No matter how insignificant the fertilizer may be. (6)
“Kill him! We must kill him!”
“Huff! Huff!”
The sounds of shouts, fueled by venomous hatred, and the ragged breathing of those panting heavily had risen to the very edges of their throats and echoed all around. Those who pursued Jang Ilso’s crimson-clad back were one by one being dyed that same color.
“Aaaaaargh!”
A disciple of Wudang, who had roughly shoved his Pine Crest Ancient Sword into the back of the fleeing member of Sapaeryeon, continued onward, trampling over the one who had not yet even fallen.
“Jang Ilsooooooo!”
A surge of excitement unlike anything felt before in his life enveloped his entire body. Yet he himself was not even aware of how exhilarated he was.
That’s how it usually is. One who is overly agitated tends to think they are calm. It’s because their reason has become so numbed that they cannot even judge their own state.
The disciples of Wudang had devoted their entire lives to cultivating moderation [중용(中庸)]. Yet in this moment, even the teachings they had followed their whole lives could not guide them.
“Kraaaaaagh!”
If the members of Sapaeryeon standing between them and Jang Ilso had blocked them like a wall, they might have had time to cool their heated minds. Because while they fought them head-on, their reason would return.
But right now, the members of Sapaeryeon were collapsing so easily that even comparing them to rotten straw would be an insult to the straw itself. Thus, everyone inevitably arrived at a single thought.
‘We can do it!’
They could go. They could reach that place. As long as they didn’t collapse from exhaustion, they could tear into that hateful bastard’s flesh and drink his blood.
“Kill himmmmm!”
So how could they stop? This might be a golden opportunity that would never come again.
They were drawing closer. The distance was gradually shrinking. Slowly but surely, the gap between them and Jang Ilso was closing. Their breathing, already rapid, grew even more labored, and their view of the battlefield began to narrow drastically. Right then, a thunderous shout rang out in their ears.
“Over there! Jang Ilso is over there! On the other side!”
‘What?’
At first, it naturally didn’t make any sense. Right now, everyone had Jang Ilso in their sights, chasing him without so much as blinking for fear they might lose him. It was almost as though they were gripping him with their very gazes.
But the other side?
“What the hell….”
Those who turned in the direction of the voice, eyes bloodshot, saw it in that moment.
“What?”
Far in the distance, a man was getting to his feet. He wore a crimson robe and had pure white skin, he even wore a signature crown on his head.
“Jang Ilso…”
A voice, sounding as the one speaking was in pain, slipped out like a groan. From head to toe, there was no room for doubt – it was Jang Ilso.
The onlookers shouted in fury.
“What the hell is this? Why is Jang Ilso over there…?!”
“Is that one the real one?”
“This one is the real one, you idiots!”
A tremendous confusion swept over them. Mu Jin, too, trembled, while his single remaining eye swept from one side to the other.
‘A fake?’
There couldn’t be two ‘Jang Ilso’. One of them had to be an imposter. So which one was the fake?
In a situation like this, one should stop and think carefully for a moment. That would be the normal, reasonable response.
But the fervor already ignited had no means to cool down. They were beyond controlling themselves. Even if they knew in their minds, it was too late to rein it in.
“Out of my way!”
Someone bared his teeth and kept chasing the one he had been pursuing all along. Those who were left behind, as if there was no need to think any further, turned and charged towards the newly appeared Jang Ilso.
If a person didn’t have the capacity to pursue both of Jang Ilso, they would choose just one. But right now, they felt that even if there were two ‘Jang Ilso’, they could catch and kill them both. The remaining stragglers of Sapaeryeon, fleeing with their souls practically torn out, were hardly an obstacle.
So why should they hesitate?
“Hey, wait! Stop! Damn it!”
Mu Jin wasn’t the only one who expressed concern. Two identical Jang Ilso – faces perfectly the same – were appearing in two different places at once. This meant the enemy had prepared a stand-in for Jang Ilso in advance. They had to think carefully about what that implied.
However, their voices were all too easily buried beneath the shouts of those who had lost themselves in a frenzy.
The newly appeared Jang Ilso, seeing those who turned in his direction, gave a mocking laugh and suddenly spun around, breaking into a swift run.
“Over there! He’s getting away! After him!”
Like a tree sprouting from the ground and stretching out its branches, the warriors of Cheonumaeng who were piercing through Sapaeryeon’s lines in a wedge formation split into two groups in the blink of an eye.
Still, this was not a major cause for concern.
The warriors of Cheonumaeng were no fools. From the moment they first set foot in their renowned sect, they had undergone rigorous selection process. They were not merely chosen, they were handpicked elite.
Therefore, they all knew this couldn’t be a trap. And for good reason: the enemy lines were completely shattered. Even if they turned around now for a counterattack, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Cheonumaeng.
Gathering the remnants of Sapaeryeon – in distraught and fleeing – to strike back all at once? That would be impossible even if not Zhuge Liang, but the god of war himself descended.
Hence, they did not hesitate. They did not doubt. They unleashed the fury they had suppressed all this time and ferociously pursued their enemy.
But things did not end there.
“Look! There’s Jang Ilso again! D-Damn it, he’s over there too!”
“Over here! This Jang Ilso is the real one!”
“Damn it, there’s another one over theeeere!”
Jang Ilso revealed himself. Then another Jang Ilso, openly mocking them, appeared. Yet another Jang Ilso slowly ran his hand down his face, then cracked his neck side to side.
Wherever they looked, Jang Ilso was there – no different from the man they knew.
Jang Ilso had left an utterly unforgettable impression on them all. Any warrior of Cheonumaeng could have drawn his face with their eyes closed.
Even they, who knew him so well, found it difficult to spot anything strange about the perfectly identical ‘Jang Ilso’ who appeared in multiple places at once. What on earth were they supposed to do?
“Th-This…”
By this point, everyone realized something was amiss.
But there was no way to turn back. They were already deep in enemy territory. It was now impossible to regroup.
‘No…. There is a way.’
Perhaps everyone already knew.
All they had to do was stop. If they just stopped here, then no matter what Sapaeryeon’s intention might be, they wouldn’t sustain any damage. They only needed to turn their blades away from all those countless ‘Jang Ilso’ and focus on attacking the fleeing members of Sapaeryeon. Then they would achieve a great victory.
But could they really call it a great victory if Jang Ilso’s head wasn’t among the spoils?
Could they truly laugh in satisfaction just by cutting off one arm of the man who had burned their lifelong home to the ground, toyed with their kin, and slaughtered them mercilessly?
No one wanted such an ending. No, they couldn’t even imagine it.
Once you’ve seen chests overflowing with gold and jewels, you can no longer give a second glance to a coin on the ground.
When a rare treasure is lying practically within reach, gleaming vividly, who in this world would be content simply picking up a dirty coin?
“Kill them all! All of them!”
And so, perhaps their choice was only natural.
It didn’t matter how many of Jang Ilso there were. There was no need to figure out which one among them was the real one. One of them had to be the real thing, after all.
They now possessed the power to kill every one of them. There was no need to pay any mind to the tattered remains of Sapaeryeon.
“Oooooooooh!”
Like wild beasts, the warriors of Cheonumaeng charged towards the nearest Jang Ilso.
Excitement and anxiety raged together in their chests, yet at the same time a faint sense of relief mingled in as well.
They felt exhilaration at the thought that they might actually kill Jang Ilso themselves, anxiety that the Jang Ilso they were pursuing might not be the real one, and a sudden, misplaced relief that perhaps that might be for the best.
After all, this was Jang Ilso – no one else. Even just chasing him was both thrilling and terrifying. That devil’s fangs and claws would still be razor-sharp, ready to pierce everyone’s throats.
But a fake Jang Ilso would be nothing to fear.
Indeed. Paradoxically, the possibility that they were chasing an imposter burned away even that lingering bit of unease in some corner of their hearts.
Crossing the enemy’s perimeter and getting into Sapaeryeon’s territory, the warriors of Cheonumaeng spread out rapidly, splitting into a dozen or so different directions. It was as though they were extending out the branches across the battlefield, using it like a vast canvas.
“Ahahahahahahahahah!”
At the end of every branch stood a Jang Ilso. The same was true no matter which path one followed.
That roaring laughter further roused and shook the anger and murderous intent in the hearts of the warriors of Cheonumaeng.
❀ ❀ ❀
“…What on earth…”
Jongli Gok muttered in a somewhat dazed tone.
By any measure, that was Jang Ilso. Even with his trained eyes, he could find no discrepancy. In other words, there was no way to distinguish the real one from the fake.
“Could it really be what Cheon Myeon Susa mentioned…?”
“Most likely.”
There was only one person who could make this possible.
Cheon Myeon Susa Dam Yeohae. He could do it.
While it might be impossible for him to transform into so many different individuals at once, transforming multiple people to have the same appearance wouldn’t be all that difficult for him.
But for it to happen in a situation like this…
“Nokrim King!”
Im Sobyeong glared sharply ahead, his eyes tinged with a chilling fury.
“Are we really just going to let them chase after him like that? Nokrim King!”
As the voice urging him on kept echoing, Im Sobyeong bit down hard on his lip.
Tang Gunak was here. Jongli Gok was here. In the end, the one who would issue orders to everyone was Tang Gunak. Which meant Im Sobyeong’s judgment was more crucial than ever.
If they delayed any longer, the warriors would divide into even more groups. Then no command would hold any meaning. If he was going to give an order, it had to be now.
But what order should he give?
‘The conditions are the same. Their side won’t heed orders anymore either.’
Im Sobyeong kept his gaze fixed on the enemy lines, eyes as cold as ice. His body, pushed to its limits, was screaming in constant agony, but his mind remained chillingly calm.
‘Jang Ilso.’
Deceiving the enemy was a superb tactic. But a truly formidable strategy is one the enemy sees coming, yet can’t avoid. Im Sobyeong had to admit that this move of theirs was exactly that kind of a plan.
Even knowing how dangerous that path was, there was no choice but to take it. Stopping it was already impossible, so perhaps it would be better to…
Finally, Im Sobyeong opened his mouth to speak.
“Lord Tang!”
“I’m listening.”
Tang Gunak answered with difficulty, but firmly.
“I have an order for the entire army…”
Tang Gunak’s expression hardened. Im Sobyeong paused briefly, clenching his jaw. Even at that moment, he still hadn’t made a firm decision.
‘I’m nothing more than a strategist. And a rather mediocre one at that.’
There’s no such thing as a strategist who always makes the right decision. He knew he couldn’t be right all the time.
‘Right. Which means there’s no need to hesitate.’
After all, perfection is impossible. There is no one who is perfect alone. That’s why the alliance exists. Those out there will make up for his imperfections.
A few faces flashed through Im Sobyeong’s mind.
He trusted them more than anyone. He believed that, if it were them, they would surely succeed.
“I decree a kill-on-sight order for Jang Ilso!”
“…”
“Instead of hesitating, we should keep pursuing him. We must accept some losses. Spare no support – throw everything we have at them! Have the Beast Palace Lord waiting in the rear, and everyone else who can move, pursue Jang Ilso. Every single one of those ‘Jang Ilso’ out there!”
“Nokrim King! But then our forces will be torn apart!”
“They’re already torn apart! If we hesitate now, we’ll lose even our last remaining chance!”
Tang Gunak flinched, closing his mouth.
“Opportunities don’t come by often. In fact, this is our last one.”
Im Sobyeong’s eyes were ablaze.
“Today, right here, we will end this war. By taking Jang Ilso’s head!”
At last, Tang Gunak nodded resolutely.
________
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