"Military leader..."
Tang Gunak, with a crestfallen expression, tried to say something, but Chung Myung momentarily raised his hand to stop him.
"Before that, let's confirm something."
Chung Myung's gaze turned to Jegal Jain.
"Why did we lose?"
Jegal Jain's face momentarily clouded with discomfort. Why was he being asked such an obvious question?
"Didn't I say it already? Unknown enemies appeared before us..."
"No. What I'm asking is, even if such a thing happened, was Nine Sects really in a position to suffer such a defeat?"
"...."
"Did you anticipate it? That such a minor delay would lead to this?"
Jegal Jain's face stiffened.
Though the scenes he witnessed upon reaching the battlefield were too gruesome to properly analyze, this was definitely a point he had considered.
"From a military standpoint..."
Jegal Jain hesitated before finally nodding.
As someone who bore the Zhuge name, he couldn't lie about military matters.
"That's right. Definitely."
Chung Myung nodded.
"I agree. Even if the Four Tyrants Alliance used some incredible trickery, their power didn't increase drastically. Even Shaolin, Peng Family, and the Cave combined, their combined force wasn't enough to annihilate us. Even if Shaolin's power wasn't at its peak."
Some faces hardened upon hearing this. Chung Myung looked sharply at Jegal Jain again and asked.
"So, why did it happen?"
Jegal Jain absentmindedly touched his dry lips. It was an action he did unconsciously.
Why?
The horrific scenes from the battlefield still vividly replayed in his mind. To those who hadn't studied military strategy, it might have seemed like just a scene of carnage. But Jegal Jain could find the answer even amidst that chaos.
"The collapse of leadership... and unilateral actions."
Jegal Jain sighed deeply and lowered his head.
"Indeed... No, the military leader is correct. They certainly weren't a force to be overwhelmed. The reason was because they didn't follow the tactics they had agreed upon."
"And who are 'they'?"
"Peng Family and the Cave, I suppose. They were originally tasked with supporting Shaolin's main offensive. If they had fulfilled their roles properly, the bodies wouldn't be strewn around everywhere... No, they wouldn't be dead all over the place."
Jegal Jain momentarily thought he had slipped up, but Chung Myung didn't seem to care and continued the meeting.
"So, why didn't they follow the agreed tactics?"
"That's..."
There was no need to delve into military matters. Even if Jegal Jain didn't answer, everyone here would know the reason.
"...Because of personal ambition. They wanted to elevate the sect's reputation by taking down the Tyrant."
Jegal Jain sighed deeply once again.
'How could this happen?'
The more he thought about it, the more pitiful it seemed.
If only they had won, if only they could have triumphed, the glory would have been shared by all. Even if Shaolin took the greatest share of the glory, the remaining glory alone would have been enough to elevate one sect to greatness.
But why did they do such an absurd thing at that moment? What were they thinking?
In the end, it was the inflamed greed at an inappropriate time that led to such terrible consequences.
However, Jegal Jain couldn't blame them, he couldn't help feeling sorry for them. He knew better than anyone else what their intentions and sentiments were.
Wasn't it the common desire of all leaders to glorify their sect's name? If Jegal Jain had been in their position, he couldn't be sure he wouldn't have acted similarly.
"From the start, this war was initiated by the abbot's mistake. And in that wrongly initiated war, unexpected variables intervened."
Chung Myung's eyes moved away from Jegal Jain and scanned the others.
"But reaching this point is something that could happen at any time in a war where people are killing each other. Then... if the timing of our response to the war had been right and there were no variables, could we have won?"
Jegal Jain bit his lip and pondered before replying.
"...It wouldn't have been easy."
"Sir Family Lord?"
Moyong Wiyeong, looking surprised by the unexpected answer, glanced at Jegal Jain. However, Jegal Jain had no choice but to honestly speak what he knew.
"I've never heard of an army with multiple leaders winning."
This wasn't just his problem, it was his family's problem. After all, wasn't he a member of the Zhuge Family, proficient in military tactics? Despite being able to criticize and tear apart for the sake of gain, he couldn't deny the identity of his family. That's who Jegal Jain was.
"That's what I mean."
Chung Myung nodded significantly.
"The existence of a betrayer? Of course, it's important. But if we can't correct what needs to be corrected and get distracted by that, the result will be obvious next time too."
Tang Gunak's voice weighed heavily.
"Well... But, Military Leader, isn't the Heavenly Friendship Alliance different from the Nine Sects?"
"How is it different?"
"Still, we..."
Tang Gunak was about to say something but then closed his mouth. It seemed a bit awkward to bring it up. Chung Myung nodded quietly.
"They probably believed that too. They thought their alliance was unshakeable."
"..."
"If we have trust, they have historians. We thought we saw the path to the future, and they had the loyalty of helping each other even in difficult times."
Moyong Wiyeong nodded vigorously.
Certainly, they thought so. No matter how much the Heavenly Friendship Alliance gained momentum, it couldn't surpass the bond between the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families built over hundreds of years. Those who fought together at this point were true comrades.
"But that was undoubtedly broken. It's not about a sect member betraying during the betrayal or conflict. Rather, the trust in each other was probably firm. And yet, in the end, it all fell apart. Why?"
Chung Myung's voice resounded heavily.
"I couldn't let go of the desire to glorify my sect more, to make my name resound under heaven. And Jang Ilso is someone who knows how to exploit those desires better than anyone else."
Jegal Jain couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
He and the Mount Huas Chivalrous Knight had seen the same thing. They arrived in a similar manner, witnessed similar scenes, and reached the same place.
But the answer he gave and the answer that person gave were completely different.
It's not a matter of right or wrong. What's important is that Chung Myung was already seeing things he hadn't even thought of.
'It's not about age, is it?'
Now he understood. Why that person was sitting in the position of the military leader. How he was leading the meetings of these eminent individuals gathered here.
Having eyes to see the world like that, and daring to speak such words boldly, made the Heavenly Friendship Alliance's Alliance Lord and Vice Alliance Lord rush to his words at once.
"We are different, we can cope. Behind many defeats in history, there must have been such a heart."
Tang Gunak nodded heavily. It wasn't enough to just believe that they were different.
This was undoubtedly a valid opinion that had to be acknowledged.
A brief silence fell in the meeting room. At that moment, Jegal Jain spoke up.
"May I ask one thing?"
"Yes."
"The words of the military leader... No, I understand what the military leader means. But even if a diagnosis of the situation is possible, it's meaningless if there's no solution."
Unlike before, there was courtesy in the tone. Amid everyone's surprised gazes, Jegaljain paused for a moment.
"But loyalty and righteousness are inseparable from soldiers. Although the military leader may not know, to ordinary soldiers, laying down loyalty and asking them to fight is no different from telling them not to breathe."
Chung Myung didn't deny it and nodded.
"You're right."
"In the end, wouldn't this discussion become meaningless? If the solution to the problems arising from the mindset is just changing the mindset... it would eventually become a cliché."
This time, Chung Myung lowered his head.
"You're right. It's impossible to change people's minds with just a few words. Surely, the abbot must have repeatedly emphasized this before the battle. We must act as agreed beforehand."
Jegaljain nodded somewhat fiercely. Even if he barely faced Beok Jeong directly, even the cave sect leader and the Peng Family Lord who were beside him must have felt a sting.
But even then, at crucial moments, desires couldn't be suppressed.
"No matter how determined one is, it's the same. Jang Ilso is a person who finds gaps in that firm resolve."
As survivors have said, if Jang Ilso hadn't offered his neck for Beok Jeong to cut, neither the cave nor the Peng Family would have been shaken to that extent.
Even a perfectly disciplined army will have its tactics disrupted at the moment of victory. Perfectness in human affairs is impossible, isn't it?
Chung Myung said firmly, "People can't help it. They can only believe. We have to believe that the people sitting here, and those who have entrusted us with their backs so far, will prioritize their comrades over their reputation and desires and fight."
His gaze fell on each person. Those sitting here understood the weight in his gaze. They could only nod their heads heavily.
Then, Chung Myung brought up the main point.
"But there's something we can change."
"What is it?"
"Sects."
His voice was calm, but it wasn't a matter to be taken lightly. The leaders of each faction, exchanging puzzled glances, asked hesitantly, "Sects?"
Chung Myung took a deep breath.
"Exactly. The name of Mount Hua, the Tang Family, Jegal, Southern Edge, righteous sects and evil sects, and beyond the Great Wall. The distinction between major sects and small and medium-sized sects. All those names and all those walls, the boundaries that make us different."
As Chung Myung continued, the faces of the leaders hardened. They understood what Chung Myung was trying to say.
"Although we can't change people, we can break down the boundaries of sects. If the destination reached by different individuals ultimately faces the 'difference,' there's only one way."
Chung Myung's words fell heavily, carrying the weight of a mountain.
"Becoming truly alike."
Someone tried to speak hastily, but Chung Myung didn't give them a chance. His gaze was directly on Hyeon Jong.
"We must reclaim the command of each sect affiliated with the Heavenly Friendship Alliance and unite all the disciples under the name of the Alliance to eliminate the boundaries of sects."
"..."
"That's the best we can do now. That's what I think."
A dead silence filled the conference room.
No one dared to speak. What they had heard just now was too incomprehensible.
"Cough... cough cough."
Amidst the silence that could swallow a person whole, someone let out a small laugh. It was a small sound, but everyone's gaze turned towards him.
"Deputy sect leader?"
"Ah... I'm sorry."
Baek Cheon covered his mouth with his hand, still trying to suppress his laughter.
What kind of road did he stumble upon? What kind of ancestor's curse did he receive?
"Anyway, I can't handle it."
Baek Cheon felt that way. Regardless of right or wrong, this solution was so characteristic of Chung Myung.