Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 85: Chapter 38 Yuzi Bows His Head, The Fiery Skull

“Good, good.”

Li Yan didn’t know what he was thinking about, but he kept nodding.

His thumb gently tapped on the table, recalling the information on the Japanese pirates’ generals that he had obtained through ‘A Fleeting Glimpse’ during that rainy battle.

It took quite a while before he spoke.

“Among the Sengoku Allied Army, the leader of the Shinin-ryu Four Heavenly Kings, Liusheng Muneshige of Tamba, is old in years. This time, it was his eldest son Liusheng Chang who led the troops. His right arm was severed by the combined efforts of Tianxiong and Nine-Winged Sudu, losing much of his combat strength. As for the likes of Ono Sadayuki and Shishi Renjiu, they are no match for me alone, so they are not worth mentioning.”

Li Yan’s words could be considered extremely arrogant, and with scars both deep and shallow on his body, raising his voice risked tearing his wounds, which didn’t add much credibility to his statement.

Yet it was this very man who, under the noses of the Sengoku Allied Army, first killed Commander Konishi Yukinaga of the first squad, then targeted Commander Hidetada Masasuke of the third squad. Of the nine commanders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces, he had overthrown two by himself. Indeed, the allied forces had been negligent, and their movements had been hampered by the many Wild Gods of Joseon, but without a doubt, in that night of bloody rain and battle, it was Li Yan who alone claimed the greatest merit of the entire Renchen War.

“Honda Tadakatsu, unparalleled in the Eastern lands, and Tachibana Muneshige, unparalleled in the Western lands, one with Kachiten and the other with the famous sword Hatsuyuki. Relying on the advantage of their weapons, both barely qualify for the evaluation of ‘Ten Cities’ in Yan Fu. If I encounter them again…”

“To be precise, a Deputy of Ten Cities, roughly equivalent to 39% of the Awakening Degree of the Gu Huo Bird, facing the first bottleneck of Awakening Degree,”

Yu Shu interrupted Li Yan, adding to his statement.

Li Yan frowned and asked, “Among the Sengoku Allied Army, is there anyone stronger than those two?”

Yu Shu stared at Li Yan for a while.

“There is one.”

“Kill him for me, and we’ll be even.”

Li Yan didn’t hesitate.

“Alright~”

Yu Shu nodded her head, seemingly amused, and asked, “This incident in Yan Fu is so challenging, and you barely survived what was essentially my fault; why let me off the hook for your favor so easily?”

Li Yan grinned, not caring even as the smile pulled at his wounds.

“You expect me to cling to your leg and beg you to help me lie down and fight the Warlords of Sengoku?”

“That’s a possibility.”

Yu Shu’s expression was calm as she looked straight at Li Yan, placing her little finger on the edge of his cracked lips.

“Consider following me from now on?”

Li Yan shifted back, raising his eyebrows and looking at Yu Shu with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Red Ghost follows you because he wants you. I don’t have that thought.”

Yu Shu’s eyebrows sank, but she did nothing, only lowering her head with a chuckle.

“So be it then.”

Li Yan left the tent with faltering steps, without another word.

“Why not leave? Having killed Konishi and Hidetada, your evaluation in the Yan Fu incident is definitely above ‘Upper Auspicious’. Staying here means a narrow escape from death; are you aiming for the ‘Great Auspicious’, or are you eyeing Honda Tadakatsu’s Kachiten?”

Li Yan paused in his step.

“Consider it all if you will, but it doesn’t really matter.”

Li Yan looked up at the outside of the tent, his throat quivering, “I haven’t had many friends in the first half of my life, and there are still a few left. But it’s difficult to speak of life-and-death matters lightly in this chaotic world. Yet here, over two hundred people entrusted their lives to me, willing to charge forward at the draw of a sword, sincerely calling me ‘Lord of the Banner’.”

Li Yan’s eyes reddened at that moment with his back turned, the fallen corpse of Deng Tianxiong seeming to emerge before his eyes.

“I don’t need guns or evaluations; all I want now is to kill all those bastards.”

…

“Lord Governor, General Li would like to see you.”

There were many in the Ming Army named General Li, but when it came to the name General Li at this moment, there was absolutely no mistaking it.

“Let him in.”

Li Rusong had not closed his eyes for a day and a night, but he remained vigorous; not a trace of the loss of his nephew or fatigue showed on this man. His regard for Li Yan had been continuously elevated, and after that night, he even thought this general could be ennobled.

Li Yan entered as told.

Li Rusong looked up, but there was a momentary daze in his expression.

The man before him was clearly severely wounded, his body wrapped in bulky bandages exuding a strong medicinal smell. His face was deathly pale, his eyes sunken, his skin clinging to his bones, yet he did not exhibit any signs of dejection or loss of will. It was as if all his vitality had sunk into his bones, giving his tall and lean frame an oddly intense presence.

Li Rusong was struck by the term ‘blazing skeleton’.

“What brings you here?”

Li Rusong was sparing with words. Only those familiar with him knew that he only took on such a demeanor when facing people close to him, like Shen Heyan.

“This subordinate would like to request something of Lord Governor.”

…

Overnight, the torrential rain had washed away the snow, leaving muddy slush strewn across the mountain paths. The woods were a murky mess, no longer pristine as before.

“To die at twenty-four, my damned elder brother truly had a hard life,”

Hidetada Osho, or Nen Enman as he used to be called, looked up at the scattered corpses and the cloven deer antlers on the hillside while tearing at the dried saury in his hands.

“No, Nen.”

The man who spoke was clad in black and red armor, with a red-faced countenance, a bald head, with only two tufts of black hair on his temples,

The founder of the Ise-Kuwana Domain, Honda Tadakatsu, is a descendant of the Honda family’s first generation.

He has been known as “Ghost Hachiro,” “Mikawa Flying General,” and “Japan’s Zhang Fei.”

This year, at forty-four years of age, Honda Tadakatsu is a battle-hardened veteran, his prowess arguably at its zenith. Perhaps in a year or two, or maybe after three or four years, he would struggle to wield his beloved Kachiten, but at least now, the accolade “unscathed in battle” is no exaggeration.

“The death of Masasuke weighs heavily upon me. We only had our eyes set on the main Ming forces by the Datong River and underestimated that mysterious army that appeared out of nowhere.”

Honda Tadakatsu said.

“Ah, I had such concerns earlier, but I did not expect the Ming to act so swiftly. Nevertheless, you managed to defeat that troop, did you not?”

Honda lightly stroked the bandages on his stomach, the fierce expression of the young Ming soldier who had thrown a Fire Thunder straight at him still lingering in his mind.

He said with a wry smile, “But at the cost of our squadron’s commander.”

“Old brother Ghost was only the nominal leader.”

Nen Enman dismissed it, “You, old uncle Honda, are the backbone of the allied forces, even the unruly Muneshige would admit that.”

“Although we didn’t recover the bodies, those monsters have been greatly weakened and won’t be able to play a significant role in the upcoming siege. You must realize that if such a troop were to charge, our men would have had a hard time holding them back; we could have lost our advantageous position for nothing. But now, the deciding power is still in our hands.”

Nen Enman scooped up some snowflakes, feeling their coarse hardness.

“Using the Ming governor as bait, we’ll annihilate the Ming reinforcements.”

…

Swords, spears, sabers, halberds stood arrayed like a forest, and the rumbling of chariot wheels marched alongside fluttering banners. Countless Ming soldiers surged over the horizon.

“Lord Gaogong, you come from the Heavenly Master Tao on Dragon Tiger Mountain and are adept at divination. Are you sure there won’t be another downpour within the next three days?”

Yi Yu rolled his eyes upon hearing this, his tone sarcastic, “When the sky shows the scales of carp, there’s no need to turn the grain in the sun the next day. Do you still need to ask me that?”

Yang Yuan nodded upon hearing the reply and said to the Ming generals around him, “If that’s the case, then let’s do it tonight. Our army will strike from the flank of the allied forces, with the heavy cavalry leading the way, bow riders and Bandang Cavalry (firearm-wielding cavalry from Liaodong Town) launching a cover attack. Like a swarm of bees in the night, we do not seek to inflict many casualties, only to make sure Lord Governor sees our coordinated attack with forces inside and outside, breaking the Japanese forces!”

He paused, then continued.

“In the current situation, we urgently need an elite cavalry to rush to the aid, to be the first to break through the enemy lines. Among the Japanese pirates, there will surely be those knowledgeable in warfare. If I were them, I would most definitely set up an ambush on the way. It is an obvious trap that we must break through. The Daimyo Allied Army is in dire straits, with an urgent march and no supplies, their situation no less severe than ours. Now, only a battle fought with the readiness to die will prevail. Which general is willing to lead this charge?”

There was no lack of courageous and generous generals present, many of whom were direct descendants of the family of Li Rusong. With Li Rusong trapped, they were eager to fly to his aid, but at that moment, all eyes turned toward one person at the edge of the group.

He wore a red, round-top hat and mountain-patterned armor that gleamed on his bronze-armored shoulders. Over his shoulder, he carried a nine-foot-long red Great Banner, and his expression was cold and grim.

The vanguard commander of the Right Army, Song Yi, volunteered for battle.

Yang Yuan was silent for a while, “I do not doubt the bravery of Commander Song, but the elite of your vanguard are currently besieged. With only a few dozen cavalry under your command, the task would be too great.”

Song Yi planted the Great Banner into the ground and stepped forward from the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the generals, whose expressions varied.

“Gentlemen…”

He swallowed hard before continuing:

“My fellow brothers in arms, I have been brash and arrogant, disregarding everyone in my past interactions.”

He paused, then spoke much more fluently.

“Please do not take my immature words to heart. Here, I offer my apologies to everyone.”

With that, he bowed deeply regardless of his armor.

Yang Yuan opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, remained silent.

“The complications of this situation are clear to everyone. Brothers, I earnestly request… to borrow two thousand cavalry for the Right Army.”

Song Yi spoke very slowly, word by word:

“I am prepared for death in this battle and seek no credit or reward, which should be given to the brother who lends the troops. You all hear me clearly and can bear witness. I am entrusting this to you all.”

He bowed again, his voice growing louder, “I implore you, my brothers!”

Silence.

After a prolonged silence, a voice finally broke through.

“You say you seek no credit or reward, heh, in the end, Commander Song, isn’t that because you look down on us? Do you think we’re after your credit and reward?”

Song Yi quickly added, “I have no such intention.”

The person stepped forward, his voice also loud.

“Credit and reward should go to whom they are due. We haven’t stooped so low as to covet the achievements of others. I have issues with you, but the debt owed to General Shen, who fell at the hands of the Japanese pirates, won’t be left unsettled by any of us. I’ll lend two thousand cavalry, but it is for General Shen, not for you. Please cease mentioning rewards and credit.”

Liu Kang, the Guerrilla Warfare Commander from Baoding, also spoke, “The Japanese pirates pose a great threat; two thousand men might not be enough. Baoding Prefecture is an important military horse supply. I have a thousand horsemen with copper and iron armor at my disposal, which I will give to Commander Song.”

“I don’t have cavalry, but I do have a few hundred sets of chainmail. If Commander Song finds them useful, take them. Since you’ve called us brothers, I’ll ignore those nonsensical words you said afterwards.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

A scar-faced staff officer said as much.

“That’s right.”

“It’s only fair.”

After the silence was broken, approval grew louder.

Song Yi clenched his fists and, moved by the stirring sentiment among the generals, found himself choked up and could only offer a salute with his fists clasped.

“Thank you, my brothers!”