Invitation to the Chatroom of the Gods - Chapter 17



Only Krnovel

Episode 17 – Killing Two Birds with One Stone (2)

There is a saying, “Well water does not violate river water.”

Well water. That is, water from a well.

Non-violation of river water. That is, not invading the river water.

Here, the water from the well symbolized the world of martial arts.

And the water of the river symbolized none other than the imperial family and government offices.

If we break this down, we can say that ‘the martial arts world does not invade the royal family or government offices.’

The reason was simple.

It was because the martial arts world could not dare to do anything to the royal family.

The masters of the martial arts world who had mastered martial arts possessed powerful weapons that were incomparable to those of humans.

The world of martial arts is full of masters who don’t even seem human.

So, if they join forces, it seems like they could even overthrow the imperial family.

But that was never the case.

Because there are countless such experts in the imperial family.

The imperial palace is where all the wealth and talents in the world gather.

No matter how much the martial arts schools fly and crawl, they cannot defeat the talented people who have grown and been armed with the wealth and treasure of the royal family.

Neither the old family nor the five great families can compare to the imperial family.

So there actually was a case like that.

There were quite a few sects that challenged the royal family and the government.

But it doesn’t exist now.

He was massacred by hundreds of thousands of government troops and thousands of royal family members, and his very existence was erased that day.

That’s why the martial arts world never touches the imperial family.

And the imperial family did not intervene much in the martial arts world either.

To the royal family, the martial arts world was like a hornet’s nest.

Each individual hornet’s nest is nothing special, but if all the hornets’ nests in the world joined forces and attacked, it would honestly be scary.

The result may be a victory for the royal family, but the damage is not insignificant.

If we deal with it, it seems like the royal family will also see blood.

Let’s just say, these kids are absolutely crazy.

So, an unwritten rule was created that official duties cannot be invaded.

A promise and contract stating that the government and military will not interfere with each other.

To put it simply, you guys, Murim.

I won’t say anything about you guys fighting and hitting each other.

But the moment the sparks fly to us, we won’t let it go.

So, all the martial arts groups in the world keep an eye on the imperial family.

Even the most famous of the nine great gentry in the world avoid the sight of the imperial character (皇).

Only someone as good as the Murim Alliance can even speak to the royal family.

Of course, heaven cannot even look at an unrelated criminal like me.

There’s nothing I can do about it.

But what is it now?

“You! Didn’t you hear what I said? Come out now and receive His Majesty the Emperor’s reward!”

The commander-in-chief’s scolding continued once again.

I really wonder what’s going on.

As I was just blinking, the soldiers around me started to look ominous.

···Now that I look at them again, their attire is unusual.

I couldn’t help but think of them as just government officials.

More than anything, this ominous atmosphere is shackling me.

It’s clearly an attitude that only those who have mastered martial arts would possess.

Of course, it’s not like government officials don’t learn martial arts.

In a world like today, it is even more important to learn martial arts.

But on average, the level is not that high.

After all, he was nothing more than a constable.

But look at these soldiers surrounding me now.

Sparkling eyes.

A murderous atmosphere.

All of those levels are unusual.

I could easily see that they were not mere constables, but members of the Imperial Central Army.

They are murderers who have grown up armed with the wealth and treasures of the imperial family.

And these imperial central forces do not move easily.

“Haven’t you heard that His Majesty just gave you a reward?”

Unless it is an order or decree from the Emperor.

An edict is an order from the emperor.

It means that it is not just a letter, but a message from the emperor.

As soon as I thought about it, my mind suddenly snapped.

I don’t know what’s going on, but I hurriedly ran towards Jukwancheon.

He knelt on one knee and paid homage to the emperor.

Only then did Ju Gwan-cheon show a satisfied smile.

“Listen to the missionary’s words!”

After a while, Ju Gwan-cheon unfolded the scroll he had brought.

And he shouted out the contents of it, muttering and hesitating, as if he were telling it to the whole world.

“Since ancient times, chivalry has meant that even in times of life-or-death crisis···.”

It was a long, long story.

To summarize, thanks to you, I was able to solve the salt bribery case.

It must have been scary, but you still acted with courage.

It was a long story with all sorts of embellishments added to it.

The writing is quite extraordinary, as it was probably written by a man of letters who passed the state examination.

I had to chew on the sentence three times to understand its meaning.

···So I just listened with one ear and let it go out the other.

About half an hour had passed.

The end was in sight.

“···Therefore, his achievements are highly praised!”

Ju Gwan-cheon took a deep breath and shouted loudly for the world to leave.

“I give one hundred gold coins to the missionary Cheongun!!!”

······what?

For a moment, I thought I heard something wrong.

No, wasn’t it ten gold coins just a little while ago?

But now, it has jumped tenfold to a hundred.

‘Didn’t you say you weren’t going to receive a reward in the first place?’

Moreover, this is not the end.

“Also, I grant Cheongun one hundred and fifty bundles of silk and five hundred seoks of rice!”

…This is fucking crazy.

What the heck is going on here?

“This is a reward from His Majesty the Emperor in recognition of your merits, so accept it gratefully!”

Looking at the situation roughly…

It seemed as if this bribery incident had reached the emperor’s ears.

Although the salt sales were a serious matter, there were some excessive aspects to them.

Perhaps it was the mastermind who made that sly smile.

If you were an inspector, you could submit a petition directly to the emperor.

Or maybe it was possible because Ju Gwan-cheon was a distant relative of the current emperor.

Anyway, this whole mess is because of that guy.

‘No matter how much money rots, it’s the same.’

Isn’t this going too far?

Even 100 gold coins are not enough; they overflow.

Add 150 bags of silk and 500 seok of rice to this?

Even though he is the emperor, his tomb is too big.

···Of course, I can’t accept it.

If I accept something like that, my life will be over that day.

The heavens were furious and said, “How dare you receive a reward that is too great for your merits and virtues?”

It is clear that this will take my life in one fell swoop.

The sky already hates me.

Thanks to your merits, I am barely hanging on to my life.

I’m sure he’ll take this opportunity to say, “That’s right!” and take my life.

If you receive it as a reward, you will die instantly, instantly.

But if I don’t accept it, it’s still difficult.

“Surely you are not thinking of refusing His Majesty’s reward?”

This was an award given by none other than the ‘Emperor’ himself.

It is no different from an imperial decree, so not accepting it would be tantamount to refusing the emperor’s order.

“Then I will punish you for treason!”

It can really be punished as treason.

I wonder if that’s really the case, but you never know.

That’s why it’s difficult.

If I receive it, I feel like I’m going to die instantly.

If I don’t accept it, I feel like my limbs will be torn off and I’ll die.

So, that was when I was wondering what to do about it.

‘Oh, yeah!’

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts and then said to Ju Gwan-cheon.

“I dare say that, like last time, I will not accept the reward.”

“What?”

Then, Ju Gwan-cheon’s expression suddenly became frowning.

The imperial central army that had been watching also became more and more fierce.

“This is a reward bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor himself. Do you really wish to be judged as a traitor?”

···I really intend to punish you for treason.

I don’t understand why he does that when the recipient doesn’t like it.

But it seems like Ju Gwan-cheon wants to reward me somehow.

But I too can never receive a reward.

That’s why I just said it.

“However, I cannot refuse the rewards that Your Majesty personally bestows. I dare to ask that you allow me to use the things you have bestowed upon me for other purposes.”

“Write it somewhere else? What does that mean?”

“As your Excellency knows, all the victims of this salt bribery incident are children without any connections.”

Namgung Hyuk deliberately targeted only those kinds of children.

Whether you have lost your parents or been abandoned by them.

They planned this incident by kidnapping only orphans and children without any connections.

Then, by mistake, I kidnapped Byuksami, and that’s how I got caught.

Fortunately, the incident was resolved without casualties, but its essence did not change.

“Fortunately, the children are not in danger of losing their lives, but the fact remains that their path to survival is bleak.”

Children without families still had nowhere to go.

Also, many children suffered serious injuries and suffered from bone diseases due to this incident.

He will have to live with illness his entire life, and so he will not live very long.

And this cruel world did not spare me just because I was a child.

It’s cruel, but that’s the reality.

That’s why it was a heavy burden that was sitting in a corner of my heart.

But now.

“I would like to share these gifts I received with children.”

With this gift, I had no worries at all.

It is enough money to treat children with bone diseases and to raise them well.

“Your Majesty, the grace you bestow is like the ocean, it is too much for me to embrace.”

It was like a real disaster, not a metaphor.

It is so excessive that you cannot avoid instant death the moment you receive it.

So, the plan I came up with was to sneakily give the children some of the gifts to avoid getting angry.

Children can live without worrying about money.

I can continue the line of life.

Isn’t this killing two birds with one stone?

So I’m waiting for the subjective answer.

“······.”

For some reason, Ju Gwan-cheon didn’t say anything.

The expression on his face was also unusual.

I wonder if this won’t work either.

Ju Gwan-cheon looked at me and opened his mouth.

“This is a reward bestowed upon you by His Majesty himself. It is yours alone.”

“I know.”

“And yet you’re going to share it all with the children?”

“Yes.”

“You just did the right thing, didn’t you? Even His Majesty’s reward is completely unnecessary to you?”

I don’t know, AC, that’s not what I meant.

“Yes.”

As soon as he said that, Joo Gwan-cheon shut his mouth tightly again.

And then for a moment.

“······Ugh.”

Joo Gwan-cheon suddenly burst into laughter.

And then, didn’t he just burst into laughter?

“Hahaha! Hahahahahahaha!”

…For a moment, I thought he was crazy.

No, look at that.

“Hahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!”

That guy is crazy. What exactly makes him crazy?

At the very least, it is clear that he is insane.

“Good! I respect your wishes, and apart from Your Majesty’s reward, I will personally take responsibility for the children involved in this incident.”

Before I knew it, my eyes opened wide.

“So, you take the reward as is. Is that okay?”

It was a subjective opinion that set out truly groundbreaking conditions.

I thought maybe he had really lost his mind.

But apart from that, my answer was set.

“If that is the case, please share the reward and grace that I will receive with other less fortunate people.”

“Ahhh, hahahahaha!!”

Joo Gwan-cheon started laughing like a crazy person.

The laughter, like a mad cow, continued for a while.

Only when his ears started to ring did Ju Gwan-cheon’s laughter stop.

“Very well! I will gladly grant your request. But!”

Joo Gwan-cheon continued speaking with a stern expression.

“There is one condition.”

Then, Ju Gwan-cheon nodded to one side.

The central imperial army hesitated after receiving the nod. However, under the fierce gaze of Ju Gwan-cheon, they brought out a small box and opened it.

Inside the box was a single, round, golden bead.

As I was looking at this in bewilderment, I heard Ju Gwan-cheon’s voice.

“It is the Holy Elixir of the Earth.”

The essence of the matter!

For a moment, my mind flashed.

If the Yoji Seongdan I know is correct, then this was an elixir.

It was a medicinal elixir so named because it literally had the energy to shake the earth.

An elixir that is considered precious even by the royal family and is not easily given away.

It is known as an elixir that is only given to those who have achieved great achievements.

A precious elixir that may or may not be obtainable even if all previous rewards are paid.

It is also an elixir that cannot be obtained simply by having money.

But why this···?

“This is on the condition that you receive it.”

Ju Gwan-cheon spoke to me right away.

“I’m telling you this in advance, just in case you refuse. This is not a reward for you. It’s a request to continue this kind of work.”

In simple terms, it means that you are given more to do good deeds.

But it was only in words; in reality it was no different from a reward.

So this was also a concern.

And did he even notice my feelings?

“If you do not even accept this, I will truly hold you guilty of treason.”

In the end, it means that whether you die here or there, it’s all the same.

There was nothing I could do about it.

If both paths lead to death, you should choose the path with the higher chance of survival.

I spoke with a miserable heart, as if I were receiving poison, not elixir.

“If that is indeed the case, I will accept this not as a reward, but as a way to repay Your Majesty’s kindness…”

“Yeah, yeah! Hahahahaha!”

Not knowing what other people’s speed was, Ju Gwan-cheon just burst into laughter as if he was so happy about something.

* * *

Ju Gwan-cheon ordered the imperial central army to collect all the gifts.

All that remains is a box containing the Swaying Earth Holy Elixir.

-Hahahahahahaha!

And it was the sound of Jukwancheon’s laughter that could be heard without stopping.

Even though it had been quite some time since he had left, the sound of Ju Gwan-cheon’s laughter echoed from afar.

“···Isn’t that guy crazy?”

I really think he might be crazy.

Eungseon nodded her head as if agreeing.

“Let’s quickly check the merits first.”

I quickly rummaged through my pockets and took out the folding chair.

My current conversion merit is 79 days.

Since it was a precious elixir of the Earthly Sage, it must have had considerable merit.

Maybe there is no merit left.

With a trembling heart, I unfolded the scroll and checked it.

[Conversion of Merit] – 86 days (+7 days)

“uh?”

···My mind was blown and I came to my senses.

Contrary to expectations that the merits would be greatly increased, they were even greater.

It wasn’t much, but it was still strange.

“Why is this···?”

I felt confused for a moment.

“Oh, is it because I gave the gifts to the children?”

It seemed that it had accumulated to the point of being an incomparable merit.

This has saved the lives of countless children once again, and has more than made up for the merits of obtaining the Yoji Seongdan.

“If this happens···”

Not only did he accumulate virtue with other people’s money, but he also safely reached the Yoji Seongdan.

My sister is good and my brother-in-law is good.

Digging a ditch and catching crayfish.

“Hehehe, is this really killing two birds with one stone?”

An idiotic laugh escaped my lips for no reason.

But what the heck.

Eungseon, who had been sitting quietly next to me, was startled and then flew up!

In one breath, he flew to the nest on the roof, and he literally flew with the momentum of a bird of prey.

And then suddenly, the gaze that was staring at me was···.

Huh?

He looked like he was going to catch me twice by throwing stones.

* * *

A round golden bead contained in a box.

This is larger than a chestnut and slightly smaller than a pine cone.

“This is the Yoji Constellation.”

I picked it up carefully and felt the energy contained in the cluster of stars boiling at my fingertips.

“This is the first time I’ve ever taken an elixir of this quality.”

When I was young, thanks to my father, I took elixir more than once or twice.

But of all the elixirs I’ve ever taken, none had the energy of this Yoji Seongdan.

The name Yoji Seongdan (搖地聖丹) was given because it has the energy to shake the earth.

It is the elixir of elixirs.

“I’m worried about eating it like this···.”

That is why it should not be taken carelessly.

It was by no means easy to control the powerful energy that resided in the Yoji Cluster.

Of course, if it is the spirit method of the Youngbo Pilbeop, even the most powerful of the Yoji Seongdan will not be a problem.

“But it’s better to be sure.”

I took out a folding screen from my bosom and wrote a message in the mailbox.

└[Cheongun]

: Senior Jong-Ri Kwon, I have something to ask you.