Nano Machine c 371 to 380

 Chapter 371 - Hand Crafted (3) Chapter 371 - Hand Crafted (3) A long-term clan leader, Elder Cheong-su, had come as the ambassador of the seventeen leaders of Yulin’s Force of Justice. He was actually one of those 17 leaders, 12th leader Cheong-su, from the Kongtong clan. Amongst the Elders of Yulin, he was strong enough to stand alongside Poong Changwun, and was renowned for his strong and upright personality. It was the reason why he was always invited to every Martial event in the Imperial palace. ‘If a leader of a Yulin clan and a person famous for his impartial justice confirms the origin of the corpses’ scars, then no one would disagree.’ Believing in the words of the middle aged man from the Blade God Six Martial clan, the Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon had asked leader Cheong-su and the other members for their help in the investigation. Cheong-su Jinin, a Yulin’s Elder who valued the ties they had with the Imperial family, had readily accepted the request. Inspecting battle marks wasn’t a tough task for him, but he had wondered if the Demonic Cult would really do such a thing. The Demonic Cult had been known to be diligent in their dealings, and unlike other clans, they weren’t men who would steal. “Separate the bodies according to the scars’ locations on them.” “Yes!” The eunuchs of the East Spear were the ones who had brought the Elder to the underground hall of the Royal Shrine. About a hundred East Spear’s eunuchs had been brought in to move the bodies around. Thud! The eunuchs continued to search and carry the bodies, and even though they were still on the first level, they had already found 59 of them. ‘They were supposed to be skilled.’ Just the sight of the red tattered clothes on the corpses shocked everyone. It was their first time entering the hidden chambers of the Royal Shrine. There had been rumors about the Guardians who protected the Imperial Palace, but no one had seen them until now, including the court ladies. The Guardians had always walked alongside the other officials of the Imperial Palace, but no one had known. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter. They were the holy sacrifice for the Emperor, and ended up offering their lives for a holy cause, huhu.’ If the Guardians had been wiped out, the East Spear’s position in the Imperial Palace would be more firmly established. As the scale and efficiency of the Guardians had grown in recent years, East Spear had become worried about the division of power. “Hmmm.” Someone had groaned, deeply in thought. The group leader of the East Spear, frowned as he looked at the Yulin’s Elder who’d been checking the scars on the corpses. A man as experienced as leader Cheong-su, appeared to be having a tough time. ‘What’s wrong with him?’ Curious, the group leader of the East Spear, looked at the corpse. A body full of scars. He, who was ignorant of the Demonic Cult’s arts, just assumed that what he’d seen were the scars left by Demonic Cult. ‘There seems to be no problem. What about the other bodies… huh?’ The eunuch’s pupils shook as he looked at the other corpses lying around him. The wounds were very thin, and a sword mark that looked like a whip wound could be seen. It was definitely a sword’s wound. ‘N-no way!’ His mouth hung agape with incredulity, as he looked at the other corpses. The problem wasn’t that the marks which were like a whipping wound had been done by a sword, but something else he had just noticed. ‘Oh no. I need to stop the inspection right away!’ He was about to reach out to the Yulin’s Elder when he heard the eunuch standing guard at the entrance of the underground announce. “We greet the Crown Prince!” “We greet the Prince!” ‘Shit!’ The eunuch’s face went pale. He’d known that the crown prince, Zhu Taiyoon, would be arriving at any time, but he had come faster than expected. He had wanted to rush and stop them, but before he could even move, the Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon approached leader Cheong-su. ‘Oh! What a mess!’ He knew what kind of personality Zhu Taiyoon had. He was just a group leader of the East Spear, thus he couldn’t just block the prince’s path. Realising that the situation was unfavourable, he sent a telepathic message to Admiral Lim in panic. [Admiral!] [Huhu, I see that you are doing well.] [No, we have a problem! Admiral!] [What problem would we have?] The eunuch was about to relay what he had discovered, but before he could even speak, the embarrassing scream of Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon entered his ears. “Wh-what the hell is that supposed to mean? No! Impossible! Nonsense! That can’t be!” ‘Shit ! I was late.’ Elder Cheong-su had already reported it to the Crown Prince. Before long, the reason behind the Crown Prince’s shouting was announced. “The traces on the corpses belong to the Blade God Six Martial Clan? What kind of bullshit is that???” Hearing that, the eyes of the eunuch, the East Spear’s group leader went wide. That wasn’t what he was trying to say. Admiral Lim, whose face went pale after hearing the news, looked over at the middle aged man from the Blade God Six Martial clan with anger burning in his eyes. The middle aged man was also too confused to even think of how to react. [Look here, Master Dogun! What is all this about?] Admiral Lim asked him via telepathic message. The middle aged man who was from the Blade God Six Martial clan had definitely said that all the preparations had been made. If that was the case, then the scars on the bodies of the Guardians were supposed to be those of the Demonic Cult’s martial arts, but why was leader Cheong-su saying otherwise. [You are a member of the Blade God Six Martial clan, right?] [Yes, I am, but this can’t be happening!] The middle-aged man, called Master Dogun, was also having a hard time understanding what was happening. Before the plan had been initiated, Blood Master had relayed a message to him saying that everything was ready. She was one of the top 6 most skilled Masters of the clan, she couldn’t have made such a mistake! ‘What is the meaning of this, Blood Master?’ Master Dogun stared at the eunuch and then at Admiral Lim. Admiral Lim’s eyes had changed drastically. ‘… nothing can be done.’ Admiral Lim had been in the Imperial Palace for more than 30 years. He decided to stop urging Master Dogun to present a clarification. Since the Elder had already revealed that the scars on the corpses were from the Blade God Six Martial Clan, Admiral Lim had immediately decided that Master Dogun should be abandoned, so that nothing could prove their relation to him. Admiral Lim immediately sent a telepathic message to the group leader. [Right away, abandon all plans we have with The Blade God Six Martial clan as well as this man next to me.] Although the prince Zhu Taikhan and the Imperial Guards had no idea about the identity of the middle aged man, Admiral Lim knew too well that he should remove all the variables he could to save himself. However, the eunuch was too troubled with another thought to even listen to that order. [Admiral! That isn’t the problem. The corpses…] Even before he could complete, the voice of leader Cheong-su, was heard loud and clear. “And that’s not everything, Your Highness. There are also scars of undulating swordsmanship on the corpses. A different one.” Admiral Lim’s eyes which were red in anger turned into absolute shock. High Wave Sword. It was a swordsmanship exclusively made for the eunuch’s by the teacher and former Admiral of East Spear, As East Spear’s fame began to spread, their swordsmanship was being considered the primary art. ‘Wh-what does this mean?’ Phat! Shocked, Admiral Lim knelt in front of Zhu Taiyoon. With a voice filled with despair, he uttered. “No, Your Highness! That can’t beee!” If the corpses inside the Royal Shrine had scars of High Wave Sword, then it meant that the eunuchs of the East Spear were also involved in the rebellion and had helped with killing the Guardians of the Imperial Palace. Leader Cheong-su, the member of Yulin, spoke with a voice of regret. “Huh, I looked at around 20 bodies. It is definitely high wave swordsmanship. Admiral.” “Leader Cheong-su! It can’t be. How can…” “Admiral… look at these corpses. I re-checked everything, but nothing else showed up. These marks were left by your men. I saw this art at the dance ceremony in the past.” ‘Shit!!!’ Not long ago, after the Imperial Palace’s event was over, the East Spear, West Spear and the Guards had demonstrated their swordsmanship in front of the elders of Yulin. There was no way that someone with a reputation as great as leader Cheong-su’s would not recognize it. “That’s everything. Your Highness.” “What!” At the trembling voice of the Admiral, Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon looked at him with anger boiling on his face. Zhu Taiyoon’s eyes were trembling. ‘!?’ In Zhu Taiyoon’s trembling eyes, the silently smiling face of Zhu Taikhan, the prince, could be seen. ‘Yo-you bastard!’ He was the one who was supposed to have been caught in a trap. What did they do wrong? Why did the marks on the corpses change from that of the Demonic Cult’s art to the Blade God Six Martial clan’s and East Spear’s arts? Only one thing was certain. With the testimony of Elder Cheong-su, the entire situation had turned against the Crown Prince and not Zhu Taikhan. A trap that he, Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon, had perfectly planned in order to ruin the Emperor’s trust in his brother, had turned into a blade that threatens to cut his own neck. “A conspiracy! This is a conspiracy!” Crown prince Zhu Taiyoon shouted in a trembling voice. There was no word he could think of besides conspiracy. Laughing inwardly at his brother, Zhu Takihan straightened his back and spoke. “You don’t want His Majesty the Emperor to be disappointed with your act, do you? Brother Crown Prince?” “H-His Maj-Majesty?” Zhu Taiyoon’s face paled. If the Emperor Knew about this, the trust he had built up so far would crumble in an instant. Everybody knew that East Spear was supporting him. ‘No, no!’ It wasn’t long until the coronation festival. That would be the day the next heir to the throne would be appointed. If the East Spear is involved in the murder of the Guardians, and in the stealing of the Imperial treasure, the trust of the Emperor in the Crown prince would shatter. “You- it is your doing! You made this conspiracy to aim for the title of the heir, even though you were born at a later time!” Zhu Taiyoon, who had lost his temper, began to shout. It was completely natural for him to attack his brother. Even if it was a conspiracy, if he couldn’t solve the situation right away, it would only take a turn for the worst. “You must have done something to the bodies!” It was then. “I would like to explain.” The mesmerizing voice of a woman was heard. All who were present inside the hall, directed their gazes to the source of the voice. From the level below, a woman then slowly appeared. “Ah!” A woman wearing red armor with the Imperial design. The alluring and mystical appearance of the flame that covered her from the waist down, made the eunuchs look like fools. Phat! As soon as she entered, she knelt before the two princes. Admiral Lim couldn’t hide his surprise at how quickly she moved. ‘Extraordinary’ She wasn’t just a mysterious woman, but a woman with skills outside his expectations. Normally, people would be fascinated by her majestic beauty, but Zhu Taiyoon, who had been pushed into a corner, wanted answers. “You, how dare you appear before the princes without being given permission!” At those words, she showed them an identity badge that had been given to her by the Imperial Palace and gently spoke. “Your Highness. I am called Guardian Ran-yeong, who has been charged with guarding the Royal Shrine of the Imperial palace.” “Wh-what!” As she revealed her identity, Zhu Taiyoon lost his ability to speak. A survivor amongst the Guardians had appeared. “Th-that can’t be!” Tak! It was hard to believe, so he snatched the identity tag she had shown, but on the tag, words were inscribed that said that she was the Emperor’s Guardian, and had been given the position by the Emperor himself. Which meant that she was indeed the Guardian of the treasure. “How can…” He was shocked, but Admiral Lim seemed almost happy. [Your Highness! We can benefit from this!] Zhu Taiyoon, who couldn’t understand Admiral Lim’s point, looked at him with a puzzled expression. The Admiral’s eyes shone, as if an angel had fallen from heaven just for them. [If this woman is the only survivor of the Guardians, then all the crimes can be passed onto the Blade God Six Martial clan!] ‘Ah!’ Zhu Taiyoon finally understood what he meant. If thought about clearly, the ones who had attacked the Shrine were the masters of the Blade God Six Martial Clan. If she said that, then the Crown Prince and East Spear would be cleared of suspicion. ‘Indeed! After all there is no law to call for our deaths!’ Thinking that he was safe, Zhu Taiyoon calmed down and asked Ran-yeong in a stern voice. “Hm, let us know what happened, Guardian of the Shrine.” Thud! At those words, she bowed her head to the ground and began crying. “Your Highness! The treasure of the Imperial palace which I was ordered to protect was stolen by the rebelling eunuchs. Please punish me for not being able to stop them!” “!!!” Both Zhu Taiyoon and Admiral Lim were shocked. What nonsense was she spouting? Since she was the only surviving guardian, they’d thought that they would be in the safe zone! But this turned into a situation where a dagger had been put on the neck of a patient running out of breath. “Huh. Did you say that the eunuchs of East Spear were aiming for the Imperial treasure?” Zhu Taikhan opened his mouth and spoke clearly enough for everyone to hear. Whisper! Whisper! Accordingly, the members inside the hall began whispering about it. All eyes turned towards the eunuchs with suspicion. Because of one woman, everyone began to think that the eunuchs of East Spear were involved in the rebellion. ‘If, if this goes on, the East Spear will be charged with treason!’ Admiral Lim read the worst situation possible. The only surviving woman of the Guardians, had testified that the East Spear had the Emperor’s treasure. That was when someone sent a telepathic message. [Admiral Lim! We have no other choice. We need to kill everyone in this place so word doesn’t spread!] It was Master Dogun of the Blade God Six Martial clan who had spoken. Dogun had recognized how horrible the situation was turning out to be, and thought that the annihilation of witnesses was the only answer. Fortunately, the underground was within the Royal Shrine. ‘Except for Yon Namgun, leader Cheong-su and that Guardian, everyone else can be defeated.’ Three skilled people, but the East Spear had excellent power. Around 100 eunuchs were inside the underground, adding Master Dogun and Admiral Lim, subduing them was possible. [If we kill them, the truth can be manipulated!] Admiral Lim’s eyes shook after analyzing Master Dogun’s suggestion. The situation had already turned against them. And if they did as he suggested, things would return to normal. ‘Decide quickly! There is no other way!’ Admiral Lim nodded before biting his red painted lips. If the people who were present were allowed to leave, it would create hell for the East Spear. Admiral Lim, who had come to this conclusion, shouted to the eunuchs. “The Crown Prince has been tricked! Get rid of all these rebels and protect the Crown Prince!” “!!!” As soon as the orders fell, the eunuchs realized that they had walked into a trap and decided to get rid of the rebels. “Kill them!” “Yes!” At Admiral Lin’s orders, the eunuchs drew their swords. When the eunuchs suddenly looked ready to strike, leader Cheong-su, and the other men from his clan couldn’t hide their shock. ‘Shit! These men are going to kill everyone here!’ His heart was concerned with the fact that it was an underground cavity in the Royal Shrine. But realizing what the East Spear was aiming at, he changed his stance. “The people of justice need to protect the Prince from the masses of rebels!” “Yes!” They were quick to figure out what had to be done. If the prince Zhu Taikhan was murdered inside the underground, their clan would be regarded as the rebels. When the situation turned out as he’d expected, Master Dogun decided to go all-in. [Admiral Lim! Please take care of that Guardian! I will handle Yon Namgun!] The martial arts of the female Guardian seemed strong. She seemed to be a lot stronger than the others. However, Master Dogun was skilled, so he might be able to overwhelm her, but he still didn’t want to test his luck. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. “!?” Something sharp touched his right shoulder as he aimed for Southern Commander Yon Namgun. “!?” Before he had even realized it, his right arm that had tried to draw his sword had fallen to the ground. The pain struck late. “Kuakkkkkk!” An ear-splitting scream left Master Dogun’s throat. As he turned around, the identity of the person standing behind him made him lose his mind. “Kuaaak! B-Blood Master! Wh-why did you?” The long haired woman then answered him. “Do you still think that I am her?” Surprisingly, the voice didn’t belong to a woman. It was the low voice of a man, the bloodthirsty voice of a man who wanted to kill Master Dogun right away. Chapter 372 - Hand Crafted (4) Chapter 372 - Hand Crafted (4) The sky was still dark and the sun hadn’t quite risen yet. There was a middle-aged man standing in the yard of Zhu Taiyoon’s Royal Palace with an impatient look. He was a Master of the Blade God Six Martial clan, Master Dogun. ‘… It is getting late.’ Since the official appearance of the Blade God Six Martial clan in Wulin, it had been considered as the third largest clan within Wulin. Despite the clan’s shortcomings, the benefits of this one specific plan would make up for all the losses. However, according to the plan, everything should’ve been done by now, but for some reason, they were falling behind schedule. ‘Did they fail?’ The plan had taken them several years to prepare. From infiltrating the East Spear, who were known to be influential within the Imperial Palace, to establishing contact and trust with the Emperor’s eldest son, the Blade God Six Martial clan had meticulously planned everything. ‘Are the Guardians inside the Royal Shrine that strong? Did they perhaps fail in eliminating them?’ The main goal of the plan was to remove the Imperial Palace Guardians. To successfully achieve it, even Blood Master, one of the top six Martial Masters of the clan, had been dispatched. Her defeat would mean failure. The dark sky looked like it had been dyed indigo blue, and there were signs of the approaching sunrise. Swoosh! “Were you waiting?” “Ack!” He felt no presence, but a voice greeted Master Dogun from behind, making him turn around. A person whose face was hidden by a veil stood behind him. “Your face?” “There is no time for formalities.” It was the arrogant voice of a woman. The only woman he knew who spoke that way was Blood Master. She then purposely showed him the bloodshed and damage that had been caused to her body by the flames of the Guardians. ‘Ah, she got injured in the battle with the Guardians’ Everyone knew that the Qilin’s Flame was hard to subdue. However, there was no way that Blood Master, known for her arrogance and pride, would allow herself to get injured because of it. Blade Master Dogun decided not to overthink the issue and to hastily send her to the Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon. Who wouldn’t recognize Blood Master’s voice and tone even with her face hidden? Chak! “Kuakk!” They were inside the 1st level of the Royal Underground Shrine when Master Dogun’s arm was suddenly and viciously severed from his body. ‘Ugh, what did…..?’ ‘W-what the hell is this crazy woman doing?’ Woong! Woong! Even the East Spear eunuchs couldn’t hide their shock at what had just happened. Who could have predicted that the veiled person, the one who was supposed to be Blade Master’s ally, would suddenly separate one of his arms from his body with a surprise attack? However, they weren’t given the time to think about it. Puck! “Kuak!” “Yo-you!” It was because the Southern Commander, Yon Namgun, and the Guards behind him had picked up their spears and attacked. “Defeat these rebels and protect His Highness, the Crown Prince, and the members of our East Spear!” “Yes!” Admiral Lim’s order to kill fell, and it eventually led to an all-out fight. In an instant, the underground shrine had turned into a battleground. Thanks to that, the eunuchs didn’t have much time to worry about Blade Master Dogun. “Do you still think I am Blood Master?” Forgetting about the pain that surged through his arm, Dogun looked at the veil with wide eyes. He had been so convinced that the voice belonged to Blood Master that he hadn’t even bothered to check the person’s face. But, how did this man do it? ‘A man’s voice?’ To be able to flawlessly change one’s voice… such a thing didn’t make sense. Spies would sometimes imitate voices using unique tricks, but that was only possible if the voice was of the same sex. Dogun’s expression turned bitter. “Y-you, who the hell are you?” He was so confused that his brain almost stopped functioning. To change his voice and disguise himself as Blood Master meant that this man knew everything about their plan, the plan that was meant to be perfect! To his question, the man replied casually. “A dead man has no need for answers.” Upon hearing that, he felt a heavy force landing on his weapon. ‘Huh?’ Blade Master Dogun, whose senses were heightened because of his lost arm, immediately jumped back to create a gap between himself and Yeowun. Fortunately, he was able to respond quickly as he began gathering energy around his giant club to defend himself. Chaeng! Miraculously he managed to escape being beheaded as he waved his weapon to defend against his opponent’s violent attack. However, the club vibrated intensely because of the force, and his body got pushed even further back. Kiiiik! ‘Wh-what kind of power is this?’ The man hadn’t used any energy. He’d only swung his sword lightly, but its overwhelming force was astonishing. The man’s face was covered with a veil, so neither his face nor the expressions could be seen, however, it didn’t seem like he’d put much force into the attack. ‘He… is strong.’ He had realised the huge difference in skill from just that one strike. The attack that had cut off his arm definitely hadn’t been a simple, lucky surprise attack. Crack! ‘How, how is he able to? To a club made of steel!?’ His giant and sturdy weapon was cracking like glass. As he lifted his head, a white blade flew over and attacked him. Using his feet to support his body, Blade Master skillfully moved his weapon to defend himself against the continuous incoming strikes, but the club made of steel was clearly, slowly being broken by the thin blade. Competing with his air Sword seemed foolish. ‘I need to make use of his devastating power.’ He thought of using the white blade’s speed and power to his advantage. Blade Master Dogun then deliberately reduced his concentration on the white blade and focused on the opponent’s qi. Clang! clang! Clang! clang! He then swiftly moved. When the white blade attacked again, he masterfully rotated his body and made a lateral turn. Wheeing! Thanks to that, the veiled man’s blade swept by, completely missing its target. Chuk! ‘ Now! ‘ Whilst rotating, he used the Extreme Art of Blade God. His plan was to avoid the blade and then take the opportunity to attack his opponent. The veiled man wouldn’t be able to defend against this blade art with just the air Sword he was currently using. That was what he thought. Hweeik! ‘What?’ Dogun’s eyes, whilst still in the middle of his rotation, went wide. The white blade, which had been deflected, suddenly halted and came back, aiming right at him. ‘Th-this is ridiculous!’ Suddenly stopping his body would tear his muscles. The only martial artists that were able to control their body as he was doing were those from the Blade God Six Martial Clan. “Damn it!” As he was turning, Dogun tried to stop the attack with his club. Cha! Cha! Cha! “Kuak!” The instant that Blade Master Dogun, who was in the middle of rotating, blocked the white blade, the already badly cracked club broke into pieces, and his body was flung backwards due to the force like a pebble bouncing off a lake. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! His body stopped only after crashing into the wall at the end of the underground hall. “Kuak!” He fell to his knees and began vomiting mouthfuls of blood. His injuries were too severe. All he’d done was block a single blow, but he felt like he’d been struck by five blades at the same time. ‘This guy is a real monster!’ He’d blown away Blade Master as if he was nothing but paper. He’d lost an arm, his weapon was broken, and the situation seemed hopeless. ‘I’ve got no choice! I have to use the Blood Reversion Art!’ He felt lucky as he had recently learned the complete Blood Reversion Art. Despite the side effects, looking at his current despairing situation, he knew that there was no other choice but to use that technique. ‘If I don’t kill that monster, our world will fall into chaos.’ The internal injuries were too severe, and the probability of surviving with a single arm was too low. If so, he had to join hands with someone else. At least, if this one monster was killed, the East Spear’s Eunuchs would be able to deal with Zhu Taikhan and the rest. Thud! The Blood Reversion Art was initiated causing major changes to his body. The veins in his body began popping out like that of a volcano about to erupt. His face and torso muscles bulked up significantly, while the pain from the injuries slowly disappeared. ‘My internal energy is increasing!’ He hadn’t used it before, but surprisingly, the internal energy in his body had already increased by a lot. He would be able to exert tremendous power regardless of the technique he used. “Kukukukuku! With this strength, no matter how monster-like you are…” Kwak! “Ugh?” The veiled man suddenly appeared next to him and grabbed his head as he spoke. “You are using a technique you don’t even know about.” “What?” At that moment, a bright light had begun shining from the veiled man’s hand. An electric shock was then sent throughout Dogun’s body. Jiring! “Kuakkkkk!” Blade Master screamed and wailed as the electricity wreaked havoc within his body. Never had he ever experienced such pain. Starting with his veins, the electric shock ran through his body and interrupted his internal energy flow. Due to that, the rapid changes in his physique were reverted, and he returned to his original state. Chik! Chik! When the electric shock that almost sent him to the afterlife stopped, Blade Master Dogun looked at the veiled man with despair in his eyes and asked. “Wh-what kind of nonsense…” Dump! He didn’t even get to finish what he wanted to ask. Looking at the fallen Blade Master, Chun Yeowun muttered in a calm tone. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s just that you are on the wrong side. ” And it was true. The man’s luck had run out for him when he ended up having to face Chun Yeowun who could crush him like an ant. Meanwhile, the one hundred eunuchs inside the underground hall were still unleashing their attacks. Four disciples of Elder Cheong-su tried to stop them, but the number of men they had was too overwhelming. Clang! Clang! Clang! clang! “Yah!” The eunuchs didn’t look like much, but their skills were on a whole different level. The eunuchs were skilled blade users, and they accurately aimed their swords at the blood points of the opponents. Due to that, even the disciples of the clan were having a hard time. ‘Huh, we should have caught the crown prince first!’ Elder Cheong-su was in distress. The idea of protecting Zhu Taikhan from the attacks of eunuchs was considered as the first priority, however, this situation would have been a lot easier if they had captured crown prince Zhu Taiyoon first. ‘There are so many of them, this is going to be tough!’ Admiral Lim, who had given the order to attack, had immediately pulled Crown prince Zhu Taiyoon away from the front of the battlefield. Having learned martial arts, he caught Zhu Taiyoon with his unique light steps and aimed for the life of Zhu Taikhan. However, his attempt failed. ‘Not a usual one. That woman…’ When the eunuchs had moved to kill Zhu Taikhan, the woman who’d been kneeling in front of him, Ran-yeong, had made a shield out of flames and blocked all the attacks. It wasn’t the usual way flame qi was used. “Wh-what is taking you so long? Admiral! Are you planning on killing them all?” Zhu Taiyoon, who had barely managed to escape from danger thanks to Admiral Lim, shouted with an anxious face. As if it wasn’t enough for him that the plan had failed miserably, Admiral Lim had decided to kill everyone inside the hall. “Your Highness. Please trust me. I will take responsibility and solve everything!” Thinking that his current situation was absurd, Zhu Taiyoon spoke. “Trusting you or not isn’t the problem at hand! We didn’t plan for this! If we can’t kill them here, both you and I are done for!” Aiming for the life of an Imperial family member was the worst. And if the other member of the family survived, the aftermath of the situation would be uncontrollable. “Please, please believe in me. Your Highness. I’m the East Spear’s Admiral.” “Admiral…” Admiral Lim smiled to soothe the Crown Prince’s anxiousness. If the Admiral himself showed his anxiousness, then the Crown Prince would have a hard time calming down. Still, even after trying his hardest to assure him, Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon barely regained his composure. “You must kill Zhu Taikhan and all the others. No one gets to survive!” “Huhuhu, don’t worry. Your Highness.” Admiral Lim reassured the Crown Prince. He was worried that with this turn of events, the Crown Prince would abandon him, but the opposite was happening, so he felt satisfied. Admiral Lim then checked the development of the battle. Clang! Clang! Clang! The fight had been going on for a long time. The men from Yulin and the woman named Ran-yeong were busy dealing with the eunuchs who were aiming for Zhu Taikhan. “Ha!” Clang! Clang! Clang! The group leader of East Spear was dealing with Southern Commander Yon Namgun. Originally, Yon Namgun had been taking care of the eunuchs at the underground’s entrance, but when Zhu Taikhan seemed to be in a crisis, he’d dashed over in an attempt to save the prince, only to get blocked by the leader of East Spear. “You did well blocking him!” If he hadn’t stopped him, then Zhu Taikhan’s protection would have become impenetrable. Besides, if Yon Namgun and all his Guards were prevented from helping prince Zhu Taikhan, then dealing with the people inside the hall would be an easy feat. ‘They need to be dealt with first, and then the prince needs to be taken care of.’ Shockingly, 4 Guards were doing great in blocking the eunuchs’ attacks on the Imperial officials. The Guards were tightly blocking the eunuchs’ attacks in order to protect the officials as their words would hold meaning in the court. ‘What? Were the Guards always this good?’ These 4 Guards were much stronger than normal Guards. The number of eunuchs was domineering, and constant attacks kept coming in, but they could hold their ground. ‘They need to be dealt with first.’ Phat! It was at that moment that Admiral Lim decided to deal with the 4 Guards and the officials of the Imperial palace, when the ground beneath him shuddered. Goooo! Thud! “Huh!” His knees hit the ground as he tried to regain his balance. The force with which his knees crashed into the floor was so strong that it caused the ground to crack. The overwhelmingly threatening energy dominating the hall made his body feel heavy. “Wh-what is this?” Admiral Lim, who had enormous internal energy, was finding it hard to move. ‘What the hell is this energy…?’ Rather than normal energy, it was more like an invisible energy, but striking down upon the body and soul with its terrifying aura. “Th-this is impossible…” Something amazing had happened. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! He suddenly heard a few dull but distinctive sounds. “Kuak!” “H-how is this…” “My, my body isn’t moving!” More than a hundred eunuchs were stuck to the floor. As the energy was extremely powerful, people began falling onto their knees. Even the eunuch leaders who had strong energy were having a tough time enduring it. “Down!” Thud! Thud! Thud! “Kuak!” As the energy got stronger, more and more people fell to their knees. Puke! Puke! Puke! “Kuakk!” “He-help me!” The energy was making the eunuchs uncontrollably bow their heads to the floor. They weren’t able to keep themselves stable in one position anymore. ‘ Your Highness!’ Flustered, Admiral Lim turned his head as he searched for the Crown prince. Not shockingly, Zhu Taiyoon was also groaning with his nose firmly stuck to the floor. “Kwaaaak! Admiral…. Admiral!!!” “Your Highnesssssss!” It was too painful for someone like the Crown Prince, who had no internal energy to help him endure. And with that, the ‘young king’ laid flattened onto the ground. ‘Th-this needs to be stopped right away!’ Admiral Lim, who was in panic, finally found the person who was emanating such a strong energy. That person stood in the middle of the hall, exuding the aura of a bloodthirsty demon. ‘Is, is it him?’ A man with a pale white face and long hair that fluttered with the release of his energy, stood domineeringly in the middle of the hall like the Great Demon God! It was none other than the Lord of the Demonic Cult Himself… Chun Yeowun! Chapter 373 - The Imperial Escort (1) Chapter 373 - The Imperial Escort (1) Lim Cheong-hwa had started out as a member of the eunuchs’ initial group and rose to the apex as the Admiral of the East Spear. It was all thanks to his teacher. His teacher had repeatedly taught him that the greatest virtue for a eunuch is to be attentive to everything and anything. Admiral Lim respected his teacher and had always followed his advice meticulously. That was how he had ascended to power. It was the very reason why the current Emperor and the Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon appreciated him so much. ‘He, who the hell is he?’ Whilst on his knees under the intense pressure, he could see that all the people present had familiar faces except for one. Someone he’d never met was there standing amongst the crowd. Although the unknown man didn’t look that capable, the eerie feeling he was getting from him as he stood there with long hair and a pale face, was overpowering the entire hall. ‘Is that really a human?’ “Kuakkk!” “My-my body!” Even though the East Spear members tried their hardest, they still couldn’t stand. How strong did the man have to be to make everyone fall to their knees from just releasing his Aura? Even more surprising, the only people who were kneeling were Zhu Taiyoon and the eunuchs. The others were standing on their feet just fine. “Huh… how is this possible?” Elder Cheong-su, a long-time Elder of the Forces of Justice, who had been fighting with the eunuchs only a moment before, was doubting his eyes… It wasn’t just him, his disciples also weren’t being affected by the pressure. ‘Is this even possible?’ Such a display wasn’t something that anyone could just do, this unknown man was acting as if controlling this massive energy was like breathing air. Even Elder Cheong-su, who was highly skilled, was shocked by it. Even if the man managed to make sure that his energy wasn’t pressuring the others, he and his disciples should at least feel some kind of energy. ‘Impossible.’ ‘Mon… monster!’ The disciples of the Kongtong clan were sweating. Shocked, they looked at Elder Cheong-su with a puzzled expression, not knowing what to do. When the elder didn’t provide them with any information or orders, they decided to call out to him. “Elder?” “… watch quietly, that person… that person must be as strong as one of the Five Strongest Warriors.” “Five, Five Strongest Warriors!” The Elder’s words made his disciples go speechless. They’d thought that he was at least a Supreme Master level warrior, but for him to turn out to be as strong as one of the Five Strongest Warriors was unbelievable. The Five Strongest Warriors of Yulin. ‘If that young man is on the same level as the Five Strongest Warriors, then is he on par with North Justice Blade?’ Yulin’s North Justice Blade, Yi Mok. Yi Mok was one of the strongest leaders in Yulin. At first glance, the unknown man looked the same age as Yi Mok, maybe younger too, but he still gave off a strong aura that rivaled his, maybe even stronger as well. Woong! Woong! ‘We are lucky to have that monster as an ally.’ In response to the Kongtong clan members’ thoughts, the Prince, Zhu Taikhan, felt happy about the choice that he’d made. He’d thought everything to be lost when the East Spear attacked him, but he’d never imagined that those who wanted to kill him would instead end up on their knees. ‘Haha!’ At a distance, Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon could be seen on the floor. Zhu Taiyoon, abandoning his dignity as a prince, was screaming and whining with his nose stuck to the ground. Not being able to hide his emotions, Zhu Taikhan smiled. ‘Right! That was how I felt when it happened to me as well!’ He felt like he was sharing the same embarrassing moment he’d had to go through at the Demonic Cult. He felt so happy, that he was barely stopping himself from laughing aloud at any moment. On the other hand, Zhu Taiyoon’s appearance made Admiral Lim go pale. ‘How did such a monster get into the Imperial palace?’ The invisible energy was forcefully crushing more than a hundred eunuchs. Annihilation didn’t seem like a nightmarish dream at all, it wouldn’t be too strange if everyone was slaughtered. When that thought crossed his mind, Admiral Lim immediately panicked. ‘Kuak! This can’t be.’ In the current situation, the safety of Zhu Taiyoon was his top priority. Even if that meant sacrificing all the eunuchs within the hall. ‘We need to escape from here.’ Admiral Lim looked at the group leader, the Super Master level eunuch. Unlike the others, this eunuch had been trained well, and had managed to endure the pressure from the energy, yet, he was struggling to stop his head from hitting the ground. [Group leader!] [Admiral Lim! That- that man is a monster!] [Calm down. Right now we need to protect the Crown Prince, it doesn’t matter if he is a monster or not.] [Th… that is… true…] Despite saying that, the eunuch didn’t seem to have any confidence. In the current situation, what could they even do to protect Zhu Taiyoon? He and Admiral Lim were the only ones whose heads hadn’t been crushed into the floor. [I’ll use all my energy to attack him. When I do, the pressure from his energy will decrease for a moment. Use it to break away from his pressure and attack him] Admiral Lim thought that even if the man before him was able to bring a hundred eunuchs to their knees, he wouldn’t be able to do that while dealing with an enemy. There would be a couple of seconds in-between which the eunuchs would be able to stand again. Of course, since the man before them was such a monster, the only thing they could gain was a few seconds of time. [In the meantime, I will escape with the Crown Prince.] [I-I need to attack?] The eunuch group leader was shocked. Admiral Lim was telling him to be a sacrifice so he could escape with the prince. [But, Admiral!] [huh! Are you afraid of being a holy sacrifice for the sake of the prince! I will appoint you as the deputy admiral of the East Spear if we can safely escape from here.] A tempting offer. Appointing him as the deputy admiral meant that his chances to become the next admiral would grow tremendously. However, the idea of successfully overcoming the crisis against the man seemed absurd. ‘Damn it.’ The eunuch was afraid, but he could think of no other way out of their situation. He’d always expected to have to make sacrifices in the worst situations, but never had he thought it would come so quickly. [I… understand.] [Aim for him after I attack!] Shwa! Right after speaking, Admiral Lim collected his energy and jumped into the air. Admiral Lim, whilst midair, put his hand inside his sleeve and brought out a bunch of needles. ‘I need to use this trump card!’ It was a martial art that he had created using the Flower Rain Sky as a reference. Wave of Energy Needles. It was a secret technique that would flow in a wave shape whilst forming the internal energy into the shape of needles. It was a skill that consumed a lot of energy, but it was effective enough to annihilate dozens of warriors at once. ‘This will definitely cause enough damage to him!’ No matter how monstrous he looked, it would be difficult to prevent such an attack. Because the Wave of Energy Needles was a highly advanced technique, it was bound to hit the man. “Take this!” Swish! Swish! Swish! Admiral Lim’s Needles flew in Chun Yeowun’s direction. That wasn’t everything. Whilst the needles from his right hand aimed at Chun Yeowun, the needles in his left hand flew off towards Zhu Taikhan. Pa! pa! Pa! pa! ‘This will be impossible to stop.’ Admiral Lim was using enough energy to suppress over a hundred warriors. To prevent getting hit, the man would have no choice but to remove the energy he was using to suppress the East Spear. Even if he succeeded in defending himself, the other needles would certainly reach the prince. ‘Admiral Lim has executed this perfectly!’ With this attack, it seemed like the admiral would be able to secure enough time to escape with Zhu Taiyoon. However, things don’t always go as planned. As soon as he released the secret skill, his attempt to step towards the Crown prince simply became impossible. Pa! pa! pa! pa! ‘!?’ Admiral Lim couldn’t believe his eyes. His more than one hundred needles were aimed at Yeowun, yet he had slightly stretched out his hand and blocked all of them. “Crazy bastard!” He was so shocked that he burst out swearing. As if the needles had been blocked by an invisible wall, they all stopped mid-air. ‘H-how can he do that?’ Without removing the energy that continued to pressure the members of the East Spear, he’d stopped the needles that were charging towards him. It was an impossible task unless he was someone who had an insane amount of experience and precision. Unknown to him, however, Chun Yeowun had Nano. [Erosion succeeded. Master’s energy has successfully infiltrated the needles and has gained control of them] Nano’s voice rang in his mind. “This attack doesn’t even impress me.” “Yo-you!” Embarrassed by Yeowun’s words, Admiral Lim took out all the remaining needles and attacked him once again, but Yeowun extended his hand and ordered Nano. ‘Nano, send these needles back at him.’ [Following Master’s command. Activating the panel remote system on the needles. Target: the needles’ user.] Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Chun Yeowun’s eyes shook rapidly, creating red cross-shaped particles, all aimed at Admiral Lim. Wheeeing! The needles, which had stopped mid-air, flipped around. “What the hell are you doing?” “Um, just returning what’s yours” tew! tew! tew! tew! tew! tew! As soon as Chun Yeowun finished speaking, the needles aimed at Admiral Lim flew towards him like a storm. “Th-this!” He was used to being attacked, but never with his own methods. More than a hundred needles were flying back towards him at twice the speed he’d shot them out. In the same way Admiral Lim had done it, the wave approached him. Phut! As Chun Yeowun stretched out his hand, the wave devoured the Admiral. ‘He-he is doing it better than Admiral Lim himself!!’ Pu! Pu! Pu! Pu! Pu! “Kuaaaaak!” Unfortunately for him, attacking Chun Yeowun was the worst thing he could have done. Unlike Admiral Lim’s attacks which were directed at random parts of the body, Chun Yeowun’s attacks were aimed at only one spot. Which meant that there would be a shower of needles, a marvelous show that could never be stopped. Thud! “Ughhh, you monstrous demon!” Admiral Lim’s body was on the floor with many needles pierced into his body. Maybe because he had used his remaining energy to protect his body, the needles hadn’t penetrated entirely but had only shallowly penetrated his body. Admiral Lim, who was in extreme pain, eyed the eunuch group leader with anger in his eyes. ‘Ugh, uh, what the hell is he doing?’ According to the plan, that eunuch was supposed to hit Chun Yeowun from behind. However, when he looked over, he realized that the eunuch had been blocked by the Guards and was unable to move. ‘Wh-what the hell?’ The one who had blocked the eunuch was Yon Namgun. The eunuch had tried to move right away to attack Chun Yeowun, but Namgun along with the Guards had stopped him. He’d thought that he could go past the Guards, but that wasn’t possible for him. Wheeeing! The Guards had a woman called Ran-yeong on their side. She spread the flames on her sword and pierced the group leader’s shoulder. Chiiiik! “Kuak…” With the sword on fire, he didn’t actually bleed, but Flame qi was quickly rushing into his body. He’d wanted to get rid of the monster, but the woman had interfered. “Don’t you dare try to attack my Lord!” Hu Bong, one of the Guards, held a sword of flame. Caught by unestimated variables, the eunuch couldn’t help but fall back. ‘What the hell is that guy doing?’ Admiral Lim was confused. Around Zhu Taikhan, who was supposed to have no allies, unidentified warriors kept on appearing. ‘The other needles?’ Naturally, the needle attack on Zhu Taikhan had been blocked by Ranyeong, who had created a pillar of flame and turned the needles into ashes. ‘Ugh, where did these people come from…’ “Kuak!” Bang! When everything seemed to be in vain, Admiral Lim screamed as his head touched the floor. No matter what he did, it would be pointless. His ambition to safeguard the prince vanished in an instant. ‘It can’t be…so easily….. Admiral Lim is down?’ ‘One of the great masters of the Imperial Palace, for him to be so helpless…’ The eunuchs who were on their knees were stunned by the unexpected results. No one could have predicted that Lim Cheong-hwa, East Spear’s Admiral who was considered to be one of the strongest in the Imperial Palace, would be so miserably defeated. Step! Step! Step! Chun Yeowun approached him. Admiral Lim looked up at him from below and spoke with red eyes. “You freaking bastard!… Who the hell are you! How dare you stand in front of the Admiral!” This monster could never be a member of the Guardians. It just felt very unfair. Looking down at the admiral with cold eyes, Yeowun opened his mouth. “I am the guy you tried to frame.” “What? Frame?” Hearing those ambiguous words, Admiral Lim was utterly puzzled. He couldn’t figure out what he meant. Until an illogical thought that made totally no sense to him, suddenly crossed his mind. “W-Wait, are you… the De-Demonic Cult?” The monstrous man in front of him. Chun Yeowun, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains, the Lord of the Demonic Cult. “How, how did this happen…” “I guess you do realise the sin you committed now. Then you must know your fate too, right?” Listening to his words, Admiral Lim shouted in anger. “Wa-wait! I am the admiral… of the Empire. Even if you are from Demonic…” Slash! Even before he could complete his words, the sword passed swiftly through his neck. It was so sudden that the admiral hadn’t even realised what had just happened to him. “So what if you are the Emperor’s men?” “!?” Thud! He seemed like he was trying to say something, but his head was already on the ground, cleanly separated from its body. Chapter 374 - The Imperial Escort (2) Chapter 374 - The Imperial Escort (2) Chapter 374 : The Imperial Escort (2) “No! Admiral Lim!” “Ugh! He-he beheaded the Admiral?” The whispers and screams of the East Spear’s eunuchs began erupting within the hall. Still, not a single person in the Imperial Palace had ever imagined that Admiral Lim, who was known for his overpowering skills, would be taken down as simply as a bird getting hit by an arrow. “Kuak!” Not a single person from the East Spear could avenge their admiral. The reality of kneeling helplessly only made them feel even more miserable. ‘He-he was really beheaded!’ Even Zhu Taikhan couldn’t help but be shocked. He had personally crossed paths with Chun Yeowun in the Demonic Cult, and he knew that he would punish the Admiral but never had he imagined that he would decapitate an Imperial Palace official. ‘I thought that he would be conscious of the non-aggression treaty between Wulin and the Emperor.’ Chun Yeowun was currently in the Imperial Palace, which was at the centre of the Empire. The prince had thought that no matter how reckless the Lord of Demonic Cult was, he wouldn’t take an official’s life so easily. The prince couldn’t understand what Chun Yeowun was thinking. ‘They are definitely different from the rest of Yulin.’ Zhu Taikhan glanced at the Elder from the Kongtong clan. The disciples and members of the Kongtong clan had suppressed the eunuchs without spilling any blood or taking any lives, all in order to respect the treaty. “Ugh…. Heavenly god! Heavenly god! How could this…” The expression of Elder Cheong-su, a long-time member of the EmperorYulin alliance, wore a serious expression. It wasn’t because Admiral Lim Cheong-hwa had lost his life, but because of what he heard him say before he died. ‘What did I hear just now?’ As a Superior Master level warrior, he had enhanced hearing, which meant he could listen to almost everyone’s voices within the underground hall if he wanted. Admiral Lim had called the young monster that stood before him, the Lord of the Demonic Cult, before dying. ‘He is the Lord of the Demonic Cult!?’ He had assumed that Yeowun was someone close to the Imperial family. However, when he heard the word ‘Demonic Cult’, he couldn’t help but be surprised. This man had not just entered the Palace, his actions would also cause huge political changes. ‘He must be Chun Yeowun.’ He’d heard about the New Lord of the Demonic Cult through Jegal Sohi, a strategist who had been sent along with an envoy to the Demonic Cult. It hadn’t been very long since the young man had become the Lord of Demonic Cult, and he had sent official messengers to Yulin. At that time, one of the Five Strongest Warriors of Yulin, Chun Yu-jong, had gone over to the cult for the sake of establishing an agreement. ‘He is still a child? What a joke!’ All that he’d heard from the meeting seemed to be lies. This person was no child, but a devilish monster. He wasn’t a growing dragon, but a full-grown dragon. [Young-woon ah.] Cheong-su telepathically called out to one of his disciples. [Elder?] [Pay attention to that man’s clothing and facial features, when we return back to our clan, you will have to draw a portrait.] [Excuse me?] His disciple Young-woo was puzzled at his request. Realizing the doubts his disciple had, the Elder spoke. [That person is the Lord of Demonic Cult, Chun Yeowun.] [Demonic Cult…? Lord of Demonic Cult?] Young-woon couldn’t help but be shocked at the words, ‘Lord of the Demonic Cult.’ He looked young, yet had such tremendous power. It wasn’t surprising that the disciple had thought that it was some elderly man who had gone through a metamorphosis, but for him to be the Lord of the Demonic Cult. Then more important things quickly ran through his mind. [cou-could the Demonic cult members be in this place?] Although they had formed an alliance with the Demonic Cult, the Lord of Demonic cult is an enemy force with which Yulin had been in constant confrontations for hundreds of years. Such a person was invading the imperial palace without any prior notice. [There will certainly be a riot in Yulin because of this.] If it wasn’t for the existing alliance, the situation would have caused a huge stir. Elder Cheong-su warned his disciple who wasn’t able to control his expressions. [First, calm your expressions. Don’t even think about talking or looking like you know they belong to the Demonic Cult.] [Understood.] Even though he responded, Young-woo couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It looked like Elder Cheong-su, one of the 17 leaders of Yulin, who was known to be a strong warrior, was afraid of confronting the Lord of the Demonic Cult. Even though he could fight him and claim it to be for political reasons. Step! Step! Whilst the two of them were talking telepathically, Chun Yeowun walked towards Zhu Taiyoon. None of the eunuchs could stop him. ‘I shouldn’t let him go there…’ ‘Ugh, my body can’t move.’ Their knees were glued to the floor, and they lacked the energy to stand up. In fact, after watching their admiral get beheaded, they had realized that they were nothing but tiny ants compared to him. The funny thing was, despite being released from the pressure, not a single eunuch stood up. Drop! Drop! Drop! Drops of blood were falling while Chun Yeowun was walking. It was Admiral Lim’s blood dripping from the sword he held in his right hand. The eunuchs, who were already in shock from fear and intimidation, didn’t even think about rebelling. “Huak… huak… huak!” Zhu Taiyoon, the crown prince, still had his nose, which was bleeding, stuck to the ground. His dignity as a prince had been damaged, and he was even angrier that he couldn’t lift his head. Roll! That was when something rolled towards him. ‘This?’ Upon looking at what it was, Zhu Taiyoon was so startled that he desperately wanted to move away from it. “That! Admiral Lim!” It was Admiral Lim’s head. He’d never been to a battlefield. This was his first time seeing a decapitated human head. And since it was the head of someone he knew very well, the impact was even greater. “Wahhhhhhhhh!” Not being able to stand the sight, he ended up throwing up. Zhu Taiyoon, who threw up for quite a while, looked up at Chun Yeowun. Throughout his entire life, which had been without any obstructions, Chun Yeowun was his first barrier. ‘Ugh… who is this monster blocking my path of becoming the Emperor? If everything had gone according to plan, I could have had everything in my hand!’ Sometimes, to overcome fear, letting anger take over was effective. “It… it is all because of you. How dare you, a worthless member of Yulin, look into the eyes of the future Emperor…” Woong! “Kuak! My… body!” Before he could even release his anger, the prince’s body began to float midair. Chun Yeowun took two steps forward and approached Zhu Taiyoon, before looking at him with a cold gaze and then spoke. “Such wild running tongues need to be cut.” “What! How dare…..!” “Thanks for your hard work alongside the Blade God Six Martial clan, on trying to frame my Cult, Your Highness Crown Prince.” “Cult?” When Chun Yeowun mentioned the clan and their joining hands, Zhu Taiyoon’s eyes went wide. At first, he’d thought that the man was just someone that Zhu Taikhan had brought in from some Yulin clan. However, the man had said himself that he was from the Demonic Cult. “No… Demonic… Cult?” “See? You do know us well.” “No? How can the Demonic Cult be here… in the Palace?” When Zhu Taiyoon found out that Chun Yeowun was from the Demonic Cult, he couldn’t hide his embarrassment. When they were executing the plan, a plan that had been brought forward by the person called Master Dogun, a member of the Blade God Six Martial clan, and admiral Lim, the Master had assured them that there would be no problem in the execution of the plan and with blaming the crime on the Demonic Cult, because it was located to the south of the Yellow River. ‘What exactly went wrong?’ Even before the plan’s execution, the Demonic Cult had appeared. Zhu Taiyoon tried to move his body, but he couldn’t. Chun Yeowun spoke again. “It has been good knowing you. Now please get ready to pay the price.” As he said that, Chun Yeowun raised his right hand, and Zhu Taiyoon, who felt something ominous, shouted out with a pale face. “Wh-what are you planning on doing? I am the crown prince of the Empire. How dare you subject a member of the Imperial family to…” Thud! Before Zhu Taiyoon could finish, Chun Yeowun moved his right hand, and the prince’s elbow broke. “Kuakkkkk!” The bones from his elbow protruded through the skin. It was impossible for Crown prince Zhu Taiyoon to endure such pain. Clicking his tongue, Chun Yeowun spoke. “So what if you are from the Imperial family? Huh?.” If the Imperial family was so high and mighty, they shouldn’t have resorted to such cheap tactics. The eunuchs immediately grew furious hearing their prince’s scream. “How dare you! For you to hurt His Highness’s!” “Retreat before we charge you!” No matter how frightened they felt, their loyalty to the Imperial family was stronger. Three eunuchs, having been enraged, wielded their High Wave swords and charged towards Chun Yeowun. Cha! Cha! Cha! The swords, which could curl like whips, were aimed at Chun Yeowun from three directions. “Ugh!” “Wh-what is this?” Their bodies, which were supposed to move, came to a halt. Not knowing what was happening to them, they grew stiff as dolls, and their faces crumbled into pure fear. Without even looking at them, Yeowun spoke. “I assume you don’t value your lives.” “What?” Swish! Chun Yeowun raised his left hand and pretended to turn something. The necks of all three eunuchs suddenly snapped. Crack! “Kuak!” Screaming in pain, they died with their necks twisted at an odd angle. It was an effective example. Realizing that Chun Yeowun showed no mercy to anyone, the eunuchs paled. ‘He… he killed them!’ This overwhelmingly strong man didn’t care if it was an imperial official or a prince. He was a real tyrant. Zhu Taiyoon, who had been screaming in pain because of his broken arm, yelled with bloody eyes. “Kuaaaak! How dare you, an insignificant being break the arm of an Imperial family member! Huak… huak! I will make sure that every member of the Demonic Cult suffers…” Crack! “Kuaaaaak!” While he was still screaming, Zhu Taiyoon’s left arm was also broken. Like his right arm, the bone protruded from the elbow. Zhu Taiyoon abandoned his dignity as a member of the Imperial family and began shedding tears. ‘This guy is the real deal.’ Only then did Zhu Taiyoon sense that his life was in danger. He knew that if the man that stood before him got upset, he would really kill everyone. The people of Yulin and even the clan heads would always bow their heads before the Imperial family and Imperial officials, but this man absolutely wouldn’t do so. ‘Thi-this is the Demonic Cult!’ This was completely different from Yulin. Without even blinking, he had broken the arm of a crown prince. As if he wasn’t done, Chun Yeowun moved his hand once more. “Eeeeek!” Fear sank into Zhu Taiyoon’s bones as he worried that something else in his body would be broken, so he cried out. “Dooon’t! I strayed from the right path! No, No prince would break his promise! Please… please let me go! I beg of you!” Words asking for forgiveness came out of his arrogant mouth. He knew that arrogant words would lead to his death. As he kept shouting for forgiveness and shedding tears, Chun Yeowun muttered to him… “If you had continued to talk nonsense, I would have been able to cut off an arm, tch, what a pity that I didn’t get to do that.” “A-arm?” Creepy! Just those words caused the crown prince to shiver as a chill ran down his spine. ‘Hmm.’ Chun Yeowun looked at someone and opened his mouth again. “Well, since my anger has been resolved to some extent, I will hand Your Highness over to the prince as promised.” “Promised? Ughhh!” His body, which was afloat, began moving. Chun Yeowun moved his hand in a particular direction and the Crown Prince’s body followed accordingly. Zhu Taiyoon’s body moved towards Zhu Taikhan. Thud! “Kuak!” He fell to the floor as the force keeping his body disappeared. “Do whatever you want with him” At Chun Yeowun’s words, the smile on Zhu Taikhan’s face reached his ears. “Is your arm okay? Brother?” His voice contained not one ounce of concern. Rather, it was closer to sarcasm. ‘Zhu Taikhan! You! You bastard!’ Zhu Taiyoon was on the floor feeling nothing but utter disgrace, while prince Zhu Taikhan looked down on him with a pleased gaze. ‘How did I fall into such a humiliating position?’ As the situation turned against him, the Crown prince was regretting his choices. As a result of his greed, he had wanted to overthrow Zhu Taikhan and even the Supreme Commander, but his greed had only brought humiliation. Zhu Taikhan spoke to him. “Are you going to admit your loss? It is truly a pity that the carefully devised plan of yours has failed so miserably” Thud! At those words, Zhu Taiyoon barely opened his mouth and spoke through grunting teeth. “… I witnessed the death of Admiral Lim. No matter how many witnesses there are, do you really think that His Majesty would trust the son of a concubine over me?” The plan had definitely failed. However, even if it had failed, there was a fatal weakness for Zhu Taikhan. He was the child of a concubine, and not the Empress. Even if Zhu Taiyoon was pushed away, the Emperor’s favour would fall onto the third prince Zhu Taeseong. “Elder Cheong-su!” “… yes. Your Highness.” At the sudden call from Zhu Taiyoon, Elder Cheong-su, who was watching the situation, answered with an uneasy voice. In a pleading tone, Zhu Taiyoon spoke. “This Crown Prince was too blind and ended up getting mixed up with the wrong people. I hope you don’t get involved in this.” “… huh.” Even when the situation turned out to be as horrible as it was, Zhu Taiyoon actually refused to give up. Even Elder Cheong-su was at a loss for words. When he’d first arrived at the Imperial palace as an envoy, he’d felt that Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon was quite ambitious. But now his lust for power was the only thing he could see. “If the members of your clan, turn away from this situation…” “You will never become the next heir.” “What? Who dares to… ugh?” Zhu taiyoon, who’d become angry at the voice of someone interrupting his words, tried to get up. However, he was too exhausted to move. Pak! “This Prince Zhu Taikhan, greets the Great Emperor!” “The Great Emperor!!!” Starting with Zhu Taikhan’s cry, all the officials inside the underground hall knelt before the dignified man in a golden robe who was standing at the entrance. Zhu Taiyoon, who was in shock, spoke in a trembling voice. “Ugh, Wh-Why is His Majesty in the Royal Shrine…” The person who had majestically appeared in the Shrine was Zhu Taewon, Emperor of the Daemyeong Empire. Chapter 375 - The Imperial Escort (3) Chapter 375 - The Imperial Escort (3) Chapter 375 : The Imperial Escort (3) A face that portrayed the dignity, and majestic look of a dragon. The middle-aged man in golden robes didn’t even need to speak for others to understand that he was an authoritative figure. Before them, stood The Emperor, Zhu Taewon. ‘Uh, why is His Majesty here? Ah! Are they all coming?’ Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon, whose eyes had fallen onto the people standing behind the Emperor, soon fell into an abyss of total despair and utter fear. The one who was dressed in a polished red robe and splendid ornaments, was Admiral Yuk Cheong-un of the West Spear, standing in front of his two attendants. He was the man in charge of auditing within the Imperial Palace. To the right of Admiral Yuk Cheong-un, stood three eunuchs in navy blue uniforms. It was the Cardinal Spear Admiral, Seo Tae-sik, and his two attendants. The Imperial palace’s top two eunuchs, who wielded undisputed power, had appeared alongside the Emperor. Furthermore, ‘Supreme Commander!’ Standing on the right side of the Emperor, wearing a formal second-class robe, was a handsome middle-aged man, the first head of the Guards and the Supreme Commander, Baek Jagi. Next to him, stood a person who radiated a unique energy, the Northern Commander, Yeong-jo. All the leaders of the Imperial Palace’s martial artists had gathered in the underground shrine. ‘The Emperor is here too. This is troublesome.’ Despite the Emperor’s entry, Chun Yeowun looked mysteriously calm. It wasn’t a surprise to him as he’d already sensed their energy when they entered the royal shrine. He was only concerned about 2 things. “Your Majesty!” Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Thud! Zhu Taiyoon, who was in absolute shock and disbelief, immediately ran over to the Emperor and fell to his knees. His two broken arms, his elbow that was sticking out, and the bleeding from his nose, drew the picture of the merciless torture and the painful suffering he had gone through. “Your Majesty! Please save me. The prince plotted to kill me, Admiral Lim lost his life and I was hit and injured! ” “Ha!” Prince Zhu Taikhan couldn’t hold back the gasp as he heard the Crown prince’s words and noticed his sudden change of attitude. He’d always known that the Crown prince behaved differently in front of the Emperor, and as expected, the crown prince hadn’t deviated much from his nature. However, the eyes of the Emperor, who would normally listen attentively to his eldest son, were cold. “Your Majesty!” Such icy coldness flustered Zhu Taiyoon. As he was the eldest son and the only son of the deceased Empress, the Emperor always treated him with warmth and affection. However, at that moment, the Emperor’s eyes were full of disappointment and distrust. “No! It isn’t true! Your Majesty! No. Father! This is all…” “Can’t you just shut your mouth!” Zhu Taiyoon had been desperately trying to persuade the Emperor, but his expression stiffened at that moment. As The Emperor yelled at him, Zhu Taiyoon’s mind went blank. “Do you think that I, the Emperor, lack ears and eyes? I have always given you second chances when you made mistakes, but this time you crossed the line.” “Ugh, this isn’t…” “Huh! Did you think that I wouldn’t know what you and your partners were up to?” ‘!!!’ The Emperor’s sharp words cut so deeply in Zhu Taiyoon’s heart that his words got stuck in his throat. Although he’d managed to gain the support of many officials, including Admiral Lim, making them his sworn allies, the power in the Imperial palace always revolved around the Emperor. This meant that there was no corner within the imperial palace where the Emperor’s eyes and ears were absent. “No, it is a misunderstanding! Admiral Lim and I discovered that the 2nd prince had teamed up with the Demonic Cult to steal the treasure of His Majesty, the Emperor!” The Emperor’s disappointment deepened at Zhu Taiyoon’s words, as he desperately insisted on his innocence. The Emperor summoned Seo Tae-sik, the Admiral of the Cardinal Spear, who was standing behind him. “Admiral Seo.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” “Call them.” Upon hearing the Emperor’s command, Admiral Seo Tae-sik looked at the officials in the room and shouted. “The inspection duty has been successfully executed at the command of His Majesty.” “Inspection?” Zhu Taiyoon didn’t understand what was being said, especially the inspection they were talking about. But he soon found out. Among the East Spear eunuchs who were laying flat on the floor and bowing their heads, five eunuchs got up and approached the emperor who was near the entrance. ‘What? Who are they?’ The eunuchs who approached the emperor quickly knelt onto one knee. The one in the lead shouted. “The group leader of Cardinal Spear, Shim Hyung, has finished the inspection duty and greets His Majesty!” “Speak up.” Zhu Taiyoon’s face hardened. Shockingly, all five eunuchs were Cardinal Spear members. ‘Why were they in here?’ Zhu Taiyoon was too shocked to understand. He’d never expected something like this to happen, he’d thought that they were East Spear eunuchs who’d been working along with him. Even the group leader of the East Spear, the eunuch who had been promised the deputy Admiral post, was perplexed. ‘Damn it! We did our best to find the spies, and they were right next to us the entire time!’ The so-called East Spear didn’t even know that it still had spies of West Spear and Cardinal Spear within it. To prevent the three eunuchs’ organizations from growing addicted to power and to keep everyone in check, each one had its own spies within the two other organisations. However, the East Spear had thought that they’d removed all the spies, thus it was totally unexpected to see 5 spies suddenly pop out. Well, identifying a spy was the toughest task when an organization was made up of numerous people. “Report.” “We have received the order.” The leader of the group, who had completed the inspection at the order of his Admiral Seo Tae-sik, told everything he knew about Zhu Taiyoon’s and Admiral Lim’s scheme. “It was about half a year ago when I began my duties as an East Spear guard. Three months ago, we noticed that the Crown prince would frequently visit the East House, the headquarters of the East Spear. And…” Since he wasn’t a high-ranked member, he wasn’t able to gather full details on what happened, but he’d realized that Zhu Taiyoon had joined hands with the members of the Blade God Six Martial clan. The mouths of the Cardinal Spear attendants went wide whilst Zhu Taiyoon’s face turned as white as a ghost’s. After the entire report was given, the Emperor spoke in a cold voice. “Did you just attack the Royal Shrine and annihilate the Guardians, just to ascend the throne?” “Y-your Majesty…” “I am extremely disappointed. It is my fault that you turned out like this. You should have been raised strictly just like the other princes.” Rather than blaming the culprit, the emperor blamed himself for not disciplining his son. Zhu Taiyoon, who was already drowning in deep despair, blanked out as the world turned pitch black in his eyes. Knowing the stubborn nature of the Emperor, it was meaningless to make excuses, especially since the report had already been given. “Supreme Commander. Arrest them immediately and take everyone into custody.” At the Emperor’s orders, a smile of satisfaction appeared on the Supreme Commander’s face. He had felt humiliated when the East Spear had tried to arrest the guards, but since the situation had been reversed, he couldn’t hide his smile. The world is truly unpredictable. “Receive the orders from Your Majesty. Northern Commander!” “Yes!” “Fulfil Your Majesty’s orders!” When the Guards Supreme Commander called for Yeongjo, the Northern Commander, he moved right away as if waiting for the orders to fall. Step!Step!Step!Step!Step! At the same time, armor-clad Guards began appearing and lining up in the underground hall. The number of Guards who kept pouring in was hard to count. ‘Ah! What? So many?’ Zhu Taikhan’s eyes shone. As the line of Guards kept on pouring in like water, the entire hall seemed to be filled with them. The number of Guards had already reached two hundred. The Northern Commander then loudly ordered them “Arrest all the eunuchs of the East Spear!” “Yes!!!” Anger and Excitement appeared on the Guards’ faces since they had been waiting for this very day. A golden opportunity to pay back the eunuchs for all the ill-treatment they’d dished out to them. “Don’t move!” “…” Admiral Lim was already dead, and the Emperor himself had appeared to send their souls to hell, the eunuchs had already realized that East Spear was going to become a forgotten history. The only thing left for them to do was get dragged around by ropes. The emperor didn’t stop there, and with a voice still full of rage and fury, he pointed to Zhu Taiyoon and gave another order. “Take him as well, and lock him up in his palace” “Ugh!” At the Emperor’s command, the Guards approached Zhu Taiyoon who was miserably kneeling on the floor. “Forgive our rudeness. Your Highness.” “You!!” Since he was from the Imperial family, the Guards couldn’t tie him up with rope, so they lifted him up by his broken arms. Zhu Taiyoon, who was being dragged out, shouted with all his might, realizing that it was his last chance. “Father! You can’t do this! That filthy bastard Zhu Taikhan colluded with Yulin members and with the Demonic Cult too! He killed the East Spear Admiral and made me like this! Why are you treating me like this!” He cried and shouted, but the emperor didn’t even look at him. The disappointment his son made him feel had reached its peak. “Father! Father! PLEASEE!!!” Zhu Taiyoon’s happy dream of getting everything he wanted, had in a very short space of time, turned into a hellish nightmare. It was even more shocking, that even after being dragged out, his father, the Emperor, wasn’t responding to him. ‘Your Majesty took a step ahead, so the plot of the Crown Prince has ended in failure’ A cold-hearted Emperor, who didn’t let injustice happen, even when committed by his beloved son. When the crown prince’s voice could no longer be heard in the underground hall, the Emperor moved in steady steps from the entrance to the middle of the hall. “Now that my beloved son’s business has been taken care of, I need to take care of the other matters.” “Ah!” Following the Emperor, the two Admirals, their attendants, the Supreme Commander and the Northern Commander moved, but that wasn’t the end. Eunuchs of the West Spear and Cardinal Spear rushed in and formed two lines, encircling the outer perimeter of the hall. ‘He brought everyone?’ Zhu Taikhan couldn’t hide his shock. He’d thought that everything had been resolved, but that didn’t seem to be the case. There were around 400 people within the hall at the moment. Unlike the Emperor, who was still full of dignity, the expressions of the two Admirals, and the Supreme Commander, were distorted. The reason was simple. “How rude! How dare you stand tall when His Majesty, the Great Emperor of the Empire, has arrived!” The Supreme Commander yelled furiously. Previously, when the Emperor had arrived in the underground hall of the Royal Shrine, Zhu Taikhan and the others had immediately fallen to their knees. However, there were a few people who simply hadn’t done so. They were Chun Yeowun, a man with long black hair, and 4 people who were wearing Guards uniforms. The Emperor had kept his mouth shut because he’d decided to deal with his son and the East Spear first. but now that they had been removed, the actions of these 4 people were simply unacceptable to him. ‘That unit is a mess. They seem to belong to the Southern unit, but how could these people commit such blasphemy in His Majesty’s presence? !’ In the eyes of the Supreme Commander, Baek Jagi, the men in the Guards uniform had to kneel and greet the emperor. Of course, it wasn’t just the guards, anyone in the Empire had to kneel in front of His Majesty. “Well, you see, I can’t get down on my knee right now…” Swoosh! “Y-Your Majesty!” It was the emperor who had stopped the Supreme Commander from charging ahead. When the emperor raised his hand and signalled him to stop, the Supreme Commander who wanted to say something went silent. To disobey the emperor’s orders meant to betray his authority. “Are these the Wulin members who came with you?” Zhu Taikhan, who was still kneeling, was shocked. Although he hadn’t yet revealed who they were, the emperor managed to infer the relationship between him and them with his insight. Of course, it was just his prediction, based solely on the fact that they hadn’t knelt. “No, I didn’t bring them in, but they did help me.” Zhu Taikhan spoke cautiously. The Emperor is scary, but he is nothing compared to Chun Yeowun. After hearing his words, the Emperor seemed to think for a moment. ‘There is no way that Yulin people could be this bold. So, they must be from there?’ He hadn’t witnessed everything. However, the emperor had seen the young man in black robes brutally breaking the arms of his eldest son, Zhu Taiyoon. He never involved private life with work matters, but he couldn’t help but feel offended. Looking at Chun Yeowun and the Guards, the emperor opened his mouth. “You are from the Demonic Cult?” The only people of Wulin who could have come into contact with Zhu Taikahn were the members of the Demonic Cult, where he was sent as an envoy. It was impossible for the Yulin groups to help him. Chun Yeowun, who was still watching, put his hands together and said. “I wanted to leave once I managed to settle things quietly, but as you know, things never go as planned. It is an honor to meet Your Majesty. I am Chun Yeowun, the current Lord of Demonic Cult.” “Lord?” The emperor’s eyes widened at the word ‘Lord’, he knew that this man was strong, this was made clear when he broke Zhu Taiyoon’s arm without touching him, but for him to be the Lord of Demonic Cult was unpredictable. Grrrrr! Unlike the emperor who was shocked, the commanders and the Admirals were angry. Although the Imperial family and Wulin had a non-aggression treaty, Chun Yeowun’s actions could be considered treason in the eyes of others. Bang! Kwakwa! West Spear Admiral Yuk Cheong-un, a Superior Master, stepped forward with anger. With each step he took, the floor below cracked. Yuk Cheong-un, thinking that he had fully demonstrated his power, shouted in a voice filled with rage. “You are being rude! How dare you act like that towards the Emperor? You will have to suffer…” Chuck! “Ah! The sharp tip of a sword suddenly touched his neck. ‘Wh-when did this sword?’ The Admiral of West Spear hadn’t even seen the sword being drawn. A moment before, they’d looked like normal Guards, but now one of them was pointing his sword at his neck. “Old eunuchs don’t get to be disrespectful towards the Lord of the Demonic Cult. The Non-aggression treaty was signed with both parties on equal footing. We don’t work under you.” “… swift swordsmanship. You must be Marakim.” It was Great Guardian Marakim, wearing his mask. Northern Commander Yeongjo was the one who guessed his identity. Commander Yeongjo, who was said to be the best swordsman in the Imperial Palace, had acquaintances with the people of Yulin. He was able to identify this man, because of the constant orders he received from the Emperor to observe the Wulin. “Your reputation undermines you. You are called the King of Death, because you control life and death on the battlefield. But!” Clang! Yeongjo drew his sword from its sheath and aimed it at Marakim. With a cold look, that clearly said that he was displeased. “How dare you draw your sword in front of His Majesty, the Emperor of the Daemyeong Empire, and endanger a member of his court, an Admiral at that?” Thud! Thud! Thud! As soon as he was done speaking, the Guards began to move with their shields held ahead of them. This was an army tactic meant to lower the morale of the enemy. However, it lowered no one’s morale, but only riled up the hearts of the Demonic Cult members. Chuu! “Huh!” “Flame qi?” A sword moved on its own, drew a line on the ground in front of the Guards, and slashed a couple of shields. Thanks to that, the Guards had no choice but to stop. “Woah…” Phak! In front of those Guards, a person from Chun Yeowun’s side, donned in a Guard’s uniform, walked over and blocked their way forward, to stop them from taking another step forward. Red hair was revealed under the man’s helmet, he was Lee Hameng. Whoo! Lee Hameng’s sword blazed with flames. “This is a warning. Those who draw their swords will be killed right away.” A warning which instilled fear in everyone’s hearts… As a result, the Guards gulped without realizing it. “Fire… fire king!” A sigh escaped from Yeongjo’s mouth. The moment he saw the red hair, he immediately recognized who it was. ‘The Lord of the Demonic Cult! The King of Death and the Fire King? How could these monsters infiltrate the Imperial Palace without anyone’s knowledge? Ugh.’ The new Lord of the Demonic Cult wasn’t very famous in the palace, but everyone in Wulin knew how strong the two Guardians were… They were amazingly skilled martial artists and heartless merciless monsters. Tak! One of the people who was still kneeling suddenly stood up. A woman with a seductive body and hair falling down to her waist. The Commanders knew her very well. “Oh! Guardian!” They thought that it was a good thing that they had her in the midst of the messy situation with the Demonic Cult. If the Guardian, Ran-yeong, the strongest hidden warrior in the Imperial Palace came forward, then even the Demonic Cult would have a hard time. ‘He might be the Fire King! But she is a woman who has lived for hundreds of years. No matter how skilled those people are, they are nothing but children in front of her long experience and massive skill. Hehehe.’ Wheeeing! As flames swirled around her body, she looked like the incarnation of the Qilin. At her magnificence, Admiral Seo Tae-ski smiled. “People of the Demonic Cult, you only have fire on your sword, but this, this is the true power of the Imperial Palace…” Heeeeing! “Hold on!?” Admiral Seo Tae-sik, who was feeling triumphant, couldn’t believe his eyes. Ran-yeong’s flames, which were supposed to threaten the Demonic Cult, unexpectedly encircled the Guards and eunuchs. They were being isolated from their allies. “This, Guardian! What is this supposed to mean?” Ignoring the bewildered question of Admiral Seo Tae-sik, Ran-yeong shouted to the three hundred people who had been blocked by the flames. “Whoever threatens the Lord of the Demonic Cult, I, Ran-yeong, vow to burn them to ashes!” “!?” Upon hearing the strangest thing ever, the commanders grew utterly speechless. A woman who was supposed to be their strongest ally had just given them an extremely aggressive warning. Chapter 376 - The Imperial Escort (4) Chapter 376 - The Imperial Escort (4) An Imperial Guardian; a hidden power that protected the Royal Shrine. Even within the Imperial Palace, very few knew of her existence. Only the Emperor and his commanders and a few admirals that protected him knew of her existence ‘Ran-yeong.’ The incarnation of the Qilin exists only for the sake of protecting the Imperial treasure. Instead of protecting them, her flames were directed to the Guards. ‘It’s been twenty years since I last saw you.’ The Emperor seemed to remember something as he tried to maintain a calm expression. The first time they’d met had been the day he inherited the throne. As a young and energetic Emperor, he had fallen in love with her bewitching charming red hair that could never be seen in the outside world. ‘Her beauty is still there.’ It was astonishing that her mesmerizing beauty still remained. However, from that day onwards, he stopped visiting her as he had learned that she had been protecting the treasure in the Royal Shrine since the foundation of the Empire. “Do you realise the meaning of your actions? Guardian!” Supreme Commander Baek Jagi shouted with a red face. It was totally unacceptable that the hidden Power protecting the Imperial treasure was now backstabbing the Emperor. “Imperial Guards’ Supreme Commander. I have seen you before as a young soldier, and now you’ve gotten strong enough to yell at a woman.” Soldier. Although he was under the Emperor, he was still the highest-ranking official in the Imperial Guards. Baek Jagi, who had been brought into the Northern Commander’s group because of his extensive field experience, quickly became a provincial commander at the young age of 34. “Cough!” Baek Jagi was flustered by Ran-yeong’s words and coughed. He had met her for the first time the day he was appointed as a provincial commander, and a few embarrassing things had happened between them. [This is funny, for a woman to be the strongest Guardian in the Imperial Palace.] Wheeeing! [Uhhhk! My uniform is on fire!] He’d made fun of her, and Ran-yeong had burnt his uniform. Those embarrassing memories rushed back into his mind. “Why talk about the past! Guardian! It is treason! Protecting the Demonic Cult which is trying to hurt the Emperor is treason!” Clang! The Supreme Commander had drawn his most treasured sword, which he almost never drew. It was a famous sword whose sharpness increased, the stronger the opponent was. When he saw the engraving on the sword’s body, Lee Hameng’s eyes lit up. “Noble Warrior’s Sword!” Noble Warrior’s Sword. This famous sword had been made by Ou Zhizi, a master craftsman from the Chu dynasty. Although not made of cold steel, the swords made by him were known to be sharp enough to decapitate a horse’s or a cow’s head in a single stroke. Woong! The Noble Warrior’s Sword released a bluish-black energy. “I will punish you with the sword given to me by His Majesty.” Baek jagi, who had garnered numerous achievements whilst subjugating the barbarians of the North during the former emperor’s rule, was given one of the ten famous swords which were kept as properties of the Imperial family. ‘Hooh! That sword is the real thing.’ Even Lee Hameng, who rarely showed interest in such things, was clearly interested in this treasured sword. On the other hand, Baek Jagi, who pulled out the sword, was staring intently into Ran-yeong’s eyes. ‘Guardian. I believe that you haven’t forgotten your eternal loyalty to His Majesty.’ The former emperor was very interested in martial arts. He would often bring soldiers from the Imperial Palace to compete with Ran-yeong. At that time, the Noble Warrior’s Sword was always brought into the underground shrine for those battles. ‘I don’t know what kind of trick they played on you, but please see the truth and come back to His Majesty’s side’ That was Baek Jagi’s real purpose. To remind her of the memories and the loyalty she was supposed to show to the Empire. He thought it was probably a lapse in her judgement that made her decide to turn her back on the Empire where she’d spent nearly two hundred years. “Haa!” Phat! Baek Jagi jumped forwards and reached for Ran-yeong, who stood in front of Chun Yeowun. Baek Jagi was now retired from active duty, but he still remained the Supreme Commander. His splendid sword, which was emitting devastating energy, drew numerous rays in the air at the same time. Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! They all contained the intent to cut her down. The attack was supposed to strike her vertically, cutting her into two. However, even as he approached, Ran-yeong didn’t move a single step. ‘This energy?’ The energy his sword exuded seemed familiar to her. However, she knew that she couldn’t move from her position. Wheeeing! As she raised her right hand, a wall of flames soared into the air. Despite his attack being so sophisticated, the sword rays disappeared immediately when blocked by the defensive wall made of flames. ‘You think that can stop me? How naive!’ Baek Jagi knew that her trick wouldn’t work. His treasured Noble Warrior’s Sword cut through the flames, inching towards her neck. Clang! Ran-yeong used her experience to catch the Supreme Commander’s sword that was covered in bluish-black energy between her palms, which had been strengthened with internal energy. ‘Are you stopping it with your hands? Indeed, how monstrous!’ It would be a difficult fight, he had competed with her several times before but had never been able to defeat her. However, the purpose of the Supreme Commander wasn’t to suppress her. His goal was something else. Baek Jagi spoke as he used his qi to push the sword. “Guardian! Don’t you remember this technique? Didn’t you make it for His Majesty who carried this sword?” Right. The sword technique which the Supreme Commander had used, had been created by her. By showing it to her, he wanted to make her remember the loyalty she had towards the Imperial family. “Remember that moment.” With those words, Baek Jagi’s eyes met with Ran-yeong’s. The trembling sword in her hand stopped. “Ah!” Baek Jagi’s eyes lit up thinking that he had achieved his goal. At that very moment, Crack! ‘Broke… Ah!?’ The bright face of Baek Jagi, suddenly distorted. The gift from His Majesty the Emperor, the legendary Noble Warrior’s Sword, which he treasured more than his own life, had been broken. “My… myyyyyy sworrrrddddddd!” As they followed the sword’s fragments which fell to the ground, Baek Jagi’s eyes were filled with despair, grief, and deep sorrow. Ran-yeong’s annoyed voice then entered his ears. “What was I supposed to remember? Don’t force your stupid memories on a woman you barely know.” “You, you…” Hweeing! Pang! “Kuak!” Before he could even say anything, the spear-shaped flame had struck his chest. His body, which had been hit with the flame qi, was flung backwards as the qi pierced his chest. Bang! “Supreme Commander!” Yeongjo, the Northern Commander, caught him as he flew across the room. Pak! ‘This!’ Tatatatata! He’d managed to catch the Supreme Commander, but the force of the attack was so strong that even his body was pushed back. Even the best swordsman in the Imperial Palace couldn’t reach her level. “Huh! In the end, you are no different from the other males who are obsessed with the past.” For Ran-yeong, the memories in the shrine were never considered happy ones, she didn’t even consider them as memories. It was just a period of psychological torture as she’d endured the severe loneliness of losing her fellow cult leaders, and kept her loyalty to complete the final order of her Lord. She had already begun to forget all her pain as she was given new hopes, but this lowly man had just forced her to remember it. “Kuak!” Creakkkkk! White air began flowing from Baek Jagi’s mouth. Even if he wanted to attack, his precious Noble Warrior’s Sword had been broken. Furthermore, he had to focus on calming the fire that was burning into his organs. As the Supreme Commander was wounded, Admiral Seo Tae-sik shouted whilst pointing his fingers at her. “Guardian! Are you really going to betray His Majesty, the Emperor?” “Betray? Who is betraying whom, Admiral?” “Aren’t your actions an act of betrayal and rebellion against the Empire? Isn’t that what you are doing?” At Seo Tae-sik’s words, Ran-yeong shook her head and answered with a smirk. “This woman in front of you, has been living for the Cult since the moment she was born. In the old days, I was ordered by the Lord of the Demonic Cult to protect the treasure in the Royal Shrine, so how can you call this betrayal?” The word ‘betrayal’ was something Ran-yeong hated the most. She was one of the most loyal members of the Demonic Cult. However, even though he knew about her existence, Seo Tae-sik, the Admiral, couldn’t have known about the pact that had been made two hundred years before. “Demonic Cult’s orders? Hold on. What absurdity are you…” “Stop.” That was when someone interrupted him. “Your Majesty?” The one who had stopped him was none other than the Emperor. Knowing that the Lord of the Demonic Cult himself was present, he had decided to stay silent, but when he stepped forward, Admiral Seo Tae-sik had to keep his mouth shut. The emperor made eye contact with Ran-yeong, who seemed proud of her actions, and started recalling the past. It was when he had inherited the throne that he had been told the truth. [Emperor, listen to us. Strictly speaking, the Qilin’s Core and Blood, the treasures kept in the Royal Shrine, actually do not belong to the Imperial family.] [Not to our family?] He was too shocked to understand what that actually meant. He was later informed of the contents of the contract which had been signed by the past Emperor. [The Great Guardian, Ran-yeong, is a member of the Demonic Cult, who signed a contract with the First Emperor at the founding of the Empire to protect the treasure.] Originally, the first emperor had known that the men from the Demonic Cult, who were there to protect the treasures of the Royal Shrine, would disappear over time. He’d thought that if everyone disappeared over time, the treasure would soon be forgotten by the cult. However, something totally unexpected had happened. The last remaining member of the cult, Mun Ran-yeong, had managed to consume the Qilin’s blood, and therefore to increase her lifespan. ‘I knew that this day might come soon.’ The first emperor hadn’t thought that its blood would be absorbed in his time. If the core and the blood in the Royal Shrine were used by too many people, the contract between the Demonic Cult and Imperial Family would become meaningless. With that in mind, Ran-yeong had decided to stay behind and guard the core and blood. But now, the Lord of the Demonic Cult himself had appeared. “… the words of the Guardian hold truth. There is no doubt that she is a member of the Demonic Cult.” “!!!” The emperor meekly admitted the truth. At the emperor’s words, all the officials inside the circle of flame were astonished. A secret that no one knew had been revealed. The hidden truth, that the Qilin’s Blood and Core, which were considered to be treasures of the Empire, actually belonged to the Demonic Cult. Furthermore, the person who was considered to be the hidden power of the palace was also a member of the Demonic Cult. “H-how could this…” “The treasure of the Royal Shrine belongs to the Demonic…” Contrary to the embarrassed officials, Chun Yeowun started to see the emperor in a different light. They were in the middle of the Imperial Palace. The emperor could act strong or even distort the truth, but he had decided to admit it. ‘The Emperor’s magnanimity is a lot greater than we thought.’ Indeed, the emperor was surely an astonishing person. Chun Yeowun felt satisfied. In such a chaotic atmosphere, the emperor spoke again. “So you are the Lord of the Demonic Cult?” When the emperor spoke again, his tone was back to normal. The officials were in utter shock. Even the people of Yulin were shocked to see the Emperor treating the Demonic Cult’s Lord as his equal. “That is right, Your Majesty.” Chun Yeowun answered in a softer voice. However, just because the beginning of the conversation went smoothly, didn’t mean that it would end smoothly. “There is something I must say first. Thank you for helping my second son, the prince Zhu Taikhan. However, this is the Imperial Palace.” Gradually, the emperor’s voice rose. “The signing of the Non-aggression treaty doesn’t give you the right to break into the Imperial Palace and make a fuss without my permission!” He wasn’t wrong. Chun Yeowun and his members had in fact snuck into the Imperial palace without permission. If the emperor asked him to take responsibility for his actions, he had no argument to refute it. If only those Blade God Six Martial clan bastards hadn’t created this mess. “I am sorry if this has made you uncomfortable, Your Majesty, maybe there are some misunderstandings which need to be cleared up…” It was then. Swooooooah! Before Chun Yeowun’s words were finished, sharp energy rose from all directions and the flames, which were isolating the Guards and eunuchs, were extinguished instantly. Shhhh! At the same time, one eunuch from the Cardinal Spear knelt before the emperor. A handsome young man, but at first glance, he looked like a eunuch, and was pretty enough to be considered a woman. ‘He is fast.’ Lee Hameng’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t felt a single person move. The young eunuch, who knelt and bowed in front of the emperor, spoke. “I apologize to Your Majesty. As ordered, I tried to stay still and watch, but I didn’t have any other option but to come over as I judged the situation to be turning dangerous.” Ran-yeong, who had been confident up until then, trembled and muttered. “Guardian.” A young eunuch could extinguish Ran-yeong’s flames?. His true identity was that he was the True Guardian, the Emperor’s true, hidden Guardian. The entire air around them changed with his movements. “I was going to call for you anyway.” “Give me the order.” The Emperor looked at Chun Yeowun with a solemn expression and spoke. “The Lord of the Demonic Cult has invaded the Imperial Palace at his discretion, and without permission, this means that he has taken the power of the Imperial Palace extremely lightly. From this moment on, I want you to show him the true power of the Imperial Palace.” Chapter 377 Chapter 377 The real hidden Guardian Escort. Unlike Guardian Ran-yeong, whose existence was at least known in the Imperial Palace, this one was totally unknown. There had been many rumors about the existence of the Guardian Escort. In the past, when the military rebellion had broken out, there was a rumor that this so-called Guardian Escort had protected the Emperor from more than 300 military soldiers who’d broken into the palace. He’d cut every single one of their heads off. ‘The Guardian Escort?’ Admiral Seo Tae-sik, of the Cardinal Spear, was puzzled. Because even though he had heard about the existence of the Guardian Escort, he’d never seen him before. What was more shocking was that this eunuch had come out of the Cardinal Spear. [Is it someone you know?] Seo Tae-sik asked the leader Sang, who was next to him. Leader Sang, who directly selected and managed the eunuchs, shook his head as it was also his first time seeing this man. [Admiral Seo. There was never such a person in our group, even when we gathered inside, he hadn’t been present.] [Huh!] He wasn’t a member of the Cardinal Spear, which meant that he’d joined in secretly, by disguising himself. ‘This is such a weird day. I see two legends of the Imperial Palace at the same time.’ Ran-yeong, the Master of Guardians, responsible for protecting the underground shrine. And the Guardian Escort, who protected the Emperor and moved like his shadow without revealing himself to anyone. People who had never revealed themselves before. ‘He seems well.’ Ran-yeong looked at the pretty-faced eunuch who was called the Guardian Escort, with narrowed eyes. The moment she saw him, she immediately recognized him. However, until the moment he’d appeared, she hadn’t even been aware of his existence. ‘In the past, I was at least able to sense him…’ Although her flames looked simple, they actually weren’t. Extinguishing the flame meant that his martial arts had developed a lot since the last time she’d met him. A person who is totally incomparable to Admirals, the strongest swordsman Northern Commander or even the strongest warrior Supreme Commander. The Emperor looked at the Guardian Escort, with eyes filled with trust. “The true power of the Imperial Palace… what do you exactly mean by that?” Chun Yeowun’s eyes narrowed after hearing the Emperor’s confident words. It was no different from saying that the Demonic Cult members were to be suppressed by force. The emperor spoke to the eunuch who was still kneeling. “Get up.” “Yes. Your Majesty!” As the eunuch rose, the emperor pointed to him and introduced him. “This person is called Lim Gyu-hwa, my personal escort.” At the introduction of the emperor, the eunuch smiled and bowed whilst looking at Chun Yeowun. “I greet the Lord of the Demonic Cult.” At first glance, he looked like a woman with a slender figure. It would be more believable if someone said he was a woman disguised as a man. ‘Even the name is feminine’ Gyu-hwa meant sunflower. It was unusual for men to use the character (hwa) in their names. ‘Lim Gyu-hwa?’ Unlike Chun Yeowun, who stared at him calmly, Great Guardian Marakim titled his head. It was definitely his first time seeing this man, but he had heard the name somewhere before. He was sure he had heard it somewhere, but when he tried to recall it, nothing came to mind. The emperor continued speaking. “I don’t know much about martial arts, but it was said that the people of Wulin would usually judge right from wrong by fighting, right? The weak bow to the strong was it?” The weak bow to the strong. The words which best described the world of Wulin. Wulin was based on the ideology of ‘survival of the fittest’. Wulin considered whoever was strongest to be the bearer of truth. It seemed like the emperor’s intentions were to use those words to turn the tables. “Regardless of the reason, the Demonic Cult invaded my palace, harmed my servants and broke the arms of the crown prince, my son, and a member of the Imperial family.” Chun Yeowun had accomplished a feat that no other person from Wulin had managed to achieve. The emperor was bound to be angry. Nevertheless, the Emperor tried to treat him respectfully considering his position as the Lord of the Demonic Cult, one of the three major powers of Wulin, and someone with whom he had signed the non-aggression treaty. “This alone is enough to say that you have broken the pact first. Wouldn’t it be a disgrace to me, the Emperor, if I just turned a blind eye to this?” “Your Majesty! How could you say that” Hearing the word ‘disgrace’ come out the emperor’s mouth, the people present began to whisper. If it wasn’t for their Emperor’s presence, those men would definitely try to take down the arrogant infiltrators of the Demonic Cult to prove their loyalty. Chuk! The emperor raised his hand and gestured for the others to shut their mouths. And he spoke again. “As I said, it is unacceptable to let you go without any kind of punishment. So, here is my suggestion, my escort here is the best warrior and the strongest martial artist in the Imperial palace, I can assure you of that.” At the emperor’s words, Yeongjo, the Northern Commander’s face turned red in embarrassment. He was called the best swordsman in the Imperial palace, but his title was meaningless if the emperor didn’t acknowledge it. “Even though you have been disrespectful to me and the empire, I still have no intentions of overriding the agreement that the first emperor had with you people.” Chun Yeowun laughed to himself at how the Emperor kept saying that he held no hostility towards them. Yet, he constantly pointed out the faults of Chun Yeowun and the Demonic Cult. At first, it seemed like the emperor was angry and ended up revealing his secret weapon, but that didn’t seem to be the real purpose. “I will make concessions, and I will respect Wulin laws. If you can defeat this Escort of mine, I am willing to pretend that nothing happened here today.” Ignoring what happened, wasn’t a bad proposal. However, that meant that the Emperor was certain that his Guardian Escort would manage well. Chun Yeowun asked. “What If I can’t defeat your Guardian Escort?” “I will amend the non-aggression treaty.” “?” Chun Yeowun’s eyebrow rose at the words of amending the non-aggression treaty. So this was his true goal. He knew that there would be a price, but unexpectedly, the Emperor was asking for too much. “The Forces of Justice faction swears allegiance to the Empire regardless of the non-aggression treaty, right?” ‘Huh.’ The emperor looked down at someone who was still bowing. It was none other than Elder Cheong-su and his disciples, who were long time envoys of the Forces of Justice. A confrontation between the emperor’s men and the Demonic Cult had occurred suddenly. They had remained bowing to show that they were unaware of the happenings and wanted no part. ‘We are in trouble.’ Elder Cheong-su, who had been waiting for the situation to be settled, didn’t know what to do. The Emperor’s question was too sensitive for him to answer. ‘These kinds of things always happen when the Demonic Cult gets involved…’ Without the Demonic Cult, he would have had a chance to fall into the good graces of His Majesty and be made into an official of the empire. However, if he said that he would side with the Emperor in front of one of the three strongest powers of Wulin, the Demonic Cult, it would be nothing less than a declaration of death once he returned back from the empire. “Is it not?” “Your Majesty, that… that…” It was a situation in which he couldn’t answer. If he answered incorrectly, he would later get criticized by the other leaders of the Forces of Justice, and even the alliance with the Demonic Cult might break. As he continued to hesitate, the Emperor’s expression hardened. Cheong-su was beginning to break out in cold sweat. “So if we can’t defeat this Guardian of yours, do you want the Demonic cult to become servants of the empire, and not a member of the non-aggression treaty anymore?” ‘Thank god!’ Thankfully, Chun Yeowun had intervened. To Elder Cheong-su, who was facing a dilemma, Chun Yeowun looked like his savior. Thanks to that, the emperor’s hardened face turned to Chun Yeowun. ‘What will it be?’ Elder Cheong-su looked at Chun Yeowun, who didn’t seem to fear anything. If he had committed to the emperor’s words, he would have missed a good chance to rise in Yulin and would have found himself in an embarrassing situation. ‘Did he intervene because of the alliance we have with him?’ Elder Cheong-su’s eyes fluttered. Even if there was an alliance, Yulin and the Demonic Cult were bound to return back to hostile relations once their goal was achieved. Yet, even in front of the emperor, he was helping a member of the Forces of Justice. ‘Oh, god. Heavenly god.’ Elder Cheong-su couldn’t help but admire Chun Yeowun. To help a person, who would be of no use to him in any situation, meant that Chun Yeowun sincerely respected the alliance. ‘So this is the current Lord of the Demonic Cult? I thought he was just reckless, but he has courage, tolerance and the qualities of a true warrior.’ In the beginning, Elder Cheong-su had only thought of him as a dangerous man. However, the way he looked at Yeowun had changed. Actually, he had misunderstood something. ‘You must be out of your mind to try and take the Forces of Justice under the control of the Imperial Palace.’ Chun Yeowun’s intervention wasn’t to help the Forces of Justice. Looking at the bewildered expression on Elder Cheong-su’s face, he knew that he would sooner or later make a decision favourable to the Imperial Palace. However, if Cheong-su, a man from the Forces of Justice swore allegiance to the Imperial family, then they would fall under its control. The people of the Forces of Justice would reprimand this Elder for a long time because of his decision, but even so they wouldn’t be able to undo what had already been agreed upon. If that happened, the Emperor would surely try to take the Yulin under his governance. “Hmmm,” The Emperor’s eyes held a look of regret. If Chun Yeowun hadn’t been involved, the Emperor would have naturally brought the forces of justice under him, but he had failed. ‘I didn’t think he would have political or diplomatic skills yet, but he is already pretty good.’ The envoy from Yulin, was currently there as a representative of the Forces of Justice. The Emperor could have gotten what he wanted from that person himself, such a pity. However, it wasn’t like this was the last opportunity. “Yes. Because your cult had been instrumental at the time of hounding, the first emperor had signed the non-aggression treaty out of goodwill and gave you freedom. When a favor continues, it gets mistaken for a privilege. Trusting the non-aggression between Wulin and the Empire only disturbed the peace in the Imperial Palace, shouldn’t you then pay the price?” He spoke for so long giving out sensible reasons, but there was only one conclusion. If they lost, the Demonic Cult would have to swear allegiance to the empire. He may appear as a dignified emperor, but he was resourceful and quick in making use of opportunities. He wasn’t the kind to let go of something once he knew that he had it in his hand. ‘This!’ Both Marakim and Lee Hameng were puzzled. They’d guessed that the Emperor was planning something, but they hadn’t thought that he would use the situation to his benefit, in such a mischievous way. At that time, Ran-yeong’s words entered Marakim’s ears. [The Great Guardian right? We need to stop this offer right now.] [What do you mean?] [The emperor is making this offer because he is confident that he will win.] [Confident in winning?] [I don’t know everything as I always stayed in the shrine, but I heard that there is not a single person in Wulin who wouldn’t know the name Lim Gyu-hwa…] [Lim Gyu-hwa!] Great Guardian Marakim’s eyes widened. He knew that he’d heard the name somewhere, but when Ran-yeong said it, something striked. ‘Wave Sword Lim Gyu-hwa!’ Lim Gyu-hwa, the Wave Sword. He was once one of the five strongest warriors of the Middle East, and was called the Sword Emperor. Like a comet in Wulin, he was an absolute figure with his unique swordsmanship. He was a great man, and everyone hoped that he would turn into the best swordsman in the entire world after he defeated the King of Destroying Sword, who was the top of the five great warriors and skilled swordsmen of that time. ‘But I heard that he only worked in Wulin for one year and disappeared after that.’ It was in the past, more than 90 years ago. It was something Marakim couldn’t recall at once because it was a story he’d heard as a child. Which meant that the eunuch was currently one hundred and twenty years old, even considering him undergoing metamorphosis, his current appearance made no sense. [No way…] [He has survived for many years by drinking the Qilin’s blood!] [Qilin’s Blood!] Right. Lim Gyu-hwa, Wave Sword. He was a native from the city of eunuchs, and he was the only man who survived the experiment of taking in Qilin’s Blood. With his success, the Imperial palace had forced dozens of eunuchs to drink the blood, but they had all burned to death, making him the only one who could take it. ‘Lord of the Demonic Cult. You have no choice but to accept my offer.’ The emperor had given enough reasons. If he refused, it meant that Chun Yeowun was acknowledging that he and his subordinates couldn’t defeat the Guardian Escort. If that happened, the Imperial Palace could spread a rumor, stating that they had the power to subdue the Demonic Cult. ‘My escort was the first Admiral of the East Spear, he was very skilled even before consuming the Qilin’s Blood. His skills are well known throughout the entirety of Wulin too.’ The emperor was confident in winning his bet. Whatever the situation, he would never lose. At that time, Chun Yeowun passed by Ran-yeong and walked forward. He had come to a decision. “Nice. To accept my…” Wheeing! ‘!?’ Before the emperor could finish his words, a jet black flame rose from Chun Yeowun’s right hand, and soon formed into a sword. It was the Sky Demon Sword imbued with the Qilin’s Flame, the invisible sword. ‘Black flame?’ There were times when the Emperor invited masters from various factions of Wulin to learn about qi and internal energy, but never once had he felt such an eerie energy. ‘What is that?’ The Emperor was puzzled by the unknown energy he was feeling for the first time, that was when Lim Gyu-hwa, who was standing proudly for a moment, spoke in a voice of urgency. “Your-your Majesty! Please hold off the fight for a moment…” It was then. Slash! “Ah!” In the blink of an eye, Chun Yeowun appeared in front of Lim Gyu-hwa. Even he, who was considered the strongest by the Emperor, a Supreme Master level warrior, was quick to know something was off. ‘What is he?’ Flustered, Lim Gyu-hwa, drew his golden Wave sword from his waist. The Wave Sword moved around like a whip, and then formed air like waves in the sky, creating high-quality shields. ‘I had to make it in a hurry!’ It was a sword shield which was made from the technique of the Wave Sword. This sword contained the techniques of the Flower Rain from Sky, which makes that shield stronger with every attack it received. Chik! Phut! Phut! Phut! Chun Yeowun’s black flame sword hit the Wave Sword Shield. With each hit, another Wave shield would form, making it impossible for the black flame to penetrate the shield. He had defended the emperor urgently, but he knew that the attack could be prevented. However, Wooong! Crack! “No!” Lim Gyu-hwa’s eyes widened. The Wave Sword Shield, which was supposed to get stronger with every attack, was suddenly pierced. It was a natural thing to happen, as Chun Yeowun was using the Invisible sword. However, he didn’t know that the black flame sword in Chun Yeowun’s hand was the Invisible Sword. ‘No, this is the invisible sword!’ Shocked by the crack in his shield, Lim Gyu-hwa tried to widen the distance, but the black flaming sword had already brushed past his right arm. Slash! “Kuaaaaakkkkkkkkk!” Lim Gyu-hwa’s right arm, which was supposed to be holding the Wave Sword, fell to the ground. Thud! The arm which had fallen to the ground, immediately started burning with black smoke. “Kuuuk!” Aside from the pain, he knew that his life was at risk. ‘N-no, he can’t be trying to kill me in here?’ He was in front of the Emperor and the other officials. Lim Gyu-hwa, who felt his life being threatened, was taken aback and stabbed towards Chun Yeowun’s chest with the sword in his left hand. But, Puhk! “Kuak!” A sword of black flames, which was too fast for the naked eye to see, slashed his throat. Feeling the pain of being cut and the pain of burning at the same time was the worst pain he had ever felt, a pain he couldn’t describe. Lim Gyu-hwa muttered under his breath with blood stained, fear-filled eyes. “In… indeed… Div… Divine…. Mas…” Thud! Unfortunately, he couldn’t complete what he wanted to say before he fell to the ground. “H-how is this possible?” The Emperor, who was flustered by what had happened in the blink of an eye, was approached by Chun Yeowun, as he walked away from Lim Gyu- hwa’s body. Phak! With the most cynical smile on his face he said. “Your Majesty is right. When the favor continues, it gets mistaken for a privilege, right?” Chapter 378 - Don’t touch him (1) Chapter 378 - Don’t touch him (1) Being invincible can be weird. The difference between a low-ranked master and a high-ranked master wasn’t very big. However, the stronger a person got, the bigger the gap would get. It was one of the reasons why the people of Wulin clung to the concept of strength, higher levels, and internal energy rather than working hard to reach a higher noble status. For example, the internal energy and qi required to use techniques would become less as one achieved higher levels of cultivation. Of course, when it comes to techniques, their efficiency depends on the situation, the use, and the understanding, more than the cultivation level. Nonetheless, such dependency simply fades away when the warriors reach higher levels. Lim Gyu-hwa, the Wave Sword. He had reached the perfect Supreme Master level. Even compared to the top five skilled warriors of the past, he must be one of the top three. Moreover, he had lived for a very long time, his experience in martial arts would most likely make him the strongest person in the current Wulin. ‘… Oh goodness!’ ‘How could he be taken down so easily…’ Great Guardian Marakim, and Great Elder Ran-yeong, who were worried about their Lord, were immediately confused. It had all happened before they could even try to dissuade their Lord from engaging in battle. The moment that Lim Gyu-hwa appeared and revealed his identity, they’d grown worried that Yeowun might be in danger. However, it ended in Lim Gyu-hwa’s swift decapitation after just three strikes. ‘Ugh! Unbelievable.’ Elder Cheong-su and his disciples, who were watching from the side, wore dumbfounded expressions. Was there a sky above the sky? When they saw Lim Gyu-hwa, who was called the Guardian Escort, rumored for his unparalleled strength, they’d also grown worried. But then, Chun Yeowun had cut off his arm and neck as if he was dealing with a low-level warrior. ‘There is no way that what my eyes just saw is an illusion. It must be the black invisible sword he made using that black flame!’ Invisible sword. A tangible sword known to be formless with intangible energy. The legendary sword of Dokgo Gupae of the Mount Hua Sect, which could only be achieved when one reached the Divine Master Level. ‘That sword definitely has no sword qi.’ The strength which gets aggregated by the qi is excellent, but it couldn’t be compared to this invisible sword he’d just witnessed. Its power was astonishing enough to pierce through the Wave Sword Shield, which became harder and sturdier with every attack. “… Divine Master.” A small, quiet, and short mumble, but its impact was enormous. Most of those in the underground were martial arts users, so they were well aware of the cultivation levels. There was no way that those who practice martial arts wouldn’t have heard of the Divine Master level, the level, told of in legends. “No way!” “Di, Divine Master level?” “Does that even exist?” The Admirals, the commanders, and all the other eunuchs were all shocked and confused. A shocking scene that displayed how easily the Guardian Escort had been killed. Being one of the 17 leaders of the Forces of Justice, he really shouldn’t have been moved by Chun Yeowun. ‘Huhu, that person is taking another step closer to becoming invincible. A real monster has been born within the Demonic Cult. Heavenly God!’ However, He couldn’t help but acknowledge him. That was when a question popped into Elder Cheong-su’s mind. ‘Maybe the Lord of the Demonic Cult can be compared to the monster in the east?’ A monster from the east that no one could touch. There wasn’t much information about the monster because he didn’t walk along with other members of Wulin, but he was one of the Five Great Warriors and had a wild character of ‘God’ in his title. He was also called the God of War and God of Battle. And it was said that he had earned all these titles with only the use of his two fists. ‘A monster against a monster…’ A loud scream entered Elder Cheong-su’s ear. “Yah! You! Step away from His Majesty right now!” Northern Commander Yeongjo, was pointing his sword at Chun Yeowun, his hands trembling visibly. After killing the Guardian Escort, Chun Yeowun approached the emperor with just two steps. However, seeing the overwhelming power Chun Yeowun had, Yeongjo couldn’t move his feet no matter how much he tried. ‘I’ll die with just one strike from him.’ It was certain that he was going to be killed the moment he stepped out. Whilst he was struggling to overcome the fear, a blue blade suddenly touched his neck, as he struggled to stand. It was the Great Guardian, Marakim, wearing a mask with a unique pattern. “Da-Dark King!” “I swear, one more step and you lose your head.” “Eiik!” Yeongjo’s face turned dark as his heart leaped into his throat He’d completely overlooked the fact that it wasn’t just Chun Yeowun in the underground shrine, but also Ran-yeong, who claimed to be a member of Demonic Cult and Great Guardian Marakim. As Yeongjo shut his mouth, everyone’s eyes focused on one place. ‘How can the Guardian Escort be so helpless?’ The head of the Guardian Escort, Lim Gyu-hwa, was rolling on the cold floor. His eyes were still open as his death came as fast as lightning. [Can you deal with that person?] [I’ll have to compete to know, but don’t worry, I don’t think I will be defeated.] Those were the words Lim Gyu-hwa, the strongest person in the Imperial Palace, had uttered before his death. He hadn’t lost his confidence even after encountering the Five Great Warriors of his time, so, how could he not withstand one arrogant and inexperienced Lord? ‘Wh-what did I end up doing?’ He’d only been trying to gain control of them but had ended up losing his Guardian Escort, the legacy he had inherited from his predecessors. The Emperor’s confidence, which had never wavered, began to crack. Embarrassment was visible in his solemn eyes, and he unconsciously took a step backwards. Step! Chun Yeowun’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Are you afraid of me? Everyone’s eyes quickly locked onto Yeowun as silence suddenly fell. ‘Ahhh!’ The emperor’s eyes shook. To the emperor of the great Empire, who had always ruled and never backed down, Stepping back would mean he was accepting defeat before his opponent. ‘No. I am the emperor of this wide empire. This can’t happen!’ Bewildered, the emperor glared at Chun Yeowun and shouted. “Arrogant! Step back! Right now!” Hearing that, Chun Yeowun couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Even though he had instinctively stepped back, the Emperor didn’t want to recognize the power of the Demonic Cult. Enjoying the way things were turning out, Chun Yeowun opened his mouth. “You seem to be misunderstanding something. Your Majesty!” “Misunderstanding? Are you trying to ridicule me?” “You can actually order me! Your Majesty! But only when you are superior to me!” With those words, Chun Yeowun took another step closer to the Emperor and raised his hand. Wooong! “!?” The Emperor’s body slowly began floating in the air. The Emperor’s expression hardened at the humiliation he was facing for the first time. “H-how dare you put the Emperor through this!” Admiral Seo Tae-sik of the Cardinal Spear, who had deep loyalty to the Imperial family, couldn’t stand still and began yelling as he took out his weapon to save the Emperor. Phat! He tried to move towards Chun Yeowun’s back and stab him with the sword, but there was no way Chun Yeowun’s subordinates would let that happen. Hweeeing! “Ah-no!” Just as he was about to aim for Chun Yeowun, a pillar of hot fire soared right in front of him creating a flaming wall. Flustered, Seo Tae-sik turned his body to avoid getting hit and tried again, when Ran-yeong reached out and unleashed more fire. “Who gave you the permission to act like this? Admiral Seo! If you have no intention of dying, don’t do things you’ll eventually regret!” “Guardian, I’ll remember this!” If he could, he wanted to cut through the fire, but if he tried to do anything, Ran-yeong was ready to kill him. However, as a subject, he couldn’t watch the Emperor be humiliated. It was his duty to protect the Emperor, even if it meant losing his life. ‘Cut one’s flesh and cut the opponent’s bones!’ Admiral Seo Tae-sik of the Cardinal Spear tried to break through the pillar of fire created by Ran-yeong with the resolution to cut one’s flesh and cut the opponent’s bones. “How dare you!” While Seo Tae-sik was deciding, Ran-yeong’s flames, which began to narrow the distance, gracefully moved to the air and aimed for him. Woong! Seo Tae-sik gave up his defence and raised his sword rushing towards the fire. ‘Clench the teeth and hold on, I will cut into the back of this devil and its fire!’ After all, that was his simple plan. The pillar of fire was blocking him from approaching Chun Yeowun’s back, if he could go past it, he could cut Chun Yeowun down and save the emperor. With that determination, he struck the pillar of fire with his sword, imbued with sword qi. “Uh? Th-that can’t be!” The pillar of fire, which he thought would split at once, rose like a whirlwind and easily deflected his sword. The dead Guardian Escort, Lim Gyu-hwa, had managed to put out the flames, making Seo Tae-sik believe that he could too, but this time the flames had manifested from Ran-yeong’s body. There was no way that he could deal with a Supreme Master. “That was the final warning, Admiral Seo!” “Damn it!” Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak! Ran-yeong’s graceful hand, aimed at Seo Tae-sik’s back, and attacked. Admiral Seo tried blocking it, but he wasn’t on the same level as her and he received the full brunt of the attack. “Kuak!” Thud! The sound of broken bones was clearly heard. He’d tried to use his life in exchange for Yeowun’s, but in the end, he had given up his own for nothing. Ran-yeong grabbed Seo Tae-sik by his neck and flung him away from Chun Yeowun. Thud! Seo Tae-sik, who fell to the ground, coughed up blood and shouted at the eunuchs and Guards. “Cough! Cough! What are you doing! Protect His Majesty right now!” “B-but…” Even Lim Gyu-hwa hadn’t been able to compete with that monster. “Ahh! There are only five members of the Demonic Cult! Do you mean to commit treason by allowing His Majesty to be humiliated?” “Ye-yes!!” Clang! At Seo Tae-sik’s words, they all drew their weapons. They were having a hard time figuring out what had to be done in such a chaotic situation, but the words of Admiral Seo had managed to knock some sense into them. ‘Ye-yeah! No matter how good they are, there’s only five of them!’ ‘We are superior in numbers. As long as he is human, there is no reason why we won’t be able to take him down.’ Even if they weren’t as skilled, their numbers alone exceeded three hundred. It seemed like there was a possibility of taking him down if they constantly attacked. “Cough! Cough! Aim for the Lord of the De-demonic cult!” “Yes!!” Phat! At Seo Tae-sik’s command, they went to attack Chun Yeowun, who was controlling the Emperor. “Put down His Majesty right now!” “You arrogant man!” Cha! Cha! Cha! Cha! The sound of swords clashing reverberated throughout the shrine. Three hundred eunuchs and Guards had finally started moving together. “If you put me down right now…” Chun Yeowun shook his head at the emperor’s words. “Abandon your useless expectations.” “What?” An unbelievable thing happened in front of the Emperor’s eyes. Chun Yeowun raised his left hand and opened his palm, the Guards who were charging forward to attack suddenly got blocked by an invisible wall. Bang! “Ugh!” “M-my nose!” “Wh-what is this?” A few of them hit the invisible wall really hard and ended up breaking their noses. Chun Yeowun lightly waved his hand towards those who were bumping into the invisible wall. Phat! “Kuak!” “Ackkk!” A strong wind pushed at them and flung them backwards. “Take him down!” ‘Yes! Ahhh!’ Phat! Thud! The Guards, who were waiting for a follow-up attack, were ready to jump past the wall when the wind ended up blowing them away too. “Euk!” “Kuak!” Those who were trying to help the flying Guards ended up puking blood because of the force with which they’d been flung backwards. They had all ended up suffering some kind of internal injury. “Eik! Everyone, attack at once! There is only one enemy! One!” Hundreds of Guards who were at the back got ready to attack Chun Yeowun, whose skills were taunting them. Crrrrk! “Huh? Th-this?” A shiver ran across their spines. Yeowun had managed to bring down the three hundred eunuchs and the Guards all together. “Th-this energy is?” “This should be impossible!” Flustered, they tried to make sense of what was happening. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Three hundred people had knelt on the ground, their faces white, unable to withstand the energy pressing down on them. ‘Ugh, he-he is a monster!’ ‘Yo-your Majesty!’ They’d thought that if they attacked constantly, they could push back the monster and free their Emperor. However, they couldn’t even raise their heads at the moment, they couldn’t even see what would happen to their Emperor. “How could a mere human do such…” The Emperor got nervous after seeing the eunuchs and the guards kneeling in front of someone else. Even if he wanted to maintain his calm, it was becoming harder and harder with every passing second. Chun Yeowun, satisfied, turned his head towards the Emperor. “It got quiet at last. Now, shall we continue our talk?” Unlike Chun Yeowun, who was relaxed, the emperor couldn’t even open his mouth. Chun Yeowun continued to speak. “Do you understand which side would have a favourable outcome if this continues?” The emperor didn’t want to admit to Chun Yeowun’s words, but he had no choice but to agree. A monster like him would be able to invade the palace and kill everyone in the Imperial family if he wanted. A frightening reality that made his heart start to shudder. “Well, I’m sure you know this, but the reason why the first emperor signed the treaty wasn’t because of the achievements made during the founding of the empire, but to protect himself.” “Khum!” Humiliating, yet no room for objection. However, his pride and authority as an Emperor didn’t allow this humiliation to continue. The emperor’s face grew red with anger. “I made a number of concessions thinking that you deserved a chance. But do you think that even after threatening me like this, you’ll be able to get out? Even if you are this strong, not everyone in your cult is like this.” “… Your Majesty is so diplomatic even in threatening situations.” At Chun Yeowun’s laughing words, the Emperor had an absurd expression. “Hahahahahah.” He glared at Chun Yeowun and shouted. “You are making fun of me! No matter how reckless you are, you should be well aware of the aftermath of killing me, I, this land’s Emperor!” The confidence of an Emperor. Probably because of all the years he had ruled over the land. If he died immediately, a civil war would occur in order for a new government to form and for a prince to be given support as the next ruler. If the political situation became chaotic, the west and the north, who had constantly been at war with the empire, would aim for the capital. “You can’t threaten my life with this…” Puhk! “Huk!” At that moment, the sharp edge of White Dragon Blade slightly cut the emperor’s neck. bewildered, the emperor gasped in surprise. “uh, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” “Your Majesty seems to be overconfident about your existence.” “What?” “When a tooth falls out, a new tooth emerges and takes over the role of chewing, that is how this world works. In the end, someone else will take your place.” “Wh-what are you saying…” Chun Yeowun noticed the trembling in the Emperor’s voice and looked over at Zhu Taikhan. “There is a very good ‘tooth’ over there. Besides, he is a shogi horse that I can move at my will.” “!!!” The furious face of the emperor, which was full of rage and anger, immediately turned corpse-like white. Chapter 379 - Don’t touch him (2) Chapter 379 - Don’t touch him (2) What is he trying to do?’ Prince Zhu Taikhan, who was observing Chun Yeowun, was shocked. The conversation between him and the Emperor had deviated a lot from their agreement. All of a sudden, Yeowun was talking like a villain who had plotted a rebellion since the beginning. The situation had totally changed, and a sense of fear ran down Zhu Taikhan’s spine. “Ar-are you planning on killing me?” The eyes of the emperor trembled. Unlike the Yulin people he knew, the Lord of the Demonic Cult standing in front of him was an inescapable nightmare. Chun Yeowun looked directly into the Emperor’s fearful eyes. “You think I won’t kill you Your Majesty?” Gulp! As he spoke those words, the White Dragon Blade that was pressed against the Emperor’s neck, dug deeper. It was to show that his will to kill wasn’t a show. “Uhk!” ‘He, he’s really serious about doing this.’ The emperor was someone who had never been hurt or mistreated even once in his entire lifetime. The ominous feeling of death couldn’t even be expressed, as the blade was pressed into his neck. “How dare you, a lowly cultist, act like this towards His Majesty!” Shiiing! Yeongjo, the Northern Commander, was so furious at Chun Yeowun’s behavior that he tried to attack him. Clang! Great Guardian Marakim blocked him as he was the closest to Yeongjo. Yeongjo tried to get past the man by using his sword, but the opponent wasn’t an easy one, and he was called the Dark King. ‘How fast is he?’ Yeongjo thought that he could charge in and have at least one chance to attack, but when he took a single step forward, he felt something cold touching his neck. All of a sudden, Marakim, who was close to him, swung his sword towards his neck. In a fleeting moment, the warning from Marakim flashed through Yeongjo’s mind. [I swear, take one more step and I will make sure to cut you down] Yeongjo’s eyes widened. As promised, with just one step, his throat would be cut. “Ah! No!” Flustered, he turned around and tried to move back, but Marakim’s sword was too fast. As the cold sword touched his neck, his face, which showed only fear, broke out in cold sweat. Phak! “Kuak!” The attack that collided with his sword made Yeongjo fall heavily to the floor. He’d been warned, but he hadn’t been killed. Marakim had knocked him down with his sword. ‘To act like the Lord is hard.’ No matter how horrible the situation was, the opponent was a high-ranked military officer of the Imperial family. It was difficult to kill such people as Chun Yeowun had done. Furthermore, without the Lord’s order, they couldn’t kill anyone. In other words, only Yeowun got to decide who got killed. ‘Huh, what a mess. What is going on?’ It was embarrassing for the Emperor’s disciples, but even Cheong-su, a long-standing member of the alliance, looked at Chun Yeowun and the emperor with a perplexed expression. From the point of view of one of the Forces of Justice’s leaders, who had a close relationship with the Emperor, he had to intervene and stop him. If the emperor died, the current stable relationship between Wulin and the Empire would collapse. But even more confusing were the words that Chun Yeowun had spoken a moment before. ‘He is going to make the second prince the new emperor? Then, did the prince join hands with the Demonic Cult?’ Yulin was the one that had maintained a closer relationship with the emperor and the crown prince, who was supposed to inherit the throne, in order to continue Yulin’s ties with the Imperial family. Yulin had been convinced that it was the eldest son, Zhu Taiyoon, who would inherit the throne, and they had supported him with everything. However, this time, the plan had gone wrong because of the crown prince’s attempt to join hands with the Blade God Six Martial clan. ‘This can’t go on. If that happens, the balance of Yulin and the Imperial family which we tried to maintain until now will be disrupted.’ It was something they were aware of. Cheong-su had to prevent the worst from happening, but the problem was that he could do nothing on his own. ‘For me to feel so powerless.’ It would take ten Superior Master warriors to take down one Supreme Master. But the opponent was a Divine Master. The seventeen leaders of the Forces of Justice, would they even be able to take down this monster, even if all of them joined hands? ‘He is an army on his own.’ That was the difference that one level, especially at the peak, made in martial arts. The influence of a single strong warrior would be able to determine the flow of the war. The current Lord of Demonic Cult, Chun Yeowun was such a legendary existence. “Your Majesty!!” “Kuuuk!” “Let go of him now!” Even if the officers cried out, there was no use. As they were being suppressed by Yeowun’s energy, there was no way for them to save their Emperor. All they could do was scream while kneeling down. ‘Is this the true power of a Divine master?’ That was when the emperor came to terms with his humiliating reality. Being in the middle of the Imperial Palace, and in midst of the numerous military officials and commanders, this man was scared of nothing and cornered everyone. Chun Yeowun, a Divine Master, had all the ability to kill him whenever he wished. ‘I overestimated myself. I was told by the past emperor to never break down the non-aggression treaty.’ The previous emperor had warned him to never try and overpower the people of Wulin. Although aware of it, the emperor had only regarded Wulin as a group of people, and never took an actual interest in them. It was only now that he came to realize his fatal mistake. If this man, Chun Yeowun, put his mind to it, he could have quietly assassinated the emperor in the middle of the night. ‘Wait! Hopefully, his purpose might…’ Suddenly, a strange idea crossed the emperor’s mind. If a man with such ability was greedy for power, he could have quietly assassinated the emperor rather than creating such a scene in the underground. ‘If he kills me to put Zhu Taikhan on the throne, he will have to shed more blood as he would have to kill the officials who support the other princes.’ It was something that the man in front of him couldn’t have known. At that moment, the man who had killed the Guardian Escort without showing any mercy was currently suppressing him with his energy, whilst holding him midair. ‘This is a showcase of his overwhelming abilities.’ He showed that he was a monster who couldn’t be controlled. And it was something the officials in the underground had clearly realized. Chun Yeowun’s goal had been achieved. ‘Lord of the Demonic Cult, this person wants something from me. Then…’ The emperor, convinced of it, was about to open his mouth, but then someone appeared between him and Chun Yeowun. He was none other than Zhu Taikhan. Zhu Taikhan appeared, put his hands together, and then bowed. Shocked, Chun Yeowun asked. “What are you doing, prince?” “Lo-Lord Chun! Please stop this!” Unexpectedly, Zhu Taikhan was trying to dissuade Chun Yeowun from harming the Emperor. The Emperor couldn’t understand the situation. ‘This kid and the Demonic Cult aren’t one team?’ The emperor had thought that Zhu Taikhan and Chun Yeowun were on the same boat. Zhu Taikhan was the son of a concubine. Although he was born a prince, it was no exaggeration to say that he was behind the third prince when it came to the emperor’s favor. Such a man had gotten the chance to become the emperor if he received Chun Yeowun’s support. “I understand how displeasing this situation is. However, our agreement was only to remove the spies of the Blade God Six Martial clan in the palace.” “Blade God Six Martial clan?” Hearing that, the Emperor was even more confused. It wasn’t like he didn’t know the clan. In a way, the emperor knew that they had been the ones supporting Zhu Taiyoon, who wanted to make them a major faction in the non-aggression treaty. “The promise is being kept.” “Even so, you can’t touch His Majesty the Emperor!” Despite his pale face, Zhu Taikhan’s words came out strong. It was like he was trying to fight against some injustice. This appearance caused confusion amongst the emperor and his companions. With a cold gaze, Chun Yeowun spoke to Zhu Taikhan. “It was the same during the founding time. We were helping the dynasty then too, but the results are always the same with you people.” Chun Yeowun looked at the Guardian Escort’s body. If it hadn’t been for the overwhelming power they had, the Demonic Cult would have been forced to swear allegiance even after helping the imperial family. “That…” “As His Majesty said, if a favor continues, one thinks of it as their right. Our cult is about to stop doing that from now. I see no reason to show favor to the empire, the Imperial family, or His Majesty.” The emperor’s face hardened at Yeowun’s words. It felt like Chun Yeowun really wanted to strike him down. Zhu Taikhan shouted again. “Ugh, stop! It is because His Majesty doesn’t know the truth!” “Sorry, but I am in no mood to tell the truth right now. If you don’t move, I’ll move you with force.” “I won’t move! If you are going to kill His Majesty, you’ll have to cut me down first.” Chun Yeowun clicked his tongue after seeing Zhu Taikhan speak such words with a trembling body. “You are being too stubborn.” With those words, Chun Yeowun waved his hand. Crack! “Kuak!” Zhu Taikhan. Who’d been standing with his arms wide open, suddenly had both his legs broken, and he fell to the floor. Flustered at the sight of Zhu Taikhan screaming in pain, the emperor shouted. “What are you doing! Didn’t you say that you were going to kill me and put this child on the throne!” Even if he was a child from a concubine, he was still the emperor’s child. What kind of a parent would watch their children suffer? Without hesitation, Chun Yeowun answered. “It doesn’t matter as long as he is alive.” “You… you ma…” The Emperor was at a loss for words. It was impossible to predict the way Chun Yeowun did things, he seemed like a man who ignored conventional wisdom. He was very different from the Yulin people he met frequently. ‘Is, is this the Demonic Cult?’ Clench! Collapsed on the floor, and screaming, Zhu Taikhan looked up with a pained face and shouted. “Please! Please Lord Chun, spare His Majesty!” Despite his pleading voice, Chun Yeowun responded without a blink. “You still haven’t come to your senses even after having your two legs broken? Then I guess I’ll take your hands as well.” When Chun Yeowun raised his hand, the emperor shouted. “L-Lord Chun! Stop! Don’t do it!” Crack! Chun Yeowun ignored his words and turned his hand, which made Zhu Taikhan’s arms twist. With tears flowing from his eyes, the emperor spoke. “I… I lost!” At the declaration of defeat from the emperor’s mouth, the faces of the eunuchs, admirals, and commanders hardened. The words that should never come out of an emperor’s mouth, were heard. “How could…” “Your Majesty…” Not listening to his officials’ words, the emperor continued to speak. “… I have lost. I will grant everything that Lord Chun wants… please, please have mercy on me and my kids.” The declaration of complete surrender. If this news was to spread, it would cause serious trouble across the entire empire. “Will you keep your words?” “… I will.” Chun Yeowun’s mouth rose into a smile at those words. He’d finally gotten the answer he was looking for. The emperor closed his eyes, feeling horrible after looking at Chun Yeowun’s expression. ‘Indeed… there was something you wanted.’ It was a hunch, and in the end, the opponent’s intentions were clear. Thud! “Kuak!” The Emperor, who was in the air, fell to the ground. The Emperor collapsed onto the floor, and couldn’t get up as his legs were still shaking. Looking down at the Emperor, Chun Yeowun spoke. “The requirements will be heard in two days from now in His Majesty’s palace. Make sure you have your seals ready to process the requests.” “S-seal!” The emperor’s gloomy expression hardened more at those words. If a formal paper had been stamped, it was like turning it into an official document, like signing the treaty the same way the first emperor had. The greatest disgrace ever for the Emperor. The Emperor, enraged, looked at Chun Yeowun furiously, but only received a mischievous smile in return, that looked more like a warning. “The reason I gave you two days is to give His Majesty and the officials of the Imperial Palace the time needed to find out the truth. And…” Chun Yeowun waved his hand in the air. The 300 or so Guards and eunuchs, who’d been unable to move, began slamming their heads into the ground as if someone was controlling them. Bang! Bang! Bang! “Kuak!” “Kuk!” With their foreheads bleeding, they all fell to the ground. They hadn’t died, but they’d fainted from a strong concussion. “If you do anything useless this time, I will really take your head. Therefore, I believe that you will make a wise decision.” “Kuk… understood.” An obvious threat, the Emperor bowed his head and answered in a bitter voice. Chun Yeowun had already shown that he could kill anyone. Leaving behind the emperor, who could no longer make eye contact, Chun Yeowun spoke to his subordinates. “Let’s go.” “Yes!” Shouting aloud, the members of Demonic Cult followed Chun Yeowun. Even Ran-yeong, who had been protecting the treasure and the shrine for many years, looked at the hall one last time and disappeared. After they’d gone, the two Admirals and the Commanders, who were pushed to the back, knelt down and cried before the Emperor. “Your Majesty! We were powerless and have committed a grave sin. Please give us a chance to remove this disgrace.” “Give me a chance, Your Majesty!” The Emperor calmed himself and looked at them whilst speaking in an angry voice. “You say such things now that he’s left?” The two Admirals and Commanders were embarrassed at the emperor’s words, they didn’t know what to say. They couldn’t give an answer, it was true that they couldn’t act when Chun Yeowun and his subordinates were present. In response, Elder Cheong-su, the Elder of the Forces of Justice, cautiously spoke. “Your Majesty… if you want, I can inform Yulin…” “I expect the elder to stay out of this.” “… yes… yes.” The emperor looked at them pathetically and bit his lip. “If you don’t want me to face disgrace anymore, don’t talk about this matter ever again. And never, Lord of the Demonic… wah, don’t touch him.” “… yes!” When they answered, the emperor looked at prince Zhu Taikhan who was lying in front of him. He’d fainted from the extreme pain. The emperor looked at him pitifully, patted his back lightly, and ordered the eunuchs. “You men. Take my son to the infirmary.” “Ye… yes!” Smirk! However, Zhu Taikhan, who was thought to have fainted, had a small smile on his lips. Chapter 380 - Title of Five Strongest Warriors (1) Chapter 380 - Title of Five Strongest Warriors (1) Prince Zhu Taikhan had received his initial treatment for his broken legs in the Imperial palace’s infirmary and then moved over to his palace. As he entered his bedroom, Zhu Taikhan smirked to himself. He’d never been treated by a doctor before, but to enjoy such luxury had a different feeling. Not long after, Yon Namgun, the Southern Commander, visited his bedroom. As soon as Yon Namgun entered, he immediately asked. “Your Highness. Are your legs alright?” “How would they be alright? That was the first time I felt pain in my life.” Zhu Taikhan showed his two legs which were wrapped up in bandages. When his legs got broken, Chun Yeowun looked resentful. [This will hurt a little.] Hearing his voice, Zhu Taikhan was like ‘Ah, he wants me to act, so I’ll do it in moderation’. But he hadn’t imagined that Chun Yeowun would break both of his legs. ‘Damn it…’ Because of that, the doctor said that it would take a month for his legs to heal. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to walk properly for a week. It was fortunate. If only it was a different body part, it would have been fine with him. However, a broken leg could result in limping or losing his ability to walk. Nevertheless, the doctor examined his wound and said he was lucky. [I don’t know how you hurt your legs like this, but surprisingly there was no damage to the cartilage or the ligament. So once you heal, your bones will heal stronger than before. I thought that I had to further break the bones to fit it back in, but I’m glad that I didn’t have to, Your Highness.] ‘Should I feel grateful for it now…’ At that time, just looking at Chun Yeowun had terrified him. Until the moment he’d telepathically sent him messages, Chun Yeowun had been fully entrenched in his role. Thanks to sacrificing his legs, he had gained something enormous. During the entire time the doctor was treating his leg, the Emperor hadn’t left his side, and had stayed next to him looking at him with eyes filled with concern. ‘This is the best kind of luxury.’ The Emperor had always been kind to the eldest son, Zhu Taiyoon, but always cruel to the other children. Therefore, the fact that he’d managed to earn some affection, was already a great achievement. ‘It was the first time he called me son.’ It felt weird. It was because he was the son of a concubine that the Emperor never called him ‘son’. “Anyways, until the Dano festival, I just need to recuperate in the palace.” “Thank goodness. I was worried that Your Highness wouldn’t be able to walk again. Besides… I was nervous as I didn’t know what Lord Chun would do to you.” Contrary to what had initially been planned, a variable that turned out to be the Emperor, had appeared. Zhu Taikhan had been worried to death as he could never have guessed that the emperor would come and mess up the whole plan. In particular, he felt sorry for Yeongjo, the Northern Commander, who was the strongest swordsman in the palace and a close person to him. Even if he wanted to let him know in advance, the Northern Commander had to escort the Supreme Commander all the time, which had made it impossible to talk to him about the plan, that had been told to them by Chun Yeowun earlier in the morning. “It would have been nice if these were only broken slightly. Lord Chun is surely good…No, to call him good would be wrong. To be called as… Huh? Southern Commander, why do you look like that?” Seeing the expression of Zhu Taikhan who was mumbling to himself, Yon Namgun’s face hardened. “Why are you so stiff?” “… Your Highness, in front… Your Highness…” “Front? What could… ugh!” Zhu Taikhan turned his head without much thought, and his face turned stiff. Chun Yeowun was standing there looking at him. It wasn’t like his martial arts skills were low, but the difference between him and Chun Yeowun was too high for him to detect his presence. “Lord, Lord Chun?” “I didn’t expect you to think about all those things.” His voice was low, yet concerned. ‘Ekkk! Even so, it’s the prince’s bedroom, you can’t come up here like you wish!’ He didn’t say it out loud, but he was scared that this man would listen to his thoughts too. In a cold sweat, Zhu Taikhan waved his hand. “Ha… hahahaha Lord Chun. I didn’t mean anything by that. Ah! I just wanted to say that with a little less force, the situation would have been resolved easier!” He made excuses to defend himself. He could understand why the officials looked dumbfounded at the emperor who declared defeat in front of Chun Yeowun. He realized that when facing an embarrassing situation, people tend to spit the words and fix the problem. “Yes~ yes~. It is thaaat.” “Yes yes, Lord Chun, believe in m…” “Did you tell His Majesty what I asked you to say?” At Chun Yeowun’s straightforward question, Zhu Taikhan nodded with an uneasy heart. Whilst threatening the Emperor, Chun Yeowun had revised the plan and changed a few things. Seeing Chun Yeowun act so swiftly, Zhu Taikhan couldn’t help but think of him as a real monster. ‘Even so, there aren’t many people by your side, how do you plan on dealing with so many palace guards at the same time?’ Well, whilst suppressing the Guards and eunuchs, he had even managed to have a conversation with the emperor. In the meantime, he’d sent a telepathic message, it was strange that Chun Yeowun was able to do so many things at once. Of course, nano was assisting him. “Yes, I did what Lord Chun asked me to do.” The emperor had accompanied the prince to the infirmary and had been furious when he returned to the palace. It was worth it because the emperor now knew that all this mess happened in the palace because of a faction called the Blade God Six Martial clan. Of course, some of the evidence had been fabricated by Chun Yeowun, and as a result the Blade God Six Martial clan, which had grown into a powerhouse within the imperial palace by using Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon as its puppet, fell under the unfavourable eyes of the emperor. “I informed His Majesty that Lord Chun was trying to save the Imperial palace from the Blade God Six Martial clan. Even if His Majesty doesn’t believe it right away, I hope he will come to understand the Lord.” “Well, he doesn’t have to understand me.” The plan was just to destroy the conspiracy of the Blade God Six martial clan and pass punishment onto them. It didn’t matter if the emperor had a positive impression of Yeowun or not. Looking at Chun Yeowun, Zhu Taikhan asked very cautiously. “But, Lord Chun, if it is okay with you, could I just ask one question?” “… ask.” “I am curious about what you’re going to ask His Majesty in two days. Can you tell me?” In fact, the prince knew that what Chun Yeowun wanted, had been obtained. Even if he didn’t ask for it, the Blade God Six Martial clan would be driven to its demise by the Emperor. After all, because of the non-aggression treaty between Wulin and the empire, it was the only thing that could be done. “It is more like a suggestion than a request.” “Suggestion?” Zhu Taikhan was puzzled at what Chun Yeowun said. The Emperor had said that he would grant any request, but making a suggestion meant that he was giving the Emperor a choice to refuse. When Chun yeowun explained his proposal, Zhu Taikhan grew even more nervous. “… Lord Chun. That is no simple suggestion, do you think that His Majesty will accept that offer?” No matter how much the Emperor saw the Blade God Six Martial clan as culprits, he would never forget the humiliation he’d faced in the underground hall of the Royal Shrine. ‘You even killed his escort…’ He was wondering if the suggestion would be accepted. If it was him, he would never accept the suggestion put forth by Chun Yeowun. But Chun Yeowun’s reaction was different. He seemed confident. “The Emperor won’t refuse.” Two days later. As agreed, Chun Yeowun visited the throne room in the palace. The Emperor, who considered it a shame to make an official document whilst stamping it with the seal, hadn’t called for the other officials. Chun Yeowun had told Zhu Taikhan that it was a suggestion and not a request. “… Ugh. If Your Majesty refuses, we can proceed with the non-aggression treaty as spoken about before.” The emperor had a strange expression after listening to the unexpected proposal. ‘…This isn’t a request but a suggestion that I can refuse?’ The Emperor was silent for most of the time, and after thinking deeply about it, he answered. At the end of the long deliberation, the corners of Chun Yeowun’s lips rose with satisfaction. Two days have passed since the incident at the Royal Shrine. A meeting was being held in Henan Province in the main building of the Forces of Justice. Recently even the Forces of Justice had suffered huge damage because of spies, and due to the threat from the Blade God Six Martial clan, only the leaders with selected disciples from their clans were allowed to enter the building, thus only half the seats in the hall were filled. The person who’d requested to convene this meeting was none other than Elder Cheong-su, a long-time member of the Forces of Justice. “I don’t get it, Elder, is it really true?” A middle-aged man with a short grey beard, seated on the farthest seat, opened his mouth and spoke in a serious voice. He was one of the seventeen leaders of the Forces of Justice, Peng-gyu. Elder Cheong-su was reporting the incidents which happened in the Imperial palace during his journey as Yulin’s envoy. However, due to the unexpected details of his report, the people present were quite confused. “The Lord of the Demonic Cult? He appeared in the Imperial palace?” It was absurd to hear that the Lord of the Demonic Cult had appeared in the Imperial Palace. Although they had formed an alliance, free passage was only allowed within Wulin. This act of entering the palace had been done without prior notice. “I’m not absolutely sure, but it seemed like the second prince was the one who brought him in.” “I thought he wouldn’t know such things since he is still young.” “Amitabha*, rather than that, isn’t the fact that the Blade God Six Martial clan infiltrated the Imperial palace using the crown prince a more serious matter?” A middle-aged woman in a monk’s robe, sitting in the fourth seat, interrupted. She was the Monk Sathi of the Hangsan clan, made up of only nuns, and followed the teachings of Buddhism. Although she was a woman, she was a sword expert of the Double-edged sword. “There is truth to the situation. According to the report from Elder Cheounsu’s disciples, the Blade God Six Martial clan have crossed the line.” At the words of Elder Sathi, another man, also a monk and who sat in the second seat, agreed. Along with the teachings of Buddhism, Monk Gak-yeon was the ambassador from the Soorim Temple, a symbolic existence in Wulin. He was someone who had mastered the rare use of internal energy and force qi and one of the ten people who could control qi with just a finger. “Amitabha, if they can move so swiftly and unnoticed, Wulin will end up getting thrown into chaos.” “… The alliance might also get shaken.” The only faction in Wulin which had a close relationship with the Emperor were the Forces of Justice. In such a situation, if the Blade God Six Martial clan used the crown prince to control the Empire, then the Forces of Justice would have been pushed away. It was something that couldn’t be overlooked. “If we think like that, then we should be grateful to the young Lord of the Demonic cult. Since Lord Chun Yeowun has stopped it from happening, hasn’t the worst been avoided?” The person who answered the words of the ambassador was an old man with a long beard, and a beautiful sword which lay next to him. “Elder Poong.” It was Poong Chungwun, the eldest leader in the Yulin clan’s group. He was someone who saw Chun Yeowun in a favorable light, ever since visiting the Ten Thousand Mountains. “Elder Poong is always kind towards him since you have a close acquaintance with the young Lord.” One of the seventeen leaders, Peng-gyu, spoke sarcastically. He was someone who despised the members of the Demonic cult and their teachings to the core. He had even opposed the alliance with the Demonic Cult till the very end. Of course, his words had been rejected later because of the majority system. “God. The head of the elder is always war-like. I really respect you for keeping your duty as a warrior.” “What!” Elder Poong gracefully spoke back to the sarcastic remark from Peng-gyu. The reports weren’t done, and seeing elders quarreling over such matters, Elder Cheong-su couldn’t hold himself and banged the table. Bang! “Ugh! I am still not done!” Everyone was puzzled by the serious attitude of Elder Cheong-su. Most of them thought that the report was done. However, Elder Cheong-su was still holding back something important. The things which had happened after dealing with the Blade God Six Martial clan members, and taking down Admiral Lim and crown prince Zhu Taiyoon. “Looks like Elder hasn’t talked about the main point yet. I hope the leaders here will listen to him for a moment.” The man seated at the head of the table spoke. Strangely, even with his eyes closed, the man was radiating a noble vibe. This man, who looked like a civil servant of the Imperial Palace, was the Great Leader of the Forces of Justice, and one of Wulin’s Five Strongest Warriors, Yi Mok. “Hmm, as said, we should let the Elder complete his report.” As the crowd grew silent, Elder Cheong-su began speaking about what happened next. People’s surprised reactions grew gradually into serious expressions. “Is that true? Ugh… The emperor’s Guardian Escort, Lim Gyu-hwa.” Lim Gyu-hwa, the Wave Sword. At one time, more than ninety years ago, he’d been one of the Five Strongest Warriors and had been called the Sword Emperor. There was no way that the people of Wulin wouldn’t know his name. It was shocking enough to believe that he was alive, and even more shocking that he’d been working for the imperial palace. But what was even more surprising was. “WH-What did you say?” “The Lord of the Demonic Cult killed him? With only three strikes?” It was hard to believe. He was an excellent swordsman. The words which came out of Elder Cheong-su’s mouth were shocking, the leaders present couldn’t understand what they’d just heard. As far as they knew, the Lord Chun Yeowun was just a kid who was still growing. They’d heard that he was highly skilled, strong enough to make people bow before him and that he could be considered one of the strongest. “Even if he was a skilled swordsman, to be alive till now means that he must have reached the peak right?” “Uh, yes. He must be extremely skilled with all the experience he gathered, but to lose to the Lord of the Demonic…” “God. In the past, I saw Lord Chun Yeowun within the Demonic Cult, but he wasn’t strong enough to be compared to the Five Strongest Warriors at that time. Could it be that Elder Cheong-su has made a mistake?” People were reluctant to accept such unbelievable words. They couldn’t accept that Chun Yeowun could do that. Besides, the only person who could vouch for Chun Yeowun’s skills was Elder Cheong-su. ‘What did he see to make him tremble like that?’ The Great Leader of the Forces of Justice had noticed that the Elder’s hands were trembling. Whilst talking about the Demonic Cult’s Lord, his hands had been trembling. “I have seen many Demonic Cult members, but this person is different.” “Different?” “The current Lord is someone beyond the realm of human beings, maybe we should call him as God. Yes, Devil God.” “Amitabha. Devil God? Elder Cheong-su, I honestly think you are confused since a lot of things happened, have a sip of tea…” Elder Poong tried to calm the man who was speaking, but Elder Cheong-su got up from his seat and yelled. “How can you people take this matter so lightly! I saw the Lord of the Demonic Cult use an invisible sword with my own eyes! Using it, he beheaded the Emperor’s Guardian Escort. He also subdued three hundred soldiers with his…” “Wait!” He managed to get their attention with one word. “Invisible sword?” “Invisible sword!!!” When he said that one word, all the faces inside the room hardened. It was impossible for a martial artist to not know about the invisible sword. A high-level technique that could only be achieved when one has achieved the legendary Divine Master level. “Elder… are you saying that the Lord of the Demonic Cult is in Divine Master level?” At the serious question from Yi Mok, the Elder nodded his head. “Exactly. Chun Yeowun, the Lord of the Demonic Cult, is at the Divine Master level.” “!?” Divine master level. A Legendary state that every martial artist dreamed of reaching. It was only natural for everyone to be shocked. They’d just heard that the Lord of the Demonic Cult was at such a legendary level when no person from Yulin was. But that shock didn’t last for very long. An Uproar ensued almost instantly. “Divine! What nonsense is that!” “It is impossible to achieve the Divine master level!” Well, it was hard to comprehend. Even Yi Mok, the leader of the Forces of Justice, Yulin’s strongest, was experiencing an indescribable shock. As the commotion continued, someone suddenly knocked on the door of the meeting room. Knock! Knock! Knock! During the meeting, everyone had been informed not to interfere unless it was urgent. It was Gam Woon-seo. “Gr-great leader! We have an urgent message!” “Urgent?” Gam Woon-seo, cleared his throat and looked at the Great Leader of Forces of Justice, Yi Mok. “At noon today, the Imperial palace announced a change of State Religion.” “What? What kind of nonsense is that?” The current State Religion was Taoism. And the ceremonies of the Imperial Families were held by different clans belonging to Yulin. For the Imperial Palace to change the religion without even informing them beforehand, was incomprehensible. “Wh-what do you mean by that?” Elder Poong asked with a frown. At this, the foreign affairs leader, Gam Woon-seo, opened his mouth. “Haaa… say it already!” “Don’t just stand there and answer!” Gam Woon-seo finally answered the leaders, who were being quite insistent. “The imperial palace announced that the Empire’s official Religion will be changed to the Demonic Cult’s Sky Demon Order.” “!!!” Bang! At the shocking answer from Gam Woon-seo, everyone jumped out of their seats, their eyes wide in shock. You should have noticed the use of Yulin and Forces of Justice in this chapter, I’m just following the author’s style, he seems to use both terms. From my undersating Yulin = Forces of Justice + other factions of similar ideas. Amitabha, (Sanskrit: “Infinite Light”) also called Amitayus (“Infinite Life”), and particularly in the so-called Pure Land sects, the great savior Buddha. It’s used as a way to greet before you start a sentence implicating that you speak with peace, so it’s obvious that some people from the Forces of Justice that follows the teachings of Buddha speak like that.