I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 49: You Thought I’d Let This Slide?

Wang Cheongmin, the Inspector-General of Gamsuk, was a thoroughly selfish and self-centered man.

But he was no fool.

“Just you wait.”

He clenched his teeth.

“You bastards... I’ll crush you to pieces.”

He already had the pretext.

The Prefectural Commissioner of Gamsuk had prostrated himself in a full-body kowtow—an act that, depending on interpretation, could be grounds for charging him with the Crime of False Loyalty.

And Wang Cheongmin was confident he could make that “interpretation” happen.

That sort of manipulation was his specialty.

The Provincial Commander, who had turned a blind eye and stood by as if uninvolved, would be no exception.

The two of them would, at the very least, not escape dismissal.

“Heh heh.”

Wang Cheongmin let out an involuntary chuckle.

Just thinking about it made his rage melt away like snow.

“Now then, with the downfall of the Prefectural Commissioner and the Provincial Commander practically guaranteed...”

What would happen to Jincheon, who had not only accepted the prostration but hadn't even rejected it—who, some might say, harbored treasonous intent?

“He ought to be executed, of course!”

No matter how prestigious a family or high-ranking a noble, no one could act brazenly in the face of the word “treason.”

And with such damning evidence, it was clear even the most powerful clans would turn their backs on Jincheon.

“Keuk keuk keuk...”

He couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of that arrogant bastard trembling in fear as he died.

“And when that happens...”

Once the traitor was executed, all of his remaining wealth would be confiscated, and his household would be reduced to government slaves.

It wouldn’t be hard for Wang Cheongmin to exert influence—or even oversee the process directly.

Taking a woman or two as his personal slaves? That would be easy.

“Actually, taking all of them wouldn't be bad either.”

A nasty smirk crept onto Wang Cheongmin’s face.

He could rip the young, beautiful woman away from Jincheon, right in front of everyone.

“Keuk keuk keuk keuk...”

Another laugh bubbled out of him.

His rage over the earlier insult had vanished, replaced by a sense of smug delight at the opportunity ahead.

“...Should’ve asked for her name.”

He murmured, recalling the graceful beauty of that nameless woman.

Just then—

Thunk.

The carriage jolted to a violent halt.

Wang Cheongmin nearly toppled forward.

“What the hell is going on?!”

He shot up, barking harshly.

The sudden interruption to his depraved fantasies made his irritation spike even more.

“I said—what the hell is going on?!”

But no answer came.

He heard neither the coachman nor the voices of the guards.

Frowning, Wang Cheongmin leaned out the carriage window.

The unfamiliar alley was now shrouded in twilight—and completely empty.

“What in the...”

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

CRASH.

Something smashed through the roof of the carriage.

Before he could even react, the thing—no, the man—grabbed him by the collar and yanked him violently upward.

KRASSSHH.

“GyaaAAH!!”

Wang Cheongmin screamed in agony as his face slammed through the shattered carriage roof.

No surprise, really.

But his attacker showed no interest in his screams.

“...Tsk.”

The sound of a tongue clicking echoed in his dazed ears.

Under the dim light, the man’s broad, muscular build came into view. A stranger.

“You’re scared out of your mind from this much?”

He seemed to think Wang Cheongmin’s screams were from shock.

Wang Cheongmin, gritting his teeth through the pain, shouted:

“Wh-Who are you?!”

He raised his voice, but it trembled.

Who wouldn’t be afraid in the face of such sudden, inexplicable violence?

The man still had him by the collar, and Wang Cheongmin’s feet dangled helplessly in the air.

“You’re not very bright.”

The man’s voice was heavy and low. Wang Cheongmin clenched his teeth.

He could tolerate anything—but being called stupid?

“What nonsense! I passed the Imperial Final Exam—kuhk!”

The Imperial Final Exam was the highest-level test before the Emperor himself.

It was an achievement anyone would be proud of—but Wang Cheongmin wasn’t allowed the chance to boast.

The man’s grip tightened, cutting off his words.

“Attending the banquet when you had no right to be there... Well, my lord permitted it, so I won’t hold it against you.”

The man continued, slowly.

“But failing to recognize someone noble and running your filthy mouth... Fine. That’s just your own ignorance.”

His tone abruptly shifted.

“But then you dare to claim my lord is merely a subject of the Emperor?”

It sounded like he couldn’t contain his fury any longer.

“Did you really think you’d get away with committing such blasphemy?”

“Guh... ggrhhk...”

Wang Cheongmin flailed as he choked.

The man’s crushing grip on his throat silenced even his cries.

Desperate, he struggled with all his might.

And then—

Whump.

The pressure suddenly vanished.

Wang Cheongmin collapsed back onto the carriage roof.

“Huuhk... Khehkk!”

He gasped and wheezed, finally able to breathe again.

The man looked down at him coldly.

“I don’t like dirtying my hands on garbage...”

“S-Stop!”

Terrified by the man’s clear intent to kill, Wang Cheongmin cried out.

But the man didn’t even flinch.

Wang Cheongmin screamed again, desperate:

“You serve that man, don’t you?! I remember your face from the banquet hall!”

The man paused.

That reaction gave Wang Cheongmin a sliver of hope.

“You think I don’t know this attack was on his orders?! This will come back to haunt you, all of you!”

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hoping someone would hear him.

Hoping this man would be frightened by his threats.

But the man didn’t move.

“My lord has no interest in trash like this. This is just my whim.”

“Denial won’t save you!”

Wang Cheongmin bellowed.

“Everyone saw your master bear a grudge against me! To dare assault an imperial official—neither you nor your master will ever—”

“Heh.”

A low chuckle echoed in the darkness.

The voice of Ak Mujin, the East Wind Commander.

“Yes. He is my master. I, Ak Mujin, serve him.”

Wang Cheongmin froze, confused by the sudden declaration.

But he couldn’t afford to stay silent.

Mindful of the throbbing pain in his face, he forced his mouth open.

“It’s not too late. If you confess your crimes and beg forgiveness now, I may show you mercy—”

And then—

Fwoooosh.

A crushing ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) force surged toward him.

He reflexively tried to resist, but Wang Cheongmin couldn’t fight back against the invisible weight bearing down on him.

“Ugh... khhh...”

As if something massive had pinned him down, Wang Cheongmin lay flattened against the carriage roof.

He couldn’t even form words.

There was nothing to be seen, and yet he couldn’t move a single finger.

“My crime,”

said Ak Mujin, the East Wind Commander,

“is that I have nothing to offer him more precious than my own life.”

His eyes gleamed coldly in the darkness.

Wang Cheongmin managed to force out words, as if squeezing them from his throat.

“Y-You... how dare you... the E-Emperor...”

“Your so-called Emperor won’t care,”

Ak Mujin replied.

“That little brat was clever enough to understand exactly what your death would mean. The crime of daring to insult one so noble.”

The current Emperor was old and senile.

Wang Cheongmin didn’t quite understand what he meant by “little brat.”

But this wasn’t the time to be pondering word choices.

He couldn’t even breathe properly anymore.

Swish.

Ak Mujin reached out his hand.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

It hadn’t yet touched Wang Cheongmin—but it didn’t matter.

“Ghh—!”

Wang Cheongmin’s body slowly began to rise into the air.

It looked as if someone had him by the throat and was lifting him up, yet there was nothing on his neck.

He flailed, trying to pry off whatever was choking him.

But his hands grasped at nothing.

He couldn’t see it—he couldn’t possibly see it—but black blotches were spreading across his neck.

“And the Heavenly Flame Palace as well,”

murmured Ak Mujin, watching Wang Cheongmin’s frantic thrashing with a chilling gaze.

He clenched his fist in midair.

“Is not something trash like you gets to covet.”

Crack.

A sickening sound rang out.

Wang Cheongmin’s neck twisted violently to the side.

And his body, once suspended in the air, fell limply downward.

Thud.

Ak Mujin withdrew his hand.

He looked down at his empty palm, then opened and closed it a few times.

“Hmph. Been a while since I felt that.”

That was the end of it.

Without sparing even a glance at Wang Cheongmin’s now-lifeless body, Ak Mujin moved with effortless grace—

—and in the next instant, he was gone.

The carriage bearing Wang Cheongmin’s corpse was left behind in a quiet, dark corner of a Nanzhou back alley, swallowed by shadow.

Around his grotesquely twisted neck, black blotches continued to spread slowly.

****

The banquet had ended on a pleasant note.

The woman from the tavern, Jang Rin, eased the tension with the sound of her seven-stringed zither, and the Prefectural Commissioner, Jeong Deokun, used his signature warmth and friendliness to guide the conversation into a more cheerful atmosphere.

Jincheon responded graciously, and the banquet concluded without incident.

“My lord, you truly place the lives of common folk before all else. I was deeply impressed.”

Jeong Deokun offered his farewell.

Jincheon gave an awkward smile.

‘Well, I kind of have no choice.’

He had been nothing but an ordinary citizen until now, and even now, he was still just a common man.

Just a regular person.

Granted, he was riding in anything but a regular carriage, and being guarded by anything but ordinary people, but that didn’t erase the fact that Jincheon himself was still a plain man.

The final farewell came from Provincial Commander Im Hochung—and it was a bit peculiar.

“The rumors did you no justice.”

‘Rumors?’

He’d mentioned “reputation” earlier, too. But Jincheon still had no idea what rumors they were referring to.

Well... not no idea.

There was that crimson carriage accompanied by a crowd of beauties and dozens of elite guards. There was no way that wouldn’t start rumors.

But surely that wasn’t the story they meant.

The elderly soldier, Im Hochung, had worn an expression of warmth.

Jincheon replied with a polite smile.

“Let’s hope they were good ones.”

Im Hochung returned a faint smile, then stepped back.

With both men gone, the only ones left were Jincheon, his party, and the woman from the tavern, Jang Rin.

‘Man... and I’m not even the host.’

The one who stays till the end usually plays the host’s role.

Since Jincheon had sent the others off first, he’d unintentionally ended up looking like the host himself.

“My lord.”

At the soft voice, Jincheon turned.

The woman from the tavern, Jang Rin, asked with a hint of bashfulness:

“At our tavern in Ju, we have many exceptionally talented courtesans. Might you wish to enjoy a bit more music?”

It was a rather tempting suggestion.

In the refined arts known as poetry, calligraphy, painting, and music, the most cherished by scholars was poetry. Then calligraphy. Then painting. And finally, music—like the zither—was never left out.

But Jincheon had only ever buried himself in books. He’d never really indulged in such leisurely pleasures.

So her proposal was, undeniably, enticing.

“We also have girls who dance beautifully.”

‘Ah... hmm...’

Jincheon hesitated for a moment.

But only for a moment.

“Tonight has been plenty. Let’s leave it for another day.”

Though he’d been treated with utmost hospitality, Jincheon wasn’t in a position to lose himself in drinking and merrymaking.

He had to remain cautious. Alert.

Even now, he could feel the intense gazes of the Seven Luminaries on him.

“I understand. Then I shall look forward to next time.”

The woman, Jang Rin, lowered her head with grace.

And so, the banquet came to an end.