I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14
Danmok Seong looked at his son, Dan Suyeong, who had come to visit.
“Did you call for me, Father?”
“Yes. *Sigh*. But your energy is truly fierce. Did I not tell you that a sword without a sheath is actually useless?”
“Since you ended up like this, Father, I was bewildered…. With the entire world turning its back on our house, my heart was so filled with resentment that I could not control it.”
At the response of his fifth son, Suyeong, whom he considered the practical successor because he possessed the greatest martial talent among the family’s five sons, Danmok Seong clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. All the more reason why a martial artist must not lose control of himself.”
“My discipline is still lacking.”
“No. How could that be your fault? It is because your father was incompetent that you suffered at such a young age.”
“Father.”
“But rejoice. Grace has been bestowed, and I will not die.”
“Is that true!”
“Yes, my sentence was commuted to serving in the army in white clothes.”
Dan Suyeong’s sharp aura softened in an instant.
“Ah…. Thank goodness, Father. I will deliver this news to the family right away.”
“Yes, do so as soon as you return. But before that, there is something you must know.”
“What is it?”
“You must know that the general consensus of the Imperial Court was originally to execute me. But the Fifth Prince spoke to His Majesty and saved my life.”
“The Fifth Prince, you say?”
Hearing a completely unexpected name, Dan Suyeong was quite astonished.
The youngest prince, who had no connection whatsoever to their family?
“Indeed. It is said that after examining my defeat, he told His Majesty that execution was excessive and that I should be given a chance to wash away my fault by rendering service. His Majesty granted that request, and so I obtained this chance.”
“We owe a great debt of gratitude to His Highness.”
In the Great Long Empire where martial arts existed, Confucianism did not hold the status of an absolute ethic as it did on Seonwu’s past Earth.
However, that was only a relative statement.
When it came to the grace of having a parent’s life saved, the thoughts of the people here were not much different in viewing it as an absolute debt for the child.
“Therefore, I will send you to the Fifth Prince.”
“Will His Highness accept me?”
“Whether it is a lowly post or whatever, you must offer your humble service. To receive a favor and not show gratitude turns into a disaster instead. The moment the superior feels slighted, what do you think will happen to the family? Furthermore, even by human principles, a person must repay the favor of saving a life.”
“Yes, Father. I shall do so.”
Danmok Seong nodded his head.
“In my heart, I would like to personally work under him and build merits, but how can a criminal go to such a position right away? Though I escaped execution, I will have to fight again at the Border by serving in the army in white clothes. Repay the favor to His Highness on my behalf.”
“Yes.”
A child repaying a parent’s debt on their behalf.
Particularly, it was the son considered the successor who would repay it instead.
This was only natural for the people of this era.
Since it was an era where someone who asked why they should repay a favor received by their parent would hear people question if they were even human, Dan Suyeong also replied immediately without a single shred of hesitation.
“In front of His Highness, you must suppress your sharp aura well.”
“How would I dare act rashly in front of him?”
“Yes, if you can control only that, you will be far greater than I. Go on.”
* * *
After his eighth birthday celebration ended, Seonwu separately met Dan Suyeong, who had quietly come to offer a gift.
By his side, Admiral Lee of the Golden Dragon Guard was standing escort.
“You want to serve me?”
Dan Suyeong was twelve.
He was exactly four years older than Seonwu.
Seonwu carefully observed the boy who claimed he wanted to repay the favor of saving his father.
‘Hmm, he’s extremely disciplined and upright.’
What should he call the first impression?
A thorough martial artist?
Rather than a simple martial artist, it would be more accurate to call him a soldier.
Unlike the martial artists of the Wulin, he had that rigid feeling of one who served a lord and followed orders.
A well-built frame with a tall height.
His agile body and his face, caught at a glance, felt like a swift and sharp sword.
The set of his eyes seen before bowing was fierce, making him feel like a wolf.
It felt like looking at a sharp sword rather than a sturdy shield.
‘Though I saved him out of a sense of shared plight, I did have some expectations that some kind of repayment might return.’
However, he hadn’t expected the fifth son of that family to come and prostrate himself to serve him altogether.
Suyeong answered politely, but in a crisp, sharp tone that carried discipline.
“Yes, Your Highness. Since you saved my father’s life, please take me as your subordinate so that I may repay that debt.”
“Oho.”
Seonwu’s eyes gleamed.
‘Right, this is it.’
Though there were righteousness and chivalry, Wuxia was also about favors and vendettas, wasn’t it?
‘Honestly, what I expected was for them to take my side politically a few times in the future, or try to come and serve when I open my Prince Mansion.’
To think they would send their son already!
With just a single word, he had gained a person.
If it was a talent sent by the General Dan Clan as a repayment, he wouldn’t be an incompetent fellow.
‘Though I don’t know how to read physiognomy, there’s still an aura you can feel in this world where martial arts and Qi exist.’
“If you give me any lowly post, I will serve you faithfully.”
“Even if I make you sweep the yard?”
“I will always keep the yard clean.”
“Ahahaha, that was a joke. Looking at you, it seems you have quite some martial talent, so it would be a waste to use you that way.”
Seonwu observed Dan Suyeong for a moment.
“I will think about it for a while, so withdraw for now. I will send word soon.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After sending Dan Suyeong out, Seonwu asked Admiral Lee Dae-yong.
“That fellow who just left, his martial talent looks decent. How does it look to you, Admiral Lee?”
When it came to judging a martial artist, Admiral Lee would be more of an expert than himself.
“I have heard of the fifth son of the Dan clan. Seeing him today, the rumors are indeed true.”
“That means he’s outstanding, right?”
“Yes. If it is the Peak Realm, he will reach it before his father. Though the Transcendence Realm is something one cannot easily guarantee, of course.”
“Give me your opinion, Admiral Lee.”
Admiral Lee answered carefully.
“According to my intuition, if he finds the right catalyst, he might reach it even faster than his father.”
“As expected….”
The Realm of Creation was not something to dare discuss, but just reaching the Peak Realm or further to the Transcendence Realm actually made someone a precious talent.
People in novels might say that an expert outside the top ten but within the top hundred was insignificant, but that was only true in stories where the protagonist was at the absolute peak and even the top ten experts were mere supporting characters.
Although a single expert of the Realm of Creation was better than an army, a Transcendence Realm expert was also better than a unit.
And that was better than a unit made of elite soldiers who were at least Second-Class, not commoners.
If he was a talent likely to become such a Transcendence Realm expert….
‘Wouldn’t it be reassuring to raise him well and keep him by my side?’
A Chivalrous Journey to go out into the Wulin and build various relationships.
Though that was his dream, it seemed good to have at least one reliable secret escort by his side.
They could claim to be martial brothers as a cover identity, while in reality, he would be an escort.
Of course, if he, a prince, really went out into the Wulin, it wouldn’t be difficult to bring along multiple secret escorts.
There was no way his imperial father wouldn’t grant him that.
Or he could just take escorts selected from the Prince Mansion.
Even so, an escort bound by childhood connections and debts of gratitude.
Didn’t that have a layer of romance to it?
‘Romance is important.’
Besides, that bear-like, dependable feeling was good too.
‘Mm, right. A journey gets boring after all if you do it alone. If at least he tags along, he’ll be someone to talk to.’
And he could also make him handle chores.
Seonwu subtly drew one more bear-like escort into his future plans.
“Admiral Lee, I would like to train that fellow well and make him my escort. Would that be possible?”
At this, Admiral Lee picked his words for a moment before replying.
“If Your Highness commands, what is there that I cannot do? However, there is one concern.”
“What is it?”
“That fellow has a wolf physiognomy.”
“A wolf?”
“There is a saying that a tamed wolf becomes a dog… but even if that happens, it is not a gentle dog. It merely hides its sharp teeth and fierce nature. If you accidentally loosen the leash, there is no telling whom it might bite.”
“Even its master?”
The admiral bowed his head deeply.
“Please forgive my insolent words. How could he dare fail to recognize even his master? However, his physiognomy is that of a wolf, and his fierce aura is like a sword that has not found a sheath. Though I shall try to discipline him, a person’s true nature does not change easily.”
“He won’t bite his master, but he’s a wolf…. That means he can be extremely fierce against my enemies.”
“That is so.”
What other meaning did he imply?
He could ask the admiral to explain in detail, but Seonwu thought for himself.
“If I don’t handle him precisely, he might run wild even more than I desire.”
“Yes, a fellow like that has a temperament somewhat unsuitable for an escort. It is better to use him as a hunting dog, a sword to kill the enemy.”
Seonwu thought it over.
‘Admiral Lee’s words won’t be wrong.’
The Qi of a martial artist wasn’t something they just possessed for no reason.
Even if he was twelve years old, if he possessed such an aura, it meant he had that kind of character.
An assessment made by an expert of the Realm of Creation wasn’t simple physiognomy theory.
‘Attack rather than defense, a hammer rather than an anvil.’
A hunting dog rather than an escort.
It meant that was his aptitude, but….
Still, was there a law that one must live exactly as they were born?
Speaking of a wolf physiognomy brought someone to mind.
‘They said Sima Yi had the look of a hidden wolf, right?’
He actually made the physiognomy true by pulling off a rebellion in the end.
But what if Cao Cao hadn’t endlessly kept him at bay and tested him, but had given him trust instead?
There was no knowing.
Still, he might have rebelled in the end anyway.
Did Grand Prince Suyang rebel because King Munjong didn’t cherish him?
He simply killed his nephew out of his own ambition.
However, even if he had the temperament of a hunting dog, wasn’t an escort position fine?
‘Mm, mm. I’ll become an expert myself anyway. When I head out into the Jianghu, I won’t be surrounded by countless escorts like in the Prince Mansion. If I’m going to keep about one person by my side, a hunting dog temperament might actually be better for ordering him around for this and that.’
“As long as he has loyalty, a fierce side might actually be fun to manage.”
Fierce dogs were supposed to be wild.
“When I travel incognito in the Jianghu in the future, I intend to use him as an escort by my side. He shouldn’t just be outstanding in martial arts; he needs to be able to adapt properly according to the situation.”
To put it simply, if he was traveling incognito in the Jianghu, a stubbornly foolish guy who blew their hard-earned disguise by calling him ‘Your Highness’ would be troublesome.
Such a person could guard the Prince Mansion, but couldn’t be kept by his side when roaming the Jianghu.
Being fierce also meant being proactive and clever, so wouldn’t he be able to utilize him well instead?
“If you command it, I will keep that in mind while training him. In addition, I will teach him a different martial art, not the standard martial arts of the Golden Dragon Guard.”
“That’s good. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
It was truly great that when he said one word, the other understood ten.
Authority was truly convenient.
Without any need for him to make an effort to understand the other person’s words, the other person made an effort to understand his.
“Since he will be serving Your Highness at close proximity, I will place him in a special training course.”
“That’s not the kind of thing where people actually die off, right?”
“Haha, it is not to that extent.”
‘Right, it’s not like they’re the Demonic Cult or anything; would they really roll him to death?’
They were strictly martial artists raised by the state.
On top of that, they were talents into whom a lot of investment had gone for each and every individual.
Seonwu reminded himself to distinguish between dramatic devices in novels and reality.
There was no falsehood in Admiral Lee’s words.
It wasn’t that they died off.
It was just that many dropped out halfway because it was painfully difficult.
‘Since Your Highness desires it, I must give him a chance.’
However, that was a chance to undergo harsh training, not a chance for an unqualified person to dare become the prince’s escort.
‘His physical foundation itself is good.’
The achievements he had already made were also excellent.
If he had grit on top of that, he would reach the Peak Realm faster than his father.
But the most important thing was loyalty.
If he only had ability but couldn’t control his temperament and ran wild without his master’s order, he wouldn’t be a fierce dog, but merely a wolf.
‘If he is only good at martial arts, it is enough to just use him as a soldier.’
To dare stand by His Highness’s side, martial arts were basic, and he had to excel in various other aspects as well.
If his capacity wasn’t up to it, he would have to be satisfied with a correspondingly small position.
The admiral never blindly trusted his own discernment and intuition either.
Though he looked like an excellent talent at a glance, that was something to be proven, not something to be certain of.

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