Chapter 263

Chapter 263

Baek Risan was currently facing a rather troublesome situation.

“What’s going on?”

“……Well.”

“This is different from what we discussed!”

“……I apologize.”

“Haa.”

Seeing Eungryong hanging his head while glancing nervously at him, Baek Risan sighed and confirmed the group visible in the distance beyond the military camp. Despite being quite far away, the fierce and sinister aura carried on the wind.

‘If it’s like this, we’re screwed……’

The situation was far too different from expectations. Baek Risan turned his gaze and grimaced while dry-washing his face, then frowned at the rough, sandy texture. Not a good situation at all.

-It would be better to do it right before.

-Right before?

-Yes. Right before the battle.

The plan to assassinate Ilnachar was to be carried out when they arrived near Oyeon, right before a frontal battle with the Murim Alliance’s search party broke out.

Baek Risan and his group had decided on that timing after discussion. It was the moment that could maximize confusion for the enemy while also ensuring their own safety to some degree.

Eungryong and the three Chilryun members from the Demonic Cult were scheduled to be deployed forward to restrain the enemy’s masters, and the Blood Cult Leader would also move to tie down the Transcenders included in the search party once battle began.

Then the only master remaining at the command post would be Ilnachar. With Eungryong’s authority placing Nakcheon, Dokgo Cheon, and Songbyeok Jinin at the rear, they had calculated that their combined attack could easily capture him.

Yes.

That should have been the case.

“Yokai? What the hell are those……!”

Great Yokai that appeared from somewhere.

They were different from the desert yokai too. Unlike the desert yokai with their overall gaunt, efficient bodies, yokai that would commonly be seen in forests or mountains had emerged in large numbers. Moreover, those yokai were uniformly radiating fierce and sinister auras.

‘Perhaps……’

All of Baek Risan’s plans started from the assumption that the search party’s forces exceeded the enemy’s.

However, if such powerful Great Yokai appeared all at once in this situation and fought alongside the Blood Cult, it was difficult to clearly judge how the war would unfold.

In the best case, the search party might be able to hold on while taking slightly greater damage; in the worst case, they would be at a disadvantage.

“What should we do about this situation?”

“Hmm.”

At Baek Risan’s question, Songbyeok Jinin let out a troubled groan with a difficult expression. And watching that with a pathetic look, Dokgo Cheon snorted.

“Hmph. Just proceed as planned.”

“Have you not been listening this whole time? If we go as is, the enemy’s forces……!”

“So what changes?”

“……What?”

“I asked what changes by you stamping your feet and devising strategies. You brat.”

Dokgo Cheon’s words were right.

No matter how much they worried about strategy, good strategies were unlikely to emerge in this short time. If it were before the yokai arrived that would be one thing, but the yokai had already arrived and would likely form a united front with the Blood Cult.

“We might kill the enemy. Or perhaps we might be counterattacked and die ourselves. Those who extend their swords while worrying about such things usually die quickly and get buried in the ground.”

“…….”

“I don’t worry about such things. If it’s an unavoidable situation, it’s better not to worry. Unless you’re going to reveal your identity and join the Blood Cult side, what we idiots and I can do is clear. Strike the enemy’s rear.”

Thinking isn’t only our side’s privilege.

If the enemy brought variables, we just need to increase variables on our side too. The search party must have also judged they had some chance of victory and brought these forces here, so if we strike them from behind during the chaotic battle and somehow cause confusion, the rest will handle itself.

“If that’s all we can bet on, then I’ll bet on it. The stakes are already laid, so I haven’t learned the method of giving up the match before seeing how the dice land.”

“…….”

“Are you righteous sect hypocrites different from me?”

“……No.”

Though seemingly offended by Dokgo Cheon’s words, Baek Risan bit his lip while acknowledging it was the right thing to say.

“You’re right, Dokgo Cheon.”

“I’ve been feeling this for a while, but you speak curtly. You’re the weakest and youngest here, yet you don’t know your place.”

“So what? Should I start using honorifics with you now?”

“Good. Even now, call me Lord Dokgo Cheon with respect.”

“Go eat shit. I only use honorifics with people worth respecting. You’re not one of them.”

Deflecting Dokgo Cheon’s cold gaze with a hollow laugh, Baek Risan clenched his fist.

“It’s like an arrow that’s left the bow, dice that have been thrown, right? If we fail once, it’s over anyway.”

Then the story was simple. If until now they had discussed whether to proceed with the operation or not, from now on they should eliminate the possibility of retreat entirely and think about how to maximize the operation’s success rate.

“Eungryong. What’s the operation plan?”

“There will be a general offensive tomorrow.”

“The yokai are…….”

“They’ll move separately. No matter if they’re Blood Cult followers, they’re not beings that can move together with human troops.”

“That makes sense. A Hundred Demons Night Parade of that scale. There’s no doubt it’s being led by renowned Great Yokai.”

“Hmm.”

“Where do you think the Blood Cult obtained yokai of such quantity and quality?”

Thinking about it was simple. Foreign yokai likely couldn’t even properly communicate, so they probably moved toward those they could talk with.

To communicate, they had to be yokai near the Central Plains. But among the yokai wandering near the Central Plains in the wastelands, there were no yokai that moved in groups this large. Then?

“Those most likely to benefit first when the Great Seal is destroyed. Isn’t it highly probable they’re yokai who can occupy an advantageous position in future battles? For instance, yokai in the Central Plains.”

“Sinseongok…… You mean Sinseongok!”

“That’s what comes to mind first for me too, but it’s unlikely. Anyway, that’s in northern Jiangxi, close to the Central Plains. There definitely would have been sighting reports flowing in while coming here.”

“……Hmm.”

Baek Risan continued his reasoning, denying Songbyeok Jinin’s words.

“Sinseongok is one of the Three Great Demon Realms. Conversely, that means there are two more great demon realms in the Central Plains besides Sinseongok…….”

“The two demon realms are located in Gansu and Yunnan.”

“Yes. If they obtained them, it’s highly likely they obtained them from those two places. Formidable Great Yokai live there, and if the Great Seal is destroyed, they can enjoy the benefits of having already established themselves in the Central Plains.”

If.

If it became certain that yokai were obtained from the two places besides Sinseongok, that yokai force might not be as great a force as thought.

Of course, formidable and fierce auras were transmitted even here, but in reality, those two demon realms didn’t have a clear focal point like Heukya of Sinseongok.

“When there are two heads, strategies don’t work properly. Moreover, their side doesn’t just have two heads, but five or six.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’m saying let’s proceed as is. But more dramatically!”

Is the Blood Cult Leader handling conversations with the yokai?

That could be the case. However, according to Eungryong’s words, the one determining the Blood Cult’s course of action and designing most of the grand plans was Ilnachar.

Likely the one who recruited the yokai was also Ilnachar’s ability. Then the moment Ilnachar dies, the yokai also lose their means of communication with this side.

“Yokai, Blood Cult, and even the search party. If we attack Ilnachar at a situation and moment all three forces can recognize, we can achieve great effect.”

“Is there such a moment?”

“There is. Right before battle begins, when they come forward for a battle of wills.”

Normally the Blood Cult Leader would come forward.

However, the Blood Cult Leader really didn’t like showing his face. Since he left all the role of being the Blood Cult’s public face to Ilnachar, wouldn’t he leave it to Ilnachar then too?

“If we can successfully take down Ilnachar at that moment when everyone’s attention is most focused and security is most tight?”

“……Of course, we could gain great momentum.”

“Right?”

“But there’s a problem.”

Songbyeok Jinin, who had examined Baek Risan’s plan with a serious expression, let out a groan.

“Ultimately, to do that, we’d have to penetrate that tight security and assassinate Ilnachar, but would such an opening appear?”

“……Won’t it work?”

“It would be difficult, wouldn’t it? No matter how much we try to surprise them from the allied camp…… we’re not treated as Ilnachar’s closest confidants.”

Among their group’s forces, Eungryong, who occupied a large portion, was scheduled to be deployed at the front of the battle line to confront the search party’s masters. That meant he couldn’t participate in the attack.

Then Dokgo Cheon, Baek Risan, Songbyeok Jinin. And Nakcheon. They had to penetrate that tight security with just these four and kill Ilnachar. When the Blood Cult followers’ vigilance was tighter than ever, they had to break through the Blood Cult followers’ defenses and face two Sipcheon-level masters.

“If it drags on even a little, we’ll die.”

“About that part.”

“Oh, do you have a backup plan?”

“How about this? We set off something tremendous to draw everyone’s attention, then swiftly finish the job in the meantime.”

“Ho. You mean prepare something tremendous enough to draw everyone’s attention. So what is that tremendous thing?”

“That would be…….”

“That would be?”

A moment of silence.

Feeling everyone’s attention focusing on him, Baek Risan scratched the back of his head awkwardly. And the words that followed.

“We’ll have to think about it from now on.”

“…….”

“There’s still some time until battle begins, so if we think about it until then, won’t something come up? If worst comes to worst, we could throw Dokgo Cheon or something.”

“Stop your bullshit.”

“Make him burn his innate energy to the extreme, like? Use Violent Blood Demon Arts or something.”

“You brat. What do you think the Demonic Path is?”

“A pseudo-thunderbolt that could explode at any moment.”

“…….”

At Baek Risan’s words, Songbyeok Jinin stared blankly at Baek Risan then quietly closed his eyes and recited a Buddhist chant. Rapidly rising frustration.

“……Immeasurable Buddha.”

How could such words come from the mouth of a late-stage rising star of the fair and honest Orthodox Path?

After calming his mind for a moment, Songbyeok Jinin, who had extinguished all his frustration by letting out a deep sigh, shook his head.

“That method seems to lack practicality, so let’s reject it.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. A normal martial artist wouldn’t have learned something like Violent Blood Demon Arts in the first place. It’s a martial art you die if you use.”

“That’s…… true. Those selfish bastards who only care about themselves wouldn’t learn such a self-sacrificing martial art. Only fanatics like Blood Cult followers would learn it.”

“……That wasn’t the point I was making, but anyway.”

The strategy of throwing Dokgo Cheon to draw attention was impossible. And they didn’t have any other method to draw attention either.

“What should we do…….”

There was no way.

Nakcheon, who had been alternately watching the group fallen into deep contemplation with identical expressions, looked at Baek Risan’s frowning expression then raised his gaze to the sky. And once again lowering his gaze to Baek Risan, Nakcheon asked.

-Is it enough to just draw attention?

“Hm? Yeah. But…….”

-I have a plan.

“A plan?”

-Yes.

Nakcheon, who nodded lightly as if it were extremely simple, pointed up at the sky. And.

-Humans all live looking at the sky.

“Well, that’s true. But what about it?”

-Isn’t it enough if it’s a situation anyone would stare at blankly?

Finally, Nakcheon said something absurd.

-I’ll cut the sky.

“……?”