Chapter 134: Friend or Foe (3)

A small pavilion near the hermitage on Mount Yangzhou.

So-so was crouched like a squirrel, diligently crafting something.

Curious, Seo-hwa approached and sat gracefully beside her.

Looking closely, she saw that So-so was attaching dozens of flowers to a slender tree branch.

“What are you making?”

“A flower garland. It’s a present for my father.”

It was indeed a garland. The bright colors of the red and yellow petals blended beautifully. It seemed she had seen one somewhere and copied it.

Although her skill was impressive for a first attempt, Seo-hwa felt a bit concerned. If So-mu walked around the military camp—which was packed with soldiers—wearing this, he would surely become a laughingstock.

Still, how could she tell the child the truth?

“Your father will love it.”

“It’s pretty, right? Hehe.”

So-so was in a great mood, excited to give the gift. About seven minutes later, a decent flower garland was born.

Looking down at it, Seo-hwa said:

“It seems to be finished.”

“Yes! Master, do you want to wear it too?”

It possessed a brilliance that would surely draw everyone’s attention. Since it was a garland meant to be worn at festivals, wearing it now would be quite embarrassing.

“I would like to, but you should hang it around its owner’s neck first.”

“Hmph. I wish he would come quickly. I miss him.”

A knowing smile played on Seo-hwa’s lips.

“He is already here.”

So-so jumped up and looked around.

“Really? Where?”

Surprisingly, they were not far away.

Two figures were trudging over from behind the hermitage. It was So-mu and Il-gwang, who had returned from their mission.

Clutching the flower garland, So-so ran with open arms.

“Father!”

“Have you been well?”

So-mu caught his daughter by the waist and spun her around in the air.

Giggling, So-so stood on the ground and held out what was in her hand.

“I made this myself. Hehe.”

“Haha. Thank you.”

It bore the traces of careful effort made by her tiny hands. He couldn’t help but be happy. That is, until he heard her next words.

“You must never take it off, okay? Hehehe.”

“O-of course. I must wear it all the time.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes… of course.”

When the garland was placed around his neck, Seo-hwa could not hold back her laughter and giggled.

As it happened, a military council was scheduled to take place as soon as he returned to the camp. If she found out he had taken it off, she would surely be hurt. The thought of entering the meeting wearing this made his mind heavy.

Just then, So-so reached out her hand. It was toward the small bundle he was carrying on his shoulder.

“Is this my present?”

“Yes. I bought one for your master too.”

So-so’s eyes went wide as she quickly opened the bundle.

It was a silk robe with a soft, green texture. Liking it, she grabbed the smaller one and hugged it with both hands.

“Thank you, Father! I love it so much.”

“I’m glad you like it. Go ahead and try it on.”

So-so was already stripping off her clothes, preparing to change. Standing in just her undergarments, she looked around and handed the larger robe to Seo-hwa.

“Master, you try it on quickly too!”

It was only possible because she was at an age where she did not yet know embarrassment.

Her face flushed, Seo-hwa accepted the robe and quickly changed the subject.

“It looks like your uncle bought some presents too.”

Come to think of it, a massive bundle was slung over Il-gwang’s back as well. So-so’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Uncle, what is that?”

“Presents. I bought some for your friends too. Shall we go and hand them out together later?”

So-so hopped up and down in excitement. She felt happy just imagining how delighted her friends would be.

“Hehe. Yes! How exciting!”

As the atmosphere warmed up during their brief reunion, Seo-hwa stepped into the kitchen beside the hermitage and said:

“Why don’t you have lunch with us before you go?”

Indeed, they had eaten nothing since yesterday. Il-gwang clasped his hands to express his gratitude.

Seo-hwa and So-mu prepared the meal together. Once the delicious dishes were ready, they gathered at the pavilion to eat.

After finishing the meal, they immediately headed to Chang’an. They could not afford to linger for long.

Entering the palace fortress, So-mu bid farewell to Il-gwang.

“It seems you are off to do a good deed for once. Have a safe trip.”

“See you at the barracks tonight then.”

With the massive bundle slung over his back, Il-gwang set off, with So-so trotting close behind him.

Watching their retreating figures, So-mu’s mood brightened as well.

At that moment, his daughter suddenly whipped her head around. Seeing the flower garland still hanging around his neck, a pleased smile spread across her face.

Awkward, So-mu waved his hand once and headed toward the barracks.

Most of the soldiers were at the training grounds. Battle cries echoed from all directions, and the sounds of training weapons being swung could be heard.

At the center of each training ground stood the Wolf Fang Squad. It was a group battle training session where fifty soldiers fought against a single squad member.

“Not bad.”

This was the Wolf Fang Squad, which he had spent day and night cultivating. He couldn’t help but feel proud of the soldiers who managed to hold their own against them.

‘Our soldiers spend more time training than most sects in the Jianghu. At least in Shaanxi, the Jianghu will find it difficult to regain its former dominance.’

With his hands clasped behind his back, he continued walking along the path.

Before long, he ran into a military officer he recognized.

Upon spotting him, the officer reflexively stood at attention and greeted him.

“Greetings, Chief So-mu! Have you returned already?”

“Yes. Things went well. Where is the General now?”

“He has summoned the lieutenants and is currently holding a meeting. I will guide you.”

“I would appreciate that.”

Leading the way, the officer asked with a puzzled look:

“By the way, was there some kind of festival?”

“No, nothing… Don’t mind it.”

It was because of the massive garland hanging around his neck.

If he entered a room full of officers looking like this, he would be a laughingstock. Just as he was about to stealthily remove the garland—

‘Who is it?’

Suddenly, he sensed a faint presence behind him.

Turning around, he saw a small shadow slip into the gap between the street stalls. The way the figure hid so quickly made it seem as though he were being followed.

A hollow laugh escaped So-mu’s lips.

“Haha. Well, this is…”

It was only for a split second, but he had definitely seen his daughter’s face.

She had said she was going with Il-gwang to hand out presents, so how could he have imagined she would pretend to leave and then tail him instead? She must be monitoring him to ensure he kept the garland on. She was incredibly clever.

“Is something the matter, Chief?”

So-mu raised his voice and replied loudly:

“My daughter made this for me. Quite a skill, isn’t it? It was made exactly to my liking.”

“Indeed, Chief. I am truly envious.”

Had she heard their conversation? The child’s presence vanished once more. She must have headed back to Snow Flower Academy.

After walking about two hundred Zhang, they arrived at their destination within the palace.

A plaque engraved with ‘Gunhwa Hall’ hung on the building. It was a pavilion used as one of the war rooms.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The officer departed with a bright face, pleased to have been of help.

Standing at the entrance of Gunhwa Hall, So-mu let out a sigh.

‘Whew… Since it’s a gift from my daughter, there is no need to feel embarrassed.’

Creak!

The doors opened, revealing the scene inside.

Every lieutenant-level officer in Chang’an Fortress was gathered in one place. Jang-yang sat in the seat of honor, while the seats to his left and right were vacant.

Jang-yang, who had been explaining something, stood with his mouth slightly open. It was only natural, as the man who had gone on a special mission had returned wearing a wreath of flowers around his neck.

“…What is the meaning of this?”

His face flushed with embarrassment, So-mu walked to his seat.

“The mission went well, according to plan.”

“I mean the thing hanging around your neck.”

“Ah… this. My daughter made it for me…”

At that moment, exclamations erupted simultaneously from various parts of the room.

“Haha. Really?”

“Haha. Seeing this, those without children must feel too sorrowful to live.”

“I am envious, truly envious…”

Envy could be seen on everyone’s face.

Who would have expected such a reaction? The embarrassed So-mu now wore a proud expression instead. For once, his shoulders squared with pride.

So-mu strode over and sat to the left of Jang-yang.

Although his rank had risen above the other lieutenants, he still showed respect to those with more experience. Perhaps because of this, no one envied his meteoric rise.

Jang-yang chuckled and looked at him.

“Now, let us hear the details. Did you meet the General-in-Chief?”

“Yes. It went smoother than expected.”

So-mu reported the details of his trip. The most important piece of news was that the General-in-Chief would march in ten days. The sensitive matters would be discussed with Jang-yang privately later.

After about fifteen minutes, Jang-yang’s face brightened further.

“Haha. You have worked hard. By the way, where is Commander Il-gwang who left with you?”

“He went to Snow Flower Academy to distribute presents to the orphans. If you need him, I will summon him immediately.”

“Hahaha. He is a warm-hearted man. Since he is doing good work, leave him be.”

So-mu nodded and got straight to the point.

“When do we march?”

Jang-yang’s gaze turned to the map on the table. He explained, tracing a long line with his pointer.

“Even with a forced march, it will take at least ten days to reach Xiangyang. We cannot leave this place empty for long either. In two days, a small elite force capable of rapid movement will deploy.”

This was something they had already discussed. The question was which unit would be sent.

“The Wolf Fang Squad is a given. Which other unit will you send?”

Regular recruitment was being conducted throughout Shaanxi. They had already completed three rounds of recruitment, and the fourth was currently underway.

The first batch, who were contemporaries of the Wolf Fang Squad, could be considered the absolute elite. They were called the Yeonwi Guards and held the highest honor in the army.

“Since we must advance rapidly, would Lieutenant Han Baek’s cavalry not be perfect?”

The cavalry led by Lieutenant Han Baek numbered two thousand, all of whom were Yeonwi Guards. Every single one of them possessed outstanding martial arts, and they had maintained an undefeated record.

Though it was a minuscule number compared to the enemy’s two hundred thousand, it did not matter since they would not be deployed in a frontal assault.

“I agree. Liu Guangshi’s army will be spotted by the enemy the moment they move, but we must advance without giving them any room to notice.”

Lieutenant Han Baek, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, bowed his head.

“Leave it to me. I will show the enemy the might of the Shaanxi cavalry.”

A satisfied smile played on Jang-yang’s lips.

“Reliable indeed. If my predictions are correct, it will not be easy for Liu Guangshi’s army to reach Xiangyang. Our first objective is to ensure they safely join us at the target location.”

So-mu and Lieutenant Han Baek nodded simultaneously.

Although they had no desire to help Liu Guangshi, they needed his army to win the battle.

Just then, Lieutenant Jin Lip spoke up for the first time.

“What will happen to Adjutant Yang Yeon-jeong, who went to Hanzhong?”

“The Adjutant will carry out a supply mission to the besieged Xiangyang Fortress.”

“But how on earth can we supply provisions from Hanzhong all the way to Xiangyang?”

Jang-yang’s pointer indicated the map once more.

“He will lead the soldiers from Hanzhong, board ships at Yuanjiang, and use the waterways.”

If one had to choose the fortress best suited for siege defense in the Central Plains, it would undoubtedly be Xiangyang Fortress. It was surrounded by the Hanshui River on three sides, and the other side was bordered by mountains, making it a natural stronghold.

Lieutenant Gwak Cheol, who had been watching, asked with a puzzled look:

“The waterways must already be besieged as well. Moreover, where are we going to obtain ships?”

Jang-yang clasped his hands on the table, a grave look on his face.

“Since secrecy was required, I apologize for not telling you earlier. In truth, there is an organization that has agreed to cooperate with us. In the Jianghu, they are called the Yonggang Water Stronghold.”

The Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance had suffered a massive subjugation campaign by the imperial forces dozens of years ago. This was the name of the organization formed by the remnants who had gathered once more.

They had relocated their base to the Hanshui River, the largest tributary of the Yangtze River. Since then, taking advantage of the imperial army’s inability to move amidst the war, they had grown to the largest scale in history.

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise, except for So-mu, who had planned this operation.

Lieutenant Seol Pung, who had recently joined through the imperial examination, asked cautiously:

“Are they not water bandits? Is it acceptable for us, as officials, to join forces with those we ought to subjugate?”

Jang-yang glanced at So-mu and said:

“Chief So-mu will explain the details.”