Chapter 52 Dispatch-2

Chapter 52: Dispatch-2

We were able to obtain information about the Guryukma at the Hao Gate branch located in the Xianwei region of Gui Zhou Province.

No, to be precise, it was information about why the whereabouts of the Giant Demon could not be found.

The Twelve Great Lords’ Manjong-im murmured like a groan.

“Hmm, you mean they disguised themselves as ronin and moved?”

According to the intelligence, war clouds were gathering in the western part of Guizhou Province recently.

It was a clash between the Zhengxie Sect, which had been gaining influence in Sichuan Province, and the Yun Clan, which held two seats in the Guizhou Eight Families, and the Mountain Sword Sect. A battle had already occurred, and the situation was expected to escalate further.

So most of the vagabonds in Guizhou were heading there, and you could see groups of vagabonds who lacked money banding together and traveling by cart all over the place.

According to Hao Wen’s explanation, if the Geyima had moved among them, it was only natural that their whereabouts would be impossible to trace.

He also asserted with certainty that they would never have entered the Xianwei region.

Since most martial artists were heading out, if martial artists from outside had entered the Xianwei, it would have been impossible not to know.

Dong Mugeon, the leader of the Twelfth Division, asked Man Jong-im with a dark expression.

“So they went to Guizhou Province after all. What will you do, Lord?”

Man Jong-im gritted his teeth and replied.

“What do I plan to do? I’ll go after them! I won’t let them escape!”

Then, Jianchang Sword Saint Zhe Yuanying asked.

“But where exactly are we to follow them? If they’ve already blended in with the ronin and made it to Guizhou City, they could head in any direction afterward. How are we supposed to track them?”

“Hmm.”

Jeon Chang-geom couldn’t answer Jeon Won-yeong’s question.

He too felt Je Won-yeong’s question was so valid that he couldn’t even argue.

But my thoughts were different.

“No, I think they probably went toward the Zhengxiefang or the Yun family estate.”

Everyone focused on me with puzzled looks.

Je Won-young asked.

“You mean them? Why do you think that?”

Memories of my past life suddenly surfaced in my mind.

Memories of that chaotic period when my family members had been possessed by the Blood Sect, and I couldn’t tell friend from foe.

I looked around at the people with a sharp gaze and opened my mouth.

“It just so happened that the Great Demon crossed the front lines right at the moment when conflicts between the major powers erupted. And then, naturally enough, he joined forces with the ronin at the entrance to the capital, not the main gate, and moved toward Gui Zhou City. Don’t you think all of this unfolded far too smoothly and without a single hitch?”

But most people didn’t grasp my meaning. While they merely frowned, only Miss Qingyan seemed to immediately understand something and asked me.

“It was all part of the original plan? You believe there are more of them.”

It was Qingyan, as expected.

I chuckled and nodded.

“I think it’s probably one of the three.”

“Couldn’t it be two?”

“Looking at the current situation, it doesn’t seem like it could be both.”

“Hmm, then it must be one of the two, not all three.”

“Probably.”

Having said that much, Young-yeon shook her head and laughed in disbelief.

“So the inviolable agreement really meant nothing at all. If I could, I’d turn back time just to observe what was said.”

Je Won-young, who had been listening to our conversation with a blank expression, cautiously asked Bise-young.

“What on earth is that supposed to mean? Am I the only one who doesn’t get it?”

Then Biseyang answered with a bright smile.

“Don’t worry. I don’t understand it either. But just wait a moment. That fellow will soon translate it into human language for us.”

At those words, the other team members also smiled brightly and nodded. It was a smile like that of enlightened sages.

He immediately began explaining to them.

“This is what I think. The series of events that have unfolded so far seem less like Georyeokma impulsively crossing the front lines and more like he moved according to a well-planned scheme.”

Manjong-im frowned and asked back.

“They moved according to plan? What do you mean?”

“Someone must have ordered the giant demon to come to the front of the palace at the appointed time, and then they were immediately transported from there.”

“…What? What did you say? Who on earth would do such a thing?!”

“Who else? It must be the forces of the Blood Sect positioned north of the front lines. Or should I say, the forward base?”

“What?!”

My words left everyone looking utterly shocked.

Manjongim stammered as he asked.

“I-Is that even possible? How could they have established a force north of the front lines?”

In my past life, I too had wondered about that.

When exactly did they manage to establish their influence all over the areas north of the front line?

It seemed I had finally found the answer to that question.

“We’ve always assumed the Blood Cult’s warlords who fled Yunnan Province did so because they resented the Blood Demon’s rule. We even thought it was the Blood Demon’s own doing. But what if some of them didn’t leave for that reason? What if they actually left Yunnan Province on the Blood Demon’s orders?”

“Th-that…”

While everyone else was frozen in shock, Squad Leader Seolpung, who came to his senses first, asked me.

“So what about that one of the three I mentioned earlier?”

“If my hypothesis is correct, the reason the Demon Army is moving now is because there’s a place that needs their military force. So I believe one of the three sects currently in conflict at the destination of the Rogue Warriors is their forward base. One of the three: the Zhengxie Sect, the Yun Clan, or the Mountain Sword Sect.”

“Hmm!”

After finishing his words, he waited a moment for the others to absorb the shock and accept the reality.

And when I felt it was roughly done, I asked Manjong-im.

“So, what does Your Excellency intend to do? If my prediction is correct, we must head north to central Guizhou Province to track them down. And even if we go there, there’s no guarantee we’ll find them. No, even if we do find them, it’ll be a problem. It would mean their numbers and strength are far greater than we anticipated.”

But despite my warning, Man Jong-im answered as if there was nothing more to consider.

“Hmph! I’ve already sworn to the heavens I’ll never let those bastards live! Even if their forces are far greater and stronger than expected, do you think I’d give up?!”

He gave a faint smile at his answer and nodded.

“I see. Understood.”

There was nothing more to say.

I felt the same way.

Even if he refused to go, I intended to persuade our team members to go anyway.

Truthfully, I’d come out thinking this mission was like a field trip.

After all, I’d assumed we’d lose track of the enemy’s whereabouts and the pursuit would fail.

But now that I knew the Blood Sect’s influence had already spread to the upper reaches of the front lines, and now that I had even grasped the thread of it, I absolutely could not return like this.

For the sake of what lay ahead, they had to pull that thread and uproot it completely.

Thus, we all decided to head together to the Inhui region in the northwest of Guizhou Province, where the air was thick with the scent of impending war.

However, the journey was far from smooth.

Man Jong-im frowned and said to me.

“As frontline personnel, reporting what we’ve learned and our movements to the headquarters is our duty. Why on earth are you telling us not to report?”

This time, his words were undeniably valid.

But I wanted to stop that reasonable action somehow.

“Let me reiterate: if you’re merely conveying the facts and then returning as planned, I see no issue with reporting it. But if we report our intention to move north into Gui Zhou Province, the Alliance will undoubtedly try to stop us.”

That was true. In my past life, the envoys had returned because the Mansion had refused to permit northward movement, so it was only natural it would happen again this time.

But Manjong, who had no memory of the past life, asked as if finding it absurd.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Why on earth would the Myeong try to stop us?!”

I wanted to add that they weren’t just trying to stop us, but might even kill us to do so. But to him, who knew nothing about the Shadow Realm, let alone memories of past lives, it wouldn’t have made a shred of sense.

Realizing there was no way to persuade him, I sighed and said.

“If you insist on thinking that way, then report it. But if things go as I say this time, I hope you’ll listen to me next time.”

He shot me a displeased look, then dispatched a special messenger to the Martial Alliance headquarters to report our situation and decision.

It was regrettable, but there was nothing we could do.

Later that afternoon, as we were leaving Yunnan Province and just entering Guizhou Province, the martial artists of the Martial Arts Alliance blocked our path.

“Halt!”

Eleven men clad in black appeared before us, their faces concealed beneath large bamboo hats.

Our team members, having seen such attire before, recognized them immediately.

It was the Shadow Army.

They asked.

“Are you the great hero Manjongim, one of the Twelve Lords of the Flying Dragon?”

Then, poised to draw his sword and wary of them, Manjong-im asked with a gleam in his eyes.

“You know me. Who are you?”

The man in black robes and a bamboo hat, who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward, bowed, and said.

“It is an honor to meet you. We come from the Alliance.”

“The Alliance? You mean the Alliance’s warriors?”

Only then did Manjong-im relax his guard, his eyes brightening with welcome.

But the hooded man, despite his welcoming expression, wasted no words and went straight to the point.

“We have received the report sent by Grand Hero Man. The task of tracking the giant demon you mentioned will be taken over by our sect’s warriors. Grand Hero Man and the members of the Flying Dragon Squad may return now.”

Man Jong-im was utterly stunned upon hearing those words.

“What? What does that mean? You want us to leave?”

It was just as he had expected.

But Man Jong-im, who hadn’t anticipated this at all, looked utterly flustered by the situation.

The black-clad figure replied in a cold tone.

“Matters outside Yunnan Province will be handled by our Alliance’s warriors. Members of the Flying Dragon Corps, please focus solely on maintaining the front lines.”

His vocabulary was relatively polite, but his attitude was anything but courteous.

It was so rigid it felt downright coercive.

Manjong-im glanced at my face, then addressed them with a slightly angry expression.

“You’ve likely been briefed already, but those bastards killed nearly twenty of my men. I swear to heaven I won’t return until I tear those scum to shreds!”

But their attitude didn’t change at all.

“The Dragon Guard members are tasked with defending the front lines, while matters outside the front lines are handled by us—that is the Alliance’s policy. As long as you belong to the Alliance, please abide by the rules.”

“What the hell is this?!”

Man Jong-im seemed speechless at their ironclad stance.

I glanced briefly toward Lady Cheongyeon.

There she stood, already hidden behind Bae Jong-gwan’s large frame.

She seemed to be trying to avoid the Shadow Brigade’s notice.

Having confirmed her position, I now stepped forward with ease.

“That’s rather peculiar. It sounds as if you’re trying to keep the Dragon Squad members confined to the front lines, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t you agree, Commander?”

The man in the bamboo hat, who had looked at me for a moment, seemingly slightly flustered by my words, spoke again.

“That’s not it. This is simply the Alliance’s rule…”

“So why should we follow the Alliance’s rules? We gathered on the front lines purely out of our own will to stop the Blood Cult, like volunteer soldiers. We’re not a unit belonging to the Alliance.”

“…Don’t be unreasonable. Didn’t you sign an oath when you joined the Boryongdae?”

“The pledge? Of course I signed it. The confidentiality agreement, I mean. But was that document actually about joining the Myeong? I don’t recall anything like that. Nor was there anything about restricting movement outside the front lines.”

This time, my words seemed to leave the man speechless.

The eyes visible beneath the hood glared at me.

And I could feel a growing murderous intent in that gaze.

After a moment, he spoke again.

“Let me reiterate: these are Myeong’s rules. If you refuse to abide by them, there’s nothing more we can do.”

“Nothing more we can do.”

Somehow, I could almost smell blood in those words.

Despite the fierce pressure, I chuckled and retorted just as fiercely.

“We are now on our way to avenge our comrade. Is there any rule in the martial world’s code more important than vengeance? If you wish to stop us, first convince us why you should. Stop parroting that meaningless phrase about some unknowable rule. When and why did this rule, unknown even to the frontline guards, come into existence?!”

Having said that, I casually asked Manjong-im.

“Isn’t that right, Lord?”

“Uh, huh? Of course. Naturally!”

Having subtly shifted the other party’s attention to Manjong-im, I flashed a sly smile and delivered the final decisive blow.

Of course, I understand your position—you must follow orders from above. But if you blindly obey every command without judging whether it’s right or wrong… Can you truly call yourself a martial artist? No, what kind of martial artist? You’re no better than a dog or a pig. Don’t you agree?

After provoking the dog and pig before me like that, he, who had been glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me, finally left the place, leaving only his last words behind.

“You will regret this.”

I was a little disappointed.

I had hoped he would fly into a rage and attack me right then and there.

But even if it wasn’t right here and now, I could tell it wouldn’t be too far off.

Watching their retreating figures, I thought with a faint smile that it was still impossible to know who would come to regret it.