Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Yi Hwan's Solution
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Yi Hwan had entered the Qin Kingdom's army camp seeking him out, and Yang Chan was immediately escorted to Yi Hwan's tent.
As he stepped inside, Hwa Ryeong was the first to greet him. She alternated her gaze between the general and Yang Chan as she asked,
“What is this about?”
“He says he’s an acquaintance of the Great Prince, so I brought him.”
“An acquaintance of the Great Prince?”
Yang Chan cupped his fists in salute.
“My name is Yang Chan. I had originally planned to meet the Great Prince in the capital, but upon hearing he was here, I came to find him.”
“Oh, I see.”
At that moment, Go Mi stepped out from behind the entrance flap.
“He claims to be an acquaintance of the Great Prince?”
Go Mi stared directly at the general as she asked,
“Have you verified his identity?”
“Well...”
“Does that mean anyone who claims to be an acquaintance of the Great Prince gets told where his quarters are?”
“...!”
The general’s face stiffened. He realized he had made a grave mistake.
Yang Chan stepped forward then.
“You make a valid point. In that case, I’ll wait outside until the Great Prince returns.”
“What is your relationship with the Great Prince?”
“We crossed paths in the capital. I had some business back home and am on my way back up north. I’ll explain the rest to him when he returns.”
He didn’t seem to be lying. But they couldn’t allow someone of uncertain identity to linger in the quarters.
That said, they couldn’t just send him away now either. His knowledge of Yi Hwan’s location meant they had to keep him close, at least until they could prepare for any potential threats.
“Come in.”
“You don’t need to go that far.”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to stay here until the Great Prince can confirm it himself.”
Yang Chan saw through Go Mi’s intentions and gave a wry smile. At the same time, he was deeply impressed by her flawless handling of the situation.
Go Mi gave a slight bow toward the general.
“If my tone earlier was offensive, I apologize.”
“No, no. If anything, we’re the ones who should apologize for our carelessness. Is that alright then?”
“Yes. That’s fine.”
A short while later, the general departed.
Yang Chan entered. Inside, Park Seon-ha and Kim Suk were busily working on something. Tae-seon was sleeping in the side room.
‘Why are there only women here?’
“Have a seat.”
Yang Chan sat in the chair Go Mi offered.
As Kim Suk rose to prepare tea, Park Seon-ha sent a transmission to Go Mi.
[Did you let him in to keep an eye on him?]
[Yes.]
[His eyes don’t look like a bad person’s though...]
[We won’t trust him until the Great Prince confirms it himself.]
[Got it.]
A moment later, Kim Suk brought the tea.
“Thank you.”
This time, Hwa Ryeong sent a transmission to Go Mi.
[Oh, listen to that polite speech. He doesn’t seem like an assassin, does he?]
[Even a ten-fathom-deep riverbed is knowable, but a person’s heart one fathom deep is not. Don’t let your guard down.]
[Yes. I won’t.]
Hwa Ryeong stuck out her tongue at Go Mi’s ironclad thoroughness.
But she found herself admiring this side of Go Mi anew. It was a quality worth emulating.
“I’m heading to Young Master Namgung.”
Park Seon-ha stood. She was still handling Namgung Jang-cheon’s treatment. Her medical skills surpassed even those of the camp physicians.
“I’ll go alone, so stay here and rest.”
“Yes, miss.”
Was it because she understood why Yang Chan had been brought inside? Kim Suk sat right next to her sword and openly watched him.
Yang Chan found the awkward atmosphere utterly unpleasant. But suggesting he wait outside would likely lead to complications, so he endured it.
*The Great Prince has gone out on reconnaissance. We don’t know when he’ll return, so it’s best to wait in the quarters.*
He recalled the words of Commander Yeom Po, whom he had met earlier.
‘He’s personally leading the reconnaissance. That shows how seriously he takes the battle with the Dark Heaven Cult...’
Yang Chan already knew why Yi Hwan was here.
‘If I accept my fate, does that make the Dark Heaven Cult my enemies?’
He thought back to the Dark Heaven Cultists he had encountered at the foot of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. If he accepted his destiny and served Yi Hwan as his lord, would he ever let those people live again?
It was then.
“What’s your martial name?”
Hwa Ryeong asked abruptly.
Yang Chan answered awkwardly.
“I’m not someone worthy of a martial name.”
“It’ll all come out eventually if we investigate, so why not just answer honestly?”
“I really don’t have one.”
“But is your speech always so textbook proper?”
“...”
“Or do you only act that way around women?”
Poke!
“Ow!”
Go Mi jabbed Hwa Ryeong in the back with her finger.
“More tea?”
“I’m good on tea. Could I wait in the courtyard instead? No other reason—just feeling a bit claustrophobic indoors...”
“Just stay put?”
“...”
It was then.
Creak.
Yi Hwan pushed open the flap and entered.
“You’re back?”
“Welcome back.”
Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong greeted him. They had blocked Yang Chan from view, so Yi Hwan hadn’t noticed him yet.
But that moment was fleeting.
“Do you know him?”
Go Mi stepped aside, pointing at Yang Chan. Just then, Yang Chan rose from his seat, and their eyes met.
A faint smile played on Yi Hwan’s lips.
“You’re here.”
* * *
Everyone stared at Yi Hwan and Yang Chan standing side by side by the riverbank.
Hwa Ryeong said with wide eyes.
“To think he’s the Descendant of the Poison King. I can’t stand poison. Ugh, gives me chills.”
Tae-seon asked,
“Getting surprised over some descendant—what’s the deal with this Poison King anyway? Some incredible master?”
“...”
“Why is no one answering?”
Cheol Mu-ok stepped forward.
“There was such a person long ago. Of course, he was incredibly powerful.”
“More than you?”
“Far more.”
“...!”
Tae-seon, who knew next to nothing about the Central Plains martial world, widened her eyes.
“Then how does he compare to the Great Prince?”
“There is no one under heaven stronger than my lord.”
“How can you say that so surely?”
“Call it faith in my lord.”
Ju Tae muttered,
“If he joins us, he’ll be a tremendous help.”
“Of course he’ll join. If he didn’t intend to, he wouldn’t have come back.”
Just then, Yi Hwan and Yang Chan turned around.
Hwa Ryeong said,
“Judging by their vibe, we’ll need to prepare a fantastic dinner tonight.”
“Shall I get started?”
“Yes.”
* * *
The next day, Yi Hwan requested a generals’ meeting from Yeom Po. Yeom Po gladly convened it.
The key generals of the Qin Kingdom’s army camp gathered. Naturally, Yang I-cheon and the commander of the Imperial Guards were also present. Word had spread that Yi Hwan had requested the meeting first, leaving everyone curious if he had truly found a solution.
A short while later, Yi Hwan entered the command tent. But instead of sitting, he subtly furrowed his brow and turned to Yeom Po.
“Could we step out for a word?”
“Certainly.”
As Yeom Po followed Yi Hwan outside, the generals murmured.
Yang I-cheon even wore a displeased expression.
“What’s this about?”
Meanwhile, outside, Yi Hwan got straight to the point with Yeom Po.
“This might come off as offensive, but it’d be best if you only keep the most trustworthy generals present.”
“Are you concerned that some among them might have ties to the Dark Heaven Cult?”
“Exactly.”
It was a remark that could greatly offend Yeom Po. But he didn’t let displeasure show.
“Then you plan to reveal the strategy for wiping out the fanatics today?”
“Yes.”
Yeom Po suddenly smiled.
“Hearing you say that makes me truly excited. Understood. I’ll select the personnel as you suggest.”
‘I didn’t misjudge him.’
Yi Hwan was pleased by Yeom Po’s open attitude.
“One thing I’m curious about.”
“Please ask.”
“Even when the returning forces arrive, will you still hold full command?”
“No. The Grand General is leading those forces back, and command will be handed over to him. But why do you ask?”
“Just curious. Let’s head back in.”
“Yes.”
Yi Hwan thought that if the two nations cooperated, it would be ideal for Yeom Po to take charge of the Qin forces. Such an open-minded approach would greatly aid the alliance.
Conversely, if this Grand General had the opposite temperament, cooperation would be a thorny path.
A short while later, most of the generals had left the command tent.
Now, only three remained, including Commander Yeom Po, along with Yang I-cheon and the Imperial Guards commander.
The quick-witted Yang I-cheon bristled.
“You don’t trust our Qin generals? And you, Commander—why accept such a request?”
As Yeom Po wore a troubled expression to respond, Yi Hwan interjected.
“Many ears mean many mouths. Think of it as that important.”
“Listen to the Great Prince’s opinion first, Your Highness.”
“If I deem it worthless after hearing it, there will be a price for the rudeness.”
“Understood.”
“Ahem!”
Yang I-cheon crossed his arms and leaned back fully.
Yi Hwan ignored him and swept his gaze over the room. Then he spoke.
“I’ll explain briefly, so pay close attention.”
Yi Hwan began outlining the solution he had devised. It went something like this.
After a heavy downpour, when fierce north winds blow, thick mist forms a sea of clouds over the Dark Heaven Cult’s main headquarters. This mist persists from dawn until late at night, rendering visibility nearly zero.
This phenomenon had always favored the Dark Heaven Cult absolutely, but if turned against them, it could be used to crush them.
When the explanation reached this point, Yang I-cheon interjected.
“You mean to use the weather?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’ve confirmed that on days when the sea of clouds blankets the area, upward air currents become extremely strong. We’ll use those winds.”
“The winds?”
Yang I-cheon furrowed his brow. The other generals looked equally baffled.
Yi Hwan continued calmly.
“From now on, I’ll refer to the Dark Heaven Cult as the enemy.”
Yi Hwan took a sip of tea before proceeding.
“To attack the enemy headquarters, we must breach layers of formations and traps. Even then, their elites guard the steep, narrow passes. That’s why no one has assaulted their headquarters yet, correct?”
Yeom Po replied with a grave expression.
“Yes. Even if we breach them, our losses would be immense—too much to even imagine...”
The other two generals nodded as well.
Here, Yi Hwan posed a question.
“But what if we could bypass all that and go straight to the enemy headquarters?”
“That would be impossible without wings, like a bird.”
“Then we attach wings.”
“...Pardon?”
Thud!
Yang I-cheon lightly slammed the table, looking utterly incredulous.
“Are you joking with us right now?”
“Does it seem like a joke?”
“If it’s not, how do you attach wings to people?!”
Yang I-cheon raised his voice.
Yi Hwan continued undeterred.
“By using large kites. In the past, your Qin Kingdom once used kites to infiltrate and capture the Zhao army’s main camp. We should verify that precedent first before discussing the plan further.”
Yi Hwan finished his tea and stood.
Yeom Po followed him out.
“He’s a hot-tempered one, so please forgive him, Great Prince.”
“It’s fine.”
“Then I’ll confirm what you mentioned and visit you shortly.”
“Take care.”
Yi Hwan headed straight back to his tent.
Yeom Po watched him go, his face full of questions.
‘A strategy using large kites...’