Chapter 455: I Promised

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DEURUREUREUREUT… DEURUREUREUREUT… !

While the wheels of the carriages turned without rest.

-Kang…… Kakang……!

From behind, far in the distance, the sound of weapons clashing was heard.

It seemed Bai Chu had frontally collided with the enemy’s forces.

And that sound became faint as the distance rapidly widened, then soon disappeared.

How long had they run?

KAKAK… KKIKKEUT!

A grating friction sound arose.

TEONG… !

The lead carriage vibrated once and then tilted diagonally.

One wheel had slipped out sideways.

Because of that, the underside of the carriage that had tilted to one side scraped and plowed the dirt ground.

KWAKWAKWAKWAK, KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAK……

In the commotion, the women who had been huddled together also UDANGTANG! Tumbled and became entangled to one side.

The horses being pulled in the tilting direction also lost their balance and fell.

TEOLPEOK… TEOLPEODEOK… !

In the midst of the two carriages precariously coming to a stop.

“Madam! Are you alright? Sisters, are you hurt? The younger ones……?”

Cho-hui, who had been in the driver’s seat and had tumbled to the ground, hurriedly got up and shouted.

Thereupon those in the group came out of the carriage one by one.

“Ukk…… Yes, I’m fine, child. Don’t worry too much.”

“Oww, it hurts. I just scraped my skin a little.”

“Yes, sister, I’m fine too.”

“And how are you, younger sister?”

The madam and the rest of the group were all unharmed without major injuries.

‘What a relief!’

Cho-hui, having felt relieved inside, looked to the side.

There, beneath a large tree, the wheel that had slipped out earlier was left sitting by itself.

The madam, with the composure befitting an elder, calmly gave orders.

“Now everyone, let’s combine our strength and put the Wheel back in.”

“Yes, madam.”

Cho-hui and the others, having answered in unison, each rolled up their sleeves and began the restoration work in cooperation.

But that task wasn’t as easy as they thought.

“Hnng…… Hnng……”

“Just a bit more strength……”

“Ah…… It’s hard. The gap…… Is too narrow. What do we do?”

Then Cho-hui let go and untied the rope connecting the horse to the carriage.

“Madam, there’s no choice But to split up two per horse and travel that way.”

“Hmmm, let’s do that, child.”

The madam agreed with those words too.

Thus the group formed pairs of two and began to move forward.

Cho-hui, having mounted a horse together with the madam, suddenly looked back.

Her eyes showed hope that Bai Chu would return.

But his figure was still nowhere to be seen.

In the space visible behind, only a stillness hung in the air.

Right then, the madam asked in a gentle tone.

“Is your heart troubled?”

“Yes……”

“This is the first time I’ve seen such eyes from you.”

“What do you mean? I don’t have any other intentions. Lord Bai is a savior who rescued our lives. So……”

Hearing those words, the madam formed a meaningful smile and then murmured.

“If we safely reach that country…… Try starting a new life. Leaving behind the life of a courtesan.”

“Pardon?”

“Haven’t you become thoroughly sick of it? What kind of life this chaotic war has brought…… Women like us are merely treated as war spoils. But that person seemed different.”

“Yes…… That’s right. He’s definitely a good person. Even so, the matter of love between man and woman is a bit different. I want a true partner. One who can cherish each other until we grow old and die…… Precisely because it’s an age where the saying ‘heroes love women’ is rampant…… As you well know? For those who sit in positions of power, love is as meaningless as children’s play-house……”

“Hut, you’re saying you’re hoping in your heart for it to be so.”

“Pardon?”

“That you hope Lord Bai is a person who will single-heartedly look only at one woman…… You want to confirm that heart of his?”

“……”

“Open your heart first and approach him to find out. If my eyes aren’t wrong…… That person also dreams of true love.”

“Do you think so?”

“That’s how I see it. If you wait and watch, won’t you naturally come to know?”

“He’ll definitely…… Come back, won’t he?”

“Of course. Let’s trust that person’s promise.”

The moment the madam finished speaking quietly.

DUDUDUDUDU, DUDUDUDUDU… !

A sound like several horses… Not just one… Rapidly approaching from the rear struck the ears of Cho-hui, the madam, and the rest of the group.

‘Ah!’

Cho-hui, whose heart dropped, firmly re-gripped the reins.

In an instant, cold sweat flowed and she felt dizzy.

‘In the end…… He fell in battle!’

That was probably the sound of the enemy pursuing them.

Right.

If not for that, would several horses be approaching this place?

Cho-hui, gripped by heightened crisis, didn’t even think to look back and spurred the horse to run faster.

“Hee-ya, hee-ya!”

But right then, a not unfamiliar shout burst out from behind her back.

“Wait! Stop for a moment! Miss! It’s me!”

Simultaneously, Cho-hui’s face lit up with joy.

Her heart become peaceful as if by a lie.

Drawn by that sense of relief, Cho-hui and her group all stopped their horses at once and turned their eyes toward the rear.

“You’ve returned!”

Cho-hui’s brief shout traveled across the distance.

As expected.

The sight of Bai Chu racing at high speed, leading four horses tied together on either side of the horse he rode in addition to his own, came into view.

It seemed he had disposed of the enemy and even seized spare horses for the journey on his way.

Before long, Bai Chu, having approached nearby, pulled the reins.

“Huuu…… It’s fortunate we meet again. I discovered the abandoned carriage on the way here and thought if I sped up just a bit more I’d meet you.”

His appearance as he spoke was covered in blood.

His entire body was stained bright red, giving off a rank smell.

Cho-hui, with a pale complexion, opened her mouth.

“L-lord! How did you come this far in that state……! First, you should tend to those wounds……!”

“Ah, no. It’s fine. I was just fighting frantically and ended up getting drenched in the enemy’s blood. It’s sticky, But there’s no particular injury.”

“Ah……! I-is that so? What a tremendous relief. We were all so worried……”

“Didn’t I say? That I’d safely bring you to our country. Isn’t a man who takes responsibility for words he’s spoken to the end a true man? I absolutely won’t die until then. No, I have no intention of dying. At least until the peaceful Prosperous era that all people living in this land wish for comes before our eyes……”

Hearing those words, Cho-hui formed a faint smile before she knew it.

Seeing that, Bai Chu’s complexion reddened slightly, then he soon reorganized the horses and urged them on.

“Now, let’s be on our way. It will be harder to move once night comes.”

One sicheon later, as the day darkened, the group hid in a suitable place in the valley and spent the night.

And when day broke, they resumed their journey along the narrow, winding forest path, dragging their exhausted bodies.

Thus the group finally reached the target border area.

Bai Chu, at the front, pointed to the mountain valley ahead and spoke.

“If we just pass through that valley, a main Road where our Army is positioned will appear. So hold out just a little longer. The horses are tired so it’s difficult to continue running like this, but by the time the sunset glows, we can arrive.”

Time flowed and flowed from then, and when the light of dusk began to faintly appear in the sky.

Cho-hui and the group led by Bai Chu safely arrived at the gorge leading to the main road formed in the mountain range area.

Cho-hui, gazing at the red sunset in the western sky, murmured.

“It feels as if that evening glow is sending a warm gesture toward us.”

Right then, a gust of wind blew sharply and disheveled the clothes and hair of the group.

HWIING, HWIING……

Perhaps because it was a mountain gorge with absolutely no sign of people.

Somehow it felt like goosebumps were rising.

Simultaneously, Bai Chu’s movement hitched, and he soon surveyed all directions where rocks and trees mingled.

“Lord, What’s wrong?”

At Cho-hui’s tilted-head question, Bai Chu quickly placed his index finger to his lips.

SHHT.

A wordless hand signal telling her to be quiet.

Such he let out a voice lowered to the minimum.

“There’s killing intent somewhere.”

No sooner had his words ended than hoofbeats and numerous footsteps mixed together rang out from everywhere in the gorge.

DUDUDU, DUDUDUDU…… TATATATATAT, TATATATATAT……!

Clouds of dust rose thickly from all directions.

Appearing along with the ground’s vibrations were soldiers of the enemy nation.

A war cry mixed with killing intent and fighting spirit echoed, and a cavalry of several dozen riders along with about a hundred infantry troops swarmed in perfect order into the middle of the gorge where the group was positioned.

Bai Chu, drawing his sword, shouted urgently.

“Dismount and take cover over there!”

He pointed to a spot not far away to the side, below a concave section of a cliff.

Cho-hui and the others, pale with terror, headed that way and hid their bodies, and in the meanwhile, the countless arrows shot by the enemy force poured down through the air.

SHWISHWISHWISHWISHWISHWIT, SHWISHWISHWISHWISHWISHWISHWIT… PABABABABAK, PABABABABABAK!

Thus dozens of arrows embedded themselves indiscriminately without distinguishing between things.

In the commotion, the horses that had been startled and prancing about also fell bleeding and died.

Bai Chu, with group who had taken shelter beneath the cliff space at his back, frantically knocked away the arrows that came crashing in succession.

But it was difficult for him alone to handle all those attacks.

PUK, PUPUK… !

Finally, as two arrows embedded themselves deep into his left thigh, bright red blood began to seep out.

“Kyaat! L-lord!”

Cho-hui, ashen-faced, let out a shrill voice.

But Bai Chu, busily wielding his sword, didn’t even look back and told her firmly.

“I’m fine, so don’t move rashly! I’ll somehow open an escape route!”

Such he, with movements as if he’d even forgotten the pain, gathered the dead horses and piled them up like a small levee behind him.

DUDUDUDUDU…… TATATATATATTAT……!

As the distance between both sides gradually narrowed, the general leading the cavalry and the general leading the infantry each burst out with angry shouts.

“Aren’t you Bai Chu! I haven’t forgotten your face!”

“How dare you recklessly enter the Lord’s land to spy, this shall be your grave!”

Bai Chu, having re-gripped his sword hilt, spewed out ferocious spirit toward the rapidly approaching horde.

It was the majesty of a brave general determined to fight to the death despite being heavily outnumbered.

Since the approach path was narrow, it was difficult for the enemy force to charge while maintaining their encirclement formation as it was.

So they gradually advanced in squad units while shooting arrows.

PEOK, PEOPEOK, PEOK… !

The sound of sharp arrows embedding without end.

But the source of those sounds was not Bai Chu’s body.

Before anyone noticed, he had lightly lifted one dead horse in one hand as if it were a shield and was using it to block the arrows.

It was truly tremendous arm strength.

Seeing that, the infantry general clicked his tongue.

“Crazy…… How can that be the strength of a person made of blood and flesh?”

But soon a cold sneer rose to his lips.

“Hut, in any case there’s no hole to escape through. Everyone, behead that rat trapped in a jar!”

“Waaaaaaaaa!”

The first squad of over ten men from the infantry charged with a battle cry.

But one after another, their heads flew off before Bai Chu’s fierce swordwork and they embarked on the road to the afterlife.

The subsequent troops who charged were the same.

PUHAAK, PUHAK, PUHAAAAAK… !

Every time Bai Chu’s sword flashed, enemies met death in gruesome states, spraying blood fountains.

Thus, when even the fourth squad of the infantry was annihilated, their leader, the general grabbed a large axe and rushed forward.

“Fellow! Troublesome to the end! Let’s finish the match we couldn’t complete!”

So the two men exchanged blows with savage momentum.

CHAENG… KAKANG… JJEOJJEONG… !

The identity of the enemy general was in fact Geum-hyo, one of the five highest-tier generals representing that nation.

He wasn’t a weak general to begin with, and Bai Chu had already depleted his stamina and was even injured, so it wasn’t easy to determine superiority.

CHYUHAAAAK… !

The instant Geum-hyo’s axe cleaved in half the horse that had been used as a shield.

PIPIPING… PUPUPUK!

Four arrows aimed at that opening embedded deeply into Bai Chu’s upper and lower body here and there.

Yet his swordwork toward his opponent was fierce beyond measure, and he displayed superhuman willpower to finally cut down Geum-hyo’s body.

TEOLPEODEOK…

Thus, when the pillar-like general lost his life, the enemy forces were so intimidated that they hesitated in their attack for a moment.

“Euuuh……”

“Th-that……!”

“Monster…… He’s a monster.”

Right then, Deok-bi, the cavalry’s leader and another general of the highest-tier rank, approached gripping a large saber.

“Gal! Stand aside! This body will be his opponent! You lot, watch for an opening and shoot arrows to assist!”

Thus, in the process of General Deok-bi and Bai Chu exchanging blows, several more arrows were additionally embedded.

Moreover.

CHWAHWAT!

He even sustained a deep stab wound in his side from Deok-bi’s large saber.

Still, Bai Chu did not yield and continued an evenly matched fight.

Meanwhile.

While the courtesan group in the rear had each closed their eyes tight in fear, only Cho-hui watched the sight while shedding tears, holding the madam in her arms.

‘Sob…… Lord, you’ve done…… Enough! Now…… Please look for a way to flee alone!’

But suddenly.

-Waaaaaaaaaaaa……!

An enormous war cry echoed from the enemy’s rear, and large-scale troops appeared and poured attacks.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKKWANG…… CHAECHAECHAECHAECHAENG……!

The moment the enemy line, startled by the sudden attack, rapidly began to crumble.

SHUKAAAAAK… PEOGEOUK!

Bai Chu, having exploited the opening of the startled Deok-bi and split his head with his sword, soon sat down TEOLSSEOK! On the ground and laughed silently.

‘Hut, you came just in time.’

The identity of the troops that had struck the enemy line was the royal guard led by none other than his childhood friend Huan Hou.