Chapter 407
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**Chapter 407. Have They Decided to Break the Three-Year Pact?**
The first person to mention the name “Heavenly Swordsman” was a member of the royal family.
During a royal family meeting, someone pointed out that conflicts among the Murim members were causing instability in the country. Someone casually remarked that the Emperor had a special hidden sword, so they shouldn’t worry too much.
As the saying goes, “The words of the day are heard by birds, and those of the night by mice.” Especially if those words are spoken at a banquet.
The comment from the royal family member leaked through the guards and spread among the military officials. Soon, a strange rumor began to circulate: “In the temple of the nation’s foundation, Monk Hyunjang of Yoomyung Cult was almost killed!” After that, members of the Yoomyung Cult, who used to come and go from the palace as if it were their home, suddenly disappeared.
The civil and military officials in the court did not say it openly, but they felt quite satisfied. Especially the military officials, as experts from the Yoomyung Cult had always been more distrustful of the military than of civilians.
It was at this moment that the mysterious name “Heavenly Swordsman” emerged. The military officials believed that this expert had cleared the palace of Yoomyung Cult experts and referred to him as “the Emperor’s hidden sword” or “Heavenly Swordsman.”
As the saying goes, “Words without feet travel a thousand miles.” Even the royal assistant Jeong Cheon-ho heard this mysterious story that started in the palace. But he didn’t believe it. He thought it was just a story intentionally created to strengthen the Emperor’s authority, a sort of warning for people to be careful because the Emperor had hidden power.
But then, the provincial commander rushed in and said that Yeon Nam-cheon was the Emperor’s hidden sword. What kind of cruel joke was this?
The commander, Shin Myeong-hwi, introduced Dong Yuso to the royal assistant Jeong Cheon-ho, who was still doubtful.
“Greetings. This is the officer of the Golden Guard, Dong Yuso.”
Jeong Cheon-ho’s eyes widened. The Golden Guard officer was of high rank, a person difficult to meet face to face. In fact, he was someone one should never know.
“Mr. Dong, I am Jeong Cheon-ho, royal assistant.”
“Dong Yuso. The identity of Master Yeon is an absolute secret, so be careful not to reveal it. If you hadn’t gotten involved in this matter, you would have lived your whole life without knowing.”
Dong Yuso’s eyes sparkled. It was not a suggestion but an order, and Jeong Cheon-ho understood it perfectly.
“I will keep it in mind,” Jeong Cheon-ho replied firmly.
For the Golden Guard, getting rid of a fifth-rank royal assistant like Jeong Cheon-ho was as easy as having a snack after a meal, so he was very tense.
At that moment, Magistrate Yang Hoju, who had lagged behind, cautiously approached. He knew the atmosphere was not in his favor and was only observing carefully.
“I am the magistrate of Juksan…”
Before Yang Hoju could finish introducing himself, Dong Yuso shouted.
“You! How dare you mobilize troops from headquarters for personal matters? You must be crazy!”
Yang Hoju’s face paled. He didn’t know Dong Yuso’s exact rank, but he had seen how Jeong Cheon-ho had greeted him first. No need to test something to know if it is good or bad.
Yang Hoju hurriedly bowed his head and excused himself.
“Sir, it was not a personal matter. It was Yeon Namcheon who started…”
“Crazy. Don’t play with broken words. Even if your son had been beaten to death by Master Yeon, you shouldn’t have mobilized the headquarters.”
“I did not mobilize the headquarters…”
“Yes, it was Vice-Governor Han Gyeongdae. He confessed that he accepted a bribe from you and presented a request to the Ministry of War. You will also be accused of bribery.”
“Please forgive me!”
Yang Hoju bowed and pleaded, but Dong Yuso frowned.
“You have mistaken the person. Don’t ask for my forgiveness; ask for it from Master Yeon. You have done nothing wrong to me.”
Yang Hoju hurriedly turned to Yeon Jeokha.
It seemed he had messed up. What kind of powerful backing did this man have to move the Golden Guard?
He bowed before the new figure of power.
“Master Yeon! This humble man has committed an unforgivable crime by turning a blind eye to the matters of his son. Please forgive me just this once!”
“Hey. Let’s talk about my crime. What crime have I committed exactly?”
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Yang Hoju could no longer mention that his son had been injured.
“Then, what crime have I committed?”
At Yeon Jeokha’s persistent question, Dong Yuso also intervened.
“Quickly answer Master Yeon’s question!”
“The Master has done nothing wrong. I could not control my anger and used a vice-governor. I am the guilty one.”
Yeon Jeokha let out a cold laugh.
“Ha! Why? Didn’t you say before that I was a criminal who violated national law? That the indulgence of the Murim factions had gone too far and that even the soldiers from headquarters had come to support? Didn’t you say that the survival of the Wudang Sect depended on one word and that they should remain silent?”
“I have committed an unforgivable crime. Please forgive me!”
“If I were an ordinary disciple of the Wudang Sect, would I have been arrested as a criminal who violated national law?”
“……”
Yang Hoju lowered his head.
Yeon Jeokha looked at Dong Yuso, Shin Myeong-hwi, and Jeong Cheon-ho and said.
“Do none of you know why this has escalated so much? The son of Magistrate Yang insulted and threatened my residence in Five Dragons Palace, and I beat him a few times. Is Magistrate Yang the Emperor? What kind of country is this?”
It was not something he, coming from Nokrim, should say. But he was so absorbed in his speech that he didn’t realize.
Shin Myeong-hwi, and the royal assistant Jeong Cheon-ho, who did not know his past, flushed. Although they acted under the orders of the Ministry of War, as responsible for military authority, they felt embarrassed.
Dong Yuso, who had been laughing inside, intervened.
“Master Yeon, this matter will be handled strictly according to the law, so calm down. Come on! What are you doing? Arrest the criminal!”
The guards of the Golden Guard rushed like the wind and arrested Yang Hoju, taking him away.
“Master Yeon! Please forgive me! Ugh!”
When he shouted, terrified, one of the guards hit him in the mouth.
Too late, Yang Hoju realized that these were the guards of the Golden Guard and fell silent. He realized that causing a commotion in front of the Golden Guard would only bring more problems.
When the matter was resolved, the leader of Wudang Sect, Yeong Gyeolsang, and the leader of the Five Dragons Palace approached the officials.
“This humble monk is Yeong Gyeolsang, leader of the Wudang Sect.”
“I am Cheonmyeong, leader of the Five Dragons Palace.”
Shin Myeong-hwi bowed to the monks and said.
“I am the provincial commander, Shin Myeong-hwi. I apologize for not controlling my subordinates and causing you trouble. I will ensure this does not happen again.”
Then, the royal assistant Jeong Cheon-ho quickly intervened.
“No, this matter is entirely my fault. Please be lenient with the monks. I will be more careful in the future.”
When the high military officials apologized, Yeong Gyeolsang and Cheonmyeong smiled.
Who would have thought that such a complicated matter would be resolved like this!
“Hehe, the military organization always acts under orders, right? This humble monk completely understands your difficulties. It’s a stroke of luck that the matter has been resolved well.”
Yeong Gyeolsang looked at Yeon Namcheon with satisfied eyes. There was no way to contact the Golden Guard, but he had not expected them to act first. This meant that Yeon Namcheon was highly respected by the Golden Guard.
With the Golden Guard’s ability to gather information, it was impossible that they did not know about Yeon Namcheon’s past. Originally, the government, especially the royal family, and Nokrim were opposites. In the regions, Nokrim often stole the goods sent to the royal family.
“However, the fact that the royal family values him so much shows that Nam-cheon is not an ordinary person.”
This was good news for Wudang Sect, which had accepted the Great Protector of Nokrim as a lay disciple. Now, even if Yeon Namcheon’s identity were revealed, no one would speak of expelling him. The royal family had validated his character.
Thus, the “incident of beating Magistrate Yang’s son” in Five Dragons Palace came to an end.
***
**End of August.**
**Early in the morning.**
While the late summer heat still burned, about twenty warriors ascended Mount Wudang.
The monks guarding the mountain gate looked at each other in surprise. Four flags waved vigorously, each bearing the characters: “Heaven above, heaven below,” “Only I am worthy,” “The three realms are full of suffering,” and “I will pacify them.”
It was Yoomyung Cult.
Monk Hyuncheong hurriedly ran towards Sangcheong Palace. At the same time, Monk Hyunsong walked slowly toward them.
“This humble monk is Hyunsong. What brings you to Wudang Sect?”
From behind the flags, the voice of a middle-aged woman was heard.
“The envoys of Yoomyung Cult have come. Take us to the leader.”
Monk Hyunsong replied respectfully.
“I have sent someone to inform the leader, so we will receive news soon. Please wait a moment…”
“Shut up. If you don’t take us immediately, I will tear your limbs apart and hang them at the mountain gate.”
With those words, a dark energy burst forth from behind the flags. Monk Hyunsong, who resisted with gritted teeth, finally fell to his knees.
The woman was not satisfied and released more dark energy. Monk Hyunsong’s head slowly inclined toward the ground.
“Ugh… Argh!”
Finally, Monk Hyunsong’s head struck the ground. Only then did the dark energy disappear.
“If you don’t take us immediately, next time I will fulfill my promise.”
It was a threat to tear off his limbs and hang them at the mountain gate.
Monk Hyunsong jumped up, grabbed the hilt of his sword, and stared behind the flags. He wanted to make a life-and-death decision out of embarrassment, but his body, consumed by fear, trembled uncontrollably.
An old man stepped forward.
“You really are like a mantis facing a cartwheel. I don’t want to see blood, so it would be better if you take us. We haven’t come to fight, but to confirm something.”
Monk Hyunsong sighed and turned around. This was not a situation he could handle. Still, he climbed the mountain as slowly as possible, believing that Monk Hyuncheong, who had gone first, would prepare a plan to face Yoomyung Cult.
As expected, the area in front of Sangcheong Palace was filled with monks. Monk Hyunsong, who had sighed in relief inside, walked toward the leader.
Yeong Gyeolsang looked compassionately at Monk Hyunsong, whose forehead was covered in dirt.
“Leader, Yoomyung Cult has come to seek you.”
“Good job.”
Finally, Monk Hyunsong joined his companions. If a fight broke out, they would have to form a sword formation.
Yeong Gyeolsang looked worriedly at the experts from Yoomyung Cult. Although there were only twenty, each one was a consummate master, which made him feel heavy.
“What brings you to this humble monk?”
The old man, the Swordsman of the Ten Demons, stepped forward.
“I’ll be direct. Earlier this year, a disciple of Wudang Sect attacked our monk in the temple of the nation’s foundation. Who is he?”
“This is the first I’ve heard of it. Moreover, the disciples of Wudang Sect have not wandered the world since this year.”
“Don’t speak nonsense. We already know that he is a disciple of Wudang Sect.”
“Wow. I don’t know what you’re talking about. We really haven’t sent any disciples to wander the world this year.”
Yeong Gyeolsang felt distressed but maintained his composure.
Then, the woman, Yang Soran, known as “Poisonous Mind,” changed tactics.
“By your expression, it seems you really don’t know. But it is a fact that a disciple of Wudang Sect allied with the Golden Guard and attacked our monk. Who is the disciple that has recently been associated with the Golden Guard or the government? You wouldn’t say there is no one like that, would you?”
“……”
Yeong Gyeolsang’s gaze wavered. The incident involving Magistrate Yang had already spread so much that it was difficult to hide.
Yang Soran, an expert in conspiracies and stratagems, caught the change in his expression in an instant.
“Hehe. I knew it would be like this. Has Wudang Sect decided to break the three-year pact?”