Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 164

4. End of the Rebellion

1

“Uncle! W-what on earth is going on! You said there were no ambushes! But ironclad giants?”

Jo Won-gyun, witnessing the ironclad giants displaying immense power like mythical giants, flailed about like a startled colt, yelling at the top of his lungs.

Hwang Bo-gwang soothed his terrified nephew, saying,

“Don’t worry. With the Imperial Guard and the elites of the Hwangbo family, we can easily defeat any enemy.”

Although they had been caught in an ambush, Hwang Bo-gwang wasn’t overly concerned.

The elite of the Imperial Guard numbered 30,000 alone.

And among the Imperial Guard and the masters of the Hwangbo family he had brought, there were experts at the peak and beyond who could easily defeat ironclad giants.

He believed that even if there were casualties, they could easily overcome the ambush if those experts stepped forward.

However, his thoughts changed when powerful enemies appeared among the rebels, engaging the masters of the Imperial Guard and the Hwangbo family.

With the elite masters occupied, they couldn’t support the front and rear of the formation, and as a result, they were helplessly defeated by the ironclad giants.

With the front and rear of the formation blocked, the troops that had entered the Red Pine Forest were trapped in the middle, unable to advance or retreat.

‘Tch, like a bunch of freeloaders! Annoying, but I have no choice!’

Hwang Bo-sung emerged from the carriage to lead the troops himself. He was also a master who had surpassed the peak realm.

Thanks to various elixirs and forbidden secret arts like the Absorption Technique, he was confident that his inner energy was comparable to that of a transcendent master.

But then, someone suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

Hwang Bo-gwang’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the obstruction.

“You, you’re… Hwang Bo-sung?!”

His half-brother, who had fallen into the trap he had set about seven years ago.

He had barely escaped, but he thought he would have died from the Mountain Collapse Poison and the curse of the Demonic Soldiers. If he were alive, he would have sought revenge on the Hwangbo family.

However, Hwang Bo-sung’s whereabouts had been unknown until now, and no one resembling him had ever been found.

But suddenly, he appeared here as an enemy!

“Brother, it’s been a while.”

“…”

Hwang Bo-gwang glared menacingly at Hwang Bo-sung, who was smiling wryly and offering a cupped fist salute [a traditional greeting].

It was surprising that he had overcome the Mountain Collapse Poison and the curse of the Demonic Soldiers, but the fighting spirit emanating from his brother seemed much stronger than before.

“Who are you!”

“Protect the Prime Minister!”

Unlike the masters of the Hwangbo family, who froze upon recognizing Hwang Bo-sung, the Imperial Guard’s escorts stepped forward and rushed in like lightning.

Kwarurung—!

Hwang Bo-sung threw a short punch into the air.

With a roar, lightning energy spread out like a spiderweb.

The escorts caught in the lightning energy turned into black charcoal and tumbled to the ground.

‘T-this can’t be!’

‘Isn’t this almost identical to the martial prowess that the Fist King Hwang Bo-ung was said to have displayed 300 years ago!’

The faces of the Hwangbo family masters turned pale.

Until now, countless descendants of the family had learned the Fist King’s martial arts, but no one had ever perfectly reproduced the Three Thunder God Fist.

The only person who wasn’t nervous was Hwang Bo-gwang.

“So, you’ve completed the Three Thunder God Fist.”

“In a way, it’s thanks to you, brother.”

“Hmph, if you were grateful, you shouldn’t have appeared before me again!”

Hwang Bo-gwang’s figure disappeared from Hwang Bo-sung’s sight as he burst forward.

Hwang Bo-sung, who didn’t expect Hwang Bo-gwang to deceive his senses, hurriedly turned around and threw a punch into the air.

Bang!

“Kuh!”

Hwang Bo-gwang, who had torn through the air and appeared from behind, made contact with Hwang Bo-sung’s palm and fist.

A groan escaped Hwang Bo-sung’s lips because Hwang Bo-gwang’s palm was as hot as a furnace.

“T-that is… !”

Hwang Bo-sung asked in surprise, seeing the inner energy flickering like flames from Hwang Bo-gwang’s palm.

“You must have heard of it. It’s the Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm of the Divine Man Hee-chang, which is said to burn even the sky.”

“But that’s a fictional martial art from old tales, isn’t it?”

“Kuhahahaha! It was thought to be fictional, but it existed. In the deepest part of the Imperial Palace’s armory!”

With a triumphant face, Hwang Bo-gwang burst into a loud laugh and rushed towards Hwang Bo-sung, indiscriminately unleashing the Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm.

Fwoom! Fwoom, fwoom, fwoom!

It is said that if one masters the Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm to its extreme, there is nothing in the world that cannot be melted away.

There was also a legend that the Divine Man Hee-chang used it to defeat the Vajra Monster, who was said to have the strongest body in the world.

As such, the moment the Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm touched it, Hwang Bo-sung’s fist, which was protected by the energy of lightning, began to burn, emitting white smoke.

“Hahahaha! How is it? This is the divine art of the gods!”

“Kuh! Aren’t you ashamed as the head of the Hwangbo family, brother? Abandoning the martial arts of our ancestors and taking the path of heresy!”

“Hmph! What is there to be ashamed of? Times change! The era when the Three Thunder God Fist was the strongest is gone! From now on, I, Hwang Bo-gwang, will use the Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm to make the Central Plains martial world [a term for the center of the martial arts world], no, the whole world, kneel under the name of the Hwangbo family!”

Hwang Bo-sung frowned at Hwang Bo-gwang’s laughter-filled cry.

His half-brother in front of him was showing the typical appearance of a foolish, small-minded person who had gained a little power and become intoxicated by it.

‘He doesn’t know that there is a sky above the sky, and that truth is hidden in unseen places.’

Hwang Bo-sung clenched his two burned fists.

If his brother didn’t know, he would make him know.

That the Three Thunder God Fist was the strongest martial art in the Jianghu [the martial world] , not inferior to any legendary martial art!

2

“Watch closely, brother. This is the ultimate Three Thunder God Fist!”

Hwang Bo-sung, who had deflected the heat of the incoming Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm with a swing of his left hand, pulled his right fist back behind him.

Pajijijijik—!

Just as blue lightning seemed to flash on his right fist, the lightning that spread out like branches around him enveloped Hwang Bo-sung’s body.

It didn’t stop there; large and small lightning bolts spread out in all directions.

Those who were fighting frantically nearby, wielding swords and spears, were surprised by the sudden electric shock and dropped their weapons.

“W-what is that?”

“Has the Thunder God descended?”

Everyone stopped fighting for a moment and turned their gaze towards Hwang Bo-sung.

Luke, who had leisurely subdued Wang Cheong, was no exception.

“Oh, it seems he’s going to use that.”

Luke knew what Hwang Bo-sung was about to do.

He had been watching Hwang Bo-sung’s training from time to time, even before they set sail for the Southern Continent and while they were on the ship.

Pajijik!

Pajijijijik!

‘What is that lightning energy? I heard that even the Fist King Hwang Bo-ung couldn’t display such a thing!’

Hwang Bo-gwang couldn’t help but be flustered.

Even if he put aside the fact that it was an unheard-of technique, it was a significant problem that the heat of his Heaven-Extinguishing Flame Palm was not penetrating the barrier of lightning that Hwang Bo-sung had created.

It meant that his attacks were not working at all.

“You bastard! What kind of trick are you playing?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’d show you the ultimate Three Thunder God Fist!”

Hwang Bo-sung had seen Luke combine electric magic and fist techniques to create a fist technique similar to the Three Thunder God Fist when he fought Arsen.

From that, he glimpsed the possibility of a new martial art that combined magic and martial arts.

‘But it was impossible for me, who had walked the path of a martial artist alone.’

It might be possible for Luke or Karen.

But Hwang Bo-sung, who had never learned magic, could not create a new martial art.

Nevertheless, he did not give up and continued to train.

In the Jianghu martial world, there is a saying, “All streams flow to the sea.”

Just as all rivers flow to the sea and merge, so too does martial arts.

Hwang Bo-sung thought that it wasn’t just martial arts.

Just as magic could create lightning, fire, and ice, masters at the peak could also create similar phenomena with their inner energy.

‘Perhaps the fundamental principles of magic and martial arts are the same. Even if I can’t learn magic, if I know the basic knowledge, I might be able to strengthen my martial arts further?’

With that thought, Hwang Bo-sung learned magic theory from the court mage while training in the Three Thunder God Fist.

In particular, the field he was interested in was electric magic.

Electric magic is a technique that creates artificial lightning by colliding elements in nature with the power of mana.

It was said that it was difficult to cause the collision at first, but later, it was possible to create lightning with a small amount of mana.

However, the part that Hwang Bo-sung focused on more than the creation of electricity was the nature of electricity.

According to the court mage’s explanation, if electricity was passed through a copper wire, it could attract iron like a magnet, and by applying this magnetic field, it was possible to push or pull objects and accelerate them.

‘If I strengthen the pushing property, I can use it like the Repelling Force Technique, and if I accelerate it faster, I might be able to make my fist strikes stronger!’

To test this, a huge amount of electricity, lightning energy, was needed.

Fortunately, Hwang Bo-sung had a huge amount of lightning energy that he had received from Oster, his future self.

With that lightning energy, he immediately began experimenting.

There were many failures at first, and his inner energy reversed, almost causing him to fall into a demonic state.

Nevertheless, he did not stop training and continued to improve his concentration and stability.

Thus, he was able to complete the Lightning Barrier, which released lightning energy like a magnetic field to block the opponent’s attacks, and the Repelling Thunder Force.

And he succeeded in strengthening the power of the existing Three Thunder God Fist by nearly tenfold.

“Watch, brother! This is the ultimate Three Thunder God Fist, the True Three Thunder God Fist!”

Kwaaaaaang—!

No sooner had he finished speaking than Hwang Bo-sung unleashed a fist strike.

The elastic energy that had formed on his fist collided with the triple-accelerated lightning energy, exploding and flying towards Hwang Bo-gwang at a terrifying speed.

‘T-this…!’

Surprised, Hwang Bo-gwang hurriedly raised his inner energy to block the elastic energy.

However, the elastic energy, which flew like a flash of lightning, shattered the protective aura he had created and struck him squarely in the dantian [an energy center in the body].

“Kuh-uh-uh-uck!”

“Prime Minister!”

“Lord!”

Jo Won-gyun and the masters of the Hwangbo family, who had retreated to watch the battle, widened their eyes.

That Hwang Bo-gwang, who had boasted that his inner energy had reached the transcendent realm, would be so miserably knocked down in a single blow!

“Cough! Kuh-uh-uck!”

Blood and pieces of internal organs spurted from Hwang Bo-gwang’s mouth as he rolled pathetically on the ground.

“Lord! Are you alright!”

The masters of the Hwangbo family rushed to Hwang Bo-gwang.

Luke, who had been watching Hwang Bo-sung’s battle from behind, clicked his tongue as if something was bothering him.

“Tsk, tsk, Count Hwang Bo-sung is too soft. He’s showing mercy because he’s his brother.”

If it had been a full-force attack, Hwang Bo-gwang would have been shattered into pieces by the elastic energy and died.

But he had reduced his power at the last moment!

However, unlike Luke’s thoughts, Hwang Bo-sung hadn’t shown mercy because he was weak-hearted.

He had shattered the pride of his half-brother, who had been arrogant for learning the divine art, and destroyed his dantian, making him as good as dead as a martial artist.

For a martial artist, it was perhaps a more severe punishment than death.

“It’s over, brother. Surrender peacefully and pay the price for your sins.”

“Kuh-uh-uh! You bastard son of a concubine!”

Hwang Bo-gwang, who had barely calmed his insides with his subordinates’ first aid, flared up.

But he couldn’t openly refute it. The tide of the battle had completely turned.

The Imperial Guard had been crushed by the Symponia Kingdom army’s giants and was beyond recovery, and most of the masters of the Imperial family and the Hwangbo family around Jo Won-gyun had also been subdued by Renard and Shirley and were lying on the ground.

As his half-brother had said, everything was over.

“No… it’s not over yet!”

Desperately denying reality, Hwang Bo-gwang took out a talisman from his pocket and threw it.

Just as he thought he might launch a sorcery attack, the talisman flashed, and Hwang Bo-gwang and his close aides who were supporting him disappeared without a trace.

They had escaped using sorcery.

“U-uncle!”

Jo Won-gyun’s face turned pale as he watched the two men’s fight from inside the carriage.

He had never imagined that his uncle, who had always supported and assisted him, would abandon him and run away alone.

There was no one left to protect him anymore.

Jo Won-gyun wore a blank expression, feeling more shock and despair than he had felt when he had fled the capital.

“Tsk, it seems it was a sorcery similar to teleportation.”

Luke came to the spot where Hwang Bo-gwang had disappeared and examined the remaining energy.

Hwang Bo-sung bowed his head with a look of shame.

“I’m sorry, my lord. I was careless…”

“It’s alright. Even if he runs away, it won’t change the course of the battle.”

Luke turned his head towards Jo Won-gyun.

He could see Shirley dragging the dazed Jo Won-gyun out of the carriage.

“Anyway, the place where Hwang Bo-gwang will run to is obvious. We don’t need to chase him, it will be taken care of.”

Luke recalled the war with the Milton Kingdom in the past.

King Myers, defeated in battle and stubbornly refusing to concede, was ultimately killed by his own vassal. It was rumored that he had committed suicide, but Luke suspected the truth of his demise and later learned the real story from Count Lenard, an eyewitness.

The tide had already turned.

Luke believed that the Hwangbo family would want to avoid annihilation, so he trusted they would make a wise decision.

3

Whizz! Swish!

On the main road near Luoyang, about twenty warriors were speeding along.

They were Hwang Bo-gwang and his close aides, who had barely escaped the Crimson Forest, using their light footwork to move incredibly fast.

Having teleported to a city near Luoyang, they were now racing towards the Hwangbo family estate.

Hwang Bo-gwang, being carried by his aides, gritted his teeth in fury.

‘I will repay today’s events a thousandfold, no, ten thousandfold!’

The ambush by the Symphonia Kingdom’s forces in the Crimson Forest had cost him dearly.

He had lost most of the assassins he had hired at great expense and the masters of the Hwangbo family who followed him, and his dantian [an energy center in the body according to traditional Chinese medicine] had been shattered by Hwang Bo-sung.

And that wasn’t all.

He had even been forced to flee towards the Hwangbo family estate, failing to save Jo Won-gyun, who was supposed to be the center of the new court in Luoyang.

Just a week ago, he could never have imagined such a bleak situation.

But he still had a card up his sleeve.

‘I still have a trump card to turn the tables!’

It was Arsen.

He believed that Arsen’s boundless power and abilities could plunge the entire Southern Continent into darkness.

Until now, Hwang Bo-gwang had not actively used the black mages sent by Arsen.

Their power was too dangerous.

A single drop of Jiangshi [a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore] poison could turn hundreds of humans into Jiangshi.

If they deliberately spread the Jiangshi poison, it would not take them more than a few days to devastate a city. In a year, the entire Southern Continent would be finished.

Hwang Bo-gwang wanted to be the emperor of a great empire that had unified the Southern Continent for the first time, not a puppet ruler of a land of death where all living things had disappeared.

But now, the situation had changed.

If things continued as they were, it was clear that not only his family but his own life would be in danger, so he decided to take a gamble.

‘Now that it has come to this… even if it means selling my soul to a demon, I will turn everything upside down!’

Hwang Bo-gwang resolved to actively use Arsen’s power, even if it meant staining the Song Empire and the Southern Continent with blood.

How long had they been running?

The Hwangbo family estate came into view in the distance.

The Hwangbo family estate, located on the outskirts of Luoyang, was vast and impressive, reflecting the family’s prosperity.

There was a main gate with a phoenix ascending engraved in the center of the high wall. When Hwang Bo-gwang’s aide arrived, he shouted,

“The family head has arrived! Open the gate immediately!”

The booming voice echoed through the area, but strangely, there was silence.

The aide was about to shout again, but Hwang Bo-gwang stopped him.

“Something is wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“The main gate is always open, and ten guards are always on duty, but there is no one here now, is there?”

It was indeed strange.

Except for the time when they fought against the heretics, the main gate of the family estate was always open.

It was to show the dignity of a prestigious martial arts family, inviting anyone, whether friend or foe, to visit.

But the main gate was firmly closed, and there were no guards to be seen.

Moreover, there were no visitors, who were usually bustling about.

“Something is definitely suspicious.”

“That’s right. Perhaps we should retreat and come back later…”

That was when Hwang Bo-gwang and his aide were talking.

Thwack! Thud!

“Kuaaak!”

“Protect, protect the family head!”

Suddenly, arrows like lightning rained down from the sky, and in an instant, about a dozen aides became pincushions and fell to the ground.

While the survivors were swatting away the incoming arrows and protecting Hwang Bo-gwang, the main gate opened, and warriors of the Hwangbo family poured out.

Not only that, but many warriors and soldiers also emerged from the walls and bushes next to the main gate, aiming bows and crossbows.

“What is the meaning of this!”

Hwang Bo-gwang frowned and roared.

Then, an old man appeared among the warriors, glaring at him sternly.

“Hwang Bo-gwang, you are under arrest for the crimes of usurping the family head position, attempted murder of a family member, and the great treason of deceiving the emperor.”

“Wha, what? Jincheon, you dare!”

Hwang Bo-gwang glared fiercely at the old man, Jincheon.

Jincheon was the one who had acted as the guardian of his half-brother, Hwang Bo-sung, in the family.

He should have been eliminated long ago, but he was left alone because he was not skilled in martial arts and was an old man who managed the family’s finances.

After Hwang Bo-sung was reported dead, he had been living in despair like his father, which also contributed to that decision.

And now, he was appearing in front of him like this, stabbing him in the back!

“Kuh! Did you hear that Hwang Bo-sung is alive? Is that why you are acting so recklessly?”

“Hah! Do you think I would act as recklessly as you?”

Jincheon scoffed and stepped aside.

Then, the people behind him revealed themselves.

Hwang Bo-gwang was shocked to see them.

One was the lord of Luoyang, who had been flattering him and offering him bribes until recently, and the other was someone he had considered almost a living corpse.

“F, Father!”

The appearance of the former family head, Hwang Bo-in, turned Hwang Bo-gwang’s face pale.

Hwang Bo-in sighed deeply as he looked at his eldest son, who had collapsed to the ground upon seeing him.

“To think that a traitor would emerge from our family!”

“Help me, Father. It’s not over yet. I still have a chance…”

“Shut up, you! How much more do you have to disrupt the country to be satisfied!”

Hwang Bo-gwang, who had been looking dazed at Hwang Bo-in’s scolding, soon widened his eyes and raised his voice.

“Why do you think I did this! It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t favored that concubine’s son… I wouldn’t have… I wouldn’t have become like this!”

“Enough! What are you doing! Immediately capture that traitor and take him away!”

The surrounding warriors approached and bound the wildly struggling Hwang Bo-gwang.

Hwang Bo-gwang’s aides did not resist, dropping their weapons and surrendering. They knew that everything was over since the former family head, who had been in seclusion, had stepped forward.

“You are the one who drove me crazy, Father! You are the one who is to blame!”

Hwang Bo-in closed his eyes tightly at his eldest son’s desperate cries and sighed deeply. Jincheon stepped forward and shouted to the warriors instead.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you taking the criminals away!”

“Father, Fatherrrr!”

After Hwang Bo-gwang was dragged away by the warriors, Hwang Bo-in, looking ten years older, said,

“I have failed to educate my son properly.”

“How could it be the family head’s fault? It is because we, your vassals, failed to properly assist you.”

Hwang Bo-in shook his head, denying Jincheon’s apology.

“I will no longer interfere, so please take care of the aftermath.”

“Understood, family head!”

Jincheon bowed to Hwang Bo-in and then began to move the warriors to eliminate the remaining followers of Hwang Bo-gwang within the Hwangbo family estate.

Thus, Hwang Bo-gwang fell before he could even play his last card, and the civil war that had shaken the Song Empire came to an end.

Leaving behind a lot of problems to sort out.

4

Luke, who had finished organizing the battlefield and was leisurely heading to Luoyang, met a group of people on the way.

It was the Hwangbo family group led by Jincheon.

They were on their way to deliver news of the Hwangbo family to Daeryang when they happened to meet.

Luke was able to hear from them what had happened to Hwang Bo-gwang and his aides.

“So that’s how it happened.”

“The second young master’s help was crucial.”

Hwang Bo-yoon, who was active in Daeryang, had been constantly sending information to Jincheon and the family elders who were helping him.

Among that information was the news that Hwang Bo-sung was alive.

Upon receiving this, Jincheon secretly contacted the former family head, who had been in seclusion, and informed him of the fact.

Naturally, Hwang Bo-in was shocked.

He had thought that his third son, who had gone on a business trip to the Northern Continent, had been swept away by a storm and gone missing. When he realized that he was actually alive and that his disappearance was a plot by Hwang Bo-gwang, Hwang Bo-in was furious.

He immediately summoned the elders of the Hwangbo family who followed him and tried to regain the power he had given to his son.

However, it was not as easy as he thought to drive out Hwang Bo-gwang’s followers who were in key positions.

While waiting for an opportunity, he received a telegraph that the rebel army had entered Daeryang and immediately launched his coup.

He sent Jincheon to persuade the lord of Luoyang while also seizing the Hwangbo family estate by surprise.

“It was around the time the family estate was almost seized that Hwang Bo-gwang came looking for it.”

“What happened to Hwang Bo-gwang?”

“The lord of Luoyang said he would take him to Daeryang himself. We might meet him at the imperial palace soon.”

‘Hmph, trying to get in on the action?’

Luke couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

He had heard that the lord of Luoyang had been flattering Hwang Bo-gwang when he was in power, but now he was switching sides so quickly!

Still, he didn’t want to criticize such opportunistic behavior.

If he hadn’t cooperated, it might have taken more bloodshed to capture Hwang Bo-gwang.

“Anyway, well done. I will inform the leaders of the rebel army about your contributions.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

As Jincheon bowed deeply, Luke pointed to Hwang Bo-sung next to him and said,

“And it seems you are well acquainted with our Knight Commander of the Royal Guard. I will leave you two alone to catch up.”

As Luke left the temporary military tent, Hwang Bo-sung and Jincheon finally shared the joy of their reunion.

“Uncle Jincheon…”

“I believed you were alive, Third Young Master.”

The two held hands and shed tears of joy for a long time.

Luke, who had glanced at the scene from outside the tent, smiled contentedly but then looked troubled.

‘What if Count Hwang Bo-sung decides to stay in his hometown?’

Hwang Bo-sung, the Fist Sage, was the second most powerful warrior in the Symphonia Kingdom after himself.

If he left, it would be a significant military loss.

‘But I can’t force him to stay.’

Even if he kept his body, it would be useless if his heart was not there.

Therefore, Luke decided that he would respect Hwang Bo-sung’s decision, even if it was disappointing.

After a while, when the two had finished their reunion and came out of the tent, Luke asked,

“Count Hwang Bo-sung, what will you do now?”

He was asking whether he would follow him or stay in the Hwangbo family estate.

Hwang Bo-sung replied as if he didn’t need to think about it.

“I am Your Majesty’s sword and shield. I have no intention of ever leaving Your Majesty’s side.”

Hwang Bo-sung did not think that the Fist Sage was the end of the martial arts he could reach.

Just as he had created the True Three Thunder God Fist beyond the Three Thunder God Fist, he believed that he could create a new martial art that surpassed the True Three Thunder God Fist.

To do so, he had to stay by Luke’s side, who had reached the pinnacle of both magic and swordsmanship.

That way, he could learn even one more thing.

“Haha, that’s a relief.”

Hwang Bo-sung, seeing Luke’s relieved expression, spoke with a apologetic look.

“However, I have one request for you.”

“A request?”

“Yes, please allow me to see my father after a long time.”

Hwang Bo-sung had left the Hwangbo family estate against his will in the past.

Therefore, he had not even been able to say goodbye to his father, relatives, and acquaintances who had cared for him.

Thus, Hwang Bo-sung wanted to go to the family estate, see his father, and properly say goodbye. If not now, he didn’t know when he would be able to come to the Southern Continent again.

Luke readily nodded at Hwang Bo-sung’s request and said,

“You don’t need to ask my permission for that. And while you’re at the Hwangbo family estate, take custody of Hwang Bo-gwang from the lord of Luoyang. Just in case he escapes, it would be troublesome.”

“Understood.”

Hwang Bo-sung, having received a special order from Luke, saluted and returned to the Hwangbo family estate with Jincheon’s group.

“Your Majesty, are we going to Daeryang then?”

Count Lenard, who had approached, asked on behalf of the vassals.

“Yes, Count Hwang Bo-sung will take custody of Hwang Bo-gwang, so it seems we can just return to Daeryang.”

Luke had completed all the tasks assigned to him, including capturing Jo Won-gyun.

Therefore, there was no need for him to go to Luoyang.

Lenard ordered the Symphonia Kingdom army to return, and the Symphonia Kingdom army changed direction and began to head towards Daeryang.

The day to return to their homeland was not far away.