Chapter 8
The subjugation of Daehochae ended so easily as to be futile..
Didn't they say that if you want to capture the enemy, you have to capture the leader first?.
The outcome was decided from the moment Sanblood Tiger was defeated..
If only the Geumui Sword Gate had been brought in, it would not have been resolved so easily, but thanks to the joining of the Hwasan faction of the Gupa Ilbang faction and the Tang faction of the Five Dynasties, the surrender was easily accepted..
It’s not prestigious for nothing..
It was the authority of the Gupa Ilbang and the Five Generations that made people submit just by name..
After accepting Daehochae's surrender, he was captured and gathered in one place..
Soon after, wild beasts came..
The punitive force silenced Nokrimdo's cries for help and then dealt with the wild beasts that were lured in..
The Hwasan faction monitored Nokrimdo, and the Geumui Swordman and Tang family warriors wandered around the mountain temple to search for remnants..
If they resisted, their lives were taken; if they surrendered, they were captured and brought to the center..
Other than that, they found and released the kidnapped people..
“hurray!”
“Thank you thank you……!”
“I lived! I lived!”
Every day, I don't know when I will die.
Men were reduced to prey for wild beasts, and women were raped until death..
There were people who were alive and cheering, but there were also people who went through a living hell and were shocked and empty..
As the sun rose in the sky, we confirmed that there were no hidden Green Foresters and moved them to the prison..
In the meantime, Ju Seo-cheon took out the creditors and debtors separately and interrogated them..
“I think you know how severe the poison of the Tang family is. So you'd better speak softly.”
“yes!”
Debtors fluttered as if they had been waiting..
There was nothing I wouldn't do to save my life..
“That bastard ordered everything..”
Even without asking, he brought up all kinds of evil deeds and blamed them all on the creditor..
He also told me where Daehochae's wealth was hidden..
If we interrogated them together, they would get scared and not speak properly, so we interrogated them separately, and it was successful..
“They are the bastards of the world..”
I cursed when I saw the gold and silver treasures piled up like a mountain..
Rather than admiring wealth, I wondered how many people I had harmed to have so much..
Nokrimguchae, and because it is a mid-level wild vegetable, the amount accumulated was not small..
It was full of all kinds of goods, starting with gold and silver treasures, and among them, medicine and food were taken out..
He first filled the stomachs of people who were caught alive and could not eat properly, and then treated their wounds with medicine..
“Oh, thank you for saving me, but there's no need to go this far.!”
“it's okay. I just did what I had to do as a martial artist..”
That's not all.
Joo Seocheon opened Daehochae's warehouse and distributed property to help people rebuild their lives..
People whose lives were saved but whose future was bleak as to what to do in the future shed tears and rejoiced..
For your information, I told people who lost their place due to an attack on their hometown to rely on the Golden Sangdan..
“That amount of money will get you a place to live and something to do in Geumui Sangdan..”
“Thank you! thank you!”
As soon as I had hope for living, my emotions got so intense that I started crying..
‘good. With this, we can get the support of the people..’
The Geumui Sangdan easily gained money and power through the resourcefulness of the King of Sang, but its reputation was not good for the people..
That's because he was a war merchant who traveled around battlefields selling weapons and supplies from the early days of his business..
Moreover, the evaluation in Moorim was also not good..
It was good that it was supplied to political factions, but the positive perception of it was lost due to the use of multiple fire wars during the Seven Swords War..
It wasn't that Lee Uichae didn't provide relief, but the effect was minimal and he was wondering what to do..
You can see the effect by destroying Daehochae, finding people, and entrusting them with the cleanup..
After completing the distribution, Ju Seo-cheon called the warrior of Geumuigeommun and had him hand over the new soldiers from Nokrimdo to the government office..
“Priests. I'm so proud of the priest.”
Jang Hong lightly tapped his shoulder and said with a serious face..
“The volcano taught us not to be greedy for wealth, but that's easier said than done. It's a shame, but when I first saw this mountain of goods, I thought, 'There are so many, wouldn't it be okay to secretly take a handful?' I thought.”
Even if you are a Taoist, there is no way you don’t have desires..
Every human being has a desire to re-enter the world..
“However, the priest said without any hesitation that we should distribute the wealth for the people who were captured. Such a priest is truly amazing and I am proud of him..”
“Just as the executioner said. Not much has changed since Yeonhwagak's childhood. I won't be able to beat you in martial arts or character..”
Jang Seo-eun smiled as if she agreed..
‘It's because money is everywhere.……’
Joo Seocheon’s conscience was pricked a little..
“Hehehe.”
Luo Sowol smiled happily..
He was happy as if he had been praised..
“It's nice to have a warm atmosphere, but shouldn't we start talking about the future??”
Danghye squeezed in between the death row and asked..
“I would like you to share your thoughts that you haven't said before. It's hard to respond if you keep your mouth shut..”
Choryeon shook her head as if agreeing with Danghye's point..
“It was about to happen..”
We have destroyed Daehochae and sent people to the government office. This news will soon spread beyond Noklimguchae and spread throughout the central plains..
There was no reason to hide it anymore.
“As everyone knows, the purpose of the punitive force is the destruction of the Eighteen Houses of Jeokrim, or something equivalent to it..”
gulp.
“But you know it's easier said than done..”
It is not for nothing that the Huashan Sect and the Zhuge Family moved on with their resentment toward the past..
There was a considerable amount of manpower consumed..
Although the members of the punitive force were not weak, they were still unreasonably insufficient to deal with all of the eighteen Red Forests..
We can't aim for a gap like this one when the border is broken, and we can't take advantage of wild beasts..
If you're attacking one location and the enemy's reinforcements surround you, it's over..
If you are a master like Joo Seo-cheon, you can somehow escape, but the probability of survival for other members of the subjugation team is low..
“If you head south from Daehochae for about half a day, you will find Nokryongchae (綠龍塞)..”
“ah!”
People exclaimed as if they had noticed something..
“Nokryongchaeju, or rather Jeokrimchongchaeju, is the final goal..”
The structure of Jeokrim, an association of thieves, is similar to that of the Murimmaeng or Sadocheon..
Just as political factions gather among political factions, and factions gather among themselves, thieves gather together, hold hands, and elect representatives..
The person who leads the Noklim Guchae and Surim Guchae is Jeoknim Chongchaeju..
“It is realistically impossible to deal with all of the enemy forces with our own strength. So, just take the head of the general lender and retreat..”
“indeed……!”
Luo Sowol clapped his hands as if he noticed something..
“Indeed, I understood. You are planning to take the life of the general lender and make him unable to move for a while due to civil war..”
Danghye also looked like she understood everything..
“Both Naksamae and Dokbong Sojeo are truly intelligent. If you don't mind, can someone explain??”
Jang Hong asked, scratching the back of his head..
“Do you mean to take advantage of the struggle for power??”
Zhuge Succession asked as if seeking confirmation..
Joo Seocheon shook his head instead of answering..
“Grump! By the way, please explain it in an easy-to-understand way, even for people who are not smart enough..”
Choryeon beat her chest in frustration..
“There is no such thing as loyalty to them. Even if the general creditor dies, rather than being driven by revenge, he will be more concerned about who will be the new general creditor..”
Zhuge Heir stepped forward and kindly explained..
“so?”
“If they do not retreat after killing the head lender, Jeokrimdo will somehow continue the war in order to survive. The selection of the general creditor will probably be postponed to a later date. However, if the punitive force withdraws, the story will be different..”
If you become the head lender, you will be in charge of all the bandits in Green Forest and Forest. That authority is not normal..
“indeed.”
Jang Hong tapped his knee and understood..
It was clear that when the punitive force retreated, the Jeoknim Eighteen Houses would begin to reorganize, and in the meantime, discord would arise..
This is because the gains and losses vary depending on whether the total creditors are numerous or numerous..
And it was calculated that a civil war of the size of Jeoknim eighteen houses would not end easily, and in the meantime, the looting that persistently targeted the gold robe would stop..
“I was curious as to why they were targeting Daehochae, but I guess it was simply because it was close to Nokryongchae.?”
Luo Sowol asked as if guessing..
“okay.”
Daehochae suffered this disaster simply because it was closest to Nokryongchae..
the next day.
Kangho, who was in an uproar over the recovery of Prajna Shinkong, is in turmoil again..
It was due to the fall of Daehochae, one of the green forest buildings..
Yesterday evening, the people trapped in Daehojae were treated and all were let down..
And the warrior of Geumuigeommun arrived at the government office and reported to the official about the subjugation of Daehochae..
It was helpful to give the official the wealth he needed..
As soon as the day dawned, the soldiers moved..
If a large-scale subjugation is necessary, you cannot move carelessly, but if you take away the surrendered Nokrimdo, it is a different story..
On the contrary, I liked it because it was an opportunity to make a contribution..
“Daehochaera, that’s a name I’ve heard before somewhere.……”
“No, what kind of mountain has this person been living in??”
“Ah, the bandits are there. Isn’t it a parasite that sucks the backbone of the people?.”
“Among the parasites, Sanhyeolho, the owner of Daeho, is one of the world's greatest masters and the younger brother of the owner of Jeokjeok Chongchae. Above all, Daehochae are the ones who kidnap people and use them as food for tigers..”
“Huh!”
“The Hwasan Sect, the Tang Gate, and the Jinyi Sword Gate came forward and wiped them out, so I can rest easy on my feet..”
“It's not for nothing that they're Gupailbang and Odaesega.!”
Not only the Murim people but also the people showed interest..
It was natural to be happy that the bandits who had been harassing the common people were gone..
People praised the punitive force..
“Did you hear who is in the punitive force??”
“Ah, don't know. Isn't it Joo Seo-cheon, Maehwajeonggeom, Dokbong Danghye, Maehyeopgeom Jang Hong, Okmaehwa Jang Seo-eun, and Galpungsobjeok Choryeon??”
The level of the punitive force was not low, but the five people were so famous that it felt like the others were buried..
“There's no place in Joo Seocheon Daehyup that doesn't fit in..”
“That means his chivalry is extraordinary. It's Daehyeop, Daehyeop!”
“Not only did they rescue all the people who were trapped in Daehochae, but they even distributed their wealth with the future in mind? nice!”
“So, isn’t it a Daehyup and a political faction?!”
Not even a day had passed, but as soon as morning came, the rumor was inflated and spread quickly..
Didn’t they say that a horse without feet can travel a thousand miles?.
By noon, it had spread to other regions..
For your information, after hearing that wealth had been distributed, some people started targeting it, but due to the government's intervention, it was out of the question..
Originally, even that money might have been taken away by the government, saying it was the country's money, but after hearing that there was wealth left in Daehochae, they let it go..
Even so, the rumor spread so quickly that it was difficult to take it away, so there was no reason to do so..
Meanwhile, when the news of the punitive force and Daehochae was causing an uproar in the world, Jeoknim 18chae was also noisy..
green dragon salad.
The place was big for a bandit's den..
The grand gate, reminiscent of a castle gate, was a wooden structure, but it was so thick that it seemed impossible to open from the outside unless it was a siege weapon..
The outer wall leading to the gate surrounded the mountain building for a long time, preventing intrusion, and was also more than three feet high, creating an impenetrable fortress..
Watchtowers were installed in all directions to watch for enemies approaching from outside Il-ri, and eagle-eyed guards were stationed on duty in shifts of twelve..
“Daehochae has fallen, what kind of crazy talk is this??”
In the deepest part of the mountain, the room was as bright as day, with expensive nightshades installed even though sunlight did not enter..
Soft silk so deep that it reaches the ankles is used as a rug, and stuffed heads of wild animals are hung on the walls..
In addition, the value of the room was increased by luxuries that could not be afforded unless they were an omnipotent person in power or a wealthy person..
However, what attracted attention was neither the expensive items nor the almost naked beauty..
A manly, angular jawline, numerous beards growing like a lion's mane, and a fierce look that naturally makes the viewer feel intimidated..
The eyebrows are thick, but drawn in sharp diagonal lines, making the already scary impression even worse..
“Total creditor! This is Joo Seocheon. That bastard of the Maehwajeonggeom mobilized not only the Geumuigeommun but also the Hwasan faction and Tangga.!”
Accumulated aggregate debt holder, Maenggang (猛鋼)).
He was the ruler of Nokrimguchae and Surimguchae..
“what?”
Only then did Maeng Kang come to his senses and listen..
“If those two places had moved, you wouldn't have known, but what happened? tell me in detail.”
“The Hwasan faction and the Tang faction did not begin their subjugation in earnest..”
“then?”
“Joo Seo-cheon used his personal connections..”
The punitive force has less than a hundred people..
Because there were so few of them, their movements were quiet and quick, so it was difficult to capture them..
Above all, the problem was that the Jeokrim Eighteen Houses looked down on the punitive force..
Instead of paying attention, everyone just ignored it..
Even though Jeokrimdo had already gone out and opened a gold mine, most of the power was empty, so I let my guard down..
It's strange that it wasn't taken over because it's so shabby..
“No, no matter what. Most of them are just kids, but it was taken over in less than a day.?”
Meng Gang laughed as if he was dumbfounded..
“Guadalreuk, what was that bastard doing to be treated so vainly? Have you been fucking a tiger??”
I'm afraid someone might be a bandit, so I speak very thickly..
“I was beaten by Joo Seocheon..”
Nokryongchae debt owner responded.
“Tsk tsk. Even without looking at it, it's obvious that I let my guard down and got hurt..”
“According to rumors coming from the village, it is said that he died from a single blow.……”
“People who don't even know martial arts saw it, so what would they know? Maybe the rumor was exaggerated to scare people..”
Maeng Kang did not shed a single tear even when his brother-in-law, whom he shared a drink with, died..
On the contrary, he cursed me for being foolish..
There may be loyalty to Nokrimdo, but at least it did not exist to Maenggang..
Being loyal to thieves is embarrassing to even say..
If only Suha wasn't in front of me, I would laugh at him heartily..
“Too bad. I really liked what he was offering..”
Maeng Gang licked his lips with regret..
“Do you send the kids down to Daehochae??”
The debtor was watching and asked carefully..
It was an expression of great regret for Daehochae's wealth..
“The government army will also be moving, and if you move now, it will be too late, so just stop. More than that, where is that famous punitive force??”
“They say he left Daehochae this morning. But the direction... … This place is called Nokryongchae..”
“her?”
Meng Gang made an absurd expression..
The same was true for debt stocks..
It would be a big mistake to think that Green Dragon Chae is just one of those wild vegetables..
From the money spent on expenses, it was impossible to compare it with other wild vegetables..
In addition, the location of the mountain vegetables was also optimal for a sit-in protest as it had a rugged mountain slope..
One of the reasons why the government army and the martial arts forces hesitated to subjugate was this Cheolongseong Fortress..
Above all, as it was a base for general creditors, there were many high-ranking officials..
Right now, just because of the head bond owner, he was one of the best masters in Moorim..
However, I couldn't help but feel absurd that less than a hundred people were coming to Nokryongchae..
“What should I do?”
“grunt!”
Maeng Gang was lost in thought while scratching his beard..
‘What on earth are you planning??’
Unless you're crazy, there's no way they'll attack you with that number of people..
Nokryongchae also used its full power to open the gold mine, but it was still not enough to be defeated by the power of more than a hundred people..
It hasn't even been a day yet, so it's too early to make a decision about what to do..
‘If these were bait and a diversionary operation was launched, it would be annoying. I guess I should wait and not make any hasty moves..’
The punitive force that started from Daehochae moved south to Nokryongchae..
I was able to fully recover all of my stamina and energy by taking adequate rest in between, but my speed slowed down..
If we had gone by rapid march, it would have taken about one to two days, but we couldn't speed up, so it took four days..
For reference, I did not go all the way to Nokryongchae, but stopped at a distance of about half to one hour and set up camp..
“I don't know what you're thinking.”
Meng Gang muttered as he inspected the camp from atop the watchtower..
Two days have passed since the punitive force arrived nearby, but let alone attacking, they did not move at all..
Since I didn’t know what the hell he was thinking, I couldn’t move too hastily..
The punitive force itself was not a threat, but there was suspicion that it might be a trap..
“total creditor!”
The fan owner shouted upwards from below the watchtower..
“What's going on?!”
Maeng Kang leapt forward as if he had been waiting..
It was about three or four feet tall, but it was a movement that didn't seem to matter at all..
Cooung!
Instead of a person landing, it felt like a rock the size of a house had fallen..
“This is a report from a scout. It is said that a group of over 200 people was discovered half a day's drive south..”
“Well then!”
There was vitality in Maeng Gang’s eyes..
All the frustration I had been feeling was relieved and I felt refreshed inside..
“Have you confirmed your affiliation??”
“Judging by its momentum and footsteps, it is clear that it is unmanned, but it is difficult to determine where it came from..”
“Tsk, that can't be helped..”
I don't know where, but since they were targeting the green dragon body, they must have called in at least top-notch warriors..
Although it is said that Noryongchae is strong against thieves, it still has its limits..
The reality is that if a political faction had decided to select and send elites, it would be difficult to even approach them..
‘I guess I know what you're trying to do..’
About two hundred people is not that many people..
It was ridiculously insufficient to deal with all the eighteen Jeoklin houses..
The head was spinning vigorously, emitting heat..
‘By killing me, you are aiming to cause civil war and self-destruction of Jeoklimchae.!’
Meng Gang opened his eyes..
“The camp ahead is bait.!”
Using common sense, there was no way less than a hundred people would boldly charge through the gate..
“He might have been thinking of doing something with the elite who turned his gaze and approached from behind, but it was a futile effort. Knowing this, I hid scouts in various places so that I could be aware of the approach of the surrounding area.!”
Meng Gang sneered slyly, turned around, lowered his voice so as not to be heard, and gave an order..
“Go all the way to the back door, but hide your head so it isn't visible from the outside. It would be difficult if they noticed and ran away. If there are people who make mistakes, I will cut off their heads myself..”
“What about the front door??”
“Leave about twenty people alone. You can't get through the front door anyway unless you bring a car..”
“Yes, I understand!”
The debtor responded with respect..
‘As expected, let’s give it a whole bunch. It can't even be compared to the creditors that have existed so far. Not only is he extremely strong in martial arts, but he is also good at strategy and wise.!’
It was also the owner of the group, Maeng Kang, who was uncomfortable with the Murim League and Sadocheon fighting against Jeokjeopsip8chae..
It is thanks to the general debtor that the level of bandits and bandits, who knew nothing more than fighting, has increased..
Before Meng Gang came, Jeok Lim only lived to see today, but after he came, he had the luxury of seeing tomorrow too..
However, even that leisure was not found after half a day..
When the group that was thought to be elite arrived at the back gate, Meng Gang appeared as if he had been waiting and laughed out loud..
“Haha! I thought you didn't know what you guys were thinking.……”
Kwaang-!
There was a loud noise that shook the heavens and earth..
When I looked back to see what was going on, I saw black smoke coming from the front door..
“Hahaha! The genius of the institution, Zhuge Heir, is leaving.!”
There are many ways to siege.
Among them, there is something called Hyeol (穴), in which a tunnel is dug right under the castle wall, a fire is installed, and a fire is lit to collapse the castle wall..
If you can't break through the front door, break the wall next to it and break into the space created..
However, this blood method is a siege method.
In other words, it was only used by government forces that were familiar with siege and defense, and was not used in martial arts..
In the first place, even the concept of siege or mercury is vague..
There is no clan or family like a castle in any of the nine or five generations, and above all, if you do something like that, the government is likely to suspect treason and send someone to you..
However, there are people who know knowledge that is almost lost in martial arts, and they are Ju Seo-cheon and Zhuge Seung-gye..
Ju Seo-cheon, who enjoyed reading in his later years because he had nothing to do in his previous life, had this kind of magazine knowledge in addition to martial arts..
It has been a long time since I finished reading books related to institutions such as siege weapons and water-based weapons during the reign of Zhuge when I was young..
Above all, isn't it the Zhuge family?.
Since this is a family that likes to play with their heads, there were quite a few people who knew..
However, there was not enough time to study martial arts or Jinbeop, so there were only a few people who studied Gongseongbeop in depth..
“Huh, really.”
I couldn't help but be amazed as I watched the outskirts of Choryeon collapse..
“It seems to be far from being completely unmanned..”
The golden sword warrior gave his impression with a bitter smile..
After I had to rely on the upper management for my own reasons and needed money, my pride almost disappeared..
But still, it bothered me that I was going to fight with weapons based on weapons rather than martial arts..
“If this continues, isn’t the coffin coming to catch you??”
someone asked as if they were worried.
Originally, it was customary to ban firearms in martial arts, but the government's intervention was more of a concern than anything else..
“it's okay. Knowing this, the owner of the top bribed the government... … Hehehe, I asked for permission..”
“If it's a matter of circumstances……?”
“In addition to military use, firearms are also used for mining purposes..”
The Zhuge Dynasty smiled, showing his white teeth..
His face was covered in dirt, probably because he came out from the tunnel just a moment ago..
However, he was smiling brightly as if he was happy with his performance..
‘The kid is just a kid, but Captain Zhou is also amazing..’
A few days ago, when I heard that Nokryongchae was going to be played, I honestly wondered if something was wrong with Joo Seocheon's head..
Even though I heard about the operation in advance, I was unable to erase my anxiety when I arrived near Nokryongchae and set up camp..
When I saw the entrance and outer wall of the mountain lodge, reminiscent of a castle gate, I doubted whether it would be possible to break through it..
After setting up the camp, when I was digging a tunnel with Ju Seocheon, I really wondered what was going on..
But when I saw the outskirts collapsing spectacularly with my own eyes, my thoughts changed..
Force that deviated from common sense was force, but command and wisdom, including insight, were also unusual..
‘Ever since I was young, I thought it was something out of the ordinary, but I never thought it would be this bad. How do I make it like that??’
All you have to do is die once and return to the past..
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