As Prophet - NobleMTL

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Episode 154. Let’s Strike Behind Those Guys

Dalcheon asked for a bow and aimed at the enemy general. Park Geun-su muttered. I wondered what I could do. Still, just in case, he ordered the archer behind him to shoot at the enemy’s heart.

The sound of drums is heard, and in the brief silence between them, an order is given.

“Aim at the enemy general in the center of the enemy lines!”

“Aim at the enemy general!”

Dalcheon was about to pull the bowstring when he asked for a baby arrow. The military officer leading the archers handed over his own.

* Pyeonjeon (片箭) or aegisal is usually about half the size of an arrow, and is a short arrow about 30cm long that is fired using a device called a tong-a, which is a bamboo split in half. When the bow leaves the tong-a, which is a kind of gun barrel, the posture is stable, which increases accuracy, and it has the advantage of having a longer range and greater killing power than regular arrows.

He hung the dagger on his left middle finger, put the baby’s dagger in the dagger, and stared straight ahead. Hundreds of arrows flew toward him. Did he expect this? He raised a large plank that his allies had discarded and blocked his path. Then dozens of arrows struck the wooden board.

Tutututuuk!

When the board sagged slightly due to the weight of the arrow, Dalcheon pulled the bowstring and let it go. One of the arrows flew straight across. Most arrows flew in a parabolic arc, but one small arrow that was hard to see crossed the distance between the two armies in an instant. The enemy general, who had been relying on the board to block arrows and shoot out a few blind arrows, was hit hard.

It felt like something big had passed through my body. Is this what it feels like when a cold wind passes through your body? They say that when regret builds up, it becomes longing. The enemy general’s eyes turned to where the arrow had come from. The hanging, dangling arrow below was enlarged. The pale face of the man who had killed me was smiling brightly. Time stopped, and the years I had lived faded away. I didn’t do this to deserve this… … . I absolutely did not deserve to die in vain like this. I wanted to take my sword, rush into the battlefield, and cut down dozens of enemies. If I had died then, it wouldn’t have been so resentful… … .

The enemy general’s neck snapped forward and he fell off his horse. Dalcheon put both hands on his mouth and screamed.

“The enemy leader is dead! The enemy leader is dead!”

When he shouted like a child playing a prank, the soldiers followed suit. Hundreds of them shouted, “The enemy general is dead!”

The army and the battle are morale. The rebel army that turned around retreated, leaving behind hundreds of corpses. People started running into the alleys on both sides, and they started running in a race to get ahead, so more people gathered in the alleys than on the main road.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The trio smiled brightly like children at Dalcheon’s praise.

“It is the first time I have received praise from the Lord.”

Dalcheon’s face turned bright red at the word “first time.”

“No, did I do that?”

“I only remember being scolded for not being able to do it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, but it just happened.”

That’s not something that can be made up for with excuses. It’s unfortunate that it seemed that way, but Dalcheon sincerely reflected on the fact that he had never once complimented her.

“You did so well today.”

“Isn’t this all thanks to your strategy, Lord Guan? What is your next strategy?”

“Ahem. I shouldn’t tell you this… … .”

Even something trivial can seem like something great is hidden when it is pushed back like this. Above all, it draws attention and arouses interest as a premise for the following explanation.

“I wonder. What should we do now?”

“The front is also broken. There are two things… … .”

Dalcheon is holding back his words again. The curious trio approaches closely.

“There is a way to attack them from behind by going around the alley and going out to Unjongga. It would be very difficult if a fight breaks out in the alley, so you should go around far.”

Park Geun-soo opened his eyes wide and came closer.

“Oh, there’s that strategy! What about another strategy?”

“The enemy in the west and the enemy in the north have not yet appeared.”

“Who are you worried about?”

“It’s the north. The west lost its commander, so I think he took over as commander of the central army. So the west either has no troops, or has joined the central army, or is one of the stone.”

“The place I’m most concerned about is the north.”

“If you look at their military type, they are long-sworded. They have no choice but to engage in close combat. In the north.”

Dalcheon looked up at the distant eastern sky, lost in thought, where another enemy was approaching. Park Geun-soo made a suggestion to Dalcheon.

“You once told me that there is no need to worry about the future that has not yet arrived.”

“It’s a human thing. Right now, it’s the military’s… … .”

“What’s the difference between people and the military?”

“… … .”

“I want to turn the corner and strike the enemy from behind.”

“If there is a problem, we have to turn around and go back, which may result in loss of troops.”

“If we can strike their base first, the battle situation will change. We will go from being disadvantaged to being superior. We must do it.”

Dalcheon thought about it and nodded.

“Contact headquarters and follow me.”

“Loyalty!”

One of the three rode out on horseback to convey the change in tactics.

“There are still enemies in the alley. I will open the way, so follow me. We will be a long column, but as soon as we reach Unjongga, we must form a line and prepare to attack.”

“Loyalty! You can do it.”

Dalcheon waited for the return of the situation he had gone to contact. He rode his horse and came galloping before he could even wake up.

“Please do so.”

The order is a bit strange. Do it like that… … .

“Was there anything else you said?”

“Don’t worry about the main force at all and do whatever you want.”

Dalcheon thought of Yu Seok-do because he was not good at breathing. Even though he became a fool, he never forgot his stubborn nature. He was a person who practiced the sun god technique for many years. It was not a great technique, but he just stood facing east at sunrise and studied breathing while watching the rising sun. He reached a state by doing so. His stubborn and unchanging nature is still the same.

“All right.”

Dalcheon looked back at Sajik. Although he was only a major in today’s terms, he was a promising Joseon military officer from the training center, so his spirit was different. He tried everything and thought he could do it, which made him achieve things that he couldn’t.

“I will open the way, so follow me.”

“Loyalty!”

Dalcheon ran forward. The soldiers followed him in a single line. The men who had been lurking in the alley suddenly stepped back and ran into the alley. When I pretended to chase after them, they quickly disappeared from my sight. I advanced, making my way around the fields, the antler trees, and the hammer pits.

Dalcheon raised his index and middle fingers high in front of the alley.

“2nd column!”

The order was repeated back and forth. One of the three men came to the front of the alley and lined up the soldiers and followed Dalcheon. One man commanded the troops and the other manned the line. The one at the back took care of the remaining soldiers. It was a meaningful division of roles.

As Dalcheon entered the alley, two men at the end of the bend ran away. However, they are not the problem right now. It is important to quickly get out of the alley and position the troops on Unjongga Street.

Dalcheon’s sword cut through the cypress fence. A heart-rending scream was heard from behind the fence, and two men fell. Behind him, soldiers followed, filling the alley.

Dalcheon climbed up the left wall. Three men were sitting with their backs against the stone wall, not even breathing. He jumped down and drew his sword. The three men sitting side by side were cut down with one sword strike. The men who were standing there blankly fell down without even the slightest resistance.

While Dalcheon was dealing with the guys, two rows of royal guards galloped down the alley. Yes, there was no reason for me to be in the lead. Dalcheon followed along, running along the wall like a squirrel. He jumped from the broken wall and jumped over to the wall of the next house. It looked like something that would happen if you crossbred a squirrel and a grasshopper.

I ran and jumped like that several times, wiping out the guys who had remained in the alley and advancing. I jumped over the alleys, walls, and roofs of other people’s houses as if they were my own home.

* * *

The ambush took place at the intersection of a three-way alley.

“Is it this way? The direction is this way.”

“It’s over there. This road seems to go in circles.”

As I hesitated, not knowing where to go, the enemies charged from three directions. It seems that they knew I was being chased and were waiting for me. They may have told me to guard their backs while running away, or they may have intended to use this as an opportunity to turn the tide of the battle.

Narrow alley. There is no other strategy. You and I, with nothing but bare hands and strength, have no choice but to clash. The allies rush in from behind, and Dalcheon swings his sword without hesitation from the front. Six or seven people, two from each of the three directions, stretched out their swords toward Dalcheon.

A soft silver light came back to life from Dalcheon’s sword, and he cut off their waists with one blow. The moment the upper and lower parts were separated, the men who had been pushing from behind rushed in frightened. He cut horizontally again. The men who had rushed to the point where the lengths met fell down, clutching their stomachs.

There was a swoosh and a swoosh as the wind cut through. With just three sword strikes, fifteen, no, nearly twenty, men fell at the point where the paths met.

The space is narrow, and I am relieved that they cannot use other tricks, but I am frustrated trying to make my way through. Since I do not know what is happening in front, the two armies keep pushing me back. It is only possible if I kill them all.

The friendly forces coming from behind tried to stop Dalcheon by stepping back so as not to interfere with his swordsmanship, but it was no use. He had no choice but to be pushed back by the friendly forces coming from behind, and eventually Dalcheon’s back was pushed as well, so Dalcheon, who was standing in the exact center of the fork in the road, had no choice but to take whichever path he chose.

The sword that had been slashing horizontally was swung vertically. The silvery energy surrounding the sword struck those lined up in the alley. Those who were hit by the large club of light were knocked out of their places. When I looked back to see my allies rushing into the empty space, a wall collapsed and a large space was expanded to include someone else’s yard, and the enemy was mixed together. There was no space to swing their swords, so they pushed each other with their bodies and got tangled up. Those caught in the middle screamed in pain. It wasn’t the enemy’s swords that were scary, but the pressure of the back and forth pushing made people’s bodies feel like they were going to burst. Another long wall collapsed, and those who poured in over it swung their weapons, but soon their bodies clashed with each other.

Dalcheon, who had pulled out his body, climbed up to the adjacent thatched roof by holding onto the wall, and then soared high into the sky. After making a half-turn in the air to check the path, he landed at the back of the road leading to Unjongga.

Hundreds of men attacked the men’s buttocks from the back of the tangled alley.

“The enemy!”

I easily knocked down the guys who were rushing towards me while turning around, and then I saw the guy who was making a fuss behind me.

“Attack! Push! If you back off, I’ll kill you!”

I cut off the head of the guy who was pushing the soldiers in the alley while blowing the whistle and shouting. I cut the backs of those who didn’t even know what was going on behind them without thinking. I felt bad. It wasn’t just one or two people, but killing them all in such a close group felt like murder. The harsh distinction that war is okay but murder is not may be convincing to some, but the feeling is really different. As I cut down the guys who turned around feeling empty behind, a pitiful sadness settled down on their bewildered faces and their lives died.