Invitation to the Chatroom of the Gods - Chapter 108



Only Krnovel

Episode 108 – The Truth Revealed

Junghwajeon (中和殿), located behind Taehwajeon.

Tang So-hyang couldn’t stay still and paced around from side to side.

“···Why aren’t you coming?”

I couldn’t sit still because I was worried about Cheongun.

He kept saying things like “head-on attack” or something, and he hasn’t come back for several hours now.

I wonder if something went wrong?

It’s a very spacious palace, but I wonder if I got lost.

He was in poor health and came back from the brink of death, so I wonder if he died suddenly somewhere.

I wonder if he’s dying alone in a place where no one can find him…!

I wonder if he’s still crying out for help!

“Uuuuu···!”

I couldn’t sit still because my head was full of worries about Cheongun.

Seriously, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to die because of my luck.

Of course, I couldn’t die because of my own fate······.

It was just then.

bang!

Suddenly, with a loud noise, the main gate of the Junghwajeon was blown apart and blown away.

“Huh?!”

As Tang So-hyang jumped up in surprise, a large crowd of people rushed in through the broken gate.

The Golden Guards, military officers in military attire embroidered with yellow dragons on gold silk.

They came in by breaking down the main gate and rushed to where Dang So-hyang was in an instant. Then they looked around here and there inside the Junghwa Hall, and then suddenly a ‘man’ was carried in.

And just a moment ago, as she carefully laid the man down on the old-fashioned bed where Cheongwoon had been lying, Dang So-hyang was able to see the man’s face.

In appearance… he didn’t look like he was much older than his mid-thirties.

Dark eyebrows, distinct facial features, and a sharp jawline.

Anyone could see that he was a good-looking man and handsome······but he was not as good as Cheongun.

Others may think differently. However, beauty is ultimately a matter of ‘subjectivity’ and ‘taste.’

To Dang So-hyang, Cheong-un was the best in the world······.

Tang So-hyang shook her head from side to side to shake off her thoughts.

So, it is a presence that makes you feel intimidated just by facing it.

Although it was her first time seeing this face, Dang So-hyang could easily tell who the man in the bed was.

The ‘Hwangryongpo (黃龍抱)’ costume is ornately decorated with yellow silk.

There is only one person in the world who can wear clothes like that.

Considering that the place where Dang So-hyang was was the Junghwajeon, the ‘Emperor’s personal space’, it was obvious who the man who had just been brought in was.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty?!?!”

Tang So-hyang was startled and jumped up.

No, why is the Emperor suddenly being brought in unconscious?

Tang So-hyang was momentarily taken aback, but then numerous officials came running into the Junghwa Hall, out of breath.

They were all faces she had never seen before. However, there was one official who was familiar to Dang So-hyang.

“What is the royal physician doing? He is not checking on His Majesty’s condition!”

The deputy inspector of the temple, Ju Gwan-cheon.

At Ju Gwan-cheon’s words, a man wearing a white cloth over his official uniform came running in a hurry.

And as he began to feel the pulse of the Emperor lying on the bed, it was easy to see that he was a royal physician, a doctor who specialized in treating the illnesses of the royal family.

“How is it, Your Majesty? Is everything alright?”

“That, that······.”

The royal physician had a hard time making a diagnosis. He frowned and continued to feel the emperor’s pulse, but even so, he still had a hard time making a diagnosis.

Ju Gwan-cheon didn’t know what to do and just kept stomping his feet. Then, his eyes met with Dang So-hyang’s, and Ju Gwan-cheon shouted at Dang So-hyang as if it was a good opportunity.

“You take a look at His Majesty’s condition!”

“···Huh? Huh?”

“What are you doing! Don’t you hurry and take His Majesty’s pulse!!”

At Ju Gwan-cheon’s sudden words, Dang So-hyang rolled her eyes from side to side.

I have no idea what happened all of a sudden.

But for now, it is true that the Emperor appears to be in danger.

“Then, the girl for a moment···”

Tang So-hyang carefully felt the emperor’s pulse and checked his condition.

The emperor’s eyes had turned five colors, his hands and feet were cold, and his mind was clouded.

“Ugh, ugh···.”

It was a very blasphemous thing to say, but the Emperor was talking nonsense like a sleepwalker.

I could see why the royal physician had difficulty making a diagnosis earlier. Dang So-hyang would have been the same way not long ago.

However, according to what I studied day and night in the medical book that Cheongun told me about to save Cheongun······.

“Oh, from the girl’s limited knowledge, I think it’s a very evil thing···.”

A sudden illness, usually caused by being touched by bad energy or being startled by seeing a strange object.

“What? You have symptoms of a speech impediment, and you’re saying it’s serious?”

Then the king shouted, “Stop talking nonsense!”

It seemed like he didn’t understand Dang So-hyang’s diagnosis, but that was understandable, because the word “speech-lock” meant a symptom of not being able to keep one’s mouth shut.

This is a symptom of ‘tight jaw’, which is generally caused by a problem with the masseter muscle that controls the jawbone.

As the royal physician said, the emperor could not keep his mouth shut.

“Oh, the girl is also embarrassed···.”

That is why Dang So-hyang was equally puzzled and embarrassed.

A-guan-geup (牙關緊急) is a symptom that mainly occurs in diseases such as stroke.

Occasionally, there were instances where the cold evil invaded and caused shock or even shock that was so severe that it made people grab the back of their necks.

Thus, it was a symptom that occurred only when ‘muscle and blood vessel spasms’ occurred.

To put it simply, it was something that would not normally happen unless one saw or heard something bizarre, but wasn’t the Emperor brought in from Taehwajeon (太和殿) of all places?

But how could such strange and absurd things exist in Taehwajeon······?

However, according to Dang So-hyang’s diagnosis, it was clearly a serious evil.

“What on earth did you see and hear in Daejeon······?”

Dang So-hyang tilted her head and muttered.

But what the heck?

Aren’t the ministers, including Ju Gwan-cheon, coughing in vain and avoiding eye contact?

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Ugh···!”

“How shocking it must have been…”

······It seemed like there had been some kind of commotion at Taehwajeon.

“Is treatment possible right now?”

“Yes, it is possible…”

Zhong-ak (中惡) was a serious illness that could lead to death if it was severe, but fortunately, the treatment was not that difficult.

It was a problem because it was an ’emergency’ disease, but if it could be dealt with, it would be a problem that would be worse than a horn.

“Then get treatment quickly!”

At Ju Gwan-cheon’s urging, Dang So-hyang glanced around.

Since there was no suitable medicine, there was only one treatment method.

Fortunately, it seemed that Ju Gwan-cheon also knew that fact and spoke about it. Dang So-hyang carefully selected the poison inside her body and pulled it up.

A hazy venom soon blooms at the tips of the fingers.

It was a paralytic poison that had a mild paralyzing effect and could provide the effect of soothing startled muscles and tension, thus benefiting the mind and energy······.

“What, what are you talking about now…!!”

In the eyes of the Emperor, it is clearly poison.

So, if someone who didn’t know saw it, it would be no different from trying to poison the emperor.

“What are you doing!!!”

Tae-ui shouted in horror.

“What, what are you···!”

“What is the Golden Guard doing! Why don’t they drag that woman out quickly!”

Even the ministers who were unaware of the situation were startled and shouted in surprise.

But what the heck?

Actually, no one came forward······?

So the soldiers of the Imperial Guard, who placed the Emperor’s safety and security first, just stood there blankly watching?

“What, what are you doing···?”

“Wh, what······?”

The royal physician and ministers wondered what was going on.

It was at that moment that the poison began to seep into the emperor’s body.

“Umm······.”

The emperor suddenly came to his senses.

“Oh, Your Majesty?!”

“What, what?!”

The ministers and the royal physician fell down in shock, and Ju Gwan-cheon ran towards them.

“Your Majesty! Are you of sound mind?!”

“Here······?”

“The Zhong Hua Hall has arrived, Your Majesty. Your Majesty suddenly lost consciousness, so we have hastily brought you here.”

“······Ah. Um. Okay.”

The emperor then seemed to remember everything, covered his face with one hand and let out a deep sigh.

Then I discovered Dang So-hyang right next to me.

“Who is this woman?”

“I am the goddess of heaven.”

The royal physician and ministers were once again shocked by Ju Gwan-cheon’s answer.

“That woman is the goddess of heaven···?”

“They said they cured the plague in Guizhou Province···?”

Thus, it is a medical technique similar to that of a divine woman who can completely cure the emperor’s illness with just a touch.

It was the moment when the name Cheonhwasinnyeo (天花神女) was engraved in the minds of the royal physician and ministers.

Soon, when the emperor’s gaze fell on Tang So-hyang again, Tang So-hyang fell flat on the floor in fright.

“Hye-min-dang’s Da, Dang So-hyang. I greet His Majesty the Emperor···!”

“Hyemin Party······?”

The emperor tilted his head as if something was strange.

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, please speak···.”

Tang So-hyang’s body, lying flat on the floor, trembled like an aspen tree. The heart in her chest was beating so loudly that Tang So-hyang’s body was shaking with the beat.

It was at that time that I was waiting for the Emperor to speak, so frightened.

“They say Cheongun kidnapped you and held you captive in the missionary office. Is that really true?”

“to······?”

Tang So-hyang’s body, which had been trembling like a poplar tree, suddenly froze like a stone statue. Her heart, which had been pounding as if it was going to explode, became calm as if nothing had happened.

“What, what do you mean······?”

“That’s true. He’s asking if you’ve been kidnapped by Cheongun.”

Tang So-hyang momentarily pondered how to answer this.

First of all······I couldn’t understand why you suddenly asked that.

In other words, the Emperor’s intentions could not be known, but if we look at the facts, the facts were clear.

Dang So-hyang was kidnapped by Cheong-un and was held captive in the missionary office.

But when you look inside, it’s not like that at all.

In reality, Cheongun was ‘protecting’ Dang So-hyang under the ‘pretext’ of kidnapping. However, the emperor seemed unaware of such detailed circumstances.

“The Blue Cloud Bird… no, the Blue Cloud guy said that he kidnapped you and held you captive.”

“Uh, Prince Yun··· No, Prince Yun···?”

Dang So-hyang was so flustered that she could barely keep up with the manners of the Abjunctive Law.

Fortunately, the Emperor simply nodded slightly, as if he had no intention of taking it to heart.

“That, that······.”

Dang So-hyang really wondered how to answer this.

If I said I was kidnapped, it would be a burden to Cheongwoon.

If I say no, something feels strange.

That would be the case, didn’t you say that Cheongun was the one who spoke first?

It seemed as if Cheongwoon hadn’t even explained why he kidnapped Dangso-hyang.

Doesn’t that mean there’s a good reason for that?

That is, it seemed like Cheongun deliberately did not tell the circumstances······.

After a moment of thought, Tang So-hyang bit her lower lip and spoke.

“Well, actually······this is······.”

And then a brief silence followed.

“So, is it really true that you were kidnapped by Cheongun and are being held captive in the missionary office?”

Tang So-hyang flinched and trembled without realizing it at the emperor’s absurd words.

The guards of the Golden Guard who were guarding the area, as well as Ju Gwan-cheon, had expressions of astonishment.

Is it right to tell the truth like this······?

I had my doubts again, but there must be a reason why Cheongwoon brought it up first.

Dang So-hyang simply trusted Cheong-un.

“That, that’s right······.”

With a creeping voice, Dang So-hyang lowered her head like a traitor.

Because of that, she couldn’t see the emperor’s face, but from the silence that followed, Tang So-hyang could roughly imagine what his face looked like.

How much time has passed like that?

“······The Vice Minister.”

The Emperor’s words were heard, completely drained of strength.

It was a very blasphemous thought, but it was to the point where I felt like a defeated soldier on the battlefield.

And soon, Jukwancheon slowly came forward.

“Listen to the Dangso-hyang of Sacheon Dangmun···.”

For some reason, Ju Gwan-cheon also looked like a defeated soldier on the battlefield. For a moment, I wondered what was going on.

Ju Gwan-cheon opened the scroll in his arms and spoke in a voice that was drained of energy.

“30,000 sacks of rice. 15,000 bags of cotton cloth. 10,000 bags of silk. 8,000 rolls of ramie cloth. 5,000 rolls of hemp cloth······.”

A long list of enormous goods and wealth. They were so numerous that the end was in sight.

When I slightly raised my head, I saw the Emperor leaning back comfortably as if he was taking a rest. He seemed almost resigned, but at some point, after about a meal, he was like that.

“······I bestow this on the Heavenly Goddess of Sacheondangmun.”

“Eh······!?”

For a moment, Dang So-hyang thought she had misheard.

That makes sense. What do you mean by ‘granting’ it? Does that mean that you’re giving it all to Dang So-hyang as a ‘reward’?

“Eh···?!”

······It didn’t make sense.

The reward just now was truly a reward that could be used to establish a small country. So why can’t it be called a reward?

“I will prepare a separate reward for treating Jim, so please let me know.”

They say they’ll add more rewards to that.

Tang So-hyang jumped up from her seat in shock. Then, as soon as she landed on the floor, she hurriedly fell to the ground and shouted.

“Oh my goodness! How could such an excessive reward be given to a girl! The girl cannot accept it!”

“Please, I beg you.”

“Huh?!”

Tang So-hyang, who had been lying face down, suddenly jumped up at the emperor’s words.

That makes sense. What did you just say?

please···?

The Emperor, the greatest ruler of all time, says ‘please’?

Tang So-hyang was so surprised that she covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes, which had lost their sense of direction, rolled back and forth, and she didn’t know what to do.

“I beg you earnestly.”

The Emperor’s words were heard again.

“······At least you will receive the reward quietly.”

For some reason, it was the emperor’s face that seemed to be free from the world and liberated.

* * *

The true identity of the great king who seized control of the Yangtze River was the Great Swordsman of Hwa-ryong!

The rumor that started at Taehwajeon spread throughout the region in an instant.

Beijing is where the emperor resides and is the center of the world. The city of Beijing was filled with people gathered from each of the 23 provinces in the world.

So the rumor spread from the palace.

It was only natural that it would spread quickly to each of the 23 provinces.

Moreover, the world was already in an uproar over the Yongbongjihoe’s Hwalong Daehyeop and the Great King of the Yangtze River who was in the midst of a plague······.

“No, what you’re saying is that Hwa-ryong-dae-hyeop is the King of the Yangtze River, and the King of the Yangtze River is Hwa-ryong-dae-hyeop. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Well, that’s exactly it!”

It was only natural that the world would be in an uproar, if not turned upside down.

“Hey, you bastard! You want me to believe that?”

“No matter what, it’s like that! Stop talking nonsense!”

Of course, there were many people who didn’t believe it.

Even if we look at the achievements of the Great King of the Yangtze River and the Great Swordsman of the Fire Dragon separately, their achievements are enormous.

But in fact, it is said that they were the same person, so how can one person’s achievements be like that?

Many people thought the rumors were strangely exaggerated.

“I said that! It was the Emperor himself who said it!”

“Is this what the Emperor said?”

“Yes! Surely His Majesty would not have lied!”

Of course that couldn’t be the case.

The weight of the emperor’s words was literally the weight of the world.

“Above all, he spoke clearly in front of the ministers of Taehwajeon!”

Moreover, if it was said in Taehwajeon, a strict place where state affairs were observed, it would be even more impossible for it to be a lie. That meant that Hwalong Daehyeop was truly the great king of the Yangtze River······.

“Even the Emperor himself called Hwa-ryong-dae-hyeop the ‘Great King’ of the Yangtze River!”

“What, what?!”

People couldn’t come to their senses.

Usually, the ranks of government officials were divided into 20 ranks, called ‘beoppum (法品)’.

Here, the 12th grade was the limit for ordinary citizens, and the 2nd grade was only awarded to officials with a salary of 600 seok or more.

And the first class did not correspond to the legal rank, but was a special status that was collectively called a feudal lord based on each title.

Depending on the difference in social status, only the titles ‘Kun (君), Wang (王), and Gong (公)’ were given.

Therefore, the title ‘Murim Daegun (武林大君)’ was also used in the imperial court. It was not simply a nickname, but meant that one belonged to the rank of feudal lords in terms of title.

However, the fact that the emperor called Hwa-ryong-dae-hyeop the ‘Great King’ of the Yangtze River means that.

“Are you saying that the Emperor has appointed Hwalong Daehyeop as a ‘lord’?!”

It also seemed to imply that there was room for interpretation in this way.

A feudal lord (諸候) was a person of power who had a certain territory and ruled over the people within that territory. This was also called a ‘state of a thousand horses.’

The emperor commands 10,000 chariots and six armies.

A lord is one who commands a thousand chariots and three armies.

A feudal lord was no different from the emperor within his own territory, so the authority of a feudal lord meant that he was a representative dispatched by the emperor to represent him from the center.

So, originally, rumors had the property of spreading like wildfire······.

“I heard that the rule of the Yangtze River was entrusted to the Great Swordsman of Hwalong!”

“What?! Is that really true?!”

“If not, why did you call him ‘King of the Yangtze River’? Doesn’t that mean you acknowledge the supremacy of the Yangtze River and entrust it to the Great Swordsman of the Hwalong River?”

“Then… are we under the rule of the Hwa-ryong Daehyeop…?”

The rumors began to grow and expand in a strange direction.

And the people knew that the Great King of the Yangtze River had reformed the bandits known as the Yangtze River Water Crew and turned them into a band of swordsmen.

I know the kindness that Hwalongdaehyeop bestowed upon the people by establishing the Hyemin Hall of the Seonmu-gwan.

At first I thought they were different people, but the truth is they are both the same person.

So now, it is said that he rules not only the knights and the missionaries, but also the entire Yangtze River region······.

“Oh my! If only the Great Swordsman Hwa-ryong could rule over us, we would be grateful!”

“It’s a slope!! It’s a slope!!”

The bizarrely exaggerated rumor quickly spread beyond Gangnam and into Gangbuk.

“Huh? Where are you going with all that baggage?”

“Shh! Your voice is too loud!”

“This guy… what is going on?”

“Just keep it to yourself. There is a rumor going around that the Emperor is making Hwa-ryong Dae-hyeop a lord of the Yangtze River.”

“What, what?!”

“Shh! Your voice is too loud!”

“Is that really true?”

“That’s right. So, we’re going to go quickly and get a spot on the river before people start flocking in.”

“Oh, how could that be···!”

“It’s an absolute secret from everyone else. Then I’ll go first!”

“Hey, hey! Let me go too!”

There were many truly extraordinary incidents occurring, such as people from the Gangbuk region migrating en masse to the Yangtze River region.

* * *

The emperor was carried out of Taehwajeon and no further audience could be held.

‘Should I follow you?’

I had that thought for a moment······but I stopped.

There are a few things I learned while writing and copying the ‘Divine Medicine’ of Pyeonjak and Geon’an Samshinui.

The emperor’s symptoms were of a moderate severity, so he did not seem to be in great danger.

Above all, I couldn’t follow the Emperor because of the thoughts that were filling my head so tightly.

‘How much is the conversion merit?’

First of all, seeing as I didn’t ‘die instantly’, it seemed like the reward splitting had worked.

Thus, the merit of saving millions of people and even causing the death of the person who was in charge of the household.

I quietly left Taehwajeon, keeping an eye on things.

It is usually called the Imperial Palace.

It literally meant a palace consisting of the outer court and the inner court.

That is, the space for the ‘Emperor’ alone, including both public and private affairs, was called the ‘Imperial Palace (黃宮)’.

Therefore, the offices where the central government officials handled affairs could not exist within the imperial palace.

That is, many related government offices were located outside the imperial palace, and the area encompassing all of the areas controlled by these offices was called the ‘Hwangseong (黃城)’.

So, I came out of Taehwajeon and headed towards this place.

“Where did you say this was······.”

It was none other than the Hwangseong (黃城) region and the place where Eungseon-i was located.

I heard that it is a place where rare plants and animals are raised among the tributes offered from various regions.

It is also said to be a place for training and taming guard dogs and guard dogs······.

“Oh, I guess that’s it.”

Perhaps because of that, there was one building that stood out even in the vast Hwangseong Fortress.

I approached the relevant government office, dragging my battered body.

And right then.

Suddenly, a “food duck!” sound was heard, and a hawk jumped out from inside the building in a panic.

Those wide-open eyes looked like they were quite surprised······.

“What about the response?”

······It was a response.

At my voice, Eungseon-i turned her head and looked at me. Then, as if she had come at a good time, she jumped up off the floor and came over to me.

And then all of a sudden, the gaze that was glaring at me······.

Knock knock knock!!!

It seemed like something really big was going on right now.

I didn’t have time to ask what was going on. Eungseon bit my trouser leg with his beak and pulled me. But how strong was his strength?

“Okay, just a moment, Eungseon!”

Because my body was already in shattered condition, I couldn’t resist at all. In the end, I ended up being dragged to the place where Eungseon was.

It was a large barn.

It seemed like this was where Eungseon had been staying, but it seems like Eungseon was unable to enter the palace because he was a ‘falcon’.

However, the barns in Hwangseong were different and neatly organized.

It seems that Eungseon liked it too, as he had built a nest nearby, and inside the nest were dragon teeth arranged neatly.

The Dragon Fang was an item from the heavenly world that Gu Yaja had personally created, and no one other than Eung Seon could handle it.

As the Supreme Lord said, only those who can use the functions of a scroll can use the items of the celestial world.

Anyway, it seemed like Yong-a (龍牙) ​​was well taken care of by Eung-seon, but the tripod was nowhere to be seen.

And just now, Eungseon said that something really big was happening.

By any chance, have you lost your folding chair?

I had that thought for a moment, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t true.

So the reason why Eungseon was in such big trouble wasn’t because of the folding chair.

A woman standing in the middle of a barn.

She remained still, holding the folding chair in her hand.

And if my eyes are not mistaken······.

“Sister···?”

That woman was none other than the ‘Nine Heavenly Mysterious Woman’.