Chapter 156
Clang-! Clang-!
“Mmm~, what a very pleasant sound.”
I started my daily routine to the cheerful sound of swords clashing together in the morning.
So, what was my daily routine?
That was exactly…
“The tea smells very nice.”
Right, there was nothing.
In the past, I felt like I had at least a few things to do, but after the Haomun Leader and Munseok came here to Hunan, all my daily tasks disappeared.
With people smarter than me taking care of things on their own, there was no reason for me to step up.
I just idled around all day like this, did some Martial Arts Training if needed, wandered outside when bored, and threw a word of advice if I saw a lazy-looking guy, and that was it.
Of course, playing around every day like this didn’t mean my mind was at ease. Still, a little bit of…, hmm…, responsibility? I keenly felt something like that, perhaps?
“So this is how kings in a constitutional monarchy feel.”
As the General Stronghold Master of the Green Forest, I resolutely felt a sense of responsibility and wondered what I should do to kill time today.
“Should I take a walk for now?”
I started with a walk.
I downed the cup of tea placed in front of me and stepped outside.
Clang-!! Clang-!!!
“Mmm…, good, good.”
Ever since I cast the Green Forest Avici Hell Art two months ago, the situation in the Green Forest has flowed exactly as I intended.
A literal paradise of fighting where battles continued day and night without regard for hierarchy.
Tenacity was alive in everyone’s eyes, and sharpness lingered on the tips of their blades.
Suffering through 24-hour fights for two months, every Green Forest Member had filled their bodies with Combat Experience without a single battle against the Demonic Cult.
“At this point, even if we end up fighting those fanatic Bastards of the Demonic Cult, we should be able to face them without much issue.”
As I nodded in satisfaction watching the Green Forest Members fight, they finally noticed me.
“Oh! It’s the Leader!”
“General Stronghold Master! Hello!”
“Uh-huh, yeah.”
As soon as the guys saw me, they stopped fighting and bowed their waists. It was the result of my persistent brainwashing.
“I heard the General Stronghold Master is incredibly strong…?”
“They say he doesn’t even bat an eye if all the Executives Attack him at once.”
“I heard he used to beat up the Executives every single day in his youth…”
“Eek…!”
Right now, the total number of people in our Green Forest is just under two thousand, including the existing hundreds, the thousand new recruits, and a few additional people in between.
Among them, the Executives, who numbered a mere twelve, were naturally objects of envy to the guys.
And since those Executives always followed me and constantly preached my strength to their Subordinates, the regular Green Forest Members had no choice but to be extremely polite to me.
Among them, especially…
“Oh, Leader. Have you gotten up?”
“Uh, yeah, Dongryong. Good morning.”
…the Executive who followed me the best was Dongryong.
As expected, an old hand is reliable; lately, Dongryong has been a guy truly suited to be a Green Forest Deputy Leader, having been under me for a long time.
Not to mention how he was always polite to me…
“Hmm? Your clothes look a bit wrinkled?”
“Some guy launched a Surprise Attack earlier, trying to steal my identification tag.”
…Surprisingly, the guy still remained the Master of the One-Character Identification Tag.
Of course, he hadn’t kept the One-Character Identification Tag for the entire two months.
Was it a month ago? He was attacked by other guys at night and had something stolen exactly once.
But after that, he reclaimed his identification tag in just one day and hadn’t been robbed of it a single time since.
From what I heard, he had reached a state where he kept his Qi Sense active even while sleeping, allowing him To Block any incoming attacks.
“Ooh, Dongryong-a. You look somewhat strong now?”
“…Isn’t this all because of you, Leader? What is this? Guys challenge me every single day. It’s just annoying…”
“Still, getting stronger is all that matters. Where are you going?”
“I’m going on a Mountain Path patrol for the first time in a while. Would you like to come along?”
“Mmm…, sure.”
Since I had nothing to do anyway, I walked with Dongryong to accompany him.
It was then.
“Deputy Leader Dong-!!”
“…?”
Looking back at the sudden booming voice…
“This Heuk Su-Dol has come to challenge the Deputy Leader! Dol has come to challenge the Deputy Leader!”
Heuk Su-Dol, with an Eight-Character Identification Tag on his chest, stood holding a large Saber with a fierce expression.
Seeing his face, Dongryong frowned as if annoyed.
“Ah…, again? Just how many times is this?”
“I stopped counting at the hundredth time! It probably hasn’t reached two hundred yet. Anyway, just take my Saber!”
“Ugh…”
Dongryong sneaked a glance at me and raised his Saber.
“Leader, I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
Dongryong frowned as if annoyed, but underneath it all, the corners of his mouth were curled up as if he was enjoying it.
'He pretends not to be, but he’s a total battle maniac…'
I chuckled and sat down on the spot to watch the battle between Dongryong and Heuk Su-Dol.
Just as Dongryong’s realm had risen, Heuk Su-Dol’s realm had also risen significantly.
Did he say he embodied his Martial Arts while getting beaten up by Dongryong every day?
'That’s the method I used to teach Dongryong Martial Arts…'
Anyway, because he got hit so much, Heuk Su-Dol ended up using polite language with Dongryong despite being much older.
Clang-!! Clang-clang-!!
“Oh…”
Look at this. Isn’t it quite worth watching?
Since Heuk Su-Dol had his own Faction and was quite capable from the moment he first arrived here, seeing his growth made even me flinch for a moment at how fierce his blade was.
As for Dongryong…, it went without saying.
“Seeing it like this makes me feel even more deeply moved.”
Now, regarding the Executives, they were at a level where they could be called masters no matter where they went.
It was then that I was watching their battle with satisfaction.
“Great Hero.”
“Oh, yeah. Our Green Forest’s Prime Minister.”
“…Pardon?”
The Haomun Leader, who was our Green Forest’s Prime Minister, General Affairs Manager, brain, and housekeeper, approached me.
“What is a Prime Minister…”
“No, don’t mind it. What’s going on?”
Talking with her was an everyday occurrence, but this time, her expression was unusual.
Feeling a bit anxious, I asked her the reason…
“New news has flown in from the North, so I came to deliver it.”
“…”
…As expected, it was news about the Righteous-Demonic War.
* * *
Since we couldn’t discuss important matters on the Street, I left Dongryong and Heuk Su-Dol behind and moved to my room with the Haomun Leader.
“So…, what happened?”
After I served tea and asked for the exact situation, she opened her mouth with a calm face.
“The defensive line at the Shaanxi Border was breached…, and the Murim Alliance ultimately retreated.”
“…”
…Was it news of another defeat for the Murim Alliance?
It wasn’t surprising.
The Murim Alliance hadn’t won a single time since the Righteous-Demonic War began.
“Still, they held out for a long time.”
They were just beaten up by the Demonic Cult like cornered rats.
It was the same in the Original Novel, but there was still a change.
In the Original Novel, the Murim Alliance looked down on the Demonic Cult and faced ruin after attempting a Direct Confrontation, but this time they didn’t do that.
Because from the beginning, the Murim Alliance acknowledged the Demonic Cult’s superiority and took a perfect Defensive Stance, they were at least able to hold out and buy time until now.
“So…, did they lose the entirety of Shaanxi Province?”
“They said that’s not the case. Shaanxi Province is a region with its own underlying strength, isn’t it? Mount Zhongnan and the Mount Hua Sect are among its strengths. In other words, they managed to defend about half of Shaanxi Province.”
“Really? Somehow they protected half of it?”
Still, well…
If the Demonic Cult had already arrived right on their doorstep, Mount Zhongnan and the Mount Hua Sect would soon collapse as well.
And if Shaanxi Province fell entirely into the hands of the Demonic Cult like that…
“Next is Henan where Shaolin is, and Hubei where the Wudang Sect is. And after that is Anhui.”
No, just reaching Shaanxi meant being in the center of the continent, so if Shaanxi Province fell, all of Under Heaven would enter the Demonic Cult’s Range.
“The Murim Alliance must be in an absolute state of emergency.”
“Yes, they are reportedly mustering Troops, perhaps seeing the next battle as their final Opportunity for Reversal.”
“Scraping together Troops…, hmm…”
“…What is it?”
As I rested my chin on my hand as if in thought, the Haomun Leader asked what was wrong.
The reason for my contemplation was obvious.
“…It seems like they’ll really call on us this time?”
“Ah…”
The Non-aggression Pact Document our Green Forest signed with the Murim Alliance last time.
Inside it was a clause stating that the Green Forest would help exactly once when the Murim Alliance requested it.
The Murim Alliance had saved that opportunity until then…, but it felt like the time had finally come.
If they were pushed back in this battle, it would be difficult for the Murim Alliance to turn the tide of the war in the future.
“Mmm…, what should I do…”
Actually, there was a loophole in the clause about helping the Murim Alliance.
Namely, it didn’t specify how many people we had to send.
In fact, even if I only sent one or two of the weakest guys among my Subordinates, it wouldn’t be a violation of the Pact.
“Should I help them with this or not…”
Clang-!! Clang-!!!
Even now, with the sound of clashing swords echoing around, this Green Forest is overflowing with combatants.
My contemplation deepened over whether or not I should unleash those beasts.
* * *
The next day.
Just as Muyeon expected, the Murim Alliance sent a Delegation to Hunan Province for support.
Of course, even though it was called a Delegation, it was only one person.
The Murim Alliance currently didn’t have the luxury to pull many people away from the Front Line.
Still, on that one person…
“…It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
…they had pinned their hopes in their own way.
Yoo Somyung of the Shanxi Yu Family.
Having a connection with General Stronghold Master Muyeon, she came to Hunan Province as the Representative of the Murim Alliance to request Reinforcements from the Hunan Green Forest.
“Will that guy willingly provide support?”
Yoo Somyung, who knew Muyeon well, was skeptical about this dispatch from the beginning.
Even if he had made a pledge, he was clever enough to find a loophole.
However, looking at the current state of the Murim Alliance, she had an obligation to secure a substantial support force without fail.
It was the moment she received her passage plaque and stepped onto the Mountain Path, pondering how to persuade Muyeon.
Clang-!
“…!”
At the Familiar sharp sound in her ears, she immediately lowered her body. That was definitely the sound of swords clashing.
Furthermore…
Clang-!! Clang-!! Clang-clang-!!
'It’s not just one or two…'
Here on the Hunan Mountain Path…, the sounds of people fighting each other could be heard from everywhere.
“…”
For a moment, goosebumps rose on her body and she began to tremble.
Although she was a Rising Star, she had participated in the battle against the Demonic Cult as a Swordsman.
And in the midst of it…, she had personally witnessed the horrors of war.
People were killing each other intertwined with hatred and Killing Intent, and corpses were overflowing on the streets.
War was truly like Hell.
“Could it be that the Demonic Cult has invaded here too…?”
Come to think of it, the Green Forest had been attacked by the Demonic Cult even before the Murim Alliance entered the war with them.
“I was too complacent thinking this was the Rear Area…!”
She immediately steeled her resolve and headed toward the source of the sound.
Because the Green Forest is perhaps in need of help right now.
“Yaaaaah-!”
“Catch him! Pounce on him!!”
Eventually, she passed through the dense thickets and reached the origin of the sound…
“…N-No!”
…a Hell no less than the Northern Front Line unfolded before her eyes.