CRS Chapter 38
by BlossomTL“Eunho, how long has it been? Well, have you been doing well? The Cheonha Merchant Guild Leader must be fine too, right? When I went to Elder Namgoong Cheong’s funeral, the timing didn’t work out so I couldn’t see you. I was quite disappointed, but to meet like this now. Ho ho ho.”
Grand Scholar Baek Woon laughed warmly and patted Eunho’s shoulder.
Watching this scene, Yoon Pyeong’s expression crumpled.
Right, if it’s the Cheonha Merchant Guild, they could have connections with someone in the Imperial Palace. No, it would be stranger if they didn’t.
However, out of all the many court officials, it had to be the Grand Scholar.
He’s the one the current Emperor truly considers his teacher.
No matter how influential the Embroidered Uniform Guards and eunuchs were, they couldn’t extend their influence to the Grand Scholar.
While Yoon Pyeong was thinking this, Eunho frowned for a different reason.
Who is this?
First of all, it’s someone he hasn’t seen since reincarnating. Judging by how warmly he’s greeting him, he’s not someone with no connection at all.
The memories of the boy who was the original owner of this body quickly flashed through Eunho’s mind.
Numerous officials came to mind.
Not this person, not that one either.
That’s when it hit him.
“Ah!”
Grand Scholar Baek Woon!
In his memories, he looked younger than now, but comparing with the person in front of him, it was clearly the same individual.
Eunho alternately looked at the grinning Baek Woon and the sour-faced Yoon Pyeong.
Oh ho.
Judging by Yoon Pyeong’s reaction, the position of Grand Scholar seemed to be no ordinary one.
As soon as that thought occurred to him, Eunho’s gaze changed dramatically.
Eunho smiled brightly and bowed.
“Have you been well? Not only my father and master, but I too have been quite disappointed not to see you for so long, Grand Scholar. To meet like this is truly a joyous occasion.”
The expressions of Yoon Pyeong, the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and Hwa-yeon instantly froze.
As if they had seen something they shouldn’t have.
However, Baek Woon’s expression only brightened more.
Ah, that tiny child has grown so quickly into such a fine young man!
Baek Woon had no children of his own.
The son of his old friend must have looked truly admirable and lovely to him.
“But what do you mean by master? Did you receive martial arts training from Elder Namgoong Cheong?”
“Yes. Thankfully, Master took a liking to me and gave me his teachings.”
Baek Woon nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Ho ho, I see. That’s truly wonderful news. But it seems there was some commotion going on?”
Receiving Baek Woon’s gaze, Yoon Pyeong flinched and explained what had happened earlier.
He tried to explain as indirectly as possible, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work on Baek Woon.
Nodding as if he roughly understood the situation, he smiled faintly and said,
“Well, I’m not too familiar with these things, but isn’t this kind of incident common in martial artists’ sparring matches? If the difference in their levels was so great that one could control his strikes, it would clearly be Eunho’s fault, but…”
Baek Woon deliberately paused the conversation, controlling the atmosphere.
Yoon Pyeong’s head drooped.
“It’s not just anyone, but surely our Commander, said to be the strongest in the Imperial Palace, wouldn’t be so easy to deal with. Isn’t that right?”
In the end, Yoon Pyeong nodded with a literal shit-eating expression. What could he gain by arguing further here?
“Yes, that’s right. As the Grand Scholar says, it was just a mistake due to excessive competitiveness.”
Eunho interjected into their conversation.
“Commander… I’m sorry. I’m still young and inexperienced, and I ended up showing disrespect to you.”
He nailed it down by apologizing quite politely.
On top of that, Baek Woon stepped in and patted the Commander’s shoulder.
“Ho ho, since he’s apologizing like this, our Commander will understand, right? Isn’t it natural for young men to cause small troubles due to their competitive spirit?”
He definitively called it a ‘small trouble’. If Yoon Pyeong were to raise this issue again, he would truly become a petty person.
If Yoon Pyeong was someone who had survived in a place crawling with cunning people, Baek Woon was a figure who had reached the pinnacle in a political arena not just of cunning people, but of dragons.
In the end, Yoon Pyeong had no choice but to nod.
His gaze fell on Eunho, who was bowing his head.
‘Well, at least this guy is bowing his head like this…’
Huh? Is he trying not to laugh?
The corner of Eunho’s mouth was twitching strangely.
For a moment, Yoon Pyeong felt a stiffness in his neck and heat rising to his crown, but what could he do? It was already over.
“Grand Scholar, I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I’ll be going first. And you, be careful from now on.”
It was the strongest warning he could give.
Of course, it didn’t work on Eunho.
“Yes, sir.”
Yoon Pyeong glared at Eunho’s annoying expression, snorted loudly, and disappeared somewhere.
***
The sun that had been beating down began to set, and the moon started to rise in the early night.
In Hall of Preserving Harmony[1], the space where the Emperor handled his personal official duties, four figures were seated for the first time in a while.
“Your Majesty! It’s far too dangerous!”
Director Kong Jin of the eunuchs furrowed his brows and shouted with sincere concern, but the Emperor shook his head.
“I know it’s dangerous. But it’s unavoidable to root out those vicious Blood Cult bastards. Even at this moment, aren’t my poor subjects suffering?”
This time, Yoon Pyeong, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, stepped forward to support the Director’s words.
“But, Your Majesty, you are the Central Plains itself. How can you risk yourself for the sake of the people? The people would also worry about your safety above all else.”
The two persisted tenaciously.
They were displeased that the situation was unfolding according to Eunho’s intentions, but their concern for the Emperor was genuine.
It was a natural reaction, considering that their very reason for existence was the Emperor’s safety.
The Emperor, being human, was troubled by the earnest pleas of his two beloved officials. At that moment, it was none other than Grand Scholar Baek Woon who stepped forward to help the Emperor.
“How could you… His Majesty has already made a decision out of love for his people. You ask him to reverse it? Are you two doubting His Majesty’s intentions?”
When Baek Woon rebuked them, the two couldn’t say a word, like mutes who had eaten honey. However, they couldn’t completely back down when it came to the Emperor’s safety, so they glared at Baek Woon with raised eyes.
“That’s enough, all of you. Although I am said to be the Central Plains itself, isn’t that only possible because of the people? I am just one of the many Sons of Heaven who care for the people. They have their own lives and have no obligation to sacrifice for anyone.”
With even the Emperor speaking like this, they had no way to counter.
Looking at them with frustrated expressions, the Emperor smiled benevolently. Although young in age, it was the smile of one who cares for others.
“I will fulfill my duty. That’s what I learned from my teacher.”
Watching this, an extremely pleased smile spread across Baek Woon’s face.
***
After finishing breakfast, Eunho patted his slightly protruding belly.
“As expected of the Imperial Palace.”
Since gaining his new life, he had experienced all sorts of delicacies.
The chefs of the Cheonha Merchant Guild also had first-class skills, and the food and drink served at the Hao Sect were excellent.
However, none of them could compare to the Imperial Palace.
It wasn’t a difference in ingredients. The Cheonha Merchant Guild had more than enough money.
The most skilled chefs in the Central Plains flock to Beijing.
And among them, the most outstanding chefs are those in the Imperial Palace.
‘Should I take them with me when I go home?’ Eunho casually said something that would have shocked anyone who heard it.
As he arrived at his quarters with satisfied steps, someone approached him familiarly.
“Are you Eunho?”
“Yes, I am. Who are you?”
The brow of the Azure Sky Squad’s Captain furrowed for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He was well aware of Eunho’s personality from what he had heard.
“I am Namgoong Hyeok, the Captain of the Azure Sky Squad of the Martial Alliance. I heard you received martial arts training from Elder Namgoong Cheong?”
While the people of the Namgoong family weren’t favorable towards Eunho, Namgoong Hyeok was a bit different.
He was basically interested in Eunho.
From a young age, he had grown up more as a ‘martial artist of the Martial Alliance’ rather than a ‘martial artist of the Namgoong family’.
He was simply curious about someone who had gained fame using Namgoong martial arts.
To his question, Eunho furrowed his brow and pondered.
“Have you perhaps learned the Thirteen Lightning Flashes of Flash Transmission Sword[2]?”
Eunho nodded.
It was the sword technique he had used when competing with the Director.
“Oh! It seems you’ve learned quite advanced martial arts. Then, what about the Heavenly Wind Sword Technique[3] and the Ten Forms of Iron Sword[4]?”
He nodded again.
“Surely not the Boundless Azure Heavens Sword Technique[5] too?”
“I’ve mastered it.”
Unlike Eunho who was starting to get annoyed, Namgoong Hyeok’s complexion began to pale.
The Boundless Azure Heavens Sword Technique was something that only those recognized for their martial talent within the Namgoong family could learn.
Moreover, only a handful within the family had mastered it, so he couldn’t help but be surprised.
For some reason, Namgoong Hyeok was afraid to ask the next question.
However, having come this far, he couldn’t not ask.
“Y-you haven’t learned the Emperor’s Sword Form[제왕검형]], right?”
“…?”
When Eunho tilted his head, he let out a sigh of relief.
“Haha, of course. Learning the Emperor’s Sword Form is practically…”
“I’ve mastered it. And stop asking now.”
Namgoong Hyeok froze like a stone.
Then his face began to redden.
The Emperor’s Sword Form was the ultimate technique of the Namgoong family, which even those born with outstanding talent could barely hope to master after decades of training.
And this guy says he’s mastered it? Something that only the Sect Leader, the Clan Head, and a few elders within the family have achieved?
He must be mocking him.
“You! How dare you treat the name of Namgoong so lightly!”
He had felt a sense of kinship as a martial artist who had learned the same martial arts.
However, thinking that he was being openly ridiculed, that sense of kinship quickly turned to anger.
“Well, don’t believe it if you don’t want to.”
What does it matter one way or the other?
He just wished this annoying guy would go away.
Eunho pondered.
If this guy gets more annoying, should I throw a punch, or should I just leap away to another place?
Normally, he would have thrown a punch without hesitation, but didn’t his master say not to touch ‘our kids’?
Eunho was trying his best to be patient.
Unaware of Eunho’s thoughts, Namgoong Hyeok’s face was filled with increasingly deep anger.
It wasn’t that he had an inherently vicious nature.
He simply couldn’t believe it sincerely.
From that perspective, anyone would feel mocked seeing Eunho’s attitude.
“If your words are true, prove it. If you can’t prove it, I’ll personally make you regret your rash statements in the name of Namgoong.”
Eunho looked up at the sky and sighed.
Ah, Master, are you watching?
No. Are you in the netherworld?
He lowered his head to look at the ground.
Can you see, Master?
What? This counts as self-defense?
Of course, there was no answer.
He was just making excuses in advance for when they met later.
This disciple will faithfully follow Master’s orders.
When Eunho suddenly lowered his head, Namgoong Hyeok was puzzled.
Is he reflecting on his actions?
As he thought that.
Eunho’s heavy fist had already reached right in front of his nose.
“Kueok!”
He sprayed clear blood from his nose and fell backwards.
At the same time, the door of the quarters opened with a creaking sound.
“Squad Leader, soon His Majesty will be going out for a hunt… Huh?”
The pupils of the Azure Sky Squad’s Vice Captain shook violently.
The Squad Leader falling while spraying blood into the air.
The Bloody Heavens Renewing Sword watching this with satisfaction.
Creak, slam!
The door closed again.
As if it had never been opened.
They say it rains blood.
So it was true.
The Vice Captain nodded and walked back the way he came.
Listening to the fading footsteps of the Vice Captain, Eunho loosened his neck left and right. It was time to root out those red bastards.