Chapter 395
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 395
Chapter Title: Jo Gwang Assassination Attempt Incident
The next day, Yi So took something out and unrolled it. It was a massive blueprint.
Gwan Ji-baek stepped forward and spoke.
“I had a top expert consult on turning this new city into a full-fledged fortress from the ground up.”
“You’ll need to explain it to me. I’m a complete novice when it comes to this sort of thing.”
“This line here is the outer walls…”
Gwan Ji-baek began his explanation.
Yi Hwan couldn’t stop marveling as he listened. Building the city according to the plans would create a truly enormous fortress.
There was just one problem.
“It’ll cost a pretty penny.”
At Yi Hwan’s words, Yi So spoke up.
“I’ll fund it however much you need, so give it a shot just like this.”
“If we’re going for it, we should make the walls even taller… When will the designer get here?”
“He said he’d come right after wrapping up some business nearby, so just wait a few days.”
“Then I’ll discuss the details with him.”
“Very well. See to it.”
That was when Ban Go suddenly poked his head in through the window.
“The Zhao delegation has returned!”
* * *
Everyone gathered in the dining hall.
Yi So didn’t join them. He said his presence would just sour the mood and went off to inspect the site.
Go Mi reported on the events in the Qin Kingdom. Yi Hwan’s eyes sharpened when she mentioned Dong Yeong and Yang I-cheon.
“Yang Mu sent him to the Golden Army headquarters?”
“A new Golden Army commander named Neng Bi handled the transport, but that couldn’t happen without the emperor’s approval, right?”
“What was he hoping to gain by targeting you all?”
“There’s a lot of resentment over Neng Bi becoming the Golden Army head. Sounds like that sparked some foolish ideas.”
“Stir up chaos to put the emperor in a tough spot?”
“That seems the most likely motive.”
Yi Hwan took a sip of his tea.
Dong Yeong bothered him more than Yang I-cheon.
Clink.
“If Dong Yeong sent the Zhao delegation that quickly, it means he’s been in regular contact with Qin…”
“That’s right.”
“Can we get intel on Dong Yeong’s side?”
“We have spies in the military, but it’s so far away that gathering info takes at least a year.”
“So we have no choice but to get our information through Qin.”
“Yes.”
That was when Yi Hwan thought of Yeon Kingdom’s navy. Their eastern border touched the sea, but their naval forces were negligible.
‘Do I need to worry about the sea too?’
Yi Hwan set the thought aside for now and turned to the waiting steward.
“Serve the meal.”
“Yes, Great Prince!”
“You’ve all worked hard. Eat your fill and get some good rest today.”
“Yes, sir!”
Yi Hwan turned to Go Mi and continued.
“Dig into this Neng Bi character in detail.”
“I’ve already given the orders.”
“He’s the Qin Empress’s brother, right?”
“Yes. But it wasn’t just nepotism—he’s known as Qin’s top prodigy, with exceptional talent. When the Qin Emperor appointed him as the successor to the Imperial Guard commander, hardly anyone objected.”
“So he was just held back by the late emperor’s policies.”
The late Qin Emperor had avoided appointing any relatives of the empress’s family out of fear they’d cause court factions.
“That’s correct. But the current emperor doesn’t seem inclined to continue that policy.”
“There’s no reason not to promote talent, whether they’re in-laws or not.”
As he spoke, Yi Hwan thought of Yang I-cheon.
‘What a shame.’
The Yang I-cheon he’d seen was nothing but an incompetent riding his bloodline.
That made it all the more regrettable. If Yang Mu had placed his brother in such a key position as Golden Army head just because of family ties, Qin wouldn’t even be worth keeping in check anymore.
* * *
A rugged mountain range where sheer cliffs rose like folding screens.
In a dense forest where even sunlight barely penetrated, there was a fairly large cave.
It was such a treacherous spot that human feet rarely tread there, yet the smell of roasting meat wafted out.
Crackle, crackle!
Dong Ja-ryang stared at the meat cooking over the campfire and let out a quiet sigh.
“Hoo…”
Do Geom, sitting across from him, asked,
“What’s with the sigh?”
“My lot in life just feels so pathetic. When I should be roaming the world freely, here I am hiding out, grilling meat.”
“Once your body’s fully recovered, we’ll head back and confirm whether our lord truly approved of executing us.”
“Yeah… we’ll do that.”
In an instant, Dong Ja-ryang’s eyes turned ice-cold.
‘The elder’s death really shook this guy up.’
Do Geom knew.
Dong Ja-ryang had hated Sima Heun, but he respected him too.
Elder Sima Heun had been like an instructor to some of the Blood Demon’s descendants. Dong Ja-ryang had trained under him as well.
Of course, his training wasn’t gentle. Some died in the near-combat drills, others were maimed.
But Dong Ja-ryang had endured it and reached the Absolute Realm. To him, Sima Heun was both an object of hatred and gratitude.
Do Geom sliced off a piece of meat with his knife and handed it to Dong Ja-ryang. As Dong Ja-ryang chewed, he muttered,
“Before heading to the capital, how about stopping by Yeoksu first?”
“You want to check on the Crown Prince?”
“It’s on the way anyway, and there are plenty of our comrades there. Should be easier to get the inside story.”
“No issue stopping by, but we can’t trust them anymore. They’ve probably branded us as traitors by now.”
“What betrayal? We risked our lives on that mission! If they can’t trust us, they shouldn’t have sent us in the first place. Damn bastards!”
Dong Ja-ryang’s face flushed with rage. Do Geom handed him a bottle of liquor.
“That’s all we have, so drink it sparingly.”
Gulp, gulp!
Dong Ja-ryang downed the bottle straight. He passed it back to Do Geom.
Do Geom drained the rest.
“Then let’s swing by Yeoksu first.”
“Got it.”
* * *
Three days later, Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang set off toward Yeoksu.
It had been quite some time since they’d miraculously survived and holed up in the cave. Fully recovered, they moved swiftly despite the rough terrain.
Dong Ja-ryang grinned.
“Is this what it feels like to die and come back to life? I feel completely reborn. Heh heh heh.”
“Mind some advice?”
“What now?”
“Don’t overconfident in your skills and act rashly from here on. Fix that, and you’ll become far stronger than you are now.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Dong Ja-ryang had indeed changed. Before, he never would have accepted such counsel.
A few days later, they reached the outskirts of Yeoksu and entered a small village. They hadn’t stopped moving, and hunger was setting in.
That was when they were about to enter the village.
Suddenly, two men burst out from the forest to the left of the entrance.
They bolted straight north, as if fleeing from something.
“What the…?”
Then more figures burst from the woods after them.
Do Geom, watching, quickly pulled Dong Ja-ryang behind a rock.
“Xinjiang guys.”
“The ones in front, or the pursuers?”
“The pursuers.”
“You sure?”
“No doubt.”
The Blood Demon’s followers were divided into two main training regions: Xijiang and Xinjiang.
The two factions had competed fiercely, leading to plenty of deaths. Some even harbored outright hostility toward the other side.
Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang were from Xijiang.
Hidden behind the rock, they watched the Xinjiang men chase the two ahead.
“Why are those two being hunted?”
“With that many after them, something big must’ve gone down.”
Dong Ja-ryang nodded silently.
It was rare for Blood Demon followers to chase someone in a pack like that. It meant they absolutely had to catch them.
“Shall we follow?”
“They’re no concern of ours anymore. Let’s ignore them.”
“Fair enough.”
They waited behind the rock a bit longer, then entered the village. They went into a rundown inn and ordered food and drink.
“Figured out how we’ll approach?”
“First, we need to see what’s going on.”
“We sneak into the camp, grab someone, and interrogate them. Wait, no—to get real answers, we need at least a general.”
Do Geom nodded silently and uncorked the first bottle of liquor that arrived. As he went to pour into Dong Ja-ryang’s cup,
“Search everywhere!”
“Fan out and check!”
Commotion erupted outside. The door slammed open, and several warriors rushed in.
Bang!
They were Zhao Kingdom soldiers.
Without a word, they drew swords on Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang and shouted.
“Suspicious characters here!”
“Right here!”
More rushed in after them.
[They don’t recognize us?]
[Something’s definitely up. Best we get out of here.]
Do Geom asked calmly.
“What’s all this racket about?”
“We need to check your identities. Stay put!”
“So what’s this about, exactly?”
One of the late arrivals, a burly man with sharp eyes, stepped forward.
He stared at Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang without a word.
“Not them. But they could be accomplices. Take them to the camp!”
“Yes, sir!”
The warriors surrounded Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang.
“On your feet!”
Dong Ja-ryang’s eyebrow twitched.
Do Geom’s voice transmission came then.
[Better go along quietly and find out what’s happening.]
[We could just beat it out of them.]
[Too many people here.]
[…]
Do Geom stood first.
“We don’t know what’s going on, but we were just passing through and stopped at the inn for a bite.”
“Hand over your swords!”
“Fine.”
“Get up, now!”
Gulp, gulp!
Dong Ja-ryang downed the rest of the bottle and stood.
They surrendered without resistance. Moments later, the soldiers led them toward the Zhao Kingdom camp.
After a short while, in a remote spot with no one around, Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang exchanged glances.
The Zhao soldiers didn’t realize they were experts, so they weren’t paying close attention.
[Leave the one in front alive.]
[Got it.]
Thud!
Dong Ja-ryang’s hand first pierced the chest of a soldier on the left. At the same instant, Do Geom took out the one on the right.
“Argh!”
“Huh?”
Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang reclaimed their swords from the dead and slew everyone but one in a flash.
Swish!
Do Geom’s blade pressed against the survivor’s throat.
“Tell us what’s going on.”
“...!”
“Shall I start by cutting off an arm?”
Do Geom raised his sword to the man’s left shoulder. As the blade bit into flesh, the soldier cried out desperately.
“Th-the Crown Prince was struck down by an assassin’s ambush!”
“What?”
Dong Ja-ryang asked in shock.
“Is the Crown Prince dead?”
“I don’t know!”
Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang looked at each other. Do Geom said gravely,
“Staying longer risks us being mistaken for the culprits. We should head straight to the capital.”
Dong Ja-ryang nodded silently and slashed the captive’s throat.
Slash!
Heh.
Dong Ja-ryang gave a wry smile.
“Feels kinda refreshing, doesn’t it?”
“Let’s go.”
The two promptly turned north.