“Ugh.”
Jang Yi groaned under the pressure of the swarming people closing in from all directions.
Although the platform was supposed to be spacious enough to serve as a gathering place for the Imperial Army in emergencies, it was currently packed to the point where there wasn’t even a place to step.
The overlapping sounds of countless voices made it impossible to hear what the person next to him was trying to say.
Having never experienced such a crowd before, Jang Yi could only wait anxiously for the event to begin.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
Finally, the long-awaited sound of drums echoed through the air.
The noise, which seemed it would never end, vanished as if it were a lie. A silence descended upon the place filled with an uncountable number of people. Jang Yi swallowed hard as he encountered an atmosphere he had never known before, and then a person began to ascend the platform.
“…What is this?”
Jang Yi muttered to himself without realizing it as he observed the figure coming up onto the platform.
From afar, it was clear that she was not an ordinary noble; she wore a red silk garment, embellished with golden embroidery and ornate jewelry. A woman with an unfamiliar crown was walking onto the stage.
And.
Squeak!
A rat-like entity in official attire, Seo Gong, was keeping watch beside her, as if holding out its tail to her.
What on earth is going on here?
Why was royalty standing on a stage meant for Geum Myeong-wol, and why was Seo Gong next to this royal?
Before Jang Yi could even start to make sense of the unexpected situation, he felt a vibration under his feet.
Thud! Thud!
The soldiers of the Imperial Army guarding the platform suddenly slammed the tips of their spears into the ground, dispersing their internal energy.
“It is the arrival of Princess Yuya! Everyone kneel and bow your heads!”
Hit by the roaring proclamation that assaulted his eardrums, Jang Yi finally came to his senses. It dawned on him that bowing down when royalty arrives is the custom of the Huang Nation, and he realized he was violating that custom right now.
[That’s right.]
“Long live!”
But even before Jang Yi could move, Princess Yuya opened her mouth first.
[The reason I gathered you all here is precisely because of me. Therefore, I allow you not to pay your respects and to look at me freely.]
“Y-Your grace is overwhelming!”
-Your grace is overwhelming!
As someone shouted in response, Jang Yi’s mind became a whirlwind. So, Princess Yuya is the master of this declaration? The rumors that Geum Myeong-wol would personally come out to clarify things were incorrect?
Jang Yi couldn’t comprehend what was going on at all.
However, regardless of Jang Yi’s confusion, Princess Yuya began to speak.
[I was ten years old when I decided to leave the Imperial Palace and join the Jeomchang Faction.]
…What?
[At that time, I was just a source of turmoil for the Huang Nation. Since it would be better for me to disappear into the Martial World and stabilize the royal family rather than become a burden on His Majesty, the current emperor and, in private, my older brother.]
Jang Yi, who had been rattled by the shocking sequence of events, finally realized that Princess Yuya was speaking calmly.
How could such a softly spoken voice be so piercingly clear, despite her not shouting? It was a technique even more refined than the roar of the Imperial Army, proving that Princess Yuya’s martial arts prowess was extraordinary.
[Thus, I disguised my gender and took on the name Hyeok Gi-rin.]
Everyone held their breath at the shocking revelation. Hyeok Gi-rin was Princess Yuya? The princess of the Huang Nation disguised herself as a man and entered the ranks of the martial artists?
Such a thing had never happened in the history of the Huang Nation.
[It must be hard to believe. Therefore, I have invited a witness.]
With Princess Yuya’s gesture, a person stepped up to the stage.
Miss Yeo Il-ye.
“I declare in the names of heaven, earth, and the original heavenly sovereign, that I, Yeo Il-ye, shall speak only the truth here. I hereby affirm, on behalf of the Jeomchang Faction, that Princess Yuya was indeed a disciple under the name Hyeok Gi-rin.”
Even the fact that it was in front of the princess couldn’t contain the shock of this newly revealed truth, and the crowd erupted with buzz.
“Unbelievable!”
“How could this happen!”
When the commotion had settled a little, Yeo Il-ye continued.
“I also declare here that there has been no impersonator of Hyeok Gi-rin who has been active in the Martial World. My Big Brother Hyeok Gi-rin’s actions, which he was known for under the title Okryong Sinhyeop, were all those of Princess Yuya.”
[Indeed.]
Had they received too many shocks in a short period? Instead, Jang Yi’s mind began to clear up.
The rumors of Geum Myeong-wol being Hyeok Gi-rin proved true. And the fact that Hyeok Gi-rin had been Princess Yuya, who personally announced that Geum Myeong-wol would explain the rumors of being the surveillance officer of the Imperial Family, gathered this crowd here.
[And I created another name to be active in the Martial World.]
The only conclusion derived from these circumstances was simple.
[The name Geum Myeong-wol.]
Princess Yuya was Hyeok Gi-rin, and also Geum Myeong-wol.
Once that fact was revealed, the venue fell utterly silent.
The princess of the Huang Nation had hidden her identity and gender to infiltrate the Martial World. Just that alone was shocking enough, but she had created a separate identity to delve deeper into the Martial World?
Perhaps having already received a tremendous shock, Jang Yi’s emotional turmoil quickly subsided.
And once that emotional turmoil faded, a profound question arose in his heart.
Why?
Why did Princess Yuya, who resolved to live as the martial artist Hyeok Gi-rin and discard her royal identity, create another identity as Hwang So-wol, act as a Martial World hero, and use the power of the surveillance officer?
Everything was full of questions.
And just as if Princess Yuya could perceive Jang Yi’s confusion, she continued speaking.
[Why did I wield the power of the surveillance officer after leaving the royal family? And why did I intervene in the Martial World by creating the identity of Geum Myeong-wol? I will now tell you the reason.]
Princess Yuya, Hyeok Gi-rin, and Geum Myeong-wol.
[Everything began when I met a stranger in Sacheon City.]
The trajectory of her life began to unravel through Princess Yuya’s lips.
—
“There’s something I want to ask you.”
“Is this really the best time to ask?”
The adventure of Hyeok Gi-rin, also known as Geum Myeong-wol and Princess Yuya, was definitely not something that could be summed up in a few words. Thus, it was clear that her tale would be long, and exchanging a few words in between wouldn’t be that difficult.
However, Ho Cheon-an didn’t want to miss this moment, so he casually replied to Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s question.
“It’s precisely because it’s now that I’m asking.”
Noticing the seriousness of Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s inquiry, Ho Cheon-an forced himself to pull his gaze away from the platform and look at Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi.
“What is it?”
“I’ve known of your exceptional skill for a long time, but in this instance, I must say I am truly impressed. As the General of the Imperial Army, I have dealt with information for half my life, but I never thought you would manipulate the hearts of the masses.”
“Let’s save the flattery for later…”
“However, why did you plan this stage the way you did?”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi was puzzled.
They say the people’s will is the emperor’s will. No matter how high one’s status, even if they were an emperor who could freely distribute titles, they could not turn their backs on the common people living in the world.
And Ho Cheon-an had gained control over the people’s hearts. He deeply ingrained the name Geum Myeong-wol in the hearts of the masses, who would buy expensive books just to learn about Geum Myeong-wol’s life and find happiness through it.
The favorability was so deeply rooted that even after Geum Myeong-wol was a once-betrayed figure, and again when rumors of her being the surveillance officer came out, people raced to Nangyang seeking an explanation.
What deep-rooted favorability this was.
In fact, one could say that if Geum Myeong-wol was serving a red bean paste, they would believe it to be sweetened rice.
Thus, in such a situation, Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi couldn’t understand at all.
“Why did your highness scheme for the princess to speak openly? Both the name Princess Yuya and the name Hyeok Gi-rin alone had enough elements to attract the people’s favor. If you were going to throw that part away, why did you manipulate the people to have such strong favor for the name Geum Myeong-wol?”
It wasn’t that he was asking him to contrive anything.
Geum Myeong-wol, Princess Yuya, and Hyeok Gi-rin must have stories that could highlight more aspects of Princess Yuya’s charm.
Despite that, Ho Cheon-an had simply let the people know of Geum Myeong-wol’s daily life, without revealing anything else, and placed Princess Yuya on that platform.
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi could not wrap his head around that. They could have advanced things in a more certain and favorable way, yet why did Ho Cheon-an take a different approach?
“Even if there were anecdotes with greater persuasive power than long, personal stories, why did you not use them instead?”
Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi sincerely wondered about that.
Hearing Sa Ma Gyeong-hwi’s question, Ho Cheon-an nodded.
“Yes. That could have been the case. The actions of Hyeok Gi-rin and those under the name of Princess Yuya certainly had elements that people would love.”
“Then why didn’t you…”
“Why didn’t I?”
Ho Cheon-an retorted, gazing at Hyeok Gi-rin’s figure from behind. Her ever-fluttering pigtail looked rather neat today, which made her seem a bit out of sorts, but it didn’t change that she was still Hyeok Gi-rin.
“What you misunderstand, General, is that while I genuinely plotted various schemes, I did not manipulate the hearts of the people as I wished.”
“You’re saying that now?”
“Not just now! It’s the truth. You cannot lead people’s hearts as you please! If that were possible, you would be a superhuman. What I did was create the stage for the people to hear the name Geum Myeong-wol and anecdotes. There’s no way I could control their hearts.”
“…Then what prompted you to start this plan? If you lacked the power or confidence, wasn’t it an impossible plan to execute?”
“Haha, why would it be impossible?”
Throughout the long journey from Ak-yang to Nangyang, Ho Cheon-an had wracked his brains.
How could he solve the identity problem of Hyeok Gi-rin?
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a sharp solution to this difficult problem.
After repeating his ruminations, Ho Cheon-an suddenly recalled the moment he first met Hyeok Gi-rin. Although he couldn’t even imagine the future without her, back then, he certainly did not want any entanglement with the princess who was a cross-dressing woman and a member of the royal family.
Having an association with Hyeok Gi-rin – a cross-dressing woman and a royal princess – would only lead to more troubles.
However, with those feelings in mind, Ho Cheon-an ended up helping Hyeok Gi-rin repeatedly since his encounter with the bandit alliance, and ultimately ended up imparting the realization in the heart of the imperial family.
“Princess Yuya herself is the very key to success.”
What kind of person is Princess Yuya, Hyeok Gi-rin, and Hwang So-wol?
She was the one who could easily break into the heart of the Black Cat, who didn’t trust others. She was someone that even the cynical Tang So-yeol wanted to embrace. She was the individual capable of persuading the stubborn Heavenly Demon Wi Seorye into accepting a burdensome request.
And she was also the one who could make Seo Gong, who was well aware of Ho Cheon-an’s ulterior motives, don formal attire and play along.
Hyeok Gi-rin was the kind of person who could be loved by everyone and also have the power to move everyone.
“So isn’t it enough for the world to know only this side of the princess?”
Ho Cheon-an decided to trust in Hyeok Gi-rin’s strength.
—
Princess Yuya’s story was lengthy.
While she omitted things like sneaking into the Dark Dragon Sect while acting as Hwang So-wol or her experiences within the Array Formation with the Unknown, it still was long.
Jang Yi absorbed that long tale in his mind.
He was impressed by how she ended up moving to the Imperial Family after the eradication of bandits in Sacheon City to fulfill her duty as a princess as well as her understanding that she could not overlook the Martial World crisis as Hyeok Gi-rin.
He accepted the fact that she became Geum Myeong-wol to prevent the Blood Sect’s resurgence.
Jang Yi thought.
Why was it that I could understand and sympathize with what Princess Yuya was saying? He was neither a martial artist nor an official and certainly not someone of noble status.
Jang Yi soon discovered the answer.
Because of Geum Myeong-wol’s daily life.
More specifically, it was because he understood the Geum Myeong-wol portrayed in the tales of her daily life. Because he understood that Geum Myeong-wol and could smile and cheer for her.
He could imagine how furious Geum Myeong-wol must have been when wielding the authority of the surveillance officer for So Yeon-hwa and his mother.
[…That’s all.]
And at that moment, he understood how tremblingly determined Geum Myeong-wol must have felt while standing there.
Having finished her long story, Princess Yuya slowly surveyed the crowd. Though it was a street where not even the glimmer of an eye or the outline of a face could be seen, Jang Yi felt, somehow, that Princess Yuya must have been wearing a look of relief.
As Princess Yuya left the platform, the Imperial Army that had been solemnly guarding the stage also departed.
“The world is incredible!”
“This is absurd!”
At once, the crowd began to erupt with voices. Jang Yi stood amidst the scene where feelings and reflections blocked by Princess Yuya’s long tale poured out, staring only at the now empty platform.
His feet wouldn’t budge at all.
What was it that was preventing his steps?
He had wholeheartedly appreciated his journey to Nangyang. He had learned the identity of Geum Myeong-wol faster than anyone and enjoyed the privilege of witnessing the royal princess Yuya in person. Moreover, he stood in the presence of a historical incident that would not happen again in the Huang Nation, so could there be any grander tale?
Jang Yi recalled the purpose of his visit to this place.
He had been unable to shake off Geum Myeong-wol from his mind. So he thought that upon seeing Geum Myeong-wol’s true self and clarifying that identity, his heart would also become clear.
Yet even when he heard the truth he sought, why was he unable to move from this spot?
Why did his heart feel so hazy as if enveloped in fog?
Just as Jang Yi was pondering these thoughts with a self-deprecating smile, he heard someone say.
“I wonder how Princess Yuya will fare.”
“We’ll have to wait and see since this is unprecedented…but I doubt she’ll have good experiences. Even royal protocol cannot be broken so carelessly…”
“Ah, that sounds right. How unfortunate. She seems like a person with a good heart.”
Jang Yi, who happened to overhear that conversation, shivered.
‘That’s it!’
When he realized why Geum Myeong-wol was not from the Gwangju region, the heart that had cooled down rekindled when the rumor of Hyeok Gi-rin circulated again. Why had he clung to the notion that Geum Myeong-wol was from the Gwangju region yet failed to organize his feelings and made his way all the way to Nangyang?
Even after knowing all the truths, why did his heart remain uncomfortable?
Jang Yi understood the answer from the conversation that reached his ears.
‘I wished for Geum Myeong-wol’s happiness.’
What kind of person was Geum Myeong-wol, who thwarted the resurgence of the Blood Sect and who shone in the tales of her daily life?
Someone who could care for others, possessing a kind heart, a person who could feel a small measure of happiness just by observing her daily life like warmth of sunlight.
That was why it was easy to accept the rumor that Geum Myeong-wol wasn’t from Gwangju. It was unfortunate that she was not from there, but nonetheless, Hyeok Gi-rin’s daily life with Seo Gong would remain unchanged.
That was why, when he heard the rumor that Geum Myeong-wol was Hyeok Gi-rin, he had jumped up in alarm, and when he heard the rumor about Geum Myeong-wol being the surveillance officer, he had felt troubled. The former made him worry about the actions of those who would feel betrayed, and the latter inevitably led to unfortunate outcomes.
So even after knowing everything through Princess Yuya’s mouth today, he couldn’t seem to move.
Though he had no idea how the royal family operated, he could instinctively sense that something unpleasant awaited Princess Yuya.
Finally realizing what he truly desired, Jang Yi moved his feet without hesitation.
If what he truly wanted was Geum Myeong-wol’s, or Princess Yuya’s happiness, then it was no time to stand idle.
“Hey! Can I have a word with you two?”
The two people who had just passed by Jang Yi turned around with puzzled expressions.
“I unintentionally overheard your conversation. I wish to offer my humble aid to the princess; is there any way I can assist?”
A spark that would ignite change in Nangyang, no, in the world had begun to rise.
