Chapter 286

Chapter 286

What kind of divine beast is Sangwi?

Its body length alone reaches thousands of li, and its height also reaches thousands of li—it’s a monster. How else could it be evaluated that no one can oppose it even without separately using demonic power or internal energy, if not for its enormous size?

At Sangwi’s size, it can be regarded as a moving mountain range. Since Sangwi’s body is actually taller and larger than most mountain ranges, trying to stop Sangwi with human strength is absurd.

Sangwi cannot be stopped by ordinary methods.

That’s why the tripartite alliance of the Sado Alliance, Murim Alliance, and Demonic Cult chose sealing as the method to stop Sangwi. Because that was the only way to block that massive body.

To seal Sangwi, they must first occupy the top of Sangwi’s back. However, on top of Sangwi’s back, renowned great yokai are holding their positions like bamboo shoots after rain.

To break through this situation, the Sword Saint and Sado Alliance Leader spread one notice throughout all of the Central Plains.

They declared they would determine the true Number One Under Heaven.

“Heukmyeon Salma has revealed himself.”

“Daehwalbeol, one of the Three Eminences of Tibet, has been spotted in Sichuan.”

“Geomgwi, one of the Ten Heavens, has broken his seclusion and is heading here. Judging by his speed, he should arrive here within seven weeks.”

“Hmm.”

The Sado Alliance Leader, who had been quietly listening to the results of what he had instigated, smiled with satisfaction at the pleasing results and turned his gaze. The appearance of Cheon Seoryeong looking at him with a blank expression from the side.

“Is there something on my face? Staring at me like that, Sword Sovereign.”

“Shamelessness is what’s on it. Using the title of Number One Under Heaven as bait to lure martial artists—are you in your right mind? They’ll be difficult to control.”

“Control.”

The Sado Alliance Leader, who chuckled, nodded. Because it was true.

The martial world talks about the Ten Heavens and whatnot, but there aren’t only ten experts at the Ten Heavens level in the world.

Right now, the Demonic Cult has the Seven Wheels who are considered comparable to the Ten Heavens, and in the Outer Martial World, there similarly exist three experts representing the Outer Martial World—the Three Eminences. Is that all? If you search the mountains and rivers, extraordinary hermits who secluded themselves to refine their martial arts will pour out like a swarm of bees—that’s the ecology of the martial world.

If all those people gather, controlling them would be a distant task. Even if the Emperor himself attended, there would be plenty who would sneer and draw their weapons.

“Hahaha. Sword Sovereign, I know too. That it’s difficult to control. Where would there be a way to control those lunatics gathering here? Even if I were truly the Number One Under Heaven, it would be impossible.”

“Then you’re handling things by just charging ahead first, knowing that? How do you plan to clean up this situation……!”

“Do we need to clean it up?”

“……What?”

“We need strength.”

What kind of people are hermit experts?

People commonly think of hermit experts as white-haired elderly with immortal bearing, but the reality is different. In the first place, the probability that those who turn their backs on the world and deliberately enter uncomfortable mountains to train have good personalities is extremely low.

Hermit experts are people with many stories. People who feel deep fatigue from relationships with others, people who couldn’t mix into society, or people with such deep grudges that they can’t openly operate—these are usually the ones who seclude themselves and refine their martial arts.

And the fact that such people are gathering means, conversely, that it’s like lighting the fuse of a thunderbolt bomb. It’s like placing a spark before a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

“Hehe, how does the Sword Sovereign view this gathering?”

“Well…….”

A path to destruction.

Cheon Seoryeong, who forcibly swallowed the answer that was about to pop out at the Sword Saint’s question, shook her head and answered.

“I suppose… preparation to gather strength. After all, we need to increase the total amount of power.”

“That’s right.”

To protect the Central Plains, they must thoroughly subjugate the top of Sangwi’s back. However, to thoroughly subjugate the top of Sangwi’s back, they first need that much martial power, don’t they?

“The yokai on top of Sangwi’s back are each powerful yokai. It’s natural since they’re yokai who climbed onto Sangwi’s back with the purpose of conquering the world.”

“The important thing is that the Murim Alliance, Sado Alliance, and Demonic Cult currently don’t possess the power to subjugate those yokai.”

Taeak, Daesageom, Sado Alliance Leader, Bulgoe, Sword Sovereign, Sword Emperor, Ilryun, Eungryong, and Nakcheon and Baek Riyun. Dokgo Cheon, Songbyeok Jinin.

In the search party, twelve experts at or above the Ten Heavens level fought together, and seven of them fought Heukya and were defeated. Considering that among those who fought at that time, Baek Riyun, Dokgo Cheon, Songbyeok Jinin, and Eungryong and Daesageom died, and the Sword Sovereign lost an arm, the current situation is truly desperate.

“Even if we gather all the strength of the Murim Alliance and Sado Alliance, it’s questionable whether we can face Heukya alone. Moreover, Heukya isn’t the only one living on top of Sangwi’s back, is he?”

“That’s true.”

“That’s why we need reinforcements.”

“I understand that, but…….”

Cheon Seoryeong, who paused for a moment, frowned.

“Even if we gather them this way, I wonder if they’ll properly cooperate. Aren’t most of them people who fled from society? Even if humanity is in a precarious crisis, most will be people who won’t care—what meaning is there in gathering them……”

“There will be meaning.”

“Are you hoping they have some humanity left?”

“No, I won’t use such vague methods. Because this itself is a trap.”

“A trap?”

“Yes. A trap called ambition.”

What is the purpose of those attending the gathering to determine the Number One Under Heaven?

Needless to say, they’re attending to become the Number One Under Heaven. There will be those who come to watch rather than participate, but most renowned experts will be heading here hoping their name will rise to the title of Number One Under Heaven.

“Virtuous people will probably gather here, and wicked people will gather too. But more than that, many greedy people will gather.”

“How will you control those greedy people? You’re surely not planning to appeal to their conscience?”

“Of course not. I’ll just spread one rumor.”

“……A rumor?”

“Yes. That those who face Sangwi and turn back are running away because they’re scared of this gathering.”

The Sado Alliance Leader, who shrugged, laid out his opinion. A villain not saving people? Isn’t that nothing strange?

Right now, whether Orthodox Path or Unorthodox Path, there are heaps of martial artists who don’t save people they could save. Whether they judged their training more important, or thought saving people was full of losses, there are countless martial artists in this Central Plains who don’t practice saving lives. However.

“That’s a different story from this.”

Running away from a place you’ve already arrived at is a different story. Because that’s not ‘could do it but didn’t,’ but ‘should do it but didn’t.’

“Sword Sovereign, what’s Sangwi’s expected route?”

“Well…….”

Cheon Seoryeong, who thought for a moment, answered.

“From Xinjiang to Qinghai, from Qinghai through Sichuan’s gateway to Shaanxi. Once it passes through Sichuan and arrives in Shaanxi, it’s a straight line to Beijing.”

“That’s how it will be. The paths that massive body can move on are limited. And if paths are limited, there are means we can use.”

“You mean……?”

“What if we hold the Number One Under Heaven competition at that gateway? Especially if it has the joint certification of the Murim Alliance, Sado Alliance, and Demonic Cult?”

“Can they run away without fighting when Sangwi appears?”

If they run away, they’ll lose all honor and live a life being pointed at by martial world people.

Those who want to become Number One Under Heaven cannot endure such a future. Because they’re people who have trained for decades to obtain that useless title.

“Even if we can’t control them, it doesn’t matter. We just need to gather them all and pack them in one place.”

Strategy is like that. Not controlling rain, but moving according to the day it rains. If you can’t control it, use that environment.

“……You had it all planned out.”

“Well, did you think I was just gathering them first to see what happens?”

At Cheon Seoryeong’s admiration, the Sado Alliance Leader chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyway, once other things are settled, how’s it going at the front lines? Have any communications come in?”

“They say it’s manageable so far. They say Gongdong Sect’s leader cut down one yokai that could be called a great yokai, but it was a wandering yokai not leading a Hundred Demons Night Parade.”

“Information is spreading slower than expected. Maybe because the demonic power’s progression isn’t complete yet…….”

“Either way, can’t it be seen as good news? Hehe.”

“Well, if the situation isn’t bad, it is good news. We roughly discussed the common people’s evacuation earlier too…… Ah.”

The Sado Alliance Leader, who had been counting on his fingers whether there were any undiscussed topics, opened his mouth as if he suddenly remembered.

“We’ll probably need relief grain to endure the immediate three months—how’s that going? Is the Imperial Capital providing support?”

“……No matter how much grain the Imperial Family has stockpiled, they couldn’t possibly have enough relief grain stockpiled to feed all the people of the Central Plains.”

“That’s true.”

“So we decided to obtain cooperation from the merchant company owners.”

“Cooperation? Not extorted?”

“You know who dominates the merchant world.”

“It would be Mangeum Merchant Company’s owner.”

The owner of Mangeum Merchant Company, who controls thirty percent of the Central Plains merchant world. The one called Geumgaek because he wields gold like a weapon.

“Geumgaek stepped forward himself. Saying that those who hoard money in this situation will definitely not be allowed to even set foot in the merchant world even if they survive.”

“Smart fellow.”

“He can see the situation ahead.”

A merchant must know trust? Or should value life over money?

There’s no way Geumgaek, who’s crazy about money, decided to distribute relief grain with such halfhearted thinking. Because Geumgaek is the kind of person who would throw away even his life for money.

“If humanity perishes, the gold he possesses becomes meaningless, and if humanity succeeds in surviving without perishing, the relief grain distributed will return as overwhelming reputation—so it’s profitable either way.”

“……Can you see that?”

“Isn’t it something anyone knows if they think about it a little? There were probably other merchants thinking about it too. They just didn’t do it because the losses were enormous. But Geumgaek is different.”

For small merchants or merchant companies to do similar things, they’d have to empty their private wealth, but since Geumgaek dominates the merchant world, he can pressure other merchants to produce similar effects without distributing massive amounts of relief grain himself. It means achieving maximum effect with minimum expenditure.

“Then, the relief grain will somehow be resolved…… is there anything else to discuss?”

“To discuss. There doesn’t seem to be anything.”

“Then, alright. You know, right? You handle your side, we’ll handle ours. Let’s just share information and do what needs to be done.”

“That’s sufficient.”

“Mm.”

At the Sword Saint’s answer, the Sado Alliance Leader, who chuckled, rose from his seat and stretched his stiff body.

“Old man. Then I should get going too. I have many things to handle.”

“Mm. Alri…… Ah, come to think of it, there’s one story I haven’t shared.”

“What is it?”

“It’s not an important story.”

“……You’re bringing it up in this situation even though it’s not important?”

“Because I thought you’d find it interesting.”

“Hmm.”

An interesting story in this situation.

“Look at this.”

When the Sado Alliance Leader, whose curiosity was piqued, focused his attention on him, the Sword Saint smiled and beckoned. A letter held in his hand that he had taken out from his bosom at some point.

“Look at this.”

“What’s this?”

“A report that flew in from near Qinghai. Our alliance’s Secret Pavilion worked hard.”

“Oh, are you planning to tell me the code?”

“Fortunately, it wasn’t sent in code, so you can read it. You should be able to read it without difficulty.”

“Hmm.”

What could it be to make such a fuss?

The Sado Alliance Leader, who shrugged for a moment, unfolded the letter and began scanning it from top to bottom. And after reading the letter for a moment, the Sado Alliance Leader’s expression became serious.

“This is.”

“Interesting, isn’t it?”

“……I have no choice but to acknowledge it.”

The Sado Alliance Leader, who let out an empty laugh, lightly put down the letter. And Cheon Seoryeong, inadvertently focusing her eyes on the letter.

“What on earth is it……?”

The trained expert’s vision read the letter without gaps. And shortly after.

Cheon Seoryeong, who read the contents of the letter, widened her eyes.

[Being appearing to be a ghost discovered in Qinghai.]

A fact that could never be overlooked was written in the letter.

[Said being has been confirmed to have the appearance of Uicheonmunju Baek Riyun, who died in Xinjiang.]