39. The Spring and Autumn Period of Martial Arts

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Great Goryeo.

 

 

The nation’s military power is considerable, but its martial arts world is no less impressive than that of the Central Plains.

Although there are no allied forces like the Martial Arts Alliance or the Black Heaven Alliance, there are several large sects that are famous even in the Central Plains, such as the Haedong Sword Sect in Liaodong, the Hanyang Yi family in Hanseong, and the Bukhae Ice Palace in Gwangbuk Province.

 

 

This kind of development was certainly helped by the fact that Goryeo has a long history of 1600 years, but the effect of the elixirs and martial arts manuals that it had plundered countless times while ruling the Central Plains was also significant.

Every time they crossed the Great Wall, dozens or hundreds of sects were created, and even if only one or two of them grew into large sects, the martial arts world of Great Goryeo could not be ignored.

 

 

Now, the combined power may be lacking, but the martial artists of Great Goryeo have already grown so large that they cannot be matched by a single faction of the orthodox or unorthodox sects of the Central Plains.

And that combined power was about to be newly created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goryeo is a nation that has grown by constantly checking and plundering its neighboring countries.

The target was sometimes China, sometimes the Xiongnu or Mongolia, and sometimes Japan.

 

Usually, when Goryeo was about to make a major move, the opposing country would offer tribute and move on, but if they ever resisted, they would send a large force to turn the capital into a sea of fire and accept their surrender.

If there had not been periodic internal strife, Goryeo might have already been wielding its power across Asia, beyond the Chinese continent.

 

 

Anyway, the Goryeo imperial family, having barely suppressed the crisis of internal strife, felt the need to move the army in earnest.

The military power of the nobles in each province is rampant, and the rifts between them are sharp, so they need to divert this elsewhere.

 

 

The closest and easiest target is Ming, but the problem was that Japan behind them was gradually becoming unified.

 

 

The archipelago is a place with excellent potential and a high population-supporting capacity for an island nation. If they went on an expedition to Great Ming and were tickled from behind, it would be quite a headache.

Therefore, in order to keep them in check, Emperor Seonseon conquered Kyushu in Japan and incorporated it into Namjeju Fortress, and with consistent administrative power, it is now a de facto territory of Great Goryeo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Yoo-eun crossed dimensions and set foot in the Central Plains of China, the Great Goryeo imperial family decided on an expedition to Japan, dispatching a large force of nearly 400,000 troops, with the terrifying determination to sweep away the archipelago this time and stabilize the rear.

 

 

However, in order to do this, the border with the Central Plains had to be stabilized, and a means was needed to prevent Ming from daring to covet Great Goryeo.

What emerged in response was the martial arts world of Goryeo.

 

Just as the martial arts world of the Central Plains had blocked Goryeo’s advances in the past, Goryeo would also use its martial arts world to do the same.

To this end, the imperial family issued an imperial edict to gather the heads of each large sect and form an alliance.

If it had been just an order, it might have fizzled out, but with the promise that if they successfully suppressed the Central Plains and even conquered it, they would be crowned as kings of the region, a great upheaval occurred in the Goryeo martial arts world.

 

 

As a result, even noble families who were not existing martial arts families began to refer to themselves as martial arts families.

However, most of the noble families who declared themselves as martial arts families were so-called minor nobles who were not included in the expedition to Japan, so their power was lower than that of most medium-sized sects.

 

 

 

About two months later, the heads of the most prominent large sects finally gathered and held a meeting.

 

 

Representatively, Ahn Yang-rok of the Haedong Sword Sect, Yi Ga-yeon of the Hanyang Yi family, Bing Xue-ran of the Bukhae Ice Palace, Do Hyeok of Daewol, Eulji Hye of the Eulji family, and Pung Yu-hwan of the Typhoon Clan. The Six Strongest Under Heaven (天下六强) of the Goryeo martial arts world gathered, and in addition, dozens of major sects gathered to form an alliance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a long meeting, the alliance of the Goryeo martial arts world was named ‘Jegayeonmaeng’, after the ‘Jegahoeui’, the aristocratic council of Goryeo. Its location is Bisa Fortress (Dalian) in Liaodong.

It was too far for the Bukhae Ice Palace, as it was the southernmost part of Liaodong, but they did not express any dissatisfaction.

 

 

Anyway, they announced the birth of the Jegayeonmaeng to the entire martial arts world and sent out invitations to join, while also reporting to the imperial family.

The imperial family tried to provide subsidies because it was an alliance formed by the emperor’s edict, but the sects refused, fearing excessive interference, so it was built with funds from the Goryeo martial arts world alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The collapse of the Ewha Palace and the news of the founding of the Goryeo martial arts world almost simultaneously shook the Martial Arts Alliance.

Both were issues that could not be ignored, but people paid a little more attention to the news about Goryeo.

 

 

“Why would those bastards, who aren’t even divided into orthodox and unorthodox sects like us, gather and form an alliance? This means they’re going to invade the Central Plains!!”

“That’s right. If that’s not the case, there’s no reason for them to gather and form an alliance.”

“The situation is already like this, and now Goryeo is causing trouble too. I wonder what will become of the world… tsk tsk tsk.”

 

The elders gathered in the Martial Arts Alliance all clicked their tongues and shook their heads.

 

As they said, if they were just going to live in their own territory, there would be no reason to form an alliance.

Forming an alliance means achieving a single great goal, and if the Goryeo martial arts world, which is already living well in its own Central Plains, suddenly forms a great alliance, then the only answer is an invasion of the Central Plains.

 

 

One question is that Goryeo’s advances have always been led by the state and the imperial family, but this time, the martial arts world is suddenly taking the lead.

 

 

“I heard that there was an imperial edict. The emperor himself encouraged the formation of the martial arts alliance.”

“Heoheo… what is going on…”

 

 

The elders are expressing as much concern as Mount Tai.

Just as the unorthodox martial arts world is extremely sensitive to the movements of the Sun-Moon Divine Sect (Demon Sect), the orthodox martial arts world is extremely sensitive to the movements of Goryeo.

 

 

 

 

‘The Ewha Palace has collapsed…’

 

 

Meanwhile, one man is focusing on the Ewha Palace.

Namgung Hyeok, who fell in love with Seo-hyun at first sight, did not care about Goryeo at all.

 

What is important to him is the Ewha Palace.

That’s because Seo-hyun and the Harem Palace headed to Zhejiang only a short time ago.

 

 

Seo-hyun is skilled enough to subdue a Hwasan Sect elder with one hand, so perhaps this Ewha Palace incident was her doing.

 

 

‘If she fought with the Ewha Palace, there must have been a significant loss of power. What if I strike at this time?’

 

 

While the other elders were busy arguing about the Jegayeonmaeng, he was lost in his own vain fantasies.

 

‘I can’t capture Seo-hyun Sojeo’s heart anyway. Then I’ll just use force.’

 

 

There’s nothing to lose.

Just pushing in and taking the place of the Ewha Palace is a gain, not a loss.

If he can take Seo-hyun in the meantime, it would be the icing on the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Isn’t something strange?”

 

 

For his own desires, Namgung Hyeok finally opened his mouth.

 

 

“Namgung Jangro, what is it?”

“Recently, very strange things have been happening in the martial arts world. The Blood Demon Sect’s hideout in Xi’an, and this Ewha Palace incident. They’re all unbelievable.”

“Well…”

“It has only been revealed now, but that hideout was the Blood Demon Sect’s headquarters, and of course it had that much power. But it was destroyed overnight. The same goes for the Ewha Palace. Frankly speaking, is there any sect here that can confidently say that they can subdue the Ewha Palace alone?”

“…”

“That Ewha Palace has collapsed.”

“No, we don’t know that yet. You can’t trust those rumors from the marketplace too much.”

“I am an elder of the Namgung family. I am more confident than anyone else about the news from that area.”

“…”

“The Ewha Palace has burned down. The important thing is who did it.”

“Hmm…”

 

The elders are making sounds of contemplation.

The leader of the Martial Arts Alliance was quietly staring at Namgung Hyeok.

 

 

“Not long ago, Seo-hyun Sojeo led the warriors of the Harem Palace to Zhejiang, didn’t she?”

“You don’t mean to say that they burned down the Ewha Palace?”

“Didn’t you just say! Who here can subdue the Ewha Palace alone! Do you think it’s possible for an unheard-of sect, especially one from Goryeo?”

 

 

The elder of the Hwasan Sect, who had been beaten by Seo-hyun and had a considerable grudge against her, reacted violently.

But regardless, Namgung Hyeok was calm itself.

Of course, his lower body was swollen because he was suffering from the delusion that he could take Seo-hyun.

 

 

“That’s right. They’re from Goryeo.”

“What’s that… no, could it be?”

 

The elders, who suddenly had something pop into their heads, all looked at Namgung Hyeok.

 

 

“Goryeo has its own Central Plains, and its own martial arts world. And this Jegayeonmaeng formation involves even the Goryeo imperial family. What exactly is the benefit of doing that, and what is its ultimate purpose?”

 

He pointed to various places on the map spread out on the table and continued.

 

 

“Goryeo has probably been preparing for this for a long time. They must have planted countless informants. Sometimes even armed groups. Look at the movements of the Harem Palace. The first was Xi’an. The place where the Blood Demon Sect’s hideout was discovered. From there, they destroyed the mountain fortresses of the nearby Green Forest, met our Vermilion Bird Squad’s search party, and later encountered Geom… no, Jansalma, and the Palace Lord was kidnapped. This is where something is strange. As you know, the Ewha Palace is located at the end of the Central Plains, in Zhejiang Province. Xi’an is on the opposite side. Why would Jansalma, the Palace Lord of the Ewha Palace, appear there?”

 

“Now that I hear it… no, but that bitch has always been a wanderer, traveling from place to place, hasn’t she? That alone…”

 

“Of course, if that were all, it could be called a coincidence. But that’s not all. The Harem Palace, having lost its Palace Lord, came all the way to Hanam with Seo-hyun Sojeo at the center and attended our Martial Arts Alliance meeting. For several weeks. Saying that they had to defeat the Ewha Palace together. We agreed too. But at some point, they suddenly headed to Zhejiang on their own, and now the Ewha Palace has burned down.”

“Heoheo…”

“The Blood Demon Sect, suddenly annihilated, and the burned-down Ewha Palace. The Harem Palace is at every place, every scene of the incident.”

“You mean the Harem Palace did all of that?”

“It could be, or it could not be.”

“What?”

“My hypothesis is this. Jansalma, the Palace Lord of the Ewha Palace, colluded with Goryeo.”

“Euh, euung?”

 

Suddenly?

The elders looked at him with that expression.

Namgung Hyeok explained slowly with an understanding face.

 

 

“Jansalma, who colluded with Goryeo, first destroys the Blood Demon Sect’s headquarters. And takes the Clear Green Petroleum and the elixir made from it. She probably received this information from Goryeo. It’s too far from the Ewha Palace. In return for that information, she pretends to kidnap the Palace Lord of the armed group sent from Goryeo, the so-called Harem Palace, while simultaneously erasing one of the cities in Xi’an. Then the entire martial arts world and the government will be enraged and rise up to punish the Ewha Palace and Jansalma. That’s what actually happened.”

“You mean she induced the Orthodox-Unorthodox War!”

“Yes. That’s right. Jansalma is a bitch who we orthodox sects wouldn’t even feel bad about tearing apart and killing, but on the contrary, she’s someone the unorthodox sects have to protect at all costs. Of course, there will be conflict, and if the situation worsens, the Orthodox-Unorthodox War will break out. So, in order to confirm this, Seo-hyun Sojeo, the vanguard of Goryeo, goes to the Ewha Palace to save the Palace Lord, but instead comes to this Martial Arts Alliance to attend the meeting. To find out our movements.”

“Heoheoheoheo…”

 

A shocking hypothesis!

But it was quite plausible.

 

 

“Seo-hyun Sojeo, who attended the meeting, constantly says that we should subjugate the Ewha Palace in order to fulfill the purpose of being dispatched from Goryeo, in other words, to cause the Orthodox-Unorthodox War. But there was no progress. We didn’t take decisive action. So, she eventually considered the operation a failure and moved to the Ewha Palace as a second option. There, she conspired with Jansalma and destroyed the Ewha Palace.”

“But didn’t Jansalma leave for the Black Heaven Alliance before that?”

“Yes. She deliberately vacated her position. Is she the kind of bitch who would come just because she was told to?”

“…”

“Anyway, the important thing is that the major trend in the current martial arts world is flowing towards the Orthodox-Unorthodox War. And the Harem Palace and Jansalma are at the center of it.”

“Eueum…”

“It doesn’t matter who destroyed the Ewha Palace. What matters is who they accept as the culprit. Is there any sect in that area that can stand up to the Ewha Palace? Only the Namgung family. Our orthodox sect. Then they will think. ‘Those orthodox bastards destroyed the Ewha Palace.’ Even if that’s not the case and they think the Harem Palace did it, even that Harem Palace has attended our Martial Arts Alliance meeting. Then this time, the Black Heaven Alliance will contemplate the Orthodox-Unorthodox War. They have a justification for causing the Orthodox-Unorthodox War between them.”

“And if the Orthodox-Unorthodox War breaks out… Goryeo will reap the greatest benefit?”

“That’s right. That’s why the Jegayeonmaeng was formed. If the Orthodox-Unorthodox War breaks out, they will seize the opportunity to explode their combined power and swallow the Central Plains martial arts world. And Goryeo will say. That’s not what we did, it’s just a fight between martial artists.”

 

 

The atmosphere in the room became seriously heavy.

They didn’t believe everything he said, but it wasn’t at a level that could be ignored.

 

 

In the midst of this, Namgung Hyeok stood up from his seat, looked around the hall, and said.

 

 

“In any case, Seo-hyun Sojeo is an important figure. I and the Namgung family will do our best to capture her, so I ask the elders to delay the Orthodox-Unorthodox War as much as possible.”