274.The terrain was a mix of forest and water, demanding careful judgment for maneuver.
Dawn had not yet opened.
In the darkness where sky and earth mingled, the soldiers' armor glimmered faintly.
When one inhaled, the stench of blood and the smell of wet soil stabbed the nose together.
The wind was cold, the air damp and heavy.
From atop the rise, Park Seongjin looked down over the troops.
He summoned two junior officers and assigned their reconnaissance sectors.
The terrain was a mix of forest and water, demanding careful judgment for maneuver.
"Each of you will take one o unit and circle along the northern ridgeline to check the flank of the enemy camp.
Look for cooking smoke, horse tracks, even the ash from signal fires. Report everything.
Avoid engagement. If the situation turns unfavorable, withdraw immediately."
"Yes."
They answered briefly and urged their horses forward.
Hooves struck the wet ground with a low thud.
The soldiers followed in silence.
Dawn dew clung to the spearheads, catching a pale sheen of light.
Park Seongjin shifted his gaze to the remaining scouts.
"Yi Nosan will check the southern waterways.
Watch for any changes in the current overnight and identify points that could be blocked."
"Understood."
As Yi Nosan turned his horse, the darkness of early morning wrapped around his shoulders.
When all had departed, a brief stillness settled over the camp.
Only the remaining embers glowed faintly.
Park Seongjin looked up at the sky.
The stars were dim, and a faint trace of pre-dawn light began to spread in the eastern sky.
A lone crow cried in the distance.
He straightened the banner hanging from the tent pole with his hand.
From behind him, a noncommissioned officer spoke softly.
"General, the eastern sky is brightening."
"Yes. The day is beginning."
He answered briefly and turned his eyes toward the plains of Yangzhou.
The camp of Zhang Shicheng, still sunk in darkness, was beginning to take shape in outline.
A chill wind brushed past.
Dew-laden grass swayed, and from far away came the dull beat of drums.
The scouts had already vanished from sight, leaving only faint hoofprints etched into the soil.
—＊—
Fog lay low.
The wind had died down, and dew clung to the tips of the grass, holding the light.
O Sun-gun dismounted, softening his footsteps.
The hand holding the reins tightened unconsciously.
Dawn still lingered at the edge of night.
Looking back, he saw five soldiers scattered at even intervals.
No sound of breathing horses or weapons could be heard.
They moved like shadows at daybreak.
As they climbed the slope, a burnt smell seeped into the earthy scent.
O Sun-gun lowered himself and raised his hand in signal.
One soldier crawled quietly forward.
He pressed his ear to the ground, waited a moment, then lifted his head.
"I hear it. Hoofbeats. From three directions."
O Sun-gun's gaze hardened.
He signaled in three directions.
Two soldiers spread left and right, while the rest hid behind the ridge.
When the wind shifted, the smell thickened.
Burnt wood, the rank scent of horses, and human sweat flowed together.
O Sun-gun closed his lips.
The distance was close.
Then a faint light appeared below the ridge.
One torch, then two, then three.
The lights moved at steady intervals.
A soldier whispered, holding his breath.
"Cavalry."
O Sun-gun raised his hand for silence.
Leaning on the darkness of dawn, the number of moving lights steadily increased.
They advanced northward at a quiet but unmistakable pace.
A column of armed men followed.
The crack of whips and the clear ring of metal striking metal spread on the wind.
The wind stirred slightly.
The fog parted, revealing a banner in the distance.
Black characters were stamped on red cloth.
It was Zhang Shicheng's army.
O Sun-gun swallowed.
He gestured to the soldiers.
"Withdraw."
Keeping low and muffling their steps, they descended the ridge.
The moment he seized the reins, a horse in the forest behind them snorted roughly.
The stillness shattered.
"Who goes there!"
A sentry from Zhang Shicheng's forces.
Torches flared, slicing through the darkness.
O Sun-gun did not hesitate.
"Run!"
His body moved first, the soldiers following close behind.
Horses kicked off the ground.
An arrow whistled past and struck a rock.
A brief spark flew.
Looking back, he saw enemy torches moving in a line.
Their numbers were swelling rapidly.
Only then did O Sun-gun grasp the situation.
This was not a mere reconnaissance party—part of the main force was already moving north.
—＊—
A horse burst into Park Seongjin's camp in a cloud of dust.
Soldiers startled awake, and a short alarm horn sounded.
Park Seongjin ran out of the tent.
O Sun-gun leapt down from his horse and bowed.
His breath came out in harsh gasps.
"General, Zhang Shicheng's army is on the move."
"The scale?"
"At least two thousand. Cavalry at the front, with men and supply carts following behind.
They are moving north."
Park Seongjin's gaze sharpened.
"North—toward where?"
"Toward Yangzhou's northern gate.
They're moving along the outer perimeter of the city.
After spotting our scouts, they shifted to a heightened alert posture."
"Contact?"
"Some of their vanguard fired arrows.
No casualties on our side.
Our reconnaissance has been exposed."
Park Seongjin steadied his breathing.
He spread out the map with O Sun-gun.
O Sun-gun traced the point of contact and the enemy's route with his fingertip.
Park Seongjin lifted his head briefly toward the eastern sky.
Gray dawn was slowly spreading.
"This movement is not defensive.
They're forming a line."
He turned at once and called for an aide.
"Send a messenger to General Lee In-jung immediately.
Report that part of Zhang Shicheng's main force is moving north.
Hold the camp. Establish a defensive line to the northeast."
"Yes, sir."
Park Seongjin looked back to O Sun-gun.
"Pursuit?"
"It's possible. Close pursuit is dangerous.
We can secure visibility by observing from high ground."
"Good. You stay and oversee the watch yourself.
The moment any movement is confirmed, report it."
"Yes."
O Sun-gun turned and mounted his horse.
Hooves dug deep into the soil of early morning.
Park Seongjin watched his retreating figure for a moment.
Orders were already spreading through the camp.
Soldiers moved briskly.
The clash of armor.
The creak of drawn bowstrings.
The sound of breath mingling in the air.
Park Seongjin pressed his lips together.
A short sentence formed clearly in his mind.
Zhang Shicheng had moved.
A strong wind rose, shaking the banners on the tents.
Red cloth snapped sharply against the dawn sky, and the plains of Yangzhou slowly revealed themselves.