Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 322
Chapter Title: Operation Change
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It was a fairly large and spacious cave. With almost no humidity, it was the perfect environment to stay in for a few days.
Yi Hwan pondered for a way. The others also racked their brains to find the best solution.
At that moment, Hwa Ryeong, who had little interest in such matters, was the first to give up, shaking her head.
She stared intently at Yi Hwan.
Her quick surrender came from her trust in Yi Hwan. She believed he would definitely find a way to render this place useless.
Hwa Ryeong glanced at Go Mi.
Go Mi was leaning against the cave wall with her eyes closed.
‘Ow, I’m hungry.’
Her stomach was growling, but the atmosphere made it impossible to suggest eating.
Hwa Ryeong looked outside the cave. The sunset was already casting its glow.
Gurgle.
“……!”
Hwa Ryeong widened her eyes and pressed her stomach with her hand.
At that moment, Yi Hwan opened his eyes.
“Let’s eat.”
At his words, Ju Tae and Kim Mu-gwan prepared the rations.
Go Mi asked Yi Hwan.
“Have you come up with a good idea by any chance?”
“Not at all. What about you, Moon Lord?”
“Nothing in particular…….”
Yi Hwan looked at Ju Tae and the others. But all three wore awkward expressions.
Hwa Ryeong asked with a pout.
“Why don’t you ask me?”
“You seemed to give up first?”
“There are smarter people than me here. Fine. Hmph!”
Everyone sated their hunger with rations.
Yi Hwan said while chewing on his ration.
“We’ll revise the plan.”
“How so?”
Everyone focused on Yi Hwan.
“If it’s impossible to render this place useless without eliminating the river, then we’ll settle for the chicken instead of the pheasant.”
“What’s the chicken?”
“The Third Prince. We eliminate him.”
“There are too many troops.”
“We target him when he heads down to Jeoksu, not here.”
Go Mi asked.
“If we eliminate him, do we head back immediately?”
“We can’t be satisfied with just that after coming this far. We’ll eliminate him first and then figure out what to do next.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
* * *
The night the moon rose.
Yi Hwan stood alone at the end of the ridge, looking down at the river.
Even late at night, the Zhao Kingdom army had massive torches lit everywhere as they relentlessly mined for gold.
A presence approached from behind. It was Go Mi.
“Can’t sleep, I see.”
“Yes.”
“Is it because of the misinformation you passed on?”
“……Yes.”
“Don’t worry about it. The form is different, but this is undoubtedly Jo Yun’s funding source, so don’t dwell on it.”
“…….”
Whoosh!
The wind gently brushed past their bodies.
Go Mi spoke.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What?”
“Are you not considering a preemptive strike?”
“On Zhao Kingdom?”
“Yes.”
“If the conditions are met, I plan to do it anytime.”
“I’m curious about those conditions.”
“When the Northern Yeon army has perfectly mastered our tactics. And when the people can live much more abundantly than now. The former will naturally involve strengthening our forces, and the latter is crucial for gaining the people’s support when war breaks out. To achieve that, funds are as important as His Majesty’s benevolent rule.”
“It will take quite some time, then.”
“That’s right. Unless gold veins like that river start gushing gold everywhere.”
“…….”
Yi Hwan turned to Go Mi.
“Did I look like someone who’d be content with just defending?”
“No. I was just curious about the Great Prince’s intentions.”
At that moment, Ju Tae and Kim Mu-gwan approached.
“Good timing, I had something to discuss. Things have gotten more difficult than expected, but we can’t just leave this place be. At the very least, we need to destroy the infrastructure.”
“Assassinating Zhao’s Third Prince amidst all those troops won’t be easy, will it?”
“We attack that place after the Third Prince leaves. That means we need to divide roles. So, you two handle this place. Once done, catch up immediately.”
“Understood.”
* * *
The next morning.
Hwa Ryeong rushed into the cave shouting.
“He seems to be leaving!”
Everyone, who had just gotten up and were drinking tea boiled over the campfire, quickly went outside.
Yi Hwan looked where Hwa Ryeong pointed.
In front of the log house, two carriages and numerous warriors were gathered. Warriors were loading crates onto one carriage.
“Gold in those crates, right? Why would someone heading to the battlefield take gold?”
“If it’s crates of gold, it must be for military funds. Money is as important as soldiers in war.”
Soon after, the carriages began to move. Hundreds of warriors, presumed to be escorts, followed right behind.
“I’ll leave the rear to you.”
“Don’t worry, go ahead and pursue first.”
Yi Hwan, Go Mi, and Hwa Ryeong moved to pursue Third Prince Jo Seok. Ju Tae watched Yi Hwan’s back and grinned.
“It’s been a while since I can properly loosen up. Heh heh heh.”
* * *
Had half a day passed?
Shwaaa!
Rain started falling.
Because of it, the carriages’ speed gradually slowed. Especially the heavily loaded one, which began lagging behind the others due to its weight.
A general shouted.
“Attach two more horses!”
“Yes!”
Attaching two spare horses, the carriage regained its speed.
Yi Hwan and his group followed from a safe distance. With many people on the official road, there was no worry of suspicion.
As the sun set and evening came, the Zhao army group entered a city’s marketplace.
Yi Hwan and the two women took rooms in the inn opposite the one where Zhao’s Third Prince group entered.
Hwa Ryeong grinned and asked.
“Can I order whatever I want?”
“Go ahead.”
Yi Hwan habitually scanned the inn first. There were quite a few customers, including some who looked like martial artists.
His gaze sharpened when it reached a table in the corner.
They were men wearing blue and yellow robes. They looked like ordinary Central Plains martial artists.
But Yi Hwan saw them differently.
‘Considerable experts.’
The eerie aura emanating from them. And the sharp edge that seemed ready to explode if touched—these were qualities unattainable without reaching a high realm.
Even more astonishing was how perfectly they had concealed that aura, undetectable except by someone of Yi Hwan’s level.
At that moment, the yellow-robed man turned to Yi Hwan.
But Yi Hwan turned his head first, avoiding eye contact.
“Hey, that’s not how you stare at people.”
Yi Hwan looked back at the yellow-robed man.
The yellow-robed man bared his teeth in a grin.
“You might end up dead.”
“I was just admiring the beautiful wall painting.”
“…….”
The yellow-robed man looked at the wall. There was a fine ink painting hanging there.
Then the blue-robed man said.
“Just drink.”
“Yes.”
Was he the senior? The yellow-robed man obediently followed.
Then the blue-robed man asked.
“From Zhao Kingdom?”
“Yes.”
“The women too?”
“My younger sisters.”
That was the end of the Q&A.
The blue-robed man indifferently tilted his cup, and Hwa Ryeong’s eyebrow twitched.
[It’s Zhao territory. Bear it.]
[Once we leave the inn, I’ll just kill them, right?]
[Remember what’s more important, Hwa Ryeong.]
[Tch!]
Just then, the waiter brought drinks and simple appetizers.
Yi Hwan and the blue-robed men ignored each other afterward.
After some time,
The blue- and yellow-robed men stood up. The yellow-robed man, who seemed about to pass by, looked down at Hwa Ryeong and grinned.
Hwa Ryeong wasn’t one to stay still.
But Yi Hwan’s transmission voice was faster.
[I told you to endure, Hwa Ryeong.]
Hwa Ryeong, about to jump up, turned to Yi Hwan and gritted her teeth.
Then the blue-robed man’s voice rang out.
“The road to Jeoksu is long. Let’s hurry.”
“Yes.”
Again, the yellow-robed man obeyed.
Yi Hwan watched the yellow-robed man’s back as he descended the stairs, bringing his cup to his lips.
‘They must be joining the Zhao army at Jeoksu.’
Hwa Ryeong vented her anger.
“When we meet at Jeoksu, I’ll rip their heads off, you bastards. Don’t stop me then?”
“I won’t.”
* * *
The blue- and yellow-robed men left the inn and headed south immediately.
The blue-robed man scolded the yellow-robed one.
“When will you ever grow up? With the lord’s orders to fulfill, you shouldn’t waste time picking fights. Tsk tsk tsk.”
“That guy definitely stared at me.”
“So what if he stared in an inn? You gonna kill him if he got mad and came at you?”
“If he attacks, I kill him?”
“What?”
“Just a figure of speech, drop it. I won’t do it again.”
Faced with the yellow-robed man’s cheekiness, the blue-robed one couldn’t scold further.
The yellow-robed man asked.
“But why is the lord suddenly sending us to Jeoksu?”
“First, assist our allies at Jeoksu and wait for further orders.”
“Aren’t there already plenty of brothers there? Including that unlucky bastard Ban Go.”
At that, the blue-robed man furrowed his brow.
“I heard the lord changed the operation given to Do Geom. Probably related to that. It’s odd if true. I heard the Nameless Sword has been doing well under that moniker.”
“Nameless Sword? Sounds rustic. Anyway, joining Do Geom to carry out the operation together?”
“That’s my guess…….”
“That guy’s just as unlucky.”
“Why are you so twisted? After surviving hell together, you should at least have camaraderie.”
“Everyone except those two is fine.”
Heh heh!
“Let’s hurry.”
* * *
Jeoksu, Guizhou Castle.
Whoosh!
The fog from the lake blanketed the battlefield in white, and the blowing wind carried the stench of blood.
Figures moved through the fog. Warriors from Yi Seong-ji’s unit. Behind them, Yi Seong-ji and Gong Ya-un followed.
Gong Ya-un said in a heavy tone.
“It’s well past the time they should’ve returned, so we may have to assume the worst.”
Yi Seong-ji silently nodded.
Then.
“There they are!”
A shout came from the front.
Yi Seong-ji and Gong Ya-un immediately kicked off the ground and leaped forward. Moments later, they landed in the midst of dozens of corpses.
“No survivors…….”
A general said with a devastated expression.
The corpses were from Yi Seong-ji’s unit. They had gone on reconnaissance and hadn’t returned, so Yi Seong-ji came searching himself.
As Gong Ya-un said, the worst outcome lay before them.
Gong Ya-un’s eyes trembled.
“Seems like the same guys as last time.”
“Looks like it.”
Yi Seong-ji examined the corpses with heavy eyes.
The state of the corpses was horrific. Those with just severed heads were the better off; most had limbs hacked off or looked mauled by beasts.
Even on a battlefield, such gruesome corpses weren’t common.
A general said indignantly.
“They’re deliberately mutilating the bodies to demoralize our troops.”
“Vicious bastards!”
“Dog bastards.”
Grrrr!
The warriors trembled with rage.
Some even shed tears, as close comrades were among the dead.
Yi Seong-ji’s gaze sank heavier.
This was the third such incident. No survivors in any, so they didn’t even know who the enemy was.
Yi Seong-ji looked ahead. The thick fog limited visibility to less than twenty jang.
Gong Ya-un said.
“It might be dangerous to go further, so let’s head back.”
“No. Since we’re here, let’s advance a few more li.”
“Your Highness.”
“I appreciate your concern, Master, but don’t overdo it.”
“…….”
Yi Seong-ji instructed the generals.
“The enemy might be watching nearby, so stay vigilant as we advance.”
“Understood.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Yi Seong-ji’s unit resumed moving. Gong Ya-un stuck close to Yi Seong-ji for protection.
How much further did they go?
Suddenly, eerie laughter faintly emanated from beyond the fog.
“Hee hee hee.”