Chapter 313
Chapter 313
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 313
Chapter Title: Insipid Conclusion
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Yi Hwan sat cross-legged, circulating his qi and adjusting his breath.
His heart method allowed him to freely circulate qi without being constrained by his surroundings. Thus, there was no real need to sit cross-legged, but he did so to more closely examine the state within his body.
Ever since retrieving his cherished sword from the Imperial Palace Treasury, he had begun suffering from occasional bouts of excruciating headaches. The pain was so intense that even Yi Hwan struggled to endure it.
To resolve the issue, he had consulted the imperial physician and even undergone pulse diagnosis, but the physician could not identify the cause. In the end, he had no choice but to examine his own condition this way.
A scorching energy swirled within the room. At the same time, five rings appeared above Yi Hwan's head.
Five Qi Converging to the Origin.
It was a mystical phenomenon visible only to those who had reached the realm of drawing in qi from the great nature itself.
How much time passed like this?
Yi Hwan opened his closed eyes and let out a long breath.
“Huu....”
His entire body felt as light as a feather. His mind was clear and refreshed, as if dipped in cool water.
Yi Hwan donned his robes and stepped outside.
Paeng Do-seong was outside alone, reading a book. He shot to his feet upon seeing Yi Hwan emerge.
“Where is everyone?”
“Yes. They’re waiting outside.”
Yi Hwan gazed at the courtyard. Ju Tae and the others were gathered there, conversing.
At that moment, Ju Tae spotted Yi Hwan and hurriedly entered.
“We received word from the Moon Lord. They should arrive soon.”
“Are they coming down with them?”
“Yes. They’re still tailing them.”
“We might have to use force, so let’s eat first.”
“They’re preparing the meal now, so please wait just a moment. But I have a question.”
“Speak.”
Ju Tae tilted his head as he continued.
“If they’re innocent, won’t we lose the court’s trust if it gets out that we acted first and violated the Non-Aggression between Court and Martial World?”
“If that was a concern, we shouldn’t have brought this fellow along.”
At those words, Paeng Do-seong widened his eyes and cried out.
“I won’t tell anyone!”
Pfft.
“I’m joking.”
Ju Tae asked.
“Have you prepared countermeasures?”
“You mentioned the robbery incident a few days ago, right?”
“Yes. But there’s no solid evidence it was their doing.”
“That’s fine. It’s enough.”
“Yes?”
“Investigating suspects in a crime is the Golden Army’s duty and right. It doesn’t violate the Non-Aggression pact.”
“Ah....”
“The key is whether we can capture them if they resist arrest. Tell everyone to stay sharp. Catching experts of that level is never easy. Of course, if Yang Chan’s poison works, it could be simpler than expected.”
“Wouldn’t ordinary poison fail against someone at the Absolute Realm level?”
“Yang Chan’s poison isn’t ordinary.”
“Well, true....”
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
“Yes!”
A short while later, they all began the meal together.
As the meal was nearing its end, a warrior entered.
“The Moon Lord has arrived.”
* * *
At an inn in the bargain market street.
Cha Ryong and Ban Go leisurely enjoyed their meal.
Perhaps because no one had tailed them on the way down here? Ban Go no longer seemed anxious.
“About that Great Prince... how strong do you think he is? The rumors say he’s incredibly powerful.”
“Rumors always get exaggerated. Of course, given his achievements so far, he must be strong, but not to the point we need to fear him.”
“Then why doesn’t our lord think of assassinating him? We have plenty of assassins specialized in that.”
“I’m sure he has his reasons.”
In truth, Cha Ryong found this point puzzling as well.
Despite losing Jo Jeong-mu to Yi Hwan, Jo Yun had shown no movement thus far. The Jo Yun they knew would have sought revenge in some form long ago.
Ban Go asked something off-topic.
“If you fought him, could you win?”
“If the rumors are true, it’d be a tough fight. But if they’re exaggerated....”
“You’d win?”
“I can confidently say I wouldn’t lose.”
“Oh! As expected!”
Cha Ryong chuckled at Ban Go, who raised his thumb and widened his eyes round.
‘When his eyes glaze over like that, he praises even someone stronger than me.’
It was then.
Creak.
The door opened, and one person entered the inn.
It was Yang Chan. He naturally sat at the table behind Cha Ryong and Ban Go.
Cha Ryong and Ban Go didn’t even glance at him. He looked utterly ordinary, and the energy he emitted was, at best, that of a first-rate martial artist—nothing more.
Meanwhile, Yang Chan glanced at the backs of Cha Ryong and Ban Go before turning his gaze to Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong, who sat at a table by the window.
Go Mi asked.
[Are you starting?]
Yang Chan nodded silently.
[There are a lot of people here. Is that okay?]
[I didn’t come to use poison.]
[....]
It was then. People entered the inn.
Ju Tae and Kim Mu-gwan, having removed their human skin masks, along with Park Ji-mun and the warriors of Yi Hwan’s faction.
They headed straight for Cha Ryong and Ban Go’s table.
“You two—the Sun-Moon Twin Swords, correct?”
Cha Ryong, who had been eating leisurely, set down his chopsticks and looked up at Ju Tae. With the human skin mask removed, he didn’t recognize him at all.
“That’s us.”
Ju Tae pulled out a badge symbolizing the Golden Army and held it out.
“We’re the Golden Army. We need to investigate something, so come with us. Consider this a warning: if you refuse, we’ll subdue you by force right here.”
Twitch.
Ban Go’s eyes changed in an instant.
[Don’t act rashly, Ban Go.]
Cha Ryong, reining him in, asked calmly.
“Subdue us by force if we refuse? What exactly do you claim we’ve done?”
“There was a robbery nearby. We’re investigating based on a witness report, so cooperate. If you’re cleared of suspicion, that’ll be the end of it.”
Ju Tae coaxed them appropriately.
Cha Ryong asked.
“Where will we be questioned?”
“There’s a Golden Army branch not far from here. You’ll be questioned there, and once cleared, you can leave immediately. Get up.”
Ju Tae now wore an expression of outright annoyance, as if forcing himself to do something tedious.
[Just kill them and leave.]
[If we flee here, we’ll be hunted by the Golden Army. Then we can’t carry out the lord’s orders anymore.]
[So we’re going with them?]
[They said it’s just questioning, so we’ll go along for now. We can always escape later. Don’t think nonsense, Ban Go.]
Ban Go was reluctant. But with Cha Ryong like this, he had no choice.
Cha Ryong stood.
“Let’s go.”
“First, we’ll confiscate your weapons. This is just procedure, so don’t take it personally.”
Ban Go bristled again.
But once more, Cha Ryong quickly restrained him and offered his sword.
Clang.
Ju Tae eyed Ban Go.
“You too—hand it over quickly.”
* * *
Cha Ryong and Ban Go exited the inn with Ju Tae and the others.
Watching them, Hwa Ryeong tilted her head and muttered.
“It really seems like a misunderstanding, doesn’t it? If it were as we thought, they wouldn’t comply so easily.”
“....”
Go Mi thought the same. Those with ulterior motives wouldn’t follow so obediently.
‘I overthought it.’
In truth, when she saw Yang Chan, she assumed he would use poison to subdue them and drag them away.
Given the Sun-Moon Twin Swords’ reputation as supreme experts, trying to subdue them head-on would not only cause massive collateral damage but also risk exposing their identities.
But on second thought, there was no need to forcibly drag them, nor to worry excessively about exposure.
As Yi Hwan had done, they could leverage their identities to make the targets walk right into the trap.
Go Mi felt her perspective had broadened from today’s events.
As Yang Chan stood, Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong followed suit.
“It ended too anticlimactically, didn’t it?”
“Let’s head to the Great Prince first.”
“Yes.”
Go Mi was about to step out when a sudden thought struck her, and she turned back to Yang Chan.
Their eyes met.
Yang Chan gazed at Go Mi’s slightly widened eyes and smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry. No one will be harmed.”
“What poison did you use?”
“I mixed something fun into the San Gong Poison.”
Go Mi was surprised, but Hwa Ryeong even more so.
“Wait, when did you administer the poison?”
“If those fools noticed my poison, I’d have to retreat to the mountains, wouldn’t I?”
“....”
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Cha Ryong remained calm.
But Ban Go was the opposite. He still found the situation suspicious and unsettling.
[Stay calm, Ban Go.]
[How can I stay calm when they’re Golden Army? Is this really okay?]
[They said it’s just a simple investigation. If we refuse here, we’ll be branded as culprits and hunted.]
[....]
Ban Go was at a loss for words.
Carrying out Jo Yun’s orders—that was a powerful shackle for Ban Go.
Likely the same for Cha Ryong. All these judgments prioritized fulfilling Jo Yun’s command above all.
But he had no inkling whatsoever. That he had already fallen into a quagmire from which he could never escape.
* * *
Yi Hwan leisurely tilted his teacup.
A Moon Pavilion warrior approached and reported.
“They’re coming.”
“Time?”
“They’ve entered the bargain market street, so they should arrive in about the time it takes to eat a meal.”
The warrior departed.
Yi Hwan set down his teacup and smiled faintly.
“Too insipid a conclusion.”
What Yi Hwan had worried about was the possibility of a clash with the Sun-Moon Twin Swords causing harm to bystanders, or them truly being innocent, leading to accusations that the court had violated the Non-Aggression pact first.
But by making it seem like the Golden Army was simply doing its job, they avoided any harm to innocents and completely eliminated the risk of such accusations.
Yi Hwan slowly savored his tea. As the cup emptied, Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong entered.
“We’re back, Great Prince.”
“You’re early.”
“No. They’ll enter the courtyard any moment now.”
No sooner had Go Mi finished speaking than Ju Tae and the others entered the courtyard, followed by Cha Ryong and Ban Go.
Just then, Cha Ryong glanced their way, and their eyes met briefly.
Cha Ryong didn’t recognize Yi Hwan. He had never seen him before. The same went for Ban Go.
However, when their gazes locked, Cha Ryong felt a shiver run through his body.
In all his life, he had never encountered such eyes. Not even from Jo Yun, who loomed larger than the heavens to him.
‘Who is he?’
It was then. Ju Tae and the others bowed toward Yi Hwan.
“We’re back.”
“Good work.”
Yi Hwan stood.
In that instant, Cha Ryong felt as if a mountain had shifted.
Doubt began to creep in. Perhaps his decision to comply so readily had been a mistake.
Yi Hwan swept his gaze over Cha Ryong and Ban Go in turn. Their presence alone was anything but ordinary.
Yi Hwan spoke calmly to Cha Ryong, who did not avert his eyes.
“If you keep looking at me like that from now on, you’ll regret it.”
“....”
Ju Tae grinned and added.
“This is the Great Prince. Bow your heads.”
‘The Great Prince! Then this is...’
Since entering Yeon Kingdom under Jo Yun’s orders, it was the first time Cha Ryong had been so shocked. Though he had never seen him, he knew exactly who he was and how Jo Yun viewed him.
“Hey, are your ears blocked?”
Cha Ryong was gripped by unease at Ju Tae’s suddenly rough tone, sensing something had gone wrong.
“Kakak!”
Ban Go’s anxiety peaked. With his heightened senses, he let out a beastly howl like a fox in chains, his eyes filling with madness.
But Cha Ryong had already regained his composure.
[Don’t get agitated, Ban Go. They have no idea who we are.]
Cha Ryong bowed to Yi Hwan.
“This lowly warrior Cha Ryong pays respects to the Great Prince.”
He revealed his real name. Convinced that the world didn’t know them, he believed his identity wouldn’t be exposed.
But the unease lingered. If Yi Hwan himself had stepped forward, perhaps he suspected something.
‘No way. As long as we keep our mouths shut, there’s no chance of exposure.’