Chapter 41

Upon hearing the messenger's report, Cheoljincheone felt as if the sky was collapsing.

"First Otai, and now Taugama has died... Did I underestimate the enemy? No, even sending 20,000 troops in that situation was a stretch for me..."

Seeing Cheoljincheone's dejection, an armed officer standing beside him spoke up.

"Don't be too disheartened. Now that it has come to this, we have no choice but to prepare for the final battle, ready to die."

"I think the same. Prepare for the enemy's surprise attack. A direct confrontation is likely to happen soon."

"Yes."

A few days passed, but the allied forces did not launch a full-scale military operation. Instead, they focused on subduing the small villages around them, which had become a complete military vacuum. As about a month went by, Cheoljincheone's patience reached its limit.

"What despicable bastards. Even with a military advantage, they still continue to massacre the helpless villagers... There's no other way. Bring Kataku and Tekujin here!"

"Yes."

After a while, upon hearing that the two officers had arrived, Cheoljincheone, who had been silent, gave orders to the officers in the pavilion.

"Juber, stay. The rest, leave."

"Yes."

Cheoljincheone greeted Kataku and Tekujin with Juber, an officer. Kataku and Tekujin were outstanding officers who had been monitoring the movements of the allied forces and deploying troops in case of an emergency. They were known for their excellent judgment and martial skills.

"What's the current situation with the enemy?"

"There's still no movement. It seems the enemy is determined to wear us down."

"Hmm... From now on, you two are my enemies."

The two officers looked puzzled and asked.

"Excuse me?"

"From now on, you two will secretly contact the Black Wind Gang and tell them you're betraying me. You'll offer to assist them from the inside when they attack. If they ask why, tell them you can't follow a leader who stood by while your parents and children were killed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, and what if the enemy attacks?"

"It's important to find out the date and time of their attack. Pretend to be on their side to make them feel at ease, then strike them all at once."

Tekujin, looking skeptical, said:

"But won't that be difficult? We're with the Khan. How can we launch a surprise attack? Moreover, if we don't attack the Khan quickly, the enemy will soon realize what's happening."

"Right... Here's what we can do. If it comes to a regular battle, the enemy won't be foolish enough to believe you and launch a night attack. So, when the regular battle starts, I'll form a central group... "

He drew a diagram on the ground with a stick.

"You two will each command 10,000 troops on the right and left, forming a semi-encircling formation. With 70,000 in the center and you two on the wings... This setup is good for a surprise attack. If we pretend to retreat, the enemy will follow. If you stay still, you'll naturally be surrounded. At that moment, attack the enemy's flanks unexpectedly."

Juber, who had been listening, interjected. He was Cheoljincheone's right-hand man, an outstanding officer and strategist who had helped Cheoljincheone rise to power.

"But we need to convince the enemy of our plan. If they don't believe us, the Khan won't follow us."

"Right... We can say that we chose this formation to avoid being easily surrounded, based on our previous experience of being encircled. The enemy will either choose the same formation or form a single mass... They'll figure it out. Anyway, the enemy commander will be in the center, so if we destroy the center, we'll win."

Kataku, looking confused, asked:

"But if the enemy also splits into three groups, it will get complicated..."

Juber explained:

"In that case, we'll place 10,000 troops on each wing. The enemy will likely place 10,000 troops on each wing, led by the traitors. They'll only make a token attack on the wings. When you pretend to fight, the main force will retreat, and they'll follow. At that moment, some will attack the enemy's wings, and some will strike the enemy's rear. When that happens, the main force led by the Khan will attack from both sides, securing victory."

Cheoljincheone asked the two officers:

"Do you understand now?"

"Yes."

Cheoljincheone chuckled.

"Hehehe, indeed, the best way to counter a despicable method is with another despicable method. Don't you think so?"

---

General and Foolish General

General Ok Yeongjin smiled as he marked the locations of the destroyed Mongol villages on the map, as reported by General Ma Gilsu. Perhaps it's human nature to feel more excited when doing bad things... Despite using despicable methods, Ok Yeongjin was elated by the continuous stream of captured women. The more villages he devastated, leaving only the elderly and women, the weaker Cheoljincheone's power became. If he pushed further, the Mongols would likely be so weakened that they wouldn't dream of conquering the Central Plains for a long time. Zhang Jiao, looking displeased, finally spoke.

"When will the enemy attack?"

"Why? Isn't this fun?"

"Commander, this goes against the principles of righteousness. Now that Cheoljincheone is showing his bottom, we should attack quickly without wasting time."

Unable to bear it any longer, General Ok Yeongjin, with his white beard trembling, snapped.

"Shut up, you parrot. You say the same thing every time we meet. Do you have any more creative suggestions? I've told you many times that the fighting spirit needs to mature. War is far from the path of righteousness. The winner is the best. It's about deceiving and being deceived."

Zhang Jiao, looking sullen, was interrupted by Gong Ji entering the tent. General Ok Yeongjin greeted him warmly.

"Welcome. You seem much better now that you're walking around."

Gong Ji, looking a bit embarrassed, said:

"I'm sorry, Commander."

"Well... Getting hit by an arrow in battle is possible. How's your shoulder?"

"It's much better. That Mongol bastard used such a large bow and arrow; I thought I was going to die."

"Hmph, you get what you deserve for doing evil."

Zhang Jiao, speaking harshly, made Ok Yeongjin look a bit puzzled.

"But for a master like you to be injured by an arrow is hard to understand."

"That's not it. The arrow had a steel tip, and I heard a whistling sound with the killing intent. I instinctively blocked it with my wrist guard..."

"And?"

"Imagine... The arrow pierced through the wrist guard and the armor, embedding itself in my shoulder. If I hadn't moved out of instinct, it would have been worse. If I hadn't blocked it with the wrist guard, the arrow would have gone straight through, and I wouldn't have had to suffer pulling out the arrow..."

Zhang Jiao, listening to the complaint, burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, that's hilarious..."

"Shut up. I still cut that archer in half, so I got my revenge."

"Revenge... I heard that the archer was so skilled that you, in a near-death state, couldn't even move, and No Yeong cut off his head?"

"Whatever, the dead are dead. A good end is a good end."

Despite Gong Ji's usual smooth demeanor, General Ok Yeongjin looked worried.

"Don't overdo it. I heard rumors that you're too fond of women, even with a hole in your shoulder..."

"Hahaha, Commander, you too. You should enjoy yourself when you have the chance. When you're busy, where's the time... Hehe, the heart is willing, but..."

Zhang Jiao, looking disgusted by Gong Ji's well-known lust for women, said:

"Commander, don't worry. This guy is an omnivore and doesn't discriminate."

General Ok Yeongjin looked more relaxed.

"Because of that, you had a fight with No Yeong, right?"

"No, that kid even tattled on me..."

"Control yourself. No Yeong didn't say that."

At that moment, a messenger ran in and reported to Commander Ok Yeongjin.

"We've captured a Mongol soldier. He says he has something to report to the General."

"Is that so? Bring him in."

"Yes."

Soon, a Mongol soldier was brought in.

"What is it? You have something to say?"

Intimidated by General Ok Yeongjin's stern presence, the Mongol soldier replied in a frightened voice.

"Yes, my commander sent me to offer cooperation."

With a slightly interested look, General Ok Yeongjin asked:

"Who is your commander?"

"Kataku, General."

"Kataku? Who is Kataku?"

General Ma Gilsu, standing nearby, answered:

"Kataku is one of Cheoljincheone's outstanding commanders. He is quick to assess situations and is skilled in improvisation. He is good at direct attacks but lacks cunning."

With the necessary information, General Ok Yeongjin turned back to the Mongol soldier.

"So, cooperation... What kind of cooperation?"

"General Kataku believes that Cheoljincheone, who abandoned his village to be attacked, is no longer fit to be a leader. Many commanders agree with him. He doesn't blame you for killing his parents and wants his family back. In return, he will offer unconditional cooperation."

"Is that so? Not bad news. However..."

General Ok Yeongjin, despite his inner thoughts, maintained a stern expression and continued questioning the soldier. After giving the soldier some money and praising him, he immediately called a meeting. General Ok Yeongjin, now excited, addressed the gathered battalion commanders.

"Commanders! The time has come."

The commanders, tired of waiting, cheered in unison.

"Finally, a direct confrontation?"

"Yes, commanders! Their power is weakening day by day, while ours is growing stronger. By a stroke of luck, one of their outstanding commanders has offered to cooperate."

Guo Ke, the cautious first battalion commander, asked cautiously:

"Is it a trick?"

"No, I considered that possibility, but his family is in our hands. Many commanders are disillusioned with Cheoljincheone's incompetence, as he has ignored the continuous attacks on nearby villages, where their parents and families have been ravaged."

Gong Ji asked:

"When will we attack the enemy?"

"We need to negotiate with the cooperating commander."

Gong Ji suggested:

"Why not launch a night attack now? The disillusioned enemy commanders will surrender."

"Hehe, you should treat your injured shoulder. Can you even hold a sword with that body?"

Despite General Ok Yeongjin's teasing, Gong Ji, unperturbed, replied calmly:

"Even with a hole in my shoulder, I can still kill Mongols and enjoy women without any trouble."

"Is that so? That's fortunate. Your suggestion has merit, but we must always consider the 'what if' scenarios. A night attack is risky. If the enemy leaves their main camp and lures us into a trap, we could suffer a fatal blow. We need to gather more reliable information and determine how many commanders will cooperate with us before attacking."

Gong Ji asked:

"What should we do next?"

"We will start the frontal attack as soon as the negotiations are complete. When the traitors attack Cheoljincheone's rear, chaos will ensue, and we can easily secure victory."

Gong Ji, hearing the confident words, added cautiously:

"Commander, with the decisive battle approaching, we should quickly recall the third and tenth battalions."

"No need to rush. We need to block the enemy's retreat and mop up the remnants, so there's no need to bring them here. No Yeong will continue raiding the villages... Instruct Chun Wook's third battalion to spread out 200 li (about 80 kilometers) behind the Mongol army."

Guo Ke, disagreeing, said:

"I agree with Gong Ji. Even if blocking the retreat is necessary, eight battalions might not be enough for the decisive battle. We should at least recall No Yeong."

"Hmm, if that's the opinion of the commanders... What do you think?"

General Ma Gilsu, the deputy commander, thought for a moment and said:

"I agree. The initial momentum is crucial in a decisive battle. If we lose momentum, the traitors might break their promise and join the winning side."

"Good. Then recall the tenth battalion."

"Yes."

"We'll decide the details when the next messenger arrives."

"Yes."