Chapter 149: The Tiger Descends (1)
Morning began to break.
This was the time when everyone started their day, breathing in the fresh morning air. However, there was a man returning to his quarters only now.
“This is troublesome.”
So-mu’s steps toward the Wolf Fang Squad’s barracks were heavy. He had stayed out on his first night back from the war.
He was already worried about how upset his daughter would be.
As he let out a sigh, his destination came into view.
Indeed, So-so was pacing in front of the barracks, waiting for him.
“Father!”
Spotting him, So-so ran toward him.
So-mu braced his stomach, expecting a lecture, but what he expected did not happen.
Something was strange. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.
“…?”
“Thank you, Father!”
“F-For what?”
So-so grinned and rubbed her face against his waist.
“The present! I love it. Heeheehee.”
A bewildered look appeared on So-mu’s face.
A present out of nowhere. He had not even decided what to buy yet. It seemed someone had bought a gift on his behalf.
But since he was not sure, he played along.
“Oh, really…? But why were you waiting outside?”
“I was waiting for you, Father!”
Looking at his daughter’s waist, he saw a small wooden sword without a blade and her tung flute.
He had to change the subject before she asked difficult questions. Patting her head, he said quickly, “Now that I think about it, it’s time for your flute lesson.”
“Yes. Is Master awake?”
So-mu felt his face grow hot.
Why was she asking him that? She was incredibly sharp.
“O-Of course. Since she is waiting, go along now.”
“Heehee. Okay. I’ll be back!”
So-so skipped away, looking ecstatic. Her bouncing steps made it look like she was dancing.
“Whew.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, he went inside the barracks. It was empty, as the squad members had probably gone to train.
Changing into his official uniform, he headed out.
His destination was Jang-yang’s office. There were matters they had not finished discussing yesterday.
As soon as So-mu arrived, the administrative clerk opened the door for him. He had likely been instructed beforehand.
Creak!
At a small table with four chairs, two gentlemen were seated.
General Jang-yang, clutching a go piece. And his opponent was someone unexpected—Baek Yak, the Hui general who had survived by a hair’s breadth.
Jang-yang gestured to So-mu.
“You’re here. Sit down.”
Seating himself, So-mu stared at Baek Yak with a puzzled expression.
“You are wearing our official uniform.”
It was the attire of a vice-commander.
Embarrassed, Baek Yak scratched his head with his sole hand.
“The General accepted me. I will dedicate my life to serving him.”
So-mu stared at him and then smirked.
“Why are you talking about dedicating your life before you even begin? Survive until the end, if only for your children. And witness how the world we build changes.”
Jang-yang laughed and pushed the go board aside.
“Hahaha. Captain So-mu is right. In the world we wish to build, there will be no justified deaths.”
Touched, Baek Yak bowed his head deeply, making a cupped-hand gesture with his single arm.
“I will never forget the grace I received here, even in death.”
Jang-yang patted the shoulder of the bowing man with a pleased expression. He then looked at So-mu.
“By the way, what happened to the spirit beast the Wolf Fang Squad captured?”
So-mu sighed and shook his head.
“It seems I was mistaken.”
“Things aren’t going well? What is the problem?”
“It hasn’t eaten anything since we captured it in Xiangyang. It seems… it intends to die. It looks like it has lost the will to live.”
Jang-yang nodded in understanding.
“The Mountain Lord of Mount Tai is practically the king of beasts. How could a human tame such a creature?”
“Since its pride is so strong, there is nothing more we can do.”
“What do you plan to do then?”
After a moment of thought, So-mu looked up at the ceiling.
“If we release it, the civilians might be in danger… so we must put it down.”
It was a terrifying spirit beast with combat power rivaling the Flower Realm.
Though it was a pity, Jang-yang had no other choice either. He nodded with a serious expression.
“Since it is an intelligent beast, I hope you end its life without pain. Entrust it to the trigger crossbowmen.”
The power of the enhanced trigger crossbows was immense, enough to pierce the protective qi of a Flower Realm master. Although they were slow to nock and aim, they were the most reliable tool to execute the bound Mountain Lord.
There was no need for So-mu to do it himself.
“Understood, General.”
***
After finishing her morning lesson with Yeon Seo-hwa, So-so ran frantically toward a certain location. Her steps were urgent.
It was a tent pitched in a corner of the military camp.
Avoiding the guards, So-so slipped inside.
“Darong! Your sister is here.”
The limp Mountain Lord’s eyelid opened halfway. Its eyes were devoid of life.
Seeing this, So-so’s face turned to a frown.
“Darong… you can’t be sick.”
Looking around, she spotted a bucket filled with chicken meat.
She quickly grabbed a piece and offered it to the Mountain Lord’s mouth.
“Eat this and cheer up.”
She rubbed it against its tightly closed mouth, but it did not budge.
But So-so was a child who always did what she set her mind to.
Grabbing the Mountain Lord’s jaws with both hands, she forced them open.
“Say ah!”
She succeeded in opening its mouth, but since it would not chew, she had to take another step.
Her thin arm reached into the Mountain Lord’s mouth, pushing the chicken piece deep inside.
Having accomplished her goal, So-so stood with her hands on her hips, watching with a pleased expression.
The Mountain Lord had no choice but to swallow it.
Gulp!
“Heeheehee. Delicious, right?”
After a moment, So-so paced around the Mountain Lord, examining it.
She did not like the chains binding its body.
A determined look appeared on her face.
“Shall I free you?”
So-so pulled the chains with all her strength to break them.
Clang!
“Hyaaa!”
The taut chains showed no signs of breaking. Even after utilizing her internal energy, it was futile.
Since they were mithril chains that could withstand sword qi, it was only natural.
After panting for a while, So-so gasped, “Phew. It’s no use. I’ll bring Father, so wait here. Okay?”
She patted the Mountain Lord’s head a few times and ran outside.
Her destination was the Wolf Fang Squad’s barracks.
Running with light footwork, she arrived in an instant and looked around.
“Where did he go?”
There were dozens of places he could be. She could not search them all.
After some thought, she headed to the Hall of Benevolent Physicians.
There, she saw an old man with white hair brewing tea at a table in the front yard.
It was Mo Cheong, the captain of the medical unit.
“Grandfather!”
Mo Cheong startled, turning his head.
“Whew. You scared me. Why is your voice so loud, little one? I thought my heart would stop.”
“Grandfather, can you lend me some medicine?”
“I wondered why you were looking for me. But how do you intend to repay borrowed medicine? What are you going to use it for this time?”
“My Darong… Darong is sick.”
Mo Cheong chuckled, holding his teacup. He found the crying So-so adorable.
“So your friend is sick. Tell me where it hurts.”
So-so pointed at different parts of her own body, rambling.
“Here and here, it’s bleeding…”
“…And?”
So-so narrowed her eyes, mimicking the Mountain Lord’s gaze.
“Its eyes only open this much…”
“Pfft.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s nothing. It seems your friend got beaten up by someone, and even its heart is bruised. Follow me.”
Mo Cheong went straight to the medicine storehouse, which was filled with hundreds of herbs.
After searching, he took out a small wooden box and a round pill.
“This is gold ointment, so apply it to the wounds. And this is a true essence pill that stabilizes qi and blood and calms the mind. Divide it into three doses.”
“Thank you, Grandfather!”
“Return whatever gold ointment is left.”
Mo Cheong intentionally gave her extra medicine. Since the child was the only source of entertainment in his boring daily life, he wanted to create an excuse to see her again.
“Yes, Grandfather!”
So-so ran back, eager to treat Darong.
But her joy did not last long.
The closer she got to the tent, the more she felt an ominous premonition.
And when she got within twenty zhang, she froze in her tracks. An unbelievable sight was unfolding before her eyes.
“Pull it out!”
Dozens of soldiers were pulling the chains binding the Mountain Lord.
“Pull together!”
“Heave!”
And there were about twenty veteran archers clutching trigger crossbows, aiming directly at the Mountain Lord’s head.
Seeing this, So-so’s hands trembled.
Without realizing it, she unleashed a Lion’s Roar.
“No!!!”
Since she unleashed it without preparation, it possessed less than thirty percent of its true power. Yet, its force was immense.
A fierce sound wave kicked off a cloud of dust, creating a gust of wind.
Startled, the soldiers flinched and looked around.
Then, the child they knew ran forward, blocking the front of the Mountain Lord. Seeing this, the commander of the trigger crossbow unit quickly raised his hand.
“Stop!”
To think she would stand in front of the Mountain Lord’s head so fearlessly. The soldiers waved their hands with pale faces.
“It’s dangerous!”
“Come over here quickly!”
“So-so, hurry!”
Tears welled in So-so’s eyes.
“W-Why are you doing this to my Darong?”
She looked determined not to back down. Fortunately, the Mountain Lord did not move.
The commander had to persuade the child. Showing his bandaged left arm, he said, “It is a bad beast that hurts people. See this? I got hurt too.”
It was an injury sustained during training, but he lied to persuade her. Yet, she did not budge.
“You guys hit him first!”
The soldiers asked in confusion, “W-When did we?”
“We didn’t hit him.”
“Why are you blocking us?”
So-so’s face was already covered in tears and snot. She cried, wiping her tears with her sleeve.
“Father gave him to me as a present! Hmph…”
The soldiers tilted their heads in confusion.
“Captain So-mu did?”
“He gave such a ferocious tiger as a present?”
“Could it be…?”
No matter how they thought about it, it made no sense.
“It’s true…”
Just then…
The Mountain Lord, which had been motionless, began to stir.
Clang! Clang!
The mithril chains binding its body rattled like waves.
“Grrrr!!!”
As the Mountain Lord bared its teeth and roared, terror filled the air. The startled soldiers pulled the chains from all sides to restrain it.
“Pull!”
Clang! Clang!
As the chains grew taut, the Mountain Lord’s muscles bulged as if they would burst.
A battle of strength ensued, but the result was completely one-sided. Dozens of soldiers were thrown to the ground simultaneously.
“Urgh!”
“Ah!”
Eventually, what they feared happened. The mithril chains began to snap one by one. It was a terrifying display of brute force.
Snap! Snap!
Breaking through the chains, a house-sized paw lunged forward. As it moved toward So-so, the soldiers gasped in horror.
“No…”
“R-Run!”
If the Mountain Lord brandished its paw, a disaster would occur.
Just as everyone’s face turned pale, something unexpected happened.
The massive paw gently nudged So-so aside.
So-so could not withstand the force and stumbled. At this, the Mountain Lord was completely exposed to the archers.
As if refusing to resist, the Mountain Lord crouched on the ground. Seeing this, the soldiers smiled in relief.
“Now is our chance!”
“Why aren’t you shooting?”
The archers took aim once more, calming their racing hearts.
But they could not fire. So-so had once again spread her arms, blocking the Mountain Lord.
“Darong, stay still!”
The Mountain Lord’s paw nudged So-so aside again.
Stumbling aside, So-so blocked it again. The two of them were repeating this push-and-pull battle.
The watching soldiers looked blank.
“What on earth is happening?”
“How can we shoot like this?”
The struggle did not continue for long.
Perhaps annoyed, the Mountain Lord suddenly knocked the defenseless So-so down with its paw.
“Ouch!”
Falling flat on her back, So-so flailed her limbs. Since the paw was pressing her down, she could not budge.
“So-so is under attack!”
“Fire!”
Flat on her back, So-so flailed her arms and screamed, “No! Don’t shoot!!!”
But the soldiers could not watch any longer. So-so’s safety was at risk.
“Just shoot!!!”
Thud! Crash!
The twenty trigger crossbow bolts flew out like an explosion.
Reeling from the recoil, the archers tumbled backward.
No one doubted the Mountain Lord’s death—until they heard the crisp metallic sounds.
Clang! Clang!
A brilliant flash of light sparked and vanished in the blink of an eye.
The soldiers rubbed their eyes as if they had seen a ghost.
“C-Captain So-mu?”
Having heard his daughter’s Lion’s Roar, So-mu had rushed over. He had been watching from a distance, concealing his presence.
He stood between the archers and the Mountain Lord, clutching a single sword.
The fragments of the crossbow bolts lay scattered around him.
The soldiers stared at him in confusion. To think he would save a beast that was attacking his daughter. They could not understand.
So-mu put his hands behind his back and shook his head.
“It is not attacking her.”
Everyone’s gaze turned behind So-mu. An unbelievable sight was unfolding there.
The Mountain Lord’s tongue, larger than the child’s face, was licking So-so’s body.
“Eww!”
So-so’s clothes were drenched in an instant. She looked like a drowned rat.
“W-Why are you doing this, Darong?”
Having licked her front, the Mountain Lord flipped So-so over with its paw.
It then proceeded to lick her back.
Slurp!
The unit commander muttered in disbelief, “Is that…?”
So-mu let out a wry laugh.
“Yes. It’s bathing her. That’s how beasts clean. It seems it thinks of her as its cub.”
The tension had already dissipated once So-mu arrived. At his words, everyone burst into laughter.
“Pfft.”
“Hahaha.”