Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 237

237. Distant Upheavals

“I promise.”

Un-hyun didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

He nodded without even hearing the details.

Dok-seon smiled faintly.

“…I entrust the Tang Clan to you.”

“Pardon?”

That was the last thing he expected to hear.

“I mean, I’m not suited to lead the greatest clan in the world…”

He couldn’t do it, and he had no intention of doing it.

Besides, hadn’t he already refused once?

“That’s not what I need.”

Dok-seon said calmly.

“I chose you, but the Tang Clan did not choose you. That’s why Yeon-ah left this position.”

Tang Seol-yeon’s departure wasn’t just about vacating a seat.

“Now, the Tang Clan will become your enemy and will eventually wrong you. So, when the fate of the Tang Clan is in your hands someday…”

Swoosh.

Dok-seon lowered his head.

“Elder!”

Un-hyun tried to stop him, but Dok-seon’s head was already bowed.

“For my sake, please preserve the name of the Tang Clan.”

“Elder, please don’t do this.”

Un-hyun said earnestly, but Dok-seon didn’t raise his head.

“Elder!”

But Dok-seon didn’t move.

Un-hyun knew he had only one thing to say.

“…I will.”

Un-hyun said in a low voice.

“I will deeply remember and surely do so. Elder.”

Dok-seon raised his head.

“…Thank you.”

Dok-seon’s voice was trembling.

Un-hyun couldn’t even begin to imagine the extent of his affection and feelings for the clan.

Rustle.

Dok-seon reached into his chest.

And what he took out was a jade pendant with a subtle purple hue.

“This is the Supreme Elder’s Token, symbolizing the authority of the Tang Clan. Originally, it’s meaningless to outsiders, but…”

Swoosh.

Dok-seon took Un-hyun’s hand.

And he placed the purple jade pendant in his hand.

“To get this back, the Tang Clan will have no choice but to give up everything.”

Un-hyun, who had accepted it casually because he thought it was meaningless to outsiders, was shocked.

“No, this is…”

“Don’t say I gave it to you.”

Dok-seon said with a grin.

“It had disappeared a long time ago, but I was able to retrieve it by chance. I just didn’t say anything because I thought I should have one reliable thing to fall back on in my old age. Heh heh.”

Un-hyun was dumbfounded.

In fact, Dok-seon’s words that it was meaningless to outsiders were correct.

Even if Un-hyun held this and gave orders, no one in the Tang Clan would obey.

But they would do anything to get it back.

If it became known that Un-hyun had this jade pendant, the Tang Clan’s reputation would be dragged through the mud.

In other words, Un-hyun had gained a fatal weakness of the Tang Clan.

“Why?”

Dok-seon asked Un-hyun, who was staring blankly.

“No, it’s just…”

Un-hyun said with an awkward smile.

“You somehow remind me of Elder Bulyeong…”

Dok-seon’s face contorted.

Un-hyun quickly shut his mouth and slipped the jade pendant into his chest.

“Ahem.”

Dok-seon cleared his throat with an uncomfortable expression.

“There’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

Dok-seon said, looking at Un-hyun.

“The goal of the Il Dae Sang In [One Great Merchant Guild] isn’t the Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance], but the ‘owner of the document’.”

That was news to Un-hyun.

“And they believe that the Azure Dragon Sword Master might be the owner of that document.”

Un-hyun’s expression hardened.

“Fortunately, they don’t know your face. So, don’t run into the Three Supremes, and don’t reveal your name to them.”

Dok-seon continued with a serious look.

“The moment they know you’re the Azure Dragon Sword Master, they’ll never let you go. Do you understand?”

Dok-seon said firmly.

“I understand.”

Un-hyun nodded.

They want the Azure Dragon Sword Master more than the Murim Alliance.

In other words, Un-hyun is in more danger than the Murim Alliance.

“I will be especially careful.”

Un-hyun bowed to Dok-seon.

And slowly raised his head.

It was time to go.

Towards the Hangzhou Murim Alliance, which would become a land of death.

***

Thud.

The great hall of the Northern Sea Ice Palace was silent.

The only sounds were light footsteps and the rustling of clothes.

However, those who filled the great hall were well aware of how important these footsteps were.

Thud, thud.

The Third Palace Lord moved slowly.

Some were moved, and some showed hostility.

There were admiring glances and hateful stares.

But at this moment, all the warriors, tribal chiefs, and junior palace lords in the great hall of the Northern Sea Ice Palace couldn’t take their eyes off the Third Palace Lord.

Thud.

The Third Palace Lord stopped.

There, a chair carved from ivory was placed.

Although it was just a chair, its weight was heavier than countless lives.

This was because only the First Palace Lord of the Northern Sea, the one closest to the position of the next Ice Emperor, could sit there.

Rustle.

The Third Palace Lord turned around.

Facing the gazes of countless people pouring towards her, the Third Palace Lord slowly opened her mouth.

“In this harsh land, we have lived as warriors.”

Her clear voice echoed through the great hall of the Ice Palace.

“We were never cowardly even when we were defeated, and we never fell into greed even when we were victorious.”

The Third Palace Lord’s eyes were shining.

The warriors and tribal chiefs of the Northern Sea, who filled the great hall, couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“But the noble spirit of the Northern Sea has been defiled.”

The Third Palace Lord’s eyes twisted sadly.

Her charming appearance was enough to make people sigh with pity without realizing it.

“The enemies’ cunning schemes have divided the Northern Sea, and we have fought each other and wielded our swords against our brothers. The pride of the warrior has fallen to the ground, and the laws of the Northern Sea have been insulted.”

Not only the young warriors but even the old tribal chiefs couldn’t refute her words.

The shame, anger, and humiliation that arose in the Third Palace Lord’s eyes were also reflected in their expressions.

Swoosh.

The Third Palace Lord raised her head.

“Now, as the First Palace Lord of the Ice Palace and the Great Palace Lord who has been entrusted with all the authority of the Ice Emperor, I declare.”

She said with a firm look.

“We will not hesitate to take revenge. We will gladly repay enmity with enmity and hatred with hatred. No matter the cost!”

Her voice was trembling with emotion.

The eyes of everyone in the great hall were also stirred with her.

“Now, the Northern Sea will never be used again and will never be insulted! Now, the world!”

Flutter, clang.

The sleeves embroidered with golden tassels fluttered splendidly, and a sharp sword appeared.

The cool blade, rising straight under the light, instantly captivated everyone’s attention.

Moving her red lips, she said softly.

“Will see the true power of the Northern Sea.”

The great hall was silent.

But it was only for a moment.

“Ooooooh!”

A tremendous sound filled the great hall.

Young warriors, old tribal chiefs, women, and men alike, all raised their hands and shouted passionately.

At this moment, a new era had begun in the Northern Sea due to her declaration.

“Waaaaaah!”

“Uaaaaaah!”

The warriors cheered and roared.

The cries of the warriors filling the great hall showed no signs of stopping.

Standing proudly in the center, the eyes of the new First Palace Lord of the Ice Palace and the Great Palace Lord representing the Northern Sea Ice Emperor were fixed on the distant south.

***

The night of the Forbidden City.

In this place where all sorts of schemes wriggle in the darkness and silence, one person was moving busily.

Taptaptap.

The jade pendant swaying between the red eunuch’s robes indicated that he was of a considerably high status, but he was hurrying alone without even a common servant.

Skillfully navigating through the maze-like palaces and halls of the Forbidden City, he stopped in front of a large hall after a while.

“Did you call for me, Mama [term of respect for a high-ranking eunuch]?”

“Come in.”

At the voice heard from inside, the person wearing the eunuch’s robes quietly opened the door.

And he bowed deeply and entered respectfully.

Thud.

There was only one person inside the great hall.

A middle-aged man wearing a dragon robe was sitting on a red chair carved with dragons, waiting for the other person to come closer.

Thud.

The eunuch standing in front of the middle-aged man bowed his head as if it would touch the ground.

“Your servant to Mama…”

“Didn’t I say that formalities are unnecessary?”

The middle-aged man wearing the dragon robe said in a soft voice.

The eunuch bowed his head even deeper.

“How dare this humble servant be disrespectful to Mama…”

Swoosh.

His voice trailed off.

This was because the middle-aged man held out a scroll made of red silk.

He said with a smile.

“It is the Imperial Decree of His Majesty the Emperor.”

The eunuch reacted immediately.

Pak, pak.

The eunuch dusted off his sleeves with exaggerated movements and knelt on the floor. And he bowed his head.

Thud.

The Imperial Decree is a decree with the Emperor’s Imperial Seal, that is, the jade seal, stamped on it.

It was the same as directly seeing the Emperor, so the eunuch’s extreme courtesy was by no means exaggerated.

“Your servant receives the Emperor’s decree.”

The eunuch said, hitting his head on the ground.

His voice was quite serious, but his voice was as thin as a woman’s or a child’s.

“Receive it.”

The middle-aged man wearing the dragon robe said.

The eunuch walked on his knees with his head bowed.

With an extremely reverent attitude, the eunuch stretched out both hands and accepted the red silk scroll that the middle-aged man held out.

“From this moment on.”

The middle-aged man said with a very serious look.

“You are the Byungpil eunuch [chief secretary] of the Eastern Depot [secret intelligence agency].”

The Eastern Depot is a special intelligence agency directly under the Emperor.

It is an absolute power organization that can imprison even ministers, regardless of their status, and can even control the Embroidered Uniform Guard [imperial secret police] at will. That is the Eastern Depot.

Although the head of the Eastern Depot is the Director, the Byungpil eunuch in charge of practical affairs was the real power.

“Now I have to call you Gonggong [a respectful title for eunuchs]. Hahaha.”

Gonggong is a respectful term for eunuchs.

The eunuch bowed his head even deeper.

“I cannot express in words how grateful I am for Mama’s grace.”

It was a voice that seemed helpless, but the middle-aged man knew that even that was just a habitual expression.

The eunuch raised his head.

“This humble servant, though weak, will risk his life to fulfill Mama’s will.”

His voice was quiet, but the eunuch’s eyes were shining.

The middle-aged man sitting on the red chair carved with dragons slowly nodded.

“…In this wide world, you are the only person I can rely on.”

The middle-aged man said, looking straight at the eunuch.

“The day you fall is the day I die. Do you understand? Eunuch Park.”

Thud.

The eunuch hit his head on the floor.

His forehead was stained with blood, but he didn’t stop.

Thud, thud.

After bowing his head three times, he slowly raised his head.

The eyes seen under his forehead, which was bleeding, were shining eerily.

“This servant will surely see Mama’s world.”

That answer satisfied the middle-aged man.

The eunuch quietly left the great hall.

Click.

The door closed, and the eunuch raised his head and looked at the night sky.

The huge red walls and the golden double roof shining brightly.

The sight of it shining under the moonlight was a majestic sight that seemed overwhelming just to look at.

But those things gave the eunuch no emotion.

In the blue moonlight, what the eunuch was thinking of was the figure of an ordinary scholar with a soft smile.

“Ho ho.”

Suddenly, the eunuch laughed in a thin voice.

But only for a moment, Dongchang Byungpil Eunuch Park Gonggong lowered his head and quickly began to move his feet.

Taptaptap.

The eunuch’s figure quickly disappeared between the halls and palaces.

The fast-paced gait and thin laughter were habits that had not changed since he was called Eunuch Park.

End of Part 1