"Haaaaaaam."
Wei Yan-ho stretched out a long yawn.
"Ah, this is comfortable."
Wei Yan-ho threw his body onto the soft straw spread on the floor and twisted his body left and right.
Crack, crack.
The sound of bones rubbing together made his back feel incredibly comfortable. Wei Yan-ho stretched his arms wide, yawned, and lay comfortably on his back on the floor.
"Excuse me."
"...Yes."
"Don't you have anything cold?"
"Would you like some cold tea?"
"That sounds good. Please do me that favor."
"...Yes."
Wei Yan-ho was polite too.
The reception room of the Imperial Palace was certainly very comfortable, but this place wasn't bad in its own way either. To be honest, this place was a bit more comfortable. The reception room of the Imperial Palace was naturally more physically comfortable than this place, but there was the mental discomfort of receiving excessive treatment.
Moreover, there was even the urgency of having to desperately enjoy this moment since he didn't know when he might be kicked out.
But this place didn't have such things.
He could just comfortably enjoy the present moment. Besides, this environment—though it's hard to explain exactly—was somehow invoking a sense of nostalgia.
The damp walls full of moisture and the moss growing in various places… how should he put it.
"Terrible."
Of course it was terrible. It was terrible, but didn't Wei Yan-ho already have experience spending five years in an even worse environment than this?
He didn't want to admit it, but perhaps he had grown attached to the cave environment during those five years, as it gave him a comfort he hadn't experienced recently.
Moreover, there was plenty of food and drink that wasn't available in that place, so how could this not be good?
"And no Master either."
Wei Yan-ho flipped his body over abruptly.
'Master…'
Wei Yan-ho's eyes grew slightly subdued.
Thinking of his Master always brought up various emotions.
Longing.
Irritation.
And…
'I miss him.'
Wei Yan-ho looked up at the ceiling with a gloomy face.
When they were together, he was truly an irritating master that made him want to bite him to death. How much suffering had he endured under that violent oppression and unreasonable torment?
But as they say, even hateful affection is still affection, and now that his Master had ascended, the emptiness left by that absence was seeping into Wei Yan-ho like water soaking into paper.
'If only you had lived a little longer.'
If he had seen him roaming freely through the martial world, he would have smiled proudly and said 'That rotten disciple finally got beaten less'…
"It's probably better that he just ascended."
For his sake, for his sake.
Wei Yan-ho let out a quiet sigh.
"Foolish Master."
How could he not know that he was called the Sword Emperor? What kind of situation was this? If he had told him earlier, he too would have…
"No, well, nothing would have changed anyway."
It sounded like it would be full of troublesome work just from hearing about it, so there was no need for Wei Yan-ho to go around bragging about it. Actually, not long after coming out into the martial world, he had already noticed that his Master was tremendously strong.
Even those called the masters of the world would truly be unable to move even a finger when meeting his Master and would get beaten to a pulp.
Even Wei Yan-ho, who had become strong by enduring truly inhuman treatment for five years, would have no choice but to desperately search for ways to get beaten less painfully when his Master became serious.
If those gentlemen currently making noise about being Fist Supremes or Sword Immortals met his Master, they would truly learn what real education was.
'Well, that's why he was called the Sword Emperor.'
From what he heard, his Master was not only the best under heaven, but was discussed as the best of all time… but that was truly wrong.
'Discussed my ass.'
That man was the best in the universe.
Those people saying that the Heavenly Demon or whatever could be compared to his Master could only say such things because they had never met his Master and died.
If the Heavenly Demon had met his Master, he wouldn't have been the Heavenly Demon (天魔) but the Heavenly Horse. His Master would have beaten him down and ridden him around like a horse.
Only those who had never met his master would think such thoughts.
It wasn't that he was proud of his master. The more Wei Yan-ho came out into the martial world, gained enlightenment, clashed with other masters, and broadened his experience, the more he came to realize just how strong his master had been.
'He wasn't human.'
Even if there were a hundred of the current Wei Yan-ho, they would be swept away by his Master like autumn leaves in the wind. No, he might even see his Master happily laughing that there were many to beat up.
Because that person, despite having some foolish or mischievous tendencies, had a good heart, he was the Sword Emperor. If he had been even a little more evil, the greatest of all time in the demonic path wouldn't have been the Heavenly Demon but the Sword Demon.
It was only because they hadn't been beaten by the Sword Emperor that they dared to compare such weaklings as the Heavenly Demon to his Master.
"But…"
To surpass that?
"You should give people things they can actually do, Master."
Wei Yan-ho rubbed his stomach with a helpless expression.
The Inner Core inside his stomach was still forcing him to become stronger even now. No matter how much they say that a disciple surpassing his master is the master's greatest reward… his Master telling him to surpass himself was child abuse.
Well, he was originally someone who committed child abuse anyway.
In that sense…
"Excuse me?"
"Yes?"
"Is the cold tea still far off?"
"..."
"And rubbing my stomach made me a bit hungry, so please give me another meal."
"...Yes."
The guard's cheek twitched.
'Does this bastard have a demon in his stomach?'
How long had it been since he finished eating a meal that several people should share, and now he was asking for food again? Damn it, his digestion was good too.
"But may I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"I said may I ask you something."
"Please give me the cold tea first."
"...Someone else went to get the cold tea."
"Then there's nothing we can do. Go ahead and ask."
The guard gulped and asked.
"That… I heard the person inside was brought in for high treason."
"Yes. That seems to be the case."
"But you seem very comfortable?"
"Because I am comfortable."
"..."
The guard's eyes began to waver.
"You're saying you're comfortable when you were brought in for treason? If that's true, an execution will be carried out soon. You're about to have your head cut off, how can you be comfortable?"
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Wei Yan-ho laughed calmly.
"I don't die that easily."
At that moment, a slightly high voice was heard.
"Of course not."
The guard and Wei Yan-ho's heads turned simultaneously.
Then the guard quickly bowed his head. The face of the guard who had lowered his head turned deathly pale.
'E-Eunuch Nok!'
The person walking inside was definitely Eunuch Nok.
Eunuch Nok Nok-gi.
To be precise, he should be called Grand Eunuch Nok, the head of the Eastern Palace. But most people in the Imperial Palace called him Eunuch Nok out of respect for him.
The living power of the Imperial Palace.
The one who wielded absolute power, said to make flying birds fall and mountains disappear with a gesture, that Nok-gi had now appeared in the Imperial Palace prison.
'This is the first time.'
Although countless people had been imprisoned in the Imperial Palace prison, this was the first time Eunuch Nok had entered to visit one of them.
Even though countless people who could be called Nok-gi's subordinates and those who could be called his political enemies had passed through this place, Nok-gi had never personally visited this place even once.
That tremendous event was happening now.
"I pay my respects to Eunuch Nok."
"Step outside."
"B-but…"
"Are you going to make me say it twice?"
The guard turned pale and bowed his head again.
"I will clear the area immediately."
"Hmm."
As the guard hurriedly went outside, Nok-gi looked at Wei Yan-ho with a subtle smile. A confrontation began between the two men with the prison bars between them. Of course, Wei Yan-ho was still lying on the straw.
"Is there anything uncomfortable?"
"People seem to be quite cunning."
"Hm?"
"When you sit, you want to lie down, and when you lie down, you want to sleep. After sleeping soundly, now the bed is uncomfortable. The straw is soft, but it's rough and makes me toss and turn in my sleep."
"Hahahaha! That's right, that would be so. How could such a precious body toss and turn in sleep? I'll specially have a high-quality bed placed in your prison cell. Consider it an honor. You'll be the first to use a bed in the Imperial Palace prison."
"Hehehe, I'm grateful for your consideration."
"Do you know who I am?"
"I have ears too."
"Who am I?"
"Royal Eun… no, they said you're Grand Eunuch Nok."
Royal Eun?
It seemed like he was about to say something but stopped… Nok-gi became curious about what he hadn't said.
"Yes, you know well."
"Yes."
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"There's nothing particular to say. Actually, we're not close enough to have things to say to each other."
"That's true too."
Nok-gi slowly nodded his head.
"But I know you very well. From the time you ruined my long-planned scheme, I've been tracking your every move."
"You have a bad habit. Obsession isn't good."
"Hohoho, thank you for the advice. You truly have the qualifications to be called a hero."
"Yes?"
"If you get out of here, that is."
"..."
"At your young age, possessing such martial prowess, if time passes like this, you'll become the best under heaven. Then countless glories will accompany you."
"Come on, would that really happen?"
"You must know that my words aren't just jokes?"
"..."
Nok-gi smiled broadly.
"If you don't die in this place, there's a high probability that will happen. But you've been brought here as a traitor, and your brilliant future has now virtually disappeared."
"I told you I don't die."
"Hahahahaha!"
Nok-gi laughed loudly.
It was meant to be a hearty laugh, but the eunuch's characteristic high voice made it grating on the ears.
"If you're trusting in Prince Yi, I'd like to tell you to come to your senses now."
Wei Yan-ho's eyes narrowed slightly. Seeing those eyes, Nok-gi smiled broadly.
"Prince Yi certainly wields great influence over His Majesty. But in this matter alone, he absolutely has no power. Because it's none other than an attempted assassination of the Crown Prince. Rather, he must desperately prove that he has no relationship with you. Otherwise, his own neck will be on the line."
Wei Yan-ho chuckled.
"People in the Imperial Palace have strange ways of thinking."
"Hm?"
"How well would I know that gentleman to expect anything from him? I don't expect anything."
"Then how can you be so confident that you won't die?"
"Because I'm a martial artist."
"A martial artist?"
Wei Yan-ho nodded vigorously.
"My father said that martial artists live by righteousness, and that righteousness transcends the laws of the world. He said that the ultimate righteousness that transcends the laws of the world is chivalry."
"Hooo?"
"So my friends won't just leave me here. They'll probably come to rescue me soon."
"I see."
Nok-gi nodded greatly.
"Are these the friends you're talking about?"
As Nok-gi pointed behind him, Wei Jeong-han entered through the dark corridor.
"Father!"
Wei Yan-ho jumped up from his spot.
"As expected, Dad! You came to rescue me!"
Wei Jeong-han answered calmly.
"No. I was captured too."
"..."
Discovering that Wei Jeong-han's hands behind his back were properly bound with rope, Wei Yan-ho turned his head to look at Nok-gi.
Seeing Nok-gi smiling contentedly, Wei Yan-ho asked with a servile smile.
"...What do I need to do to get out alive, Grand Eunuch?"
"Kneel."
"..."
Wei Yan-ho quietly knelt down.