Second Incursion – Assassination Plan
Lee Hee began to recover his strength.
His wounds had been suffered while underfed, but with rest and movement his body regained vitality quickly.
Unlike the Supreme General, he bore neither internal injuries nor poison.
With Lee Hee's return, the White Dragon Corps regained its shape.
As word of victory spread, more men joined them, and the household grew busier.
Their numbers were far fewer than in Haran, yet they now had the Supreme General, Lee Hee, three hundred White Dragon riders, and even a master who had reached the realm of Hwageong.
Most did not yet know it, but Lee Hee was aware that Sowoon had stepped into the realm of Hwageong.
He was not merely called a master—he truly stood in that tier.
That fact had to be accounted for in strategy.
Many who were labeled "masters" were only somewhat faster or wielded unusual sword forms to exploit openings.
A true master was rare.
It was said that a hundred skilled fighters could not overcome a single Hwageong master.
One such person could alter the entire structure of a battlefield.
The White Dragon Corps had grown to roughly three hundred riders.
Weapons and equipment were becoming scarce, yet the household spared nothing for them.
Jin Musik prepared rations and ground grain.
Though news of five thousand enemy troops cast a shadow, the soldiers' eyes did not dim.
Sowoon focused on training.
He transformed from a demonstrative instructor into a strict mentor who corrected and refined.
They had to defeat many with few.
He pointed out individual weaknesses and rapidly elevated their level.
"You must extend farther and exhale sharply at the strike."
"That part—pull it hard. Inhale sharply."
"If the breath does not follow, the strength will not carry."
He emphasized how to load power into a blow.
In large engagements, the enemy must fall in a single strike.
Even when blocked, the strike must pass through; even when resisted, it must break through.
In clashes of armored cavalry, penetration was everything.
Feints and flourishes belonged to wandering martial artists.
On the battlefield, simplicity and overwhelming force ruled.
The White Dragon Corps acknowledged Sowoon.
They respected his insight, his martial skill, and his humble character.
After realizing the depth hidden in his casual remarks, they competed to seek his guidance.
The training grounds grew too small, and the central clearing at the entrance became another arena.
Sowoon moved tirelessly between spaces.
One man could not teach three hundred, yet he tried.
He drew upon examples from the Compendium.
The Compendium of Mugeoja felt less like a collection of techniques and more like the record of one who understood the underlying principle.
Each explanation carried a clear doctrine.
The more Sowoon applied it in practice, the stronger his conviction became.
He wondered whether Mugeoja himself had reached Hwageong.
Lee Hee devised an assassination strategy.
It would take at least fifteen days for the enemy to reach Anyang.
Three days had passed; roughly ten remained.
Waiting passively would be foolish.
They must advance first, seize favorable ground, and concentrate their strength.
Assassination.
Traps.
Luring maneuvers.
Ambushes.
Familiar terrain.
An all-cavalry force.
One Hwageong master.
It was a battle worth attempting.
The White Dragon riders were growing steadier under Sowoon's instruction.
Their sword strokes gained weight.
There was a difference between swinging and striking with added force.
If the enemy consisted mainly of Royal Guards infantry:
Lure out small cavalry units and eliminate them.
Lay traps along their route.
Secure locations suitable for fire attacks.
Assassinate the commanding officers first.
Strike the flanks of their extended columns.
Use the scholar-warrior for a frontal blow.
Divide into three units to harass them without rest.
Sever their supply lines.
Threaten or strike supporting strongholds.
Lee Hee recorded the plan carefully.
He marked Yanghak Mountain and Deungi Plain.
On a drawn map, nine strategic points were indicated.
Two sheets of strategy were completed.
He brought them to Jin Mugwang's quarters.
The Supreme General lay precariously, breathing thinly.
Lady Sogun remained by his side.
The two smiled quietly at one another.
"I have a report."
"Speak."
"Five thousand Royal Guards have departed."
"Then we march."
"Not a single man has left us."
"You did not coerce them?"
"No."
Lee Hee explained the strategy.
"We will strike before they reach Anyang—traps, ambushes, officer assassination, fire attacks, supply disruption."
"A sound plan."
"We require grain, arrows, and labor for traps."
Lady Sogun nodded.
Lee Hee hesitated.
"Is there any correction?"
"You have done well. Spare the children's lives as much as you can. And do not exclude Sowoon. A Hwageong master exceeds our imagination."
"We will return victorious."
"Return alive."
"I obey."
Tears flowed inward.
He knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
"I wish I could join you. With only our White Dragon Corps, we could sweep them aside."