Chapter 154

Chapter 154

The group fell silent for a moment at Seohwa’s bombshell statement. Seohwa’s opinion was not easy to understand.

“Haa… fire, again?”

“Yes.”

Did she die in a past life from being unable to start a fire or something?

Baek Risan sighed at the sense of déjà vu continuing from the bandit subjugation and rubbed his forehead before speaking. Even if it was a shocking opinion, it wouldn’t be without basis.

“Let’s hear the story first. What’s the strategy?”

“It’s simple. Either way, we just need to protect the village for about two shichen, right?”

“Well, that’s… true.”

“But right now, we’re severely short on manpower. There are the surveillance personnel we need to send up to the watchtowers to protect the entire village, and we also need to spare manpower to destroy the formation axes.”

Wangpal is injured, and the others are quite exhausted too. In the current situation, even if just a third of our forces leave, the village’s defense would be impossible.

“If we don’t have manpower, we should think about what we can reduce.”

“We need watchtowers to fortify the defense of this large village. So it’s simple, isn’t it?”

If the village is too large and requires too much manpower, just make the village smaller.

If there’s too much to protect?

“Just reduce what needs to be protected. Including the villagers and everything else.”

At Seohwa’s words, Seomun Cheok exchanged glances with Seonwoo Gang for a moment, then nodded as if he understood. Seomun Cheok immediately spoke.

“It’s certainly a good plan, but there are a few problems. We need alternatives for these issues.”

“What are they?”

“First, even if we increase defensive manpower that way, we don’t know if we can hold out. We don’t know how many yokai will come rushing in.”

“Ah, that’s fine. We’ll set fires and leave only an entrance.”

“If the entry path is a narrow passage, it’s easier for a small number to face a large number. As long as the yokai don’t jump over the flames, we can hold out.”

“…I see.”

After examining Seohwa’s strategy, Seomun Cheok couldn’t refute and affirmed Seohwa’s words. But there were still mountains of problems remaining.

“Then let’s move on to the second problem. From what I hear of your plan, you intend to burn the entire village except for one spot.”

“If we don’t burn enough, the yokai will get in.”

“That’s the problem. The fire probably won’t last for two shichen. What will you do if the fire goes out in the middle?”

“We’ll pour oil on it.”

“…Oil?”

“Yes. Oil.”

What slash-and-burn farmers might have would be at most animal oils like pig fat or beef tallow.

Animal oils don’t catch fire as easily as oils extracted from plants, but they have a high ignition temperature and the oil is sticky, so they burn for a long time. And when fire burns for a long time, naturally even things that don’t burn easily will catch fire.

“As you know, the green logs we cut outside as obstacles are still not quite dry. It’s only been about a day since they were cut.”

“We can move the green logs inside, coat them with oil, and set them on fire. Since they’re not fully dried, they’ll burn longer, and by the time they’re done burning, the situation will probably all be over.”

“Did you professionally study arson before becoming a martial artist?”

“What?”

“Nothing. I misspoke.”

Even a professional arsonist wouldn’t come up with fire-setting plans this readily. How is she so fluent only when it comes to setting fires?

Seomun Cheok, who had unwittingly admired her, cleared his throat and shook his head. Then came the final question.

“The last problem is simple. Assuming all of this has a good chance of success and we execute it, can you get the villagers’ consent?”

“Let me tell you in advance, it won’t be easy. No matter how dangerous the current situation is, for them, the village is their entire world.”

Even when tidal waves strike, even when yokai invade the village, there are people who don’t leave their land—that’s how precious one’s living grounds are to humans. Would it be easy to give up everything and set fire to their household belongings for a threat that hasn’t even arrived yet?

“No matter how much we try to persuade them, there will definitely be those who object. Naturally, it will become a method of forcing them by strength.”

“If you give the order, they’ll follow, but is that still acceptable to you?”

Can you force the operation through, ignoring individual free will, just to save lives?

At Seomun Cheok’s sharp point, the group waited for Seohwa’s answer. This was something no one else could argue about.

A moment of silence.

After falling into deep thought, Seohwa parted her lips to give an answer, then closed them again, reviewing her own opinion. Deep anguish and conflict showed on her face.

Time passed. In the endlessly flowing time, Seohwa anxiously repeated her thoughts. And after a while.

“…We don’t need to persuade them.”

By the time she finished thinking, Seohwa’s complexion had hardened.

“There’s a way. Just one.”

Like a child forced to do something they didn’t want to do.

The team formation proceeded quickly.

“Let me summarize.”

After the meeting ended, Seomun Cheok, who had compiled the meeting results, tapped the table at a steady pace. The wooden table’s noise echoed rhythmically.

“The team to destroy the external formation axes will be Jangil, Seonwoo Gang, Baek Risan, and the bandits Majeok and Jeoksam. Branch Master Jinwoong. And the rest, including myself and Seohwa, will protect the village. Any objections?”

“Mm. Since that was decided through the meeting, I have no objections… I’m just asking out of curiosity.”

After thinking for a moment, Baek Risan tilted his head.

“Isn’t the personnel distribution strange? According to the plan, we don’t need that many people to stay inside. Isn’t it overstaffed?”

“That’s a valid question. But it’s better for this side to be overstaffed.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a speed battle once we destroy the second formation axis.”

“Ah…”

Baek Risan nodded in understanding at Seomun Cheok’s words. He could understand what he meant.

“If qinggong falls behind, it’s over.”

“Right.”

If things go as expected, the time the village needs to hold out against the yokai attack starts from when the formation axis destruction team breaks the second formation axis and lasts until they break the third formation axis and Baek Riyun arrives at the village. What does that mean?

“The faster you complete your work, the shorter the time we need to hold out. And to complete it that quickly, it’s better to have as few people with inferior martial arts as possible.”

“Mm.”

“I don’t think my weapon techniques or martial arts level are far behind either, but I’d have a hard time keeping up with your gyeongsingong from prestigious families. The same goes for Branch Master Jinwoong.”

The two nokrim bandits familiar with mountains and forests, Jangil who will maintain concealment until they find the formation axis, and Baek Risan and Seonwoo Gang with excellent gyeongsingong.

There’s no better personnel selection for the formation axis destruction team than this. At Seomun Cheok’s assertion, Baek Risan nodded.

“Understood.”

“Any other questions?”

“None. I’ll depart right away. But.”

“But?”

“Will it be okay?”

“Mm?”

“That.”

“…Ah.”

At Baek Risan’s question, Seomun Cheok turned his gaze and let out a groan. The village chief who had been dragged out of prison and was now tied up, watching them.

The village chief was originally scheduled for summary execution. It’s natural for him to be detained since he was caught red-handed performing the ritual.

“We have no choice, do we?”

At least for now, they can’t execute the village chief. Because.

—If that’s the case, I’ll cooperate.

—…Won’t you demand something?

—That’s strange talk. Don’t you know why I’ve continued the rituals all this time?

There was no one else who could smoothly persuade the villagers.

“He’s a murderer and a lunatic, but… ultimately, what he aims for is the same.”

“It’s unsettling.”

“But it’s true. In terms of trying to save the greatest number, he’s not different from us.”

Sacrificing one person to save hundreds.

It’s a wrong method, but it’s hard to call it malice. Through that ritual, the village chief could have gained much more benefit, yet all he did was ask about the situation.

“It’s twisted goodwill. We could end up like that too if we’re not careful.”

“In the current situation, he’s worth using. As long as we can control him, that is.”

We’ll release his restraints, but when persuading the villagers, a martial artist must accompany him. Since the village chief is an ordinary person and an old man, we can subdue him the moment he tries anything suspicious.

“That’s rational.”

Let’s use everything we can use. This isn’t the time to be picky.

Recalling the opinion Seohwa had offered, Baek Risan nodded and stood up.

“I should depart soon. Are the preparations ready?”

“Almost finished. The persuasion is all done too.”

“Will everyone gather at the village meeting hall?”

“That’s how it’ll be. However, to calm the residents’ anxiety, we’ll isolate the yokai. We’ll leave her at Choil’s inn since it’s close to the village meeting hall.”

“Good.”

Time to depart soon.

After nodding and checking his equipment, Baek Risan finished his preparations and walked toward the gathered group. Before leaving, Baek Risan spoke.

“Take good care of her.”

“Of what?”

“Seohwa. She’s still a child.”

She learned how to observe from Baek Riyun, and Seohwa herself is bright, but she’s still seventeen. An age to learn about the world.

“There are bound to be gaps that come from lack of experience. I’m asking you to fill those gaps. Just look at how she decided to spare the yokai, and other things too.”

“That bastard… your hyeong might think differently, but she’s still too young to see harsh things.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

After muttering quietly, Baek Risan spun around and walked away.

“Two shichen. Light the fire in two shichen. We’ll have destroyed the formation axis by then.”

“We’ll do that.”

“May fortune be with you.”

Watching Baek Risan disappear while waving his hand behind him, Seomun Cheok, who had remained silent, turned his gaze slightly to look at Seohwa. Seohwa was directing the situation while breaking out in a cold sweat.

“A young age.”

Young age means lack of experience. Lack of experience means not knowing about compromise. Unable to distinguish between ideals and reality?

If they were inexperienced youngsters, that could be the case. Objectively speaking, Seohwa also hasn’t escaped from that youngster framework.

“Even if I’m here, Seohwa won’t compromise. Have you forgotten whose disciple she is?”

She doesn’t compromise. She doesn’t give up. Even if everyone says “it can’t be done,” she pursues and pursues until she makes it happen.

Seohwa is that person’s disciple. And she’s the disciple who inherited the most.

“Not the second-best, but the best.”

If it can be done, nothing would be better than that.

With a bitter smile, Seomun Cheok ran his hand down the cool spear shaft and turned his gaze.

At the edge of his vision.

The wooden fence surrounding the village was glistening with oil.