Sniping – Departure
By order, there were two primary assassination objectives.
One was to sever the gap between the main force and its supply column, and annihilate the supply unit.
The other was to neutralize the commanding officers, including the senior generals.
Attacking the supply train trailing behind a long marching column was a traditional tactic.
But striking the commanders positioned in the center of the main body was an idea possible only because of the Baekryongdae's mobility.
Breaking into the middle of a stretched-out formation, cutting down the enemy commander, and withdrawing—this plan was proposed as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Being spared from the grueling labor of digging traps was welcome.
But it was also extremely dangerous.
If a hundred men attacked the supply unit, they could easily find themselves face-to-face with the five-thousand-strong main force.
Throughout history, a moving army would fight desperately to protect its supply train.
Without supplies, no battle could be fought.
And yet, the supply column, burdened with heavy loads, always lagged behind.
It inevitably drifted away from the main force.
Armies often missed tactical opportunities because of their supply trains, but they could never abandon them.
If such a gamble failed, the army would face devastation—perhaps even annihilation—in the battles that followed against nature itself.
Assassinating the supreme commander and field generals was even more dangerous.
They stood at the very heart of layered defenses.
Even if one targeted the weakest point, escaping encirclement would be nearly impossible.
And even if one miraculously broke through, the general would be protected by heavy armor and numerous guards.
Moreover, the general himself was usually a martial expert.
Even securing a one-on-one encounter did not guarantee success in bringing him down.
The Baekryongdae was not a unit specialized in assassination.
They excelled in large-scale cavalry shock tactics—crashing into enemy lines, wheeling around to strike the rear, and breaking through the center.
They were masters of mounted combat and steppe warfare.
Their strength lay in manipulating tempo—lengthening and shortening the rhythm of battle to exploit openings and concentrate force at a decisive point, collapsing the enemy's core in a single blow.
Selecting and assassinating leaders one by one was not something they had ever done.
"Yusaengwon, Yusaengwon."
"Yes, hyung-nim?"
Someone called out to Sowoon, who was loosely seated on his swaying horse, gathering his thoughts.
"That thing you mentioned before—about laying breath over the flow. I don't quite understand it. Could you explain it more simply?"
Sowoon looked into the man's eyes and thrust his fist forward.
He exhaled sharply—"Huk."
Then inhaled with a low "Hheuk," withdrawing the extended fist.
It was a simple act of making sound, yet his movement aligned perfectly with his breath.
The forearm beneath his outstretched fist was pale and round, almost childlike.
"This is it. Breath, action, and flow.
Flow is the hardest part.
If your body is already moving forward, you load the punch onto that flow and go 'hut.'
It's about doing them together."
"I heard the explanation before, but it's still difficult. I don't feel much difference whether I breathe with it or not."
"Practice.
You either inhale, exhale, or pause.
It can be fast, slow, intense, or pouring like a waterfall.
You align that with your movement.
Just as it says in the manual.
Breath is important.
It must accompany the action.
You 'lay' it over the movement.
Like this."
This time he made no sound.
He overlaid his breathing onto a straight punch.
A faint tearing sound followed, as if the air itself had split.
For a moment, it felt as though space wavered like heat haze around his fist.
"Got it. I'll try again."
More and more members of the Baekryongdae devoted their spare moments to practicing the Chongram.
Whenever they had questions, they sought out Sowoon.
The more they learned, the more fascinating martial arts became.
It strengthened them, improved their chances of survival, and gave them a sense of meaning.
Sowoon never dismissed their modest hopes.
He taught each one carefully.
At times, it was almost embarrassingly earnest.
But because he was so sincere, none could take it lightly.
A boy was teaching grown men.
It was an absurd image, yet the Baekryongdae received his instruction with gravity.
Gagyeongpil avoided the enemy's main route and took a wide detour.
Though longer, mounted travel would bring them into contact soon enough.
He had no intention of colliding head-on.
After receiving the scout's report, he changed direction some three hundred li away.
A group of swift martial artists sent by Iso-gun's family moved ahead and behind, relaying information.
They wore near-ordinary clothing and carried only light swords.
Even if seen, they would not arouse suspicion.
They passed like travelers and gathered intelligence.
The enemy drew near.
"See anything?"
Gagyeongpil asked Sowoon, whose eyesight was exceptional.
Sowoon's small finger pointed toward a distant mountain ridge.
The ridge sloped gently into a low plain.
Sparse shrubs dotted the crest.
Higher up, the forest thickened.
In the distance, it faded into gray.
"Earlier, there was an enemy scout over there. He ran over that ridge like a madman."
Sowoon could sense distant presences with ease.
He saw clearly what others could not.
Once Gagyeongpil discovered this, he made full use of it.
He kept Sowoon at the front, asking when needed.
The boy described scenes as though standing beside them.
"Shall we catch him?"
"No. I won't send Yusaengwon on such trivial work."
"If you don't intend to conceal our advance, I can go."
"No. Let them see us. We'll circle behind.
We'll show ourselves in front and strike from the rear."
"Understood."
"But how do we kill the commander?
With this difference in numbers, we must eliminate him first."
It was more a sigh than a question.
Sowoon smiled faintly and pointed to his own crossbow.
"If we line him up in the center and go rat-tat-tat-tat, wouldn't that be easy?"