Chapter 96: The Little General (1)
After finishing her daily routine, So-so descended Mount Dingjun and returned to the barracks.
She had received ten copper coins as allowance from her master. Holding her tung flute, she skipped along, looking very pleased.
“Hehe. What should I buy to eat?”
As soon as she entered Hanzhong, she headed straight for the market. Among the stalls lined up, one caught the child’s eye.
“Tanghulu!”
Skewered hawthorn berries coated in sugar syrup—this was So-so’s absolute favorite snack. So-so trotted over and handed the vendor three copper coins.
“Give me one, please.”
“Hello, pretty child! You’re here again? Here, I’ll give you the biggest one.”
“Thank you!”
So-so was a regular customer at this stall.
Bowing politely, she set off to explore the streets, which lay along the path back to the military barracks.
Licking the tanghulu like a cat, she grinned from ear to ear.
“Mmm, delicious.”
After walking about three hundred feet, she met someone she knew. It was an orderly she often saw in her grandfather’s office.
“What are you doing, mister?”
“Oh, So-so? I’m posting a public notice.”
“What’s a public notice?”
“It’s a guide or announcement from the General to the local residents.”
“Do you want a bite?”
The orderly looked down. So-so was offering her tanghulu skewer to his mouth.
“A-Ah, no thanks. I just ate. I’m busy, so I must get going.”
“Okay, goodbye!”
Walking a bit further, she saw dozens of residents gathered around, murmuring noisily.
“A relief squad?”
“They say the General is requesting volunteers.”
“Then what are you hesitating for? We should sign up, man!”
Curious, So-so squeezed in to get a closer look. A notice was posted at the top of the wall.
『Notice for the Recruitment of Civilian Relief Squad Members.
The residents of northern Shaanxi are facing severe hardships.
To provide them with relief, your help is desperately needed.
Qualifications: No restrictions
Compensation: Meals provided
Inquiries: Wolf Fang Squad training grounds, Military Headquarters
From: Governor-General of Anxi, Jang-yang』
Although she looked at the notice, she could not understand what it meant. She was learning to read, but she still did not know many characters.
She listened to the residents whispering.
“If they are going to northern Shaanxi, does it mean our army is launching a counteroffensive?”
“Of course. Didn’t they completely sweep away the bastards who invaded from Chang’an not long ago? Now it’s our turn to repay them.”
“Is it safe?”
“It’s relief work in areas secured by our army, so it should be fine. But did it say the Wolf Fang Squad training grounds?”
“If we are lucky, we might see the heroes of Hanzhong training.”
“Then we should go take a look.”
The streets of Hanzhong were buzzing with talk of the relief squad.
Squeezing through the crowd, So-so asked, “How do you do relief work?”
A young girl was licking her tanghulu at a bystander’s waist, her eyes sparkling. At her curious age, this was only natural. A kind-looking middle-aged man answered her.
“It means distributing food to the hungry and helping those in need.”
“Are there many hungry people?”
“Of course. That region was occupied by the Hui Dynasty, and they took all their food. Most of them are starving to death.”
“Oh… How sad that they have no food and are hungry…”
“That’s why we’re going to help them.”
The middle-aged man felt a lump in his throat looking at the sad child. Her pure heart wishing to help those in need was truly commendable.
He was about to say something more when he gasped. With a gust of wind, the child vanished without a trace.
Whoosh!
Running in a single breath to the Wolf Fang Squad’s training grounds, So-so was astonished. Hundreds of people had already gathered, packing the area. Even now, the crowd was growing.
So-so queued up with them. Seeing a tiny child standing in line to join the relief squad was highly amusing. The man standing next to her asked with a smile, “Are you waiting in line to see the Wolf Fang Squad?”
“Yes! Hehe.”
The middle-aged man patted So-so’s head as if he had expected it.
Fifteen minutes later, their turn came.
Twelve tables were set up in the training grounds, and members of the Wolf Fang Squad sat writing documents, looking extremely busy. Among them was her father.
So-mu was by far the busiest. Since he was not used to administrative work and the residents focused on lining up before him, he did not even have time to lift his head.
When had he ever performed such desk work? It was not as easy as it seemed. Although he sensed a familiar and natural presence nearby, he did not have the spare attention to look up.
Writing furiously, he asked, “What is your name?”
“It’s So-so!”
Startled, So-mu raised his head. His daughter was leaning over the table, grinning at him.
“Why are you here?”
“Hehe. I’m going to help the hungry people too.”
“Sigh…”
It was something he had never imagined. Still, he could not blame her for pitying those in need. If it was relief work in the rear, he actually welcomed it.
“You can’t go just like that.”
“Why not?”
“There is a condition.”
So-so’s large eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“What is the condition?”
“First, go change into a military uniform. I’ll tell you when you return.”
“Hehe. You must keep your promise, Father!”
***
Two hours later.
In the seat where So-mu had been sitting, a different figure was now seated.
“What is your name?”
“Ahem! I am Jeong-cheol.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-seven.”
“Where is your hometown?”
“Su County, not far from here. A fishing village.”
“Then have you been on a boat? I have! Hehe.”
A young girl dressed in a military uniform was holding a brush and firing questions one after another.
So-so’s designated position in the squad was administrative assistant. Helping the clerks with paperwork was not a problem.
Once the questions were finished, So-so handed over a sheet of paper.
“When the bell at the Guard Battalion watchtower rings, gather here with this. Understood?”
“Ah, yes. Can I go now?”
“Wait a moment!”
So-so pulled a steamed bun from the box behind her and handed it over.
“You’re hungry, right? Eat this on your way.”
“T-Thank you… Keep up the good work.”
“Next, please!”
The uncles of the Wolf Fang Squad watched So-so work with admiration. Standing behind her, Cheong-hae and Hyeon-jeong of the Mount Hua Sect whispered to each other during their break.
“Wow… Senior, So-so’s efficiency is no joke.”
“She has already processed over fifty people without taking a break.”
“She actually has a talent for administration.”
“Definitely. Except for the weird questions, she is much faster than the commander.”
***
Having successfully escaped thanks to his daughter, So-mu headed to Mount Dingjun. As he approached the hermitage, the savory aroma of cooking drifted over, stimulating his appetite.
‘Come to think of it, it’s time to prepare dinner.’
He heard movement in the kitchen. Yeon Seo-hwa was boiling something in a small cauldron. With her hair tied back and wearing an apron, she exuded a gentle, elegant charm.
“What are you making?”
“You arrived just in time. It’s Bogyetang.”
Bogyetang was a dish made by simmering chicken with minimal seasoning.
“Should I help?”
Glancing at So-mu, her lips curled into a small smile.
“If you want.”
Yeon Seo-hwa gathered the utensils and moved to the pavilion. Left alone, So-mu scanned the kitchen and grabbed a few ingredients. He added ginseng, astragalus root, and jujubes to the pot, then seasoned it with salt.
Fifteen minutes later, once the food was ready, the two sat opposite each other in the pavilion.
“You seem free today. Is it alright for you to be here?”
“So-so is working in my place.”
So-mu explained what had happened. Yeon Seo-hwa burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Making So-so work so you could leave? Isn’t that too much?”
“I just gave it a try to see, and she did surprisingly well. Though she still has a long way to go to match me. But thanks to that, I got to see you like this, didn’t I?”
“I should thank my disciple then. When are you going to tell her?”
He knew exactly what she meant. Eventually, they had to tell So-so about their relationship.
“If we tell her suddenly, she might be shocked. We need to let her find out naturally.”
Amused by his reaction, Yeon Seo-hwa teased him.
“Why can’t you just tell her that her father and master are close at heart? Tell her to start calling me ‘mother’ from now on.”
“Sigh. I will tell her soon.”
Yeon Seo-hwa could not stop laughing for a long time. Once she calmed down, she asked, “Looking at your face, you have something on your mind. You’re worried about So-so joining the relief squad, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. With So-so’s level of martial arts, there shouldn’t be any danger, but I still worry.”
“To survive in this harsh world, nothing is more important than experience. Besides, it’s helping others in a non-combat area, right?”
“True. The constables of the Guard Battalion will be escorting them, too.”
“Those kids practicing demonic arts in Hanzhong? So-so will probably have to protect them instead. They are just chicks who have barely taken their first steps.”
So-mu chuckled at her words.
“Haha. To someone at the Peak Demon Realm, the constables would indeed look cute.”
“But aren’t you underestimating your daughter? Just in case, you taught her the best survival techniques. From the Sword Saint’s lightfoot technique to the Demonic Cult’s Heavenly Demon Phantom Steps. If So-so decides to run away, even an expert of the Flower Realm would struggle to catch her.”
“That is true…”
Yeon Seo-hwa rested her chin on her hand and asked casually, “Should I help?”
“You…?”
“When it comes to So-so, it’s not someone else’s business to me.”
“Do you mean you will go with the relief squad?”
“Just to get some fresh air. Staying in the mountains all the time is a bit suffocating.”
By Yeon Seo-hwa’s side, So-so would be safer than anywhere else. With that, So-mu no longer had to worry.
“The relief squad has just gained the best supporter.”
“More importantly, let’s see how our husband seasoned this.”
Yeon Seo-hwa ladled the chicken soup into two bowls and handed one to him. Then she took a spoonful. So-mu watched her with anticipation.
“How is it?”
“It’s delicious. First the noodles and now this, you have quite a talent. Where did you learn?”
So-mu took a spoonful and said sheepishly, “Before coming here, I ran a tavern in Baiyang County.”
Yeon Seo-hwa’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“The Sword Saint ran a tavern?”
“The Soho Tavern in Baiyang County.”
Visualizing the scene, she laughed for a long time before saying, “What a pity. I didn’t get to taste the food at the Soho Tavern.”
“Haha. You should have visited.”
“And risk dying while eating?”
“Back then, I was just a tavern keeper, and I had sworn not to use martial arts. If you didn’t attack me, I would have cooked for you even if the Cult Leader himself showed up.”
Resting her chin on her hand, Yeon Seo-hwa said boldly, “Make them for me one by one from now on.”
“Hmm…?”
“The dishes of the Soho Tavern. You said So-so hasn’t tried them either, right? It would be nice if you came by occasionally and cooked for us.”
So-mu recalled how his daughter had happily eaten the noodles he made not long ago. Lately, she had been asking to eat them again. Furthermore, he had not even cooked the tavern’s signature dishes for her yet.
“Well… when I have time.”
The two happily ate the Bogyetang together. Since the incident with Granny Eunhwa, they had grown much closer.
“When can we start practicing the True One-Heart Flute Melody?”
“We can’t do it now because our breathing doesn’t match… I need to reach complete mastery of the Dragon-Striking Lion’s Roar. I’m only at sixty percent mastery right now.”
“You’re already at sixty percent?”
“Her talent is astonishing. You should have seen the scoundrels of the Martial Alliance gaping in shock at her talent, calling her a child born with the qualities of a Heavenly Demon.”
The scoundrels she referred to were likely the elder experts of the Martial Alliance. Since both the leaders of the righteous and demonic factions recognized his daughter’s talent, how could he not feel proud? So-mu smiled warmly.
“Come to think of it, you also taught her hidden weapons?”
Yeon Seo-hwa raised her head, revealing her delicate jawline, and said haughtily, “I will pass down everything to her, except for demonic arts.”