Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Time passed, and at the guest hall within the Murim Alliance.

“So. How do you think this Grand Competition will turn out, Daesageom?”

At the appearance of the Sado Alliance Leader casually asking a question while sitting quietly as always, Daesageom, who had been wiping his sword with a cloth, frowned.

“What do you mean, how will it turn out?”

“Just as I said. Hmm, if I had to be specific, it’s closer to asking who you think will win.”

Watching the Sado Alliance Leader tilt his head with his hand on his chin, Daesageom remained silent for a moment before exhaling deeply. And then came the answer.

“Mujeong Hall will win.”

“Oh, is that so?”

At Daesageom’s answer that didn’t deviate from expectations, the Sado Alliance Leader wore a faint smile. However, Daesageom hesitated and then shook his head.

“……Normally I would have answered that way. Because the difference between the Mujeongwando and Muryeongwando is indeed severe.”

“You’re more skeptical than I expected. I thought Daesageom would naturally say the Mujeongwando would win.”

“That’s the truth though.”

The first gate was won by Muryeon Hall, and this second gate was also essentially no different from Muryeon Hall’s victory.

But the third gate was different. It was none other than the ‘consecutive victory battle.’

One-on-one matches, and at that, fighting on the training ground with no terrain changes. In other words, since it becomes a contest of absolute martial power, there would be few variables.

“If you’re judging rationally, you’d naturally judge that Mujeong Hall will win. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s not wrong.”

At the Sado Alliance Leader’s pointed remark, Daesageom sighed.

“If judging rationally, that would be so. In fact, my calculations aren’t much different either. After all, the difference in martial power is real.”

Whether in the first gate or the second gate.

Mujeong Hall had never been overwhelmed by the Muryeongwando in terms of martial power. In both gates, Muryeon Hall took advantage with numbers or tactics and unilaterally beat them down.

Actually, that was only natural. While strategy could change in an instant, a martial artist’s skill doesn’t change earth-shakingly overnight even with enlightenment. And in the consecutive victory battle that tests martial power, that would become an unbridgeable gap.

“That Baek Riyun fellow. He’s certainly no ordinary person.”

“Did you meet him?”

“Yes. He was like an aggregate of talent.”

Recalling the momentum emanating from Baek Riyun’s entire body, Daesageom grimaced.

“To have that level of achievement at that age…… He’s a monster indeed. It was like seeing the Alliance Leader from twenty years ago. Well, that’s not what’s important though.”

“What’s important?”

“Yes.”

At the Sado Alliance Leader’s question showing interest, Daesageom nodded.

“From the few words I exchanged with him, Baek Riyun’s mind is deep beyond what you’d expect for his age. And there’s one characteristic about such a Baek Riyun. Do you know what it is?”

“Hmm. What is it?”

“He absolutely refuses to let go of talent that falls into his hands.”

Baek Riyun as a person has tremendous greed for talent. Daesageom could be certain of at least that much.

What if the instructor who taught the Muryeongwando wasn’t Baek Riyun but an ordinary person?

If that were the case, they would have chosen to give up on the gate before the first gate even started. Compared to Mujeong Hall, they had insufficient skill and hostility from their surroundings—nothing was advantageous.

Even if by chance that instructor was capable and confident they could make them defeat Mujeong Hall, there would be no reason to go out of their way to help Muryeon Hall win. Because wasn’t it a situation where the Murim Alliance was backing Mujeong Hall?

No one would help the Muryeongwando while taking the risk of making an enemy of the Murim Alliance. Even if there was a way to restore relations with the Murim Alliance later, in the end that wouldn’t be gained.

“Baek Riyun chose to make an enemy of the Murim Alliance anyway.”

The result might have been good. He might have been confident it would turn out this way.

But in the end, the fact that this series of actions undertaken to improve the Muryeongwando’s position were dangerous acts doesn’t change.

From that perspective, Daesageom could be certain.

That Baek Riyun intends to win.

“Baek Riyun is intelligent enough to see through most of the world, yet surprisingly he’s a good person. The kind you can’t easily find in this world…… that type. There’s no reason for such a person to create a game with no chance of winning. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s not wrong.”

“Yes. And with such a person greedy for victory, I can’t clearly know who will win—that’s my opinion.”

“Hmm.”

At Daesageom’s words, the Sado Alliance Leader nodded as if understanding and leaned his chin on his hand indifferently.

“Can’t know who will win…… Since Daesageom thinks the same as me, there’s no room for debate. Then shall we change the topic? What do you think Muryeon Hall needs to do to win?”

“For Muryeon Hall to win?”

“Right. Anyway, to overcome the absolute difference in martial power, they’d need quite a plan. I can’t easily think of one though.”

“Huhu.”

Having heard the Sado Alliance Leader’s words, Daesageom let out a small laugh and gave a light answer.

“It’s simple. Baek Riyun’s strength lies in analyzing enemies thoroughly to an uncanny degree. He’ll thoroughly analyze the enemy and drill countermeasures into them.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Judging by what they’ve done so far, the probability is high. Whether the first gate or this second gate, looking at their formations and methods of movement, there’s much that surprisingly considers individual abilities. Moreover, this third gate isn’t simply one-on-one but a consecutive victory battle.”

In consecutive victory battles, the characteristic is not getting off the stage until defeated. Conversely, that means except for the first match, you can know your opponent.

“Probably for the first match they’ll send out Dan Riyeon, who’s most useless in combat. It would be too wasteful to send out someone who could win, and it would be a shame to send out others.”

“Oho. And then?”

“After Dan Riyeon is defeated, they’ll look at the opponent and send out someone suited to that opponent.”

Win once, lose once.

If they chase like that, in the end only a difference of one or two people will remain. Probably Baek Riyun intends to decide the match there.

Daesageom, who wore a knowing smile as if he’d grasped Baek Riyun’s inner thoughts, turned his gaze. The sun setting outside the window.

“The first match is a throwaway. Baek Riyun’s true intentions will definitely be revealed at the end.”

That’s the only answer.

Having finished speaking with certainty, Daesageom clenched his fist tight.

Anticipating the fantastical strategy beyond his expectations that Baek Riyun would show this time too.

People who haven’t properly encountered strategy tend to vaguely misunderstand strategy as something grand.

Actually, that’s understandable. To ordinary people’s eyes, strategy seems like something impossible to conceive with a common person’s mind.

Knowing the unknowable and striking at vulnerabilities. When you think you’ve hidden something, it’s discovered, and when you think you’ve discovered something, they strike from elsewhere. Divine calculation, demon schemes . That’s what people generally think strategy is. However.

I, who learned the basics of military tactics from the Jegal Family famous as masters of strategy, and learned how to use my head from family members second to none in intelligence, know well about strategy. That strategy isn’t actually that grand a thing.

Right.

There’s no need for grandiose things like strategy or tactics. No matter how crude.

“I’ll convey the strategy.”

As long as you win, isn’t that strategy?

“This Grand Competition’s strategy is just one thing. Crush them head-on without any throwaway pieces.”

“……What?”

The day of the Grand Competition.

Just before the Grand Competition began, when I casually spoke, the expressions of the Muryeongwando surrounding me changed strangely.

“S-Sect Master. Is that really the only strategy?”

“Yes.”

“But we’re…….”

“Do you want to say you’re weaker than the Mujeongwando?”

“……Yes.”

At my words, Oh Ryeong lowered her head with a complicated expression. Apparently feeling frustrated at having to acknowledge her own lack of ability.

After watching that for a moment, I quietly nodded.

“That might be so.”

It’s certainly not wrong.

Whether public evaluation or actual skill, the truth is that the Muryeongwando are still insufficient to catch up to the Mujeongwando. Right away in the first gate and this second gate, the Muryeongwando couldn’t overwhelm the Mujeongwando with equal numbers, could they?

With equal numbers, certain defeat. They can only overwhelm if they face them with at least a four-to-three ratio. That was my evaluation during the first gate, and that evaluation hasn’t changed much even now. No matter how much real combat makes martial artists grow, it’s still a distant gap to catch up already.

However.

“Not now.”

“……What?”

“At least now, you’re stronger than the Mujeongwando.”

That’s only talk of average skill.

Now the story is a bit different.

“Do you remember what I often said?”

“Amitabha. Of course!”

When I spoke in a low, solemn voice, Unjin responded enthusiastically with a serious expression, calling out the Buddhist invocation. And immediately the answer flowed out.

“Didn’t you say that anyone who breaks even a bit of the dormitory will personally learn what the pain of shaving one’s hair and washing one’s face is? I’ve engraved it in my mind.”

“……That’s also something I said often. That wasn’t what I meant to say though.”

At Unjin, who was recalling the time training at Uicheonmun and speaking, I sighed deeply and continued.

“There’s a saying that good military tactics are tactics that win before fighting.”

“Ah, I’ve heard that often?”

“Right. I said it often.”

Not fighting and winning is the best strategy, winning before fighting is a middle strategy, and winning by fighting is the worst strategy.

Since martial artists can’t not fight, they must win before fighting. Isn’t that one of the sayings I habitually use?

“What do you think martial artists need to win?”

“Well…… martial power, right?”

Looking at Oh Ryeong tilting her head puzzledly, I asked again.

“Right. Then what factors determine martial power?”

“Hmm.”

Seonwoo Gang, who had been thinking quietly, answered carefully.

“Aren’t there too many to pick just one?”

“Right. The factors that determine martial power are extremely numerous.”

The skill and experience accumulated ordinarily.

There’s no denying those things serve as pillars determining martial power. But is that all that determines martial power?

“Someone experienced fighting in forests fights easily even in places with many trees, and parents who see a yokai entering the house where their child sleeps display monstrous strength beyond their capacity. Like this, momentary martial power is ultimately not absolute but relative. Do you understand?”

“I understand that, but…….”

Oh Ryeong, who had been furrowing her brows in thought, spoke with difficulty.

“I understand martial power can increase due to other factors, but it doesn’t seem like our skills will suddenly rise dramatically just now…….”

“That would be so.”

“Then how can we win? I don’t think they suddenly got weaker either.”

“Well.”

“Huh?”

Looking at Oh Ryeong asking back as if she didn’t understand, I let out a quiet laugh. A voice heard from far away.

—From now on, we will begin the third gate of the Two Academies Exchange Competition, the consecutive victory battle! Both academies, send out your vanguards!

Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.

“It would be better for you to experience firsthand what the current situation is.”

“……Got it. Anyway, I just need to go out, right?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded and spoke, Oh Ryeong sighed and clenched her fist as if steeling herself, placing her hand on the nine-section whip  hanging at her waist. And.

“I’ll go out as vanguard. I’ll definitely catch at least one and come back…….”

The moment Oh Ryeong spoke with determination as if prepared to be used as a throwaway piece.

“Seomun Cheok.”

“Yes.”

“Three seconds.”

“End it within three seconds and return.”

I pointed to Seomun Cheok with a grin.

Seomun Cheok should be fully capable of that.