I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 97

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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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Opinion in the Imperial Court quickly split into two camps.
The hardliners argued that forcing him to serve in the army in white clothes only to die in battle was far too lenient a punishment.
To give such a criminal even a slight chance to salvage his honor was unthinkable.
“He should simply be executed.”
“Hmph, but he is in the Transcendence Realm. If we send him to the Great Wall and assign him only the most perilous missions, we can save the lives of others.”
No matter how well a battle was fought, casualties were inevitable.
Small skirmishes where a master thrashed minor demonic monsters might see none, but when clashing on a massive scale, casualties always mounted.
In those moments, someone had to take on the particularly dangerous tasks.
If it were a great criminal, wouldn’t the generals use him without any burden on their conscience?
“Would such a criminal truly fight with loyalty? What if he plots something treacherous even after reaching the Great Wall?”
“Haha, do you truly believe our generals are incapable of managing him with that in mind? Besides, it would be different if his clan had been completely expropriated, but he knows that doing such a thing would truly ruin his family. Would he dare?”
“Hmph, you still never know. Since time immemorial, a traitor within our own ranks is far more terrifying than the enemy.”
“That is only when you are caught off guard. Do you think the Great Generals cannot account for a single criminal they can drive into the dirt from the very start?”
They debated back and forth, but a public consensus failed to form.
However, the dispute did not turn as fierce as the struggle over the position of the prince’s mentor, largely because no specific sect’s interests were at stake.
With the court split down the middle, the final decision ultimately rested with His Majesty the Emperor.
In truth, even if the court were split nine to one, it would all be over the moment the Emperor raised his hand for one side.
Since the Emperor usually listened and approved whenever a public consensus gathered to suggest a course of action, the ministers did not view their debates as meaningless.
Yet, because they were locked in a tight stalemate this time, they eventually chose to receive judgment before His Majesty the Emperor.
The result came out rather anticlimactic.
“Let him serve in the army in white clothes. However, as his crime is truly heavy, his treatment must be far more severe than others in the same position. Give the Great General the discretion to use him as a sacrificial pawn if necessary, and take various other measures while ensuring the Huangbo Clan also faces separate sanctions.”
Though he did not issue instructions down to the specific details, the broad framework was established.
“We receive your commands.”
* * *
From Gyeongseong, the capital of the Great Long Empire located where Nanjing used to be during the Ming Dynasty, Jiangxi Province was not very far.
The travel time shortened even further when martial arts masters were on the move.
Consequently, it did not take long for the Imperial Rescript to return to the Prefect.
To finally bring the trial to a close, the Prefect gathered both the Huangbo Clan and the Wolyeop Sect.
In the meantime, the Great Elder of the Huangbo Clan had also arrived.
“Brother…”
Though he was now in a position to become the Patriarch, Great Elder Huangbo Seonghun, who was also the younger brother of the Patriarch, could not rejoice in the slightest.
What pride could he possibly take in acting as the Patriarch of the Huangbo Clan during his lifetime under these circumstances?
More than that, he was a man of deep affection rather than ambition, so his brother’s downfall only brought him sorrow.
“You are the Patriarch now. Do not call a criminal your brother, and rule the clan strictly.”
“But…”
The Prefect interrupted.
“Save the internal matters of the Huangbo Clan for later. We shall proceed with the trial now.”
Ordinarily, the Prefect was not in a position to shout so harshly at the Huangbo Clan.
They were supposed to seek cooperation on equal terms.
But right now, the clan could not move an inch.
Of least surprise was that the one actually pulling the strings behind the Prefect was Seonwu.
‘Absolute Shadow, tell him to say this.’
‘Yes.’
Though the Prefect was reduced to repeating words like a puppet, he did not feel the least bit humiliated.
Why?
Publicly, he would be hailed as a famous judge who resolved this crisis, and he had already received word that he would be promoted in the future for his merit.
Playing along with a little acting while reaping all the credit!
The Golden Dragon Guard would know the truth, of course, but they were allowing his promotion to safeguard their own secret inspection duties.
A promotion just for this tiny bit of cooperation.
‘If cooperation is this easy, I would do it a hundred times over!’
“The merciful Emperor has granted the Patriarch of the Huangbo Clan one final opportunity. Serve in the army in white clothes under the Anseo Great General at the Great Wall. You shall receive no salary, and you will die while undertaking the most hazardous missions, but use that to wash away even a fraction of your sins. If you do so, your family shall receive a second chance.”
In the Great Long Empire, a Great General was not a single position held by one person as it had been during the Han Dynasty.
Even so, there were only eight of them, all residing in the Realm of Creation.
It was a position that could easily suppress and command even the Patriarch of the Huangbo Clan, who was in the Transcendence Realm.
Hearing that his family would not be cast out if he took the blame and died, the Patriarch of the Huangbo Clan wept and bowed low.
His gesture was directed toward the exalted figure standing behind the verdict the Prefect was reading aloud.
He also sent a sound transmission to Seonwu.
‘Thank you truly.’
‘Keep your mouth shut about me.’
‘However, I will inform only Seonghun among my brothers that your help was immense in making this happen. That fellow should at least know whom he owes a debt of gratitude.’
‘Is it a debt of gratitude rather than a grudge?’
‘My own sins have struck me down, so how could I blame you? It was I who lost my way.’
Seonwu clicked his tongue.
If a man who was supposed to belong to a righteous sect was going to regret his actions this much now, he should have acted properly from the beginning.
It was pitiful, but he had brought it upon himself, so what could be done?
The one who had almost been truly miserable was the victim, the Young Master of Wolyeop Sect.
This was already Seonwu giving them a chance and allowing the family to survive.
“Furthermore, has an agreement been reached between the Huangbo Clan and the Wolyeop Sect regarding compensation for the damages?”
Great Elder and soon-to-be Patriarch Huangbo Seonghun answered.
“We will hand over the territory of the neighboring Cheonym County to the Wolyeop Sect. In addition, for the next thirty years, half of the spiritual medicine obtained by the Main House will be given to the Wolyeop Sect, and we have also agreed to hand over two Great Strength Pills immediately.”
“Yes, that is the agreement we reached.”
“Mhm, if both parties have agreed, I have nothing more to say. However, I will have it recorded and notarized to ensure proper fulfillment.”
The matter was settled.
Believing there was no reason to linger any longer, Seonwu prepared to take his leave.
There was nothing left to keep him in Jiangxi Province.
“Let us move on to the next place. The Medical Pavilion in Fujian Province is the most famous, right?”
“Yeah, though that place focuses on medicine, not martial arts.”
At Lee Jun’s reply, Seonwu grinned.
“Come on, a brilliant doctor is an essential element that can never be left out of a wuxia story.”
“True. They do show up a lot.”
Titles like the Medical Immortal, the White-Robed Sacred Hand, or the Life-Saving Medical Sage.
At least one such figure always made an appearance.
“Though things in Jiangxi Province turned out completely different from our plans…”
Originally, he wanted to admire the martial arts of the Huangbo Clan and perhaps engage in a casual martial duel if possible.
Honestly, look at the state the Huangbo Clan was in now.
‘I know things are terrible for you lately, but would you mind sparring with me?’
Even Seonwu thought it would be a bit shameless to say that.
Above all, wasn’t he the very party responsible for making their situation so terrible?
Of course, he believed he did what had to be done, but from the Huangbo Clan’s perspective, even if they didn’t hold a grudge, they certainly wouldn’t feel grateful.
Then he thought about playing around with the Wolyeop Sect instead, but…
“The martial arts of the Wolyeop Sect are a bit underwhelming.”
Absolute Shadow entirely missed the underlying thought behind Seonwu’s words and took them completely literally.
“Yes. While their Wolyeop Sword Technique can be considered first-rate martial arts, it falls short when compared to the Pasanquan of the Huangbo Clan.”
On the other hand, Lee Jun read between the lines.
“So you are basically saying that sparring with the Wolyeop Sect wouldn’t be any fun, right?”
“You know me too well.”
As Seonwu readily admitted it, Absolute Shadow felt a jolt of shock beside him.
‘Unbelievable!’
To think that this irreverent brat from the Zhuge Clan, who didn’t even know the true identity of His Highness, could hear such words instead of him, the Prince’s closest bodyguard and confidant?
In truth, Seonwu spoke casually, but if he had said that as a king, it would have turned the officialdom of Henan Province upside down at the very least.
‘That guy understands him better than I do…’
While Absolute Shadow glared with burning eyes, Lee Jun casually fluttered his fan.
‘I feel bad for you, but think about how much time I’ve spent with Seonwu.’
If one viewed him merely as an ordinary prince, they could never read Seonwu’s true thoughts.
Of course, popular fiction dealing with tales of the wulin circulated in this world too, but…
‘Wuxia here is closer to alternative history rather than fiction if you compare it to Earth.’
Since real martial arts existed, it was reality, not fantasy.
Only Lee Jun, coming from the same Earth, could comprehend Seonwu’s passionate ‘mania’ for wuxia; to the people of this world, it just seemed like a mysterious sensibility.
His inner thoughts exposed, Seonwu added as if making an excuse.
“But that is not the only reason I said that. The Wolyeop Sect will certainly rise in prestige now that they have gained spiritual medicine and territory, but I also worry that their lack of foundational martial arts might become a source of trouble in the future.”
He didn’t just have selfish motives; he also felt a sense of duty as imperial royalty concerned for the people’s livelihood.
Even Seonwu himself didn’t know the exact ratio between the two.
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
“It might be fine for now, but it will definitely backfire down the road.”
Eventually, looking at it from the Huangbo Clan’s perspective later on, they would find it infuriating that a sect lacking in martial prowess was occupying that territory.
Of course, they had learned a great lesson this time, but how many generations would that last?
Naturally, the first generation might at least witness and feel it directly from their parents, but by the second generation, it would already become ancient history.
“Besides, even if they aren’t perfectly equal, competitors need to be somewhat matched for a virtuous cycle to occur, right? They say monopoly is bad for everything, and I don’t think a monopoly by the Huangbo Clan over Jiangxi’s wulin is particularly good either.”
‘It is a relief that Hubei is already divided between us and the Wudang Sect.’
Lee Jun felt a sudden prick of conscience but nodded along anyway.
“So?”
“I intend to give a martial art to the Wolyeop Sect. Something that can counter the Pasanquan of the Huangbo Clan.”
‘Oh boy, he is stirring up the wulin again.’
Lee Jun marveled once more at his friend’s grand scale.
The Pasanquan of the Huangbo Clan was an unrivaled art of the wulin.
Though they had none at present, the history of the Huangbo Clan included producing masters of the Realm of Creation several times.
To bestow a martial art of a grade that could match that upon the Wolyeop Sect?
‘Even if it isn’t a divine art of perfect equality, it should at least be considered an ultimate technique.’
Perfect equality wasn’t necessary.
Rather, being slightly lacking would be just right.
Since they would lag behind the Huangbo Clan, they would require the assistance of the officials, while remaining strong enough that official help wouldn’t be rendered useless.
“But are you going to give them a martial art from the Eunhak Sect?”
“No, the martial arts of my own sect are a bit inappropriate… I just made a prediction that a capable official in the court, viewing this as a potential source of trouble, might hand one over on his own initiative. What do you think? Don’t you think I am just as clever as you?”
Lee Jun was left speechless by Seonwu’s shameless words.
If the youngest prince, dearly loved by the Emperor, prophesied that ‘the Wolyeop Sect will likely receive a martial art from the Imperial Family soon,’ could that even be called a prediction?
‘This isn’t even a self-fulfilling prophecy.’
“Yeah, it will probably happen just like your prediction.”
Since a divine decree had practically been issued, the court would take care of it.
Sure enough, Seonwu’s prediction hit the mark.
After he submitted the prophetic book, the Emperor’s command fell, and officials from the court secretly visited the Wolyeop Sect.
“The imperial grace is boundless.”
It went without saying that the Sect Leader of Wolyeop wept tears of gratitude.

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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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