Chapter 369: Be careful with flames when you wake up, let’s check even the extinguished ones again (12)

Mak Seok desperately thrust out his weapon.

Clang! The clash of sword tip and palm exploded with a sharp bang.

Hmph. I’m no longer some pathetic rag struggling against fake Flame Mirror masters.

Now I’ve evolved into the supreme transcendental, the absolute Qing.

Qing’s massive internal energy condensed into fierce force seeped through, dull and heavy, piercing Mak Seok’s palm.

Mak Seok spat blood, staggering back five paces.

Qing brimmed with pent-up fury.

“I am! The princess! How dare you! Deny it! What the hell! Do you think I’m nothing?!”

Each word bristled with emotion as fierce sword strikes flew.

The Sword Aura traced half-circles while Mak Seok, busy fending off the blows, summoned only flickering embers instead of roaring flames.

The strikes flew straight but suddenly bent, slicing his forearm. The blade’s path twisted sharply—still a fierce attack.

Examined closely, the sword movements resembled the Moonlight Sword style of the army.

But the strikes twisted awkwardly mid-air, turning and bending at right angles—clumsy, foolish moves like children imitating warriors.

Still, the sword energy was strangely powerful and unpredictable; Mak Seok barely managed to defend against the relentless onslaught.

Suddenly, the energy split into three!

Mak Seok gritted his teeth as blazing flames wrapped his shoulder—

Thud!

Suddenly, a harsh force pushed Mak Seok from behind, making him stagger involuntarily.

It was the Northern Army.

Fearlessly, they thrust their spears to aid the fight of the masters.

Yet even when five sharp crescent blades simultaneously stabbed from behind, it was like hitting a cliff—the grip felt like it would tear apart, yet no wound was inflicted, only barely pushing Mak Seok a step back.

But masters’ battles are cautious even in breathing.

Qing herself once blinked and narrowly escaped having her chest pierced by three crescent blades.

Mak Seok wavered mid-fight.

Qing’s Moonlight Sword traced three overlapping crescents, swirling violently. Then her side was sliced open, fingers diagonally severed, falling on the frozen ground.

“Aaagh! How dare you!”

Mak Seok’s eyes rolled wildly.

Suddenly, pure blue energy surged all over his body—clear light streaming toward the sky like sunlight.

If a Kunlun sect master saw this, their eyes would spin like Mak Seok’s. But how would distant mountain hermits see this?

As the energy flowed skyward, Mak Seok’s body slowly began to rise.

Qing lowered her stance cautiously.

Suddenly, dark objects flew in and covered Mak Seok.

A pitch-black net.

One swiftly spread over Mak Seok’s upper body, followed by nets unfurling like spider webs from all directions, ensnaring him like heavy weights swinging and wrapping tight.

Mak Seok, wrapped in five nets, struggled helplessly like a wild beast and fell awkwardly, landing on his ass from three stories high.

“Nice!”

Wow, the net!

When Qing suffered it, nothing annoyed her more.

But using it on an enemy, she thought, what a wondrous weapon this is.

Qing smiled slyly, repeatedly stabbing with her sword.

Her expression was utterly shameless.

“Wait, ugh, that’s dirty, not fair, ugh.”

“What? Dirty? You’re the one who attacked en masse while pulling the cart—what fairness are you talking about!”

Each time Mak Seok swung his arm, the sound of the net snapping tudududuk rang out loudly.

But he was still wrapped in five layers.

No matter how much he cut, something always caught him.

Reach out and the net stabbed his side; retreat and the net held his feet; turn his waist and it felt like his hair was grabbed, jerking him left and right.

Anger swelled more and more in Mak Seok’s eyes.

Ah. I know that feeling.

Qing sympathized fully and pulled her sword back sharply.

Then a violent thrust stabbed into Mak Seok’s right lower chest, dull and heavy between his chest and abdominal muscles.

Qing’s eyes flickered with fiery spirit. The rotating energy felt like soft insides twisting, tearing, and Qing smiled brightly as she ripped her sword free.

“Kuh-ack.”

Mak Seok coughed up thick blood.

He curled up on the ground, vomiting blood mixed with pieces of his innards.

The fierce rotation of the Whirling Wheel Sword had shredded his insides; he was practically a corpse barely clinging to life.

Qing swung her sword once, scattering the blood and entrail fragments.

She grunted slightly and sheathed the heavy, long Moonlight Sword.

It was a fine sword, but so long that she had to stretch her arm fully, making her posture look a bit awkward.

****

Mak Seok died wrapped in nets at the crossing of dozens of spear tips.

Few knew the Golden Guard expert was not a full Flame Mirror master, so after Mak Seok’s death, vigilance didn’t end immediately.

Only after a long watch did a general approach, flipped the corpse with his foot, and carefully searched its folds.

Holding the jade token in hand, the general pretended to wipe it with care while examining it closely.

Five dragon claws, nine phoenix feathers.

Anyone with common sense would recognize the symbol belonging only to the Emperor’s consort.

The general rubbed the beautiful golden engraving, unable to estimate the skill that made it.

What kind of intrigue had they been caught up in?

The Emperor secretly tried to kill his own brothers.

The Empress sent the princess to obstruct him and rescue the prince.

But the general was known as a competent commander even among the Northern Army’s Daesoon Heavenly Battalion.

That was proof of ambition.

Those without ambition stay low even if capable; those with ambition but no skill never rise.

The unusual palace intrigue was the moment ambitious men awaited.

A chance to spread their wings and fly.

The general knelt and respectfully extended the jade token.

“Northern Army General Lee Moga greets Your Highness.

Please forgive my foolishness for failing to recognize Your Radiant Eyes.”

“I have hidden my identity, so I do not blame you.

Therefore, General, you are innocent. I guarantee it.”

Qing readily forgave.

Not only mentally but in essence, Qing was naturally straightforward.

She did not hold a grudge over casual speech.

She had never been treated with such offense.

“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy.”

“Thank you!”

The Northern Army bowed deeply in unison.

The general glanced at the cart.

Though Duke Deokhyeon was surely inside, no appearance was made—better to pretend he was not there.

“Well then, what is Your Highness’s destination?

We wish to have the honor of escorting you.”

“No. I am heading south.

You are leaving the north empty; fulfill your duty there.”

The south meant Guangxi or Guangdong.

Guangxi had the Susi royal family.

The general understood the operation’s true meaning.

Meetings of princes were among the Emperor’s greatest hates.

When a few princes command all soldiers in a province, their forces are huge.

It was tantamount to admitting treason.

So Duke Deokhyeon had to move secretly.

Official visits would be seen as prince gatherings, revealing treason.

Moving covertly gave the Emperor a chance to act.

Disguised as bandits, the princes would be quietly slaughtered.

The Golden Guard laughed at the idea of giving them funerals.

Though called traitors, the kingship would be maintained quietly, with official mourning.

A suspicious meeting of princes.

The Emperor’s attempt to stop it.

Yet the Empress supported the princes?

This could lead to a change of the throne’s master—a chance to become a merit of a new reign.

The general, alone, dreamed and schemed.

Still, being competent, his plans were not far off.

Originally, the Empress had merely handed a jade token to the princess so she wouldn’t be cowed anywhere.

The Rear Palace was preparing to drive out witches allied with the fake Yeonsul and Tianzhu, but that was all.

Regardless, the general’s gaze was resolute.

“Princess, this is my humble opinion.”

He took out a token from his chest and offered it respectfully.

“I will gather the Northern Army’s loyalty and wait. When Your Highness needs, we will burn ourselves for you.”

Qing never refused gifts.

She took whatever was offered.

Collecting tokens was becoming strangely enjoyable.

Yet as Qing received the token, the general’s heart thundered.

Offering his token meant swearing loyalty no matter what happened next—he gave himself fully.

“Then we will clear the battlefield and return. Until next time, please take care.”

He meant to clean the bodies of Golden Guard and destroy evidence before leaving.

Qing agreed and quickly pulled the cart, eager to leave.

She didn’t want to reveal her weak eyes, so she just accepted the token for now.

Then she frowned, pulling the token close to examine it.

The front bore the words: Northern Army, Daesoon, General.

The back had three characters, likely a name.

Putting it together:

Northern Army Daesoon General, Lee Jaseong.

Qing tilted her head in confusion.

Why give this?

An invitation to visit the north?

Why did friends always give tokens inviting her to visit?

Of course, it wasn’t for Qing herself but to deliver to the Empress.

Qing was practically one with the Empress as her daughter.

But Qing did not know.

Because she was Qing.

****

The Golden Guard were all dead, so there was no reason to avoid the north.

Heading north, after half a day pulling the cart, the city of Sunyeonghyeon would appear.

As they pulled the cart, suddenly Jayu quietly opened his mouth.

“Um. Friend. No, um. So. Um, yeah, princess? Yeonsul? Sohal?”

It was surprising this had not come up until now.

The mannerisms from childhood still remained.

After all, even as a child he was no longer a child—he was a nephew who was nearly as tall as the seventeen-year-old prince at the time.

Yes, that was why when first meeting in Sichuan, that manner and voice felt familiar and he instinctively spoke warmly.

But then why?

Why hide her identity and ask to be friends with her uncle?

Qing scratched her cheek and answered.

“Um. Honestly, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t know. No memories.

My memories in the Central Plains begin from five years ago? Wow, five years already? Time flies.

Anyway, I woke up in a cave, that’s all.

Then this summer I saw Her Majesty the Empress Dowager at Shaolin Temple, who said the princess in the palace was a fake and I’m the real one.”

Ahem.

“Do you even know Yeonsul, friend? Am I really that similar? Didn’t the Golden Guard say I was prettier?”

“Honestly, after hearing that, I thought you were very alike.

But no memories? I heard you were seriously ill.”

“I don’t know. I told you, no memories.

Why, do I look like a princess to you?”

“Honestly, you’re just a wild colt.”

Jayu’s lips curved into a mischievous grin.

“Hm, nephew.”

“Damn it, nephew my ass. I’m Seomun Qing, not Yeonsul Princess.

I just used that name earlier because I was surrounded by enemies.”

“But even so, your bloodline doesn’t change.

Nephew, don’t talk disrespectfully to your uncle.”

Yeon Pa’s face hardened listening to the conversation.

What was this?

Did this vulgar tomboy really act like she was the princess?

If she really was?

If Seomun Qing’s identity was truly that of the princess?

Yeon Pa’s body trembled.

If the real identity of the brat was the princess—

His eyes shone with joy.

Truly the best.

________________

TL Note

Here’s a TL;DR on the adaptation of Asian terms in the chapter’s translation: