At Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s question, Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi, who had been keeping silent, opened his mouth.
“Grand Strategist, it was because I had no objection to the Wudang Sect taking command of one corps. Especially when the Sword of Wudang himself is coming.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded.
“I am relieved to hear that is why you held your tongue. I was worried you might have some other concern, Right Military Strategist.”
SWISH.
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui lightly fanned himself with his crane-feather fan and continued.
“Now I will tell you why I asked the two Military Strategists to come.”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi and Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon looked at Grand Strategist Sagong Ui, who sat in the seat of honor.
“The Alliance Leader has decided that continuing to hold senior leaders’ councils without any gain is a waste of time. He is also concerned that the more the senior leaders’ councils are repeated, the more discord among the leaders will grow.”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi and Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon had expected this to some degree from the moment they received the Grand Strategist’s message summoning a council of the three Military Strategists, so they were not particularly surprised.
“The Alliance Leader has requested that the Strategists’ Office make a proper decision. Accordingly, I summoned this council of the three Military Strategists.”
At Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s words, Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon’s expression darkened.
“So it was indeed because of that matter.”
Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon continued with a low sigh.
“Haa. It is not as if this is the first or second time the Alliance Leader has pushed a decision onto our Strategists’ Office, so I did expect it, but I feel this matter is rather too much.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui spoke with a calm expression.
“Left Military Strategist, I think we must understand the Alliance Leader’s position. He must embrace the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families alike.”
“How could I not know that?”
Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon shook his head several times and continued.
“I only said it because I find it regrettable that the Alliance Leader takes the fruit, while you, Grand Strategist, must clean up the peel.”
“It is for the sake of the Martial Alliance, so it is not something I cannot endure.”
“Huh. Grand Strategist, you truly are broad-minded.”
SWISH.
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui swept away the gloomy atmosphere by stirring his crane-feather fan again and said,
“The Alliance Leader said that for this decision, we should consider only one matter: the combat strength of the eight corps. That way, the dissatisfaction of the sect leaders excluded from the eight corps will be somewhat less.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui continued toward Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi.
“I am truly sorry to ask this of you, Right Military Strategist, but as the one commanding this punitive operation overall, you must give your opinion. You understand the strength of the eight corps better than anyone, do you not?”
Both Grand Strategist Sagong Ui, who had posed the question, and Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon watched Baek Ri-gi.
The Martial Alliance’s Strategists’ Office operated under a three-strategist system.
The Grand Strategist oversaw the Martial Alliance’s internal and external affairs on behalf of the Alliance Leader, and as head of the Strategists’ Office, he was tasked with making final decisions.
The Left Military Strategist was the inner Military Strategist who protected the Martial Alliance by commanding the defensive corps and guard corps, while the Right Military Strategist was the outer Military Strategist who commanded most of the warrior corps and directed the Martial Alliance’s external operations.
For that reason, since Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi was overseeing the campaign against the Demonic Eight Divisions, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui had asked him for his opinion in that way.
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi spoke with a troubled expression.
“Grand Strategist, that is true, but the strengths of the eight corps are not something that can be compared so simply.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded.
“Of course, I also know that it will be very difficult for you, Right Military Strategist, to choose one corps. In any case, it is clear that you have ranked the eight corps in your mind. Are you not considering the strategy based on that?”
“That is correct.”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi had no choice but to acknowledge it readily.
As the Military Strategist overseeing this campaign against the Demonic Eight Divisions, grasping the strength of each sect was the most basic of duties.
“Right Military Strategist, do not find it difficult. Please give us your opinion on which corps it would be best to exclude. I will make the final decision as Grand Strategist, and according to that decision, I will personally meet the commander of that corps and ask for his understanding.”
“Grand Strategist...”
At Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s words, which meant he would take full responsibility for this decision, Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi’s face grew hot.
“That is naturally something I, as Grand Strategist, must do, so do not burden yourself, Right Military Strategist.”
“......”
“Right Military Strategist, this is not something we can keep delaying, so please speak plainly now.”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi, unable to put off answering any longer, opened his mouth.
“Grand Strategist, because the strengths of the eight corps are extremely close, I have divided them into upper, middle, and lower grades, and even then, only by the slimmest of margins. Therefore, I ask for your understanding that I cannot point to one specific corps and choose it.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded.
“Understood. Let us hear first which corps you placed in the upper grade.”
At Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s words, Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi carefully opened his mouth.
“The corps I placed in the upper grade are the two corps led by Shaolin and the Mount Hua Sect.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded readily.
“If it is Shaolin and the Mount Hua Sect, placing them at the front is only natural.”
Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon also agreed.
“Shaolin is the leader of the martial world, and the Mount Hua Sect came to this All-Under-Heaven Heroes Assembly with its teeth clenched in determination, so I also find that reasonable.”
The Mount Hua Sect was extremely active in this campaign against the Demonic Eight Divisions, and in reality, it was the sect that had sent the largest force.
For the last dozen or so years, while the neighboring Wudang Sect had enjoyed a generation of prosperity, the Mount Hua Sect had naturally withered back.
For such a Mount Hua Sect, this campaign against the Demonic Eight Divisions could only be the perfect opportunity to reverse its fortunes.
“I am considering three corps as middle grade. They are the three corps respectively led by the Emei Sect, leader of the Sichuan martial world; the Qingcheng Sect, which has allied with the Zhongnan Sect; and the Namgung Family, the foremost of the Five Great Families.”
At Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi’s words, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded without hesitation this time as well.
“If it is the Emei Sect, the Qingcheng Sect, and the Namgung Family, they can fully be called middle grade.”
The Qingcheng Sect fell somewhat behind the other two in reputation, but since it had decided to join forces with the Zhongnan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, its strength would not be lacking even if it were placed in the upper grade.
Originally, in both prestige and reputation, the Zhongnan Sect should have taken the leading command of one corps, but when the Zhongnan Sect’s greatest expert, Changunja, lost in a duel against the Fire Dragon of the Jegal Family, the sect had been forced to abandon that ambition.
“Then you are saying, Right Military Strategist, that you regard the three corps excluded from the two upper-grade corps and three middle-grade corps—the corps of the Diancang Sect, the Murong Family, and the Jegal Family—as being below them?”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi quietly nodded and said,
“Grand Strategist, as I said before, I only forced them into grades in order to prepare according to the strength of the Demonic Eight Divisions. And the difference between those grades is truly slight, while the formations have not yet been fully completed, so they are subject to change.”
“In any case, based on current strength, we must keep the Diancang Sect, the Murong Family, and the Jegal Family as candidates.”
SWISH.
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui fanned himself with his crane-feather fan and continued.
“I will personally meet the commanders of those three corps and discuss the matter with them.”
Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon spoke with a worried expression.
“Grand Strategist, that will truly be a difficult task.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui gave a bitter smile.
“Has there ever been an easy task in this Martial Alliance?”
“That is true.”
At the Grand Strategist’s rhetorical question, Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon had no choice but to nod on his own.
In the Martial Alliance, a coalition of the orthodox martial world, difficult problems arose almost every day.
Though the martial world was said to be in an era of peace due to the balance among the three powers—the Martial Alliance, the Alliance of the Demonic Path, and the Demonic Cult—the conflicts among the three great powers had only decreased in scale and frequency. They had never ceased.
Amid that, disputes among the sects of the orthodox martial world were also frequent.
Whenever such incidents occurred, the martial artists beneath heaven looked to the Martial Alliance.
“Then let us end the council of the three Military Strategists here. Also, Right Military Strategist, I have something to say to you personally, so I would like you to remain a little longer.”
After Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon left and only the two of them remained in the Grand Strategist’s hall, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui asked Baek Ri-gi,
“Right Military Strategist, you heard that there was a disturbance in Aju County City, did you not?”
“I received the intelligence report from the Jadeite Pavilion.”
“The assassins of Hidden Moon Forest were truly bold. Accordingly, I sent the Righteous Heaven Corps to their base.”
“You handled it properly. No matter how chaotic the situation may be, we cannot fail to punish those who provoked us within this Alliance’s territory.”
“I apologize that I could not discuss the Righteous Heaven Corps’ deployment with you in advance, when you must have been considering the strategy for the campaign against the Demonic Eight Divisions.”
“The Martial Alliance’s military authority is under the Grand Strategist’s jurisdiction. What is there for you to apologize for?”
“To be precise, the Alliance Leader has temporarily entrusted it to me.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui fanned himself with his crane-feather fan and continued.
“In any case, they say that thanks to Hu Gae and Taoist Kwak responding well in Aju County City, no great slaughter occurred.”
“That is immensely fortunate.”
“It was more than immensely fortunate. It was practically heaven’s own aid.”
“......?”
“I just received a report that the vicious thing the assassins of Hidden Moon Forest used in the marketplace appears to be a Blue-Scale True-Flame Demon Blossom. They say that if Taoist Kwak had not risked himself to suppress it, half the market district of Aju County City would have burned.”
“Mm...”
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi could not help trembling even though he already knew this.
“A Blue-Scale True-Flame Demon Blossom, you say...?”
At Baek Ri-gi’s question, Grand Strategist Sagong Ui answered with deeply sunken eyes.
“They say it is a vicious thing created by occult practitioners from Persia in the Western Regions. It seems someone brought that wretched object in from the Western Regions. For what purpose they went so far, across countless miles, to bring in such a vicious thing... In any case, it is certainly no ordinary matter.”
As Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi listened to the Grand Strategist’s worried voice, he thought of the person Hidden Shadow called lord.
SWISH.
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui stirred his crane-feather fan once and continued.
“Therefore, I plan to have the Jadeite Pavilion investigate the matter, but first, I thought I should inform you, Right Military Strategist. If the Demonic Eight Divisions also possess that vicious thing, the eight corps may find themselves in great difficulty.”
“Ah! Since even Hidden Moon Forest possessed it, there is a high possibility that the Demonic Eight Divisions possess it as well.”
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui nodded.
“In any case, one can never be too prepared. I would like you, Right Military Strategist, to keep that point in mind as well when forming the strategy.”
“Understood.”
“I am sure you will prepare properly on your own, Right Military Strategist, but I would like you to seek the advice of the Zhurong Family.”
“I will do so.”
Because the Zhurong Family specialized in fire weapons, they would be of great help.
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi once again admired Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s swift responses and thorough preparations.
Grand Strategist Sagong Ui could be called a born tactician.
He himself, as Right Military Strategist, and Left Military Strategist Yong Baekcheon were merely strategists who had studied military methods.
While inwardly admiring him, Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi suddenly felt unease.
It was the fundamental unease that anyone beside a tactician under heaven naturally felt.
Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi was thinking he must be even more careful in his actions when it happened.
“Right Military Strategist, this is merely an aside, but what do you think of the affair Hidden Moon Forest carried out in Aju County City this time?”
At Grand Strategist Sagong Ui’s sudden question, Right Military Strategist Baek Ri-gi flinched.
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