Chapter 172

The boy, who appeared to be barely ten years old, had an unusually dignified voice for his age. His sparkling eyes were full of vigor. Despite still having baby fat, it was clear that he fully understood the meaning of his words. The radiant brilliance within his childlike innocence made one wonder if the seeds of royalty were truly something special.

However, such thoughts only applied to those loyal to the Imperial Family. Namgung Woo had no intention of fulfilling the expectations in the boy’s eyes.

“I’m telling you this in advance to avoid any misunderstandings.”

The dignity of the Imperial name? If Namgung Woo had been swayed by such things, he would have stayed in Beijing during the Beijing Turmoil.

“I and Changcheon Pavilion did not come here to guard the Crown Prince.”

Namgung Woo was busy. He had much to do.

He needed to capture Dongbang Hwa and question him about Namgung Jin, end the Sword Family Blood Feud with the Dokgo Family to restore the Namgung Family, and interrogate the Beonse Sect to find answers about his own existence.

Every second was precious, and spending years guarding the Crown Prince, whose end was uncertain, was not even worth considering for Namgung Woo.

He had come because he needed something, but the idea of bowing to the Imperial Family and relying on their influence had never crossed his mind.

What if the Imperial Family decided to retaliate? Of course, that was a scary thought. Even though the top masters of the martial world wielded god-like powers, the chances of surviving endless waves of armies and ambushes by skilled masters were slim.

But a blade always cuts both ways.

If the Imperial Family tried to harm Namgung Woo and Changcheon Pavilion, they would turn that blade back to protect themselves.

Even Emperor Qin Shi Huang was nearly assassinated by a man named Jing Ke. An emperor is not always safe. If the assassin targeting his life was a peerless master, even the emperor would be filled with fear and anxiety every night.

It was only last year that Yi Ja-ryong occupied Manse Mountain and attempted to overthrow the Forbidden City.

Moreover, the Imperial Family’s power, already halved due to the northeastern incident, had been halved again.

The clever emperor would not foolishly provoke a hornet’s nest of peerless masters and bring danger upon himself.

Knowing this balance of power, Namgung Woo could speak without hesitation.

“…So?”

Perhaps unaccustomed to being refused, the boy was stunned, while the elegant noblewoman beside him asked, “Why did you accept the summons to the Forbidden City? Was it truly only for the marriage proposal with Princess Gasang?”

In fact, this was the official reason Namgung Woo had been brought into the Forbidden City.

The marriages of princesses were entirely managed by the inner court. The final decision, of course, rested with the emperor, the head of the Imperial Family. However, the emperor only reviewed written reports from the inner court and eunuchs, deciding whether to approve or reject the candidates.

There were cases where eunuchs accepted bribes and manipulated the reports, or failed to conduct proper investigations, leading to princesses being deceived into fraudulent marriages.

Matters related to princess marriages were largely outside the emperor’s control, so when Empress Dowager Ju and Han Gyeran, the senior figures of the inner court, summoned Namgung Woo to the Forbidden City to evaluate him as a potential son-in-law, the Imperial Guards did not interfere.

But Empress Dowager Ju’s expectations were once again off the mark.

“I responded to the Imperial summons not because it was the Imperial Family, but because you two are opposing Man Gwibi.”

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Since Man Gwibi, who protected Dongbang Hwa, was Namgung Woo’s enemy, the two who stood against her could be valuable allies.

“What I seek is Dongbang Hwa, whom Man Gwibi is hiding. And this is not just my desire, but also that of the Wudang Sect.”

Although Han Gyeran was revered as an elder of the Imperial Family, the most noble status in the Imperial Family, aside from the emperor and Crown Prince, was Empress Dowager Ju.

Yet, in front of the Crown Prince, Empress Dowager Ju, and the Grand Empress Dowager, Namgung Woo openly stated that he cared little for the Imperial Family and only wanted one of Man Gwibi’s subordinates. This naturally made Empress Dowager Ju uncomfortable.

Before Han Gyeran could intervene, Empress Dowager Ju’s aggressive words spilled out.

“Then what do we gain?”

“The future.”

Why does Man Gwibi protect Dongbang Hwa?

Because Dongbang Hwa’s goals align with hers.

Dongbang Hwa dreams of immortality—not just longevity, but eternal youth.

And among those who would most desperately desire this is Man Gwibi.

Achieving rejuvenation through martial arts is something that even with the best masters and elixirs from a young age is uncertain.

For Man Gwibi, it’s nearly impossible. But what if forced rejuvenation through a great method?

“If Man Gwibi regains her youth and bears children again, how do you think the emperor will react?”

Empress Dowager Ju felt her hair stand on end and a chill run down her spine.

She remembered the emperor’s joy when Man Gwibi bore a prince. Though the emperor had adopted the Crown Prince to continue the lineage, he had shown little affection for his descendants—except for that one time.

“…No, it cannot be. It must not happen.”

Without realizing it, Empress Dowager Ju pulled the boy into her arms. Even as he called her “Grandmother,” she was too absorbed in the future Namgung Woo had described to respond.

“I will stop it.”

“If even the Wudang Sect is moving, that witch Man Gwibi will surely notice. Seochang must be acting already.”

“That’s why I need your help.”

“Us? What can we do? We cannot leave the Forbidden City, and outside the Imperial Family, we have no real power.”

“Just allow me to move freely within the palace. That will suffice.”

The search would begin with the Forbidden City.

Namgung Woo had no illusions that Dongbang Hwa was hiding there.

With the emperor already wary after Yi Ja-ryong’s rebellion, secretly bringing Dongbang Hwa into the palace would be too risky, even for Man Gwibi.

But Namgung Woo had a reason for starting his search here.

Because Man Gwibi was here.

If Dongbang Hwa was under her protection, he would surely report his progress to her. The endpoint of their communication would be the Forbidden City. By intercepting their messages, Namgung Woo could trace back to Dongbang Hwa’s location.

‘And while investigating, I’ll also look into Mugeuk.’

As Namgung Woo secretly pocketed another thought, Empress Dowager Ju, having finalized her decision, spoke.

“Then let it be so.”

§

As Namgung Woo left Empress Dowager Ju’s palace, he was accompanied not only by the two who had followed him but also by one more.

“You fooled me quite well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your name. It wasn’t Nam Woo, but Namgung Woo.”

“There were circumstances…”

“Was your claim of being from Joseon also a lie to deceive us?”

Namgung Woo, who had only just remembered that he had mentioned this, recalled that Namgung Baek’s genealogy recorded that Namgung Shin had a child with a woman from Haedong.

Since it wasn’t a lie, Namgung Woo answered confidently.

“Your Highness is not skilled at jokes.”

“Oh, you caught me. But really, why would people from the Central Plains care about our mountains? By the way, do you truly have no interest in Hwa? Being a son-in-law would give you far more freedom than a martial arts instructor…”

The position Empress Dowager Ju had given Namgung Woo to allow him to move freely within the Forbidden City was that of the Crown Prince’s martial arts instructor.

The Imperial Family had its own inherited martial arts. Han Gyeran, Ju Si-yeol, and Princess Jihyang all practiced the Heavenly Primordial Qi, one of the nine Imperial martial arts. These arts, exclusive to the Imperial Family, were on par with the supreme techniques of the Nine Sects and One Gang.

Even Han Gyeran, who had started martial arts late in life, had become a Supreme Peak Master. Of course, her talent played a significant role.

However, there was a problem with the Imperial martial arts: since only Imperial Family members could learn them, masters had to be selected from within the family to teach.

Imperial Family members had little interest in martial arts. Why bother with strict diets and strenuous training when physical and mental pleasures were readily available?

They could simply take elixirs and accumulate internal energy to maintain their health. Why go through the trouble? Even if they became strong, they couldn’t make a name for themselves in the martial world or become generals to dominate the world.

This was their mindset.

Especially since an Imperial Family member who had become a peerless master once rebelled, those overly devoted to martial arts were viewed with suspicion. Thus, there was little incentive to train hard.

Han Gyeran had been driven to martial arts due to her harsh environment, having only her body to rely on.

Ju Si-yeol and Princess Jihyang were rather exceptional cases.

Thus, it became customary for skilled individuals to teach the Imperial martial arts, with peerless masters overseeing advanced training, capable of long-distance Qi Transfer Techniques and resolving Qi deviations in disciples.

This role was usually filled by Gwak Dan or the head of the Shinchang Yang Family, but with both absent, the position of the Crown Prince’s martial arts instructor was vacant.

Empress Dowager Ju had placed Namgung Woo in this role.

However, Han Gyeran, still regretful that Namgung Woo hadn’t become a son-in-law, kept sighing and nudging him with comments like, “Our Hwa is really~ beautiful, you know…”

“Spend a few days observing the situation in the Eastern Palace. We must report to His Majesty, and who knows how Man Gwibi’s side will react.”

“Understood.”

“Hmm, but are you really not interested? We’re not strangers, after all. Fellow countrymen, with a country elder acting as matchmaker, are you truly not interested?”

Perhaps the greatest obstacle in the Forbidden City wasn’t Man Gwibi, but Han Gyeran, thought Namgung Woo.