267.
Departure — Leaving Hwaju
Morning mist clung thickly to the mountainsides.
Across the fields of Hwaju, barley heads had ripened to a dull gold, swaying heavily in the wind, while from the riverbank came the low sounds of warhorses and metal striking metal.
It was time to depart.
Park Seongjin draped himself in an old robe and headed toward his master's dwelling.
At the moss-covered stone steps before the mountain gate, his master sat as if part of the scenery itself.
White smoke rose from the incense burner like drifting clouds, and even beneath the warm spring sunlight, his gaze remained calm and unbroken.
"I hear you are marching out," the master said.
"Yes. The court has decided on deployment. General Yi In-jung has been appointed overall commander, and I have been entrusted with the local forces of Hwaju."
The master's eyebrow twitched, just barely.
"So now you stand at the head of many."
Park Seongjin lowered his head.
"It is no longer just my own body. When one leads others, the sword becomes something else."
The master nodded slowly.
"To feel that weight is important. Bring them all back alive."
A brief silence followed.
Then Park Seongjin spoke carefully.
"What lies on the path I walk?"
The master regarded him for a moment before answering.
"Time will judge whether a path is right or wrong. But do not forget this: the sword exists to establish your will. There will come a moment when your heart wavers before orders do. Be especially cautious then. Scholars these days call it shindok—vigilance in solitude."
Those words sank deep into Park Seongjin's chest.
He knelt and bowed.
"When I return, I will come see you again."
The master rose from his seat.
"I wish to see the eyes you return with."
From afar came the beat of drums—the signal for the Hwaju forces to assemble.
Park Seongjin turned once more toward the mountain gate.
The scent of incense was already thinning.
He mounted his horse and rode down into the fields.
Beyond the mist, the army began to move.
Assembly at Seogyeong — The Bearing of a New Army
South of Seogyeong, even before the morning fog had lifted, the ground trembled with human breath.
Rows of banners were raised, and the hands of soldiers tending their mounts were stained with the smell of iron.
Each day, more troops gathered.
Three thousand elite soldiers dispatched from three of the Six Guards assembled first.
Six thousand northern local troops joined them.
Five hundred Jurchen veterans were added to the ranks.
Altogether, the force numbered just under ten thousand—but its presence felt like that of many tens of thousands.
Yi In-jung divided the army into three formations: vanguard, center, and rear.
The vanguard was anchored by the Hwaju local forces.
Shields formed the front line, with spear points rising behind them like a forest.
These were men seasoned by combat along rivers and beyond city walls.
Even without checking one another's movements, their formation held steady.
The center consisted of crossbowmen and mounted archers dispatched from the Six Guards.
They maintained fixed intervals, calculating range, inspecting arrows and mechanisms.
They were the balance—cutting down enemies that passed the vanguard and stabilizing the battlefield.
The rear held the Jurchen mobile troops and special assault units.
They lowered their heads on horseback, waiting for the flow of battle.
The moment an opening appeared, they were ready to strike the flanks and rear.
Each formation was further divided into companies.
Combat units, siege forces, transport, intelligence, medical teams, and rear defense were evenly distributed.
Even before moving, the army had become a single, integrated structure.
For this campaign, Park Seongjin was appointed commander of the Second Company of the Hwaju forces.
Under his command were four hundred elite local troops, dozens of martial specialists trained in temples and mountain schools, and fifty Jurchen veterans.
It was a flexible force, built to adapt.
Pointing to the map of Seogyeong, Yi In-jung spoke.
"Our destination is not a simple battlefield. If the White Lotus forces rise again, the court itself will shake. We strike directly at their base."
He traced the lines of advance once more.
"The vanguard belongs to the Hwaju forces. You will meet the enemy's spearheads first—but do not lose the center."
The command was clear.
The vanguard was led by the mixed Hwaju–Jurchen unit under Park Seongjin.
The center held the elite Guards and cavalry.
The rear secured supplies and medical support.
An envoy bearing the royal seal accompanied the army.
Yi In-jung left the same words with every unit.
"A soldier is not one who wins by fighting, but one who remains standing until the end. This is not a battle fought to uphold royal command with blood. It is a battle in which each of you stands to establish Goryeo in your own name. Do not die. Hold your ground."
From the walls of Seogyeong, armor reflected the morning light like rolling waves.
A northern wind snapped the banners.
The breath of countless warhorses seemed to sink deep into the earth.
Mounted, Park Seongjin rode along the front of the vanguard.
Expectation filled the soldiers' eyes.
One of the local troops raised his voice.
"The Hwaju forces advance!"
The cry spread.
Shields struck together.
Cheers shook the plains—a vibration like a single massive body drawing breath.
Watching, Yi In-jung said quietly,
"War is decided not by numbers, but by those eyes. I was taught that the sword exists not to obey orders, but to establish resolve."
He glanced at Park Seongjin and smiled.
"Good. Show us, Commander Park. Let Hwaju stand at the front and show the world what Goryeo is."
That day, the great bell of Seogyeong rang.
The vanguard opened the road.
The center held firm.
The rear followed the flow.
Hooves kicked up dust, and beyond it, the banners of Goryeo swayed slowly.
The time of a new army had begun.