The Imperial Meeting.
“Let’s begin.”
At the command of Yoo Gyeong, whose eyes sparkled with intensity, a mountain of reports from the provinces began to unfurl one by one.
“This is the report from the Governor of Fukien, Tan Ryu. The peculiar groups of the Martial Forest Alliance and Blood Sect have mutually perished, hence forth the army was hastily dispatched to stabilize the peace in Fukien. The astonished populace has managed to quell their fears, and those who had curled up at home are beginning to leave their houses, thus the flow of people and goods is spreading in all directions, showing signs of great prosperity.”
“This is the report from the Governor of Anhui, Cheon Woo-ji. Although the strange group in Anhui has disappeared, bandits are thriving in their absence, and they are concentrating on raising troops to deal with the bandits. The praise from the citizens, now free from their anxiety, is echoing throughout Anhui.”
“Ah, truly, this can only be the good fortune of the Huang Nation.”
“Well, justice prevails in the end. Those with sinister motives cannot ultimately prosper.”
Jae Sang-hae let the murmurs of the military and civil officials wash over him while recalling the contents of the reports.
While there were numerous smaller issues from places like Yunnan, where banditry was rampant, or areas that bore scars from the Blood Sect’s passage, overall, the world seemed to be moving toward restoring peace.
‘The problem is that the harbinger of this peace isn’t the Huang Nation, but Thunder Name Zhonja himself.’
The Blood Sect was not eradicated by the might of the Imperial Army.
Unless formed of experts, they were unable to deal a blow to the Blood Monsters, and the Blood People were also ill-favored against the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army’s strategy for countering martial artists was to bind one martial artist with a multitude of spear-wielding soldiers taking advantage of distance. However, the Blood People could freely attack from a distance using Blood Bullets, making close quarters difficult.
‘The emergence of the Blood Sect was certainly a negative factor for the Huang Nation… but the reason it could shake the world lies within the Huang Nation itself.’
Had the Huang Nation not devastated the martial forces, those forces would have served as a rampart, preventing the Blood Sect’s turbulence from directly victimizing the populace.
If the Huang Army had not squandered its power and resources to wipe out the martial forces, there would have been room to prepare a countermeasure to the Blood Sect utilizing the nation’s strength.
One could muster up excuses, but ultimately, what the Huang Nation failed to accomplish was resolved by one martial artist.
Others would merely regard this as the astounding emergence of a hero… but would Yoo Gyeong think likewise?
There was a concern that, spurred by Thunder Name Zhonja’s appearance, the suppression of the martial world, halted due to the Blood Sect, might resume.
Jae Sang-hae felt reassured that he was not alone in worrying about such things while listening to the reports being recited.
“Good fortune! Such is the good fortune of the Huang Nation!”
“A bright day has dawned for the future of the Huang Nation.”
As the top brass of the Huang Nation gathered in one place, why was it that their talk of the situation was filled with empty praise rather than serious analysis or solutions?
Perhaps they were unaware that those who swept away the remnants of the Blood Sect were Thunder Name Zhonja and the just factions that had put a lock on the doors of the Martial Forest Alliance and Sects, hence their omission in the reports.
This was proof that the governors shared similar concerns as Jae Sang-hae.
Whether unaware or indifferent to the governors’ intentions, Yoo Gyeong simply listened to the reports without reaction.
Desperate pleas from governors who wished for the center not to act recklessly, and the military and civil officials, who couldn’t gauge the Emperor’s temper or wished not to provoke him, waited cautiously, picking their words as they gathered reports from the governors. And there was the Emperor himself, showing no reaction to the reports from the governors and officials.
It was a truly precarious situation.
Though calm for now, if even a small stone were to be thrown onto the ice, the ripples could shatter the very surface of the calm waters.
And so, even Jae Sang-hae could not easily anticipate how the waters laid bare would flow. He desperately wished for nothing to erupt during the Imperial Meeting.
“Truly disappointing.”
However.
“How can the military and civil officials, the pillars of the Huang Nation, be so oblivious to the affairs of the world?”
Jae Sang-hae’s expectations were utterly shattered.
All eyes turned to one place, and Jae Sang-hae furrowed his brow as he followed their gaze.
The one who had drawn all attention to himself was the junior yang officer of the naval commander, Lee Hyung-baek-ho Du Wei-cheon, who continued speaking.
“What is the current national policy of the Huang Nation? Wasn’t it to catch the unruly ones who wield weapons and martial arts recklessly, and to restore the Huang Nation’s banner? Are there really those who don’t know this fact, yet continue to hear rumors about someone inflating their name by deceiving the populace?”
The military and civil officials swallowed hard, and Jae Sang-hae ground his teeth.
That brat is really asking for it.
Jae Sang-hae inwardly cursed Du Wei-cheon. He had suspected him to be a troublemaker due to his usual audacity, but without any evidence to act against him, he’d been holding back… until now!
He should have cuffed the heads of the Family Heads beforehand!
Regret fluttered in Jae Sang-hae’s mind, but Du Wei-cheon had already opened his mouth, and the words were out, so it was too late for regrets.
In the end, Du Wei-cheon’s words pricked the Emperor’s ears.
“Lee Hyung-baek-ho Du Wei-cheon.”
“Yes!”
“Speak in detail.”
“Yes!”
Du Wei-cheon began to rattle off the rumors regarding Ho Cheon-an without hesitation. His report ended with his last note that the stronghold of the Blood Sect had been cleared.
Jae Sang-hae and the military and civil officials held their breath to see how the Emperor would react.
“Lee Hyung-baek-ho Du Wei-cheon.”
“Yes!”
“Investigate everything regarding that person. Not only their past actions but also their latest whereabouts. Understood?”
“Yes!”
Jae Sang-hae tightly shut his eyes. If Thunder Name Zhonja’s abilities were that formidable, wouldn’t he notice the scrutiny of the naval commander? What martial artist would welcome the attention of the naval commander?
The cautious and cautious contact between the Huang Nation and Thunder Name Zhonja had taken a turn for the worse.
“Today’s meeting is adjourned.”
As the meeting concluded, Du Wei-cheon left the hall without hesitation, and Jae Sang-hae followed closely behind him.
“Hey, come and see me.”
“What brings you here, chancellor? I must attend to the Emperor’s orders.”
Jae Sang-hae shot a disapproving look at Du Wei-cheon.
He didn’t want to have a long conversation with this irritating guy, so he directly asked, “How do you plan to handle this?”
Jae Sang-hae recalled the current situation of the naval commander.
When Yoo Gyeong decided to suppress the martial world, the first to turn away was the naval commander, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi.
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi, Yoo Gyeong’s right-hand, the key figure in establishing absolute imperial authority, had relinquished his position under the pretense of illness, and yet Yoo Gyeong stubbornly kept him above the other naval commanders.
Given such circumstances, the practical operations of the naval command were being handled by the deputy officers, Jang Hyeong-cheon-ho and Lee Hyung-baek-ho.
In other words.
The fact that Du Wei-cheon brought up Thunder Name Zhonja during the Imperial Meeting was clearly a matter heavily laced with the Emperor’s intentions.
Thus, Jae Sang-hae wished to infer the Emperor’s mindset through Du Wei-cheon.
“Now is a time for the Huang Nation to catch its breath. Why would we make enemies in such a phase?”
“Well, the imperial decree has been issued, so as a member of the naval commander, I must just follow.”
The evasive response made Jae Sang-hae’s veins throb. Du Wei-cheon instinctively took a half-step back upon seeing Jae Sang-hae’s expression.
Steel-faced Jae Sang-hae.
It was no exaggeration to say that many had come crashing down after hitting their heads against the wall of Jae Sang-hae in the royal palace. He was able to climb to the chancellor’s rank by bashing anyone who had a respectable position in the Huang Nation.
Knowing this, Du Wei-cheon swiftly executed a strategic retreat.
“Then I shall now attend to the Imperial decree!”
A quick decision worthy of being the number two in the naval command.
“Hey! Hey!”
Jae Sang-hae shouted out at the retreating Du Wei-cheon, but Du Wei-cheon showed no signs of stopping.
“You little brat! Are you just going to run away when the chancellor calls you? I’ll have to shove you back into the training camp of the Golden Guards and instill some discipline!”
Most of the men in the naval command were drawn from the Golden Guards, and since Du Wei-cheon himself was also from the Golden Guards… Jae Sang-hae let out a deep sigh, contemplating how to shove Du Wei-cheon back into the training camp.
However, what significance would punishing Du Wei-cheon hold? In the end, the naval command was a direct body under the Emperor, so Du Wei-cheon was merely following orders from his superior.
‘The appearance of Thunder Name Zhonja has brought fortune to this Huang Nation… is this the reality where even such fortune must be cast aside?’
Thus, with a gloomy expression, Jae Sang-hae returned to the Nangyang municipal office and slumped into a chair. As he sprawled on his chair with his feet resting on the desk, an item caught his eye as it naturally came into view.
It was a belt he received during his trainee days.
Jae Sang-hae looked at the belt and smirked bitterly.
“Though I became a chancellor… am I really fulfilling the role of one?”
While he was bitterly pondering, he felt a presence from outside.
“Elder, a letter has arrived.”
“I’m not in the mood to go through it, just place it on the desk.”
“It’s a letter from the Comrades Association, should I do that?”
“Hand it over this instant!”
Jae Sang-hae snatched the letter, receiving a sidelong glance from the tribesmen. What letter was it that wasn’t a regular correspondence?
“Jo Ga-ju… what wind has blown this guy my way?”
Jae Sang-hae quickly read the letter. As he read through the meticulously written lines, his eyes widened, and when he finished reading it all, he couldn’t help but clench his fist tightly, crumpling the letter in his grip.
“Ha, hahahaha…!”
Ho Cheon-an is… Thunder Name Zhonja? And this Thunder Name Zhonja is willing to step up for the Huang Nation? Because of this, the Twelfth Squad’s trainees are needed, and others will gather in Nangyang?
“This! This is going to be incredibly interesting! It’s been a while since I’ve seen those dark faces!”
With his heart swelling with excitement, Jae Sang-hae turned toward the window.
In the Huang Nation.
A wind was beginning to blow.
