I-seol and her subordinates were being treated as suspects in the Okgyo incident and were under investigation.
Naturally, they weren’t allowed to go outside Sanghwa-ru, let alone leave the separate quarters of Sanghwa-ru without the permission of Jeokgwi Daebyeol.
However, there was someone who could move freely within those separate quarters of Sanghwa-ru.
That was none other than Hyeok Gi-rin.
Kang Chumo-ru declared Hyeok Gi-rin, disguised as Geum Myeong-wol, as not guilty.
He said that she was neither I-seol’s subordinate nor had she been dragged into this just because her master was the principal offender.
No matter how calculated the operation, it was unthinkable for Kang Chumo-ru to detain and imprison a princess like Hyeok Gi-rin, so it was only natural.
“Please help me.”
Thus, I-seol went to find Hyeok Gi-rin to request assistance.
“…What do you mean?”
“I want to meet Yongji Maeng. Would it be possible for you, Miss Geum Myeong-wol, to help me?”
Hyeok Gi-rin sighed as she looked at I-seol, whose eyes were filled with determination.
“My master is currently being detained as a major suspect, is he not?”
“Yes. Therefore, we must either sneak in or force our way through.”
“…If we do that, things will become irreparable.”
“I no longer want to have regrets.”
Hyeok Gi-rin sighed once more as she gazed at I-seol. It wasn’t a sigh directed at I-seol.
‘What on earth did you do to ensnare this person so thoroughly, Outcast!’
“Yongji Maeng is precious to me.”
At the sudden confession of affection, Hyeok Gi-rin’s expression turned peculiar.
“Yongji Maeng dedicated himself to me. He moved and sacrificed himself for someone as pathetic as me… I thought it was only natural and that it would last forever. The result is the mess we have now.”
“…Did you not promise to be a family head and a master?”
At Hyeok Gi-rin’s question, I-seol lowered her head.
“Indeed.”
“If you act recklessly now, instead of taking the position of family head…”
“However, that promise was made because of Yongji Maeng.”
I-seol looked at Hyeok Gi-rin with fiery eyes.
“My sister once came to take Yongji Maeng away. Yoran outright stated before me that she would take Yongji Maeng and offered a secret text, a spiritual medicine, and the position of family head. I could only bow my head in silence. I was just a powerless girl occupying a corner of Sanghwa-ru.”
I-seol placed her hand over her heart, recalling that moment.
“Yet, Yongji Maeng rejected Yoran’s proposal and chose me, who was desperately lacking. I was truly happy at that moment. And when Yongji Maeng showed his abilities beneath me, I was absolutely delighted. But every time I saw Yongji Maeng, a thought crossed my mind.”
“Could I really be this person’s lord? Watching him produce unimaginable results with unwavering steel-like eyes made me gripped by insecurities. I merely holed up in the separate quarters of Sanghwa-ru and felt utterly miserable about myself.”
Thus, I-seol said she decided to become the family head.
“I wished to be a lord worthy of Yongji Maeng. I wanted to give back, not just receive, which is why I resolved to become the family head. However… what value does that position hold if Yongji Maeng isn’t there?”
I-seol held Hyeok Gi-rin’s hand tightly and spoke earnestly.
“I have never confided this feeling to Yongji Maeng. How could a lord confess their insecurities to a subordinate? So, I kept quiet. What must Yongji Maeng have thought seeing me like this?”
“I-seol…”
“To Yongji Maeng, I may have been an untrustworthy lord. Perhaps that’s why he chose to bear his burdens without sharing his plans with me. He might have decided to sacrifice himself.”
As I-seol held Hyeok Gi-rin’s hand, she felt her heart gradually organizing her emotions.
“I must convey this feeling to Yongji Maeng. I resolved to be with him and wanted to become someone deserving of him, aiming for the position of family head. I must tell him that the position he sacrificed for is meaningless without him. I must open my heart now and discuss strategies for us to be together!”
Hyeok Gi-rin was overwhelmed by the sincerity pouring out of I-seol and found herself speechless.
“For that, I will take on any risk. So… please, Miss Geum Myeong-wol. Help me. I beg you.”
Seeing I-seol looking at her with such desperate eyes, Hyeok Gi-rin closed her eyes. How could she say anything harsh to a woman who was ready to give up everything to convey her heart?
“Haaa…”
Even if she said she wouldn’t cooperate, it didn’t seem like I-seol would give up. More than anything, Hyeok Gi-rin felt her resolve weakening when recalling Ho Cheon-an’s plan.
What should she do?
While Hyeok Gi-rin fell deep into thought, I-seol just gazed at her with a hopeful look.
—
The Dark Dragon Sect.
In the family head’s quarters of the Dark Dragon Sect, Dokgo Yeongcheon and Kang Chumo-ru were facing each other.
“Coincidentally, among those who attacked Okgyo systematically, many were failures in the entrance exam of the Dark Dragon Sect. What do you think?”
“What is there to think? They are just opportunists, roaming around seeking chances beyond their abilities. After failing the exam, they likely saw a new opportunity in the Sokryeong Sect’s territory.”
The tense exchange continued as Kang Chumo-ru struck with sharp remarks, which Dokgo Yeongcheon deftly dodged.
The four sects of Sadoryeon attacked the Sokryeong Sect, but their intensity of attack varied.
Among the four sects belonging to Sadoryeon, the one most actively attacking the Sokryeong Sect was indeed the Dark Dragon Sect.
Since the two sects were nearby, when the Sokryeong Sect fell, the Dark Dragon Sect would benefit greatly.
Even though they weren’t sect members, providing eighty martial artists to the family head’s side in Okgyo only increased the scope of their suspicions significantly.
“The suspects testified that the unjust lord of Yongjodang connected them with Dokgo I-du. Witnesses at their meeting place were also secured.”
“Yongjodang was short on members, you see. No matter how many were dropouts, they were precious resources to the master, so they likely felt regret. While it might be true that they mingled with dropouts, they certainly didn’t plan this incident.”
The Sadoryeon took measures in anticipation of this incident becoming public, but those measures weren’t intended for a sudden investigation by the Imperial Army.
Even the precautions seemed to have slipped through during the Imperial Army’s investigation, and whenever Kang Chumo-ru pointed that out, Dokgo Yeongcheon rebutted or deftly dodged.
The exchange between Kang Chumo-ru and Dokgo Yeongcheon spiraled toward a final topic.
“Lastly, regarding the children of the sect leader. The martial artists who caused a commotion in Okgyo mentioned the children of the sect leader as being behind everything.”
“That was my oversight. After such an incident, I hurriedly gathered my children to listen to their accounts. Because of Ak Gyeong-cheol’s affair, the rank of the experts from Yunnan’s Hyeong-gyeong has fallen sharply, which must’ve caused resentment for the stain on my name.”
“The testimonies of those captured on the scene, along with the strong indications of their direct or indirect involvement in this matter, are quite clear!”
“Umm…”
This time, Dokgo Yeongcheon couldn’t find a way to defend himself.
After I-seol gained significant achievements in the territory of the Sokryeong Sect, Dokgo Yeongcheon’s children deployed many tactics in an effort to surpass her results, causing chaos in the Sokryeong Sect’s territory. While they had no remarkable success, the traces would have clearly remained in Okgyo… so Dokgo Yeongcheon didn’t have anything to refute.
“Huh. So, what do you plan to do with my children, military officer?”
“They will receive appropriate punishment under national law! It’s a blessing this incident has been proven not to be treason, or else everyone would face the harshest sentences!”
This incident is not treason?
“Kang Chumo-ru, this concerns my children’s future, so could you please explain a bit more? I heard the word treason when we suppressed this incident…”
Kang Chumo-ru glared at Dokgo Yeongcheon as if he were displeased.
“The Imperial Nation assessed the uprising of the martial artists in Okgyo as a rebellion against the state, leading to our suppression. However, upon confirming the facts, it turned out to be just a power struggle among martial artists!”
Dokgo Yeongcheon, being one of the factions involved in that power struggle, avoided Kang Chumo-ru’s fierce gaze.
“One group makes a name for themselves, and others blindly mimic their methods… I still find it quite astonishing.”
“So, what about the punishment for my children…”
“While it is not treason, the incident remains a case of martial artists intentionally creating a disturbance! The main offenders will face heavy fines, and those with deeper involvement will receive imprisonment as well!”
“Um… military officer, I will make sure to advise my children. In addition to the fines, I will also donate to compensate Okgyo…”
“This is not a negotiable matter. Since the founding of the Great Huang Nation, such disturbances have never occurred, so no exceptions can be made.”
“Um…”
Dokgo Yeongcheon frowned at Kang Chumo-ru’s unwillingness to leave room for discussion, and at that, Kang Chumo-ru lowered his voice.
“Lord, the charges of treason cannot be easily dismissed. A true traitor is by law to have their family taken to Nangyang for thorough inspection. Despite that, the fact we are ending this with such a summary investigation is a significant consideration for the impact on the martial world, so do not test the patience of our office.”
Given that he might just arrest everyone and execute them if things went wrong, Dokgo Yeongcheon reluctantly nodded.
‘Prison time…’
It is undoubtedly unusual for a martial artist to end up in jail. In a world where the behavior defying imprisonment is rampant among the outcast factions, serving time would be a disgrace.
However, since it wouldn’t cause them to lose their limbs or have their martial arts destroyed, this punishment seems bearable.
“Dokgo I-du, Dokgo Yoran, and Dokgo Dae-mak will each serve three to six months, depending on the severity of their crimes.”
“…The three of them?”
“Hmph, indeed. The three of them.”
Dokgo Yeongcheon lit up with light in his eyes.
Jeokgwi Daebyeol not only raided Sanghwa-ru, where I-seol was residing, but had also established a base of operations in that chaos.
Naturally, I-seol and the new warriors staying in Sanghwa-ru would have undergone thorough investigations, but they were found innocent?
That was shocking.
Dokgo Yeongcheon thought of I-seol, claiming she had done nothing in the family head’s quarters.
Could it be that she had predicted the current events and made prior preparations?
Seeing Kang Chumo-ru frowning at even the mere mention of Dokgo I-seol’s name, it was apparent she had various strategies up her sleeve.
“I hereby declare right here that Yongji Maeng will not be released under any circumstances.”
“…Yongji Maeng?”
“Stop pretending! The very one your daughter, Dokgo I-seol, sacrificed to protect! Anyway, I’ve said all I needed to say, so I’ll be leaving now!”
As Dokgo Yeongcheon pondered over Kang Chumo-ru’s quickly retreating back, he found himself drowned in thought. What kind of trick had I-seol pulled?
Kang Chumo-ru was both an expert from Hyeong-gyeong and the lord of the Dark Dragon Sect, possessing skills that posed a real threat. Even while he was young, having to withstand the pressure of accusations that were being thrust upon him was no small feat.
What clever maneuver had I-seol employed to slip away from the clutches of someone as formidable as Kang Chumo-ru?
“Hey there.”
“Yes!”
“Once the investigation into Jeokgwi Daebyeol is finished, immediately bring I-seol to me.”
“Understood!”
Dokgo Yeongcheon gazed at Sanghwa-ru with an inscrutable smile.
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