Chapter 10 – Qualities of a Martial God (3)

Chapter 10 – Qualities of a Martial God (3)

Hanzhong military conference room.

All the generals of the legion gathered in one place. A map of the central plains was spread out on the long table. The six managers silently waited for General Zhang Yang to arrive.

I hope so. Someone broke the silence and spoke first. Yang Yeon-jeong, the adjutant in command of the spear corps, was the highest-ranking person among them.

“Commander Wi Jin-cheol. These days, the sword corps has been training elite soldiers without our knowledge.”

“Aren’t we all training new recruits to be elites now?”

“Why do you need to deceive us? I already know everything.”

Wi Jin-cheol tilted his head as if he didn't understand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Huh. That’s right. Are you planning on fooling us too? Aren’t they only selecting the elites from the sword corps and giving them special training every morning?”

Wi Jin-cheol craned his neck and made an absurd expression.

"yes?"

“I took a quick look at it early in the morning, and it seemed like our spearmen couldn’t handle it. Their skills are already far superior to those of the regular army. Please tell me what the secret is.”

Wi Jin-cheol let out a laugh as if he was dumbfounded. Because he had never given such an ordered.

Moreover, we were now in a situation where hellish training continued all day long to forcibly improve the skills of new recruits. But what kind of crazy people don't sleep and do special training they weren't told to do?

Wei Jin-cheol's eyes turned to the soldier guarding the door of the conference room.

“Yugwang. Come and see for a moment.”

He was a direct subordinate of the Sword Infantry Corps, and was a soldier who usually did odd jobs and assisted in the training of new soldiers. Wi Jin-cheol whispered in his ear in a very low voice.

-Why was that guy framing me now? If there's anything I don't know, tell me.

– Wasn’t that what the manager ordered? These were the sixteen trillion people. These days, I come to the training center every morning and practice swordsmanship.

Wi Jin-cheol, who sent the soldier away, thought for a moment.

Even so, the Sixteenth Dynasty's combat power had been increasing like crazy recently, so something seemed strange. Moreover, among the new recruits belonging to the sword corps, weren't all the nobles he cared about belonging to the Sixteenth Patriarch?

‘Hmm, that’s right?’

Suddenly, a lot of strength went into Wi Jin-cheol’s shoulders.

“We were preparing in secret, but now we can’t hide it. In fact, we were raising a special force in our sword infantry unit.”

The attention of the officers was focused on Wi Jin-cheol. While several people were giving admiring glances, there was someone with a disapproving expression. Baek Moon-hwi was in charge of training the advance guard unit.

“From sword infantry to special forces? Are you saying that we alone are not enough?”

“It is not possible to fulfill all roles with just three hundred advance soldiers. Our army is outnumbered, so we need elite soldiers with the ability to break the enemy’s lines and break through the enemy lines.”

“Have you finished speaking now?”

Baek Mun-hwi, whose pride was hurt, tried to say something, but soon closed his mouth. This was because General Zhang Yang was entering the military conference room.

While the officers stood up and stood up, Zhang Yang moved to the head table and spoke.

“Commander Wi Jin-cheol. You are doing very well. You are trustworthy for taking the lead in training. From now on, please lead the sword corps and serve as the main force of our corps.”

Zhang Yang overheard their conversation. Wi Jin-cheol cried out in joy. Because Yang Yeon-jeong's abilities were so outstanding, it was expected that the spearmen would take the lead, but the result was reversed.

Soldiers belonging to the middle camp receive higher treatment than those on the left or right wing. The managers who commanded them were in the same situation. Although it did not mean much in a small corps, the mere name of a mid-level corps was equivalent to obtaining a symbol of honor.

While Wei Jin-cheol was making a proud expression, Jang Yang sat down at the head table and gestured.

“Everyone please sit down.”

Jang Yang, who was looking at the map, looked up and pointed at Officer Kwak Cheol. He was a person in charge of the Legion's intelligence.

“What was the situation in Chang’an Province?”

Kwak Cheol hesitated for a moment and answered in a dying voice.

“They say he couldn’t last half a day.”

The fall of Changanseong was the outcome that everyone expected. Because it was a situation where only the minimum number of troops were left to begin with.

The problem was that the minimum number of troops was greater than the current troops of Hanzhong. Even they couldn't last more than half a day. The atmosphere couldn't be brighter.

“Huh. Have you figured out their size?”

“They say there are 100,000 troops. They are currently plundering and plundering the city.”

The moment Kwak Cheol finished speaking, Yang Yang’s palm hit the table.

Kwaang-!

“Plunder and plunder!”

“Their behavior is going too far. It is said that entire cities are being burned down, and even women and children are being taken as slaves.”

Before we knew it, Zhang Yang’s eyes were turning red.

“Is it okay to treat these poor people…?”

Everyone was speechless for a long time.

After some time had passed, Yang Yeon-jeong asked carefully.

“Next is Hanzhong. Are there any reinforcements?”

“It is no time to request support from Yangyang Castle. The main force of the Hui army is flocking there. And the 300,000 troops who completed the conquest of the Western Xia will soon begin advancing south. To stop them, we must defend this Hanzhong Castle.”

“After Mongolia, the Western Xia collapsed, so now only our Song Dynasty and Goryeo are left.”

“Goryeo is holding up better than expected, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed at any time.”

A dark shadow fell on the faces of the officers. The situation was more hopeless than I thought. The fear of the Hui Dynasty, the most powerful country in the history of the Central Plains, was beyond imagination.

Jinrip, who was in charge of the archers, asked cautiously.

“How about asking General Han Se-chung for support?”

Muan Supreme Commander Han Se-chung. He was said to be able to fight against 10,000 people alone, so he was given the nickname 'Jinman's enemy'. He was revered as one of the two greatest generals of the Song Dynasty along with General Yue Fei, and was known as the greatest martial arts expert of all time in the Song Dynasty.

Jang Yang shook his head horizontally at Jinrip’s suggestion.

“He is already moving south to subdue the rebels. I guess it will take a few months. We weren’t expecting reinforcements anyway. But if we make the most of our advantages, there might be a small chance.”

A doubt appeared on the officers’ faces. This was because compared to the enemy army, there was no advantage in terms of size or quality.

Yang Yang looked around at the officers and continued speaking.

“We know the enemy well, but they must be looking at us very easily. They think we are just five thousand new soldiers.”

Announcements for recruiting new soldiers from Hanzhong were made on a large scale throughout the Shaanxi region. It was clear that Huigun would have already noticed this fact by now.

With the Song Dynasty's elite troops destroyed, it was obvious what they were thinking about the new soldiers. This was a fact everyone knew. Even the other legions of the Song Dynasty evaluated that Zhang Yang was doing something useless.

Yang Yeon-jeong asked with a questioning expression.

“What do you plan to do?”

Yang Yang looked at the map and spoke in a calm voice.

“We will catch the unwary guys off guard. Commander Kwak Cheol, expand the scouting area and keep track of their movements.”

* * *

Beyond the horizon, a brilliant light was swallowing up the darkness and slowly revealing its brilliance. It was also the time when most new recruits recover from their regrets and get the most sweet sleep.

However, there were some new recruits who were engrossed in something all night long. He was the 16th member of the sword infantry unit who was training his swordsmanship like crazy at the training center.

They were reluctant to sleep as they saw themselves becoming noticeably stronger day by day. Their passion for martial arts was so great that all they did during their broke was to doze off and relieve their fatigue with a fortune-telling breakfast.

But how would they know? The reason they were growing so quickly was because they were under the guidance of the Sword Saint, the martial arts expert.

About a hundred new recruits lined up at regular intervals and practicing the basic techniques of Heavenly Martial Sword Technique. And among them, So-mu was being called around and sweating.

“Brother So-mu! I keep falling in the six-choice diet. Why is it like this?”

So-mu, who ran mechanically, tapped the central acupoint near the recruit's waist with his finger and spoke.

“It’s because the center of gravity is shifted too far to one side. Try applying some force here when you finish eating.”

Before So-mu finished speaking, someone desperately looked for him again.

“Brother So-mu, there has been no progress in the eight form since yesterday. Please, please….”

So-mu reflexively ran there and grabbed both of his wrists from behind. Then, he began to experience it himself by moving his body.

“Imagine there is an opponent in front of you. It feels like you are stabbing their chest and then their neck. The final thrust is explosive, like this, with all your might.”

Sigh-! Phew!

“I’ll always remember this feeling of splitting the air.”

The new soldier seemed to sense something and repeatedly bent down towards So-mu.

“Thank you, brother! Thank you!”

So-mu sighed deeply as he walked away, leaving the new soldier behind.

'after. ‘I’m going to throw this away.’

What was taught for fun on the first day has now reached a point where it can no longer be ignored.

In Jianghu, it was unthinkable for someone to exploit him like this. Childlike recruits who do not feel the slightest sense of incongruity with themselves. So-mu was amazed at the sight of these people, but was also having a little fun. This was because the reactions of the growing group members were quite cute.

Il-gwang appeared in front of So-mu’s eyes. After piercing the blood vessels in his entire body, Il-gwang was able to take care of his problems on his own, so Il-gwang had no worries.

The problem was Cheong-hae, who took a seat next to him. After being excommunicated from the Mount Hua Sect, he sealed away all of Mount Hua's sword techniques. Afterwards, through persistent efforts, he learned all eighteen form movements of the Heavenly Martial Sword Technique, but his problem was not form. That's why he couldn't ask So-mu for advice and was suffering alone. Even now, he was just staring blankly at the horizon with his sword down on the ground.

“Little brother Cheong-hae. What are you so worried about?”

“Phew. My swordsmanship is no longer progressing. No matter how much I swing, it’s just meaningless repetition, and it feels like I’m blocked by a wall.”

So-mu knew well what the problem was in Cheong-hae. In ordered to move up one level, enlightenment was necessary. So-mu, with a sly expression on his face, looked at him subtly.

“In times like that, it’s best to cool your head. When I’m feeling frustrated, I read poetry. I just remember one poem. Would you like to listen to it?”

Cheong-hae unconsciously nodded his head once. Then So-mu looked at the distant mountain as if he had been waiting and muttered softly.

“There is hardness in softness. If softness and hardness exist together, what is there that cannot be destroyed?

There was speed in slowness. If slow and fast come together, what could be more flexible than that?

There was truth in emptiness. “If emptiness and reality exist together, what was there that cannot be broken through?”

So-mu looked sideways at Cheong-hae. His eyes were suddenly visibly shaking.

“How are you feeling? Do you feel like your mind is becoming clearer?”

Cheong-hae had no answer to So-mu’s question. He was just quickly picking up his sword that was neatly placed next to him.

So-mu walked back, leaving Cheong-hae behind.

‘Is today Cheong-hae’s last day?’

It was then. Suddenly, So-mu's eyes turned to the entrance to the training ground about 50 miles away. Because I felt some kind of popularity there.

I see a familiar person. He was watching them with a contented expression, like a father watching his children. It was Wi Jin-cheol, the captain of the sword infantry.