Chapter 12
The Operation Resumes
Ihwan and Hwang Ho sat facing each other.
“Thank you for sending the warriors.”
“Think nothing of it. Frankly, if the Great Lord hadn’t refused before, this is something we should have done much earlier.”
“I have one more favor to ask.”
“Please, speak.”
“From now on, I intend to take part in every operation.”
“…!”
Hwang Ho’s eyes flew wide.
Not long ago, Ihwan’s sudden disappearance from the battlefield had thrown the entire camp into chaos. They had been lucky he returned unharmed then, but there was no guarantee it would be the same next time.
“Great Lord, that’s…”
“I’m ashamed to say this, but I’ve only just come to my senses. If General Hwang doesn’t help me, I’ll go back to being a useless man for the rest of my life. Do you want to see that happen?”
“I wouldn’t dare wish such a thing. It’s just that I…”
Ihwan fixed his eyes on Hwang Ho’s flustered face and added,
“You’ve probably noticed already, but I’ve been hiding my true ability all this time. Even if I faced opponents worse than the Black Tiger Unit, I have the skill to keep myself alive—so don’t worry. Now, enjoy your dinner.”
“…!”
With that, Ihwan left Hwang Ho’s tent.
Watching his back as he walked away, Hwang Ho shook his head.
“So that wasn’t a request, but a notice?”
A wry smile crossed his lips.
Meanwhile, Ihwan rubbed his stomach as he stepped outside. Speaking in a way he normally didn’t had left him feeling unsettled, but he was satisfied—at least Hwang Ho hadn’t refused.
As he headed back to his quarters, he thought of Song Cheon-mu.
“With his skill, he won’t have to worry about dying easily. Should I give him the opportunity he’s been asking for?”
The young man’s talent was considerable. If he continued to grow like this, he could one day become a master with few equals among his peers.
“Let’s watch a little longer first.”
“Every operation from now on?”
Song Hoe’s eyes went round.
“Select only about a hundred men who are worth taking. Choose all the lieutenants.”
“Understood.”
Cha Jung-gyeong cut in.
“I’ll be going with you, of course?”
“Of course. But until we get a human-skin mask for you, wear a face cover.”
“Yes.”
Song Cheon-mu’s eyes lit up.
“I’ll go as well.”
Ihwan turned his gaze on him. The boy’s eyes held a firm resolve.
“You two, step outside. You—sit down.”
When Song Hoe and Cha Jung-gyeong bowed and left, Ihwan spoke.
“Are you not afraid of dying?”
“I am. But…”
“But?”
Song Cheon-mu faltered. For a moment, Ihwan felt he was hiding something.
“If you have something to say, then say it.”
Biting his lip hard, Song Cheon-mu finally spoke.
“My family’s situation is not good. I must earn military merit somehow. That’s the only thing I can do for them.”
“Has something happened to your family?”
“When I left for here, two of our branch offices had already closed. If things have gotten worse since…”
Ihwan was quietly surprised.
Even if the princess and Song Cheon-ho were now in love, their marriage had begun as a political match. A family capable of marrying into the royal house naturally held a high standing.
For such a house to not rise in prestige after such a marriage—but instead to decline?
Song Cheon-mu sighed heavily and continued.
“Several years ago, the business partners we’d dealt with for years suddenly cut ties without warning. My father and brother did their best to find new ones, but they couldn’t move all the goods stored in the warehouses…”
Finding partners was always difficult—especially trustworthy ones.
In trade, a single failure could bring massive losses, so vetting potential partners was critical. In fact, securing good partners was one of the hardest yet most important parts of the business.
And for multiple partners to sever ties all at once?
It would be impossible to replace them in the short term.
If the huge stockpiles normally kept in storage went unsold and spoiled, the damage would be catastrophic.
Ihwan thought of Song Cheon-ho.
“Even in that situation, he never let it show…”
They had only spoken briefly, but Ihwan could guess from Cheon-ho’s character that he hadn’t wanted to burden anyone.
“Hm…”
While Ihwan furrowed his brow, Song Cheon-mu spoke earnestly.
“Please let me join the operation! I swear I won’t be blinded by glory and cause you trouble. If I do, I’ll never ask to be taken again!”
After a moment’s thought, Ihwan nodded.
“From tomorrow, you won’t need to guard me for a while.”
“…Sir?”
“You don’t know when you’ll be on the battlefield, so start training like your life depends on it tomorrow. If you don’t want to be a burden, train even harder.”
“…!”
Realizing what that meant, Song Cheon-mu bowed deeply and shouted,
“Yes, sir!”
Thwack! Thud!
The dull sounds in the rear courtyard had been going on for days.
Ever since Ihwan had given his permission, Song Cheon-mu had thrown himself into training all day long. Ihwan even helped him sometimes.
Song Hoe, meanwhile, was busier than ever, in charge of drilling the hundred men chosen for the operation.
Though he spent most days at Ihwan’s side being scolded, his martial skill—as befitting a disciple of the prestigious Mount Hua Sect—was more than enough to lead a unit.
The Tiger Dragon Unit’s morale was high.
With their first battle in a long while coming up, they trained late into the night without complaint.
Ihwan sometimes observed their training, but never joined in himself.
“Maybe I should have done this sooner?”
Though his participation in the operation was for his own purposes, seeing the unit so happy gave him a strange feeling.
“What was I thinking, living the way I did before?”
“Kiai!”
“Tuck your hips more!”
“Relax your grip—swing lightly!”
The warriors’ shouts rang across the camp.
Some in other units looked on at the Tiger Dragon Unit with disdain; a few openly mocked them.
“They’ll just tuck tail and run like dogs when the real fight starts.”
“If they face the Black Tiger Unit, I bet they’ll wet themselves. I just hope they’re not sent with us.”
The Tiger Dragon Unit was still avoided by the rest. In life-or-death missions, being paired with inexperienced troops meant danger for everyone.
And so—time flowed swiftly.
Half a month passed without any operation being decided. The days dragged for Ihwan, the Tiger Dragon Unit… and someone else.
“I’m bored out of my mind.”
The man in the blue robe spoke with a listless face. The other man, arms crossed and eyes closed, didn’t move.
“How long are we going to wait?”
“If it’s about finding the Sword King’s heir, we could wait a lifetime.”
“….”
“Stop whining. Be patient.”
“Ugh…”
They had been here for twenty days now.
In that time, Ihwan had barely left his quarters—only visiting Hwang Ho’s tent and the training grounds a few times.
Well, and once more—when he’d killed the Black Tiger Unit warriors who had come for Cha Jung-gyeong. But Ihwan had moved to the other side then, leaving them with no chance to act.
Rumble!
Thunder rolled, and rain began to fall.
“It’s raining. Let’s move into the forest.”
The man finally opened his eyes and stood, twisting his body.
Crack!
“At this rate, I’ll produce more relic pearls than a high monk.”
“Quit your grumbling.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m fine.”
They stepped into the forest. The blue-robed man glanced toward Ihwan’s tent before following.
Rumble!
Shhh!
The rain grew heavier.
“Boss.”
“What.”
“When do you think we’ll escape the shadows? Will it even happen in our lifetime?”
“We’ll have to try.”
“Hmm… I guess the enemy must be in the same position as us?”
“Worry about us, not them.”
Yip! Yip!
A fox poked its head out.
The blue-robed man fed it strips of meat from his sleeve.
“This little guy’s having a rough time too.”
Yip!
“Are you tired?”
Yip!
“I’m sorry.”
He glanced at the other man, who still had his eyes closed.
Then—
Grrr!
The fox gave a low growl.
The blue-robed man’s eyes lit up.
“They’re finally moving!”
The other man opened his eyes and leapt up onto a rock face to look down at the camp.
The blue-robed man joined him. A large number of Yan troops were moving west.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir!”
Shhh!
The rain was fierce.
Ihwan moved at the very rear with the Tiger Dragon Unit.
“Of all days, why an operation in this weather?”
Some of the men grumbled.
Song Hoe rebuked them.
“In weather like this, the enemy’s guard is lowered.”
“Ah, I see.”
Song Cheon-mu was brimming with excitement—the operation he had long awaited had finally begun.
Ihwan glanced at him and said,
“You think this is a joy trip?”
“….”
“Fix your face.”
“Yes, sir.”
Rumble!
Shhh!
Ihwan looked up at the sky. The dark, ominous clouds were unsettling.
He turned his gaze forward.
Peng Mu-wi and warriors from the Hebei Peng clan had joined the operation. The commander in charge, as before, was Jeong Cheon.
“Did it have to be in this weather?” Peng Mu-wi asked sharply.
Jeong Cheon replied flatly,
“We’re in the middle of an operation. Save the idle talk.”
“….”
Ihwan smiled faintly. Since beginning his new life, Jeong Cheon had been one of the people he watched most closely.
He often reminded Ihwan of his old subordinates—his tone, his expressions, even the way he treated Hwang Ho all resembled the Three Kings. It stirred emotions he kept buried.
“Damn it.”
Beside him, Cha Jung-gyeong grumbled. His face cover was soaked and stuck to his skin, irritating him.
“Captain.”
“Yes, Great Lord.”
“Don’t take your eyes off me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Ihwan slowly scanned their surroundings.
They must be trailing us from somewhere.
He still had half a pellet of tracking incense on him.
He could use it to divert them elsewhere, but he chose not to—if they were descendants of his old subordinates, he didn’t want to throw away the chance to meet them.
Once I regain my strength, everything will be resolved. Until then, we won’t cross paths.
Shhh!
