Chapter 503: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (137)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 503: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (137)
The tables turned in an instant. At the soldier's report, Jang Yun-gyeom's face went deathly pale, and the masters of the Celestial Sphere assembly immediately tried to flee.
At that moment, I quietly revealed myself and ambushed the fleeing masters.
-Slish!
“Kuhk… Jin Seo-yun…!”
“This is the first I’m seeing you, but you seem to know me quite well.”
Before I even finished speaking, my fist plunged into the man’s abdomen. I felt the crunch of breaking bones through my knuckles as he spat blood and flew backward.
A nobody who didn't even appear in the original story was no match for me.
In that instant, a teal aura swirled around my body. I was in a state of spirit fusion with Bi-yeon. The wind shimmering at my feet erupted with a deafening roar.
-Whoooosh!
Dozens of wind blades rained down from the sky, splitting open the backs of the fleeing soldiers across the basin and sending flesh and blood flying.
Without even a moment to scream, they collapsed, their backs pierced through.
“Hiiik…”
Jang Yun-gyeom’s legs had given out, and he was slumped on the ground. His earlier bravado was gone, his face filled with nothing but terror.
I took the jade tablet from my robes.
“I am Inspector Jin Seo-yun. Jang Yun-gyeom, I am arresting you for treason.”
At that, the last glimmer of hope vanished from Jang Yun-gyeom’s face.
“N-No… It’s a misunderstanding… I was just…”
“A misunderstanding?”
I sneered, glancing around at the fields of Innate Fragrance.
“You call this a misunderstanding in the face of all this evidence? The crime of attempting to poison His Majesty the Emperor, the crime of colluding with the Celestial Sphere assembly, the crime of deceiving the people… There are too many to count.”
“I-I’ll give you all my wealth. Please, just look the other way this once…?” Jang Yun-gyeom begged, falling to his knees.
“There’s no reason to show mercy to a traitor like you.”
With those words, I struck the nape of his neck, knocking him out cold. Dragging him back alive would be more effective than killing him.
A short while later, the deputy commander who had led the troops up the path approached me, panting.
“Lord Inspector! We have completed the encirclement!”
“Good work. Bind everyone here who’s still alive, and deal with the bodies of the dead separately.”
“Yes, sir!”
The deputy commander bowed and relayed my orders to the soldiers. Soon, the entire basin was being systematically secured.
*
I was on my knees, my head bowed before the Emperor. A cracked voice quietly echoed through the silent hall.
“Inspector Jin Seo-yun… raise your head…”
I slowly lifted my head and carefully studied the Emperor’s face.
“……”
His skin was sallow and cracked, his eyes dull and cloudy. He was a wreck, with none of the dignity of an emperor.
He’ll be dead soon.
I muttered to myself as I looked up at him. A mere shell, his body rotting away and his mind consumed by drugs. The prelude to the battle for the throne was about to begin.
As if sensing my gaze, the Emperor looked at me with his hazy eyes. He barely managed to ask in his raspy voice.
“…Is there… anything you desire…”
“This humble servant desires nothing. I only wish to serve Your Majesty… with all my loyalty.”
The Emperor mumbled the words as if chewing on them and nodded, his body slumping weakly.
“…Still… you have performed one great service after another… it is only right that you be rewarded…”
The Emperor’s hand trembled as he fumbled for the small desk beside the Dragon Throne. The Chief Eunuch quickly came to his side and supported him.
“Your Majesty, please do not overexert yourself.”
“No… rewarding a loyal subject… is the duty of a monarch…”
The Emperor barely managed to sit up and looked at me.
“Jin Seo-yun… I hereby appoint you… Commander of the Imperial Guard…”
Even the Chief Eunuch standing beside him couldn’t hide his surprise. The Commander of the Imperial Guard was a key position in the defense of the Imperial Palace.
The reward is more generous than I expected.
Honestly, even I hadn’t expected to be given such a high office.
“It is an undeserved honor, Your Majesty.”
“It is not… undeserved… for your service in annihilating… the traitors…” the Emperor mumbled, forcing a weak smile.
“However… I have… one request…”
“You need only speak it, Your Majesty.”
“Bring me… a medicine that will save… my life…”
His voice began to tremble, and the trembling soon turned into a furious madness.
“I… cannot die like this…! I am not yet…!”
Suddenly, the Emperor shot to his feet, violently snatching the sword from an officer standing nearby. Then, as if he had lost his mind, he began swinging it wildly.
“Was it you…! Was it you who dared to poison me?!”
The palace attendants screamed and scattered in all directions. One eunuch collapsed, bleeding. The great hall descended into pandemonium.
The Emperor’s eyes were crazed. With a sword in his hand, he was no longer the ruler of a nation, but a mad old man in the grip of death.
“Your Majesty, please calm yourself!”
“I’ll kill you all! All of you who wish to harm me, I’ll kill you all!”
The other civil and military officials didn’t dare approach, holding their breath in fear.
I moved behind the Emperor and grabbed his wrist. The sword clattered to the floor, and the Emperor fell helplessly to his knees.
“Kuhk…! How dare… even you… dare to…”
“Your Majesty.”
I spoke to the Emperor with my head bowed.
“Please, calm yourself. This is merely a measure to ensure Your Majesty’s well-being.”
The Emperor stared at me with his cloudy eyes and mumbled.
“I… don’t want to die… The medicine… bring me the medicine…”
Now seems like the right time.
With my back to the officials, I slowly took a pill from my inventory. It looked like a simple, small pill. But inside was the antidote for the Innate Fragrance, painstakingly created amidst the Blazing Flames of the Battlefield.
It hadn’t been easy at first. The plant didn’t exist in the world of the Blazing Battlefield, and its chemical structure was unfamiliar and difficult to analyze. But that was a future centuries ahead in technology. After pouring in manpower and resources, I had finally perfected the antidote.
Of course, it wasn’t a pure antidote. In fact… it could just as well be called a more subtle, more lethal drug.
It’ll be perfect to use him as a puppet while he’s still alive.
I forced the Emperor’s jaw open and fed him the pill.
Only then did the officials cry out.
“What are you doing! How dare you give His Majesty an unknown…”
“Calm yourselves.”
I stood up calmly and addressed the officials.
“This is an antidote that neutralizes the poison. It should alleviate His Majesty’s condition.”
A moment later, the Emperor’s breathing began to stabilize. A bit of color returned to his face.
“H-How… my body…”
The Emperor looked down at his own hands in surprise. The trembling was subsiding.
“Your Majesty, how do you feel?”
“Good… much better… Jin Seo-yun, you… you saved me…”
The surrounding officials murmured amongst themselves. They hadn’t expected the Emperor, who had been in the throes of madness just moments before, to recover so quickly.
Perfect.
Now the Emperor would become even more dependent on me.
But the true effect of the medicine I gave him was only just beginning. While it did neutralize the toxins of the Innate Fragrance, it was also a substance that created a new dependency. The Emperor would be unable to live without this drug, and I was the sole supplier.
“Jin Seo-yun…” the Emperor said, grabbing my hand.
“If it weren’t for you… I truly would have…”
“You praise me too highly, Your Majesty. However, you must continue to take this antidote to prevent the toxins from accumulating again.”
“Then… you will continue to manage it for me…”
“I will obey your command.”
I bowed my head deeply in a show of respect. Then, as if hesitating, I carefully continued.
“One more thing, Your Majesty.”
“…Speak.”
“There is a possibility that remnants of the Celestial Sphere assembly and other traitors are still hiding throughout the palace. For the safety of the royal family, may I personally oversee their protection?”
A flicker of anxiety crossed the Emperor’s eyes. Though he had escaped his earlier madness, his mind was still not entirely sound.
“Yes… you must… Those bastards from the Celestial Sphere assembly… daring to even enter the palace…”
The Emperor stared into space for a moment, then gave a weak nod.
All the conditions were now in place.
Now then, I wonder what the Emperor’s cocksleeves taste like.
*
After the audience with the Emperor ended, Joo Cheong-un called me aside.
“You… if you had such a secret plan, shouldn’t you have given me a heads-up?”
To Joo Cheong-un, who sounded slightly sulky, I made a suitable excuse.
“My apologies. I originally intended to tell you right after seeing His Majesty… but as you saw, his condition was so severe that the situation did not allow for it.”
“Ahem… well, it can’t be helped. More importantly, you did an excellent job with this. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time… before I ascend the throne.”
Watching Joo Cheong-un fantasize about becoming emperor, I suppressed a laugh.
“Before that day comes, it would be best to clean out the traitors within the palace. I… will take care of that.”
“Mm, I can trust you with that. By the way, are you going to see Yeon-hwa right away?”
“Yes, it’s time I spent some time with Her Highness.”
“Haha, yes, go and have a good time with Yeon-hwa.”
“Then, I will take my leave.”
After parting with Joo Cheong-un, I headed straight for the detached palace where Joo Yeon-hwa was staying.
When I arrived, Hong Seo-rin was waiting for me at the gate.
“Welcome.”
“Seo-rin, have you been well?”
“I was lonely for a while without you.”
“I missed you too.”
“But… Seo-yun. There are more women than I thought.”
“Does that bother you?”
“…I’m not bothered, just worried my turn will be delayed.”
“Come on, you know my stamina.”
As I thrusted my hips back and forth, Hong Seo-rin’s face flushed.
“Ahem, there are other people here. Let’s go inside.”
“Yes.”
Upon entering, I saw Joo Yeon-hwa enjoying tea and snacks with my other women.
“You’re here.”
Joo Yeon-hwa was the first to spot me. She stood up with a welcoming smile.
“Your Highness. It is a pleasure to see you after so long.”
I approached her and bowed slightly. She puffed out her cheeks and said playfully.
“Master, it feels strange when you’re so formal. Please act like you usually do.”
“Should I? It’s been a while, Yeon-hwa. Have you been taking good care of your pussy?”
When I asked with a grin, Joo Yeon-hwa blushed but smiled lewdly and whispered in my ear.
“Hehe, look at this. I’ve been doing the exercises you taught me and training hard in martial arts…”
She lowered her head slightly and twisted her body to emphasize her waist and hips.
“…My figure has gotten much better than before. And…”
Her gaze changed. With flushed cheeks, Joo Yeon-hwa curved her lips into a soft smile and said.
“Seo-rin and I… trained every night by rubbing our pussies together♡”
At her words, Hong Seo-rin, who was standing beside her, added.
“We competed every night to see who was a better fit for Master’s cock.”
“Yeah. We got on top of each other, rotated our hips… we trained very hard. You’ll have to see for yourself, won’t you, Master?”
Joo Yeon-hwa looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes and gently lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands. Beneath it, the flesh of her pussy was starkly revealed, wearing nothing at all.
“You’ve gotten even lewder since I last saw you.”
Joo Yeon-hwa shyly lowered her head, then pressed close to my ear and whispered.
“I missed your cock so much, Master…♡ Every night, Seo-rin and I licked each other and imagined it. ‘When will he stick it in us again,’ we wondered…”
“I’ll stick it in you all you want tonight, so be ready.”
“I’m already getting excited…♡”