Chapter 248: Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248: Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa-1
Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa.
She was the daughter of Prince Yeon, the third son of the current Emperor, and the Emperor’s most cherished granddaughter.
Born with an adorable and lovely appearance, she grew up bathed in the Emperor’s affection. His love for her only intensified as she aged, for her childhood cuteness blossomed into an even more enchanting beauty.
Furthermore, her intelligence was beyond compare. The Emperor favored her so deeply that he openly remarked that had she been born a man, he would have granted her the position of Crown Prince.
Many believed that if she wished for it, the Emperor would pluck the very stars from the sky for her. His love was not merely overflowing; it was a deluge.
Because of this favoritism, the Emperor would publicly ask her on every birthday what she desired. He promised her anything, even the brilliant stars shining in the heavens above.
The clever Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa always deferred his offers. She would say she had no desires at the moment, but would make a request whenever something came to mind.
The Emperor, charmed by her boldness, firmly pledged to grant her whatever she wished, no matter what it might be.
Years passed, and when she turned ten, Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa went to the Emperor and declared that she finally had a request.
Delighted by her visit, the Emperor asked what she wanted. He boasted that if she asked for a thousand gold bars, he would give them; if she asked for vast lands, he would grant them; and if she asked for a husband, he would find her the finest man in the world.
Upon hearing the Emperor’s words, Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa smiled brightly and spoke.
She asked for permission to use the Imperial Armory.
The Imperial Palace was thrown into an uproar by her unprecedented demand.
What kind of place was the Imperial Armory?
It was the repository of every martial art manual that had existed from ancient times to the present. Not only that, it housed various elixirs and the armaments used by countless heroes of the past. It was a place of incomparable importance, both historically and practically.
It was also the most mysterious location within the palace, heavily guarded by various mechanical traps and formations, making it nearly impossible for anyone to approach recklessly.
To ask for access to such a place—what could she possibly mean?
The Imperial Armory was a place where even those of imperial blood could not enter freely. Access was restricted even for the Emperor’s own grandchildren out of fear that its historical value might be compromised. Even the heads of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—the special investigative body created to ensure imperial stability—or the Eastern Depot—the intelligence agency—were only permitted to stay for a mere three shijin.
And yet, she was asking for unrestricted use? It was an absurd notion.
Numerous ministers opposed her request. Their reasoning was simple: such a precious place could not be opened to the young Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa.
The Emperor fell into deep thought. The strict restrictions regarding the Imperial Armory had been established by the First Emperor who founded it, making them difficult to break lightly.
However, to refuse her request now would mean losing face. A word once spoken carries great weight, and this was especially true for the Emperor. If anything, his responsibility was even greater.
He had clearly promised to grant her any request. If he refused her now, he would be a liar who could not keep his own word.
He shook his head. The Emperor was the Son of Heaven, a being revered by countless subjects. He felt that there should never be a blemish on his reputation.
Having made his decision, he eventually braved the fierce opposition of his ministers and opened the Imperial Armory to her.
However, there was a condition.
She would have only one opportunity to enter. Once she stepped out, she could never enter again.
Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa accepted the Emperor’s condition, becoming the first woman in history to enter the Imperial Armory.
Once the Emperor’s permission was granted, she entered the armory and did not show herself again. She simply did not come out.
Worried, Prince Yeon and his wife visited the armory several times to call out to her anxiously, but she remained silent, offering no response.
Fearing their only daughter might starve, the couple entreated the Emperor to allow meals to be sent into the armory, and the Emperor granted their wish.
Thus, the prodigy of the Imperial Family and the girl destined to be the greatest beauty of all time vanished into the Imperial Armory.
Naturally, her existence began to fade from the memories of many.
Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa did not appear for ten long years.
However, there was an event that forced her back into the public eye.
It was during the military coup led by Prince Jin, the current Emperor’s half-brother.
Prince Jin, who had long coveted the throne, had been preparing a rebellion. He secretly gathered troops and won over ministers. Furthermore, he strengthened his forces by recruiting a rising power in the Murim known as the Northern Sword Sect.
He hid quietly beneath the surface, watching for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Because a transcendent powerhouse named Lee Yeon always remained by the Emperor’s side, Prince Jin had to be cautious—extremely cautious.
Then, one day, the opportunity he had been longing for finally arrived.
General Lee Yeon, known as the Sword of the Emperor and the First Sword of the Imperial Palace, led his army away to subjugate the northern tribes.
Upon hearing the news, Prince Jin immediately raised his banners and marched on the Imperial Palace.
A multitude of soldiers, the private armies of the subverted ministers, and the martial artists of the Northern Sword Sect all descended upon the palace, turning it into a scene of absolute carnage.
Blood flowed in rivers, and among it was the blood of the Imperial Family. Prince Jin himself took up a sword and scoured the palace to kill the Emperor. He had to finish everything before Lee Yeon returned.
However, he soon grew flustered. No matter how much he searched, the Emperor was nowhere to be found. His irritation mounted, soon turning into anxiety.
But then, he realized there was one place he hadn't checked.
The Imperial Armory.
The treasure vault of the Imperial Family, said to contain countless martial arts manuals from ancient times, elixirs, and peerless weapons.
The moment he thought of it, Prince Jin rushed there.
And there, he found him. He saw the Emperor, who had taken refuge inside.
Prince Jin burst into a thunderous laugh. Seeing the dignified Emperor hiding in the most remote corner of the palace like a frightened mouse made him laugh in spite of himself.
He was certain. The Emperor of this nation was about to change.
However, his certainty did not come to fruition.
All because of a woman standing beside the Emperor.
Prince Jin’s eyes widened. A woman of incredibly heterodox appearance stood in his path as he held his sword to kill the Emperor.
She was truly peculiar.
She possessed hair as red as a raging fire, red eyebrows, and crimson eyes—colors that no person of the Central Plains could ever naturally possess.
Moreover, her transcendent beauty was reminiscent of a goddess from myth. She was so beautiful that even Prince Jin, who was consumed by a lust for power, felt a surge of carnal desire.
Prince Jin swallowed hard and demanded she reveal her identity.
She replied.
She was Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa, who had disappeared into the Imperial Armory ten years ago.
Prince Jin stared at her in shock. The daughter of Prince Yeon, who had vanished into the armory a decade ago, had finally reappeared.
Soon, a lecherous glint began to sparkle in his eyes. He felt a foul desire for the exotic and alluring woman Gyeonghwa had become.
Prince Jin told her to step aside. If she did, he promised to take her as his concubine.
The woman looked at him with eyes full of contempt and gave a single wave of her hand.
In that instant, an indescribable agony began to coil around Prince Jin’s body. He screamed in sudden pain and looked down at himself.
He saw it. His entire body was on fire.
As Prince Jin shrieked, the warriors of the Northern Sword Sect who followed him tried desperately to extinguish the flames, but it was useless. Instead, the fire on Prince Jin’s body spread to the warriors, turning the surroundings into a sea of flames.
Before long, Prince Jin met his end, burned into a blackened husk. The ambitious man who had aimed for the throne died because of an entirely unexpected variable.
The Emperor was aghast at the sight of Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa. He had witnessed a sorcery-like feat where a person was set ablaze with a mere wave of a hand.
The Emperor looked at her and asked what kind of miracle this was.
Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa answered.
She had mastered the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art found within the Imperial Armory.
The Emperor was astonished.
The Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art.
If one were to ask the people of the world what the strongest Yang-type art was, many would answer that it was the Sun Heat Blazing Art, the secret technique of the Sun Divine Palace in the Great Desert.
Indeed, the Sun Heat Blazing Art was a martial art of such immense power that calling it the greatest Yang-type art was no exaggeration.
But was the Sun Heat Blazing Art as perfect and flawless when it was first created as it is now?
The answer was no.
No martial art can be perfect from its inception. Even if created by a Grandmaster of the highest realm, a martial art is bound to have flaws, and successors constantly refine it to compensate for those weaknesses. To reach a state of perfection, martial arts evolve over generations, developing through countless improvements.
The Sun Heat Blazing Art was no exception.
It had a source before it was refined, a legendary Yang-type art known as the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art.
This martial art, whose origins were unknown, belonged to a man known as the Flame Emperor, who was said to have burned half the continent in ancient times. Though he had no faction of his own, he was a legendary figure said to possess power equal to the military might of an entire nation.
This anecdote alone was enough to illustrate his strength.
The Flame Emperor took many disciples and passed down the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art, but if their constitutions were not a perfect match, they would burn to death. Thus, many disciples died from the art's side effects.
Then, one day, he found a child whose constitution was perfectly compatible with the art and raised him as his disciple. That child was Ouyang Gyeong, the first Palace Master of the Sun Divine Palace, also known as the Flame Emperor.
After receiving the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art, Ouyang Gyeong established the Sun Divine Palace in the Great Desert. Once things stabilized, he began to refine the art to offset its fatal flaw—the fact that only those with a specific constitution could learn it.
He made countless attempts, dedicating most of his life to refining the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art. As a result, in his later years, he created a peerless divine art called the Sun Heat Blazing Art.
While it lacked the terrifying, almost horrific power of the original Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art, it was modified so that those without the special constitution could still practice it.
From then on, the Sun Divine Palace developed its martial arts based on the Sun Heat Blazing Art created by Ouyang Gyeong, and it eventually came to be called the greatest Yang-type art in the present day.
Meanwhile, the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art, said to rival the power of a nation, was forgotten by history.
And yet, Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa had mastered such a dangerous art. How could the Emperor not be shocked?
The Emperor knew the secret history of the Flame Emperor, who was said to have burned half the land. It was a story often cited as a reason why the government should maintain a non-aggression pact with the Murim.
He couldn't help but be stunned. His darling granddaughter had mastered the most dangerous of martial arts.
Of course, Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa was indifferent to the Emperor’s reaction. She immediately charged into the palace and swept away the remnants of Prince Jin’s forces.
Among the remnants was the Master of the Northern Sword Sect, who had reached the Super-Peak Realm, but even he was incinerated by a single gesture of her hand.
Furthermore, she displayed the divine power of instantly extinguishing the fires consuming the Imperial Palace, earning the praise of many.
The Emperor commended her achievements and appointed her as General Geumo of the Senior Second Rank.
The prodigy of the Imperial Family had returned as the shield that protected the throne.
Many in the palace believed that with General Lee Yeon and Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa present, no one would ever dare to challenge the current Imperial Family again.