Chapter 902

This might have been a first in the history of the Great Nation.

A ruffian from the martial world who held no official post and didn’t even carry an identity token, seated among the court’s high officials at a grand banquet presided over by the Emperor himself.

The first, and probably the last.

Even considering the short history of the Great Nation, which had only lasted three generations so far, it was a feat unlikely ever to be repeated.

Yet almost no one spoke up against this insult to the imperial family’s dignity.

Not unless they were among the handful of ministers with unwavering convictions and courage.

“Your Majesty! Forgive my boldness, but seating that man so close to you—”

“It is the imperial decree.”

“…A wise decision indeed!”

As it turned out, even conviction and courage crumbled like a sandcastle struck by a wave when faced with the Emperor.

Especially when that Emperor’s hobby—and specialty—was purging people.

Thanks to him, I took my seat before an even more lavish spread without further trouble.

Smack. Smack-smack. Slurp.

As I inhaled one dish after another, the people around me stared, their eyes twitching at every sound.

When I showed off the godlike noodle-slurping technique I’d honed on ramen, groans broke out all around.

“Good heavens.”

“Have you ever seen such a low-class bastard…?”

“That’s enough to kill what little appetite I had. Look—even Cang Gong hasn’t touched his food.”

At that last remark, I glanced over. Cang Gong was watching me steadily with his gray eyes.

Hmm. Was that too much?

“Pay no mind to them. Keep eating. Is it really that good?”

At Cang Gong’s calm question, I answered.

“Definithely delishious.”

“I see. But perhaps you should finish what’s in your mouth first.”

“Oh.”

I swallowed the mouthful crammed into my cheeks, then spoke again.

“It’s definitely good. There are plenty of side dishes, too.”

Cang Gong nodded.

“I understood you the first time. My hearing isn’t that bad. Besides, the imperial chefs have long been renowned for their cooking.”

“Then why aren’t you eating?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite. It’s been that way for some time.”

“Hmm. Well, that’s a relief. I thought I’d put you off your food.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve been this way since I was young. Though it is a little disappointing that even the finest, rarest delicacies feel like grains of sand in my mouth now.”

Cang Gong looked away from me and down at the table before him, his face expressionless.

It held enough food to make its legs bow under the weight, yet his hands rested neatly on his knees and never moved toward it.

Hands with no color in them—white, or rather, pale as a corpse’s.

I studied him. Despite sitting right beside me, he barely gave off any sense of presence. Then I quietly moved my lips.

“When are we going to start?”

At that moment—

Vrrrm.

A subtle, chilling qi sealed off the space around us. Anyone who wasn’t paying close attention would never have noticed it.

Remarkable.

Cang Gong had shut out sound with a flawless barrier of internal energy. He spoke.

“I’ll give the signal.”

“I think now would be the perfect time.”

“As long as that woman called So Gyo remains by Prince Shangshan’s side, we can’t act rashly. Even if we take the Emperor’s head, everything will be for nothing if we can’t secure His Highness.”

“That’s true.”

“Besides, your master is still waiting outside the banquet hall. The Fire King is essential if we’re to defeat So Gyo.”

“I don’t know about that. I’d say you’re every bit as formidable a master as my teacher.”

“This old man was able to overcome a grave Internal Injury and attend today thanks to the good fortune of gaining insight during my recovery. The more important the matter, the more carefully it must be handled, don’t you think?”

Yeah, that made sense.

I nodded naturally and resumed moving the chopsticks I’d set down for a moment.

Cang Gong watched me as if I were some strange creature, then spoke.

“You look like you haven’t eaten in days.”

“You’ve got that right. I’ve barely eaten anything for two days.”

“A master of your caliber should be able to endure a little hunger.”

“Why should I have to? I believe in eating a hearty meal before a fight.”

“Are you nervous?”

“I am. My stomach is.”

“You really do take after your master. It takes quite a nerve to sit here eating like this, just as I’d heard.”

“Did you hear anything else about me?”

“That your martial arts are unparalleled for someone your age, and that you’re resourceful and tenacious enough to survive any crisis.”

“Sounds about right.”

“That was the abbreviated version. The East Depot has eyes and ears throughout the land, and their reports never fail to surprise me. One of the most recent was particularly unexpected.”

“May I ask what it was? What could surprise even Cang Gong?”

“The Murim Alliance reinforcements.”

“Ah.”

“I truly didn’t expect that. I thought the Murim Alliance had already deployed most of its forces throughout the land to deal with sudden attacks by Dark Heaven, which could appear anywhere at any time.”

Instead of answering, I lifted my cup and took a drink. The fragrant aroma of a truly fine liquor filled my mouth, and it went down smoothly.

Any intoxication that should have followed vanished without a trace when it met my Scorching Yang Qi.

“I hear Dark Heaven uses the strangest supernatural powers. Did the Alliance really have enough strength left to form a reserve force?”

“If they didn’t, the reinforcements wouldn’t be coming.”

“They’re coming because the Alliance had the strength to spare… Yes, I suppose so.”

Cang Gong was gazing steadily at me with his gray eyes when—

“Enough.”

The Emperor’s resonant voice rang out, and in the same instant, the beautiful music that had filled the grand banquet hall vanished as if it had been washed away.

Those who had been whispering to one another, those who had been drinking with solemn faces—even the musicians and dancers forcing themselves to perform in that atmosphere—all fell silent.

Everyone stopped moving and turned toward the Emperor, following his voice and gaze.

“My heir approaches. He shall inherit this continent and the Great Nation that will endure for the next thousand years. Receive him with all due ceremony.”

“…!”

“…!”

An unmistakable declaration of his heir.

Everyone had expected it, yet some part of them had thought it couldn’t possibly happen. Now that the moment had arrived, shock swept through the banquet hall.

But while their minds raced, their bodies were already bending in the prescribed bows toward a newly arrived eight-horse carriage.

Boom. Boom-boom. Boom-boom-boom!

The drummer’s vigorous beat made the air shudder. As anticipation quietly built, the carriage door opened and someone stepped out.

Swish.

The hem of a splendid red palace gown brushed the ground. The woman stepped lightly onto the back of a palace attendant prostrated before the carriage and descended. Her alluring beauty drew a low gasp from somewhere in the hall.

“Good heavens.”

“It can’t be…”

It was tactless, but I understood.

The woman was beautiful enough to topple a kingdom.

No wonder the City Lord of Sichuan Province fell so hard for her.

I thought to myself as I looked at the woman—or rather, Aehyang.

Until only a few months ago, she had been the City Lord of Sichuan Province’s favored concubine. Now she walked beneath the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s close protection, stroking her belly with an uneasy look on her face.

And while everyone’s eyes followed her, I saw someone else emerge from the still-open carriage door.

A face that still belonged to a child.

Yet his expression and stride were bolder than those of any young man.

Prince Shangshan, Zhu Bao.

As I watched Prince Shangshan stride up the long staircase, I wondered what to say.

How should I greet the young prince after several days apart?

I didn’t have to think for long.

“Have you been well?”

My Sound Transmission crossed the space between us, and Prince Shangshan stopped in his tracks. I let out a quiet laugh to myself and moved my lips again.

“Are you still keeping the item I entrusted to you safe?”

After a brief pause, he started walking again. Prince Shangshan didn’t look my way. Instead, he flicked the sleeve covering the back of his hand.

For a moment, I caught sight of a dark, dull ring.

I nodded at the sight of the Myriad-Poison Ring, and Cang Gong suddenly spoke.

“Good. It seems His Highness is still keeping it safe.”

I wasn’t surprised. Cang Gong had reached a level even I couldn’t fathom. I’d figured he could listen in on a Sound Transmission.

“He does. I was worried he might lose it, so that’s a relief.”

I answered calmly without even turning my head. I could feel Cang Gong watching me, but his gaze soon shifted to someone else.

So Gyo.

I saw her.

There she was, following quietly behind Prince Shangshan.

In place of her flexible sword, she wore two weapons at her waist, each curving like a saber. So Gyo looked straight at me and gave me a faint smile.

“Did you see that?” Cang Gong asked.

At Cang Gong’s question, I answered calmly.

“I did.”

“She was smiling at you.”

“Did she? I thought she was smiling at you.”

“You’re mistaken. That look just now… it was directed straight at you.”

“As Eunuch Ma probably told you, we’ve met before.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“What other reason could there be?”

“A thousand years! A thousand years! A thousand thousand years!”¹

The civil and military officials of the court, along with nearly two thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards, roared their cheers toward the heir of the Great Nation, shaking the whole place.

Whether they were merely going along with the occasion or were genuinely celebrating it, they all chanted with one voice. At the center of that immense cheer stood the Emperor, Aehyang, and finally, Prince Shangshan.

Beside me sat the only person who wasn’t joining in.

“I find myself wondering what you think,” Cang Gong said.

He continued without waiting for an answer.

“Why did the Emperor forgive you, despite your unforgivable disrespect? It was the perfect chance to remove Prince Shangshan while gaining both a pretext and a practical advantage.”

“I don’t know. I’m a pretty simple guy.”

“Simple? Then was that stunt you pulled, suddenly and without any plan, just a result of your personality?”

“Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t.”

“Tell me more.”

“To hell with the grand plan. A lot of lives were at stake, and there was one thing I had to make sure of.”

Cang Gong was no longer looking toward the throne where the Emperor stood. Nor was he bowing to it. He sat upright and fixed his gray eyes on me.

“So, have you finished checking?”

“Yes.”

“What did you conclude?”

“No matter how I looked at it, there was only one answer.”

I held Cang Gong’s gaze, my eyes burning, and spoke quietly.

“The Emperor doesn’t want Prince Shangshan put in danger.”

“…!”