〈 Rapidly changing situation (2) 〉
The task of spreading news across the continent through ultra-long-distance communication proceeded more easily than expected.
Despite the difficult situation, the Zhuge Dynasty did its best, but what was decisive was that numerous demons of Geumgo Island, disguised as ‘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 work even harder.
‘Of course, just delivering the news like this is not enough.’
Considering the traffic conditions in Ganghwan-gye, where it takes a huge amount of time and effort just to cross one area, this was definitely nothing short of a miracle.
But this was just a first step.
There were still countless challenges remaining.
Even after hearing the news, there were some who did not believe it, saying it was nonsense, others who suspected that they were trying to do something, and there were also those who tried to take advantage of this incident.
It was a shame because the subject was the famous Zhuge Dynasty and the content was about the demonic religion, the main enemy of all people, whether good or bad, or the military, otherwise most people would not have even listened to it.
‘Anyway, I succeeded in getting 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 out of concern, and if suspicious circumstances were discovered, they would not just ignore them but take a closer look.
All of that will become a noose that restricts the movements of those who move in hiding and slowly suffocates them.
‘Besides, the notoriety of the Demonic Cult is greater than I thought. 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.
As a result-.
“It is said that suspicious circumstances have been reported in the forest near Gopyeong, Shanxi Province. Due to reports from residents that many people seemed to be hiding, the Yeonggeommun, who was managing the area, launched a search, but it is said that no traces were found and the search was in vain….
” I found traces of. They said they saw traces of a group camping and went to chase them, but they escaped because they escaped from their territory and missed it…” “
There is news that troops were seen moving under the cover of night in Guiyang-gun Bunta, Guizhou. If you want to hear the details, you have to pay….”
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 in itself.
‘Wow, my head is spinning just looking at it.’
Hugo, who had quietly come to the side and examined the situation, 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 skyrocketed and his mental strength and intellectual ability improved, he could not get used to the wave of documents like that.
Usually, most of the work handled by his other avatars was neatly organized by the hands of competent subordinates.
“The news from Jiangxi Province is unreliable. The fact that those who had been thoroughly erasing their traces in the first place left traces of camping, and that it was enough for a mediocre small or medium-sized Safain iron gang to track them down….” “The investigation of 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. Perhaps they misunderstood their secret operation…”
However, as a person known for his intelligence, Zhuge Segal quickly analyzed the information received and identified the good and bad.
We distinguished between lies 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 appears to be quite likely. First of all, the location is quite valid, 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 becomes valuable data worth a thousand pounds.
Even within Sega, academics who are known 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.
‘Beijing.’
This is the site of the old imperial palace where the Dragon Heart was 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 such a short period of time, just a few days.’
I was able to clearly feel why they were able to maintain such a high reputation for so long.
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 as he finished his appetite.
Aren’t they truly talented people who can do their part excellently no matter where they are used?
He knew best how much easier it would be for his superiors to have competent subordinates.
Images of his talented subordinates quickly flashed through his mind.
Earth’s Jinsoran, Banshee Queen Olivia, Jinhyeol’s vampire Mulo, Diana of
Hubert Company, etc… And then people starting to fill in next to them.
“Ha Sohyeop? Are you okay?”
“…ah! sorry. “I was taking a moment to gather my thoughts…”
Hugo, who had been thinking about something else, suddenly came to his senses and answered when he heard a voice calling him.
The place he is now is where Sega executives are meeting and discussing the results of the analysis.
For now, I needed to put aside random thoughts and focus more.
“Huh, isn’t it obvious that you’ll have a lot to think about? After all, it’s Beijing. “There are levels of shamelessness, but I never imagined they would go there again.”
At that time, Taoist Qing 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.
The representative of the Mosan faction had a legitimate cause when he asked to join them under the pretense that he had heard about their great success at Shaolin Temple.
‘Well, it’s probably the first time Cheonggwan heard about me when he received this mission.’
Isn’t that what networking is all about?
Also, even if that wasn’t the case, 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 has ever ascended to the rank of Flower Jing.
‘Of course, there are different levels and experience points within the realm, so even combat power may not be equal. Still, when it reaches its peak, it is worthy of being a master representing a region.’
In fact, since he was playing 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 mediocre 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.
“We haven’t decided on Beijing yet, have we?”
“But it is also true that that is the most likely place. To be honest, I think it is a negative place for a ritual… but, well, that depends on what kind of ritual is being performed.”
“That’s right. “There are many techniques to reverse heaven in the Demonic Cult.”
In the meantime, the participants’ meeting was continuing actively.
But there was a common opinion among them.
The point was that they had to be stopped somehow before they could complete the ritual.
“…There is a lot of work to do. You’ll need to send scouts to potential locations to find a clear location, and you’ll need support from others to fight them 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 Hyeongyeong…”
“It’s a 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
Jiangshi…” Those who were talking all at once fell silent.
Their expressions clearly showed that they were tired of the dark reality they were facing.
But then.
“I will go to Beijing.”
The young man’s confident voice echoed throughout the conference hall.
While various 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.”
Those around me continued to dissuade me for a while when I said that I would voluntarily go into the most likely and dangerous place.
The situation was different from simply participating in a battle and infiltrating alone into a lair where the enemy might have prepared something.
Moreover, isn’t that place a demonic realm 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 because the family’s female daughter was being sacrificed?
In such a situation, an expert 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. “Please take care of the rest in the meantime.”
“…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 any more, after a worried well-wishes from Taesang family head Zhugegunak, Hugo immediately packed his bags and left the house.
Papapat—
A step forward toward Yongzhong Mountain 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 actual combat.’
A low hum followed along with carefree thoughts that did not suit the situation.
Of course, he didn’t even have the slightest intention of visiting that magical place himself 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 can handle work faster than anyone else, more reliably than anyone else, and 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 Hyemi, who was looking up blankly at the blue sky outside the window, closed her eyes tightly.
Contrary to her feelings, the sky without a single cloud was extremely sunny.
‘I never dreamed I would come here.’
Site of the Imperial Palace in Beijing.
This was a famous horse scene.
A land of death that sucks the energy out of the body, making it uninhabitable and preventing magicians from using their full abilities, and where 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 the sacrifice…’
She, who had excellent understanding, was a prisoner of the demons 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, I can’t run away, so what’s the use of all that?’
Where she is now is in a guest 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 captured with her could even attempt to escape.
‘You’ll probably be overpowered the moment you take a step. After that, the treatment will get even worse.’
There were enough demonic cultists that she could see, but there were probably a lot more that she wasn’t aware of.
You may not know it, but aren’t there a lot of people around you right now?
“ha.”
A sigh naturally escaped from 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 right. “I need to exercise.”
At that time, a promise she had made with someone suddenly flashed through her mind.
The time we spent together was so short that it can’t be compared to family, but for some reason, whenever I’m alone like this, I keep thinking about the promise I made to someone.
-“I will be working hard here, so Confucius Xia, please tell me about the things that happened there. “Is this 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 able to finish it out of habit until yesterday…
‘…It doesn’t matter. I won’t even be able to hear the story anymore anyway.’
She, who had been standing up awkwardly, collapsed into her seat again.
So far, I had managed to hold on to 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…’
That was the moment I continued to think in a daze.
“uh?”
An exclamation suddenly burst from her mouth.
After belatedly recognizing a change that had occurred while I was out of my mind.
‘What is that?’
Her eyes turned to the sky.
Rumbling —
The sky had been sunny without a single cloud just a moment ago.
Before I knew it, it was covered with pitch-black clouds.
As if hinting at something to come.