Chapter 254: An Unexpected Proposal (1)

When I went up to the second floor of the inn, Chouhui was kneeling, greeting the Martial Flower Lord.

“It has been a long time, my lord.”

“Yes, it has been a while. You’ve endured much in the meantime.”

“It was nothing, my lord.”

She then turned toward Yong Hwarin, who was also bowing on the stairs.

“Come sit over here.”

Yong Hwarin sat at the same table as Chouhui, while the Martial Flower Lord sat at another table.

Chouhui removed the face veil she had been wearing.

No one was allowed to hide their face before a member of the Imperial Clan.

When Yong Hwarin looked at Chouhui impassively, the Martial Flower Lord spoke, as if pleasantly surprised.

“It’s just as Wuhee said. Young Master Yong indeed possesses an unwavering heart, untouched by feminine charm.”

“As I said before, he is a special person.”

“Yes, I can see what you mean. He has already achieved Sword Unification. Truly, even within the imperial palace, no one at Young Master Yong’s age has ever reached that level. It is a remarkable feat. The recent rumors are not exaggerated.”

Yong Hwarin only listened silently to their conversation.

He felt that speaking carelessly might bring misfortune upon him.

“Do you know why I summoned you, Young Master Yong?”

“I do not.”

The Martial Flower Lord stared at Yong Hwarin briefly, then looked to Chouhui and spoke.

“To help him understand, a long explanation will be necessary. Wuhee, explain it.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Chouhui picked up her teacup, lightly moistening her lips, then began her explanation.

Every word from her lips was filled with astonishing truths.

“I don’t know where to begin. It will be a rather long story, so I ask that you listen.”

At those words, Yong Hwarin suddenly stepped down from his chair and knelt toward the Martial Flower Lord.

“My lord.”

Seeing Yong Hwarin suddenly kneel, the Martial Flower Lord responded.

“Speak.”

“Is it acceptable if I do not listen?”

“What?”

“I fear that hearing this story will drag me into a swamp. Please grant me your permission.”

At that, the Martial Flower Lord laughed heartily.

“Hohohohoho! You are truly an amusing one. No one has ever made such a bold request before me.”

“He is an insolent man. Please punish him severely.”

As the head of the Royal Guards behind spoke, the Martial Flower Lord frowned.

“Let the Guard Captain remain silent. Are you not disrupting my entertainment? Shouldn’t the one who disrupts my enjoyment be the one punished instead?”

This time, the Martial Flower Lord looked genuinely displeased as she spoke firmly.

“Forgive me, my lord.”

Only then did the Royal Guard step back, glaring at Yong Hwarin.

“I do not wish to force you. But I assure you, if you hear the story, you will not find it unfavorable.”

“In that case, please promise me one thing.”

“A promise? You are the first to ask this lord for a promise. But I permit it. Speak.”

“After hearing everything, please fully consider my intentions.”

The Martial Flower Lord thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well, I allow it.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

The Martial Flower Lord found herself even more intrigued by this Yong Hwarin.

She had never seen anyone so composed in the face of imperial power.

However, Yong Hwarin had already experienced the addictive and destructive nature of power firsthand, so he had no desire to approach it again.

Thus, even the Martial Flower Lord’s favor felt unwelcome to him.

When Yong Hwarin returned to his seat, Chouhui was inwardly amazed at how boldly he acted even before the Martial Flower Lord.

Even the Grand General of the Imperial Palace would bow his head and rush to report before her.

Chouhui moistened her throat again and opened her mouth to speak.

“I was originally a member of the Hidden Saint Cult.”

At those words, Yong Hwarin showed a hint of surprise.

“The Hidden Saint Cult was divided into three branches. Which one were you affiliated with?”

“You know quite a bit. I belonged to the Moon Saint Sect.”

Deuksang of the Blood Green Unit had been part of the Sun Saint Sect, and Jong Munhye and Jong Seok were affiliated with the Hidden Saint Cult.

Though commonly referred to as the Hidden Saint Cult, it was actually a group composed of three separate branches: the Sun Saint Sect, the Moon Saint Sect, and the Star Saint Sect.

While the term Hidden Saint Cult was used to unify them, in practice, it was divided this way.

Chouhui continued speaking.

“After the Hidden Saint Cult was annihilated, the three branches scattered. I was fortunate enough to encounter the Martial Flower Lord.”

Though her words were brief, it seemed the pain of that time resurfaced, and she closed her eyes, appearing to recall it for a moment.

They, too, had most likely been hunted down like Jong Seok.

“The Martial Flower Lord had long wished to form the Muhwa Corps, made up of principled martial artists of the gangho.”

Hearing that, I thought that someone like the Martial Flower Lord wouldn’t have tried to form a martial force merely for show.

“The Muhwa Corps was established to eliminate the forces trying to overthrow the imperial palace from within. Even among the palace’s own warriors, those factions had infiltrated, making them untrustworthy.”

As the story continued, I felt more and more that it was entangling me like a snare, against my will.

‘This is exactly why I didn’t want to hear this.’

Knowing secrets of the imperial family and refusing to help could amount to treason.

“If by overthrowing forces, who exactly do you mean?”

“Though not certain, recent intel suggests that the Three Demonic Heavens and the Heavenly Demon Sect are involved. Of the two, the Heavenly Demon Sect seems to have the deeper connection.”

I asked the question that naturally came to mind.

“Is that why Lady Cho drew in Lee Yung?”

Chouhui smiled faintly. Her smile lightened the heavy atmosphere.

“That’s right. When I passed by him once, I briefly showed him my face without the veil.”

“To think someone like Lee Yung fell for that… unexpected.”

I hadn’t thought someone as clever as Lee Yung would fall for a beauty trap.

“Hohoho, it’s just that only Young Master Yong is special. Most men tend to fall for my face.”

I nodded and spoke.

“Forgive the interruption. Please continue.”

“So the Martial Flower Lord felt the need to rally the forces of the gangho and sent me out into the world. She intended to use my beauty to draw in many martial artists. I had mastered the Soul Reaping Art to its peak, so I had full confidence in recruiting martial artists into our cause.”

It now made sense how Chouhui’s Golden Token came to be.

“We established Omugwan and Omungwan to stir the spirit of challenge among martial artists. Through that, we scouted many skilled experts. Among those who challenged Omugwan, we selected the useful ones, directly shared the Martial Flower Lord’s purpose, and brought them in.”

Chouhui picked up her teacup, moistened her lips, and continued.

“Of course, there were those who refused to join the Muhwa Corps. In such cases, we made them swear absolute secrecy by warning them that revealing anything would bring destruction to their entire clan. In truth, there weren’t many who refused our offer, because the rewards were that generous.”

I nodded slowly.

I also realized that the Martial Flower Lord’s visit to the Shangguan Clan and her request to meet me were no coincidence.

‘The Martial Flower Lord had already planned to include me in her grand design.’

I brought my thoughts together as I sipped from my teacup.

Chouhui’s clear voice continued on.

“When Young Master Yong passed through Omugwan, I reported to the Martial Flower Lord about you. The Muhwa Corps currently has three units, and we were planning to entrust one of them to you. But now, you’ve become someone who no longer suits the role of an ordinary unit leader. After witnessing your Sword Unification just earlier, I was at a loss for words. Compared to when you challenged Omugwan, the level you’ve achieved now is beyond comparison. I was even fearful of how far you might go. Even if today’s meeting here at Ssanghwa Pavilion was by chance, I can’t help but think it was the heavens guiding us to share the same cause.”

The Martial Flower Lord opened her mouth.

“We need someone strong like you, Young Master Yong. Someone to lead the Muhwa Corps.”

“My lord, I am still no more than the Final Flame of the Martial World. Surely there must be martial prodigies within the Muhwa Corps—how could someone like me lead them?”

“Of course, we will put them at the front on the surface, but wouldn’t it suffice for you to serve as Vice Captain and lead them in truth? And besides, your reputation already surpasses theirs. They will not dare ignore you. Look at all the feats you’ve accomplished so far—they are not few.”

I had no wish to be entangled with the imperial palace.

Becoming involved with the palace meant that at best, you came out even; at worst, you became a traitor.

“I understand your concern. But I’ve recently heard that you have no shortage of enemies, Young Master Yong. That means you, too, need a force behind you. Of course, trying to gather a force is one thing, but can the Heavenly Central Sect alone handle even the Heavenly Demon Sect as it is now? In such times, the Muhwa Corps will surely become great support to you.”

The Martial Flower Lord spoke truthfully.

In fact, I hadn’t considered it that far yet.

Hearing her speak like this made it clear that both Chouhui and the Martial Flower Lord had thoroughly investigated me from all angles to recruit me.

“Also, we won’t go around publicly declaring that you’re a member of the Muhwa Corps. We will thoroughly conceal your identity. We’ve only gathered to root out those who seek to overthrow the imperial court. You need not worry about anything else.”

After thinking for a moment, I finally opened my mouth.

“Please allow me time to consider.”

“Very well. In the meantime, take this.”

The Martial Flower Lord pulled something from her robes and held it out.

It was a gold token, its flower bud stem shaped like a sword.

“This is the insignia of the Muhwa Corps. Anyone who holds one of these is a member of the Corps.”

When I flipped it over, four rose blossoms were engraved on the back.

“A token with five rose blossoms marks the Corps Leader.”

“Then this represents a Vice Captain?”

“That’s right.”

“My lord, I cannot accept this.”

“You may take time to consider, but you will hold onto the token. That is my order! Can’t you see how much I’ve already yielded to you?”

Faced with the authority of royalty, I had no choice but to accept the token, albeit bitterly.

“That token will only multiply your power. It is no burden. I even give you permission to use the Muhwa Corps for your benefit. So it would be wise to align with my intent.”

This time, the Martial Flower Lord was coaxing me.

She clearly knew how to handle people.

Truthfully, even if she thought highly of me, the Martial Flower Lord hadn’t initially planned to give me the Vice Captain position.

She had only intended to bring me in as a unit leader.

But after entering the inn and witnessing my Sword Unification firsthand, the Martial Flower Lord had been shocked as a martial artist. She knew full well that such a level could not be attained merely by desire.

That level was one that even those who reached the Unintentional State might never achieve.

Was there truly anyone among the Martial World Constituents who had reached Sword Unification like Yong Hwarin?

Knowing now that he stood among the Martial Eight Lords, the Martial Flower Lord could not help but decide to make Yong Hwarin her own.

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