A few days after Chaeran arrived at Seonhwa Castle, a branch of Moonjeong was established in Seonhwa.
The building they used was mine.
To be precise, it was a manor provided by the military. As a case officer, I was given a manor separately, but since I was living in an inn, I didn’t really need it. However, I couldn’t just pocket the money or leave it to gather dust, so I lent it to Moonjeong.
“Wow~. Thanks to you, we can save on building costs. What a relief.”
“Ah, it’s nothing like that.”
“Hehe. This is why I really like my brother-in-law!”
Just as she smiled like a fox and tried to wrap her arms around me, someone grabbed her by the nape. It was Chaejin.
“Ahahaha… Sister?”
“Hehe. Let’s have a quick chat.”
With a smirk, she dragged Chaeran away, and Chaeran waved goodbye with a big grin.
“I’ll see you later~!”
I doubted they couldn’t afford to pay for the manor rental from Moonjeong, but Chaeran saying that was probably just meant to tease Chaejin. Those sisters really… the more I see them, the closer they seem!
“But is it really okay to lend out the manor like that?”
“It’s fine. In truth, not many of those who’ve been assigned manors actually live in them.”
“Oh? Really?”
While sitting at the table in the inn and eating fruit, I spoke casually. Right now, even Seongju had been assigned a manor, but it was rented out to someone else.
“Hmm. I heard that some officials even use their manors for business.”
“Oh… that’s interesting.”
There were a few related events, but they weren’t important, so let’s skip that.
I popped some fruit into my mouth and asked Sayoon.
“By the way, Sayoon. Is your training going well these days?”
“Yeah. Yes.”
Swallowing her fruit, Sayoon nodded. These days, she wasn’t just training at Hongseong; she was shuttling between the various Murim Alliance branches for her training.
“I’m sad that Yura left though.”
Yura, who had become friendly with Sayoon and Chaeran, eventually left Seonhwa Castle. I remembered how Sayoon looked disappointed when Yura left. It broke my heart to see her sulking.
“Well, she’s a warrior affiliated with the Murim Alliance. It can’t be helped. I heard there’s a call to arms for the warriors in the Murim Alliance, right?”
I nodded as I listened to Hongryeon, who was sipping tea and sighed.
It was the same with Heavenly Bright Moon. Yura had been unwilling to face the demonic cult so much that it resembled how I felt about the Iron Blood Clan.
So, it wasn’t hard to understand why she wanted to fight them to improve her skills.
“I heard the demonic cultists have been causing even more trouble lately. That’s why it seems the Murim Alliance is in need of reinforcements right now.”
This information was relayed from the Murim Alliance. It was confirmed on the side of the gate that things were quite tense within the demonic cult after some incident.
“They’re moving demons from Gi Won Yuga, and amidst that, there are those who are trying to increase their influence within the demonic cult. They say there’s a chance of internal conflict breaking out…”
“Well, that’s just how it goes… The enemy’s pain is our joy.
I’d heard similar things from the military, and apparently, they were planning to launch an assault on the areas influenced by the evil cult.
“Didn’t you get a call to participate?”
When Hongryeon tilted her head in confusion, I shrugged my shoulders.
Actually, I did. Cheonilhwa said to get ready because there might be a full-blown war between the Empire and the evil cult.
“It did come, but I’m not planning to participate for now.”
“Huh? Is that alright?”
“Hmm. Strategic matters are for the generals to solve… I’m really just here to give advice.”
So, I scribbled a few notes and sent them to Cheonilhwa.
Things to be cautious of in the area controlled by the evil cult. How the cultists might use their formations.
And some weaknesses of a few magic users.
That should be enough for the military and the Murim Alliance to reclaim the territories held by the evil cult.
Of course, there was another reason why I didn’t want to join this war.
“The current turmoil in the evil cult is because of Gi Won Yuga, I think.”
I said after munching on some fruit. What could have suddenly stirred the previously calm cult?
It must be because Gi Won Yuga, the largest faction within the cult, is finally making a move.
And the reason for that is probably…
“…Are they perhaps trying to obtain half of the Cheonma Divine Art?”
Hongryeon’s eyes sharpened, and I nodded. There was no other explanation.
“But didn’t Namgoonghwa say no one knew about that?”
“That’s what they think. It could have been revealed from another direction.”
“Well, that’s true, but isn’t that overthinking it a bit?”
“Well, from my perspective, it would be nice if I’m just being overly cautious… but I suspect Seonghwaseong will be attacked sooner rather than later.”
“Come on~. That can’t be…”
Just as Hongryeon laughed and said that,
“It’s bad!!”
A soldier rushed into the inn, and I stood up.
“What’s going on?”
“Gangs and evil monsters have appeared outside Seonghwaseong!”
At that shout, Hongryeon’s eyes lit up.
“We need to go right away.”
These guys have no class at all.
Upon stepping outside, I saw not only soldiers but also members of the Murim Alliance and some warriors who’d been staying in Seonghwaseong looking bewildered as they climbed the walls.
The Gangshi.
Even the weakest ordinary Gangshi, created from the dead, is a monster that even seasoned martial artists struggle to fight.
And there were at least a thousand of those Gangshi.
Plus evil monsters like the Hwaho that can be conjured through magic.
Quite a few dangerous beings were gathered outside Seonghwaseong.
“…That’s…”
One of the martial artists staring at the horde grit his teeth.
I recognized him. It was Gwi Myeong Do-gak, the martial artist who asked about dealing with evil monsters just a few days ago in Seonghwaseong.”
The one who stood as the guardian of the valley was a warrior named Gil Chi-woon.
In the martial arts world, he was regarded as a master known as Jeongsa Jigan, and his personality wasn’t exactly the best, leading many to dislike him.
Even Gil Chi-woon, who was receiving such evaluations, was gritting his teeth at their group.
Naturally.
Among those gangshis.
“…Those vile bastards. How could they…”
Many of them were dressed in ordinary clothes suitable for common farmers, and there were even children among them.
This made it clear.
Where those gangshis were created. How they were created.
“Shinsan Seonja. Could it be that those guys… I’ve heard the villages have been annihilated lately… Did they kill them to create gangshis?”
“That would be the case. Among the dark arts, there’s a technique called Saju (Death Master). With that technique, you can easily turn the recently deceased into gangshis. Of course, they’re weaker than properly made gangshis…”
However, it couldn’t be denied that it was still dangerous.
“…What is that?”
They were people dressed in black. Moving so leisurely amid a sea of gangshis and evil monsters.
There was no one present who didn’t know who they were.
They were the followers of the dark cult.
As they grinned sinisterly, something massive began to move behind them.
-Kung!!
-Kung!!
It was a giant. However, this giant didn’t resemble common demolition or bronze giants.
-Guueeaaah… Ggheugh…
The giant let out a strange scream and was made of flesh.
“…M-Master Shinsan, that’s…”
“It’s a Yookgeoin. This is my first time seeing one in person…”
A giant made entirely of flesh, something he had only seen in Heavenly Bright Moon, yet had never actually witnessed in reality.
“Even if they use the Saju technique, it’s not guaranteed that they can create gangshis. For those whose bodies are severely destroyed, or for whom it’s challenging to function even as gangshis, the followers of the dark cult use their corpses to create giants. That’s the Yookgeoin. Remember this. There must be a medium called Heukamsok somewhere in that Yookgeoin’s body. If we don’t destroy it, the Yookgeoin will never fall.”
“…Understood.”
“And according to the royal records, Yookgeoin absorb nearby corpses to enhance their power.”
“…You mean…”
“Those guys could absorb the incapacitated gangshis to grow stronger.”
Everyone’s tension was rising.
Thus, the number of death squads led by the dark cult began to increase.
Ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand.
When the enemies amassed before the distant castle walls revealed their murderous intent toward Seonghwa Fortress, I let out a sigh.
Something was emerging from among those gangshis.
It was different from the other gangshis just by appearance. With blood-red eyes, a hulking figure, and malevolent energy starting to waft from its entire body, it was coming forth.
The appearance alone was different. A hulking figure with blood-red eyes, and a dense aura of malice beginning to swirl around their entire body was emerging.
“Is that… a demon from the Dark Cult…?”
“Not a demon from the Dark Cult. That’s also a Gangshi.”
“A Gangshi?! Something exuding such a horrifying aura?!”
“…Blood Demon Gangshi.”
One of the executives from the Murim Alliance calmly said, while chewing on their lips.
Those belonging to the Murim Alliance would know.
Blood Demon Gangshi.
A powerful evil monster, a masterpiece of Gi Won Yuga.
“They say five Blood Demon Gangshi can take on a superhuman.”
“Is that really true?”
Hongryeon, who was watching the enemies beside me, bared her teeth and gripped her Yonghwan Sword. Sayoon, who was next to her, looked on with a mix of tension on her face.
The situation was explosive.
The enemies were poised, and those on the city wall were tense as well.
“Yu Seonsaeng!! What is going on?!”
To add to the tension, Seongju came running with the military officers in tow.
Even he, with quite a bit of experience, seemed caught off guard by the movements of these Gangshi and the demon from the Dark Cult.
Glancing at him in confusion, I shook my head.
“The demon from the Dark Cult is simply being a demon.”
“No, that… Hah. More importantly, they…”
“Given that the Gangshi seem to be the main force, it looks like they’re from Gi Won Yuga.”
I watched them and then grabbed the megaphone to shout.
“If you’re showing force over there, it means you have something to say. I am Yu Wol, the envoy of the Empire. If you wish to talk, step forward.”
Did they hear my shout? One of their group stepped out. A gaunt figure, with venom in his eyes.
An old man who seemed to have neatly suppressed his evil aura to the point where it was undetectable.
The slightly bent old man wiped his hooked nose and let out a ringing shout.
“Hehehe! Meeting the famous Yu Wol like this is a pleasure. I am Jeongwang, the chief guardian of the Dark Cult.”
“Y-Jeongwang?!”
He’s quite famous. A member of Gi Won Yuga, the right hand of Yu Jangmok, and a practitioner of evil arts.
Not just evil arts but he had also learned other magical techniques, and he slowly began to reveal his suppressed malice as he shouted.
“I’ll say just one thing!!”
“Speak.”
“Open the gate!! Then you will…!!”
“……”
“You will die nicely.”
Overflowing with confidence, he sure is. Considering I have a superhuman next to me.
I watched him and chuckled.
“Uh… have you perhaps lost your mind? What nonsense is that?”
“Kah-kah-kah! You would dare say such things while kneeling before me…”
“Don’t act all high and mighty for such a mere bait.”
Seeing the expression of Jeongwang stiffen, I laughed.
I knew this would happen.
He can’t be that foolish, and there’s no way he doesn’t understand the situation in Seonhwa Fortress, so making such a silly move doesn’t make sense.
It seems Yu Jangmok’s chosen strategy was to counterattack while they’re on the offensive.
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