Chapter 871

Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard, called the Emperor’s hands and feet alongside the East Depot, apparently had its limits.

Jeong Hogun led Prince Shangshan and me over to the middle-aged twins, whose names I didn’t know, and sent us a brief Sound Transmission.

“From now on, be careful with every word and every move. Otherwise, you won’t leave here alive.”

Who the fuck did that bastard think he was kidding?

I could already feel the danger on my skin. Not just from the twin Supreme Peak masters who’d appeared out of nowhere, but from all the people inside Qianqing Palace whose presence I could sense before we’d even entered.

This place is guarded like hell.

My mouth felt as gritty as if I’d swallowed sand. I drew on my internal energy slowly enough that no one would notice, then moved my lips.

“Just answer me one thing. Why was I summoned?”

“I told you I don’t know.”

“Do you really not know, or do you know but refuse to tell me?”

“Both.”

Damn it. I was an idiot for asking.

I glared at Jeong Hogun, who stood there with his usual impassive face, then passed beneath the plaque reading Qianqing Palace alongside Prince Shangshan, who had climbed down from his palanquin.

Step. Step.

Our footsteps rang out unusually loudly.

I quietly sized up the twins’ backs as they walked in perfect sync, their movements identical down to the smallest detail.

They’ve definitely trained in a combined attack technique…but what martial art, exactly?

No matter how I looked at it, the situation was bad.

Not being able to guess what martial arts they’d learned was one thing. Just imagining two fully accomplished Supreme Peak masters using a combined attack technique made my stomach hurt.

And on top of that…

Why the hell are there so many bats?

Shadows hidden even in the faint light.

The people watching our every move from the darkness had to be guards raised by the imperial family—and assassins.

If the worst happened, those assassins, nearly a hundred of them, would carve me up with the one-strike killing techniques they’d spent their lives honing. And the twin Supreme Peak masters would be right there with them, wielding a combined technique they looked as if they’d learned in the womb.

Unless you’re one of the Ten Kings—or maybe a master on par with the Three Saints—you’ll almost certainly be buried here.

People say the martial world is a mountain of sabers and a forest of swords.

But they’re wrong.

This was the real mountain of sabers and forest of swords. A place where the Emperor alone decided who lived and who died.

How many masters does he have under his command?

Even the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families had two Supreme Peak masters at most. Usually, they had only one. And here the Emperor had two of them working as gatekeepers.

I felt as though I were walking along a blade’s edge.

A bead of cold sweat slid down the back of my neck. Then I noticed a small hand tugging at my sleeve.

Squeeze.

The hand gripped hard enough to crumple the fabric. Only then did I notice the young prince’s ragged breathing.

He’s trembling.

Before he was a member of the imperial family or a prince, he was a child.

He’d been one when I first met him, and he still was now.

He’d said he left the imperial palace when he was too young to remember. Of course he wouldn’t remember the Son of Heaven, either.

And now his only family, his one and only older brother, is threatening his life.

A thought occurred to me.

Maybe the cheerful side Prince Shangshan had shown on the way to the Imperial Capital was his way of hiding his fear and disappointment.

When Hong Jin warned him that the Son of Heaven was a threat and he shook his head, saying that couldn’t be true…maybe that was the only choice a child could make when faced with a reality too hard to believe.

He shouldn’t have to understand any of this…but he’s had to grow up far too soon.

My feelings grew complicated.

I thought of the boy from that winter in Shanxi Province, when icy winds howled through the mountains. He’d lost his parents and climbed a hill with his tiny, fern-like hands clinging tight to his little sister.

And I remembered young Hayeon patting our mother’s back as she lay facedown, sobbing at our father’s funeral.

Damn it.

I bit my lip hard to hold back a sigh.

Murim and the modern world had nothing in common. They were completely different worlds.

But there was one thing that never changed.

People.

That was why I, who’d once thought all of this was a game, had started accepting Murim as another reality.

They were people, after all. They got angry, felt joy, and grieved.

There were evil people who deserved to die, and good people with eyes as clear as glass.

I’d killed the former without a moment’s hesitation. When it came to the latter, I’d even risked my life to help them.

And now I felt sorry for this young prince.

His trembling breaths reminded me of the young siblings who’d lost everything and fled after Jopil’s attack. His small hand clutching my sleeve made me think of my own little sister, Hayeon.

I need to think about this coldly. I have to. I can’t afford not to…

But no matter how much I thought about it, I wasn’t sure I could.

If I had to choose between treason and submission, could I really leave this child behind?

Could I look back on it years later as if it meant nothing?

Man, he really knows how to make things difficult.

I smiled bitterly and looked down at Prince Shangshan, who didn’t even reach my chest.

Then, almost on impulse, I raised a hand and gave his head a couple of gentle pats.

“……!”

His eyes flew wide, and his lips parted as if he were about to shout that I’d overstepped my bounds. But Prince Shangshan only stared up at me in surprise, his mouth working soundlessly.

Instead, his grip on my sleeve loosened, as though he felt relieved.

Who had ever dared to pat this child on the head?

Even something as simple as that—something other children his age took for granted—was probably unfamiliar to Prince Shangshan, Zhu Bao.

And right now, this little bit is the best I can do for him.

Just then, the twins, who had been striding forward without hesitation, stopped before a massive door.

Click. Rumble.

An iron door swung open with a heavy rumble. A dragon was carved into its surface so vividly it almost seemed alive. The twins, who hadn’t said a word since we entered the palace, broke their silence.

“Please enter.”

“Please enter.”

It wasn’t as though we had any choice left. Still, hearing that we’d be separated from those Supreme Peak masters was welcome news.

I nodded, then stepped through the iron door ahead of Prince Shangshan, shielding him as I went.

Rrrr. Thud.

The heavy door shut behind us with another rumble. Beneath the faint light of countless night-shining pearls glowing on the ceiling, a man stepped forward.

Step.

His build was as slight as his footsteps were light.

He looked about fifty and wore a long robe with sleeves that dragged along the floor. Prince Shangshan spoke first when he saw him.

“Who goes there?”

Who goes there? Who goes there? Who goes there…

His tense voice echoed again and again through the empty corridor. Not another person in sight—not even an ant.

The middle-aged man gazed at the tense-faced Prince Shangshan and at me, standing slightly in front of him to shield him. Only when the echoes had faded did he speak.

“To see His Highness Prince Shangshan grown so tall, and from so close, fills me with deep emotion after all these years.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Prince Shangshan asked, “Do you…know me?”

“Of course. Though Your Highness does not remember me.”

A faint smile touched his wrinkled lips. He turned his gaze from Prince Shangshan to me.

“You and I have never met.”

I said nothing. The moment I saw him, I’d had to fight to keep a string of curses from spilling out.

Why? Simple.

The middle-aged man in front of me—no, this middle-aged man too—was a Supreme Peak master.

Oh, for fuck’s sake… I can’t do this anymore.

This was only my second day at the imperial palace.

And even that was being generous. I hadn’t actually been here for twelve shichen,¹ a full day.

Yet this was already the fifth Supreme Peak master I’d come face-to-face with.

I’m so screwed.

I was seriously wondering if I should start wearing a condom instead of clothes when the man spoke again.

“You needn’t tell me who you are. I already know. Jin Taekyung of the Jin Family of Taiyuan.”

Damn it. There was no way around it now.

I let out a deep sigh and answered.

“Does everyone around here recognize me wherever I go?”

“The imperial family’s eyes and ears are everywhere. And you do stand out.”

“Because I’m handsome?”

“No. Because you look like a thug at first glance.”

Listen to this guy.

“Then what are you around here? The eyes? Or the ears?”

“Hmm. Which do you think I’m closer to?”

“The cleaning crew.”

“What?”

“Your sleeves are dragging on the floor, so I figure you must be great at mopping.”

The middle-aged man stared at me blankly for a moment, then laughed aloud.

“Ha ha. Just as I’d heard.”

“Heard what? Are the rumors already spreading?”

“I told you—there are eyes and ears everywhere. Everyone who needs to know already does. They’ve heard that some audacious martial artist dared to set foot in the imperial palace and has a knack for making people laugh.”

“That’s strange. I usually get under people’s skin more than I make them laugh.”

“I forgot to mention that ‘making people laugh’ was a considerably toned-down version of what I’d heard.”

“……”

“Of course, the accounts were all over the place, so I was curious myself. Now, this way.”

Before I could answer, he turned and took the lead as if it were only natural, without so much as a glance back.

“Where are we going?”

“Interesting question. Have you forgotten why you came here?”

I’d had my suspicions, and I’d been right.

Apparently, this old guy was the third transfer point on our way to the Emperor—and the final guide who would take us to our destination.

Obviously, he isn’t a cleaner.

Who the hell was he? His clothes offered no clue.

East Depot? Or Embroidered Uniform Guard?

His gaunt frame made him look more like a eunuch, but his voice was so weighty it could knock even an Embroidered Uniform Guard off his feet.

And he moved around as naturally as if this were his own home.

Even the twins didn’t come this far. So he must be one of the Emperor’s closest, most trusted confidants…

According to Ma Sanbao last night, the young Emperor was hot-tempered and suspicious. Only a handful of high-ranking officials and trusted servants who’d proven their loyalty were allowed into his residence, Qianqing Palace.

And that wasn’t all.

There were the guards, of course, along with the eunuchs and palace attendants who stayed inside to see to his every need.

This place existed for the Emperor, by the Emperor, and in service of the Emperor.

Could just anyone come and go in Qianqing Palace—let alone somewhere this deep inside?

I didn’t know for sure, but he’d probably need to be close in standing to Baek Yeon, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Then could this guy be the East Depot’s leader, Cang Gong? No. I heard he was much older, and that he’d been bedridden with illness for years.

I racked my brain, but no one came to mind.

Ma Sanbao had mentioned far too many people, and this man didn’t match the distinctive features of any of the few he’d described.

If only I could use my Qi Sense Skill right now…

But there was nothing I could do about that.

If you’re thirsty, you dig a well.

I’d just have to pry the information out of him somehow.

I followed the man as he strolled along at an unhurried pace and tossed out a question.

“When do I get to meet the Emperor?”

“Soon.”

“At this rate, we’ll get there tomorrow.”

The man gave a short laugh without looking back.

“You’re as impatient as you look. Wait a little. His Majesty is enjoying a diversion he hasn’t had in some time.”

“A diversion? After summoning us?”

“And what, do you intend to complain?”

“……!”

“Everyone has their place. To ascend the throne is to be able to look down upon them all. A simple enough truth of the world, isn’t it?”

My expression hardened.

Not because I objected to the Emperor’s behavior, or because the man’s answer had struck a nerve.

It was the casual look on his face, his tone, the effortless authority in every small movement. And on top of that, his appearance didn’t match any of the Emperor’s confidants Ma Sanbao had mentioned.

No way.

The thought sent a groan through me.

Step.

The man came to an abrupt stop. Without a moment’s hesitation, he threw open the door before him, decorated with gold, silver, and jewels.

“Your Majesty. In accordance with your solemn imperial command, I have brought the two people you requested.”

But there was no answer.

In fact, there wasn’t a hint of anyone else’s presence.

Only one person stood inside the enormous bedchamber.

The middle-aged man.

He turned slowly toward us and smiled, showing his white teeth.

“It was a brief diversion, but I enjoyed it.”

“……!”

“……!”

A bolt of lightning shot down my spine.