Chapter 19
The True Nature of the Medicine Sent by the Crown Prince
As Song Hoe entered the room, he flinched at the sight of the two men seated before Lee Hwan.
But Lee Hwan’s safety came first.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. No need to worry. For now, keep watch over the Peng clan. If anyone approaches the barracks, drive them away.”
Song Hoe hesitated, eyes fixed on the two men.
“Not leaving?”
“…”
Reluctantly, Song Hoe stepped outside.
Then, the conversation between Lee Hwan and the two men began.
Lee Hwan’s first question was about the fall of Daeya Fortress. But the answer he received was deeply disappointing.
“You’re saying you don’t know why Daeya Fortress fell either?”
“No, sir. The elders only told us that the descendants of the Sword King’s family would know.”
Lee Hwan could not hide his disappointment.
The man, Cheol Mu-ok, wore the same expression. With a puzzled look, he asked:
“You mean you truly know nothing, my lord?”
As the heir of Daeya Fortress, they had expected him to know more than anyone.
“There are reasons. I’ll tell you when the time comes, so just be patient.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Drink.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Gongson Tae raised their cups. The three drank together until dawn.
They spoke of many things, yet remained ignorant of the most crucial. Not only the fall of Daeya Fortress, but also the fact that all contact with the lineage of the Poison King had ceased long ago. Once again, Lee Hwan was left disappointed.
‘What in the world happened?’
The question surged up again.
That’s when Cheol Mu-ok cautiously asked,
“Why didn’t you seek us out?”
“I told you. There were reasons.”
He wanted to tell them everything—but couldn’t.
Who in the world would believe in reincarnation? Even Buddhist monks who preached rebirth would chase him off with a staff if he claimed to be reincarnated.
“First, we need to find the ronin who passed on the Soul Separation Technique.”
“Indeed.”
“Does that mean you’ll be leaving?”
“No rush.”
In the past, Lee Hwan would have left immediately. But not now. Ironically, Cheol Mu-ok’s formidable strength made him more cautious.
‘It’s not yet time to return to the martial world. I am not perfect yet.’
Drip.
Clack.
Lee Hwan set his cup down and looked Cheol Mu-ok straight in the eye.
“I’ll be staying here for the time being. If you’re going to be with me, go out into the city before sunrise and return. If anyone asks, say you came looking for me. And while we’re together, address me as ‘Royal Highness.’”
“Understood.”
Shortly afterward, Cheol Mu-ok and Gongson Tae left the military camp. It was still pitch black outside, so no one saw them.
Song Hoe entered.
“May I ask who those men are?”
“You’ll find out soon. For now, just be patient. They’ll be staying with us, so treat them well when they return.”
“They’re staying with us?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not exactly…”
Lee Hwan refilled his cup and asked something else.
“What did you think watching Peng Mu-wi and that man fight?”
“I felt powerless, first and foremost. Both of them are masters far beyond my level…”
“What else?”
“I envied them.”
“How long do you think you could last against Peng Mu-wi?”
“You mean, me—not you, Your Highness?”
“Right. You.”
“Well…”
After some thought, Song Hoe answered in a subdued voice.
“If I fought like my life depended on it… maybe thirty exchanges.”
Clack.
“At your current level, you could die anytime. Starting tomorrow, you’ll all train together whenever there’s time. If you want to reach the level I expect, be prepared to put your life on the line.”
“You’ll be training us directly?”
“Not me. That friend from earlier.”
“…!”
Song Hoe’s eyes widened.
“What’s with the face?”
“You mean someone we know nothing about?”
“I already told you—they’re friends who’ll be staying with us. If I made the decision, you follow it. No questions.”
“Understood.”
“Now get going.”
“Yes, sleep well.”
As Song Hoe left the room, his mind was full of questions.
He still couldn’t shake off his suspicions about Cheol Mu-ok and Gongson Tae. While he trusted Lee Hwan unconditionally, that alone didn’t erase the doubts.
‘He called His Highness “lord”? Does His Highness have his own private forces? That can’t be. If they were personal troops, they wouldn’t meet like that…’
He had always thought he knew everything about Lee Hwan. But he had never once heard of him having his own private men.
He thought back to Cheol Mu-ok.
‘That monstrous man is going to train me?’
A strange feeling welled up.
Remembering Cheol Mu-ok’s overwhelming strength in his duel with Peng Mu-wi sent shivers down his spine. If a master like that trained him, wouldn’t he become strong too?
Thump, thump.
His heart pounded.
In truth, Song Hoe had always longed to be a great master. He hailed from the prestigious Mount Hua Sect, but never reached the essence of its teachings, stalling his growth.
But now, opportunity had come knocking.
If he trusted Lee Hwan, he could trust Cheol Mu-ok. That thought resolved everything.
Squeeze.
Song Hoe clenched his fists.
The hope of becoming a true martial master wiped away all his doubts.
‘If I’m going to do it anyway, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.’
Song Cheon-mu approached.
“Something good happen?”
“Ahem! Nothing at all.”
Cha Joong-kyeong asked,
“Can’t you tell us too?”
“You don’t need to know, brat.”
Smack!
“Ow!”
Song Hoe smacked Cha Joong-kyeong on the head and disappeared into his room.
Cha Joong-kyeong rubbed his head, grimacing.
“Ugh! That guy… I bet I could beat him in a duel, but I can’t just challenge him!”
“Are you looking down on generals from Yeon?”
“Not all generals are strong. There are tons of officers weaker than me who hold ranks just because they were born with a silver spoon. You think they’re rare?”
“You’re not wrong. Having a powerful background often gives one a head start. But most people still have to fight hard to reach those positions.”
“…You really think so? That they’ve all fought hard?”
“You mean me?”
“No.”
Cha Joong-kyeong gestured toward Lee Hwan’s room. Song Cheon-mu smiled.
“Who knows. Even I don’t fully understand His Highness.”
The next morning.
Cheol Mu-ok and Gongson Tae returned to the camp. The guards stopped them.
“Halt!”
“We’re here to see His Highness.”
They presented a document bearing Lee Hwan’s seal—something he had handed over the day before.
Upon confirming it, the guards quickly stepped aside.
As they made their way back to Lee Hwan’s tent, Gongson Tae spoke.
“Isn’t this strange? He has no descendants, yet he calls himself one. Even setting that aside, if he’s truly the Lord’s heir, he should be one of the top martial artists.”
“He said he has his reasons.”
“And you believe that?”
“For now, we have no choice. So drop it.”
“…”
The truth was, Cheol Mu-ok felt the same. How could someone of the Lord’s bloodline not know the reason for Daeya Fortress’s fall?
Even more perplexing was that Lee Hwan was a prince of Yeon.
‘If he wasn’t adopted, that means either the Emperor of Yeon or a royal relative is a descendant of the Lord…’
There were many unanswered questions. But Lee Hwan knew too many secrets—details only known to his own bloodline.
Most notably, he knew of the existence of the Three King Tokens—a top secret known only to their lineage.
Smirk.
Lost in thought, Cheol Mu-ok chuckled to himself.
‘To think I was intimidated…’
The first time they sat face to face, he had tried to remain calm, but it felt like standing before a towering mountain.
Even Lee Hwan’s casual remarks had an undeniable weight, enough to silence resistance. That oppressive aura made up for his disappointing martial prowess.
‘As the Lord’s heir, he should at least be that much.’
“Look over there.”
Gongson Tae pointed.
Cheol Mu-ok turned his gaze and smirked. It was the Peng clan’s guards.
“They didn’t recognize us because we were masked, right?”
“Sharp ones can tell just by your eyes.”
“So what do we do?”
“What else? Just deny everything.”
At that moment—
Growl…
A fox poked its head out and growled toward Peng Mu-wi’s tent.
“What’s gotten into him? Now that I think about it, he growled at the Peng clan last night too.”
Cheol Mu-ok furrowed his brow.
“Could it be…”
“You suspect something?”
“Let’s ask the lord.”
Moments later, the two entered Lee Hwan’s tent.
Song Cheon-mu greeted them.
“Welcome.”
“Is he in?”
“Yes, go on in.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Gongson Tae stepped inside.
Lee Hwan and Song Hoe were finishing breakfast, sipping tea.
“You’re early.”
“We followed your instructions and got in easily.”
“Sit.”
The two sat across from Lee Hwan.
Song Hoe tactfully stepped away.
“You must have many questions.”
“To be honest, yes.”
“You’ll learn in time, so be patient.”
“Can’t you just tell us now?”
Lee Hwan’s gaze turned cold.
“You’ve been questioning me since yesterday. Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
“N-not at all. Forgive me, my lord.”
“Use the proper title.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Gongson Tae politely asked,
“What are we to do here?”
“Your positions are my bodyguards. But you’ll have other duties.”
“…”
“First, help train the ones outside. They have potential. Mold them properly.”
“Even the one from the Black Tiger Corps?”
“He’s the only one who’s seen the ronin’s face. If he dies, everything falls apart. So at the very least, he must be able to survive on his own.”
Gongson Tae interjected.
“You shouldn’t trust someone from Jo too easily.”
“There you go again.”
“…Understood.”
Lee Hwan took a sip of tea and suddenly asked,
“By the way, you wouldn’t happen to have an elixir, would you?”
“Pardon?”
“You know, something that boosts internal power when taken.”
“…No. But why do you need that?”
“Their internal energy is lacking.”
It was a bold lie, and though it stung his conscience, Lee Hwan took another sip of tea.
Cheol Mu-ok watched him and asked,
“Did you, by any chance, give someone from the Peng clan a dose of Devotion Incense?”
“The one you fought.”
“Why him…?”
“To confuse you guys, obviously.”
“…”
Song Cheon-mu entered with more tea, cutting the conversation short.
“Carry on. I’m off to see General Jeong.”
“Take care.”
After Lee Hwan left, a fox poked its head from Gongson Tae’s robes and started barking.
“You rascal.”
Song Hoe scowled, but it was no use. Gongson Tae smirked.
“It’ll be like this for a year.”
“What do you mean?”
“Devotion Incense lasts a year. So for a whole year, this fox will only look at the general.”
“What are you talking about? Devotion Incense?”
At Song Hoe’s reaction, Gongson Tae looked at Cheol Mu-ok.
[So the lord hasn’t told him yet?]
General Jeong Cheon furrowed his brow.
“You want to appoint more personal bodyguards?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Not really, but if you keep bringing in private soldiers, people will talk. As you know, the Left General serves under Prince Yi Hwang. If word reaches the palace, Your Highness might be in trouble.”
“I’ll handle it. No need to worry.”
“…”
Lee Hwan popped a fruit from the tray into his mouth and changed the subject.
“What’s happening with Jo?”
“No major movements yet, but they’ll strike back soon. They’re not the kind to take a beating quietly. That’s why I suggest—”
“If you’re going to tell me to return to headquarters, I won’t hear it.”
“…”
Lee Hwan stood and gestured to the fruit.
“Mind if I take these?”
“…Go ahead.”
“See you around.”
“Take care, Your Highness.”
Jeong Cheon watched him leave and let out a hollow laugh.
‘He never used to touch fruit. Just how much has he changed?’
Crown Prince’s Palace.
Crown Prince Yi So sat across from a middle-aged general.
“Did you find anything?”
“Yes. General Peng Mu-wi, sent to the southern front under Prince Yi Hwang, suffered several defeats. As a result, morale in the camp is very low.”
“The second prince must be fuming.”
“Securing the southern corps is key to influencing the western front. He must be reeling. Thankfully, General Jeong Cheon, under General Hwang, recaptured a base and eased the pressure. But, Your Highness…”
The general tilted his head and continued.
“Do you know anything about Prince Yi Hwan’s martial skills?”
“He showed promise in his youth, but then his growth stopped. I pitied him and secretly fed him elixirs through others, but they didn’t help. Why do you ask?”
“Word has it that Prince Yi Hwan is now extremely skilled. A few days ago, he supposedly killed several of Jo’s Black Tiger Corps single-handedly and even captured one. That’s not all—his temperament has changed so much he seems like a different person.”
“He did all that?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
A smile briefly flickered across Yi So’s face before vanishing—too quickly for the general to notice.
“He was always talented. Perhaps a brush with death changed his character. In any case, good news.”
“I think so too.”
Yi So brought the teacup to his lips.
‘So the medicine worked.’
The medicine he sent to Yi Hwan previously—it wasn’t just a remedy. It was an elixir to enhance internal energy.
Of course, it was a secret. He had sent it as a blessing—hoping Yi Hwan wouldn’t face danger again. And now he had taken down members of the Black Tiger Corps.
He was pleased.
‘No matter what anyone says, you are still my younger brother. So hold on, and hold out—until I call for you.’
