Chapter 331
Chapter 331
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 331
Chapter Title: Battle of Wills
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Zhao Kingdom's Imperial Palace.
From early morning, a heated tension swirled around Jo Yun's residence. News of Jo Seok had arrived.
Jo Yun's face flushed red with rage.
"You mean you failed to catch him?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Yeon Kingdom's Southern Legion appeared out of nowhere, and he slipped away."
Woo Mun-sul continued with a grim expression.
"Gwak Chi managed to save his life, but he lost most of his forces in the battle against Yeon Kingdom's army. It seems they had been plotting this together in advance."
Tremble...
Jo Yun's face twitched.
He had been shocked upon hearing that Jo Seok had stolen the gold and fled, but he figured it wouldn't take long to capture him.
To think he'd lose ten thousand troops and a massive amount of military funds to Yeon Kingdom.
He could barely contain his fury at Gwak Chi's incompetence, but what enraged him even more was Jo Seok's betrayal.
The idea that his own son would betray him, abandon everything as an imperial prince, and choose exile in another kingdom was simply unimaginable.
Crack!
Finally, the armrest of his throne chair splintered off with a puff of smoke. It was a scene that revealed the depth of Jo Yun's wrath.
'You dismissed the Third Prince's pent-up resentment as nothing all these years, Your Majesty.'
Woo Mun-sul swallowed the words that had risen to the back of his throat.
He had been one of the strongest opponents when Jo Yun decided to enfeoff Jo Seok as an imperial prince. Not just because of Jo Seok's lack of talent, but because he doubted the emotions Jo Seok must have harbored after living a life worse than a commoner's, never acknowledged as a son.
But Jo Yun had pushed through, leading to this very situation.
"Did he flee to Yeon's capital?"
"We're still gathering intelligence."
"The moment we confirm it, send assassins. Kill him, his entire family—everyone! We also need to quickly identify who destroyed the gold facilities!"
"Understood."
Thud!
Jo Yun slammed the table hard.
His eyes regained their usual cold sharpness. Forgetting what needed to be forgotten as quickly as possible—that was one of Jo Yun's strengths.
"How goes the campaign at Jeoksu?"
"Qin forces have begun advancing south from the west, gradually gaining the upper hand."
"Won Gae-se is the commander, yes?"
"Yes."
"With a man like that in command, and only now starting a slow push south? Is Gwak Beom's ability really this limited?"
"With the Qin army bolstered by the White-Clothed Sword God and numerous other martial experts, things haven't gone as expected. But once Do Geom, Ban Go, and the others start moving, we'll see clear results soon."
"Any unusual activity from Yeon Kingdom?"
"No. Fortunately, nothing notable so far. Even the North Yeon we've been worried about remains quiet."
At those words, Jo Yun's gaze seemed to soften a little. It was then.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."
"Let him enter."
* * *
Jo Yun's gaze upon Jo Gwang-mu was somewhat complicated. Beneath it lurked anger as well.
In a way, Jo Seok's defection could be seen as a consequence of Jo Gwang-mu failing to earn his complete trust.
If Jo Gwang-mu had given his full trust, Jo Seok would never have been made an imperial prince.
"What brings you here, Crown Prince?"
"I have something to say."
"What is it?"
"Please send me to Jeoksu."
"What?"
Even Woo Mun-sul stared at Jo Gwang-mu in surprise at the unexpected request.
Jo Gwang-mu continued calmly.
"Until now, I have failed to fulfill my duties as Crown Prince. Not only have I caused you deep worry, Father, but..."
Jo Gwang-mu spoke on calmly.
Jo Yun's expression gradually changed. By the time Jo Gwang-mu finished, Jo Yun's face was filled with agitation.
The speech was long, but in summary, it amounted to this: from now on, he would fully perform his duties as Crown Prince in accordance with Jo Yun's will. It was a dramatic shift from the Jo Gwang-mu who had always shunned power and lingered on the periphery.
"You truly intend to do this?"
"Yes, Father."
Tremble.
Jo Yun's fingers trembled as they gripped the throne armrest. Hearing the words he had so desperately longed for, and so suddenly, stirred his emotions.
Jo Yun forcibly suppressed them.
"Isn't Jeoksu too dangerous? You can fulfill your duties as Crown Prince elsewhere."
"It is my will, so please grant me this."
His stubbornness remained.
But this time, that stubbornness brought a smile to Jo Yun's lips.
"Very well. If that is your will, so be it. However! I will personally assemble the troops to escort you—do not refuse that."
"I shall obey."
Meanwhile, Woo Mun-sul, watching the father and son, smiled faintly.
The most critical issue for any dynasty was succession. That had been Jo Yun's greatest headache until now.
Yet Jo Gwang-mu had changed. He was even volunteering to head to the battlefield to fulfill his duties as Crown Prince.
'Has he finally laid that worry to rest?'
* * *
A few days later, at Jeoksu.
Yi Hwan and his group entered the fog-shrouded area. Having chosen a region with relatively little fighting, they headed straight for the Qin army camp.
"No request for joint operations from Qin—will it be all right to enter their camp?"
"Joint ops are essential, if only for intelligence. If they refuse, there's nothing we can do."
"The commander is Won Gae-se. I doubt he'll agree to cooperate."
"I told you—if they refuse, nothing we can do."
"......"
It was Yi Hwan's decision, acknowledging the reality that the vast battlefield made it extremely difficult to locate Ban Go with just their group.
Soon, the Qin camp came into view, and warriors appeared from all around.
"Halt!"
Yi Hwan stared at the general blocking their path. The general swept his sharp gaze over them and demanded,
"State your identity!"
"I am Yeon Kingdom's Great Prince Yi Hwan. I have business with the Grand General—send word."
"P-please wait a moment! No, come in, Great Prince!"
Yi Hwan entered the Qin camp under the general's guidance. Wounded soldiers groaned everywhere, and there were many unburied corpses as well.
Yi Hwan asked the general leading the way.
"How fares the battle?"
"Zhao forces came prepared this time, throwing in massive numbers and far more experts than before. It's an extremely tough situation."
Yi Hwan asked no more after the general's frank answer. But Hwa Ryeong couldn't hold back.
"What happened to the guy rampaging with blood aura all over him?"
The general stopped and turned. His wide eyes asked how she knew.
Hwa Ryeong narrowed her eyes and said,
"Don't underestimate Yeon Kingdom's intelligence network."
"That's not what I—"
It was then.
"Great Prince!"
A shout came from the left.
Turning, Yi Hwan saw Namgung Jang-cheon and Danri Mok rushing over like the wind. Their armor was soaked in blood—they seemed to have just returned from a fierce battle.
"You're already here?"
"What are you talking about? Did you expect us to come?"
"Didn't you come here after hearing that the one the Great Prince was chasing was in this area?"
"So?"
"We asked Elder Baek to help. We told him the one the Great Prince seeks is here, so we should request the Great Prince's aid."
Finally understanding, Yi Hwan said calmly,
"Whatever the case, it's true we're here to catch him, so let's go in first."
"Yes!"
"So good to see you again!"
Danri Mok beamed. Blood smeared on his face trickled into his mouth.
"Urk! Ptui ptui!"
"Looks like you fought fiercely."
"We ran into enemy scouts while on reconnaissance and had a skirmish on the way back. We're both unscathed, so no worries."
Seeing the two so overjoyed to meet him, Yi Hwan felt a strange emotion.
They were laughing together now, but depending on circumstances, they might one day become enemies.
'If that day comes...'
* * *
"He's already here, you say?"
"Yes. He's waiting in the warriors' tent for the Grand General's response."
"Hmm. All right. I'll meet him."
"Then please go at once."
"Why should I go? Tell him to come here."
"......Understood."
Won Gae-se smirked as he watched the deputy general head out.
"Baek Gong asked, and I accepted, but I won't dance to that man's tune this time either."
A few days prior, Won Gae-se had agreed to cooperate with Yi Hwan at Baek Woo-kyeong's request.
He didn't like Yi Hwan, but if the man eliminated even a few Zhao warriors, that alone made him useful.
Even if Yi Hwan got hurt or died in the process, it would weaken Yeon Kingdom's forces, giving Won Gae-se no reason to refuse.
That said, he had no intention of cooperating as equals. Like at the Ten Thousand Crossing, Won Gae-se needed to lead everything to feel satisfied.
"You're chasing that ferocious bastard? Don't know why, but he must be desperate to get here so fast. Heh heh heh."
Ban Go was quite the headache for the Qin army.
His powerful martial arts and brutal strikes had severely demoralized the warriors, making it urgent to deal with him.
The bigger problem was losing so many experts to him already—a major blow to Qin.
"Well, if he dies with him, even better. Heh heh heh."
Won Gae-se leisurely sipped his tea.
How much time passed? His teacup emptied, but Yi Hwan still hadn't come.
"Having a pride contest, is he? Fine, let him."
Another hour passed, but still no Yi Hwan. Won Gae-se's expression began to shift subtly.
'This little...'
* * *
Yi Hwan tilted his teacup in the tent.
Baek Woo-kyeong had given Yi Hwan and his group the three largest, finest tents.
Go Mi sat beside Yi Hwan now. She wore an incredulous expression.
"What a narrow-minded fool. Absolutely do not go first."
"That's the plan. Could I have more tea?"
"Of course."
Go Mi refilled Yi Hwan's cup with hot water.
It was then that Baek Woo-kyeong entered.
Having heard the situation from his subordinates outside, his face was pure embarrassment. He knew Won Gae-se's temperament better than anyone, but he couldn't very well tell Yi Hwan to go first.
After all, they were the ones who hadn't requested joint operations in the first place.
From Yi Hwan's perspective—who had come to request cooperation—it was understandable.
"My apologies, Great Prince."
"It doesn't seem like something for you to apologize for. And I'm fine, so don't worry."
Yi Hwan straightened his posture and asked,
"I've heard many warriors have fallen to him. Have you seen him yourself?"
"A few days ago, from a distance. Even from afar, his demonic aura was palpably intense. Truly astonishing."
This time, Baek Woo-kyeong asked,
"I've heard you're pursuing him, Great Prince. May I ask why?"
"He and his group caused chaos in our Yeon Kingdom. So naturally, we must capture them."
"I heard about that, but..."
"That's the whole reason."
"......I see."
Yi Hwan saw no need to reveal Ban Go's true identity to Baek Woo-kyeong.
There was something he'd been curious about for a while, though.
How much did Baek Woo-kyeong and the Qin warriors know about the Blood Demon or Mad Demon's descendants?
If they knew, what preparations were they making to face them?
He wanted to ask all sorts of questions right then, but held back.
It was then.
"Brother."
Baek Yeon entered. He bowed deeply to Yi Hwan before saying to Baek Woo-kyeong,
"He's appeared."