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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Bobt
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The number of martial artists in Ongan was about a thousand. Four hundred belonged to the Wulin Alliance, and six hundred belonged to the Devil Realm.
“It’s not even a war between the orthodox and unorthodox sects, so why is Guizhou the only place that’s not peaceful and continues to have conflicts?” Zegal Seung-gye muttered in a puzzled voice.
The conflict didn’t just happen for a short period of time; it repeated, occurring and stopping for decades.
The martial arts world maintained peace through the balance of power, and there was no war, so it was questionable why Guizhou was like this.
“Guizhou is the balance that divides the territories of the orthodox and unorthodox sects. Even if they make a peace treaty, if they put martial artists who are desperate to kill each other on the front line together, it’s obvious what will happen,” Joo Seo-cheon said, coolly resolving Zegal Seung-gye’s question.
“Although they say he’s only interested in mechanical arts, it’s really true. He doesn’t know about the situation in the martial arts world. I’ll have to forcefully put it into his head later, even if it’s basic common sense. It will be troublesome in many ways if he doesn’t know,” Joo Seo-cheon thought.
In his heart, he wanted to criticize Zegal Seung-gye, saying he should at least know that much. But now was the time to become friendly. There was no reason to provoke a child who was already full of wariness and hostility.
“No matter how much they try to control it, martial artists have something called enmity. That monstrous emotion even paralyzes reason and changes people. This is the result,” Joo Seo-cheon said with a desolate expression that didn’t match his age.
“Guizhou is especially such a place. The chain of enmity is so intertwined that it can’t be managed anymore. No matter who comes, they won’t be able to break it, genius,” he added.
“Ahem, genius, you say. Although your intention is obvious, I don’t feel bad about it,” Zegal Seung-gye said, his mouth stretching up to his ears.
“Haha, a simple fellow,” Joo Seo-cheon smiled inwardly.
As a rule, children were easy to handle.
“…Wait a moment,” Zegal Seung-gye said, a shadow crossing his face that had been smiling.
“Don’t tell me you said ‘genius’ backwards. Well, if Uncle sent you, of course, that’s what you’d say. Anyway, it’s just shallow talent, so give up…” he continued.
“Ah, here he goes again,” Joo Seo-cheon thought.
Zegal Seung-gye had shown interest in mechanical arts since he learned to read. And despite the dissuasion of those around him, he delved even deeper into mechanical arts.
The criticism from the family never stopped since then. As a result, it led to a lack of confidence.
The negative thinking itself was the problem. He had been scolded so much that even when praised, he didn’t believe it at all.
In some ways, he was simple and easy to appease, but it quickly subsided, and all sorts of denials popped out.
“Little brother, just accept it. You have ears, so you’ll know, but I’m also quite an oddball in Mount Hua. Your senior brother, who likes to talk, must have told you. Didn’t you hear?” Joo Seo-cheon said.
“Uh… You and Uncle are the only ones who talk to me…” Zegal Seung-gye replied weakly with lifeless eyes.
Originally, Zegal Sang occasionally spoke to him out of pity, but that disappeared after traveling with the group from the Mount Hua Sect.
Zegal Sang paid a lot of attention to his conversations with the members of the Lotus Hall for the sake of future exchanges with the Mount Hua Sect.
Zegal Su-ran didn’t originally dislike Zegal Seung-gye, but she treated him like he barely existed, so she never talked to him from the beginning.
As a result, the only people who spoke to him were Zegal Shak and Joo Seo-cheon. Even Zegal Shak’s words were mostly scolding.
“Cowardly presenting the truth! Let’s compete fairly with lies and agitation, not the truth!” Zegal Seung-gye said nonsensically.
“According to what’s been passed down, he has a very delicate mind, but to this extent… Is he really Late Awakened Reaching Heaven?” Joo Seo-cheon thought.
It was at a level that made him anxious. He had never directly seen Zegal Seung-gye’s ability in mechanical arts, so he was a bit concerned.
“No, it’s fine. Let’s believe in him. If I don’t believe in him, who will this oddball believe in?” Joo Seo-cheon thought, shaking his head to dispel his doubts.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you crazy?” Zegal Seung-gye asked, looking at Joo Seo-cheon, who was three steps away.
He felt the urge to hit him.
* * *
The majority of the martial artists in Ongan were from small and medium-sized sects. The one in charge of the command was a first-rate warrior of the Wulin Alliance.
“Welcome!” Wang Qi, the first-rate warrior, grandly welcomed the support troops as soon as they arrived. That’s how much he was delighted by their presence.
Especially when he heard the title “Fourteen Sword Hero,” tears welled up in his eyes.
“I’ve heard the situation to some extent, so explain it,” Zegal Shak said.
“Yes!” Wang Qi replied.
Six hundred from the Devil Realm, four hundred from the Wulin Alliance.
Those who were unfamiliar with the martial arts world would think that the Devil Realm had the advantage based on the difference in numbers. However, anyone with even a little knowledge of the martial arts world would say the Wulin Alliance.
The Devil Realm, no, the unorthodox sects were overwhelmingly superior to the orthodox sects in terms of numbers.
However, the superiority was only in numbers.
If one were to point out the representative characteristic of the martial arts of the unorthodox sects, it would be that the speed of cultivation was fast, but it was extremely difficult to overcome the wall that appeared when reaching a certain level.
Therefore, although there were many low-level practitioners in the unorthodox sects, the number of mid-level and high-level practitioners was fewer compared to the orthodox sects.
In other words, even if there was a difference in numbers, it was difficult to predict the outcome because the quality was inferior despite the large quantity.
“Is there a high-level expert from the Devil Realm in Ongan right now?” Goo Poong asked straightforwardly.
A difference of about two hundred people was not enough to be pushed back. Rather than being defeated, they could win if they handled it well.
Nevertheless, the fact that they requested support meant that they were at a disadvantage not only in numbers but also for other reasons.
“Yes, there are three,” Wang Qi answered, causing the expressions of Goo Poong and Zegal Shak to harden.
“Ah, but there are no transcendent experts among them. Rest assured,” Wang Qi quickly added.
To be called a high-level expert, one had to be at least at the peak stage. And up to the transcendent stage, they were called high-level experts.
For the realm above that, especially the top hundred among the transcendent stage, they were often given separate titles.
At this, Zegal Shak sighed in relief as if he had been holding his breath for ten years, then shouted angrily, raising his voice.
“Say that first!”
If there was even one transcendent expert among the three high-level experts, it would be a problem. Even Goo Poong couldn’t guarantee victory.
However, if all of them were at the peak stage, although it would be troublesome, they could somehow handle it.
If they weren’t disturbed, Goo Poong could handle all three of them.
“Good, first, let’s assess the situation and see what we can do…” Zegal Shak said, trying to devise a strategy as a commander.
“Urgent report!” a messenger’s shout interrupted him.
“What’s the matter?” Zegal Shak asked.
“In the nearby area, there’s a report that the Three-Headed Mad Dogs are rampaging at the forefront in a renewed clash with the Devil Realm!” the messenger said.
The three heads didn’t actually mean they had three heads. They were called the Three-Headed Mad Dogs, three mad dog brothers who formed a sworn brotherhood and caused all sorts of evil deeds. All three of them were high-level experts at the peak stage.
“I guess we can’t afford to be idle,” Goo Poong said with a sigh as he stood up from his seat.
“Gulp,” Jang Hong swallowed. His face was stiff with tension. Jang Seo-eun was no different.
Even if they were disciples of Mount Hua, it was natural for anyone to be nervous about their first real battle.
“Please take good care of the two of them,” Goo Poong said to the first-rate warriors from the Wulin Alliance who had accompanied them from Kaiyang.
“Yes, Hero,” they replied.
“Just leave it to us,” they added.
Before leaving Kaiyang, they had received a mission from Shin Do-gyun to escort the members of the Lotus Hall in place of Goo Poong.
Thanks to that, Goo Poong could also feel a bit reassured.
“Two?” Joo Seo-cheon tilted his head.
“Hmm, I’m sorry for not telling you in advance,” Goo Poong apologized to Joo Seo-cheon before leaving the camp.
“In my heart, I want to take you with me, but the situation isn’t favorable. The warriors who came with us from Kaiyang said they could handle two but not three. So I have no choice but to leave you, the youngest, here,” he explained.
There was no reason to forcefully take Joo Seo-cheon to the battlefield, so even if he felt disappointed, it couldn’t be helped.
“Hmm, I had some expectations, so it’s a bit regrettable,” Joo Seo-cheon thought.
He wanted to test the martial arts he had been diligently training. In the Lotus Hall, he occasionally sparred with Nak So-wol when she secretly visited, but he hadn’t shown his true skills.
Just as he had the opportunity to participate in the battlefield, and he thought he could secretly slip away and fight during the chaos.
Naturally, unlike Jang Hong and Jang Seo-eun, he had no tension or fear.
Joo Seo-cheon had also fought and survived during the era of turmoil, although not as much as the heroes.
In terms of experience in real battles, there were few people who could be compared to Joo Seo-cheon even within the Mount Hua Sect, let alone Goo Poong.
It wasn’t for nothing that it was called the era of turmoil. There were that many fights.
“The decision was made with your safety in mind, so don’t think of it as resentment. It’s not that I’m looking down on you,” Goo Poong said.
“I understand, Martial Uncle. Thank you for your consideration. It can’t be helped,” Joo Seo-cheon nodded as if he understood.
“You’ve really grown up despite being twelve years old. Your master chose his disciple really well. Ah, and since the youngest of the Zegal family is also staying, as the elder, take good care of him. I’m counting on you,” Goo Poong said.
“Yes, Martial Uncle. Have a safe trip. I wish you victory,” Joo Seo-cheon replied.
* * *
If one walked for about half a day from Ongan, a place called Kaian would appear. It was an area where small villages were scattered sparsely.
This Kaian was the border between the Wulin Alliance and the Devil Realm, where fights broke out several times a day.
The support troops that departed from Ongan advanced at full speed as quickly as possible and arrived at Kaian.
“Waaah!” the warriors on the Wulin Alliance’s side shouted with a cheer that seemed to burst their eardrums as soon as Goo Poong appeared.
That’s how reliable the name of the Fourteen Sword Hero was. The warriors of the Devil Realm, who had been in high spirits, faltered.
Goo Poong took the lead and displayed the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique. As expected of a transcendent expert’s swordsmanship, it was extraordinary.
Wherever he passed, the warriors of the Devil Realm screamed and spilled blood.
“Haha, it’s nothing special!” Zegal Shak laughed as he watched from the center.
There was no need to devise a plan. The Fourteen Sword Hero and the support troops who came from Kaiyang boasted a fiery martial prowess.
“…Big Brother,” Zegal Su-ran called out to Zegal Sang, her gaze fixed on the battlefield.
“Yes,” Zegal Sang said, narrowing his eyes. Before Zegal Su-ran could speak, Zegal Sang spoke first.
“Too few,” he said.
Beads of sweat formed on Zegal Sang’s forehead.
“Although it’s difficult to figure out exactly because it’s a chaotic battle… The forces of the Devil Realm are about a hundred to a hundred and fifty short,” he said.
Zegal Sang slowly turned his body and looked behind him. The direction of his gaze was the base camp in Ongan.
“Uncle, I think we’ve fallen into a trap. About a hundred to a hundred and fifty of the enemy’s forces are missing,” Zegal Sang said.
“Hahaha, what are you talking about? You must have made a mistake since it hasn’t been long since you took the field. Rather, look ahead. The Devil Realm can’t even catch their breath and are dying!” Zegal Shak said.
Zegal Sang’s face turned grim.
Zegal Shak and the Ongan army were already intoxicated with victory and couldn’t see anything.
They threw themselves into the sky-high morale and shouted at the warriors of the Devil Realm.
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