Chapter 266
Chapter 266
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: Noble Person (3)
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The young general, who appeared to be in his thirties, froze in his tracks at the sight of the little prince's actions, and my expression hardened as well.
At that moment, Yin Xia Lian hurriedly grabbed my sleeve and sent a transmission.
[No.]
[What's that supposed to mean?]
[No matter what it is.]
She seemed worried that I might start a fight with the young general right in front of us.
[Do you think I'd pick a fight with some mere company flag bearer just before an audience with His Highness the Crown Prince?]
[Just in case.]
The young general's actions weren't entirely incomprehensible.
There are protocols for such meetings.
We had received permission for the audience on paper, but that was followed by identity verification and a search of our belongings.
However, the little prince had come rushing out, skipping all those procedures.
From the guards' perspective, it was shocking, but they couldn't lay hands on the prince's person carelessly.
So, they must have ordered us to step back.
Anyone coming with good intentions to meet the Crown Prince would understand.
But the expected apology wasn't forthcoming.
Soon, an elderly steward with a dignified air approached us and offered a clasped-fist salute.
"My apologies. It was so sudden that the young man over there was rude. What are you doing, Yang Company Flag? Apologize properly! These are His Highness's guests!"
At the elder's stern shout, the young general reluctantly nodded.
That wasn't the apology I wanted.
The young general's eyes still held a look of dissatisfaction.
I called him out on it.
"Got a problem with me?"
"Yeah."
The atmosphere grew a bit strange at his blunt response.
Just then, a eunuch-like figure came running up and announced,
"His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Princess Consort arrive!"
Immediately, about ten warriors snapped to attention by the gate.
Following them came a plump middle-aged man with sharp, piercing eyes, accompanied by a beautiful noblewoman.
- Those must be the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort.
'Seems like it.'
I'd seen Yin Xia Lian's father, called the king of the southern merchants, and the father of Namgung Yun, the young heir of the Namgung family, hailed as the world's greatest clan.
The aura of prosperity they exuded was anything but ordinary.
Yet, compared to the noble bearing radiating from the approaching couple, it would seem like mere chicken blood.
Those two were surely the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort.
"We pay our respects to His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Princess Consort!"
Sure enough, the Murim Alliance Leader promptly spoke in a posture of perfect propriety.
My brother and I followed suit, raising our voices.
"We pay our respects to His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Princess Consort!!!"
The Crown Prince smiled warmly as he acknowledged the greeting, then addressed the Alliance Leader.
"Lord Gonghon, it's been a while."
"Yes, Your Highness. But why come all the way out here? We would have come to you."
"I heard a commotion when an esteemed guest was due to arrive, so I came out."
With that opener, the Crown Prince turned to the elder from moments ago with a stern tone.
"Chief Steward Seok, report everything that happened without omission."
The one called Chief Steward Seok saluted militarily and began.
"Chief Steward Seok Sung reporting fully. Before we could finish verifying the guests, word came that the young heroes His Little Highness admires had arrived, so he rushed out. Company Leader Yang Jin-mu then rudely thrust his spear shaft at the guests to protect His Little Highness."
The Crown Prince's stern gaze turned to the little prince.
"Prince."
"...Yes, Father."
"Do you know how many people your actions have put in a difficult position?"
The little prince looked deflated as he replied,
"I troubled the guests you sought, the warriors of the Crown Prince's residence, and Father and Mother."
It seemed like a clever answer, but the Crown Prince shook his head.
"Is your father some woodcutter from the countryside?"
"No, he is not."
"Who are these guests?"
"The Murim Alliance Leader and the disciples of the Righteous Martial Academy."
"What if this creates a rift between the imperial court and the martial world? Your actions may have been thoughtless, but their consequences could trouble not just those here, but His Majesty above and the myriad people of the realm below."
"...I apologize."
The little prince's face looked ready to burst into big teardrops like a chick.
Yet the Crown Prince continued sternly,
"That is the conduct expected of imperial blood."
'Is that what they call the bearing of a sovereign?'
He wasn't even a proper martial artist, nor raising his voice, yet the pressure was immense.
It must come from bearing the world in his heart.
- This Crown Prince isn't just some imperial rice husk; he's a true giant.
'Indeed. They say he's the current emperor's most favored royal. I can see why.'
As Master and I marveled at the Crown Prince's demeanor,
the Princess Consort embraced the little prince's shoulders and spoke.
"Prince, if you cry here, how do you think your father will feel? And what will your beloved Little Dragon Hero think? Show some composure."
"...Sniff. Yes."
"You must apologize to the guests and the residence warriors as well."
"...I'm sorry, everyone."
The little prince held back tears and offered a clasped-fist salute with his small hands.
With that, the Crown Prince also offered an apology.
"I assigned a straightforward fellow to watch over my wild prince. My apologies."
The Alliance Leader and we all returned the courtesy in unison toward the Crown Prince and his son.
"We are deeply grateful."
An imperial scion who checked his own conduct despite his heavenly status and didn't hesitate to bow his head.
This boded well for a fine connection.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After the commotion at the gate settled,
we followed the Crown Prince couple to the banquet hall.
The hall featured dishes crafted by imperial chefs seasoned in royal cuisine.
The presentations on the plates formed shapes of dragons, phoenixes, black turtles, and white tigers, bordering on artwork.
The taste went without saying.
Even Yin Ha-seong, raised in the lap of luxury by the Silver Radiance Merchant Group, was purely thrilled by the food.
"It melts in your mouth. Wow... Cheon Jang-ho would've lost his mind if he'd come with us."
Wu So-rung, who had been trembling like he was about to be dragged off at first, didn't stop with his chopsticks.
"He might beat the ground in regret if we tell him."
At the word "regret," Master chimed in.
- ...Regret, huh. Come to think of it, you lured me here saying Yong-un would enjoy the fine dining.
'...I'll somehow snag a bottle of liquor for you.'
- Two.
'Two.'
After soothing Master like that, I quietly addressed the one sluggishly picking at his food.
"Dang Ok-gi, why are you just nibbling? Afraid it's poisoned?"
"Ack. Don't jinx it. The food's just too sweet for my taste. No spice at all."
Yin Xia Lian, sitting nearby, asked me,
"By the way, what connection does the Alliance Leader have with His Highness? At first, I thought they just knew each other as Murim Alliance Leader and such, but it seems closer. His Highness apologized personally earlier."
"I'm not sure of the details. Something from their youth. Apparently, His Highness couldn't swim and fell in the water, and the Alliance Leader saved him."
"Prime Celestial Venerable. His Highness is renowned for his character, but even accounting for that, the hospitality seemed excessive—turns out it's a life debt."
It was then that the Crown Prince, sharing drinks with the Alliance Leader at the head table, called me over.
"Little Dragon Hero. Come pour me a cup."
How could I refuse?
I approached the Crown Prince.
At the gate earlier, things were chaotic, and the Alliance Leader had represented us, so this was our proper introduction.
I offered another formal salute to the Crown Prince.
"Eon Yong-un of the Pearl Eon Family pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince smiled warmly again as he accepted.
"Pleased to meet you. Yong-un of the Eon family. As you saw, our prince is quite taken with you."
At that, the little prince seated to the Crown Prince's left flushed red.
I chuckled and offered humble words.
"The tales of the world are much exaggerated. For both Your Highness and Her Highness to view me favorably leaves me at a loss."
"Hahaha. The prince likes you so much that I looked into your deeds myself. You seem like a bold one. In person, you appear impeccably upright... Does that boldness only target villains?"
Laughing heartily, the Crown Prince turned to Lord Gonghon.
"Alliance Leader, do you see this young man as your successor?"
"I merely wished to introduce a promising junior to Your Highness."
"That's the same thing. You, who never contacts me first without my letter, now bring a young man you want me to meet—that means successor."
"I didn't want to burden Your Highness with a shallow connection..."
"No need for embarrassment. Come, Yong-un of the Eon family. Drink this cup I pour."
With that, the Crown Prince filled a cup and had the nearby eunuch pass it to me.
After downing the cup, the Crown Prince's gaze shifted to Yang Jin-mu, standing behind the little prince.
"Yang Company Flag."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Come stand before me for a moment."
"Yes."
As Yang Jin-mu stood beside me,
the Crown Prince stroked his chin and said,
"Eon Yong-un of the Eon family is the treasured prodigy of our Lord Gonghon's righteous martial world, and Yang Company Flag is the treasure of our Crown Prince's residence. But it feels like the first button is sewn wrong."
The Crown Prince hadn't witnessed the tense moment between us, yet he said this.
'Well, he's a survivor of Beijing's intrigues with a title to show for it—his insight can't be ordinary.'
As I thought that,
the Crown Prince continued,
"I hope your relationship smooths over. But before sharing a drink, you must clear the air. To me, it seems the Little Dragon Hero held back. Yang Company Flag, why did you act that way?"
"I apologize for causing concern."
"I want to hear not just the apology, but why. That wasn't like you. How can I entrust the prince to you?"
"His Little Highness is so enamored with the Little Dragon Hero, but the tales in that Little Dragon Hero's Gallant Records are all implausible... I grew suspicious. No one just past twenty could have such wisdom, courage, and prowess—not in a million imperial guards."
In short, he thought I was a fraud.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Crown Prince's face, who had been trying to mediate.
Of course—he hadn't expected such blunt honesty.
'Not just straightforward—stubborn as a mule.'
This type only learns by tasting shit or bean paste firsthand.
I looked at the Crown Prince and spoke.
"I am no great man worthy of the prince's admiration. But as a martial artist, Yang Company Flag's words stir my competitive spirit. It's a fine day for it, no? If permitted, I'd like to spar with him."
If that's his wish, let him taste it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Crown Prince and Alliance Leader were taken aback by the unexpected turn.
But when I insisted calmly that I wanted to spar with Yang Jin-mu, both nodded.
The residence had a training ground, so preparations were done in a blink once we moved.
Thud.
Yang Jin-mu, facing me on the training ground, stamped his spear shaft on the ground and said,
"Don't hold it against me even if I make a fool of you here. You're the one behind that gazette, right?"
"Explaining division of labor would be too complex... and you wouldn't get it anyway. Save your chatter."
Shing—
I drew Regret with those words.
Yang Jin-mu twirled his spear into a reverse grip, kicked off the ground, and charged.
Scree! Thrust! Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!
The spear tips stabbing in simultaneously created the illusion of six arms.
- Yang Family Spear Art! One of those Xiangran Hall guys used something similar before, but this one's near perfection.
'I feel it too, Master!'
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang!
A spear master versed in the Yang Family Spear Art freely shifted hand positions on the shaft for endlessly varied attacks.
When one fully grasped the essence and unleashed spear flowers with family heart method, it resembled pear blossoms scattering in scenery—hence, Pear Blossom Spear.
Scree! Thrust! Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!
And that's exactly how it felt now.
Both at peak transcendent realm, our reaction speeds matched closely.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Craaang!!
With greater reach than Regret, he freely varied thrust depth, closing and opening distance.
'Tricky when advancing, but retreats feel several times faster than actual speed?'
But it was manageable.
I had a secret art to overwhelm his advantage instantly.
I immediately channeled Heaven-Splitting energy into my Blood Wheel.
Thump—
Feeling my heartbeat quicken, I grinned.