Chapter 261
Chapter 261
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: Lure Strategy
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Two days' march from the Southern Legion lay a small city called Huayang.
It was a place built alongside the Southern Legion's establishment, home to the families of many soldiers.
And now, a storm of blood raged through it.
Clang!
Crunch!
“Not a single one left alive—kill them all!”
“Charge!”
“Argh!”
“Gah!”
Bloody battles erupted fiercely inside and outside the city. The Dark Heaven Cultists had appeared in this place, which they had believed safe from attack due to its proximity to the Southern Legion.
“How dare thieving scum like you invade this place!”
A general's sword spat fire. The necks of the Dark Heaven Cultists facing him were mercilessly severed and sent flying.
It was Song Hoe, along with the Dragon-Tiger Army under his command.
Once part of the straw-soldier army of Yi Hwan, they had now transformed into elite troops no one could ignore. They met the rampaging Dark Heaven Cultists—ferocious as rabid wolves—with an even more relentless offensive.
Outmatched in individual prowess, the Dragon-Tiger Army wielded their sword formations like overwhelming firepower. Under their formidable momentum, the Dark Heaven Cultists began to crumble bit by bit.
“Argh!”
“Gaaah!”
“Drive them back and slaughter every last one!”
Woooah!
Song Hoe was a raging tiger.
Having fully mastered the techniques Yi Hwan had passed down and made them his own, he was no longer the Song Hoe of old. With the addition of Mount Hua Sect's ultimate arts, he was nothing less than the grim reaper to the Dark Heaven Cultists.
He fought now in the heart of the city streets. One misstep could endanger the civilians, so Song Hoe danced his blade without pause.
A general trembled with rage.
“These are the most vicious bastards I've ever seen! They'll fight to the last man!”
“Then we'll kill them to the last man! Move, now!”
“Yes, sir!”
Clang!
Thud!
“Argh!”
“Grah!”
As the general said, the Dark Heaven Cultists charged ceaselessly like moths to a flame. Even though the Dragon-Tiger Army utterly dominated the battlefield, not a single one fled.
“Vicious...”
Flames ignited in Song Hoe's eyes.
“Then we'll go mad right alongside them. Dragon-Tiger Army, shift to assault formation!”
“Shift to assault formation!”
“Assault formation!”
At Song Hoe's command, the Dragon-Tiger Army's sword formations reshaped themselves. Until now, they had prioritized defense to protect the civilians, but they now switched to a pure offensive strategy.
“Charge!”
“Sweep them away!”
Crunch!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The destructive power of the sword formations Yi Hwan had taught was astonishing. Each ten-man unit moved with the speed and precision of a single warrior, mercilessly cutting down every Dark Heaven Cultist within reach.
With hundreds of such formations, the already outnumbered Dark Heaven Cultists lost all will to fight.
“They're fleeing! Pursue!”
“Don't let a single one escape!”
The Dark Heaven Cultists, who had seemed ready to battle to the death, finally began to rout. But their number was a mere few dozen.
Song Hoe finally sheathed his sword and exhaled heavily.
“Hoo!”
“A total victory, General!”
Song Hoe gazed at the Dragon-Tiger Army assembling around him.
Drenched in blood, their eyes burned with the fierce vitality of enraged wolves.
Grip.
“You've all grown splendidly. Heh heh heh.”
“It's thanks to the sword formations the Great Prince taught us. No one in the world will dare look down on the Dragon-Tiger Army now!”
“We can't rest on our laurels here. We must train harder, drill relentlessly, and become the Great Prince's strength. I'll make sure of it.”
“Of course, General!”
Just then, people rushed out from behind.
Among them were families of the Dragon-Tiger Army. A village elder offered Song Hoe a clean cloth and water.
“Use this to quench your thirst and wipe away the blood, my lord.”
“Thank you, elder.”
Song Hoe drank the water, wiped the blood-soaked cloth across his face, and looked toward the east.
Against today's unusually clear blue sky, Yi Hwan's face came to mind.
‘When will he finally summon me?’
* * *
Go Mi visited Yi Hwan's office.
“The Northern Legion and Blue Wolf Tribe are holding off enemy attacks in the north smoothly. The Western and Northwestern Legions cover the west and northwest, while the Southern Legion and Mount Hua Sect defend the south and southwest. In the Henan area, the Shaolin Temple has long cooperated with the court to suppress bandits, so attacks there are almost nonexistent.”
“And the east?”
“The eastern region is facing an unusually high volume of assaults. Even with preparations, we haven't repelled them all, and the damage is mounting.”
Excluding the east, it was an encouraging report.
But Yi Hwan's expression didn't change. As if it were all trivial, he lifted his teacup to his lips.
Clink.
Go Mi continued with a grave look.
“As expected, talk is emerging about the Golden Army's inaction. Even with His Majesty's direct control in place, we can't keep ignoring the court ministers' opinions forever. If this continues, it could become a serious issue.”
“It will.”
Thud!
Yi Hwan set down his teacup and stared straight at Go Mi.
“Deploy Moon Pavilion to spread rumors that the Golden Army will soon launch a direct subjugation. As quickly and widely as possible.”
“A lure operation?”
“If we drag this out longer, His Majesty could face political trouble. It's time to move. Hurry.”
“Understood.”
Go Mi exited.
Yi Hwan drained the rest of his tea and donned the armor hanging on the wall. The dark blue armor embroidered with a crimson dragon had become an iconic symbol of him.
‘I must crush them so utterly and brutally that they can't even dream of it again.’
Yi Hwan opened the window and looked outside.
The imperial capital, with its clear blue sky and drifting white clouds, remained endlessly serene, untouched by the chaos shaking the Yeon Kingdom.
‘I’ll make you pay for your ancestors’ fear of me—with your lives, in the most agonizing way.’
Whoosh!
Yi Hwan gazed at the capital for a moment. With a snap of his fingers, Deputy General Yu Woo-seong entered. His armor matched Yi Hwan's exactly.
“When the sun sets, exit the capital with the vanguard. And when you see the signal flare, turn your forces around and return immediately.”
“Understood.”
* * *
Pitch-black night.
Atop a mountain overlooking the imperial capital stood two figures side by side.
They appeared as mere ordinary villagers, save for the sharp glints in their eyes piercing the darkness.
“The Golden Army has finally begun to move. As expected, their destination is the eastern region, where damage has been heaviest.”
“They've taken the bait perfectly.”
“The strategist's plan worked flawlessly.”
The Dark Heaven Cult had concentrated its forces in the distant east precisely to lure the Golden Army there.
“But we can't let our guard down yet. Have you confirmed how many Golden Army troops remain in the capital?”
“We've assessed that they've left only about twenty thousand behind while mobilizing the rest.”
“Twenty thousand... Did Great Prince Yi Hwan move with them?”
“We couldn't confirm that far. Too many experts everywhere—hard to get close.”
“Hmm...”
“If he stays in the capital, isn't that even better? Cutting off his head would cause far more upheaval than destroying a few cities.”
“Don't compare him to the capital. No matter how great, no one rivals the heart of the nation. Remember, our target is the Yeon Kingdom's imperial capital.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh!
The wind howled fiercely. Then, a shadow swiftly ascended from below.
He reported immediately.
“We confirmed Great Prince Yi Hwan moving with the Golden Army troops.”
“Reliable intel?”
“Yes. We definitely sighted the man in dark blue armor embroidered with a crimson dragon.”
“Heh heh heh. Then shall we get moving too?”
* * *
The population of the Yeon Kingdom's imperial capital was roughly three million.
No one knew how many Dark Heaven Cultists lurked among them. If not for this incident, no one would have suspected a thing.
They began to move.
Fathers with two sons, farmers tending stables late into the night, courtesans selling drinks and laughter in the markets, butchers, stable hands—even guards patrolling the capital's outskirts.
Yi Hwan watched them from the shadows.
The number emerging from the labyrinthine alleys was staggering. Even Yi Hwan was shocked.
‘This many...’
A chill ran through him.
Had he not uncovered the Dark Heaven Cult's infiltration, the capital would have been slowly devoured by them.
[Their varied attire makes them nearly impossible to detect once they blend into homes.]
Another grave problem.
[We'll have to gather and kill as many as possible in one go.]
Yi Hwan silently drew his sword.
Behind him waited Cheol Mu-ok and his closest aides, along with the Golden Army's elites, poised for his command.
The Golden Army was deployed across the capital, and Yu Woo-seong's unit—feigning departure—was ready to return at the signal flare.
Yi Hwan waited.
About half a shichen passed.
Figures appeared before the assembled cultists—the ones from the mountain, discussing Yi Hwan's movements.
All eyes turned to Yi Hwan.
It was nearly time to strike.
He had already issued orders to everyone: no mercy, kill on sight.
Flash!
Yi Hwan was first, leaping silently into the darkness. At his signal, all kicked off from rooftops and soared into the air.
In an instant, he crossed the sky and plummeted like a beam of light into the midst of the Dark Heaven Cultists.
“Huh?”
A startled cry burst from someone.
The startlement turned to agonized death screams.
Thud!
“Argh!”
Crunch!
Boom! Boom!
“Argh!”
“Gaaah!”
Screams erupted simultaneously from left, right, and rear. The Golden Army's full assault had begun.
Having sent one to hell, Yi Hwan charged straight at another.