“This can’t be.”
Seong Joyeong’s mouth fell open.
“They laid a formation across this entire gorge?”
No matter how abundant the Heaven-Human Cult’s financial resources were, to blanket a gorge spanning over forty li with a formation in its entirety?
To install the entire formation here, even if dozens of formation masters were summoned, it could never be completed in a short time.
‘Have they been preparing for battle since long ago?’
“Unbelievable!” Unable to bear it any longer, Seong Joyeong dashed forward in a single bound and unleashed a deep bellow.
His martial arts were extraordinary and unlike the members of the Celestial corps, he did not step on protruding rocks but deployed Soaring Sky Ladder to ascend to the very edge of the cliff in one leap.
Shhhhk.
But once again, the formation activated, and the cliff, which he had nearly reached the edge of, stretched endlessly upward.
Splaaash!
At the same time, water diluted with Nine Hells Poison poured down over Seong Joyeong’s head.
Not only that, but rocks that had not been thrown until now, along with hidden weapons like steel darts, rained down all at once.
“Hmph.” Seong Joyeong immediately drew his sword and created a wide sword barrier, blocking the cascading hidden weapons and poison.
Buzzzz!
Finally escaping the formation’s influence and climbing atop the gorge, Seong Joyeong’s eyes widened.
No ambush party was in sight and beneath the pitch-black sky, only the desolate cliffs were visible.
“Aaaagh!”
“Guhk!”
Meanwhile, screams echoed from below.
Was it the Heaven-Human Cult forces ambushing from the opposite gorge?
They were pouring hidden weapons and poison onto the Divine Might corps waiting below.
“The entire top of the gorge is covered in formations?”
Seong Joyeong sharpened his vision and carefully examined the opposite cliff.
Yet nothing was visible.
However, poison and hidden weapons were raining down like a storm below.
The ambush party was clearly concealing themselves with the formation and attacking covertly.
“These bastards!” Seong Joyeong was a man of exceptional martial prowess and bold character, but he lacked in strategy and adaptability.
Swoosh!
Seeing his subordinates trapped, he descended, then leaped back toward the opposite gorge.
“Where are you hiding!” As he swung his sword, intense waves of true qi rippled in all directions.
But only mist spread everywhere; the ambush party remained unseen.
“Haaap!”
The broad-shouldered Seong Joyeong unleashed Iron Thorn Origin Spirit, the most powerful technique of his exclusive swordsmanship, Soaring Eagle Sword Method.
Sharp sword qi spread like flower petals, sparks crackled, and part of the mist dissipated.
He had forcibly collapsed the formation spread across the gorge by dispersing powerful sword qi.
“Well now.”
Where the formation was revealed, there were no people—only mechanisms installed to pour out poison and hidden weapons.
“Thorough. Truly thorough.” Seong Joyeong wore a hollow expression.
If such a powerful formation had been set up across a gorge of over forty li?
Unless a formation-dismantling expert arrived, even swinging a sword all night would not collapse it.
Moreover, if he broke the formation that way, real Heaven-Human Cult experts could swarm in and ambush his subordinates in his absence.
‘There must be people somewhere. But...’
He did not know how many enemies there were, and he could not play hide-and-seek here.
If there was no plan to escape the crisis, the rule was to retreat immediately and preserve the troops.
“Retreat!”
In the end, Seong Joyeong had no choice but to order his subordinates to withdraw.
***
Muk Inhyeok, leading the mounted troops of the Flame Wing Sword Corps, advanced to Crimson Dragon Pass and entered the vicinity of Yangmun Mountain where the Heaven-Human Cult was located.
He was not only outstanding in martial arts but also richly experienced on the battlefield.
He commanded the three thousand troops of the Divine Might Corps as if they were his own limbs.
His subordinates maintained strict discipline and moved in orderly fashion. Yet, upon entering the village at the alley leading to Yangmun Mountain, an unexpected sight unfolded.
Countless people stood motionless in the path ahead.
They were not martial artists who had trained in martial arts, but ordinary civilians living in this village.
Their number easily reached two or three hundred.
It seemed every civilian in the village had come out.
“What is the meaning of this?” Yang Gwon, the captain of the leading Yugeom corps, spoke to the civilians. “Our corps must pass, so clear the way.”
An elder who appeared to be their representative clasped his hands and pleaded earnestly.
“Great heroes, the Heaven-Human Cult is not a bad place.”
“What do you mean by that?” When Yang Gwon frowned, those behind the elder began to bow and plead in unison.
“Please do not touch the Heaven-Human Cult!”
“The Heaven-Human Cult helps us whenever we are in need!”
‘So that’s how they play it.’
Muk Inhyeok, watching from afar, nodded.
The young captain Seon Woojin had predicted the Heaven-Human Cult would mobilize civilians in a scheme.
Of course, Muk Inhyeok had anticipated something like this as well. Thus, he was not particularly surprised that civilians blocked the path.
‘An obvious ploy.’
“Step aside!” Yang Gwon shouted loudly at the civilians blocking the way. “The Heaven-Human Cult is a demonic sect that lures and kills innocent martial artists! If you defend them, you will be treated as their accomplices!”
“Great heroes, if the Heaven-Human Cult falls, we fall too!”
But the civilians would not listen.
Yang Gwon issued several more stern warnings, yet they obstinately blocked the path.
“Final warning. Clear the path!”
When Yang Gwon spoke with a solemn expression, the civilians trembled in fear but did not budge.
In the end, he turned his horse and reported to Muk Inhyeok, who waited behind.
“Vice-Commander, these civilians are unreasonable. It seems best to intimidate them into opening the way.”
If they began accepting the civilians’ pleas, there would be no end.
Instead of persuading them, Yang Gwon intended to display overwhelming authority to force the path open.
“No, wait.” After a moment of thought, Muk Inhyeok spoke again. “We must not lay a hand on the civilians, even slightly.”
He then addressed the corps members.
“Dismount and use qinggong to pass through.”
“Pardon?”
“Rashly touching the civilians will only backfire. That is precisely what the Heaven-Human Cult desires.”
“But…” Yang Gwon hesitated, but upon seeing Muk Inhyeok’s stern gaze, he clasped his hands.
“Understood.”
In the end, the corps members leaped several times, vaulting over the civilians.
“Aigo!”
“Eok!”
Yet then, the blocking civilians screamed.
In trying to forcibly stop the corps members using qinggong, they collided and fell.
“Do not block the path!” Some members irritably shook off civilians clinging to their trouser legs.
“Pffft!”
But something strange occurred.
Each time they callously brushed them aside, the civilians spat blood and rolled on the ground.
“Uuuuugh.”
The fallen civilians foamed blood at the mouth.
Watching this, the other civilians roared in fury.
“The Martial Alliance experts used martial arts to kill people!”
“They murdered civilians!”
As the people shouted loudly, Yang Gwon bellowed back.
“Stop spouting nonsense!”
The corps members had not even used internal energy; they had merely pushed lightly. Yet the enraged civilians roughly grabbed Yang Gwon’s collar and protested.
“Is it right for martial artists to strike people with such force!”
“Are you even human!”
“Hey, you bastards! Try killing me too!”
As the civilians rushed in unison to protest, Yang Gwon unwittingly shouted.
“I told you we used no force!”
He then lightly pushed the civilians shaking him, using internal energy.
‘No!’ Seeing this, Muk Inhyeok shouted.
“Yang Gwon! Do not respond!”
He had already anticipated the Heaven-Human Cult mobilizing civilians to block the path. But he had never imagined they would ingest drugs to vomit blood on purpose or feign seizures to create trouble.
‘It’s a scheme to spread rumors that our alliance massacred civilians!’
Surely, Heaven-Human Cult agents were mingled among the civilians.
But it was already too late.
“Martial artists are massacring civilians!”
“Kill us too!”
The fallen civilians, as if waiting, lay on the ground and screamed at the top of their lungs.
Yang Gwon, flustered and at a loss, said to Muk Inhyeok.
“Vice-Commander, they...”
“Enough.” Muk Inhyeok shook his head with a grim expression.
The street had already become a chaos, and some civilians were charging at the Divine Might corps martial artists.
This was not spontaneous but a meticulously orchestrated performance, like a grand opera planned long ago.
“With civilians gathered like this, determined to obstruct, passing through Crimson Dragon Pass to strike the Heaven-Human Cult is already impossible.”
“Vice-Commander.”
“Return to the main camp first.”
Spitting the words as if chewing them, Muk Inhyeok immediately turned his horse.
The Divine Might corps and Flame Wing Sword Corps returned to the barracks in the Haseo Plain where the command stayed.
As Bu Eunseol had predicted, far from breaching the Heaven-Human Cult’s defenses, they had failed even to overcome the traps laid and fled back here like cowards.
“As Captain Seon Woojin predicted.” Seong Joyeong spoke coldly to Bu Eunseol, who stood leisurely. “You predicted everything, so surely you have countermeasures.”
In his frustration, he added, “Our alliance’s vanguard retreated in such disgrace so you wouldn’t be smiling without any plan.”
“Of course.” Bu Eunseol replied calmly.
“As the Vice-Commander felt, the Heaven-Human Cult has long prepared for battle with our alliance. Likely because they anticipated the Sword Tomb’s affair being exposed.”
He stared directly at Seong Joyeong.
“I hear they layered tremendous formations in Jang Mountain Gorge and are spraying large quantities of cheap, readily available poison.”
“Correct. And?”
“Regardless, we must break through. Deputy Captain Tae!”
At Bu Eunseol’s call, Tae Muryong and the elite corps members waiting outside the tent entered.
In his hand was an enormous bolt of cotton cloth.
“How did it go?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Tae Muryong bowed and answered.
“It was effective. In half a day, we consumed most of the Nine Hells Poison and hidden weapons. By now, even if the Divine Might corps charges again, it should be fine.”
“What does this mean?”
When Seong Joyeong asked, Bu Eunseol replied.
“No matter how ample the Heaven-Human Cult’s funds and manpower, installing formations across a forty-li gorge is impossible.”
“Nonsense; they truly did install formations across the entire gorge.”
“Did you… thoroughly search the whole thing?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Seong Joyeong could not answer.
Fearing disgrace if he lingered, he had simply retreated with his troops intact.
“From the formation patterns in the gorge, they only prepared for experts climbing the cliffs.” Bu Eunseol pointed to the map. “They wouldn’t mobilize vast funds and manpower just to guard one entrance to Jang Mountain Gorge.”
Turning his head, Bu Eunseol spoke to Seong Joyeong again.
“They anticipated Vice-Commander Seong retreating due to an unexpected trap. And they wanted you to agonize over breaking this trap again.”
Seong Joyeong’s face flushed.
He did not want to admit his insight and tactics fell short of a mere young captain.
“In the end, your words are just predictions, no?”
“Correct. So we verified it.” Bu Eunseol indicated Tae Muryong and the corps members. “We had the main force spread large cotton cloths and move through the gorge.”
“Cotton cloth?”
“Yes. It only defended against poison touching the body; we directly confirmed how many hidden weapons they fired and how many attacks they could launch.”
Bu Eunseol nodded at Tae Muryong, who spoke.
“As the captain said, they only poured poison. There were no further attacks with hidden weapons or rocks.”
Seong Joyeong’s mouth fell open.
As Bu Eunseol said, the Heaven-Human Cult had merely bluffed once, as if setting a trap capable of stopping a large army.
Hearing everything, Seong Joyeong’s face burned.
He had failed to calmly assess the situation and assumed terrifying mechanisms covered the entire gorge.
He judged that to pass, he must destroy the formations and eliminate the ambushers atop the cliffs.
But it was simple bluffing.
No matter how vast their financial power to deploy mechanisms, they could not install formations or station ambush parties across a forty-li gorge.
“Then with this cotton cloth, we can simply pass the gorge. Just avoid the poison.”
“Correct.” Bu Eunseol answered calmly. “Rest briefly, then immediately charge Jang Mountain Gorge again.”
“Very well.” Seong Joyeong nodded, looking embarrassed.
Now Muk Inhyeok stepped forward.
“As you predicted, the civilians acted.”
He calmly explained the situation in Crimson Dragon Pass to Bu Eunseol.
“They were all bought by the Heaven-Human Cult long ago. If our alliance martial artists forcibly cleared the path, they would cling like water ghosts and claim we attacked civilians.”
Sighing, Muk Inhyeok shook his head.
“The bigger problem is the Heaven-Human Cult spies among the civilians. As long as they’re there, we can’t easily resolve this.”
Rumors that Martial Alliance martial artists attacked civilians had already spread widely across the Haseo region. The issue was that creating false rumors was easy, but revealing the truth took considerable time.
If they waited for the truth to emerge, the Flame Wing Sword Corps could not pass Crimson Dragon Pass even after a month.
“The reason civilians trust the Heaven-Human Cult is the food they offer as if bestowing grace.”
Bu Eunseol, having already investigated using the Death Spirit Sect, spoke.
“In truth, demonic sects and the people quickly unite then turn. At first, they approach with endless benefits, but in the end, they drain the civilians’ lifeblood.” Bu Eunseol continued. “The Heaven-Human Cult has already lost the people’s hearts long ago.”
“Lost their hearts? Impossible. This Vice-Commander investigated too, and there was no such talk.”
When Muk Inhyeok shook his head, Bu Eunseol stated firmly. “Information is like food. Ingredients must be properly selected, and old ones spoil. Freshly roasted gives the true flavor.”
Muk Inhyeok closed his mouth, having nothing to say.
As Bu Eunseol said, the Heaven-Human Cult intelligence was merely old rumors his subordinates reconfirmed.
“In reality, the Heaven-Human Cult threatened that if war broke out with the Martial Alliance, Crimson Dragon Pass would become a sea of fire, so they joined out of fear.”
Muk Inhyeok had no choice but to admit honestly. “This Vice-Commander also felt something odd and investigated the details on the way back. But even knowing that, there’s no immediate way to resolve this.”
His voice carried slight irritation.
In truth, when such problems arose, strategists centered on the commander should analyze the situation from multiple angles and devise plans.
Seong Joyeong was not a thinker to begin with, so his pride would not be wounded in such matters.
Muk Inhyeok was different.
He was the Vice-Commander of the Flame Wing Sword Corps, known for both literary and martial talents, with victories in numerous battlefields.
Yet Bu Eunseol grasped the situation as if he had foreseen everything and readily provided solutions to Seong Joyeong… Muk Inhyeok’s irritation was quietly rising.
“Ease the offensive and calmly observe the situation. Discontent will surely erupt. When division occurs, attacking then will be enough to collapse them.”
“Hahaha.” Muk Inhyeok, waiting to hear what he would say, burst into incredulous laughter. “Yes, that’s the proper method. But waiting for that would change the season, so our corps should farm here in the meantime.”
Despite his sarcasm, Bu Eunseol replied calmly.
“Give me six days.”
“Six days?”
“Yes. I will resolve it within that time.”
“You say you can quell those vicious rumors in six days?”
“Yes.”
“Ridiculous.”
Turning the brainwashed civilians’ hearts and severing their ties with the Heaven-Human Cult could never be done quickly.
Yet he claimed to resolve it in six days?
“How could I speak nonsense to the Vice-Commander?”
At Bu Eunseol’s bold words, Muk Inhyeok’s eyes changed.
“And if you fail?”
“I will immediately step down from the acting commander position.”
“Then fine.” Muk Inhyeok snorted. “If you turn public opinion in six days, this Vice-Commander will no longer object to your words.”
These words confessed he had not acknowledged Bu Eunseol as acting commander until now.
In other words, he ignored Commander Gongsun Dankyung’s authority.
But Bu Eunseol did not quibble over such things. The fiercer the opposition, the more they would acknowledge him later.
“Instead, the Flame Wing Sword Corps martial artists have work to do.”
“What is it?”
Bu Eunseol wore a subtle smile.
“Passion and sincerity. And a bit of labor.”
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