Chapter 110

When I first realized that the only people in the world who could use the Zhu surname were those with imperial blood, I was stunned.
Sima, a Zhu Yuan Yuan.
She, too, wore the Zhu surname.
Thinking of her, I couldn’t bring myself to tell the princess that she was like her aunt, that she was the leader of an apostate cult, a wicked man who could raise dozens or hundreds of corpses, restore the power of sight, and manipulate them at will.
Perhaps it would scar the princess, and it would be a stain on the imperial family.
Now that she thought of it again, she could see a vague resemblance to Zhu Yingyong.
“You can’t kill me. No one. Not the heavenly horses, not the blood horses. Not even you. ”
I remembered that she had mentioned another horse.
“Do you think this will be the end.”
I remembered what she had said about the never-ending darkness.
“The spontaneous bloodshed you saw in your previous life will happen. Because of that madman, Tojin. Ho ho ho.”
Shima hadn’t stopped talking, even as her body was being torn to shreds. The words that had been dismissed as her ramblings at the time flew by.
“Someone will come along who will be no match for me, blood horse, and you’ll regret it, and before you know it, I’ll be in control.”
Shima’s words flashed through my mind like a flashlight. Heavenly horses, and the blood horses she spoke of.
“……?”
None of the names were out of the ordinary. Here was someone who was no match for Shima.
“……?”
I thought I’d better go find Ms. Tengi.
“…… over there!”
Boom!
Time seemed to stop. I was frozen in time.
When I regained consciousness, I froze at the sight of the princess’ face, which was hooked in front of my face.
Her breath tickling me.
I kept seeing her clear eyes and pale pink lips.
Her pearly white skin was clearer than the cold ice, and her flared nostrils added dimension, reminding me that a person’s external beauty could be so heart-stirring.
“Go, princess.”
She reached out and waved her hand in front of my eyes with childlike clarity, apparently waiting for me to regain consciousness.
“Huh?!”
I stammered, realizing her breath was so close to mine.
“……Princess.”
“Uh, you finally woke up!”
Zhu Yingyoung looked cheerful as she said that, and then suddenly realized that I was frozen, unable to say anything.
“That, that’s too close.”
She looked at me with a questioning gaze, then realized that she too was too close and blushed.
“Oh, no, not that…….”
Despite my embarrassment, I hadn’t realized the distance between me and her, and her and me.
“Bro!”
Maybe if it wasn’t for Wallie’s voice.
“What? Big brother, big sister, what are you doing?”
To her, I and the princess were brother and sister, and her gaze, clearer and more innocent than anyone else’s in the world, put distance between us.
After all, there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do in front of a child.
But.
“……alnarikalnari.”
The wall was bigger than I’d ever seen it. And he knew how to tease.
* * *
“……She is said to be born with the blood of the Shi family.”
Jie Gal Zhuhu set his jaw in a serious expression. Then, for the first time, he mentioned the Sixth Heavenly Period to me. He stretched out and unfolded the paper he had been writing on.
“Those who walk the way of the Mado…… nay, the way of Sama, are rising one after another. At the same time, their roots are each proclaiming their own calm.”
“These are the stories that Zhu Hu read in the Heavenly Qi at that time and I transcribed.”
Zhuge Liuhu also spoke with a serious face. I, too, could not easily erase the anxiety that rose from my toes as I looked at the sixth Heavenly Qi.
“……The abyss of the roots is deep, deep, deep, and endless. The dark shadows that seek the roots approach it without knowing its depths, and their madness and obsession only grows worse, so the dark clouds over the Zhongyuan Martial Forest will never dissipate.”
“I, too, have spoken of blood horses.”
Tian Qi and Zhuge Liang spoke of something I did not know.
“And the appearance of the Shima.”
“Tianma, the master of the Heavenly Horse religion.
Shima, the master of apostasy.
And.
“……Another master, the Blood Demon, may appear. If the heavens are right.”
“In the past, the appearance of the Heavenly Demon and Shima was enough to make all of us, the Righteous, step forward.”
As he reminisced about the past, Zegaljuhu shuddered as if his teeth were trembling. I, who was not present at the time, could only listen to his words in silence.
“You, the Divine Monk, Hui Yan, the Heavenly Divine Sword Namgung Mu Bai, and me. The combined strength of the four of us was enough to wipe out the Zhongyuan Martial Clan. If it weren’t for the masters of the previous generation, the misfortune would have come true.”
The mention of the Heavenly Demon is something I’ve heard many times.
The more I ruminated on his evil, the more the fear of it was transmitted to me.
“But he mentioned it, too.”
“Do not think that this is the end of it. I was only curious about you, who have the power of a hundred swords. ”
“What do you mean?”
“It means that a magus of the Heavenly Horse, who worships strength, chose to confront you out of his own simple curiosity. But there’s a catch.”
“There are two people more annoying than me. They are the ones I shudder to think of. Don’t get photographed by them. Hoo hoo.”
“The two people Tianma mentioned will never be erased from my mind.”
I suddenly remembered the Shima I had defeated.
“One of them is Shima.”
“Yes. And she was also one of the two people the demon mentioned.”
“The Blood Demon is undefeated, and Shima is immortal. You must remember that. ”
What does it mean to be undefeated.
What does it mean to not die.
I looked at Jegaljuhu as he read the zodiac. It was a moment that reminded me of my priorities.
“Then we should move, shouldn’t we? If it’s in the Heavenly Qi that we should find and kill the Blood Demon.”
“It is not. Don’t worry, Van. We have light.”
At those words, the Heavenly Emperor and Zhuge Linghu shook their heads.
“The sunlight that shines on Zhongyuan must work together with the roots, and the clear blue ones in the forests of Zhongyuan must work together with the old pines and the buds, or they will all be consumed by fire.”
“And one of them, I believe, is you.”
* * *
The time with the princess passed quickly, and as she was busy preparing for the Fengyun Festival, I was unable to spend much time with her either, so I emptied out the entire hall where the guests of the Southern Palace were entertained, and decorated the place.
I had hired laborers and men to build a building that could accommodate two hundred or so of the Aged Dan, while the others were spread out in halls throughout Anhui.
The mission of the Aggies was given by Huang Tianhu,
“To escort and protect the princess Zhu Yingyong.
That was all, but I shook my head.
“Brother.”
“What’s wrong, half-brother.”
“For giving this brother such a hard time.”
“……Hmmm. What can I do when the princess is so curious about her brother.”
“That’s why I gave myself to you, not knowing your plight. Isn’t that right?”
Now that I was closer to Huang Tianhu, I could speak without hesitation.
“…… Tell me what you want.”
At Huang Tianhao’s words, I smiled a smile of conversion.
“You don’t think that everyone who gathers at the Fengyun Branch is here just for harmony.”
For now, the Fengyun Jie was scheduled to begin tomorrow and the day after that, but would they be gathering for the sake of unity?
Shaolin, Kunlun, and Qingsheng might be.
Nan Gong, Jie Gal, and Fang Ga could be.
But.
“Right now, Huang Boshe alone is clear about their purpose.”
The Huang Bo family has a clear purpose. They have the princess of the Huang Clan, and they have the most powerful member of the Huang Clan, the monkfish leader Huang Tianhu.
It’s clear that they want to gain recognition and rebuild the Huangbao family. The memory of being under guard for over a year would be a lifelong shackle.
“So they’re coming because of the Huang Family.”
“Not all of them.”
Huang Tianhou decided that I had a point. He looked at me quizzically, then smirked.
“So you’re asking me to take charge of the Fengyun Branch Council.”
“……If you’re not uncomfortable, that is.”
It’s a difficult request. But it’s a request I must make.
If the center of the Pungwoonjihoe becomes Gu Pilebang or Yukdae Sega, it would be very likely to be one-sided, and the original purpose of the Pungwoonjihoe would be lost, and it would become a competition.
It would be a shame to waste the opportunity we’ve created.
“Ban Ao.”
“Is it difficult?”
Huang Tianhou shook his head in disbelief, then looked at me.
“What’s so hard about it? You’re willing to listen to my difficulties again. After talking to Mr. Zengal, I can understand how difficult your path has been.”
By Mr. Zegal, he meant Tian Qi Zegal Zhu Hu, and when had she ever gotten to know him well enough to talk to him?
“Such is your request. What can I not do?”
I told him that it was no big deal, but Huang Tianhou smiled kindly, and I was instantly relieved.
“I was thinking that I should get to know you and make your face known. If I can repay you for your kindness, it would be a good thing for me.”
It was a difficult task to meet the head of the Gu Pile, to understand their unseen interests, to realize their wishes, and to lead the Fengyun Branch safely. Nevertheless, it was entirely for my own good that she trembled and spoke in front of me in a way that made it seem like nothing.
“Thank you. Brother.”
“What do you mean.”
“No, it’s a difficult thing, which is why I’m asking you to do it.”
“Do you really think it’s difficult.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then please continue.”
Huh? Continue……?
“There he is, back there.”
The squeaky princess hid behind a tree and looked at me.
“…… again?”
I whirled around to face Huang Tianhu with a resentful glare.
“……He’s gone.”
I could see the empty seat.