novelraw Chapter 144 : Chapter 144
Chapter 144 : Chapter 144
Chapter 144 Treason (7)
"The day is cloudy."
The Emperor, having purified his body since dawn before the Heaven Worship Ceremony, slowly walked out of his room.
"Your Majesty. Since today is a day to offer sacrifices to the deity who governs water, I believe such a day is rather more appropriate."
The officials prostrated themselves one by one in time with the Emperor's steps. The Emperor, who had been looking up at the sky with a frown, smacked his lips.
"Tsk. Is there any day that is not appropriate for you? As we have a long way to go, hurry so that we do not encounter rain in the middle of our journey."
"We shall obey your command, Your Majesty."
The Emperor began to walk slowly out of the Forbidden City, passing through the hundreds of prostrating officials.
***
"What are you all doing! He is coming out now!"
"3rd Division! A little more to the left!"
"7th Division, depart now and clear the way!"
Jaun, who was watching the thousands of busily moving Embroidered Uniform Guard, subtly twisted his body to adjust his uncomfortable posture.
He had come out wearing the Demon Dragon Robe under the Embroidered Uniform Guard's official attire just in case, but because of that, the clothes had become too thick and were constricting his body.
General Hwang, who was watching Jaun from the side, slowly walked over and stood beside him.
"...Hehe. Are you that nervous? I fully understand how you feel, but you must not show that nervousness on the outside. Only when the Embroidered Uniform Guard is calm can His Majesty's heart be at ease. That way, he won't have any unnecessary thoughts."
Jaun let General Hwang's words go in one ear and out the other, pulling his clothes once more to fix the uncomfortable parts.
After a short while, the flag of the signalman standing in front of the Forbidden City went up.
FLUTTER
As the blue flag was raised to the sky, the front of the Forbidden City, which had been buzzing with noise, became as quiet as if it had been washed clean.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had quickly taken their positions, assumed a motionless posture, and the 13th Division, led by Jaun, also corrected their posture right behind the 5th Division.
"Let's meet in a little while."
General Hwang grinned at Jaun and then began to walk forward, breaking through the ranks of the lined-up Embroidered Uniform Guard. Besides General Hwang, warriors in general's uniforms emerged from various places and walked forward.
A total of five generals gathered in front of the Forbidden City's gate.
The five generals stood together in one place, then knelt on one knee and sat down facing the gate of the Forbidden City.
THUD
In an instant, a huge energy wave spread out and enveloped the surroundings.
'Hmm.'
Jaun's body trembled for a moment from the spreading energy wave.
Standing here, he fully realized that the current Emperor had generously passed on high-level martial arts to the Imperial Army.
'The energy of the generals who are ranked lower among the Twelve Swords is at this level.'
The Twelve Swords of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a collective term for ten generals and two warriors who escorted the Commander. Among them, the five generals kneeling in front of him were of a lower rank among the Twelve Swords.
'Even those with a low rank have surpassed the level of a mature peak realm.'
Considering that only the top three warriors in the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families could approach the Transcendental Peak Realm, it was certainly a surprising thing that a single organization like the Embroidered Uniform Guard had so many warriors of this level.
It was said that the five generals who escorted the Emperor at his closest side possessed an even higher realm than these men, so at this rate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard alone would be more than enough to handle the Murim's Five Great Families.
Moreover, the power of the Imperial Court did not end there. The Eastern Depot, which had a power comparable to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was also under the Emperor's direct authority, and he also commanded the Imperial Army, which, although not on par with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, possessed considerable military strength.
'To have cultivated this much power in less than ten years.'
In fact, he had heard that during the reign of the previous Emperor, the Imperial Court was busy trying to read the Murim's mood. The fact that he had raised the power of the powerless Imperial Court to this extent in such a short period of time was a testament to the current Emperor's outstanding ability.
'The Blood Cult tried to swallow up this power that the Emperor has painstakingly cultivated over the years. If I hadn't noticed this quickly, it could have been a really big threat.'
Jaun stopped thinking and slightly raised his head again. In the midst of the tingling energy wave spreading out before him, he began to search for traces of blood energy.
'One, two, three, four.'
He could feel traces of blood energy from the bodies of four of the five generals lined up in front. The four generals of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Twelve Swords who had been recruited by Prince Yeomseong were right in front of him.
'All those who guard the Emperor at the closest distance are on the Emperor's side. The only ones recruited by Prince Yeomseong are those who have not caught the Emperor's eye within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.'
Jaun roughly estimated the superiority of their power in his head.
No matter how much he considered the addition of the Eastern Depot and the existence of the Red Blood Art, considering the enormous number of Imperial Army, treason was by no means an easy task.
'But General Hwang had considerable confidence. That means there's something prepared that I don't know about...'
Jaun spread his senses wide and surveyed the surroundings. He felt the energy for a long time, but he could not find anything particularly unusual here.
'Well, they won't start anything here. Since General Myo said he had prepared something at the venue of the Heaven Worship Ceremony, let's just watch for now.'
After sweeping his gaze around, Jaun turned the direction of his energy toward the Forbidden City. As soon as he turned, he felt a huge energy coming from inside the Forbidden City.
The Emperor's location could be easily confirmed due to the blood energy flowing from the ring he was wearing.
Many people were with the Emperor, and among them, an enormous amount of energy was being emitted from the bodies of the eight people right next to the Emperor.
'The Five Swords and the Commander. And the two escort warriors who are said to be his hidden blades... None of them are easy opponents.'
Jaun, worried that his own energy might be detected, thinned his senses. The energy of the others was also at an incredible level, but the energy of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in particular, was enough to make even Jaun click his tongue.
'At this level of energy, it's been a long time since he surpassed the end of the peak realm.'
The Commander was a man whose victory would be difficult to predict even if Jaun, who had surpassed the eighth star of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, fought with all his might.
'Are they going to face such people with their current strength?'
After properly feeling the Commander's energy, he once again felt how absurd the plan Prince Yeomseong's side had concocted was.
'They're proceeding with this even though they know all of this. What on earth... have you prepared?'
Jaun turned his head and briefly looked at General Hwang's back.
As the energy drew somewhat closer, the color of the flag held by the signalman changed to yellow.
FLUTTER
All the warriors of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who saw the yellow flag knelt down at once and shouted in a loud voice.
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live! Long, long live!"
As nearly ten thousand Embroidered Uniform Guard shouted at the same time, the huge gate of the Forbidden City opened.
WHOOSH
The moment the gate opened, the fierce energy that stretched out made the clothes of the prostrating Embroidered Uniform Guard flutter.
The thousands of Embroidered Uniform Guard who had been guarding the Emperor inside the Forbidden City spread out in all directions at once, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had risen from their places took ten steps back from the left and right sides of the Forbidden City gate.
BWOOOOOOO
A thick sound of a flute, announcing the Emperor's procession, echoed. The Emperor, riding in a palanquin, appeared in the middle of a huge crowd.
Jaun slightly raised his head to check the Emperor's appearance and then scanned the people standing around him.
The Five Swords, who were emitting a sharp presence like a single sword, were standing on the left and right sides in front of the Emperor, and behind the Emperor, the Commander and his two escort warriors were following.
The Commander was an old man with a smaller build than he had expected. The moment Jaun tried to get a better look at the Commander, the Commander's head turned in his direction.
'Hah.'
Jaun felt as if his body was being pierced through and immediately lowered his head.
'...He's incredible.'
He was the first person to faintly sense his own presence since he came out to the Jianghu.
Wi Jeong-cheon had said that the reason he chose Jaun as his successor was because he could handle qi with a delicacy that was incomparable to anyone else.
The fact that he had noticed Jaun's energy in such a short time was a glimpse of how excellent the Commander's senses were.
'This... I need to be a little more careful.'
As the Emperor's procession slowly moved forward, the Embroidered Uniform Guard also began to move with disciplined movements.
Jaun also slowly raised his head and led the 13th Division to follow behind.
***
As soon as he left Beijing, the Emperor got out of the palanquin, changed into the same attire as the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and blended into the crowd.
The Heaven Worship Ceremony was the biggest event held by the Imperial Court once a year, so the number of people who accompanied him for it was beyond imagination.
The procession leaving the gates of Beijing continued for a whole day and night. The common people who came out to watch the huge crowd filled all sides, and because of that, the nerves of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were sharper than ever.
The speed of movement was not very fast because there were about a hundred carts loaded with offerings and utensils needed for the ceremony, and the scholars and dancers who would perform the ceremony were also accompanying them.
In the procession that moved so slowly that it was boring, Jaun carefully observed the Emperor's actions.
The Emperor moved, changing his position every two sijin, and the Five Swords and the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard never left his side for a single moment.
The movement continued for two days without stopping.
The Emperor rested by going back and forth between dozens of carts guarded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard had no choice but to continue their guard with their eyes open.
After spending two days like that, a tired look settled on the faces of all the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The distance to the shrine where the Heaven Worship Ceremony was to be held was now half a day away.
While they were speeding up for the last time to move to their destination, General Hwang, who was at the rear, approached Jaun.
"Thousand Households Commander Ma."
Jaun turned his head and looked at General Hwang.
"...It's time I gave this to you."
What General Hwang handed him was a rolled-up scroll. General Hwang, who handed over the scroll tightly bound with red thread, looked up at the sky.
"As soon as midnight passes today, immediately untie the scroll and thoroughly familiarize yourself with its contents. The code of conduct for tomorrow's Heaven Worship Ceremony is written there."
As General Hwang spoke in a small, whispering voice, Jaun carefully tucked the scroll into his bosom and nodded.
"The moment you untie the red thread, a fire will start at the bottom of the scroll. You will have to quickly scan the contents. The mission assigned to you is of great importance. You must succeed in your task by any means necessary."
General Hwang looked intently into Jaun's eyes and then raised his head to the sky.
"Tomorrow, everything will change. How much does this sky know about our movements? And whose side will it take?"
General Hwang stroked the golden sword tied to his waist once. General Hwang, who had been looking up at the sky for a long time with flushed red cheeks and blazing eyes, finally turned around.
"...You must succeed."
General Hwang, having said his words, began to walk toward the center of the formation.
'His presence is not stable.'
Jaun looked at General Hwang's back and then slowly nodded.
'Except for Prince Yeomseong, everyone else would only know fragmented information about the plan. Their lives are on the line for such a thing... so they must be anxious.'
For those who had jumped into the boundary between life and death like moths to a flame to achieve their desires, there were no other options left. They had no choice but to walk that boundary in anxiety.
Jaun turned his eyes and looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guard with blood energy. Observing their expressions, which were a mixture of strange excitement, fear, hope, and worry, he quietly put his hand in his bosom.
'Midnight, you say. There's no need to wait until then. There's a limit to what can be conveyed on paper in a situation like this, but... it's better to know at least that much in advance.'
Jaun confirmed that General Hwang was far enough away and then hid himself in the shadows. Immediately after, he broke away from the formation, hid himself in a deserted grassy area, took out the scroll, and immediately pulled the red thread to untie it.
SIZZLE
As General Hwang had said, flames quickly rose from the bottom of the scroll. Jaun began to quickly read the contents of the unfurled scroll.
[Mission Statement]
Ma Ryun-hoe, Thousand Households Commander of the Thirteenth Division of the Imperial Guard Command
Assassinate General Yeo Sang-yeo, who commands the Third and Fourth Divisions.
Position yourself at the rear of the Third Division before the Emperor recites the eulogy.
Afterward, follow the color of the signal flare that goes off simultaneously with the recitation of the eulogy.
Blue: Execute
Green: Change target. The target is Thousand Households Commander An Seung-hyu of the Third Division.
Yellow: Stand by
Red: Retreat and assemble at Prince Yeomseong's manor in Tianjin. Be faithful to your original mission until the signal flare goes off.
After initiation, maintain blood energy for friend-or-foe identification.
After eliminating the target, focus on securing the divine weapon of 'Heaven'.