* *
Huang Nation Great Hall.
“Ho oh…”
The dozens of ministers lined up in the Great Hall were unusually noisy, a stark contrast to its usual quietness. The reason: the treasures piled up at the center of the hall had formed a small mountain. These were the riches sent by Sacheon Governor Samayeom. Just the treasures stacked here were said to be easily worth hundreds of gold taels if sold properly, merely a fraction of the overall wealth.
Seated on the throne was the current Emperor. Yoo Gyeong asked while reading the memorial sent by Sacheon Governor Samayeom.
“How much in total did Sacheon Governor Samayeom send?”
“Easily around 5,000 taels of gold!”
“5,000..!?”
“Ah, how can a family that disregards the law and defies the nation’s rules accumulate such immense wealth…!”
“Governor Samayeom has upheld the rigid laws of the land…!”
The ministers were astonished by the staggering amount and began to criticize the corruption of the Hwang Gold Clan while praising Samayeom’s accomplishments all at once…
“Hmm…”
Yoo Gyeong fell into deep thought, drumming his fingers on the throne without any significant reaction, making the ministers quiet down as they sensed his mood. Yoo Gyeong inwardly scoffed at the scene before him.
The idioms “smooth on the surface, sharp behind” and “face-saving” popped into his mind.
It seemed there were no loyal subjects amidst the chaos, but Yoo Gyeong knew their true nature. They were the type to do anything to grasp a bit more power.
‘Hyeok Gi-rin…’
Yoo Gyeong felt a pang of regret every time he thought of Hyeok Gi-rin. His younger brother, who had left for the Martial World, reasoning that his very presence was a spark in the struggle for imperial power.
This incident was no different. Had he not bowed before merchants meeting them for the Jeomchang Faction’s master? Enduring humiliation in the power dynamics? All of this wouldn’t have happened if he had remained at the imperial palace.
If it weren’t for this damned power struggle among my ministers, that child could have stayed at the palace without cross-dressing and living carefree.
Frustration surged up within him all over again.
But now was not the time to ponder the ministers’ antics.
‘This isn’t Samayeom’s way of doing things.’
As he continued to read the memorial, Yoo Gyeong thought this deeply.
Samayeom becoming Sacheon Governor was half Yoo Gyeong’s will, half Samayeom’s. Samayeom had a particular fondness for Hyeok Gi-rin, and Yoo Gyeong also needed to place a reliable ally for Hyeok Gi-rin in Sacheon, where the Jeomchang Faction resided.
If Hyeok Gi-rin had faced any unfair treatment, Samayeom would have surely dealt with it adequately. There would have been no need for it to be mentioned in the memorial in the first place. The actual issue was how the memorial was presented and the contents written.
Since uprooting the massive trading family of the Hwang Clan was a monumental task, it wasn’t surprising that a memorial was only now made public… but this was too far from Samayeom’s standard approach.
‘Why did he wait until everything was settled before presenting this memorial, when he usually sends them promptly?’
Questions remained regarding how the issue was resolved. This is not the way Samayeom handles matters. Requesting cooperation from the Tang Clan was one thing, but voluntary cooperation from the Sacheon city sects? Monument production? Gratitude plaques?
Looking closely at the details of Hyeok Gi-rin’s actions and the handwriting, it was clear the author was indeed Samayeom, but this time, the way things were handled diverged too much from his usual style.
‘Hyeok Gi-rin, Tang Do-gyeong, Tang Do-yeon, Miss Yeo Il-ye… Sacheon Outcast?’
“Hmmm…”
[With the cooperation and assistance of the local collaborator and Hyeok Gi-rin’s escort, Sacheon Outcast…]
[Sacheon Outcast transmitted Hyeok Gi-rin’s communication from the inn…]
[Sacheon Outcast stopped Jeomchang Faction disciple Yeo Il-ye using the Gratitude Plaque in their possession…]
[Tang Do-gyeong, along with the Sacheon Outcast, devised a strategy to secure the cooperation of the Sacheon city sects…]
[The Outcasts assaulted Jambeom Gate…]
[Yeo Il-ye set out to apprehend the villains and Hyeok Gi-rin and Tang Do-gyeong returned separately to their respective headquarters, with the Sacheon Outcast currently moving to Jeomchang Faction with Hyeok Gi-rin…]
The memorial from Samayeom only included details about Ho Cheon-an, with no mention of the Black Cat. The actions of the Black Cat were conducted in the shadows, making it tough to include them in a memorial, and the mere existence of the Black Cat being revealed to the imperial family itself was a problem.
So, it was referred to as the Sacheon Outcast, but the contributions mentioned in the memorial were all Ho Cheon-an’s.
Sacheon Outcast. Yoo Gyeong rubbed his chin, deep in thought. This Sacheon Outcast, who appeared frequently in the memorial—there was a connection to Hyeok Gi-rin, but what was Samayeom thinking by including this information?
‘Hmmm. If handled properly…’
If done right, could Hyeok Gi-rin be called to the capital without any issues? Even though he wasn’t part of the imperial family, he could gain recognition for handling the wicked and recovering a significant amount of gold for the Huang Nation’s treasury, giving him a solid justification for bestowing his grace upon him.
“Reading the memorial, I feel the efforts of the Tang Clan, which bears the name of the Middle Yang Laijin, and Sacheon Governor Samayeom. Tang Do-gyeong, who led the volunteer army, shall be appointed to an official post, and I shall reward Samayeom with part of the land confiscated from the Hwang Clan.”
Yoo Gyeong imagined Hyeok Gi-rin’s figure. The year of his coming-of-age ceremony. He had barely met him once, and it had been six years since he had last seen his face. Realizing this, a wave of longing filled Yoo Gyeong’s heart toward Hyeok Gi-rin.
Yes. What’s the harm in pushing a little? As long as they didn’t meet as members of the imperial family but merely as one citizen and an emperor watching from afar, it would be fine. The impulse to see how Hyeok Gi-rin had grown and how he had lived filled Yoo Gyeong’s mind.
“Your grace is boundless!”
“However, besides these individuals, there are many heroes who have worked to uphold the laws of Huang Nation, and I wish to commend those who served this nation despite lacking any official titles.”
In the midst of the ministers murmuring with unexpected content, Yoo Gyeong continued speaking.
“The one called Yeo Il-ye is still moving to rectify the banner of the world, so I will convey my intentions on behalf of the Jeomchang Faction. However, Sacheon Outcast and Hyeok Gi-rin, I shall personally commend your contributions. This is an imperial decree!”
An imperial decree was issued summoning Hyeok Gi-rin and Ho Cheon-an to the imperial family.
* *
The life within the Jeomchang Faction had now reached almost two months.
Hearing the occasional news of Yeo Il-ye’s revenge while teaching skills to the masters and simultaneously learning martial arts.
The masters, who had approached the children sufficiently, began worrying more. They were in the midst of seeking solutions on how to guide these children closely.
The rewards and punishments devised from necessary parts during prayer meetings appeared to be effective for the children. After all, if good children receive praise, and the wrongdoers reflect on their actions while enjoying the process…
Hmm. It’s terribly difficult.
Education for the children was now purely up to the masters, as I was only teaching them skills occasionally.
There were also a few other changes. The first was that the basic-level spiritual medicine was completed and consumed. While the operation of Qi became slightly smoother, normal operation remained impossible without crossing through spiral energy.
“Ugh…”!
And Black Cat was indeed on the verge of reaching Peak Stage.
Pop. Crackle!
Little Zhang Ying popped out of Black Cat’s hand as if carbonation was escaping from a cola bottle. Each time it happened, it was reminiscent of all those times I craved cola, but standing before Black Cat, who was striving to cross the wall and within whose struggle I couldn’t afford to express my wishes for cola.
Removing unnecessary thoughts of wanting cola, it was truly a tantalizing sight. It was just before the energy was about to break free. Just a little, a tiny bit more and it would hit Peak Stage.
“Ugh!”
Black Cat rarely lost her temper, releasing tension onto the floor. It seemed her mental strength had reached its limits. Hyeok Gi-rin, who was sweat-drenched in encouragement, also wore a disappointed expression.
After such a close attempt at Peak Stage had gone on for a week… Black Cat had every right to be frustrated, and Hyeok Gi-rin also must have been drained.
Especially today, expectations were high.
“I’m sorry, senior… even after giving her the spiritual medicine.”
“No, it’s fine. I wouldn’t have been able to take it anyway. Plus, if it was something given to me by Samayeom, and if it’s a fortuitous event, you should have your share too.”
It was because Black Cat had consumed the third transformation pill Samayeom had given. I had hoped there might be some change due to a lack of internal energy or during the process of absorbing the spiritual medicine… but it seemed that crossing the Peak Stage threshold was no easy feat.
“If only I had one minor piece, I could step into the realm of Peak Stage… what a pity.”
“Haah…”
Just as I was quelling my disappointment and moving to the master’s quarters…
“A letter has arrived from the Outcast and Hyeok Gi-rin, big brother!”
A letter from Sacheon Governor Samayeom arrived.
* *
“Ha ha… ha ha…”
Reading the letter left me dumbfounded, letting out a hollow laugh. So it says to present myself at the capital to meet the Emperor?
If it’s Samayeom, he must have combed through even the Hwang Clan’s last roots to recover the national treasury. And it’s fully conceivable that the total amount is astronomical.
“Hmm…”
It’s not a bad thing. What meeting the Emperor directly implies is that tremendous rewards are promised.
It could be an opportunity to obtain native-level spiritual medicine as well. And various other things could be gained too.
The problem is.
“There’s no way I could meet the Emperor at this level.”
Among even the high-ranking officials in the provinces, there are many who have never seen the Emperor’s face. How is it that someone like me, having done some service in Sacheon, could be granted an audience? It sounds too suspicious.
I wondered if Hyeok Gi-rin received the same letter from Samayeom. I immediately set out to find Hyeok Gi-rin.
“Have you perhaps received the Emperor’s summons?”
“You too, Outcast?”
I nodded, and Hyeok Gi-rin frowned.
“Phew… what’s the situation here?”
Hyeok Gi-rin also appeared confused. What the heck… was there some communication with the imperial family? I thought maybe Hyeok Gi-rin might know something, but it seemed he was as clueless as I was about this summon.
“For now… we need to move.”
“I suppose that’s the case.”
First, we needed to visit Sacheon, meet with Samayeom, and figure out how things were unfolding.
The decision to return to Sacheon came unexpectedly and at an unforeseen time.
* *
