The Meaning of Advice (3)
I glanced around briefly and let out a sigh of relief.
Phew, that was a scare.
Why did I bother transmitting my words via sound transmission in the first place!
Does this guy have no sense at all?
He looked up at me with a blank, dumbfounded expression, and I spoke in a cold voice.
"Were you testing me? A cowardly sneak attack, of all things?"
At the same time, I sent him a sound transmission.
-Are you planning to screw up again? Get it together and say you were testing my skills.
Only then did he seem to grasp the situation, composing his expression before opening his mouth.
"Isn't Seonhyeopmirang renowned as an exceptional martial artist? I was just verifying if it was really you, but your reaction is overly dramatic."
"Don't do that recklessly. What if I accidentally let my killing intent slip? That would be a disaster."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Let's get out."
I extended my hand to him while sending another sound transmission.
-You know the current situation is extremely dire. If you want my help, take my hand. Otherwise, just come out on your own.
He hesitated for a moment before grasping my hand.
"Come out carefully."
-I'll visit you tonight. Tell them you're going to sleep and dismiss everyone around. And leave the window open.
As I pulled him out, I continued the sound transmission.
-Remember, if you screw up again, Chunggyeong Fortress is finished.
"Thank you."
He nodded slightly in response.
"You'll need to change your clothes. Unfortunately, the manor tour ends here."
"I suppose so."
We parted ways, and I watched Yeon Yu-mun's retreating figure.
Unlike before, his steps seemed a bit lighter. Was that my imagination?
I had approached Yeon Yu-mun because I needed his help to rescue the prince.
The bloody, demonic aura I'd sensed from the Gold Guard members who had been watching us when he met our group earlier.
Thanks to encountering countless such fiends before—or perhaps because my own realm had advanced—I could now distinguish them to some degree.
Among the black path martial artists I'd met, those connected to the Murim Alliance always carried an especially thick stench of blood.
That meant this incident was tied to the Murim Alliance as well.
Phew, I have no idea what these bastards are scheming.
But one thing was certain: if this plot succeeded, the Murim Alliance would get whatever they wanted, one way or another.
So this wasn't just about fulfilling the Emperor's command—it was necessary for my revenge too.
After touring the manor with Yeon Yu-mun, my conclusion was simple.
The defenses were quite tight, making any plan tricky.
And there were more troops than expected.
Still, I had to give it a shot!
To rescue the prince first and then clear the names of those unjustly framed in my previous life, I needed an inside collaborator. That's why I chose Yeon Yu-mun.
When I'd asked about the castellan earlier, his reaction had been pure rage.
That's why I'd approached him.
An inside man works best when he's desperate enough to burn with anger.
That night.
I slipped away alone.
Moving solo was stealthier than going with the others.
Yeon Yu-mun's quarters were in the inner residence of the Chunggyeong Fortress manor.
Whoosh!
I pushed my Muheun Step Technique to the limit and arrived on the roof of his quarters.
"I'm going to sleep now. You may all withdraw."
"Yes, sir."
I heard Yeon Yu-mun's voice, and a servant-like figure emerged from inside.
But not yet.
There were still eyes watching him.
How long did I wait, suppressing my presence? Finally, I sensed the watchful gaze vanish.
I seized the moment and slipped through the window into Yeon Yu-mun's room.
Thanks to my perfected Muheun Step, not a single sound escaped my footsteps.
I sent a sound transmission to Yeon Yu-mun, who lay on his bed.
-Time to get up.
"……!"
He bolted upright with a startled expression.
The room was lit only by faint moonlight filtering through the window.
I first spread my qi to block any sound from escaping.
"You can speak freely now. No voices will leak outside."
He bit his lip slightly before speaking.
"Will you truly help us?"
"Yes."
"Why? Forgive me, but if it's money you're after, I can't offer as much as you might think."
"No need for that talk. I already know Chunggyeong Fortress's plight. And I require no such reward. I've come here on His Imperial Majesty the Emperor's orders."
"What? H-His Majesty the Emperor... you say?"
"That's right."
"Surely not to rescue Prince Juhyeon?"
To be precise, yes, that was the reason.
But it wasn't the answer right now.
"That's merely one of my missions. His Majesty's command was to save the castellan of Chunggyeong Fortress and his family, who have devoted themselves to the empire for so long."
"……Ha! His Majesty ordered you to save us? Impossible."
I bowed my head politely to him, his face full of disbelief.
"I sincerely apologize for learning too late of the atrocities committed here by the envoys who visited as imperial messengers."
"Phew, what good is an apology now? My younger sister took her own life, and my father was confined after losing an arm."
"I'm sorry I arrived too late."
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
"No, I understand. It's hard for the empire to scrutinize every remote place like this. Especially with traitors in the mix."
Traitors.
That referred to the Gold Guard and Eastern Depot who had chosen masters other than the Emperor.
"I'm just grateful you haven't forgotten us and came anyway."
He continued.
"Let me be clear: we had no intent of rebellion. We only wished to live quietly."
Sadness flickered in his eyes as he spoke.
"I've grasped the broad strokes, but please explain the details."
At my request, he recounted everything that had happened.
It began when Prince Juhyeon arrived with the envoys.
"His Highness... seemed to notice something off about the food we offered. After a private meeting with my father, he announced his return to the palace. But... they learned that His Highness had met my father alone and uncovered the truth."
"So they detained Prince Juhyeon?"
He nodded at my question.
"Yes. Their goal is to use His Highness to gain recognition of Chunggyeong Fortress as an independent state."
"But His Highness wouldn't accept that."
"Correct. They even tortured him, but he still refuses to yield."
"……."
Wow... these dogshit bastards!
Let me sum it up.
Prince Juhyeon learned the truth here and planned to report it to the Emperor.
Fearing punishment, they detained him instead.
With a prince—who could become emperor or king—they could avoid punishment and rule Chunggyeong Fortress like kings if things went smoothly.
The fortress was already semi-independent anyway.
But the plan hinged on the prince's consent, which he refused, leading to torture.
And now I understood why Prince Juhyeon died in my previous life.
They killed him.
To cover their crimes.
Torturing a prince warranted clan extermination.
Yet after all this time, he still hadn't yielded...
Suddenly, I recalled what King Jinseung—whom I'd known in my previous life—had said about his brother.
"My brother was truly clever and resolute."
I murmured inwardly.
King Jinseung was spot on.
Now, the crucial question.
"But something doesn't add up. These were people content with secretly plundering Chunggyeong Fortress behind His Majesty's back."
I continued.
"It doesn't make sense for them to suddenly aim for full independence. There must be a hidden mastermind. Any guesses?"
Yeon Yu-mun nodded as if someone came to mind.
"Ah, one day, a man I'd never seen appeared. He came with over a hundred martial artists..."
Ah, the ones I saw during the manor tour.
"The envoys and traitors seemed to act on his orders."
"He's the mastermind, then."
"Likely. Even the branch leader's support required his approval."
That was fortunate.
I chuckled inwardly. Of course.
That explained the bloody black path aura...
He'd persuaded the envoys and traitors to start this. And if it went south, he'd flee.
He had to be one of the Murim Alliance's Dormant Agents.
Like Yang Eun-jik, who had instigated King Chungjin's rebellion from the shadows.
Greed is a terrifying thing.
They'd acted to satisfy their own desires.
Did I lack greed?
No, but I had one iron rule.
No matter how tempting, fulfilling desires at others' expense never ends well.
"Um, by the way..."
Yeon Yu-mun asked cautiously.
"Which appearance is the real you?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Your current look and the one I saw earlier are quite different."
I chuckled and turned the question back on him.
"Which one feels more real to you?"
After a moment's thought, he replied hesitantly.
"Both... seem like the real you."
Did I act that well?
"But there's a reason you're called Seonhyeopmirang. And your guards look at you with firm trust. So I want to believe this current form is the true one."
"Then I must reward that faith."
I smiled and continued.
"First, where is His Highness? We need to secure him to prove Chunggyeong Fortress's innocence."
"In the underground prison beneath Chunggyeong Fortress."
I slipped out of Yeon Yu-mun's room and infiltrated the underground prison directly.
Rescuing the prince was the top priority.
If things went wrong, they'd kill him first.
In my previous life, did the traitors survive? Or die?
The prince's death and the castellan's harsh punishment meant the traitors had fabricated evidence in their favor.
Wait, something's off.
According to Yeon Yu-mun, they wanted to rule here as kings.
But for now, I set aside the doubt and headed to the prison's rear.
Via the secret passage only the castellan and Yeon Yu-mun knew, as he'd told me.
Good call making him my ally.
The third brick from the bottom, right?
Slide.
Pushing the brick opened a silent passage.
A door that rotated on a central axis.
I entered.
Prisons all had the same vibe: dark, gloomy.
And echoey.
To amplify...
"Ugh!"
The screams and groans during torture, to terrify the others.
"Won't you finally heed our request, Your Highness?"
"……."
"How long do you plan to hold out?"
"……."
"As you know, I'm Gold Guard. I'm quite adept at torture."
"……."
"Phew, you stubborn bastard! Like father, like son—unyieldingly tough!"
"……."
Bam!
Confirming no presence nearby, I crept closer.
The moment I saw the man chained to the prison wall, words failed me.
The prince?
I recognized him from the faint resemblance to the Emperor's face.
Wow... his face is miraculously intact.
Of course—they needed it pristine for public use.
Still, incredible.
To endure torture until his body was a mangled wreck without uttering a word.
But in that state, won't he die mid-torture?
A chill ran down my spine.
I'd just found the answer to my earlier thought.
As Yeon Yu-mun said, they wanted to rule as kings here.
But if the prince died under torture?
Their plan to reign would collapse.
It depended on him.
So they must have realized he was dying and switched plans.
To a desperate escape from Chunggyeong Fortress.
Enraging the Emperor and his brother into crushing the place.
And afterward, did the ties between traitors and Dormant Agents sever?
Unlikely.
They persisted, with Dormant Agents meddling in Gold Guard affairs.
Wow...
Whoever the Dormant Agent behind this was, I needed to be cautious.
I approached carefully and checked his pulse.
"……."
A frown creased my brow.
This... he won't last much longer.
Not just exhaustion—his internal injuries were severe.
What to do? As I pondered, a good idea struck.
I pulled out my golden bell from my sleeve and shook it before him.
The bell's eyes gleamed, drool dripping steadily.
Perfect.
It might feel iffy knowing the truth, but without it, it's like an incredibly potent elixir.