Chapter 3
Capture
The weather in the mountains was ever-changing.
When clouds became trapped against the high peaks, rain would inevitably pour down. If strong winds joined in, they had no choice but to halt their march and wait endlessly in the forest.
Shwaa!
Whooosh!
Yi Hwan stared at the violent downpour, mentally sketching out the things he had to do next.
There wasn’t much to worry about.
First, find the Sword King’s descendant.
Yi Hwan was convinced that the Black Tiger Unit who had attacked him were indeed the Sword King’s successors.
He fixed his gaze on Jeong Cheon, who was conversing with his officers a short distance ahead.
To everyone else, Jeong Cheon was an undisputed master general. But to Yi Hwan’s eyes, he looked no more threatening than a reckless pup.
At that moment, one of his guards approached.
“Will you have some?”
What he offered was a lump of dried meat.
“I’m fine.”
“Once we enter enemy territory, you may not be able to eat anything for quite a while.”
At those words, Yi Hwan took the jerky into his mouth.
When the fighting starts and the Black Tiger Unit shows up, I’ll move on my own from that point.
Rumble!
Crack!
Not far away, lightning flashed and tangled like spiderwebs.
“Damn it. This place is a hellhole every time I come.”
“It suits those gloomy Zhao bastards perfectly. Hahaha.”
Even with the enemy camp just ahead, the warriors showed no signs of tension.
After a while, the wind and rain stopped, and they resumed marching.
The delay had been longer than expected. What seemed like a short distance ended up taking until sundown for the Yan army to reach their first destination.
Didn’t Jeong Cheon prefer night raids?
Yes—Jeong Cheon had built a remarkable record through countless night assaults.
Because he had achieved victory with far fewer casualties compared to other units, he had earned the reputation of a great general.
It was probably for that reason that Hwang Ho had assigned Yi Hwan to Jeong Cheon’s command.
So that’s why he only brought about five thousand troops.
In night raids, mobility was key. The larger the force, the slower the movement. A smaller unit was far more effective.
Jeong Cheon excelled at such tactics, and had amassed considerable achievements so far.
That means it’ll be at least two more hours before we strike…
They needed to wait until the dead of night.
But then—
Fortunately, it looks like I won’t have to wait that long.
Yi Hwan’s lips curved faintly. He had spotted something.
Fwiiish!
Thud! Thud!
“Aaagh!”
“Urgh!”
Following the sound of something breaking through the air, screams erupted from all around.
“It’s an enemy ambush!”
“Form battle lines!”
“Battle lines!”
Yi Hwan’s eyes sharpened. He could see shadows charging at them from beyond the darkness.
What he had noticed earlier… it was them.
After being hit by so many night raids, they’d be foolish not to prepare. Whoever’s leading them isn’t an idiot.
The Zhao army had already suffered heavily from Jeong Cheon’s past night attacks.
Jeong Cheon’s fame had spread through Zhao territory, so taking precautions was only natural.
Of course, Jeong Cheon must have considered that and moved cautiously… but it seemed Zhao’s commander was a step ahead.
Jeong Cheon ground his teeth.
“Our position is compromised! We move out now! Hurry!”
“Yes, sir!”
The unit began slowly pulling back amid the confusion.
But Yi Hwan moved calmly through the chaos.
Clang!
Crash!
“Uwaah!”
“Graah!”
Fighting broke out first on the left flank—not far from Yi Hwan’s position. His guards quickly formed a tight circle around him.
“My lord! Don’t leave our side!”
“Yeah, just focus.”
Yi Hwan waited patiently for the Black Tiger Unit to appear.
Just then, part of the Zhao forces charged toward him. His guards stepped forward, forming a defensive wall.
Clang!
“Argh!”
“Guh!”
Blood and flesh splattered at close range, but Yi Hwan’s eyes roamed the battlefield quickly—searching. Yet the Black Tiger Unit was nowhere to be seen.
“Ugh!”
One guard groaned, staggering. An enemy rushed toward the wounded man, and no one was in position to help. His head would be taken in the next second.
Yi Hwan moved.
With just one step forward and a light swing of his sword, the enemy’s head split clean down the middle, spraying blood and brain matter.
“Ugh!”
The guard stared at Yi Hwan in shock.
“If you’re grateful, fight harder.”
“…!”
“Kill them!”
“Those bastards think they can take us!”
The Zhao soldiers pressed in even harder toward the guards.
“Hold the line!”
“Push them back harder!”
Jeong Cheon’s unit truly lived up to its reputation. The five thousand hand-picked elites, overcoming the initial confusion, steadily pushed the Zhao forces back.
Reinforcements that had been operating elsewhere joined quickly, further cornering the enemy. Because they had not yet penetrated deep into enemy territory, it had been easy to regroup.
“Kill them!”
“Smash every stinking Zhao head you see!”
Then—
Crash!
“Aaagh!”
“Urgh!”
“It’s the Black Tiger Unit! They’re here!”
A commotion erupted on the right flank. Yi Hwan’s eyes flashed.
Finally.
The right side, where the Black Tiger Unit had appeared, began collapsing rapidly. As expected, they were formidable.
“Head there. Now.”
“My lord! That’s far too dangerous!”
“There’s nowhere safe on a battlefield. Follow me.”
Yi Hwan charged forward first, his guards scrambling to keep up.
“Hurry! Don’t lose him!”
Cutting through the heart of the battlefield, Yi Hwan searched for traces of the Soul-Seizing Banner.
Then, at a certain spot, his eyes lit up.
Found it!
Three streaks of crimson light gleamed in the pitch darkness, standing out vividly.
A general ran up to Jeong Cheon and shouted,
“They’re not many! We’ll circle around and take the enemy camp!”
“Be careful, General.”
“See you in the camp!”
Part of the Yan forces withdrew from the battlefield.
Jeong Cheon turned his gaze to the right flank—where the Black Tiger Unit was wreaking havoc.
And then his eyes went wide.
“No…”
He could hardly believe it.
Yi Hwan was not someone with the courage for this. In strategy meetings, his earlier show of spirit had been nothing but a survival instinct. Jeong Cheon had expected him to revert to his usual self on the battlefield.
Yet there he was—charging alone into the fray, while even Jeong Cheon’s hardened elites were barely holding the line.
Jeong Cheon spun around and roared,
“Everyone, to the right flank! Move!”
“Yes, sir!”
Too fast!
The guards chasing Yi Hwan were horrified.
He wasn’t just fast—he was impossibly fast. In mere moments, the distance between them had stretched so far they could never catch up in a few leaps.
Was he always like this?
What’s going on? How is he that fast?!
As they reeled in disbelief, one guard shouted urgently,
“My lord! To your left!”
A Black Tiger warrior was charging at Yi Hwan from his left. The attack was so sudden and swift that it seemed certain Yi Hwan would be struck down.
“Ah!”
The guard cried out in shock—
—then his eyes went wide.
The terrifying Black Tiger’s head was sent flying in a single stroke.
“No way…”
“What are you doing?! The lord is in danger!”
“Catch up, now!”
While his guards struggled to follow, Yi Hwan headed straight for the Black Tiger carrying the Soul-Seizing Banner. Along the way, several more assailants lost their heads to his blade.
“Aaagh!”
“Guh!”
They fell like autumn leaves in a storm.
“Charge!”
Jeong Cheon’s troops smashed into the Black Tiger Unit. Realizing they were outnumbered, the elite Zhao warriors began to retreat.
“My lord! Fall back!”
Jeong Cheon’s voice rang across the field.
But Yi Hwan had no intention of doing so.
He spotted the banner bearer withdrawing—conveniently separated from his comrades.
That makes it easier for me.
“Die!”
Two swords slashed toward him. Yi Hwan twisted his torso sideways and extended both arms.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
“Grah!”
With the barest of movements, he felled them both, then sprinted toward his target.
Their eyes met across the darkness.
Did the man recognize Yi Hwan? Or was he startled by the killing intent?
Either way, the Black Tiger turned and bolted into the forest.
Good. Run deeper.
Yi Hwan followed him in.
In the chaos of battle, Jeong Cheon and the guards quickly lost sight of Yi Hwan.
Jeong Cheon’s face hardened like stone.
“What a disaster this is!”
The death of a prince—a great army’s commander—would have unimaginable repercussions.
“Find him! Now!”
“Yes, sir!”
Rustle!
A broken branch whipped toward Yi Hwan’s face—only to rebound off his protective qi.
“I’m not here to kill you. Just stop running.”
Who would believe that in this situation? The Black Tiger ran harder than ever.
But in moments, the gap shrank to less than ten paces.
A few breaths later, a sheer cliff blocked his way.
“Damn it!”
Glancing left and right, he found no escape. Snarling, he turned to face Yi Hwan.
“Come on, you bastard!”
Yi Hwan landed lightly before him.
Whirl.
He sheathed his sword.
Clink.
“I’m not going to kill you. Put your weapon down.”
“Shut up! If you’re not killing me, why chase me this far?!”
“I have questions. Trust me.”
“Cut the crap and come at me, you son of a—!”
Yi Hwan sighed, furrowing his brow.
“All right, then. I’m coming.”
