Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Huangbo Annihilation
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Eventually, the enemy completely crumbled. They charged into the fleeing foes, cutting down dozens more. Once the mop-up was finished, the alliance warriors were all sprawled out. Everyone was utterly exhausted, barely able to catch their breath.
Yuk Ryul gazed up at the sky and asked,
"Ha, by the way, where'd you learn that formation from?"
"From a book."
The nonchalant reply drew a scoff from Uncle Dang, but he didn't press further.
There was no revelry in celebration of victory, no long rest. Shandong was still enemy territory. Their only reward was selecting a suitable village home and resting there for a day.
It was that night.
"Please, I beg you."
Yeon Seong-gong knelt on the ground, pleading. Yuk Ryul awkwardly grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Even as he was half-forced to his feet, the man wouldn't stop talking.
"Save my family."
"Just return to Kaifeng for now, and you'll hear good news soon enough."
"Please! If you save my family, I'll do anything. I beg you. The Emperor has completely lost his mind!"
Yuk Ryul glanced back. Yi Jeong-baek shrugged at the look. It was news to him too.
"What happened?"
"Do you know what the Huangbo Clan threatened me with when they imprisoned me? They said they'd already gotten the Emperor's approval for my execution. And if I didn't cooperate, they'd exterminate the entire Gong Clan."
"......Exterminate the clan?"
"That's why they dragged not just my relatives but every single person with the Gong surname down to Jinan."
Yuk Ryul swallowed a sigh and tried to console him.
"Understood. We need to discuss it first, so please head back for now."
Yeon Seong-gong turned away, shoulders slumped. Once he returned to his carriage, Yuk Ryul scratched his head and asked, his headache plain to see.
"What do you all think about what we just heard?"
"Setting aside the offer itself, dragging the Emperor into it feels a bit suspicious."
Yuk Jin-yang didn't trust Yeon Seong-gong's words. It stemmed from the reasonable doubt that the Emperor couldn't possibly have gone that mad.
Yi Jeong-baek's view differed.
"Before setting out on this mission, I heard various rumors. They say the Emperor's not right in the head."
"I've caught similar whispers myself. Word is he's even touching poppy."
"And wasn't provoking the Prince of Han a sign he's not acting normally to begin with?"
Listening to the exchange, Yuk Jin-yang was inwardly shocked.
Poppy's infamy was well-known. Its immense addictiveness and aftereffects were to blame.
They said you lose your fortune to the red flower's bliss, sell your family for more, and eventually devour yourself.
No one fit to rule the realm should touch it.
"If he's into poppy, isn't he basically a wreck by now?"
"Who knows. He's got the Imperial Medical Bureau. Maybe some secret remedy clears the toxins and sharpens his mind. I'm skeptical, but..."
Yuk Jin-yang could guess where the discussion was headed as he heard Uncle Dang's doubts about the Emperor. They'd end up in another grueling fight here in Shandong.
"In any case, we can't just brush off the request outright. If his family really gets wiped out and he snaps, it'll drag us down too."
"It'd cause political headaches as well."
Yi Jeong-baek replied curtly.
As dawn broke, the group swiftly gathered supplies and the wounded, then left Gokbu County.
"Senior Brother, where to next?"
Yi Jeong-baek asked. It extended last night's debate. Yuk Ryul sighed and announced his decision.
"We'll split the forces. Pick the swiftest escorts to take the wounded and Yeon Seong-gong back to Kaifeng."
"And the rest?"
"Through Mount Tai to Jinan. To finish them off completely."
The Five Harmony Alliance warriors' faces grew grave.
Jinan was as good as Huangbo Clan territory. Their decades-old roots ran deep. It wouldn't fall easily just because one young master was dead.
But Yuk Ryul had his reasons for confidence.
"Some of their forces have likely already left Shandong. To join the Emperor's army ahead of time. I heard as much before coming here."
"Even so, the elders will hold the fort."
"I know. But their villainy was infamous even before the rebellion. Extorting peasants on whims, forcing them into corvee labor—the people won't side with them. Especially now that their young master is dead."
Yi Jeong-baek asked,
"What exactly do you mean by 'the people'?"
"Shandong isn't just Huangbo Clan turf, is it?"
"Ah!"
Yi Jeong-baek's face brightened. Yuk Jin-yang, hearing Uncle Dang, recalled a Shandong sect he'd nearly forgotten.
The Taishan Sect. A Daoist sect, one of the Five Mountains Sword Sects.
"Meaning the Taishan Sect will step in. But they could be in league with them."
"I've met their sect leader before. Their martial prowess isn't top-tier, but their spirit is strong."
Yuk Jin-yang interjected,
"What if they refuse, claiming it's worldly affairs beyond them?"
Alliances between local clans and religious sects were common. Better to cooperate and dominate the region than spill blood fighting.
Yet Taishan Sect rejected such compromises. They shunned the secular world, devoting themselves solely to cultivation and refinement.
"That's why I brought this."
Yuk Ryul pulled a small wooden plaque from his bosom. The roughly split wood bore the red characters "Repay Grace" etched on it. Eyes widened around him.
"A Gratitude Token? How do you have such a treasure?!"
"You met their sect leader, but getting a Gratitude Token means no ordinary bond."
Yuk Ryul nodded.
"Yes, it's a Gratitude Token. I'd rather not use it."
Gratitude Tokens were typically single-use. Best saved for dire straits, when life hung by a thread.
But Yuk Ryul's expression was resolute.
"We may not get another chance like this. Time to uproot them for good."
"It's not impossible, but..."
Yi Jeong-baek trailed off, glancing around thoughtfully. The other warriors quickly eased his concerns.
"Let's go check it out. To Taishan."
"Someone has to do it anyway."
"Might as well see it through since we're here."
They all wore determined looks, tinged with eagerness. Even cloaked in prestige, they were warriors at heart. They wouldn't shy from battle or camaraderie with the strong.
"Then we need to select the returnees. Bin-ah?"
"Yes, Brother."
A soft voice replied. A girl with refined features emerged from the crowd. A sheathed sword hung at her waist, matching Yi Jeong-baek's.
"I'm Yi Seo-bin, a token warrior of the Five Harmony Alliance's Shandong branch."
She bowed her head. Despite her elegant poise, she exuded spirited resolve. Yuk Jin-yang formally introduced himself in return. Her condition caught his eye naturally.
Yi Seo-bin's breathing was uneven. She seemed to have suffered serious internal injuries. Noticing his gaze, she lowered her eyes and murmured apologetically,
"I've been out of sorts lately. You saved me, my benefactor, yet I can't help when it matters most. I'm sorry."
"Don't think that way at all. It's an injury from fighting the enemy. Something to be proud of, even."
"The young hero has manners too."
Yi Jeong-baek, watching their exchange fondly, cut in.
"If not for this situation, you two could've built a fine friendship as peers. Pity."
"......Brother."
At his sister's sharp glare, Yi Jeong-baek cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Anyway, Bin, you're the least injured, so escort the wounded back to Kaifeng first."
Yi Seo-bin nodded and stepped back. She then selected the wounded and escorts—about a third of the total.
"See you at headquarters."
With a bow, Yi Seo-bin led her group ahead. They looked back repeatedly, faces tinged with regret at leaving comrades behind.
Watching their retreating figures, Yuk Ryul spoke.
"Let's move out too."
It took a full day from Gokbu County to Mount Tai.
Throughout the journey, admiring glances poured in. Plenty approached openly to build rapport. Conversations naturally turned to small talk.
"No, you just had your coming-of-age ceremony?"
Yi Jeong-baek's eyes widened. He'd pegged Yuk Jin-yang at least at eighteen.
"Didn't you already know?"
"Been on mission, missed all recent news. Stuck in that damned Gokbu County."
Yi Jeong-baek's speech had grown rough. He was fully at ease with Yuk Jin-yang now.
Shaking his head, he pressed on.
"Truly astounding, though. Never heard of anyone like you in Five Harmony Alliance history."
"You're too kind."
"Kindness be damned! So, which division are you assigned to? Talents like you would be snapped up by the leaders."
"Not decided yet. They said to wait due to circumstances."
Yi Jeong-baek pondered briefly, then nodded to himself.
"Makes sense. The alliance's combat forces are shifting to evenly distribute manpower among the clans."
"It was different before?"
"Back then, the Four Great Clans each controlled two divisions outright. Leaders and members placed to their liking. But the court intervened and changed that."
"More court meddling than I thought."
"Actually quite minimal compared to the support we get. Imperial or court involvement is limited—usually when a clan's power grows too much."
"That tracks."
"Still, you might get options. You've got the skills already."
Yi Jeong-baek lowered his voice, glancing at Yuk Ryul ahead.
"For reference, Bin and I are in the Valor Division."
"I can hear you. Don't tempt my nephew with empty words."
Yuk Ryul, who'd been pretending otherwise, cut in.
"Come on, over something like this?"
Laughter rippled through the group at Yi Jeong-baek's indignant retort. The mood lightened as they marched into the darkness.
"Ah!"
Someone gasped in admiration. Dawn was breaking far off.
Faint light spread wide along the horizon.
The thin fog, draped like mourning gauze, slowly dispersed. Through it, Mount Tai revealed itself—stern and majestic, as if peering down from the heavens.
Sunlight gently settled on the solemn peak. Mingling with fading shadows, it painted the foliage in subtle teal hues.
Someone murmured,
"......So, we have to climb that now, right?"