Returning To Simplicity And Truth (3)

“A guest has come to see you.”

“A guest?”

Go Won-gi asked with a puzzled expression. What did they mean by a guest on this battlefield?

“Who is it? Tell them to come in.”

“Yes.”

A moment later, three people entered his tent.

“Ah……!”

Go Won-gi did not know the others, but he recognized Ma-jil at a glance. Go So-jeong also looked pleased when she saw Ma-jil and Cheong Yeon.

“Blazing Flame Master!”

“Oh my!”

Was he not Neung Je-gang’s comrade? Of course she could not help but be glad.

“Blazing Flame Master? Please call me Blazing Flame Sword.”

Ma-jil felt more at ease than he had in front of Princess Jang-ok, at least.

“Blazing Flame Sword?”

Go Won-gi looked puzzled.

Whoosh.

Ma-jil drew up his Ihwa True Qi so they could confirm it with their own eyes, and formed a single sword.

“Oh! Impressive.”

It truly was something astonishing. To Go Won-gi, it was a sword made of inner power.

Clap!

But then, Go So-jeong suddenly clapped her hands forcefully.

“Father! There is a good method.”

Go Won-gi looked at her. Go So-jeong’s face had even turned red, as if she was excited about something.

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“There is a way to infiltrate beyond the Necromancer Cult’s camp.”

“I wonder. Every infiltration plan has failed so far. Are you saying there is a better method?”

“With Great Hero Ma-jil here, it is enough. There is definitely a method that will succeed.”

“What?”

Go Won-gi looked at Ma-jil. Other than the martial art that seemed to handle fire, he did not appear to have anything especially unusual. Instead, he noticed the two people beside Ma-jil, who had not even had a chance to introduce themselves.

“Oh dear, I forgot there were other guests here. So, who might you be?”

“I have seen Great Hero Cheong Yeon before, but this young lady is new to me.”

Only then did Go So-jeong also look at Cheong Yeon and greet him.

“I am Cheong Yeon.”

“I am Je So-yeon.”

“This young lady is the boss’s junior martial sister, and this guy is the boss’s subordinate like me. Hehehe!”

Ma-jil was in a good mood. It was because Go So-jeong had called him a great hero.

In Antang Mountain, the name people used for him was Fire Demon. Or they simply called him a leech, just like his name.

But here, they called him a great hero. How could he not like that?

“I am Go Won-gi. I serve as Chief of the Martial Alliance’s Investigation Unit.”

“I am Go So-jeong. Nice to meet you.”

Je So-yeon was relieved to see that Go So-jeong showed no unusual reaction even after learning that she was Neung Je-gang’s junior martial sister. At least it was different from the princess’s reaction.

“But what do you mean, there is a way to infiltrate beyond the Necromancer Cult’s camp?”

Go Won-gi asked while looking at Go So-jeong. If such a method existed, they might be able to resolve this tedious war all at once.

“Great Hero Ma-jil has a special skill that others do not know about.”

“A special skill?”

“It is digging. To be precise, digging tunnels. If he digs a tunnel from here to beyond the Necromancer Cult’s camp, would that not make things easy?”

At Go So-jeong’s words, Go Won-gi quickly turned back to Ma-jil.

“Is that true?”

“T-that is probably true, yes?”

Ma-jil could not bring himself to say that he had learned Muto True Qi.

‘If it becomes too widely known that I dig through the ground, that will be dangerous…….’

He thought this inwardly. If someone saw him digging through the ground and creating fire, then thought of Five Element True Qi, it would truly be a disaster.

“So there was such a method. But the distance is no joke.”

“Great Hero Ma-jil can do it. Right?”

“Hehe! Distance does not matter.”

At the words great hero again, Ma-jil threw his worries aside. He felt as if he should just let whatever happened happen.

“But why exactly are you doing this……?”

“Ah, we became too excited without even explaining. In truth, we have no means to win this war. Because the difference in troop numbers is far too severe. But we do know there is one single method.”

“What is that……?”

“Food! If we can eliminate the food the Necromancer Cult has secured, this war will end in an instant. The area near Seon-yeong is a grain-producing region, so if they harvest it, the enemies’ food stores will increase even further. The harvest season is two months away now, and if we cannot resolve the food problem before then, there is no telling when this war will end.”

“I see.”

To maintain a large army, military provisions were absolutely necessary. One could fight without weapons, but one could not fight without eating.

“However, until now, the experts on our side who infiltrated from various directions were all killed in surprise attacks by unknown people. We do not know whether they are assassins or what they are, but we could not break through their surveillance network. Also, their abilities were not ordinary, so we even formed a special mission team of experts and sent them in despite knowing they would be discovered, but that failed as well. However, if we can dig a tunnel from here deep into the Necromancer Cult’s rear, eliminating the enemy’s food warehouses will not be unreasonable. We can also destroy the grain that is about to be harvested.”

At Go Won-gi’s words, everyone nodded. It was understandable enough.

“Understood. I will dig the tunnel.”

“Oh! Thank you. Now that Secret Shadow’s companions have come, our worries are resolved in one stroke. Ah, but what about Secret Shadow……?”

“We heard that he went missing after going to Kunlun. That is why we came here.”

Cheong Yeon answered.

“Mm……! So there was no other news on your side either. He will be alive.”

Go Won-gi said it to give them hope.

“Hehehe! Of course. That man is not someone who would die easily. In the past, in the Forbidd…….”

Ma-jil suddenly tried to say something, then hurriedly shut his mouth. The cold energy emitted by Je So-yeon chilled his head.

“……?”

Go Won-gi and Go So-jeong looked at Ma-jil, who had hastily covered his own mouth, with eyes full of doubt.

“Ah! He said he was confident he would not die even if he was trapped in a place like Forbidden Demon Prison. Hehehe!”

Ma-jil managed to finish what he had been saying with a somewhat plausible excuse, but the mere use of the term Forbidden Demon Prison was already an unforgivable mistake.

Feeling Je So-yeon’s gaze grow fierce, Ma-jil sprang to his feet.

“Why?”

“Where should I dig the tunnel? What is there to delay? Let us start right away.”

“Still, you have come a long way, so after resting a little…….”

“Rest? I feel like I could fly. Come on, let us go out and take a look. Quickly, quickly.”

Since Ma-jil urged them on, they all had no choice but to go outside.

Go Won-gi took them somewhere and looked out at the Necromancer Cult’s camp in the distance.

“They do not move an inch from that place.”

“Do they not attack either?”

Cheong Yeon asked. The Necromancer Cult had built barricades, and the length of those barricades seemed endless.

“They do not attack either. They only defend. That is why we have ended up in this standoff. I have no idea what they are thinking. In any case, I would like the tunnel to be dug from here to beyond that mountain over there.”

Go Won-gi pointed to a small mountain beyond the Necromancer Cult’s camp.

“That is quite far, isn’t it? Hehe!”

“Can you do it?”

“Hehehe! It is like eating cold porridge.”

Ma-jil shouted confidently.

“How long will it take? Is it possible within a month?”

“As long as you do not let me go hungry, about ten days?”

“That quickly?”

“That should be enough. Hehehe!”

Ma-jil nodded.

“Do not worry about food. I will have whatever food you want served to you.”

Go Won-gi was willing to even steal the food Princess Jang-ok ate and bring it to him. If they could safely dig the tunnel and eliminate the Necromancer Cult’s food, what would that matter?

“Hehehe! Boss, I will save you.”

Ma-jil looked at the Necromancer Cult’s camp and clenched both fists, as if Neung Je-gang were being held captive there.