An emergency was declared in the Podalap Palace.
The escalating presence of the Trench Faction’s martial artists caused alarm as well in Rasa, prompting Sara and Ramo to lead the monastics into action.
Nab-in held tightly onto Seo Gong, unable to conceal the anxiety radiating from the uneasy tribesmen and the stoic monastics.
It was an unwelcome atmosphere.
Moreover, it was a mood that had been momentarily forgotten since arriving at Podalap Palace.
The village where Jeong Sam and Yeo Jin-sang’s family lived was relatively peaceful, but that didn’t mean it was without danger. Bandit crowds that behaved like thieves had once loitered nearby, and before Ho Cheon-an arrived, Rasa had been overtaken by the Blood Sect.
The people from the Central Plains, who came seeking help during their travels with Ho Cheon-an, exuded a similar vibe.
Those who sought assistance had been plagued by remnants of the Blood Sect, and the tribesmen were likewise tormented by bandits.
However, Podalap Palace was different.
Podalap Palace was tranquil. The faces of the monastics and tribesmen were imbued with calmness.
Even Ramo, who adored Nab-in, and Sara, who shared the same illness due to their condition, were part of this calm. The actions of the monastics and tribesmen, who were trying to bond with the entities, were all factors that made Nab-in like Podalap Palace.
But the core reason Nab-in wished to spend a lifetime here was that it was the first place in their life that felt peaceful.
And.
For the first time today, Nab-in felt anxious in Podalap Palace.
Just that realization alone nearly made Nab-in burst into tears. Ho Cheon-an, noticing Nab-in’s tearful gaze, gently patted their back.
“It’s alright.”
Ho Cheon-an swept his hand along Nab-in’s back. Leaning into Ho Cheon-an, Nab-in mumbled.
“Nothing bad will happen, right?”
“Of course. Everyone will manage just fine.”
Nab-in leaped into Ho Cheon-an’s embrace and prayed.
Please don’t let anything happen.
Please let this peace continue in Podalap Palace.
As Nab-in prayed fervently, Sara, who had descended the mountain leading the monastics, found herself facing a group from the Trench Faction halfway down.
Sara furrowed her brow at the familiar presence mingling among them.
“Come out, Sabok Seol.”
“Hehe. It’s been a while, Lord/Lady of the Palace?”
Sara gave Sabok Seol a disdainful look. After the Trench Faction had to flee under the Emperor’s wrath, Sabok Seol had continually set his sights on Rasa, leading to countless direct confrontations.
Gazing at Sabok Seol’s hair and beard, now completely white, Sara spoke.
“Don’t you know causing this ruckus will yield nothing?”
“Nothing to gain, you say… The little girl seems rather full of herself now.”
Sabok Seol chuckled as he reminisced about the past.
The days spent fiercely fighting against the righteous factions in Sacheon.
Suddenly, the Emperor’s wrath poured out towards Yunnan.
The sects, already focused on conquering Sacheon, were shattered by the Emperor’s anger.
With no choice, Sabok Seol gathered the remaining forces and fled to the West Region.
However, the West was only a desolate plain inhabited by nomads. While the West was vast like Yunnan, there was only one thing that caught Sabok Seol’s eye.
Rasa and Podalap Palace.
Although the difference in strength between the shattered Trench Faction and Podalap Palace was considerable, Sabok Seol still judged that he had a chance against Podalap Palace.
At that time, the newly appointed Lord/Lady of the Palace, Sara, was in the Hua-gyeong realm.
Yet, Sabok Seol found it hard to easily overpower Sara.
Sara possessed the Nine Yin that she had obtained by overcoming the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse.
‘Perhaps I should have exerted all my effort to defeat her back then…’
With a bitter smile, Sabok Seol looked at Sara. Now she was at the same Hyeong-gyeong level as him. The outcome was not so easily assured.
Thus, Sara found Sabok Seol’s behavior all the more incomprehensible.
Although the Trench Faction had been provoking Podalap Palace, the actual victor was virtually predetermined. If Podalap Palace disregarded Rasa’s public safety and the safety of the practitioners within, the Trench Faction wouldn’t be able to endure.
Yet they didn’t just loiter around Rasa pillaging; they were directly targeting Podalap Palace?
“I’ve come to declare war.”
“…War declaration?”
Considering how long Podalap Palace and the Trench Faction had been in opposition, to hear a declaration now was strange for Sara.
Sabok Seol turned to Ramo, who stood beside Sara, and spoke.
“It has been a long time since I’ve been in the West. The green child has grown enough to bear fruit.”
Sara decided to listen closely to Sabok Seol’s words.
“When I first came to the West, I thought I’d return to the Central Plains in a few years. The Huang Nation’s oppression of the Martial World was unexpected. I merely thought a large-scale conflict in the Martial World had disturbed the Huang Nation.”
Sabok Seol regarded the Huang Nation’s actions as passing winds. Although oppression of the Martial World was uncommon, it still happened consistently.
“However, the Huang Nation’s wrath showed no signs of abating, sweeping across the entire Central Plains. I sensed something strange was afoot, but because of the Blood Sect’s rampage, the world was thrown into chaos, so I decided to wait and watch.”
Sabok Seol resolved to bide his time in the West region while planning against Podalap Palace.
He thought either the Blood Sect would completely topple the Huang Nation, or the Huang Nation would cease its oppression of the Martial World to defeat the Blood Sect.
However, Sabok Seol’s wait yielded only partial success.
When the Blood Ancestor was assassinated, the Blood Sect fell apart, and somehow the Huang Nation managed to maintain its livelihood.
Numerous martial artists wandering the highlands of the West returned to the Central Plains during this time, but Sabok Seol, still a major target of the Huang Nation, could not return.
Yet Sabok Seol clung to hope and continued to wait.
Although the leader of the Blood Sect was eliminated, its power remained and continued to disrupt the world.
“The chaos in the Central Plains escalated due to the Blood Sect’s remnants. Thus, I thought I could return to the Central Plains with just a bit more waiting. Either the Huang Nation would collapse, or the oppression that began the Huang Nation’s decline would be lifted. I believed one of these two outcomes would occur.”
As Sabok Seol continued to track the ever-deteriorating state of the Huang Nation, he waited patiently.
“However, I began to hear strange rumors. Rumors regarding the Thunder Name Zhonja currently residing in Podalap Palace.”
The rumors began to reach Sabok Seol’s ears regarding the Thunder Name Zhonja.
These rumors were so absurd that even Sabok Seol himself questioned their validity. This individual single-handedly dealt with the Blood Sect’s entities, eradicated the remnants of the Blood Sect scattered across the Central Plains, and even entirely cleaned up the Black Forest Isle, which had been a pestilence to the Huang Nation?
Only after hearing the rumors that entities had entered Podalap Palace did Sabok Seol realize that all rumors about the Thunder Name Zhonja were true.
“After that, I held my breath and observed the changes in the Central Plains.”
Sabok Seol neglected Podalap Palace and kept an eye on the transformations in the Central Plains. The emergence of an absolute expert who was unmatched in the Martial World—a hero who quelled chaos while simultaneously being a threat who could potentially annihilate even the Huang Nation—what response would the Huang Nation show to the Thunder Name Zhonja?
“However, the Huang Nation showed no reaction.”
Three months passed.
Sabok Seol waited three months for any response from the Huang Nation regarding the Thunder Name Zhonja, but all he heard were silence and rumors.
“There was no expression of intent to gauge the Huang Nation’s genuine thoughts. Thus, I realized more conclusively the Huang Nation’s intentions: the oppression of the Martial World would not end.”
The Thunder Name Zhonja, being a martial artist, had dealt with the Blood Sect that caused chaos, yet would not be referred to.
Given the Huang Nation’s current predicament, they were insufficiently capable of confronting the Thunder Name Zhonja outright and thus would not even mention him.
Whatever interpretation might be made—should any different design be proposed—the Huang Nation’s intentions were clear in Sabok Seol’s view.
The Huang Nation still harbored intentions of opposition towards the Martial World.
“That same Huang Nation is gradually regaining strength. Do you comprehend what that means?”
At that moment, Sara finally understood the boiling emotion reflected in Sabok Seol’s eyes.
“It means my path back to the Central Plains is blocked.”
Rage.
Even at the Hyeong-gyeong level, where one could control their emotions, an immense rage enveloped Sabok Seol that he could not hide.
“Thus, I have decided to take action without further delay.”
“…You’re not planning to take the West and Podalap Palace to advance against the Huang Nation, are you?”
“What could possibly stop me?”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“Hohoho….! Hahaha! I might just be!”
Sabok Seol burst into laughter, thinking about the outcome of his prolonged wait. How could he possibly endure without going mad? Sabok Seol shifted his gaze away from Sara and looked up at Podalap Palace.
Somewhere in Podalap Palace was the Thunder Name Zhonja, the root cause of the current situation.
Sabok Seol unleashed a lion’s roar.
[Thunder Name Zhonja, listen well!]
[Even though you’ve brought peace to the Central Plains, the Huang Nation, the main culprit behind the chaos, has shown no sign of reflection or change!]
[Thus, I, Sabok Seol, will seize Podalap Palace and grow my power to topple the oppressive Huang Nation!]
[So, I’ll ask you as a fellow inhabitant of the Central Plains: Are you going to let this oppression be passed down to future generations?]
[In three days, I will attack Podalap Palace, willing to face death, and seize both Podalap Palace and this Rasa!]
[Remember this!]
After conveying everything he needed to say to the Thunder Name Zhonja, Sabok Seol grinned wickedly at the pale-faced Sara.
“Then I’ll see you in three days. By then… I won’t withdraw as easily as now.”
An ominous air began to swirl around Podalap Palace.
*
“Bad person! You’re a bad person!”
Nab-in jumped up and down after hearing Sabok Seol’s lion’s roar.
“The people of Podalap Palace are so kind and good! Why would anyone torment them?”
Fuming, Nab-in clung to Ho Cheon-an.
“Grandfather! Please defeat those bad villains!”
Ho Cheon-an silently looked at Nab-in before gently petting their head. When Ho Cheon-an hesitated to respond, Nab-in’s eyes shook with anxiety.
“…Grandfather?”
Ho Cheon-an looked at Nab-in and thought.
‘This child has developed connections now.’
Nab-in didn’t want anything to happen to the people of Podalap Palace. That was why it’s natural for them to be so upset by Sabok Seol’s words.
Ho Cheon-an felt that the time had come.
Ho Cheon-an reflected on the journey Nab-in had undergone and the journey yet to come in his mind.
To stabilize the world, one must continue to roam, and that process would be too harsh for Nab-in to endure.
It would involve saying goodbye to homelessness and facing a series of dangerous endeavors.
‘Just my own ambition shouldn’t force such things onto Nab-in.’
Ho Cheon-an recalled the treatment methods he had established for Nab-in.
Nab-in’s treatment plan was nearly finalized. While not entirely free of anxious elements, staying in Podalap Palace was within a manageable level.
If Nab-in were to remain in Podalap Palace, there would be no reason for them to follow Ho Cheon-an.
Thus, Ho Cheon-an wanted to give Nab-in a choice.
Rather, he wanted to persuade them more honestly.
He wished to convey the meaning of protecting the world to Nab-in.
Thus, he hoped Nab-in would follow him of their own will.
“Nab-in. Do you wish for them not to invade this Podalap Palace?”
“Yes!”
“Then how about you directly try to convince them?”
“…Yes?”
Looking at Nab-in’s eyes that shifted as if an earthquake had struck, Ho Cheon-an chuckled heartily.
