Returning to Original Intent
Stepping out of his residence for a meal, Yeon-hoo happened to glance toward the main gate and halted in his tracks. A group of warriors was passing through, two of them bound and being dragged along.
Yeon-hoo issued an order to a warrior passing nearby. "Go find out what's happening."
"Yes, sir!"
The warrior dashed toward the gate and soon returned with a report. "They're warriors under Commander Bae Yeom. They're being sent to the disciplinary court for killing a prisoner!"
Yeon-hoo furrowed his brow. While most of Northwest Murim's warriors had surrendered and sworn allegiance to the North, nearly five thousand had refused integration and remained in custody.
Without hesitation, Yeon-hoo turned toward the gate. Sin Hwi and Dongbang Ri naturally fell in step behind him.
"Hold."
As Yeon-hoo stepped forward, the escort officer in charge snapped to attention and saluted. "Sir!"
"You killed a prisoner?"
"Yes, sir!"
Yeon-hoo fixed his gaze on the two silent, bound warriors who kept their heads bowed. "Why did you kill the prisoner?"
At Yeon-hoo's question, the bound warriors finally lifted their heads. "We know you're not supposed to kill prisoners recklessly."
"I fought that bastard's unit on the battlefield. Right in front of me, he butchered my superior and comrades. Then the fucker mocked me. So... I killed him."
Yeon-hoo turned to the escort officer. "Is what he says true?"
"Even if he was mocked, you can't just murder a prisoner! Those who break military law must face execution to maintain discipline!"
One of the warriors shot back at the officer's words. "Heh heh heh. Keep yapping about military law... Wait till you see your comrades' heads rolling and guts spilling on the field. Oh, but you rear-echelon types feasting in safety won't have to worry about that. Heh heh heh!"
"You bastard! Shut your mouth!"
"You shut your stinking trap, you dog!"
"Enough."
Yeon-hoo's low command silenced the area. He turned back to the warrior. "He mocked you?"
"Yes."
"Escort officer, do you acknowledge that?"
"I do, but as I said earlier..."
Yeon-hoo raised a hand, cutting him off. His eyes settled on the two swords held by an escort soldier behind the officer, then he gave the order. "Untie them."
"...Pardon?"
"Untie them, I said."
"Ah, yes!"
"No...!"
As the escort soldier moved to comply, the officer opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. He had locked eyes with Sin Hwi standing beside Yeon-hoo. No mere escort officer could withstand the Blood King's aura. When Sin Hwi's gaze sharpened once more, the officer retreated with a stiff expression.
"Return their swords."
Once unbound and handed their blades, the warriors stared at Yeon-hoo in astonishment.
"If you kill another prisoner recklessly, there will be no mercy next time. Understood?"
"Even if they mock us... we have to endure?"
"I'll make sure it never happens again. Now go eat something and return to your unit."
"Really?"
"Don't you trust me?"
"No, sir! We do!"
"Go on."
"Sir!"
"Sir!"
Yeon-hoo watched the warriors dash off for a moment before turning to the escort officer, whose face and eyes brimmed with dissatisfaction.
"Military law must be upheld, as you say. But I won't tolerate my warriors being mocked."
"We were only trying to handle this fairly, without dividing between old North and Northwest. You called them 'my warriors' just now, but the surrendered Northwest forces are now all part of Northern Murim—your warriors, my lord. I'm deeply concerned this decision might sow division."
The officer bowed his head but voiced his opinion clearly and firmly.
"You think I'm showing favoritism."
"All the Northwest surrenders will think so."
For a moment, Yeon-hoo felt a tightness in his chest—not because the officer had struck a nerve, but because he'd felt this before. It was the day he'd returned to the clan and first faced Jang Cheon and his supporters. They had pressured him, convinced of their righteousness. Had he yielded then, he'd have been branded an incompetent prodigal coveting the lord's seat. Why? Because to any outsider, their words and actions seemed reasonable.
'So he's a dangerous one after all.'
Yeon-hoo called over one of the gate warriors. As the man hurried up, Yeon-hoo issued the command. "Get the name of this man's unit, its commander, and the staff officers. Bring it to me."
"Understood!"
Yeon-hoo walked past the officer toward the dining hall but paused after a few steps and turned back. "Have you ever seen combat?"
"Those assigned to disciplinary and enforcement duties aren't deployed to battle."
"That's how things worked in the Northwest until now?"
"Yes."
"Noted."
Yeon-hoo continued to the dining hall. Sin Hwi narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "We've grown complacent in victory, neglecting the basics. Now that the Northwest is part of the North, we should govern by Northern law."
Yeon-hoo nodded silently in full agreement.
'Rushing ahead, I nearly built a castle of sand.'
After annexing Northwest Murim, the North had entered a new era, transforming from the weakest power into an unstoppable force. Everything needed realignment to match. Most urgent was harmonizing the two forces from clashing cultures.
'Surrender doesn't mean every Northwest man supports and follows us...'
The escort officer earlier was a prime example. He treated Yeon-hoo as lord, but his eyes, expression, and aura differed starkly from the Northerners'. No genuine, heartfelt loyalty welled from within.
Sin Hwi continued. "We should start by properly vetting the surrenders. If these incidents repeat and someone with ill intent stirs division between Northerners and Northwesterners, it'll be a real headache."
"I think the same. People with eyes like that are hard to subdue even by force. If they deliberately agitate, it could get serious," Dongbang Ri added gravely.
Yeon-hoo calmed his gaze.
'Drunk on victory, I forgot what's most important. One slip here, and annexing the Northwest will poison the North instead.'
In the end, it came down to original intent. Yeon-hoo resolved to hold to it. As the officer said, the Northwest surrenders were now his warriors. He had no intention of discriminating against them compared to Northerners. But neither would he coddle them. Follow, and advance together; resist, and crush them utterly—his stance remained unchanged.
Just then, Songyeong passed by ahead. Yeon-hoo called out. "Songyeong."
"Yes!"
Songyeong approached, and Yeon-hoo gave immediate instructions. "Go to the gate, check the unit commander and staff names the warriors received, and summon them as quickly as possible."
"What about these guys?" Songyeong asked, gesturing toward the escort officer and his men.
"They wait until I say otherwise."
"Got it."
Jeongcheong had been the eldest son of a family favored by Wi Yeon Gwang in the old Northwest Murim days. His father had risen to one of the five great families through merits in the war against the North, and Jeongcheong himself had caught the eye of Wi Yeon Gwang, embarking on a meteoric rise to residency in Wall Thunder Manor at a young age. Even those around him praised his talents as destined for greatness—but before he could fully shine, Northwest Murim fell, forcing his surrender to the North.
It was a choice for survival, not loyalty. Did that mean he dreamed of rebellion? No. He would devote himself to Northwest rights and prevent a tyrant's world. These were words Jeongcheong often shared with those around him.
Now, his face flushed with anger from the brazier. He'd tried to leave, but without Yeon-hoo's permission, he was stuck waiting in the disciplinary court for two days.
Jeongcheong saw it as Yeon-hoo taking his attitude as insolence and harboring grudge. "As I thought, he's just like I figured. My warriors? If those had been Northwest surrenders and the dead one Northern, the story would be different."
He drained his second bowl of cold water. But the boiling rage inside wouldn't subside.
"Calm down, sir. Calling the lord 'that guy'? You're really asking for trouble."
"He's right. When you stood your ground against the lord without flinching, my legs nearly gave out."
The warriors who'd come with Jeongcheong voiced their worries one by one.
"You lot sure throw around 'lord' easily."
"He's our lord now, isn't he? I get your concerns, but hasn't he treated us Northwesterners better than we could hope so far?"
"It's not now—it's the future that matters. Right now, he needs us to stabilize the chaos, so he's placating Northwesterners. If we don't set things right from here, we'll forever live in Northerners' shadow. I won't stand for that!"
Jeongcheong reached for another bowl of cold water, but it was empty.
"Get some more cold water."
"...Yes."
As the warrior rose, the door opened, and a disciplinary court warrior entered. "Everyone out."
"What's this about?"
"You'll see when you follow."
Jeongcheong steadied his gaze while his companions couldn't hide their unease. He shot to his feet. "I'll be back."
"...Yes."
Jeongcheong followed the court warrior out, crossing the vast plaza toward Yeon-hoo's residence in the north. Along the way, he scanned his surroundings. The bright faces and lively atmosphere of those passing by irked him, but he kept it hidden.
Moments later, entering the Iron Blood Great Hall, Jeongcheong flinched. A middle-aged man was glaring at him with fury—the commander of his unit. Beside him sat Jeongcheong's direct superior, who bellowed the moment he saw him.
"What mess have you caused now?!"
As Jeongcheong opened his mouth to reply, the rear doors of the hall slowly parted, revealing Yeon-hoo. The middle-aged man sprang up and bowed deeply. Only then did Jeongcheong quietly bow his head after a brief stare at the entering Yeon-hoo.
Unbidden, Jeongcheong swallowed dryly. An inexplicable unease welled intensely from Yeon-hoo's impassive, sunken gaze.