Chapter 135: Chapter 135
Great General Ju Won-yang.
The pinnacle of millions in the military, and a symbol of authority dividing the Imperial Palace’s martial power into three alongside the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot.
People say that those in power must be purely happy.
However, those who knocked down and trampled others to rise could not comfortably close their eyes for even a single moment until they died.
A life where poison might be coated on a routinely drunk liquor cup, or where a sword might be thrust into one’s neck while taking a spring afternoon nap, was precisely their life.
The Great General was likewise the same.
He could not even remember when he had last stretched out his legs and closed his eyes to sleep comfortably.
Such a Great General was having a dream after a long time.
In his youth, before entering the path of a military officer.
It was a dream of the days when he wandered the entire Jianghu holding a single great saber to build worldly experience.
He crossed mountains, crossed rivers, and ran across plains without rest.
Entering any inn his feet reached, he filled his belly with noodles, dumplings, and baijiu.
Camping out was also frequent, and there were times he almost died clashing with some unorthodox scoundrels.
Even so, that the dream of that time was this comfortable.
Could it be that the Great General was also a martial artist after all?
‘Mmm, the noodles in Tianjin were especially delicious…’
At a familiar scent wafting over suddenly, the Great General thought so. Saliva automatically pooled in his mouth, and that unique savory flavor came to mind.
“They are indeed delicious.”
At the answer heard out of nowhere, the Great General opened his eyes in fright. He was on the floor. To be precise, he was leaning against a dining table.
Frankly scarier than the Son of Heaven, the Heartless Wanderer looked down at him with a dry gaze while eating noodles. Beside him were also the young pups of the Hidden Dragon Squad.
“Was it… not a dream?”
The travels in Jianghu of his youth that he had dreamed of.
This was reality. Cheon Woo-jin had dragged the Great General along, crossing mountains, crossing rivers, and was eating noodles at an inn.
He had intended to return straight to the Imperial Palace, but the Hidden Dragon Squad members had clamored loudly, begging to fill their stomachs.
Jin Un spoke with an awkward expression:
“S-Shall I order you a bowl of noodles?”
Song Yi-yeon and Namgung Jin beside him wore expressions asking if that was something to say in the current situation.
In an instant, tears welled up in the Great General’s eyes. Why was he, who stood at the center of power, lying on the floor of an inn? Even such young brats were looking down on him.
At that sight, Jin Un showed a flustered expression:
“I-I had no intention of teasing you.”
“Young Hero, shut your mouth and eat your noodles.”
Song Yi-yeon spoke quietly. Namgung Jin also agreed with a slight nod. Jin Un forced his gaze away from the Great General and ate his noodles.
The Great General’s mind went blank at this situation. He felt truly as if his soul were departing, but in truth, it was not merely a feeling.
Actually, Cheon Woo-jin struck the back of his neck and knocked him unconscious again. Because it was self-evident that he would act noisy if left to regain his senses needlessly.
* * *
The Great General’s sightseeing could not last long.
Regrettably, the distance from the Shandong Peninsula to the Imperial Palace was not very far for martial artists.
A brief meeting took place before the Imperial Palace.
Song Yi-yeon, Jin Un, and Namgung Jin chattered seriously about what would be right to do. Apparently, the most standard method was to submit a report to the Imperial Palace through the government office, receive the emperor’s command, and enter the palace bringing the Great General along.
At any rate, he was still the Great General. If things went wrong, the adverse wind blowing would be difficult to handle not just for themselves, but for the entire Martial Alliance.
Meanwhile, Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un suddenly stopped speaking.
Because it was clearly a situation they had experienced once before.
Namgung Jin looked at them with an expression asking what was the matter.
Thereupon, Song Yi-yeon pointed at Cheon Woo-jin.
Drag, drag, drag.
Cheon Woo-jin was dragging the Great General along toward the main gate of the Imperial Palace. Because the Great General had quite a large frame, the dirt ground was dug up, carving out a path.
“…”
Namgung Jin kept his mouth shut and watched that sight.
As the Young Family Head of the Namgung Clan, he had never been greatly flustered in most situations, but right now he could only stare blankly.
‘Don’t tell me…’
That lingering doubt soon led to reality.
Just as a brief dispute between Cheon Woo-jin and the warriors guarding the main gate of the Imperial Palace seemed to unfold, Cheon Woo-jin threw the Great General.
The Great General’s massive body smashed the historic gate doors of the Imperial Palace. Startled out of their wits, the gate guards drew their swords. They were also masters who had reached the peak as martial artists tasked with the palace’s security.
However, they could not easily attack. The fact that the Heartless Wanderer was a master who had reached the Realm Beyond the Heavens was already self-evident.
While they hesitated, Cheon Woo-jin strode into the Imperial Palace and dragged the Great General along again.
Soon, soldiers holding long spears began gathering from all directions like a swarm of ants. Never in their lives had they ever imagined that their supreme commander, the Great General, would suffer such humiliation in the Imperial Palace.
Looking at the soldiers for a moment, Cheon Woo-jin took out a small wooden plaque from his robes. It was the Death Exemption Token personally bestowed by the emperor.
Seeing this, the soldiers flinched. As soldiers of the Imperial Palace, they too recognized the Death Exemption Token.
Therefore, they could neither do this nor that.
Withdrawing their spears felt like the military capitulating to a martial artist, but keeping them raised, they lacked the confidence to handle a master of the Realm Beyond the Heavens holding the Death Exemption Token once he began moving properly.
What saved them soon after,
Coincidentally, were those the soldiers of the military always kept vigilant against.
Dozens of martial artists flocked into the grounds with their golden robes fluttering.
“Young Hero Cheon! Just what on earth is going on?”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard who had received martial arts guidance from Cheon Woo-jin asked hastily. Usually, he would have sternly rebuked the military soldiers and brought Cheon Woo-jin to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but upon confirming that what was held in his hand was the Great General, he felt his heart drop.
Cheon Woo-jin replied calmly:
“This man was embezzling military funds by joining hands with Patriarch Peng and the Dark Blood Saber Lord, a disciple of the Dark Emperor.”
“What do you mean by…”
“The Dark Blood Saber Lord’s new moniker is the Ghost of the Eastern Ocean.”
In an instant, the martial artists present in the grounds opened their eyes wide.
They had also heard rumors of the Ghost of the Eastern Ocean who was said to have run amok recently. He was clearly said to be a martial artist of the Eastern Ocean, so how could he be a disciple of the Dark Emperor?
Not just anyone could be a martial artist of the Imperial Palace. Even without explanations following, they soon understood the situation.
The soldiers of the military no longer opened their mouths. They also knew that the Great General was not a purely upright person.
“Heh, then what became of the Ghost of the Eastern Ocean and Patriarch Peng? Don’t tell me you killed them?”
At the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s question, Cheon Woo-jin replied casually:
“I do not know whether they live or died. They shed a lot of blood, so if they are lucky, they will live; if not, they will die. The Sword Demon and Explosion Demon appeared and took the two away.”
“…”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard also kept his mouth shut. It was because he realized it was not an incident of a scale he could handle.
“F-First, I will report to the Commander. This is too…”
Cheon Woo-jin looked silently behind the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Without any need to report, two men were walking over from behind.
Gam Ji-byeok, head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Director of the Eastern Depot.
Drawing a sword tinged with a faint golden light, Gam Ji-byeok shouted furiously at the military soldiers:
“Silence! Before whom do you dare aim long spears? Embroidered Uniform Guard, hear this! Cut off the heads of those who do not lower their weapons immediately without hesitation!”
A chilling command fell.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards followed their leader’s command like law.
Seeing them move immediately, the soldiers were startled and lowered their spears.
That the Commander and Director stepped forward like this meant that there was no hope whatsoever for their leader, the Great General.
As the Embroidered Uniform Guard disarmed the soldiers, the Director’s cold voice immediately followed:
“Follow me. His Majesty is waiting.”
Looking around for a moment, Cheon Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders, and the Hidden Dragon Squad members subtly fell in behind Cheon Woo-jin, reading the mood.
* * *
Waking up before the emperor, the Great General immediately continued his excuses:
“Your Majesty, the Heartless Wanderer is my savior.”
“Is that so?”
Perched on the imperial throne, the emperor rested his chin on his hand and looked steadily at him. His attitude seemed to tell him to make excuses to his heart’s content.
Though a very young emperor, his innate dignity was clearly that of the Son of Heaven.
Swallowing dry saliva, the Great General continued:
“I was threatened by Peng Myeong-seok, Patriarch of the Hebei Peng Clan. He told me that funds were needed to establish the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, so I had to help him.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. Although that fellow is my nephew, he is also a martial artist who has reached the peak. Furthermore, since we are connected by blood, we cannot avoid seeing each other throughout life. If he makes up his mind viciously, killing me during a clan function is not even a difficult task.”
The emperor nodded his head:
“Indeed. Patriarch Peng was truly an insolent person. Having dared to mock the nation’s Great General and even committed the crime of treachery. Naturally, the Peng Clan must pay the price through extermination.”
“…”
The Great General’s face turned pale.
Since Patriarch Peng had vanished anyway, he had intended to roughly wrap it up with his sacrifice.
But extermination?
If that truly happened, the martial artists of the Peng Clan would genuinely hone their blades to kill the Great General.
“Why is there no answer? Are Our words wrong? Surely you wouldn’t dare utter falsehoods to Us.”
The Great General’s contemplation was not long.
Overcoming future dangers was something to be dealt with back then. Overcoming the danger before his eyes was the immediate priority.
For a man of power who had risen to the position of Great General, such things were routine like having a meal.
“Yes, that is correct. If you only entrust it to me, I will mobilize a million soldiers to exterminate the Hebei Peng Clan who dared plot treason.”
The emperor’s gaze grew cold beyond compare.
Within that chilliness, the emotion called sorrow brushed past for a moment, but did not last long.
“Just what made you, who was even bestowed the imperial surname, become like this…”
Having spoken so, the emperor signaled the Director with his eyes.
Thereupon, the approaching Director stabbed here and there into the Great General’s body with a silver dagger. He had severed the most vital joints and muscles of his body.
“Aaaaagh!”
Because his acupoints were already subdued, the Great General could not even properly resist.
Even amidst that excruciating agony, the Great General found it bewildering. How could they take such measures against someone of the Great General’s stature without an investigation?
However, the investigation was already reaching its conclusion.
Hearing the reason Cheon Woo-jin wished to head to the Shandong Peninsula, the emperor had ordered the Commander and Director to investigate.
Without informing even their subordinates, they had run about personally until sweat broke out on their feet. Because the honor and pride of each organization were at stake, they had investigated fiercely as if competing.
Soon, the Director dragged the Great General away and disappeared.
Through the infamous torture of the Eastern Depot, he would confess every single crime with his own mouth.
Once that bout of commotion passed,
Silence settled over the vast hall.
The spectacle of the Great General of a nation being dragged down from the summit of power was quite solemn.
Naturally, Song Yi-yeon, Jin Un, and Namgung Jin half-abandoned their sight and stared only at the floor.
In the midst of that, the emperor spoke in a voice mixed with a sigh:
“Our heart feels truly empty. Have all of you eaten?”
At that implicit question, the Hidden Dragon Squad members, excluding Cheon Woo-jin, already felt indigestion.
* * *
The three buried their heads and ate their meal.
It was clearly delicious food, but before the emperor, savoring that flavor was by no means easy.
“It seems it suits everyone’s palate.”
Smiling as if satisfied, the emperor suddenly asked Cheon Woo-jin, who was not picking up his chopsticks:
“Why are you not eating?”
“I ate on the way here, so I am full.”
“…!”
Food got stuck right in the throats of the Hidden Dragon Squad members.
Even though they had their heads bowed, the emperor’s gaze was felt.
“You should have said so. It resulted in Us tormenting you needlessly. Someone, bring out liquor and fruits.”
A liquor table was prepared in no time.
Only then did Cheon Woo-jin moisten his throat a bit, and the Hidden Dragon Squad members also seemed to breathe easier.
“Did you say your name is Jin Un? From what We hear, they say you are the future of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
Jin Un, who was about to pick up a teacup instead of liquor because he was a Daoist, hastily paid his respects.
Waving his hand for him not to do so, the emperor continued in a relaxed tone:
“We also enjoyed reading the thoughts of Laozi and strive to put them into practice in everything. Since there is also a saying that Guan Yinzi, founder of the Mount Hua Sect, was a disciple of Laozi, in a sense, you and We might be fellow disciples who learned the same Dao.”
“Cough!”
Jin Un coughed violently as the tea choked in his throat.
At that sight, the emperor grew crestfallen:
“It was a joke meant to make you laugh. Certainly, because We lived surrounded by old men all Our life, We seem to lack talent for humor.”
Then Cheon Woo-jin, who had been quietly moistening his throat with liquor, spoke:
“It is funny, though.”
The joke the emperor had made just now was similar to Dok-ra-su forcibly claiming a relationship of martial uncle and nephew with Cheon Woo-jin.
At Cheon Woo-jin’s favorable review, the emperor laughed once again.
Next, he spoke about the Namgung Clan and Anhui Song Clan.
In truth, because the Namgung Clan was so massive a clan, there was nothing much else to say.
“We merely feel pleased with the loyalty Namgung always sends.”
In fact, the Namgung Clan had already moved beyond local gentry, and because the aura of an overlord of an entire province had grown strong, they paid great attention to the parts visible to the common folk and Imperial Palace.
Of course, because the Sword King’s disposition was not suited for that, the practical management of the clan was handled by his younger sister, the Sword Maiden.
The emperor also knew this:
“She is a heroine rare to find in the current era. If you return to the clan, convey Our regards.”
“…Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
Namgung Jin paid his respects somewhat awkwardly.
Soon, the emperor’s gaze turned toward Song Yi-yeon.
Song Yi-yeon wore a tense expression anew. Because compared to the earlier Mount Hua Sect and Namgung Clan, the Song Clan was merely a small merchant family.
However, the emperor knew the Anhui Song Clan clearly:
“Song Ha-baek is the one who is your father, correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Was it around the year before last? The snack sent by the Song Clan on Our birthday was exceedingly delicious. The name was Tang-something…”
“Tanghulu!”
Song Yi-yeon also remembered this.
Tanghulu was a snack where melted syrup was coated over hawthorn fruit and chilled until hard.
Because maintaining coldness was vital, it was an ambitious tribute sent by the Song Clan by spending enormous money to prepare ice together with it.
“Right, tanghulu. It was truly delicious. Yet within the Imperial Palace, there was not a single person capable of recreating that snack.”
At the emperor’s words, Song Yi-yeon wore a troubled expression. Tanghulu was a snack that did not yet exist in the Central Plains. It was one of the decisive business projects prepared by the Song Clan, but because the cost of making it was very expensive, it was a situation being delayed day by day.
The merchant instincts engraved into Song Yi-yeon’s nature quickly calculated the sums. If they presented this periodically to the emperor, quite a large sum of money would be expended.
The emperor smiled faintly:
“We know full well that it is very expensive food. We shall bestow gold upon the Song Clan in the near future. We will surely mention your name as well. What else would filial piety be?”
At that, a bright flower blossomed across Song Yi-yeon’s face. If his name was mentioned alongside gold bestowed by the Imperial Palace, how delighted his father would be was vivid before his eyes.
“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”
The emperor chuckled. In his life, this was the first time he had heard such a spirited ‘boundless grace,’ which amused him greatly.
Thus, laughing pleasantly, the emperor spoke words of blessing to each of them:
“You can study Daoism diligently and share Daoist discussions with Me later, you can inherit the Namgung Clan and do just as you do now, which would be beyond reproach. And you, make much more tanghulu. Because it is truly delicious. Ah, lastly, Heartless Wanderer, you can be My Grand Preceptor. Now then, shall we drink a glass and conclude this gathering?”
Everyone nodded with a satisfied smile, then suddenly froze.
It seems like a bizarre remark was mixed in just now…
Because it was so natural, they almost let it slide.