I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 46

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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 46
Seonwu watched the two fight, debating whether to step in or not.
Of course, he would help if Dan Suyeong were in danger.
[Hmm, looks like Dan Suyeong has the upper hand?]
[Yeah, he does. Even if he can’t subdue it in two moves like you did, the Qingjuebiao is being pushed back. That guy learned a pretty decent body protection art, didn’t he? It might not be the Diamond Indestructible Body, but it seems to be at least Impervious to Blades and Swords.]
[He must have mastered the Iron Ox Invulnerability Qigong to the Peak Realm.]
[Oh, with that, you can definitely fight like that.]
Dan Suyeong unleashed a ferocious demonic intent, fighting the Qingjuebiao with a “you strike me, I strike you” mentality.
A fight where you try to parry and avoid, and a fight where you accept getting hit as long as you can land a blow back, have entirely different tactical depths.
The Qingjuebiao’s claws scratched at Dan Suyeong.
Instead of blocking or dodging, Dan Suyeong took it with his left arm, radiating a murderous aura even more terrifying than Demonic Qi.
However, looking closely, he wasn’t just taking it entirely with his bare body.
When the claws made contact, he subtly rotated and twisted his arm to deflect a portion of the attack.
Of course, an ordinary arm would be sliced off instantly even if it did that, but an arm tempered by the Iron Ox Invulnerability Qigong was in itself harder than steel armor.
As he deflected the claws imbued with Demonic Qi, all he gave up was his clothes.
In comparison, Dan Suyeong’s sword continuously left scars on the Qingjuebiao’s body.
The Qingjuebiao’s hide was not ordinary either, so it wasn’t cut deeply by Dan Suyeong’s sword, but the small wounds quickly multiplied.
‘Hmm, where have I seen this kind of fight before? Ah, that’s it. It’s like a fight between a knight in Full Plate Armor and a swordsman without it.’
It felt like one of those videos showing why armor is useful.
In fact, if you think about it just a little, you can naturally understand why armor developed and why knights bothered to wear it, even without doing any experiments.
The Iron Ox Invulnerability Qigong that Dan Suyeong mastered wasn’t Full Plate Armor, but its actual defensive power was superior.
Because the Qingjuebiao’s claws, which would have carved through steel, merely slid off Dan Suyeong’s body with a metallic screech.
‘If I utilize my Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, it would be just like that.’
Unlike armor, there are no gaps, and it holds no weakness to the weather.
It’s just difficult to learn, but once you master it, it’s incredibly useful.
Of course, other things called divine arts handle Body Protective Astral Qi to some extent as well.
Right now, the other three divine arts besides the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art can use Body Protective Astral Qi, and this is true for most divine arts of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Families.
However, they differ in terms of the proficiency level.
‘On top of that, while deploying Body Protective Astral Qi, the Sword Qi can’t help but weaken a bit.’
Because Inner Energy isn’t infinite.
Whether you load it onto your sword or wrap it around your body becomes a choice.
In comparison, having a separate external martial art armor like that gives you a much more advantageous range in a fight.
‘There is a reason why terms like Simultaneous Internal and External Cultivation exist.’
It’s just expensive.
In the early medieval period, even though most knights knew Full Plate Armor was good, there were quite a few cases where they couldn’t afford a complete suit.
Why?
Because it was expensive.
Steel was very expensive back then.
And this place is the Wulin, and there isn’t a single martial artist who doesn’t know that the Iron Ox Invulnerability Qigong or something similar is good.
It’s just that it consumes a lot of Spiritual Medicine.
From a sect’s perspective, it’s simply more profitable to raise two Peak Realm masters instead.
Dan Suyeong was only able to take advantage of that capability because it was a one-on-one fight; if another Qingjuebiao had joint-attacked from the rear, he wouldn’t have been able to fight so comfortably.
In any case, while Seonwu was analyzing the battle like that, the Qingjuebiao, whose wounds were steadily increasing, finally stumbled.
Seizing that opening, Dan Suyeong pierced deeply this time for real.
Ultimately, the Qingjuebiao went limp and collapsed.
Once both beasts died, their bodies gradually dissolved, leaving only blue horns in their place.
[Hey. Those are worth money. Pack them up.]
[How much?]
[Uh… from your perspective, it’s pocket change.]
The Demon-Subduing Divine Dragon Sword calculated the value of the wealth and treasures given to King Wuryong Seonwu and withdrew its words.
[Still, many drops make an ocean, so I should pack them.]
As Seonwu said that and gathered the horns, the Demon-Subduing Divine Dragon Sword was impressed.
[What a thrifty fellow. But honestly, the horn of a Qingjuebiao is no drop in the bucket.]
[How much is it?]
[I don’t know the current market price well either but… it used to be around a thousand silver taels? Wouldn’t those guys know better?]
At the words of the divine dragon sword, Seonwu looked toward the peddlers.
Perhaps the peddlers had finally relaxed their tension a bit, for though they were still trembling, they bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Great Hero.”
“Thank you for the grace of saving our lives.”
“Let me ask you something. How much is one of these Qingjuebiao horns worth?”
“Ah, it is an item far too precious for small folk like us to handle, but it should be around a thousand silver taels.”
“A thousand taels, let’s see….”
Seonwu had also studied the livelihoods of the common people in his own way.
‘Right now in the home country, isn’t one tael the monthly income of a properly earning adult male laborer?’
Jobs that pay a bit less don’t even make one tael, and if your skills are highly valued, you can earn more than that, but for now, that’s roughly a middle-class income.
‘The prices of this era don’t perfectly align with the Republic of Korea, but….’
The Great Long Empire, however, had a much stronger productivity in many ways compared to the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, the goods obtainable with money were much more abundant, making the national budget far larger than the Ming Dynasty’s, and the living standards of the people were higher too.
Since it wasn’t just a matter of barely having enough rice to eat.
Anyway, so if you peg one tael to three million won, that’s three billion. If you peg it to four million won, that’s four billion.
Since there are two beasts, it’s about six to eight billion.
[It really isn’t pocket change, is it?]
After calculating concretely, Seonwu suddenly felt his financial senses from his past life revive.
Compared to the assets of the Prince Mansion, it was minuscule, but he had swung the sword and caught them himself.
It wasn’t an inheritance received from his father, but the very first amount of money he truly earned himself.
“It makes money, huh?”
“Yes, yes, the horn of a Qingjuebiao is a perfect fit as a material for formations, so it is quite lucrative. Congratulations, Great Hero.”
Even if he split it half-and-half with Dan Suyeong and only counted it as three billion….
Of course, no matter how high the Great Long Empire’s productivity was, it was a bit delicate whether it was accurate to peg one tael to three million won in comparison to a monthly income in modern Earth’s Republic of Korea.
It might have to be pegged lower.
But at the same time, considering the relativity of the era, it was absolutely certain that it was not lacking as a wage to employ an adult male laborer for a month.
[Hehehe, I’ve earned all the expenses for roaming the land of the Wulin.]
[But wasn’t the banknote your father gave you to use as expenses during your travels worth ten thousand silver taels?]
[That was allowance I received. This is what I earned. It’s not the same money.]
[Since when does money have a label on it.]
[Uh-huh, it’s different.]
Seonwu’s mood drastically improved.
The money his father gave him was, in the end, tax revenue.
To spend it lavishly felt a bit resisting to the commoner sentiment of his past life.
But this was money he earned directly.
He could spend it to his heart’s content with a clear conscience.
‘Heh, punishing problematic unorthodox factions was thrilling too, but….’
Hunting demonic monsters really brings in the cash, doesn’t it?
Saving people, exterminating demonic monsters, and making money.
‘Is there another demonic monster around that can be caught?’
Of course, if he went to the border, they would be swarming, but….
‘Ahem, let’s restrain ourselves.’
Even so, if demonic monsters appear, the people suffer damage.
Wishing for more demonic monsters to appear just to make his own money was against human decency.
However, if a rumor was heard that a demonic monster had appeared somewhere, it would be well worth being more proactive about it.
Not that a chivalrous xia would ignore it just because it didn’t make money, but you should pocket the money you can pocket.
“Where were you all heading?”
“Yes, Great Hero. We were on our way to Cheongru County.”
“We are on the same path. Since it turned out like this, shall we go together?”
“If you would do that for us, we would be nothing but grateful. However, we….”
“As an escort guard, I won’t accept money.”
“Oh dear, this is too much favor.”
The peddlers bowed frantically.
‘Good heavens, to catch a Qingjuebiao so easily.’
It was their first time seeing a Qingjuebiao directly, but they had heard things.
They heard that even for a Peak Realm master, one had to be in a mature stage within that realm to catch it easily; if they were at the entry stage, the outcome would be uncertain.
In other words, the two before their eyes were at a high stage even among the Peak Realm.
‘Hiring two such great heroes as escort guards is something utterly nonsensical for our level.’
It’s a story possible only when transporting very precious and expensive goods of a giant escort agency.
Yet such good fortune had manifested, so from now until they arrived, they were safe.
“Junior disciple, take good care of these horns. The total is two thousand silver taels.”
“Yes, senior disciple.”
While everyone was happy like that, a group of martial artists rushed over from the other side.
“Hmm, what is it?”
Seonwu first went on alert.
The energy he felt felt like the orthodox factions rather than Demonic Qi, so they likely weren’t enemies, but still, you never know, right?
Their movements were unusual, indicating they were not novices.
As they gradually drew closer, their appearances were now clearly visible to Seonwu’s eyes.
From the side, Dan Suyeong reported.
“It’s the Namgung Clan.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes, senior disciple. Since they are wearing those outfits with the characters for Changchen on their chests, they are the Changchen Sword Squadron of Namgung. No one in Anhui Province would dare to impersonate that.”
“Wow, Namgung? Really? We’re meeting them already?”
Seonwu smiled brightly.
No matter how much the Heuksa Sect or Baekwol Sect blustered, they were just small-to-medium unorthodox factions ruling over a single county.
In comparison, to think it’s the Namgung Clan!
Not only were they the landlords of Anhui Province, but aren’t they a family that appears in about ninety out of a hundred wuxia novels you read!
‘The number of noble families changes every time, but the Sichuan Tang Clan, Zhuge Clan, Namgung Clan, Hebei Peng Clan.’
There are hardly any cases where these four are left out!
Seonwu grinned, looking forward to the encounter.
* * *
The Changchen Sword Squadron of Namgung, which had been pursuing the Qingjuebiao, confirmed the traces of battle and the presence of martial artists emitting unusual sharp energy, and paused their steps for a moment.
Namgung Hyeok-in, the squad leader of the Changchen Sword Squadron, looked at the two young martial artists and the group of peddlers located where the traces of battle were, and shouted.
“Who are you all! Reveal your identities.”
For him, it was a perfectly natural action.
This was Anhui Province.
And they themselves were the Second Squad of the Changchen Sword Squadron, an elite force even within Namgung.
It was only natural that they had the right to tell those whose identities they didn’t know to reveal themselves.
If the opponent had looked like an old monk or an old Taoist master with a high generation rank, or if they looked like a high official, he would have thought twice and chosen his words, but they were merely two young martial artists, weren’t they?
At that shout, the youth with sharp eyes reminiscent of a ferocious wolf glared at him.
“How insolent.”
As he said that, the sharp energy he shot forth was so piercing that Namgung Hyeok-in also had to unleash his own energy to strike back.
The energy of the Cangqiong Dayan Divine Art, the pride of Namgung, rose up and neutralized the incoming sharp energy.
However, in the midst of that, Namgung Hyeok-in was somewhat shocked.
‘My energy didn’t overwhelm it, but merely neutralized it?’
He hadn’t poured in his full strength, but the opponent must have also just lightly expressed his displeasure.
To think that someone who looked to have barely passed the capping age but not yet reached thirty could match himself, who had reached forty years of age?
‘Did he obtain a fortuitous encounter and gain massive inner energy through a tremendous spiritual medicine?’
Yet, to dare say that a martial artist of the great Namgung Clan was insolent?
“Watch your words. You must realize that you are currently facing the Changchen Sword Squadron of the great Namgung Clan.”
“So? Just because you are from the Namgung Clan, does that mean you can demand the opponent to reveal themselves before even introducing your own name?”
“This fellow?”
A menacing Sword Qi also surged from the martial artists of the Namgung Clan.
To dare spout such nonsense against them, the Namgung Clan?
“Now, now, junior disciple. Calm down.”
Fearing a fight might break out at this rate, Seonwu stepped in between to mediate for now.
Strictly speaking, Dan Suyeong’s words weren’t wrong, but then again, considering the status of the Namgung Clan in Anhui Province, the other side’s reaction was also understandable.
Right now in the Royal Capital, if there was someone he saw for the first time and asked who they were, the opponent wouldn’t snap back asking who he was, would they?
They would be frightened out of their wits upon seeing the king’s dragon robe and bow down.
No matter how much they decided to hide their identities, Dan Suyeong believed the opponent should maintain basic manners before himself, a prince and a king, while the other side believed it was manners for the opponent to reveal their identity first before the Namgung Clan.
‘It’s a difference in perspective.’
In any case, since he had run into the very people he intended to go visit and sightsee anyway, should he try to smooth things over as amicably as possible?

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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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