Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Paeng Mu-wi's Tears
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Golden Imperial Guards' camp.
Mun Chi-yong's direct subordinates were still staying there. The guards treated them with utmost courtesy.
A white-robed man with an unusually sharp impression asked his subordinate.
"Have the kids been properly deployed?"
"Yes. We confirmed there's only one entrance into the camp. We've sent plenty of capable ones there, so they'll bring back the Great Prince's head soon enough."
The white-robed man rose from his seat and opened the window. Directly across, with a stream in between, was Yi Hwan's tent.
"When the sun sets, we'll take care of everyone in that place."
"What about the Crown Prince's messenger?"
"Of course. If he escapes alive, it could cause problems later, so he must die."
"Understood."
It was then.
A blue-robed man opened the door and entered.
The one who had been pressuring Paeng Mu-wi.
"The Left General still hasn't opened his door."
"Hmph! He must want out of this. Well, would a mere martial family upstart have the guts to take part in killing the Great Prince? Just leave him be."
"What if he steps up to help the Great Prince? Won't that cause big trouble?"
"If he does, he'll know his family will be scattered to the winds. He's just too scared to act, so let him watch from the sidelines."
"Understood."
The blue-robed man left.
The white-robed man peered sharply through the window at the area around Yi Hwan's quarters, a sneer on his lips.
"A few men should settle that."
There weren't even warriors standing guard around the quarters. The only ones occasionally visible outside were cooks clearing food scraps and aides.
A cold smile spread across the white-robed man's lips.
"Propping up an incompetent Fourth Imperial Prince like a puppet to seize the Golden Army? In his dreams. Poor Fourth Imperial Prince, you'll die because of the Crown Prince."
The sunset was slowly descending. Today's dusk was exceptionally red.
'Perfect weather to call for blood. Heh heh heh.'
* * *
Jeong Cheon visited Paeng Mu-wi's tent.
But the white-robed and blue-robed men sent by Yi Tae-ji blocked his path.
"The Commander ordered no one to enter."
Jeong Cheon fixed them with his characteristic fierce gaze.
"Faces I've never seen before. What unit are you from?"
"From the Imperial Palace."
"Then why are you guarding the Commander's tent? Where are the Paeng Family warriors?"
"Commander's orders."
"Is that so? I'll check myself."
Jeong Cheon approached the door.
But the white-robed and blue-robed men blocked him again, refusing to budge.
"Go back."
"Step aside."
"No."
"I said step aside."
"Still no."
It was then. The blue-robed man who had gone to the Golden Imperial Guards' camp returned. He spoke to Jeong Cheon in an arrogant tone.
"You can't see the Commander right now, General. Please leave."
"Are you the leader?"
"Your words are excessive. Leader? Even as a general, you should watch your tongue."
Twitch.
Jeong Cheon's eyebrow arched sharply.
It was then.
"Uh!"
A startled exclamation burst from someone's mouth.
Jeong Cheon bowed his head at that moment.
"I see the Great Prince."
* * *
Yi Hwan slowly scanned the men staring at him in surprise.
The blue-robed man who had blocked Jeong Cheon struggled to hide his inner shock while maintaining his expression. But inwardly, he was aghast.
'How did this guy get here! Does that mean it failed? No, impossible. The kids deployed there are all experts. No way he could escape.'
He trusted his subordinates' skills.
That's why he thought Yi Hwan must have taken another route. But that didn't resolve the mystery.
'There's clearly only one path into the camp...'
Yi Hwan spoke then.
"Tell the Commander I'm here."
"The Commander ordered no one to enter."
"Does the Commander's order apply to me?"
"......!"
Yi Hwan shoved past the blockers and stepped forward. But the blue-robed man didn't back down.
"Please leave, Great Prince."
"Step aside."
"I'm sorry, but I can't... Gah!"
Thud!
Yi Hwan shot out his hand and gripped the blue-robed man's throat. In the sudden situation, the surrounding blue- and white-robed men reflexively placed hands on their sword hilts.
Jeong Cheon's eyes blazed.
"Remove those hands, or else!"
"......!"
It was then.
"How dare lowly ruffians insult the Great Prince."
Following Yi Hwan's icy voice, the sound of bones crunching rang out.
Crunch!
The blue-robed man's head snapped to the side. He died instantly, throat still gripped.
Thump!
"......!"
Jeong Cheon was the surprised one now.
For someone unaware of the full story, it was understandable.
Yi Hwan said to another blue-robed man.
"Open it."
"......!"
Yi Hwan slashed the air with his hand. The blue-robed man's head exploded like a watermelon.
Splatter!
"Argh!"
Yi Hwan's gaze turned to the white-robed man beside him.
"Open it."
It was then.
Bang!
The tent flap burst open roughly, and Paeng Mu-wi stepped out. Heavy-armored Paeng Family warriors poured out behind him.
Jeong Cheon hastily drew his sword.
Shing!
"What is this, Commander?!"
Shing shing shing!
The white- and blue-robed men drew their swords in unison. They swiftly surrounded Yi Hwan and Jeong Cheon.
[Great Prince! I'll hold them off—escape quickly!]
Yi Hwan smiled.
Paeng Mu-wi's sincerity was confirmed. In truth, if Paeng Mu-wi had joined in trying to kill him, Yi Hwan had planned to kill him first.
"It's fine."
Yi Hwan stared straight at Paeng Mu-wi.
Their gazes clashed across the air. Then an order pierced through Paeng Mu-wi's lips.
"Attack!"
* * *
Yi Hwan and Paeng Mu-wi sat facing each other.
Jeong Cheon placed a chair at the entrance, sat with sword in hand, and guarded it.
Yi Hwan and Paeng Mu-wi talked for quite a while. Paeng Mu-wi occasionally showed unease but also resolve.
In the midst of it, Yi Hwan asked.
"You won't regret this?"
"I'm scared, but no regrets. Though I got blinded by ambition and joined the Second Prince's service, I haven't fallen so far as to take part in this."
"The Second Prince won't stay quiet."
"I'm prepared. I've already sent a full report to the family via messenger."
"You think the family will follow the Commander's will?"
Paeng Mu-wi couldn't answer right away. But soon he bared his teeth in a grin.
Heh.
"Well, worst case, I get excommunicated. Nothing more than that. In return, Great Prince, take responsibility for me. My head's not the brightest, but I'm confident in my strength. I can earn my keep."
Yi Hwan gave a faint smile at his straightforward, rough demeanor.
Then the deputy entered with tea, opening the door.
Through the open flap, they glimpsed the blue- and white-robed men kneeling in the yard. Paeng Family warriors surrounded them like an iron wall.
Yi Hwan asked.
"Those guys outside might get excommunicated too. You okay with that?"
The deputy answered the question.
"We've already sworn to share the Commander's fate, so worry not, Great Prince!"
Paeng Mu-wi chuckled.
"These guys are like that. Heh heh heh."
He was laughing, but his eyes had turned red.
Yi Hwan fully understood the meaning.
'It must have been a hard decision. For a family warrior, abandoning the family is no different from abandoning life.'
A strange emotion stirred deep in his chest.
At first, Paeng Mu-wi had been no different from an enemy. Paeng Mu-wi must have seen him the same way.
Yet now, he had chosen Yi Hwan.
This choice might endanger the family's retainers. How much deep anguish must he have endured to choose Yi Hwan despite all that?
"Commander."
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"......"
Tears rolled down Paeng Mu-wi's cheeks in thick streams. Then the emotions he'd been suppressing burst forth.
"My daughter's at the family seat. She lost her mother young and grew up looking only to me. I need to bring her here before things go wrong."
"It's too far for the Commander to go. Leave it to me. I'll take responsibility and protect her."
"How could the Great Prince..."
Instead of answering, Yi Hwan told Paeng Mu-wi's deputy.
"Prepare writing materials."
"Yes!"
The deputy, who had been wiping away tears, hurriedly ground ink.
Moments later, Yi Hwan wrote a letter and handed it to Jeong Cheon.
"Send it to the Crown Prince's Palace."
"Understood."
Yi Hwan looked at Paeng Mu-wi again.
His emotions had settled somewhat; his breathing was clearly calmer.
"The Hebei region isn't far from the Imperial Palace, so they'll move quickly. Trust the Crown Prince's Palace more than me."
"The Crown Prince's Palace will rescue my daughter?"
"Yes."
Paeng Mu-wi's face brightened a little.
"Commander, you've grabbed not just my hand, but the Crown Prince's as well. Once this spreads, the Paeng Family might follow your choice. Let's wait and see."
Crunch!
Paeng Mu-wi bit his lip hard. Flames ignited in his eyes.
"Shouldn't we smash those bastards first?"
* * *
Golden Imperial Guards' camp.
Darkness began to fall.
The white-robed man and his group, oblivious to what had happened in Paeng Mu-wi's tent, leisurely enjoyed dinner.
The man acting as deputy commander in place of the recently deceased filled an empty cup with liquor and casually asked.
Glug glug.
"Do you think the Second Prince can ascend the throne?"
"Not something to discuss here."
"We're on the same side, aren't we?"
"Some things just aren't done."
This time, the white-robed man asked.
"I heard the Fourth Imperial Prince became a completely different person after recovering from the brink of death. What exactly changed?"
"Less 'changed' and more like he'd been hiding his power all along. Personality can shift, but martial arts don't improve overnight, right?"
"His martial arts got stronger too?"
"Not just stronger."
The white-robed man furrowed his brow.
"Hiding his power while enduring the insult of being a puppet Great Prince? Sounds suspicious."
"Maybe the Crown Prince's Palace knew about his abilities from the start. Otherwise, they never would have put him in charge of the Golden Army."
"That'll never happen."
Dismissing the acting deputy's words, the white-robed man drained his cup and popped a piece of meat into his mouth.
It was then.
A deep voice drifted in from outside.
"The Commander has arrived."
"Looks like the fool finally came to his senses. Bring him in."
Moments later, the door opened, and Paeng Mu-wi entered. Wearing armor and carrying a greatsword, he sat directly across from the white-robed man and chugged straight from the bottle.
Gulp gulp!
The white-robed man subtly frowned.
Even for the Commander, drinking someone else's liquor without permission was a grave breach of etiquette.
Thud!
Paeng Mu-wi set down the bottle and stared straight at the white-robed man.
"What do I need to do?"
"Just stay put, Commander. We'll handle the rest."
Paeng Mu-wi didn't miss the faint sneer on the white-robed man's lips.
Heh.
"Got confidence?"
"Of course."
Paeng Mu-wi turned to the Golden Imperial Guards' acting deputy and asked.
"What about you? What's your plan?"
"It's the Second Prince's order, so of course I'll follow."
"Not because it's the Second Prince's order—I'm asking your heart. You really planning to go through with this?"
"Of course. Haven't you decided the same, Commander?"
"No."
"Pardon?"
Heh.
Paeng Mu-wi bared his teeth in his characteristic rough grin.
"I've decided to lop off your necks."
"......!"
"What did you just say...!"
The white-robed man trailed off and jerked back. Paeng Mu-wi's pot-lid-sized hand flew toward his throat. It was impressive reaction speed, but Paeng Mu-wi's hand was faster.
Thud!
"Gah!"
"Traitorous scum daring to mock me? Me, Paeng Mu-wi!"
Crunch!
"Krrgh..."
Paeng Mu-wi deliberately crushed the throat bones slowly. The white-robed man died gradually in his grip.
He wouldn't have fallen so easily otherwise, but the surprise attack—trusting Paeng Mu-wi as an ally—left him helpless.
"......!"
The shocked acting deputy tried to bolt outside but froze in place. Paeng Family warriors stood outside the door, greatswords drawn and gleaming, glaring murderously at him.
The acting deputy collapsed to his knees right there.
Drip!
Paeng Mu-wi ripped the white-robed man's head clean off.
Blood gushed onto the acting deputy.
"You bastard! One more step, and you'll end up like this!"
"......!"