Chapter 206 The Eve of the Storm (3)

Chapter 206: The Eve of the Storm (3)

The next morning.

‘Who would’ve thought horoscopes could be so accurate.’

Seated in the first-floor hall of the Jeonwanggak, I recalled Jeong Do-maengju, the devotee of celestial omens, and summoned the Jeonwangmun executives.

‘Later, when I meet the Maengju, I should ask him to read my fortune for women too.’

As I waited with that thought, the executives gathered.

Normally, we’d exchange jokes and greetings, but seeing my stern expression, they immediately took their seats.

And then.

” “War is coming.”

At these opening words, everyone was stunned.

I explained the entire situation in detail to the shocked officers.

And so the meeting began.

Many opinions poured forth.

“If that’s true, there’s no way to stop Yeonju.”

“But he can’t come all the way here. He has to guard Chongta.”

“I propose we prepare for a defensive battle.” “

”It’s crucial to identify the enemy’s supply routes. With ten thousand troops, it shouldn’t be too difficult…“

”We don’t know how long we can hold out on our own.“

”Once hostilities begin, Jeong Do-maeng’s forces will arrive…“

Amidst the cacophony of opinions, our military strategist, Yu So-pyeong, asserted one principle.

”We must not let the enemy breach the walls of Hanjung.”

An interception battle.

The goal was to prevent those demonic bastards from laying a finger on Hanjung.

Naturally, everyone agreed.

Even if we abandoned the advantages of defense, the true strength of the Jeonwang Gate lay in the mobility of its cavalry.

Moreover, a clever stratagem was added to this.

“The moment they emerge from the Cheonsan Fortress, we head straight for Gansu Fortress.”

It was a form of preemptive strike.

Yi Joo Manpung countered.

“Strike before being struck… It’s a good idea, but isn’t it risky? No matter how fast the warhorses are, they’re slower than a peak master’s reflexes at close range.”

“We’re not fighting the main force. We just need to thoroughly sweep through Gansu Province and retreat. Kill the livestock, burn the plains, poison the wells to cut off their food and water supplies.”

Even Satan would gasp at such a strategy, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.

“…General. Isn’t that too cruel? There are people living there too.”

“Why have we been making money all this time? Wasn’t it for this moment? Give the people food and drink and lure them this way. If done right, by the time the war ends, Hanzhong will become a metropolis rivaling Chengdu or Taiyuan.“

Upon hearing it, it sounded plausible.

”Sounds good?“

”Heh heh, it doesn’t end there. Rumor has it the Green Dragon Sect possesses a plague-inducing poison. We’ll bring that and turn Gansu into a veritable hell on earth.“

”No, Xiaoping. We can’t go that far.”

Yoo So-pyeong, the hellish general, continued to meticulously lay out his grand strategy against the Ten Demon Alliance.

After a lengthy meeting, we reached the final agenda item.

“I think we should wait a while before announcing the facts.”

It was a reasonable opinion.

Because the moment we announced the Ten Demon Alliance’s invasion, chaos could intensify in Han-Chung.

But my thoughts differed.

“Announce it immediately. It’s inevitable; we must prepare in advance.“

”But…“

”I know what you’re all thinking. Announcing a possible war will surely cause some to flee. Perhaps hidden traitors will seize that opportunity to stir chaos. But.“

He continued, looking around at the officials with startled expressions.

” “But think about it the other way around—isn’t that actually beneficial? We can ensure the cowards who flee never set foot in Han-Chung again, and catching the traitors early secures our rear.”

Yoo So-pyeong nodded firmly and asked in return.

“How far ahead are you planning, Lord Moon?”

“To the very end.”

“So you’re not considering retreat at all?” “

”Isn’t that obvious? Among the Six Lords and the other Lords, there isn’t a single one who isn’t a master, and we have the peerlessly valiant warriors of the Seven Hundred Zhenwang Sect. Above all, as long as I’m here, we can’t lose, right?”

That was true.

Although Lian Zhu’s martial prowess was formidable, the main force of Jiulong City, including the absolute masters, would advance to Tianshan, so he wouldn’t come to Hanzhong.

That leaves only the stragglers.

How could the peerless commander, the hero born of the Nine Dragons Fortress, Yi Jinmu, possibly lose to such puny foes?

“So, everyone, just trust me and follow.”

“…….”

* * *

Most disciples of the Zhenwang Sect were lowly beings.

This wasn’t contempt; it was the truth.

Unless you came from a major sect teaching supreme martial arts, that was the reality.

So they thought they’d fear the Ten Demon Clan.

“Finally putting what I learned to use!”

“I thought I’d die from frustration.”

“Just thinking about impaling those bastards’ skulls on my spear makes me excited already.”

“I’ll rip out their hearts and carry them around.”

“I’ll take their…! Puhehehe.”

That was before they saw the true madness.

Some even asked if they couldn’t storm in right now.

Thanks to that, the officers poured all their energy into calming those disciples down.

‘Once the war ends, I’ll pick the best ones and pass down the latter half of the Black Spear Technique too. ’

With such unparalleled valor, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be taught.

Next came the common folk.

When the disciples posted large notices announcing the truth throughout the Han-Zhong region, widespread panic began.

Some immediately packed their belongings and fled, while others started committing violent crimes like theft and robbery.

Others even emerged, inciting people and leading the chaos.

To some extent, this was intentional.

After all, we announced that the Ten Demons would invade at any moment.

“Capture the criminals and cut off their arms. Slit the tongues of those stirring up trouble. And… don’t chase those who flee. Let them go freely. But make sure to explain clearly that they must never set foot in Hanjung again.”

We were cleaning house before the war began.

“Yes, understood.”

Whether they were traitors or not didn’t matter. It was simply a matter of eliminating those who would hinder the coming war first.

Of course, I didn’t want to apply such a strict standard either, so naturally, my heart wasn’t at ease.

But a single small crack could bring down a great dam.

“Hiiik! Please, I’m sorry!”

“Please, just spare my life…”

“I, I am innocent!”

Thanks to this, the common folk of Hanjung would often collapse in fear just at the sight of me passing by.

‘I’ve done plenty of good deeds too…’

Well, that’s a bit disappointing.

That said, it wasn’t all negative.

Yang-ryeong, representing the entertainment district as the head of Wolhwaru, came to see me.

“Everyone has many complaints.”

“Suddenly?”

“The entertainment district is also an integral part of Hanjung. Even if war is imminent, creating such an atmosphere is practically telling us not to do business, isn’t it?”

“Given the current state of affairs…”

“Then at the very least, they should have sought understanding beforehand.”

“No.”

Kwoong.

“So we pooled our money like this. We asked them to win as quickly as possible so we could do business again.”

“Oh my! Is that what you mean? I will end the war swiftly and restore peace to Han-Jung as soon as possible.”

The owners of the brothels, taverns, and restaurants had collected money and donated it for war expenses.

“Gasp! That… fifty taels of gold!”

That was an enormous sum.

And that wasn’t all.

“Physicians are flocking in by the day. The medicine shops have sent enormous quantities of medicinal herbs.”

The treatment center managed by the cleaning company was packed with physicians eager to lend a hand.

“Those once-sluggish merchants are now running around themselves, scraping together every last bit of supplies nearby. Thanks to them, we’ve managed to completely block supplies flowing westward. Ah, the gathered supplies will be donated in Sangryeon’s name. Thanks to this, you won’t need to worry about supplies.“

Merchants affiliated with Sangryeon mobilized every trading connection they had to gather and donate war supplies.

”The artisans’ craftsmanship is truly excellent, isn’t it? We’ve already reached half of our target quantity. As soon as this task is complete, we plan to build temporary shelters for the refugees.”

Rumors spread that they could contribute to defending Hanjung, and every artisan in the city flocked to the Red Lotus Pavilion.

They all understood.

That only by protecting Hanjung could they safeguard their own lives.

As I watched Hanjung prepare for war, day by day,

“You sought me out?”

Our bald-headed man, Yongmasan, appeared.

“…… “Well, if you’re not going to come in through the door, at least knock. You’re not a thief, are you?”

When I scolded him for entering through the window of the gatehouse, he shrugged and plopped down on the chair beside the desk.

“No one must know I came here.”

Splash, splash, splash.

He tilted the teapot over the teacup sitting before him.

“I’ve heard the story.”

“Then let’s get straight to the point.”

He spoke to the figure reflecting the moonlight.

“Help me.”

“What kind of help do you need?”

“War. Specifically, intelligence from the front lines and communication with the outside.”

“That won’t be easy. The casualties among the Moon-do people must be considerable.“

True.

Just look at World War II—the sacrifices of intelligence units tracking enemy movements were immense.

”That may be so, but this is all for the sake of the world’s peace…”

Thud.

Yongmasan raised his hand to cut me off.

‘This bastard?’

His insulting gesture made me want to smash the pot right then, but today I was in a subordinate position, so I quietly shut my mouth.

“What’s in it for us?”

“Hey, do we really have to get into that between us?”

“What kind of relationship do we have?”

“Family.”

“Cut the crap. It’s just that I haven’t said it before, but Jin Jo-jang… No, I have much to say to Master Jin. You made us do the work and then stiffed us on the payment—it wasn’t just a few pennies.“

”I planned to pay you back later when things went well. You said so too, didn’t you?“

”Is that why you haven’t helped us until now?“

”Well…“

”One thing—pushing disciples into battle is a different matter.”

“You petty bastard.”

“If you have nothing more to say, you may leave…”

“Wait! Fine. Fine, tell me what you want. I’ll grant it, as long as it’s reasonable.”

Yongmasan nodded with an extremely satisfied expression.

It looked so much like the face of a victor that I almost punched him in the face without thinking.

“Now we’re talking. ”

“…….”

“When the war ends, lend us the power of the Zhenwang Sect.”

“……What?”

“We seek to settle past accounts.”

“You want revenge?”

“That’s right.”

It seemed simple, but it was an incredibly difficult request.

Did he know who Hao Sect’s enemies were and still readily agree?

If things went wrong, half the Zhenwang Sect could die.

“Hmm…”

Yet refusing felt equally awkward.

Since our first battlefield was Gansu Province, enemy territory, geography and intelligence were literally life-or-death matters.

As he pondered, Yongmasan’s voice reached him.

“I know what troubles you. I cannot guarantee no casualties, but I assure you the damage will be minimal.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’ll make it so.”

Throughout this time, Yongmasan had been bald, yet he always inspired trust.

In other words, he was a bald man worthy of trust.

“…I believe you.”

“Thank you.”

“Then let’s start drafting the contract… First, place your seal here… Huh? What do you mean, ‘Party A and Party B’? Why would we need to specify that between us…?”

Just as he was about to sign the information service contract with Yongmasan.

Dong! Dong!

The alarm drums, signaling an enemy ambush, resounded.