Do You Wish to Become Friends with Him?
The Daeun Empire.
Occupying nearly a third of Qingzhou's territory, the Daeun Empire had long reigned as the undisputed overlord of the continent. At its zenith, even colossal forces like Changmok Academy and the Dark Society had been forced to bow their heads.
But as the saying goes, the moon wanes when full.
After reaching its peak, the once-prosperous Daeun Empire began its decline. Compounded by the inept rule of several generations of emperors, this mighty hegemon now teetered on the brink of fragmentation.
It was then that a comet streaked across the sky—a man named King Gosan Yeon Man Ri.
His emergence miraculously stabilized the empire on the verge of total collapse. Though its former glory had faded, the Daeun Empire remained a dominant power in Qingzhou.
In the imperial palace of the Daeun Empire, within the Taihe Hall, a boy who appeared no older than twelve sat upon the dragon throne, clad in imperial robes and a crown, exuding an air of refined dignity.
Standing at his feet was a woman dressed in a tight black skirt that accentuated her figure. Embroidered upon it in vibrant hues was a majestic phoenix, its head held high, gazing down upon the world with haughty eyes.
At that moment, the boy spoke.
"Sister... no, Yeo Gyeong, Kanguk is far removed from our Daeun Empire, and we have no overlapping territories to contest. Why then must we wage war? This serves no benefit to our empire."
The woman stepped forward and pointed to a map laid out on the desk.
"In your view, who poses the greatest threat to the Daeun Empire on this map?"
The boy pondered briefly before replying.
"Kanguk?"
She shook her head.
"Then who?"
The woman smiled faintly.
"Changmok Academy, the Dark Society, and the great clans within our borders."
The boy's eyes widened as he stared at her.
"But why must we strike Kanguk?"
She did not answer immediately.
After a long moment of thought, realization dawned on the boy, and he lifted his head.
"Could it be... you intend to use Kanguk—no, Yeop Hyeon—to weaken them?"
Her face brightened at his words.
"But haven't we already lost over a hundred Black Flame Cavalry?"
The woman walked to the dragon throne and sat beside him. The boy moved to yield his seat, but she stopped him with a hand.
"Today's Black Flame Cavalry are already filled with men from Changmok Academy, the Dark Society, and the various clans. They no longer serve the imperial family loyally but are puppets of those factions. Thus, their annihilation is not a loss to us—it's the removal of one of the enemy's key cards."
The boy still looked unconvinced.
"Even so, if things continue like this, won't our Daeun Empire suffer greatly?"
She shook her head.
"On the surface, those clans, sects, and Changmok Academy pretend to support the Daeun Empire, but they ceaselessly gnaw away at it. For years, they've planted their people in the court, the military, even deep within our imperial family. If this persists for another decade, the Daeun Empire will become their marionette."
Pointing to her left arm, she continued.
"They are tumors growing in our body, already consuming our blood and bones. Painful as it may be, they must be excised. Otherwise, the empire will face not just agony, but death."
The boy fell silent for a time. Then he picked up the dossier before him. Two large characters were emblazoned on its cover:
'Yeop Hyeon.'
Flipping it open revealed a detailed account of Yeop Hyeon's actions, from Qingcheng to the present, meticulously recorded.
After a moment, the boy sighed softly and murmured.
"This Yeop Hyeon truly cherishes Kanguk. How wonderful it would be if our Daeun Empire had such a talent..."
He turned to the woman.
"Yeo Gyeong, what do you make of him?"
Glancing at the dossier, she smiled and countered.
"What does Your Majesty think?"
After deep thought, the boy replied.
"I wish to hear your opinion, sister."
Instead of answering, she took his hand and led him out of the hall. Gazing at the distant sky, she said with a smile.
"If he can become a friend, he is someone worthy of trust. But if he becomes an enemy, he must be eliminated."
The boy looked up at the taller woman.
"Do you wish to befriend him, or make him an enemy?"
Stroking his small head, she replied.
"That is a decision for the emperor of the Daeun Empire."
After a pause, the boy declared.
"Let us be friends!"
"What is your reason?"
In a low voice, he explained.
"The Daeun Empire and he have no grudge from the start, nor any need to infringe on each other's interests. Thus, there is no reason to make him an enemy. And if we become friends, our empire gains a reliable ally—surely this aligns with the empire's benefit!"
Her eyes softened with emotion as she gazed at him, then shouted into the distance.
"By imperial decree! Summon all the great clans within the empire to strike Yeop Hyeon! The target is the southern tip of Qingzhou!"
"Yes!"
A voice replied from the shadows, then vanished.
"Yeo Gyeong!?"
The boy stared in confusion at her command, but she laughed.
"This is how we help him."
Sweeping back her long hair, she turned her gaze to the far horizon.
"After all, it's what they want—the board to grow even larger."
As dusk settled, countless groups poured out from the capital of the Daeun Empire.
They headed south toward Qingzhou's tip. Their target: Yeop Hyeon.
At present, the Daeun Empire marched in lockstep with Changmok Academy and the Dark Society. Refusing their call to arms now would be tantamount to courting death. After all, who held the mantle of Qingzhou's strongest power if not they?
Meanwhile, high above the barren wasteland at Qingzhou's southern end, a streak of sword light still hung in the sky.
Nearby, in a shadowed spot, Mok Cheonghyeon of Changmok Academy stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Lord of the Dark Society. Their gazes fixed on the ground beneath the sword light.
The Dark Lord spoke first.
"Are you confident this time?"
Mok Cheonghyeon replied calmly.
"Once the Spirit-Sealing Formation on the ground activates, it will seal his present qi. No matter how strong his body, without his sword, he won't unleash half his power. Killing him then will be like eating cold porridge. Even if we fail, no matter—it'll bring him great 'delight' all the same."
Mok Cheonghyeon turned to the Dark Lord.
"How far has he come?"
"Our assassins have already picked up his trail again. He's not far; he'll arrive soon."
Mok Cheonghyeon nodded, clenching his fists. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"We must prepare those underground. The moment he steps into the formation, we strike."
The Dark Lord frowned suspiciously.
"One thing nags at me... why did Yeon Man Ri support us this time? The Daeun Empire had no grudge with Yeop Hyeon from the start. Could she truly aim to unify all of Qingzhou?"
"Hmph! That cunning fox is greed incarnate; it's no surprise she'd think that way."
The Dark Lord nodded.
"If she truly harbors such ambitions, she'll need Changmok Academy's aid."
Indeed, with Changmok Academy's influence spanning every nation, securing their backing would make unifying Qingzhou far easier.
Not far beneath their feet, over a hundred warriors lay in wait underground. The weakest among them was in the Penetrating Nether Realm.
This was truly Changmok Academy's elite force. Twenty among them were peak Divine Fusion Realm experts from Central Divine Continent.
Of course, the true star of this operation was the formation buried below.
The instant Yeop Hyeon crossed it and the grand formation activated, not only his present qi but all his mystical arts would be sealed. At that moment, these hundred warriors emerging would spell his end.
To construct this formation, Changmok Academy and the Dark Society had spared no expense—five hundred million taels of gold and over ten million top-grade spirit stones.
These had been arduously borrowed from the Heavenly Realm's Central Divine Continent.
To capture Yeop Hyeon, they had squeezed every drop of blood.
This time, they had to succeed.
Meanwhile, Yeop Hyeon's growth was soaring like a dragon. His Canglan Academy swelled like a raging river, and their fear grew with it.
Give it a little more time, and overturning their disadvantage in Qingzhou to threaten Changmok Academy's position would be no impossibility. Moreover, the grudge between them would not end until one side was annihilated!
The Dark Society and Changmok Academy had no path of retreat.
Time trickled by. About an hour later, a black-clad man with a sword sheath on his back set foot in the wasteland. His head was bowed, face obscured by a mask—indistinguishable. Clearly, he was heading toward the Heavenly Sword.
At the man's appearance, fire lit in Mok Cheonghyeon's eyes.
"He's here!"
The Dark Lord nodded and vanished from the spot.
Underground, the hundred warriors tensed, ready to surge forth.
Their expressions were grave. Their foe today was Yeop Hyeon—the youngest Sword Lord in Qingzhou's history.
And he had twelve golden statues to boot.
They believed their preparations were flawless this time.
They were certain he could not escape death once he passed overhead.
On the surface, the black-clad man pressed toward the sword.
Just a few more steps to trigger the formation!
At that instant, he halted abruptly.
As Mok Cheonghyeon faltered in surprise, the man suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground and began meditating.
Mok Cheonghyeon's eyes shook wildly.
What the hell is he playing at?!
Time passed slowly, and the black-clad man showed no movement.
After about half an hour, the Dark Lord reappeared beside Mok Cheonghyeon, his face grim.
"Something's off."
Mok Cheonghyeon eyed the man.
"Let's test him!"
As the Dark Lord nodded, the seated figure suddenly removed his mask. Seeing his face, the two recoiled in shock.
It was not Yeop Hyeon—but Mu Yun Qi.
Mu Yun Qi threw his head back and laughed uproariously.
"Surprised, huh? Gotcha good?"
Mok Cheonghyeon's face twisted savagely.
Just then, the space before him rippled. His expression drained of color as he bellowed.
"Withdraw immediately! All warriors, return to Changmok Academy at once!"
In the blink of an eye, both Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord vanished.
On the mountain path to Changmok Academy in the Daeun region.
A black-robed figure with a sword sheath on his back faced off against Changmok Academy students.
The black-robed man had not drawn his weapon, nor had the students moved. Their opponent was none other than Yeop Hyeon.
Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord, moving at blinding speed, returned to the academy in less than a geng's time.
Confirming no incident had occurred, Mok Cheonghyeon sighed in relief. Approaching the black-clad figure confronting the students, he shouted.
"Yeop Hyeon, you bastard! This place is...!"
At that moment, the black-robed man shed his cloak, revealing his true face.
Mok Cheonghyeon's visage paled as if struck by lightning upon seeing it.