The Visit of the White Dragon Unit (3)
Soun paused for a moment, choosing his words, then spoke as if offering an explanation.
"Not long ago, General Jin visited.
He pointed out what I had yet to complete.
Among his words was this—that I should answer their fervor.
They gathered here after hearing they might learn from a master."
His voice was low, but clear.
Lee Hui turned his gaze again.
Movement across the clearing caught his eye.
Those standing in rows repeated the same motions.
Breaths overlapped; feet struck the ground in the same rhythm.
Those crawling along the ground circled their assigned paths at steady intervals.
Without pause, without disorder, they traced identical arcs.
Those practicing sword forms occupied divided spaces.
The tips of their blades did not intrude upon one another's paths.
Unlike the first time he had seen them, now their ranks were aligned.
The movements were still rough, but the formation was orderly.
There was stability in the sight.
"Not quite a rabble."
Only yesterday, they had been one.
Now, standing in lines and columns, they appeared otherwise.
"General, what brings you here?
Had you sent word, I would have come to you."
Soun raised his head as he asked, voice respectful.
Lee Hui gave a short laugh.
"You were said to be difficult to move, so I was told to come instead. More than that—you have done something great."
His gaze drifted briefly into the distance, then returned.
"You toppled the Emperor, the Chancellor, and even the Sword Pavilion."
His tone was calm, yet the weight within it was anything but light.
And at that moment, a problem arose.
The words carried.
Everyone heard them.
The recent upheaval in the Imperial Palace—he had effectively declared it Soun's doing.
Rumors travel on the wind.
Soun quickly lifted a finger to his lips.
"Shh."
His face paled as he covered his mouth.
His tongue felt dry.
He had believed, alone, that no one knew.
Yet when his superior had spoken, Soun answered steadily.
"What are you saying… It was simply what had to be done.
Power had fallen into disorder. I wished to set it right."
His voice was low.
But it carried clearly in the crisp morning air.
Truth travels.
One hundred fifty heard him.
The faces of the Namsan disciples standing nearby stiffened.
Eyes widened.
The Emperor. The Sword Pavilion. The Chancellor.
They had heard the rumor that all had fallen in a single day.
And now it meant that this young instructor had done it.
The air in the clearing sank heavily.
"Can they be trusted?"
Lee Hui's gaze swept the clearing again.
"Not yet. But before long, they will be."
They were a mixed crowd who had gathered barely two days ago.
Each had learned fragments of their sect's techniques.
Each was bound, in one way or another, to the place they had come from.
But Soun's eyes were different.
He saw in them those who would be reforged into warriors of loyalty and skill like the White Dragon Unit.
Lee Hui spoke briefly.
"I will help."
"Yes?"
"That is why I came. We have set camp about fifteen li outside the capital. We cannot bring the formation into the city, so I came with only a few. There is still time before departure."
"You ride out again?"
"Yes. Our task is clear. We must block the barbarians."
"When do you depart?"
"In five or seven days. Until then, there is room to spare. I will help."
"Thank you."
Soun folded his small body quickly into a bow.
His waist bent deeply, then straightened at once.
He turned and leapt back toward Pyo-seon Rock.
Dadadada—he bounded up the stone steps.
So swift his feet were barely visible.
The momentum was different from before.
Strength ran through his spine; his shoulders felt light.
It was the stride of a child who had gained reinforcements.
Reaching the top of Pyo-seon Rock, he steadied his breath and looked down.
Every gaze in the clearing turned toward him.
"The assistant instructors have arrived. You will be divided according to your current units, and they will guide you. Compared to Instructor Jang, these men are… considerably more ferocious. Please take care."
He paused briefly.
"The training will be harsh. Prepare yourselves."
Whether it was a warning or an explanation was hard to tell.
As he spoke, a dozen members of the White Dragon Unit quietly melted into the crowd.
When the formation divided, they flowed naturally among the trainees.
Sosam headed to the very rear—
to where the slower ones still struggled through the chamjeong stance.
He did not carry a stick.
He did not raise his voice.
If a hip drifted backward, he kicked lightly to push the center back into place.
If an arm strayed from horizontal, he struck it with the edge of his hand to correct the height.
The movements were rough.
There was no hesitation.
They began immediately.