Chapter 137
The night at the imperial palace was very quiet.
There were few people in this wide space, and even those who came and went walked on tiptoe, lest they disturb the emperor's night.
Seeing that the wind was cool, it seemed to be the height of autumn.
The beautifully planted trees were also turning red and yellow with autumn leaves, and so was the emperor's face.
"...Is this the right way to train?"
The emperor looked at Cheon Woojin with a resentful face.
The two were sitting side by side on the steps of the training ground.
Cheon Woojin looked at the emperor's face, which had turned red and yellow like autumn leaves, and then dryly nodded.
"I've reduced it a lot. Originally, the Black Master's training method is several times more arduous than this."
Cheon Woojin was a person whose body had been healthier than others since birth, no, so strong that it was beyond healthy and was strange.
He did not get tired even after running for a hundred days, and instead of the toys that children usually played with, he would catch the poisonous snakes that roamed around with his bare hands.
Even for such a Cheon Woojin, the Black Master's training was arduous.
If he had applied that training method as it was tonight, this country would have had to find its next emperor.
"The faces of the subjects will be a sight to see tomorrow."
Seeing the emperor's face, which had been like white jade without a single blemish, swollen and turned red and blue overnight, the subjects would immediately implore him to find the one who had committed treason and tear him limb from limb.
Of course, if they knew that the opponent was the Emotionless Guest, their voices would become somewhat lower.
A liquor bottle was placed between the two.
Cheon Woojin, who had grown up in the mountains, did not know the etiquette of a subject, and the emperor, who had been born and raised in the imperial palace, had always wanted a friend rather than a subject, so the two got along well.
The emperor, even though his whole body was in pain, seemed to be enjoying himself, as he would immediately fill his liquor cup whenever it was empty.
Cheon Woojin, who was savoring the autumn wind, asked in a passing tone.
"By any chance, do you have any siblings?"
"..."
The emperor, who had been chattering nonstop, shut his mouth.
Since the imperial palace was originally quiet, a silence as if there were no one in this world arose.
Cheon Woojin realized that the silence was an affirmation.
'He was of the imperial bloodline.'
Then he could understand that strange pressure.
Even the emperor, who had not properly learned martial arts, had an atmosphere that overwhelmed people. This was not something that could be obtained acquiredly. It was an atmosphere that only those who had come into the world as noble beings from birth could have.
But, if he was also strong in martial arts, there was nothing more to say.
After a silence that was neither long nor short, the emperor, as if he had finished his contemplation, opened his mouth.
"Do you know about twins?"
"Yes, the existence of a duplicate born on the same day at the same time."
They are born into the world with the same face, the same physique, and the same fortune. In that era, twins were called a curse. The reason was that they would even have to share the little fortune they had inherited from their parents.
Of course, there were many who thought it was an absurd story, and there was no historical evidence, but there were also many who believed it. In particular, the imperial palace, which was the ladder between the heavens and the common people, was very sensitive to superstitions.
"When I was born, the imperial palace was turned upside down. The Son of Heaven must be a unique existence, but an identical existence had suddenly come out into the world."
The emperor stared intently into the air. A shadow was cast over his face, as if he were recalling the bad karma he had carried all his life.
"It's an impossible thing. My father, the emperor, who had seized power through blood at that time, thought that it could become a justification for the imperial authority to be shaken."
At that time, the emperor was a person who had killed many and seized the throne. But he had fallen ill and knew that he did not have much time left, and he thought that the fact that he was a twin would be a big obstacle when succeeding to the imperial authority after he died.
"So, he made a choice. To get rid of one person. Since there were few in the imperial palace who knew that I was a twin."
"Is that so?"
Even though it was a rather deep secret history, Cheon Woojin just reacted nonchalantly. It was just his original personality, but the emperor felt a strange comfort in that appearance.
"He secretly brought a famous fortune-teller and a Taoist priest who could read the heavenly ki and had their fortunes told. It was said that one of the twins had a talent for literature, and the other was born with a martial talent of the ages. Who was chosen, and who was abandoned... you would know without me saying, right?"
Cheon Woojin, who was staring at the emperor, nodded. It was because the emperor in front of him had not a speck of martial talent.
"Then what happened to the other person?"
"He died. In the imperial palace, not being chosen is synonymous with death."
It could have been an insolent question, but the emperor, as if he had been assimilated by Cheon Woojin, answered nonchalantly.
Cheon Woojin just silently drank his liquor cup.
'He didn't die.'
As he had expected, the abandoned child had somehow flowed to the Dark Heavenly Son or his disciples, and had inherited his true teachings with the martial talent of the ages that he was said to have been born with.
Cheon Woojin had never met a master like the silver-haired man, not only among his peers, but also considering the entire martial world.
Was it right to tell the emperor this?
Cheon Woojin, who had been contemplating for a moment, shook his head.
There was no need to confuse the imperial palace, the country, by telling the emperor something that was not yet certain.
After an awkward silence, the emperor suddenly smiled.
"Now, it is late. That's all for today."
Cheon Woojin, who had nodded, also got up from his seat and lightly picked up the Crescent Moon Staff he had placed next to him and slung it on his back.
At that sight, the emperor clicked his tongue. How could he handle a staff of such a heavy weight as if it were a wooden stick?
"You'll come again next time, right? You are the Grand Tutor now."
"Yes, if I have time."
Even at that ambiguous answer, the emperor just kept smiling, as if he were just happy.
* * *
Cheon Woojin and the Hidden Dragon Unit members left the imperial palace as soon as the day broke.
It was to quickly return and enjoy the one-month vacation they had been promised, as their mission was over.
The imperial palace had naturally prepared a carriage for the Grand Tutor's long journey. Cheon Woojin was about to refuse as usual, but he could not ignore the gazes of the Hidden Dragon Unit members that said, 'Commander, please, let's rest just once,' and accepted the imperial palace's proposal.
Of course, he didn't know until then.
That it would be a crazy carriage decorated with all sorts of splendid gold and flowers that would catch the attention of the whole world.
* * *
Hubei Province, the Martial Alliance's main headquarters.
The Alliance Leader's office was in a complete uproar.
Not only the Beili Tian Alliance Leader, but also the Sima Hui Chief Strategist could not come to their senses.
It was because the fact that the commander of the Martial Alliance's Hidden Dragon Unit was the disciple of the great evil, the Black Master, had been revealed to the whole world.
The Beggars' Sect, the Beggars' Sect, and the Eastern Depot, who had a favorable view of Cheon Woojin, had tried their best to control the information, but sensational rumors had a way of seeping through even an iron fortress.
Letters of protest flew in from all over the world.
There were those who cursed the Alliance Leader, asking if he was in his right mind, and there were also a succession of Orthodox Path sects that said they would leave the Alliance if he was not dismissed immediately.
However, there was a reason for such a reaction.
Among the sects with a history of more than thirty years, there were extremely few who had not lost a father, a grandfather, a brother, or a comrade at the hands of the Dark Heavenly Son and the Black Master.
Of course, in the current era, there were almost no people who had been directly harmed, but grudges had a way of being passed down through generations.
"Haa..."
The Alliance Leader pressed his temples. He had thought that such a day might come, but he had not expected the backlash to be this strong.
It was then.
A strategist from the Military Affairs Department came running in a frenzy and said.
"Alliance Leader! Chief Strategist! It is said that the Hidden Dragon Unit has just entered Wuhan. They will be arriving at the main gate soon!"
The two shot up.
A rather large clash might occur at the main gate of the Martial Alliance. Of course, with that guy's personality, he would never hold back, so the Alliance members would be beaten one-sidedly.
If that happened, the public opinion would become even more uncontrollable.
"N-no!"
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist exerted their extreme movement techniques and left the office.
.
.
.
The imperial palace's carriage was faster than they had expected.
Before they knew it, Cheon Woojin's party had arrived at the main gate.
As expected, those who held a grudge against the Black Master had gathered at the main gate like a swarm of ants.
But, the Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist could no longer intervene and were just looking at the main gate with half-dazed faces.
"Ch-Chief Strategist. What on earth is that?"
"I-I don't know either. It seems something happened in Beijing..."
Even the Chief Strategist was stuttering, a rare occurrence.
If even the two were like this, the surprise of the ordinary martial artists was even greater.
A carriage enters the main gate.
It is decorated with all sorts of gold and flowers, to the point of being dazzling.
It was even a four-horse carriage led by four white horses.
It was so well-oiled that the wheels were smooth, without even the sound of rolling.
The Hidden Dragon Unit members, including Song Yiyeon, guarded the carriage like soldiers with sharp discipline, and in fact, two subjects who had come from the imperial palace stood at the forefront, their dark blue robes fluttering.
Cheon Woojin was sitting in the open carriage, and he was just blinking his eyes like a pollack.
"...It seems that guy can't come to his senses either?"
"Since he's a Commander Cheon who gets so surprised that his mouth hangs open even just by going to a place with a lot of people, it's understandable."
While the Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist were having such a conversation.
The imperial palace's messenger, who had stepped forward with his dark blue robe fluttering, cleared his throat. The basic qualification of all messengers was a thunderous voice full of pressure.
"All members of the Martial Alliance, receive the imperial order!"
"...!!"
Everyone prostrated themselves.
The Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist were no exception.
The Inspection Hall Master, the Disciplinary Hall Master, the Postal Hall Master, and even the Beggar Lord, who had just come out to watch because people had gathered, and who was, as always, drunk and wandering around, also prostrated themselves.
Soon, the messenger's dignified voice continued.
The content was so long and detailed that it continued for half a quarter of an hour, but if all the flowery words were excluded, it was like this.
'It is me. The emperor. Cheon Woojin is my teacher, the Grand Tutor. But he is still a member of the Martial Alliance. So do not fight with each other and get along well. I will be watching from time to time. If there is anyone who holds a grudge against the Grand Tutor's masters, come to the imperial palace. As a disciple, I will compensate for that grudge.'
It was a simple content, but since the person who had said it was the emperor, its weight was different.
The emperor was sincerely thinking of compensating those who had been harmed by the Black Master. Of course, it was unknown if there would be anyone who would come to the imperial palace and demand compensation.
Soon, the messenger rolled up the edict with a triumphant face.
At that, the Alliance Leader, who had gotten up, approached Cheon Woojin.
The martial artists looked on with tense expressions, wondering what conversation would be exchanged, and the messengers watched with fire in their eyes, as if monitoring.
Soon, the Alliance Leader said.
"Ahem, let's move to another place and talk... shall we... shall we..."
"Just speak comfortably."
"Let's talk."
The Alliance Leader said in a sigh-mixed voice.
No, he had sent him on an inspection mission, but where in the world was there a crazy guy who would return as the emperor's teacher?
(End of Chapter)