, leaving aside Jegal Chang-sin, a Jeongcheon-maeng soldier. It would have been difficult for the reporting system to be in disarray, or for Hak-un and Ok-yang to have a secret line outside Jeongcheon-maeng.

‘I guess I was annoying.’

Zhuge Changxin guessed so. From the perspective of a shaman who had been nothing more than a bystander to the destruction of the Zhuge family, it would have been easier to go through people from the same six factions rather than dealing directly with the soldiers of the Jeongcheon Alliance.

Anyway.

The shaman who seemed to have indirectly conveyed the information received a direct message. And it was in the form of an urgent report. The ominous feeling that Jegal Changsin felt was derived from that.

“The shaman said, ‘Right now in Shaanxi… …!’”

Jeongcheon Maengdo’s words could not continue. In an instant, an overwhelming presence struck him. Even a dull-witted low-level practitioner could feel the distinct pressure. It was a sign that a peerless master who had reached the state of Hwagyeong was about to manifest.

“This is the presence of a shaman… … .”

“The King himself has come.”

As soon as the Hwasanpa Okyang put the Wudanggeomjon (武當劍尊) in his mouth, a loud noise was heard outside. For a moment, it seemed as if lightning had struck the ground, but after a brief vibration and silence, a deep voice was heard.

Non-partisan, Song Cheong-i ━

“How can His Majesty the Sword not even maintain his dignity… … .”

Jongnampa Hakun muttered as he stepped outside. Judging from the wave of energy that had not yet been settled, it was clear that he had come running at full speed. Even though it was a temporary garrison, there was definitely a main gate and guards, but it seemed that he had jumped over all of them and come down.

Following Hak-un, Ok-yang and Jegal Chang-sin also came out of the office.

In the empty lot, a man was standing proudly, holding a sword in one hand, his robe fluttering in the wind due to the waves that had not yet subsided.

Buksung Shaolin, Namjon Mudang━ At one time, he was the greatest pillar of the Jeongdo power along with Shaolin, and the pine tree pattern, the symbol of the shaman, was drawn on his scabbard. Just by standing with his sword in hand, anyone could tell that he was a peerless swordsman.

Song Cheong, the Shaman Sword Master.

The sword master who was always compared to the Sword King Namgung Jangcheon had appeared. Song Cheong had a calm expression, but the ground splitting like a spider web around him created an urgent atmosphere. It was understandable, because the sword master who was as great as the Sword Lord had made a loud landing━ It was because it implied that he had rushed forward while pouring out an enormous amount of true energy that could not be properly recovered through the Yongcheon point on the sole of his foot.

The gaze of the swordsman who was scanning the room fell on Jegal Changsin. A slight sense of regret appeared in his eyes, but quickly disappeared. Song Cheong opened his mouth.

“It’s been a while. Muryangjeonju… … No, I guess I should call you Jeongcheonmaeng Military from now on.”

“I meet the swordsman.”

“The situation is urgent, so I’ll get straight to the point. It seems like you haven’t heard the urgent news from the main branch yet.”

“I was about to hear it anyway. What’s going on?”

“It moved from the Seomseo painter.”

“The Magical King… …!”

“What happened to the main branch? What happened to the main branch?”

As soon as Song Cheong mentioned Hwasisega, Okyang and Hakwoon asked as if they were going to jump out at any moment. It was only natural. Their disciples, Hwasan and Jongnam, were located in Shaanxi. Okyang and Hakwoon, who were the main forces in the disciples and one of the few masters of Hwagyeong, were now tied to the Jeongcheon Alliance. The timing was delicate. Could it be that Hwasisega had sensed the power vacuum in Hwasan and Jongnam and had made a move?

“… … This is a diversion. It’s to prevent Bonmyeong from rashly helping Shaolin.”

“That’s right. Since this series of events was triggered by the inviolability of official duties, we should assume that it was planned from the beginning. Okyang and Hakun, the two true masters, please calm down for now. Unlike the Shaolin of Hanam, which is quite far away, we can immediately grasp the situation in Shaanxi if there is a change. The Shaanxi painter went on a campaign a little while ago. If we hurry, we should be able to respond sufficiently.”

Song Cheong nodded and confirmed Zhuge Changxin’s words, while calming Okyang and Hakun.

“I don’t think His Majesty would have taken such a step simply because the matter was so serious. In the eyes of this Jegal Mo, the shaman has already made up his mind and is ready to go on a campaign. Could it be that you came here to suggest that we abandon Shaolin?”

“… … You can’t fool the military.”

How could such a short bird understand so much? – Song Cheong looked at Jegal Changsin with a slightly impressed look and added.

“It is as the military said. The disciples who can be considered the best of the main sect have come down from the mountains and are coming here to Juksan. However, it is a bit misleading to say that we are abandoning Shaolin. Rather than abandoning it, we should trust in Shaolin’s strength and take certain benefits.”

“A sure profit━ Are you talking about the destruction of the Hwaseong clan?”

“That’s right. If the Hwaseong clan disappears, Shaanxi will become a complete territory of Jeongdo. Then, Hwasan and Jongnam will be able to support Guimeng without any worries, right?”

“Shaolin may be destroyed. The Daebangpa, which has been the mainstay of the Jeongdo sect for a thousand years.”

“That could be the case.”

“… … .”

Jegal Changsin was speechless at the unexpectedly docile affirmation. Just a moment ago, he was thinking about the loyalty between the six factions. Okyang and Hakun had said that they should send support to Shaolin even if it meant making a futile effort. However, now that Japa was in crisis, he secretly seemed to be trying to sympathize with Song Cheong.

Song Cheong opened his mouth again.

“You’re a soldier, so you should always keep the worst in mind. Things don’t always go as planned. Now, let’s say we split our forces to go save Shaolin. Then it would be difficult to wipe out the Shaanxi Hwaga clan. We’d just end up protecting Hwasan and Jongnam. If Shaolin is already destroyed, the support force we split up would be in vain, and we might even be attacked by Ma Gwang-cheon and put in danger. Even if we return safely, Ma Gwang-cheon would have already returned to Hubei, so we might never get a chance to attack Shaanxi Hwaga. Think about it. Would it be a wise decision to choose between completely destroying the two ultimate demon masters and going to help Shaolin, which we’re not sure we can save?”

As a soldier of the Jeongcheon Alliance, I say this. As he said that, the Shaman Sword Master took a step back as if waiting for an answer and lowered his eyes slightly.

Zhuge Changxin couldn’t help but feel dizzy once again. Perhaps the fate of Shaolin was in his hands. However, if he tried to help Shaolin, he might miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Clearly, there was some truth to what the Shaman Sword Master said.

However, rather than the weight of the choice, the shallowness of the right path that is swept here and there according to comfort was clearly felt, which was just sad.