Chapter 227
Chapter 227
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: The Vanished Blue Wolf Tribe
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As they drew closer to the north, the temperature plummeted sharply.
Mornings and nights were especially brutal, with ice forming in the water jars left out to boil rice for meals, as if it were the dead of winter.
Whoooosh!
Today, fierce winds brought an onslaught of biting cold, so Yi Hwan ordered the troops to rest before sunset.
Crackle, crackle. Bubble, bubble.
In the center of the command tent, a pit had been dug for a campfire, and water boiled atop it.
Brewing tea was Hwa Ryeong's task, with Go Mi assisting her. The two women started with Yi Hwan's cup, then made the rounds to the generals gathered for the meeting.
The reason for today's gathering was that the Golden Army would have to head toward the Southern Legion come morning.
Though the Northern Legion and Southern Legion sounded like they should be the farthest apart, they were actually the closest of all the legions.
The Central Army and Western Legion, meanwhile, were farther from the Northern Legion due to multiple border shifts over the years.
There had long been talk of renaming the legions to avoid confusion, but that idea had been shelved to prevent even more disarray.
The Golden Army's generals deeply regretted not being able to accompany Yi Hwan northward.
But there was no choice. By now, troops from the Southern Legion were already en route to the Northern Legion, leaving gaps that they had to fill.
Yi Hwan permitted a modest drinking session tonight. The generals raised their cups, washing away the exhaustion and fatigue of the forced march.
Much later, once the generals had returned to their tents, only Yi Hwan's close aides remained.
Hwa Ryeong asked,
"Are we heading straight to the northernmost front instead of Commander Gwak's main camp?"
"Yes."
"That means it'll be cavalry-focused combat, facing off against the Great Plains."
"If battle erupts there, that's how it'll play out."
Yi Hwan took a sip of tea before continuing.
"We'll have to see how the war unfolds. But no matter what, the northern tribes are fierce and wild by nature. If it comes to all-out war, it'll be a grueling fight."
The Northern Legion could be divided into two main forces.
First was Commander Gwak Chung-mu's main camp, holding the line against the Zhao Kingdom. The other handled the northern barbarians, including the Blue Wolf Tribe.
The northernmost troops had to keep the Blue Wolf Tribe and other barbarians in check, so even in past wars with Zhao, they couldn't easily provide support.
Though both fell under the Northern Legion, their deployments differed in terrain and environment, leading to differences in primary troop types.
Gwak's main camp specialized in mountain warfare, while the force against the northern barbarians—whose main battlefield was the Great Plains—was cavalry-heavy.
Thus, strategies and tactics would vary greatly depending on which force was the focal point.
"What? So you're saying battle might not break out there?"
"The Blue Wolf Tribe is already nearing three hundred thousand strong. With most of their allied tribes being cavalry-focused, do they really need to fight on the Great Plains?"
"So, you're thinking of luring the enemy into the mountains?"
"We'll assess the situation first, but that's my inclination. Of course, I'll discuss it with Commander Gwak beforehand."
Yi Hwan held out his empty teacup. Go Mi refilled it with hot water.
Splash.
"There must be martial artists in the north too. We have almost no intel on them, so stay vigilant at every moment."
"Yes."
"Understood."
"Go rest now."
Soon after, everyone retired to their tents. Yi Hwan tried to sleep right away.
But sleep wouldn't come.
Lately, he had trouble falling asleep. Closing his eyes brought visions—dreams or illusions, he couldn't tell—that churned his mind into chaos.
A woman of unparalleled beauty and a child who resembled him. And a few others.
None were in his memories.
'My wife and son?'
The thought struck him whenever the boy who looked like him appeared. Yet with no recollection, he couldn't be sure.
'Did I lose some memories during reincarnation?'
Perhaps.
Yi Hwan gazed at his beloved sword. These episodes had started after retrieving it from the Imperial Palace Treasury.
Throb.
A headache surged. Shaking off the stray thoughts, Yi Hwan donned his outer robe and stepped outside.
Whoooosh!
The wind howled fiercely.
Clang! Clang!
The patrolling warriors saluted him.
Yi Hwan stared at the mountain range blocking the path ahead. Crossing those peaks would bring them to the Northern Legion's main camp.
Beyond that lay the north, head-to-head with the Blue Wolf Tribe.
'The Zhao Kingdom must know by now that I've come here. They'll surely try to intervene again somehow.'
Yi Hwan was convinced the Zhao Kingdom had a hand in the Blue Wolf Tribe's movements. Without it, no mere tribal coalition would dare invade Yeon.
He expected Zhao to meddle further, aiming for mutual destruction between Yeon and the Blue Wolf Tribe.
'The north... The only place I never conquered back then was the northern martial world...'
Two hundred years ago, when he unified the world's martial sects, the northern martial world had eluded him. Not because they were too strong, but because he lacked the leisure to turn his gaze there.
"Can't sleep?"
Go Mi approached from behind.
"Not tired?"
"Thanks to the cultivation method you taught me, I'm fine."
"Shall we walk?"
"Yes."
They strolled side by side toward the camp's outskirts. As they walked, Go Mi cautiously asked,
"Is there another reason for heading north besides the Blue Wolf Tribe?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Just... wondering."
"No, nothing like that."
"...Yes."
He had answered, but Go Mi couldn't shake the feeling there was more to it.
Yi Hwan always did what others overlooked, with astonishing results. She couldn't help wondering if there was some hidden objective this time too.
"How's the training?"
A few days prior, Yi Hwan had devised a new technique suited to her and passed on the oral formula. Now he inquired about her progress.
"I've only just grasped the basics, so reaching mastery will take time. I'll ask for help if I hit any snags."
"Anytime."
"Oh! It's snowing!"
Go Mi's eyes widened suddenly. Snowflakes drifted down. At first mere flurries caught in the wind, they soon swelled into fat flakes.
Yi Hwan smiled faintly at Go Mi, who gazed up at the night sky with a grin.
'At times like this, she's just like any ordinary woman.'
Go Mi always maintained perfect composure, especially around him.
'It was snowing that time too.'
Long ago, when 'that kid' had sneaked out of the palace, missed his return, and ended up staying at Go Mi's home—that night.
Fat snowflakes had fallen then, just like now.
The memory belonged not to Yi Hwan, but to 'that kid'. Yet now, even those felt like his own.
Snow whitened their hair. Neither brushed it off, lost in reminiscence.
How much time passed?
Flutter, flutter!
A flock of birds burst from the mountains ahead. At this hour, birds flying in formation meant only one thing: something had startled them.
The two snapped from their thoughts.
That was when it happened.
"Who goes there!"
"Halt!"
Clang, clang, clang!
Sharp cries from the warriors, followed by the ring of drawn swords.
"We come from the Northern Legion!"
* * *
They were warriors dispatched by Gwak Chung-mu. Guessing Yi Hwan and the Golden Army were near, he had sent them as guides.
Yi Hwan received a report on the northern situation through them.
No unusual activity yet, and troop movements remained quiet.
On their way back, they had encountered Jeong Cheon's Southern Legion forces heading north.
But one odd development stood out.
"Ten thousand Blue Wolf Tribe warriors left their main camp southward, and you lost track of them?"
"Yes. With no further contact, we assume the scouts tailing them were spotted and killed."
It was strange. Scouts might lose the trail momentarily at the cost of lives, but they should have picked it up again soon after.
'Ten thousand troops vanishing without a trace on the Great Plains, not in mountains?'
Yi Hwan furrowed his brow. Given the Northern Legion's intelligence network, this defied belief.
"Give them food and drink."
"Understood."
"Thank you, Great Prince!"
The two warriors left with Go Mi.
Yi Hwan considered possibilities, but none fit neatly.
'Vanishing clean on the Great Plains means they either went farther north or into the mountains. The former's possible, but the latter would snag every Northern Legion patrol net.'
Even with the north's vast, rugged mountains, ten thousand troops breaching the Northern Legion's lines was near impossible.
'If they did breach it...'
What was their goal?
A flank attack on the Northern Legion? Or a deep thrust south to sow chaos in the rear?
Assuming they pierced the lines, one of those two seemed likely.
Yi Hwan stepped outside again.
He found the general overseeing camp security and issued orders.
"Expand the patrol radius."
"Yes, Great Prince."
The general complied without question. The Golden Army's officers trusted Yi Hwan implicitly.
* * *
Dawn broke.
No incidents overnight.
As planned, the Golden Army departed for the Southern Legion, while Yi Hwan and his aides pressed north.
The two warriors from Gwak led the way, allowing shortcuts for faster progress.
After half a day's ride,
"My lord!"
Cheol Mu-ok pointed ahead. Corpses littered the ground in clusters.
"Southern Legion warriors!"
"And the others look like Blue Wolf Tribe!"
Yi Hwan's eyes hardened.
The ten thousand who vanished without trace—likely they had clashed with the northward-marching Southern Legion.
'Ten thousand slipping down here undetected...'
If true, it was astonishing.
Yi Hwan addressed the group.
"Full gallop."
"Yes!"
* * *
Drip, drip!
Blood dripped from Jeong Cheon's body.
His blood-red armor gleamed even darker with unknown gore, and ragged breaths escaped his parted lips.
"Tenacious bastards..."
His blazing eyes glared at the Blue Wolf Tribe warriors fiercely battling his men.
But spotting the enemy commander, he charged that way.
Clang!
Crunch!
"Argh!"
"Gah!"
Hebei Paeng Family warriors flanked Jeong Cheon left and right, mercilessly hacking any Blue Wolf Tribe fighter lunging at him, yielding not an inch.
Jeong Cheon's sword knew no mercy.
Having claimed countless foes already, it still unleashed devastating power, reaping lives.
He was furious.
Ambushed in a place they never imagined, with heavy losses among his warriors. Though numerical superiority had turned the tide, the dead wouldn't return.
Clang!
"Slaughter them all!"
"Argh!"
"Eek!"
Clashes raged everywhere. Their side held the edge in numbers almost universally, but the enemy resisted ferociously.
Especially on the western flank, where their forces were being pushed back—the direction Jeong Cheon headed.
Flash!
Jeong Cheon's sword beheaded an enemy.
The next foe was bisected by a Hebei Paeng Family warrior's greatsword.
Thud!
"Gah!"
Then it came.
Swoosh!
A sinister burst of energy targeted Jeong Cheon. He swung his sword, batting it away.
Boom!
The explosion rocked him, dislodging parts of his armor. Hebei Paeng Family warriors swiftly shielded him.
Enemies approached, led by one gripping swords in both hands. He coldly shouted at Jeong Cheon.
"Are you the Fourth Imperial Prince, Yi Hwan?"
"What?"
It clicked. The enemy hadn't come for them—they targeted Yi Hwan's unit.
Flames erupted in Jeong Cheon's eyes.
"That man is beyond the reach of barbaric scum like you..."