Chapter 12
“If the old man had gone, the worst would have been avoided..”
“When you say dance, do you mean the sword demon who played an active part in the Battle of Jeongma??”
“That's right.”
“I too have heard of his achievements, but no matter how outstanding his skills are, he is not comparable to Hoeju.?”
“It's not like that. He is stronger than you can imagine. I guarantee it in the name of Geomshin..”
He is an absolute expert who was also called the best man in the world in his previous life..
He was Gaeyang for nothing, and he was not Amcheonhoeju’s right hand man..
“first… … I need to get ready to leave..”
Since Amcheonhoeju, who was no other person, had appeared, I couldn't stay still..
“Surely you don't mean to leave now??”
The attention of the left and right gathered in one place..
It was Danghye, the adjutant and counselor of the Northern Shanggun..
He looked anxious as it had been less than a day since he lost his brother, but contrary to his worries, his eyes were unwavering and intelligent..
“I agree with Dokbong’s opinion..”
Shin Do-gyun raised his hand..
“Currently, our army is more exhausted than we can imagine..
Due to the wounded in the Northern Lower Army, there is a shortage of hands, so just being on guard is difficult. Above all, by now rumors had spread within the military that they had left Shaolin Temple behind, and morale must have been low. It would be a big deal if someone attacked me in this situation..”
“Haven't the nearby enemies already been dealt with??”
Peng Ziho asked as if what was the problem?.
“Cheongi's specialty is digging into the gaps in thinking that arise from that natural result. It is still time to be careful in preparation for unexpected situations..”
Shin Do-gyun shook his head from side to side as if he was fed up..
It was a method that I never imagined would leave the headquarters alone and put Amcheonhoeju as the vanguard..
“I don't plan on holding on for long. At least, I want you to stay until the sun rises so I can get some sleep..”
“……”
Joo Seo-cheon was troubled by Dang-hye and Shin Do-gyun’s words..
It made sense..
“There is no need to worry.”
It was the moment I was about to choose..
The command barracks opened and a handsome man with an exotic appearance came in..
“you are……”
Inside the command barracks, Luo Sowol opened his eyes wide as if he was surprised..
“Just finished?”
It was Makmar, the scout leader of the North Sea Ice Palace..
“The Shaolin Temple is safe..”
* * *
rattle.
Amcheongun, who was on his way back to Hapbi, trembled..
The seven-star soldier at his feet looked at his surroundings, opened his mouth, and with difficulty forced out his voice..
“Ah, the master of the dark spring… … What happened……”
Powwow.
The Seven Star Soldiers were unable to continue speaking and their heads exploded and they died..
The atmosphere of Amcheon-gun calmed down deeply..
Everyone trembled in fear with an expression of confusion..
“Beihai Palace Lord……”
Amcheonhoeju muttered in a voice seething with anger..
“How dare you deceive me with such a shameless trick. Next time I see you, I will make sure to rip out your treacherous tongue..”
Amcheon-gun, who was returning, was fine..
That's because he didn't bump into anyone after the initial return order..
“certainly.”
The Lord of the Beihai Palace, Naengakbi, was able to carry out his pact with Zhou Seo-cheon only after roughly solving the problem of the food shortage..
It took more time than expected, but it was unavoidable..
It was natural that it was not someone else but the owner of the Ice Palace, and in fact the leader of the North Sea, who was going all the way to the central plains..
Not only was there a lot to worry about, but it would have been even more strange if they hadn't slowed down since they were leading not one or two people, but about a thousand people, not to mention the distance..
“midfield!”
“As I heard, it is a fertile land..”
“Look at that vegetation, it's so beautiful..”
“The wind is this warm.”
It was a series of surprises after stepping foot on the central plain..
There were tons of things you could never see in the North Sea..
To put it bluntly, I was so greedy that I wanted to invade the central plains right away..
But that thought didn't last long..
“It's muggy..”
“No, it's hot. Why is it so hot??
Could it be that we have arrived in a desert area that we only heard about in legends??”
“It's clear that Joongwon people are just perverts who enjoy pain..”
“I think I understand why our ancestors gave up on invading the Central Plains..”
“Isn’t the reason Jungwon is the center of martial arts to overcome this heat??”
It was because of the climate.
The further down I went, the more painful it was..
It was not warm or cozy, but murderous heat..
It was an unbearable climate for North Sea people who had lived their whole lives in the cold..
It didn't really matter as the six most powerful people in the North Sea were invincible day and night, but for other North Sea people, the situation was different..
In the past, North Sea, which invaded the Central Plains, did not retreat for no reason..
The problem was the weather and air temperature, which were polar opposites from the ice storm..
The lower you are, the more affected you are, and in severe cases, your skills are even reduced by half..
As the environment is an environment, the number of elites has been mobilized and the number has decreased..
The damage caused by the conflict was also large..
“I heard there was information left behind by Geomshin..”
On his way south through Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and Hebei, Beihai Ice Palace stopped by Jinyi Merchant Marine to hear about the situation..
“Too far to help the South.”
“help the north.”
This was the process of joining the plains of Anhui through Shandong..
However, something unexpected happened in the middle..
“Ahead, you can see the union between the government and the government, or rather the Shaolin Temple.!”
“Shaolin Temple?”
It wasn't long after we arrived at the plains..
I saw the Shaolin Temple passing by..
Naengakbi saw that his back looked somewhat urgent and felt it was unusual, so he immediately joined in..
“What happened after that??”
“He had planned to lead the Shaolin Temple all the way to Buksang-gun, but the head of the Shaolin temple, Master Hong Jin, requested that he rescue the Seomun family, so he decided to act alone..”
“indeed.”
Joo Seocheon leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms..
“Thank you, Lord of the Beihai Palace. I am indebted to you.”
Last night, the North Shang Army decided to wait for the time being after hearing the post-war explanation from the scout leader, Maqmar..
As the day changed, the Shaolin Temple and Beihai Ice Palace arrived one after another, and by the time the sun rose, the cold and evil rain brought Mugok..
When I heard that Naengakbi used his wits against Amcheon Hoeju and avoided a crisis, I inadvertently let out an exclamation..
The martial arts were martial arts, but the smarts were also unusual..
“Since I came to Jungwon to repay a debt, there is no need to worry too much. Above all, she didn't save Seomun Sega, she just ran away, so she doesn't deserve any thanks..”
“hmm……”
Joo Seocheon fell asleep as if he was sad..
It was too late for the cold and evil rain to help the Seomun family..
All other warriors, including Seomun Lee Jin, died..
The body could not be collected.
Not only was the situation bad, but Amcheonhoeju could have realized it was a trick and come back, so I quickly ran away..
“It was a strength that made you understand why a man as great as you would come all the way to the North Sea to ask for help..”
“Have you found out anything about Amcheonhoeju??”
Joo Seocheon reacted like lightning and asked:.
“We traded offense and defense, but it wasn't enough to say we figured it out. Ask him when he comes to his senses..”
As soon as Mugok arrived, he seemed relieved and fell asleep as if he had fainted..
I was worried that I might be unconscious, but the doctor said it was just because I was exhausted, so I was relieved..
“okay.”
After exchanging a few opinions with Naengakbi, Joo Seocheon left the command barracks..
The warrior on guard was dozing off, but I knew he had been through a hard night, so I just passed by..
Buksang-gun was quiet in the dawn that came instead of dusk..
Everyone was so tired it was ridiculous..
The North Sea Ice Palace could not be said to be in very good condition as it had not yet become accustomed to the environment..
Joo Seocheon was worried that people would pay attention to his appearance, so he moved quietly, hiding his presence..
“were you here.”
Not far away, in an uncommonly popular place, there was Hong Jin..
The curtain of night receding from the east, the dim light of dawn, and a somehow lonely back..
There were bandages where both eyes were..
“Seomun family… … What happened??”
Hongjin asked with his back to me..
“……”
I couldn't bear to answer.
Because the head of Shaolin knew how cruel the reality he would face was, he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut instead of giving a clear answer..
“Right... … Did you……”
It was unspoken, but it was enough as an answer..
Hongjin sat down in his seat and muttered..
“Buddha said to save sentient beings.
I thought that civilians should not be sacrificed in the Murim people's war, and decided to stay. Binseung also knows how foolish that was. But, but it can't be helped, right?……”
my voice trembled.
“I saw it. If you don't know and can't save it, it's beyond your ability, but if you know, isn't the story different? Also, who will they turn to for help if we ignore them??”
I stretched out my hand and squeezed the grass..
“So that's left! You could say it’s hero play! It’s okay to be foolish! I thought it wouldn't matter if I died to save them.!”
Hongjin opened his mouth and screamed like a scream..
“We're not! I am! Bin Seung should have stayed there until the end.!
Should have stayed and given the others time to escape.!
however! however!”
I didn't know it until I joined the North Sea Ice Palace..
I thought he must have chased the Seomun family because Amcheonhoeju did not follow him..
So, I politely asked Naengakbi under the name of the Shaolin master..
It was only after I arrived that I learned the truth..
“What, what is 'Give up your life for others!' what!”
The prayer beads tightly held in my hand broke and rolled on the floor..
“What is Cheonsu Cheonan?!”
I couldn't even see it before I asked for it..
Not being able to see is just an excuse..
If you really made up your mind, you should have stayed..
Preface: I should have lied like Jin-jin and sent them alone..
“What, what on earth……!”
Hongjin knelt down and sobbed..
The cries echoed across the plains,※ but no one came to visit..
Joo Seocheon watched Hongjin cry from behind and placed his hand on her shoulder, which looked unusually small..
“That's it now.”
“What happened?!”
“I won't offer any comfort. I won't even sympathize with you.
I won’t even mock myself saying I can’t help it..”
Joo Seo-cheon gave strength to the hand holding Hong Jin’s shoulder..
“Since ancient times, people have learned by looking at someone's back and following behind them. Shaolin Bangjang, Hong Jin. You can do that too.”
All the while, I was looking at someone's back.
I felt sorry and grateful for their sacrifice..
“It's okay to cry. It's okay to fall.
But don't lie still.
Stand up and follow those who have gone before.”
“……!”
Hong Jin raised his head and looked back at Joo Seocheon..
“Lay down your life for others, Shaolin Temple.
Like Seomunsega did, give up your life for someone..”
Hongjin had a blank expression on his face at those words, but then he started sobbing again..
‘Honggo. This is the Shaolin Temple you were so suspicious of..’
Joo Seocheon looked at the scene and was lost in thought..
People who sacrifice themselves for strangers and who truly regret and grieve for not being able to die in the place of those they had opposed throughout their lives are Shaolin monks..’
Shaolin Temple is not clean.
Even though he took refuge in the bosom of Buddha, it was natural since he was only a human being..
Although it showed many bad aspects at times, its essence was still good..
Shaolin Temple was not a pillar of the political sect for no reason..
Throughout its long history, and in the future, the Shaolin Temple has made sacrifices and will make sacrifices again..
“Ugh... … sorry… … do……!”
I was grieving and in pain over someone's death..
“Forgive me, Chi… … Drink… … I'm sorry……!”
The Seomun family were enemies, let alone the rest..
He even cried out sincerely without thinking of any benefit to himself at the death of his enemy..
The world sees such people and calls them heroes..
Once upon a time there was a hero.
Once upon a time, there were heroes.
* * *
The northern front has been concluded.
As expected from the front lines, the results of wins and losses were delivered quickly..
Hanam's opening, the temporary headquarters of the Murim League were the first to hear the news and, forgetting face, they hugged each other and cheered..
“won!”
“it's okay!”
“It's a winning streak!”
“hurray!”
The North as well as the South were victorious..
I was filled with indescribable joy because I had won not a small but a large-scale battle..
To be honest, when I heard that Amcheonhuiju had taken the lead, Zhuge Sang also froze, but later heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that he had retreated..
“It's called the North Sea Ice Palace.?”
“Lord of the Beihai Palace, Naengakbi led the army and came to help.!”
“No, why is it raining so cold and hard all of a sudden??”
“Have you heard the news yet??
I heard that Joo Seocheon visited the North Sea not long ago..
I heard that he helped solve the food crisis..”
“Huh!”
“Ju Seocheon Grand Hyeop, long live! Long live the political union!”
“Long live the Lord of the Beihai Palace!”
In the past, people would have been appalled by the invasion of the central plains, but now it was different..
Thanks to their strong support, it was a festive atmosphere..
It was rewarding to go to the North Sea despite all the hard work..
In addition to the reinforcement of pure force, morale soared like a fountain and soared through the sky..
In addition, various activities were known..
“A labyrinth rises from the ground?”
“Ki-ryong did something again.!”
“It is said that Samcheon, Amcheonbukgun was defeated in an instant.?”
The name of Qi Long and Zhuge Succession also increased along with morale..
It was not well known until now, but after the all-out war of Amcheonhoe began, its fame spread throughout the central plains..
“Please don't forget Seomun Sega..”
The Northern Shanggun's retreat was also known..
In particular, the Shaolin Temple took an active role in publicizing the activities of the Seomun family..
When the martial arts people heard the anecdote, they were so moved that they poured out a barrage of praise..
Contrary to Lee Jin's thoughts, they received treatment and fame that they could not have imagined during their lifetime..
The Seomun family suffered great damage due to this incident, but they were able to ease their worries thanks to Sado Heavenly Lord's reasonable compensation..
Not only did I receive elixirs and money, but I also received a promise to maintain my status as an apostolic priest..
“Do you know that the Six Seas of the Supreme Heaven became the Seven Seas of the Supreme Heaven??”
“huh? The seven seats?”
“That's right. Geumui Sangdan, and the master of the Geumui Swordsman, Geomma, has ascended to the top..”
“Is that really true??”
“okay. Sword God and the Lord of the North Sea have guaranteed their skills..
From what I heard, he survived by competing with Amcheonhoeju..”
“That's great..”
Although he lost his mental image just before, the opponent was Amcheon Hoeju, who withstood the joint attack of Gwon Dongje and Taegeukjeom..
Not only was it known that he had confronted the Amcheonhoeju one on one, but thanks to the words of Ju Seocheon and Naengakbi, the Geomma was able to ascend to Sangcheon without difficulty..
Anhui, Hefei.
“……”
Cheonki couldn't even groan at the current situation..
I broke into a cold sweat while looking at the war situation report in front of me..
‘Dangerous.’
I didn't even have the energy to get angry..
It wasn't that good..
Amcheonhoe was driven to the edge of a cliff..
News from Cheonchu and Amcheonhoeju.
Considering Ju Seo-cheon's absence, the northern army was urgently summoned..
But what is this?.
Ju Seo-cheon appeared as if he had been waiting and not only raided the northern part of the country, but even the North Sea Ice Palace appeared as reinforcements..
There was no worst like this.
In addition, the noticeably reduced power was also a problem..
‘Of the 15,000, 14,000 were sent to the north and south, but not many of them survived..’
Not only the leaders belonging to the Amcheonnamgun Army, but also the entire force was almost destroyed..
The allied Jeoknim Sixteen were also destroyed..
Amcheonbuk-gun was also not easy..
Only about 2,500 out of 7,000 people returned alive..
There were about 1,000 people at headquarters, about 2,500 from the Northern Army, and about 1,500 people who somehow escaped from the Southern Army..
‘No matter how much power I can muster, it's about 5,000..’
The Northern Front's Northern Front was swallowed up by the underground labyrinth and no one survived..
In the case of the southern front, like the northern front, there were people who were on the verge of destruction, but desperately escaped..
‘To make matters worse, I even lost my sacrum..
Moreover, the damage to allies is too great compared to the enemy..’
If we had all been destroyed together, I wouldn't have felt this much sense of crisis..
‘The estimated number of allied forces is approximately 9,000..’
In the case of the northern front, the Northern He Army suffered considerable damage from openings and the West Gate, but the Northern Xiang Army was relatively unharmed..
The total number of them was about 3,000, and the Southern Front achieved a complete victory, securing a lot of power..
Although about a thousand men betrayed each other in the end, not only did they fight well due to the appearance of the defeated army and the Namhae forces, but the damage was reduced by the Amcheonnam army quickly running away or showing their intention to surrender..
“……”
Cheongi pressed his temples with his fingers and raised his head..
“All-in-one mind).”
Those eyes were burning coldly and quietly..
“It is said that everything in life depends on one's mind..
The difference in power is ultimately just a numbers game; it is only a half difference, not a half difference..
The vacancy in the Chilseongsa Temple can be filled after victory..”
lost an arm.
lost a subordinate.
lost a colleague.
The well-built tower called Amcheonhoe was about to collapse..
It was so dangerous that it would easily collapse at the slightest touch..
Cheongi showed unwavering will even in a desperate situation where no one could see the future..
“Preparing for emergencies is something we always do..
Assume the worst, let down your guard and engulf your enemies..”
Amcheonhoe may be arrogant, but it does not let down its guard..
When sprouts are discovered, they are trampled with consideration for the future, and uncertain factors are also thoroughly excluded..
And I think a few steps ahead and prepare, and prepare again..
Even if I succeed more than I can, I won't give up until I succeed..
That was Amcheonhoe, Cheongi..
“Joo Seocheon……”
Okay!
* * *
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