Chương 40: Ouroboros

Lieutenant Shin's eyes widened at the declaration, his mouth working wordlessly in sudden alarm.

"Stay calm, Lieutenant," Chae-ha admonished him.

"Don't panic, and don't raise your voice."

"If there's a second column coming up from behind us –""We don't know that for sure yet. For now, please do as Elder Eom asked and dispatch some scouts. Tell them to go discreetly check the main road." Shin swallowed hard, unable to shake the feeling that something was very wrong with the chain of command. After a moment, he offered a stiff nod, turned, and began quietly relaying orders. As he went, Chae-ha allowed her gaze to slowly drift over her shoulder.

The Tai-shan column behind her wound along like a living serpent made of oxblood and steel, disappearing from sight as it stretched past a bend in the winding road. All but the first third of it was hidden from view by the dense forest. Lieutenant Shin returned to her side, pushing his way past an attendant who was carrying a large, cloth-wrapped bundle.

"The scouts are away."

"Good. Lieutenant, please listen to me. Elder Eom's men are currently clearing a path through the forest that should link up with the hunting trails. Assuming the scouts confirm the worst, we'll need to start using it to siphon men off the back of the line, where the Meng-shan can't see what's going on, and out to safety." Shin shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, they're already clearing a path, are they? Well, setting aside the fact that you didn't bother informing me of this ahead of time, are you seriously now suggesting that we just abandon Commander Mok? If we flee and he attacks, he's as good as dead."

"No, I'm not suggesting abandoning anyone. But if we stay here, both groups will die. And it seems we're already running out of time. Please take a look over there, Lieutenant." Across the muddy divide, the two Meng-shan elders had turned their horses slightly inwards, now deep in conversation. The Lesser Elder gestured with his closed fan towards the Tai-shan lines, his expression thoughtful.

"We are supposed to be an attack force," Chae-ha reminded him.

"We marched all the way down here to retake a mine. Attack forces don't just stand around staring at the opponent in silence. If we keep stalling, that strategist is going to realize something is wrong, and we'll lose the only opportunity we have to fool them."

"So now you want to engage them?" Lieutenant Shin asked, his voice incredulous.

"Not yet. We need to buy as much time as we can, both for the scouts to return and for Elder Eom's men to finish their work. Thankfully, there exists a way to act aggressively without immediately starting the battle." The young girl looked up at Mu-cheon, who was standing innocently nearby, nodding along.

"Senior brother, please tell them we want a parley. And try to be as arrogant and insufferable as you possibly can." The young man's shoulders drooped. The look he gave her was full of deep despair for his reputation, but after a moment he straightened his back anyway. The Young Master drew his Dae-jik-do, stepped past the front line of his own men, and raised his greatsword towards the heavens. As he did, he drew in a huge breath.

"THE HEIR OF MT. TAI DEMANDS WORDS WITH THE PRETENDERS TRYING TO CLAIM THESE LANDS!" Whispers broke out amongst the men as he maintained the heroic pose. Mu-cheon found himself extremely glad that he was in front of the column, where none of the men could see the cherry-red color his face was turning. Across the divide, the two elders looked at each other before spurring their grey horses forwards. They stopped a dozen paces from where Mu-cheon, Chae-ha, Tae-seok, and Shin stood.

The High Elder leaned forwards in his saddle, offering Mu-cheon a bloodthirsty grin as he slammed the butt of his Wol-do into the ground. The man was older, his hair grey but neatly groomed, and bundled up into a classic Sang-tu top-knot. He maneuvered the heavy glaive as if it was weightless.

"So, you must be that brat who mauled our vanguard. I heard you have a very loud bark! Funny how the mangiest mutts always seem to howl the loudest at the moon. They sent me to make sure you don't get out of hand again." Mu-cheon folded his arms.

"I've heard of paper tigers before, but never a silk one. Have we killed so many of the Meng-shan that they're sending their grandfathers to fight us now? Be careful you don't fall off that donkey and break a hip, old man." The High Elder's face darkened, but his companion put a hand on his arm to calm him.

"There is no need for such hostility, Young Master Kang," the Lesser Elder interjected, his voice calm and dangerously polite.

"We are simply securing what is ours by right of conquest. Surely, a man of your noble standing understands the shifting borders of war. Perhaps we could discuss a ransom for your safe passage back to Laiwu?"

"The only thing I'm interested in discussing is your full, unconditional surrender, and the immediate return of the Iron Creek mine. Do so, and I might let you crawl home to your backwater mountain. Refuse, and your blood will join the rain in watering the trees." The Lesser Elder chuckled.

"Unconditional surrender? You have quite the vivid imagination, Young Master. I seem to recall that you were the ones who wound up fleeing from our last engagement." Mu-cheon snorted.

"I had something important to attend to in Laiwu. I'm a busy man – I can't spend all day swatting flies. Be thankful that I made some time for you today." As designed, the conversation continued going around in circles, until finally the Lesser Elder sighed.

"It seems we are at an impasse," he said, snapping his fan open. He offered a polite, but extremely condescending, smile.

"If you want the mine so badly, Young Master, you are more than welcome to come and take it." The two elders turned their horses and trotted back behind the safety of their spear wall, marking the end of the parley. Chae-ha let out a slow, shaky breath.

"Good job buying time, senior brother. You just saved a lot of lives." She turned to Tae-seok.

"We've stalled all we can. Are your men done carving the paths?" You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The retired general looked over at his adjutant, who nodded.

"Seems like they are."

"Then now we're only waiting for the scouts to return," the young girl whispered.

"I'm sorry, but we have no other way to buy time now but to engage them." Tae-seok shrugged.

"Then we give them a fight." The retired general called out an order, and his adjutant pulled out his bone whistle. At his signal, their elite infantry squad roared and charged forwards, crashing into the Meng-shan spear wall. The sounds of splintering wood, ringing iron, and screaming men filled the valley. Chae-ha felt a sickening twist in her gut as the first Tai-shan soldier fell, a spear catching him in the throat.

They were sacrificing good men just to maintain the illusion that they were committed to this battle. The fighting continued for several ke. Eventually, two figures slipped through the ranks of the Tai-shan infantry, completely out of breath and covered in dirt. The scouts had returned. They quickly dropped to one knee in front of Lieutenant Shin.

"Report," Shin demanded, his voice tight.

"Purple banners, sir," the lead scout panted.

"Another Meng-shan column, marching up the main road right now. Hundreds of them. They can't be more than two hours out." The color drained from Lieutenant Shin's face. He stared blankly at the scouts for an agonizing moment, as the sound of men dying only a few paces away rang in his ears. Eventually, his gaze wandered farther down the winding branch road, and towards the mountains.

"If we do this, we need to send Commander Mok a warning," he finally declared, his voice hoarse.

"He's supposed to be sending one of his locals down the trails to let us know when he's in place. When the man arrives, we'll send him back with the news. If, for whatever reason, he doesn't arrive soon…we'll send a runner." Chae-ha's expression lit up.

"That makes perfect sense, Lieutenant. Does that mean you're ready to order the retreat?" Lieutenant Shin's eyes looked hollow. He glanced at his second, who was standing nearby.

"Do it," he rasped.

"Start filtering the rear guard into the woods." The battle ground on, and although no territory was being reclaimed, a type of progress was being made. At the front of the line, the Tai-shan infantry threw themselves relentlessly against the spear wall. Chae-ha watched with apparent detachment as the evil barter she had arranged continued to proceed. One by one the lives of Tae-seok's men were steadily being exchanged, each purchasing a few more precious moments their comrades could use to run.

Every clash of steel, every battlecry, and every mournful scream served as a painful reminder of the deal she had brokered. She told herself that this was all necessary; that the sacrifice of these men was allowing dozens of others to escape. An amount of time passed that felt like an eternity but was probably closer to a single ke. Chae-ha finally managed to look away, stealing a glance at Lieutenant Shin beside her.

The man looked sick and frustrated, emotions she could well understand, given the position he was in.

"Lieutenant, I –""Lieutenant!" a hushed voice called out from the brush by the side of the road, interrupting her. A shadow detached itself from the thick undergrowth. One of Commander Mok's rangers had finally arrived, his plain clothes plastered to his skin with mud and sweat. The man jogged up to Lieutenant Shin and dropped to one knee.

"Report."

"The Vanguard Commander has taken the Iron Creek mine," the ranger panted.

"The entrance is secure. We are in position and waiting for the smoke team to flush the remaining garrison out." Shin let out a shaky breath.

"Understood, but the situation here has changed. Return as quickly as you can, and tell the Commander that –""Lieutenant Shin," Chae-ha interrupted him, placing a hand on his arm.

"May I have a word in private?" The Lieutenant glared at her, but the fight had completely left him. He gestured for the ranger to wait and stepped a few paces away with the young Inspector.

"What is it now? I'm starting to get awfully tired of you."

"I just wanted to warn you to choose your words carefully. Yes, we need to inform Commander Mok of the danger, but please avoid mentioning anything about our use of the forest trails."

"Why? He needs to know where to find us so we can regroup!"

"Lieutenant, think about who you are dealing with," Chae-ha pleaded softly.

"Commander Mok already hates us. If you tell him that Elder Eom's men carved out an escape path before the fighting even started, what is he going to think? He will assume we never intended to fight in the first place." Shin froze. He found it quite annoying how often this girl seemed to make sense. Chae-ha turned back to the kneeling ranger, her voice clear and authoritative.

"Please report back to Commander Mok. Tell him that a second Meng-shan column has been spotted marching up the main road behind us. We are in retreat, and we are no longer able to hold the enemy back. Tell him to abandon the mine and flee to safety as soon as he can." The ranger's eyes widened in alarm. He looked up at Shin for confirmation.

"You heard her," Shin muttered, looking away.

"Now go." The ranger scrambled to his feet and vanished back into the dark woods, sprinting to deliver the dire news. As the brush rustled shut behind the man, Chae-ha felt a gaze on the back of her neck. She turned slightly to see Tae-seok staring at her, a look of profound disapproval on his face. The young girl gave him a short shrug, before turning back to resume observing the front line. The bloody stalemate on the road dragged on. The Tai-shan vanguard continued to hold, but the strain was beginning to show.

And worse, the illusion she had crafted was finally fraying. With so many men having successfully escaped into the woods, the once-imposing serpent of oxblood and steel had grown dangerously short. The back of the column was starting to become visible, and it was actively dispersing, shrinking steadily to nothing like a snake that was eating its own tail. Across the divide, the Meng-shan strategist sat atop his grey horse, his sharp eyes scanning the shifting geometry of the battlefield.

His gaze drifted past the clash of steel at the front, settling on the strangely sparse rear of the Tai-shan formation, and realization flashed across his face. The Lesser Elder snapped his fan shut with a resounding clack. He immediately started barking a rapid series of commands, pointing and gesturing with his fan. Then he began tapping a new, faster rhythm on his drum. The Meng-shan spear wall shifted. They abandoned their defensive posture and leaned their weight forwards.

A unified, guttural war cry erupted from their ranks as they began to advance. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the spearmen. The High Elder threw his head back and let out a booming, bloodthirsty laugh. He spurred his horse forwards, closing the distance to the front line in moments. The momentum of his mounted charge empowered a single, wicked strike, his Wol-do whistling as it cut through the air. The huge glaive slammed into the Tai-shan front line with the force of a battering ram.

Two greatswordsmen raised their blades to block, but the sheer power of the High Elder's strike blew them aside. The impact lifted both men off their feet, sweeping them away and tossing them into the mud like broken dolls. Mu-cheon's eyes blazed, and his heart beat fast. The Young Master gripped the hilt of his Dae-jik-do as adrenaline surged through his system. He knew he was no match for a High Elder, but someone had to at least delay him.

Chae-ha could see from the resolve in his eyes that he was fully prepared to be the one to do it. But before he could take a single step, a calloused hand clamped onto his forearm from behind. Mu-cheon whipped his head around. Elder Eom Tae-seok stood beside him, his normally impassive face set with grim focus.

"You hold the line against the regular troops, Young Master," Tae-seok ordered him, his voice calm but authoritative. The retired general rolled his shoulders and motioned for the attendant carrying his bundled sword to approach.

"Your father sent you here to earn military honors," the veteran general reminded him, as he began to unwrap the cloth surrounding his Cham-ma-do. Once the weapon was free, the old man lifted the anti-cavalry saber with a single hand before slinging it almost casually over one shoulder.

"But monsters like that are the reason he sent me."