Chapter 1786. The Evil Tyrant Alliance is Coming! (1)

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"Hm?"

The beggar from the Beggar's Union hiding in the bushes squinted his eyes slightly.

Nothing was visible. Nothing felt out of place. But an unknown sense of unease was warning him.

'This feeling…'

After hesitating for a moment, the beggar's gaze darted downwards, straight at his own feet.

It's shaking. No, a vibration.

It was a faint vibration, that you wouldn't feel if you didn't concentrate. But it's also certain. Undeniably so.

'Is it an earthquake?'

He quickly dismissed that thought. This wasn't an earthquake. Unlike a quake's sudden jolts, this vibration grew gradually, rhythmically, in small increments.

The beggar instinctively looked straight ahead.

The vast, open grasslands. Something was visible at the edge of that plain.

Even with his trained eyes, all he could see was a certain 'ripple' at the moment.

'What's that?'

A shiver ran down his spine as he realized the faint ripple was slowly growing clearer.

"Oh…"

The beggar's mouth fell open on its own.

As he watched, he realized that the ripple filling the horizon was a massive army on the move, and he shot to his feet.

'The, The Evil Tyrant Alliance!'

A simple movement? Impossible. That was clearly a full-scale offensive from the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

'I need to alert them quickly!'

His hand quickly reached inside his robe to send a message. He had to inform the Alliance, who was still completely unaware of all this. So they could quickly assess and prepare.

Just as he attached the message to a carrier pigeon's leg to send it off, he heard a voice.

"Not happening."

Grab.

Someone grasped his hand.

The beggar froze in place, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat. The enemy had approached close enough to seize his wrist, yet he hadn't sensed a thing.

"….."

"It wouldn't change much if they knew, but it's easier this way. We value practicality, after all."

The beggar slowly turned his head.

A face he'd never seen before. It didn't match any of the top warriors he remembered from the Evil Tyrant Alliance.

But that unfamiliarity only helped him recognize who this man was.

"Thousand-Faced…"

"Smart."

Snap.

The remaining hand of the Thousand-Faced Manipulator tightened around the beggar's neck.

"Urgh…"

The beggar's feet lifted off the ground, dangling as he instinctively clutched the hand strangling him.

"So, you know why you're dying, right?"

Even as his consciousness blurred from the blocked blood flow, the beggar strained his eyes to look past the Thousand-Faced Manipulator, toward the advancing enemy forces.

'No… not like this…'

Crack.

As the beggar tried to speak, his neck twisted. The Thousand-Faced Manipulator, unbothered, tossed the lifeless body to the ground and wiped the spittle from his wrist with a flick.

"Anyway."

This was why he could never underestimate Ho Gamyeong.

'Did he figure out the positions of those who were clearly watching him and still wait calmly until now, pretending not to notice?'

Expecting that it would inevitably come to this someday?

'If it were me, I'd have eliminated the watchers ages ago.'

Looking back now, it was clear which approach had the greater advantage.

"Tch."

Though it meant more work for him, the Thousand-Faced Manipulator was more than willing to bear the burden. After all, he was among those who sought the Evil Tyrant Alliance's victory.

'As for now.'

The Thousand-Faced Manipulator's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.

His keen ears picked up the muffled grunts of pain nearby. His subordinates were clearly doing well.

When the skills are evenly matched, the side with knowledge of the opponent's location has the advantage. From the moment the Alliance assumed they remained hidden, their fates were sealed.

"So, at this rate…"

The Thousand-Faced Manipulator slowly licked his lips, feeling the thin mask covering his true face against his tongue.

'How long until they notice our movements? A quarter-hour? Half an hour? Or perhaps… two hours?'

If they noticed within a quarter-hour, they might gain a slight edge. Half an hour, and they could shift the battlefield in their favor. And if they had two hours…

The Thousand-Faced Manipulator's gleaming eyes looked north.

"That would be enough to change destiny."

His voice held a thrill of excitement.

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"…..How is the situation?"

"There's nothing specific yet."

Tang Gunak nodded grimly.

"But we can't let our guard down. These people wouldn't withdraw so easily. They must be plotting something, so keep the defense even tighter."

"Understood."

As Zhuge Zain nodded, Tang Gunak let out a brief sigh.

'The Thousand-Faced Manipulator…'

They should have expected this. They should have been able to realize it.

But they hadn't. Even though they knew an enemy who could exploit them perfectly was present, they had failed to prepare, resulting in countless lost lives.

"At least it's fortunate, isn't it?"

Tang Gunak looked to one side, where Namgung Myeong, the representative of the Namgung Family at the meeting, was seated.

"Since the Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword drove out the Thousand-Faced Manipulator, we won't have any problems for a while."

"You're absolutely right."

"That scoundrel leader of the evil sect certainly got a taste of humiliation."

A rare moment of relief spread through the tent.

There were brief smiles on everyone's faces, except for Tang Gunak. Not because he wasn't happy about the news, but because…

'It's strange.'

The Thousand-Faced Manipulator had survived. According to Cheong Myeong's account.

Tang Gunak couldn't help but harbor doubts.

'Was the Thousand-Faced Manipulator truly skilled enough to face Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword and survive?'

To others, this might sound incomprehensible, but for Tang Gunak, it was a valid question. He had already encountered the Thousand-Faced Manipulator. The man was undoubtedly strong, worthy of his title as the top killer of the Hao Sect.

But if his opponent was Cheong Myeong?

Cheong Myeong had already surpassed him a long time ago and was now worthy of being called the best swordsman of the righteous faction.

How many people in Kangho could survive a one-on-one encounter with Cheong Myeong without aid?

'No. It shouldn't be possible.'

If the skills Tang Gunak witnessed were true… even if the Thousand-Faced Manipulator was holding back, it would still be nearly impossible to survive Cheong Myeong's sword. And yet, the Thousand-Faced Manipulator had escaped with his life.

'Then…..'

If something incomprehensible had happened, there must be a reason.

So which is it? Was the Thousand-Faced Manipulator hiding his true strength? Or had he pre-planned his escape when facing Cheong Myeong?

If neither of those…

Tang Gunak shook his head.

There was no need to consider the third possibility. He didn't want to.

In times like this, when the boundaries of their sects blurred and the enemy felt overwhelmingly powerful, the importance of the absolute masters was paramount. Just the thought of such a possibility was terrifying.

"Huft…"

Tang Gunak realized he was feeling anxious, but overcoming it was not as easy as he had thought.

Setting up camp here rather than at Wudang Mountain, and maintaining this position for days without returning to Wudang, were not situations he desired.

Though the damage so far wasn't severe, the issue was that the enemy hadn't gone to these lengths just to drag the Alliance down to level ground.

'There's something more.'

After all, this was Jang Ilso and Ho Gamyeong they were dealing with. No one would believe they'd act without a motive.

But Tang Gunak still couldn't grasp the essence of their goal. He knew the enemy was plotting something, but he had no idea what.

Tang Gunak's eyes closed in frustration.

A crushing pressure weighed on him, squeezing his heart.

'This is beyond me.'

Tang Gunak was acutely aware of his own limitations.

He knew that no one here expected him to perfectly fulfill the role of leader. They only needed him to fill the void left by the absent leader, even if just as a figurehead.

But they didn't know. Even Tang Gunak hadn't realized until recently that even a figurehead had to bear an unimaginable weight.

'Alliance Leader.' [Maengju-nim]

Had Hyun Jong borne this same pressure all along? The fear that a single wrong decision could cause not just the Alliance but the entire Kangho to collapse?

"….."

Tang Gunak quietly gripped his sleeve.

Of course, he wasn't bearing all this alone. Everyone would assist him to ensure he didn't falter. He wasn't holding up the entire martial world by himself.

But if they were wrong, or worse, if Tang Gunak couldn't recognize their mistake…

Who would bear the aftermath?

Tang Gunak's gaze drifted to the ceiling. It was a habit that had developed since he took this seat. He found himself unconsciously searching for the invisible weight pressing down from above.

It was then that—

"But what of the Alliance Leader?"

As soon as the word 'Alliance leader' came out of Namgung Myeong's mouth, a quiet settled over the tent.

"Still… no word from him?"

"….."

After a short silence, Zhuge Zain spoke up.

"It appears not."

"Hmm."

Namgung Myeong made a sound of mild discomfort, and Tang Gunak sighed, almost relieved, when Moyong Wigyeong spoke.

"But isn't it nothing to worry about?"

"….What do you mean?"

"With the Tang family head filling in and Jongli Sect Leader ready to step up in emergencies, even if the Alliance Leader is absent… or rather…"

Tang Gunak's expression hardened noticeably.

Subtle disrespect for Hyun Jong had been present all along. Tang Gunak had known this and hadn't reacted sensitively, trusting they would understand in time.

But at this moment, he couldn't tolerate it. If they understood the burdens of the position he occupied, they'd never utter such words.

"How can you say…."

"It's actually fortunate."

Before he could finish, Jongli Gok spoke up, his cold gaze directed at Moyong Wigyeong.

"It must be nice to have no worries, family head."

Moyong Wigyeong's face stiffened, realizing it was a veiled insult.

"Sect Leader, how can you—"

"Never mind. Just sharing a thought."

Moyong Wigyeong's face turned slightly red, but Jongrli Gok didn't even bother to look his way.

The atmosphere was more bleak than openly fighting and cursing each other. Tang Gunak massaged his neck nervously.

He couldn't control them. It wasn't an issue of power or authority, but of his lack of the charisma needed to unify them.

'I can't do this anymore, Alliance Leader. It's time for you to return.'

Just as Tang Gunak rose to hold back Moyong Wigyeog from speaking further—

Swish!

The tent's entrance flew open as a figure rushed in like the wind.

"Shingae."

Tang Gunak stood up, recognizing the intruder as none other than Pungyeong Shingae.

"What happened…?"

Tang Gunak fell silent. Pung Yeong Shingae face was pale as though he'd seen a ghost. Instinct told him something terrible had occurred.

Something beyond his ability to handle.

"The Evil Tyrant Alliance…"

Pungyeong Shingae trembling voice finally burst out, like a scream that echoed through the tent.

"The Evil Tyrant Alliance is coming! It's a full-scale attack!"

Tang Gunak's eyes widened in shock, as though they were being torn apart.