AFTER JOSEON'S FIRST EXPEDITION TO THE PAJEO RIVER...
...THE JURCHENS WERE LEFT IN UTTER RUIN.
THE ATTACK FURTHER FRAGMENTED THE JURCHEN TRIBES WHO WERE ALREADY DIVIDED AMONG THEMSELVES...
...AND EVEN THE TIGHTER-KNIT TRIBES SUFFERED ITS EFFECTS.
AT THE HEART OF IT...
...WAS THE MAN WHO SUFFERED A CRUSHING DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF SUNMONG LEE.
MANZHU LI WAS AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.
HIS INFLUENCE HAD ONCE BEEN UNCHALLENGED WITHIN THE JIANZHOU JURCHENS.
HE HAD EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH TO SUPPORT HIS LEADERSHIP...
...AND A TACTICAL MIND THAT HELPED HIM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HADAR OF THE HAIXI JURCHENS.
IF ANYONE WAS TO UNITE THE JURCHENS...
...HERE WAS A MAN WHO HAD A REAL CHANCE OF ACHIEVING IT.
AND NO ONE EVER DOUBTED IT.
NOT UNTIL THEY SAW HIM GETTING CRUSHED AT THE HANDS OF SUNMONG LEE...
ONCE A CHIEF EXPOSES HOW VULNERABLE THEY CAN BE...
...THEY END UP FACING COUNTLESS CHALLENGES IN THE PACK OF WOLVES.
IT WAS A DIFFICULT TIME...
JIANZHOU JURCHEN REGION
I HAD TO CUT DOWN MY OWN KIN...
...WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO JOIN ME IN MY GREAT CAUSE.
AND YET, IT SERVED A PURPOSE.
IT HELPED US WEED OUT WOULD-BE TRAITORS AND DISCOVER NEW TALENT...
...SUCH AS KUNUMA.
INDEED.
HE NEARLY MANAGED TO BRING ME DOWN.
EVEN SO, YOU SPARED HIM.
THAT WAS A WISE DECISION.
HE WILL SERVE YOU WELL IN ACHIEVING YOUR GREAT CAUSE.
YES... THE SHAME OF DEFEAT HAS MADE ME GROW.
NOW, IT’S TIME TO MAKE PREPARATIONS AND MOVE FORWARD ONCE AGAIN.
BUT ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?
WE DON’T KNOW HOW JOSEON MIGHT RESPOND TO THE PROVOCATION.
ALL THE SAME, IT HAD TO BE DONE.
I NEED A POWERFUL ENEMY ON THE OUTSIDE...
...TO BRING THE HEARTS OF MY PEOPLE TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN...
THIS MAY NOT BE ENOUGH...
...BUT MANZHU LI, OUR HEAD CHIEF, DID IT TO SOOTHE OUR BITTER RAGE.
HE HAS BECOME TOUGHER AND STRONGER.
HE WILL UNITE THE JURCHEN FOLK ONCE AND FOR ALL!
HURRAH!!
MANZHU LI!
MANZHU LI!
MANZHU LI!
CAPTAIN!
THERE'S A GREAT RISK OF BEING SPOTTED IF WE RIDE DURING THE DAY!
WE MUST FIND A SPOT TO HIDE AND REST!
WE ONLY NEED TO RIDE A LITTLE FURTHER...
TO GET TO THE JIANZHOU JURCHENS.
BUT WE'LL BE IN BIG TROUBLE IF THEY SPOT US RIDING IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN RIDING NONSTOP FOR THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS AFTER YOU FOUGHT THE POIYO BROTHERS.
WE'RE ALL EXHAUSTED BECAUSE WE HAD TO FIGHT SEVERAL BATTLES ON THE WAY AS WELL.
THEN YOU CAN TAKE A BREAK AND CATCH UP LATER.
ALL THE BETTER IF YOU HEAD BACK INSTEAD.
CAPTAIN, WE'RE CURRENTLY ON A MISSION.
CHETAMJAS ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE COVER OF NIGHT.
RIDING AND FIGHTING IN BROAD DAYLIGHT ISN'T A PART OF OUR PROTOCOL.
IT'S TOO DANGEROUS TO CARRY ON LIKE THIS.
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO CATCH OUR BREATH.
EXACTLY. YOU CAN CATCH UP TO ME AFTERWARD.
I NEVER MEANT TO BRING YOU ALONG IN THE FIRST PLACE.
CAPTAIN! THINGS WILL GET OUT OF HAND IF YOU GET HURT OR CAPTURED!
YOU KNOW YOU'RE PUTTING EVERYONE IN DANGER--
THAT'S ENOUGH.
IF YOU KEEP TRYING TO STOP ME...
...I WILL HAVE TO CUT YOU DOWN.
...!
CAPTAIN...!
GWIYEONG! HOW DARE YOU...?
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU ONCE TOLD ME DURING THE CHETAMJA TEST?
WHAT...?
I MISTOOK HAZHU FOR MANZHU AND CHARGED AT HIM IN RAGE...
THAT'S WHEN YOU PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE AND SAID THOSE WORDS.
ARE YOU SATISFIED?
YOU FOUND YOUR SWORN ENEMY AND VENTED IT ALL OUT. FEELING BETTER NOW?
AFTER PUTTING THE LIVES OF YOUR COMRADES AT RISK, NO LESS.
YOU SCOLDED ME FOR PUTTING MY COMRADES IN DANGER...
...FOR THE SAKE OF MY EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS.
SEE? I TOLD YOU.
...
I HAPPEN TO KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS STUFF THAN YOU DO.
CAPTAIN, WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.
OTHERWISE, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO FACE WHAT'S COMING--
TAKE COVER!!
UGH...
DUMOK! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
THIS IS BAD...
...
CAPTAIN... WHO IS THAT GUY?
I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE.
...
KUNUMA! LET'S BRING THEM OUT OF HIDING!
YEAH! LET'S GO AND GET THEM!
YUJEONG?!
LOOK AT THIS FEARLESS FOOL.
THAT GUY SEEMS TO BE THE LEADER OF THIS PACK.
IF I TAKE OUT THEIR LEADER, IT MIGHT TURN THE TIDE OF BATTLE...
THEN WE MIGHT MAKE IT OUT OF HERE ALIVE!
THAT WAS A GOOD PLAN.
BUT IT WON’T WORK.
HE’S TOO FAST...!
YUJEONG’S ATTACK WAS SOLID, BUT HE WAS BEATEN IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE...
I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS SOMEONE LIKE THAT AMONG THE JURCHENS...!
YOUR QUICK JUDGMENT AND LACK OF HESITATION...
WERE IMPRESSIVE.
HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT WORTH SPARING.
I WILL TAKE...
...ALL OF YOUR HEADS AND PLACE THEM ALONGSIDE THE HEADS OF THE JOSEON KIDS.
CAPTAIN, NO!
YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!
IS THIS THE END...?
DARN IT... WE'RE PINNED DOWN...
COME ON OUT, JOSEON BASTARDS.
I'LL PUT AN ARROW RIGHT THROUGH YOU.
HUH? WHAT WAS THAT?
SHEESH. IS THIS HOW FAR YOU MANAGED TO GET AFTER ALL THIS TIME?
YOU MADE ME CHASE YOU ALL THE WAY HERE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY THE PRICE FOR IT.
N-NO WAY...
BUT THAT'S BETWEEN US.
WHY DON'T WE GET RID OF THOSE GUYS FIRST AND HAVE OURSELVES A LITTLE CHAT?
Joseon's Pajeo River expedition devastates the Jurchen tribes. Manzhu Li, once the undisputed leader within the Jianzhou Jurchens, is shaken by his crushing defeat against Sunmong Lee and is forced to cut down his own kin. In the process, he gains new talents like Kunuma, grants pardon, and needs a strong enemy outside to reunite his people. On the other side, Captain Gwiyeong, after the battle with the Poiyo Brothers, rides nonstop toward Jianzhou for three days and three nights, argues with his exhausted comrades, falls into an ambush, and is cornered by Kunuma's attack.
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