The debate over whether a larger army or a smaller elite force is stronger has long been a topic of contention among the people of the Central Plains.

Commonly, there’s a saying that three can take down one. The notion that one Hwa-gyeong can be faced by three peak-level fighters, and that one late peak-level fighter can be countered by three early peak-level fighters, stems from the Central Plains people's peculiar fondness for the number three and their division of martial arts into upper, middle, and lower levels.

This is because four can defeat one.

The simultaneous assault from all …