Chapter 80

Chapter 80

People think the line between predator and prey in nature is clearly drawn, but in reality it’s different.

In nature, predator and prey are separated by only a hair’s breadth. A tiger approaching the riverside to drink water might have its paw bitten off by a crocodile, and a pride of lions charging to hunt an elephant might have their necks broken by an elephant’s trunk—predator and prey can be reversed at any time.

Just because one is eaten doesn’t necessarily make them weak, and just because one eats doesn’t necessarily make them strong. That’s why the strong must be wary of the weak.

A lion gives its all even when catching a rabbit not because the lion is diligent, but simply because only by doing so can it be safe.

And that principle was being applied identically elsewhere.

Right here in this competition.

“Huff! Huff!“

Specifically, not anywhere else, but right here.

The second gate of the competition. Deep in the canyon.

Swish!

Kong Yeol, a Mujeongwando from Kunlun, who was running while exhaling rough breaths, flinched in surprise at the presence felt from the side and reflexively twisted his body. And at the same time, a hidden weapon flew past, grazing his side.

“Immeasurable Buddha , Immeasurable Buddha……!”

How did it come to this?

Kong Yeol, who violently recited the Buddhist invocation, trembled his hands, unable to maintain composure. He couldn’t even get a sense of which direction to go because of the presences felt from all directions.

‘Why……‘

When searching for enemies, it’s important not to be discovered by them.

Kong Yeol, and Myeong Jeon who was in the same search team as Kong Yeol, knew this fact very well. After all, they had to find the enemy’s main base, but if they were discovered by the opponent, the probability of being pursued and killed would be extremely high—it’s common sense.

Searching is good, but they mustn’t be discovered. If discovered and pursued, they’d become unreturning guests unable to even transmit information. So Kong Yeol spared no effort in concealment.

But what’s the result now?

The enemies found them as if they had been waiting, the moment they entered the area.

As if they knew they would come to this place.

Swish!

“Huff. Huff.“

Thinking about it, it was strange.

Despite not much time having passed since they started searching, there were marks indicating completed searches scattered everywhere.

At the time, he simply thought it was a coincidental overlap of search areas. That’s why he headed this way.

But now it’s different. Because.

‘Perhaps we were lured……!‘

At the end of those marks, at the end of the single remaining path, they arrived at this place.

“Immeasurable Buddha, Immeasurable Buddha…….”

Better to resist even if taken down than be eliminated without even resisting like Myeong Jeon, who was ambushed. He shouldn’t end up in the same state.

“Immeasurable Buddha. Come out quickly!”

Kong Yeol, who recited the invocation at the bushes swaying from all directions, clenched his fists and raised his senses. Kunlun’s characteristic white energy  like clouds gathered in Kong Yeol’s two fists. And.

“Why don’t you just give up?”

“Give up, this poor monk didn’t learn such a……!”

The moment Kong Yeol turned his head at the voice he heard.

Fifteen Muryeongwando revealed themselves from the forest.

“Well, looking back, I think I did learn that.”

Kong Yeol quietly raised both hands.

One week ago.

“What do you think dominates a battlefield?”

At Baek Riyun, who let her inside and asked, Dan Riyeon, who had been quietly maintaining silence, answered cautiously.

[Is it outstanding martial power?]

“Hmm, outstanding martial power—that’s also one element. If you have overwhelming martial power, you have a high probability of gaining an advantage in battle and winning on the battlefield. But that’s not the answer I want.”

[The presence of an excellent strategist…….]

“That’s also important. But no matter how genius a strategist exists, there are always situations where defeat is inevitable. Just as ants’ strength cannot defeat a person no matter what strategy is devised.”

[……I don’t know.]

“You truly don’t know?”

[No.]

Watching Dan Riyeon answer in sign language, Baek Riyun, who had been looking at her with warm eyes, quietly put down his teacup and tapped the table with his finger. And soon the answer flowed out.

“Information.”

[In……formation?]

“Yes. Information. What dominates the battlefield is nothing other than information.”

Baek Riyun, who spoke decisively, smiled faintly and continued.

“Masters of military strategy all say this unanimously. In military strategy, winning without fighting is first, winning before fighting is second, and winning while fighting is merely the lowest achievement. Do you know what this means?”

[Don’t fight……?]

“Haha, of course that meaning exists too. But the biggest method this indicates is one thing. They already knew how to win without fighting.”

Winning in battle but losing in war.

Such cases occur tremendously often. Even Xiang Yu , the Conqueror, rarely lost in battle, but didn’t he ultimately lose to Liu Bang in war?

“Win without fighting. If you’re at war but can avoid all enemy forces and occupy the capital, you can win without fighting. And what supports that is information. If you know where enemy forces are positioned, how they’ll proceed, where they’ll retreat—you can’t lose. Do you understand up to here?”

[Yes.]

“Then I’ll ask you now. What do you think you should do to win in this competition?”

[That’s…….]

What should be done to win?

If it had been before hearing Baek Riyun’s words, she probably would have given an abstract answer. An answer like training more in martial arts, or attracting the enemy’s attention.

But now it’s different.

[Obtain information.]

“No.”

At Dan Riyeon’s answer, Baek Riyun grinned. And the answer that followed.

“Obtaining is insufficient. You must.”

Baek Riyun, who lightly cut off his words, declared decisively.

“Dominate information.”

And now it has come to this.

Thud!

Dan Riyeon, who had been quietly hiding in the tree’s shadow and then confirmed the contents of the wooden block that flew over, half-opened her eyes and organized her thoughts. The contents of the wooden block informing her how the operation was proceeding.

—Kong Yeol and Myeong Jeon disposal complete.

‘That makes four.‘

Dan Riyeon, who counted the number of Mujeongwando disposed of, exhaled a sigh of relief. The strategy was proceeding as expected.

‘Really…… just as Munjunim said.‘

If you dominate information, you can dominate the battlefield.

Baek Riyun said so. By limiting information to the enemy, you can guide the enemy’s direction, and by acquiring the enemy’s information, you can determine your own direction.

“Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear a hundred battles “—if you know the enemy’s thoughts, you can predict the future, even if only fragmentarily. And if you can predict the future, winning is as easy as twisting a child’s wrist, so the one who dominates information dominates the battlefield.

That was Baek Riyun’s teaching, and that’s why Dan Riyeon insisted from the very start on deploying all sixteen personnel for searching. Because.

The odds of winning were higher that way.

‘Code decryption.‘

Decrypting a code seen for the first time on the spot—the skill Baek Riyun showed when they met at the entrance exam.

When she was told she had to learn that skill in just one week, she thought it was nonsense. No matter how much the teacher was Baek Riyun, she thought it was impossible to teach an advanced skill like code decryption, even at a basic level, in one week.

But what’s the result?

‘I can see it. The pattern.‘

Observing the enemy’s movements, examining codes, cross-referencing, finding correlations between codes and actions.

For Dan Riyeon, even though code decryption was a skill she was learning for the first time, it was as familiar as something she had already mastered.

Baek Riyun cited her observational skills as the reason, but no matter how excellent one’s observational skills, learning a new technique can’t be easy. It must all be because Baek Riyun’s teaching was very excellent.

Of course, it took quite a while. She used one whole shichen after all.

But she decrypted it. Then now is the time to use it.

Huuu, Dan Riyeon, who exhaled deeply, half-opened her eyes. So far four have been disposed of, so twelve Mujeongwando remain.

‘Those who went out as a search team from their side would be at most six to eight. The rest are likely constructing a defensive line at the main base.‘

There’s no time now. The other side isn’t stupid, so if this much time has passed, they should have noticed something’s wrong with the search teams.

‘Until the two who went north return is one gak . Until those two notice the abnormality and reach the main base is another gak.‘

The remaining time limit is about two gak.

‘Finish everything within that time.‘

Dan Riyeon, whose resolve was set, melted into the shadows.

So deeply that even looking closely, not even her shadow could be found—perfectly.

“They’re late.”

“Indeed.”

At Namgung Hyeon’s appearance looking around with displeasure, Paeng Jin, who had been carelessly chewing on a reed fluttering nearby, spoke nonchalantly.

“Were they taken down?”

“……You’re joking even in this situation?”

“Ah, no. I’m not joking!”

At the suddenly chilled atmosphere, Paeng Jin waved his hands in excuse and spoke.

“I mean it seriously. Really! Isn’t it strange? It’s not like they went to search, they went to check, yet they’re this late. Unless they’re slacking off…….”

“Do you think Baek Risan is you?”

“If it were me instead of Baek Risan, would you even suspect?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“You guys…….”

At the appearance of his comrades quickly agreeing, Paeng Jin ground his teeth. And watching that appearance, Namgung Hyeon quietly fell into thought.

‘It’s definitely strange.‘

It’s approaching half a shichen since Baek Risan left the main base to fulfill his request. That means enough time has passed for the sun’s movement to be visible.

If nothing special happened, she should have returned after finishing her business in less than half that time. No matter how wide the search range, Baek Risan didn’t go to search—she went to roughly check the progress of the search.

Even if it takes long, it wouldn’t exceed two gak, and even if there’s something suspicious to investigate, it wouldn’t exceed three gak. But Baek Risan is exceeding that time.

‘Looking at it positively, there’s a high probability she found the search teams and is returning together with them……‘

Isn’t that thinking too positively?

“Let’s reinforce the fortifications.”

“Even more from here? Won’t it be easy to be searched if we reinforce more?”

“We’ll accept that. The situation seems to be flowing strangely. It’s rather odd.”

“Mm.”

“Let’s start right away.”

“If that’s the case…….”

At Namgung Hyeon’s words, the convinced Mujeongwando picked up materials one by one to reinforce the fortifications. And.

“First, then, let’s reinforce from the west…….”

Before Cheonggyeong’s words could finish.

“Hey, you don’t need to worry about being discovered. Because.”

With a cheerful voice, everyone’s bodies froze.

“You guys are already discovered.”

Beyond the field of vision.

Led by Seonwoo Gang, the Muryeongwando were walking out from the forest.

With numbers overwhelmingly greater than the Mujeongwando at a glance.