A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 316

316. The Palace Incident (2)

The Imperial Palace is surrounded by a massive red wall.

Outside the wall, a deep, wide moat filled with water encircles the palace like a river. Atop the high walls, the Golden Guard, the imperial family’s most formidable military force, maintains an ironclad defense.

Therefore, without an army equipped with siege weapons, breaching or crossing this massive red wall, guarded by the deep moat and the Golden Guard, would be virtually impossible.

However, tonight, even the Golden Guards protecting the Imperial Palace couldn’t mask the tension etched on their faces as they stood on the massive red walls.

“What’s going on!”

A Golden Guard captain, sword at his hip, leaped onto the wall and shouted in a stern voice.

The Golden Guard soldier who had raised the alarm immediately knelt, one hand on his sword, and reported, “Suspicious individuals have appeared!”

“Suspicious individuals?”

The soldier pointed beyond the wall. The captain followed his gesture. Beyond the deep moat, the night view of Beijing unfolded as usual.

“Where… Huh!”

The captain, who had been frowning, was suddenly startled.

Something had flashed in the darkness across the moat.

The captain, with his keen eyes, was certain that he had glimpsed the shadow of a person.

He spoke, his expression hardening. “The four main gates of the palace?”

“They are already sealed.”

The only way to enter the palace across the moat is through the four gates. As soon as the emergency alarm sounds, all gates are sealed, regardless of the reason. This is standard procedure for the Golden Guard protecting the Imperial Palace.

The captain nodded and held out his hand to the soldier. “Bow.”

“Yes?”

The captain’s words surprised the soldier. He had expected an order to pursue and capture the intruder immediately.

“Bow!”

“Ah, yes!”

At the captain’s sharp command, the soldier quickly handed over the bow and quiver. The captain took the bow, nocked an arrow, and drew back the string with all his might.

Squeak.

The taut bow and string emitted a soft sound.

The arrow, poised to fly, remained firmly in the captain’s hand, which was imbued with internal energy [qi or chi, vital energy], unmoving.

Bow in hand, the captain stared intently into the darkness.

The luxury houses and garden trees across the moat were quietly asleep in the darkness.

Whoosh.

Again, a human shadow flashed through the darkness, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with incredible speed.

The captain released his hand slightly.

Thwack.

The arrow tore through the wind toward the black shadow. Imbued with the captain’s considerable internal energy, it seemed destined to pierce its target.

However, just before the arrow reached the shadow, something flashed in front of it.

‘That’s!’

The captain’s sharp eyes recognized the momentary glint. It was a sharp blade reflecting the moonlight.

“The arrow was deflected!” exclaimed the soldier beside him. But the captain already knew.

Gazing at the shadow leisurely disappearing into the darkness, the captain bit his lip.

‘…A master.’

The martial prowess of the Golden Guard, protectors of the imperial family, is not to be underestimated.

While their position might be their most fearsome attribute, their martial skill alone rivals notable figures from each province.

The Eastern Depot [imperial secret police] or Golden Guard masters are not to be underestimated, even by elders of the Great Four Sects or the Five Great Families [prominent martial arts organizations].

However, the limitations of the Golden Guard’s martial arts are also clear.

Unlike martial artists who pursue higher individual realms, the Golden Guard prioritizes the collective martial power of the group.

Therefore, even if individually inferior, the Golden Guard’s deterrent and destructive power as a martial group is unmatched by martial arts sects.

“Immediately report to the commander! All Golden Guards are to guard the gates and walls of the Imperial Palace in a state of alert! This is an emergency situation!”

“Yes!”

The Golden Guard soldier immediately obeyed the order. The captain shouted to the Golden Guards on the wall, “Make the lights brighter!”

Whoosh.

The prepared torches flared up instantly, bathing the area around the wall in bright light.

The captain estimated the distance the black shadow had leaped a moment ago.

‘At that level…’

It’s not enough to cross the moat yet.

But is that really the limit?

The captain leaned forward, carefully examining the lower part of the wall exposed by the light. Fortunately, there was no unusual movement.

However, before he could even sigh in relief…

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

A signal announcing an emergency pierced the darkness from afar.

From the sound alone, the captain knew it was an alarm ringing from two other walls.

“The west and the north as well…”

The captain’s face grew even more grim. The signal meant that unidentified shadows had appeared not only in the east but also in the west and north.

The only place where the signal remained silent was the south. The main gate of the Imperial Palace is located to the south, across the moat from the Sajikdan [altar to the gods of earth and grain] and Taemyo [royal ancestral shrine], symbols of the imperial family’s legitimacy.

‘Did they avoid it because the security at the main gate is strict, or…’

“Shouldn’t we go out and catch that person right now?”

The Golden Guard soldier standing next to him asked. But the captain firmly shook his head.

“No. We must not go out. This is a provocation, perhaps a feint.”

If this were an accidental event, he would naturally capture the person and investigate. However, this person is a master with tremendous martial prowess, openly acting suspiciously in front of the Imperial Palace.

Moreover, not alone, but simultaneously on three sides in an organized manner.

The situation was clear: an undeniable provocation or a feint—a deception to agitate the opponent and elicit a desired movement, or to conceal the true objective.

Considering that only the south is excluded is also suspicious. Of course, it may be due to the strict security at the main gate, or it may indicate they don’t intend to directly challenge the Imperial Palace.

Grit.

The captain gritted his teeth. Either way, acting rashly risked falling into the opponent’s scheme.

Moreover, it’s the dead of night. The correct response is to observe the situation and maintain thorough vigilance.

“Moving now would be playing into their hands,” the captain said firmly.

“We will await instructions. We must never act rashly until we have accurately grasped the situation.”

As a Golden Guard protecting the imperial city, the captain’s judgment was sound. His superiors would likely concur.

“Could it be that the inner city garrison will move?”

Another soldier asked. Outside the Imperial Palace, a garrison guards the inner city. They must be aware of the situation, so perhaps they will intervene.

But the captain chuckled. “The inner city garrison cannot move. The commander would never allow it.”

The Golden Guard and the inner city garrison are separate organizations. Their relationship is strained due to conflicting duties.

If the inner city garrison were to move to catch those intruders, the Golden Guard command would not welcome it, viewing it as a reflection of their incompetence.

Therefore, the message the Golden Guard command will convey to the inner city garrison will likely be ‘do not act rashly and stay put,’ not a request for support.

“Don’t misunderstand,” the captain said, noticing the soldier’s slightly distorted expression.

“It is the right decision for the inner city garrison not to move now. This may be aimed at them. Fulfilling one’s duties is paramount before rashly seeking credit.”

The listening soldier nodded, acknowledging the captain’s wisdom.

“Then do we just watch like this?”

“Of course not. There will be action from above soon.”

There are masters in the Eastern Depot and the Golden Guard. Even if the opponent is a master, they are still a minority, and the masters of the Eastern Depot and the Golden Guard will subdue them.

“Then until then…”

Without waiting for the soldier to finish, the captain shouted, “Everyone, raise your bows!”

The Golden Guards on the wall raised their bows in unison, nocking arrows and awaiting orders.

The best they can do now is to keep them in check and prevent any insolent attempts until the masters of the Eastern Depot and the Golden Guard arrive.

The Golden Guards, bows in hand, watched the darkness beyond the moat with tense anticipation.

As expected?

The black shadow appeared again.

It seemed a little smaller than before, but there was no time to dwell on that.

“Fire!”

Pi-pi-ping.

The arrows tore through the darkness, fired in a volley. They rushed fiercely toward the black shadow.

However, the arrows never reached their target.

Shh-shh-shh.

Something flashed from the black shadow, deflecting the arrows effortlessly. The captain recognized the glint of a blade in the moonlight once more.

‘As expected, a master.’

Was it his imagination, or did he detect a hint of mockery in the black shadow’s movements?

Having reaffirmed his judgment, the captain gritted his teeth as he watched the shadow disappear into the darkness.

At that level, subduing them won’t be easy, even for the masters of the Eastern Depot or the Golden Guard.

The captain suspected tonight would be a long one.

*

*

*

The black shadow, having lightly deflected the countless arrows, hid among the shadows of the trees and then slipped behind the large wall inside the palace grounds.

Thud.

As it landed, a young woman’s voice echoed from the darkness.

“How dare those things shoot arrows at someone like me?”

That irritable voice belonged to Hwasa.

“Well, shouldn’t they shoot?”

Nogun, who had just landed, slightly lifted the black bamboo hat he wore low and chuckled.

“Even I would shoot first if something was moving suspiciously in front of the Imperial Palace.”

Nogun shrugged. It felt awkward to defend the Golden Guard, but he wasn’t wrong.

“But what if you get hit? It’s dangerous.”

This time, Dang Wora answered. She wore clothes similar to her usual attire, though more concealing than the others.

“If you don’t like it, avoid it.”

“Still,” Hwasa grumbled, still displeased. She wore a black coat, but it couldn’t hide her attractive figure. Her long hair was tied up and tucked into a small bamboo hat.

“Should I just sneak past when those things can’t see me at all? Then they won’t be able to shoot.”

“How can they see if you don’t let them see you?”

Sasooyeon answered with a smile. She was also wrapped in a long black coat, wearing a small black bamboo hat pulled low.

Thud.

Another person landed beside them. It was Talhondo, who had just come from the north. He wore no bamboo hat, simply covering his body with a black coat.

“Why don’t you cover your face?”

Talhondo chuckled. “There are many guys who look like me. Anyone with a bad impression who doesn’t cut their hair and grows a beard will look like me, Grandpa Nogun.”

“You don’t look alike?” Hwasa said, tilting her head. “Where else is there someone as handsome as you?”

At those very natural words, Talhondo cleared his throat and turned his head.

Just as Nogun frowned and opened his mouth to speak, a slightly smaller shadow dropped from above.

“Why are you all here?” the small shadow asked. It was Seorin, her eyes wide.

“Did something like a midnight snack come?”

“That’s good! Midnight snack! Let’s eat a midnight snack!” Hwasa’s expression brightened instantly. Before she finished speaking, Talhondo stood up.

“I’ll go get it.”

It was likely a choice to avoid Nogun’s glare, or perhaps he didn’t want to be caught with his face flushed.

“Wow! Midnight snack!”

“Buy a lot of delicious things!” Seorin cheered, and Hwasa waved innocently. Talhondo raised his hand slightly to Hwasa and disappeared.

Nogun, who had been staring at Talhondo with a sullen expression, turned his gaze back to the Imperial Palace wall.

“I did tell Bin I would do anything…”

The massive red wall was unusually bright in the darkness. People with torches moved back and forth, creating a chaotic scene.

“What is this? It’s not like there’s something to see.”

“You can do something else,” Dang Wora said, staring at Nogun.

“Something else? What something else…” Nogun began, then quickly thought of Son Bin—where he was, what he was doing, and especially what state he was in.

“Cough.” Nogun coughed and turned his head. “Well, it’s not like I’m not going to do it.”

Running around here and there was much better than cross-dressing. His dissatisfaction vanished, replaced by a feeling of gratitude.

“Could it be that the city’s garrison is coming?” Sasooyeon asked. Nogun shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter if they come. I can just tease them and run away. But they won’t come.”

Nogun continued, “They can’t move the army recklessly until they grasp the situation. The Golden Guard will thoroughly lock down the Imperial Palace, and the inner and outer city garrisons will thoroughly guard the outer perimeter, fearing a feint.”

The Golden Guard and the inner city garrison are already aware that this suspicious phenomenon is meant to conceal something else, so they won’t move easily.

“Then as expected…” Nogun grinned at Sasooyeon’s words.

“Yes. Probably the so-called masters of the Eastern Depot or the Golden Guard will come out.”

“Strong?” At Hwasa’s sudden question, Nogun turned his head with a look that said, ‘What are you talking about?’

“This is my first time seeing the masters of the Imperial Palace. Are they strong? Should I be careful?” Hwasa asked with a serious expression.

“You have to be careful,” Nogun said, staring at her with bewilderment. “You especially have to be more careful. If you get angry and hit them hard and they die, it’ll be a big problem.”

If they just do something strange and disappear, it might be dismissed as a ghost story. But if a master of the Eastern Depot or the Golden Guard dies, the problem will be different.

“Oh, I’m not confident in hitting softly…” As Hwasa said with a flustered expression, Seorin quickly raised her hand.

“I know! Ah, but I need Buljin for this…” Seorin, who had been speaking energetically, soon frowned. “Isn’t it better to just take their internal energy? Sister has Heupjeonggong [a technique to absorb internal energy], right?”

“I don’t like that! I don’t want to touch someone I don’t even know. And Oppa fixed it for me, so I don’t have to do that anymore. Just teach me here. I’ll figure it out myself.”

Listening to Hwasa and Seorin’s conversation, Nogun felt fatigue washing over him.

“The more we draw them out, the better, right?” At Sasooyeon’s voice, Nogun turned his head. Sasooyeon smiled softly. “Then I have to run around even harder than now.”

“You can do it slowly,” Dang Wora said suddenly.

“Slowly?” Dang Wora nodded at Sasooyeon’s question. “As slowly as possible, leaping leisurely. Slowly enough that our figures can be seen clearly.”

“Then those things will shoot arrows?” Hwasa, who had been talking to Seorin, immediately intervened. If they move slowly, arrows will naturally fly—a countless number of arrows.

“You can avoid them or deflect them,” Dang Wora said quietly. In fact, none of them would be hit by the arrows, even those fired from the Golden Guard’s strong bows.

“Then I can show you more clearly that we are by no means easy opponents, and that this is an open provocation. They won’t be able to move recklessly, and they’ll send out more people.”

That made sense, so Nogun nodded.

In particular, the sight of Sasooyeon, Dang Wora, and Hwasa, wearing bamboo hats and flying gracefully under the moonlight, would be quite a sight, adding psychological pressure to the Golden Guard.

Of course, Nogun still intended to pass by quickly as he had done so far. It was too much of a hassle to do even that at his age.

“Then shall we go again?” Nogun sighed and got up. The Imperial Palace’s massive red wall was clear in the light.

“That way, those guys won’t be able to pay attention to other things.”

This was clearly a feint—a very basic deception to hide the true movement.

However, unlike the Golden Guard’s expectations, the real objective was already inside the Imperial Palace.

“But what is Hyung [older brother/term of respect] doing now?” Seorin suddenly asked, looking like she wanted to go inside the Imperial Palace right away.

“Who knows?” Nogun tilted his head, then chuckled. It was none other than Son Bin. Infiltrating the heavily guarded Imperial Palace and moving secretly in a nerve-wracking tension was probably not happening.

‘Well, he’s probably walking around leisurely with a calm expression somewhere,’ Nogun thought, suppressing the image of Son Bin cross-dressed. For some reason, the thought that he didn’t want to know any more welled up.

“I don’t think it’s good to know exactly,” Nogun said, looking at Seorin. She tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.

Nogun clicked his tongue. Seorin didn’t seem to have much aversion to cross-dressing. Well, she was so curious that if you told her to cross-dress, she might find it exciting.

But if Shinui or Eoeong, or at least Talhondo, were there, they would have nodded at Nogun’s words.

“Let’s go,” Nogun said briefly and stomped his feet.

Whoosh.

Nogun’s shadow soared into the bright moonlight. His shadow, wearing a bamboo hat, was more confident and fearless than anyone else.