Chapter 183
Chapter 183
Chapter 183
The members of the raid team participating in this 60th floor expedition were four people: Ju Won-jae, Robert, Ha-yeon, and Yelena.
Following instructions that they must not be armed before the emperor, they disarmed all their weapons and handed them to the Brocade Guard warriors.
"What an enormous shield."
"And what about this bow?"
The Brocade Guard warriors examined the raid team's strangely shaped weapons from various angles with curiosity.
Afterward, the raid team was guided somewhere under the Brocade Guard warriors' tight surveillance.
They walked for a long time, moving somewhere through winding passages instead of the Hall of Respectful Heaven where the emperor conducted official business.
Kwaaaaak-!
A terrible scream echoed from far away.
Tension mounted even before arriving at the audience location.
"……."
Upon hearing someone's scream, Ha-yeon used her trait to detect the number and locations of the injured.
"Someone's hurt. Very badly."
Not just the numbers, but the severity of the injuries was tremendous too.
At Ha-yeon's words, Yelena shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Doesn't seem like combat broke out—looks more like torture in progress?"
There was no way combat would occur in the middle of an imperial palace boasting such tight security.
Moreover, there were no traces of battle like the sound of weapons clashing or mana fluctuating.
This should be seen as detecting a one-sided torture scene.
"Torture, how could……."
No sooner had Ha-yeon frowned.
Kwaaaaak-!
Once again, a terrible scream echoed.
But the Brocade Guard warriors reassured the raid team party as if such screams were familiar, without showing any particular reaction.
"There's nothing to worry about. His Majesty cherishes outstanding talent. Those being tortured now are only rebels who dared challenge the imperial authority and corrupt officials."
"……."
Ha-yeon had much to say to the Brocade Guard warrior's explanation but didn't bother opening her mouth.
Then, seeing Ha-yeon looking unconvinced, one of the Brocade Guard warriors subtly continued.
"However, His Majesty does not tolerate rudeness or recklessness, so please make efforts regarding your conduct in the imperial presence and think repeatedly before opening your mouth when speaking."
After that, he persuaded them with warnings to unconditionally obey the emperor's commands and words that there would be great rewards.
Listening to the Brocade Guard warrior's continued explanation while moving for a long time, the raid team party finally stood before the emperor.
Stomp stomp-.
Following the Brocade Guard warriors surrounding the party all taking their respects in unison, Brocade Guard Chiliarch Hyeon Muk knelt before a middle-aged man.
"This subject Hyeon Muk, following the Son of Heaven's command, opened the formation to summon warriors from another world. Their lives also belong to the empire, so their use will follow only Your Majesty's will."
"……."
At Hyeon Muk's report, the man in golden dragon robes who had been watching the moaning prisoners slowly turned his gaze.
Ju Won-jae briefly looked into that middle-aged man's eyes and assessed his character.
Goooo-.
The well-contained fighting spirit of a martial artist.
The dignity of a heroic figure leading countless people, and the subtle sage's energy submerged within it.
Simultaneously, an existence possessing the fierce wild nature that could never be hidden.
Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang.
Indeed, he was a being with the outstanding qualities to unify China.
Ju Won-jae withdrew his gaze from those eyes and respectfully paid his respects.
Zhu Yuanzhang swept his eyes over the foreigners and spoke quietly.
"Are you them, beings from another world?"
"That is correct."
Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze carefully examined the raid team party.
Clothing completely different from what Western Region people wore.
Appearances similar yet seemingly different from the Han people.
And even the mysterious energy that couldn't be felt from martial artists.
They were certainly unusual beings.
Though he hadn't had great expectations, as the Cult Leader said, they definitely seemed useful.
Among them, particularly noticeable was that black-haired man.
Though similar to himself, it was plainly visible that he harbored more sinister schemes.
Someone who would someday unfold his intentions, so he seemed difficult to use in important positions.
Just as Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze was about to move to the next person.
"Why is Your Majesty torturing other people?"
A woman who abruptly stood up and boldly threw out a question.
The Brocade Guard warriors hastily tried to restrain Ha-yeon, but Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand and stopped the warriors.
Then Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and asked Ha-yeon.
"Do you dare to question me?"
"That is correct. I do not know what crimes they committed, but such inhumane acts must stop."
Ha-yeon looked at the hundreds of prisoners sprawled before the emperor and the high officials watching them.
Whether they had received torture too terrible to describe in words, missing knee cartilage was common, and there were many whose skin had been flayed.
Though past ways of thinking differ from modern times and those punishments are cruel, to openly conduct such terrible acts on a large scale in the middle of the imperial palace.
She couldn't just stand by and watch.
Hearing Ha-yeon's protest, Zhu Yuanzhang closed his mouth, thinking something.
"……."
He could behead that woman right here and now.
'That boldness reminds me of the late Empress Ma.'
She too, while alive, had adamantly tried to stop the purging of founding contributors and excessive torture.
Sighing, Zhu Yuanzhang adjusted the jade belt at his waist instead of punishing her.
Swoosh-.
Then the torture executioners bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang and dragged the purge targets inside, disappearing.
Those who had been making terrible screams and moans disappeared, leaving only blood and flesh fragments in the empty space.
Zhu Yuanzhang quietly looked at Ha-yeon and parted his lips.
"The imperial authority and solemn laws must be established with blood. If I do not wield the sword, the realm will someday fall into chaos."
"You mean it's for the realm?"
"That is correct. The realm. If I can kill tens of thousands with my own hands to achieve the peace of tens of millions, I will always choose that path."
This was more a declaration than an answer. Not a simple excuse, but closer to revealing the principle by which he operates.
When Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking and gestured with his hand, the Brocade Guard warriors rushed forward in one step and prostrated before him.
"Give them a hall to stay in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And from tomorrow, assign them my tasks."
Ting-.
Along with Zhu Yuanzhang's words, a notification window appeared before their eyes.
[Entering World Quest.]
Thus began the first World Quest on the 60th floor.
***
"What on earth is going on?"
The raid team party who had their artifacts returned from the Brocade Guard and were staying in a guest hall.
Holy Knight Robert, ignorant of Eastern history as well as the martial arts genre, asked Ju Won-jae about the current situation.
Ju Won-jae briefly explained to the members gathered in one place.
"Nothing too special. Though the background is early Ming Dynasty China from the past, it doesn't follow that history exactly."
That's right. This place isn't inside history.
From the imperial warriors with tremendous skills to the emperor himself—none of them were ordinary humans.
They were all martial artists who accumulated energy in their lower energy centers and trained in martial arts.
So this 60th floor was probably a world based on the martial arts genre.
Compared to the unfamiliar worlds of other floors, it was a relatively familiar background, but that didn't change anything.
They just needed to clear the quest like they'd done until now.
"Leader. But the natives' skills were no joke, right? It might be dangerous if they swarm us in groups."
Yelena recalled the Brocade Guard warriors while maintaining her bow.
Though she could subdue them one by one, if hundreds or thousands at that level were mobilized along with imperial guards and government troops, it could truly be dangerous.
And the fact that the natives' average level was this high meant that in the case of irregulars, they might possess individual martial prowess difficult to estimate.
Moving recklessly like before seemed dangerous.
But Ju Won-jae dismissed Yelena's concern.
"Nothing to worry much about. As long as we perform well the quests the emperor gives, there'll be no problems 'for the time being.'"
Though he didn't know in detail, Ju Won-jae too had heard about Zhu Yuanzhang's vicious purges.
There were even estimates that the people he executed, including founding contributors along with their families and acquaintances, approached nearly 100,000.
They as Climbers wouldn't be exceptions either.
They should proceed with the World Quest appropriately, then branch off and escape the emperor's grasp.
"But…… I don't want to do this kind of quest."
Ha-yeon frowned while looking at the World Quest the emperor had given.
The quest he gave was a subjugation quest to eliminate specific families, powerful clans, and sects.
To call it nicely a quest—it was no different from assassination contract work.
"No, we can't simply dismiss it as dirty work. This is necessary work."
"This is necessary work? Those cruel punishments too?"
"Yes, exactly as the emperor explained. It's a kind of necessary evil to prevent greater harm."
Strict laws and terrible torture don't necessarily reduce crime rates.
However, in a chaotic period teeming with bandit gangs and heretical religions like the White Lotus Cult, with all sorts of warlords rising up.
At such times, the judicial system must be properly established and governed with solemn laws.
Moreover, though Zhu Yuanzhang was a founding monarch, he was a beggar monk without legitimacy.
Having risen to the emperor's position, Zhu Yuanzhang needed to firmly control existing powerful clans and authority figures.
The purge should be seen as part of that.
If imperial dignity fell, division would inevitably occur, and the unified empire would fall back into the chaos of war.
Then the common people would suffer many times more than those who died from torture and purges.
Though it could be said to be excessive, Ju Won-jae too thought such a purging process was absolutely necessary.
Ha-yeon still looked unconvinced, but Ju Won-jae wrapped up the situation.
"We'll begin the quest right away tomorrow. Rest comfortably."
***
"……That is why we were being pursued."
The old man who revealed his epithet as Medicine King, Danmok Hyeon, finished his explanation to Seo-jin's party.
Having heard the circumstances, Nam-gung Rin made a serious expression.
"If what you say is true, the situation seems more serious than we thought?"
"How could they commit such an immoral act!"
Nam-gung Cheon, also greatly indignant, glared at the corpses of the fallen Brocade Guard warriors.
The Brocade Guard executing large-scale purges by imperial command.
Not only were they eliminating founding contributors after unifying the realm, but they were also said to be extending their hands to martial world sects close to regional warlords.
Even if the martial world's non-interference with government was just a hollow rule, to think they'd enter full-scale purge operations by imperial command.
Seo-jin stroked his chin, lost in thought.
'Well, from the emperor's perspective, the martial world is a group that provides no help whatsoever.'
Nothing more nor less than private violent organizations entangled with powerful clans or warlords in each region.
Scoundrels who suck the common people's blood and gnaw away at grain and taxes that should go to the central government.
Though orthodox sects maintained public order in each region and performed positive roles in maintaining the system through poverty relief and charity work, they remained thorns in the side.
Not to mention the unorthodox sects.
Anyway, the explanation was that the Gongsun Family where the old man belonged had also become one of those purge targets.
The Gongsun Family had already suffered damage close to extermination, and while fleeing with surviving family members, they encountered the Brocade Guard.
After being lost in thought for a moment, Seo-jin asked the old man a few more questions.
"What are the other sects' reactions?"
"How many sects would dare to oppose the government? Most sects close to Nanjing chose submission. Except for the Nam-gung Family."
"They're right near the imperial palace—quite fearless."
"Yes, but even that isn't a completely reliable rumor. Their attitude is changing moment by moment. It's also said that within each sect, they're fiercely arguing over whether to submit."
There's no guarantee of survival even if they submit, and if they disband their armed organizations and cut off the martial lineage following imperial command, they can no longer function as a sect.
A choice between two options. Would they be purged and die, or give up everything and slowly disappear?
Even if the Nine Sects and One Association and all martial world families united to rebel against the imperial palace, they'd have difficulty opposing, yet in this situation they were moving scattered for individual survival.
It was natural for attitudes to continuously change facing the imperial purge.
Perhaps the moment the fleeing old man and girl reached the Nam-gung Family, they'd be immediately captured and handed over to the imperial palace.
But Seo-jin judged that something different was hidden in this imperial-led martial world oppression.
"Is there no other hidden secret? Like the true purpose of the purge?"
"……As far as this old man knows, there isn't."
Whether reluctant to answer or truly not knowing, the old man quietly shook his head.
Seeing that, Seo-jin decided not to press further. Instead.
"Good. That aside, old sir. Do you happen to know this martial art?"
Saying so, Seo-jin drew energy from his lower energy center and held Mixed Origin energy in his hand.