“Commander.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi sighed at Sa Ma Sang-seol’s words.
“I’ve expressed my intentions numerous times, yet you wish to make me say them again?”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi attempted to resign from his position as Commander but was not permitted by Emperor Yoo Gyeong. As a result, he still held the title of Commander, with Yoo Gyeong stubbornly issuing orders for his return.
Thus, as he regarded Sa Ma Sang-seol, who addressed him as Commander, he deduced that Yoo Gyeong had once again summoned him, but Sa Ma Sang-seol’s matter was somewhat different.
“I need the Commander’s strength.”
Upon seeing the deepening gaze of Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi, Sa Ma Sang-seol quickly continued.
“You’re aware of the Twelfth Squad Comrades Association, right? We had a clash with them. As a result, the Chancellor Jae Sang-hae, Commander of the Golden Guards Jo Gab-deok, Commander of the Imperial Army Jo Ga-ju, and General Kang Chumo-ru leading the comrades have explicitly pressed down on the situation.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s eyebrows twitched.
“So, you’re saying you need my strength?”
“Yes. If the Commander’s official stance moves, it will uproot the foundations of the Huang Nation by the Commander’s own hands. But if we let this slide, the Command will perish. This is something neither I nor Du Wei-cheon can resolve.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi understood Sa Ma Sang-seol’s intentions.
If it can’t be resolved officially, then agreements must be made covertly.
However, neither Sa Ma Sang-seol nor Du Wei-cheon had the authority or reputation to properly negotiate—no, even negotiate at all. It wasn’t that they were lacking, but the Comrades Association’s members were overwhelmingly impressive.
Chancellor. Governor. Minister. General.
What more could be said with just those four words?
Just saying them was suffocating, and there were other influential members of the Comrades Association within the Huang Nation too.
Could anyone lead negotiations from the shadows against such a Comrades Association?
“Did you really think it would be possible if you came to find me?”
Sa Ma Sang-seol nodded silently. Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi was the only one qualified to hold equal negotiations against the Comrades Association.
Since he rose to the position of Governor at the same time as Yoo Gyeong’s ascension and had maintained that position until now, he alone held authority surpassing that of the Comrades Association.
“I understand the Elder’s intentions. However, if this matter isn’t fully settled, the Huang Nation may face dire consequences. So, can’t you lend me your support just this once?”
Watching Sa Ma Sang-seol plead earnestly, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi slowly shook his head.
“Elder!”
“Seong-seol. Do you not feel something about Jae Sang-hae’s actions and the others?”
“…What?”
“All the while, His Majesty has dismissed the claims of his ministers opposing the martial suppression policy.”
Due to the chaotic world, he would say that all matters shall be discussed only after the world is at peace. Yoo Gyeong crushed his ministers’ protests with those words. The discontent of the ministers simmered internally as the world was already in chaos, and adding turmoil to that from within could cause the Huang Nation to truly crumble.
“He treated the Huang Nation as a hostage. Yet even with the threat of the Blood Sect having dissipated, the Emperor has given no word regarding the martial suppression policy; it seems they are compelled for a response.”
When there was an external threat, they endured under the excuse that the Huang Nation was doomed.
However, there would be no longer tolerating it. If no answer is given, either the Command will face destruction or the Huang Nation shall face its end.
To Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi, the actions of the Comrades Association felt just that way.
“I don’t know whose intentions are behind this, but they harbor thoughts of treachery. I believed there was not a single person among them who could defy the Emperor’s will.”
Who made the resolution to change the Emperor’s intentions? Was it Jo Ga-ju, who struggled with the conflicts with the martial world? Or Chancellor Jae Sang-hae, who kept an eye on the nation’s finances? Or was it General Kang Chumo-ru, who was extinguishing the immediate fires of the Huang Nation? Or perhaps Okryong, who was monitoring the people’s sentiments locally?
Or could it be one of the trainees who were not tied to an office?
Whoever it is, amid the resolute will felt in the current situation, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi sensed that time had passed. The trainees of the Twelfth Squad he once knew had transformed into others.
Seeing the lamenting Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi, Sa Ma Sang-seol brought forth his request once more.
“Elder! Therefore…!”
“That’s why I won’t act any further.”
“Elder!”
“I threw away my position because I hoped for His Majesty to stop. I should have actively tried to persuade His Majesty more, and that was the limit of what I could do.”
With words bearing heavy regret, Sa Ma Sang-seol fell silent.
“If someone is now doing what I’ve put off… how can I hinder him?”
Silence lingered between the two for a long while.
Recognizing that he could not change Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s mind, Sa Ma Sang-seol released a long sigh.
“I understand your intentions well.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. The unreasonable request comes from my side. But I, too, will do my utmost.”
“…Right.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi looked at Sa Ma Sang-seol with complicated emotions. As the head of the Command and simultaneously the elder of his clan, it was disheartening to be more of a burden than a help.
“I will free Ho Cheon-an and try to negotiate well.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s eyes widened.
“What did you say…?”
“Yes?”
“Did you just say Ho Cheon-an?”
“Oh, yes. I heard he is the instructor of the Twelfth Squad… but he’s currently captured by the Command after attending the Comrades Association.”
“Why bring this up now!!”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi jumped up from his seat.
“Guide me to him right now!”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi moved, breaking his long silence.
* *
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi recalled the events at the Heavenly Pavilion.
In a fierce showdown, dozens of gamblers, including the entire Gilu, rushed in to capture just Ho Cheon-an, yet he effortlessly crushed the Gilu without batting an eye. He seamlessly deceived the Emperor and the Princess, gathering them together, while effortlessly bantering away.
Why hadn’t he realized this sooner?
Compelling the Emperor and the Command to choose between two options. It didn’t matter if it was enacted or not, how many in the world would even have the guts to devise such a scheme?
“It’s been a long time. Commander.”
Confined in the Command’s brain prison, who else could welcome the Commander more than a few people in this world?
Only this man could do so.
“Right. It’s been a long time. Truly a long time.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi plopped down on the floor, facing Ho Cheon-an.
“So, what scheme do you have this time? What reason have you called me here for?”
“I wish to turn the Emperor’s heart.”
Turn the heart, you say.
“I know you’ve been secretly helping the Huang Nation.”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi recalled the past years. Was the only threat to the Huang Nation the Blood Sect? There had been significant incidents that could have shaken the very roots of the Huang Nation, but they were extinguished before they could truly incinerate the nation.
As if someone had snuffed out the fire.
Yet even with such great deeds, the one who intervened left no trace and vanished without a hitch. Henceforth, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi was convinced that Ho Cheon-an was the one behind it all.
The reason to help the Huang Nation. The ability to help the Huang Nation. Finally, the one who must conceal their identity even after doing such deeds was none other than Ho Cheon-an.
“Then what brought this sudden decision?”
Ho Cheon-an gazed at Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi and pondered. Reason, you say. Could it have been because he saw the smiling face of Hyeok Gi-rin alongside the middle-aged Ho Cheon-an? Or perhaps due to the encounters with Seo Gong and the entities afterwards? Or was it because he defeated the Blood Sect and met Seo I-ryeong and Jo Yong-sang? Or could it have been the moment he met his comrades and Nab-in in that remote village? Perhaps it was what Sabok Seol said, to think about the martial world that Nab-in would have to survive in.
Or could it be for the unchanged Emperor Yoo Gyeong after parting ways with Hyeok Gi-rin?
“I’m not sure.”
If not this, then maybe it was for the Emperor who had shown no change even after losing Hyeok Gi-rin.
“Just. I wanted to.”
Ho Cheon-an poured out his genuine thoughts.
Though he lacked a clear reason, his heart simply guided him to take this course of action.
“…Is that so.”
Ultimately, Ho Cheon-an crushed Jeong Cheol.
However, that process was drenched in blood. He lost all his companions, and Sacheon City, which he could call his home, fell into the hands of Sadoryeon, causing the Outcast Inn and its members to vanish without a trace.
Since then, Ho Cheon-an had been untraceable, but Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi deemed this to be expected.
Ho Cheon-an had lost everything.
So it was only natural for him to perish as well.
He thought of him as a specter who would momentarily reveal himself in the Huang Nation’s crisis, settle his debts of the heart, and then vanish again.
Yet, what about the Ho Cheon-an now in front of him?
Through Ho Cheon-an’s eyes, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi glimpsed a heart still gray, yet at its core, a fiery will blazed.
‘You have, indeed, succeeded in rising again.’
Despite losing everything, Ho Cheon-an had stood up once more.
Maybe with this Ho Cheon-an, it might be possible to change Yoo Gyeong.
Thus, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi resolved to assist Ho Cheon-an.
“What can I do for you?”
At Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s question, Ho Cheon-an smiled brightly and replied.
“I want to meet the Crown Prince.”
* *
Crown Prince Yoo Chan’s memories of his time spent with Hyeok Gi-rin, or rather Princess Yuya, were not very long.
However, despite all the time that had passed since then, the impression of Princess Yuya in Yoo Chan’s memory remained brightly vivid.
How could he forget those warm yet strong eyes?
Princess Yuya, who stood at a similar height to Yoo Chan back then, felt like a giant to him.
This was understandable, as Yoo Chan was just a boy enamored with the martial world while Princess Yuya was showcasing her identity as the princess and making a name for herself as Hyeok Gi-rin in the vast world of martial arts.
Thus, the Crown Prince always made time to run to Princess Yuya, and Hyeok Gi-rin would greet him with her gentle smile and eagerly share stories of the martial world.
And in those tales of the martial world, the name Ho Cheon-an would often come up.
Whenever Yoo Chan heard Ho Cheon-an’s name, he recalled the shining eyes of Hyeok Gi-rin. The way Princess Yuya would sparkle while talking about Ho Cheon-an’s exploits made him feel like she resembled a child, often making her feel like a younger sister in his memories.
The vibrant eyes and the uplifting voice of Princess Yuya. As a boy, Yoo Chan thought the emotions embedded in her gestures and voice were admiration and respect, but looking back now, what lay beneath was unmistakable affection.
Thus, upon hearing the news of Princess Yuya’s passing, a part of Yoo Chan’s heart understood that he had to come to terms with Hyeok Gi-rin’s demise.
Princess Yuya was of royal blood, yet at the same time, Hyeok Gi-rin and a martial artist—both identities which could never coexist—had harbored deep feelings for Ho Cheon-an.
Setting aside grief and longing, she had accepted to have breathed her last beside Ho Cheon-an, in the embrace of the martial world.
“I meet with His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.”
As Yoo Chan stood before Ho Cheon-an, he was reminded of Princess Yuya.
“It’s a pleasure. Or rather, to be honest, I’m unsure how I should say it.”
At Yoo Chan’s words, Ho Cheon-an bowed his head.
Seeing that reaction, Yoo Chan bitterly smiled and rubbed his face. He thought he had buried his feelings for his aunt entirely, yet somehow, a thorn of resentment seemed to remain lodged in some corner of his heart.
Taking a deep breath to calm his tumultuous feelings, Yoo Chan asked.
“How did my aunt’s end come about?”
Ho Cheon-an recalled that day. Though decades had passed, the memory remained uncomfortably vivid.
“She worried.”
It was a vague reply, yet Yoo Chan comprehended Ho Cheon-an’s words.
She worried for those who would be left behind.
Yoo Chan heard Ho Cheon-an’s single line as such.
“Especially for His Majesty.”
“…Is that so.”
“That’s why I came to Nangyang, even if belatedly.”
Is it only now you say so?
Such a thought briefly crossed Yoo Chan’s mind, but he quickly shook it off. The deep regret and despair reflected in Ho Cheon-an’s eyes bore the marks of emptiness carved by the loss of Princess Yuya.
Just as Yoo Gyeong had felt, so had this man wrestled with his anguish at the loss of Princess Yuya.
“What do you plan to do about His Majesty?”
“I wish to change His heart. I cannot dare to say I fully understand Princess Yuya’s intentions… but the current Huang Nation is certainly not what Princess Yuya would have wished. Moreover… it is likely not what Your Majesty desires either.”
Yoo Chan resonated with Ho Cheon-an’s words. If Princess Yuya were to learn of the current situation in the Huang Nation and the martial world, she would likely frown or express her anger.
“Can you achieve this?”
However, Yoo Chan was skeptical about the very idea of changing Emperor Yoo Gyeong’s heart. Yoo Chan looked at Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi standing beside Ho Cheon-an before responding.
“I, too, hope for His Majesty to cast aside his sorrow and wrath. However, neither Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi, His Majesty’s closest friend and most trusted minister, nor I, his son, have managed to change the Emperor’s heart so far. Yet you wish to claim you can change His Majesty’s mind?”
“I cannot guarantee anything. I will merely do my utmost.”
“Well.”
“Yet there is one thing I can promise.”
As Ho Cheon-an reminisced about Hyeok Gi-rin, he spoke.
“I will not give up.”
As Yoo Chan gazed into the eyes of Ho Cheon-an, who expressed a will as firm as steel, memories of Ho Cheon-an’s remarkable feats relayed by Hyeok Gi-rin flooded through his mind. He recalled the tale of the time Yoo Gyeong, disguised as an eunuch using the name Dujak, was fooled by Ho Cheon-an.
Could this man possibly change Yoo Gyeong’s resolve by some clever means?
Anticipation began to bubble within Yoo Chan’s mind.
“It seems you came to me for something. So, what can I assist you with?”
“First, I wish to meet His Majesty.”
Yoo Chan nodded. To change the Emperor’s heart, it was necessary to face him directly.
“And if….”
However.
The following words from Ho Cheon-an left both Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi and Yoo Chan with their mouths agape.
