Chapter 47 – Guardians of Hanzhong (5)

Chapter 47 – Guardians of Hanzhong (5)

Agonized screams echoed throughout the village. They were all soldiers of the Hui Dynasty. Their corpses lay scattered everywhere, rolling along the roadside.

The surviving soldiers were completely panicky and thrown into disarray. A force of two thousand cavalrymen was being unilaterally slaughtered by a handful of "peasants." At first, they had fought on pride, but now their perspective had shifted a hundred and eighty degrees.

"Retreat!"

"Pull back immediately!"

Signals to retreat were sounded all over the battlefield. The remaining five hundred or so survivors ran for their lives back toward their horses. Behind them, the farmers gave chase, brandishing hoes, pitchforks, and other tools.

Leading the charge was the farmer carrying a carrot basket on his shoulder and a single carrot in his hand. Ridiculously, the carrot had claimed the most lives among the enemy.

A deputy commander, his face pale with terror, screamed, "Move out of the way!"

He shoved his own men aside to get ahead. Falling behind in this rout meant certain death.

The agility and power of these farmers was beyond belief, defying all common sense.

Suddenly, a dull impact echoed nearby.

*Crack!*

The skull of the soldier running right beside him was crushed, helmet and all, as he collapsed. He had been struck by a heavy wooden mallet used for breaking clods of earth. As for their commander, no one had seen him for a while; he had likely been killed at the start of the battle.

The deputy commander's eyes widened in horror. A farmer had somehow overtaken him and was now swinging a heavy stone mortar.

*Baaang!*

"Urgh!"

His armor buckled like paper, and his breastbone shattered. The strength drained from his body, and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Through his fading vision, he watched his fleeing troops.

It was a pathetic sight, so surreal that he wondered if he was trapped in a nightmare. The fleeing soldiers were falling like harvested wheat. It was no different from his own fate.

Just then, the soldiers at the front of the rout shouted in desperation, "We're almost there!"

"Hurry!"

Twenty zhang ahead, the war horses they had ridden in on finally came into view.

But something was wrong. The soldiers left behind to guard the mounts were nowhere to be seen. Instead, about twenty farmers stood waiting, clutching sickles and wooden shafts.

"This is insane!"

"What kind of village is this?!"

Was this some hidden clan of martial artists who had trained for generations? The bizarre, impossible events continued to unfold. The mere sight of a farmer was now enough to make their skin crawl.

Moments later, the farmers surrounded the remaining soldiers from both front and back. The invaders had completely lost the will to fight. Pitchforks pierced throats, hoes shattered armor to strike vital points, and the lead farmer was decapitating men with a carrot. The entire scene was utterly absurd.

"D-Don't come near me! Gaaah!"

"Spare me…"

Some soldiers lost their minds entirely, collapsing to the ground in despair. With every breath, dozens of invader soldiers fell.

As the slaughter continued, a group of about twenty cavalrymen miraculously managed to break through the encirclement.

The moment they scrambled onto their horses, the farmer holding the carrot called out, "Let them go!"

The escaping cavalrymen galloped away like madmen, not daring to look back even once.

One of the squad members looked at So-mu in confusion.

"Why are we letting them go?"

"If we wipe them out completely, their main army will send reinforcements to investigate."

They needed the survivors to report that the village's defenses were far too formidable for the potential loot. If the cost outweighed the benefit, the Hui army would have no reason to raid this village again.

Once the clearing was secure, the villagers who had hidden in the mountains began to trickle back down. They had come perilously close to losing everything. Relieved and deeply moved, they repeatedly bowed to express their gratitude.

"Thank you, Officers."

"Thank you so much…"

The white-haired village chief stepped forward.

"We do not know how we can ever repay this debt…"

As it happened, So-mu did have a request. He stepped forward and said, "We only did our duty as soldiers, but we do require your assistance."

The chief bowed repeatedly. "You are our lifesavers. Ask for anything—food, supplies, whatever you need."

"We need to herd these captured war horses back to the camp in Hanzhong. However, we are short on hands. We need your help to drive the herd."

Due to the geography of the Song Dynasty, pasture land was scarce, making war horses exceptionally valuable. The garrison in Hanzhong only had a hundred mounts. These two thousand horses, bred in the Mongolian plains, would be an invaluable addition to their military strength.

"Almost no one in our village knows how to ride a horse, Officer," the chief replied hesitantly.

So-mu nodded in understanding.

"These are highly trained military mounts. With a little practice, anyone can lead them."

"In that case, we will gladly assist. Just show us what to do."

"Understood. We will also leave twenty horses behind. If you organize a local militia to patrol the area, it will help prevent future raids."

"Thank you, Officer! Thank you!"

The sturdy men of the village followed the Wolf Fang Squad to a nearby clearing. Learning to ride and herd the mounts would take at least half a day.

Meanwhile, the village chief gathered the remaining women.

"It would be unseemly if we did not prepare a meal for our saviors from Hanzhong. Today is a monumental day; let us gather and feast tonight."

The villagers brought out one of their cows to slaughter.

They only owned four cows in the entire village, but they did not hesitate. The soldiers had saved their lives and property; a single cow was a small price to pay. Compared to the twenty war horses they had received, the cow was nothing.

Once the meat was prepared, stews, soups, and roasted dishes were readied, alongside fresh vegetables gathered from the fields. Within half a day, the feast was set.

The men who had gone to practice herding returned just in time. Seeing the courtyard of the communal hall filled with food, the Wolf Fang Squad members stared with wide eyes. So-mu looked slightly embarrassed as well.

"We did not expect this. We cannot accept such lavish treatment."

"Please do not refuse our sincerity, Officer. Even beasts understand gratitude. If we let you leave without a meal, we would be worse than beasts."

Since the chief put it that way, So-mu could not refuse. Furthermore, if he turned back now, his squad members would likely grumble all the way home, having to survive on dried rations.

Most importantly, So-so was already staring at the food with a massive grin on her face.

"Then we will accept your kindness."

"Eat your fill! If it is not enough, we will bring more."

The squad members took their seats. So-so was the fastest to move.

"Thank you for the food!"

She was clearly starving. Gripping her chopsticks, she began stuffing her mouth with food. Watching her from the side, So-mu chuckled.

"Is it good? Eat slowly."

So-so's cheeks bulged as she stuffed them. After swallowing a large bite, she offered a bright smile.

"Yes! I'm so glad I followed you, Father!"

So-mu let out a soft sigh.

A battlefield was not always this easy. It was a place of constant danger where one had to risk their life.

"Isn't it exhausting following us around?"

So-so opened her eyes wide and answered immediately, "Not at all!"

As expected, she was not going to back down easily. That left only one option: he would have to train her to be strong enough that he would never have to worry about her. A headache was already coming on.

Just then, So-so picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, extended her hand toward So-mu, and smiled cutely.

"Ahhh."

She wanted him to eat. She was playing cute, hoping he wouldn't leave her behind next time. If he accepted, he would be playing right into her hands.

But how many fathers in the world could refuse their daughter? So-mu reluctantly opened his mouth and took the meat.

"Is it good?"

"Y-Yes… it's delicious."

He felt as if he might get indigestion. So-so wore a triumphant expression, as if she had successfully snared her prey.

"Hehe. Here's another piece! Ahhh."

It was exasperating. He simply could not win against his daughter.

So-mu ate the second piece and looked around. The squad members were laughing and enjoying themselves. He rarely saw them smile so brightly.

"It's a shame brother Il-gwang isn't here today," one of them remarked.

"Haha, who knows? He might be eating something even better somewhere else."

So-mu smiled and addressed his men, "Eat your fill. Herding these horses back will take at least five days."

Driving a massive herd of horses with inexperienced riders meant it would take quite some time.

It also meant they wouldn't be eating proper meals for a while.

The moment he finished speaking, the squad members began devouring the food in a competitive frenzy.

* * *

Back in Hanzhong, the property and manor of the Yuanjiang Escort Agency had been seized by the garrison. It was part of the seizure of illegal profits gained from human trafficking. The vacant estate was now being transformed into the headquarters of the newly established Military Patrol Post.

In the vast courtyard, a massive man in a white robe stood with his hands tucked behind his back. Before him, nearly a thousand sturdy men stood in neat lines. For the first time in history, the gangs of Hanzhong had been unified under one banner.

"What is our first duty?!" Il-gwang roared.

The men bellowed back in unison, "We protect the security of Hanzhong!!!"

"What is our second duty?!"

"We extinguish fires and protect the citizens from accidents!!!"

"What is our third duty?!"

"If the enemy invades, we evacuate the citizens and defend the city!!!"

The coordinated shout of the men was impressive. A pleased smile spread across Il-gwang's face.

"Remember that we are the protectors and patrol guards of Hanzhong! We receive wages from the military, so hold your heads high! If anyone dares to oppress the citizens or extort their property…"

Il-gwang stopped mid-sentence and turned around. He reached into his robe and searched his pockets, but found nothing. He had lost the speech Commander Kwak Cheol had written for him. He couldn't remember the ending.

Having no choice, he spun back around, glared at the crowd with bulging eyes, and roared, "Anyway, if I catch anyone slacking or causing trouble, I will personally beat you like a dog!"

"Yes, Commander!!!"

"Understood!!!"

To these thugs, Il-gwang was a living legend of the underworld. None dared to oppose him.

"At ease!"

About a hundred watchtowers were scheduled to be built throughout Hanzhong. Until then, the guards of the Military Patrol Post would remain at headquarters, occasionally patrolling the streets.

Once the watchtowers were complete, the city would have a flawless surveillance network. It would effectively become the safest city in the central plains.

Having completed his speech, Il-gwang turned. Now that the post was organized, it was time for him to return to the military camp, though he would still need to conduct regular inspections.

Just then, the deputy commander of the post approached him.

"Where are you heading, Commander?"

It was the clever fellow who had gathered the citizens to save Il-gwang at the camp. His name was Hwang Gae-chil, the former leader of the Gae-chil Gang.

Il-gwang placed a hand as large as a house on the man's shoulder. He looked Gae-chil in the eye with a serious expression.

"You are the man I trust most here. That makes you my right hand."

Gae-chil's eyes trembled. To be recognized by the man he respected most filled him with overwhelming emotion.

"Yes, Big Bro—I mean, Commander!"

The word "Big Brother" had almost slipped out from habit.

"It's fine. You can call me Big Brother when it's just the two of us. Once the watchtowers are complete, you will be the commander of this post."

"Pardon…?"

"I hate dealing with administrative hassles. I'll be dropping by to inspect your work, so don't even think about slacking off."

Tears welled in Gae-chil's eyes. It was the most moving moment of his life.

Just then, the distant thundering of hooves shook the ground. Il-gwang quickly leaped onto the courtyard wall.

An unbelievable sight was unfolding on Hanzhong's main thoroughfare. Thousands of horses were marching down the street.

And at the very front of the procession rode a tiny child, her legs barely reaching the saddle.

"Giddyap!"

How she was managing to ride a horse with her short legs was a marvel. So-so looked absolutely delighted, her face bright with joy.

In that moment, So-so spotted Il-gwang on the wall.

"Hehe! Uncle Il-gwang! Look at me!"

Though they were moving slowly, thousands of horses entering the city could cause accidents. Il-gwang waved back at So-so and shouted down to Gae-chil.

"Gae-chil! The first mission of the Military Patrol Post begins now!"