At the center of the Emperor's Hall, on a chair upon the dais, sat the Family Head, Namgung Byeok, as was natural.
To his left and right, in single lines, stood the Corps Leaders of the Emperor Sword Corps, Azure Sky Sword Corps, Flying Swallow Sword Corps, Boundless Sword Corps, and Lightning Flash Sword Corps, along with the elders.
Of the people who should have been present, only the Heavenly Wind Corps Leader, Namgung Il, who first brought the news, and the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader, Namgung Hu, were missing.
The expressions on the faces of all who had gathered were uniformly serious, hinting at the gravity of the discussion taking place.
The Fall of the Emperor When the Moon is Full, I Shall Become King.
Every conversation that had taken place here since the early morning had been about these eight characters.
At first, there had been a slight clash of opinions regarding the interpretation of this phrase.
But now, there was no longer any disagreement on its meaning.
The Fall of the Emperor When the Moon is Full.
Without much thought, it was a phrase that signified the downfall of the Namgung Family.
The Namgung Family had called themselves the House of the Emperor since ancient times.
The ‘Emperor’ here referred to the Namgung Family, and ‘When the Moon is Full’ must refer to the wedding taking place on the day of the full moon.
From the beginning, there could be no room for debate on this point.
The difference in interpretation did not arise from the first four characters written in Bone Script.
It was from the latter four, written in blood—the Blood Script.
I Shall Become King.
I, who walk slowly, will become king.
There was a heated debate among those gathered here as to who this ‘I who walk slowly’ might be, but in the end, a firm conclusion was reached that allowed for little argument.
The chaotic discussion currently underway was about what should be done with the person identified as this ‘I who walk slowly.’
“As I have been saying since a while ago, this is a clear act of slander!”
The leader of the Azure Sky Sword Corps, Namgung Jung, spoke forcefully as he looked around the assembly.
As the only elder in the Namgung Family to also serve as a Corps Leader, his standing was high enough to be on par with Namgung Byeok.
Naturally, his voice carried considerable weight in such a meeting.
“It has not even been a year since the Saber Star joined our family. That means he still wields no influence within the family. That will not change much even after he marries Hye-a. Don't you all here know that better than anyone? In the first place, the young man called Saber Star is not a Namgung. By what means could such a person possibly threaten the position of the Namgung Family Head?”
The Saber Star Namgung Jung spoke of was Do Heo-ok's title.
His voice was filled with a conviction that left no room for other possibilities.
As if in response to Namgung Jung’s words, a number of elders nodded their heads.
“Are you suggesting we suspect the man who is to become our family's son-in-law, all because of a bizarre phrase crafted from the blood and bones of our family warriors by an intruder who killed them in such a gruesome manner? The people of the Murim will laugh at the Namgung Family. What would a man who is about to become the son-in-law of the Namgung Family have to gain from plotting such a thing? I simply cannot understand why the entire Namgung Family is in such an uproar over the malicious slander of a single vicious intruder.”
However, the leader of the Boundless Sword Corps, Namgung In, who was from a younger generation compared to the elders, had a different opinion from Namgung Jung and the elders.
As soon as Namgung Jung seemed to finish speaking, he immediately began his rebuttal.
Although Namgung In was a generation below Namgung Jung and the elders, he was a candidate for the next Family Head of the Namgung Family, supported by the young warriors.
Thus, regardless of his generational standing, he was a man of considerable influence within the family.
“I do not agree with that opinion. While the intruder was indeed cruel and trespassed upon the Namgung Family's grounds, I believe we need to pay attention to the eight characters he left behind: The Fall of the Emperor When the Moon is Full, I Shall Become King.”
“Look here, Boundless Sword Corps Leader. It’s clear to anyone that ‘Chakyeo(余)’ is a Character Decomposition pointing to Do Heo-ok(途). Are you saying that the intruder's so obviously revealed trick is worthy of our attention?”
Namgung Jung immediately interjected at Namgung In's words.
In response, Namgung In once again countered Namgung Jung.
“It is for that very reason that I believe we must pay more attention. The intruder went to great lengths to ‘secretly’ infiltrate the Namgung Family, only to kill the Heavenly Wind Corps warriors ‘for all to see’ and carve eight characters with an all-too-obvious meaning onto the ship. This means that his purpose was not to invade the Namgung Family to kill someone or to spy in the first place. And consider the three streaks of light he emitted as he left the ship, the thing the family members are now calling the Three Sacred Lights. After finishing his work, he sent a powerful signal as if to say, ‘Come and see what I have done.’ Then, he immediately vanished like a ghost once more.”
“So you are saying we should apprehend Do Heo-ok based on the unconfirmed slander of an intruder? A new groom who is to marry a daughter of the Namgung Family in a few days? And what will you do if it is later revealed to be slander? Also, if this matter becomes known to the people of the Murim, how will you handle the aftermath, and how will you face Hye-a from now on?”
“Being disgraced before the world is a secondary issue. Even if this is the intruder’s slander, I believe it is right to first restrain Do Heo-ok. If, by any chance, the intruder's words are true, wouldn't that be a much greater disaster?”
Namgung In paused for a moment, scanned the assembly, and continued.
“To dismiss it merely as slander, the intruder’s actions were very bold, and his abilities are exceptional. I apologize to the Family Head and the esteemed elders, but who among us here can replicate the light that appeared at dawn? This is not a matter of whether one has learned the Solar Divine Art or not. Even if someone in the Namgung Family had learned the Solar Divine Art, a person with enough Internal Energy to produce such an intense light… with all due respect, I do not believe is present here.”
“Your words are a bit too much…”
“Enough.”
Just as one of the elders was about to flare up at Namgung In’s somewhat impertinent words, Namgung Byeok raised his hand to stop him.
Namgung In's words were provocative and direct.
But for that very reason, they were factual.
Namgung Byeok knew this well, which was why he had cut the elder off.
At that, Namgung In gave Namgung Byeok a light Fist-and-Palm Salute and continued to express his opinion.
“We do not know how he created those streaks of light, but seeing as the ship is unharmed, it is certain that it was not a flash from a Thunderclap Bomb. If that's the case, we must assume it was caused by the Solar Divine Art or a similar martial art, and I believe that such profound Internal Energy is impossible for anyone other than one of the Two Gods, Three Monsters, Five Pinnacles, and Ten Greats. I am afraid of what might have happened if such a person had attacked the Emperor's Hall at dawn. However, that person chose to leave those eight characters rather than attack the Emperor's Hall. Considering this fact, I believe we must prepare for all possibilities with an open mind.”
“You say he is one of the Twenty Strongest Masters?”
Namgung Jung waited until Namgung In had finished speaking before retorting.
In his view, Namgung In’s words were not entirely baseless, but he believed they contained a fatal flaw.
“Then why can’t such a great figure come forward and speak openly?”
“The Twenty Strongest Masters do not consist solely of the Orthodox Faction. That must be why.”
“Do you think that makes sense right now? If he is not of the Orthodox Faction, why would he help us? No, in the first place, secretly infiltrating the Namgung Family and killing the family’s warriors is in itself an act of deceit and an attack against us. How can that possibly be considered helping us? That person is simply a Killing Demon who brutally murdered our innocent family warriors, and a wicked trickster.”
“What I mean is…”
“That is enough.”
Seeing the atmosphere growing overly heated, Namgung Byeok, unable to watch any longer, stepped in to mediate.
“Both of you are right. As the Azure Sky Sword Corps Leader said, it is true that the intruder is suspicious, and as the Boundless Sword Corps Leader said, it is also right that we should not ignore even the smallest possibility. Isn't that why the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader and the Heavenly Wind Corps Leader are out there investigating right now? Let's all be patient and wait a little longer.”
Whether Namgung Byeok's words had an effect, everyone fell into silence at once.
In truth, everyone gathered here was waiting for the Heavenly Wind Corps Leader and the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader.
The two were the first to bring news of the Blood and Bone Script and the Three Sacred Lights, and they were already absent from the meeting to secure evidence related to this matter.
Currently, the Heavenly Wind Corps members were scattered throughout the family grounds, searching for the intruder who created the Blood and Bone Script and the Three Sacred Lights.
If that person was hiding within the family grounds, no matter how much of a master he was, it would be difficult to evade the eyes of the Heavenly Wind Corps.
Although the Namgung Family estate was vast, there were not many places to hide.
No matter how skilled a master was in the Stealth Art, if he was hiding within the Namgung Family grounds, he would not be able to escape the eyes of the Heavenly Wind Corps.
Everyone gathered here believed so.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Thunder Corps had gone out to scout the Hefei area in preparation for any contingency.
If some force intended to move against the Namgung Family on the day the moon is full, there should be at least some minimal movement by now.
The Heavenly Wind Corps had been dispatched early in the morning to confirm this in advance.
With Namgung Byeok's final words, a heavy silence descended upon the Emperor's Hall.
Regardless of whether Namgung Jung or Namgung In was right, the fact remained that someone had infiltrated the Namgung Family.
No matter how one looked at it, it was an unsettling situation for the Namgung Family.
How much time had passed like that?
Shhhk!
The sound of rustling sleeves broke the long silence of the Emperor's Hall.
It was the sound of someone using their Lightness Skill to enter the hall.
It was Namgung Hu.
“Big Bro!”
In his haste, Namgung Hu called Namgung Byeok “Big Bro” instead of “Family Head” despite it being a formal setting.
Normally, Namgung Byeok would have chided him for his carelessness, but he, too, realized that Namgung Hu had brought some unusual news, so he only offered a heavy word.
“What happened?”
At Namgung Byeok’s words, everyone's gaze focused on Namgung Hu’s lips.
Namgung Hu was the Heavenly Thunder Corps Leader.
Therefore, the news he brought would not be about the intruder, but about matters outside the Namgung Family, especially in the direction of Hefei.
From Namgung Hu's grim expression, everyone gathered could tell that the news he brought was not good.
“None of the Heavenly Thunder Corps members who went out on patrol have returned to the family.”
“No one has returned…?”
“Yes, they were supposed to return within two hours, but not a single one has come back.”
Namgung Hu said they had not returned, but Namgung Byeok knew without asking that it meant they 'could not' return.
It made no sense for the family warriors to not return to the family grounds without reason.
For a warrior on patrol to not be able to return was, simply put, the same as saying they were dead.
“What do you think happened?”
This was not a question about the warriors who had gone on patrol.
It was a foregone conclusion that they were already dead; he was asking why they had died.
“We, the Namgung Family…”
Namgung Hu hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to speak heavily.
“…It seems we have been surrounded.”