Have You Ever Thought About the People?
Inside the imperial palace.
No one dared make a sound.
Whether Danguk soldiers or warriors, none stirred from their spots.
To kill a nation's lord so easily! Hadn't they just been negotiating moments ago?
To outright kill the opponent just because his proposal wasn't going smoothly?
The singular emotion gripping the Danguk people was rage!
This situation was an unbearable humiliation for them!
Thus, some hot-blooded Danguk warriors began encircling Yeop Hyeon and his group, and a few charged in without fear.
Right then, Yeop Hyeon and Yuk Ban-jang vanished from their spots.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Swoosh-!
Sounds of shattering and slicing echoed through the hall several times before Yeop Hyeon and the others reappeared in their original positions. And just like that, over a dozen more corpses littered the floor.
The warriors who had charged at Yeop Hyeon were all slain in an instant.
Seeing those corpses perish so futilely, the remaining warriors found their feet rooted in place.
‘Too strong!’
Yeop Hyeon promptly raised his sword, pointing it at the Danguk royals standing off to one side.
“Anyone want to be the nation's lord?”
At that moment, an old man in black robes stepped forward to block Yeop Hyeon's path. Two sabers were faintly visible on his back.
A Myriad Laws Realm expert.
There were two such experts in the hall. One was Danguk's national preceptor, and the other was this black-robed elder now before Yeop Hyeon.
“So, you've finally run out of patience?”
Yeop Hyeon had sensed the man's killing intent from the moment he set foot in the palace.
The black-robed elder glared fiercely at Yeop Hyeon, and the two sabers on his back trembled violently.
Just then, Yuk Gwang snorted from behind.
“Trying to crush us with raw power, eh!?”
With those words, Yuk Gwang moved to stand beside Yeop Hyeon. Clutching his own saber, he declared,
“In Jungto Sinju, the most despised act is for us old fogies to bully young warriors with brute force. If you insist on stepping in, I'll have no choice but to summon a Myriad Laws Realm powerhouse from Jungto Sinju myself.”
Neung Han and the others nodded in agreement.
In truth, each of them had at least one Myriad Laws Realm expert backing them.
But Jungto Sinju had one ironclad unwritten rule: the elder generation never meddled in the affairs of the young. For a senior to strike at juniors far their junior was an act worthy of universal scorn.
Moreover, with so many colossal factions in Jungto Sinju, what began as a squabble among youths could erupt into full-scale war between sects. That was why everyone tacitly upheld this taboo.
Of course, in a backwater like Qingzhou, such rules weren't enforced strictly. The issue was that Yuk Ban-jang and her crew hailed from Jungto Sinju itself.
And their backings were far from ordinary.
The moment a Myriad Laws Realm expert laid a hand on them, it'd be like kicking a hornet's nest.
Not even behemoths like Changmok Academy or Amgye could afford that lightly—let alone a minor nation like Danguk.
The black-robed elder's face grew darker by the moment.
He realized this wasn't just between them and Yeop Hyeon anymore—figures from Jungto Sinju were now entangled.
Strictly speaking, it was more accurate to say Danguk had the misfortune of getting dragged into the mess stirred by Changmok Academy and Amgye.
“Sigh... Who is there to blame...”
Muttering that, the black-robed elder turned and departed the hall.
Now, only the national preceptor elder remained as Danguk's lone Myriad Laws Realm powerhouse.
Morale in the Danguk camp shattered further.
Yeop Hyeon bellowed at the imperial figures.
“No one's stepping up?”
Right then, a young man emerged from the royals. His face showed not a speck of fear as he shouted at Yeop Hyeon.
“I am Danguk's crown prince!”
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
“Will you come to Gangguk?”
“Ha! What's so difficult about that? But mark my words—this humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold one day...”
The young man's voice cut off abruptly.
His head had vanished mid-sentence.
The Danguk royals turned ashen, watching the crown prince's head sail through the air, spraying blood.
Yeop Hyeon casually flicked his wrist, shaking the blood from Spirit Water Sword.
“Unfortunately, it looks like you won't have that ‘one day.’”
Yeop Hyeon roared again at the terrified royals.
“Alright, this time I hope someone with a brain steps forward!”
In truth, Yeop Hyeon had no intention of slaughtering every last royal.
If the Danguk imperial house fell, it wouldn't benefit Gangguk.
Without them, clans and warlords across Danguk would rise in rebellion, potentially splintering the land under rival banners. Far better to install a puppet lord for control.
With the imperial family intact, warlords would hesitate to revolt. And if they did, Gangguk's forces could crush them under Danguk's own name.
A bit of a hassle for Yeop Hyeon, but no better alternative. Wiping out the royals here meant facing the legions outside the palace—nothing good would come of that.
Besides, Yeop Hyeon had no desire to lose more comrades.
Neung Han and the others' wounds from recent battles were no joke. He wanted them out of here as safely as possible.
Just then, a boy stepped forward from the royals. Around fifteen years old, he was visibly terrified but clenched his teeth and approached Yeop Hyeon.
“I'll go.”
Yeop Hyeon asked,
“Your name?”
“Tang Mok.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
“From this moment, you are Danguk's lord.”
Yeop Hyeon then pointed his sword tip at the royals and bellowed,
“If anyone else wants to be lord, step up now.”
No one else moved.
“Then, no objections.”
Yeop Hyeon stepped closer to the boy Tang Mok.
“Let's head to Gangguk. Your safety is guaranteed—rest easy!”
The boy nodded.
“Very well!”
Yeop Hyeon turned to the Danguk soldiers and shouted,
“Remember this—the new lord just saved your worthless lives!”
The soldiers stayed mute.
Yeop Hyeon turned to Yuk Gwang.
“Brother Yuk, I hate to impose, but please escort him safely to Gangguk.”
Yuk Gwang considered, then nodded.
“Fine.”
And so, Yeop Hyeon and his group exited the palace with the newly minted Danguk lord Tang Mok in tow. Yeop Hyeon ordered a few Danguk troops to accompany him.
No one barred their way out of Hwangseong.
Yeop Hyeon had finally returned to Gangguk.
He glanced back at Neung Han and the others. They had to escape Danguk unscathed.
Since cultivating Sword Eyes, though blind, Yeop Hyeon had reached a realm where he perceived all things with crystal clarity—often more vividly than sight alone.
As Yeop Hyeon and his group traversed Hwangseong's streets, throngs of Danguk citizens awaited them, their gazes thick with undisguised malice.
“Those eyes scream revenge on Gangguk someday.”
Mu Yun Qi muttered beside him.
Yeop Hyeon replied,
“That's exactly why Gangguk must grow far stronger. Make revenge a pipe dream forever. Same for us—once we're back, everyone pours everything into reaching Divine Fusion Realm!”
Yeop Hyeon looked to Neung Han and the rest.
“You too—hit Divine Fusion as fast as you can!”
Divine Fusion Realm...
In Qingzhou, Penetrating Nether Realm experts could strut proudly. But among Jungto Sinju's warriors? A different story.
If Neung Han and company faced their current Nine Dragon Mercenaries, they'd lose handily.
Yet their true foes were behemoths dwarfing any mercenary band: Changmok Academy and Amgye.
To survive them, raw power was non-negotiable.
Just then, a cavalry force appeared ahead.
Roughly ten thousand strong.
Yeop Hyeon knew them well—the Black Guards and Inspector Corps he'd clashed with before.
Leading them was the middle-aged Pei Xiaohu, Danguk's supreme commander.
Pei Xiaohu had gotten word of the palace intrusion and was rushing back from Yangjie Fortress with 100,000 troops, sending his swiftest as vanguard day and night. But he was one step too late.
The two sides squared off.
Pei Xiaohu spurred forward, eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Behind him, the ten thousand cavalry readied for a charge.
“Yeop Hyeon... impressive. Never dreamed Danguk would crumble by your hand.”
Yeop Hyeon rode Black Wolf up to face him.
“Danguk has two choices. One: keep fighting. We'll bleed too, but you'll vanish from Qingzhou for good. Two: negotiate with us.”
“Hahaha! Negotiate? What kind of negotiation is this? Call it what it is—blackmail...”
Yeop Hyeon's sword tip whipped to Pei Xiaohu's throat in a flash.
“Fine, blackmail it is. Offended? Then fight till Danguk burns!”
Pei Xiaohu's face twisted savagely.
“You want war? Then...”
“Grand Marshal!”
A rider galloped up from afar, kicking up dust.
Dismounting before Pei Xiaohu, he dropped to one knee and shouted,
“Report! Our main force en route to Hwangseong was ambushed by tens of thousands of cavalry led by Gangguk's former princess. The army's now locked in standoff with the enemy at Mosan—your orders, sir!”
‘Former princess?’
Pei Xiaohu's face turned grim.
She hadn't missed the chance, making the bold call.
As Pei Xiaohu stood speechless, Tang Mok addressed him.
“Grand Marshal Pei, Danguk has no choices left.”
Pei Xiaohu eyed Tang Mok.
“Surrender just like that?”
Tang Mok shook his head.
“We negotiate.”
“Hahaha! Sixth Prince, you buying that? Once you're hauled to Gangguk, negotiations end. We'll be their puppets!”
“Grand Marshal, have you ever thought about the people? If Gangguk's legions cross the border, how many lives lost?”
Tang Mok drew closer.
“Danguk lost. And the vanquished pay the price.”
Yes. Danguk had fallen.
Even iron-willed Pei Xiaohu felt hot tears stream down his cheeks.
Tears for his homeland.