Almighty God of War - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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103

Around noon the next day.

Guyang Cheongang finished treating Princess Myeonghwa and confirmed that she had fallen asleep.

The princess’s appearance, breathing faintly with a pale face, was like a snow-covered lotus flower.

He quietly left the room.

The separate building provided for him by the Imperial Palace was located in a corner of Myeonghwa Palace’s back garden.

Though it appeared peaceful on the surface, the heart of its sole resident, Guyang Cheongang, was heavy like the calm before a storm.

He stood by the window and looked down at the garden.

‘The imprinting work is important, but right now I must first resolve the undercurrents within the Imperial Palace. If I can’t solve this problem, Miss Shangguan’s salt business won’t be able to move forward even a single step.’

As he was organizing his future plans, a cautious voice came from outside the door.

“Prince Hahou, I’ve come from Jaseon Hall. His Majesty the Crown Prince is looking for you.”

The eunuch in his early forties who entered after opening the door was sent by the Crown Prince and said his name was Chae Geum.

Guyang Cheongang spoke to him in a calm tone.

“Please lead the way.”

The path to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s quarters called Jaseon Hall, was not far.

But each step he took was like walking through a thorny path made of countless gazes.

As Guyang Cheongang revealed himself, the passing eunuchs and palace maids all stopped in their tracks and whispered among themselves.

“That person must be… that so-called divine physician.”

“Princess Sohwa… But His Majesty personally released him…”

“Shh, be quiet. Now he’s even meeting with His Majesty the Crown Prince…”

“Can such a young person really be the Divine Physician of Life and Death?”

Their gazes contained a mixture of anger and contempt, curiosity and fear.

Their gazes, filled with all sorts of emotions, pierced his entire body like spears.

But Guyang Cheongang walked silently without changing his expression, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

After a while, he arrived at Jaseon Hall.

The exterior of the hall made from the finest rosewood was majestic and splendid, but a thick medicinal smell and desolate energy lingered in the air.

The Crown Prince, whom he met in the inner hall, pretended it was their first meeting and offered him the seat across from him.

“Are you Hahou Gang, called the Divine Physician of Life and Death?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

“You are young as rumored. You must have heard about my condition?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then there’s no need for lengthy explanations. Will you examine my pulse?”

“Please entrust it to me.”

The moment Guyang Cheongang’s fingers touched the Crown Prince’s wrist, all noise in the hall ceased.

Countless eyes focused on them, not wanting to miss even the slightest change in their expressions.

Guyang Cheongang closed his eyes and pretended to concentrate on the pulse diagnosis, but he was listening to Akasha’s voice that followed.

[Vital signs reconfirmed. Slight cardiac arrhythmia, decreased blood oxygen saturation. But all of this is an artificial result caused by a ‘foreign object’ implanted in the heart. His life force is slowly leaking away even at this very moment.]

After half an hour, Guyang Cheongang opened his eyes with a heavy expression.

The Crown Prince asked quietly.

“…Can you cure it?”

His voice was calm, but Guyang Cheongang could feel the weight of deep pain and thread-like hope contained within it.

Guyang Cheongang unconsciously swallowed dry saliva at the weight this answer carried.

The Crown Prince was throwing a do-or-die gamble toward his enemies, using his own life as bait.

Guyang Cheongang opened his mouth, sensing the enormous ripple effect his answer would bring.

“Yes, I can treat it.”

The moment the definitive answer fell, the Crown Prince’s shoulders dropped.

The focus in his eyes wavered, creating ripples like a stone thrown into a lake.

As the burden he had carried for decades disappeared, a new burden pressed down on his shoulders.

‘Now I truly… must face them.’

The smile that appeared on the Crown Prince’s lips conveyed not hope, but the solemnity of a warrior before a final battle.

The air in the hall became sharp as a blade, as if the bell announcing the start of an invisible war had rung.

Guyang Cheongang’s answer would reach the ears of countless people before today was over.

The Crown Prince said.

“Can you treat both Myeonghwa and me simultaneously?”

“That is possible, but doing so would delay the Princess’s complete recovery.”

After briefly looking at the garden outside the window, the Crown Prince asked.

“Do you think… my life will be in danger before Myeonghwa’s treatment is finished?”

“I can assure you that won’t be the case.”

“Then that’s settled. I’ll report to His Majesty so you can examine my condition as soon as you finish treating Myeonghwa. Please prepare accordingly.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

As Guyang Cheongang was about to leave Jaseon Hall, the Crown Prince spoke quietly.

“Hahou Gang.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Be careful.”

The Crown Prince’s quiet voice contained both warning and concern.

Guyang Cheongang bowed deeply and left the hall.

On the way back to the separate building, Guyang Cheongang’s mind became complicated.

‘Having heard my answer, the hidden enemies will begin moving in earnest. Whoever they are, there’s no time now.’

[Doctor, will you really be alright?]

Akasha’s worried voice echoed in his mind.

‘It’s fine, Akasha. It was an unavoidable fight anyway.’

When he arrived at the separate building, a red sunset was setting in the western sky.

As if foretelling the blood that would be shed ahead.

* * *

A dark secret chamber.

In the flickering darkness lit by only one candle, a figure wearing a ghost mask and the Masked Man were conversing.

“Grand Commander, Hahou Gang has declared that he can treat the Crown Prince’s illness.”

The Masked Man’s voice was tinged with suppressed anxiety.

The teacup in the Grand Commander’s hand paused momentarily.

“What’s the possibility it’s a lie?”

Their clothing was so loose it didn’t reveal their body’s lines, and their voice was so murky and rough that it was difficult to distinguish their gender.

The Masked Man answered.

“Judging by the speed at which Princess Myeonghwa’s condition is improving, it’s likely not a lie.”

“The Emperor must have heard this news too?”

“Of course. There were several eunuchs and palace maids watching.”

“That brat… is finally interfering with our great cause.”

Their voice was cold as ice, but beneath it, anger that could burn everything seethed.

A moment of silence passed.

The candle flickered greatly once, then became small again.

The Lord spoke in a cold tone.

“We kill the Crown Prince tonight.”

The Masked Man’s shoulders trembled greatly.

“The Crown Prince, not Hahou Gang?”

“That’s right.”

“Please tell me the reason.”

“Hahou Gang is someone the Emperor and all the ministers are focusing their attention on. Moreover, he has mastered supreme martial arts. It won’t be easy to kill him without leaving traces. But the Crown Prince is different.”

The Masked Man spoke with a trembling voice.

“Grand Commander, the Crown Prince met with Hahou Gang today. But for him to die tonight… wouldn’t that be too hasty?”

“If we keep delaying and Hahou Gang saves the Crown Prince, thirty years of carefully built towers will crumble. The Lord’s operation has already failed, hasn’t it?”

At his words, the Masked Man could say nothing more and pressed his forehead to the floor.

“But the aftermath will be difficult to handle…”

“Aftermath?”

The Grand Commander’s continuing voice was mixed with chilling madness.

“That would be true if evidence of the Crown Prince’s murder were discovered.”

“Ah…”

The Grand Commander continued.

“The Divine Sealing Blood Fragment embedded in the Crown Prince’s heart is a seed of sorcery that feeds on his life force and grows. Tonight, when we awaken the blood fragment with the sacrifice’s blood, the Crown Prince will lose all his life force while sleeping and die withered. No one will be able to find any trace of murder.”

Madness gleamed in the Grand Commander’s eyes.

“Tonight… the final stage of our thirty-year grand plan will finally begin.”

He said while looking outside the window.

“When the hour of the Rat arrives (11 PM to 1 AM), the Crown Prince’s life force will be at its weakest. Begin the Blood Ritual then.”

“Understood, Grand Commander.”

The Masked Man continued in a cautious tone.

“Hahou Gang uses a technique called the Causal Reverse Deduction Technique. He will use it to recreate the Crown Prince’s death, and if that happens, the cause of death might be revealed.”

The Lord’s gaze turned cold.

“The Blood Ritual will not take place in Jaseon Hall. So even if he recreates it with the Causal Reverse Deduction Technique, he can only reveal the Crown Prince dying in his sleep.”

He continued with a mocking voice.

“By tomorrow morning, the Crown Prince will already be a corpse, and the Imperial Court will fall into great chaos from the shock. In the midst of that, what could a mere physician like Hahou Gang possibly do?”

The Masked Man bowed his head deeply and answered.

“I will prepare the Blood Ritual immediately.”

Despite his words, a trace of unease was sprouting in the depths of his heart.

‘After the unexpected variable called Hahou Gang appeared, everything began to go wrong. Is it really okay for thirty years of meticulous planning to be concluded so hastily…? But I cannot disobey the Grand Commander’s orders either…’

Cold sweat ran down his back.

Chilling killing intent appeared around the Grand Commander’s eyes.

“If done well… we might even be able to pin the blame on Hahou Gang, making it seem like the Crown Prince’s death was his mistake. Since that bastard was the last person the Crown Prince met before dying… prepare for this as well.”

“Yes.”

The Grand Commander spoke in a frightening tone.

“I will not tolerate failure.”

“I obey!”

After the Masked Man left the secret chamber, the Grand Commander, now alone, removed his mask.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face illuminated by candlelight.

“Hahou Gang… no matter how excellent your medical arts may be, you cannot revive someone who has already crossed the threshold of the underworld.”

His eerie voice, difficult to distinguish as male or female, scattered into the darkness of the empty secret chamber.

* * *

The separate building where cold night air lingered.

Guyang Cheongang stood by the window, silently gazing at the massive outline of the Imperial Palace shrouded in darkness.

[Doctor, what you said at Jaseon Hall today was the best move. You limited the opponent’s options and induced them to act in a direction favorable to us. However, the threat level against you personally has been elevated to ‘lethal’ stage as a result.]

‘I know. But to clearly see who the real enemy is, I ultimately had no choice but to enter the tiger’s den.’

[That’s correct. Passive defense only leads to isolation and death in the end. Because of what you said, Doctor, the enemies have no choice but to react as quickly as possible.]

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes gleamed coldly.

‘I’ve placed shackles called “time limit” on them. They now have to move somehow before I completely cure the Crown Prince.’

[That desperation will make their tails show.]

‘It should. The problem is when and at whom their blade will be pointed…’

He asked.

‘Akasha, who will they target first – me or the Crown Prince?’

[To predict Dark Current’s next target, I simulated the success probability of two scenarios and their expected benefits. To give you the conclusion first…]

Akasha’s voice became even calmer.

[In the short term, they’re overwhelmingly likely to target the Crown Prince, and in the long term, you, Doctor.]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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