God of War (Soldier / Military Official / Moo shin / 무신)

Kim Jun may be right. That's probably where they're headed.

Exactly. Shouldn't Kim Yakson have thought of this?

I have to hear it from Kim Jun?

Maybe if he spent less time drinking and more time planning?

If the Tripitaka burns it will crush our people.

What can we do? How can we save the Tripitaka?

Does Kim Yakson have a plan?

What now?

We have no men to send to Taegu and the enemy is on the move.

How can we stop them?

What about the Tripitaka?

Didn't we move it because Heungwang Temple was too dangerous?

Just so.

Can our garrison in Taegu stop them?

I'm sorry, but I doubt it.

They probably don't even know the Mongols are on the way.

Overlord. Send me.

I'll reconnoiter and devise a defense strategy.

The Mongols are coming from the north. If I leave now I should beat them there.

They have 1,000 cavalry.

The problem isn't getting there first, it's stopping them at all.

But, sir, we can't just do nothing.

No, riding there won't help anything.

My lord, isn't it better to fight than to lose our temple to the Mongols?

Perhaps working in tandem with the local militia we can stop them.

You may be killed.

But, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Will you do it?

Yes, Overlord. With your permission, I'll leave tonight.

Granted. You were a monk once.

I know how you feel about the Tripitaka.

Yes, sir, which is why I want to go.

Take Choe Yangbaek with you.

Yes, Overlord. Right away, sir.

Kim Jun. What's the rush this time?

A precious treasure is threatened.

We have to hurry. The Mongols are marching on Taegu.

- Move out. - Yes, sir.

Take your time.

The Koryo cowards have all run off to mountains or islands. No one's around.

Yes, sir.

Taegu. A few days or so.

The whole thing is silly.

They think some scriptures will protect their country?

So I heard.

If they believe that, no wonder they're losing.

Blocks of wood protecting a whole country?

Exactly, sir.

Anyway, this is boring.

Soldiers are meant to fight wars.

Not to ride to some backwoods town and burn a Tripi-whatever-it-is.

Tanggu's lucky, he gets to march on Kanghwa.

The detachments are burning as they go?

Yes, sir.

We have our orders from Marshal Sartai.

Burn the villages, the houses, the temples, everything.

Just as you say, sir. We burn every village, no exceptions.

Koryo will never try this again. We'll burn their country to ashes.

Yes, sir.

Now for Kaegyeong. What's the status there?

The military has lost. All that's left is rabble.

Oh? Never mind them. We march for Kanghwa.

Yes, sir.

Move it along! Time is short. Move!

What's taking so long?

This is the imperial palace. Move it!

Move!

Pak Seungson. Where is Kim Yakson?

I'm not sure. I saw him this morning.

I don't know if he left.

The reports keep coming in.

Where are the Mongols now?

One says they're at Kaegyeong.

Another says they're fighting at Fort Kwangju.

Another says they're marching along the Han River to get here.

The situation is desperate.

Here at Kangdo, Kaegyong, Fort Kwangju, even Taegu.

Yes, quite so.

Find Kim Yakson. Ask around, find out where he is.

He has a meeting to run. Now.

Yes. Right away, sir.

Make way.

Make way.

Hong is here?

He is. As the Mongol emissary.

Traitor. He should have died with the Mongol commissioners.

But Kim Jun let him get away.

We can fix that now. The second he gets here.

We can't kill him with impunity.

We need to have informal talks about the Mongols. We can't cut that tie.

Where is Kim Yakson?

Ah, well, he was called away.

Be that as it may, he should be here.

- To run this meeting. - True.

Life is good, huh?

War or no war, there's still good times to be had.

People have to live.

Everything is possible with money.

So true.

But shouldn't you be at the Guard Corps?

There are plenty of people to cover for me.

He's the next overlord, after all.

I hear all the chancellors bow and scrape when you show up.

Enough of that. More drinking.

Nothing wrong with knocking back a few with my old Kyongju buddies.

It's our hometown, drinking with us is like a visit from a star.

I've had too much. I'm drunk.

You, music.

And you, dancing.

Sir, Pak Seungson.

Oh, it's you. I'm drinking with my old friends.

Here, join us.

I've been looking all over for you.

The Mongol emissaries have arrived.

The Mongols are at Kimpo.

Your presence is required.

Now, now.

There's still time for a drink. Now, now.

You need to go, sir.

Whatever it is, Pak Songbi can handle it.

They don't need me.

Wait, so they send envoys and pass Namgyeong to march on Kimpo?

Yes, sir.

But Kimpo and the Han River are vital to us here.

They're right in front of our noses.

Yes, sir. Sartai's two-pronged offensive will be meeting at Kimpo under Tanggu.

I thought they were fighting at Fort Kwangju. Isn't that so?

That was nothing more than a skirmish on the way here.

So Sartai's 10,000 cavalry are here at Kanghwa?

Exactly. Infantry and cavalry combined total in the tens of thousands.

Can we possibly hold them off?

Of course we can. Why else would we be here?

Kangdo is a natural fortress. Mongols fear the water.

They can't make the crossing.

Perhaps. On the one side we have the palace wall, on the other the enemy.

I don't share your confidence.

You're here representing the Mongols?

Just so. I'm the official envoy.

And as you know, it's unwise to kill an official envoy.

So I'd appreciate it if you stopped eyeing me like cats eyeing a mouse.

The traitor is scared.

How dare you show your face here?

I heard you're the one that told them to burn Heungwang Temple.

I'm the official envoy. Let's focus on that.

Marshal Sartai asks the following...

First, why did you kill his commissioners?

Second, why did you leave the capital and hide here on Kanghwa?

As to that, we had to come here when the Mongols crossed the border.

As to the commissioners, we know nothing about them.

Don't lie.

I was with them and barely escaped with my life. Who are you kidding?

We answered your questions.

What else did you want?

Your trumped up little king or the old overlord of yours.

One or the other will come with me and bow before Sartai.

- Wh-wh-what? - Never!

Never!

Another thing.

Your little king is to return to his palace in Kaegyeong immediately.

Refusing to do so will be seen as an act of war.

And the Mongols will burn all Koryo to ashes until he behaves.

Enough, traitor! We aren't budging.

Get out before I lop off your head.

Think carefully.

Burning Heungwang Temple was nothing.

We're prepared to burn something even dearer to you.

Our Marshal Patau rides with his elite cavalry even as we speak.

He'll burn your precious little Puin Temple and the Tripitaka with it.

- No! - Traitor!

You wouldn't dare.

Burn the scriptures?

If we must, we must. So make up your minds.

And someone from Koryo must come with me and bow before Sartai.

Give me your answer.

And I mean now.

- Scum! Sleaze! - Traitor!

What's that? The place we're passing.

Chungju, sir.

Ah. So through the three mountain gates, past Sangju and we'll hit Taegu?

Yes, sir.

Three or four days at the most.

Good. Keep moving.

There may not be any enemy troops, but discipline must be maintained.

There are still plenty of bandits about.

- Understood? - Yes, sir.

We've caught up with them, Kim Jun.

At this pace we should be able to beat them there with two days to spare.

- Move out. - Move out.

I heard about the burning of Heungwang.

I rushed here to check on you and pay my respects.

I've worried about you.

War surrounds us. Where have you been?

Here, there, anywhere my feet take me.

I see Buddha wherever there is hunger and suffering.

It's everywhere now.

All thanks to our leaders, wouldn't you say?

They have led us to the very gates of hell.

People running for the mountains or the sea.

Bodies piled high on the streets.

The aged that don't starve are carted off to the mountains...