Scholar Demon Venerable Chapter 68

The Zirong Palace revealed more and more problems the more it was investigated.

In fact, if the power of the Zirong Palace had remained, it would have been a matter that would have been passed over.

There were many things in the world that were taken for granted when the voice of the powerful was loud. But as that powerful person disappeared, the voices of those who had been holding their breath began to be heard.

"Your Excellency, there are countless cases similar to the Baifeng Manor."

As ti passed, problems erupted from here and there.

Nurous well-organized materials served as evidence.

It was a matter that could raise questions about the cause of justice that the Zirong Palace had carried out.

But there was a lack of accurate evidence.

The circumstantial evidence was clearly shouting that the Zirong Palace had played a trick.

There were many cases where the parties involved in the incident were not present. Since it was an old incident, there were also cases where the full story of the incident could not be known even if it was reinvestigated.

The sound of Cheongun grinding his teeth flowed out of his mouth.

His uncomfortable feelings were revealed on his face throughout the report. If he had his way, he even felt like killing them all right away.

Cheongun could not endure his anger and looked at the Blood Emperor.

But the Blood Emperor had an indifferent expression.

He, who was sulking, asked the Blood Emperor.

-Blood Emperor, aren't you angry?

[Why should I be angry?]

-There are too many who have been wronged. Aren't the ones who have been trampled by the powerful crying out?

[Tsk, tsk, you're still young. That's how the world is. If you're powerless, you get trampled, and if you have power, you trample. If you don't like that, you just have to succeed like you.]

Cheongun could not say anything at the Blood Emperor's too-cold words.

It wasn't that he couldn't understand the Blood Emperor's words. But there were too many who were suffering without sin.

He himself had been powerless and had suffered one or two things when he was young.

He had been ignored for being an orphan and had been beaten for studying well.

Because he was wronged and angry, he had practiced bravely and diligently without fear when he was learning academics.

But it wasn't just him who had suffered like a fool.

When he looked around, too many people were suffering.

He clenched his two fists until they were crushed.

In the end, Cheongun decided sothing and gave an order to Seok Deok-jo.

"Bring all the people who are doing labor in the Zirong Palace's businesses right away. Temporarily abolish the Zirong Palace's businesses and investigate them again."

"Y-Your Excellency."

Seok Deok-jo was surprised.

The businesses operated by the Zirong Palace were not just the Zirong Palace's. The places where they called the sinners and forced them to do labor were businesses that the country had permitted.

On the surface, they paid a certain amount of tax, and behind the scenes, there were many places that were operated in collusion with the officials while offering bribes.

So if he touched that business, he would have to beco an enemy of nurous officials.

"Your Excellency, can't you think about it again? The Zirong Palace problem has not been solved yet, and you're starting a new thing. Nurous officials could turn their backs."

Even at Seok Deok-jo's worried words, Cheongun did not change his mind.

"What are you doing without implenting it right away!"

"I will receive the order."

Seok Deok-jo closed his two eyes tightly at Cheongun's roar.

It wasn't that he didn't know Cheongun's heart. Even from his own perspective, there were problems with many of the people who had been dragged to labor.

But since Cheongun's heart was firm, he could not stop him anymore.

As Seok Deok-jo retreated, Cheongun called Song In-ho.

After waiting for a while, Song In-ho ca in and paid his respects.

"Your Excellency, did you call?"

"Welco. I heard you have a lot of work, so I don't know if you're tired."

Cheongun comforted Song In-ho with appropriate words.

After exchanging greetings for a while, Cheongun explained the reason he had called Song In-ho.

"Although the Zirong Palace has plotted a rebellion, the circumstances of their exploitation of the commoners have been caught. Since it's not just one or two, my heart aches."

"Did such a thing happen?"

Cheongun told him the story of the Baifeng Manor. He explained it plausibly, leaving out the story of opium and Jo Gwang.

"Moreover, when I checked the docunts, there were too many suspicious parts."

He held out the docunts in front of Song In-ho.

It was a docunt with a few suspicious incidents written on it.

Song In-ho quickly looked over the docunts that Cheongun had handed him. His brows frowned slightly. Song In-ho looked at Cheongun and told him his thoughts.

"Your Excellency, it's dangerous."

"Are you going to say the sa thing as Thousand-household Commander Seok?"

"With this much evidence, you can't do anything to the Zirong Palace. If you, Your Excellency, dig up these incidents, the other party will definitely find fault. Moreover, nurous officials are involved in this matter. Although there is no excessive part, you will definitely face a backlash."

Cheongun did not refute and obediently nodded his head.

It was obvious that it would flow as Song In-ho had said. Since Seok Deok-jo had also said the sa thing, it was certain.

As Cheongun obediently listened to his words, Song In-ho brought up another problem.

"Your Excellency, even without that, the righteous path people are staying here and are finding fault with every single thing."

"What do you an? Haven't they left yet?"

"Left? Rather, people from the nine great sects have newly co and are investigating together."

Cheongun's brows frowned slightly.

It could be seen as a challenge to the imperial authority. But if it was the nine great sects, they had enough influence to be involved.

Although he should have been in a bad mood, Song In-ho's face was rather happy.

"Are you happy about the intervention of the righteous path?"

"It's not bad. Because they are involved, the paperwork has beco much easier."

"Hah, what?"

Cheongun let out a hollow laugh.

He wanted to shout at how an official could say such nonsense. But for now, he decided to listen to the story.

"If a problem is found, we compare it with each other and have a debate. Since they are also looking at the docunts one by one carefully, the workload has been greatly reduced. They have also found a few problems and have told us."

"Hmm..."

Co to think of it, it didn't seem bad. If they pointed out the problems that might have been missed, he could make a more accurate judgnt.

Cheongun quickly organized his thoughts. In any case, since it was a matter that had deviated from the principle, he had to make a decision in so form.

'It's good to supplent the insufficient manpower, but they could omit the decisive evidence.'

They were people who had shared a friendship with the Zirong Palace until a while ago.

No matter how much of a righteous path they were, it was difficult to trust them completely.

Although the Zirong Palace was also a force that protected the righteous path, they had been doing bad things behind the scenes.

Cheongun, who had finished his thoughts, gave an order again.

"I will et the righteous path martial artists separately."

The righteous path problem was ambiguous to decide here. It seed it would be better for him to see them and make a judgnt.

"Thousand-household Commander Song, listen carefully."

"Yes, Your Excellency. Please give your order."

"I, for one, am not a person who just passes by injustice. At one ti, I lived holding my breath because I had no power. But now, I don't want to live like that."

"..."

Thousand-household Commander Song could not say anything.

An unknown shiver swept through his whole body.

Sothing that he had been trying to ignore and had forgotten was stirring in a corner of his heart.

Cheongun's words were heard again.

"I know you don't think highly of . But for the sake of the innocent commoners, I would like you to investigate this matter."

"..."

"I will take all the responsibility, so please investigate without any suspicion."

Song In-ho still could not speak. He could not say anything at Cheongun's words, which were filled with his will.

If he were to think of Cheongun, it was right to oppose. No matter how much he thought about it, it was too reckless.

But in the end, he could not oppose.

"Your Excellency, I will do so."

"Thank you."

Cheongun stood up from his seat and held Song In-ho's hand.

As if Cheongun's heart had been transmitted, Song In-ho's heart was overwheld.

A new wind began to blow in the Zirong Palace like that.

* * *

In a wide hall, many martial artists in various costus were exchanging stories.

"What do you think is the Pacification Envoy's intention?"

"What does his intention matter?"

"That's right. He's arrogant. We will have to face him more strongly."

Cheongun had requested a eting, saying he wanted to talk to the martial artists. So many martial artists, including the nine great sects and the five great families, had flocked to the hall.

After a while, Cheongun appeared.

Cheongun, who was dressed in a flying fish robe, looked like a single warrior.

As everyone's gaze was focused on Cheongun, a surprised voice was heard from one side.

"Isn't that Brother Lee?"

Cheongun turned his head at the voice that recognized him.

There were people he was seeing again after a few months.

They were Kang Ho-poong of Qingcheng and Namgung Ryong of the Namgung family, who had had a match at the Jinjiang Manor.

And Peng Docheon, the young master of the Hebei Peng family, who was a head taller than the others, also recognized him.

"Huh? You're the mad demon!"

Cheongun gave them a slight smile.

Although he wanted to run to them in welco, since it was a formal occasion, he postponed the eting.

The monk next to the three of the five dragons was also thought to be one of the five dragons.

'Did he say Shaolin?'

He seed to be the Guangbiao from the Shaolin Temple, who was famous in the martial world.

Cheongun walked to the front where the grand master's chair was and turned back.

The gazes of everyone were focused on Cheongun.

He was the Pacification Envoy dispatched by the Emperor's order, and he was the culprit of this Zirong Palace's tragic incident.

Even while receiving unkind gazes, Cheongun said to the martial artists calmly.

"I am Lee Cheongun. It's a pleasure to et you."

He greeted them informally rather than formally.

He could not use more polite words. Because he was in the position of a Northern Pacification Envoy who was seeing to public affairs by the Emperor's order.

Cheongun slowly looked around.

The faces of the ones in front were not sloppy.

There were elders of the nine great sects, and there were also several officials of the five great families and the righteous path of the martial world.

A simple greeting was exchanged.

Even while exchanging greetings, he still had to receive cold gazes.

The one who stepped forward as their representative was a monk of the Shaolin, the head of the nine great sects.

"This humble monk is Gongye of Shaolin."

"It's a pleasure to et you, Great Master Gongye."

Cheongun cupped his hands in a fist to Gongye, who was greeting him with a half-bow.

Gongye was the younger brother of the Shaolin abbot and did not hold a special position in the Shaolin Temple.

Next to Great Master Gongye, he saw Great Master Gongde, the Qingzhu Great Master, whom he had seen last ti. Behind him, several other Shaolin monks were also with him.

"I will not deny that the Zirong Palace has charges. But what they did was to help an acquaintance, not to participate in a rebellion."

It was not a wrong statent. The ones who had directly attacked Cheongun were people of unknown identity. The Zirong Palace was not directly related to that matter.

"Then do you think that this matter has applied the principle of guilt by association, Great Master?"

"Amitabha. That's right. The Zirong Palace did not act directly, and it was only related to the Hyeokryeon Manor in business. So I think it is right to conclude the matter with an appropriate fine and the punishnt of the related people."

This was also not a very wrong statent, but it could not be said that there was no sin.

He looked at Great Master Gongye, who had a gentle impression and a sturdy body, perhaps because he had trained his external skills, and asked another reason.

"Great Master. What do you think about the fact that the third disciple of the Zirong Palace is the martial arts teacher of the traitor, Hyeokryeon Hui?"

"You are mistaken about that, Your Excellency. The person who taught Hyeokryeon Hui was once a disciple of the Zirong Palace master. But about a year ago, he committed a mistake and was demoted to an ordinary disciple."

"Great Master, what are you talking about?"

Cheongun frowned at the words he was hearing for the first ti. It was a content he had not yet received a report on.

(End of Chapter)