External Advisor to the Embroidered Uniform Guard
I had no idea what took place in the training grounds after the two of them were left alone, or what conclusion they reached.
I simply returned afterward and shut myself away in my room.
And without any way of learning the outcome, the palace maids came swarming in from the crack of dawn the next day, raising a tremendous fuss.
"His Majesty the Emperor has declared that he will hold an audience ceremony tomorrow."
They fitted me for audience robes, and the long-suspended practice for the ceremony itself was suddenly revived in a frantic, endless crash course. The maids returned to the same exacting severity I had first encountered, and I too found myself frantically absorbing every scrap of knowledge required for a proper audience.
I was desperately curious about whatever conclusion Yu Gyeong and Hyeok Gi-rin had reached, and how much progress Hyeok Gi-rin herself had made—yet the forced march was so relentless that even that curiosity began to blur.
I was hounded without mercy right up until the moment I finished dinner and collapsed into bed. Exhaustion claimed me the instant I lay down, and then the day of the audience arrived.
Only when I was fully dressed in the ceremonial robes and about to leave the Palace of Clear Springs did I finally manage to meet Hyeok Gi-rin. I opened my mouth to speak, but the maids shot me warning glances, so I could not utter a word. Still, her expression held no trace of worry, and that alone brought me a measure of relief.
I failed to gauge the level of her martial arts.
Of course, it was impossible for a mere first-rate like me to discern Super-Peak martial arts by eye alone. Even so, her energy seemed more tightly restrained than before, so she must have made no small amount of progress.
Whether she had reached the Transformation Realm or not was something I would have to see for myself.
If a second-rate warrior needed ten steps to reach first-rate, then the distance from Super-Peak to Transformation was easily a thousand. At the lower stages a single enlightenment could lift you an entire realm, but beyond Super-Peak it was common for growth to stop at mere improvement of technique.
"Please wait in silence."
A genuine eunuch—not a fake like Du-jak or Sama Hwi-gyeong—appeared and guided us to the waiting chamber. I thought I would finally be able to speak with Hyeok Gi-rin, but of course we were given separate rooms again.
Seeing her only made me more curious about how yesterday's business had ended. What conclusion had Hyeok Gi-rin and Du-jak—no, Yu Gyeong—reached?
If things had ended positively, the preparation period for the audience at the Palace of Clear Springs would have been stretched as long as possible. If the two of them had reconciled, they would have wanted even one more day together. They could easily have dragged things out for several more days. The sudden scheduling of the audience did not strike me as a good omen.
And yet Hyeok Gi-rin's face was utterly serene.
Could it be that she had decided to sever all ties with the imperial family and live solely as a martial artist of the Murim?
It was not impossible.
If that were the case, I would become the one who had driven Yu Gyeong and Hyeok Gi-rin apart.
Hmm.
I would have to keep in mind the possibility that a chopping block was waiting for me in the center of the great hall.
The moment genuine worry about the audience filled my head, every sort of ridiculous thought began to crowd in as well.
"Your turn approaches. Prepare yourselves."
The eunuch rattled off a final stream of instructions at machine-gun speed.
"From the position to which you are guided, take three steps forward, then prostrate yourselves. Do not raise your heads until His Majesty speaks."
And so Hyeok Gi-rin and I stood side by side, ready to enter the great hall. I suddenly wondered what had become of the usual sun-hat I wore, but the enormous ceremonial crown perched on my head made me decide it must be tucked inside somewhere.
Just before we entered, I gave Hyeok Gi-rin one last look. If she had really fallen out with her older brother, a little signal would have been nice. I needed to prepare myself mentally, after all.
But when our eyes met, Hyeok Gi-rin only smiled.
"Your Majesty! The petitioners await!"
"Let them enter."
The familiar voice rang out. Hyeok Gi-rin and I followed the eunuch's gesture and bowed our heads until we could see only our own feet. The eunuch's hand guided me, and I reached the proper position.
"You stand before the throne! Petitioners, offer your respects!"
Hyeok Gi-rin and I prostrated ourselves and cried out together.
"Long live! Long live! Long live forever! The Sichuan wandering warrior Ho Cheon-an pays homage to His Majesty the Solar Emperor of the Great Huang Empire!"
"Long live! Long live! Long live forever! The disciple of the Jeomchang Sect, Hyeok Gi-rin, pays homage to His Majesty the Solar Emperor of the Great Huang Empire!"
"Mm. Recite the merits of these two."
That familiar voice again.
"These two assisted Prefect Sama Yeom in restoring law and order to Sichuan Province. Therefore the disciple of the Jeomchang Sect, Hyeok Gi-rin..."
For a long while the proclamations of our achievements rolled on without end.
The audience was far more boring than I had expected. I had imagined I would get to look at the faces of the ministers and admire the splendid hall, but all I could actually see was the woven pattern of the carpet beneath me.
Lying there face-down, I finally felt the end of my palace life approaching. It was rather like standing at a graduation ceremony.
"...and thus the people of Sichuan rejoiced and the laws of Sichuan were set aright. The merits of these two cannot be called small!"
At last the endless speech of the herald finished, and the great hall fell into brief silence.
"You have both labored greatly."
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
"Though neither of you holds official rank, the righteous spirit with which you acted restored smiles to the people of Sichuan and helped set the laws of the nation aright. That spirit is so admirable that I have summoned you here to commend it."
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
"Both of you, raise your heads."
I lifted my head. Not simply lifted it.
My heart truly pounds and I long to behold the sacred countenance of His Majesty the Emperor, yet how could one as lowly as I dare raise my face to look upon him? But His Majesty has personally commanded it, so I must obey. Ah, Your Majesty, I receive this as the glory of three lifetimes!
I embodied that entire emotional performance in the motion of raising my head.
That single gesture was precisely what the palace maids—who for a full week had seemed possessed by the spirit of the strictest drill sergeants—had drilled into me with obsessive intensity.
The key was to keep only the tips of the Emperor's shoes in my field of vision.
Doing so left me with a strangely complicated feeling.
I had already seen Yu Gyeong's face more than enough. When he came to the Heavenly Tower to lure me in, I had spun fake gambling theories at him for half a day; after Hyeok Gi-rin had thoroughly scolded him I had even given him counseling while he was still deflated. And now he wanted me to look at his face again? What was the point of this farce?
Hey! Me? I've already scaled the palace walls with the Emperor, gambled with him at the Heavenly Tower, given him life advice—I've done it all!
Those thoughts crossed my mind, yet the time I had invested at the Palace of Clear Springs was too precious to waste, so I performed the ritual with complete sincerity. How many times had I practiced this exact audience procedure morning and afternoon for an entire week? At the very least several hundred times.
"Raise your heads. I grant you permission to look upon my face."
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
I looked at Yu Gyeong seated upon the dragon throne, draped in the imperial yellow robes. The unrestrained majesty of the Emperor was a completely different presence from the eunuch Yu Gyeong I had known. So this was Yu Gyeong as Emperor. He was smiling faintly.
Seeing that smile only made my thoughts more tangled.
What conclusion had the two of them reached that both Yu Gyeong and Hyeok Gi-rin were smiling, yet the audience had been moved forward?
In any case, a slight nod from Yu Gyeong was my cue to lower my head again.
"His Majesty bestows upon each of you one hundred taels of gold together with treasures! He grants you the right of free entry to the imperial armory for one week! In addition, both of you shall receive precious elixirs from the palace!"
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
"Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!"
The formalities were finished. After a week of waiting, the actual ceremony had been remarkably short—but ceremonies were always like that. My achievements had been reported to the Emperor, the Emperor had praised us, we had beheld the imperial countenance, and the list of rewards had been announced.
All that remained was to rise and withdraw.
Until Yu Gyeong opened his mouth and addressed a question directly to me, that is.
"Your name is Ho Cheon-an, is it not?"
I felt the air in the great hall stir. I swallowed hard at the ominous sensation. Yu Gyeong's action had stepped outside the bounds of a normal audience ceremony.
"Yes, Your Majesty! This humble one is called Ho Cheon-an!"
"I heard that a mere wandering warrior achieved such merit, and curiosity moved me to have the Eastern Depot look into the matter a little."
Your Majesty Yu Gyeong... why are you doing this to me? We were getting along so well.
"I am told you improved the martial arts of a Jeomchang Sect warrior named Yeo Il-ye. That you gave her something called enlightenment."
I turned toward Hyeok Gi-rin without thinking. She merely met my gaze with perfect calm. There was nothing in her eyes that suggested she meant me harm. Had she and Yu Gyeong already reached an understanding on this point?
"...I merely happened to meet Young Hero Yeo Il-ye. Young Hero Yeo achieved enlightenment entirely through her own power."
"Oh? Is that so... Admiral of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. What is your opinion?"
Why is the Admiral of the Embroidered Uniform Guard suddenly being dragged into this? Why do you suddenly care what he thinks?
"Song Chang-sik, Admiral of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, humbly reports. A wandering warrior's sword is rich in real combat experience. Perhaps Young Hero Yeo Il-ye simply received some inspiration from that aspect."
"Oh? Is that so."
"Yes, Your Majesty. The swords of wandering warriors may be lacking in fundamentals, yet because they fight countless real battles their blades are said to be extremely fierce, practical, and at times eccentric. Though he is only a wandering warrior, he assisted Prefect Sama Yeom in accomplishing great deeds in Sichuan, so his skill must be outstanding. That a hero named Yeo Il-ye received inspiration from him is entirely plausible."
What the hell are you people doing to me?
Suddenly the Emperor and Song Chang-sik began tossing a strange conversation back and forth.
"Indeed. I have heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard's lack of real combat experience has become a serious problem of late."
"It is so, Your Majesty! As a soldier who protects the empire, I ought to rejoice that the realm is at peace. Yet as a soldier who protects the empire, I also fear that rust will gather on the edges of our spears and swords!"
"Indeed. A grave problem. That the blades of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who protect this very palace stand in danger of rusting is truly a matter of great concern... Well then. What if we invited an external advisor rich in real combat experience to supplement that practical edge?"
"Truly a brilliant plan!"
"Hahaha. Perhaps the ancestors themselves are guiding us. It seems a suitable candidate has appeared right before my eyes."
Cold sweat raced down my back.
Even though my eyes were fixed on the carpet's woven pattern, I could feel the air in the great hall seething. The ministers' bewilderment was palpable; this was clearly the Emperor's unilateral decision.
"Indeed! A man who can inspire even a disciple of the renowned Jeomchang Sect would surely be of help to the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Moreover, having the public merit of helping Prefect Sama Yeom restore order in Sichuan, he can be trusted. There could be no more suitable candidate!"
The great hall sank into silence. It was the silent pressure that waited for my "voluntary" acceptance.
"Your Majesty...! To bring an external advisor into the Embroidered Uniform Guard is rather..."
Someone tried to seize the silence and speak, but the words never continued. Yu Gyeong had probably crushed them with a single glare. His intention was crystal clear.
If a mere wandering warrior dared refuse the post of external advisor to the Embroidered Uniform Guard right here in the imperial court... it would not have been strange for the words "You dare reject my proposal? Bring the dog-chopping block!" to leave Yu Gyeong's mouth.
"Th-this humble one... is overwhelmed by such undeserved honor!"
"Haha. Do not speak words of false modesty. You have already proven your qualifications thoroughly in Sichuan Province. I hereby appoint the warrior Ho Cheon-an as external advisor to the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Does anyone oppose?"
"Your grace is boundless!"
"Your grace is boundless!"
Whatever their true feelings, everyone supported Yu Gyeong's decision with one voice.
And just like that, I became the external advisor to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.