Chapter 131: Chapter 131
“You may use this place, Young Hero Heartless Wanderer.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard who guided Cheon Woo-jin spoke as he opened the door to the quarters. Adding the title Young Hero after the moniker Heartless Wanderer, which belonged to the Realm Beyond the Heavens, felt awkward in the extreme, but there was no other way to address him.
“Ah, if by chance you need anything, you can catch any passing Embroidered Uniform Guard and tell them.”
He respectfully used honorifics toward Cheon Woo-jin, who looked much younger than himself. Fundamentally, Embroidered Uniform Guards were close to martial artists, and it was a natural matter since Cheon Woo-jin was a martial artist who had reached the Realm Beyond the Heavens, and the emperor had directly issued an order to provide him with quarters.
Stepping inside, Cheon Woo-jin surveyed the room for a moment.
It was rustic to be considered a place used by martial artists of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one of the supreme power organs of the Imperial Palace. Rather, it gave a feeling similar to the quarters used by martial artists of the Martial Alliance.
The character of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was clearly revealed even in the room.
“Is it twins? Or a human skin mask?”
Or perhaps a type of Bone Shrinking Art that altered the face or body shape.
“If so, why of all people the emperor?”
Cheon Woo-jin was immediately seized by thoughts regarding the silver-haired man who looked completely identical to the emperor. Having experienced affairs related to the Dark Emperor recently, he felt stifled.
Cheon Woo-jin’s personality was to take his staff and fan directly to the source of the problem whenever trouble arose. However, as question marks not revealed on the surface kept arising, he felt frustrated.
Around the time he sat quietly like that inside the room,
The voices of Embroidered Uniform Guards training in the training ground in front of the quarters suddenly reached his ears.
“Why did that fellow Peng Myeong-seok come again?”
“They said the Director called him. Since Young Hero Heartless Wanderer’s martial prowess is what it is, it was likely to be even more cautious when having an audience with His Majesty.”
Peng Myeong-seok was the name of the Patriarch of the Hebei Peng Clan.
For some reason, hostility toward Patriarch Peng was clearly evident in the conversation of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
Of course, they had lowered their voices considerably, but they could not fool Cheon Woo-jin’s five senses.
Rising from his seat, Cheon Woo-jin headed to the window.
In the training ground visible outside, the training of the Embroidered Uniform Guards was in full swing. Unlike martial artists of Jianghu, warriors of the Imperial Palace did not mind showing their training to others.
It was because basically all martial artists within the Imperial Palace practiced the same martial arts.
Their martial arts did not particularly arouse Cheon Woo-jin’s interest.
If anything, the Eastern Depot’s martial arts were at least interesting for their subtle blend of assassins’ and escort warriors’ martial arts, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s were far too orthodox and honest.
However, it was their conversation, not their martial arts, that drew Cheon Woo-jin’s interest.
At any rate, since he had decided to come to this Imperial Palace under the pretext of inspecting the Peng Clan, he grew curious about what the Peng Clan looked like through the eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not the Martial Alliance.
Clack, click.
Stepping out the door, Cheon Woo-jin gripped the Crescent Moon Staff rather than the Crane Feather Fan after brief contemplation. Considering the martial arts of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the Crane Feather Fan would not draw their interest much.
Sure enough, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were already glancing this way.
Officially, there were no martial artists of the Realm Beyond the Heavens in the Imperial Palace.
There were only rumors that perhaps the Great General, the Director, or the Commander might have reached the Realm Beyond the Heavens.
Feeling the gazes of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, Cheon Woo-jin lightly swung the Crescent Moon Staff.
“Ooh…”
Even though it was an ordinary movement, the Embroidered Uniform Guards let out low exclamations.
It was partly because Black Elder’s martial arts basically scattered a ferocious aura into the surroundings merely from breathing, and the moniker Heartless Wanderer somehow made even a single trivial gesture look special.
Cheon Woo-jin swung the staff silently. Since it was training he performed every day, he merely continued natural movements as if breathing.
Had about fifteen minutes passed?
Before long, a crowd of Embroidered Uniform Guards had gathered around Cheon Woo-jin. Each pretended to train while watching Cheon Woo-jin.
Sensing this, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly asked them:
“Would you like to train together? It is lonely doing it alone.”
“Ahem, then I will assist a bit…”
“I will do it.”
No sooner had Cheon Woo-jin finished speaking than the Embroidered Uniform Guards flocked over, volunteering to help with training.
Of course, because it was an action intended to win their goodwill, Cheon Woo-jin told everyone to train together.
Among those who practiced martial arts, it was this easy for a superior master to win the goodwill of lesser martial artists.
.
.
.
Had about two hours passed?
Even those who had been wary were now gathered around Cheon Woo-jin with beaming smiles.
To the Embroidered Uniform Guards who had honed martial arts all their lives, every single trivial word and action of Cheon Woo-jin felt special.
They strained their eyes with all their might not to miss a single word or small hand gesture, and if he tossed out a word of advice in passing, they rejoiced greatly as if they had obtained a miraculous encounter.
“Young Hero Cheon! Please take a look at this! Lately, whenever I thrust my sword forward, I feel a certain stifling blockage, but no matter how much I try to lighten my body, there is no sign of improvement.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard who spoke thus swung his sword repeatedly.
The form of address had long since become much friendlier, going from Young Hero Heartless Wanderer to Young Hero Cheon.
Looking at him, Cheon Woo-jin replied casually:
“I have not learned that sword art, so I am not certain, but it is likely a matter of balance. Try gathering your center of gravity more heavily into the soles of your feet. If it is difficult, thinking of clutching the ground with curled toes will give you the feel.”
“Ah! To think all this time I only strove to make it lighter…!”
Letting out an exclamation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard placed more weight on his lower body as Cheon Woo-jin advised. At any rate, because only the absolute elite among hundreds of thousands of martial artists in the Imperial Palace could become Embroidered Uniform Guards, each of their talents was by no means low.
The sword of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who quickly internalized Cheon Woo-jin’s advice with his body, thrust forward without any stifling sensation, unlike before.
“T-To think this was possible!”
Not only the person himself but also those watching from the side could not contain their astonishment. To bestow martial enlightenment with merely a few words. Truly, his depth resided in the Realm Beyond the Heavens!
Reaching this point, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were feeling something close to awe toward Cheon Woo-jin beyond mere goodwill.
“Young Hero Cheon! Please look at mine just once as well!”
“Hey now! I was waiting first!”
As if they had been waiting, the Embroidered Uniform Guards poured out questions.
Swept into a wave of questions in an instant, Cheon Woo-jin provided appropriate advice or assistance to each and every person.
At first, it was something he did systematically to win the goodwill of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but seeing that quite a deep level of contemplation was felt in their questions, he realized:
How deeply they usually contemplated martial arts and how hard they strove to advance.
The passion for strength held by the Embroidered Uniform Guards was second to none among any martial artists Cheon Woo-jin knew.
Thus, after answering all of that storm of questions with a somewhat more serious attitude, Cheon Woo-jin asked in passing:
“Does Patriarch Peng frequent the Imperial Palace often?”
“Ha, don’t even get me started. Looking at him, one would think he is an official rather than a martial artist.”
The purely bright expressions of the Embroidered Uniform Guards darkened considerably.
They clearly held hostility toward the Peng Clan.
When Cheon Woo-jin showed a curious expression, testimonies regarding the Peng Clan poured out from here and there.
Summarized, it was like this:
Lately, intrusions of Japanese marauders in the Shandong region were frequent.
However, because a tremendous master was mixed among them, the military found it difficult to handle and requested the Peng Clan’s help.
The Peng Clan originally had deep ties with the military.
Yet when his cousin-uncle, the Great General, directly asked for help, the Peng Clan sent all its elite forces, including the Patriarch, to the battlefield.
Even so, it was hardly resolved and the war dragged on, and Patriarch Peng reportedly frequented the Imperial Palace and threw his weight around as if he had occupied a key post in the military.
Hearing the explanation, Cheon Woo-jin tilted his head.
Clearly, according to what he had heard from his masters, the martial arts of Japan were negligible, so there were no noteworthy masters.
Yet that it was still unresolved despite all the elites of one of the Five Great Clans led by their Patriarch stepping forward was rather strange.
Of course, there was a possibility that an unprecedented genius had appeared in Japan, but…
It was true that something felt thoroughly unsettling.
“Strange.”
“That is right. He is a truly strange fellow. However, His Majesty viewed a martial artist stepping forward so eagerly in state affairs very favorably.”
It was natural since the emperor was originally favorable toward the martial world.
And the decisive complaint burst out only at the end of the explanation.
“Thanks to that, military expenses are leaking continuously toward the military. Well, since the war is prolonged, it cannot be helped, but because of that, it is true that the share allocated to our Embroidered Uniform Guard has decreased a lot…”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard who continued his explanation trailed off.
Soon, those beside him also watched the atmosphere and dispersed, tossing out words like, ‘Resting too much makes one sluggish. I should finish training.’
Cheon Woo-jin turned his head.
The Commander, head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was approaching while rebuking his quickly scattering subordinates with his eyes.
“Heartless Wanderer, do not think of intervening in the Imperial Palace’s affairs needlessly. Although Patriarch Peng is a martial artist, he is no ordinary person. Nothing good will come of touching someone connected by blood to the Great General.”
Worry was contained in the Commander’s words.
At any rate, that the Embroidered Uniform Guard held goodwill toward a martial artist, especially an outstanding one who had reached the Realm Beyond the Heavens, applied to the Commander as well.
When Cheon Woo-jin did not seem to take it seriously despite his advice, the Commander added:
“I have heard the news and know there are fractures in the Martial Alliance recently. Probably, among the reasons you followed obediently to this place, there is naturally loyalty toward His Majesty the Emperor, but there would also be the intent to inspect the Hebei Peng Clan.”
“That is correct.”
Cheon Woo-jin admitted readily.
The Commander spoke as if he knew it:
“At least do not do so within the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, it would be best to leave the Imperial Palace even a day sooner. If the Peng Clan aims for you, they will not miss the time when you are in this Imperial Palace where their authority operates.”
Commander Gam Ji-byeok was genuinely worried about Cheon Woo-jin.
While being a martial artist, he was also an official who had spent his entire life in the Imperial Palace. He had seen countless times in his life how authority faded military strength.
“Thank you for the advice.”
Cheon Woo-jin expressed his gratitude dryly.
The Commander looked at that sight with an uneasy face. Although they had shared only a few words, he could easily grasp that the Heartless Wanderer was an awfully stubborn fellow.
If so…
“Ahem! Since you are not leaving the Imperial Palace immediately anyway, to warm up, perhaps a spar with me…”
It was at that moment.
An Embroidered Uniform Guard guarding the outer court ran over in a rush.
“They say Young Hero Heartless Wanderer’s friends have arrived.”
“Why of all times right now…! No, let them enter. Ahem.”
It was already a matter permitted by His Majesty.
Yet he felt so wronged.
His subordinates had trained to their hearts’ content with the Heartless Wanderer, so why did they arrive just when he was about to suggest training together?
For the sake of saving face, the Commander, who forced down such feelings, told Cheon Woo-jin that if he waited in the quarters, he would guide his friends, and then glared needlessly at his subordinates.
It seemed he would have to tighten the discipline of the Embroidered Uniform Guard today after a long time.
* * *
All members of the Inspection Hall had already arrived in Beijing.
However, entry into the Imperial Palace was permitted only to the Hidden Dragon Squad. That was for the reason that military forces beyond that were classified not as Cheon Woo-jin’s ‘friends,’ but as a ‘martial arts faction.’
Cheon Woo-jin immediately related the story of the Peng Clan he had heard from the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Song Yi-yeon, Jin Un, and Namgung Jin fell into deep contemplation without even having time to tour the Imperial Palace.
It certainly sounded strange even to their ears. At any rate, if the Peng Clan were playing tricks, they seemed likely to be doing so at that place called the battlefield.
In a situation without Zhuge Rin, Song Yi-yeon, who had the sharpest mind among the four, pressed his thumb firmly against his temple.
He was imitating Zhuge Rin’s habit when she pondered something deeply.
Soon, around the time everyone’s gaze focused on Song Yi-yeon,
Song Yi-yeon extended his index finger crisply into midair. With an expression as if he had figured something out, everyone’s expectations swelled.
“How about we eat first? On the way here, because a running contest broke out with these two, I skipped meals and ran.”
“…”
Jin Un and Namgung Jin exchanged glances as if to beat Song Yi-yeon up. However, Cheon Woo-jin stepped forward faster than that.
“Contemplating here doesn’t seem likely to yield an answer. First, we must go to the Shandong Peninsula where the battle is reportedly taking place.”
“Would that be possible? That area is the military’s domain, so the Peng Clan will oppose it.”
Even so, barging into a battlefield recklessly would easily get them entangled in treason charges and punished.
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head.
“There is a way, so all three of you follow me.”
Having said so, Cheon Woo-jin rose from his seat.
Of course, because hunger was plainly evident on all three who seemed to have run without eating as Song Yi-yeon said, he spoke:
“We should eat along the way as well.”
At that, the three sprang to their feet.
A meal in the Imperial Palace. Regardless of high or low martial prowess, any subject of this country would be filled with anticipation.
* * *
Contrary to expectations, the three could not swallow a single spoonful.
It was by no means that the food was unpalatable. Rather, all kinds of delicacies from mountains and seas packed the large dining table.
However, the person sitting on the other side of the dining table was the problem.
“So you are saying you wish to go to the frontlines of the Shandong Peninsula. That happens to be splendid. For We felt exceedingly regretful that We could not grant your wish.”
A meal with His Majesty the Emperor as soon as they arrived.
Song Yi-yeon, Jin Un, and Namgung Jin kept their mouths firmly shut and merely watched the atmosphere.
The moment they put something in their mouths, it felt like they would suffer indigestion right away.
It was at that moment.
“Why are you not eating? By any chance, is it because We make you uncomfortable? If that is the case, We will stand up first…”
At the same time, the three shoved whatever food was within reach into their mouths at lightning speed.
“Haha, do not choke and eat slowly.”
Obeying the imperial command, the three even circulated their internal energy to digest and avoid indigestion,
The emperor was exceedingly joyful at having a meal with peers for the first time in his life,
And Cheon Woo-jin found the meal delicious without any particular thought.