Chapter 86
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Prince Yeong (2)
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Jinmyeong looked down at Dongting Lake from his bedroom window.
Among the few boats floating on the lake was the one carrying Prince Yeong and his family.
*The night view isn't even that spectacular.*
To Jinmyeong, who was used to seeing nightscapes wrapped in all sorts of brilliant lights, the night view of this world was bound to seem dull.
Yet, Prince Yeong had gone out to board the boat with a look of anticipation.
Of course, he was accompanied by the pride of the Myeonghwa Pavilion, the famous Yuran, and the four courtesans who taught her, the Four Gracious Plants—Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo.
Even from a distance, the faint sound of their music could be heard.
*Royalty.*
He had never imagined that a member of the imperial family would actually visit the Myeonghwa Pavilion.
And Prince Yeong, no less—the current emperor's uncle.
*Should I be glad it's not the emperor himself?*
Prince Yeong's presence alone felt burdensome.
While neither the prince nor his guards were exceptional martial artists, their soldiers were not a force to be ignored.
Thus, even Jinmyeong, known for his arrogance, had no choice but to be polite to Prince Yeong.
Prince Yeong, for his part, was uncharacteristically courteous for a royal, which eased Jinmyeong's burden somewhat.
*These people never even appeared in the novel.*
In the novel, the emperor had mobilized the imperial army to wage war on the martial world, but he was a character without a single line of dialogue. People like Prince Yeong, Ju Baekjin, and Ju Hyein had never appeared at all.
Lately, he had been meeting many characters who weren't in the novel.
The more it happened, the more he was reminded that this world was not simply the inside of a novel.
Closing the window that overlooked Dongting Lake, Jinmyeong lay down on his bed.
*I hope the night passes without incident.*
But that wish was shattered just a few hours later.
"Young Master, I think you need to come out for a moment."
"...From the sound of your voice, this is definitely not a good situation."
"No. It is not."
From Yang Jeon's somber tone, Jinmyeong could tell that something had happened.
And that it involved none other than Prince Yeong.
"What is it this time?"
"Let's go downstairs first."
When he went outside the Myeonghwa Pavilion with Yang Jeon, he saw a man covered in blood.
"He looks like a guard."
"Yes. He is."
Though soaked in blood, the man's clothes were recognizable as the uniform worn by Prince Yeong's guards earlier that day.
"Why is he in this state?"
"It seems they were attacked."
"Attacked?"
Just a short while ago, when Jinmyeong was watching, everything had been fine.
It seemed trouble had erupted in the few hours since he had closed the window.
"I didn't hear anything."
An attack should have been noisy, yet Jinmyeong hadn't heard a thing.
"It's quite a distance away, isn't it?"
"My room must have excellent soundproofing."
The lake was far away, and since Jinmyeong had tuned everything out and wasn't concentrating, it was even less likely he would have heard it.
"H-Help. His Highness Prince Yeong is in danger."
The guard said urgently, seeing Jinmyeong and Yang Jeon just looking at him and making idle chatter.
"I'm not sure why you're asking us for help, though."
"That is..."
He had a point.
His captain, the guard named Dun, had ordered him to come here and request aid.
Even they, who had learned martial arts to protect the imperial family, had struggled against the attackers. It seemed unlikely that the owners of a mere brothel could be of any help.
That was why he had hesitated to ask for help even after Jinmyeong appeared.
"Helping wouldn't be difficult."
The guard froze at the look in Jinmyeong's eyes.
Contrary to his words, his expression was incredibly cold.
"It's just that I don't like your attitude. I'm thinking it over."
"Kuh!"
The guard's face turned pale; he had never imagined Jinmyeong would refuse.
"This honor of being able to help His Highness Prince Yeong..."
"If you're going to keep spouting nonsense, just send him away."
Annoyed by the guard's still-haughty demeanor, Jinmyeong turned away as if there was nothing more to hear.
"Then this brothel will not remain unscathed. Neither will you."
"What should we do?"
"If we kill him, no one will know he came here,"
Yang Jeon replied calmly.
Seeing this, the guard realized something was going terribly wrong.
It seemed Jinmyeong was genuinely considering killing him.
*If only my body were in proper condition, I wouldn't be taking this from scum like them...*
The guard thought that his captain's judgment in sending him to ask Jinmyeong for help had been a mistake.
"...Please, help us."
But there was no time to continue arguing.
He hated bowing his head to a mere ruffian, but the guard swallowed his pride and lowered his head.
He couldn't keep ignoring the order from his superior.
*'You should have done that from the start.'*
For someone asking for help, he had been far too arrogant.
That's why Jinmyeong had been tempted to help but then decided against it.
*It wouldn't be a bad idea to get on good terms with him.*
He wasn't the emperor, but he was still royalty.
This was a good opportunity to befriend Prince Yeong, a man of immense power.
*Even if we don't become friends, it would be good to have him owe me a favor.*
Having sorted out his thoughts, Jinmyeong was about to re-enter the Myeonghwa Pavilion to get his sword.
"Hup."
Just then, a familiar wooden box flew toward him.
Catching the box, Jinmyeong saw Shin Yehyang appear.
"Let's go together."
"Alright."
Unlike Shin Yehyang, who was already outside, Maeng Yo was nowhere to be seen.
It felt strange that the one who would usually be the first to show himself was now hiding.
*Then again, there's nothing more ridiculous than a bandit meeting royalty.*
Maeng Yo seemed to know this as well, as he had been hiding ever since Prince Yeong arrived.
"By the way, did you just come from my room?"
Jinmyeong asked as he headed toward Dongting Lake with Shin Yehyang.
She was silent for a moment before nodding.
"I figured you would have to go back inside to get your sword, Young Master Jin."
"...I suppose so."
"Do you have something to hide?"
"I doubt it."
He had nothing hidden in his room.
Nothing special, nothing worth stealing.
There was the wooden box with his sword, but it wasn't something just anyone could come and steal.
"...Still, please don't enter my room without permission next time."
"Understood."
Even if he had nothing to steal, he didn't appreciate people entering his room.
The two continued to run and soon arrived at Dongting Lake.
The massive boat Prince Yeong was on was in the middle of the lake, making it difficult to reach.
"Can you make it?"
"Yes."
Seeing Jinmyeong nod, Shin Yehyang immediately leaped forward.
*Is that the Art of Treading on Water?*
Watching Shin Yehyang run toward the boat by stepping on small pieces of debris floating on the water, Jinmyeong immediately moved his sword.
He swiftly mounted the flying sword and shot toward Prince Yeong's boat.
"Protect His Highness!"
The boat was in chaos.
Jinmyeong and Shin Yehyang didn't hesitate and jumped aboard.
"What a mess."
Jinmyeong frowned at the sight of a considerable number of masked assailants.
*Why are these guys here again?*
The masked men's clothes were very familiar.
Dark blue martial arts uniforms with a qilin embroidered in pure white thread.
They were the warriors from the Heaven-Shattering Society he had seen during the incident with the Blood Hand Demonic Lord.
*No wonder they're being pushed back.*
The guard, Dun, was a skilled martial artist and was somehow managing to protect Prince Yeong, but the other guards were gradually losing ground.
It seemed they were only able to protect the prince because there was no one skilled enough to take down Dun.
"Can you handle that side?"
Shin Yehyang nodded and ran in the direction Jinmyeong pointed.
After briefly assessing the situation, Jinmyeong moved his sword.
The sword he sent flying shot forward at high speed and pierced the neck of a masked assailant approaching Prince Yeong from behind.
"Who are you?"
The guard, Dun, was startled by the sword flying at incredible speed, but he couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw it pierce the neck of the assailant aiming for the prince's back.
Still, he couldn't let his guard down until he identified the sword's owner.
"The Master of Myeonghwa Pavilion?"
Spotting Jinmyeong, Dun felt a strange mix of emotions.
He was grateful that Jinmyeong had rushed over at his request, yet he couldn't be sure if asking for help from someone whose true identity was unknown had been the right decision.
The thought that Jinmyeong might be in league with the masked men crossed his mind, but his subordinate had already left.
"Did you say the Master of Myeonghwa Pavilion has come?"
Prince Yeong also reacted to the mention of the Master of Myeonghwa Pavilion.
Beside him, Ju Baekjin's eyes sparkled as he looked at Jinmyeong.
Five flying swords danced around Jinmyeong, attacking the enemies.
"Truly incredible."
Even Prince Yeong, who knew little about martial arts, couldn't help but marvel at Jinmyeong's divine skill.
And Ju Baekjin, witnessing Jinmyeong's martial prowess firsthand, was left gaping.
These were the same masked assailants that all their guards, including Dun, had been struggling against, yet as soon as Jinmyeong and Shin Yehyang appeared, they began to dispatch them with ease.
"T-The New Demonic Sword Controller!"
Unlike Prince Yeong and Ju Baekjin, who were unfamiliar with the martial world, Dun immediately recognized Jinmyeong's identity upon seeing his martial arts.
For the only one in the world who could wield five flying swords was Jinmyeong, the New Demonic Sword Controller.
"What is that?"
"It is his title, Your Highness."
"Oh? The New Demonic Sword Controller. The Master of Myeonghwa Pavilion has a rather impressive title."
Although he didn't know much about the martial world, the extraordinary title told him that Jinmyeong was a considerable master within it.
And Ju Baekjin's gaze, fixed on Jinmyeong, was moving beyond simple interest toward admiration.
But unlike the two of them, Dun couldn't help but grow more tense as he watched Jinmyeong.
After all, there were absolutely no good rumors about Jinmyeong.
Some even said he was an unprecedented demon who slaughtered people with his five flying swords.
"It seems to be over."
For how long had Jinmyeong's swords danced?
It was now quicker to count the masked men left standing.
It wasn't just Jinmyeong; Shin Yehyang also swung her saber at incredible speed, cutting down the masked assailants.
But the guards couldn't simply rejoice at the situation.
They were forced to feel a sense of powerlessness and defeat at the fact that the arrival of just two people had turned the tide of a battle they had been losing.
"He is a dangerous man."
"The man who just saved my life?"
"He could save Your Highness's life only to take it later."
"If that were his plan, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble."
Dun blocked Prince Yeong, who was trying to approach Jinmyeong.
To him, Jinmyeong felt more frightening than the masked attackers.
But unlike him, Prince Yeong seemed to have taken a liking to Jinmyeong.
"Thank you for coming."
"I only did what was natural."
"Haha. Natural, you say."
The more Prince Yeong heard Jinmyeong's replies, the wider the smile on his face grew.
"Huh? Where did my sister go?"
But upon hearing Ju Baekjin's voice, the smile vanished completely from Prince Yeong's lips.