Lead clouds shrouded the white moon, and mists enveloped the entire hillside.

Li Yan stood on high ground, removing his Star Helmet and Arm Guard, gazing down below.

At this moment, the entire battlefield was strewn with severed limbs and mutilated corpses, the Renowned Family Crests trampled underfoot, smeared with mud and footprints. The air was thick with the pungent scent of saltpeter, and layer upon layer of Ming Army Formations swirled like vortexes.

At the vortex's center, a drop of black saliva fell, and the two-fathom-tall Sharp-Eared Fierce Ghost, with blood-red eyes, swung two horse carcasses in its hands, flailing wildly.

This Fierce Ghost, with white hair and ruddy skin, had a round belly and was marked with scorched traces of gunpowder.

"String!"

Atop the Blue-Maned Great Wuan Horse, the spear-wielding commander shouted loudly.

Dressed in black leather armor, their hair bound by netted scarves, the Archer Array Formation stepped forward in unison, Iron Spine Bows raised high, their dark arrowheads aimed straight at the Fierce Ghost.

"Draw!"

The sound of bowstrings being pulled was indescribable, each longbow drawn to the full moon, brimming with terrifying explosive force.

"Annihilate!"

Dark clouds covered the sky.

The Fierce Ghost roared in defiance, its massive feet pounding the ground as it charged towards the direction of the Blue-Maned Great Wuan Horse, only to be ruthlessly pierced by a Black Tide of arrows, turning it into a porcupine in an instant.

The Fierce Ghost knelt, powerless, its eyelids slowly closing.

"What is this thing, a Fire Gun pierces its skin and it can still heal?"

"I heard it crawled out from a pile of corpses."

"And I heard it's the transformed leader of the Japanese Pirates?"

"Nonsense."

"Seriously, its head was taken off, and it jumped out from the neck."

"It's over two fathoms tall; let's see you jump like that."

A few infantrymen in the front row whispered among themselves.

"Sir, perhaps I should take a look."

The speaker, carrying a bright red banner, looked up to the commander for permission.

"No need."

The spear-wielding commander spurred his horse forward, walking up to the Fierce Ghost. He had to look up from his mount to see the Ghost Entity's face clearly.

Suddenly, the Fierce Ghost, its face pierced by a dozen arrows, opened its eyes!

The mounted man's eyes bulged with fury, his spear cleaving forward, smashing a large Bloody Hole in the Fierce Ghost's chest with his Nail Stick.

The Fierce Ghost howled in agony, its immense body falling backward, stirring up a cloud of dust.

From his vantage point, Li Yan watched with A Fleeting Glance as, in the instant the commander raised his spear, a Black Savage Bear wielding sharp claws emerged behind him!

"Quite interesting."

Li Yan nodded with a hint of excitement, anticipating great rewards from this encounter.

The general panted heavily, and it was a while before he could curse aloud.

"Damn it, that gave me quite a fright," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Set up the pot, slaughter the pig."

...

The flames in the stove roared, and the man sitting by the desk had two faint brows, a bearded face that did not seem rough but rather exuded a calm and composed air.

"From the east at Hitachi, through the South Sea to the Four Nations, Kyushu, and from the north starting at Akita, Sakata to China, each Daimyo's territory shall prepare two large ships for every hundred thousand koku. Every hundred households in the seaports shall provide ten sailors, and any surplus shall be gathered at Osaka. The necessary construction costs shall be presented in a budget report..."

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"That's enough," the man interjected. He thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How fares the Tokugawa Clan?"

"The war preparations are vigorous. Sakai Tadatsugu is the general, with Honda Tadakatsu as the vanguard. They have an excess of twenty thousand sailors and ten large ships."

The man clicked his tongue, "The Vermilion Tiger Rider has been sending reports for two years, constantly emphasizing the Tokugawa Clan's duplicity. How is it that when Toyotomi Hideyoshi's troops march into Korea, the Tokugawas are so eager to assist?"

The reader of the letter fell silent, but laughter came from another.

"The affairs of the world are inherently unclear, and no one can claim to understand the thoughts within the Tokugawa Clan's belly. The Japanese Pirates are but a chronic affliction; I've heard that on the Japanese islands, there are those who, with but seven or eight farmers under their command, dare to call themselves Daimyo. Such jumping clowns should hardly trouble General Li."

The speaker, a man in his twenties, was dressed as a Taoist, with a lotus crown, a blue embroidered skirt, and a golden bell in hand, with ten miraculous spirit banners before him. His lips were red, his teeth white, and he was quite handsome.

The man lowered his eyes and said, "Yi Gaogong speaks sensibly."

The man's name was Li Rusong, the current Commander-in-chief of Shanxi, appointed by Emperor Wanli as the Governor-General, the head of the Korean Expeditionary Force.

Of course, Li Rusong knew that the situation was far from as optimistic as the Taoist had made it out to be. Just from the recent spy reports, it was evident that Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign against Korea was an all-out national effort. With nine legions combined, they amounted to at least a hundred thousand men. Furthermore, Japan was rife with internal strife, providing a high-quality source of soldiers with rich combat experience. Though referred to as Japanese Pirates, they were formidable adversaries indeed...

"Damn, that felt good! Uncle~"

The man, broad-shouldered and upright, peeled off his Azure Tiger Beast Swallowing Armguard as he barged into the tent. Spotting Li Rusong with his cool demeanor by the desk and a young Taoist sitting below with a beaming smile, he immediately bowed in respect.

"Lord Governor-General."

"Speak."

"The Japanese pirates on the hill have been scattered."

"Any captives?"

"Uh..."

The man's eyes darted as he spoke, "Lord Governor-General, as our forces charged, we encountered a small troop—brethren who had been separated from General Zha's command back in Pyongyang. These men were formidable, breaking through the Japanese pirates' cavalry with just seven or eight riders. They've fought their way here from Pyongyang and are now awaiting orders at the Large Camp. Oh, and the leading General Flag asked me to hand this over to you."

Yi Gaogong sipped his tea, his eyes flickering slightly, an almost imperceptible arch to his brow.

Li Rusong took the Red Hook Jade passed by his nephew and scrutinized it for a long time.

...

Li Yan laid a damp towel across his face, his upper body bare, the shallow wounds on his skin already crusting over.

"It's like a dream—I never thought I'd make it back."

Deng Tianxiong, his chest wrapped in bandages revealing a tuft of black chest hair, chuckled as he leaned closer to Li Yan, "Sir, how do you think the Supreme Peak Meeting will deal with us?"

"What would you have them do?"

Deng Tianxiong extended a finger, "Five Red Reserves, plus that Daimyo's son—forget the reward money. With such great achievements, a promotion to Hundred Households for you wouldn't be excessive, right?"

"If all the Ming Country's General Flags were like Sir Li, the Japanese pirates would've been wiped clean long ago," Song Tongyi, wrapped in a blanket, added after sipping some hot soup.

Wang Sheng, also at the gathering, joined in the conversation, "I also think that General today held you in high regard, Sir."

"Who is that General?" someone asked.

"Shen Heyan, the Guerrilla General from Shanxi, appointed as the Vanguard of the Central Army this time," Wang Sheng whispered, "He's the esteemed nephew of our Governor-General, Li Rusong."

Even Diao the Blind, who was squinting and lying inside, was roused with interest. "Commander Li, I have long heard of you—the Daimyo, Ningxia's Conqueror of Beibai, the Famous General of the Time."

Li Yan was about to respond with a smile when suddenly the tent flap was rudely thrust aside, letting in a whoosh of cold air that made everyone shiver. Diao the Blind, already convalescing, turned pale and couldn't stop coughing.

"Which one of you is Song Joong-ki?"

The voice that cut in was cold and carried a hint of arrogance.

Li Yan, sitting on the kang bed, turned his head to see a man at the entrance wearing baggy bell-bottoms, his military boots stepping into the tent, his gaze sweeping over every person there.

"Who is it?"

Li Yan turned around, his black Chaos Tattoo facing the newcomer, water dripping down his neck through his damp, tousled hair. Resting a hand on his thigh, the two men locked eyes—one standing, the other sitting.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at someone who's never been hit."

The atmosphere in the tent instantly tensed like drawn swords and ready crossbows.

"I am, I am," Song Tongyi interjected with an ingratiating smile, stepping between them.

The man stared at Li Yan for a moment before saying to Song Tongyi, "The Lord Governor-General requests your presence."

"Alright, alright," Song Tongyi hurriedly agreed, glancing at Li Yan, only to find him looking down, ignoring the exchange.

Song Tongyi quickly shifted his gaze, bowing to the visitor, "Thank you for your trouble, General, in showing the way."

"General is too grand; I'm just a standard-bearer," the man replied amiably to Song Tongyi.

The two left the tent one after the other.

"What's the meaning of this? They seek out that Korean Translator, but not you, sir?" Deng Tianxiong's voice boomed. Li Yan looked up to find a delicate-looking boy standing at the entrance of the tent.

The boy was dressed in a white Daoist robe, his head adorned with a wooden hairpin. He appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen, a timid expression on his face.

"Excuse me, is this the place of Li..."

"Preposterous!"

Deng Tianxiong bellowed, startling the boy so much that he plopped down on the ground.

"Hey, where are you from?"

Only then did Deng Tianxiong notice the boy, his eyes wide as copper bells.

"I, I—"

The boy's eyes reddened and he began to cry softly, "Master..."

**********

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