Chapter 71 – Defense of Hanzhong (1)

Chapter 71 – Defense of Hanzhong (1)

“Charge!”

It was a young girl’s voice.

What a sudden cry to hear inside the barracks of the Wolf Fang Squad. So-mu, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, lowered his gaze.

‘What on earth is she dreaming about?’

It was So-so, talking in her sleep while lying spread-eagled on the floor.

“Stop charging and get up, won’t you?”

The moment he gently pinched her peanut-like ear, the child’s eyes snapped open.

“Huh? Already?”

“Your master has a bit of a quirky personality. If you’re late, you might get scolded.”

So-so sprang up and rushed out of the barracks to wash up. She was so obsessed with learning the tung flute recently that she would run off the moment she opened her eyes.

‘At least her attention has been successfully redirected, so that’s a relief.’

The main army of the Hui Dynasty, having secured its supply lines, had resumed its southern advance. Their arrival was now only a few days away.

‘Once the battle begins, I should leave So-so with Yeon Seo-hwa. There is no place safer in Hanzhong than Xianhua Hall.’

Despite her delicate appearance, So-mu knew better than anyone the kind of devastating power she could unleash if she exerted herself.

However, the Jade Flower Maiden revealing her true identity was a last resort. If the Murim Alliance caught wind of her presence, they would never leave her in peace.

Just then, Song-hwa, the youngest member of the squad, approached.

“Captain, why don’t you let me do that?”

Indeed, So-mu was currently sitting cross-legged, carefully sewing his daughter’s hanbok. It was a high-quality piece made with the craftsmanship of Goryeo, the origin of the hanbok. He had no idea what she did while running around, but her clothes always ended up ripped and worn out.

“Haha, it’s fine.”

In the army, all soldiers had to mend their own worn clothing. Although So-mu had risen to a high rank and could easily delegate it to the supply officers, he had no desire for special privileges. Moreover, he always preferred to personally mend So-so’s clothes.

“Hmm. This should be wearable now.”

Right on cue, So-so came rushing back into the barracks.

“Father, hurry!”

So-mu quickly helped the child dress.

“Should I take you there?”

So-so thought for a moment, then shook her head. Since she had overslept today, she needed to use lightfoot techniques to get there. It would take only a quarter of an hour.

“I’ll go by myself today!”

Once she was ready, her father and uncles saw her off.

“Have a safe trip.”

“See you later, So-so.”

“Learn a lot today.”

Standing at the entrance of the barracks, So-so politely clasped her hands together and bowed deeply.

“I’ll be back~”

Because the enemy was approaching, outdoor training had been suspended recently. The squad members remained on standby in the barracks, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice, spending their days meditating to circulate their qi.

With a final goodbye, So-so activated her lightfoot technique and sped away. Before long, she reached the gates of the military camp, where she spotted a familiar face among the guards.

“Hello, uncle!”

“I hear you’ve been learning the tung flute lately?”

“Hehe, yes!”

After greeting him, So-so hesitated for a moment. The guard knew exactly what she wanted. As if prepared, he pulled a piece of candied plum from his robe and handed it to her. It was a sweet treat made by drying fruit preserved in honey or sugar and wrapping it in plum skin.

“Run along, then.”

“Thank you~”

So-so popped the candied plum into her mouth and ran again.

“Hehe, delicious!”

When she arrived at Xianhua Hall, Yeon Seo-hwa was already waiting for her in the garden.

“Hello, Master!”

Yeon Seo-hwa’s gaze instinctively drifted behind So-so’s back.

“Are you alone today?”

“Yes! Father is still in the barracks.”

“I see. Let’s go inside.”

Yeon Seo-hwa’s hand gently guided So-so by the back, leading her inside. She treated her with the utmost care, as if handling a sacred treasure.

If the child were to say tomorrow that she didn’t want to come back, everything would go down the drain. Since her lifelong wish depended on this child, she had to treat her with the absolute greatest care.

“Now, let’s sit.”

Yeon Seo-hwa sat opposite So-so and scanned the child’s body. Her sharp gaze fixed on the crudely sewn jeogori. She could tell whose handiwork it was at a single glance.

With her fastidious personality, she couldn’t bear to leave it as it was.

“So-so, would you mind taking off your jeogori for a moment?”

“Yes… Isn’t it soft? Hehe.”

“Yes, it is silk, so it is indeed soft. Let Master make it even prettier for you.”

Taking the jeogori, Yeon Seo-hwa pulled out a needle and thread and began to mend it. Under her expert fingers, the garment was transformed, looking brand new in an instant.

‘He only knows how to wield a sword; his mending is full of flaws.’

Someone who had held a sword all his life could not possibly be good at sewing. While So-mu’s sewing skills were considered above average within the Wolf Fang Squad, they fell far short of her standards.

When she finished the repairs, Yeon Seo-hwa asked, “I should embroider a picture on your clothes as a gift. Would you like a plum blossom? What would be good?”

At the offer of having an embroidery on her favorite jeogori, So-so grew excited.

“Hehe, a rabbit!”

A rabbit… It was a completely unexpected choice. Though she had never tried it before, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

As Yeon Seo-hwa spread her palm, six needles rose from the sewing box and hovered in the air. Dividing them between her jade-white hands, she began to embroider.

It was an astonishing sight to behold as the six needles moved in perfect synchronization, stitching a rabbit onto the fabric in the blink of an eye.

“Wow… That’s amazing…”

So-so blinked her large eyes, her mouth hanging open. Seeing her reaction, Yeon Seo-hwa smiled inwardly with satisfaction.

“Would you like to learn how to do this, So-so? I can teach you once you finish learning the tung flute.”

“Yes! Really?”

“Of course. But you must keep coming. If you give up halfway, I won’t be able to teach you.”

“Hehe, I’ll come every single day!”

Reassured, Yeon Seo-hwa’s expression brightened. She was sharing her own internal energy with this child. If the girl were to run away midway, all would be lost.

Yeon Seo-hwa’s hands finally came to a halt after a quarter of an hour.

“There, it is done. Shall we try it on?”

Taking the garment, So-so’s tiny hands repeatedly touched the rabbit embroidered on the jeogori. The embroidery was so lifelike that it seemed as if the rabbit might leap off the cloth at any moment. It was a masterpiece that would put professional artists to shame.

So-so’s smile stretched from ear to ear. Even after putting the jeogori back on, she was busy petting the rabbit’s head.

“Hehe, hehehe… I love it so much… Thank you, Master…”

Finding the child adorable, Yeon Seo-hwa also wore a warm smile.

“Shall we begin now? Before playing a melody, what did I say we must do first?”

So-so automatically sat cross-legged and shouted, “Achieve peace of mind through meditation!”

Of course, she had simply made up a plausible phrase.

Yeon Seo-hwa gently placed her right hand on So-so’s back as the girl began her qi circulation. She did this to transfer her own internal energy. There was no hesitation in her action. Following the destruction of the Demonic Cult, she had completely let go of her desire and lingering attachment to power.

“Do not open your eyes. Through meditation, try to absorb the qi of nature.”

“Yes, Master~”

She had to suppress her demonic energy as much as possible, filtering it to share only the purest true qi. Therefore, this transfer could not be completed in a single session.

Once So-so acquired one hundred and twenty years’ worth of internal energy, she would begin training in the lion’s roar.

The Dragon-Striking Lion’s Roar. This was the name of the martial art that So-so, as the tung flute player, would master for the duet of the True One-Heart Flute Melody. It was an extremely powerful acoustic martial art said to bring down a flying dragon with a lion’s roar.

Yeon Seo-hwa, who valued elegance above all else, had never even dreamed of practicing it herself, despite knowing the technique. It was simply too crude and unrefined of a martial art.

The internal energy transfer finally concluded after about half an hour. Wiping away beads of sweat and regulating her breathing, Yeon Seo-hwa sat cross-legged to stabilize her own true qi.

After another ten minutes, the two completed their meditation almost simultaneously.

“Is your mind clearer now?”

“Yes! My body feels as light as a bird!”

It was only natural, given that she had received Yeon Seo-hwa’s cultivated energy. Nodding once, Yeon Seo-hwa took out her seven-string zither and said, “Yesterday, we played the Ocean Heart Flute Melody. Today, let’s play the Clear Heart Sutra.”

“Yes~ I’d love to!”

***

All the commanders of Hanzhong gathered in one place. Even Il-gwang, who was in charge of auditing the Patrol and Guard Office, was present. Seated in the military council chamber, they all wore grave expressions.

Officer Gwak Cheol, who was in charge of intelligence, spoke first.

“The soldiers of the Hui Dynasty are raiding the villages as they advance. Fortunately, most of the residents evacuated in advance, so there are almost no casualties.”

Jang-yang nodded. “The scouts did well. However, plunder is not their primary objective.”

“Do they have another goal?”

“Their commander must be furious with the volunteer militia that seized their supply base. We must assume they are searching every nook and cranny to hunt them down. They want to ensure they leave no enemies at their rear.”

Smiles appeared on the faces of the officers. Despite the gravity of the situation, the thought of the volunteer militia’s exploits brought a natural smile to their faces.

Adjutant Yang Yeon-jeong agreed, nodding her head.

“With the victory in the canyon battle right before their eyes, to be blindsided by militia they didn't even spare a thought for… It is only natural they would be furious.”

“That is how I see it. Send a message to the volunteer militia to suspend their operations for the time being and preserve their strength. They cannot withstand the elite units of the Hui Dynasty on their own.”

“Understood, General.”

Jang-yang’s gaze shifted to Officer Jin Lip.

“You said the enemy will arrive in a day. Is the deployment of the defensive siege weapons complete?”

“Yes, General. However, the Grand Catapults have not yet been fully modified, so I am unsure if they can be used in this battle. I have deployed them just in case.”

The Grand Catapult was the name of the newly developed giant trebuchet in Hanzhong. Although its destructive power was unquestionable, it was considered a partial failure because loading it was extremely difficult.

“It may not be a finished weapon, but we must utilize whatever we can to overcome our numerical disadvantage.”

“Even with fifty men pulling together, loading it is no simple task. Is there a better way?”

“Hmm. What if we assign the Wolf Fang Squad?”

So-mu answered confidently, “Our squad members will have no problem. The Wolf Fang Squad will take charge of the Grand Catapults.”

“That would be best. However, the Wolf Fang Squad is also the only unit in our army capable of holding back the Salatai warriors. Once close combat begins, leave the catapults and support the walls.”

“Understood.”

“Officer Gwak Cheol, how long can we hold out with our grain reserves?”

“Since the harvest of the bumper crop has just concluded, we can endure for over two years. Moreover, we have channeled water from the moat and stored it throughout the city, so we have no worries regarding drinking water.”

In siege warfare, food and water were of paramount importance. Hanzhong was virtually free from such worries.

Jang-yang turned his gaze toward Il-gwang.

“If the battle drags on, the citizens will become anxious. The role of the Patrol and Guard Office will be crucial in maintaining order and security in the city.”

Attending the council for the first time, Il-gwang was brimming with enthusiasm.

“I will manage it thoroughly to ensure no issues arise.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Jang-yang’s face.

“It is reassuring to have you all. Although the enemy’s numbers are overwhelming, how could they hope to easily overrun a fortress like Hanzhong? Let everyone focus on managing the stamina and morale of the soldiers, and prepare without any lapses.”

All the commanders answered in unison, their voices filled with resolve.

“Yes, General!”