Hu Jiaming cautiously offered a bottle of liquor to Jang Ilso.
Jang Ilso accepted the bottle with a faint smile. Hu Jiaming found him standing atop a horse he had somehow acquired.
"That's why I can't deal with you," Jang Ilso remarked.
"In that case, I should procure even finer liquor for your well-being," Hu Jiaming replied.
"Agreed. I can't argue with that."
Jang Ilso glanced back for a moment.
The battlefield was now far behind them. This moment was to be savored. He leisurely brought the bottle to his lips.
Watching him with subdued eyes, Hu Jiaming spoke up. "I offer my respects."
"Respects?"
"This victory will endure."
It wasn't just a simple victory. This great hall would surely be recorded in the annals of Martial Arts World history. It marked the first time an evil sect had dealt a devastating blow to a righteous sect.
The name Jang Ilso would be recorded as the one who ended the dominance of the Nine Sects and established the evil sect under heaven. Whether it was a glorious or shameful history.
"There's no need to make a fuss," Jang Ilso said solemnly.
"But you've always done so well," Hu Jiaming countered.
"It's just business as usual. This time, the scale was a bit larger, that's all. It's not like I did anything particularly remarkable. It's not that I'm exceptional; they were just incompetent."
Jang Ilso always spoke like this.
"But this victory wasn't just about defeating incompetence, was it? You also managed to avoid being caught off guard, didn't you?"
"Who? Mount Hua's Chivalrous Knight?"
"Yes."
Jang Ilso chuckled softly after a brief silence.
"Jiaming."
"Yes?"
"Do you think I'm superior to him?"
"Of course."
"I appreciate that."
Hu Jiaming glanced at Jang Ilso as he drank from the bottle.
"Don't you think so too, sir alliance lord?"
"Well, there are aspects where he might excel."
He sneaked a sip of liquor, his fingers marred with scars trailing down his chin.
"And there are aspects where he might not. But the issue at hand isn't about who is the superior individual."
"...Then what is it about?"
"Too many things."
Jang Ilso chuckled sardonically.
"Anhui, Hubei, even Hainan. No, not even that. Perhaps he thinks he knows what to do even south of the river."
Hu Jiaming nodded. Jang Ilso slowly rotated the bottle.
"I have nothing to protect, but he has to protect everything under heaven. He can't be everywhere at once unless he has ten bodies. So, this contest isn't fair from the outset, in terms of internal qi."
Hu Jiaming's face stiffened. Something occurred to him as he listened to the conversation.
"Do you understand, Jiaming?"
"...Yes."
"He's never been defeated where he stands. He's always come out on top. Yangtze River? We would have achieved much more if it weren't for him."
"That's true..."
Reluctantly, he had to admit it. After all, Hu Jiaming was a victim of his "exploits."
"So, the way to deal with him is simple. Just make sure to keep him busy. Control everything under heaven."
Jang Ilso's smirk widened.
"With just a pair of hands, he'll find it difficult to handle everything."
Clang.
The bottle Jang Ilso held shattered into pieces, liquor dripping from his clenched fist.
"In the end, things slip through his fingers."
"..."
"I merely offered him choices. Whether to defend Anhui or the Nine Sects. Whether to safeguard Shaolin or..."
"..."
"Perhaps he's so concerned about protecting Mount Hua."
"..."
"Of course, he may not be aware of all these choices. Hahaha!"
It was terribly intricate. Mortals would find it difficult to understand what was happening.
But Jang Ilso had simplified it all.
The crux lay in how to draw out the Mount Huas Chivalrous Knight and how to fight where his influence doesn't reach.
"Perhaps..." A chill ran down Hu Jiaming's spine.
"Would you... dare to ask something?" he hesitated.
"You keep asking even when you don't have to. Go ahead, ask," Jang Ilso replied.
"...Do you anticipate that Moyong, Jegal, and the Heavenly Friendship Alliance will arrive there soon?" Hu Jiaming finally voiced his question.
"Hmm?" Jang Ilso's eyes softened, amusement twinkling in their bright depths.
"What do you think?"
Hu Jiaming fell silent, unable to answer.
"To be honest..." Jang Ilso's smile turned enigmatic. "I had no idea."
Hu Jiaming's mouth fell open in disbelief.
"It's not like it was anything particularly remarkable," Jang Ilso continued nonchalantly. "Of course, I thought they might come, but it's hard to pinpoint the exact timing, no matter how skilled one is."
"T-then why...?" Hu Jiaming nodded, committing a sacrilege by interrupting.
"Why did we withdraw?"
"Who knows...?" Jang Ilso didn't offer a clear answer. But he seemed to know.
There was no need for prediction or thought. It was already decided. Where he stood, there would be no fight.
Mount Huas Chivalrous Knight would think. He would judge. He would see the possibility of victory, the chance to turn the situation around.
Conversely, as long as the Four Tyrants Alliance didn't engage in the fight he initiated, they wouldn't necessarily lose.
"Is this even possible?" Hu Jiaming couldn't fathom it.
Both of them... Neither of them were in their right minds.
Though he couldn't articulate it, this situation was best described as a tragedy. The two people who detested each other the most paradoxically had the utmost faith in each other.
Hu Jiaming suppressed something bubbling up inside him. Then, redirecting the conversation to conceal the inexplicable emotion, he asked, "So... where do you anticipate he chose this time?"
"Shaolin," Jang Ilso replied.
"But isn't Mount Hua more important to him?"
"Of course. But this time, there's no comparing both. Once a choice is made, it can't be undone."
"..."
"It's a pity we couldn't see it with our own eyes."
Jang Ilso licked the liquor off his fingers.
"The face of someone struggling due to a choice they unknowingly made... It'll be a rare sight."
A faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air. He chuckled softly.
"Now, this move is no longer usable. The righteous sect will ultimately be reshaped under the name of the Heavenly Friendship Alliance."
But...
"So, I hope you'll accept my final gift with pleasure. I've prepared it with considerable care."
A blue glint sparkled in Jang Ilso's eyes.
❀ ❀ ❀
Tadadada!
Over a hundred horses thundered across the wilderness. Red and white cloths fluttered in the wind, a strange mix of colors.
An ominous momentum emanated from those urging their horses forward.
"Hurry!"
The time Jang Ilso had designated was running out.
After galloping across the vast grasslands towards the mountains to avoid the eyes of the Beggars Union, they finally arrived at their destination after what felt like an eternity.
Now, the target, Huaying, was not far away. The leader at the front licked his lips.
"Mount Hua..."
A truly detestable name. The thought of being the one to overthrow that name sent shivers of excitement down his spine.
According to the plan, Huaying, now established as Mount Hua, was currently an empty mountain without an owner.
"As soon as we arrive, kill them all and set fire. Let them scream at the sight."
"Yes!"
Red Dog, leading the charge, spurred his horse forward.
"Faster!"
Even though there was still time, his heart kept racing.
A slight delay could mean the difference between success and failure.
Before that detestable Mount Huas Chivalrous Knight arrived, everyone living in Huaying must be eliminated. He would lose everything and eventually go mad, turning into a ghost.
"More!"
Just as he was about to urge his horse again.
"Leader! Up ahead!"
"Hmm?"
Red Dog frowned.
The road from the Great Plains to Shaanxi was practically a wilderness. There was nothing to obstruct their view on the vast plain.
Yet, there was something on that desolate land where no human traces should be found.
"A person?"
The tattered clothing of the figure walking across the wilderness fluttered in the wind. It was more like rags than clothing.
Even the feet revealed under the tattered clothing were bare.
If someone in their right mind were to traverse this wasteland in such attire...
"Who goes there?"
"It's only natural."
Thunk!
A blue blade emerged from its sheath.
There was no need to spare a glance. Those who had seen them needed to be eliminated, just in case.
"Consider yourselves unlucky."
Swish!
Red Dog urged his horse on. With lightning speed, the horse charged towards the figure. As he approached, Red Dog swung his blade towards the figure's back.
❀ ❀ ❀
"Disciple?"
Hwang Jongui was startled by Chung Myung's sudden appearance on Huaying's main road.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Chung Myung's desperate gasps for breath made him seem on the verge of collapse. He frantically looked around without a moment to catch his breath. His eyes were shaking uncontrollably.
As Hwang Jongui hesitated, Un Am approached Chung Myung without hesitation.
"How? Did you come alone?"
Chung Myung seemed oblivious to the question, continuing to survey his surroundings blankly.
After a while, Chung Myung finally spoke.
"...Enemies?"
"Enemies?"
Un Am furrowed his brows.
"Aren't the Four Tyrants Alliance in Hubei?"
"... "
"The ceremonial sect leader led the disciples to Hubei. Didn't you get the message?"
Worry flickered across Un Am's face as he observed Chung Myung's blank expression. Chung Myung stared at him vacantly, his fingertips trembling.
"What... happened?"
Something like static noise echoed in Chung Myung's mind.
"Chung Myung?"
Chung Myung's eyes were clouded with confusion.
"What in the world..."
Chung Myung, unable to grasp any clue, let out a breath of frustration.
"What... happened?"