Chapter 332
Chapter 332
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 332
Chapter Title: Jo Gwang-mu's Appearance
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In a situation where no official alliance had yet been formed, Yi Hwan headed toward the area where Ban Go had appeared, accompanied by Baek Woo-kyeong.
Right after he departed, one of Won Gae-se's close aides visited the tent where Yi Hwan had been staying.
“He left for the battlefield just moments ago.”
“Did the White Elder go with him?”
“Yes. They say that ferocious bastard appeared on the western front, so they left together.”
Won Gae-se's close aide returned immediately and reported.
Upon receiving the report, Won Gae-se laughed instead.
“Let’s watch how that man fights.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to convey the Great General’s intent to accept the alliance right now?”
“From the moment we requested his alliance, it’s as good as accepted. Send men to observe how he performs on the battlefield.”
“Understood.”
Once the aide left, Won Gae-se leisurely picked up his teacup.
The Deputy General cautiously asked.
“He came to help our forces, so if we treat him too coldly, won’t it cause problems later?”
“What nonsense. That man didn’t come here to help us—he came to catch the one he’s chasing. We just happen to want to catch the same guy, so we’re cooperating. Make sure everyone understands that point clearly, Deputy General. If it looks like we’re receiving aid, it could end up as a debt to Yeon Kingdom.”
“Yes, understood.”
* * *
Whiiiish….
The fog, swept up by the wind, churned this way and that.
The thick scent of blood mixed in the wind announced that many had already lost their lives.
Sure enough, corpses littered the area in all directions. Groans of agony from those not yet fully dead leaked out from here and there.
Rage filled Baek Woo-kyeong’s eyes.
Most of the corpses were Qin warriors or soldiers. There were some Zhao soldiers scattered about, but their numbers were markedly fewer.
A general approached. Was he injured? The general’s face was contorted in pain.
“You’ve arrived.”
“What of the bastard?”
“He withdrew just moments ago.”
Baek Woo-kyeong turned to Yi Hwan with a troubled expression.
Yi Hwan asked the general.
“Where does the bastard mainly appear?”
The general stared at Yi Hwan with puzzled eyes.
“You are Yeon’s Great Prince.”
“Ah!”
The general hurriedly bowed his head and answered Yi Hwan’s question.
“He’s so elusive it’s hard to pinpoint anywhere specific.”
Yi Hwan paused in thought for a moment, then looked at Baek Woo-kyeong and said.
“At this rate, we might not even catch a glimpse of his shadow. We’ll stay here and hunt him down.”
“This is the front line. It could be dangerous—are you sure?”
“If any problems arise, I’ll take full responsibility, so don’t worry.”
“Understood. In that case, we’ll station more of our warriors here. If anything happens to the Great Prince, it could cause diplomatic issues between our nations, so please bear with any inconvenience.”
“I understand fully, so don’t concern yourself.”
Baek Woo-kyeong said to the general.
“Please prepare a place for the Great Prince to stay.”
“Understood.”
* * *
Baek Woo-kyeong returned to his main camp.
The place where Yi Hwan and his group were escorted to was a camp built at the foot of a mountain.
Around three thousand men were stationed there, including quite a few strong warriors among them.
Yi Hwan and his group were assigned three tents. Their position was relatively elevated, offering a clear view of the Zhao forces to the north.
As Yi Hwan was looking out from in front of his tent, he spotted someone running toward them from afar.
Go Mi said, her eyes gleaming.
“It’s the White Sword God’s younger brother.”
Baek Yeon arrived before Yi Hwan and bowed his head.
“Baek Yeon pays respects to the Great Prince.”
“Did you come because of us?”
“Yes. My brother instructed me to serve you. I’ll do my utmost not to disappoint.”
“Pleased to have you.”
Yi Hwan found himself increasingly impressed with Baek Woo-kyeong. Sending Baek Yeon was a clear sign of how he viewed Yi Hwan.
“The battle just ended not long ago, so please rest for today. I’ll inform you immediately if the Zhao forces appear.”
“Got it.”
* * *
Baek Yeon, gazing at Yi Hwan’s tent, suddenly let out a quiet sigh.
‘Why does the Great General treat the Great Prince so rudely?’
He couldn’t comprehend Won Gae-se’s arrogant attitude at all. Hadn’t he suffered a setback for ignoring Yi Hwan back at the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?
One of the warriors asked.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
“Nothing. Right now, form a guard network to protect Yeon’s Great Prince, and tell everyone to gather.”
“Understood.”
Soon after, the Zhao warriors who had come here on Baek Woo-kyeong’s orders assembled in one place.
Baek Yeon assigned each of them specific sectors, forming a guard network that ensured no one could intrude on Yi Hwan’s tent.
It was then. One warrior came running.
“Zhao reinforcements are descending! But according to the scouts, they spotted the Zhao imperial family banner!”
“The imperial family banner?”
“Yes. They said it’s definitely the imperial banner!”
Baek Yeon’s face hardened.
The second son, Jo Jeong-mu, was dead, and the eldest, Jo Gwang-mu, was known for avoiding power and showing no interest in martial arts, so he wouldn’t come to the battlefield.
That left only one person who came to mind.
Zhao’s Emperor, Jo Yun.
He might have come personally.
“Notify the Great General of this immediately.”
“Understood!”
Baek Yeon headed straight to Yi Hwan’s tent.
Yi Hwan, who had been sipping tea with his group, sensed something had happened from Baek Yeon’s stiff expression.
“What’s going on?”
“Zhao reinforcements are coming down, and our scouts spotted the imperial family banner.”
“It’s definitely the imperial banner?”
“Yes.”
Go Mi said with a hardened expression.
“It’s highly likely Jo Yun has come down. There’s no one else in the Zhao imperial family fit to lead on the battlefield personally.”
Yi Hwan shared the same thought.
Thud!
Yi Hwan set down his teacup, donned his outer robe, and stepped outside.
“Ju Tae, you come with me.”
“Understood.”
Baek Yeon stepped forward.
“I’ll go as well.”
“You sure?”
“There might be those who don’t recognize the Great Prince, so I need to escort you personally to avoid any disturbances.”
“Alright.”
* * *
Zhao camp to the north of the Red River.
Having clashed with Qin for a long time already, the camp was quite large.
Yi Hwan, Ju Tae, and Baek Yeon rode past it straight north. After galloping for a while, they spotted the descending Zhao army.
‘It’s definitely the imperial banner.’
The massive banner fluttering at the front unmistakably symbolized Zhao’s imperial family.
The force numbered roughly fifty thousand.
Ju Tae said.
“If Jo Yun is coming, it must be their elite Southwestern Army.”
“If it’s Jo Yun, then yes.”
“Could it not be Jo Yun?”
“If not him, then only the eldest, Jo Gwang-mu—but the one said to ignore power and vex Jo Yun, would he really come to the battlefield?”
“Then it must be Jo Yun. In any case, this means full-scale war is inevitable.”
At Ju Tae’s words, Yi Hwan turned to Baek Yeon and asked.
“Have you prepared for a situation like this?”
“We wouldn’t know details like that. My brother and I are just leading the warriors as ordered…”
Yi Hwan furrowed his brow.
If Emperor Jo Yun himself was descending here, it meant Zhao was staking everything on this Red River battle. As Ju Tae said, escalation was inevitable.
Of course, if Zhao and Qin wore each other down in a war of attrition, it would benefit Yeon, so leaving it alone would suffice—but Yi Hwan couldn’t just sit by and watch Jo Yun, heir to the Blood Demon.
The problem was Won Gae-se.
‘With that man’s abilities, he’s doomed to lose against Jo Yun.’
Yi Hwan pondered briefly, but not for long.
“First, we need to confirm if it’s Jo Yun.”
“Yes.”
The three began moving again.
* * *
The imperial banner fluttered atop a carriage pulled by six horses.
But Jo Gwang-mu was traveling not in the carriage, but on a warhorse. He entrusted his body to the horse’s motion while calmly surveying the surroundings ahead.
Unexpectedly, U Mun-sul rode beside him. Jo Yun’s order to him was to lead Qin to victory while protecting Jo Gwang-mu.
Thus, many of the Blood Demon’s heirs were among the escort forces.
A smile never left U Mun-sul’s lips as he watched Jo Gwang-mu.
Jo Gwang-mu’s unforeseen change delighted him as much as it did Jo Yun.
‘Use this war to show all under heaven that you’ve inherited the tiger’s blood, Your Highness.’
“How goes the war?”
“So far, it’s been a back-and-forth, but with Your Highness here in person, we’ll soon cross the Red River and seize the southern territories.”
“I’m not here to hear empty flattery that one man decides the war’s outcome. Even with momentum on our side, we must never grow complacent and guard against variables. That means throwing everything into intelligence warfare. Of course, I trust you’re handling it well.”
Jo Gwang-mu spoke calmly. Not a trace of tension showed in him. That pleased U Mun-sul even more.
“Your Highness, please enter the carriage now and rest comfortably. Once we reach the battlefield, there may be no time to relax.”
“Very well.”
Moments later, Jo Gwang-mu entered the carriage. U Mun-sul handed his warhorse to a warrior, took a deep breath, and gazed ahead.
‘This is His Highness’s first campaign, so we must achieve a great victory—one that will make all under heaven revere him.’
Whoooosh!
The wind blew, gently caressing U Mun-sul’s face before passing. U Mun-sul deeply inhaled the mountain-scented breeze.
‘Splendid. Hahaha.’
* * *
Yi Hwan couldn’t take his eyes off Jo Gwang-mu as he dismounted his warhorse and entered the carriage.
‘It’s not Jo Yun?’
A lavish carriage bearing the imperial banner. When Jo Gwang-mu opened the door to enter, no one was inside.
That meant Jo Gwang-mu was the carriage’s occupant.
‘If not Jo Yun, then it must be Crown Prince Jo Gwang-mu.’
Though he’d never seen Jo Gwang-mu’s face before, Yi Hwan was certain.
It was then.
“That’s Zhao’s Crown Prince, Jo Gwang-mu.”
Baek Yeon said.
“You’ve seen him before?”
“Yes. I secretly visited Zhao’s capital once, and saw him from afar then. It’s definitely Jo Gwang-mu.”
Ju Tae said with an incredulous expression.
“Rumors say he only frequents the library and shuns martial pursuits—why come to the battlefield?”
“People change in an instant. We’ve confirmed it’s not Jo Yun, so let’s head back.”
“Just going back like that? Since we’re here, why not kill a few on the way?”
[Jo Yun’s one and only legitimate heir, Jo Gwang-mu. Blood Demon followers are surely guarding him. Don’t entertain useless thoughts, Ju Tae.]
[……Yes.]
Yi Hwan turned back without hesitation.
It was then.
“What are you lot?”