I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 27

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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 27
“Imperial Father.”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean by saying the Feilong Sect has been prepared on a grand scale?”
Hearing words that were completely outside his expectations, Seonwu was startled.
‘What on earth does that mean?’
The Emperor smiled and spoke to Admiral Lee, who had been quietly listening to their conversation.
“How is it being prepared? The youngest should know by now, so report it in detail.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. With Guizhou Province, which His Highness chose, as the headquarters, a total of five hundred carefully selected talents are being raised into masters. Among them, two hundred individuals with firm loyalty and outstanding martial arts achievements will be chosen again to focus on spiritual medicine and training so they can reach the Peak Realm, and the remaining three hundred will achieve at least the High-Ascending Realm.”
Two hundred people?
The Peak Realm?
What kind of nonsense is this?
‘Leaving Shaolin and Wudang aside, even the other Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Families only possess about twenty Peak Realm masters each, don’t they?’
Some larger places might have up to thirty, but that’s about it.
Even Shaolin, which receives an overwhelming amount of support, only has one hundred and eight masters, represented by the 108 Arhats.
‘There might be a few more hidden masters. But given that spiritual medicine is limited, how much could they really hide?’
Yet, two hundred people?
That is more than Shaolin and Wudang combined.
“Imperial Father, were there masters in the Feilong Sect?”
“Well, they are still in training, so not yet. But since they are being raised well, about two hundred Peak Realm masters will emerge. How much longer will it take?”
“Within the next ten years, about fifty should be secured, and in fifteen years, we believe we can fill the quota of two hundred.”
“Did you hear that?”
Seonwu could only gape in silence.
The Feilong Sect was just a fictional sect he had made up on the spot to give himself a name.
Roughly, it was supposed to be a sect where only a small number of people passed down the lineage, and though they had martial arts, they lacked a foundation, so there were no proper masters.
But reaching his generation, he picked up and ate spiritual medicine in the mountains, and then he and his junior disciple came out into the world.
That was roughly the story.
If anyone asked for details, he would just gloss over it, saying it was difficult to answer.
Still, if one actually searched Guizhou Province, a small sect with a plaque reading ‘Feilong Sect’ did exist, so it would pass.
It was just that kind of modest plan.
But two hundred Peak Realm masters.
And the other dropouts would total three hundred High-Ascending Realm masters?
What kind of number is this that exceeds Shaolin and Wudang combined?
Of course, Shaolin and Wudang have masters of the Realm of Creation and the Transcendence Realm.
So it is a stretch to say this alone makes them as strong as Shaolin and Wudang combined.
However, for a sect that has raised that many Peak Realm masters, as time passes….
‘Among them, someone from the Transcendence Realm might emerge!’
The Realm of Creation?
Maybe one or two could come from there too?
In any case, it is simply a sect with incredible latent power.
Setting everything else aside, if someone wonders where all the spiritual medicine to raise that many Peak Realm masters came from, what should he say?
‘Either raised by the state….’
Or some other massive conspiracy.
For example, demonic practitioners?
Anyway, what on earth is this giant sect doing here?
Seeing Seonwu looking astonished by the scale, the Emperor smiled with satisfaction.
“Hahaha, it has turned out to be a proper surprise gift. But this is not all. Admiral, report the rest as well.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Furthermore, we have established secret branch offices in every important region of the Empire, totaling three hundred locations.”
“Did you hear that? Those three hundred branch offices will become your eyes and ears.”
Three hundred?
Even the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Noble Families could not establish branch offices all over the place like that.
Before even considering the mutual checks between them, the state did not permit it.
As an exception, the Beggars’ Sect has branch offices here and there due to the nature of their organization, but that was an exceptional privilege unique to them.
Yet the Feilong Sect has three hundred branch offices?
‘It’s not quite at the level of having one in every county, but it means they have one in every prefecture, right? On top of that, they installed additional ones in important counties.’
“Is it alright to have that many?”
“Should it not be at least that much for you to properly inspect the Wulin?”
“Uh, I suppose so?”
“In fact, it feels somewhat lacking. Even if we exclude the special zones at the border, shouldn’t we place one in almost every county?”
What would he even do with branch offices all over the place like that?
Seonwu was worried about whether he would have a use for them if he accepted them.
Wouldn’t there really be no use for them?
The state already has official government offices in every county, so why have more separately?
Does he really have to take those branch offices and inspect the Wulin?
“That… is a truly massive sect.”
“Indeed, since you have decided to take charge of the Wulin, shouldn’t you have at least this much for your work to be convenient? I have prepared it well. Haha.”
The Emperor was delighted, but Seonwu felt dizzy as he listened.
What is he really supposed to do after receiving this massive sect?
He received a gift that was far too big, but doesn’t great power come with great responsibility, or something like that?
Won’t a massive organization at least come with massive duties?
If he accepts a giant organization and does nothing with it, won’t it just become an organization that plays around and eats while wasting the budget?
‘First, I should tell each branch office to earn money on their own.’
Before there is any important mission, let’s at least save the budget.
“The number of people in those branch offices isn’t that large, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness. While the main branch offices in each province are quite large, the branch offices dispatched to prefectures or large counties only consist of about three to ten people for the purpose of gathering information. In total, it is only two thousand five hundred people, so it is not a large number.”
‘Phew, at that scale, the maintenance costs won’t be astronomical.’
Fortunately, he wasn’t leading a hundred thousand people.
“Since they are secret branch offices, are they disguised as shops or something?”
“That is correct.”
‘Thank goodness. Then normally, they can do actual business to earn money, and if it’s just at a level that combines that with gathering information, the maintenance costs will really be negligible.’
Still, what on earth is he supposed to do after receiving a sect with five hundred master subordinates and branch offices spread across the entire country?
There is no work to give them.
He had imagined roaming the Jianghu alone as a chivalrous xia.
Hmm.
Even if he brought one guard along to run errands, the two of them would travel the Jianghu.
He had dreamed of roughly that much….
‘The scale of what returns when I ask Imperial Father for something is not at the level I imagined.’
He had thought about it too lightly.
He thought his father would just set up a small, modest sect for him.
“Haha, then I will be commanding as many as two hundred Peak Realm masters in the future.”
“Hmm? That is not it.”
“Pardon? It is not?”
“The Feilong Sect has two hundred, and your direct personal guards to be stationed at the Muryong Prince Mansion will separately number another two hundred, making a total of four hundred.”
“Pardon?”
There are another two hundred direct personal guards separately?
‘No, wait. Did my older brothers’ Prince Mansions also have two hundred Peak Realm masters each?’
Whether it was the Hwaryong Prince or the Jiryong Prince, they did keep guards consisting of two hundred Peak Realm masters who followed them.
Some of them were in the Transcendence Realm and served to guard the princes up close.
Since the four Prince Mansions keep two hundred Peak Realm warriors each, it would be strange not to place them only in his own Prince Mansion.
“As for the warriors who will serve you at the Muryong Prince Mansion, I have had them prepared since the moment you were born, so they should all be ready by now. Is that not so?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Those assigned to the Muryong Prince Mansion to guard His Highness and receive his orders consist of one hundred and ninety Peak Realm masters led by ten Transcendence Realm masters, making a total of two hundred who are ready.”
The Feilong Sect is still incomplete, and this side actually has a larger number right now?
Seonwu could only keep his mouth open.
‘Uh, Imperial Father. Aren’t you giving me a bit too much?’
“Hahaha, excellent. Originally, they were kids raised with the intention of expanding the Golden Dragon Guard and the Moon Shadow Guard, but after you were born, I decided to place them under you and increased the scale further. It takes at least this much to be the combat force of a Prince Mansion.”
“However, Imperial Father, although my older brothers’ Prince Mansions have about this much, they do not have additional forces like the Feilong Sect, do they? Is it alright for me alone to possess this much more?”
“In exchange, those fellows exert influence over the military command. On the other hand, you do not, which is why I am separately granting you the Feilong Sect to manage the Wulin.”
“Ah….”
His four older brothers above him took on the role of defending the borders, so they also exerted influence over the military command, which shared the same mission.
In principle, the Eight Great Generals and the army beneath them were organizations under the direct control of the Emperor and were not under the direct command of the four princes.
However, when discussing operations and cooperating, would a general’s voice be louder?
Or would the voice of an imperial prince appointed as a king be louder?
The answer was obvious.
On the other hand, Henan Province was a safe rear area.
What he was in charge of was not the border, but the Wulin in the rear.
Therefore, it meant he was being given the Feilong Sect instead of the military command.
‘Looking at it that way, is the Feilong Sect actually small compared to the military command?’
Instead, rather than just exerting influence, he was given an organization directly under his personal control.
‘Oh, whatever. Since he’s giving it to me, let’s take it.’
He has built such a large organization up to this point, so how could he say now that he doesn’t need it?
In the first place, he was the one who came up with the name Feilong Sect.
“Thank you, Imperial Father.”
“Yes, if this is ever lacking, feel free to ask me for help at any time.”
“I will try to work with what you have given me first.”
“Admirable. In the remaining year, there will be many things you must know as a king. Study hard and rule well.”
“Yes.”
Seonwu had received a whole bunch of gifts that far exceeded his expectations, but he changed his mindset, thinking it would all depend on how he used them.
A mysterious sect is actually a sect with incredible latent power?
‘Right, isn’t this also one of the common tropes for a protagonist?’
The sole successor of a ruined mysterious sect is good too.
But to think he is the hidden master of a massive sect.
This is also perfect.
What does this setting matter?
What does that setting matter?
Anyway, let’s go out and have fun in the Jianghu.
Silently reciting the Hayeoga, which he had modified on the spot, Seonwu prepared for his final year.
* * *
The remaining year before Seonwu would officially ascend as King Wuryong.
There was quite a lot for him to do.
First, he had to learn the trick of properly hiding his martial arts.
It wasn’t about pretending he hadn’t learned any at all, but rather he needed a trick to avoid getting caught having learned famous inner energies like the Peerless Prajna Divine Art or the Taegeuk Yangui Shingong.
If he wasn’t going to the Wulin, it wouldn’t matter, but if he was going, it was absolutely necessary.
If someone who is not from Shaolin uses the Peerless Prajna Divine Art, their background will definitely be suspected.
Fortunately, this was simple.
It was thanks to Seonwu holding as many as four kinds of divine arts inside his Cintamani.
If he skillfully mixed two divine arts appropriately, they would exhibit a nature different from either side, possessing a difference where they looked similar to something but couldn’t be definitively called exactly that.
Second, he also had to prepare to rule as a king.
Of course, it wasn’t that he had to personally look into the various affairs of Henan and manage government business like a king of Joseon or Goryeo.
The ones actually doing that work were the Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and the Regional Military Commissioner who previously managed Henan Province.
It was just that previously, those three managed things on their own and reported to the central Imperial Court, but now Seonwu was stepping in as an intermediate stage.
He could inspect them, and if necessary, replace them.
If he wanted to give instructions, he could give them.
It didn’t mean he was middle management.
The Emperor truly gave the Prince Mansion the authority over their personnel management as a whole.
In addition, regarding taxes, except for a certain portion sent to the central Imperial Court, the Prince Mansion could now spend the rest as it pleased as a king.
‘He really granted me a fiefdom that is practically close to a semi-independent power.’
The independent authority was so large that Seonwu was rather appalled.
Is it really okay to give all this?
Of course, since the Emperor ultimately granted it, the Emperor could also take it back, but even so, this was exceptional.
‘I suppose it means Imperial Father trusts his children that much.’
In any case, since the authority he received was that large, he had to do well.
Though he wasn’t actually going to manage things in meticulous detail if he wanted to go out and roam the Wulin.
Still, shouldn’t he at least grasp the minimum duties and know enough to conduct inspections whenever he returns to the Prince Mansion once in a while?
Leaving everything entirely to the existing bureaucrats and just telling them to handle it on their own would be far too irresponsible.
So Seonwu spent his remaining year studying in his own way to become a king.
And finally, he reached the age of twenty, the age known as the capping age.

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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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