Chapter 74 – Defense of Hanzhong (4)

Chapter 74 – Defense of Hanzhong (4)

The Hui Dynasty commander was bound tightly to a massive stone and secured onto the cradle of the catapult.

“Pull!”

At So-mu’s instruction, about a dozen soldiers began to pull the ropes together.

In truth, it was no exaggeration to say that So-mu was exerting almost all the strength. The muscles in his arms bulged as the ropes were pulled back relentlessly.

Creeeeak—!

The general loaded onto the catapult begged for his life:

“Stop! What kind of army executes an enemy general in this manner!?”

“How absurd. Wasn’t this your own method?”

“Spare me! If you spare my life, I will do anything!”

This was the very man who had beheaded Officer Baek Mun-hwi. At the very least, this action was necessary to soothe the fallen officer’s soul.

“I’m sending you back to your main camp, so give them my regards when you arrive.”

“W—Wait a moment!”

Even a stone launched from a medium catapult could bury itself over half a zhang into the earth. The power of the Grand Catapult, a giant trebuchet, would be impossible to withstand, even for a master of the Transformational Realm.

“Fire!!!”

The moment the soldiers released the ropes, the arm of the Grand Catapult sprang forward with a thunderous roar.

Boom!!!

The Hui general soared high into the sky, crossing over the wall and vanishing toward the enemy camp.

“Aaaaaargh!!!”

His desperate scream echoed across the plains outside Hanzhong. There was no one on the battlefield who did not hear his voice.

A moment later, a heavy thud resounded from outside the fortress.

Boom!!!

The screaming cut off instantly. There was no need to verify the result.

Having completed his task, So-mu moved to the temporary command post inside the fortress. Since the battle had ended for now, things would remain quiet for a while. Other commanders who had finished watching were also moving one by one.

After about fifteen minutes, all the officers gathered in one room. Mo Cheong, who was in charge of the medical corps, did not attend as he was busy tending to the wounded.

Although they had won a great victory, everyone’s expression was grim. It was due to the empty seat of Officer Baek Mun-hwi. The void left by his absence felt incredibly vast.

Seated at the head of the table, General Jang-yang kept his eyes closed. Everyone knew he was struggling to compose himself, especially since he could not show weakness in front of his subordinates.

After a long silence, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the officers.

“Hang Yelu Huan’s head on the flagstaff of the command tower for all to see.”

Adjutant Yang Yeon-jeong replied, “Yes, General.”

“There will be no enemy attacks for a while, so ensure the soldiers get sufficient rest. Until there is any significant movement from the enemy, we will maintain a two-shift rotation under a state of high alert.”

The commanders nodded in unison.

“Yes, General!”

“You all… encourage the soldiers and get some rest yourselves.”

With that, Jang-yang concluded the meeting and left the command post. His back looked exceptionally lonely today. The sight of a general who had lost a capable subordinate was like that of a parent who had lost a child.

Adjutant Yang Yeon-jeong spoke to the remaining officers:

“I will not permit anyone else to die. If you do not wish to drive another stake into the general’s heart, make sure you grow stronger.”

With those words, Yang Yeon-jeong also left.

Her words were true. To avoid becoming a burden to the army, one had to be stronger than anyone else. The other commanders also steeled their resolve and stood up one by one.

Left alone, So-mu sank into deep thought.

‘Fierce battles always demand sacrifices. But how can their deaths be justified? I must find a way to minimize our casualties.’

It was a question worth pondering.

He walked up to the wall to inspect the battlefield. More than ninety percent of the corpses scattered below belonged to the Hui Dynasty. The enemy had suffered over twenty thousand casualties in this single assault.

Most of them had been killed by arrows and catapult stones before they could even cross the moat. The probability of the Hui army launching another reckless frontal assault after suffering such losses was extremely low.

While he was observing, some familiar figures approached him. It was Il-gwang and Cheong-hae.

“How is everyone?”

“Our side only faced weaklings, so not a single man died. A few were injured, but it’s not life-threatening,” Il-gwang replied.

Cheong-hae added, “Our unit is also safe, thanks to you arriving in time, Captain.”

It was welcome news that the Wolf Fang Squad had suffered no fatalities.

It was somewhat expected. How could it be easy to kill top-class first-rate masters? As long as they avoided being surrounded by the Salatai or facing Transformational Realm masters, there would be no issues.

“You’ve done well. Split the squad into two units and have them rest in shifts.”

Il-gwang and Cheong-hae nodded simultaneously.

So-mu’s gaze turned to Hyeonjeong, who was standing nearby. A former disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, she was one of the strongest members of the Wolf Fang Squad.

“Hyeonjeong.”

Hyeonjeong quickly stepped forward and stood at attention.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Take charge of the central squad members in my stead. Have them rest in shifts as well.”

“Yes, understood.”

As a commander, So-mu had to oversee the entire army, not just a single section of the wall.

After finishing his tasks, he headed toward the city. He was bound for the medical unit. Since the main military camp was quite far, a medical barracks had been temporarily set up inside the courtyard of the Patrol and Guard Office.

The streets looked the same as usual, but the expressions of the citizens had changed. Everyone seemed to have relaxed upon hearing that the defense had succeeded.

“Thank you, Officer.”

“Thank you for protecting us…”

The merchants he encountered on the streets bowed to him repeatedly. So-mu responded briefly and hurried to the Patrol and Guard Office.

Inside the spacious courtyard, hundreds of soldiers lay scattered. They ranged from those with minor wounds to those gasping for breath with critical injuries. Around a hundred medics were running around frantically.

Just then, an old man whose hands were stained with blood approached.

“You’ve come.”

“How is the situation, Elder?”

“I intend to save everyone who has even a slight chance. However, quite a few will not be able to return to normal life even if they survive,” Mo Cheong replied with a sigh.

“You are working hard. Still, nothing is more precious than life itself.”

“You are right. You came to see your daughter, yes? She is right over there.”

So-mu looked surprised at Mo Cheong’s words. So-so was here? He looked in the direction Mo Cheong pointed.

A young girl with her hair tied in two buns resembling drooping rabbit ears came into view. It was indeed his daughter.

So-so was shedding tears like chicken droppings in front of a wounded soldier.

“Uncle, does it hurt a lot?”

It was a soldier who had lost one of his legs. His chest was also cut, and blood was continuously seeping through his bandages.

He was one of the guards at the camp entrance who had given her snacks every morning. They seemed to have grown close. Despite his immense pain, the soldier forced a smile.

“So-so, you came? Uncle is fine…”

“Shall I play the tung flute for you?”

So-so pulled out her tung flute from her robe. She sat in front of the soldier and began to play the Ocean Heart Flute Melody. It was a piece she had learned recently, known for its ability to bring peace to the mind.

Though she had only recently learned it, her skill was quite impressive. The wounded soldiers lying nearby began to smile one by one as they listened to the beautiful melody of the tung flute.

When the performance ended after a few minutes, everyone clapped. So-mu also clapped his hands and approached his daughter.

“Our So-so’s skills have improved a lot, haven’t they?”

At the sound of the familiar voice, So-so turned her head. She immediately threw herself into So-mu’s arms and sobbed loudly.

“Uwahhh… Father, is this uncle going to die?”

So-mu patted the child’s head and looked at the soldier. The man’s condition was critical, but with proper treatment, he had a chance to survive.

“Let me see.”

Leaving So-so behind him, So-mu approached the soldier. The man tried to sit up to salute his superior, as the commander of the Wolf Fang Squad was his idol.

So-mu’s right hand gently pressed him down.

“Tell me your name.”

“It is Yang Cheol, Commander.”

“Soldier Yang Cheol… You fought well. I will always remember your name.”

Hearing that the commander of the Wolf Fang Squad would remember his name, the soldier replied in a trembling voice, his heart swelling with emotion:

“Thank you…”

In that instant, So-mu’s right hand moved like lightning, tapping several acupoints across the soldier’s body.

Thip! Thip!

After quickly stopping the bleeding, So-mu channeled his true qi into Yang Cheol’s body. An energy as vast as a tidal wave and as warm as solar qi circulated through the soldier, rapidly stabilizing his meridians and blood flow.

“Looking at your acupoints, you haven’t neglected your internal cultivation. You have plenty of talent, so do not despair and continue your training. If you undergo marrow-cleansing, your leg can regenerate. Once you do, come find me. If you wish, I will accept you into the Wolf Fang Squad.”

Overwhelmed with joy, the soldier could not hold back his tears.

So-mu’s true qi circulated through the soldier’s organs and seeped into the severed leg. A healthy color returned to the soldier’s face. He had passed the critical moment. So-mu tapped his sleeping acupoint, allowing him to fall into a deep sleep to rest. The rest was up to the medics.

Finishing his work, So-mu patted his daughter’s head and said, “He will live. Father promises you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Where is your master?”

Since Yeon Seo-hwa completely concealed her martial aura, even So-mu could not easily locate her.

“Over there!”

So-so’s finger pointed to a corner of the garden.

Yeon Seo-hwa was wearing a bright silk dress instead of her usual black cotton clothes. With an appearance resembling a blooming lily, it was impossible to imagine that she had once been a high-ranking master of the Demonic Cult.

So-mu approached her, nodding politely, and sent a telepathic message.

—Your disguise is excellent. What brings you here?

—I came out to buy some food, and she wanted to see what the commotion was about, so we stopped by. By the way, what have you been doing without buying your daughter any clothes? She only has one proper outfit.

Now that he thought about it, So-so’s clothes consisted mostly of training robes and uniform attire. Feeling embarrassed, So-mu replied with an awkward expression:

—I’ve been a bit distracted lately.

—Does the Sword Saint do sewing these days?

—That is…

Before So-mu could explain, Yeon Seo-hwa cut him off:

—Don’t ruin her clothes anymore. Bring them to me from now on.

To think that he, a hero of the orthodox faction, was being lectured by a former leader of the Demonic Cult. It was an absurd situation, but since he could feel Yeon Seo-hwa’s genuine care, he did not take offense. He was only slightly puzzled by her behavior.

‘How unexpected. I didn’t know the Jade Flower Maiden had such a side to her.’

Just then, So-so squeezed between them and said, “I’m hungry~ Shall we go eat? I have a lot of money!”

As both of them looked at her, So-so shrugged. She pulled out a silver coin from the pouch at her waist. Out of the five-liang prize money she had won at the cuju tournament, she had given two liang each to A-hae and Cheong-a, leaving her with one.

So-mu knelt down to her level and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

So-so clapped her hands and said, “Hmm… Duck meat!”

So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa ended up walking out to the street together. After walking a short distance, So-so slid between them and raised both her hands, asking them to hold her hands.

A moment later, the three of them were walking side by side, holding hands. Although So-mu was used to holding his daughter’s hand, doing so now felt strangely awkward.

“I’m so happy!”

The child who had been crying just a moment ago was now wearing a bright smile. Yeon Seo-hwa asked curiously:

“Oh? Why is that?”

“I’m happy to eat with Father and Master together! Hehehe…”

Soon, they arrived at their destination. It was the Hwayang Tavern, a place So-mu often frequented with his squad members. Since the war was ongoing, the tavern was quiet and empty of customers.