Chapter 69: Hometown Part 2

There were people who spoke of “protagonist-like” stories. This was something Seol Tae Pyeong often thought about.

They said the world was bright and full of hope. That effort would be rewarded.

They said that even if the night was long, the sun would rise. That even if trials were bitter, the pain would end.

They said friendship was beautiful, trust was shining, and that we could achieve anything as long as we dreamed.

When he was young, these were the philosophies preached at length by protagonists in fairy tales or boys’ comics.

It was all beautiful… but most people who were swept away by the trials of time naturally became pessimistic. And those stories they read as children would be remembered as a memory of the past.

As he continued to live, he realized that environment and talent mattered more than effort.

When an endless night came, one had to adapt to the darkness to survive.

He learned that the world was more unreasonable and unfair than he thought.

Those who were more educated in the world said these things more often.

Surely, those whose minds had been worn down by the politics of Cheongdo Palace were no different; at some point, they grew tired of such elaborate and theoretical discussions.

Hopeful words sometimes make people weary.

Talking endlessly about hope didn’t change a miserable life right away.

Those who were shrewd always triumphed over the righteous, and those who spoke of loyalty and affection were either betrayed or used.

Efforts were usually unrewarded; the world was dominated by the logic of power rather than morality; and if you did not always embrace selfishness, you would naturally be eliminated.

In this muddy swamp-like world, trying not to sink often made living feel like a struggle.

Therefore, at some point, “protagonist-like” words came to be seen as the exclusive domain of naive and immature people.

On a well-directed stage, the protagonists who have overcome their predestined trials cry out against a great evil that they cannot resist.

With fast-paced uplifting music in the background, their somewhat inspiring recollections and loud declarations against evil no longer stirred any feelings. Since when did this change begin?

Nevertheless, there were still people in this world who stubbornly embodied the qualities of a protagonist.

Despite being battered by the storms of life, there were those who continued to spout childish romanticism until the very end.

Stars shone in the eyes of such people. Their outlook on life was filled with positivity.

No matter how harshly the world treated them, they clenched their fists and shouted at the sky, promising a better tomorrow.

Indeed.

Not just anyone can be the heroine of a romance fantasy novel.

“Your Highness! If we go just a little further, we can ask for help from the soldiers on the outskirts of the palace grounds!”

“Stay strong! We can definitely survive this! We can do it! Keep hope alive!”

“Never accept death! There will surely come a time when you’ll think it was good that you didn’t die! If you try, you can make it! No matter how hard things are now, one day you’ll look back and laugh!”

As they fled the palace grounds, Seol Ran whispered endlessly to Crown Prince Hyeon Won out of fear that he might give up all hope.

Though her words had no basis or context, they kept Crown Prince Hyeon Won moving forward.

Even if his steps seemed feeble and meaningless, she kept him walking.

In the audience chamber of the main palace, famous high officials were all gathered here.

It was late in the day. Though each was a busy and important figure, they all assembled within an hour, except for those who were outside Cheongdo Palace.

Strategist Hwa An, Chief Councilor In Seon Rok, Central Councilor Chu Beom Seok, Under Councilor Shim San Gon, Grand General Seong Sa Wook, General Hwang Soo, and Vice General Jeong Seo Tae…

It was not an easy task to gather such high-ranking individuals in one place within an hour.

But it was because of a serious agenda. In fact, there were two issues.

One was the plot to assassinate Crown Prince Hyeon Won, and the other was the appearance of the Moon Demonic Spirit at the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

In the audience chamber, where they stood in a row with bowed heads, the place was filled with splendid and luxurious decorations. This place was used when Emperor Woon Sung issued imperial decrees.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

Creak

The most esteemed person in Cheongdo Palace, Emperor Woon Sung, entered and took his seat on the throne. Numerous guards and eunuchs followed behind him.

His cold gaze which was visible through his crown exuded a chilling aura.

“I heard that my most cherished Crown Prince Hyeon Won was involved in an unfortunate incident.”

Upon hearing the news, Emperor Woon Sung was enraged.

However, his many years as a ruler had taught him that emotions alone could resolve nothing.

“According to the report from the Under Councilor, an unknown group of assassins infiltrated the palace grounds.”

Although his tone was always calm, the attending officials couldn’t help but swallow dryly at the deep chill in his voice.

It was a major disaster among major disasters. It was impossible to tell how many heads might roll this time. This incident would be prominently recorded in history books, marking it as an unparalleled disaster.

It was a time for each official to think quickly about how to preserve their positions. The gathered officials were preoccupied with organizing their thoughts.

“Assassins infiltrated the palace grounds that are blessed with the energy of the Heavenly Dragon so easily?”

The military officials couldn’t help but shudder at those words.

Allowing assassins to slip into the palace grounds, which were directly connected to Cheongdo Palace was an enormous blunder.

If it was revealed that the military officials had made a grave mistake, it wouldn’t be surprising if at least one commander lost their position.

“Grand General Seong Sa Wook must report the situation carefully.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Grand General Seong Sa Wook stepped forward, bowed his head, and reported with a heart full of remorse.

“Though I should first be punished for my failure to prevent such a great crisis, I will report the situation clearly to determine the exact fault.”

“Speak.”

And so, the full account of the attempted assassination of Crown Prince Hyeon Won flowed out of Grand General Seong Sa Wook’s mouth.

He detailed the situation at the time, but in the end, it was a story that did not reveal who had orchestrated the event or how so many assassins had infiltrated the palace.

Emperor Woon Sung who was listening quietly stood up and struck the throne forcefully.

“You do not know who is behind all of this? Is that what you call a report?!”

“We are currently investigating. We will unearth the traitor and bring them before Your Majesty as soon as possible.”

Emperor Woon Sung wiped his face and momentarily calmed his anger.

After he sat back on the throne with a long sigh, all the officials lowered their heads and watched cautiously.

In the aftermath of such an event, no one could predict what orders would be given by Emperor Woon Sung.

“How is the Crown Prince’s condition?”

“According to the imperial physician, he sustained only minor scratches. I heard that he had no serious injuries.”

“That is truly fortunate. I will visit him personally to check on his condition after this meeting.”

Emperor Woon Sung then rested his chin on his hand and fell into deep thought.

There were not many people within the palace who would attempt such a bold plan as assassinating Crown Prince Hyeon Won. To devise such a grand scheme, one would need significant power and audacity.

It was unlikely that Strategist Hwa An who was the guardian of Crown Prince Hyeon Won would have orchestrated such a deed. Therefore, suspicions had to fall on the three high-ranking officials: the Chief Councilor, the Central Councilor, and the Under Councilor. While there was some possibility that the heads of the Six Ministries could be involved as well, it was improbable that one of them could execute such a large-scale plan alone.

In Seon Rok, Chu Beom Seok, Shim Sang Gon.

Emperor Woon Sung rested his chin on his hand and fell into deep thought.

If it were one of these three, they likely left no evidence that could lead back to them in the future.

The members of the Black Moon Unit who would be the most conclusive witnesses escaped without a single person being left behind. This was proof that the plan had been meticulously prepared.

A tiger cub has entered my main palace.

Emperor Woon Sung brushed the hem of his robe and scrutinized his three close aides.

At this point, the three men realized something.

Emperor Woon Sung suspected them. If they made any suspicious moves, their heads could roll in an instant.

For now, it doesn’t seem to be a major problem… but I must not let my guard down.

Under Councilor Shim Sang Gon swallowed dryly.

Originally, he had planned to pin all the blame on Chief Councilor In Seon Rok and eliminate him from the political scene.

This was because the dagger that Cheong Jin Myeong would have used to stab Crown Prince Hyeon Won was the one frequently used as an ornament by the Jeongseon clan.

At first, he had thought of framing him by blatantly leaving the dagger at the scene, but that was a very unnatural act. For assassins attempting to kill the Crown Prince to carelessly leave their weapon behind was an obvious blunder. This would make it all the more suspicious.

So instead, he planned to claim that upon examining the Crown Prince’s wounds, they perfectly matched the iron dagger with the phoenix engraving from the Jeongseon clan.

However, Cheong Jin Myeong had not even managed to stab Crown Prince Hyeon Won. That fact gnawed at him.

That wretched demonic spirit hunter…! I can’t believe he missed such a golden opportunity…!

In any case, it was wise to keep his mouth shut until another plan was devised for now.

While the warriors from the Red Palace were dispatched to investigate the situation, Shim Sang Gon needed to find another way to frame the Chief Councilor.

The incident had happened, and regardless of who it was, a culprit had to be found. The investigation would not end until that happened.

Shim Sang Gon had risen to the position of Under Councilor in this Cheongdo Palace which was full of schemes and conspiracies.

He had survived countless crises. No matter how cornered he was, he knew he could survive if he kept his wits about him.

First… I need to buy time! If I can just buy time, I can come up with another plan! Yes, it’s fortunate that he’s quick on his feet! If he had been caught and tortured, things would have gotten more complicated!

Just as he thought this and was about to say something,

Whoosh.

In the grand spacious audience chamber,

Even though a very important matter of the state was being discussed here, a military officer was whispering something to Grand General Seong Sa Wook.

Usually, if something was being reported so urgently in such a setting, it was likely to be of significant importance.

“Your Majesty.”

Having listened to the entire report, General Seong Sa Wook’s eyes twitched and trembled before he finally reported to Emperor Woon Sung.

“Just now, Inner Swords Commander Seol Tae Pyeong captured and detained Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong.”

“……!”

This news was like a bolt from the blue to Shim Sang Gon.

Cheong Jin Myeong was already good at stealth. Moreover, Shim Sang Gon had provided him with detailed escape routes and had arranged for a tunnel to be prepared for his escape outside Cheongdo Palace.

He had laid out everything so meticulously, yet he couldn’t believe Cheong Jin Myeong had failed to take advantage of it. No matter how poor his judgment might be, this was beyond belief. Cheong Jin Myeong was not someone who would be captured so easily.

However…

Commander Seol Tae Pyeong, you say…?

That name… it felt like it was squeezing Shim Sang Gon’s heart.

He knows… the full story of this incident!

But Commander Seol Tae Pyeong had decided to turn a blind eye to everything.

If it had been before the incident occurred, the story would be different, but now that it had happened, he was indirectly an accomplice.

After all, he had turned a blind eye to the big scheme planned by the Under Councilor. He was not in a position to be proud of his actions.

Even if he said that he knew the truth now, he would only become a sinner himself.

Even if he claimed he wasn’t an accomplice, it was meaningless. This was because in exchange for keeping his mouth shut, he received a letter of authorization to command several warriors in the name of Shim Sang Gon. The reason was to use those few warriors to kill the Moon Demonic Spirit.

The letter of authorization was clear evidence of a connection between Shim Sang Gon and Seol Tae Pyeong. The records of this authorization were not only for Seol Tae Pyeong but also for Shim Sang Gon.

But then…

He… captured Cheong Jin Myeong…? Why on earth?

Faced with an unbelievable situation, Shim Sang Gon could only furrow his brows.

Isn’t this…. just a story about dying together?

– Listen to me carefully.

– If you get caught and are dragged before the Emperor, you will be torn limb from limb while still alive. Your body will be thrown to the wild beasts, and the other Black Moon Unit members will be hunted down and killed for the rest of their lives.

– If you still want to survive… do as I say… then at least you can keep your life.

Bang!

A bound Cheong Jin Myeong was dragged into the audience chamber by a military officer.

All the high officials’ eyes widened in shock at this sight.

He was the very same assassin who had tried to kill Crown Prince Hyeon Won.

And the one who bound him with ropes and dragged him in was the very same commander who had been kidnapped by the Black Moon Unit.

The military officer’s uniform was worn here and there, and his eyes were brightly shining.

It felt like a beast had come, not a person. As if he had emerged from the aftermath of a desperate battle.

“Your Majesty, I am the Inner Swords Commander Seol Tae Pyeong. I have captured the Black Moon leader Cheong Jin Myeong.”

Cheong Jin Myeong, the heinous traitor who had raised a sword against Crown Prince Hyeon Won, was bound hand and foot while being held by the scruff of his neck.

When he was thrown to the center floor of the audience chamber, he let out a groan as he tumbled across the ground.

For a moment, a hush fell over the audience chamber.

No one had imagined that Cheong Jin Myeong whom even the warriors of the Red Palace couldn’t capture would be brought in so effortlessly.

Seeing the traitor who had dared to defy the authority of the Imperial family sprawled on the floor, Emperor Woon Sung’s eyes twisted with rage.

“You… you are the one who raised a sword against Crown Prince Hyeon Won?”

It was as if he was saying, do not expect an easy death.

The Black Moon leader was known for his agility and stealth, so much so that even renowned martial officers found it hard to catch him.

As they watched the Inner Swords Commander who had captured him with such ease, the high-ranking generals all swallowed dryly.

The fact that an upper fifth-rank officer had captured the Black Moon leader left all the military officers with a higher rank nervous.

He had captured the heinous traitor who had raised a sword against the Crown Prince.

It was uncertain how great the merit he would receive would be, but it was certain that the Emperor would not let this pass lightly.

If he were to rise to the rank of an upper fourth-rank official or higher at that age, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that a new talent capable of becoming a general in the future had emerged.

The power dynamics among the military officers would surely undergo a significant upheaval.

However, this great merit that Seol Tae Pyeong had brought was not the end of it.

He also brought the name of the person who was behind the entire situation. Someone even more significant than Cheong Jin Myeong.

“Your Majesty, through the mouth of this Black Moon leader, I have discovered who the mastermind behind this is.”

At that moment, Seol Tae Pyeong reported calmly as if it were nothing.

“It is Shim Sang Gon, the Under Councilor seated next to the great throne.”

Shim Sang Gon.

When that name was mentioned, a deep silence fell over the audience chamber.