Chapter 138
Chapter 138
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: The Battle Begins (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yi Seong-ji slowly walked around the frozen river.
Ever since arriving here, whenever his heart grew complicated or he had to make a decision, he would stroll these surroundings to calm his mind.
Hup!
Hya!
From the distance, the resounding shouts of warriors training echoed faintly. The Dragon-Tiger Army's training grounds were not far away.
Yi Seong-ji paused for a moment and watched them train.
Then, in an instant, his eyes flashed as he whipped around like lightning. At the same time, two streaks of light shot toward his head and chest.
Wooong!
An invisible barrier rose around Yi Seong-ji amid a resonant hum.
Clang!
The two streaks of light struck the barrier, sparking as they bounced away.
In Yi Seong-ji's pupils, masked figures charging through the sparks reflected clearly. They closed in on him along precisely calculated trajectories.
Yi Seong-ji's hands erupted with bloody light.
Scree!
A sword slashing down from midair was blocked by Yi Seong-ji's right hand.
Boom!
Flesh-and-blood hand clashed against steel sword, unleashing an explosion.
"Urk!"
A groan burst from the masked man's mouth.
At the same time, Yi Seong-ji's left hand swatted away another masked man's sword.
Boom!
It seemed the masked men's assault had been thwarted.
Right then.
Boom!
The masked man's sword exploded right in front of Yi Seong-ji's face.
"......!"
"Your Highness!"
Yi Seong-ji's master rushed over from behind.
The two masked men exchanged a glance. Then they smashed their own crown points.
Thud! Thud!
The self-killing masked men collapsed limply.
"Your Highness!"
Blood oozed thickly between the fingers covering Yi Seong-ji's face. Shrapnel from the exploding sword had embedded itself across his body.
"Escort His Highness back at once!"
"Yes, sir!"
A warrior who arrived late hoisted Yi Seong-ji onto his back and dashed toward the command tent. Yi Seong-ji's master scanned the surroundings with eyes blazing in shock and fury.
'Just who the hell...'
* * *
Yi Seong-ji's condition was horrific.
Dozens of fragments had concentrated mostly on his face and neck.
Fortunately, his life was not in danger, but he might lose his striking good looks.
Even so, he remained eerily calm.
Entrusting his body to the army physician's hands, he asked the old man,
"Have you examined the corpses?"
"They carried nothing that could hint at their identities."
"Go over them again without missing even the smallest traits on their bodies. If we can't uncover the culprits behind this, the whole incident will be buried."
"We'll handle that, Your Highness. Focus on calming yourself first."
"Could it be my second brother?"
"......"
The old man did not answer right away. But soon he spoke.
"We can't rule out the Crown Prince or the Fourth Imperial Prince either."
"We'll have to put Her Majesty the Empress on the same list."
"......"
His silence was affirmation.
"I wish to be alone."
"We will uncover the truth behind this, so don't worry yourself too much, Your Highness. Focus on recovering now."
"Very well."
Once everyone had left, Yi Seong-ji climbed down from the bed and stood before the bronze mirror.
With cloth wrapped around his face, leaving only his eyes exposed, no one could tell its state.
His eyes, always deep and serene as a lake, slowly filled with the light of rage. Then, words whose meaning was unclear slipped from his lips.
"I thought I could just wait for the time to come..."
* * *
The man leading Zhao Kingdom's vanguard was Jo Jeong-mu, son of the Southwest King.
Already renowned as a fierce general in Zhao, he had come to the northern front lines due to his grudge against Crown Prince Jo Gwang.
Back when everyone believed Jo Gwang would become the next emperor, Jo Jeong-mu had suffered all manner of humiliations at his hands. The resentment built since then had twisted into outright enmity.
'I've been counting the days for a moment like this, Jo Gwang.'
Jo Jeong-mu stared at the vast eastern mountains, his gaze steady.
Yeon Kingdom's territory would begin soon. Once they entered, he planned to sweep all the way to their main base with his elite force of fifty thousand.
"Wine!"
Jo Jeong-mu warmed his chilled body with the liquor handed to him by an aide. Having operated in the mild southwestern regions, even he—a peerless commander—found the northern chill hard to bear.
"How much longer?"
"Half a shichen until Yeon territory begins!"
"Half a shichen..."
A cruel smile curled Jo Jeong-mu's lips. In his mind flashed visions of ravaging Yeon's main camp, holding Jo Gwang's severed head aloft.
'Please be there, Jo Gwang.'
The advance continued. How much time passed? Jo Jeong-mu's eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed ahead.
He had spotted five severed heads dangling from tree branches, swaying in the wind.
"Are those our men's heads?"
"We'll check!"
One general spurred his warhorse forward. He returned immediately to report.
"They're the martial artists we sent to scout the enemy camp's movements."
"How many did we send?"
"Five."
"Incompetents. At least one should have survived to report back."
"Others departed in different directions, so they'll return soon with enemy movements."
"Our passing troops will see them here—clear them away quickly!"
"Yes, sir!"
The five heads were discarded into the woods.
A miserable end for those who had laid down their lives for their homeland.
The advance pressed on. Soon, after cresting a ridge, the entrance to a grand canyon came into view. Jo Jeong-mu sharply surveyed the surroundings and issued an order.
"Search every inch around here!"
"Yes, sir!"
Dozens of martial artists dashed out like the wind.
Jo Jeong-mu halted the advance for the moment. Confirming no Yeon ambushes in the canyon vicinity came first.
"Come closer."
At Jo Jeong-mu's call, a young man approached. It was Yeonhochu of the Yeon Clan, who had clashed fiercely with Hwa Ryeong just days before.
Had his internal injuries fully healed?
His complexion showed no difference from usual.
"Have a drink."
"Thank you."
Yeonhochu quenched his throat with the wine Jo Jeong-mu offered. Jo Jeong-mu asked him,
"How many warriors from your clan did you say?"
"In this vanguard alone, twenty including myself."
"All reliable fighters?"
"I'll show you in battle."
Yeonhochu brimmed with resolve. Jo Jeong-mu gazed at him, a satisfied expression on his face.
"Good. That's the confidence I like."
"Thank you."
Yeonhochu returned to his position.
Jo Jeong-mu entered a hastily pitched tent to rest briefly. But the respite did not last.
"General! Yeon forces have appeared!"
Jo Jeong-mu stepped out immediately.
"Look over there."
He stared where his aide pointed.
Atop the canyon, Yeon Kingdom banners fluttered in the wind. And the banners multiplied swiftly.
"Not an ambush—they're coming out to fight openly? Heh heh heh. Suits me just fine."
* * *
Atop the canyon.
There, Yi Hwan watched the Zhao forces halt at the canyon entrance.
Due to the narrow, treacherous terrain, their fifty thousand seemed twice that.
'I need to buy as much time as possible here.'
Yi Hwan abandoned the ambush plan.
A messenger had just come from main headquarters. Ten thousand troops from the northernmost front had joined, and Jeong Cheon of the Southern Legion was ascending with ten thousand elites. Thus, Yi Hwan judged it wiser to prolong the battle through attrition than risk a high-stakes ambush, biding time for an opportunity.
Yi Hwan eyed a particularly large banner.
Blood-red field embroidered in golden thread with "Eastern Army."
It symbolized Zhao's Eastern Army, which had crossed blades with the Northern Legion over many years.
Bang Hyo said,
"That's Zhao's Eastern Army's strongest elite unit."
"Distinguished by their banners?"
"Yes. Blood-red banners mark the elites, while gold fields with blood-red script denote the main body."
"Do you know their commander?"
Go Mi answered from behind.
"Jo Jeong-mu, son of Zhao's Southwest King, leads the vanguard. He's long been counted among Zhao's top fierce generals."
When had Go Mi learned that?
It no longer surprised him.
'Son of the Southwest King...'
Then, a figure stepped forward from the Zhao lines. Clad in golden armor evoking an emperor, with a blood-red cape billowing, he advanced slowly.
Bang Hyo said,
"That's Jo Jeong-mu."
"I'll go out."
"Let me go, sir."
"No. If it's a greeting, we should return it."
Yi Hwan slowly advanced to the canyon's edge.
Jo Jeong-mu came right below and looked up at him. Their gazes locked, defying the fierce whirlwind.
"I am Jo Jeong-mu, the undefeated general of Zhao! Declare your identity!"
"You don't need to know."
"......What?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Just hold on."
Rage flickered in Jo Jeong-mu's tigerish eyes.
"You barbaric cur who knows not even battlefield courtesy! Are all Yeon generals like you?"
"Hardly."
Yi Hwan parried calmly.
In doing so, he easily discerned Jo Jeong-mu's hot-blooded nature. And one more thing.
'Guys like that are usually just bad-tempered, not stupid.'
Then, a Zhao general charged forth on warhorse like a gale from behind Jo Jeong-mu.
Thud thud thud!
Jo Jeong-mu shouted,
"This is our Zhao army's fierce general, Deok Seung! Who dares take his blade?"
Yi Hwan furrowed his brow.
Preliminatory duels between generals were an archaic practice from ages past.
Yi Hwan turned to Bang Hyo and asked,
"Do they still do that these days?"
"It happens occasionally, but rarely. Just ignore it."
Yi Hwan smiled faintly.
"If they're enjoying themselves, we should join in, no?"
"Pardon?"
Yi Hwan glanced back.
Cheol Mu-ok, who had just returned after completing his assigned task, stepped forward on his own. His massive build clad in armor made him look every bit the grizzled battlefield veteran.
He borrowed a crescent blade from another general and approached Yi Hwan.
"How shall I kill him?"
"As visually gruesome as possible."
"Understood."
Cheol Mu-ok mounted his warhorse. Then he descended the canyon's steep slope without hesitation.
Yi Hwan watched Jo Jeong-mu.
"You'd best fall back. That guy's a bit scary."
"Is he? Let's see just how great. Heh heh heh."
Jo Jeong-mu retreated far back.
And Cheol Mu-ok took his place.
Neigh!
The warhorses grew excited first at the impending clash of life and death.
The Zhao general raised his eight-span spear high and bellowed,
"State your name and rank!"
"Don't have one."
"What?"
Heh.
"Ask King Yama if you're curious."
Thud thud thud!
As Cheol Mu-ok charged, the Zhao general fiercely kicked his mount's flank.
"Hya!"
Thud thud thud!
Cheol Mu-ok coldly smiled at the blood-red aura gathered at the spear's tip.
'As expected, a martial artist.'
He dangled his crescent blade without raising his own aura. A triumphant smirk flashed across the Zhao general's lips.
Confident of victory, no doubt.
Thud thud thud!
Twenty zhang, ten zhang, five zhang.
Screee!
The Zhao general's spear wrapped in blood-red light. He had unleashed full power just before striking.
Even then, Cheol Mu-ok had not raised his aura.
Flash!
The spear streaked with blood-red lightning toward Cheol Mu-ok's neck. Right then, Cheol Mu-ok's crescent blade erupted in blue light, slashing through the air like thunder.
Thud!
* * *
'Well done.'
A satisfied smile curved Yi Hwan's lips.
Yeon warriors erupted in cheers.
Woooah!
In contrast, sighs poured from the Zhao ranks. Where both armies' eyes converged.
The sole survivor standing there was Cheol Mu-ok. The Zhao general lay dead, upper and lower body severed. A death too gruesome to witness.
As visually gruesome as possible.
Heh.
Cheol Mu-ok smiled.
'Well, this'll do.'