Chapter 1380: Preparations Are Now Complete (Part 5)

Thud.

A hawk perched on Ho Gakmyung's forearm tilted slightly, as if displeased with the fact that, after a long journey, it had finally arrived at the shaky arm of a rapidly moving person, the hawk pecked Ho Gakmyung's forearm a few times.

Ho Gakmyung handed over some raw meat he had prepared in advance, and only then did the hawk, now composed, casually tear into it.

Ho Gakmyung, gently stroking its head with his index finger, opened a small pouch tied to the hawk's ankle. His eyes immediately focused on the contents.

With half-closed eyes, as if contemplating something, he nodded almost imperceptibly. Then, from his sleeve, he pulled out a small brush.

Rustle.

After jotting something down on a small piece of paper, he shook it a couple of times in the air to dry the ink, swiftly rolled it up, and inserted it into a small container attached to the hawk's leg.

Click.

After securely sealing the lid to prevent it from opening, he swept his gaze down the hawk's back and raised his arm. The hawk, now determined not to miss the meat it was still eating, hesitated a few times before soaring into the darkened sky.

"Attention."

"Yes!"

The subordinates who had been closely following him turned their eyes bright at his command.

"Change the formation."

"Yes?"

"Divide the forces to the left and right, centered around the main troops in the center. The formation of each army should be wide horizontally."

At the unexpected order, the subordinates exchanged puzzled glances.

"Question."

"Um... Commander, if we spread wide horizontally, the tracking speed will be slowed down."

"It doesn't matter. They won't be able to move faster either."

His words made sense. The territory the Heavenly Comrade Alliance had traversed so far had been virtually a no-man's-land for the Evil Tyrant Alliance, but from now on, they would enter the Yangtze River region, where the forces were concentrated.

Naturally, they would inevitably clash with the scattered Evil Sect, and their speed of advancement would slow down even more.

"But wouldn't it be better to increase speed instead?"

At that remark, Ho Gakmyung turned slightly to look back. The subordinate who received an indifferent gaze flinched and bowed his head.

"It seems you don't understand."

"I lack... I mean..."

"Changing the formation means changing the tactics, and changing the tactics means the purpose has changed."

"...So?"

"When the herding is over, you spread the net."

He gazed forward again, and his eyes, which had not revealed any eerie chill to the subordinates, carried a chilling determination.

"Now, we encircle and annihilate them."

"Yes, sir!"

A resolute voice echoed. The corners of Ho Gakmyung's eyes twitched briefly.

Since the moment he failed to eliminate them in the canyon, his authority had vanished. All that remained was to faithfully fulfill the orders of Jang Ilso.

The orders he received from Jang Ilso were very simple.

'Attack them from behind.'

But if one were to unpack it a bit more, the meaning changed slightly.

'Stick close behind them, attack, and apply pressure.'

And adding Ho Gakmyung's interpretation to it altered the meaning a bit more.

'Apply pressure from behind so that they cannot think differently, and ensure that... they are forced into the Yangtze River region.'

If anyone else had heard this order, they would undoubtedly have thought it was madness. Going to the Yangtze River, wasn't that the thing the Mount Hua folks escaping from the south wanted the most?

Could one call it 'pressure' to guide them towards what they want? Could one really call it 'pursuit' to drive them toward their desired destination?

This was something that can't be called a military tactic. The essence of military tactics was to prevent the enemy from achieving what they wanted.

But Ho Gakmyung didn't think so. No, it wasn't just him. Even those who finger-pointed at the order would quietly retract their fingers if they found out that the one who issued the order was Paegun.

Ho Gakmyung knew.

The key point was 'pressure.' No, a more accurate expression might be 'control.'

By sticking closely to them and continuously injecting psychological pressure, the Evil Tyrant Alliance could secure one definite thing: preventing those people from suddenly engaging in crazy actions, as they had done so far.

'It's incomprehensible.'

If it was Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword as observed by Ho Gakmyung so far, he could suddenly change direction to the west towards Yunnan while crossing the Yangtze, or turn east and take a boat from the East Sea to head north to Zhejiang.

No, if it was him, he could even casually thwart the Myriad Man Manor and reverse the direction, calmly heading back to Southern Island.

So what if it didn't make sense? How many times has he done such things that don't make sense?

On the contrary, not doing such things would be even more unusual.

The Yangtze was full of enemies. But why would Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword choose to go to the overflowing Yangtze?

Was it because it was the long Yangtze River was difficult to completely cover?

No. If it were Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, he might've said something like, 'Blocking the sea is a dozen times more difficult than blocking this wide river, so why should we go in the direction that's convenient for the enemies?'

For ordinary people, the idea of circumventing the long Yangtze was impossible, but for Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword, it was nothing special.

He was a person who chose the enemy-infested straight path from the Yangtze River to Southern Island. If he truly aimed only for the 'safest escape method,' choosing to bypass the Yangtze would be the most correct.

Considering all of this, the instructions Jang Ilso issued now and the intent behind his movements were clear.

In that sense...

❀ ❀ ❀

"It's about reducing variables."

Inside a large carriage, facing Jang Ilso with a small table in between, Jeokho showed a puzzled expression.

"...Reducing variables?"

"Yes."

Jang Ilso nodded with a casual expression. Although it wasn't particularly a slow nod, those who watched him move couldn't help but think that he was always indulging in luxury.

"What military strategies do you think of it?"

"...I..."

Jeokho hesitated, pursing his lips slightly.

Even he, who didn't want to know, had to know military strategies to lead the subordinates. Jang Ilso liked subordinates with military power, but having only military power wasn't something he particularly liked.

"It's difficult for me to discuss military strategy in front of Ryeonju-nim."

"Hahaha."

Jang Ilso burst into laughter as if finding it amusing.

Jeokho understood. That laughter by no means indicated satisfaction with the answer.

It is said that although some people are wary of flattery, no one hates flattery. Everyone likes praise.

But this didn't apply to Jang Ilso.

Being in such a high position was as natural to him as breathing, and his own greatness was a given. Therefore, he didn't rejoice. It would be strange to be pleased with a compliment that said he breathed well.

"I find it amusing every time I hear such words."

"...If I made a mistake..."

"I don't know much about military strategy. I would have learned it if I needed it, but I never really needed it."

Jeokho held his breath. But his eyes were asking. Even so, how could he mock and criticize those who are proficient in military strategy like this?

"Whether you understand it or not, humans are the ones using military strategy. So, it's easy if you understand people. Remember. If you want to defeat the enemy, just remember two things."

"May I ask what those are?"

"One is obvious. Just make the choices things the enemy dislikes."

Jeokho nodded at those words.

This was also the principle of Jang Ilso's actions. Although the intermediate steps were difficult to understand, looking back, Jang Ilso had consistently done things that the enemy found most embarrassing.

"And do you know the other one?"

"...I don't know."

"Hmm. Actually, this is a bit more crucial, but usually, even if you hear it, you won't understand it well."

There was a slight expectation on Jeokho's face. Perhaps he thought that with this answer, Jang Ilso might reveal the secret of the strategies he had shown so far.

However, Jeokho's expectation crumbled tragically.

"It's the people."

"Yes, Ryeonju-nim."

"People don't really know themselves well."

"...Huh?"

Doubt appeared on Jeokho's face. What kind of sudden statement was this?

"Tsk, tsk. You're the same."

"...Well, it's just so simple I can understand it."

"Hmm. How can I explain it more easily... I got it. This might be easier to understand. People are like that. They always lie to themselves."

Jang Ilso, who had paused for a moment, asked with a smirk.

"It's a common thing. If there is the most righteous scholar in the world, how would you think of him?"

"Well... I would consider him remarkable."

"Why?"

"Isn't righteousness inherently worthy of respect?"

Jang Ilso chuckled.

"That's right, indeed. However... do you think what the scholar truly desires is a righteous self and the path of Confucianism?"

"Yes?"

"If he is said to be the most righteous in the world, it means that righteousness is pathological. Usually, what such a person truly desires is not just righteousness itself but a righteous version of themselves."

"...?"

"People are all the same. They achieve great things when they desperately want what they desire. So, what would someone who is genuinely desperate for that righteous self truly want?"

"Well..."

Jeokho's face stiffened.

"Honor..."

"That's right. Such a person excessively desires honor. But... perhaps they don't think of it that way themselves. They probably believe they are diligently following the principles they set for themselves. They deceive even themselves."

A sigh escaped from Jeokho's lips. Even if he heard the answer, it was difficult. Ultimately, wasn't it about completely understanding what was hidden in a person's innermost thoughts?

"If that's the case, does it mean that Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword leading the Southern Island Sect is hiding something within his righteousness?"

"That's obvious. Because that kid has a mental illness. [*chokes on water*] But what we should focus on here is something else."

The corners of Jang Ilso's mouth rose ominously.

"Have I ever said that the kid and I are similar?"

"...You've said it several times."

Jeokho was also puzzled. Why would the renowned Jang Ilso give such an evaluation to a common person?

"It's literal. That kid and I are perfectly the same, especially in one aspect."

"Is it intelligence?"

"Intelligence? Hahaha!"

Jang Ilso laughed as if it were ridiculous.

"No, no. It's not that. The similarity between that kid and me is precisely..."

His eyes drew a provocative and, at the same time, sinister line.

"...That there is no one we trust. No one in this world, not even a bit, do we believe in."