Chapter 15 – Glimmer of Hope in the Darkness (4)

Chapter 15 – Glimmer of Hope in the Darkness (4)

Even though Il-gwang was lowering his upper body, he was about a head taller than Hyeon-jeong. It looked like a bear fighting a hunter.

“I’ll see if you can open your mouth after a while.”

Hyeonjeong pulled the sword over her shoulder and took a stance. It was ready to launch.

Then Il-Gwang started to disturb him by continuously bouncing on the ground with both feet. This was his own preparatory movement that allowed him to move in any direction at any time.

Hyeonjeong frowned at the loud movement she had never seen before. Because he thought he was making fun of him.

After a while, Hyeonjeong, who was glaring at Il-gwang, began to move. His movements seemed to be much faster than Baekhee's as he approached Il-gwang in an instant. The plum sword pulled over his shoulder began to shake and draw a curve towards Il-gwang’s upper body.

The basic sword techniques of the Mount Hua Sect learned by students of Mount Hua Sect. It was Plum Blossom Sword Technique six form Plum Blossom Flying Flower .

Hyeonjeong's quick-moving sword seemed like it would cut off Il-gwang diagonally from her right shoulder at any moment. However, a wry smile appeared on Il-gwang’s face as he faced it. Compared to So-mu's swordsmanship that he encountered in Dalian, it was very slow and honest.

As Il-gwang quickly lowered his posture and twisted his body to the left, Hyeon-jeong's sword passed in front of his nose. And at that moment, the flaws in Hyeonjeong's body that had been neglected were revealed one by one. There was never a Il-gwang that would miss it. He pulled his right fist downward, twisted his waist and rotated his upper body.

The huge fist rising from below as if ascending to heaven contained all the power of Il-gwang. Soon after, Il-gwang's fist landed mercilessly on Hyun-jeong's clearly exposed face.

Quaaaaang-!

A huge roar, similar to a door being smashed, shook the room. Hyeonjeong's new brother, who came up with him, flew off the ground and landed ungainly on the outer wall of the guest house.

Everyone's eyes turned to the fallen Hyeonjeong. At the same time, their mouths opened and they were unable to say anything for a while. Only the whites of the eyeballs were visible, and unidentifiable foam continued to flow from the mouth.

The Taoists of the Volcano Sect seemed to have been frozen and could not even move. Because the shock was so extreme. The members of the Sixteenth Team nearby quickly approached him and began to examine the details.

“What should I do? All my teeth are gone.”

“Are you alive?”

“I think it’s still hidden.”

Finally, what I was worried about happened.

“Get out of the way.”

Before he knew it, So-mu approached him, gathered around the group, and grabbed his wrist. The pulse was weak and the Qi and blood were unstable. Life was fading away.

It would not be good for it to be rumored that the Taoist master of the Mount Hua Sect had been killed by the Hanzhong government forces. So-mu secretly injected his true energy into Hyeonjeong. His profound energy began to circulate throughout Hyeonjeong's entire body and stabilize her energy and blood at a rapid pace.

“So didn’t I tell you to choose someone else?”

There was no way he could hear So-mu's words as he was already unconscious. So-mu was just buying time. As time passed, Hyeonjeong's face and body temperature, which had become pale and cold, were regaining warmth.

“It was a fair duel with an agreement, so don’t blame us.”

While So-mu said a few words, his energy and blood suddenly stabilized and his complexion revived. He completed all emergency measures he could. Now that the critical point has been passed, recovery should not be difficult with a little medical skill.

“Cheoldu!”

When So-mu called, Cheoldu quickly approached. It was a member of the group who said he was a native of this place.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Is there anyone around here who knows medicine?”

“There is a pharmacy right next door that I know of.”

“Okay, go and get a doctor. We need to save the person first.”

When So-mu looked back, she saw Il-gwang looking embarrassed. It seemed like he thought it was a bit harsh.

And the Taoists of the Volcanic Sect trembled next to him. Cheong-hae was no longer of interest to them. I was just mesmerized by the sight of Il-gwang, who had incredible strength, and Sang-hyung dying in a ridiculous manner.

“Don’t just watch. Please make a place for me to lie down.”

The monks, who suddenly came to their senses after hearing So-mu's words, set up a table and prepared a place for themselves. After the group members laid Hyeonjeong down and waited for a while, Cheoldu brought the assemblyman.

“Councilman, it’s here!”

The lawmaker, who rolled up the sleeves of his white jangsam, quickly approached and checked Hyeonjeong's condition.

“Fortunately, it seems that his energy and blood are not damaged. He will wake up in a moment.”

The congressman took something out of a wooden medicine cabinet. It was Geumchang-yak, made by crushing lime and dried herbs. After spreading it evenly on Hyeonjeong's face, I inserted a few needles into several places.

“The swelling will go down in just one day.”

A little while after the doctor started treatment, Hyeonjeong's eyes slowly opened.

Burning pain felt in the face. And the faces of the countless soldiers surrounding him. There was no trace of anger in their eyes. Strangely enough, they were worried about themselves. Among them was Cheong-hae.

My pride was cruelly crushed. I was devastated by the situation I was experiencing for the first time in my life.

Hyeonjeong lay there for a long time. It wasn't that I didn't have the energy to move my body. This was because everything that had been built up had collapsed.

Is this what a wealthy person who had everything would look like if he lost all his wealth in an instant? Hyeonjeong’s expression was like that right now. I just wanted to die like this. I felt like I wanted to go into a rat hole. His eyes were filled with nothing but emptiness.

Only after more time had passed did he slowly stand up.

‘I don’t have any pride to protect anymore anyway.’

“Hyeonjeong’s Elder….”

“Sahyeong, are you okay?”

Hyeonjeong ignored the words of the other monks and knelt down in front of the soldiers.

Everyone who was watching this was surprised as if it was unexpected. Because I didn't expect him to admit defeat so meekly.

Just as Hyeonjeong's knees were about to hit the floor, So-mu's left hand quickly moved and grabbed her shoulder.

“That’s enough. What would happen if Mount Hua Sect, the pillar of power, kneels in front of the soldiers?”

There was no change in expression on Hyeonjeong’s face. It seemed clear that a lot of change had occurred in his state of mind.

It was then. Baekhee came next to Hyeonjeong and shouted at So-mu with a venomous expression.

“Do you think you guys will be safe like this!? As long as I return to Mount Hua…”

It was then. Suddenly, Hyeonjeong's hand moved like lightning and slapped Baekhee.

Jjoaaaaaaaaaaaa!

“Ahh!”

Holding her flushed face, Baekhee closed her mouth tightly with tears in her eyes.

In fact, Hyeonjeong had endured a lot. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the culprit behind all of this was Samae Baekhee in front of us.

He asked softly in a voice devoid of any emotion.

“Can I go?”

So-mu nodded without hesitation. Then, Hyeonjeong put both hands together and took the hand gesture. Before I knew it, other Taoist monks had joined in the action.

Did she like the sight of him meekly admitting it? So-mu responded by putting both hands together. Then, one by one, the members of the Sixteen Groups put their hands together and handed the gun to each other. Among them were Il-gwang and Cheong-hae.

There was no further conversation with them. Everyone watched in silence as Hyeonjeong led her colleagues out of the guest room. The sight of his shoulders drooping seemed somewhat pitiful.

So-mu's eyes, looking at them, slowly sank.

‘I’ve only met people who were groveling so far, so it has to be that way. I can't say for sure that I have no opponents in the vast world, so how can I be conceited just by the name of a volcano? But your current experience will help you grow further, so there was no need to be heartbroken.’

After a while, when all the Taoists of the Volcano Sect disappeared from sight, Il-gwang shouted in a cheerful voice.

“We came this far, so we should taste the alcohol! Let’s drink it!”

* * *

Hanzhong military conference room.

A little while ago, the subordinate officers, including General Zhang Yang, gathered in a hurry. This was because intelligence arrived that the troops of the Hwi army stationed in Changan had marched out. Their goal was clear even without thinking about it.

“Commander Kwak Cheol. Have you identified the size and movement route of the enemies?”

“There are 20,000 troops moving west through Mihyeon. And there are 15,000 troops trying to advance south, bypassing Seokcheon in the east. Most of them are organized as infantry. It has been confirmed that the remaining troops are still stationed in Janganseong.”

The two generals who had marched from Jangan Castle were coming in from different directions, as if competing with each other. The reason they minimized the number of cavalry and focused on infantry was probably because they were confident that Hanzhong would engage in a defensive war.

“How long will it take to get here?”

“The legion from the west will arrive seven days sooner.”

Zhang Yang, who was looking at the map with a serious expression, did not speak for a long time. Only after a certain amount of time had passed did his mouth open.

“I have to go to war and fight the soldiers coming through Mihyeon first.”

Deputy Yang Yeon-jeong asked with an expression of incomprehension.

“Are you saying you’re going to fight a field battle? Their force is four times that of ours. Besides, our new soldiers haven’t even finished training yet.”

Taking inexperienced trainees and facing enemy forces that were many times larger than them head-on. It was a situation where there was no laughter.

No matter how much you learn martial arts, how effective will it be in a short period of time? No matter how much one thought about it, giving up the defensive battle and launching an all-out war was unlikely. The other managers also seemed to agree with Yang Yeon-jeong's words.

But Zhang Yang was adamant.

“If Hanzhong Castle is surrounded from both east and west, how can a defensive battle be fought with only 5,000 soldiers?”

What Zhang Yang said was definitely wrong. Jangan Fortress, which had been defended by a larger number than their own, fell in less than half a day. There was no chance of victory in a water-based battle.

However, conducting a field battle was an equally difficult operation.

“Do you have a silver bullet?”

“The enemy will be caught off guard, so it would be best to attack with a night attack. However, it is close to impossible for new recruits with no combat experience to carry out a surprise operation. However, an ambush would be a different story. Which would be better?”

The managers were troubled for a moment.

The two generals, blinded by their major, were only looking ahead and heading towards Hanjungseong. The probability that the ambush would succeed was very high.

However, even if the operation was successful, the overwhelming difference in number of people was difficult to overcome. Even if they win, they must return to Hanzhong and face the army coming from Seokcheon again. It was a nearly impossible operation.

Nevertheless, if there was even the slightest possibility, I had to give it a try.

Commander Kwak Cheol, in charge of intelligence missions, said.

“The enemy must march along the main road at the foot of Mt. Jeonggun. How about ambushing them here? Mt. Jeonggun’s terrain is high, so they can detect the enemy’s movements, and the mountain is rugged, so there are many places where they can ambush.”

Zhang Yang looked at the map and thought about it carefully. Even after looking for a while, it was difficult to find a more suitable place than the one suggested by Kwak Cheol.

“That would be a good idea. Director Yang Yeon-jeong will lead 1,500 spearmen and ambush Jeonggunsan Mountain.”

Zhang Yang picked up one side of the map with his finger and continued talking.

“We will camp here and confront them. Wait long enough and attack their rear after the battle begins. No matter how many people we have, if we are attacked from the front and the back, the situation will inevitably be shaken and our morale will be broken.”

“Understood, general.”

Yang Yang nodded and spoke with a solemn expression.

“The reason the people have remained in the middle of the country and not fled until now is because they trust us. If we give up like this, the people will be brutally trampled and trampled. If we can protect them with our lives, what life could be more valuable than that?”

Before we knew it, Zhang Yang’s eyes were turning red. He could barely finish the last sentence after clearing his throat once as if his throat was sore.

“I trust my soldiers. And I trust you. If we give up living and fight back, wouldn’t there be some hope…?”