Chapter 2575 – 2575. The Ascension To Radiance

The banquet began.

Not only the high-ranking officials who held the reins of the empire’s power, but also promising young individuals who were seen as the next generation of power, and their families, all attended, gracing the banquet with their presence. As vast as the empire was, there were so many high-ranking officials that they were practically tripping over each other.

I was honestly impressed. Having been an emperor myself, I knew the hardships involved.

‘It’s not easy to maintain imperial power with the primitive administrative capabilities of the Middle Ages. The Joseon Peninsula was small, so it was manageable… but the Jin Empire is ridiculously large, making the Joseon Peninsula look like nothing.’

Yet, the emperor had managed it. I had to acknowledge the emperor’s abilities.

‘By the way, there isn’t a single martial artist here besides us.’

This alone showed that the imperial army looked down on the martial world. Well, I could understand it. From their perspective, the martial world was a group of thugs with weapons. They were like gangs or the mafia.

The martial arts sects don’t do illegal things? That’s only true for the righteous sects. No, possessing weapons without the government’s permission is illegal in itself.

And this is only the righteous sects. If you go to the evil sects, there are all sorts of illegal activities. From the imperial army’s point of view, the martial world couldn’t look good.

‘Thanks to that, I feel like a total loser who doesn’t know how to read the room, attending this banquet.’

The banquet hall was crowded with people, but not a single person approached our side.

‘Hmm. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have worn my martial arts uniform.’

The Sword King and the Martial Alliance Leader wore their martial arts uniforms as if it were natural, so I wore mine too. That was a mistake. I didn’t have any weapons, but it was obvious that I was a martial artist.

“Haha. To think I’d see martial artists here. How did you get in?”

A middle-aged man swaggered towards us. The Sword King frowned deeply. The Martial Alliance Leader’s face also hardened, and he stepped forward, pushing the Sword King behind him.

“Sir, we are…”

“Enough. You reek of sweat. This isn’t a place for you. I don’t know how you got in, but wouldn’t you mind leaving?”

He sneered and pointed to the banquet hall entrance. The high-ranking officials around him also wore mocking smiles.

The Sword King’s face turned bright red. The Martial Alliance Leader was sweating profusely, looking embarrassed. Even the famous Martial Alliance Leader was just another martial artist in front of the empire’s high-ranking officials.

I threw a nearby table to the floor, causing a commotion. Clang! The expensive porcelain dishes shattered, and the food was scattered. The surrounding gazes turned to me.

“This is outrageous!!”

I shouted, putting my inner energy into my voice. The resounding voice made the banquet hall as silent as if cold water had been poured over it. Everyone was focused on me.

The eunuchs, sensing the commotion, rushed over.

“I have attended this banquet at the invitation of His Majesty the Emperor, on behalf of my master! Yet, how dare they treat me with such contempt and disdain! Is it wrong to have been invited by His Majesty the Emperor?! Eunuch! I cannot tolerate this! I will demand an audience with His Majesty the Emperor to address this matter! Lead me to His Majesty the Emperor at once!!”

The high-ranking officials’ expressions changed completely. Especially the middle-aged official who had openly sneered at us, his face turned pale.

‘This bastard. Did he not know that I was a VIP invited by the Emperor?’

The high-ranking officials who worked in the imperial palace knew that I was a VIP. That’s why they didn’t even approach me. Because if things went wrong, they’d be screwed.

‘He’s not someone who works in the imperial palace. He’s just some guy from the provinces who thinks he’s a big shot.’

I could bet on it. The emperor wouldn’t even know this guy’s name.

“Sir Sung! Please calm down!”

“We will apologize on their behalf! His Majesty will be entering soon, so please refrain from causing a disturbance…”

It was already too late.

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!!”

The emperor entered the banquet hall with his guards.

Perfect timing. I ran towards the emperor. The startled eunuch tried to stop me, and the emperor’s guards blocked my path. Regardless, I prostrated myself before the emperor.

“Your Majesty! How could you do this to me! I attended this banquet at your invitation, on behalf of my master! Yet, your subjects look down on me and treat me with contempt! Is this truly your will?! Do not insult me and my master, but rather kill me!!”

The emperor quietly surveyed the banquet hall. Then, he asked the eunuch.

“Is what he says true? No, he would not lie to me. He is a VIP who attended at my invitation. Yet, the eunuchs and high-ranking officials have treated him with contempt?”

The eunuchs’ and high-ranking officials’ faces turned black. Especially the middle-aged official who had spoken ill of us, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor. Perhaps it was a survival instinct kicking in. He crawled towards the emperor.

“Y-Your Majesty! P-Please listen to me! There, there must have been some misunderstanding! I, I can explain everything…!”

As he approached, I could smell urine. It seemed he had even wet himself.

The emperor’s gaze was cold.

“Dispose of them.”

“Understood.”

The soldiers moved. They grabbed the prostrated official and the panicked officials and dragged them out of the banquet hall.

“Your Majesty! No! You’re misunderstanding! Please listen to me!! Your Majesty!!”

“Please spare me! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!”

The officials and eunuchs cried out. Why were the eunuchs being dragged away? Having caused a disturbance in the banquet hall, they couldn’t avoid responsibility. Besides, except for a few, the eunuchs were merely the emperor’s slaves. There were plenty of replacements.

“My subjects’ mistakes are my mistakes. I apologize to you.”

“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!”

“You are a VIP of the imperial palace. From now on, no one will insult you. Enjoy the banquet to your heart’s content.”

“Your grace is boundless!!”

I bowed to the emperor while my mind raced.

Why was the emperor being so good to me? Why? Even if I had the emperor’s favor, I didn’t think it would be to this extent. And as far as I knew, no one had ever received such blatant favor from the emperor before.

‘They say there’s no such thing as a favor without a reason. Is he showing me favor to get on Wei Yu’s good side? If not…’

Did he have other intentions?

‘If things look like they’re going to go south, I need to run to Mount Nakwol immediately.’

So, for now, I decided to enjoy the power that came with the emperor’s favor.

At the banquet, the emperor didn’t give any attention to anyone else, focusing solely on me. It was a clear expression that he valued me more than anyone else there.

And then, the emperor left the banquet hall. He hadn’t even stayed for two hours. But that was enough to change everything. The high-ranking officials were now cautiously watching my every move.

“You’re a real madman.”

The Sword King, who had approached me, said in admiration.

“I think I underestimated you too much.”

The Martial Alliance Leader looked at me with admiration.

I sat on the chair with a haughty posture. I even put my feet on the table and looked around. No one was ignoring me now. The high-ranking officials, having caught the scent of new power, approached me with grinning faces.

• • •

I attended every banquet without fail. The emperor also attended the banquet for 1-2 hours, gracing the occasion. Every time he attended, he had me sit next to him. Thanks to that, rumors spread throughout the imperial palace that I was a martial artist favored by the emperor.

I met Sung Ji-gon at the banquet.

“As expected of Yoo Jin. His Majesty the Emperor has recognized your true worth. Well, I knew the Emperor would see it.”

“Have you ever met the Emperor?”

“Of course, I have. I was able to be here thanks to His Majesty the Emperor. I’ll never forget that day. It was a shock that felt like the earth and sky were turning upside down.”

I also met Sima Ryung. The former imperial high priest, and the head of the Sima family with whom I had shared a body.

“It’s an honor to see you here, Great Hero Sung.”

“You too. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“There are quite a few members of my family among the sorcerers working in the imperial palace. Thanks to that, I was able to attend the banquet.”

“Modesty. You’re also a former imperial high priest, so it’s natural that you’d be able to attend.”

We looked at each other with subtle glances. And that night, we secretly met and enjoyed a tryst.

‣ ‣ ‣

One day, the imperial family attended the banquet.

The direct descendants of the emperor.

Among them was the crown prince. Already middle-aged, the crown prince was not very welcomed by the high-ranking officials.

The emperor had already transcended his lifespan.

A thousand years had passed since the founding of the Jin Empire. The emperor ruled the empire without dying or aging. With an absolute being who had achieved immortality guarding the throne, how could the crown prince ever ascend to the throne? As had always been the case, the crown prince would die in his position as crown prince.

There were other members of the imperial family, but the high-ranking officials bowed more to me than to the imperial family.

“It seems the imperial family doesn’t have much power?”

Sung Ji-gon answered my question.

“His Majesty the Emperor isn’t very interested in the imperial family. And he periodically purges them. He shows no mercy when punishing his children.”

“Well, that’s common in this world.”

In this world, the strong can create as many children as they want. For the absolute ruler of the empire, the emperor, children are nothing more than replacements for emergencies.

There are even those who raise their own children to eat them.

Just like the high-ranking officials, the imperial family also showed interest in me. Especially the princesses who seemed to be of marriageable age were very proactive.

“Are you the Little Heavenly Demon Sung Yoo Jin of the Heavenly Demon Sect? You are as heroic as I’ve heard.”

“May I ask what your relationship with Father is?”

“It’s a bit hot. Would you like to talk in a cooler place?”

The princesses were openly flirting with me. I scanned the princesses’ appearances and quietly clicked my tongue. They were all beautiful, but none of them were so stunning that they made my eyes pop.

‘If I mess with them carelessly, I’ll get caught.’

If they were beautiful enough to be caught, I would have gladly let myself be caught… but there were no such beauties. I think it would be better to play with Sima Ryung.

• • •

The last day of the banquet.

That day, the atmosphere was different from the morning. The security of the imperial palace was several times stricter than the day before. Elite soldiers in full armor were patrolling, and the eunuchs were constantly working with stiff faces. The high-ranking officials were also cowering and unable to move freely.

I asked Sung Ji-gon. As a general of the empire, he might know something.

“What’s going on in the imperial palace right now?”

“Well, I’m not a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard… I don’t know much about the imperial palace.”

I looked up at the sky. It was gloomy, as if it would rain at any moment.

I also asked Sima Ryung, who was from the imperial high priest’s family.

“Ryung-ah. The imperial palace is not normal. Do you know anything?”

“I know that the sorcerers of the imperial palace are moving busily… but I don’t know the details.”

“There are many members of the Sima family among the imperial palace sorcerers, right?”

“The imperial palace sorcerers follow the Emperor’s orders more than the head of the family. I am an outsider now, so I cannot know the affairs of the imperial palace.”

I could see how powerful the emperor’s authority was.

The Martial Alliance Leader and the Sword King were also tense, sensing that the atmosphere was not normal.

‘Is the banquet a trap, and are they about to start a large-scale purge? Should I run away with a space-time scroll right now?’

While I was pondering, someone came to find me.

A woman with white hair tied up and pinned with a hairpin, wearing a red dress. It was Baekran, a first-class imperial guard.

“It’s been a while. I’d like to talk to you about this and that… but there’s no time. The Emperor intends to use you as a sword.”

“What? The Emperor has gone mad. How dare he… Does he think that kings, nobles, and generals are born with a special destiny….”

Treason.

Those two words were about to be engraved in my heart.

“In return, you will gain a position above all others.”

Now that I think about it, it wasn’t treason, but loyalty.

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor. Being the second-in-command of the empire isn’t bad. But why does he want to use me as a sword? If he’s the Emperor, he should have several swords that are sharper than me.”

“That’s…”