Chapter 191 – Meeting (5)

As the lengthy meeting drew to a close, they managed to come to some sort of resolution.

Fortunately, unlike the informal gatherings that had been lackluster until now, they were able to establish a rough plan this time.

They couldn’t just let anyone handle the powerful gangsters like Cheonnyeongangsi.

Naturally, the most skilled warriors and gangster sorcerers would be the ones with the most influence. They might even be controlling all seventeen districts.

So, they had to capture Gangaju by any means necessary.

No matter how many times they clashed and weakened their forces, the commoners would quickly recover, sacrificing themselves.

On the other hand, even if the main army were to come, our side wouldn’t easily recover from the damage.

Before the balance crumbles and our side is left with an irreversible disadvantage, we must capture Gangaju.

If that happens, winning won’t be so difficult.

Apart from the gangsters, the influence of Gangaju and Samaryeon is clearly weaker than ours.

Five people… no, since Gangaju is dead, there are four formidable Hwagyeong experts. But we also have skilled Hwagyeong experts on our side.

During the meeting, there were discussions about damaging the heads of the dead warriors so they couldn’t be revived as gangsters, as well as ways to resolve the discomfort and intimidation caused by the unique aura of the gangsters…

But the most important thing is still to give it our all from the beginning and destroy Gangaju.

If we fail, there’s a high probability that we’ll be the ones destroyed.

In the future meetings, we’ll decide who will lead the way, how to break through the gangsters, and how to kill Gangaju.

I summarized these points and informed Paengsoso and Samamonyeo.

“I understand what you mean, Jin Ga-ga. So, why does Hong Unni look so upset?”

“Well…”

I have a guess. However, it’s not certain, and it’s not something I want to say out loud, so I just shrugged my shoulders at Paengsoso without saying a word.

Hong Yeon-hwa, who noticed this, smirked and leaned on me.

“Hmm… I’m sorry for making you worried. It’s just because memories of my previous life as a noblewoman came to mind.”

“Your previous life as a noblewoman…?”

“Well, I mentioned to Mang and Yeoryeong that I came from a different world, but I didn’t tell them where exactly.”

“Yeon-hwa Unni’s world? Was it very different from here?”

Samamonyeo tilted her head in confusion.

“Wait a minute. You call Samamang-nim ‘Mang’ and ‘Yeoryeong’ as your second wife, but why do you call her ‘Unni’?”

“You fool, Your Highness. Do you see me and your mother as a package deal? Of course, I call myself ‘Unni’ because I’m younger than Yeon-hwa Unni and Soso Unni!”

“Ah.”

“Hehe… Your pride is something else. Did that bother you? I wanted to call the Head of the Manor ‘Unni’ too, but she refused.”

“Isn’t that natural? The Lady of the Manor is ten years younger than Mang. How could she listen to being called ‘Unni’?”

Oh? Come to think of it, that’s true.

Everyone else is younger than Hong Yeon-hwa, but Samamang is much older than her.

Even though she doesn’t use the term ‘Unni,’ she respects the dignity of the Head of the Manor.

“It’s complicated…”

“You don’t have to worry about those things. It’s a topic that has already been discussed.”

“That’s right. We’re not having this separate conversation for no reason. Jin Ga-ga just needs to treat us as cute as possible.”

“Didn’t Your Highness mention it before? You wanted us to be close if possible. We don’t want to make things difficult for you.”

“Well… Our perverted Prince has no intention of excluding anyone, right? So, let’s all get along.”

I was a little touched.

“So… I don’t have to worry about the small stuff and just continue as we are?”

Unable to contain my boiling desire, I pulled them one by one into a light embrace and kissed them gently.

“Eeek…”

Except for Samamonyeo, whose face turned red, not yet accustomed to such things, the room was filled with a heartwarming atmosphere.

In the midst of the silence, the first one to regain her senses was Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Ahem, ahem. The conversation veered off for a moment. So, it’s about the Lady’s world…”

She explained briefly about the state of her world and why the Great War of the Heavenly Realm occurred.

“I-It’s amazing, Unni! You went right up to the brink of the Martial Arts Unity! How…did you…ah…”

Samamonyeo exclaimed in admiration. But it seemed that Samamang focused on a slightly different aspect.

“The Lady wasn’t feeling good… Is it because she remembered the past?”

“It’s not because she remembered the past, but rather because she is angry at the wickedness itself. The Lady has seen firsthand how people can be corrupted.”

Hong Yeon-hwa sighed deeply.

“However, what the Lady is currently concerned about is not that. It’s because the gangsters’ methods are strangely familiar to her.”

“Familiar? What do you mean?”

“Just as it sounds.”

Hong Yeon-hwa sighed again, as if recalling something, and spoke with a melancholic gaze.

“A life where even tilling the fields for a lifetime is not enough to have a meal for two days. Lives that disappear at the whims of the powerful. Half and half, regardless of gender, become prey, consumed as ingredients for those who call themselves masters… A living hell where people are treated as cheap resources… This did not unfold overnight.”

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it?”

Until the Empire collapsed, it was said to be a place that functioned smoothly, so it must have taken quite some time for the commoners to corrupt.

No matter how weak humans are to desire, social norms don’t change so easily.

“Of course, on that side, the factions gradually changed, and on this side, we know that those who were corrupt from the beginning were the ones who caused trouble… Nevertheless, it feels too fast for you to feel familiar with the changes in just one month.”

“Fast? Isn’t it possible, considering that the guy we used to hear rumors about and the lunatic obsessed with power became the ones in charge?”

Hong Yeon-hwa slowly raised her head.

“It took ten years for my world to completely go mad. And for the next 40 years, it gradually deteriorated until I started the Great War of the Heavenly Realm.”

“…It took that long?”

Well, Hong Yeon-hwa had said that the world was a mess even before she was born. Her late mother was one of the victims.

“Do you understand now? One month is too short of a period. Even if they disregarded human lives from the beginning, it’s too short for everyone to be consumed by madness.”

“Hmm… I don’t really get it. I understand that Hong Unni feels discomfort in familiarity. But what’s the problem with that?”

Peng Soso tilted her head, perplexed. Samamang answered instead of Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Even if it takes a long time for the first thought to come up, it doesn’t require such a long time for the second thought. And if the changes come from orders from above, the speed will only increase.”

“Uh… So, what you’re saying is…”

“You’re probably right, Soso Unni.”

Samamonyeo spoke with a slightly rigid voice.

“Right now, Yeon-hwa Unni suspects that someone from the other world is sitting on the opposing side. Since it’s centered around blood relations, it’s difficult for outsiders to intervene. Maybe it’s Samamang?”

“Ah!”

Peng Soso turned to look at Hong Yeon-hwa with a surprised expression. I was also a bit surprised.

I thought that Hong Yeon-hwa was just recalling past events and getting angry at Onka and Samamang…

Hong Yeon-hwa nodded in response to our gazes.

“Of course, it’s just a suspicion. In reality, those bastards are not ordinary sons of bitches, you know. The people from that other world are nothing but cowards who thrive on survival of the fittest. There isn’t a single person in that world who doesn’t know of her existence, and there’s no one who dares to defy her even if they know she exists.”

Hong Yeon-hwa looked at me with her pink eyes sparkling.

Was she trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere for a moment? With a smirk, she responded to my curiosity, which I could clearly feel.

“Well, let me ask you this… why?”

“Because all those bastards either died at her hands or were beaten to a pulp right before they died!”

Placing her hands on her hips and thrusting her sturdy chest forward, Hong Yeon-hwa confidently answered.

“Wow! You’re so cool, Yeon-hwa Unni!”

And Samamonyeo clapped her hands excitedly, making a fuss.

She always enjoyed demolishing everything on her own.

Seemingly pleased with Samamonyeo’s reaction, Hong Yeon-hwa snorted and leaned her head towards me.

“Ahem, ahem!”

I gently stroked her round forehead as if pressing it firmly.

“That’s right, that’s right. No matter how many centuries have passed, no matter who’s in the way, we’ll eventually bring down every single one of them. And our Heavenly Lord will undoubtedly win this time too. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s correct!”

With a soft smile, Hong Yeon-hwa embraced me.

Feeling her warmth, I made up my mind.

Yes. It might get a little tougher unexpectedly, but we will definitely make it through this time too.

Because I and Hong Yeon-hwa will make it so.

***

As promised, Myeongwoljinin came to inform Samamonyeo of the latter part of the Sangcheong Bigyeol.

“What… did you say? Samamonyeo slept with Jin Sohyeop of the Jin Clan?”

“Uh, yes. That’s what happened.”

“Then what about the elixirs and talismans that the main Changmunin prepared according to the blank paper god?”

“Seems like it was all in vain…”

For the first time, Myeongwoljinin gave me a resentful look.