Return of the God of War - Chapter 61

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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 61. One pawn cannot move an entire board.
The Sadocheon—a long, towering mountain range represented by fourteen great peaks.
The Sadocheon Yugung, the Jeongye-odae, and the Samgak.
The Sadocheon Yugung and Jeongye-odae were, strictly speaking, military forces specializing in combat—bearing the character of special forces and regular army respectively.
The organizations belonging to Samgak, by contrast, were far more than mere martial bodies; each carried a distinct and defined role.
Among these, Yeongheung-gak stood foremost.
It was the organ charged with rooting out corruption within Sadocheon and monitoring Improper Conduct.
Yet that very term—Improper Conduct—was troublingly vague.
An action trivial to one soul might appear grievous through another’s eyes.
So then, who established that subjective and mutable standard?
Yeongheung-gak itself.
In other words, if Yeongheung-gak so determined, they could fabricate a crime from nothing and exact punishment upon it.
Power without limit.
Even the most arrogant and unbounded soul became a rabbit before a tiger when facing an official of Yeongheung-gak.
“Here is your cold water, ma’am. Please, have a drink.”
Pyo Yeon had rushed here so frantically she was on the verge of hyperventilation into unconsciousness.
“Please, young master—never mind that—what are we to do? If they drag us to Yeongheung-gak, most people come back as cripples…… and Gam Muin…….”
Nangung Yeongryeong gently stroked the other woman’s shoulder.
“Peace. Pyo Yeon. Gam Mo will be unharmed. Steady yourself.”
Though Pyo Yeon remained visibly unsettled, Nangung Yeongryeong’s reassurance did bear fruit.
A moment passed.
Once Pyo Yeon had gathered herself somewhat, Nangung Yeongryeong spoke with careful composure.
“Tell me plainly what has happened.”
Pyo Yeon nodded and began to speak.
“It was this: Gam Muin and I were merely strolling through the marketplace when some ruffians approached us with hostile intent. During the exchange, Gam Muin and those men had words—nothing severe—but it turned out they were officials of Yeongheung-gak. And so…….”
Nangung Yeongryeong’s gaze grew sharp.
“You two did nothing to provoke them in the first instance?”
Pyo Yeon quickly waved her hands in denial.
“No, ma’am! I swear it! We only took tea at a stall and browsed the vendors. That was all.”
“Did Gam Mo draw his blade?”
“No. He barely brushed against their clothing.”
“Hmm…….”
Nangung Yeongryeong pondered briefly, then nodded and turned her gaze to Muk Yeojin beside her.
“What is your assessment?”
Muk Yeojin answered without hesitation.
“It appears to be a deliberate maneuver. Moreover, they are applying subtle coercion.”
“Mm.”
Nangung Yeongryeong felt a small stirring of admiration within herself.
From mere words, he had instantly grasped the situation.
And there was an air about him of having glimpsed something of the opponent’s hidden intent as well.
This was not something intelligence alone could accomplish.
One needed to read the currents of the world itself.
“I share that impression.”
Pyo Yeon, meanwhile, remained bewildered, her head tilted in confusion.
“Young master, what do you mean?”
Muk Yeojin poured her another cup of water and explained.
“The Gathering is not yet fully concluded. Some factions have departed, but many outsiders remain in our compound. Yeongheung-gak is responsible for maintaining order among them. I imagine they scarcely have time to visit the privy. Under such circumstances, they would have neither cause nor energy to waste on some trivial quarrel.”
Pyo Yeon drew in a sharp breath.
“Ah…… then, you mean they approached us deliberately?”
Muk Yeojin nodded.
“Yes. Some high-ranking figure within Yeongheung-gak likely used Gam Daehyeop to summon my mother and me. And as an added benefit, they sought to wield that power as leverage and seize the initiative.”
“And Gam Muin?”
“He should be fine.”
“Ah…….”
Relief washed over Pyo Yeon at last, and she slumped back against the support.
“Thank goodness…… truly.”
“However…….”
Nangung Yeongryeong’s eyes narrowed, regarding Pyo Yeon with a knowing look.
“You say the two of you went to the stall alone? Browsing vendors together? Did you perhaps…… hold hands?”
“N-no! We haven’t…… yelp!”
In an instant, Pyo Yeon’s face flushed crimson.
“I, well… that is… I should take my leave then! I’ll trust the two of you and step outside for a moment!”
Pyo Yeon fled the room in a flurry.
Watching her retreating figure, Nangung Yeongryeong murmured to herself.
“It seems we’ll need to prepare a new bridal chamber soon enough.”
“You’ll handle the dowry as well, Mother?”
“Of course.”
The two of them burst into laughter simultaneously.
But it was brief.
The smile faded from Nangung Yeongryeong’s face.
The warm, harmonious air that had filled the room seemed to cool in a single moment.
“What should be done about this?”
Muk Yeojin’s eyes had grown grave as well.
“Regardless of their intent, the fact that they’ve touched our family doesn’t sit well with me. We’re not necessarily slighting Gam Daehyeop, but we may be showing a certain… coolness nonetheless.”
Though she gave no outward sign, Nangung Yeongryeong felt a swell of pride in her son.
Beyond all other considerations, he thought first of his family’s welfare.
It was, perhaps, merely the natural duty of a man—yet in this world, countless souls failed to act upon what should be obvious.
“In truth, from a macro perspective, it serves little purpose for me as Gungju to move directly.”
“I wholly agree. To shift the board itself over a single pawn would be rather absurd.”
“Do you have another plan in mind?”
At his mother’s question, Muk Yeojin fell silent, considering.
Then, after a moment,
he rose to his feet with a confident smile.
“Mother, would you entrust this matter entirely to me?”
Nangung Yeongryeong regarded her son without speaking.
To claim she felt no concern would be a lie.
Yet what he had shown her thus far was reason enough to trust him.
Nangung Yeongryeong nodded.
“Then it is yours to handle.”
“And one more thing…”
Muk Yeojin’s eyes gleamed with purpose.
“Mother, I’ll need to borrow some of your people.”
* * *
Click.
Yi Gun opened the office door respectfully and stepped inside, immediately reporting the fruits of his efforts.
“Lord Hwang. A letter has arrived from the Sect Master of Zhejiang Hua Yingwen. They’ve agreed to cooperate.”
Hwang Chung, the First Branch Master of Yeongheung-gak—a man of few words, yet bearing full responsibility for the administrative operations of the organization.
Before his aide Yi Gun, who brought such good tidings, Hwang Chung didn’t so much as change his expression as he wielded his brush across the page with flowing strokes.
“Well done. You must be exhausted. Go get some rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yi Gun gave a shallow bow and turned to leave, but then halted with a sigh and faced him again.
“You ought to rest as well. Do you realize you’ve been working through the night for days now? You’re going to destroy your health at this rate.”
Hwang Chung continued bent over his documents as he replied.
“An opportunity like this—so many forces making the journey to Sadocheon directly—may never come again. Even if we can’t bring them all into the fold in this short time, if we can lay the groundwork, it will greatly aid the Gak-ju in expanding our influence later. I can sleep after this gathering ends.”
At that resolute declaration, Yi Gun had nothing left to say.
Moreover, Hwang Chung’s reasoning was entirely sound.
Yeongheung-gak, which oversaw inspection and surveillance, was by its very nature an extremely closed organization.
Naturally, exchange with external forces could only be limited.
In that sense, this gathering and the Cheolheol Arena were opportunities not to be missed.
Indeed, through this very opportunity, they had secured cooperation from over a dozen minor sects.
But still.
“Work is work and people are people, aren’t they? If you collapse from overwork, what good will all of this do? The Gak-ju is beside himself with worry. Why else would he tell me to drug your tea just to force you to sleep?”
Tap.
Hwang Chung set down his brush and looked at Yi Gun.
“Gun. Do I possess great martial strength? Do I have powerful backing? With this inadequate mind of mine, this is all I know how to offer in return for the Gak-ju’s grace.”
“Ah…”
Yi Gun released an even deeper sigh than before.
In truth, he had already known how this conversation would unfold.
Yi Gun dropped into his seat with a thud of resignation.
“So I’m damned either way, aren’t I? You won’t listen to anything I say anyway, so I’m just wasting my breath. If you die on me like this, I suppose I’ll become the Lord myself, and I’ll owe it all to you. How fortunate for me, isn’t it?”
A faint smile flickered across Hwang Chung’s lips, though his expression had remained impassive until that moment.
He knew well that despite his words, there was no one who worried for him quite like Yi Gun did.
But the smile faded quickly, and his face grew serious once more.
“Has there been any response from the Geom-gung side?”
At the mention of Geom-gung, Yi Gun’s expression hardened instantly.
“No, sir. Nothing unusual so far.”
“Hmm… And this man Gam Mo?”
“He’s been confined to a solitary chamber. We haven’t restrained him, and we’re providing meals on schedule.”
Hwang Chung nodded.
“See that the warriors are instructed not to approach that area under any circumstances. We can’t afford an unforeseen incident.”
“Understood. But… will it truly be all right?”
A flicker of anxiety crossed Yi Gun’s face.
“The Geom-gung Lord is one thing, but So Nachal is another. Even if only half the rumors we hear are true, these are men of temperament far beyond the ordinary. Haven’t we just awakened a sleeping tiger?”
“Hmm…”
Hwang Chung had not dismissed such concerns entirely. Yet his next words came with unwavering resolve.
“Tiger or not, it’s still a cub that hasn’t reached its full growth. If we’re to draw it into our fold before it becomes too formidable, now is our final chance.”
“…”
“Besides, the most effective way to tame a beast is to show it the difference in power first.”
Perfection could not be claimed, but then again, how could anyone handle all the complexities of the world flawlessly?
Yi Gun simply trusted.
Hwang Chung’s judgments had always been rational, and his plans had invariably produced the best outcomes. This time would surely be no different.
“By the way, where is Gak-ju?”
“He went to Yohui-gung. The Gungju has approved the matter regarding Geom-gung, but he still seems displeased about it.”
“Gak-ju must be having a difficult time.”
“Yes.”
“We mustn’t let his efforts go to waste. This time, we absolutely must bring Geom-gung under our wing.”
“Understood, sir.”
It was at that very moment.
“Master Yi Gun!”
An urgent voice echoed from the corridor, and Yi Gun’s brow furrowed.
“Fool! Whose inner chamber do you think this is?”
“Forgive me. What’s the matter?”
“It’s… Geom-gung…”
Yi Gun’s eyes flashed.
“Has a message come from Geom-gung?”
“No, sir. Right now, Geom-gung’s swordsmen are surrounding Yeongheung-gak!”
“What… what did you say?!”
Thump-thump.
Hwang Chung and Yi Gun rose from their seats in unison.
In that instant, Yi Gun thought to himself:
Was he truly certain that the tiger hadn’t already reached its full growth?

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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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