Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 55: Chapter 9: She Mountain Woman (Part 2)

Editor: Larbre Studio

Song Translator rummaged through Kobayakawa’s body, jogging all the way to Li Yan’s side.

“Do you know who this man is?”

“For the Red Guards to serve as his escort, his status must not be low,”

Li Yan replied.

He was holding a magatama he had found on Kobayakawa’s body.

“He is the son of Kobayakawa Takakage!” (A commander of the Sixth Army of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces, holding a rank equivalent to Konishi Yukinaga, our target mission.)

Li Yan snickered upon hearing this.

“In that case, it seems we have established quite a meritorious service, haven’t we?”

“At least a promotion of one rank!”

Song Translator said with conviction.

Li Yan glanced at Song Translator.

“We’ve come a long way, and Song Translator has also exerted effort. If we are to discuss rewards for merit, we certainly won’t forget to include a share for Song Translator~”

Song Translator’s face turned red, and he could not help but hear the teasing in Li Yan’s words.

When the Red Guards Army attacked, he had slipped away early. Even if he couldn’t help being a civilian, he was, after all, unharmed.

Those Ming soldiers with serious injuries sacrificed themselves fearlessly, even using their bodies to block swords to stop the Red Guards, which made him feel ashamed.

He cleared his throat, and said earnestly:

“General Li, you are looking down on the Joseon officials and people too much. Even if we can’t help, we would not dare take the credit for our allies’ achievements.”

“Hmm~”

Li Yan lowered his head and touched his wrist guard.

“Heh.”

…

“Diao! Old Diao!”

The veteran soldier’s eyes roved back and forth, before him was Deng Tianxiong’s ginger-yellow face. The sunlight reflecting off the snow was blinding. He turned his head slightly and saw two freshly filled small mounds.

“Old Diao, how are you feeling?”

Seeing Diao Xiayan’s fingers twitch slightly, Deng Tianxiong, whose mood had dampened due to the loss of two brothers, was on the verge of tears.

“Don’t worry, he won’t die.”

Li Yan walked over.

“Not dying is the real trouble,”

Diao Xiayan said hoarsely, the single eye flickering.

“General Li, let me speak frankly; I…”

“Speak frankly, and I will make sure to bring you back!”

Li Yan glanced at the old man and added a stick to the fire. Wet with snow, the firewood crackled loudly as it burned.

The old man’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice, and he turned his head away.

“You dragged your severely injured body back with the head of that Japanese pirate, are you seeking a reward? For your son?”

Diao Xiayan did not speak.

Li Yan looked at Deng Tianxiong, who continued, “The court has decreed years ago that for beheading a Japanese pirate, a reward of twenty taels of silver is given; for one from the Red Guards, a hundred taels, and a promotion of one rank for those below Centurion.”

Li Yan thought deeper and, smiling at Diao Xiayan, said, “You don’t quite trust me, do you?”

“My lord, Old Diao doesn’t mean that.”

“I know,” Li Yan nodded, then suddenly stood up.

“Everyone,” he began, attracting everyone’s attention. “The road back to camp is not an easy one. If you’re willing to follow me, it means entrusting your lives to my hands.”

He paused and continued, “I, Li Yan, as the Chief Banner, am but a small military officer of menial rank. Even if you truly follow me back to the camp, there’s no reward money or military honors to be had. As for that General Zu who has returned in defeat, I reckon he is being flogged in the Ming Army Camp right now…”

The soldier with thick eyebrows opened his mouth, “Chief Banner, don’t talk like that. All of us brothers are well aware of how much you’ve shouldered along this treacherous journey.”

At these words, everyone resoundingly agreed, speaking up all at once.

“Had it not been for Lord of the Banner, we probably would have fallen here just now.”

Whether it was the sheer strength displayed in killing Kobayakawa or the directives along the way, Li Yan had gradually established his authority among these people.

Not to mention the extraordinary firearms and the spellcasting that saved lives.

Li Yan raised his hand, and everyone fell silent.

“I say these things, not to have you indebted to me, but to establish a military pledge to you all.”

He looked around him.

“I lead you all back to camp, not to send you to your deaths, but to strive for wealth and future prospects.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“I, Li, consider my skills second to none. To speak impudently, if not for the constraints of fate, I would really like to compete with those generals who are also under Great Ming and boast of their valor, just to see who truly deserves the title of general.”

He held a bowl of hot water, his words striking home.

“Today, General Cha has suffered a great defeat; the imperial court will not let this go. As the large army presses on tomorrow, it should be the time for us brothers to rise to prominence.”

He pointed at the corpses on the ground.

“The reward money and military honors, we’ll all share. My share will be given to the two brothers who died in battle today. I lay my words here—if you trust me and are willing to follow me, surviving this chaos of the Japanese pirates, I promise you, for every one of you, a position as Banner Officer.”

Everyone was momentarily stunned, only Old Diao’s gaze shifted subtly.

The most unreliable thing in the world is human favor.

As well as those who constantly speak of it.

There were words Li Yan had wanted to say, but couldn’t find the right moment. Now, having lost only two soldiers was actually quite fortunate, but morale was still inevitably low. Li Yan took the opportunity to express his sentiments. He didn’t expect these men to be completely devoted, but he wanted them to understand that following him, their Chief Banner, meant a chance to live, to be promoted—far more substantial than mere favors.

Deng Tianxiong was the first to stand up.

“Lord of the Banner, I won’t repeat what I’ve said before. Even if you said nothing, I, Old Deng, would still firmly follow you.”

The others stood up one by one, their faces flush with emotion.

Diao Xiayan, unable to move, just leaned against a rock, sighing.

“If General Li doesn’t disdain this old skeleton of mine, then I’ll quit playing coy. If there’s any way in which Old Diao can still be of use, just say the word.”

Song Translator stood not too far away, his feelings complex as he observed this small military head of the Ming Country deliver an impassioned speech, his brow proud.

Li Yan’s tongue grazed his upper teeth, silently nodding his head.

“Let’s move out.”

The party had been traveling for half a day and were about to exit She Mountain when Wang Sheng suddenly looked up and said loudly.

“Guys, do you hear a woman’s singing…”

Li Yan stopped and listened attentively for a moment.

“It seems there is, and yet it seems there isn’t…”

One of the soldiers frowned, and Li Yan’s eyes swept across Song Translator’s face, which was a mix of surprise, confusion, and utter disbelief.

“Song Translator, what is this song about?”

“The She Mountain Woman…”

“What?”

Song Translator steadied himself and explained, “There’s a tale of the She Mountain Woman that travels through Pyongyang. It is said that she was the thirty-sixth wife of Hengxiong, the son of the heavenly emperor. After Hengxiong went to war, he never returned, and the She Mountain Woman has been waiting for him deep within She Mountain ever since.”

Li Yan touched his intact neck and let out a wry smile.

“The daughter-in-law of the Joseon heavenly emperor?”

Deep within She Mountain, the woman’s voice wafted gently, and she held hands with a frail girl dressed in white, watching as a troop of ant-like figures receded into the distance from the foot of the mountain.