Chương 19: Military Theatre

Rifling through the personal effects of a dead man was not how Chae-ha had hoped to spend her day, but it was necessary for her plan. The young girl clenched her teeth and looked around. Elder Ma Cheol-mi's travel wagon was a reflection of the man's life. Expensive boxes of tea leaves and fragrant bundles of herbs were dotted all around, sitting amongst jars of oil and bottles of ink. A half-finished letter sat on his desk, and next to it – one of the items she'd come here to find.

The High Elder's personal seal, carved from a block of dark jade. Chae-ha picked it up and deposited it in her sleeve, examined the letter briefly, and then turned around and continued her search. There was still one more thing she needed to find. Her eyes lit up when, in the far corner of the wagon, she spotted a lacquered chest. The hinges creaked as she opened it, the scent of sandalwood drifting out. But inside, Chae-ha found exactly what she was hoping for – Elder Ma's spare silks.

The official vestments of a High Elder. She ran her hand over the golden thread embroidery. It was beautiful. It was expensive. Chae-ha pulled out a pair of shears from her sewing kit.

"Forgive me, elder," she whispered, before driving the blades into the silk, cutting the priceless fabric to match the wounds of a dying man. When she'd finished, the young girl brought the distressed silk robes with her as she traveled to her next destination, making sure to drag them through the dirt as she walked. Eventually, Chae-ha stopped in front of the litters of critically injured men and located Guard Captain Li. She waved for the medical captain and Mu-cheon to come closer.

"If this bluff is going to work, both the Imperial guards and the disciples all need to see a bleeding, groaning, but unquestionably alive High Elder being rushed into the medical ward." The young girl took the Diplomacy Elder's seal and handed it to Mu-cheon. She handed the robes she'd prepared to the medical captain.

"Dress Captain Li in these – and put a few bandages on his face, as a distraction. Spread some blood around these cuts as much as you can. His build is close enough to Elder Ma's to pass, but we should also undo his top-knot and let his hair down."

"He's delirious anyway," the medical captain muttered.

"He won't struggle." Mu-cheon shook his head in astonishment.

"You really think this will work?" Chae-ha nodded confidently.

"Yes, I do. We'll be arriving in the middle of the night, and we'll move fast. Everyone will see what appears to be a bloodied group of survivors – led by the sect's Young Master – carrying a critically injured High Elder. No one will dare to question us."

"But what if someone does?" The young girl shrugged.

"They're low-level guards and disciples. He's a High Elder. Bully them into submission with that great big voice of yours. Or if you somehow can't, just execute one of them for getting in our way, and apologize later. No one will care. The Empire isn't going to go to war over a road guard." Mu-cheon's face paled, but he nodded. He decided to change the topic.

"The convoy is close to being ready to leave. Are you done with all your preparations?"

"Not yet," Chae-ha replied.

"There's still one more loose end to tie up." The young girl turned and strode towards the supply wagon where the communication coop was kept. Thankfully, the birds had survived the chaos of the battle; their small wicker cage had been knocked onto its side, but the two homing pigeons within were merely agitated. She entered the wagon and grabbed a small strip of silk paper and a travel brush.

Her hand moved with unusual stiffness as she inked an update onto the strip, trying to mimic the blocky strokes she'd seen in the letter earlier. A few breaths later, she released one of the birds into the sky. The carrier pigeon circled once before streaking north, carrying a lie tied to its leg. Ambush Repelled. Traitor: Song. Continuing to Yangliu. – Ma Cheol-mi. Chae-ha watched it disappear, her expression unreadable.

"You're sure about this?" Mu-cheon asked, stepping up beside her.

"The bird is already gone, senior brother," she replied.

"And so is our chance to turn back." It was nearly midnight by the time the battered remnants of the convoy approached the manufacturing hub of Yangliu. The road to the Tai-shan sect branch was blocked off by a small contingent of sleepy Imperial Guards, clearly on edge due to the upcoming audit. When they saw the approaching dust cloud, their spears lowered.

"Halt!" the Guard Captain shouted, his hand resting nervously on his sword hilt.

"By order of the Salt and Iron Commissioner, this sect is under lockdown!" Mu-cheon inflated his lungs and invoked the fourth mnemonic of the Chuk-ap-gyeol.

"OUT OF OUR WAY!" The sheer volume of his voice hit the guards like a physical blow. The horses of the convoy reared in fright.

"We have wounded men in critical condition!" Mu-cheon bellowed, continuing to head straight towards the spear points.

"High Elder Ma Cheol-mi has been struck by a poisoned blade! We need the sect's physicians now!" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The Guard Captain paled. His eyes darted to the makeshift stretcher carried by four grime-covered escort warriors. On it lay a groaning figure draped in the unmistakable oxblood silks of a Tai-shan High Elder. The famous golden embroidery was slashed and stained with what looked like black blood.

Beside him on the litter rested a terrifying Cham-ma-do.

"I... my lord, the lockdown..." the captain stammered, his resolve crumbling as he began to understand the circumstances he'd found himself in. Mu-cheon stopped his horse inches from the man's face. He pulled Elder Ma's impressive jade seal from his belt and shoved it under the captain's nose.

"This is the Seal of the Tai-shan Diplomacy Elder," Mu-cheon snarled, "and that is the man himself – bleeding out on your doorstep."

"B-but, I…" The Young Master leaned down from above, his voice turning low and dangerous.

"My father is the Sect Leader. If I cut you down right now for blocking a High Elder's medical treatment, no judge in the Empire would dare call it murder. It would just be your bad luck." The guard looked at the seal again, and then he looked at the dying figure in the robes. Behind him were twenty blood-soaked warriors, all gripping their weapons tightly, outnumbering his own forces two-to-one. Figuring out what to do took less than a second.

"Let them pass!" the man screamed, stepping aside frantically.

"Medical emergency! Let them through to the branch compound, now!" Mu-cheon signaled the convoy forward, marching past the terrified guards without a backward glance.

"Go ahead and dock my pay," the Guard Captain muttered as the dust settled.

"I like my entrails where they are." From the back of a covered wagon, Chae-ha watched their progress through a crack in the canvas, wearing her clean – and now, fully-modified – robes. Once the convoy was safely through the checkpoint, she poked her head out and called Mu-cheon over. The young man rode up alongside her wagon.

"I can't believe that worked."

"Why not? You did great. Now, when we get to the branch compound, we need to basically storm it, senior brother. As soon as they know we're there, they'll rush to wake Branch Head Yu…and he'll want to see Elder Ma. We need to have taken over the medical wing by then. We'll only have a single ke, or at the most two, to do it." Mu-cheon nodded grimly.

"Shouldn't be too hard. They're Tai-shan sect members. We have the sect's Young Master and a High Elder. They literally can't say no." The Inner Disciple headed out to the front to lead the charge, knowing that the final push might be a little hard on the wounded. The convoy thundered through the gate of the Yangliu branch, right past the stunned and screaming night guards. The wheels of the wagons clattered loudly over the stone pavers, the sudden noise shattering the stillness of the night.

Lanterns flickered to life as confused disciples began to stumble out of their dormitories, only to be met by a wall of shouting and the sight of blood.

"Make way for the High Elder!" Mu-cheon roared, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls.

"Clear the path! Any disciple who delays us answers to the Sect Leader!" Panic spread like wildfire. Junior disciples scrambled out of the way of the galloping horses, tripping over their own robes in their haste. Somewhere in the chaos, a senior administrator recognized the banners and paled.

"Inform Branch Head Yu!" the man screamed at a terrified novice.

"Tell him envoys from the main sect are here, and there's…there's so much blood! Go!" Mu-cheon ignored them all, driving the convoy straight towards the large, distinctive building on the east side of the compound. He pulled his horse up sharply in front of the medical wing, leaping from the saddle before the beast had even come to a complete stop. The young man kicked the double doors open with a loud crash.

"Wake up!" he bellowed into the dimly lit chamber.

"We have critical patients! Get every physician, every herbalist, and every attendant out here now!" The night shift workers froze, staring at the blood-soaked, dust-covered giant who had just stormed into the room.

"I said NOW!" The attendants scrambled, running to bang on the doors of the sleeping physicians. Within moments, the hall was a hive of chaotic activity. Grogginess was replaced by adrenaline as the branch doctors took in the severity of the injuries. Mu-cheon directed his own escort warriors to carry the wounded in, barking orders to ensure his men got immediate attention. Amidst the frenzy, Mu-cheon grabbed the arm of the head physician.

"I need your most secluded room. One with a lock. High Elder Ma has been struck by a specialized poison, and his condition is unstable. He requires absolute isolation." The physician's eyes widened behind his spectacles.

"High Elder Ma? Here? Take the suite at the end of the east corridor. It's reserved for important guests. I'll come examine him immediately –""No," Mu-cheon cut the man off sharply.

"Our own medical captain is treating him. Your job is to save the others. Just clear the room." As the physician ran off to obey, Mu-cheon signaled to the four large warriors carrying the stretcher with the "elder." They waited for the room to be cleared before rushing the litter down the hallway, stopping right outside the door. Then, they all waited for their audience to arrive.

The escort warriors looked at Mu-cheon with nervous glances, the weight of Captain Li on the stretcher growing heavier and heavier on their arms. The Young Master stood at a bend in the corridor, his arms crossed, staring back towards the entrance. He tapped his foot impatiently, his heart hammering against his ribs. Come on, he thought. Where are you? The tension in the hallway continued to grow. Just as the warriors' arms began to tremble from the strain, a commotion erupted at the main entrance.

"What is the meaning of this?" a sharp, nasal voice cut through the din.

"Who dares turn my branch into a battlefield in the middle of the night?" Branch Head Yu swept into the medical wing, flanked by his own personal guards. He was wearing hastily donned silk robes, his face twisted in a mixture of sleep-deprived irritation and genuine alarm. Mu-cheon's eyes locked onto him.

"Now!" he hissed to the bearers. Right as the Branch Head rounded the corner, the four warriors leapt into motion. They rushed the stretcher forward with dramatic urgency.

"Careful with the High Elder's head!" one of them shouted – a scripted line delivered with convincing panic. The Branch Head froze. Down the long, empty hallway, he saw the unmistakable flash of golden embroidery on oxblood silk. He saw a discarded Cham-ma-do, resting on a litter. And he saw the messy, blood-soaked figure of a High Elder being hurried into a private room.

"Elder Ma?" Yu breathed, his irritation abruptly replaced by shock. He picked up his pace, hurrying towards them.

"Is that High Elder Ma?" Just as the stretcher disappeared into the room and the warriors turned to shut the door, Mu-cheon stepped directly into the Branch Head's path, blocking the hallway with his muscled form.

"Branch Head Yu," Mu-cheon said, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.

"Young Master Kang?" The Branch Head attempted to look past him, rising on his toes to try and see into the closing door.

"I was told there was a medical emergency, but... surely the High Elder isn't –""He's alive," Mu-cheon interrupted, stepping sideways to keep blocking the man's view until the door clicked shut.

"But the poison is still in his system. He explicitly ordered that he is not to be disturbed by anyone until he stabilizes and awakens on his own." The young man held up the High Elder's jade seal. The Branch Head bristled at being blocked in his own sect, but the sight of the bloodied figure, coupled with Elder Ma's jade seal, had clearly rattled him.

"Stand aside. I have the best physicians in the region at my disposal. Surely I can –""Are you sure you want to disobey a direct order from a High Elder?" Mu-cheon asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"Because the last thing he said before he went under was that if anyone breaks his concentration and causes the poison to spread, he will kill that person himself – and save the Sect Leader the trouble." Branch Head Yu's mouth worked silently for a moment as he tried to process all of this.

"It's late," he eventually managed, lamely.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of time to get caught up in the morning. And…of course, we want to help however we can. Our resources are at your disposal." From inside a nearby linen closet, Chae-ha let out her breath – and offered a silent ovation. She was the one who'd written the script, but Mu-cheon had just delivered the performance of a lifetime.