Chapter 1208 – 1208. The Ascent To Guangming
The trainees of the Devil Training Camp walked west, following their instructors.
It was a continuous march.
They crossed fields, climbed mountains, and built rafts to cross rivers. Occasionally, they encountered wild beasts or monsters, but they did not retreat and fought them.
It felt like they had walked 200 kilometers a day for three weeks. If they weren’t martial artists who had trained in martial arts, they wouldn’t have lasted a few days before dropping out. The only good thing was that they could set up individual tents and sleep at night. Of course, every night, I would sneak into Yeon Ye-ha’s tent and violate her.
Anyway, we arrived at our destination after three weeks. It was a city called Baeksan Fortress. The large mountain behind the city was Baeksan (White Mountain). The top of the mountain was covered in white snow all year round.
I looked at Baeksan and thought.
‘Even though the place names have changed… seeing the white mountain, it seems to be flowing as in the original work.’
Before entering the city, the head of the Devil Training Camp, Bae Taek-ju, said.
“This is the second test. For the next fifteen days, you will stay in Baeksan Fortress and help the Baeksan branch of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Any method is fine. Work for the Baeksan branch of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Accumulate achievements. The achievements you accumulate will be your grades.”
Jegal Mo-sun raised his hand.
“I have a question.”
“Number 366. You have permission.”
“To accumulate achievements, can we do anything?”
“It doesn’t matter. However, you will be responsible for what you do.”
“…You told us to form squads of six. What is the reason for forming squads?”
“We will assign missions to the squads. It is separate from achievements. You must carry out the missions.”
“What kind of missions?”
“It varies from squad to squad. Any more questions?”
“……No.”
Jegal Mo-sun lowered his hand.
Bae Taek-ju glanced at Baeksan and said to us.
“There are three forces in Baeksan Fortress right now. The Baeksan Gold Clan, which can be said to be the natives of Baeksan Fortress, has a history of over 800 years. They are a martial arts family and also run a trading company.”
Bae Taek-ju had an instructor unfold a large map in front of us. It was a rough map of the inside of Baeksan Fortress. The Baeksan Gold Clan was located in the north of Baeksan Fortress.
“The Baeksan branch of the Heavenly Demon Sect is in the east. This is the location. The Heavenly Demon Sect has no intention of completely dominating Baeksan Fortress. …Number 336. You raised your hand. You may ask a question.”
“What do you mean by saying that you have no intention of dominating Baeksan Fortress?”
“There is not much benefit to be gained from dominating Baeksan Fortress. Reckless domination will only incur the wrath of the Emperor. Even if we could dominate Baeksan Fortress, the sect does not currently have the manpower to do so. If we had the resources, we would dispatch them to more important places than Baeksan Fortress.”
This continent was ruled by the Emperor. The Heavenly Demon Sect was also just governing the land on behalf of the Emperor. No one on this continent could defy the Emperor.
“…So, you are not hostile to the Baeksan Gold Clan. Is the sect’s goal influence?”
“You’re smart. That’s right. The sect wants to have the second-highest influence after the Baeksan Gold Clan.”
“That means the sect doesn’t yet have enough influence in Baeksan Fortress… So, the problem is the remaining third force.”
“That’s right. The remaining third force is the Baeksan branch of the Thousand Intent Alliance.”
The Thousand Intent Alliance.
The trainees who heard the name became tense.
The Thousand Intent Alliance was a force created by the gathering of small and medium-sized sects. You shouldn’t think that just because they are small and medium-sized sects, they are weak. There are over a thousand small and medium-sized sects gathered. Although its history is short, it is rapidly expanding its power. If you simply look at its size, it is larger than the Heavenly Demon Sect.
The Thousand Intent Alliance was a hostile force to the Heavenly Demon Sect. Their relationship was so bad that it wouldn’t be strange if a war broke out between the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Thousand Intent Alliance right now.
“Let me tell you in advance. Don’t think about fighting the Thousand Intent Alliance. The sect has no intention of fighting the Thousand Intent Alliance yet.”
“What if the Thousand Intent Alliance attacks us? Should we run away instead of fighting?”
Bae Taek-ju turned his head sharply towards the questioner. His eyes were filled with anger.
“Number 195. Are you calling that a question? The sect does not run away from the likes of the Thousand Intent Alliance. If you are going to run away, you might as well fight and die. However, we must have the justification. Don’t forget that fact.”
Bae Taek-ju went on to explain the relationship between the three forces in Baeksan Fortress.
The most important key in Baeksan Fortress was the Baeksan Gold Clan, which was maintaining neutrality. Five years ago, the Baeksan Gold Clan announced that they would join forces with the force that would be helpful to Baeksan Fortress, whether it was the Heavenly Demon Sect or the Thousand Intent Alliance.
Because of that, the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Thousand Intent Alliance were competing in Baeksan Fortress. They were not fighting with swords and fists, but trying to develop Baeksan Fortress and gain the support of the citizens.
In other words, the Baeksan Gold Clan and the citizens of Baeksan Fortress were taking advantage of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Thousand Intent Alliance and gaining benefits.
“……I don’t understand. Is it necessary to obtain Baeksan Fortress?”
Jegal Mo-sun frowned and asked.
“Even if Baeksan Fortress is not important, we cannot back down. We cannot hand over Baeksan Fortress to the Thousand Intent Alliance.”
“…If we can’t have it, destroying it is also an option.”
“The Baeksan Gold Clan has connections with the Imperial Family.”
“……”
Jegal Mo-sun immediately shut his mouth.
The Imperial Family refers to those who are related to the Emperor by blood. In other words, the Baeksan Gold Clan could ask the Emperor for help through the Imperial Family. Whether the Emperor would actually move was another matter… Just being hostile to the Imperial Family was troublesome.
‘Ha…’
I let out a hollow laugh.
‘In the novels, the Heavenly Demon Sect was the strongest force in the martial world… The Heavenly Demon Sect in this world is watching the Emperor’s every move.’
At this point, I’m curious about what the Emperor looks like.
“Squad leaders, come forward. I will give you your missions.”
Bae Taek-ju handed scrolls with missions written on them to the squad leaders.
The squad leader of my squad, Squad 1, was Cheon Yu-un. He took the scroll and returned to gather the squad.
Me, Cheon Yu-un, Jegal Mo-sun, Yeon Ye-ha, Seo Mun-so-ryeo, and Jeong So-mok.
Number 290, Seo Mun-so-ryeo, was a woman. She used a spear as her main weapon. She was quite beautiful, but next to Yeon Ye-ha, she looked ordinary. I don’t have any intention of doing anything to her right now. But if I get the chance, I will take her.
Number 151, Jeong So-mok, was a man who used Kwon-gak martial arts. And he was a spy for the Thousand Intent Alliance. Of course, Cheon Yu-un also knew this fact. In the original work, Cheon Yu-un tries to persuade Jeong So-mok to become a double agent. The result is a failure. Jeong So-mok dies fighting Cheon Yu-un.
We unfolded the scroll away from the others. We checked the mission.
I roughly read the scroll. This was also as in the original work. Even if I don’t step in, Cheon Yu-un and Jegal Mo-sun will take care of it.
‘What I have to do is… Damn it, I do have something. Yeom Gu-seok has to cause an accident here.’
I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
Jegal Mo-sun glanced at me, as if he didn’t like me clicking my tongue, and then spoke about the mission.
“As it says here, we will enter Baeksan Fortress as newly emerged martial artists, hiding our identities as members of the sect. Our mission as Squad 1 is to gather information that can shake the Baeksan branch of the Thousand Intent Alliance.”
“A mission to gather information… That’s troublesome. I heard that other squads received missions such as delivering goods to a neighboring city or defeating bandits.”
“…Did you see the missions of other squads?”
“If you listen carefully, you can hear it.”
“My ears aren’t that good. As number 88 said, this mission is troublesome. Information that can shake the Baeksan branch of the Thousand Intent Alliance? There is a possibility that there is no such thing. Even if there is, it is difficult to dig up information in fifteen days. So, we have to keep in mind the possibility of mission failure.”
“Are you saying that we should focus on achievements rather than the mission?”
“Yes. That’s more reasonable. If anyone disagrees with my opinion, please raise your hand.”
No one raised their hand.
“Then I will assume that everyone agrees with my opinion.”
“Number 366.”
“Yes, number 88. Do you have a different opinion?”
“No, that’s not it. I agree with your opinion. What I’m curious about is how we accumulate achievements. Other squads can accumulate achievements by helping the Baeksan branch of the Heavenly Demon Sect, but we can’t.”
Squad 1 had to hide their identities as members of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Therefore, they could not openly help the Baeksan branch.
“What’s important in Baeksan Fortress right now is not the Heavenly Demon Sect or the Thousand Intent Alliance. It’s the Baeksan Gold Clan. But right now, we don’t have any information about Baeksan Fortress. We lack too much information. So, I would like us to split up today and tomorrow to gather information about Baeksan Fortress.”
“What’s next?”
“We will make a plan based on the information we gather.”
“I agree.”
Cheon Yu-un smiled and said.
Jegal Mo-sun looked around.
“What do the others think?”
Everyone agreed.
We checked the fake identities written on the scroll and entered the city. We booked a room at an inn on the outskirts of the city and scattered to gather information.
‘Cheon Yu-un will be watching Jeong So-mok, the spy, as in the original work. I will…’
I just need to act like Yeom Gu-seok in the original work.
I walked through the city’s main street. As befitting a main street, it was full of life. I headed to a place where there were no people.
A place where people don’t gather even during the day, despite being a main street.
That place was the entertainment district. At night, this place would be crowded. And the entertainment district was bound to be connected to the underworld.
‘In martial arts, they call it the Black Path.’
It sounds good to call it the Black Path. In reality, they are just street thugs. In modern terms, they are closer to the mafia. They engage in activities such as prostitution and gambling.
And usually, behind the Black Path, there are often heretical martial arts forces involved. Perhaps behind the Baeksan Fortress Black Path group is the Heavenly Demon Sect.
I avoided the flashy brothel buildings that were over five stories high. If I rashly touched such large brothels, it would become troublesome. I entered an alleyway in the entertainment district. The deeper I went into the alleyway, the more ominous the atmosphere became. If you looked at the ground, you could often see bloodstains.
Just as I reached the end of the alley, a small door in the wall burst open and a man came out. His bare upper body was covered in gruesome tattoos, and he was holding a broadsword in one hand, waving it threateningly.
“I don’t recognize your face. You’re not from around here, are you? Who are you with?”
The man asked me, swaggering.
I clenched my fist. There was no need to draw a sword.
“I’m the one asking. You, who are you with?”
“Ha, look at this guy. So confident… you are!”
The man suddenly threw his broadsword at me. I snatched the broadsword with my left hand. The man ran up the wall and fell towards me. It was an attack using his weight. His speed was very fast. His punches, without hesitation, showed that he had trained in martial arts.
But that didn’t mean he was threatening.
I moved later than the man. I raised my fist and threw an uppercut. Although I moved slower than the man, my fist was faster than his.
“Cough!”
I grabbed the man’s head as if catching it as he fell.
Before I could unleash lightning, the Lightning Heaven Style reacted to my will first.
Pajijijijijik!
The current generated from my palm swept over the man’s body.
“Krrrrrrrrrrrr!”
