Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 51

A Battle of Tongues and Flesh

Pa Cheon couldn’t leave the next day either. Gwangmajon, who was monitoring Je Gal-cho Hong, reported that there was nothing particularly suspicious. Gwak-ju and Shim Yeo-rang’s movements were not extensive enough to expect any significant results. Ultimately, with no progress and time just passing by, Pa Cheon felt frustrated. The enemy was clearly within the Demonic Cult, yet he couldn’t even catch a glimpse of their tail. Moreover, the strategist, Je Gal-cho Hong, hadn’t delivered any news that could ease Pa Cheon’s troubled mind, leaving him feeling uneasy.

He felt a lingering unease, as if he were leaving a task unfinished, but ultimately, he concluded that this matter wouldn’t be resolved quickly and that his opponent was not foolish. With a heavy heart, he departed for Gaebong. As he left the Demonic Cult, he summoned his military advisor and issued detailed instructions regarding the attack on the Martial Alliance branch. He also ordered a continued investigation into the culprit who killed Jang Woong. He only mentioned that he was leaving to observe the movements in the Central Plains and to investigate the internal divisions within the Martial Alliance.

The feeling of flying through the night sky on the Golden Eagle gave him a unique pleasure that was incomparable to anything else. The matters of the Demonic Cult weighed heavily on Pa Cheon’s mind. Of course, with Gwangmajon present, nothing major was likely to happen, but the psychological burden of Jang Woong’s corpse was unexpectedly significant. He hadn’t anticipated that his opponent would be so bold, and leaving his subordinates in a place where the enemy was unclear also made him uneasy.

‘So, does this mean I have to go back and forth every three days? This is going to be incredibly busy… Since it has come to this, I’ll make sure to drag them out. I won’t let them hide any longer. I can’t tolerate these rats scurrying around in the world I control.’

The Kwanje Temple, the headquarters of the Beggars’ Union located on the outskirts of Gaebong, remained unchanged. It seemed peaceful, as if unaffected by the chaos of the world, and was enveloped in the stillness of the night.

“Your Excellency.”

“It seems your energy has become even more vibrant in the few days since I last saw you.”

Not only was the Beggar King, Poong Cheon-ho, present, but also Ssang-no. To Pa Cheon, they were practically his only close friends and acquaintances. He felt comfortable around them, as if they were his own family, and he felt so at ease that he wanted to share his heavy burdens with them.

“I didn’t expect Ssang-no to be here as well.”

“Haha, I had a feeling Your Excellency would come, so I’ve been camping out here for the past few days.”

Pa Cheon told them everything that had happened.

“I’ve never heard of a place called the Blood Demon Heaven. Is it also a hidden force within the Demonic Cult?”

“I don’t know yet. Anyway, have you found anything out?”

“We have been working tirelessly, mobilizing all of the Beggars’ Union’s resources to fulfill Your Excellency’s orders, but we haven’t had much success. It seems that everything is still in progress, so it’s not yet time to give a proper report.”

“Tell me what you have so far, even if it’s still in progress.”

“Yes, first, Ha Gun-pyo is diligently gathering the Demonic Cult members. Most of them are either hiding as enemies of the martial world or avoiding the eyes of the Martial Alliance. We’ve received word that he has already recruited about 30 people. The Beggars’ Union’s intelligence network played a significant role in this.”

Poong Gae shrugged his shoulders as he spoke, and Ssang-no glared at him as if he were showing off.

“Good work. Have you received any news from the outside world?”

“It seems we’ll need a little more time to get news from that side. One notable thing is that the granddaughter of the Northern Sea Sword King has entered the Central Plains with only a few skilled escorts.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know the reason. This is still confidential information that hasn’t been revealed to the outside world.”

“Is that so?… What about the merchant world?”

“I will tell you about that.”

It was Ui-no.

“First, the force that has connections in the merchant world is surprisingly the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace. We don’t know how they got connected to the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace, but their relationship seems to be quite advanced. In the Central Plains merchant world, the power struggle between the Martial Alliance and small-to-medium merchants is still fierce, but the Martial Alliance has already gained the upper hand. The wealthy merchants who had been observing the situation have now united into one force.

Their combined financial power, under the name of the Great Merchant Clan, is truly immense, and their influence is second only to the Imperial Palace. The problem is that the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace, which they are connected to, is a legendary martial clan of Mongolia, and if this fact becomes known to the Imperial Palace, it is uncertain how the situation will escalate.”

“So, they don’t have their own forces?”

“They do, but they are insignificant compared to the martial world’s forces. The Heavenly Emperor’s Palace is gradually sending reinforcements of experts, and in line with this, they are also recruiting ronin and mercenaries, but they are not very powerful on their own. However, even if they are a ragtag bunch, they cannot be ignored as long as the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace is in command.”

“What kind of place is the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace?”

“Actually, not much is known about it. It is said to be a legendary martial clan that has been revered by the Mongols since ancient times, and Kublai Khan himself studied there for a while in his youth. It is said that the Yuan emperors were always accompanied by escort experts dispatched from the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace.”

“Is that so? Then they are not to be underestimated. How is the unification of the small-to-medium merchants progressing?”

“Yes, it’s progressing to some extent, but they are very suspicious…”

“What do you mean?”

“Since we are providing financial support without any reason, the merchants, who are naturally suspicious, are hesitant to accept, not knowing what our intentions are. So, we are using some reputable merchants to gather them. It seems that they will soon grow into a new major force in the merchant world.”

“Of course, you’re being careful not to let them fall into the hands of the Martial Alliance, right?”

“Of course. We are maintaining good relations with them on the surface. In fact, even if we were to withdraw all the funds that have gone into the Martial Alliance, they would face considerable difficulties.”

“How much financial power does the Golden Frog Battlefield actually have?”

This was something Pa Cheon had always been curious about.

“Hehe, don’t be surprised. In fact, more than half of all the battlefields on the continent are either our affiliates or are operated with our funds. Moreover, if you include all the tangible and intangible assets in various places, even the Imperial Palace and the Great Merchant Clan are no match for us.”

“How did you accumulate so much wealth?”

“Actually… it’s a bit difficult to say… but the founder took it by force. The Golden Frog Battlefield’s assets, which existed since the early days of the Yuan Dynasty, along with some of the Imperial Palace’s assets and the treasures that the Yuan Dynasty had taken from conquered territories, all became ours. Due to the nature of merchants, we had no choice but to maintain good relations with the Yuan Dynasty, and for that reason, the founder received the assets as a donation.”

“It wasn’t a donation, it was a plunder.”

“Ahem… you could say that. The important thing is that this is a fact that is completely unknown to the Imperial Palace. The founder had already accumulated a considerable amount of wealth through the Golden Frog Battlefield in the early days of the founding of the nation. We have been managing it ever since.”

“Anyway… not because he’s my grandfather… but he was an amazing man. I wonder why a man who was once a monk was so greedy.”

“Y-Your Excellency!”

“Even so… he’s your grandfather…”

“Did I say something wrong? My grandfather would probably admit it too, right? Haha, I guess I inherited that greed. Anyway, have you found out anything about the Martial Alliance?”

“Yes. The Martial Alliance is in a state of tension, as if they are walking on thin ice every day. Since it is a coalition of such a vast force, even if the leader of the Northern Sword Society is a hero of the times, it is not easy to completely control it. The young disciples are doing their own thing, the elders are doing their own thing, and on top of that, the Five Lotus Society and the Nine Star Alliance are harassing the Alliance Leader. If it were me, I would have quit the Alliance Leader position immediately.”

“You’re a beggar, so that’s why, but that guy is full of greed, so is it easy for him to quit?”

This was what Hwan-no said to Poong Gae.

“Haha, that’s probably right. I once had a meal with that guy, and even though his daughter’s marriage was already arranged?… Come to think of it… is Dokgo Seol-ran doing well?”

“Yes, she’s doing well, but… she’s been less talkative lately, and her face has become gaunt, as if she has many worries.”

“Is that so? I will enter the Martial Alliance tomorrow… so please prepare… and if there is anything I need to know, please tell me…”

Pa Cheon’s face suddenly turned cold, and the expressions of the three old men darkened as well. Ssang-no and Poong Gae took turns telling Pa Cheon about the Martial Alliance.

“Have you found anything out about Hwan-sa?”

“That’s the strange thing. It’s certain that she entered the Martial Alliance… but she disappeared like a ghost… We can’t question the Alliance Leader about it, so it’s frustrating. We can’t openly investigate either, so it’s quite difficult. It seems that something is definitely going on, including the matter of the Hidden Dragon Emperor.”

“We’ll find out when we go in.”

“Dokgo Han-cheon will probably try to appoint Your Excellency as the Grand Commander.”

“What is the Grand Commander?”

“A new unit called the Righteous Path Command has been created directly under the Alliance Leader, but there is no one suitable to take on the position. That’s because two of the Four Dragons have declared that they will take the position of Deputy Commander, so there is no one who dares to command them.

For Dokgo Han-cheon, it’s a truly frustrating situation. The only people who could command them are the leaders of the Four Righteous Families… but it’s awkward to ask them to become the Grand Commander. In the end, the Alliance Leader’s ambitious plan is about to fall apart. If Your Excellency joins the Alliance, he will be the happiest.”

“Haha, is that so? Then I should tease him a bit before accepting?”

“Yes? Hahahaha.”

“Hehehehe.”

“Kekekeke.”

They burst into hearty laughter, as if they were excited just thinking about it.

★ Knock knock

Knock knock

“Who is it? Come in.”

Pa Cheon hesitated for a long time in front of the door. He even found his own behavior ridiculous.

Click

It was Dokgo Seol-ran. She was still beautiful, but she looked somewhat gaunt, and her once bright eyes were now filled with sadness. She turned her head absentmindedly and met Pa Cheon’s gaze.

The two of them just stared at each other for a long time.

“Ahem. Have you been well?”

Pa Cheon had been speaking informally to everyone around him. But with her, he would start speaking informally, but then he would switch to formal speech.

“Yes…”

Her head turned to the side. Her neck, exposed in the light, painfully pierced Pa Cheon’s vision.

A strange sense of guilt surged within him, and Pa Cheon awkwardly stepped inside. She stood up and pointed to a seat.

“Please sit down.”

Her gaze was still turned to the side. Pa Cheon seemed to understand her feelings, but he still didn’t show it. A woman who had decided to run away, trusting only him! Such courage from her was impossible without feelings that went beyond mere liking for Pa Cheon.

Sizzle

Her hand, filling the teacup with tea, trembled slightly. The silence of that moment felt like a thousand years, and both of them shuddered with the same feeling. They felt each other’s hearts, but they had never expressed it. They both knew that the paths they had to take were too different, so they were considerate not to burden each other.

“You must have been worried a lot.”

Seol-ran lowered her head. Her lower lip was pressed tightly against her upper lip, and she tried hard to hide her unbearable emotions, but two streams of tears were already flowing down her cheeks. She was sobbing with her shoulders shaking, and she was trying to suppress her sobs, which made her look even more pitiful. Pa Cheon couldn’t look directly at her. He deliberately looked away, focusing his gaze on the teacup, and tried to soothe his heart with a sip of tea.

“I heard about Hwan-sa. And… in Hangzhou… I’m sorry I couldn’t take care of you…”

Would she know that this was the first time he had ever apologized to someone? Pa Cheon sensed that no words of his could comfort her, who was still unable to control her tears.

“I will find your grandfather, your brother, and Hwan-sa. So…”

“Hic hic hic hic”

She finally burst into tears that she had been holding back. Her appearance, covering her face with both hands and crying, made Pa Cheon’s heart feel infinitely heavy and painful. He hated this side of himself.

‘Damn it… this wasn’t supposed to happen… I was never going to give my heart to anyone again…’

But was it something that could be done as one pleased? Even the iron-blooded hero melts at a woman’s smile, and the spirit of a hero who dominates an era falls in love! Pa Cheon was no exception. It was just that his situation and mindset were a bit more unique, but the feeling of love, which silently approached his heart and gradually consumed everything, was something that even he couldn’t control.

-Pa Cheon, running away won’t solve anything. That’s what love is.

[Will you be quiet?]

-Kid, when I see you like this, you look like a fragile kid who has just started learning about the world.

[Cheon…ma]

-Alright, alright. I’ll just say one thing. You must know that even the hero of the world can have everything disappear like a bubble if he makes a woman shed tears and harbor resentment. Especially if that person is someone he loves.

“Don’t cry.”

As Pa Cheon’s hand patted Seol-ran’s shoulder,

Wham!

She jumped into Pa Cheon’s arms.

‘Ugh’

Pa Cheon was caught off guard by the sudden attack, so he couldn’t forcefully push her away.

If he pushed her away now, she might even commit suicide, for all he knew.

“Sob sob sob”

She was now crying out loud. It was truly a difficult situation. He knew her pain, loneliness, and sadness, but when she was releasing all her pent-up emotions like this, Pa Cheon didn’t know what to do. He could only pat her back.

After crying like that for a while, she gently raised her head and stared intently at Pa Cheon. Her face was covered in tears, but her appearance was still stunningly beautiful, and it was enough to cause a momentary dizziness. Could a pear blossom in the rain be like this? Could a daffodil floating on a calm lake be like this? She smiled shyly and said,

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself when I saw you, my lord.”

My lord, she said. This was a big problem. Pa Cheon became flustered. What should he do?

“Seol-ran, the greater the worry, the more resolute you must be.”

He even called her by her name and played along with her words. What was he going to do?

“Ah, I missed you so much, my lord. I was so resentful when you treated me so harshly in Hangzhou.”

“Was that so? My heart ached too.”

It was getting worse. Was it going to end like this? Pa Cheon’s hand, against his will, wiped away the tears on Seol-ran’s cheek. And then he cupped her face with both hands.

“Ah.”

Her lips let out a gasp, and her eyes were filled with a longing gaze… Pa Cheon’s hand gently touched her cheek. And with a serious face,

“Have you eaten? Your cheeks seem to have thinned a lot.”

Umm…

“I… I dream of you every day, my lord. It’s been like that since the beginning. Since you broke into my room, my heart was already…”

Pa Cheon’s finger pressed against her lips. Even though her lips were distorted, she was still beautiful.

“I know your heart. I too… gulp.”

He swallowed the next words. He couldn’t bring himself to say those words and still be cold to her. It was a truly naive thought. He had created this strange situation and still thought he could be cold to her in the future. Pa Cheon didn’t realize what situation he was in or how his fate would change in the future.

“My lord.”

“Seol-ran.”

Their gazes were burning hot, and without anyone telling them to, their faces gradually moved closer, and their lips slowly merged into one. Seol-ran’s eyes gently closed. Her eyelashes trembled uncontrollably with the excitement of the moment that was about to come. And her lips slightly parted. Their lips became one, and the sweet kiss grew hotter and hotter, as if they were going to absorb everything from each other.

Pa Cheon’s tongue charged between Seol-ran’s already parted teeth. There, Seol-ran’s pink tongue, which had already prepared everything, was coiled up and welcomed Pa Cheon’s tongue, and the two of them became one with each other’s strange movements, teasing each other. They changed places, changed positions, and rubbed against each other painfully, but they still didn’t stop moving, as if it wasn’t enough.

After engaging in a battle of tongues and flesh for a long time, the two of them removed their tongues from each other’s mouths, whether it was because they were out of breath or because their tongues were numb.

Seol-ran was deeply immersed in Pa Cheon’s embrace. Pa Cheon hugged her tightly, as if he would crush her, but she didn’t complain of pain. The two of them were filling every cell with the sweet aftertaste of their kiss, and the feeling was so fresh and new.

Because they had feelings of love for each other, it would remain a precious memory, and perhaps Seol-ran would be happy enough for the rest of her life with just the memory of this moment.

——————–

I’ve been unintentionally reducing the amount and speed of updates due to a cold.

I’m getting better now, so I’m going to try to pick up the pace again.

If there’s one thing I’m most concerned about, it’s the worry that I might break my promise (to upload at least one chapter every day). I’ve uploaded one chapter every day, so I haven’t broken my promise, but… it’s also true that it’s been lacking.

It seems that the only thing I can show is my sincerity. Even if we’re not face to face, I want the people who read my work to say that the guy who wrote Emperor’s Sword was a sincere guy who kept his promises!

Thank you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to reply to emails lately. I apologize all at once here. I will reply to all future emails immediately, no matter what.

Then, stay healthy.

Also, I think there might be two chapters uploaded tomorrow. But please don’t wait up past midnight. It’s a burden. Feel free to read it whenever you have time…

Emperor’s Sword [EN]

Emperor’s Sword [EN]

L'épée de l'empereur, Sword of the Emperor, ดาบแห่งจักรพรรดิ, 皇帝の剣〜絶対至尊への道〜 皇帝之剑 皇帝之劍 황제의 검 (2023), 황제의 검 (류신)
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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In the aftermath of the Jingnan rebellion, young Emperor Zhu Yunwen narrowly escapes death, only to find himself imbued with the souls of two legendary martial artists: the First Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult and Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of the Shaolin Temple. Reborn as 'Heaven Destroyer,' he embarks on a quest to reclaim his throne and ascend to unparalleled supremacy. As he navigates a treacherous world of martial arts, political intrigue, and ancient rivalries, will he harness the dual legacies within him to become the ultimate sovereign? Dive into a tale where destiny, power, and identity collide in "The Emperor's Sword."

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