Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 59: Chapter 13 Returning to Camp

Editor: Larbre Studio

Lead clouds shrouded the white moon, and mist enveloped the entire hill.

Li Yan stood high up, removed his Star Helmet and arm guards, and looked down below.

At this moment, the entire battlefield was filled with severed limbs and broken bodies. The family crests of the Daimyo, trampled into the ground, were covered with mud and footprints, and the air was thick with the rich scent of saltpeter. Layer upon layer, the Ming Army formations spiraled like vortices.

In the center of the vortex, a drop of black saliva fell, and the two-stories-tall Pointy-Eared Demon with blood-red eyes was clutching two horse corpses, swinging them left and right.

This demon had white hair, red skin, and a round belly, marked with the black traces of gunpowder.

“String!”

Atop a Green-Mane Dawan, a spear-wielding commander shouted loudly.

Dressed in black leather armor with a net scarf binding his hair, Archer Troops stepped forward in neat rows, Iron Spine Bows held high, dark arrowheads aimed straight at the demon.

“Aim!”

The sound of bowstrings being drawn was indescribable, each longbow pulled to a full moon oozing with terrifying explosive power.

“Destroy!”

Dark clouds covered the sky.

The Evil Ghost roared unwillingly, its large feet slamming into the ground as it ran towards the direction of the Green-Mane Dawan, only to be ruthlessly penetrated by the black tide of arrows, turning it into a porcupine in an instant.

The demon fell to its knees powerlessly, its eyelids slowly closing.

“What the hell is this thing? It can heal even after being pierced through by a firearm?”

“I heard it climbed out from a pile of corpses.”

“And I heard it transformed from the leader of the Japanese pirates?”

“Pure nonsense~”

“For real, when decapitated, it sprang out from the neck.”

“Over two stories tall, huh? Jump and let me see.”

A few infantrymen chatted quietly in the front row.

“Lord, perhaps I should take a look.”

The speaker was carrying a Bright Red Banner, raising his head to ask the commander.

“No need.”

The spear-wielding commander advanced on his horse to the front of the demon, still having to look up to see the ghost’s face clearly from atop his horse.

Suddenly, the demon with a dozen arrows lodged in its face opened its eyes!

The rider’s eyes widened in anger, and he swung his spear forward fiercely, smashing a large bloody hole in the demon’s chest.

The Evil Ghost roared in pain, its massive body falling backward, kicking up a cloud of dust.

High above, Li Yan with A Fleeting Glimpse, saw with his own eyes – the moment that commander raised his spear, a black berserk bear wielding sharp claws emerged behind him!

“Interesting.”

Li Yan nodded with some excitement, having great expectations for his harvest this time.

The commander caught his breath, and after a while, cursed out loud.

“Son of a gun, scared the hell out of me.”

With that, he waved his hand.

“Bury the pot, slaughter a pig.”

…

The furnace blazed fiercely, and the man sitting beside the desk had two light brows, the muttonchops on his face did not make him seem rough but rather possessed a calm and leisurely demeanor.

“From Hitachi in the east, through the South Sea to the Four Provinces and Nine States, from the north from Akita, Sakata to China, the territories of each Daimyo supply two large ships per hundred thousand koku. For every harbor, every Centurion provides ten sailors. If there are any surplus, they are assembled in Osaka. The required construction costs shall be presented according to the budget…”

“Enough.”

The man spoke. He thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “How about the Tokugawa Family?”

“Preparing for war actively, Sakai Tadatsugu as the main general, Honda Tadakatsu as the vanguard, twenty thousand extra mariners, ten large ships.”

The man clicked his tongue, “Tiqi Tiger Scout has been sending messages for two years, always emphasizing that the Tokugawa has a double heart, so how come Toyotomi Hideyoshi set out for Joseon and Tokugawa is so enthusiastic?”

The reader of the letter remained silent, but there were laughs from the side.

“The affairs of the world are inherently unclear, no one is a tapeworm in Tokugawa Ieyasu’s stomach. The Japanese pirates are but a scab on the skin, hearing that on the islands of Japan, a few peasants dare to call themselves Daimyo. Such clowns jumping about, why should General Li bother to worry.”

The speaker was a man in his twenties, dressed as a Taoist, wearing a lotus crown and a blue embroidered skirt, holding a golden bell, with a Ten Greatest Spirit Banners in front of him. With red lips and white teeth, he had a handsome appearance.

The man lowered his eyes and said, “Yi Gaogong speaks sense.”

The man’s name was Li Rusong, the current Shanxi General appointed as Governor by the Wanli Emperor, and the leader of the Joseon expeditionary force.

Of course, Li Rusong knew that things were not as optimistic as the Taoist made it seem. Just from the recent spy’s letters, it was evident that Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasion of Joseon was a near national effort, with at least a hundred thousand men across nine armies, and with Japan being strife-ridden, the quality of the troops was exceptionally high, and they had rich combat experience, known as Japanese pirates, but in truth, formidable enemies…

“Damn that’s thrilling! Uncle~”

The man had broad shoulders and a straight waist, and as he removed the Azure Tiger Head Beast Swallow Armguard from his arm, he barged into the tent. He saw Li Rusong with a cool expression sitting beside the desk, and a young Taoist with a smile sitting below him, so he promptly bowed in greeting.

“Lord Governor.”

“Speak.”

“The Japanese pirates on the hill in front have been scattered.”

“Are there any captives?”

“Uhh…”

The man’s eyes darted around as he spoke, “Lord Governor, as our troops charged, we encountered a small group of soldiers, brothers who got separated from General Zha’s forces in Pyongyang. These men were impressive; seven or eight Cavalry broke through the Japanese Cavalry hard. They’ve been fighting their way from Pyongyang, and they’re now waiting outside the main camp for orders. Also, the leader, the Chief Banner, asked me to hand this over to you.”

Next to him, Yi Gaogong gently sipped his tea cup, his eyes flicking to the side, his brow lifting imperceptibly.

Li Rusong picked up a red hook jade that his nephew passed to him and examined it for a long while.

…

Li Yan pressed a wet towel to his face, his upper body bare, with a few shallow wounds that had already scabbed over.

“It’s like a dream, I always thought I wouldn’t make it back.”

Wrapped in bandages across his chest and exposing a tuft of black chest hair, Deng Tianxiong let out a chuckle. He leaned in close to Li Yan, “Lord, what do you think will be our next arrangement?”

“What arrangement would you like?”

Deng Tianxiong held up a finger, “Five Red Guards, plus that Daimyo’s son, not to mention the reward money. Such great service, it wouldn’t be too much to promote you to a Centurion, right?”

“If all the Chief Banners of Ming Country were like Lord Li, the Japanese pirates would have been cleaned up long ago.” Wrapped in a blanket and sipping on a hot soup, Song Translator joined the conversation.

Wang Sheng, who sat on the mat, also joined the conversation, “I also think that general today seemed to appreciate the Lord quite a bit.”

“Who is that general?” someone asked.

“Shen Heyan, the Guerilla General from Shanxi, this time serving as the vanguard of the central army,” Wang Sheng whispered, “Lord Li Rusong’s personal nephew~”

Even Diao Xiayan, who lay squinting in the corner, perked up, “General Li’s great reputation precedes him; a famous general since the eradication of Bo Bai in Ningxia.”

Li Yan was about to speak with a smile when suddenly someone roughly pulled back the curtain, letting in a swoosh of cold air that made everyone shiver, turning the already pale and coughing Diao Xiayan even paler.

“Which one of you is Song Zhongji?”

The voice that broke in was very cold and carried a hint of insolence.

Li Yan, who was sitting on the bed, turned his head to see a man in loose bell-bottomed pants standing at the doorway. His military boots stepped into the tent, scanning every person inside.

“Who is it?”

Li Yan turned around, the black Chaos Tattoo on his chest facing the man, water dripping down his neck among the damp strands of hair, his hand resting on his thigh. The two of them, one standing, one sitting, locked eyes.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m looking at someone who hasn’t been hit.”

The tent suddenly became tense as if swords were drawn and crossbows cocked.

“I am, I am.”

Song Translator walked up with an apologetic smile between the two.

The man looked at Li Yan for a while then said to Song Translator, “The Governor requests your presence.”

“Right, right.”

Song Translator agreed, glancing at Li Yan. But Li Yan lowered his head, not even looking back at him.

Song Translator’s eyes shifted subtly, bowing politely to the visitor, “Please lead the way, General.”

“General is too grand a term. I’m just a standard-bearer,” the man replied courteously to Song Translator.

The two left the tent one after the other.

“What’s this about? They’re looking for that Korean translator, but not for you, Lord?”

Deng Tianxiong’s voice was loud, and as Li Yan looked up, he noticed a handsome boy standing at the tent entrance.

The boy wore a white Daoist robe and a wooden hairpin. About thirteen or fourteen years old, his expression timid.

“May I ask if this is Li…”

“Outrageous!” burst out Deng Tianxiong, his shout startling the boy so badly he fell to the ground with a thud.

“Hey, where are you from?”

Only now did Deng Tianxiong notice the boy, his eyes round as bells, staring at him.

“I, I~” The young boy’s eyes welled up and he started to cry, “The Master…”