episode_0052

“Keuk!….”

“Hah, Clan Head! Are you alright?”

“Hoo…, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Moyong Mu-woong forced a smile.

But he couldn’t control his trembling hand, so he grabbed it with his other hand.

That day, he saw a being from mythology, a disaster that human power couldn’t dare oppose.

An existence worthy of being called a Demon.

The existence of Bokhae Daeseong was deeply etched in Moyong Mu-woong’s heart as trauma.

“I, I’ll let you live. So don’t be a nuisance and stay quiet.”

Amidst the tragic deaths of the proud and trustworthy warriors of the Moyong Clan, he said that in the blood of the warriors who were with him.

He, pathetically, had no choice but to obey his words.

So, like a loser, pathetic, he hastily escaped on a small boat and barely reached the shores of Dandong.

He doesn’t remember what happened after that very well.

As if someone was watching his back, he ran all the way to Yaogyeong with constant pressure, like a deer being chased by a hunter.

“C, Clan Head! What on earth happened?! What happened to the other retainers and warriors, and why did you come back alone in this state?!”

“….Dismiss all the warriors in Dandong.”

“Huh?…, What do you mean….”

“….I will abandon Dandong.”

To avoid the possibility of angering a terrifying being and causing his clan to disappear.

But at the same time, he dispatched several informants to Dandong to keep an eye on the movements of the pirates in Dandong.

In preparation for a possible situation….

‘But I never thought…, that Yeom-gun would be able to subdue the pirates.’

“Clan Head. Now…, what should we do?”

“…Right. First, tell them to ensure the warriors who returned from Dandong can recover well. We’ll bring up the story about Dandong later during a council meeting.”

“Understood. Then I will relay the message.”

“Right. And I need some time to think, so don’t look for me for the time being.”

Having heard the Clan Head’s words, the retainer nodded and was about to step back to allow the Clan Head to rest.

Bang!!!

“?!”

“Wh, what….”

A loud explosion coming from outside.

At the same time, the outside began to become noisy.

“Wh, what is going on?”

“Th, that, I’m not sure. I’ll go find out right away!….”

While staring at the back of the retainer hurrying out, the image of Bokhae Daeseong flashed through Moyong Mu-woong’s mind.

Could it be that he has come to this place?

But it wasn’t them who were subduing the pirates.

It should be the soldiers of the Yeom Clan who subdued the pirates, so why would he come to this place?

“….Ah.”

Thinking up to that point, he realized one thing.

From the start, he is not human. He is a monster and also a demon who has surpassed the limits of living things.

Just like humans cannot understand the culture and affiliations of ants, he also does not know the culture and affiliations of humans, nor does he need to understand them.

He will simply…, destroy the homes of ants who don’t listen to him.

“C, Clan Head!!”

“What on earth is going on!! What on earth is happening that it’s so noisy outside!!”

At Moyong Mu-woong’s words, the retainer shouted urgently, panting.

“Y, Yeom-gun!…. Ja-ryong has come!”

“Ja-ryong?….”

Recalling the report for a moment, he certainly heard that a member of the Ja-ryong Unit had arrived in Dandong.

And he heard that he was carrying out a pirate suppression operation with the Yeom-gun stationed in Dandong…, but he couldn’t understand why Ja-ryong, who should be in Dandong, was in Yaogyeong, and why they were suddenly causing a commotion.

“…I will meet them myself.”

* * *

As a result of the three people’s discussion, the answer ultimately led to one conclusion.

Head-on breakthrough.

First of all, it’s different from pirates.

They don’t have anything you can call an exact base. That’s why they don’t hesitate to run away, and that’s why once you miss them, it becomes a headache. But these guys are different from pirates.

Since they have a clear base, they can’t escape easily.

That’s why they stood in front of the castle.

“Please wait a moment.”

“This is the territory of the Moyong Clan. What business do you have here?”

As they approached Yaogyeong Castle, the Moyong Clan’s gatekeepers blocked them.

“I’ve come to meet the Clan Head of the Moyong Clan.”

“….What?”

“Who goes around saying they’ve come to meet the Clan Head out of the blue?”

Seol-rin shrugged her shoulders and said a word to me.

But isn’t that right?

Since there was no point in dragging out the time, I spoke confidently.

“I am Ja-ryong of the Yeom-gun. I have come to meet the Clan Head, so open the gate.”

“J, Ja-ryong?….”

“Why is Ja-ryong here….”

As expected, the influence of the name Ja-ryong is greater than imagined.

‘The more I see it, the more curious I become, why did they give this name of Ja-ryong to me, a foreigner?….’

I thought about it for a moment, but nothing came to mind.

To simply think about it, isn’t it just that they need power, so they gave it to me in a win-win situation?

Even so, Ja-ryong’s influence is too great.

“E, even if you are Ja-ryong, you do not have the authority to meet the Clan Head of the clan.”

“Please make a formal request and come.”

“….Well, I guess it would turn out like this.”

I turned my arm and loosened my shoulders.

I slowly approached the castle.

At my reaction, they were startled and drew their swords.

“St, stand back!!”

“What on earth is Yeom-gun doing here so suddenly!!”

“What’s going on? It’s a house search.”

【Breath of All Things】+【Spatial Severance】

In a pose that is commonly called a blade stance, I sharpened my hand and drew in the air.

With the sound of something being cut, the large gate was cut.

“?!”

“W, warriors, subdue them!!!”

The warriors, who had been staring blankly at the cut gate, quickly came to their senses and rushed at me, drawing their swords.

“You’re being annoying…, things might get complicated, so don’t touch them.”

“Okay.”

“Are you going to be okay with your bare hands? Young Master?”

“If I swing around with a blade and someone gets cut, I’m really in big trouble.”

I loosen my body and walk slowly.

As I entered the castle gate, they were already fully prepared to subdue the intruders inside.

“Wow, that’s fast?”

“Chaat!!”

‘Receive the Moyong Clan’s sword!!!”

Warriors rushing at me.

But none of them had a speed that could surpass my gaze.

Therefore, I grasp the movements of each one and send them flying with a slap of my palm.

Bang!!!

“Keueok!!”

“Keuak!!”

One by one, the warriors flew far away and crashed into the wall.

At that sight, the warriors who were rushing at me flinched, but in the end, they rushed at me just the same.

And the ending of the warriors who rushed at me was also the same.

“Stop!!!”

“Is that finally the Clan Head?”

In the midst of the one-sided assault, there was someone who appeared, shouting loudly.

Compared to the Clan Head of the Tang Clan, Tang Seol-pung, he didn’t have a very outstanding presence, but he seemed to have the charisma as the leader of a faction.

“What on earth is this commotion! And why are you recklessly entering the Moyong Clan’s territory and causing this uproar!!!”

“Ja-ryong. It’s Jang Cheon-woo.”

“Jang Cheon-woo?….”

The Ja-ryong Unit basically carries out covert missions that are not revealed.

Of course, there are some exceptions, but that’s basically the case.

That’s why Jang Cheon-woo, who belongs to the Ja-ryong Unit and participated in this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering under the Yeom-gun, became especially well-known. Because Ja-ryong does not appear in such public events unless it is a special case.

In addition, I knew that the Ja-ryong who appeared in Dandong was also named Jang Cheon-woo.

That means….

“Are you that Ja-ryong who quelled the Dandong sea?”

“That’s right. And I heard a really absurd story and came to visit.”

“An absurd story?”

He frowned as if he really didn’t know.

Does he really not know, or is he pretending not to know?

“I heard that you are demanding that the autonomy of Dandong be returned…, what have you been doing all this time, and now that all the pirates have been subdued, you’re saying you want the autonomy returned? State a reasonable reason for that. Clan Head of the Moyong Clan. So….”

“Moyong Mu-woong. The Clan Head of the Moyong Clan is named Moyong Mu-woong.”

“Right. Moyong Mu-woong. I hope you realize that depending on your answer, this could be considered a major situation, even a rebellion against the Yeom Clan.”

Seol-rin, who had followed me without me knowing, quickly told me the name of the Clan Head of the Moyong Clan, so I urgently called his name and put pressure on him.

“Rebellion? Our Moyong Clan would never do such a thing.”

“Who can’t say anything? Even cursing the king is something people do in places where they can’t be seen.”

“….Why on earth are you doing this.”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know? In the past, you guys were managing the Dandong area before the Yeom Clan managed it. There’s no way you guys wouldn’t know about the pirates there…., and I don’t think you’re foolish enough to not know that Bokhae Daeseong is behind those pirates.”

“!!”

He reacts to the word Bokhae Daeseong.

As expected, they knew that Bokhae Daeseong was behind the pirates.

“There is information that Bokhae Daeseong has a cooperative relationship with the Suin Alliance, which is a headache for the current Yeom Kingdom. And you guys remained silent even though you knew of Bokhae Daeseong’s existence. How are you going to explain this fact?”

“Th, that’s….”

“Do you have any evidence that you didn’t condone the activities of the pirates as a cooperative relationship with the Suin Alliance?”

He remained silent as if he had nothing to say to my words.

Then he quickly continued.

“Yes, Bokhae Daeseong…, I knew that there was that monster. But the Suin Alliance? We have never had a cooperative relationship with the Suin Alliance. Why would we cooperate with those evil scoundrels who are causing chaos in the Yeom Kingdom.”

“Well. We’ll find out if we investigate. If you’re so confident, you’ll definitely cooperate with the investigation, right?”

It was the retainers around the Clan Head who flared up at my words.

“W, overreach! Of course, all the clans and sects are one under the name of the Flame, but how dare a member of Ja-ryong say such things to the Clan Head!!”

“No matter how much of a Ja-ryong you are, there should be procedures and etiquette for visiting the Clan Head, let alone investigate the inside of the clan? What on earth is this nonsense!!”

“….”

“That’s true. Ja-ryong certainly has the authority to exercise requests for cooperation from each clan and sect, but directly putting pressure on the Clan Head is a different story.”

Seol-rin’s additional explanation, who knows the situation of the Yeom Kingdom well.

The retainers of the Moyong Clan, who somehow heard the story, became even more arrogant and continued to speak.

“That’s right! Besides, aren’t you the daughter of the Tang Clan? Why is the daughter of the Tang Clan with the Yeom Kingdom!”

“What do you care who I’m with and what I’m doing? And in the first place, as you guys said, all the clans and sects should be one under the name of the Flame, so is there anything wrong with me, a member of the Tang Clan, being with the Yeom-gun?”

“Th, that’s….”

Because it was the right thing to say, they closed their mouths.

That’s right.

Whoever you’re with is your own decision. Seriously, no matter how much I think about it, you’re good at talking.

“….But, even so, the investigation here is beyond your authority. At the very least…, bring a document containing the orders of the Flame Emperor. Ja-ryong of the Ja-ryong Unit.”

So that’s how it’s going to be?

Just as I was frowning and wondering what to do…,

“Then that’s fine. I will command you in the name of the Flame.”

Someone appeared behind me.

“The Moyong Clan and its Clan Head. And the retainers and servants below them. All warriors must cooperate with the investigation under the name of the Flame.”

“Y, you are?!”

“?….”

When I turned around, I saw a young boy with slightly reddish black hair and two men who appeared to be the boy’s bodyguards.

“That is I, the Flame Emperor’s order.”