It’s only a matter of time before the invitation from the Martial Forest Alliance arrives.
I had thought so, but the invitation from the alliance came even quicker than I expected. The very next day, I was invited to the great assembly.
“I am the outcast Ho Cheon-an.”
After showing a bit of authority, I raised my head and scanned the representatives of the sects gathered in the arena.
Among them were familiar faces: Feng Ying Hall Master, who represented the Tang Clan, Master Un-jong from the Jeomchang Faction, and Moyong Seo from the Moyong Clan.
Seeing these familiar faces after a long time brought a sense of warmth, but there were more important matters to address first.
“Everyone must be wondering why the Brain Knife Outcast is present here.”
Everyone in the arena nodded in agreement.
On the outside, my connection with the Blood Sect was minimal; the only noteworthy mention was how the Moyong Clan and the Shengsu Faction thwarted their scheme.
“May I explain from here?”
“Please do.”
“Greetings, everyone of the Martial World. To put it bluntly, I am here to share the intelligence and power of the Blood Sect that I have gathered so far.”
Expressions of doubt surfaced among the sect representatives regarding how I knew anything about the Blood Sect, but soon, that doubt turned to shock.
“To cut to the chase, the entity power of the Blood Sect I have identified is at least eight, and at most, around twenty to thirty.”
“Wha-what?!”
“That’s utterly ridiculous…!”
“I will now explain the basis for this.”
I calmly recounted the events that transpired after visiting the House of Jegal, commissioning an Array Formation, finding Seo Mun-yeon through Jegal Yeong-myeong’s introduction, completing the Array Formation, and tracking down the entities one by one.
The representatives gaped at me in disbelief.
“How did you gather information on so many entities?”
“More astonishing is that you visited all those places.”
I patiently addressed their inquiries.
“I received help from an able companion.”
“The Bicheongmacha we currently use is a high-speed cart from the Tang Clan, and it is particularly efficient.”
I explained how I acquired the information about the entities and their lairs.
As I shared the details, the representatives began to understand, though some still held doubts about my credibility.
The mobility of the Bicheongmacha has already been widely reported from various regions of the Central Plains, so that was not the main point of suspicion.
However, I had no intention of revealing the identity of Wolbok-dang, which meant I couldn’t explain how I obtained such information outright.
Still, I had substantial evidence to convince the representatives.
“This Inner Dan is proof of the truth of my journey.”
I took out a box containing three raw Inner Dans, untreated by Tang Do-yeon.
As the three Inner Dans released their energy all at once, the arena was filled with a heavy atmosphere.
“Hmm.”
“Indeed.”
The suspicious glares directed at me began to slowly dissipate with the tangible proof of my actions, but what replaced their suspicions was sheer bewilderment.
“Thirty entities, you say?”
“This is utter nonsense…”
The strength of the Blood Sect that my information hinted at was a disaster far beyond what the Martial Forest Alliance had anticipated.
“Everyone, please be quiet.”
Hall Master of the Martial Forest Alliance Yeon Cheon-baek silenced the commotion.
“I think it’s prudent to assume the worst-case scenario. Based on the information shared by the Brain Knife Outcast, we should devise a countermeasure, do you agree?”
The sect representatives reluctantly nodded one by one.
“First, shouldn’t we discuss the previous matter? The plan to rescue the Botamun centered around the Shandong Akga, right?”
“Indeed, the Array Formation Team from Shandong Akga, as well as the main house, suffered significant losses, according to the recent reports.”
“Yes. The news we received today states the Blood Sect chose to withdraw instead of occupying.”
So, Shandong Akga was attacked.
The news of such a significant loss for a faction capable of joining the Martial Forest Alliance made me grimace.
It seemed that the faction, known for fervently hunting entities, had become a target for the Blood Sect.
“I wonder why they choose to occupy the Botamun after such a rapid withdrawal.”
“Hmm, it could be a bait to lure other factions.”
Bait.
That was quite a plausible scenario.
Their choice to strike and occupy the Botamun also contributed to the credibility of that theory.
From a socio-cultural perspective, the Botamun, composed predominantly of women, is likely to evoke sympathetic sentiments.
“Even if the Blood Sect only possesses ten entities, they could sufficiently scatter them to exploit any gaps when they hear of a sect’s Array Formation Team being absent.”
“Yes. No matter how powerful the Blood Sect’s entities are, it will be challenging to breach the guarded sects protected by Array Formation Teams and veteran experts.”
Moreover, the fact that the Blood Sect was occupying the Botamun itself was a direct assault on the Martial Forest Alliance.
Since the establishment of the Martial Forest Alliance, their only significant accomplishment was hosting a few tournaments, with no substantial achievements to show for.
There have been no collective issues requiring a unified response from the Martial World, which means the Martial Forest Alliance’s prominence has naturally waned.
This incursion from the Blood Sect was, indeed, the Martial Forest Alliance’s first opportunity to make a mark.
Given the alliance of prominent sects, expectations for the Martial Forest Alliance were naturally high.
If they fail to make a proper impression in such a situation, it would severely diminish the alliance’s prestige and stifle their activities.
Thus, reclaiming the Botamun was an essential mission for the Martial Forest Alliance.
Yet, reclaiming the Botamun in the current circumstances was no easy feat.
“Even if we maintain support, we need to form a new Array Formation Team for the Botamun’s recovery.”
“However…”
As the talk about the Array Formation Team arose, the arena fell silent.
If the Array Formation Team were absent, their own faction could be vulnerable to attack.
Who would be willing to deploy their Array Formation Team for the sake of reclaiming the Botamun?
And I estimated that the silence among the representatives also stemmed from another reason.
“Hmph, I’ll speak candidly now.”
The representative of the Cheongseong Sect broke the silence.
“It seems it will take some time for our power to be operational.”
The Surahana-hanjin mobilized to capture the Black Armored Dragon in Podalap Palace, but their proficiency with Array Formation was lacking.
If they had rushed to hunt the Black Armored Dragon at their initial level of skill, it would have turned into a chaotic battle with numerous injuries and casualties.
Was this lack of proficiency specific to Podalap Palace?
“It has been decades since we directly faced an entity. Under such circumstances, it is the judgment of my faction that we cannot recklessly throw ourselves into combat.”
The current atmosphere in the Martial World itself had leaned towards neglecting defenses.
Entities were no longer a significant threat to martial artists, to humans.
Who would prepare with their utmost effort for a situation that might occur once in several decades?
One glance at the tense silence in the arena made it abundantly clear that the Array Formation Teams of each sect were not in good condition.
The burden of having to leave their main forces exposed, alongside the possibility of their hastily deployed Array Formation Team facing defeat or heavy losses at the hands of the Blood Sect, made it impossible to proceed rashly.
And this atmosphere in the Martial Forest Alliance was precisely as I had anticipated.
“May I speak?”
“Yes, of course.”
With the permission of Yeon Cheon-baek, I stepped to the center of the arena.
“How many years did the Blood Sect invest to gather so many entities? I imagine it was not a small amount of time. Over that lengthy period, they must have continually refined their optimal plans for conquering the Martial World, so breaking their plans won’t be easy.”
“So what do you suggest we do, Brain Knife Outcast?”
An impatient representative urged me.
“The Blood Sect’s occupation of the Botamun is aimed at destabilizing the Martial Forest Alliance’s position and weakening the overall response of the Martial World. We must reclaim the Botamun swiftly to dismantle the Blood Sect’s initial strategy, don’t you think? Time is crucial for the Martial Forest Alliance, and thwarting the Blood Sect’s plans is the most effective way to buy that time.”
The sects within the Martial Forest Alliance all possess renowned experts in the Martial World.
If we could raise the proficiency of the Array Formation, we could sufficiently gain the upper hand against the Blood Sect’s entities.
Even if the current Array Formation proficiency is poor, the experienced veterans who have fought entities in the past would guide them.
Time is on the side of the Martial Forest Alliance.
A few representatives, frustrated by my argument, wore expressions that suggested they wanted to shout, “Who doesn’t know we need to reclaim the Botamun quickly?”
“I concur. However, the key issue is the Array Formation Team…”
“Is it not right here?”
I gestured towards myself.
“You mean you, Brain Knife Outcast?”
Everyone’s eyes widened, but I had believed that my involvement was necessary since before I arrived at the Martial Forest Alliance.
To disrupt the Blood Sect’s plans, a variable was essential.
A variable that could exceed the plans the Blood Sect had been meticulously crafting over an extended period to cultivate and conquer the Martial World.
“In just a few months, I can hunt three entities, providing us with ample combat experience, while also not being tied down to defend any location, as I can move freely with the Array Formation Team.”
And it was precisely I and my companions, who had just recently mastered Oh Seong-jin, that would be an unpredictable variable that the Blood Sect could never foresee.
“I completed the Array Formation not long ago. The Blood Sect would have no way of knowing that. If we exploit this, we could give them a good surprise.”
“… indeed. There’s ample strategic potential.”
“We could safely approach the vicinity of the Botamun under the guise of secrecy.”
My proposal was one the Martial Forest Alliance had no reason to reject.
“Can five of us truly confront a Saber Beast?”
“We have proven hunting accomplishments. If we have the Martial Alliance’s fighters assisting us, I believe it’s possible.”
“I think it’s better than doing absolutely nothing.”
Though it was a sudden proposal which led some to raise concerns, ultimately, opinions leaned towards support.
After confirming the general consensus, Yeon Cheon-baek nodded and formally offered me authority.
“As the Hall Master of the Martial Forest Alliance, I ask you officially: Will you cooperate with the Martial Forest Alliance to defeat the Blood Sect and their entities for the sake of peace and safety in the Martial World?”
“Of course.”
The next destination for the Bicheongmacha was set for the Botamun.
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