The Legend of Red Cloud - Chapter 28

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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 28. The Uigi Ryeong
Dam In had so many pressing matters piling up—far more significant than simply recruiting a new warrior for the Jeoksajo patrol unit—that those applicants faded from his memory entirely.
His mind was consumed by nothing but processing the Uigi Ryeong that had been handed down to the Jeoksajo.
And there was a reason it had to be this way: the reason for the Uigi Ryeong, a form of military discipline, was “mission failure.”
Since the founding of the Maenguidan, this was absolutely the first time anyone had been subjected to the Uigi Ryeong for that reason.
Just as one might say that defeat is an ordinary affair in warfare, so too did the Maenguidan understand that mission failures could occur at any time.
And it was obvious that if they imposed the Uigi Ryeong for such a reason, the morale of the Maenguidan would plummet beyond recovery.
That was why mission failures had always been treated as lessons learned from others—never as grounds for punishment in themselves.
Yet this taboo had been broken.
In handling such an unusual matter, Dam In could sense that there was a tangled web of complex circumstances hidden beneath the surface.
Moreover, he was troubled by the nature of the mission that the Jeoksajo had undertaken.
And there was one more thing…….
“To exclude the recruits, no less. What a mess.”
This was the reason Dam In’s mind was in such turmoil.
***
Contrary to Dam In’s worries, the Jeoksajo accepted the notification of the Uigi Ryeong with surprising composure.
Rather, it was the other units of the Jeokmioldae who struggled to come to terms with it.
In particular, Hwang Cheol, commander of the Jeokmioldae, objected vehemently.
Bang!
“This is unacceptable!”
I Hwan, who had been in conversation with Gong Chan, let out an easy laugh instead of showing anger at Hwang Cheol’s cry as he burst through the door with such force it seemed the panels might tear.
“The door’s about to come off its hinges, friend. But what’s gotten our fiery Commander Hwang so riled up this time?”
“The Jeoksajo, sir!”
“Ah, the Jeoksajo…… That would be because of the Uigi Ryeong, I’d wager. Though I doubt you’ve come here believing the matter at face value.”
“If you’re speaking of the mission failure, I understand that neither the Unit Commander nor the Inspector are the sort to make an issue of such things.”
“Then?”
“Bong Jin—that madman. Do you believe his words? Do you truly think the Jeoksajo did what he claimed?”
Bong Jin was just as dissatisfied as Hwang Cheol with how the matter had been settled through the Uigi Ryeong.
But instead of storming into the unit commander’s office like Hwang Cheol, he had spread rumors throughout the entire Maenguidan Encampment.
‘The Jeoksajo let the enemy go. That’s clearly an act of betrayal!’
As a result, the encampment was in considerable turmoil.
It seemed Hwang Cheol had heard those rumors too.
“I don’t believe it. If I did, it wouldn’t have ended with just the Uigi Ryeong.”
“Then why are you here?”
“The nature of the matter itself. It wasn’t a Maenguidan-only operation—it was one that had been reported all the way to the Unit Commander. If it had simply failed, that would be one thing, but an escape in the middle of the mission…… And moreover, there’s no denying that the Jeoksajo made a grave error in allowing Dan Ri Hyeon to accompany them without any restraint whatsoever.”
Most people did not know the true abilities of the Jeoksajo—that is, Ryu.
But it was difficult to deceive even the leadership, who had seen through the dangers woven into the Jeoksajo’s successful missions like a sharp needle concealed in a pouch.
Which was why I Hwan the Unit Commander, Gong Chan the Inspector, and Hwang Cheol the direct superior all had at least some inkling of Ryu’s true capabilities.
Because of this, none of them were surprised that a master of Dan Ri Hyeon’s caliber had been overpowered.
Ryu had a long record of surviving encounters with far greater adversaries.
Yet the fact remained that allowing Dan Ri Hyeon to accompany him without employing forceful restraints like Jeom-hyeol—regardless of Ryu’s skill level—was an undeniable mistake.
Because this could not be denied, Hwang Cheol’s anger and sense of grievance gradually subsided.
Still, there was one more thing he wanted to confirm.
“Did the Jeoksajo admit to it?”
In other words, did he confess to failing to apply physical or internal restraints on Dan Ri Hyeon?
The answer to that question came not from I Hwan but from Gong Chan, who had been silent until now.
“I personally summoned him and confirmed it myself. If necessary, we could verify it again in your presence, Commander Hwang, but——”
“Ah, no. I didn’t ask because I doubted the two of you. As the Commander of my unit, I……. My apologies.”
Realizing his words sounded like an excuse, Hwang Cheol stopped mid-sentence and bowed respectfully in apology.
I Hwan waved his hand dismissively with a smile.
“Come now, don’t be troubled. Both Gong Chan and I understand your position well enough. So let’s leave it at that and sit.”
Accepting I Hwan’s consideration with another respectful bow, Hwang Cheol took his seat.
I Hwan then asked him a question.
“I hear the resistance from the Jeokmioldae ranks has been considerable.”
“The reason for the Uigi Ryeong was mission failure, after all. And given that it involves the Jeoksajo…… As you know, this is the first time in recent years they’ve failed a mission, and there isn’t a single member of the Jeokmioldae who hasn’t been helped by them before.”
But that wasn’t all.
The truth was, they themselves had gone into the Sajagwan to rescue them, only to have escaped with the recruits and nothing else, their tails between their legs.
The shame and guilt from that weighed heavily on them.
I Hwan and Gong Chan were not so blind as to not understand this without it being spoken aloud.
Yet I Hwan made no comment about it whatsoever.
Instead, he laid the blame squarely on his own shoulders.
“I imagine they’re hurling all manner of curses at me.”
“They’re saying the leadership is dumping responsibility for the mission’s failure onto the field operatives and slipping away themselves…… I apologize for speaking so bluntly, but this incident will have considerable repercussions on future operations.”
“I’d hope you can help the members understand that even while foreseeing this outcome, we had no choice but to act as we did.”
“To be honest, I find it difficult to understand myself. Even granting there were errors in judgment…… couldn’t you tell us what actually happened?”
Sensing there were complicated circumstances left unspoken, I Hwan hesitated for a moment before his head inclined in acquiescence to Hwang Cheol’s grave request.
Taking this as a signal, Gong Chan stepped forward with an explanation.
“I handled this matter personally.”
“You did, sir?”
……
Hwang Cheol watched Gong Chan’s silent nod and pressed further.
“Is it possible that unlike the commander, you actually believed what Bong Jin said?”
“It wasn’t a question of belief or disbelief.”
“What do you mean?”
“There was an incident that substantiated Bong Jin’s claims.”
“An incident?”
Gong Chan nodded at Hwang Cheol’s anxious question.
“A prisoner under Nok-an-dae’s custody escaped.”
“A prisoner…… We had prisoners?”
It wasn’t something made public. The prisoner wasn’t important enough for that.
Small wonder that even Gyuchaljoe, tasked with his oversight, had thrown him in a cell and all but forgotten about him after extracting nothing of value through repeated interrogations.
“There was a prisoner brought in by Jeoksajo about a month ago.”
“Jeoksajo brings in prisoners? Not corpses?”
Gong Chan could fully understand the disbelief written across Hwang Cheol’s face.
The words that followed Jeoksajo were only death, blood, annihilation.
“Yes, it was unexpected. I was quite taken aback at the time as well.”
Not only Jeoksajo, but none of the Maenguidan’s other armed factions took prisoners.
They were difficult to manage, and killing them was more effective for venting rage than transporting them alive.
So Gong Chan’s bewilderment at receiving a prisoner for the first time was understandable.
“Who could this man be for Jeoksajo to bring him in as a prisoner?”
“Until now we’d learned nothing about him. Only his own claim that he was one of Hyul-gwi-dae. But…… some of Bong Jin’s contentions, when investigated, aligned with circumstances surrounding this prisoner.”
“What contentions could possibly——”
Was it because there was no clear evidence regarding Moyong Chang Un’s involvement?
Bong Jin had omitted that part when spreading word of his claims. That was why Hwang Cheol knew nothing of it.
Continuing his explanation for the uninformed Hwang Cheol, Gong Chan went on.
“Bong Jin claims the escaped prisoner is Moyong Chang Un, said to be born under the Cheonmyeong-seong.”
“Moyong Chang Un…… Jade Horse Dragon!”
Gong Chan nodded as he watched the groan escape Hwang Cheol’s lips.
“Of course, we couldn’t confirm whether he truly was Moyong Chang Un, called Jade Horse Dragon, or merely someone of the same name, or an entirely different person.”
“Yet the fact that an Uigi Ryeong was issued means it couldn’t be dismissed regardless, I take it.”
Gong Chan nodded again at Hwang Cheol’s words.
“This is a delicate matter. If word spreads carelessly, both Gyuchaljoe—which failed to recognize Jade Horse Dragon—and the Simun-jo dispatched from Bonmaeng would be drawn into the affair.”
“They’d never admit to such a thing, would they?”
“Of course not. And if they deny it, all the arrows will turn toward Bong Jin.”
He would bear the accusation of slandering the organization and defaming his colleagues with false words.
Moreover, if the accused defamed parties included Gyuchaljoe—staffed with disciples of the Iron Blood Alliance’s major schools—and the Bonmaeng Simun-jo, the pressure would undoubtedly be relentless.
Recognizing this, Hwang Cheol heard Gong Chan’s voice continue.
“Then should we abandon Bong Jin? The one who spread false rumors and incited strife among allies……”
“……merits execution.”
Gong Chan nodded as the words escaped Hwang Cheol like a moan.
“Precisely. Which is why we cannot abandon Bong Jin either. To avoid that, we’d need to conduct a thorough investigation of all circumstances and lay bare every detail so that no shadow of doubt remains. But as with all things in this world, such a thing is impossible.”
Those involved would each maneuver to their advantage, and in the end, the truth would be severely twisted.
Understanding this, Hwang Cheol nodded.
“You’re concerned about upheaval.”
“Given the nature of this matter, there can be no clean, transparent conclusion that everyone would accept. Naturally, people will voice complaints and demand reinvestigation. So the announcement of findings would merely be the beginning of chaos.”
Hwang Cheol could not call Gong Chan’s worry excessive—the world simply worked that way.
Unable to speak, Hwang Cheol could only listen as Gong Chan’s voice continued.
“And while that chaos subsides—which will take considerable time—the Maenguidan’s cohesion will fracture and the members’ resolve will slacken. Hyul-gwi-dae won’t miss such an opportunity.”
……
Even to this, Hwang Cheol could only nod silently in agreement.
Gong Chan continued his explanation as Hwang Cheol listened.
“The quietest way to handle this matter would have been to cite only the clearest part of Bong Jin’s argument and hold Jeoksajo accountable.”
“So it comes down to the question of how to punish Dan Ri Hyeon.”
“Precisely. And even if we focus only on that point, the relationship between Jeoksajo and Jeoksajo cannot be resolved by the Uigi Ryeong alone. That’s because Bong Jin asserted that Dan Ri Hyeon’s identity was known, and Jeoksajo has already admitted to it.”
“How foolish!”
Hwang Cheol burst out, then realized a moment too late that he was actually faulting his subordinate for not having made false reports to the commander and adjutant, and lowered his head in embarrassment.
“I apologize.”
“No, don’t. In this case, I also hoped he would deny it. Regardless of what the truth actually was.”
From Gong Chan’s unexpected words, Hwang Cheol could finally sense how much deliberation this man must have wrestled with.
In such circumstances, he felt only regret toward both Gong Chan and I Hwan, who had taken such pains to ensure no harm came to anyone involved.
“I understand. I’ll do what I can to steady the members. Still, for a time, I won’t be able to prevent some wavering.”
Because the truth cannot be spoken as truth.
I Hwan, understanding Hwang Cheol’s predicament, nodded and stepped forward.

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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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