Invitation to the Chatroom of the Gods - Chapter 104



Only Krnovel

Episode 104 – The Coming Threat (2)

This is by far the best ceiling I’ve ever seen.

No matter how you look at it, it was a luxurious ceiling that made the word ‘imperial palace’ come to mind.

‘······no way.’

But, I never thought that would happen.

That would be the case, because the imperial palace was located in Hebei Province, or Beijing City. But the last place I was was in Guizhou Province.

You can travel that far in the blink of an eye?

It doesn’t make sense unless you use some sort of Taoist magic to store up land.

It was the same even if I passed out and woke up.

That meant I had been unconscious for almost two more months, and if you include the time I had passed out before, it would have been over four months.

‘no way.’

Surely that can’t be true. No, how can you pass out for four months out of the year? No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

So, there was a very high chance that this was not the imperial palace.

As I slowly raised my body and scanned the room, the first thing that caught my eye was the majestic pillars supporting the ceiling filled with gold and silver.

Ornaments with a labyrinthine lattice pattern adorned the room, and the soft golden light reflected from the lamps cast a warm and elegant atmosphere throughout.

However, it did not feel luxurious or extravagant.

If I had to describe this feeling, I would say that there was a sense of ‘dignity’ in the room······.

“The palace?”

······As expected, it was a landscape and atmosphere that naturally brought to mind the word ‘imperial palace.’

Of course, I had never been to the palace or seen the inside, so I couldn’t be sure that this was the palace.

It was likely someone else’s residence, as luxurious as a palace.

Where in the world would there be such a residence, but it could be done in the residence of the Grand Prince of Murim.

I fainted right after the fight with the Grand Prince of Murim. And the Grand Prince of Murim’s residence is where the Emperor’s aunt, Princess Hwayul, lives.

‘···Isn’t that the palace?’

The Imperial Palace (皇城) is the space where the emperor conducts state affairs and is a general term for the emperor’s residence.

In addition to the emperor, there were also members of the emperor’s family who did not marry, such as empresses, princesses, and princes.

However, Princess Hwaryul Daejang was a bit ambiguous.

Princess Hwayul was the emperor’s aunt and a member of the emperor’s family, but on the other hand, she married the grand prince of martial arts and became a monk.

But since the Grand Prince of Murim came in as a ‘son-in-law’, isn’t it not the case that he ‘left home’?

······I don’t know what’s what.

My head was all jumbled up.

And right then.

Click.

Suddenly, I heard the door open. I felt someone coming in, but the window paper obscured their figure and face.

However, the body shape of the shadow cast by the lamp was clearly that of a woman.

The woman’s shadow slowly approached. Eventually, the paper window opened, and I was able to confirm the woman’s identity.

“Your Majesty?”

Dang So-hyang, the daughter of Sacheondangmun and the goddess of heavenly flowers of Hye-min-dang.

Somehow, the figure reflected in the shadow seemed quite slender for a woman.

Dang So-hyang was holding a basin full of water with both hands.

“Huh···?”

Tang So-hyang flinched at my voice and trembled in surprise. Then, Tang So-hyang checked on me sitting on the bed and froze in place as if something had broken.

Soon her eyes widened, and the basin she was holding in both hands fell to the floor.

With a loud bang, the water in the basin poured out in all directions, causing a complete water disaster.

Even at that moment, Tang So-hyang’s eyes were fixed on me the whole time. Her black eyes resembled obsidian. Tears welled up inside them.

Then, as if her legs had lost their strength, Dang So-hyang collapsed on the spot.

“Really···! Really···!”

Even though her clothes were soaking wet from the water that had spilled on the floor, Tang So-hyang sat there, completely unaware of it.

The tears that were welling up in the corners of her eyes were like spring flower buds. They were so well-groomed that they looked like they would burst if someone touched them······.

“You didn’t wake up for so long… I really… thought you were going to die…!!”

As expected, it was Dang So-hyang who ended up bursting into tears.

* * *

Since Dang So-hyang was a person who cried a lot, once she started crying, she didn’t seem to stop.

It took me about an hour to calm her down, but I could finally understand why she burst into tears while trying to calm Dang So-hyang down.

‘My physical condition is really bad.’

In common parlance, it was a mess.

Every time I moved my body, I felt a pain as if my blood vessels were being torn, and it was as if all the blood vessels in my body were damaged.

“No matter how much I treated him, he showed no signs of recovery···.”

Even with Tang So-hyang’s nonstop treatment day and night, he had not recovered at all, so it was obvious without even asking how bad his condition was right before he fainted.

“I really······ thought that Prince Ungung wouldn’t wake up···.”

That would be the case, as it meant that recovery was impossible not only with the treatment based on Tang So-hyang’s extremely poisonous limb body, but also with the divine medicine of Bian Que and Jian’an Samshin Yi.

Dang So-hyang had thought I was ‘dying’, and when she saw me wake up, she immediately knew why I cried so sadly.

‘Is it natural, since you treated your body so roughly?’

In the first place, the blood vessel was already damaged once when he used the Heavenly Flame Dragon Strike during the fight with the Blood Heavenly Goddess.

And as soon as he woke up, he engaged in a life-or-death duel with the Grand Prince of Murim, and in the end, he squeezed out all the internal energy from his danjeon.

He literally scraped all the way to the bottom and finally used the Annihilation Fire Dragon Slash, so his body had to be completely destroyed before he could even breathe.

In fact, it was not much different from the physical condition that used the innate energy.

But there was nothing I could do.

The Nine Heavenly Martial Arts Ultimate Sword of the Murim Grand Prince.

The only way to receive it was through the Cheon-dun Sword Technique. Especially the technique used by the Murim Grand Prince at the end.

······. Honestly, I still don’t know.

Even if my physical condition was normal, I wasn’t sure I could win.

And it was also a first.

‘There was someone who could stop the Destructive Fire Dragon Slash.’

That is, I received the Extermination Fire Dragon Slash of the Cheon-dun Sword Technique.

‘It’s still a long way to go.’

I really don’t think it’s possible to do anything other than think that it’s still far away.

A sudden flash of consciousness.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t the time to be leisurely immersed in sentimentality.

When I turned my gaze, Dang So-hyang was sitting up. She straightened up the overturned basin and wiped the moisture off the floor with a dry cloth.

It was a skill that was reminiscent of the so-called ‘experience’ that came with having been in charge of managing the missionary office.

“My lady, where am I?”

“yes yes?”

At my question, Tang So-hyang, who was squeezing the moisture out of her clothes, flinched in surprise and trembled. But she soon nodded and continued speaking.

“Ah, this is Junghwajeon (中和殿).”

Junghwajeon (Hall of Central Harmony).

It seemed to be referring to the name of a building, but it was not immediately clear what it was just from hearing that.

But I could tell right away where the building was located.

That is because the names of buildings within an organization are usually made up of three words: Dang (堂), Gak (閣), and Won (院).

It is similar to the Hyemin Hall of the Seonmu-gwan, the Janggyeong-gak of Shaolin, and the Seorimwon of the Jegal family.

However, in addition to these, there were other building names such as Gyeong (京), Seong (城), Gung (宮), and Jeon (殿), which were building names that could not be used generally.

To be exact, it can be said to be a building name with a specific purpose of use.

Beijing, the Yellow City, the Imperial Palace, the Great Hall.

As above, it was a name that could only be used for buildings related to the ‘Emperor’.

So, it is called ‘Junghwajeon (中和殿)’.

“His Majesty said that this is a space for his personal use.”

Dang So-hyang further explained that it was a space where the emperor would wait and rest before carrying out state affairs or official events.

But I wasn’t particularly curious about that, nor was it important. I was more curious about ‘where’ the Junghwajeon was than ‘what’ it was for.

“So, you’re saying that this is the Hwangseong······?”

“yes.”

Dang So-hyang had already cleaned up all the moisture on the floor and was wiping the wet hem of her lower garment.

Then, suddenly, Dang So-hyang opens her eyes.

“Now, just a moment!”

Dang So-hyang suddenly jumped up and shouted.

“Are you trying to run away again?!”

Then, Dang So-hyang spread her arms wide to the left and right and blocked my path. But maybe it was because of her slender figure.

“Absolutely not this time!”

It was confusing whether it was blocking my path or asking to be hugged.

Still, her determination not to send me away was firm.

“I don’t know why you’re running away like that, but this time, for real! Seriously, you can’t! If you’re going to run away! Step on me and run!”

Tang So-hyang was determined not to move until he really stepped on her.

So, I carefully got up from my seat. As I slowly approached Dang So-hyang, she flinched and trembled.

“I absolutely can’t! I, I really can’t!!”

Nevertheless, Dang So-hyang showed unwavering determination. However, when I showed no signs of stopping, Dang So-hyang finally began to panic and did not know what to do.

“Ah, that won’t work···!”

Then, as if she didn’t know what was going on, Dang So-hyang tightly shut her eyes. Her extremely slender body was trembling slightly.

I slowly approached Dang So-hyang. Then I gently wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

“······.Huh?”

Her small lips parted and a foolish voice leaked out. Her tightly shut eyes also slowly opened.

Soon, her eyes looking at me were shaking from side to side as if she couldn’t figure out what to do.

To reassure Dang So-hyang, I bent down slightly to get down to her eye level.

“I won’t run away.”

“······Really?”

“Yes. I won’t run away. So don’t worry, my lady.”

To be honest, it was not a good idea to run away after being dragged all the way to the palace.

That would be the case, because although the ‘Emperor’ was not in front of them, it was practically the same as being right next to them.

And I don’t know for sure, but I had a feeling that if I ran away, Dang So-hyang wouldn’t be left alone.

The reason he brought Dang So-hyang to the palace was probably because of my medical treatment, but the biggest reason seemed to be that he was a ‘hostage’.

It seemed that perhaps the band of swordsmen were also being held captive somewhere else.

No matter how much I decided to go out, I couldn’t harm the people around me.

Even if I wanted to run away in the first place, I couldn’t because the current state was so ruined, so I can’t run away forever.

“Now that it has come to this, I plan to tackle it head on.”

“Front······Break through?”

Tang So-hyang’s head suddenly tilted to the left. It seemed as if she didn’t fully understand the meaning of the phrase “frontal attack.”

But I had no way to explain it to him, so I just gently let go of Dang So-hyang’s shoulders that were wrapped around her.

“Then I will be going, my lady.”

I walked past Dang So-hyang like that.

* * *

That’s what I said to Dang So-hyang······.

“It’s so big.”

It took a long time just to get out of Junghwajeon.

It seemed like this was nothing more than the Emperor’s personal space, incomparable to the missionary office, but in fact, there was another, bigger reason.

“Ugh.”

······My physical condition was terrible.

His body was completely destroyed, as if he had used his innate energy.

“That’s why Lady Dang couldn’t get treatment.”

I could immediately see why recovery was impossible even though Tang Xiaoxiang treated him day and night from Guizhou Province to Beijing.

Because of my talent of being a Heavenly Body, it wasn’t easy to treat, and when it was destroyed to this extent, treatment itself was impossible.

Even Tang So-hyang’s extremely poisonous limbs were no match for my heavenly limbs.

No matter how much divine medicine there was from Byeonjak and Jian’an Samshinui, it was still the same.

The only thing that could cure my current condition was ‘Taesang No-gun’.

Fortunately, since I didn’t use innate energy, there were no major problems with recovery.

Although the price of the elixir was not cheap, the merit gained from saving millions of people was also generous.

No, the merit is so abundant that it is overflowing.

“This time, I really want to increase my internal energy.”

The internal energy I currently have is thirty years.

Of course, it was somewhat lacking compared to the Grand Prince of Murim, but that was just because the Grand Prince of Murim was great, and not because the thirty Gapja were small.

Compared to the Murim Grand Army, it was by no means a small amount. However, compared to the ‘Cheon-dun Sword Technique’, it was not just a small amount, but it was woefully inadequate.

Whether it’s the Extermination Fire Dragon Slash or the Heavenly Extermination Flame Dragon Strike.

It was possible to cast it without the innate energy, but it was definitely a problem to cast it once and then become exhausted.

It was a problem we had been aware of for a while.

However, this problem was clearly revealed in the fight with the Murim Grand Army.

“You’re saying that you received the Extermination Fire Dragon Slash?”

The Cheon-dun sword technique that was thought to be unstoppable.

Of course, I casted it when my internal energy was lacking, but it was still the best Annihilation Dragon Strike I could do.

However, the Grand Prince of Murim blocked it. It meant that if there was a master among the ten best in the world, he could block it, which meant that there were ten of them in the world.

If we expand to include the Demonic Cult and the New World of Murim, the number will increase even more.

So, it would have been better if the opponent had been the ‘Great King of Martial Arts’, but what if it had been ‘someone’ from the Demonic Cult?

The moment the Annihilation Dragon Strike was blocked, I was so exhausted and passed out that I was practically dead.

If you think that the Heavenly Extermination Flame Dragon Strike you just cast on the Blood Heavenly Goddess has failed······.

“There is definitely a problem.”

If I don’t kill my opponent, I will be killed.

What good is it if you can cast it without innate energy?

In fact, it is no different from ‘Donggwi-ejin’, which means ‘you die and I die’.

So, it was something that absolutely had to be improved.

There was a need to significantly increase the amount of internal energy compared to what it was now. And it wasn’t just a problem with internal energy.

Even if it was the same martial art, its power varied greatly depending on the realm and who cast it.

That’s why if it had been Yeo Dong-bin’s Extermination Fire Dragon Slash, the result would have been completely different.

Yeo Dong-bin’s Extermination Fire Dragon Slash was a crazy ‘something’ that the concept of ‘blocking’ did not apply to.

It was not simply a difference in internal energy, but a difference that arose from realm and enlightenment.

So, I had to grow more than I was now, I had to become stronger.

In order to do that, there was one problem that absolutely had to be solved······.

“Since it has come to this, let’s tackle it head on.”

If he can even defeat the Grand Prince of Murim, what can he not do?

I barely managed to drag my battered body out of the Junghwajeon.

* * *

······Should I be honest?

“The Emperor is waiting. Please come inside.”

I didn’t know that the audience would come true right away.

I told Dang So-hyang that I would visit, but that was just a remark to calm her down. In my heart, I was only planning to request an audience and then return.

But what the heck.

As soon as I left Junghwajeon (中和殿), a man who looked like a guard in gold noticed me and opened his eyes wide.

Judging from his expression, he seemed to be one of the guards who had come to capture me, but as soon as he saw me, he ran off somewhere.

And then it really was a little while.

“Please come inside.”

That is, I was able to reach the front of Taehwajeon.

In fact, the Junghwajeon where I was was located right behind the Taehwajeon, but even so, it was really in the blink of an eye that I was able to meet the emperor.

But as far as I know, originally the audience with the emperor was not conducted right away.

The Emperor watches over the affairs of the whole world, and there is no such thing as time to spare.

The palace was filled with people requesting an audience for all sorts of reasons, so even if I got a waiting ticket right away, I thought it would take at least a month······.

“What are you doing? The Emperor is waiting.”

At the urging words of the Royal Guard, I climbed up the steps of Taehwajeon.

And as we passed the plaque of Taehwajeon and went inside, we could finally see the interior of Taehwajeon.

Even the ‘Junghwajeon (中和殿)’ where I was just a moment ago had an atmosphere that was not only luxurious but also majestic.

However, Taehwajeon (太和殿) felt slightly different.

That would be the case, as there was hardly any furniture or decorations inside Taehwajeon.

The only furniture was a few small tables and a throne placed on a pedestal, and the only decorations were a large incense burner and a golden dragon placed on either side of the throne.

It was a truly desolate and unparalleled landscape, but it didn’t feel desolate at all.

Because the presence of just one person filled the emptiness.

A throne placed on a pedestal. A being sitting there, looking down on the world.

The majesty that flowed from the emperor filled the entire empty Taehwajeon.

To that extent, it could be said to be majestic in itself, but it felt different from the last time I saw it at the Murim Alliance.

No, it was a completely different person.

Taehwajeon (太和殿), the main hall where the emperor’s majesty lives on.

I could finally feel in my body why such words came out.

I walked very slowly through the center of Taehwajeon. I wanted to walk quickly, but I couldn’t because of the pain that felt like my blood vessels were being torn with every step I took.

As he was inspecting state affairs with several ministers, Taehwajeon was filled with many ministers.

High-ranking central government officials wear the same or different clothing depending on their rank.

Several historians who record the contents of state affairs without leaving anything out.

Their eyes were fixed solely on me, and as I took each step, their eyes followed, and when I stopped at the foot of the throne, their eyes also stopped.

Finally, after confirming that the Emperor’s gaze had stopped, he slowly knelt down and bowed his head.

“The missionary’s blue cloud, I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

This happened before I could even finish my words.

“It was a huge mess.”

The emperor’s words were heard, as if he had given away only the golden dragon ornaments beside the four limbs.