I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 38: Reunion on the Grassland

The palanquin, which had raced down the mountains, finally came to a stop upon reaching the grasslands.

It wasn’t because the maids who had carried it were tired or exhausted.

It was because Jincheon, who had been riding inside, desperately needed rest.

Tap.

The palanquin stopped, and Jincheon stepped down.

As his legs wobbled beneath him, what greeted him were dozens upon dozens of horses.

Oh.

Even in his weary state, Jincheon couldn’t help but be impressed.

The herd of horses sprawled across the emerald grasslands was a sight to behold—utterly majestic.

Just then, familiar figures caught Jincheon’s eye.

Swish.

“We pay our respects to the Red Dragon.”

“We pay our respects to the Red Dragon.”

With the rustle of garments brushing the wind, two women knelt on one knee to offer a formal greeting.

Dressed neatly in their Flame Guard uniforms, they were none other than Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong.

“Gi... Heavenly Flame Gi, and Po Heavenly Flame.”

Jincheon called to them warmly.

He had intended to call them ladies, but changed it, mindful of the many eyes on him.

Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong bowed deeply in response to his greeting.

Their black and silver hair glinted under the sunlight, striking and radiant.

—

Jincheon lifted his teacup.

The small table and chair set upon the green grass looked completely out of place, but the Seven Luminaries had made it happen.

Still, there was only one chair, so Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong had to remain standing before him.

“Were those horses prepared by the two of you?”

Snort.

Jincheon asked, watching the horses snort and paw at the ground.

At a glance, the sheer number of horses scattered across the grassland made it clear they were meant for the escort forces.

“Yes, we did.”

“You’ve done well.”

“It was only proper as members of the escort unit.”

Escort unit?

This was the first time Jincheon had heard that they were part of the escort unit.

When he looked over at Neung Gayeon, Commander of the North Wind, she responded with a gentle smile.

“Gi Heavenly Flame’s knowledge of the Central Plains is useful, and Po Heavenly Flame works well in tandem with her. I deemed it appropriate to assign them. But if this arrangement displeases you...”

“No, it’s fine.”

Jincheon quickly replied.

To be honest, when it came to knowledge of the Central Plains, he figured he probably knew best—but that hardly mattered.

Having more trustworthy people around could only be a good thing.

“I’ll be relying on you going forward.”

He smiled as he spoke.

Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong instantly knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.

“Yes.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jincheon emptied the last of his tea in one quick motion.

“Let’s get going, then.”

In truth, Jincheon was the only one sitting at the moment.

The Seven Luminaries, the two Wind Commanders, three Twelve Signs Commanders, and the seventy-odd escort members were all standing.

They stood in formation, alert, their eyes sharp as they watched the surroundings—Jincheon couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

As he stood, the Seven Luminaries immediately began tidying the setup.

Meanwhile, Gi Seoran brought over a horse.

Clop, clop.

Snort.

The horse snorted powerfully—and to Jincheon’s amazement, it was a white stallion with a golden mane.

No, not just golden—its coat shimmered with hints of silver, almost like platinum.

“This is a Hanblood Steed.”

Po Eunryeong said proudly.

Jincheon couldn’t help but be stunned.

“A Hanblood Steed? The one said to gallop a thousand li a day and sweat red like blood?”

“W-Well, it doesn’t actually sweat blood...”

Po Eunryeong replied, flustered, while Ilyo, ever composed, added:

“It has excellent stamina and is fiercely loyal. A remarkable creature.”

Jincheon couldn’t take his eyes off the horse.

Wow... there really are horses like this in the world...

He couldn’t stop marveling.

If the word beautiful were ever to be applied to a horse, it would have to be this one.

It even exuded a sense of nobility. The rumor that no amount of gold could buy a Hanblood Steed felt entirely justified.

“Please mount.”

Gi Seoran’s voice broke through his reverie.

Am I really allowed to ride this? he wondered, but there was no way he’d let a chance like this slip away.

When would an ordinary man like Jincheon ever get the chance to ride a Hanblood Steed again?

Besides, riding a horse was infinitely better than being carried in a palanquin by maids.

Of course it is. Obviously.

After rationalizing to himself, Jincheon cleared his throat and accepted Gi Seoran’s assistance as he mounted.

Thud.

The saddle was more comfortable and stable than he expected.

The white horse snorted slightly at the unfamiliar presence but didn’t reject him.

“That’s right, that’s right. Thank you for letting me ride you.”

Jincheon gently stroked its neck.

“What’s this horse’s name?”

“Jeolyeong.”

Gi Seoran replied.

Literally, Jeolyeong means “so fast its shadow disappears.”

Historically, it was also a very famous name.

“Isn’t that the name of a horse from the Three Kingdoms period?”

“Yes. It’s believed to be of the same bloodline.”

At her answer, Jincheon looked down at the horse again, freshly amazed.

Jeolyeong...

To think it shared the name of the steed once ridden by a legendary hero of the Three Kingdoms—though not necessarily one with the best reputation.

Well, he was pretty impressive, even if he did kill a lot of people, betray allies constantly, usurp power, and snatch away other men’s women like it was nothing...

As he thought about it, Jincheon began to question whether hero was the right word.

But he shook his head.

Just surviving through chaos and rising to the top of ten thousand—that alone is something extraordinary.

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At the very least, he was far greater than someone like Jincheon, who hadn’t even passed the preliminary civil exams.

“Let’s go.”

Jincheon didn’t even need to give the order aloud.

Gi Seoran, Po Eunryeong, the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Seven Luminaries, and the entire escort force had already mounted their horses and were ready.

Fweeee—

Neung Gayeon, North Wind Commander, let out a light whistle.

That seemed to be the signal. In an instant, all seventy-some horses thundered into motion, pounding the ground beneath them.

—

The white horse charged across the grasslands without hesitation.

The problem was, Jincheon had no real experience riding horses. When would a former Confucian scholar ever have needed to ride?

Ugh, uuurgh...

He clung to the reins, barely managing to stay upright.

“I hesitate to speak so boldly, but...”

Clop, clop.

Gi Seoran’s voice came from beside him. There was something almost nostalgic in the way she spoke.

“Relax your upper body and entrust yourself to the movement. Jeolyeong is clever—he’ll know when he’s trusted.”

Letting go of tension while on a galloping horse? That didn’t sound right at all.

But Gi Seoran clearly knew far more about riding than he did. Following her advice was the wise move.

And besides, he realized he was clenching every muscle in his body.

Jincheon gradually relaxed his upper body.

Of course, he kept his feet firmly in the stirrups and his thighs tense—otherwise he’d fall right off.

And then something changed.

The horse’s movement suddenly felt more natural. And perhaps because his body had softened up, it became easier to ride the motion instead of fighting it.

Aha.

Jincheon had gotten the hang of it.

His body wasn’t nearly as stiff as before, and the ride itself felt smoother.

Though, there was still no avoiding the constant bouncing.

“Thank you.”

Jincheon offered his thanks.

Gi Seoran gave a slight bow, as if to say don’t mention it, and pulled back behind him.

Her place was quickly filled by the Seven Luminaries, all on horseback, and the formation of seventy-some riders surged across the grassland without pause.

At this rate, they would reach Jucheon in no time.

Jucheon...

A small, insignificant frontier city. His time there had been less than half a day.

But it wasn’t a secluded Valley, nor a ceremonial Palace deep in the mountains.

Jucheon was a city.

Feeling as if he were finally returning to civilization, Jincheon basked in a budding, almost childlike joy.

How long had they been riding?

By the time Jincheon began to feel the fatigue, someone spoke up.

“Jucheon is in sight.”

Oh—already?

Jincheon raised his head at Ilyo’s voice beside him.

But what he saw didn’t quite match his expectations.

Wait, that’s...

Clop-clop, clop-clop...

Swaying on horseback, Jincheon frowned slightly.

That silhouette in the distance was Jucheon. No doubt about it.

But the crowd gathered in front of the city—what was that?

“Who are they?”

“Residents of the Heavenly Valley who live in Jucheon,” Gi Seoran replied.

Of course there would be Heavenly Valley people in Jucheon. It was the nearest city, after all. He’d even first met Gi Seoran there.

Still, there seemed to be a lot of them.

Isn’t that... too many?

Jucheon wasn’t a big city.

There were stationed troops thanks to the nearby military post at Gahyeok Pass, but the land itself was harsh and barren. Hardly a place for people to live comfortably.

If not for the trade caravans that traveled the Silk Road, it would’ve been just another desolate frontier town.

But from a glance, the crowd here numbered in the hundreds.

And some were wearing government official or military uniforms.

That meant even people in public service hailed from the Heavenly Valley.

Clop-clop.

Jincheon’s white steed, Jeolyeong, slowed its pace and trotted toward the crowd.

The seventy-odd escort horses had already fallen behind him, rearranging themselves into formation.

And then—

The people waiting ahead began to kneel.

Amidst the swirling dust of the plains, they dropped to one knee without hesitation and bowed their heads in reverence.

...Huh?

Jincheon was once again taken aback.

He could understand it back in the Heavenly Valley. But right here, right in front of Jucheon?

Yet Gi Seoran, Ilyo, and even Neung Gayeon rode on as if it were only natural.

Before he knew it, Jincheon and his procession were passing straight through the kneeling crowd.

...Even here, they do this?

Thinking about it, it wasn’t all that strange.

These weren’t just people from the Heavenly Valley—they were of the Heavenly Valley.

Not “originally from there.” Just Heavenly Valley people, period.

For them, this act of reverence was only proper.

Clop, clop.

The white horse Jeolyeong stepped lightly, almost cheerfully.

As he passed through the kneeling crowd, Jincheon suddenly had a thought.

With numbers like this... this isn’t just some local clique, is it?

A closed-off community with strong inner bonds could exert serious influence.

In some cases, even local magistrates dispatched from the central government had to curry favor and seek cooperation from such groups.

And in a place like the Heavenly Valley—with a clear identity, sense of belonging, and unwavering obedience to their Palace Master—there was no need to even question it.

...The local officials must be having a rough time.

Jincheon, who had once dreamed of holding office himself, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

In any other town, government officials might strut around in authority, but here they were probably just trying not to offend the Heavenly Valley people.

Well... not my problem.

He wasn’t getting paid a salary by the state, after all. There was no reason for him to care.

He did wonder how many Heavenly Valley households lived in Jucheon, but didn’t bother asking.

It wasn’t his business anyway.

That was when it happened.

Huh...?

Jincheon suddenly spotted something unusual.

He should’ve noticed it earlier.

Unlike the others who knelt with their heads bowed, these figures sat upright on horseback.

And they wore full military uniforms—high-ranking officers, at that.

Officers?

Even the innocent flinch before the power of the state.

And Jincheon—being openly revered by so many—stood out more than anyone.

He didn’t know if the Heavenly Valley was illegal, but it definitely had the markings of an extralegal militant faction.

Right now, he looked like their undisputed ringleader.

So when these high-ranking military officers suddenly appeared—

Jincheon couldn’t help but feel a little afraid.