Chapter 46

Falling star

While Kukwang was caught in Eun-hee's web, unable to regain his senses, something inexplicable was happening at General Ok Yeong-jin's mansion. Over a hundred visitors, whom General Ok Yeong-jin had not summoned, suddenly stormed in. Notified of their arrival, General Ok Yeong-jin felt something was amiss. After all, there was no reason for them to come to him at this hour. With a puzzled expression, he asked one of the visitors, who had been led in by a servant:

"Why are you here?"

"Huh? I was told to come because we're having a meeting and to celebrate the success of the expedition, and we're going to treat everyone to a grand feast. Why do you ask?"

Surprised by General Ok Yeong-jin's sudden suspicious attitude, Commander Ma Gil-su, who was wearing a battle robe but was dressed up to the nines, countered:

"Then, does that mean all the battalion commanders and above are here?"

"No, the two battalion commanders who assist the governor are not here. The governor doesn't like such gatherings... Why do you ask?"

"Who told you that? I never summoned you."

"A servant from the governor's house told us. We thought it was true."

"This is serious. It seems there's some kind of conspiracy. You should quickly return and take control of your troops. I'll come as soon as I'm ready..."

"Yes, sir."

At that moment, a loud voice came from outside:

"Hehehe, there's no need for that, General Ok Yeong-jin. I have an imperial order to arrest you on suspicion of treason."

"What?"

Before long, over a thousand warriors in yellow robes, embroidered with the character 「禁 (jin)」 for "forbidden," flew in and surrounded General Ok Yeong-jin and his subordinates in shock. Behind them, about twelve men in red robes with the character 「親 (qin)」 for "intimacy" and three men in yellow robes walked out. One of them had just spoken.

Treason... What a chilling word. Even if it's a false accusation, if you get caught in it, your three generations will not survive. General Ok Yeong-jin was so enraged that he couldn't speak, but he calmed his anger. If he mishandled the situation here, everything would be over. If a nobody said such a thing, he could laugh it off, but judging by their attire, they were the emperor's hunting dogs, the Jin Yi Wei, who sniffed out treason.

"Who are you to say such nonsense?"

"I am Yan Shiliang, newly appointed as the commander of the Jin Yi Wei's arrest team. If the general is innocent, it will be revealed during the interrogation, but we have solid evidence that the general was plotting treason."

General Ok Yeong-jin fell silent for a moment, then said:

"Did you also gather these people?"

"Yes. We can't leave any roots. The sprout of trouble must be uprooted completely..."

Faced with the resolute answer, General Ok Yeong-jin pleaded in a defeated tone:

"What you want is my head. Can you spare my subordinates?"

"That is impossible, and you know it. Everyone, arrest them all."

Realizing that there was no point in talking, General Ok Yeong-jin knew he had to choose between being captured now or fighting them off and planning for the future.

"If I'm captured now, it's over... I'll surely be tortured to death. Then..."

"Ugh, you leave me no choice but to use force. Fine, I'll cut off your heads and demand an explanation from the emperor. What is my crime? Attack!"

The warriors, who had been waiting for General Ok Yeong-jin's decision, drew their swords at his command. Since they were all branded as traitors, they had no choice but to act together.

A fierce battle broke out between the black-robed commanders of the Chanhwangheungfengtuan and the Jin Yi Wei. The Chanhwangheungfengtuan was originally a cavalry unit, so they were skilled in mounted combat. However, those gathered were all valiant warriors, each capable of leading a hundred men. Without horses or armor, their martial arts were still formidable, and the Jin Yi Wei quickly found themselves on the defensive. A man in a red robe, who had been calmly observing the scene, finally spoke. Surprisingly, when he spoke, a strange voice, neither male nor female, came out.

"Help!"

The voices of the red-robed warriors who responded were similar.

"As you wish!"

The situation on the field was completely reversed as they charged in. Their martial arts were incredibly powerful. The strange voices they emitted seemed to be due to some bizarre technique they had mastered. As they leaped into the fray and swiftly cut down several black-robed warriors, General Ok Yeong-jin turned to a man standing behind him.

"Ah, seeing that even the emperor's personal guard, the Qinhuang Team, has been mobilized, it seems we have no hope of surviving this. By the way, where is Kukwang?"

Ok Hang shook his head.

"I don't know, grandfather. He was in his room, but I couldn't find him when things started."

"If he were here, the situation might have turned in our favor... He must have been lured out because of his strong martial arts. He's probably in a tough fight right now. Give me my sword."

"Here it is."

General Ok Yeong-jin did not take the sword from Ok Hang's hand but only grabbed the hilt and drew it. He then leaped towards the red-robed warriors. As a master of two of the three great martial arts of the palace, his agility was astonishing. Before the red-robed warrior could react, General Ok Yeong-jin had already landed behind him and swung his gleaming sword. In an instant, he cut down one red-robed warrior and charged towards another. When he cut down his second opponent and lunged at the third, his sword was blocked by another sword that suddenly appeared from the side.

Clang!

Sparks flew from the clash of the two swords, and General Ok Yeong-jin was forced back two steps before he could regain his stance and face his opponent. The man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, had a sharp gaze and a delicate appearance. His fair and clean skin, straight nose, and slender, beardless chin made him look like a woman in men's clothing. However, he was one of the five great martial artists of the palace, alongside General Ok Yeong-jin.

He was a eunuch who had lost his manhood at a young age and was selected for the emperor's personal guard, the Qinhuang Team, due to his exceptional martial arts talent. The Qinhuang Team, consisting of over a hundred eunuchs, was responsible for the emperor's closest protection. In the past, skilled martial artists were also selected as guards, but problems arose when they were too close to the emperor in the all-female palace. When a palace maid and a guard had a child, they were all reassigned to outer palace security, and eunuchs were taught martial arts to form the inner guard.

This was the background of the Qinhuang Team's creation. However, eunuchs, due to their lack of physical strength, found it difficult to master the highest martial arts, and there were no outstanding practitioners. This changed when a palace martial artist, who was sentenced to death for treason, became a eunuch to atone for his sins and spent over fifty years researching martial arts within the palace, creating the Gweihwabojeon, the greatest work of palace martial arts.

The Gweihwabojeon contains methods for eunuchs to cultivate internal energy quickly in the first half and sword techniques in the second half. Over time, it was further developed by later generations and became one of the three great martial arts of the palace. However, because it was developed by eunuchs, the initial cultivation of internal energy involved a surge of yin energy, making it impossible for ordinary people to master. For men, the surge of yin energy combined with existing yang energy caused uncontrollable desires, leading to madness. For women, the combination of existing yin energy and the initial surge of strong yin energy made it impossible for their bodies to withstand the extreme yin state. However, eunuchs, who had the yang energy to control the surging yin energy, could avoid the fiery desires and reach the highest level of mastery.

However, due to its difficulty and immense power, the Gweihwabojeon was only taught to a select few among the over a hundred Qinhuang Team warriors. Typically, about twenty of the Qinhuang Team's top martial artists learned the techniques, and among them, only a few, including Hai Gonggong, had mastered it to its highest level. General Ok Yeong-jin was well aware of this.

Although he himself had mastered two of the three great martial arts of the palace, it was only after this clash that he realized Hai Gonggong's martial arts were a level above his. However, Hai Gonggong had little combat experience, while General Ok Yeong-jin had extensive experience. General Ok Yeong-jin decided to rely on this and face Hai Gonggong. There was no other choice...

'This guy has little combat experience. If I can confuse him with a combination of preemptive attacks and hidden techniques, I might win.'

General Ok Yeong-jin subtly used his internal energy to draw a few coins from his pocket into his left hand. He intended to use them as hidden weapons since he hadn't had time to grab any weapons during the sudden ambush.

"Ho... Why is Hai Gonggong, the leader of the Qinhuang Team, here instead of by the emperor's side? And with only the most skilled warriors..."

"Hehehe, by the emperor's order to eliminate you..."

Hai Gonggong's words were cut off. General Ok Yeong-jin had launched his attack the moment Hai Gonggong started speaking. Those with little combat experience naturally let their guard down during conversation, and this was the moment he had been waiting for.

"Yah!"

General Ok Yeong-jin's sword emitted a brilliant light, striking 36 points almost instantaneously. A massive sword aura radiated from the tip of his sword. Although he couldn't use his full 10th-level internal energy, the power of the Pahwangbeoksa Sword Technique, one of the three great martial arts of the palace, was immense when wielded by General Ok Yeong-jin, who had 6th-level internal energy. Despite the sword aura, Hai Gonggong managed to block it and barely retreated, but his robe was torn in six places, though he had no visible wounds.

However, General Ok Yeong-jin's attack did not stop. Anticipating Hai Gonggong's retreat, he threw three coins at him, followed by a powerful attack with his sword, using his maximum internal energy. He intended to attack again while Hai Gonggong was blocking the coins with his sword, but to his surprise, Hai Gonggong simply sidestepped, avoiding two coins and taking the third on his body.

'If he takes all three, he'll be stunned, but he thinks one won't hurt him?'

"Yah!"

The final move of the Pahwangbeoksa Sword Technique, Pachtanpaji, struck 64 points, and the powerful energy formed the shape of a white dragon, sweeping the area. The strong sword aura and wind from the sword attack blew away the surrounding yellow-robed warriors. However, only about ten of the 64 strikes reached Hai Gonggong, who was rapidly retreating. He easily deflected them with his sword. Surprisingly, his sword glowed blue when he used the technique.

'Yegichong Sword! He's a master at the Hwajung level. But there's still a way.'

General Ok Yeong-jin used the Pahwangbeoksa Sword Technique, which consumed a tremendous amount of internal energy. However, Hai Gonggong seemed to be waiting for him to tire, only dodging or blocking his attacks without launching a serious counterattack.

"Hehehe, is this the skill of one of the five great martial artists of the palace? How laughable, hehehe..."

Suddenly, a massive sword aura erupted from behind Hai Gonggong, who was dodging General Ok Yeong-jin's sword techniques. Unprepared, a few of the sword auras struck his back.

"Ugh!"

The sword aura penetrated Hai Gonggong's protective aura but did not cause significant damage. Swallowing the blood rising in his throat, he laughed mockingly.

"Oh... You forgot about Commander Ma. Hehe, when did the five great martial artists of the palace become such despicable cowards who resort to ambushes?"

"Roar!"

General Ok Yeong-jin, enraged by Hai Gonggong's laughter, raised his left hand and used the Paryeoltayang Palm, one of the three great martial arts of the palace, before launching a coordinated attack. Long ago, General Ok Yeong-jin was the first among the five great martial artists of the palace, followed by the former commander of the Jin Yi Wei, then Hai Gonggong, and finally Commander Ma Gil-su. However, while Hai Gonggong, who was solely responsible for the emperor's protection, diligently practiced martial arts, the others, busy with official duties, had little time to train. As a result, their skills had significantly diverged over time.

Although they had been injured by the ambush, they could not deal a fatal blow to Hai Gonggong. After 20 seconds, both General Ok Yeong-jin and Commander Ma Gil-su realized they could not defeat him.

'If Guanji were here, we could have dealt with this monster... The heavens have abandoned me.'

Guanji, the fifth of the five great martial artists of the palace, was a trusted and respected warrior, despite his modest nature and dislike of formal gatherings. Even a master at the Hwajung level could be defeated if three of them formed an array and attacked together. Although they were not at the Hwajung level, they were still skilled martial artists. However, with only two of them, they could not form the simple Samjae Array... It seemed the heavens had abandoned them.

General Ok Yeong-jin and Commander Ma Gil-su were seasoned warriors who had fought in countless battles. If their opponent had practiced a similar martial art, even at the Hwajung level, they would have already been dead due to their lack of combat experience. However, the Gweihwabojeon techniques used by Hai Gonggong were too bizarre, and his speed was lightning-fast, making it difficult to outmaneuver him.

As the battle continued, the number of small wounds on General Ok Yeong-jin and Commander Ma Gil-su increased. At one point, a strange battle cry accompanied a lightning-fast movement by Hai Gonggong, and Commander Ma Gil-su's movements stopped. His sword fell from his hand, and his heavy body slowly collapsed. A hole had appeared in his heart. Seeing Commander Ma Gil-su fall, General Ok Yeong-jin shouted in anger:

"You're disgustingly fast. I'm not human if I don't tear you apart."

Simultaneously, General Ok Yeong-jin launched his attack. Until now, he had been holding back, but now, with no place to retreat, he launched a desperate, all-out attack. After a few seconds of reckless, self-sacrificing attacks, Hai Gonggong, who had been on the defensive, let out a strange battle cry.

"Kiyoo!"

Clang!

A silver light shot from General Ok Yeong-jin's body to the left, piercing a Jin Yi Wei warrior. The warrior, who had been struck in the abdomen, died. Almost simultaneously, a wound appeared in General Ok Yeong-jin's chest, similar to the one on Commander Ma Gil-su. Seeing the blood gushing from his chest, General Ok Yeong-jin muttered in despair:

"Hehehe, I devoted my life to the emperor..."

His words were cut off. Hai Gonggong easily decapitated General Ok Yeong-jin, who was still breathing, and held up his head.

"Hehehe, the five great martial artists of the palace. What a great name, hehe. Surrender quickly. I'm too tired to keep fighting... Hehehe."

However, despite Hai Gonggong's mocking call for surrender, the commanders of the Chanhwangheungfengtuan did not throw down their swords. They were warriors, and even though they knew they could not win, they would not beg for their lives. They all knew that even if they survived here, they would face torture and death.