Chapter 603:
"Tsk."
Wei Yan-ho wiped the blood flowing down his forehead with his sleeve. However, that action didn't improve his situation at all. The blood that had thoroughly soaked his sleeve seeped out, flowing down his face.
"Eh."
Wei Yan-ho showed his irritation.
This blood just wouldn't become familiar no matter what.
Even though he'd heard his master's words countless times that anyone who lived by the sword should consider blood like water.
Wei Yan-ho turned his head to observe the front.
'Is there no more point to this?'
He had pursued them sufficiently. And he had achieved sufficient results too. Thanks to Baek Hoe-myeong doing something stupid, it was quite easy.
Even so, he felt regret.
Despite achieving absurd results, the gap in total strength was still large.
He could feel someone approaching rapidly from behind.
Wei Yan-ho glanced back slightly.
"Were you here?"
Jang-il and Wei Jeong-han landed on the ground. As soon as they landed, Wei Jeong-han, who examined Wei Yan-ho's condition, clicked his tongue.
"Wipe your face, you bastard."
"It won't come off even when I wipe it."
"Tsk."
Wei Jeong-han approached Wei Yan-ho and wiped his face with his sleeve. Seeing the blood that came off on his sleeve, Wei Jeong-han's face darkened.
'Is this repeating?'
Wei Jeong-han had also been in this same condition at a similar age to Wei Yan-ho.
Continuous battles and eyes filled with killing intent because of them.
He had repeatedly fought while soaking his entire body in blood, fighting and fighting again. It was a time when he was human yet not human.
That terrible period was now repeating for Wei Yan-ho.
He had risked his life fighting to prevent such situations, but the fact that history was ultimately repeating brought a despair that was hard to block.
"Agh!"
It seemed he had put strength into his hand. Wei Yan-ho glared with fierce eyes.
"If you have complaints, say them with words!"
"..."
No, no.
This guy could never become like himself. He was someone with a different nature.
Jang-il stuck out his tongue.
"What a ghostly fellow. In the midst of all this, not a single one of them is dead."
Following Wei Yan-ho's trail, he had seen countless fallen people. But none of them had lost their breath.
'I don't know if this is merciful or cruel.'
Severing tendons and cutting muscles.
So precisely that they could never hold a sword again.
Without taking their lives, he had only severed their lives as martial artists. This was work several times more difficult and arduous than simply swinging a sword to cut off their necks.
'It would be better to just die.'
However, what made it hard to discuss Wei Yan-ho's mercy was knowing how miserable swordsmen who could no longer hold swords would be. Thinking about the immense sense of loss these people, whose martial arts had been sealed and who had become worse than ordinary people, would feel, it was twice as cruel as killing them.
"Is there really a need to keep them all alive? Since when have you been like that?"
The Wei Yan-ho that Jang-il knew showed no mercy with his sword.
When he made up his mind to swing his sword, he never let his opponents live. That had always been the case unless there were unavoidable circumstances or someone intervened to stop him.
He couldn't believe that such a Wei Yan-ho was suddenly showing warmth.
"It should be just one or two."
Wei Yan-ho showed his irritation.
"If I kill this many, some of them will become vengeful spirits, won't they?"
"..."
"I'll deal with people as much as you want, but ghosts are scary. Swords don't work on them."
Jang-il smiled warmly.
'I was being stupid.'
It was wrong to try to understand Wei Yan-ho. How could anyone understand this guy?
"Are you planning to pursue them further?"
"No."
Wei Yan-ho shook his head at Wei Jeong-han's words.
"Going further would be too much."
"I think so too."
They could pursue if they wanted to. But chasing further would mean taking risks. It was now about time for the main force that had been following and the vanguard that had fled to reunite.
If they chased further, they would face many opponents at once.
That wasn't what Wei Yan-ho wanted.
Besides, they had come here to rescue. They hadn't come to defeat enemies. If they had achieved their intended purpose, they should know to be satisfied with that.
"Let's go back now."
"No, there's still work to do."
"Greed breeds disaster."
Perhaps that wasn't everything.
Wei Jeong-han didn't want to see Wei Yan-ho, at least, getting worked up and struggling desperately to defeat or kill someone. It might be nothing more than a luxury now that war had already begun.
It was a bit different from caring for his child.
Even if he wasn't his child, he wished Wei Yan-ho would just remain as Wei Yan-ho. If even Wei Yan-ho became tainted by the madness of war, who in the world could maintain themselves?
"They've already suffered sufficient damage. To recover from that damage and reorganize will require time. We can say we've bought sufficient time."
"Do they need reorganization?"
"War has something called formations."
It wasn't simply that a hundred men had been reduced to seventy. To fight efficiently in war, command authority and formations were needed. If there were a hundred, they would be divided into ten groups of ten each and commanders would be appointed.
Only then could the desired forces be sent to desired locations just by giving orders to the commanders.
But problems arose when formations were disrupted after battle. Some squads remained with all ten members, while others had only one member left? Then the two squads were no longer the same squads.
If there were only ten squads, they could respond by remembering the number of squad members, but when thousands upon thousands clashed, that became impossible. Naturally, formations had to be reorganized.
"Treating the wounded, reorganizing formations, and assigning responsibility. This might seem like nothing, but it's actually a really troublesome task. That's why wars sometimes last for years when they drag on."
"Ah, is that so?"
Wei Yan-ho chuckled.
"That's good. Hey, beggar!"
"Yeah?"
"Go to those Baek Geom Seong guys and..."
"Huh?"
"Tell them we won't capture them, so they should all go home. Capture all the ones who won't go and take them to Baek Geom Seong."
"..."
Jang-il looked at Wei Yan-ho with a reluctant expression.
'Well, it is rational.'
Prisoners had meaning when they had exchange value. Those without exchange value had no meaning as prisoners.
It didn't seem like Baek Geom Seong would give up anything to save these people.
'There's no way they'd have the loyalty to surrender to save people who can't contribute to their fighting strength.'
If Gwon Geuk had been there, he would have tried to somehow bring about a ceasefire agreement using them, but there was no way Baek Geom Seong would listen.
Then it would be better to hand over the prisoners to increase their burden.
"So setting aside these guys, what's this work you mentioned?"
"These guys aren't everything."
Wei Yan-ho shrugged his shoulders.
"We have to save the people we can save."
"..."
Wei Jeong-han sighed quietly.
It was natural.
Right now, Wei Yan-ho was practicing righteousness. It was the appearance Wei Jeong-han had always wished for from Wei Yan-ho.
But why did he feel so bitter?
It was like watching a child who wouldn't look at a single character despite all the nagging suddenly devoting himself to learning while bleeding from both nostrils.
But worry came before joy.
"Will you be alright?"
"You've been saying strange things since earlier. It's not like I'm injured anywhere."
"...Right, that's true."
Wei Jeong-han also knew that his current worry was excessive. But knowing something with your head and feeling it with your heart were different things.
"You don't need to worry. This is nothing, really. Not yet..."
Wei Yan-ho looked up at the distant sky.
"The war hasn't even begun yet."
***
"Reporting!"
Shin Gi-sua, who had been anxiously flicking his fingers, suddenly raised his head. The face of the person who burst through the door was flushed.
"Quickly!"
"Yes! Wei Yan-ho's group, who headed to Hapbi for rescue, safely met with those who were fleeing! They successfully blocked Baek Geom Seong and safely retreated the remaining personnel!"
"These, these guys!"
Shin Gi-sua's body trembled.
They did it.
They actually did it.
He had thought that maybe Wei Yan-ho, maybe they could do it, but in one corner of his heart there had been worry that perhaps he had made them waste their lives for nothing. That worry completely flew away at this moment.
"And?"
"Yes! Wei Yan-ho's group defeated those pursuing from Baek Geom Seong's vanguard and encountered Baek Hoe-myeong and others. They defeated them. As a result, Baek Geom Seong is now retreating."
"These crazy bastards!"
Curses burst from Shin Gi-sua's mouth.
But those curses were ones that burst out from being unable to contain his joy.
"They really caused a proper incident! Yes! That's how it should be!"
Laughter kept bursting out.
For the first time since hearing news of Gwon Geuk's death, color returned to Shin Gi-sua's face, which had never once brightened.
"Wei Yan-ho's group is now pursuing the retreating Baek Geom Seong."
"...They're pursuing?"
Shin Gi-sua's brightened face hardened again.
'Isn't that too excessive?'
Baek Geom Seong's forces numbered in the thousands. But Wei Yan-ho's group of only six was pursuing them?
Common sense said it was impossible.
'No, no.'
When had there ever been anything that made sense according to common sense?
The fact that Wei Yan-ho clashed with them and made them retreat didn't make sense to begin with.
Of course, he could understand how such a thing happened.
If there were thousands of rabbits, even a tiger couldn't handle all those rabbits. While the rabbits were dying, if they each bit just once, the tiger would die from excessive bleeding.
But such things didn't happen.
When rabbits encountered a tiger, whether there were a thousand or ten thousand, they would flee first. Total strength versus total strength was a concept that existed in the mind. In reality, no one wanted to exchange their own death for the enemy's scratch.
So they had no choice but to run.
Wei Yan-ho wasn't stupid. Rather, he was an extremely clever guy. If such a guy decided to pursue, it meant the situation was that good.
"Casualties! Are there any injured?"
"No casualties whatsoever. Not even minor injuries."
"Oh!"
"Wei Yan-ho's group contacted us saying they would go rescue Hapbi as soon as they finish pursuing."
"Right, that's how it should be. If they can do that, that's how it should be."
Shin Gi-sua sighed deeply.
"Hero, hero... I never thought I'd call that guy by such a title."
Shin Gi-sua had been the one creating and spreading all sorts of rumors to make Wei Yan-ho into a hero. That had been absolutely necessary work. The more difficult the world became, the more people were bound to look for something to rely on.
But seeing how things flowed like this, he found himself reflecting on whether such work had really been necessary. Wei Yan-ho was walking the path of a hero on his own without anyone leading or helping him.
And doing so while repeating unprecedented innovations and more innovations.
"Ignorant bastard."
Shin Gi-sua smiled pleasantly.
"This isn't the time for this. I need to help that guy now. First, the situation..."
"Reporting!"
Another person rushed through the door.
"Shaolin and Wudang have arrived at the main gate. Other sects are also arriving soon."
"I, I'll go out right now!"
Shin Gi-sua jumped up from his seat and rushed outside.
Hope that had never been seen before was blooming on his face.