Chapter 178 Show Me the Martial Arts

Chapter 178: Show Me the Martial Arts

A few days later.

The Silver Family and White Sand Sword Sect merged, giving birth to the great sect known as the White Silver Sect.

Faced with a competitor boasting an inner court with eight top-tier combatants, the Zhao Family Sect, Huayang Sect, Miling Flower Palace, Baojin Sect, and Wuhuo Fist Sect all withdrew from the bidding.

They likely judged it hopeless.

But our Zhenwang Sect couldn’t give up.

‘I’ve already sunk a full ten thousand taels into this…’

If I couldn’t recoup it, bankruptcy was certain.

Therefore, all of us at the Jeonwang Gate, myself included, worked day and night.

Run!

Ugh-!

We tempered our disciples with the intensity to prove the martial world’s old adage: “A day of training makes you a day stronger.”

“…Utilize the warhorses to the fullest, focusing on hit-and-run tactics…”

“Just charge in and smash them to pieces, I tell you.”

“Hmm, in this case, deploy the first to fourth ranks on the front line, and the fifth to ninth ranks on the flanks…”

“Why overcomplicate things? Just charge in and smash them to pieces…”

“……”

We ran simulations with the officers to formulate strategies.

“Pain is the essence of martial arts. It embodies the arduous path of the warrior.”

They invited Master North Palace as a guest instructor to boost the disciples’ morale, doing their utmost to prepare for the competition.

Ten days passed.

“Let’s go.”

Awesome-! The Jeonwang Gate-! So many, so many.

Before they knew it, the morning of Show Me the Martial Arts had dawned.

* * *

The competition was held on a vast, wide-open plain between Guryongseong and the capital city.

Given it was a team event, it made sense it would be held in such open terrain.

“…Is this the right place?”

Following the map, they arrived at nothing but a headquarters surrounded by wooden palisades.

“Yes, it’s definitely here.”

Yoo So-pyeong, who had checked the map several times, nodded.

“But… there’s nothing here?”

Shouldn’t there at least be someone to explain?

Thump.

Dismounting and stepping inside the palisade, a single banner bearing the characters ‘Jeonwangmun’ caught his eye.

“Looks like we found the right place.”

The problem was, that was literally all there was.

No place to sleep, no water, no food.

Just as he was surveying the surroundings.

Thud thud thud.

In the distance, someone was running, kicking up dust.

It was a familiar face.

“Whoa!”

“Huh?”

“Long time no see.”

It was the female assassin who had gotten into a scuffle with him over a minor misunderstanding when he first obtained the Jeonju City Seal.

“Why are you here, sir…?”

“I’ve been assigned to monitor the Jeonwang Gate during this competition period.”

“Ah…”

“I’ll monitor it thoroughly, so don’t worry. Ah! If you’re concerned about what happened before, you can put that aside.”

He continued with a smirk on his lips.

“I’ve already forgotten about being grabbed by the collar by the Sect Leader, or getting punched in the face, or being kicked, and such.”

“……”

Yoo So-pyeong, standing beside me, shot me a look that seemed to ask what on earth he was up to.

“Anyway, if you break the rules, I’ll declare your disqualification immediately, so be careful.”

“Well, that’s…”

Truthfully, there weren’t really any rules to speak of.

The only one was using wooden weapons to prevent fatalities.

They even said they’d overlook accidental injuries, so there shouldn’t be much reason to get disqualified.

Of course, I hadn’t anticipated having a bad rapport with the judge who would decide what constituted an ‘unintended accident’.

The judge looked around and asked.

“By the way, why are there only two of you? The paperwork says there are seven hundred disciples…”

“We came early to check the terrain. They should be arriving any minute now…”

Just as he turned to look behind him.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-

The competition format was simple.

It was a survival-of-the-fittest style: defend your own flag while capturing others’ until only one faction remained.

However, from the Nine Dragons Fortress’s perspective, this format was also highly efficient.

“I suppose it’s meant to assess a faction’s strength, strategy, and mobility all at once.”

Since they’re selecting the PMC to guard Hanjung, it seems they want to see their capabilities through mock combat.

It was an easy task for those setting the problem, but a difficult one for those solving it.

Everything was strategy and tactics—from the allocation of offensive and defensive forces, to movement patterns, to deciding where to attack.

Which meant.

“This won’t be easy.”

It meant it was disadvantageous for us.

“Because our forces are relatively insufficient.”

We had to allocate our already scarce strength between offense and defense.

Of course, it wasn’t unwinnable.

“We’ll have to win through mobility.”

We possess a reliable means of transport others lack: warhorses.

Utilizing them could create sufficient variables.

“But first, we must decide how to defend.”

“Does anyone have any good ideas? Ah, Commander Yuk. Please speak up.”

For reference, Commander is the position held by Yuk Hak.

Since he wasn’t a military officer, we couldn’t call him a general, so we just gave him the nickname I used back in Amyeongdong.

Perhaps due to his skill and experience, the other commanders had no complaints either.

“It seems you’re overthinking it, Commander.”

“Overthinking it, you say…”

“Why bother with defense? Iron Cavalry are meant to crush the enemy with powerful breakthroughs. We should just go out and wipe them out.”

“……”

I was wondering why that charge theory wasn’t coming up.

Still, he was a hundred times better than the others nodding beside him with expressions that screamed ‘Exactly!’

But it was too early to be disappointed.

“I have a good idea.”

After all, we had Yu Xiaoping, son of Mun Sang, the man called the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.

Didn’t they say, since ancient times, that a tiger doesn’t give birth to a coward?

And my expectations were not disappointed in the slightest.

“What if we attack and defend simultaneously?”

“Simultaneously? Is that even possible?”

“Yes, in my opinion… like this… that way… in this manner…”

His strategic abilities had improved so dramatically it could only be described as a meteoric rise.

“…!”

Long live the So-pyeong Coin!

* * *

Taemo Mountain Fortress.

With over five hundred disciples, nearly a hundred masters, and more than ten peak masters, it was one of the few great sects that had firmly established its own domain in the era of the Five Great Sects.

Moreover, its sect leader, Iron Mountain West Defeat, Woo Gong-baek, was a peerless master belonging to the Seven Defeats, considered just below the Ten Great Masters.

He surveyed his disciples and issued his command.

“Our target is the Zhenwang Sect. Run without looking back. Understood?!”

Yes, Sect Leader!

Watching each disciple radiate an aura of unmatched power, Wu Gongbai clenched his teeth.

‘I will seize Hanzhong.’

Taemosan Fortress was poor. And it was destined to grow poorer still.

For the very land of Guizhou, their domain, was becoming barren.

Dried-up earth and a dwindling population.

Nothing grew there, and the lack of roads made even travel difficult.

So much so that even the greedy Lion Clan treated Guizhou as abandoned land.

Then one day, an envoy from Guryong Fortress arrived bearing sweet news.

In exchange for defending Hanjung, they would receive nine-tenths of the taxes collected there.

Of course, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. There was a condition.

Victory in the competition.

For the leader of a major sect like Taemosanseong, it was an offer that wounded pride, but Woo Gongbaek bent himself.

He did it to leave the increasingly barren Guizhou lands and provide for his disciples.

And today.

Wugong Bai chose the Zhenwang Sect as the first sacrificial lamb in this plan.

His goal was to seize their main base, the weakest opponent, and sow chaos among the Baieun Sect and Haenam Sword Sect.

It was a strategy exploiting the loophole in the rule that a base changes hands simply by planting a flag.

‘He may be my son, but he’s remarkable.’

He looked at the son who had devised this strategy.

With exceptional intellect and physique, and martial arts prowess beyond the ordinary, he was Wugong Bai’s pride and joy.

‘Very well, this father will pave the way. You shall race along that path and raise Taemo Mountain Fortress upon a bedrock foundation.’

He nodded firmly, his resolve set.

But not long after, Woo Gongbaek sensed something was amiss.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.

“What… what is that?!”

Hundreds of iron cavalrymen were charging toward them, kicking up yellow dust.

* * *

Yoo So-pyeong’s strategy was simple yet effective.

Carry the flag with you instead of keeping it at headquarters, and engage in ambush tactics.

It was the only tactic that leveraged their rapid mobility and breakthrough capability.

Moreover, it allowed them to obtain water and food while on the move, making supply easier.

And.

“Move! Move! Move!”

Thud thud thud thud.

The first target appeared.

Gwiju’s Taemosan Fortress.

Objectively, their forces were superior to ours, but we had the weapon of the Jeonma.

“Kill them all!”

The Jeonwangmun cavalry charged boldly, colliding with Taemosan Fortress’s camp.

Thud. Thud. Thud!

“Gwaaah!”

“Guh.”

The wooden clubs they’d brought instead of iron spears shattered, sending Taemosan Fortress’s warriors tumbling down.

‘Wow…’

Even wooden clubs, with that much force behind them, must have broken at least one bone somewhere.

Taemosan Fortress’s camp instantly turned into a hellish scene.

Of course, they weren’t just taking it.

“Don’t target the men, target the horses!”

A rational shout rang out, as if they’d regained their senses.

A sensible, normal response.

But the disciples of the Jeonwang Gate weren’t military cavalry; they were martial artists of the Jianghu.

Even if thrown from their horses, they never lost their power.

“Iro and Iro, dismount and form ranks! Buy time for our comrades to regroup!”

For the past six months, I’d taken second-rate warriors and put them through intensive, real-combat training.

Muscles that wouldn’t tire no matter how much they swung their spears, stamina to run all day in armor, a solid core that kept their balance, and the Black Spear Technique—an outstanding spear style.

Nothing was lacking, was it?

Heh.

‘Well trained.’

Of course, I couldn’t just stand by.

The disciples handled things up to this point—now it was my turn to step forward.

“Uncle Yuk! Take command!”

“Right!”

I took a step toward the flag of Taemosan Fortress.

Thud.

It was a choice only possible because the formation had completely shattered.

‘Twenty paces.’

The distance to where the flag was visible.

Chak.

The instant I closed in and reached for the flag.

“Damn!”

A fierce force slammed into the back of my head, sending me flying backward.

Quickly retreating and turning, I saw a lean, middle-aged man standing there.

‘The Lord of Taemosan Fortress!’

It was Woo Gongbaek, the Iron Mountain Western Sect master who once vied with Master Bukgung for the title of strongest among the Seven Sects.

He was the opponent I’d been most wary of in this battle.

Still, since I’d seen my senior, it was only proper to greet him.

“Junior Jin Mujeon greets Lord Woo.”

I bowed deeply, hands clasped.

“I hear you’re a disciple of North Palace Baek?”

“That is correct. Heaven and Earth King is my master.”

“For someone like that, you’re quite polite.”

“…….”

“Pleased to meet you. I am Woo Gongbaek.”

Seeing him give me respect as the head of a sect reminded me of Master North Palace, who would curse first and ask questions later regardless of status if he was annoyed.

‘……Master, what on earth…’

Anyway, that wasn’t important now.

The crucial question was when, how, and where to break the flag.

“Incidentally, my master asked me to convey his regards if I saw you.”

“Huh? The Heavenly King’s regards?”

“Yes, he specifically said to deliver them.”

“A message from the Heavenly King. Let me hear it…!”

CRASH!

He shot the spear like lightning, drawing his attention.

If we could just snap the flagpole, we’d win this battle.

But, as if the nickname ‘Western Blade’ wasn’t given in vain, Woo Gongbaek’s martial arts were swift and fierce.

Thud.

With a flick of his hand, the spear fell limply to the ground.

“Truly worthy of being North Palace White’s disciple. You’ve inherited his cowardice, selfishness, and brutality.”

“No.”

Our master… isn’t quite that bad…

CRASH!

And so, the duel with Iron Mountain West Blade began.