Chapter 164
A few days later...
It had been almost half a year since Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su had crossed the threshold of the family estate.
Because after being appointed as officials, they had been working in other regions, so it had not been easy to visit Liaoning.
"Su-ya. Look over there! The scale of the construction seems to have gotten bigger. Is this really our house?"
"I know, sister... I really can't believe it even after seeing it. The second and third annex buildings seem to be almost complete. Hah... truly, it's a world of difference. At this rate, won't we be on par with the other Five Great Families?"
"I know. They say that the great disciple's business is flourishing day by day. Well, I don't think we can catch up with the scale of the other Five Great Families overnight, but if we continue like this, our family will become quite splendid, won't it?"
"No, sister."
"Huh?"
"I don't think it will take a long time for the great disciple to make the Moyong family the number one family in the Central Plains."
"Su-ya..."
"The great disciple will surely accomplish everything within a few years."
Moyong Su said, as if murmuring with a voice full of conviction.
He did not doubt it.
Because the great disciple he had seen was no different from a hero in a myth.
Not to mention the martial arts he possessed, the great disciple, who was bright in business and created fateful opportunities wherever he went, truly felt like a person blessed by the heavens.
"Haha. Indeed! The great disciple is an amazing person, an amazing person."
"That's right. Isn't he the best person of his time?"
"Except for his dirty temper, right? Hehe."
"That's right. Except for his dirty temper and being a bit vicious, well."
"Except for his dirty temper, being a bit vicious, and being annoying."
"That's right. Except for his dirty temper, being a bit vicious, being annoying, and sometimes being very, very slightly unlucky, well, except for those things, he's the best."
"Right. Except for his dirty temper, being a bit vicious, being annoying, sometimes being unlucky, and being frivolous..."
In an instant...
Thwack, thwack—
"Ack!"
"Ah!"
A sharp flick on the head landed on the heads of Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su, who were spouting their impressions of their great disciple, which was indistinguishable from praise or insults.
"You brats! What's with the what and what? Dirty temper, vicious, annoying, and unlucky? Frivolous? What, you punk!"
Of course, the person who had appeared like a grim reaper, flicking the heads of the two, was.
"Great Disciple!! Why did you hit me!"
"Ouch... it hurts, Great Disciple!"
...the great disciple, So-ah.
"I hit you to make it hurt, to make it hurt! I, you punk, huh? How many good spiritual medicines and inner cores have I brought you? There's a limit to repaying grace with enmity."
Even while looking at So-ah, whose eyes were flashing, Moyong Hwa, perhaps because she was wronged by being hit, growled.
"Phew! I was just joking with Su-ya because I was happy to see you, brother. We're all grown up now, how long are you going to flick our heads? My goodness, can you really flick a lady's head like that? My goodness! That's why you haven't even had a single romance yet. A person like you, brother, will probably never have a romance in your life."
What is this...
They say the one who farted gets angry, but she's making an even bigger fuss.
But...
But why are tears about to come out of my eyes?
"Moyong Hwa... did you really have to say everything to feel relieved?!"
"Ebebe~ I was just telling the truth. I'll bet one gold ingot that you'll become a lonely old man!"
"Stop talking nonsense and let's go inside. My uncle is so eager to see you that he's withering away, withering away."
***
"Hahaha!"
"Hohoho!"
"Hee-hee-hee!"
"Kehkehkeh!"
"Kekekeke!"
"Kikikiki!"
For the first time in a while, a flower of laughter bloomed in the house.
Not to mention Moyong Baek, the number one daughter-lover in the Central Plains, all the family members greeted Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su with a brightened face.
It was inevitable.
Because just a few years ago, Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su, who were not particularly outstanding compared to their peers and were like endlessly young children, had become respectable officials under So-ah's guidance and had returned in glory.
Indeed, seeing the growth of their descendants would be the greatest joy for the adults.
And...
Their conversation continued until the day grew dark.
In the midst of that, when they heard the story that So-ah had found his real brother a few days ago, Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su made a fuss with their eyes wide like lanterns.
—Great Disciple! Is it true? You really found your real brother?
—Great Disciple! What does he do? If he's the great disciple's real brother, he must be a really, really cool person, right?
—Instead, how about recommending the great disciple's brother to be an external disciple of our family?
—Great Disciple! You won't turn your back on our family just because you found your blood relative, right? If that happens, I will follow you to the ends of hell?!
'What's with these guys, really?'
At the excitement of his junior sister and junior brother, So-ah shook his head.
It seemed that only their martial arts had improved, but mentally, they had still not escaped the 'In-dan cadet level'.
"You brats! Do you think my brother is a person who has nothing to do? What external disciple? And why would I turn my back on the Moyong family? This is our home, and you are my family."
Even at So-ah's scolding, Moyong Hwa and Moyong Baek were not in a bad mood.
In particular.
'Kehkeh! Head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin. Did you hear that?! To So-ah, this place is the best! You old man!'
Moyong Baek, at the thought that he had won the battle for the 'ownership of So-ah', slightly curled the corners of his lips.
Just then.
"The great disciple's real brother. What does he do?"
"The head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"What?"
"I said, the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"Cut it out, brother. I'm asking seriously. I'm curious!"
"You cut it out, if you don't want to get beaten up again."
"S-Surely?"
As Moyong Hwa's face contorted with astonishment,
"Hohoho! Hwa-ya. That's right. So-ah's real brother is the great hero Jin Won-tak, the commander-in-chief of the current imperial court's Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Moyong Baek stepped forward to vouch for So-ah's words.
'The great disciple is really...'
'What is his identity?!'
Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su had to click their tongues once again at their great disciple, who always surpassed their expectations.
***
The emperor tilted his head.
Because the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin Won-tak, who was supposed to confiscate and search the Moyong family and escort Jin So-ah, had suddenly come to the palace with Bao Qingtian.
But it didn't take long for him to grasp the situation.
"I, Bao Zheng, have an audience with Your Majesty."
"Bao Zheng! What is the meaning of this? And why has the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard come with Bao Zheng?"
"Well, you see, Your Highness..."
Bao Qingtian and Jin Won-tak told the emperor the whole story of all the incidents surrounding Eunuch Han in detail.
At that, a blue vein popped out on the emperor's temple.
"Is that true?"
"How could I lie to Your Majesty?"
"Hah!"
A sigh flowed from the emperor's mouth.
"Then are you saying that Eunuch Han and the officials who follow him have deceived me!"
"That is correct, Your Majesty. Isn't this a clear act of treason? You must punish them severely to set the discipline of the imperial court straight and to assert the solemnity of the national law."
"Hah... how can those who hold important positions in the country commit such a treasonous act! Bao Zheng. Then what should I do?"
"Your Majesty. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the direct unit of the imperial court, and has the authority of summary judgment for matters related to the imperial court. The head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin, and I will discuss and annihilate them and hold them accountable according to the national law, so please do not worry."
"Good! Then, I command!"
The emperor opened his mouth with a face and voice full of determination.
At that, Bao Qingtian and Jin Won-tak prostrated themselves and bowed their heads.
"From this day, this hour, I appoint the magistrate of Kaifeng, Bao Zheng, as the chief investigator of the case of the internal rebellion, treason, and deception of the imperial court. The head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin, will assist Bao Zheng and punish the related parties with a single stroke."
"Your grace is boundless."
"Your grace is boundless."
In the emperor's eyes, Bao Zheng and Jin Won-tak were truly reliable and loyal officials.
The joint efforts of the two people he cherished the most seemed to have washed away his anxiety.
And...
"Your Majesty... I, your subject, have one more request."
Bao Qingtian murmured in a low voice, still with his head bowed.
"Bao Zheng. You are the subject I cherish the most. Speak frankly."
"As I have said, Eunuch Han has joined hands with the heretical cult called the White Lotus Cult and has tried to violate the people. They are still committing ruthless human sacrifices, and the ignorant people are still being deceived by a peck of barley and are becoming their puppets."
"The White Lotus Cult... what a truly evil group."
"As a rule, the prevalence of a heretical religion has the risk of spreading to the point of shaking the foundation of the country, so I implore you that it would be appropriate to suppress the White Lotus Cult on a large scale by mobilizing the military."
At Bao Qingtian's words, the emperor stroked his beard.
Currently, for Bao Qingtian, the matter of suppressing the White Lotus Cult was more urgent than the matter of purging Eunuch Han and the corrupt officials.
It was also a promise with So-ah, and since Bao Qingtian himself was originally a person full of concern for the people...
"Good! Then, I will tell General Song and give you the imperial army. The suppression of the White Lotus Cult will be carried out by Bao Zheng together with General Song and the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin."
At that, Bao Qingtian and Jin Won-tak bowed again with moved eyes.
The emperor, who had recognized the seriousness of the matter, actively gave his support to Bao Qingtian and Jin Won-tak.
"Long live, long live, long, long live!"
***
For the past ten days, So-ah had gone beyond earnestly pleading and had almost shouted, and had barely persuaded Moyong Baek.
—So-ah. The Gansu subjugation is a great cause of the Orthodox Path martial world. How can I, as the head of one of the Five Great Families, not stand at the forefront!
—Uncle! That's not how you should think about it. I, the great disciple, will be the commander-in-chief of the vanguard and will be active, and my junior sister and junior brother will also be assigned to the vanguard and will do their best. The Moyong family is strictly making the greatest contribution to this matter. So, uncle, please be faithful to your duties as the family head at the family estate!
—So-ah! But!!
—Uncle. No, Family Head! Our family is at an important crossroads right now. We have a lot of business started, we have to welcome the Moyong clan members who are gathering from all over, and we have to continuously recruit external disciples. This expedition might take a year. During that long time, we can't lead the family with just the power of the chief steward and the elders. I beg you, uncle.
The conversation between the two was roughly like this.
Although the Gansu subjugation was important to So-ah, the prosperity of the family was more important, so he had wanted his uncle to remain in Liaoning at all costs.
In the end, as always, Moyong Baek could not break So-ah's stubbornness this time either.
So-ah, who had reached a compromise with his uncle, headed to the Cheong-a-ru, and after finally discussing various matters including the ice spirit stone distribution with Yuk Jeong-ran, the chief steward, and others, he finished his preparations to return to the main office.
And...
So-ah, for the first time in a while, took Huidungi and Geomdungi with him and went on a mountain hike.
—Kiki, ukkikik!
—Keo-heu-eung!
Huidungi and Geomdungi, because they had grown up with the hands of many people in the family, had come to follow everyone, but as if they had not forgotten that So-ah was their original owner, they were constantly showing off their cute tricks.
"Haha! That brat Geomdungi, you've grown a lot. By the time you come back to the family estate, you'll have the appearance of a gallant great ape, right?"
So-ah, after stroking Geomdungi's body here and there, shifted his gaze to Huidungi, who was yawning with his belly turned up.
'Aigo... our Huidungi. You've gotten so old. You're a complete old man.'
That's right.
The traces of time were on Huidungi's face.
The terrifying white fangs had turned yellow and were now just roots.
"Huidungi-ah. I'll play with you a lot when I get back. Be healthy until then..."
It was a world of difference.
An expedition that might take a year.
But So-ah, as always, vowed to himself that he would coolly subjugate the White Lotus Cult and return.
And...
'This time, by all means. I will take the old man's head.'
So-ah was waiting for the decisive battle with the Rain and Heaven Demonic Sword, No Yeong-myeong, who had instilled fear in him for the first time in his life.
...but whom he had not been able to surpass until now.
"Grandfather. Please watch over me from the immortal world. I will definitely avenge the first defeat of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts."
As he said that, So-ah, in the dead of night, sat in a cross-legged position under the moonlight and simultaneously raised the accumulated power of the <Great Purity Limitless Divine Core> and the <Vajra Bronze-Man God Core>, as well as his Supreme Meridian Energy.
An unprecedented great power that even So-ah himself could not explain completely enveloped his entire body.
(End of Chapter)