Chapter 42
Although he didn't emit killing intent, his blazing two eyes seemed more than enough to kill several people.
But the Provincial Military Commander was also not to be trifled with.
"Haha, how dare a mere Thousand-household Commander speak informally to me, the Provincial Military Commander?"
Looking at the rank or official position, the Provincial Military Commander was much higher. Since he was a person who held the military power of a province, his authority could not be ignored.
But there was something the Provincial Military Commander had overlooked.
"A mere Thousand-household Commander? Hehe, to a Thousand-household Commander of the Jinyiwei, which is the direct unit of His Majesty the Emperor, you say a mere Thousand-household Commander... do you see me as a Thousand-household Commander under your command?"
"Wh-what? You bastard!"
The Provincial Military Commander couldn't hold back his anger and shouted. At this, the ones who were following him drew their swords.
At the same time, the Jinyiwei also drew their swords. It was a touch-and-go moment.
The Provincial Inspector, who was in the middle, was at a loss, not knowing what to do.
"H-hey, don't do this. Thousand-household Commander Seok, please stop, and Provincial Military Commander, please endure it."
The Provincial Inspector, who was relatively small and frail, was sweating profusely, trying to prevent a fight from breaking out by going back and forth between the two sides.
Clap, clap, clap.
In the tense atmosphere, the sound of clapping was heard.
It was the applause of Cheongun, who was smiling on one side.
"Hahaha. I've heard that the power of the Five Military Governor's Offices is great, but I didn't know that the power of a mere Provincial Military Commander of a province was higher than that of a Thousand-household Commander of the Jinyiwei."
"Wh-what?"
"Why? Provincial Commander, have you forgotten who the Northern Pacification Envoy, the elite of the Jinyiwei, is? Or... are you trusting in the power of the Five Military Governor's Offices?"
"..."
At Cheongun's sharp point, the Provincial Military Commander closed his mouth. His hardened complexion and the trembling corners of his eyes showed how angry he was.
But he could not burst out in anger. Because Cheongun's words were right.
Cheongun thought of the past.
'Power is this scary. I couldn't even dare to look at them.'
Cheongun had met the Provincial Inspector and the Provincial Military Commander several times. They had not spared their praise for Cheongun, calling him a treasure of the nation.
At that time, he couldn't even dare to raise his head properly. But now it had changed like this.
Cheongun said to the Provincial Military Commander and the Provincial Inspector with a smiling face.
"By the way... what brings you two here?"
"Ahem, there was a report that the Hyeokryeon Manor was being attacked by an unknown group. So we came running like this."
The Provincial Inspector quickly replied. The Provincial Military Commander still had his mouth firmly shut, as if his pride had been hurt.
Cheongun left such a Provincial Military Commander and said to the Provincial Inspector.
"Now that you know that the Jinyiwei has stepped in, please withdraw your soldiers and go back."
Although he said it with a smile, it was a clear order to leave.
"Keung."
The Provincial Inspector let out a groan. Since he had been pushed in the power struggle, his heart was not at ease.
But the Provincial Military Commander's thought was different.
"I can't do that."
"You can't do that, what do you mean?"
Cheongun looked at the Provincial Military Commander. His face was still stiff. But he could clearly see what he was thinking.
The Provincial Military Commander looked around and said strongly.
"This is my jurisdiction. I cannot tolerate an illegal act committed without prior notice."
As if he were Zhang Fei at the Changban Bridge, he emitted a momentum from his whole body. But although it might be so to others, to Cheongun, it was a ridiculous thing.
Smirk.
Cheongun smiled.
The Provincial Military Commander's face twitched at that sight.
"You're laughing?"
"Provincial Commander, you are saying something funny."
"Funny? Are you saying I'm joking with you?"
"Hahaha. Otherwise, I don't know why you are being so stubborn."
At Cheongun's words, which he said with a loud laugh, the Provincial Military Commander's face turned red.
He also knew. That he was being stubborn. But his words were not entirely wrong either.
"Listen carefully. According to custom, when moving troops, you must come to me, who holds the military power of that province, and report in advance before moving!"
"Ah! Custom... are you saying you want to follow the etiquette?"
"That's right. No matter how much of a Pacification Envoy you are, you are a person who has not received a rank. To operate troops in my jurisdiction without my permission is... the same as rebellion."
The surroundings became noisy.
A word that should never have come out had come out.
But Cheongun didn't care. He just said to the Provincial Military Commander with cold eyes.
"You call it rebellion for not following custom... then what is a person who blocks the way of an official who is carrying out the imperial order of His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Wh-what? You bastard!"
"Well, did you come without knowing? The fact that the Hyeokryeon Manor had plotted a rebellion?"
At Cheongun's words, the Provincial Military Commander gritted his teeth.
He didn't know exactly why the Jinyiwei had come here. He had just heard that they were unfair and that the Jinyiwei had appeared and were causing a bloodbath.
But his pride did not allow him to retreat like this.
"Did you say rebellion? It must be a false rebellion that you have plotted!"
The Provincial Military Commander could not retreat like this. He was one of the fifteen Provincial Military Commanders in the country. A powerful person who held the military power of this Henan Province, one of the thirteen provinces.
Moreover, the Jinyiwei and the Five Military Governor's Offices to which he belonged were in a power struggle. So he could not retreat even more.
'How dare a young brat tell me what to do!'
Padeudeuk.
The Provincial Military Commander gritted his teeth inwardly.
If he retreated like this, he could be reduced to a laughingstock of the world. If he hadn't come here, he wouldn't know, but it was already a situation where he had to ride the tiger.
It wasn't that he didn't know the Provincial Military Commander's position. But this was not a matter of giving in or not.
He and the Blood Emperor were both related to their enemies. So he had decided to go strong.
"Are you saying you want to have a power struggle?"
"There's nothing I can't do!"
The Provincial Military Commander had enough power. Even if Cheongun was a Jinyiwei, the Five Military Governor's Offices, which were comparable to him, were backing him. So he did not retreat.
"Alright. If you really want to see the coffin to shed tears, I will do so."
"You bastard! Do you really want to die!"
Hoo-ak!
A powerful killing intent emitted from the Provincial Military Commander's body covered Cheongun. It was an anger that he had endured and endured.
"How dare a mere scholar confront me!"
Although he had become a fat pig now, in his youth, he had been a commander of ten thousand who had commanded the north.
'Now you will sh*t blood and beg me to save you.'
The Provincial Military Commander sneered at Cheongun inwardly.
Scholars were people who valued face more than martial artists. Since he had received his killing intent with his whole body, it was obvious that he would wet his pants.
As he was having a pleasant imagination, the reaction was strange.
"They say you were a commander of ten thousand, and your killing intent is great."
Cheongun said, waving his hand and scattering the killing intent.
"Huh?"
The Provincial Military Commander's mouth fell open.
At Cheongun's light gesture, his killing intent had disappeared as if it were a lie.
He just blinked his two eyes at the unbelievable thing and looked at Cheongun. Cheongun erased the smile from his face and gave an order.
"Jinyiwei, receive the order!"
"Chung!"
Everyone's gaze gathered on Cheongun's mouth.
Cheongun stared at the Provincial Military Commander and said slowly.
"Arrest the Provincial Military Commander of Henan Province for the crime of rebellion!"
"As you command!"
The Jinyiwei answered in unison.
The courtyard became a mess.
"What?"
"Hey, Pacification Envoy!"
Not only the Provincial Military Commander, but also the Provincial Inspector, who had been at a loss next to him, argued with Cheongun.
Cheongun just kept silent. The Jinyiwei had already surrounded the Provincial Military Commander.
"Surrender obediently."
"Throw down your weapons at once!"
But the military officials who followed the Provincial Military Commander were also not to be trifled with.
"How dare you want to die?"
"Protect the Provincial Commander!"
A confrontation was formed.
Outside, the soldiers who were surrounding the manor also aimed their weapons at the Jinyiwei.
The Provincial Military Commander's face turned red, and Cheongun still had a calm face.
An incident that he had intended to just reprimand and let go had grown out of control.
All that was left was the Provincial Inspector.
Cheongun looked at the Provincial Inspector intently.
It was a silent pressure asking what he would do.
The Provincial Inspector took a step forward and intervened in the middle.
"Both of you, please stop."
But neither side retreated. No, the problem was the Jinyiwei.
Looking at their actions, it seemed they would never retreat until Cheongun withdrew his order. If they pushed with force like this, the soldiers led by the Provincial Military Commander would not just stand by either.
The Provincial Inspector looked at Cheongun and said coldly.
"I can report today's incident to His Majesty as it is. If the central power looks down on the local officials like this, we will not just stand by. So please stop at this point and withdraw the Jinyiwei."
The Provincial Inspector proposed a final compromise. But it was the same for Cheongun that he could not retreat.
"I can't do that. I am a Pacification Envoy who has come to punish them under the order of His Majesty the Emperor. So the words that have come out of my mouth are the order of His Majesty the Emperor."
"Hey, Pacification Envoy!"
"Stop!"
Cheongun cut off the Provincial Inspector's words in the middle.
A slight killing intent spread from his body.
For a moment, the surroundings cooled down.
Cheongun took something out of his bosom, held it forward, and shouted.
"Receive the imperial order!!!"
Everyone's gaze gathered on the object Cheongun was holding.
Something that was flashing seemed to be a plaque made of gold.
Looking closely, the two words "Imperial Order" were clearly engraved.
It was a golden seal that symbolized the Emperor.
Seeing the golden seal that he had only heard of in words, the Provincial Inspector and the Provincial Military Commander prostrated themselves and chanted.
The soldiers also prostrated themselves and shouted.
"Long live, long live, long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Long live, long live, long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
Everyone bowed their heads and paid their respects to the Emperor.
The Provincial Military Commander trembled as if he had been struck by lightning.
'It's over.'
He had not known that Cheongun was an official who possessed a golden seal. If he had known in advance, he would not have appeared here.
Cheongun looked around and shouted.
"Arrest the Provincial Military Commander and put him in prison. If he is even slightly related to the Hyeokryeon Manor, he will be punished for the crime of rebellion!"
At Cheongun's sharp order, the Provincial Military Commander was tied up without a single resistance.
The members of the Hyeokryeon Manor received a shock as if the sky had fallen.
It was natural since the last card they had believed in had disappeared. But the Provincial Inspector's face was cold. It was by no means a look of submission.
Cheongun's order continued.
"Confiscate the Provincial Military Commander's military power at once and prevent chaos!"
"As you command!"
Xiong Tian took the military tally from the Provincial Military Commander's bosom and offered it to Cheongun.
Cheongun held the military tally in his hand and gave an order.
"Imprison the members of the Hyeokryeon Manor in the military camp and imprison the warriors of the Zirong Palace and the Hyeokryeon Manor in prison!"
Cheongun said coldly to Hyeokryeon Jongdo, who was being dragged away.
"When your son Hui is caught, I will deal with you all at once. Ah! Just in case, don't think of using martial arts. That will only hasten your death."
As soon as Cheongun finished speaking, he turned around and headed to the pavilion.
From all directions, they called for the Emperor and shouted to be saved. But no one saved them.
Hyeokryeon Jongdo also screamed at Cheongun as he was being dragged away.
"You bastard! What have you done to my body!"
Cheongun sneered.
'I did what you did to my father. Other people may live, but you will never be able to live. As time passes, your blood vessels will be cut to pieces, and you will die feeling a desperate pain.'
Among the martial arts of the Imperial Palace Armory, there were also strange ones.
Among them, there was also a martial art that slowly destroyed the blood vessels by injecting internal energy. It was said that a desperate pain would follow if one was hit by that martial art.
He had memorized the incantation of that martial art to get revenge. And today, he had unfolded it against Hyeokryeon Jongdo.
Even if he was cleared of the crime of rebellion, he would have no choice but to die while suffering a desperate pain.
'Even if the world curses me as a vicious guy, I will never forgive you and your son!'
* * *
"Your Excellency! We're in big trouble."
As Cheongun was savoring his tea and waiting for news about Hyeokryeon Hui, Xiong Tian burst open the door and rushed in.
Xiong Tian knelt on one knee and reported.
"Your Excellency! It is said that he has escaped from Kaifeng and disappeared."
"What!"
Cheongun stood up abruptly from his seat.
(End of Chapter)