Chapter 242: Under the Same Sky (3)
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The thunderous drumbeats signaling the march echoed relentlessly from the Hui camp.
If an army reacts passively when the enemy advances, it inevitably takes a severe toll on the soldiers’ morale.
The coalition forces also scrambled to form their lines and prepare for their own advance.
“Forward! Today, the history of the Hui Dynasty comes to an end!!!”
Commanders galloped back and forth on horseback, roaring to boost morale.
Although the coalition forces numbered nearly a hundred thousand, compared to the size of the enemy, they were but a handful.
The Hui army’s formation, filling the entire plain and marching endlessly, was enough to make anyone lose courage just by looking at it.
The two armies halted about a hundred zhang apart. It was a distance close enough that if an ordinary person shouted, they could be heard on the other side.
“Do not worry about their numbers! We are warriors worth a hundred men each! Each of us will take on twenty!”
Although commanders continued to shout encouragement everywhere, no battle cries answered them.
The soldiers only tilted their heads in confusion. As the distance closed, they could finally see the faces of their opponents.
They were not the Hui soldiers they had faced until now.
Tattered cloth clothes and slumped shoulders. Most of them did not even wear armor, and instead of weapons, they clutched farm tools as if they had been dragged straight out of their fields.
There were even women holding wooden sticks with awkward postures, and children mixed in here and there.
As if they had not been fed in days, every single one of them looked gaunt and hollow-eyed.
“W-What is that?”
“Are we supposed to fight those people?”
The regular Hui army was waiting closely behind the commoners, driving them forward.
If the battle began, it would instantly turn into a merciless slaughter. Unless one was a born killer, who would welcome such a thing? Even the soldiers doing the killing would find it hard to retain their sanity.
The wavering will to fight of the coalition soldiers—that was exactly what the Hui Dynasty had intended.
“What detestable bastards. To use such a barbaric tactic.”
At the vanguard of the central army, So-mu looked to his side to find Sama Cheol, the fierce commander of the volunteer army, grinding his teeth.
It was not just him. The absolute masters representing the coalition forces were all gathered in one place. From the legendary generals of various states to the top experts of the orthodox sects. With the vanguard gathered in the center, the strength of the left and right wings would inevitably be drastically weakened.
Under normal circumstances, this was a situation that should never have happened.
“One who treats his people’s lives as cheaper than flies is no emperor. Today, we will make him pay the price.”
Just then, Yue Fei sent So-mu a message via internal transmission, his expression grim.
– I know you are not one to make empty boasts. But is that method really possible? No matter how much I think about it, I cannot picture it.
So-mu nodded almost imperceptibly.
– I have verified it myself, so there will be no issue.
– We will trust you and leave everything in your hands.
So-mu glanced around. Nine masters were gathered in one place. They were the core strength of the coalition forces.
Among them, Il-gwang’s expression was particularly ominous. He wore the face he only made when he could not control his rage.
“Why the face? Did something happen?” So-mu asked.
Il-gwang raised a massive forefinger to point. While normal soldiers could not make it out, it was clear as day to So-mu.
He was pointing at the members of the Divine Demon Cult who were interspersed among the commoners to control them. Specifically, at one of them.
“Leave that bastard to me, Captain.”
“Do as you wish. If you can.”
At that moment, the drumbeats suddenly began to accelerate.
Taking a deep breath, the Hui forces were about to launch their charge.
Watching from the other side, the coalition soldiers swallowed hard and braced themselves.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
With the accelerating drums, the distance between the two sides shrank rapidly.
And just as the distance closed to about fifty zhang.
“Halt!”
As the command flag was raised, the coalition’s march ground to a halt simultaneously. It was a synchronized movement that would have been impossible without rigorous training.
“The enemy vanguard has entered our firing range. Are we really not going to shoot?”
The general in charge of the central army’s archers asked, his doubt understandable.
So-mu nodded immediately without hesitation.
“Do not loose a single arrow until I give the command.”
“…Understood.”
Before they knew it, the distance had closed enough that they could recognize the faces of those opposite them.
The coalition soldiers at the vanguard raised their swords and shields. The commoners rushing toward them looked like moths flying into a flame.
At this point, they could not stop. If they did, they would be trampled to death by the crowd surging from behind.
“Aaaah!”
“Aaagh!”
The commoners screamed in desperation. They knew they were running toward their deaths.
How could anyone face this situation sober? They had to force out screams to drive themselves mad enough to keep moving.
The coalition soldiers felt their hearts grow heavy as they watched. Not a single battle cry was raised.
It was not just the soldiers who viewed this situation with despair. Unease was also spreading through the command.
“General, the soldiers’ morale is wavering. The enemy’s regular forces will strike at the worst possible moment. If that happens…”
“That will not happen.”
The moment So-mu’s words ended, a thunderous roar erupted from somewhere.
ROOOOOAAAR!!!
It was a staggering sound, like hearing a clap of thunder right next to one’s ear.
In that instant, a miracle occurred as the massive army charging toward the coalition froze in its tracks.
The coalition soldiers were not unaffected either.
The sheer sound sent waves of shock through the crowd, causing people to stumble and fall, throwing the lines into chaos.
“Ack!”
“Ugh, what was that?”
“What on earth just happened?”
Before the confusion could clear, a violent gust of wind swept across the battlefield, accompanied by a tremor in the earth.
No one could collect their thoughts.
So-mu slowly turned his head toward the rugged mountain to the left.
There, So-so, who had unleashed the Dragon-Roar Lion’s Roar with her full internal energy, was waving her hand with a pale face.
He could not help but feel proud of his daughter for executing her role so brilliantly.
‘Well done, my daughter.’
Meanwhile, the soldiers of both camps who had stopped just before clashing were left hovering in place, frozen in awkward postures.
A moment later, the Hui commanders at the rear regained their composure and raised their hands to order the attack. At that very moment, another bizarre phenomenon struck the battlefield.
Tring—!
A single wave of sound infused with immense internal energy rippled across the horizon of the plain. Its source was the rugged mountain to the right.
The clear, resonant melody of a seven-string zither vibrated like ripples on water. Everyone who heard it felt their minds instantly clear.
Yet, this was no time to be leisurely enjoying music.
Facing each other, the soldiers gripped their weapons once more. But just as they were about to move, the sound of a tung flute wailed from the mountain peak on the left.
Pwoooo—!
The melody of the tung flute, infused with a thousand years of internal energy, spread unfailingly to every corner of the battlefield.
As if waiting, the seven-string zither on the right mountain peak began to play in earnest.
As the duet of the tung flute and the seven-string zither commenced, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Regardless of whether they were friend or foe, soldiers began to shiver. They were trembling with emotion.
After a few minutes, some were so overcome by their feelings that they began to weep openly.
The completed True One-Heart Flute Melody. It was the moment it was revealed to the world for the first time.
Those who possessed more than sixty years of internal energy were unaffected, but they were only a small minority.
While everyone was spellbound by the beautiful melody, So-mu murmured softly among the commanders.
“There was a music score left behind by the immortals. It was said to contain a secret that could move the world. And now, I think I finally understand the true meaning of that duet.”
General Jin Gwang of the Po State, who was fully immersed in the music next to him, asked reflexively, “What is it?”
“It means that when hearts become one, everyone can laugh together. This duet is merely the medium that brings it about.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a hearty laugh boomed from somewhere.
“Hahaha! Hahaha!”
It was a laugh filled with deep internal energy. Surprisingly, the speaker was Cloud Dragon Beggar, the Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Sect.
Appearing in the center of the two camps clutching his Dog-Beating Staff, he began to dance without restraint.
“In a life lived only once, we don’t even have enough time to enjoy ourselves! Why waste our time here? Since we are all brothers and neighbors living under the same sky, what does winning or losing matter?”
It was not a simple shout, but a song. His ability to keep beat with the rhythm of the True One-Heart Flute Melody was remarkable.
Unconsciously, everyone’s gaze naturally gravitated toward him.
“Where is the time for this? Let us shake off the chaotic affairs of the world and laugh together! Let everyone lay down their weapons and return to their hometowns! Go home and dip your feet in the stream with your brothers! Return to the homes where your parents await you! Hahaha! Hahaha!”
Laughing heartily, he threw his Dog-Beating Staff with all his might.
The Sect Leader’s Dog-Beating Staff was no ordinary weapon. He had thrown away the sacred symbol of the Beggars’ Sect’s dignity.
Seeing their Sect Leader discard his weapon, how could the disciples of the Beggars’ Sect remain still? The Beggars’ Sect made up the largest portion of the coalition’s martial forces.
“To hell with this war, I’m going to get something to eat!”
“Good luck to the rest of you!”
Hundreds of bamboo staffs soared into the sky at once.
Having discarded their weapons, the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect turned back without hesitation and left the battlefield. Everyone watched their retreating backs in a daze.
So-mu took a step forward toward the Hui camp and spoke.
“Everyone, lay down your weapons!”
His voice, spreading like a massive wave, reached every single soldier on the battlefield.
Following their commander’s order, the soldiers of the So State were the first to cast their weapons to the ground.
Clang! Clatter! Clank!
The sound of tens of thousands of swords and shields hitting the ground echoed endlessly.
The commoners and Hui soldiers facing them were no different. Without needing to be told, they began throwing their weapons down.
“Even if I die tomorrow, I must go see my wife and children today!”
“Mother, I am coming home!”
As the mood ripened, So-mu’s voice echoed like thunder.
“Return to your hometowns where your families await! From this day forward, war will no longer be tolerated on this land! I, So-mu, Great General of the So State, will break this cycle of evil starting now!”
He marched forward with giant strides toward where the Hui Emperor would be. Eight men followed him in tight formation—the fiercest generals selected from the militaries of various states and the absolute masters of the martial world.
Seeing things reach this point, the Hui command was thrown into utter panic. Most of them were members of the Divine Demon Cult.
“What are you doing! Attack!”
“Anyone who breaks formation will be executed!”
They threatened and screamed, but it was useless. They had lost all control.
The army of nearly two million had already discarded their weapons and was scattering in all directions.
Furthermore, scenes of coalition and Hui soldiers embracing and weeping together were unfolding everywhere.
War was no longer on anyone’s mind. At the rear of the coalition forces, a large number of supply units appeared, distributing food to the commoners heading back to their homes. The boundary between friend and foe had vanished.
All that remained was the battle between the commanders of both sides. Their victory or defeat would decide everything.
“Leave the Emperor to me.”
So-mu’s gaze was fixed on a single figure as he marched forward.
Protected by a tight guard was a figure in golden armor adorned with twin dragons. He was undoubtedly the Hui Emperor and the Cult Leader of the Divine Demon Cult.
Just then, someone to his left muttered, grinding his teeth.
“Don’t anyone touch the bastard standing third from the right.”
The man Il-gwang pointed to was one of the Divine Demon Cult elders wearing a deeply pulled-down bamboo hat.
At that moment, someone approached from the rugged mountain to the right with swift, ethereal footwork. Moving like an immortal walking on clouds, it was Yeon Seo-hwa, who had been playing the seven-string zither for the True One-Heart Flute Melody.
She naturally fell into step beside So-mu.
While everyone was advancing toward their final target, one person was heading in the opposite direction.
“Darong!”
At So-so’s call, the Mountain Lord, who had been waiting nearby, appeared like a flash of lightning.
Leaping onto its back, So-so pulled the reins toward Chang’an.
“Let’s go, quick!”