Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 49

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 18: The Successors (1)

“Well! I never expected to find you as the garrison commander here, Uhmun-jik.”

Jong-gak’s eyes widened as he took in the middle-aged man who had sought them out at an inn in Hwaryeung.

“I’m surprised too. I heard that Milgeom-dan was sending reinforcements, but I never imagined you’d come in person. It’s truly good to see you.”

Uhmun-jik’s face, though brightened by their reunion, bore the heavy weight of exhaustion born from recent events.

“I’ve heard the situation is dire.”
“Dire doesn’t begin to cover it. It’s an absolute catastrophe.”

Uhmun-jik released a sigh so deep it seemed to come from the earth itself.

“Just how bad are we talking?”

Jong-gak, who had watched Uhmun-jik’s formidable resolve through his younger years, could not hide his astonishment at the helplessness now written across the man’s bearing.

“You know the men sent from headquarters have gone missing?”
“Of course. That’s why we were deployed here in the first place.”
“But they aren’t the only ones we’ve lost.”
“There are more?”
“Naturally. The casualties among my own men have been severe as well. Three dead and five seriously wounded. The only mercy is that none of mine have vanished without a trace.”
“I see.”

Jong-gak nodded gravely.
Uhmun-jik’s words carried far greater weight and severity than the explanations Jong-gak had received from Gwak Gae and Ju Gang-u.

“How can we assist? Ah, but first—let me make introductions. These are the unit members who came to aid you. You’ll recognize Vice-Commander Yu, I imagine.”
“It’s been a long time, senior.”

Yu Seol-ran bowed her head respectfully.

“Indeed. To see you’ve earned the rank of vice-commander—time has passed more than I realized. Yet you haven’t changed a bit. Truly, you deserve the title of Jeongmu-maeng’s finest beauty.”
“That’s quite the unnecessary jest, even in times like these.”

Yu Seol-ran let out a soft snort of amusement before gesturing to her team members.

“These are my subordinates.”

At Yu Seol-ran’s gesture, Yu Geom-ha, Dok-go Jin, and Namgung Ho bowed formally in acknowledgment.

“A pleasure to meet you all. And my gratitude as well. I heard you were in the midst of returning from a demanding assignment, yet you’ve come all this way….”

As Uhmun-jik’s words continued, Jong-gak swiftly cut him short.

“That’s enough pleasantries. Get to the point. What exactly do we need to help with? Are we investigating the missing men, or are we here to ensure our candidate becomes the next Nokrim Tuwang?”
“Both. The men who vanished were out investigating the opposition’s candidate in the first place. You’ve heard that the Madoryeon is involved, haven’t you?”

Uhmun-jik asked while glancing sideways at Ju Gang-u.

“It’s a strong possibility.”
“It’s not a possibility—it’s certainty. The Madoryeon did this. My men wouldn’t fall to common bandits. Every one of the reinforcements sent was exceptionally skilled.”

Unlike Ju Gang-u, who had refrained from any definitive conclusion, Uhmun-jik was convinced of the Madoryeon’s involvement.

“I’ve sent word to headquarters multiple times that even the Amhyang-dae couldn’t handle this alone. I’ve made it clear that other forces must have been deployed, and that we need reinforcements capable of standing against them. But the response that comes back….”

Uhmun-jik clenched his teeth, struggling to contain the anger that rose at his superior’s passive response.

“You must be exhausted from worry. In any case, you said the answer lay with the other side—Heokgol-chae, was it?”

Jong-gak’s question drew a quick reply from Ju Gang-u.

“Yes, sir.”
“The crux is to observe them—whether Heokgol-chae is receiving support from Madoryeon, and if so, how extensive that support is. And whether the members of Amhyang-dae truly disappeared at their hands.”
“Before we begin a formal investigation, there’s someone I need to meet tomorrow.”
“Who?”

At Jong-gak’s question, Uhmun-jik smiled bitterly.

“The man we’re backing.”
“The one from Baekho-chae—Jeon Ung, was it?”
“Right. A former member of Baekho-chae who became the foremost disciple of the Nokrim Tuwang.”

Uhmun-jik gestured, and Ju Gang-u unrolled a detailed map of the surrounding terrain across the table.

“Look here. We’re standing at the Naso Mountain Range, which defines the boundary between Honam and Gangseo.”
“Quite an impressive expanse.”
“It is. More than a thousand li from north to south. In any case, our current position is here, and if we travel westward along the range to its central point, we reach Jeonggang Mountain.”

Uhmun-jik continued, pointing to a spot marked with particular prominence.

“That’s where the Nokrim headquarters stands. It’s not just a single peak—the entire region around it is called by that name. The terrain is exceptionally treacherous, and there’s a surprisingly vast basin, making it ideal for gathering numbers. To approach the place requires passage through five gates, and those passages are both narrow and perilous. At each gate sits one of Nokrim’s most formidable strongholds. As it happens, the Baekho-chae we’re supporting is positioned at the western gate, Palmyeon Mountain.”
“Palmyeon—that’s an ominous name even to hear.”
“It is. Among the five gates, it’s said to be the most grotesque and treacherous. The mountain’s shape is such that no matter which way you turn your head, you see only sheer cliffs—hence the name. All manner of bizarre rock formations and towering stone walls block the way, and aside from the designated path, climbing it is nearly impossible.”
“Just hearing about it sounds exhausting. Do we have to go ourselves?”
“We do.”
“Can’t we send someone to ask them to come down instead?”

Instead of answering, Uhmun-jik only grinned.

* * *

“I expected it, but the mountain is remarkably steep.”

Jong-gak, following Uhmun-jik as they seriously entered the mountain paths, gestured toward the increasingly precipitous incline.

“I told you yesterday—it’s treacherous. Compared to the famous Huashan, the height may be somewhat lower, but the ruggedness is no less severe.”
“I didn’t expect there to be so many gorges and sheer cliffs carved out like this.”
“Once you traverse it like your own backyard a few times, it’s not so difficult.”
“You certainly make it look that way.”

Jong-gak watched Uhmun-jik scaling the mountain path with the nimble grace of a flying squirrel, and let out a mirthless laugh.

“There are sentry posts for bandits scattered all along these paths. They establish posts atop the cliffs and attack anyone climbing up from below by rolling boulders or raining arrows down. There’s even a tale that long ago, when the authorities came to suppress the bandits, they suffered massive casualties and had to retreat.”
“One man holds the gate, ten thousand cannot break through.”

Jong-gak murmured the words almost without thinking.

“Precisely. Look around you—it’s wide enough here, but if you climb a bit higher, there are many sections where scarcely one person can pass. A cliff drops away on one side. Truly, this is a natural stronghold bestowed by heaven itself.”
“And heaven saw fit to hand such a precious position to these bandit dogs.”

At Yu Seol-ran’s sarcasm, Uhmun-jik regarded her quietly.

“There are many listening ears all around. Best to be careful. Especially since we find ourselves in need of relying on these bandits.”
“My apologies.”

Uhmun-jik smiled faintly at Yu Seol-ran’s apology.

“No need to apologize. I’m not pleased about this either.”

Then it happened.

“It looks like they’ve sent someone to meet us.”

Dok-go Jin, who had sensed the approaching footsteps from above before anyone else, alerted the group.
Startled, they tensed just as a bald head suddenly thrust up through the undergrowth.
Not a single strand of hair remained on that scalp, and the eyes gleamed with a murderous light that was distinctly sharp.

“You’re late. The Crown Prince has been waiting for you.”

Uhmun-jik looked up to confirm the sun barely clearing the horizon, then spoke coldly.

“There’s still plenty of time, it seems.”

The two men locked eyes.
Just as sparks seemed to dance in the empty air between them, the man’s head inclined slightly.

“Follow me.”

As Uhmun-jik watched the man turn and walk ahead, the sharp intensity that had lifted his eyes gradually faded.

“Who is he?”
“Gwan-do. They call him the right hand of Jeon Ung.”
“For a mere bandit from a mountain stronghold, he carries himself with remarkable presence.”

Uhmun-jik shook his head at Yu Seol-ran’s words.

“That man isn’t of Baekho-chae—he belongs to a larger organization, more precisely to the followers of the Nokrim Tuwang. Though he serves Jeon Ung as his master now.”
“I see. So he’s aligned himself with future power.”

Jong-gak, laughing bitterly, swept his gaze methodically across their surroundings.
Though not openly visible, the presence of bandits emanated from all directions.

“Let’s move quickly.”

Uhmun-jik quickened his pace, thinking it best not to displease Jeon Ung unnecessarily. They traveled along a narrow, treacherous path for roughly a quarter hour before arriving at a relatively flat area, where a structure that resembled a garrison came into view. It was crude—a framework of logs with a roof of leaves—yet surprisingly large in scale.
Jong-gak surveyed the surroundings and spoke.

“No. Baekho-chae would require climbing much higher than this. This is just one of countless outposts.”

“Yes.”
“But is this all? I recall hearing that you’d requested reinforcements from the main branch.”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmm, isn’t five people too few?”

“What matters is skill, not simply how many hands you have.”
“Ah!”

Jeon Ung’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as he studied Jong-gak and the others, struck by how different they seemed from the Amhyang-dae members he’d encountered before. There was something altogether different about their bearing.

“How encouraging. In any case, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jeon Ung.”

After Jeon Ung introduced himself, Jong-gak replied in a measured tone.

“Jong-gak. These are my people.”

At Jong-gak’s gesture, Yu Seol-ran and her associates dispensed with formal introductions, offering only a slight nod in greeting.
Jeon Ung’s gaze sharpened.
Gwan-do, sensing his displeasure, began to speak, but Uhmun-jik cut in swiftly.

“I understand the Martial Contest is only days away. How are your preparations progressing?”

At the mention of the Martial Contest, Jeon Ung’s brow tightened slightly.
For all his confidence in himself, he had no certainty he could decisively defeat Cho Sa-eung, who now contended with him for the successor’s seat.

“That one won’t go down easily, I’ll grant you. Still, I don’t expect to lose to anyone else.”

Jeon Ung made no attempt to conceal the truth; he acknowledged his disadvantage plainly.

“The mountain strongholds already lean toward me in their support, so even if the Martial Contest doesn’t go my way, it won’t be a grave problem. What truly matters is who satisfies the final criterion most completely. That’s where I need your help.”
“To what extent?”
“Heokgol-chae aims for Taechen Pyoguk’s escort goods, or so I’m told.”
“They’re targeting the greatest escort house in the land? Heokgol-chae overreaches.”

Jeon Ung let out a bitter laugh at Uhmun-jik’s remark.

“Could Heokgol-chae ever reach for Taechen Pyoguk on their own? They act on the backing of those behind them.”
“True—with Madoryeon’s support, such a thing becomes possible.”
“Should they succeed in obtaining Taechen Pyoguk’s goods, we must achieve something greater still. The constraint is time and location. Caravans cross the Naso Mountain Range frequently, and there are many escort houses, yet none rival Taechen Pyoguk in name.”

Though the situation darkened, Uhmun-jik noticed that Jeon Ung’s expression remained untroubled. He concluded that Jeon Ung had already settled on an alternative.

“Do you have a target in mind?”
“Of course.”

Jeon Ung smiled with a cutting edge and spoke with complete assurance.

“I’ll plunder Hwaryeung County.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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