Chapter 178
**
The short war ended overnight.
But that doesn’t mean we could relax. I had seen those who hid among the dead and drew their swords, so we had to remain tense till the very end.
“Soo-ryun. I’m sorry, but could you gather the Sapa members to tie these people up? I think I’d feel more at ease that way.”
“Whose request is this?”
With Soo-ryun leading the way, the Sapa members began tying up the warriors of Sapa.
The four guarding the two paths of the fortress returned.
“Signs of the Yuma Seven Swords… Hmm… Was it Sua’s doing?”
“She even removed their heads. Judging by the marks… unmistakably the Guumbaekgyeoljyo. Excellent! Where is Sua? Such a commendable disciple!”
“Some of them seem to have been captured without even resisting? It seems they have certainly mastered the Yoma Phantom Art I instructed them in. You should give praise.”
“Quick and nimble movements. It’s the Black-White Lotus Sword. Progressing faster than expected… maybe I need to adjust the training schedule a bit…”
I felt relieved that no one was injured. Sua tugged at my sleeve.
Her bloodstained clothes matched the dirty face looking up at me. I lifted my sleeve to wipe her face.
“…Dad.”
“Yes?”
“…Did I do well?”
Praising someone for killing was a bit ambiguous.
Yet, after cleaning Sua’s face, I patted her head.
“You did well.”
A war of mutual killing was happening all around us.
We found ourselves in the midst of it. Our swords spoke in place of our conflicting ideologies…
In such circumstances, murder was almost natural.
Yet, even amidst the urgency, I saw Sua holding onto her hand tightly. I spotted her making an effort to subdue enemies quite a distance away.
I couldn’t help but commend her for that. Her nature remained kind, unharmed by the frenzy of war…
From my perspective, that was quite impressive.
“It was a splendid first real battle.”
“…Hooah…”
Sua leaned against me, seemingly relieved of tension. I lifted her up gently.
The four who gathered started chattering excitedly.
“Sua! You did well, but try to be more merciless with your sword. You can’t be soft like your dad, you know? You gotta go all out and just wipe them all out!”
“When using the Guumbaekgyeoljyo, you shouldn’t just pull heads off. Think of it like pulling out the entire spine! If you’re going to kill anyway, might as well do it thoroughly!”
“Using the Yoma Phantom Art itself is commendable. But Sua, you shouldn’t show any slack now that the war’s over. From start to finish, perfection is key. You must stand tall and straight!”
“A quick sword means any hesitation could lead to variables. Don’t stop midway. You have to focus on destroying the enemy in an instant!”
“……”
I shot a cold glare at the feedback from the masters. I turned Sua in my arms so they couldn’t see her.
“It’s her first real battle, isn’t it? Let’s ease up on her a bit.”
“…Dadddd…”
“Stand back! Junior! You shouldn’t do this!”
“Ugh, really?! Was I too harsh? But I thought it was a necessary critique… Su, you’re not mad, right…?”
“Jeok-un. Education must be firm. Simply coddling isn’t the way.”
“Ah, did I go too far? No, brother… that’s not what I meant… She just picks things up so well that I got carried away…”
I distanced myself from the boisterous group and asked Dong Bang-hyang, who was leaning against the wall, bound.
“Do you know the Master of Sado Clan?”
Dong Bang-hyang shifted his eyes.
His tone had become overly polite.
“…How could someone from Sado Clan not know Lianju?”
“I meant personal acquaintance.”
Dong Bang-hyang glanced to gauge my reaction. He smiled brightly and nodded.
“Of course! I share a special relationship with Lord Lianju! If you spare me, you’ll find a favorable position during the prisoner exchange!”
“Is that true?”
“Absolutely!”
Sua squirmed in my arms and turned to face Dong Bang-hyang, slapping his face with her palm.
“…Mmm…?”
Dong Bang-hyang blinked. The energy from Sua’s fingertips flared.
She scribbled words as if brushing. Dong Bang-hyang’s face twitched, and soon his eyes glazed over.
“…What is this?”
“Dad. Ask again.”
Is it the Soul Binding Art?
I gently stroked Sua’s cheek for her cleverness and asked him again.
“Do you have a connection with Lianju?”
“I… don’t… have…”
A habitual liar, I suppose.
I raised my hand, delivering a sharp slap. As Dong Bang-hyang regained his senses with a scream, he blinked in confusion.
“W-What just happened…?”
“You lied to me.”
“…Please, spare me! My Lord! I made a mistake!”
He seems to have no value as a hostage.
In the end, he was only a bait to deliver my reputation to the Master of Sado Clan. I stood up, holding Sua in my arms.
“Soo-ryun. Please send someone to the Dragon of the Earth Command to inform them of the capture of the fortress. Naturally, we will bear all the costs for the efforts made today.”
“Don’t worry about it too much. The girl enjoys what she does.”
One of the Sapa members dashed out of the fortress. With the tidying up also done perfectly…
All that’s left is to wait for the warriors of the Cheonryong Association to arrive.
“Ha… Hoo… the tension is finally releasing.”
“Master, did I do well?”
“…It was my first time getting blood on my hands, so there were a lot of mistakes. Subduing the rabble of Sapa was a whole different scenario.”
The three anxious disciples collapsed on the ground. I offered them a slight smile.
As they said, there were many mistakes to note. Several shortcomings stood out. Yet beyond that, they performed their roles well.
“You all did well.”
“…I… me too…”
Gu Hwa-rin quietly moved beside me.
“Did I do well too?”
“You did well, Hwa-rin.”
“…Hehe.”
In the operation to recapture the fortress, I confirmed the value of a Master with my own eyes.
Indeed…
Masters are like a moving army.
…
“Congratulations on your great victory!”
Less than a day later, the warriors of the Cheonryong Association, who had prepared in advance, rushed in. After handing over the report about the fortress to their leader, they returned to their forward base immediately.
The Dragon of the Earth Command had a broad grin on his face. He welcomed me with a hearty laugh.
“Jeok Daehyup! You did remarkably well! Who would have thought it possible to retake the fortress with just ten people?! Goodness! Maybe even the Master of Sado Clan, who would have trembled in fear before the warriors of the Martial Alliance, might be quaking in his boots now!”
“You’re over-praising me. Please, keep it down.”
“Jeok Daehyup is terrific, but there’s one thing that’s not good. What you did honestly warrants a bit of bragging. Stand tall, shoulders back! You did something great, so I’ll request a reward from the headquarters of the Cheonryong Association! I’ve set aside a tent just for you! Go and rest up well!”
I had no intention of refusing the kindness of the Dragon of the Earth Command. As our group had grown larger, the costs would also increase.
We went to the empty tent and laid down our gear. The state of the tent was excellent, evidencing the care of the Dragon of the Earth Command.
Not only was it spacious, but compared to other tents, it was remarkably clean and odor-free.
The food supply also reached us first. There was no need to stand in line; those who prepared the meals served us as if we were honored guests.
“It’s… delicious!”
“Eat slowly.”
The forward base of the Cheonryong Association.
I scanned my surroundings. Given that we might stay here for a while, I wanted to lay Sua down in a better place than this tent.
“Jeok-un, the weather has turned cold.”
At that moment, Black Danhwa pointed out what I was thinking. I nodded.
“The sleeping bags we were issued aren’t as warm as we expected, so I plan to hunt some beasts and strip off their fur.”
Black Danhwa fanned my face with her fan.
“How about taking a little break? You’ve always been moving around except when sleeping, so I’m quite worried.”
“I’ll finish this first and then rest.”
“You’ve got stubbornness, that’s for sure. But Jeok-un, you do know beasts are sensitive to smells, right? Since so many people are gathered here, we’d have to go far to catch them.”
That was not incorrect.
Beasts would flee at the scent of humans. It’s likely that any sufficiently large beasts to skin wouldn’t be nearby.
“But, fortunately, isn’t there a deep mountain nearby?”
“True, it isn’t wrong to say deep mountains. But before that, did you… look at the sky?”
“The sky… you mean?”
“The flow of the weather seems strange. It shouldn’t be this cold yet winter’s coming early; the wind bites chillingly. The clouds are gathering, and… it feels like snow is coming soon. What’s odd is that the regions I passed through on the way here weren’t like this; only this place stands out as abnormally cold.”
“…Does that mean something is affecting the weather?”
“I can’t say for sure. But it’s puzzling. It doesn’t seem to be an issue of formations or sorcery… it could indicate something that affects the weather has come into this area.”
Black Danhwa snapped her fan shut.
“Then the deeper we go into the forest, the greater the risk. That said, if you still want to go far, please take me with you. I’m not doubting your abilities, but there’s no one as versatile as I am.”
“…That’s true.”
“Alright. Shall we go hunting for beasts together? I think the two of us would be sufficient in just two days. Let’s ask the Dragon of the Earth Command, who already has a favorable disposition towards us, and then depart.”
As her words flowed, I gazed at Black Danhwa.
She smiled brightly.
“Do you have any other suitable plans?”
“I don’t, but it feels like a well-thought-out approach.”
“Oh my. You’re mistaken.”
That wasn’t entirely incorrect. If it were her, I figured she could use formations to lure animals just as she had for me before.
If that were the case, we’d shorten the hunting time. I sought permission from my party.
And of course, everyone opposed.
“What do you mean, just the two of you going off alone?!”
“No way. That’s not acceptable. Nope. Not happening.”
“Danhwa Unnie… are you trying to move ahead again…? You sly fox!”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I just thought Jeok-un needed help, so I merely offered advice.”
“Dad, I want to go too!”
“Then, I will too…”
“I want to go! Master!”
With the group all determined to follow, I first sought the Dragon of the Earth Command’s permission.
He readily agreed.
“It’s frankly more amusing now that you’re trying to run away. I’ll give you three days. That should be more than enough, right?”
“Thank you, Command.”
“No need for thanks! This situation calls for me to be the grateful one! Hahaha!”
With the chuckles of the Command behind us, we decided to move out as a group.
“…Seriously, it’s hard to see anyone else succeed…”
Black Danhwa sulked for a bit, but it soon passed.
Our goal was the deep forest. We were heading out to gather beast furs in preparation for winter. We also planned to savor the taste of fresh meat.
We headed toward the unsupervised forest between the domains of the Cheonryong Association and the Sado Clan.
To catch some beasts.
…
“Did you hear? Our reclaimed fortress was retaken?”
“Yes, it seems so, Lianju.”
In the heart of Sado Clan, far removed from the front lines, the Lord of the Sado Clan, Gu Ok-gyeong, frowned.
Just when she thought good news was rolling in…
To lose such an opportunity felt worse than simply not hearing it at all.
“Then why not just keep it to yourself from the beginning? Who was the foolish person that lost the fortress back and forth?”
“It was Dong Bang-hyang of the Heavenly Ghost.”
“Dong Bang-hyang…? What’s that fool doing?”
“Of course, it’s only natural you’d forget. He’s never been that significant.”
“Even so, losing that close to the Dragon of the Earth Command suggests he had some skill, no? What did we gain from that?”
“No further news has come in. The only thing I’ve heard is that Dong Bang-hyang was captured.”
“Who captured him?”
“The Martial Alliance Support Warrior leader, Jeok-un.”
“…Martial Alliance?”
Even if Dong Bang-hyang was insignificant, I couldn’t overlook this mention.
The Lord of Sado Clan stood up. She turned to the bodyguard who was combing her hair.
“If a warrior from the Martial Alliance captured this Dong Bang-hyang… he must be quite formidable?”
“I heard he’s also called Mugseong. It seems he’s gained fame within the Cheonryong Association after clearing out our allies.”
“That news is hardly worth my attention. Even among the remnants in the Cheonryong Association, they’re all nothing but trash unworthy of being called warriors.”
The Lord of Sado Clan lightly tapped her cheek with her finger.
“Martial Alliance… Martial Alliance… That name disgusts me each time I hear it. But you know, if they sent someone strong, it implies the Martial Alliance is serious this time, doesn’t it? For them, a master’s presence must be valuable.”
“That’s right, Lianju.”
“If I could capture one, I might feel better about things… Where’s Daeun? Has he not returned yet?”
“Not yet. He mentioned he would fetch the Inner Pill of the Spirit Beast, but hasn’t shown up since.”
The Lord of Sado Clan gave a stiff stretch.
“Daeun is all good and fine, but he tends to make a fuss over nothing. It’s just a little weariness, yet he rushes away as if seeking the Inner Pill… that’s not something a First Sword of Sapa should be doing, is it?”
“Does that not mean he cares for you, Lianju?”
“That’s mere over-enthusiasm. Anyway, when Daeun returns, tell him to come straight to me.”
The Lord of Sado Clan relaxed her body.
“To deal with those from the Martial Alliance, nothing works better than the First Sword of Sapa.”
The exclusive bodyguard of the Lord of Sado Clan, the Poison Snake Sword, Yeong-wol, bowed respectfully.
“I am at your service, Lianju.”
