Chapter 221: The Immortal Music Physique and the True One-Heart Flute Melody (1)
The tumultuous operation to rescue the Shaolin Temple had been successfully completed.
The journey back along the Yellow River was relatively comfortable. This was only natural, as their fleet had already destroyed the Hui warships on the way there.
Upon arriving in Shaanxi, the members of the Martial Alliance moved to Mount Hua. The peak, which had been nearly deserted, was currently serving as the Alliance’s temporary headquarters.
Meanwhile, So-mu’s family had just arrived back at their home.
Screeech—!
The moment the front gate swung open, So-so ran inside first.
“Dalong! How have you been?”
The crouching Mountain Lord leaped to his feet. He rushed over and began licking So-so all over, clearly overjoyed to see her.
“Hehe! That tickles!”
Beside himself with excitement, the Mountain Lord rolled over onto his back. Seizing the opportunity, So-so quickly scrambled onto him and began scratching his side.
Grrr—!
From behind them, So-mu and Yeon Seo-hwa watched the sight with warm, satisfied smiles.
Seeing the pig bones scattered around the yard, it was obvious that Il-gwang had kept the beast well-fed during their absence.
“I need to head to the fortress palace, so I’ll go wash up first,” So-mu said.
At that moment, Yeon Seo-hwa’s smiling expression stiffened.
“You’re always the only one who’s busy.”
So-mu understood his wife’s feelings all too well. Having just returned home, he had to prepare to head right back out, so she was bound to feel a bit lonely.
“How about tonight we boil some chicken and eat it together as a family on Mount Yangju?”
“If you say so.”
Though a trace of disappointment still lingered on her face, her tone showed that she had softened. So-mu chuckled softly and headed into the kitchen.
Once he was out of sight, Yeon Seo-hwa slipped quietly and naturally into So-so’s room.
The small room, barely two pyeong in size, was neatly arranged with only the bare essentials, such as bedding.
‘Where would be a good spot?’
After glancing around, her eyes settled on the wardrobe. She took the Buddhist relics and the manual of the Tathagata Palm from her robe and placed them on top. Though they were peerless treasures, she had no immediate need for them, so she put them away safely.
When she stepped back outside, So-so, who was sitting on the Mountain Lord’s belly, laughed brightly and yelled, “I’m hungry!”
Come to think of it, it was indeed time for breakfast. Yeon Seo-hwa couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter, who never missed a meal.
“Alright, let’s leave your heartless father behind and go get something delicious to eat.”
At the mention of eating out, So-so jumped up in excitement.
“Can Yeong-yeong come with us too?!”
Yeon Seo-hwa looked over the wall toward the neighboring house and let out a sigh.
Il-gwang was standing in front of her sister’s room, guarding it like an escort warrior. He stood absolutely still, without even blinking, as if he were guarding the Emperor himself.
‘Oh, that stubborn bear of a man. It looks like he stood guard outside all night long. He should have just gone in and laid down next to her.’
Having set the stage for them, she had been hoping for some progress. It was clear their hearts were aligned, but their complete lack of progress was incredibly frustrating.
“Sure. The neighbors took good care of Dalong while we were away, so the least we can do is buy them breakfast.”
As soon as she got permission, So-so began her sprint.
“Uncle Il-gwang!”
Ta-at!
Stepping off the wall, So-so leaped high into the air, spun once, and plummeted straight down like a hawk. It was a surprise attack. She had played this kind of prank many times, so her movements were completely natural.
Until now, her uncle had easily blocked every single one of her attacks. However, So-so had forgotten one crucial detail: her internal energy had now surpassed five cycles of mastery.
The girl’s tiny fist, held high in the air, gleamed as brightly as the sun.
“Hiyah!”
Il-gwang, who had already sensed her approach, thrust his palm forward as usual.
The small fist came hurtling down like a thunderbolt. On the surface, it looked no different from her usual strikes, but something felt off. Sensing an inexplicable danger, Il-gwang quickly gathered his protective qi in his palm.
Clang—!!!
“Ugh!”
It felt as if his palm had been pierced. With a sharp groan, his massive, bull-like frame was forced back a step. How could such a tiny body produce such devastating power?
“Oh my, what on earth have you been eating to get this strong? A little more, and you’ll be beating up your uncle!”
“Hehehe! Uncle, let’s go eat something delicious!”
Il-gwang rotated his aching wrist and asked, “All of us?”
“Yes! Aunt Cho-hee and Yeong-yeong too!”
At the mention of Cho-hee, Il-gwang’s face turned red.
Just then, the door to the small room opened, and a young girl with twin pigtails stepped out. It was Yeong-yeong, whose hair had grown quite a bit.
“So-so, really?”
“Yeah! My mom is buying!”
Yeong-yeong approached Il-gwang with a bright smile and tugged at his sleeve.
“Let’s go together, Mister.”
Il-gwang’s massive hand gently stroked Yeong-yeong’s head.
“Of course! If our Yeong-yeong says go, then we go!”
“Hehe.”
Before leaving the Emei Sect, the girl had been cloaked in darkness, filled only with painful memories. Now, however, no trace of that darkness remained. Under the care of Cho-hee and Il-gwang, she had finally opened her heart. Il-gwang, too, adored Yeong-yeong.
A moment later, Cho-hee and Yeon Seo-hwa joined them. Il-gwang crouched down and opened his arms wide.
“Alright, let’s go!”
He hoisted both So-so and Yeong-yeong onto his broad, mountain-ridge-like shoulders. Watching him lead the way with a child on each shoulder, Yeon Seo-hwa and Cho-hee burst into laughter at the comical sight.
About a hundred feet away on the path, So-mu watched them with a pleased smile. Though he couldn’t join them, just seeing them happy brought him joy.
‘My sister-in-law seems to like him too, and Yeong-yeong is fond of him. All that’s left is for them to start a family. Hang in there, Il-gwang.’
It seemed all he needed was a little bit of courage.
Once they disappeared from view, So-mu turned and headed toward the fortress palace. His destination was Jang-yang’s office. His returned subordinates would have already reported his arrival. Knowing that Jang-yang must be waiting, he couldn’t afford to waste time.
Although the commoners were urged not to use lightness techniques inside the city to avoid causing alarm, So-mu was an exception. No one even caught a glimpse of him as he darted across the rooftops. That is, until he arrived right in front of his destination.
Whoosh—!
A concealed weapon infused with qi flew straight toward the space between So-mu’s brows. Despite the sudden ambush, it was not difficult to dodge since he had already anticipated it. He tilted his head slightly, and a flying dagger grazed past him.
As he stopped moving, a transmission resounded in his mind.
—Do not blame me. Anyone approaching like that would be attacked.
The one who had ambushed him was the King of Assassins, Baekri-hyeon.
So-mu’s gaze locked onto the roof of the office.
—You are indeed the finest bodyguard in the Central Plains.
—My true profession is an assassin.
—Well, depending on how you look at it, it’s a paper-thin difference. Why not change your profession this time? It seems your current job suits you much better.
No reply came. If so, it was neither agreement nor refusal. Leaping down from the opposite pavilion, So-mu wore a knowing smile.
“Haha, then I shall head inside.”
The guards standing at the entrance noticed him and snapped to attention.
“Loyalty!”
“You’ve all worked hard. Is the Chief Administrator inside?”
The highest-ranking guard stepped forward to report.
“Yes. The General told us to send you in as soon as you arrived.”
“Lead the way.”
Creak—
The scene revealed behind the opening door was exactly as he had expected. Inside were Jang-yang and another guest: the military strategist, Jin Yu-so. Both rose from their seats with warm smiles, welcoming his return.
“I heard the news. You truly went through a lot of trouble.”
“You’ve worked hard, General. Please, sit.”
So-mu greeted Jang-yang and Jin Yu-so, then sat down across from them.
“Has something good happened? You look younger, Chief Administrator.”
“Hahaha! What else could it be? Working for the people and seeing them happy makes me feel tireless even without sleep, and full even without food.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
“Haha. It is only possible because you are taking care of our national defense. Thanks to you, I can govern the internal affairs with peace of mind.”
“I am still lacking in many ways. At any rate, our goal is not far off.”
“Indeed. It certainly is.”
Jin Yu-so filled So-mu’s teacup and spoke.
“As the General said, the Chief Administrator wishes to end this war quickly.”
So-mu was already well aware of this. The longer the war dragged on, the more devastated the lives of the common people would become, resulting in nothing but unnecessary sacrifices.
A strategic map was spread across the table. When So-mu’s gaze fell upon it, Jang-yang picked up two marker flags. He planted the flags on Luoyang and Kaifeng, one after the other.
“We will capture Luoyang, then enter Kaifeng to capture the Emperor.”
“Will that end all of this?”
Jang-yang nodded.
“The Hui Dynasty is held together solely by the Emperor’s reign of terror. In their current unstable state, if the imperial family is eliminated, the conquered nations and ethnic minorities will all rise up at once.”
“If that happens, won’t the country fracture into dozens of smaller states?”
“They will simply return to their original owners. Afterward, our state of So will play the role of peacekeeper, backed by our overwhelming economic and military strength.”
“If everything goes according to plan… a true era of peace will finally arrive.”
“Yes. To achieve that, we need extensive preparations and must put various safeguards in place to ensure a tyrant never rises again.”
Just thinking about it made his heart swell. It felt so close he could reach out and touch it, but it wouldn’t be as easy as it seemed.
Jin Yu-so handed him a pre-prepared logistics report.
“When do you plan to set out? The materials for the Hoeryong Cannon that you requested have all been prepared.”
“There is no reason to hesitate, so I plan to hurry. However, I am not sure if we will have a chance to use the Hoeryong Cannon.”
It was a new weapon they had spent so much effort preparing. To say they might not use it after going through the trouble of gathering the materials was surprising, but Jin Yu-so nodded in agreement, as if he had already anticipated this.
“I agree. The enemy also knows we have prepared the Hoeryong Cannon, so they won’t try to fight a siege battle.”
No matter how high or thick the walls, they were useless against the Hoeryong Cannon. Choosing a siege would be asking to be isolated.
And there was another reason. So-mu took a few flags and planted them one by one near Luoyang on the map.
“Wanyan Hui will try to decide the battle in the open field, making full use of his main force, the cavalry. It will likely be around these areas.”
Luoyang was surrounded by vast plains, making it highly advantageous terrain for cavalry. The enemy would undoubtedly want to fight where they had the greatest advantage.
A shadow of worry lingered on Jin Yu-so’s face.
“We have received intelligence that armored cavalry have recently been spotted near Luoyang. It will not be an easy battle, and I am concerned. Will it be alright?”
“We also have elite forces capable of matching a hundred men each. Furthermore, we have reliable allies joining us, so do not worry too much.”
Since they were at an overwhelming disadvantage in terms of numbers, they could not afford to lose even a single battle. To aid in the war effort, the warriors of the Martial Alliance were being mobilized, and reinforcements from the state of Po were expected to arrive soon. Furthermore…
Jang-yang, who had been listening quietly, spoke in a low voice.
“We must stake everything on this. General Yue Fei, who leads the volunteer army in Fancheng, and General Han Shi-zhong, who is stationed in Xiangyang Fortress, have also completed their preparations to march.”