What is the Eight Trigrams Formation?

It was a stratagem born of desperate necessity, originally devised by the Kingdom of Shu to defy the overwhelming might of the Kingdom of Wei. At the time, Shu was vastly inferior in every metric that mattered—population, cavalry, and resources. Even if they fought a war of equal attrition, Wei could replenish its lost legions, harvest new provisions, and raise fresh cavalry within a few short years. Shu, however, could not. That disparity was Zhuge Liang’s greatest challenge, and his most formidable adversary.

The Eight Trigrams Formation was his answer: eight columns, eight directions, eight lines.

The soldiers of the Hua Empire were reasonably well-trained, but the true backbone of this formation lay in its leadership. While ordinary infantry merely had to memorize the complex language of flags and drums, the Decurions were a different breed entirely. They were the ones who had survived the meat grinder of pitched battles against the Suksin Tribe. They had learned a single, brutal truth with their bodies: If you cannot hear the drumbeat, you die.

Having engraved this lesson onto their very bones, the surviving Decurions led the clumsy reinforcements with desperate precision.

Zhuge Rin began to handle the signaling systems of the Hua Empire as if they were extensions of his own limbs. For now, it was a light rehearsal, a mere stretching of muscles before the main war commenced. There was no time to teach them anything new; there was only time to remind them of the discipline that already existed.

Although the Eight Trigrams Formation was the Zhuge Clan’s ultimate weapon, it was so legendary that no military strategist worth their salt could be ignorant of it. Even the Centurions recognized the pattern. Any fanatic of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms would have felt their heart swell just witnessing this sight: the Eight Trigrams Formation, unfolded in its entirety by the last survivor of the Zhuge Clan. It was nothing short of perfection.

However, Zhuge Rin, seemingly unsatisfied with technical perfection, began to shift a few small units of forty-eight soldiers, tweaking the geometry of the battlefield.

“You show no dignity of a martial artist at all.”

At His Highness Eun’s remark, Jin Cheon-hee smirked.

“Because a massive slaughterhouse is about to unfold. There must be a reason Master gave me such strong medicine.”

The math was grim. Against the Empire’s 470,000-strong army, the Suksin forces numbered roughly 250,000, including their supply lines. The enemy was fewer in number, but they were vastly superior as a military force. Previous clashes had resulted in a catastrophic exchange ratio; when the Suksin forces decreased by 50,000, the Imperial Army lost 100,000 in the process.

Wow, what a crazy exchange ratio. Imperial soldiers are cheaper than Suksin helmets.

The fact that His Highness Eun hadn’t beheaded the strategists and generals likely meant he expected them to take responsibility for this damnable cost. Furthermore, those who had accumulated experience against the Suksin were the only ones capable of reversing this wretched trend. Generals guarding the peaceful borders near Wannong could be swapped out without issue, but against the Suksin, rookies wouldn’t last a day. Ultimately, they had to trust in human adaptability.

Jin Cheon-hee sighed internally. We have to trust in human deep learning. I am investing. These bastards are undergoing deep learning. This exchange ratio is an investment for the future…

“Still, remaining consistent isn’t just due to the medicine.”

“Thanks to the Profound Primordial Complete Foundation Divine Art, too.”

“No, it is because of your rationality,” His Highness Eun said, looking at Jin Cheon-hee with a calm, analytical gaze. “Even in this situation, you are watching your master’s strategy, checking the flow, finding escape routes, and figuring out a way to live. With that small head of yours.”

“You’ve suddenly become abrupt, Your Highness.”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s grumbling, His Highness Eun smirked.

“Choosing you was indeed the right choice. Because you are the only one who can perfectly grasp Zhuge Rin’s intentions within this tangling Eight Trigrams Formation.”

“You are amazing too, Your Highness, for trusting my Master and entrusting this much to him.”

“Hmm. Rather than trusting and entrusting, there is simply no one else to turn to.”

“Pardon?”

“People crumble more easily than one might think, especially military strategists who are inherently prone to stress. The pressure they face regarding defeat is immense.”

Despite transforming human lives into mere numbers on a page, being human meant they couldn’t entirely escape the crushing burden of guilt.

“Of course, they are also susceptible to fatigue,” His Highness Eun added. “Although I referred to them as weak, this chaotic battle has persisted for over a month, so in reality, it has already surpassed the endurance of ordinary men.”

“I see.”

“To such strategists, Zhuge Liang’s name is revered like a deity. Consequently, the expectations for the last heir of the Zhuge Clan are exceedingly high.”

In this dire situation, facing the precipice of crushing defeat, they would cling to any semblance of hope. It was a purely rational belief.

“Although I had previously mentioned that adoption would resolve the matter,” His Highness Eun mused, “why don’t you enter as an adopted son?”

“Uh… Because Master doesn’t want it?”

“Master and disciple are fundamentally akin to father and son, so that is strange.”

Calling his master ‘Father’. In a Confucian society where King, Teacher, and Father are one, it wasn’t a structural issue. But Jin Cheon-hee, who had never had a family in this life or the last, found it difficult to navigate such emotional terrain. Perhaps because he had never experienced family life, the concept felt alien, even daunting.

He decided to change the subject immediately.

“In that sense, Your Highness, I intend to change the operation. I will ride Hwanggu instead of a horse.”

“Hwanggu-ya.”

Bark!

Hwanggu released the Muscle-Shrinking Art and returned to his original size. The majesty of a dog as large as a wolf—no, far larger than any wolf—revealed itself.

Pant-pant-pant—

In the past, he still had a roundish, puppy-like quality, but having eaten spiritual beast meat and elixirs like rice, he now looked more ferocious than a wild beast. Except, of course, for the way he constantly tried to put his massive, tiger-sized front paw on Jin Cheon-hee’s shoulder. Despite his terrifying appearance, his actions were unmistakably those of a spoiled dog. To Hwanggu, Jin Cheon-hee’s weight was nothing; he simply liked being closer to his owner.

Jin Cheon-hee placed a saddle on Hwanggu’s back and secured his quiver and bow. The Eastern Depot agents watching nearby were visibly flustered by the sight.

“Since he is a spiritual beast, he will be faster and run longer than a horse.”

“Pulling out this card from the start… did you predict the Suksin cavalry would be formidable?”

“Yes. There will be many casualties.”

“Even for Zhuge Rin, is it unavoidable?”

At that, Jin Cheon-hee frowned slightly.

“You told Master to win, Your Highness. So he will prioritize that.”

Even if much blood is shed.

Jin Cheon-hee’s gaze turned to a distant tent.

“You seem to want to treat patients.”

“Soldiering doesn’t suit me, that’s why. I am a physician, Your Highness.”

“Now you have become my soldier.”

“So I am enduring. I know how serious this situation is and which is more important.”

Escort His Highness Eun.

His master would activate the Eight Trigrams Formation and defend against the Suksin battle lines. The moment they penetrated deep, His Highness Eun, trained in Sound Arts, would neutralize part of the army through Spiritual Speech.

Ultimately, it was so. The Imperial Family, descendants of the Three Supremes Fuxi, weren’t just a political check or a rival to martial artists. Their true power shone when leading tens of thousands of soldiers. When an Emperor passed away, they killed each other, using the soldiers of maternal relatives and their own power to become Emperor, to survive, or… like Wangya Ju, to seat someone they believed in on the throne.

Turbulent times began like that, and sometimes the continent split to establish different countries and fight. That power was optimized for such wars. When His Highness Eun was in the Imperial Palace, he was a ruler engaging in schemes, a terrifying existence manipulating humans from the shadows. But when he stood in the wilderness leading tens of thousands of soldiers, he became a myth.

[Your Highness, if you display your power in this war, everyone in the Imperial Palace will know. That the twin thought dead is alive. Then the question of who the Emperor is will arise.]

At Jin Cheon-hee’s telepathic message, His Highness Eun smirked.

“Mischievous. To retaliate like this immediately just because I asked why you cannot call your master father. You’re still fearless.”

Wangya Ju was the God of War because her true power came from the crucible of battle. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands believed in her martial power. That faith boosted the morale of all soldiers, leaving a message that somehow they would win, that someone among them would return home. That was why the Hua Empire held together. Even if the Emperor passed away and the land was stained with civil war, eventually another Pung would be seated as Emperor. It was the reason the imperial citizens accepted their rule.

Then, Pung Ha-eun. Can you become a God? Can you defend against foreign enemies as the living god of the imperial citizens? Can you protect the fertile land the Three Supremes Fuxi commanded to protect?

Pung Ha-eun looked into the blue eyes of Jin Cheon-hee, feeling the unspoken challenge in the young man’s gaze. Though different from the master moving this Eight Trigrams Formation, the blue light of intellect was the same.

“Arrogant. Physician. What do you take We for?”

He referred to himself as ‘We’ without even using telepathy, yet none of the Eastern Depot agents were flustered. Seeing they were calm now despite being shaken by Hwanggu earlier, Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t tell if they were well-trained in this aspect or if they already possessed quite a lot of dangerous information.

His Highness Eun continued, his voice low.

“My sister is the God of War. She is a living Nezha and a running Hwacha. Where she moves, only black ash remains. The authority to handle extreme heat and extreme cold simultaneously is so intense that anyone who receives her gaze on the battlefield suffers nightmares all night.”

“……”

“However, even that sister is not perfect. She is a living Nezha, not a living Great Sage Equal to Heavens, Sun Wukong. Unless she uses hair to create clones, she can’t help it. She is singular. Until she becomes plural.”

“That could be called the weakness Lu Bu had in the past.”

“Closer to Xiang Yu than Lu Bu. Consort Yu is by her side, too. Since the current Prince Consort is not Diaochan.”

At that, Jin Cheon-hee burst into laughter. Wangya Ju’s husband was certainly closer to the loyal Consort Yu than the bewitching Diaochan.

His Highness Eun added, “In contrast, I—or Geum—can never become such existences. Especially since we hated weapons from birth.”

“Then are you saying you are the Great Sage Equal to Heavens, Your Highness?”

“Temporarily, yes.”

“Where is the Cloud Somersault?”

“Isn’t it there?”

His Highness Eun pointed backward with his gaze, toward where Jin Cheon-hee’s master stood. The sight of drums beating in rhythm with the fluttering flags unfolded before them.

Boom-boom-boom—

After several adjustments, the military orders were perfectly refined. Jin Cheon-hee felt the smooth, hydraulic movement of the Eight Trigrams Formation. He felt that he himself was an axis of this massive machine, that he had become a cog in the design. Small forms small to become large, and large becomes the world. It was a strange pleasure, one felt only by species that formed societies and swarmed like ants. Facing a damn war, a human felt a faint, perverse pleasure in being unified with something massive.

Was it the instinct of a species forming a group? Or was it a sliver of hope and relief that one might survive the coming slaughter?

Jin Cheon-hee asked again, “Then where is the Ruyi Jingu Bang?”

“Is it not here as well?”

His Highness Eun turned his gaze, looking directly at Jin Cheon-hee.