Chapter 353
< rapidly changing situation (2) >
The task of spreading news across the continent through ultra-long-distance communication was easier than expected..
Although the Zhuge Dynasty did its best despite going through a difficult situation, the decisive factor was that numerous demons of Jinwu Island, wearing the masks of 'Mosan Sect Taoists', dispersed to various places to assist in the ceremony..
“Huh—I can’t believe the Mosan faction was like this. So far, we have been blinded by the arrogance that we are the best. There are literally no frogs in the well..”
The head of the Zhuge family, who had overestimated the capabilities of their rivals, let out a sigh, but it was not a bad thing as this incident would make them push themselves even harder and work harder..
‘Of course, just telling you the news like this is not enough..’
Considering the traffic conditions of the Kang Hwan-gye area, which requires an enormous amount of time and effort just to cross one area, this was clearly nothing short of a miracle..
But this is just a first step.
There were still countless difficulties remaining..
Even after hearing the news, there were some who did not believe it, saying it was nonsense, some who suspected that they were trying to do something, and some who tried to take advantage of the incident..
It was a shame because the subject was the famous Emperor Zhuge Shi and the content was about the Demonic Cult, the main enemy of all people, regardless of whether they are righteous, evil, or military. Otherwise, most people would not have even heard of it. It would be nice.
‘Anyway, it succeeded in attracting everyone's attention. It's best to actively cooperate, but it doesn't matter even if you don't believe it right away. The purpose has already been achieved.’
For now, it was enough to patrol their territory again just in case any suspicious circumstances were discovered, and to take a closer look instead of just ignoring them..
All of that will become a noose that restricts the movements of those who move in hiding and slowly suffocates them..
‘Moreover, the notoriety of the Demonic Cult is greater than you might think. There is no need not to provide information as long as it does not cause harm to them..’
And it didn't take long for things to go as expected..
in result—.
“It is said that suspicious circumstances have been reported in the forest near Goping, Shanxi Province. In response to reports from residents that many people seemed to be hiding, the Yeonggeommun, who was managing the area, began a search, but it is said that the search was in vain as no traces were found.···.”
“Traces of an unknown force were discovered in the iron ingot room in Gangseo Province. It is said that a group saw signs of camping and went to chase them, but lost them as they ran away from their territory.···.”
“There is news that troops were seen moving under the cover of darkness at the Guiyang Opening Bunta in Guizhou. If you want to hear more details, pay the price.···.”
All kinds of information from all over the continent began to flow into Zhuge Dynasty..
The sight of these people busily moving around the large space and frantically organizing all kinds of data was already an excellent central control tower itself..
‘Wow, my head is spinning just looking at it..’
Hugo slowly came to the side and examined the situation and stuck out his tongue..
The arduous task of determining the truth of the information pouring in without filtering and sorting out only the necessary parts..
No matter how much his status exploded and his mental strength and intellectual ability improved, he could not get used to that wave of documents..
Most of the work handled by his other avatars was neatly organized by competent subordinates..
“The news from Jiangxi Province is unreliable. In the first place, the guys who had thoroughly erased their traces left traces of camping, and it was also enough for a small or medium-sized sapphire gang to track them down.···.”
“The investigation into the truth on the Guizhou side has been completed. There are circumstances in which King Gyeongchin, a warlord who ruled the nearby area, moved his troops around the same time. I probably mistook it for a secret operation.···.”
However, as they are known for their intelligence, Zhuge Sega quickly analyzed the information received and identified the good and bad..
We distinguished between falsehoods that appeared to be intended to cause harm with malicious intent, filtered out false rumors resulting from minor misunderstandings, postponed intelligence that was unrealistic due to distance or timing, and excluded content that was unilaterally fabricated for the benefit of the organization..
“Shanxi Province seems quite likely. First of all, it is quite valid in terms of location, and the supporting testimony is also···.”
“ah! There was a similar saying in Jinjuan in Hebei! Coincidentally, the distance between the two points is not that far. Calculating the route from Shanxi to Hebei is not that strange.!”
It is natural that the information remaining after going through such various processes has become valuable data worth a thousand gold..
Even within Sega, academics who are renowned for their excellence put their heads together and began a detailed analysis, one by one, starting with the most likely agenda..
Several travel routes have been selected and their estimated destinations have been clearly organized..
When Hugo saw the place name written on the top line of the report, his eyes widened..
‘It's Beijing.’
A place where the remains of the old imperial palace where Dragon Heart was located are located..
Isn’t it a very meaningful place??
The other place names listed below also seemed quite plausible..
‘···Is it great? I never thought I could do this much in just a few days..’
I was able to clearly feel why they were able to maintain such a high reputation for so many years..
To be honest, I had been a bit dismissive until now, but now slightly different thoughts started to run through my head..
‘I want this.’
Hugo's eyes sparkled after he finished his appetite..
Aren’t they truly talented people who can do their part well no matter where they are used?!
He knew best how comfortable his superiors would be when he had capable subordinates..
Images of his talented subordinates quickly flashed through his mind..
Earth's Jin So-ran, Banshee Queen Olivia, Jinhyeol's Vampire Mulo, Hubert Company's Diana, etc.···.
And then people began to crowd in next to them..
“Ha small? Are you okay??”
“···ah! sorry. To organize my thoughts for a moment···.”
Hugo, who had been thinking about other things, suddenly came to his senses and answered when he heard a voice calling him..
The place he is now is where Sega executives gather to discuss the results of the analysis..
I needed to put aside random thoughts and focus more..
“Hehe, isn’t it worth it to have a lot to think about? After all, it's Beijing. There are levels of shamelessness, I never imagined they would go there again..”
At that time, Taoist Cheng Guan of the Mosan Sect, who was also reading the report, sighed softly and opened his mouth..
In fact, it was all thanks to him that Hugo, who strictly speaking was just a foodie, was able to participate in such a situation where sensitive issues were discussed..
A reasonable cause arose when the leader of the Mosan faction asked to join him under the pretense that he had heard about their great success at Shaolin Temple..
‘Well, it was probably the first time Cheonggwan heard about me when he received this mission..’
Isn’t that what connections are all about??
Also, even without that point, the qualification itself could be said to be sufficient..
He is a warrior who has reached the pinnacle of excellence in name and reality..
Because he was a strong man who could be said to be on the same level as the best of the Zhuge Dynasty, as no one had ascended to the rank of Flower Jing..
‘Of course, even within the realm, there are different levels and experience points, so even combat power may not be equal. Still, when it reaches its peak, it is at a level worthy of being a master representing a region..’
In fact, it was because he played in such a big world from the beginning and only hung out with great people, there were many cases where there was no one who even reached the peak, let alone the transcendent peak, in the small and medium-sized sects..
Besides, isn't he a young expert who has just passed the terms and conditions?.
Considering the bright future, this level of treatment was nothing special..
“It hasn't been decided yet that it's Beijing.?”
“But it is also true that that is the most likely place. To be honest, I think it is negative as a place of consciousness... Hmm, that depends on what ritual you're doing..”
“That's right. There are many techniques to reverse heaven in the Demonic Cult..”
Meanwhile, the meeting of attendees was continuing actively..
But there was a common opinion among them..
The point was that we had to stop them somehow before they could complete the ritual..
“···There's a lot to do. You'll need to send scouts to potential locations to find a clear location, and you'll also need the support of others to fight the guys and rescue the hostages. If the battlefield is Beijing, it should be made up of only the best, not half-baked people. Moreover, to deal with the Heavenly Demon, you would need at least three experts in Hyeonjing.···.”
“Problem from the first step. There's no way they would let those who went out on reconnaissance live. Moreover, there are not only Heavenly Demons in the Demonic Cult. If you think about the masters, including the Ghost Sword Demon Emperor, and even the Gangshi,···.”
Those who were talking suddenly stopped speaking..
Their expressions clearly showed that they were tired of the dark reality they were facing..
But then.
“I'm going to Beijing.”
The young man's confident voice echoed throughout the conference hall..
While many opinions were being exchanged, the person who was quietly observing the situation was Hugo..
“Time is of the essence in this job. Wouldn't it be best to complete reconnaissance as quickly as possible and confirm the location before moving on to the next step? I am confident that I can pull this off in any situation, so I will go and check it out myself..”
When he said that he would voluntarily enter the most likely and dangerous place, people around him tried to dissuade him for a while..
Simply participating in a battle is a different situation than infiltrating alone into a lair where the enemy may have prepared something..
What's more, isn't that place a devil's land notorious for its extreme use of energy??
However, that dissuasion did not last long and subsided due to Hugo's firm will..
In fact, wouldn't they be more anxious if the family's female daughter was being sacrificed?.
In such a situation, a master of Hugo's level was willing to take the initiative, so I couldn't help but feel sorry but also grateful..
“Then I will leave immediately. If possible, I will also check the situation of the hostages. In the meantime, please take care of the rest..”
“···Sega will do its best, so don't worry about this. Please make sure you come back safely. You will become the mainstay of Moorim in the future..”
As if there was no time to waste, Hugo immediately packed his bags and left the house after a worried congratulatory message from Taesang family head Zhugegunak..
Papapot—
A step towards Mt. Yongzhong with a solemn atmosphere..
However, that seriousness gradually began to fade from the moment we left the mountain, and after a few hours, it was replaced by a lightness as if we had just gone for a walk..
‘At this point, I need to brush up on my martial arts skills outside. Of course, the best way to improve your skills is to experience it in real life..’
A low hum followed along with carefree thoughts that did not suit the situation..
Of course, but I really had no intention of visiting that magical place first..
‘Let's see. If we keep moving at the current speed... it will take about a week? It's really far away. Well, at that rate, everything will be completely cleaned up by the time we arrive..’
That’s right—there was someone else who was anxiously waiting for the target’s location to be revealed..
People who are faster than anyone else, more reliable than anyone else, and can handle work more cleanly than anyone else..
A new landlord who will chase and catch runaway tenants to the end of hell..
***
‘How much time has passed?’
Zhuge Hye-mi, who was looking up blankly at the blue sky outside the window, closed her eyes tightly..
Contrary to her feelings, the cloudless sky was nothing short of sunny..
‘I never dreamed I would come here.’
Imperial Palace Site in Beijing.
This was a famous horse scene..
A land of death where the body's energy is sucked out, making it uninhabitable and preventing magicians from using their full abilities, and ordinary people slowly dry out and die just by staying there for a while..
He already knew for sure why the demon cultists had brought him here..
‘Human sacrifice... I am a sacrifice···.’
Possessing an excellent intellect, she was a prisoner of the demonic cultists for a while and was able to easily figure out why they kidnapped her, what they wanted, and what they were planning to do in the future..
In the first place, they didn't really have any intention of hiding it..
‘Well, what's the use of all that if you can't run away??’
The place she is now is in a private room near the ruins of the imperial palace..
Although there were no other means of restricting her actions other than an internal defense system that protected her from the surrounding hostile environment, neither she nor anyone else she was captured with could even attempt to escape..
‘You'll probably be overpowered the moment you take a step. After that, the treatment will get worse..’
There were enough demonic cultists that she could see, but there were probably a lot more that she wasn't aware of..
I don't know, but wouldn't it be rampant around me right now??
“ha.”
A sigh escaped her mouth..
It has become such a habit that it has become almost a daily routine to the point where I have given up even counting how many times I have done it..
“···Oh, that's right. I need to exercise.”
Suddenly, a promise she had made with someone flashed through her mind..
The time we spent together was so short that it couldn't be compared to family, but for some reason, every time I was alone like this, I kept thinking about the promise I made to someone..
-“I will be working hard here, so Confucius Xia, please tell me about what happened there. It's a promise?”
Because of that, even after he was captured by the demon cultists, he exercised steadily for a while to get his mind together, but as the time went on, his will was fading away..
Still, I was somehow able to finish it out of habit until yesterday.···.
‘···Does it matter? I won't even be able to hear the story anymore anyway..’
She got up awkwardly and then fell back into her seat..
Until the end, I had somehow held on with hope until the end, but that was now my limit..
The real end was just around the corner..
‘Ah, but I still wanted to see you one last time.···.’
The moment I continued to think absentmindedly like that.
“uh?”
An exclamation suddenly burst from her mouth..
After belatedly recognizing a change that occurred while I was out of my mind,.
‘What is that??’
Her eyes turned to the sky..
Rumbling—
The sky was sunny without a single cloud until just now.
Before I knew it, it was covered with pitch black clouds..
As if hinting at something to come..
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