Episode 199. Grand Duke Hwamu Ryong
After a passionate dawn that no one knew about, the day broke.
From early in the morning, someone was looking for Hwayeonjeong’s residence. He was a young man with a face that fit the description of a devoted man. He looked to be young, but he was wrapped in silk that ordinary people would never touch in their entire lives. With every step he took, the hem of his clothes fluttered elegantly, and it was due to the subtle flow of the magic energy. His appearance was truly that of a nobleman, but he suddenly stopped walking and opened his mouth.
“I came to say hello to my mother.”
“Hello, Sogaju. I hope you had a peaceful night.”
A woman dressed as a concubine appeared as if she had suddenly fallen from thin air, and at the same time, she knelt on one knee and bowed her head as she spoke. Not only was she dressed like that, but she was actually a close associate of the great lady, Hwa Yeon-jeong. Although she was acting as a concubine, she was actually a person of Hwa Yeon-jeong, the real power in the Hwa family, and she was a kind of confidant. But surprisingly, she was showing the highest courtesy to the young man who had just appeared.
If one knew the young man’s status, it would have been natural to accept it. In this Shaanxi Hwa clan, there was no one more noble than him.
By the way, the woman in the dress called the young man ‘Sogaju’. It’s not that the current head of the Hwa clan didn’t have other children besides Hwayeonjeong, but the one who was officially promised the position of the next head of the clan was none other than Hwayeonjeong’s son. To be exact, it should be said that he was the bloodline of Magwangcheonju Yeonjunghyeok.
The true identity of the young man was the Demon Lord Hwamu Ryong.
“Peace? You ask such an obvious question. There is no one who would dare harm Confucius. It is a foolish question.”
Hurry up and send the message━ That’s what Hwamu-ryong added. Was it because of the mood? The maid who had slightly raised her head to answer felt that Hwamu-ryong’s expression seemed to be filled with some kind of anticipation. However, she didn’t dare to guess Soga-ju’s intentions and lowered her head again.
“I am sorry to say this, but Your Majesty has ordered that no one approach you all night long. Although you are the head of a household, Your Majesty’s orders are very strict… … .”
In other words, it was difficult to convey the message. Even the concubine would not want to disobey the Sogaju or do anything that would make her speak twice, but what if the Magwangcheonju descended upon the residence of the great lady Hwayeonjeong? Not only would she be reprimanded by the person she was serving, but she would have been extremely cautious about committing an irreparable disrespect to the master of the Central Plains Magic Island.
Meanwhile.
Hwamu Ryong’s slightly embarrassed expression disappeared, perhaps because his movements had been stopped, and he slowly began to reveal his anger. He had been receiving martial arts instruction from the two elders of the clan—guests dispatched from the Magwangcheon sect and masters of the Extreme Demonic Realm. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that they were disciples and disciples. They were in a very special relationship. That was why he had heard that his father—Geumryeong, the guardian deity of the Magwangcheon sect—had visited for some reason. He had seen Geumryeong a few times. He had been badly burned in the past, but he had transformed after reaching the Extreme Demonic Realm and had a normal face, but he still wore a half-faced mask—the fact that he had come allowed one to make one guess.
‘… … Maybe my father has come.’
Hwamu-ryong was a noble prince of the Central Plains Magical Domain since birth. What a shock it was to learn that the family’s prestige, wealth, and powerful magical martial arts that had naturally surrounded him since birth were actually only recently born!
And ever since he realized that all of these things were rooted in his father, Magwangcheonju, the lord of the Central Plains Magic Clan, Hwamu-ryong has been trying hard to gain his father’s approval in any way he can. This was true even without his half-brothers, who were his half-rivals—one from each of the other Magic Clans except for the Shaanxi Painters.
Although he could always clearly feel the presence of the Heavenly Lord of the Magwang River, strangely enough, Hwamu-ryong had never properly met his father. He was also worried that he was ‘Hwamu-ryong’ and not ‘Yeonmu-ryong’. That is why he worked hard and worked hard to be able to act as a son with confidence whenever he met his father. Maybe deep down, he was longing for his father’s affection.
Anyway, I had some expectations and went there on the pretext of saying hello to my mother. If I had thought about it properly, wouldn’t I be able to meet my father and have a chat with him?
However, a mere sibbi dared to block his path. If Hwamu Ryong had been like that, he would have easily slapped the sibbi several times, even if he didn’t take his life. However, he had considered the possibility that his father, Magwang Cheonju, had descended. If his father and mother were together as expected, they would have been aware of his every move with overwhelming aura even from inside the residence, so he didn’t want to show himself as a bad person for no reason.
His father is the lord of the Central Plains Magical Circle, Magwangcheonju. He is a supreme being who even commands the highest level of magicians, who can be called the lords of a clan, with a single word. It is not appropriate for a successor to be upset about something like this and to act like he is being swayed by it.
After barely suppressing his surging anger, Hwamu-ryong spat out his words as if chewing on something.
“Are your eyes ornaments? It’s been a long time since daybreak.”
“… … .”
It was a single word that pointed out in an old-fashioned way that the order of mother Hwa Yeon-jeong to “not approach during the night” was practically taken away as the day had dawned. The maid was unable to respond properly.
“It is natural for children to care about their parents’ well-being. No matter how much you were ordered to do so, you neglected your duty last night and failed to look after your mother, so I, as a Confucius, cannot help but feel even more worried. I must confirm her well-being with my own eyes, so do not stop me.”
It would be better not to test my patience any longer━Hwamoo-ryong said as he passed by the woman of the sect. He wasn’t talking to her alone. Although they were not showing their faces, I could sense that Hwayeonjeong’s escort troops were hiding everywhere. Hwamoo-ryong walked, fluttering the hem of his silk robe.
As I walked along the flat stones on the ground, I soon found myself in front of my mother’s bedroom, which was surrounded by a small wall.
‘There is someone.’
Hwamu Ryong narrowed his eyes and thought. It was because he felt the presence of another person along with his mother’s familiar presence. The unknown person did not emit a strong aura, but rather gave off a faint presence that made him wonder if he was the culprit. However, Hwamu Ryong began to have expectations because of this.
The woman who had stopped him from walking seemed unsure whether there were any visitors inside. The escorting troops must have been the same. Anyone who could fool their senses and arrive here would not be ordinary. Also, if he was a mine, it was reasonable to assume that he was a master who had reached or even surpassed the highest level of ki, given that he could hide his ki to this extent.
It was natural for Hwa Moo-ryong to be a little nervous before opening his mouth, as he was visiting the residence of the great lady Hwa Yeon-jeong at this late hour, and perhaps spending a long night with her. This was because he had in mind the long-awaited meeting with his father. Soon, Hwa Moo-ryong carefully opened his lips.
“Mother. It’s Muryong.”
“Come in.”
As if he had been waiting, Hwa Yeon-jeong gave permission, and Hwa Moo-ryong licked his dry lips for no reason and went inside.
As soon as you open the door, you will see a familiar sight. Although it is called a bedroom, it is the private space of Lady Madam. The interior is larger than the yard of an ordinary commoner’s house. On one side, there is a bed and various beddings, and around it, colorful pieces of cloth hung in long strips, appropriately covering the bed and adding an old-fashioned feel.
“… … .”
Hwa Moo-ryong, who had been visiting his mother almost every day, could easily see that the position of the bed had changed slightly compared to usual. It couldn’t be anything but strange. As far as he knew, his mother’s sleeping habits weren’t that bad.
“You came a little earlier than usual.”
The voice came from the other table. Hwa Yeon-jeong, the mother of Hwa Moo-ryong and known as the Madam of Mado, was sitting in an elegant court dress, tilting the teapot and muttering. I thought she would walk when the tea cooled down. For some reason, there was a hint of regret mixed in her tone.
Meanwhile.
Across from Hwayeonjeong, there was a man sitting with his back straight. He was sitting defenselessly, enjoying tea like a scholar, but strangely, Hwamu Ryong could not find any gaps in him. This meant that he was a highly skilled warrior. The golden mask covering half of his face strangely suited him.
“… …Why is Your Majesty here so early in the morning?”
Hwamu-ryong spoke in a slightly depressed voice. In the end, this time, the meeting with his father, Magwang-cheonju, did not take place. Although he was a noble prince of the Demonic Realm, he was cautious when dealing with Geum-ryeong. This was because his mother had taught him this from a young age. Masters of the extreme demonic realm should be respected according to the logic of the strong and the noble, and especially Geum-ryeong and Eun-ryeong, who were the subordinates of his father, Magwang-cheonju Yeon Jung-hyeok, had chosen to live a life in the shadows, turning down personal wealth and power, so they deserved even more respect.
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness.”
Geumryeong quietly put down his teacup and said. He didn’t bother to get up or show any special courtesy. Grand Lady Hwa Yeonjeong and Grand Duke Hwa Moo-ryong didn’t blame him either. Geumryeong and Eunryeong were the subordinates and confidants of Magwangcheonju Yeon Junghyeok, and they were no different from his right-hand men.
For a moment, Geumryeong’s gaze was strange as she stared at Hwamu-ryong, but Hwamu-ryong guessed that he was trying to gauge his past achievements and tried to express his energy more proudly.
“I heard that you visit the great lady morning and evening. Your filial piety is so great that it seems that you are just like the Lord, and it is very pleasing to see. Your military achievements are also advancing by leaps and bounds, and I am happy to see you making great strides.”
“Is that so.”
Whether it was because he was told that he resembled his father or because of the compliments that his skills had improved, Hwa Moo-ryong’s expression began to brighten as he answered awkwardly. And the great lady Hwa Yeon-jeong, who was watching the conversation between the two with a somewhat pleased look━
The conversation continued smoothly for a while. Hwamu-ryong mainly asked about Ma Gwang-cheon-ju’s safety, and Geum-ryeong naturally talked about the current martial arts situation in the Central Plains along with his answers.
“… … Even though the Lord of Heaven has subdued the Anhui Nanggong Family, the power of the Shaolin Temple in Hanam is incomparable to that of a single family. Since the Dabang Clan has been around for a thousand years, it would be right to be very cautious in its attacks. They also have a close relationship with the imperial family, so if they start a conflict with Shaolin, the imperial army could be mobilized. It is not something to be afraid of, but the number of people and the imperial army are a nuisance in many ways, so the Lord of Heaven intends to prevent the imperial family from interfering in the affairs of the martial arts world first.”
“Official duties are inviolable… … .”
“Yes. That’s why Eun-ryeong was dispatched to Beijing. If things go well, the intervention of the Hebei Peng family can also be ruled out. They are not a martial arts force, but rather a family with deep ties to the military.”
“Then, what did the Lord Geumryong do…?”
“As soon as the inviolability of the official duties is established, Boncheon will attack Shaolin. At that time, the Hwasise family is to attack Hwasan and Jongnam, according to the order of the Heavenly Lord. So that they do not dare to support Shaolin. It will not be a difficult task. There are two extreme demon masters here, and I will help you if necessary.”
It was a ban on speaking of the outbreak of a full-scale war of the true demons. He said that he had first discussed it with the extreme demon masters dispatched to the Hwasiseaga and had come to immediately report the results to the great lady, Hwa Yeonjeong.
Is it because it is a serious matter?
In the meantime, the fact that his mother’s bed was noticeably messy or that its position had subtly changed had long since disappeared from Hwamu-ryong’s mind.
