Chapter 48

Yi Sa was a volunteer soldier from the Wolsugun. He had just enlisted not long ago, quite some time after Yizhou had fallen to Liu Bei. With Zhuge Liang taking charge of Yizhou’s administration, many things had changed.

Wanting to leave the countryside, Yi Sa was tempted by the promise of a stable salary and knocked on the military gate. Coincidentally, they were gathering reinforcements for the battle in Hanzhong, so Yi Sa quickly became a soldier.

But now, Yi Sa was seized by the urge to punch the official who had told him those stories. He also wanted to slap his past self for falling for those fancy words and enlisting.

What kind of mess was this? Did he think he could rise through the ranks with martial arts? In the midst of such a fierce battlefield of death?

The stories the official told about a general rising from the ranks must have been about those rare monsters born for battle, not an ordinary country bumpkin like him. Otherwise, it made no sense.

“Damn it… this is a dog’s death, a dog’s death!”

His body shook like a leaf. His arm holding the spear wouldn’t move properly. He had learned something in the military camp, but his mind was blank, and he couldn’t remember anything.

The enemy was approaching. He had drawn his sword, not knowing where his spear had gone. Only then did Yi Sa recall that in a chaotic battlefield, a sword was more convenient than a spear. He needed to draw his sword, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

Before the battle, the veterans had taught him how to deal with the tension that made it hard to move. But those moments were ultimately meaningless. The soldiers beside him shouted at him. Raise your spear! Look ahead! Don’t retreat!

But none of those sounds reached Yi Sa’s ears.

“Ahhhh!”

When Yi Sa finally succumbed to fear and collapsed, the veteran soldiers cursed and filled his empty spot.

The small retreat began like that. Like a massive dam collapsing from a tiny crack, the veterans’ concentration quickly waned, and they began to retreat gradually. The price of a breach in the formation.

But the Liu Bei army wasn’t one to let that slide. The commander quickly deployed an intermediate commander to the retreating front.

“The intermediate commander is here! Everyone, hold on a little longer!”

The intermediate commander was the lowest of the low, not even worthy of being called an officer, but he was still far above the average soldier. He had survived numerous battles and proven his strength.

To the ordinary soldiers, he was their protector and the wall that held back the enemy. Morale rose. Even Yi Sa, who had been lying dazed, saw the intermediate commander’s heavy armor and felt a glimmer of hope.

“Can… can I survive?”

As hope returned, a faint spark of courage reignited. Yi Sa picked up the spear he had dropped and struggled to his feet. It was late, but he followed the training he had received, adjusted his stance, and found his place.

“I can survive!”

Courage grew. Beside him were the veteran soldiers, and ahead, the intermediate commander was bravely pushing back the enemy soldiers. The thought that he could survive gave Yi Sa confidence.

But hope was fleeting.

Thud—!

A flying head.

Scattered blood.

A collapsing body.

Whose was it?

Yi Sa stared blankly at the spurting blood. He didn’t know why the spear was falling. He didn’t know why that body was wearing such armor.

Wasn’t that the intermediate commander? Shouldn’t an officer commanding hundreds of soldiers not die like this?

“Huh?”

A question from someone other than Yi Sa. Before the intermediate commander’s body even hit the ground, the soldiers’ morale plummeted.

As the intermediate commander’s body collapsed, what was revealed was an enemy general with a smaller build. Holding iron rods in both hands, the enemy general took a step toward them.

And with the second step, the enemy general’s head disappeared just like the intermediate commander’s.

Crunch!

“Huh?”

This time, the voice was Yi Sa’s.

When the enemy general’s head shattered like a lie after the intermediate commander’s, Yi Sa thought this couldn’t be a dream. Until he saw the spear embedded beside the enemy general.

“He’s here…!”

At the veteran soldier’s ecstatic muttering, Yi Sa unconsciously asked, “Who?”

Clip-clop, clip-clop—!

The sound of hooves struck his ears. The veteran soldier’s voice shouting to retreat was barely audible, so close.

Finally, when the sound of hooves was right in front of him, Yi Sa saw it. A woman with half her face covered by a silver mask, unsuited for the battlefield, passing by him and pulling the spear embedded in the ground.

Clip-clop!

Dust and wind struck Yi Sa’s face. But before he could even feel it, the answer came.

“The Lanling Army.”

“The Lanling Army?”

Yi Sa had never heard the name before. Was there a general named Lanling? Though a country bumpkin, Yi Sa knew some of the most famous generals.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao—wasn’t knowing them enough?

Why would an ordinary soldier need to know the names of those high-ranking generals? It was hard enough to remember the names of captains, lieutenants, and centurions.

Thinking it might be a newly appointed general like himself, Yi Sa asked again, and the veteran soldier looked at him with pity.

“The Lanling Army, the Lanling Army. Don’t you know Zhang Lan of the Lanling Army? Zhang Fei’s eldest daughter, Zhang Lan?”

“Well, I might not know. But can a woman become a general? Huh… so that person is General Zhang Lan?”

“That person? You’re really crazy. If the Lanling Army hears you, they’ll come at you to kill you. Watch your mouth.”

The veteran soldier slapped the back of Yi Sa’s head. Having lost his helmet during the battle, the gloved hand hitting his bare head hurt quite a bit.

“Hey! Get back to your position! We don’t know when they’ll push again!”

Despite the veteran soldier’s shout, Yi Sa blankly stared at the Lanling Army advancing in the distance, particularly at the back of the woman called Zhang Lan.

The woman who had thrown a spear and blown off an enemy general’s head in one strike—Yi Sa felt he would never forget her.

§

Right after dealing with one enemy general.

“That way.”

She pointed her spear at a spot. There, amidst the chaos of allies and enemies, an enemy general was ruthlessly slaughtering soldiers, breaking through the formation.

Once the decision was made, action followed.

As always, Yu En was the first to charge. He agilely avoided natural obstacles and barriers like Zhengjun Mountain’s terrain. Running at a speed that surpassed even horses, he was the first to plunge into the chaotic battle.

Boom! Crash!

A whirlwind. With a single strike, he cleared the enemy soldiers, creating space. The terrifying slash. Attacks utilizing the wide range of the True Sword made defense meaningless.

Yu En cut, smashed, and stabbed as he advanced. It was a merciless destruction that made fierce battles seem trivial.

As Yu En broke through the enemy formation, it was Gu Bu’s turn. The charge of armored warhorses rendered human efforts futile.

Even a father with divine strength couldn’t stop the iron cavalry’s attack, which was enough to crush human will.

The infantry’s role was to fully suppress the enemy through the path opened by the cavalry. With Yu En leading the charge, Zhang E and Wang Ping’s infantry steadily cleaned up the disorganized Wei army.

“The enemy is retreating!”

It was Ma Dai’s role to inflict additional damage on the retreating soldiers with his light cavalry. He finally unleashed his pent-up frustration on the Wei army’s retreating forces.

“Deoksin, Seungjong, clean up the battlefield.”

Ma Chong and Wang Sha, stationed at the rear, transported the wounded and collected the dead.

The entire process was seamless. Smooth role distribution and perfect task execution.

This level of military operation, akin to artistry, was possible because of the elite soldiers and generals who could command tens of thousands of troops.

“Another victory for our side! No matter how they come at us, with our Lanling Army, they stand no chance!”

Bu Cheon, who had been closely following me, shouted excitedly. Bu Cheon had not been with us long, but his remarkable loyalty and strength had earned him a representative position in my guard.

Originally, Wang Ping was mainly by my side, but as he took on the role of deputy commander, Bu Cheon filled the vacant position.

While the officers managed their troops, Ma Chong approached and reported.

“General, the cleanup is complete.”

“That was quick.”

“There are few casualties. It must be because you and Commander Yu led the charge.”

It had already been a month since we left Yangping Pass and stationed ourselves at Zhengjun Mountain.

The back-and-forth battles between our forces and the Wei army at Zhengjun Mountain continued without a decisive victory for either side.

The Wei army attacked to push us out of Zhengjun Mountain, which overlooked Nanjing County, the center of Hanzhong, while we aimed to hold Zhengjun Mountain and capture Nanjing County.

Amidst the fierce battles, the Lanling Army’s combat proficiency increased daily.

Satisfied with the report of almost no casualties, I waited for Ma Dai’s return when a messenger descended from the mid-slope of Zhengjun Mountain, where the headquarters was located.

It was Wang Sha, Liu Bei’s deputy commander, who shared the same name as my行军司马 (marching secretary).

“General Guangwei, our lord is summoning you.”

“Ziyun, stay here until Baek Cheom arrives and prepare for any contingencies. Deoksin and Baekgi, come with me.”

Leaving Wang Ping in charge, I headed to the main camp where Liu Bei was stationed. Not only I but most of the key generals had gathered.

Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Huang Quan, Fa Zheng, Zhang Yi, Wang Sha. Seeing the faces of these less than ten individuals, it made sense that Ma Chong and Zhang E weren’t brought in.

‘The time has come.’

The decisive strike Liu Bei and Fa Zheng had planned to end the Zhengjun Mountain battle.

As the last summoned person arrived, Fa Zheng nodded lightly. Liu Bei scanned the room and spoke.

“Thank you all for gathering. I am well aware of your great efforts. But I earnestly ask for a little more strength. Xiao Zhi, begin.”

At Liu Bei’s words, Fa Zheng, who had been standing behind him, stepped forward and tapped the map in the center, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, please look at the map.”

Fa Zheng’s pointer tapped a spot. It was the center of the military terrain map, complete with contour lines.

“Currently, we are stationed at Zhengjun Mountain. A strategic point overlooking Nanjing.”

On the map, there were three horses with the character “Liu” and four with “Cao.”

Our horses were placed at Mamingjiao, Yangping Pass, and Zhengjun Mountain, while the Wei army’s horses were at Habei, Mamingjiao, and the south and east of Zhengjun Mountain.

“Currently, Xu Huang is being held by General Ma at Mamingjiao, and Zhao Yu is being held by General Wei at Yangping Pass, so they are not our concern.”

Ma Chao and Wei Yan. Additionally, Gao Xiang and Wu Lan were at Yangping Pass, and Chen Shi was holding firm as a deputy at Mamingjiao. These were among the strongest cards Liu Bei held, providing solid support.

No matter how skilled Xu Huang and Zhao Yu were, these two generals were no less capable, and with the advantage of defense, there was little to worry about.

“Xiahou Yuan is guarding the south of Zhengjun Mountain, and Zhang He is guarding the east at Zhuma Valley. Until now, we have focused on defending Zhengjun Mountain against attacks from both sides, but now it is time to go on the offensive again.”

“Then who should we attack?”

Zhao Yun’s question.

“We will attack Zhang He.”

“Zhang He…?”

“He is not Xiahou Yuan’s deputy.”

“But unlike Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He is also wise, so shouldn’t we deal with him first?”

“Hmm, that’s true, but Zhang He is ultimately the one who lost to General Zhang.”

At Fa Zheng’s prompt, the generals voiced various opinions. In fact, both opinions—to attack Zhang He or Xiahou Yuan—had merit. Both were significant figures, and neither was an easy opponent, being top generals of Wei.

As the generals debated, my father, who had been silently listening with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, and the room fell silent.

Father looked at Liu Bei and spoke.

“You’re targeting Miao Zai.”

Father had already seen through the plan Liu Bei and Fa Zheng had devised. To Father, who mentioned Xiahou Yuan, Liu Bei replied gravely.

“Yes.”

“…Who will you send?”

“I will send Huang Hanseung. Do you regret it?”

“How could I not know you considered me? As a general, I merely follow orders.”

What kind of person was Xiahou Yuan to Father?

My mother, Father’s wife, Xiahou Xi, had lost her parents early and was raised by her uncle, Xiahou Yuan. The uncle who raised her was no different from a father-in-law to Father.

Even in these chaotic times where brothers served different lords and fathers and sons served different countries, killing one’s own family with one’s own hands was undoubtedly a tragedy.

To prevent his beloved younger brother from becoming a son-in-law who killed his father-in-law, Liu Bei chose Huang Zhong instead of Zhang Fei, his strongest spear.

“I will handle Zhang He. And, General Guangwei, please join me.”

“…I will allow it.”

“Thank you. Fa Zheng, I apologize for taking your time.”

Despite being known for his narrow-mindedness, Fa Zheng had the magnanimity to understand Father’s and my situation and instead shook his head apologetically.

“Not at all. Then, as you said, I entrust the attack on Zhang He to you.”

“I will devote my entire being to follow.”

“If General Zhang attacks Zhang He, Zhang He will undoubtedly be unable to hold. If one side is breached, Nanjing will be in danger, so Xiahou Yuan will surely send reinforcements. Taking advantage of the gap left by the southern forces, General Huang, you will eliminate Xiahou Yuan.”

Huang Zhong, with a solemn attitude, asked about the great task assigned to him.

“What if Xiahou Yuan does not send reinforcements?”

“In that case, while General Huang holds off Xiahou Yuan, General Zhang will eliminate Zhang He.”

“Understood.”

After announcing the two main generals, Fa Zheng began announcing the assignments under their command.

Under Father’s command, as mentioned, I was assigned. I led 5,000 troops, and Father commanded 10,000. Half of the 30,000 troops stationed at Zhengjun Mountain were mobilized.

With such an assignment, it was unclear which side was the main force and which was the support. Xiahou Yuan would ultimately decide to send reinforcements.

“With this attack, we will settle things before Cao Cao arrives in Hanzhong.”

Liu Bei’s determination was a death sentence for Xiahou Yuan.