120. Money? Just Borrow It!
The next day, as soon as the transport ship arrived in Jeoguk, Yeop Hyeon headed straight for the imperial palace.
The moment he passed through the palace gates, an envoy from Kanguk came out to greet him.
A frail old man bowed hastily upon seeing Yeop Hyeon.
"Greetings, National Scholar Yeop. We've prepared a feast in your honor, so if you'll just follow me..."
Yeop Hyeon waved him off, cutting him short.
"No time for that. Take me to the Jeoguk imperial palace first!"
The old man nodded frantically and led the way to the palace.
Yeop Hyeon and the old man arrived before the grand hall, but for a full half hour, not a single soul peeked out to acknowledge them.
Sensing something off, Yeop Hyeon turned to the old man, who was sweating bullets.
"I... I have no idea what's going on either..."
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon remembered something and pulled a jade plaque from his bosom. Just then, a woman emerged from outside the hall.
Clad in a pale yellow skirt, her long hair cascaded to her shoulders, and her curvaceous figure was utterly alluring.
Yeop Hyeon's face changed in an instant.
"You... how... how are you here?!"
The woman before him was the very one he'd first surrendered his innocence(?) to in the forest—the same woman in the black robe.
Cheok Bal-eon approached him wordlessly.
Yeop Hyeon switched to a grave expression and shouted,
"This is the Jeoguk imperial palace! I'm on very close terms with your lord, so don't try anything reckless. If you pull any funny business... ahem... you know what I mean?"
"..."
Cheok Bal-eon stared at his face with an impassive look.
When the old man beside Yeop Hyeon tried to introduce her in a panic, Cheok Bal-eon stopped him.
"Let him keep talking!"
"..."
"Huh? Keep what up? Ahem, anyway, what do you think?"
Yeop Hyeon didn't let his guard down for a second. He hadn't forgotten the terrifying power of the woman before him.
"What do I think? What do you think I am?"
"Well... that time..."
In that instant, Cheok Bal-eon's hand shot out.
Bam!
With tremendous force, Yeop Hyeon's body was hurled back several zhang.
The old man watching had his jaw drop in shock.
Sudden attack out of nowhere? What the hell is going on?!
"You can go now!"
At Cheok Bal-eon's venomous tone, the old man fled the hall without a word. Helping Yeop Hyeon further was beyond his pay grade.
Once the old man was gone, Cheok Bal-eon turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Impressive! You've made no small gains in such a short time!"
Yeop Hyeon clenched his fist and shot back,
"You... back then, that happened because you attacked me first. You gonna nitpick morals now?!"
"Ha! Morals? In this world, isn't a fist the law and morals themselves? Or are you..."
Before she could finish, Yeop Hyeon was suddenly in front of her, unleashing a powerful fist straight at her face.
Cheok Bal-eon smirked coldly and raised her palm to meet it squarely.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning shot from her palm.
Boom!
Struck by the overwhelming force, Yeop Hyeon was sent skidding back over five zhang. Not only that, but currents surged through his entire arm, numbing it.
"Shall we call it here?"
Yeop Hyeon, glaring silently, suddenly kicked off the ground and leaped forward.
Thud!
The earth cracked as his figure reappeared right before Cheok Bal-eon.
And then—another fist!
This one carried fist momentum and battle intent!
Even more powerful than before.
Yet Cheok Bal-eon extended one arm forward indifferently. In an instant, countless currents from her right hand wove a net around Yeop Hyeon's fist.
Crack!
Currents exploded outward.
At the same time, the battle intent and momentum in Yeop Hyeon's fist dissolved into the electricity, which then flooded his entire body.
As Yeop Hyeon recoiled in shock, Cheok Bal-eon's hand seized his fist. Her foot rocketed toward his groin!
No! One hit there and I'm done for—no heirs!
With unprecedented desperation, Yeop Hyeon stomped the ground hard.
Boom!
A strand of sword intent surged from within him. As the mighty sword intent emerged, the restraining currents vanished in a flash. With his right hand finally free, Yeop Hyeon thrust it forward with all his might.
Thud!
Cheok Bal-eon staggered back a few steps from the blow.
Yeop Hyeon pressed the attack without mercy, launching another furious fist at her.
This strike held everything he had.
Against someone far stronger, holding back was suicide.
For the first time, seriousness flickered in Cheok Bal-eon's eyes.
She realized Yeop Hyeon's fist was no joke.
Cheok Bal-eon clenched her fist swiftly. Currents enveloped it, and at the same moment, countless bolts spread forward from beneath her feet!
As Yeop Hyeon's fist arrived, Cheok Bal-eon narrowed her eyes and unleashed her own punch.
Might against might!
Boom!
Countless currents erupted between their fists like an explosion, hurling Yeop Hyeon back over ten zhang. Burn marks dotted his arm vividly.
Cheok Bal-eon was pushed back too—but only two zhang. No doubt about it: Yeop Hyeon had lost this clash.
Yeop Hyeon shook out his tingling arm and furrowed his brows.
This much commotion, and not a single spectator? Something was seriously fishy.
"You're no ordinary woman!"
Cheok Bal-eon shouted with a blank face,
"Draw your sword!"
Yeop Hyeon hesitated.
"Haha, come on, no need to go that far between folks who've shared a night together, right? Let's sit down and talk for a bit..."
Right then, a bolt of lightning hurtled toward Yeop Hyeon.
Infused with heaven and earth's power, it reduced everything it grazed to ash.
Facing this, Yeop Hyeon could dawdle no longer. In a flash, the Spirit Water Sword appeared in his grasp. Then, a sword gleam flashed through the hall!
Sword intent and battle intent! The dual intents exploded in a ferocious sword momentum.
This wasn't One Sword Determines Life and Death. But it rocketed forward with earth-shaking might all the same, upheaving the ground.
Finally, sword gleam clashed with lightning!
Boom!
The earth-shattering explosion sent both figures flying dozens of zhang.
The area before them was a scorched wasteland.
The Spirit Water Sword thrashed wildly in Yeop Hyeon's hand, spewing endless sword awns. Across from him, Cheok Bal-eon stared coldly, expressionless.
At that moment, a troop of soldiers appeared, surrounding them airtight.
Yeop Hyeon sidled up to Cheok Bal-eon and whispered,
"Hey, you're in deep shit now!"
A jade plaque materialized in Yeop Hyeon's hand.
The soldiers faltered at the sight, then dropped to one knee in unison, shouting,
"We greet the National Scholar!"
National Scholar! Below one man, above all others!
Second only to the lord himself!
Yeop Hyeon nodded smugly and pointed at Cheok Bal-eon triumphantly.
"Throw that wench in prison—now!"
The hall fell deathly silent.
Seeing the soldiers' bizarre looks, Yeop Hyeon brandished the plaque.
"This worthless?"
"..."
Cheok Bal-eon stepped forward and said,
"Your growth rate truly defies common sense."
Yeop Hyeon asked gravely,
"Who the hell are you?"
"Haha, what do you think?"
Yeop Hyeon wasn't stupid—he'd already guessed the woman before him was no ordinary figure.
He didn't know the Jeoguk lord's name, but he knew it was a woman.
And one unfazed by the National Scholar Token? No way...
Cheok Bal-eon!
Yeop Hyeon's expression grew complicated. Was this woman really Jeoguk's lord?!
Cheok Bal-eon eyed him.
"That's enough for today. Off you go!"
As she turned to leave, Yeop Hyeon mumbled awkwardly and followed. She glanced back.
"What?"
Yeop Hyeon said heavily,
"I'm here today representing Kanguk for negotiations with Jeoguk."
"Hmph, no need to worry. Jeoguk has no interest in your childish games!"
Yeop Hyeon felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He said,
"I have something important to discuss."
"Don't tell me you're asking us to ally and save your Kanguk?"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"The enemy states uniting to attack Kanguk is a huge challenge for us. But flip it around, and it's a golden opportunity. Get what I'm saying?"
Cheok Bal-eon met his eyes squarely.
"Jeoguk has no intention of getting dragged into this war."
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"Got it. I'll head out then."
As he turned to leave, Cheok Bal-eon blocked him.
"There's a mercenary band of twelve Penetrating Nether Realm peak experts on Qingzhou's borders. If you've got the coin, hiring them wouldn't be a bad idea."
"How much coin...?"
"At least a hundred million taels of gold."
A hundred million taels of gold?!
Yeop Hyeon's jaw nearly hit the floor. Way too pricey!
Far beyond what he could afford.
"Expensive? Sure, but they're worth every bit. And if they side with the enemy states... Kanguk's in for a world of hurt."
Yeop Hyeon sighed.
"But I don't have that kind of money."
"Money? Just borrow it."
She's offering a loan?
Yeop Hyeon blinked in confusion.
"Borrow from who? You?"
"Not impossible. But I'd want collateral."
Cheok Bal-eon suddenly scanned Yeop Hyeon up and down.
"That treasure absorbing earth vein power—you've got it on you, right?"
Earth vein power! The Dochik!
Does she sense the Dochik's power?
Yeop Hyeon feigned ignorance calmly.
"No clue what you're talking about. Anyway, since Jeoguk's staying out, I'll be off. See ya!"
As Yeop Hyeon walked away, Cheok Bal-eon watched his back with cold eyes.
Then, an old man and an old woman approached her. The old man murmured lowly,
"We don't know why they're making such a big move, but Kanguk's in for heavy losses either way."
Cheok Bal-eon closed her eyes slowly.
"Send people to gather intel on everything around us!"
"Understood!"
After the old man vanished, Yeop Hyeon—who they'd thought gone—poked his head back in.
As Cheok Bal-eon looked puzzled, he sidled up and whispered sheepishly,
"Hey... you wouldn't happen to be... y'know... pregnant or anything, right?"
"..."