Chapter 056. Lovers of the North Wind (1)
In the quiet dawn, soldiers led their horses out between hundreds of tents and headed off for training.
They were the cavalry of the Ban Clan, trained by General Ban Seung-gyeom.
Their military camp had been established three hundred li from the capital, Hongyang, and they were waiting for their next order.
If news that the Ban Clan's cavalry had moved reached the king's ears, a civil war could break out even before the festival.
They were close enough that they could charge straight into Hongyang if they wanted.
Yet for now, they remained on the open plains, catching their breath and waiting for the right moment.
If Crown Prince Nam Hyeon's rebellion succeeded, their task would be to block the escape routes of the royal family and nobles fleeing the capital and execute them.
"They say the Ban Clan's cavalry is faster than a beacon signal."
Nam Hyeon spoke while surveying the camp from horseback.
His cold eyes and sharply defined face gave him a ruthless yet dignified air unique to him.
Seung-gyeom had gifted Hyeon a huge black stallion with a thick mane.
Thanks to the magnificent warhorse, Hyeon could look suitably imposing before the soldiers.
"If we sleep in the saddle while traveling, a journey that normally takes several weeks can be covered in only a few days."
Seung-gyeom laughed heartily as he answered.
There was almost nothing left of the wandering guest who had once stayed with the Jin Clan.
He had returned to the appearance of a proud and imposing general.
Still, his naturally carefree attitude remained unchanged.
Without even holding the reins, he stretched both arms through the air.
"The Ban soldiers standing in rows with their crescent blades look like a bamboo forest."
Hyeon had commanded mercenaries before, but this was his first time leading a regular army.
Perhaps the blood of a ruler was stirring inside him.
His face was slightly flushed.
Seeing him look strangely youthful for once, Seung-gyeom smiled.
A short while later, Seung-gyeom left to deal with the soldiers' deployment.
As though it had been waiting for that moment, a sinister aura began gathering around Hyeon.
The grass nearby rapidly dried and withered.
His nervous horse stiffened its neck and snorted.
Then a pitch-black face suddenly bounced into Hyeon's sight.
An eerie laugh rang out.
"The scholar in white isn't here today? Back at the palace, he nagged me so much that my ears almost fell off."
[How dare you deceive His Highness with false illusions!]
Seongha had harshly rebuked the Black Sword Ghost.
He had also given Hyeon his concerned opinion.
They had no way of knowing when the Black Sword Ghost might suddenly turn on them and reveal his true nature, so they should not allow such a creature to interfere too deeply in human affairs.
Hyeon knew that the Black Sword Ghost coveted the darkness within him.
That was why, after Hyeon returned to Hui Kingdom, the ghost had followed him around and handled troublesome matters on his behalf.
In a way, Hyeon was traveling with a terrifying observer capable of seeing straight through his soul.
Hyeon lowered his voice.
"What happened with the matter I told you to investigate?"
[Find out the true identity of the man called Geumdo.]
After witnessing the Hae Clan's secret meeting in the Ghost Path, Hyeon had quietly investigated Nam Geumdo's identity.
But because of the Hae Clan's extremely closed nature, obtaining information from within had not been easy.
"Judging only by his spiritual energy and abilities, he's nothing more than a low-level evil ghost."
Hyeon's expression became doubtful.
"Haemora placed such a being on the platform? She is not a leader foolish enough to do that."
"Who knows what happened, but he was borrowing a human body and pretending to be human. Some idiot probably signed an unfair contract with him."
The Black Sword Ghost grinned as he described how the Hae Clan people had struggled because they could not enter the Ghost Path.
Then he suddenly put one long fingernail into his mouth and tilted his head.
"But that bastard told Haemora something interesting."
Hyeon's eyes narrowed.
"He said he had a way to reopen the Ghost Path."
"Reopen the Ghost Path?"
"Maybe he was just running his mouth and lying. Or maybe he actually has some trick up his sleeve."
Leaving behind those unsettling words, the Black Sword Ghost disappeared into the shadows.
His body swayed unnaturally from side to side, almost like he was dancing.
A shadow fell over Hyeon's expression.
If the gates of hell opened again, everything he had prepared until now could become meaningless.
King Nampyeong's divine soldiers would render the living powerless.
"What was that ominous shadow that just passed by?"
"Looks like he's planning to command ghosts, just like his father."
Several Ban cavalrymen stood nearby, staring at Hyeon after the Black Sword Ghost disappeared.
They were older soldiers with long brown beards.
Their careless words were almost a direct provocation toward the man who might become their future lord.
They were also making it clear that they wanted no commander above General Ban Seung-gyeom.
To those soldiers, Hyeon looked exactly like King Nampyeong in his youth.
He was tall and handsome with deep, striking features and a cold expression.
Even the ominous darkness surrounding him seemed similar.
The people of the Ban Clan had spent many seasons carrying hatred in their hearts.
Their fury over the destruction of their clan had not easily faded.
Countless remains of their relatives lay beneath the cold sea, becoming food for fish.
Even those who survived had been forced to live in hiding.
Hyeon met their long stares with a solemn expression.
"I will not deny it. As you say, I do resemble my father."
Perhaps thinking this was finally their chance to confront the son of the king they hated, the soldiers slowly began gathering around him.
"I inherited his fiery heart and the nature of a beast. And more than anything..."
"..."
"His madness and cruelty."
It was almost as if Hyeon himself had dragged the doubts hidden in their hearts into the open.
He looked around at the soldiers and gave a faint grin.
There was a tightly suppressed emotion behind his cold smile.
