Everyone's gaze focused on Wei Yan-ho.
But Wei Yan-ho whistled and turned his head the other way.
'They're looking for you, man!'
People stared at him with bewildered expressions, but Wei Yan-ho calmly ignored their gazes.
"I asked who Wei Yan-ho is."
The Golden Guard frowned as he looked at the head jailer.
"Uh, well…"
Just as the head jailer was about to raise his hand, he caught sight of Wei Yan-ho raising his fist behind the Golden Guard.
'What am I supposed to do!'
His expression alone conveyed the clear message of 'if you say anything, I won't let it slide.' It was a threat that a powerless Imperial Prison head jailer couldn't handle.
"I don't really know either…"
"What?"
The Golden Guard looked at the head jailer with disbelief.
"Aren't you the head jailer?"
"Y-yes, I am."
"But you don't know who the prisoner is?"
Of course I know.
Of course I know, you fool.
But if a person says everything they know out loud, ten necks wouldn't be enough.
"I apologize."
The Golden Guard, who had been staring intently at the head jailer, turned his head to look at Wei Jeong-han, who was standing in front.
"Who is Wei Yan-ho?"
Wei Jeong-han snorted.
'What do these bastards take me for?'
No matter how much he wanted to beat that damn kid to death, how could he so easily sell him out when he didn't even know why they were looking for him!
Besides, weren't these Golden Guard bastards? There was no way those guys had come for anything good, so even if a blade came to his throat!
"That bastard over there."
Wei Jeong-han confidently pointed to his son across from him.
Wei Yan-ho, who had been looking at Wei Jeong-han with bewilderment, gaped his mouth wide open.
"Wooow…"
"…"
"Wow, amazing, he's selling out his own son."
"I haven't received anything in return, so it's not selling out. I should cooperate when important people are working."
"Wooooow."
The Golden Guards turned to look at Wei Yan-ho and spoke in cold voices.
"Come out."
"I don't want to."
"…"
Bewilderment began to appear on the Golden Guard's face.
"Can't you understand what I'm saying? I told you to come out right now."
"You're the one who really can't understand. I said I don't want to."
"…"
The Golden Guard looked at Wei Yan-ho with eyes that said 'what kind of person is this?' This was the Imperial Prison, and he was a Golden Guard.
No matter how arrogant a person might be, the moment they entered this place, their spirit would usually be crushed. And facing a Golden Guard was something even current high-ranking officials found uncomfortable.
But what was this young bastard relying on to be so confident?
"Come out!"
"I said I don't want to!"
"Come out right now before we drag you out."
"Hey, you can't drag me out anyway."
"You, you bastard!"
As the Golden Guard was about to lose his temper, the head jailer hurriedly approached and grabbed his sleeve.
"What!"
"Over there…"
The head jailer raised his hand and pointed to the prison bars that were full of repair marks.
"What is this?"
"He broke them with his bare hands, came out, then went back in."
"…"
"Please don't think of him as an ordinary prisoner…"
Of course, that wasn't Wei Yan-ho's doing but Wei Jeong-han's, but weren't they birds of a feather?
The Golden Guard retrieved information about Wei Yan-ho from his mind.
'Come to think of it, wasn't this bastard supposed to be an incredible master?'
It was a part he hadn't particularly paid attention to. No matter how skilled someone might be, from the moment they were confined in the Imperial Prison, they were nothing but criminals.
He had thought that if this guy could have escaped pursuit, he wouldn't have been captured and brought here so obediently.
But the broken prison and Wei Yan-ho's appearance before his eyes began to overturn his thinking.
'He's a type of human I've never seen before…'
He had thought that surely he wouldn't dare oppose him, but looking at Wei Yan-ho's face, it didn't seem like a situation he could be so reassured about.
He swore that he had never in his entire life seen a face so full of malice.
It was a face that looked like it would beat up Golden Guards and everyone else without a second thought.
Naturally, the Golden Guard's voice softened slightly.
"Ahem, cough."
After clearing his throat several times, the Golden Guard opened his mouth.
"I, I don't intend to cause any harm, so please come out for a moment."
"I don't want to."
"Didn't I just say I'm not trying to do anything bad!"
"Hey, my father told me never to follow people who try to lure you away with sweet words."
"I, I did?"
Wei Jeong-han felt very wronged.
That was certainly something you should say to young children, but he had never once said such a thing to Wei Yan-ho.
Well, that was quite natural. There was no reason to say such things to a guy who never went outside the house.
"What am I, some kind of human trafficker? I'm a Golden Guard! Would a Golden Guard do such things within the Imperial Palace?"
"You're not saying you're going to traffic people, but aren't you trying to lure me to the execution ground like that?"
"What execution takes place at this time of night! I've never even heard of a beheading at night!"
"Oh?"
Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.
"Now that you mention it, that's true."
"And how could an execution for high treason be carried out without any notice? If your head were to be cut off, it would be done in broad daylight with all the people gathered to watch, so you don't need to worry about that."
"…That's quite comforting."
Wei Yan-ho chuckled and opened his mouth.
"Then where are you trying to take me?"
"I cannot tell you that."
"Why not?"
"The Imperial Palace has many secrets."
Wei Yan-ho looked at the Golden Guard with a blank expression, then turned his head to ask Wei Jeong-han.
"What should I do?"
"For now, it would be better to cooperate. After all, wouldn't it be better to give a good impression rather than be branded as uncooperative?"
"Hearing that makes me even less want to go."
"Why did you ask then! Why!"
Wei Yan-ho lazily got up from his seat.
"I'm comfortable and don't want to move…"
"It won't take long."
"Yes. Well, I'll trust you and go once. People dressed in such fancy clothes probably wouldn't deceive an innocent person."
As Wei Yan-ho approached the door, the head jailer frantically opened it. He was afraid that if he didn't open the door in time, Wei Yan-ho would break it down and come out.
Otherwise, they might have to create a new crime of 'destruction of Imperial property.'
Wei Yan-ho, who had come outside, cheerfully waved his hand at Wei Jeong-han and the others.
"Well then, I'll be back."
"…Just go get beheaded."
"Why don't they execute people at night!"
Fierce curses poured out from here and there, but Wei Yan-ho acted as if he couldn't hear them at all, smiling brightly as he urged the Golden Guard.
"What are we waiting for?"
"Ahem, let's go."
Watching Wei Yan-ho follow the Golden Guard outside, Wei Jeong-han sighed.
'What the hell is going on?'
Even at this point, Wei Jeong-han was afraid of what kind of trouble Wei Yan-ho might cause.
"Wow, the Imperial Palace has charm even at night."
"…"
The Golden Guard looked back at Wei Yan-ho with bewilderment.
'What is this guy?'
From what he knew, this bastard had been staying within the Imperial Palace for nearly ten days. But why was he acting like someone who had entered for the first time today?
"With so many fires lit, it's as bright as daytime. No wonder it felt strangely bright outside when I was sleeping. For good sleep, they might need to put out some of the fires."
'Let's just ignore him.'
In the short time they'd spent together, the Golden Guard had already figured out Wei Yan-ho to some extent.
Rather than have a conversation with this guy, it would be more constructive to wash his feet and go to sleep.
The only problem was that he had a mission and couldn't immediately separate from this bastard.
"You need to go inside here."
"What?"
"Didn't you hear? I said you need to go this way."
"All the way? Aren't we going together?"
"I cannot enter this place. If you go a little further, there will be people to receive you."
Wei Yan-ho shrugged and asked.
"Still, since I'm a criminal, having me move around alone like this is a bit worrying. What if I escape from prison?"
"If you were going to do it, you would have done it already. I know you're not imprisoned because you lack the ability."
"Hmm…"
As Wei Yan-ho looked at him as if surprised, the Golden Guard raised his hand and pointed ahead.
"Over there. Do you see that wooden pagoda?"
"Yes. It's huge."
"Go there."
Wei Yan-ho nodded quietly.
He had more than a few questions, but it didn't seem like he would get any answers from asking this man. Not that he was trying to hide something, but from his demeanor, this man didn't seem to know much either.
Besides, moving Wei Yan-ho wasn't something a single Golden Guard could do. Wei Yan-ho was currently a criminal guilty of high treason.
"Yes. Then I'll go. When will I come back?"
"They'll give you instructions there."
"Yes. Well then."
Wei Yan-ho waved once and walked away with a swagger. The Golden Guard shook his head.
'They say martial world rogues are utterly rude, and that's exactly right.'
Having grown accustomed to the strict etiquette of the Imperial Palace, Wei Yan-ho's behavior didn't look good to him at all. So it would look even worse to the person he was about to meet.
"I promised there would be no execution, but…"
The man smiled bitterly.
There might be no immediate death, but going to that place now could confirm his death. It wasn't a lie, but it felt a bit bitter.
The man sighed softly and turned around.
"It's bright."
It felt like walking on a flower path.
As if guiding Wei Yan-ho to follow, torches were lit in a row on both sides of the path. Following the torches' guidance, Wei Yan-ho was able to spot the eunuchs guarding in front of the wooden pagoda.
"This way."
"Aren't you going to ask who I am?"
"This way."
The eunuchs blocked Wei Yan-ho's words with disciplined movements and began walking ahead.
'These people feel a little different?'
All the eunuchs he had met so far had a very gloomy feeling, perhaps because they belonged to the Eastern Bureau, but he could sense righteousness from the eunuchs he was seeing now.
'Royal eunuchs are very different.'
It was a moment when his prejudices about eunuchs were shattered. Among them too, there were truly loyal subjects who dedicated everything for the Imperial Family and the Emperor.
The eunuch began climbing the wooden pagoda ahead of him.
'Wow, this is incredibly high.'
It looked very tall from the outside, but actually climbing it felt endless. Well, how high would a wooden pagoda that appeared to be nine stories be?
Only after climbing the spiral staircase for quite a while did a large door appear. Despite being a nine-story wooden pagoda, it seemed there was no real space except for the top floor.
As he approached the door, it opened before he could even speak. The eunuch bowed deeply and entered inside, and Wei Yan-ho also followed the eunuch through the door.
"Hmm?"
Upon entering, a large space appeared. At one side of a tea table in the center sat a middle-aged man, with several eunuchs standing around.
"You may leave."
As soon as the middle-aged man sitting in the center finished speaking, the eunuchs bowed deeply in greeting and backed out the door while maintaining that posture.
Wei Yan-ho was still wide-eyed, not understanding what was happening.
The middle-aged man quietly looked at Wei Yan-ho, then slowly opened his mouth.
"Do you know who I am?"
"No. But I think I can guess."
The man smiled gently.
"Yes, it's as you guessed."
The man nodded greatly and spoke in a voice that was by no means loud. But those words reached Wei Yan-ho's ears all too clearly.
"I am the Emperor of the Great Ming."