Chapter 137: Chapter 137
The night at the imperial palace was exceedingly quiet.
In this vast space, there were few people, and even those coming and going walked on tiptoe for fear of daring to disturb the Emperor’s night.
Judging from the cool breeze, it seemed that autumn was in full swing.
The well-planted trees were turning crimson and golden with autumn foliage, and the Emperor’s face was doing much the same.
“…Is this truly the correct way to train?”
The Emperor looked at Cheon Woo-jin with a resentful face.
The two sat side by side on the steps of the training ground.
Looking at the Emperor’s face, which had turned mottled like autumn leaves, Cheon Woo-jin nodded impassively.
“I reduced it by a lot. Master Black Elder’s original training method was several times more grueling than this.”
From birth, Cheon Woo-jin had been healthier than others; no, beyond merely healthy, he had been bizarrely robust.
He never grew weary even after running for a hundred days, and instead of toys that children usually played with, he caught wandering venomous snakes with his bare hands.
Even to such a Cheon Woo-jin, Black Elder’s training had been arduous.
Had he applied that training method as it was tonight, this country would have had to look for its next Emperor.
“The ministers’ faces will surely be a sight to behold tomorrow.”
If the ministers saw the Emperor’s face, once as flawless as white jade, swollen and bruised black and blue overnight, they would immediately plead that the traitor who committed treason be found and torn limb from limb.
Of course, if they learned that his opponent was the Heartless Wanderer, their voices would lower somewhat.
A liquor bottle was placed between the two.
Having grown up in the mountains, Cheon Woo-jin did not know the courtesies of a subject, and having been born and raised in the imperial palace, the Emperor had always wanted a friend rather than a subject, so the two got along well.
Despite his entire body aching, the Emperor seemed to enjoy himself, refilling his cup immediately whenever it emptied.
Suddenly enjoying the autumn breeze, Cheon Woo-jin asked in a passing tone.
“Do you perhaps have any siblings?”
“…”
The Emperor, who had been chattering without rest, fell silent.
Because the imperial palace was inherently quiet, a silence arose as if there were no one else in the world.
Cheon Woo-jin realized that the silence was an affirmation.
‘Was he of imperial blood?’
If so, that mysterious oppressive aura made sense.
Even the Emperor, who had not properly learned martial arts, possessed an overwhelming presence. This was not something that could be acquired later in life. It was an aura that could only be possessed by someone born into the world as a noble being.
Moreover, if he also possessed high martial prowess, there would be no need for further explanation.
After a silence neither long nor short, the Emperor opened his mouth as if he had finished deliberating.
“Do you know what twins are?”
“Yes, duplicate existences born on the same day and at the same hour.”
They were born into the world with the same face, the same physique, and the same four pillars of destiny. In this era, twins were considered a curse. It was believed they would end up dividing even the meager fortune inherited from their parents.
Of course, many regarded it as absurd talk, and though there was no historical evidence, many still believed it. In particular, the imperial palace, which served as the ladder between heaven and the people, was extremely sensitive to superstition.
“When I was born, the imperial court was turned upside down. The Son of Heaven must be a unique existence, yet an identical being suddenly came out into the world.”
The Emperor stared fixedly into the empty air. His face was cast in shadow, as if recalling an evil karma he had carried all his life.
“It was something that could not be permitted. The late Imperial Father, who had taken power through blood at the time, believed it could become a pretext to shake the imperial authority.”
At that time, the Emperor was someone who had cut down many people to take the throne. However, he knew his life was short due to illness, and he considered the existence of a twin to be a major obstacle when inheriting imperial authority after his death.
“Thus, he made a choice. To eliminate one person. Because very few in the imperial palace knew that I was a twin.”
“Is that so.”
Even though it was a rather profound secret history, Cheon Woo-jin merely reacted nonchalantly. It was simply his inherent personality, but the Emperor felt a strange comfort from that demeanor.
“He secretly brought in renowned physiognomists and Daoists who could read the heavenly secrets to divine our fortune. They said that one of the twins possessed literary talent, while the other was born with generational martial talent. As for who was chosen and who was abandoned… you should know without Me saying, right?”
Cheon Woo-jin, who had been staring closely at the Emperor, nodded. Because the Emperor before his eyes did not have even a speck of martial talent.
“Then what happened to the other person?”
“He died. In the imperial palace, not being chosen is synonymous with death.”
It could have been an insolent question, but the Emperor, having assimilated to Cheon Woo-jin before he knew it, answered nonchalantly.
Cheon Woo-jin merely drained his cup in silence.
‘He did not die.’
In all likelihood, the abandoned child had somehow drifted to the Dark Emperor or his disciples, inheriting that true lineage with the generational martial talent he was born with.
Cheon Woo-jin had never met an expert like the silver-haired man, not just among those of his generation, but even across the entire martial world.
Would it be right to tell this to the Emperor?
Cheon Woo-jin, who pondered for a moment, shook his head.
There was no need to plunge the imperial palace and the country into chaos by telling the Emperor something that was not yet certain.
After an awkward silence, the Emperor suddenly smiled.
“Come, the hour is late. That will be all for today.”
Nodding, Cheon Woo-jin also rose from his seat, lightly lifting the Crescent Moon Staff that stood beside him and slinging it over his back.
At that sight, the Emperor clicked his tongue in wonder. How could he handle a staff whose weight was burdensome just to hold like a simple wooden stick?
“You will come again next time, will you not? Since you are now the Grand Preceptor.”
“Yes, if time permits.”
Even at that ambiguous answer, the Emperor merely laughed repeatedly, seemingly joyful.
* * *
Cheon Woo-jin and the members of the Hidden Dragon Squad left the imperial palace as soon as day broke.
Since their mission was over, it was to return quickly and enjoy the promised one-month vacation.
Naturally, the imperial palace prepared a carriage for the Grand Preceptor’s long journey. Cheon Woo-jin was about to refuse as usual, but unable to ignore the ‘Squad Leader, pleeease let us rest just once’ gazes of the Hidden Dragon Squad members, he accepted the imperial palace’s offer.
Of course, he did not know until then.
That it would be a crazy carriage adorned with the world’s most extravagant gold and flowers, drawing the gaze of the entire world.
* * *
Hubei Province, Martial Alliance Headquarters.
The Alliance Leader’s office was in total chaos.
Not only Alliance Leader Bukli Cheon, but even Chief Strategist Sima Hwi could not pull themselves together.
It was because the fact that the Squad Leader of the Martial Alliance’s Hidden Dragon Squad was the disciple of the great villain Black Elder had become known to the entire world.
The Beggars’ Sect, the Hao Sect, and the Eastern Depot, who held goodwill toward Cheon Woo-jin, tried their best to control the information, but sensational rumors were prone to slipping through even an iron fortress.
Truly, protest letters flew in from all over the world.
People cursed at the Alliance Leader, asking if he was out of his mind, and orthodox sects that threatened to leave the Alliance if he was not dismissed immediately cropped up one after another.
Still, there was a reason they reacted to such an extent.
Among sects with a history spanning over thirty years, extremely few had not lost a father, grandfather, brother, or comrade-in-arms at the hands of the Dark Emperor and Black Elder.
Of course, in the current era, almost no one had suffered direct harm, but grudges were inherently passed down through generations.
“Phew…”
The Alliance Leader firmly pressed his temples. Although he thought such a day might come eventually, he had not expected the backlash to be this fierce.
It was at that moment.
A strategist from the Military Strategy Department came running in breathlessly and spoke.
“Alliance Leader! Chief Strategist! The Hidden Dragon Squad has just entered Wuhan! They will soon arrive at the main gate!”
The two leaped to their feet.
Perhaps a rather large clash might occur at the main gate of the Martial Alliance. Of course, given that fellow’s personality, he would never endure it, so the Alliance members would be beaten up one-sidedly.
If that happened, public sentiment would become even more uncontrollable.
“N-No!”
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist displayed supreme lightness arts and bolted out of the office.
.
.
.
The imperial palace’s carriage was even faster than they had anticipated.
Before they knew it, Cheon Woo-jin’s group had arrived at the main gate.
As expected, those who harbored grudges against Black Elder gathered at the main gate like swarms of ants.
Yet, the Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist could no longer intervene, staring at the main gate with half-dazed expressions.
“C-Chief Strategist. What in the world is that?”
“I… I do not know either. It seems something happened in Beijing, but…”
Even the Chief Strategist stuttered, which was a rare sight.
If even those two were like this, ordinary martial artists were even more shocked.
The carriage entered through the main gate.
It was completely adorned with gold and flowers, dazzling to the point of blinding the eyes.
It was even a four-horse carriage drawn by four white horses.
Having been greased so thoroughly, the wheels rolled smoothly without making even the slightest sound.
The members of the Hidden Dragon Squad, including Song Yi-yeon, guarded the perimeter of the carriage like strictly disciplined soldiers, and two officials from the imperial palace actually stood at the front with their navy-blue robes fluttering.
Inside the open-front carriage sat Cheon Woo-jin, who was merely blinking his eyes with a blank, frozen-pollack-like look.
“…Doesn’t it look like that fellow hasn’t come to his senses either?”
“Since Alliance Member Cheon is someone whose mouth hangs open in shock whenever he goes somewhere with just a few people, it makes sense.”
Around the time the Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist exchanged such words.
The imperial palace messenger who had stepped forward with his navy-blue robe fluttering cleared his throat. The fundamental qualification of all messengers was a resounding, thunderous voice full of imposing dignity.
“Let all members of the Martial Alliance receive the imperial decree!”
“…!!”
Everyone prostrated themselves right where they stood.
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist were no exception.
The Inspection Hall Master, Disciplinary Hall Master, and Courier Hall Master who had come out to watch without much thought simply because people were gathering, and even the Beggars’ Sect Chief who wandered here and there drunk as usual, prostrated along with them.
Soon, the messenger’s dignified voice followed.
The content was so exhaustive that it went on for half an incense stick of time, but if all the flowery rhetoric was stripped away, it essentially meant this:
‘It is I. The Emperor. Cheon Woo-jin is My master, the Grand Preceptor. Yet he is still an individual member of the Martial Alliance. Therefore, get along well without fighting each other. I will watch from time to time. Should anyone hold a grudge against the Grand Preceptor’s masters, come to the imperial palace. As his disciple, I will compensate for that sorrow.’
It was a simple message, but because the person who spoke it was the Emperor, its weight was extraordinary.
The Emperor was truly intending to compensate those who had suffered harm from Black Elder. Of course, whether anyone would actually go to the imperial palace to demand compensation was another matter.
Soon, the messenger rolled up the imperial decree with a triumphant look.
At that, the Alliance Leader got up and approached Cheon Woo-jin.
The martial artists watched with tense expressions to see what conversation would take place, while the messengers glared as if keeping watch.
Soon, the Alliance Leader spoke.
“Ahem, would you like to move elsewhere to talk… would… would Your Esteemed…”
“Just speak comfortably.”
“Let us have a talk.”
The Alliance Leader spoke with a sigh-laden voice.
No, where in the world was there such a lunatic who was sent on an inspection mission only to return as the Emperor’s master?