“Is it the Emperor’s decree…?”
Sect Leader Sa Kong-myung nodded calmly. Those who could be considered senior members of the Jeomchang Faction would likely be aware that Hyeok Gi-rin is a princess, so they would probably accept whatever involvement with the emperor that arose.
“I understand. Then what do you plan to do about the Young Lady’s circumstances?”
“For now, I plan to leave together.”
It would be impossible to enter the royal palace with Black Cat. If anything were to happen, it would be a meeting with the emperor. Entering the court in a state of using the Black Shadow Qi Technique or wearing a face cover would undoubtedly cause chaos.
Still, traveling together was somewhat feasible.
Since they were on the brink of reaching the Peak Stage, staying in Jeomchang Faction to focus on training didn’t seem bad, but the option of remaining in Jeomchang alone didn’t seem appealing.
“I see. If anything changes, the Outcast Inn’s doors will always be open. You can return to the Jeomchang Faction after meeting with His Majesty, or if the Young Lady wishes to remain at the Outcast Inn, that is also fine. What about the Spiritual Medicine?”
The fire-type Spiritual Medicine was currently being produced in abundance at Jeomchang. There was about a month’s time remaining until completion. Since there was no rush to obtain the earth-type Spiritual Medicine at the moment, it could be retrieved after meeting with His Majesty.
“I’ll come by later to pick it up.”
“That’s good. When do you plan to leave?”
“I plan to leave tomorrow morning.”
“Hehe, the teachers will be quite disappointed.”
After leaving the Sect Leader’s quarters and informing the teachers of the news, they seemed quite surprised but soon brushed it off, thinking it must be related to Hyeok Gi-rin being a princess.
Not at all ready to leave, there were many things to prepare. First, I stopped by the Cheonsendang to replenish basic travel provisions and checked the cart that had been neglected for nearly two months, examining the chubby horses in the stable.
For the teachers who hadn’t finished their progress yet, I composed a manual on hand skills. Having had some experience preparing it for Rye-ah, it wasn’t too difficult.
Though it would be quite a long road to making the teachers into gamblers, if the goal was merely to provide entertainment for the children, then there wasn’t much left for the teachers to learn.
Dawn.
The teachers, who came out to say goodbye with a bit of reluctance, frowned when they saw my stack of assignments. I frowned too when I looked at the pile of assignments they had given me.
The stack written by eleven people was at least twice as thick as mine. Seeing us both frowning made Hyeok Gi-rin and Black Cat burst into laughter.
“Well, take care of yourself out there. Ah, I thought I’d finally have some peace for a month or two.”
“Don’t forget your training just because you’re traveling. Gi-rin, keep an eye on things.”
“Haha, understood.”
Leaving the teachers behind, I departed from Jeomchang Faction. I took in the scenery of Jeomchang Faction and the Sumnam Mountain as I drove the cart away.
Teachers, just head back inside already. How long do you plan to stand there watching?
Waving my hand as a signal to go in, the teachers waved back too. Of course, they didn’t actually move.
“Hmm.”
How strange.
I am Ho Cheon-an. I’ve traveled to many places in this Martial World, but the only place I’ve stayed long is the Outcast Inn. I was a veteran who solved any goal in the shortest time possible, so I hadn’t stayed long anywhere without a special reason.
Staying for two months certainly felt like a long time.
Now that I see it this way, it seems I’ve already become attached.
I was lost in thought unusually, but a commotion broke out inside the cart.
“Ahh! Black Cat Miss!”
“Cheeks! Let’s touch the cheeks!”
“Why are you so obsessed with my cheeks!?”
“Well, they’re soft and squishy and addictive, aren’t they? I’ve wanted to squeeze them every time but couldn’t do it while in Jeomchang Faction! It built up too much!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Honestly, I can’t stand seeing someone lost in sentimentality. Seriously, after two months of hard martial arts training, one should go out and have some fun. It’s not like I’m saying goodbye to the Jeomchang people forever—it’s just a few days’ travel to Sacheon City.
“Hey.”
Driving the cart towards Sacheon City, I half-listened to Hyeok Gi-rin grumbling about having his cheeks pinched by Black Cat.
* *
Sacheon Outcasts have a principle of always wearing Black Rib in Sacheon City. However, a cart driven by a Sacheon Outcast was too suspicious. Therefore, today I decided to go with a regular black robe and entered Sacheon City.
“Sacheon City… it’s even livelier than before.”
“Indeed.”
Should we call it an unexpected fortune? Sacheon City, once bustling, was now crowded to the brim.
“Martial Artist! Martial Artist! Do you have business on Cheon-jung Road?”
“…No?”
A child, somewhere between ten and fifteen years old, approached to speak to me. Since it was nearly unheard of for anyone in Sacheon City to approach me first, there was a slight delay before I responded. At first, I thought they were talking to someone else.
“Martial Artist! Then please divert your cart elsewhere! There’s recently been a bandit eradication monument erected, and now Cheon-jung Road is incredibly crowded! It’s a route to be avoided for anyone driving a cart!”
“Oh, really? Thanks.”
So the monument has been completed, huh? Even if just those eager to see their names affixed came, that would draw a massive crowd.
The boy naturally handed me a flyer. Well, since I had received some information, I might as well accept the flyer.
“Oh…”
I paused for a moment, unable to find words upon examining the flyer.
[♚♚Recruiting General Officials for the So-Gyeong Order♚♚With 6 months of registration$$All receive silver belts ☜☜10% discount on waistbands※ ♜So-Gyeong Dao法 ♜Can impart preliminary skills ￥Depending on ability §§Official Officials §§Senior Officials ★Immediate promotion possible★ An opportunity to be a master right away @@@ Instant move: In front of the So-Gyeong’s fabric store.]
It seems the sects in Sacheon City are swiftly adapting for survival.
Receiving the flyer printed with advertisements made me curious to learn how Sacheon City had changed during my absence, but I decided to suppress it for now and headed straight to the official residence.
“Oh, you’ve arrived. You made it here quicker than I expected.”
Governor Samayeom greeted us with an expression of inscrutability, as always.
“Governor, what on earth has happened?”
“I’ll explain it step by step. First, shall we sit down?”
Tea and snacks were laid out.
“First, I’d like to hear how Hyeok Gi-rin the Great Hero has been…”
“Governor.”
“Ah-hem. I’ll explain.”
Uncle-fan Samayeom, who was eager to hear how Hyeok Gi-rin had been, quickly changed the topic upon receiving a fierce glance from Hyeok Gi-rin.
“In the past two months, the Hwang Gold Clan has practically been disbanded. Most people using the name of Gold are unable to escape the sins committed by the Hwang Gold Clan. Those with serious crimes were executed and their assets confiscated, and even those with relatively minor offenses faced fines, while the arbitrarily obtained assets were seized, which led to this situation.”
“Seriously, why do you speak as if you’re genuinely sorry? Weren’t you planning to settle the score with the Hwang Gold Clan?”
I recalled the death list containing the names of the merchants Hyeok Gi-rin had visited, but I shoved it out of my mind for now.
What mattered now was the emperor.
“The assets of the Hwang Gold Clan were enormous. Treasures, precious metals, jewels, and grains. All material assets with tangible value amounted to nearly 5,000 nyang of gold, and land, commercial rights, and distribution rights were all reclaimed by the state.”
“A mere governor received such a massive fortune that he couldn’t even settle his position, so he sent it all to the imperial capital. In that process, a petition was drafted as well.”
“Um…”
And on that petition, it contained mention of Hyeok Gi-rin and my achievements.
“I figured you wouldn’t want to be embroiled in such matters, so I tried to bury your contributions as much as possible, but… it seems it was unavoidable to attract some attention. His Majesty knows my way of handling matters well.”
“Eradicating a corrupt merchant clan and quelling the chaos in Sacheon City is a significant achievement worthy of praise, but I wonder if this is something His Majesty would personally praise.”
“How could a mere governor comprehend the thoughts of the emperor? I can only follow because the imperial decree has been given.”
Samayeom smiled brightly.
“It’s a bit sudden, but to have the chance to meet His Majesty is truly a great fortune. I don’t understand why you both are so serious.”
His words weren’t incorrect.
Meeting the emperor was an immense honor. If I had been engaging publicly, merely having the experience of meeting the emperor would elevate me to a prominent family living off that status.
And because it’s to commend achievements, the rewards would surely be incredibly generous.
By conventional reasoning, there was no reason not to feel excited about it. Although I was disgruntled that my focus on martial arts training was disrupted, it was a remarkable occurrence.
“It’s an opportunity to ‘meet the Emperor.’ A chance to behold ‘him’ that may never come again.”
“….I see.”
Hyeok Gi-rin frowned at Samayeom’s meaningful words.
I see.
I realized the emperor’s true intent behind inviting us.
This was not an event worthy of earning the opportunity to meet the emperor. Although the situation in Sacheon City was no small matter, the nature of the work made that clear.
However, it seemed that both Samayeom and the emperor were thinking they could use this opportunity to summon Hyeok Gi-rin into the royal palace.
Perhaps it was a good excuse to see a long-lost brother. Could there be another opportunity for a martial artist like Hyeok Gi-rin to make achievements for the nation, such that they could echo all the way to the emperor’s ears? It was likely a once-in-a-lifetime event.
“Well, I understand the situation. When should we depart?”
“…Outcast?”
“Haha, Ho-nim and Hyeok Gi-rin the Great Hero can be considered as guests of His Majesty. Once the official residence is ready to receive you, you may go comfortably.”
“No, Ho-nim… is that really okay? Meeting the emperor is no ordinary matter. The imperial family will have to reveal your identity.”
It’s unlikely that my identity would be exposed or my Fame Value significantly raised, as Hyeok Gi-rin worries.
“It’s fine. Although my identity might be known within the imperial palace, it won’t be well-known outside of the martial world.”
The dealings of the Tang Clan prove that.
Just as the court was unaware of martial artists, martial artists were also disinterested in court affairs. Even though the name of the Sacheon Tang Clan was raised up high, there were still many martial artists who had no idea of the Tang Clan’s significance.
Above all, the possibility of rumors spreading was practically nonexistent.
Even if my face and name were disclosed within the imperial palace, that information would not leave the palace walls.
This is the Central Plains Martial World, where there is no such thing as a freedom of the press. Rumors about the emperor and powerful individuals are controlled entirely from within the palace.
It becomes clear when I recall that Black Cat didn’t know Hyeok Gi-rin’s true identity. It’s more accurate to say she didn’t recognize him, which is indicative of how much effort the imperial family puts into controlling information.
People believe they freely receive news from the palace, but in reality, what’s “known” isn’t the news that spreads but what’s revealed by the palace to the common folk.
“Above all, how significant could it possibly be that such a big deal would become public news?”
The fact that Hyeok Gi-rin and I are meeting with the emperor is a rare event. Especially since Hyeok Gi-rin’s identity is that of a princess. If what we did leaks out, it would be the emperor who would have the headache.
Therefore, they would thoroughly cut off any leaks.
If it were possible to gain rewards from the imperial palace with just a little footwork, it would be something to gain.
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