Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Midnight Commotion Passes
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Pa Pa couldn’t hide her shock as she received Baek Po-in’s report.
“To think a good-for-nothing worse than a scarecrow was leading the Southern Legion.”
“They say the vanguard was crushed by that man’s scheme.”
Rage flickered in Pa Pa’s eyes.
“The fools stationed at the front lines handle intelligence like amateurs. If they’d provided proper information from the start, we could’ve countered with a different plan.”
The intelligence handled by Crown Prince Jo Gwang and Pa Pa consisted entirely of previously gathered data. That was why they hadn’t even bothered with Yi Hwan, known as the scarecrow Great Prince.
‘Hm?’
A glint suddenly appeared in Pa Pa’s eyes.
She had belatedly noticed Baek Po-in’s broken wrist.
“What happened?”
“Someone pursued your subordinate. I fought him and got injured.”
“How many came after you, and your wrist ends up broken?”
“……Just one.”
“What?”
“He was an incredible master. But if there had been space to unleash an assassination technique, the outcome would’ve been different.”
Baek Po-in wanted to make some excuse to salvage his shattered pride. Even as he reported to Pa Pa, his mind lingered on Ju Tae’s parting words.
*You did well observing. That Naryeotagon at the pinnacle was quite the sight. Heh heh heh.*
It was an insult and humiliation no martial artist could endure.
“What happened to the man?”
“He escaped.”
“What?”
Bloodlust flashed in Pa Pa’s eyes.
In that instant, Baek Po-in sensed something was wrong. Pa Pa’s furious voice continued.
“If you’d thought of your comrades left in enemy territory, you should’ve at least gone down together.”
“I judged that relaying the Great Prince’s true nature was more important.”
“Shut your mouth!”
“Pa Pa!”
Crack!
Pa Pa’s right hand seized Baek Po-in’s throat. Surprisingly, her right hand was far longer and thicker than most men’s.
“You incompetent fool.”
Crunch!
“Stop, Pa Pa.”
A voice from behind halted Pa Pa’s grip. Jo Gwang appeared.
“Let go of him.”
“He endangered our comrades, Your Highness.”
“Didn’t he say he was trying to relay something more important? Release him now.”
Pa Pa reluctantly let go.
Baek Po-in, who had narrowly escaped death, flattened himself on the ground.
Jo Gwang addressed him.
“You’re already a dead man. So when you face the enemy in battle, fight without fear of death. Understood?”
“I will lay down my life for Your Highness!”
Thud thud!
Jo Gwang turned away.
“Pa Pa, come see me.”
* * *
Jo Gwang already knew Pa Pa had launched an assassination attempt without his permission. In truth, even during the clash with the Southwest King, he had never allowed assassinations.
Pa Pa, of all people, couldn’t be unaware of that.
Yet Jo Gwang showed no anger.
“With every man we lose precious, how could you kill a capable subordinate? Have you forgotten that even in our own camp, there are already plenty of martial artists who don’t truly follow me?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Thud!
Pa Pa prostrated herself on the ground.
Jo Gwang gazed at her with pity before turning his eyes northeast.
“The Crown Prince of Yeon is in a similar plight, isn’t he?”
“How can you compare yourself to the likes of him? Yeon’s Crown Prince doesn’t even reach the tip of Your Highness’s toe.”
“I lost to the Southwest King. But he’s holding his own against the Empress and his half-brother. Just enduring makes him superior to me.”
“…….”
Was it the regret and sorrow in Jo Gwang’s voice? Pa Pa’s eyes reddened with bloodshot veins.
“His younger brother is leading the Southern Legion?”
“Yes. Astonishingly so.”
“How enviable.”
“……Your Highness.”
Regret settled deeply over Jo Gwang’s eyes and face.
“If only I had one blood relative to aid me. Then I wouldn’t feel this loneliness.”
“Your Highness.”
Tears streamed down Pa Pa’s cheeks.
Jo Gwang had practically raised her himself. Though their statuses differed, until he came of age, he had called her master and followed her like family.
Because of that bond, Pa Pa was prepared to give her life for Jo Gwang at any moment.
‘I should’ve killed that villain back then…….’
In truth, after their defeat to the Southwest King, Pa Pa had plotted to assassinate him. But Jo Gwang forbade it, leading them here together.
“Rise.”
Pa Pa wiped her tears and stood.
Jo Gwang placed a hand on her shoulder and continued.
“My petty pride has cost us dearly. But from now on, that won’t happen. Help me with any scheme you have. However, you must get my permission before executing any. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Pa Pa’s voice choked as she replied.
“We have a major battle tomorrow, so rest now.”
“Yes. I’ll escort you to your quarters.”
* * *
Eyes watched Jo Gwang and Pa Pa from the darkness.
Surprisingly, it was Namgung Jang-cheon.
Right after Zhao Kingdom’s vanguard was annihilated, he had waited here for their main force and observed them until now. Zhao martial artists were positioned everywhere, but he was confident he wouldn’t be detected if he hid properly.
‘Both Zhao and Yeon are in an era of tormented Crown Princes. Compared to them, is our Qin Crown Prince walking a smooth path?’
A faint sense of superiority curved Namgung Jang-cheon’s lips.
Qin’s Crown Prince was swiftly securing the succession with full backing from the Emperor and imperial family. There were other uncles and princes, but none coveted the throne like in those two kingdoms.
Thanks to that, Qin enjoyed unprecedented peace and stability.
Once Jo Gwang and Pa Pa entered their tent, Namgung Jang-cheon climbed higher into the forest.
“Shall I head back to the Yeon camp?”
He was thoroughly enjoying this war.
His thirst for revenge against the Ghost Valley Lord had considerably faded. For now, his greatest interest was which side would win.
* * *
Ju Tae reported to Yi Hwan immediately.
“I trailed one but failed to kill him.”
“There was another one?”
“Yes. I stepped out to the latrine and spotted someone slipping out of camp. I pursued, but I’m sorry. If I’d been a bit more vigilant, I could’ve taken him…….”
“It’s fine.”
Yi Hwan furrowed his brow.
“Still, it’s odd. He came all this way and just left? Leaving the others behind, no less.”
“Maybe he learned something crucial and rushed back to report it?”
Yi Hwan nodded silently at Cheol Mu-ok’s words. There was no other explanation. If so, the question was what could be important enough for him to abandon his comrades and flee first.
The captive they’d interrogated hadn’t mentioned it. No, they hadn’t even known about the extra man, so they hadn’t asked.
They’d only pried for information on the enemy’s martial artists.
“Did you see the other martial artists?”
“Yes. The others arrived faster than expected, so I couldn’t kill him. Some had astonishing lightness skills.”
“How do they compare to yours?”
“In pure lightness skill, they were nearly a match.”
That meant elite masters. Yi Hwan sank deep into his chair and muttered.
“Once full-scale battle begins, we’ll need to bolster protection for key generals.”
“For now, deploying Paeng Family warriors for guards is our only option. The problem is we’ll lack men to counter enemy martial artists if we do.”
“Assign minimal guards to each general for now, and we’ll handle the rest ourselves. Go rest.”
“Yes.”
The meeting ended, and everyone returned to their rooms. Yi Hwan remained alone, lost in thought.
‘Crushing the vanguard boosted our morale, but the enemy still holds the advantage in forces.’
He remained confident.
But he needed ways to minimize casualties. He’d thought of a few, but if a better one came to mind, he had to inform the generals before dawn so they could prepare.
How much time passed?
Yi Hwan donned an outer robe and stepped outside.
“Where are you going?”
“Just getting some air. Don’t follow.”
“…….”
* * *
Yi Hwan headed straight for the watchtower after leaving his quarters.
Though it was late night, the tense air permeating the entire camp seeped into his body.
As Yi Hwan ascended the watchtower, the guarding warriors bowed their heads.
“Loyalty!”
Yi Hwan patted their shoulders and gazed northwest. The warriors exchanged puzzled glances as he stared intently for a long time.
After scrutinizing the northwest sector at length, Yi Hwan turned away.
“Good work.”
“Yes, Great Prince!”
Had he found the best plan?
His eyes held a subtle difference from when they’d lit up.
Eyes watched such a Yi Hwan. It was Namgung Jang-cheon, who had briefly visited the Zhao camp and returned.
The look in his eyes toward Yi Hwan had drastically changed from before.
Namgung Jang-cheon had realized Yi Hwan’s true nature before the Zhao forces did.
‘If I were an assassin, could I succeed?’
Namgung Jang-cheon envisioned attacking Yi Hwan. Then he narrowed his eyes and calmed his gaze.
‘No openings at all.’
Yi Hwan was just walking normally now. Yet imagining an attack, he couldn’t spot a single flaw.
This feeling was the second time.
The first was upon first seeing the Ghost Valley Lord. What unnerved him more was that he hadn’t felt this at all when he first saw Yi Hwan.
‘Have I unconsciously come to see him as a master on par with the Ghost Valley Lord?’
Twitch.
His brows sharply furrowed.
His pride had stirred unbidden.
That was when it happened.
‘……What?’
Namgung Jang-cheon spotted five lights flying toward him and blinked.
At first, he thought they were fireflies.
They weren’t.
“……!”
Whoosh!
Namgung Jang-cheon kicked off the tree branch and soared into the air. At the same time, a dull thud echoed from the tree he’d stood on.
Boom boom boom boom!
White smoke rose in the darkness.
Namgung Jang-cheon nearly attacked the emerging Yi Hwan through the smoke but instead dove into the shadows.
Boom boom!
Smoke billowed from a tree to the right.
Namgung Jang-cheon unleashed his lightness skill without looking back. Only after running far did he glance behind—no Yi Hwan.
Thump thump!
His heart pounded fiercely. His eyes wavered.
‘A martial art like that in the world…….’
Swish!
Namgung Jang-cheon calmed his racing heart and climbed to the top of the tallest nearby tree.
From there, he saw Yi Hwan walking back to his quarters as if nothing had happened.
Recalling the firefly-like lights, Namgung Jang-cheon took a deep breath.
‘An opponent Yeon will eventually clash with. Then uncovering the scarecrow Great Prince’s reality is a huge gain for me and Qin.’
Qin had invested massively in intelligence on not just Zhao but also Yeon’s masters. Yet Yi Hwan hadn’t appeared in their data. He couldn’t have.
Even in Qin, Yi Hwan was known as the incompetent Great Prince cast out by the imperial family.
Namgung Jang-cheon glanced west toward the Zhao forces.
‘A confrontation between a discarded bastard and a former Crown Prince…….’