Chapter seven
Surochae.
“……what?”
Hong Ha-rang asked after passing the gourd filled with alcohol..
“Baekmachae was shattered.”
Her confidant, water debtor Yapyo, answered..
“What kind of bullshit is that?!”
Kwasik!
The gourd that Hong Harang was holding in his hand was also shattered..
The alcohol soaked the floor and a spicy scent spread..
“This is information I just received..
Since this is a serious issue, I checked it several times..”
“Nonsense.”
Hong Harang frowned and sat down again..
“Baekma Chaeju, even though he doesn't know the subject, he is an expert in his own right and has an extraordinary brain..”
Not long ago, he was named as a candidate for the next major creditor along with Hong Harang..
He was a top talent in his own right..
“I don't understand why 500 men walked around and were destroyed without a sound..
At that level, they should have brought in at least several times more power..”
They fought not on land but on the river.
The environment is not so good that it would be disadvantageous to bring in a master..
“If you move a large army of that size, you can't help but notice it, whether it's on the river or on the land.……”
“It's not a big army.”
“what?”
“I'm alone.”
“alone? What kind of bullshit are you talking about?……”
Hong Harang stopped talking and then his face hardened..
“This is Joo Seocheon. It is said to be a solo act of Geomshin..”
Kwaang!
Hong Harang hit the table in front of him..
The force was so strong that the table was broken beyond recognition..
The floor also seemed to have sunk in..
“Joo Seocheon, this little bastard……”
Hong Harang has a bad relationship with Joo Seocheon..
I don't like him as much as Amcheonhoe..
Her anger was beyond imagination.
‘I knew that Sangcheon Six Place was a monster, but... … Anyway, this is impossible..’
The six seats in the heavens are the pinnacle of martial arts, but they are not all-powerful..
They are human too, so common sense applies..
‘What on earth did he do to destroy Baekmachae single-handedly??’
It wasn't strange that Hong Harang didn't understand..
Even if you are an absolute expert who is said to be a swordsman, you cannot demonstrate your true strength in the river unless you learn hand techniques..
Besides, if the enemy was all Surin Island, there was no need to worry..
If you were surrounded by 500 people, it would have been impossible even for Grandpa Sangcheon Six-jwa to come..
That is the law of the world and common sense..
“Sister, no, head debtor. What should I do?”
Yapyo noticed and asked carefully..
Although Hong Harang was angry, he suppressed his emotions as much as possible and regained his senses..
“The location of some of the Yangtze River channels and hideouts will be known, so please contact me to be careful..”
“All right. What should I say to Amcheonhoe??”
“If we knew, they would have heard.
I'll probably contact you soon about what to do, so wait..”
* * *
Hapbi, Amcheonhoe.
“What kind of thing... … Ugh!”
Cheonki’s face became red..
The reason I held the back of my neck instead of speaking was because my blood pressure had risen sharply..
“I told you to be so careful, but you still end up doing such idiotic things.?”
The downside of Baekma Creditor was that he was greedy and had no intention of controlling it..
Because of that, this sad month happened..
The situation might have been different if he had first seen the hidden ship and felt suspicious and hid or run away..
If Hong Harang or Cheonki had received the report first, they would have been able to notice something suspicious and sufficiently respond..
However, no matter how much Cheonki was the brain of Dark Cheon, he could not completely control the group of thieves who were not his subordinates but had formed a cooperative relationship after the war broke out..
Of course, he knew that, so he did not reveal any major information related to the war, as Ju Seo-cheon thought..
It would have been better if Baekmachaeju had not been put on top in the first place, but unfortunately, there is no other talent like him in Jeoklim..
It would be a waste of both Hong Harang and Cheongi to just throw them away, so we decided to negotiate and take control..
No, in the first place, the existence of Joo Seocheon was very irregular..
It broke down the rules of handcraft and common sense itself..
If there had been a chance that this common sense would have been broken, there would have been no way in which the political and political union would have gone through such difficulties..
“this dog……”
Cheon-gi's swearing continued for a while..
Jeoknim's eighteen houses did not change their names even when the mountain or water shed collapsed..
This was because a band of bandits nearby had taken their place..
But this time was a little different.
With the news of the annihilation of Pungsanchae in Gwiju and Baekmachae in Uichang, a group of thieves began to take notice..
In the past, he wanted to become a member of the Jeokrim unconditionally, but after the war began, he showed skepticism..
From now on, the moment you enter the Red Forest, it means not only that you will have a conflict with the government, but also that you will participate in a large-scale all-out war..
The situation was quite burdensome for a band of thieves who lacked skilled players and were only low-ranking thieves..
Perhaps because of this, no one appeared to fill the positions of Pungsanchae or Baekmachae, and they were downgraded to Jeoknim 16chae..
“Daehyeop Ju Seocheon destroyed Baekmachae following Pungsanchae.!”
“You mean that band of thieves? I feel refreshed inside!”
“Long live the volcanic wave!”
“Long live Ju Seocheon Daehyup!”
“Long live the swordsman!”
Geomshin and Joo Seocheon's fame has grown to the point where there is nowhere else to rise..
Not only the Murim people but also the general public praised Ju Seo-cheon's name, and this was because bandits were a troublesome problem not only for the martial arts people but also for the general public..
Among them, those at the top seemed enthusiastic and sighed with relief at the elimination of Baekmachae..
A group of bandits wandering around in the mountains or plains could be dealt with by hiring a Pyo-guk or a ronin-dong, but in the case of a band of thieves, there were more than once or two times when they faced difficulties as they were unable to put up any significant resistance..
The extermination of the thieves was a good news for merchants, as they felt sick every time they had to go back a long way or were forced to pay exorbitant tolls..
“You outnumbered bastards! I messed around and it went well!”
In particular, Lee Uichae, who cursed the enemy several times a day, was very happy as soon as he heard the news of the sweep..
Only one of the nine watercolors was reduced, but I still felt refreshed inside..
Hanam, released. Murim League Temporary Headquarters.
“Sir, I heard that Baekmachae’s wealth has been safely secured..”
“Phew!”
A sigh of relief flowed from Zhuge Shang's mouth..
“It's been an hour.”
“Geomsin made a great contribution..”
Woobaek also spoke in a soft voice, as if relieved..
“I've been having trouble in many ways due to lack of money.……”
The Murim League retreated from He Fei's headquarters as if fleeing in the night due to the attack by Amcheonhoe..
In the process, he suffered financial difficulties as he left behind assets that were supposed to be used for various budgets, including the military funds of the Murim League..
Fortunately, I received help from various places such as Geumui Sangdan and Shaolin Temple in Hanam, but I could not depend on them forever..
In particular, in the case of Geumui Sangdan, the support was not provided for free, but about half of it was in debt..
“Tsk! That golden bug!”
Peng Gunpyeong openly expressed his displeasure..
“He is not just a merchant or a bastard, but he is the equivalent of a king and king, and yet he wastes money for the greater good.!”
Peng Gunpyeong huffed as if he was angry..
“It is not something else, nor is the safety of Moorim at stake.?”
“You crazy guy, even deducting even half is unconventional..”
Hwang Gyeon clicked his tongue when he saw Pang Gunpyeong..
“Well, it would be best not to talk nonsense like that in front of the king..”
“What?”
“Tsk tsk tsk!”
Penggunpyeong and Hwanggyeon growled as usual..
“Anyway, I guess this will help raise money for the military..”
Wu Bai said, ignoring Peng Junping and Huang Jian..
“That's right. How can we supplement equipment that is not yet in place or pay compensation that has not yet been paid?.”
Political factions are driven by faith..
But it doesn't mean you don't need money.
Even basic food and lodging costs money right now..
Even if compensation was paid later, room and board expenses had to be paid..
In addition, various other expenses were incurred, such as treatment of injuries..
“For the time being, we will watch the movements of Amcheonhoe and Jeoknim Sixchae and begin reorganization..”
Meanwhile, Amcheonhoe also began maintenance..
“You must have heard about Baekmachae's idiotic behavior.?”
Hong Harang called messengers from sixteen houses and issued a threat..
“If the same thing happens again, regardless of whether it is a green forest or a forest, the buyer as well as the buyer will have to take responsibility..”
The damage caused by Baekmachae was greater than expected..
Not only could they not use the Yangtze River waterway or hideouts known to Baekmachae, but they even handed over military funds to the enemy..
“Lord, we need reinforcements..”
After mulling over Ju Seo-cheon's name several times and cursing him, Cheon-gi finally regained his composure and reported to Amcheonhoeju..
“As I mentioned before, the current headquarters is surrounded by the territory of political forces..
Originally, I had planned to eliminate more than half of the Murim Alliance's headquarters force through the previous attack, but it was my fault for being foolish and lacking in ability.……”
Cheonki couldn't bear to continue his conversation and swallowed..
“done.”
Amcheonhoeju waved his hand as if it was no big deal..
“There is no need to feel guilty, as the ghosts of the past were more persistent than expected..”
Zheng Baek and Zhuge Zhonghu.
The power of the protagonists and heroes of the previous generation was stronger than expected..
Especially at the end, Seoncheon Jingi and Amcheon Hoeju were surprised..
“Release your secret supplies and strengthen your strength..”
“I obey orders.”
After some time, Amcheonhoe released its secret provisions to strengthen its power..
“Murim, listen. As you know, Moorim is unequal..
Regardless of talent or effort, people have been ostracized and discriminated against unless they have advanced skills..
There is no need to worry.
If you join the Amcheonhoe, pledge loyalty, and prove your abilities, you will be paid a reasonable price..”
Amcheonhoe awarded military awards to those who made certain achievements and pledged loyalty..
Not only did I get hold of the Imperial Palace Armory, but I also obtained treasures hidden deep in the depths of the Murim Alliance, so there was nothing to lack..
“Is it true that if you join the Amcheonhoe, you can receive the martial arts of ascension??”
“Ah, but they say you have to give credit, don’t you think??”
“Hey, if I join the Murim League or Sado Heaven and make merit, can I receive a rising martial arts award??”
“Umm!”
“If the nature of the martial arts were different, it would be nonsense, but according to rumors, there are more than one or two types of martial arts that Amcheonhoe possesses..
If you see that they are actually giving generously to their families, it doesn't seem like it's a lie..”
“indeed!”
“Although it is a mistake to lose the political alliance, it is an opportunity that will never be repeated..
How long do you plan to be satisfied in the sewage??”
“It's just as you said. we have nothing to lose.”
Amcheonhoe showed remarkable skill in penetrating into the hearts of people, especially the martial arts people..
Cheon Ki-seong and Cheon Seon-seong stepped forward to strengthen their military power on a large scale..
“Even if a political faction or a sad faction makes a contribution, numerous procedures and connections are needed to give credit for the rise to insiders, let alone outsiders..
If the martial arts skills of a faction are leaked, it would be like revealing the source, so it would be natural..
But there is no need for that in this episode..”
Amcheonhoe is not an armed group or sect..
The basic martial arts came from the Imperial Palace Military Academy, and there are dozens of different types of martial arts..
It didn't matter what I gave away.
“Talented people can be paid an appropriate level of salary to later increase or decrease the power of the meeting, and since they will not be able to make a contribution in the future, it is enough to use it as a throwaway comment..”
Cheonki knew how to deal with people as well as King Sang..
He cleverly penetrated and exploited the gap in my heart..
“It is not that difficult to bring in martial artists who are tired of Kangho's hypocrisy and unreasonable discrimination..
Especially those who have nothing to lose.”
* * *
Ju Seo-cheon sent someone to scout the hideout he found out based on Baek Ma-chae's information, but there was no result..
Because Cheonki and Hong Harang had taken action earlier, only traces of their departure remained..
Meanwhile, the Allied Forces and the Amcheon Army, the whirlwind of war, stopped their clashes for a while and entered a lull..
It was because both sides were busy preparing for their own reasons..
The Murim League began to reorganize its troops with military funds secured from Baekmachae, while Amcheonhoe focused on reinforcing its military power..
In the case of Sadocheon, he was in charge of eliminating traitors who had rebelled in each region so that the Murim Alliance could be put in order..
It seemed like Haenam Island's reinforcements in Namhae this year would also take some time, perhaps due to some trivial matter standing in their way..
Defeat is inevitable).
They said that if you don't prepare, you will definitely lose..
Preparation was a necessary process for victory..
The game is won in an instant, but preparation takes time..
It was one of the reasons the war continued for so long..
And a few days later, Joo Seo-cheon arrives from Honam to North Shanghai's temporary headquarters..
“Welcome, Geomshin.”
The Murim lord and his soldiers greeted Ju Seo-cheon as always..
“Thank you for your hard work these past few days..
Also, as always, thank you so much..
I'm in debt to the Sword God again..”
Woon-kwang said a greeting that was half sorry and half grateful..
“no. I just did the obvious thing..”
Joo Seo-cheon also gave an answer mixed with humility as always..
“Did you dispose of Baekmachae’s wealth well??”
“of course.”
Zhuge Sang stepped forward and answered..
“In the case of stolen goods, it was used to help villages damaged by forest and people trapped in Baekmachae..”
I wanted to return it to the original owner, but it was difficult to find since it was not engraved with the name..
So, starting with Uichang, we decided to help the villages that had been swept away by the enemy and the people who were affected..
However, it was decided to return it to those who brought a ledger with the appearance of the item or a record of the looted item..
“In addition, about 10% of money or silver coins whose owners could not be confirmed were handed over to Uichang officials, and 40% were used as military funds..
Like Baekmachae, which was the opposite of Surochae, the wealth accumulated was considerable..”
Goods without an owner belong to the country..
In short, it means that what Ju Seo-cheon worked hard to achieve could be taken away by officials..
So I paid a bribe.
It was not a bad deal from a management standpoint..
No matter how powerful they were, they couldn't take it away when they didn't do anything..
There was no need to be forceful, as the people were aware of it and had also made a contribution by taking over Baekmachae..
“As expected, you do a neat job. Thank you to the soldiers for their hard work too..”
“I just put a spoon on the table prepared by Geomshin..”
Zhuge Sang replied with a soft smile on his lips..
“I don't think this will ever end.”
Woon-kwang said haha and laughed heartily..
“It's nice to see the people who will be responsible for Moorim's future praising each other, but unfortunately, I don't think there will be time for that. I have something to discuss with the Sword God..”
Ungwang took out the letter from his sleeve and placed it on the table..
“What's going on??”
Joo Seocheon’s eyebrows twitched slightly..
Seeing that it got straight to the point, I felt like there was something there..
“If you read it, you'll get the idea..”
Woon-kwang held out his palm as if to read it..
With those words, I picked up the letter on the table and read it..
“North Sea Ice Palace?”
Joo Seocheon's eyes widened at the unexpected name..
‘Why is the North Sea Ice Palace in trouble due to a food shortage?……?’
When a new war was about to begin, the Murim Alliance sent a letter to the North Sea Ice Palace to ask for help..
However, it was rejected, saying that the record-breaking snowfall that began a few years ago had caused a massive food shortage..
When I heard the news at the time, I didn't think much about it..
This was because even in the past life, the North Sea, which belongs to the North Sea Ice Palace and the Saewo Murim, did not participate in the era of war..
In addition, there was a perception that the North Sea Ice Palace would not participate in the war because it was not interested in the Central Plains..
There was a time when they targeted the fertile land of the central plains, but the climate and environment were not as suitable as expected..
After that, exchanges with the midfielder were kept to a minimum and almost cut off..
‘Let's read it first.’
Joo Seocheon’s questioning eyes moved..
“This……”
My eyebrows naturally furrowed..
I felt worried rather than uncomfortable..
“The North Sea Ice Palace asked for help..”
Zhuge Sang began to explain..
“As stated in the letter, the situation in the North Sea Ice Palace, or rather the North Sea, appears to be not very good..
Record- breaking heavy snowfall and cold waves that have continued for several years are unusual even within the North Sea, and are said to be experiencing an extreme food shortage..”
North Sea people mainly depended on plants adapted to the extreme cold and seafood caught in the North Sea..
But even those plants and seafood have become difficult to obtain in recent years..
“It is said that while the North Sea Ice Palace was using all possible means to solve the food shortage, they accidentally discovered the cause of the current abnormal climate..”
“According to the contents of the letter, it is written that the cause is Beopbo's fault.……”
“During the exploration of the main palace, they discovered a legendary treasure and item of disaster that causes a snow storm and freezes not only the ground but also the atmosphere..
The Beihai Palace Lord tried to destroy it, but unfortunately failed due to lack of strength..
Accordingly, we are requesting the help of an absolute expert who has reached the top of the Murim Alliance..”
Zhuge Sang recited the contents of the letter..
“It's difficult.”
Joo Seocheon looked embarrassed..
“The situation in the North Sea is one thing, isn't it so that an absolute master of Sangcheon can't just leave his seat while the war with the Amcheonhoe is in full swing?.”
The reason I was able to visit Namhae and Haenam Island was because the war had not started yet..
Above all, even with the terrible weather of Kimunjin and the South Sea, it wasn't that far from the inland to the island..
But the North Sea is a bit further than you think.
You have to go northeast from Beijing, the northern and central part of the Central Plains..
“It is as the swordsman said. Normally, you would have to reject it without even looking at it. but……”
“If you help with the crisis in the North Sea, this palace will also participate in the war between the Wulin people in the central plains and generously help the government-government alliance..
I promise in the name of the Beihai Ice Palace and the palace lord that I will personally lead the elites of the palace to the central plains..”
Joo Seocheon recited the end of the letter and closed it..
“It is said that it is not anyone else, but Sangcheon Yujwa himself, leading the elites of the North Sea Ice Palace.……”
Woon-kwang said in a thoughtful voice..
“I don't know if you know, but the inaction of Beihai warriors is high on average..”
“It is as the Lord said..
In fact, according to records, the Jungwon Martial Forest once fought and lost against the Saeoyeon Martial Forest, Bukhaebinggung..
The really scary thing is that even that power could not be used properly due to the climate and environment in the central region..”
The North Sea is cold.
If you let go of the tension just a little bit, you freeze to death..
To overcome this cold, winter clothing, mental strength, and endurance were needed..
Perhaps because of this special environment, in addition to the North Sea Ice Palace, most of the North Sea people were warriors and had higher martial arts skills than the Central Plains people..
However, due to the environment, the population was also small..
“If you are considered an elite within the Ice Palace, let alone the Lord of the North Sea Palace, you will hardly be affected by the climate or environment of the Central Plains..
If that level of power helps, the government-government alliance will also be strong in the future..”
“Okay.”
I was worried because Joo Seocheon didn’t know that either..
Woon-gwang added a few words as Joo Seo-cheon's worries continued..
“The help of the North Sea Ice Palace is attractive, but as the Sword God said, the risk of being absent during the current war is high..
It doesn't matter if you decline, so please answer at your convenience..
And with the cooperation of Apostle Heaven, I plan to propose this to the defeated army, so please do not feel burdened..”
‘no, that doesn't work.’
Geomshin groaned at the name ‘Defeatgun’..
‘Now, I am the only one who can go to the North Sea..’
Woon-gwang is the Murim lord, so I couldn’t leave..
The Apostles and Heavenly Lords cannot go for the same reason..
It doesn't mean much since he's just another status as a loser, so in the end, he had to go in order to solve this problem..
‘Do you take the risk and borrow the power of Beihai, or stay in the midfield and prepare for a decisive battle?……’
Joo Seocheon created a scale in his mind and weighed it..
After about a moment, the worries were over..
“I'll be back.”
The reason why the balance tilted toward the North Sea was largely because the war had entered a lull for a while and there was more time to spare, but it was also largely because the Amcheonhoe had recently tried to strengthen its forces by releasing its reserves..
“You made a difficult decision..”
Woon-kwang smiled bitterly..
He looked like he didn't know what to say..
“Are you sure you're okay? The journey to the North Sea is not going to be easy..”
“It's surprising that Maengju, who is Hyeongyeong, asks..
If you reach this level, won't Hanseo be unbreakable?.”
Ju Seo-cheon had long ago become invincible to the Hanseo through expedient methods..
On the contrary, I would like to ask.
“Do you mind while I'm gone??”
Joo Seocheon erased his smile and asked with a serious expression..
‘You can hear news from Jungwon even if you go to the North Sea, but the time difference is significant..
The response will naturally be delayed, so if the government-government alliance is unstable, we cannot go..’
I was planning to withdraw my decision if the Murim Lord said it would be difficult..
The risk was that great..
But the reward was also significant..
In particular, it was great to be able to directly receive help from the Lord of the North Sea..
Even in the past life, several upper heavens were sacrificed to deal with the monster called Amcheon Hoeju..
“Of course.”
Woon-kwang also answered with a serious expression..
“It's not possible to leave everything to the Sword God forever.?
I also have respect as a leader and as a Taegeuk swordsman..
I will protect the allied forces so that Geomshin can return safely..”
“Since Lord Maeng said that, I too feel reassured. thank you.”
‘Taegeuk sword, Ungwang……’
Honestly, I don't know much about Woon-kwang..
Woon Gwang was an old military man who was active at the same time as Jeong Baek, Zhuge Zhonghao, and Nangong Wei Wu..
Given his age, he was not very active as he returned to the bosom of nature in the midst of a time of war..
However, as history changed in this life, I learned about things I had not known before, such as showing excellent performance after taking office as the Murim lord..
I thought that if I had been a little younger, I would have become as famous as the heroes of the future..
“I don't want to put a candle to the conversation between the two absolute masters who carry the future of Moorim, but there is still more to talk about..”
Zhuge Sang said with a bitter smile as if he was sorry..
“no. Please tell me as much as you want.”
“thank you It's not a story, it's a fact, a cautionary tale..”
The bitter smile on Zhuge Sang's mouth disappeared..
“It's a bit awkward to say this after the itinerary to the North Sea has been decided, but all of this assumes that the cause of the abnormal weather is the 'Dharma Treasure' mentioned in the North Sea Ice Palace..”
“What do you mean, soldier? It might be a trap.?”
Woon-kwang asked with wide eyes..
“no.
It is extremely unlikely that Amcheonhoe's hand reached the North Sea Ice Palace..
For an armed group that was originally trying to avoid the emperor's eyes, the capital city of Beijing and Ming's eyes on Mongolia, that is, Beihai, which is just around the corner from Daldan, must have been as burdensome as the chieftain..”
“indeed.”
“So the letter from the Beihai Ice Palace is not a lie..
However, what I am concerned about is if their ‘guessing’ goes wrong..”
“Umm.”
Screams flowed from the mouths of Ju Seo-cheon and Woon-gwang..
“The fate of the North Sea Ice Palace is also an important matter, and it must have been checked several times as the name was given, but you never know..”
“What should I do if abnormal weather continues despite completing the request??”
Woon-gwang asked on behalf of Joo Seo-cheon..
“The women of Bing Palace are as proud as the Tang family of Sichuan, so there is no need to worry..
As much as I gave my name, I will keep my promise..
However, if they ask for more help or more time, coolly decline..
What the Geomshin will do is to eliminate the law and then mobilize the power of the North Sea Ice Palace..”
“All right.”
* * *
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