Chapter 392: The Prelude to War (3)
The number of volunteers kept increasing day by day.
Just as Sa Biyeon had confidently stated, after seven nights had passed, the number of people in the Shaanxi Expeditionary Force had finally surpassed two thousand.
“Indeed, it seems the Cult Leader's authority has risen significantly after the recent incident.”
The Great Elder, Cheon Yeongha, gracefully lifted her teacup as she sat across from me.
However, contrary to her composed demeanor, her expression was quite grim.
“What happened to First Elder?”
“We haven’t been able to determine his exact location yet.”
I could no longer hide the matter regarding First Elder from her.
I conveyed to her what I had heard from Samro, Cheon Rain — that First Elder had been imprisoned.
“As I told you before, we mustn’t stir up the Cheon Clan right now.”
“…Even this old woman is aware of that.”
Cheon Yeongha gently bit her lip.
Focused on matters related to Heavenly Demon Pavilion and the Elder Hall, it had been quite some time since she last paid attention to the internal affairs of the Cheon Clan.
“That damned old man… to let his guard down and get caught by poison of all things.”
“……”
Avoiding the Heaven-Slaying Poison wasn’t something that could be done simply by staying vigilant.
“Enough. It’s his own karma for being careless. We can only hope that he’s at least still alive.”
First Elder was valuable both in terms of status and reputation.
No matter how ruthless Cheon Juchun was, he wouldn’t be able to kill First Elder so easily.
Cheon Yeongha surely knew that well.
She composed herself and spoke to me.
“So, you’re heading back to the Central Plains this time?”
“Yes.”
“You’re certainly busy. Last time it was the Evil Refining Sect, and now it’s the Central Plains again…”
She gave me a pitiful look.
“You should be enjoying the height of your passionate newlywed life, yet you're enduring so much.”
“It can’t be helped.”
I accepted her gaze with a bitter smile.
Tak!
Cheon Yeongha set down her teacup.
“Well then, enough of that. Tell me now, why have you come to visit this old woman?”
Without hesitation, I presented her with a proposal.
“Please temporarily take charge of the Heavenly Thunder Corps, Great Elder.”
Cheon Yeongha’s brow furrowed.
“The Heavenly Thunder Corps? Why them? No, before that—how?”
“If Cheon Jumyeong holds his enthronement ceremony and becomes the Clan Leader of the Cheon Clan, by our Cult’s laws, he cannot concurrently hold the position of Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader.”
“That’s true.”
“But the Heavenly Thunder Corps already has Eunryeong as the Vice-Leader, does it not? Wouldn’t she inherit the Corps Leader position?”
“The Demon Fairy is not qualified to hold a position as a Lord of the Five Great Halls.”
This “qualification” wasn’t referring to character or capacity.
Quite literally, she had not formed the vessel of the Extreme Demon Realm.
It was a fatal flaw that no excuse could remedy.
“Even so, do you think that boy Cheon Jumyeong will give up the Corps Leader position so easily?”
“Yes, we reached an agreement on that beforehand.”
“Hooh?”
Cheon Yeongha’s eyes widened.
I was sorry, but I couldn’t tell her the details of the secret pact I had made with Cheon Jumyeong.
That was why she likely found it unbelievable that I had secured the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader position so easily.
“In politics, isn’t it most important to place your people in key positions? For that reason alone, it would be difficult to find anyone more suitable for the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader than you, Great Elder.”
“…You look just like one of those conniving ministers who’d ruin a nation. No, well, that doesn’t matter. Hmmm…”
She seemed genuinely shocked that the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader position had come so easily.
‘She won’t refuse.’
Cheon Yeongha was of an age where it wouldn’t be strange for her to retire at any moment.
But in my previous life, she had remained active until the very end of the cult’s demise, supporting Yura with everything she had.
Even if she didn’t become Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader, I needed to place her in a position above Heavenly Demon Pavilion and exploit her until she dried up.
‘Not that I’m doing this to get revenge for all the abuse in my past life or anything…’
……
……
—Can’t you do anything right?! Is your brain stuffed with muscle like the rest of those Jin Clan idiots, you worthless Inner Administrator dog?!
—Gueeek! G-Great Elder! P-please calm down! Calm down!
“……”
For some reason, recalling the past where she had literally strangled me brought a chill, and I hastily shook off the memory.
‘Ahem! Whatever the case, I must secure the Heavenly Thunder Corps.’
Strictly speaking, Cheon Jumyeong hadn’t handed over the Corps—he had merely told me to take it if I could.
If another suitable candidate were to emerge from the Cheon Clan, and Cheon Yeongha was out of the picture, I’d have no one fit to propose.
Fortunately, Cheon Yeongha didn’t refuse my offer.
“Well, fine. At this age, disciplining youngsters will be a bit of a chore.”
“Thank you for your swift decision, Great Elder.”
I bowed politely, but Cheon Yeongha just chuckled and shook her head.
"Come on, thanks to you, I even got to take the position of one of the Five Great Hall Leaders. That’s quite a promotion."
I knew very well that she was just being playful.
In her past life, she had absolutely no ambition for success.
Regardless, with Cheon Yeongha accepting the position of Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader, we had now prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.
All that remained was to organize the troops properly and lead them forward.
However, among the applicants on the final day, there was one person I hadn’t expected at all.
"Ma Chulsoo, what brings you here?"
I looked up at the young man clad in a crimson Black Dragon Robe who had come all the way to my office.
None other than Ma Chulsoo himself had brought along over a dozen promising juniors from his clan to apply.
With his characteristic blunt expression, Ma Chulsoo retorted.
"Weren’t the qualifications open regardless of age or status?"
"That’s true, but this is an expedition that’ll take at least half a year. If you leave your post, what about the Ma Clan?"
"Heh! A Jin Clan brat worrying about the Ma Clan?"
This bastard?
I was just trying to show some concern, and he gives me that smug look?
Seeing my crumpled expression, Ma Chulsoo let out a brief chuckle.
"The Ma Clan’s heir competition ended long ago. Leaving for a bit won’t shake the clan."
"Hmm... well, that’s true."
"The clan elders all agree this expedition is a great opportunity and strongly encouraged me to participate."
"A great opportunity?"
"An experience to lead group warfare in a stable setting."
I tilted my head.
"Ma Chulsoo, you're from the Thousand Day Pass just like me. You should’ve had enough of that kind of experience already."
Maybe if it was the Demonic Dragon Hall, where rookies gathered to mingle. But the Thousand Day Pass was a training ground for warriors—it regularly exposed us to real battle experience until graduation.
At my words, Ma Chulsoo scoffed.
"Hah! Comparing those baby days to now is ridiculous."
‘...From my perspective, you don’t look all that different from those baby days now.’
True enough, unlike back in the Thousand Day Pass where instructors could still protect us to a degree, now we had to bear every consequence ourselves.
"If you’re the commander, I can trust you. I’m guessing there are quite a few applicants from across the Six Great Demonic Clans?"
"Hmm..."
Ma Chulsoo wasn’t wrong.
What started as a competition to test loyalty had ended up attracting a pretty impressive roster.
"From what I know, even 'that place' sent someone…"
Ma Chulsoo hadn’t even finished his sentence when—
"Hey, you pretty boy! You here?!"
Bang!
The office door slammed open, and a charming warrior burst in.
"...Lady Yeongyeong?"
Grinning!
The So Clan Leader of the Pa Clan, Pa Yeongyeong, grinned mischievously as she spoke.
"Got room? No? Then make some."
That wasn’t a question. It was practically a declaration.
"This great one will personally serve as your adjutant."
Having Pa Yeongyeong, the Pa Dragon Empress, as adjutant?
There was no reason to refuse such an offer.
However—
"Hey, Pa Clan."
Ma Chulsoo suddenly stepped forward, glaring fiercely at Pa Yeongyeong.
"The second-in-command spot for this Central Plains campaign? I already claimed it."
"Hmm?"
"Sit back and stay quiet. Don’t go putting your spoon on someone else’s table."
"......"
Ma Chulsoo threw out a sharp warning, but scaring someone like Pa Yeongyeong wasn’t so easy.
If anything, she smirked with a look that said, ‘This bastard wants to die?’
Locking eyes with Ma Chulsoo for a moment, she let out a short, dry chuckle.
"Well now, this is entertaining."
"......"
"When I was making a name for myself in the Six Demon Dragons, you were still some crumb stuck in the Thousand Day Pass. Now you get one Heaven-Slaying Star and think you’re hot shit?"
Bang!
She slammed her fist into the office wall.
"Come out. I’ll see for myself if you’ve got the skills to match that big mouth."
"Heh! You think I’m scared of a little intimidation?"
As if on cue, the two of them began heading outside.
The air instantly became thick with the tension of a near life-or-death duel, and I hurriedly reached out in panic.
"Wait, the two of you! What the hell are you doing…?"
They were completely ignoring me—the one with actual authority to decide—and doing whatever the hell they wanted.
"No way I’m losing to some loudmouthed Pa Clan thug."
"I’d rather die than lose to a stuffy Ma Clan gentleman!"
Lately, things had been so quiet that I’d almost forgotten.
Originally, the relationship between the Pa Clan and the Demonic Clan was notoriously terrible among the Six Great Demonic Clans.
With the young clan heads of such families meeting, the title of second-in-command of the expeditionary force was just a formality.
It was at that moment.
“Well, if they’re going to fight anyway, let them.”
I didn’t even notice when she got there—Pa Seolyeong sat across from me with a smile.
“Your Grace, how about having a serious discussion with me about the future of the subjugation force?”
“……”
With Pa Seolyeong now present, the outcome of the sparring match between those two became completely meaningless.
…It was Ma Chulsoo’s misfortune not to have such a strategist by his side.
The composition of the expeditionary force had now been clearly established.
As a result, I appointed both Pa Yeongyeong and Ma Chulsoo as vice-commanders.
I simply assigned the First Vice-Commander position to Pa Yeongyeong and the Second Vice-Commander to Ma Chulsoo.
Naturally, Ma Chulsoo, having been placed below someone from the Pa Clan, exploded in protest toward me…
“If you’re so upset, then fight me.”
“……”
I silenced Ma Chulsoo’s rebuttal with indifference, according to the law of the strong.
“The force will be divided and operated in hundred-man units. I plan to organize it into three armies.”
Unexpectedly, there were many capable candidates among the volunteers who could lead a hundred-man unit.
‘Many of them are former members of the Thirty-Four Demon Squads, and even served for several years. If I can synchronize them well, they could crush one of the Nine Orthodox Sects with ease.’
Of course, since there were so few peak-level masters, things would get difficult without me. But in terms of scale alone, it was more than feasible.
‘At this level, we’ll manage as long as we get the minimum synergy.’
I shifted my gaze to the joint training of the expeditionary force.
“Hall Master of the Flying Immortal Hall, is there any new intel from Shaanxi?”
The Hall Master of the Flying Immortal Hall shook his head, drenched in sweat.
“Nothing yet.”
“What about the position of the Black Lotus Union?”
“They’re still stationed in Xi’an. Mount Hua Sect and the Gongdong Sect seem to be surprisingly loyal.”
“But that won’t last long.”
This time, the Hall Master nodded.
“Probably not. If the Murim Alliance gives direct orders, even the Nine Orthodox Sects won’t be able to resist.”
That’s why we had to act first and drain the Black Lotus Union’s strength.
“Let’s hope nothing goes wrong…”
I looked southward with a hint of concern.
***
Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.
Even tonight, Plum Blossom White Sword Jo Gongmyeong, who had been thoroughly monitoring the outside of the city, received a sudden summons from the Sect Leader in the middle of the night.
“Elder Plum Blossom White Sword, a letter has arrived from the Murim Alliance.”
“A letter… you say?”
“Yes.”
Jo Gongmyeong immediately noticed that the Sect Leader’s expression wasn’t good.
Well, at this timing, a letter from the Murim Alliance could only mean one thing.
But then—
The content of the letter was far more despicable than expected.
“…They’re sending the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad, and they want me to cooperate with the Evil Overlords of Heaven to strike the Black Lotus Union?”
Jo Gongmyeong’s face twisted in utter disgust.