readsfreenovel Chapter 236 : It’s a Pity
Chapter 236 : It’s a Pity
The night in Beijing was unusually quiet.Afraid of disturbing the Emperor’s sleep, shops would close before the haesi (亥時, 9–11 p.m.).
Only the stillness remained, lingering in the darkness like a lonely shadow.
A man, dressed from head to toe in black martial arts attire with a mask covering his face, soared lightly from rooftop to rooftop.
— It’s improved.
Jin Seong-un realized his sense of contact with the ground had grown noticeably lighter.
From Yichang in Hubei Province all the way to Beijing. Taking advantage of the rare opportunity to travel alone, he had relentlessly pushed his movement arts to the limit without rest.
Perhaps his realm had subtly risen, or perhaps it was the frustration of matching pace with others that had held him back all this time.
But one thing was certain—
Tonight, he was confident he could steal anything.
Swish—!
Jin Seong-un leapt clean over the Imperial Palace’s wall.
As it was the Footwork of the Divine Thief Without Shadows, which left no trace—not even a shadow—no one noticed his presence.
Calmly, yet swiftly, he moved toward the Emperor’s bedchamber.
No matter how many hidden masters there might be in the palace, he believed few, if any, could detect this concealment.
That was when he heard voices bickering at some distance.
“We must inspect the books His Majesty will see. Uncultured swordsmen, step aside.”
“What? That’s no imperial decree. Who dared command you damn eunuchs to select books for His Majesty?”
“How crude.”
“And aren’t you the shady ones? The Hall of Shadows is under the jurisdiction of the Royal Guards. Until there’s an imperial order, we won’t take a single step back.”
From the sound of it, the Royal Guards and the Eastern Depot were at odds.
With the Emperor bedridden, it was only natural that their rivalry intensified without a mediator.
Jin Seong-un eavesdropped briefly, then raised his index finger as if struck by inspiration.
With a slight tilt, he unleashed a strand of Earth Wind.
Finger Without Shadows.
One of the rare combat techniques of the Divine Thief.
Just like its name, the wind cut forward silently—without even a shadow.
Thwack—!
The eunuch from the Eastern Depot, who had been red-faced and jeering, was struck by the wind and fell backward.
“H-Hey! What do you think you're doing in the sacred palace?!”
The eunuchs behind him erupted in fury. Even the Royal Guards, unsure of what had just happened, were flustered.
“W-Wait, it wasn’t me…”
Soon, a eunuch ran off and returned with another, clad in even more luxurious and antique robes.
The previously composed Royal Guards now showed clear signs of panic.
The eunuchs, now brimming with arrogance, pointed at the Royal Guards like tattletales.
“Master of Punishment, this man dared attack a eunuch of the Eastern Depot inside the palace!”
Of course, the Royal Guard denied it, but the agitated eunuchs refused to listen.
A late-night fight broke out between the Eastern Depot and the Royal Guards.
As more eunuchs and guards rushed in from all directions, the scene grew even more chaotic.
Hidden in the shadows, Jin Seong-un silently observed the disorder, then leisurely made his way toward the Emperor’s bedchamber.
Most of the palace's masters were either from the Eastern Depot or the Royal Guards. With their attention fully diverted, navigating the palace became much easier.
The door to the bedchamber opened without a sound.
Through a crack in the window, soft moonlight streamed in.
There had been several moments along the way where he nearly got caught.
Had he not mastered the Step Without Shadows, he would never have made it this far.
Jin Seong-un was once again struck by how distinct the concealment techniques and footwork of the Divine Thief were from other Martial Gods.
He glanced at the Emperor.
His appearance was more ordinary than Jin had imagined.
Only his physique was unusually large. Despite being bedridden for so long, he still looked robust—likely stronger than most generals in his prime.
‘This is definitely strange.’
He hadn’t gotten a proper look during the day due to the Admiral's presence, but now, observing up close, the peculiarity was undeniable.
The Emperor wasn’t ill.
Jin Seong-un was no physician, yet he was sure of it.
The Emperor’s symptoms weren’t due to sickness—they stemmed from an internal arts problem.
Jin Seong-un placed his hand above the Emperor’s dantian.
He hadn't woken up in a long time, so it was safe to examine him closely.
Channeling a faint stream of qi, Jin studied the Emperor’s meridians and discovered they were subtly twisted.
The distortion was so minor that even high-level martial artists wouldn’t notice. A physician certainly wouldn’t.
‘So it’s possible to harm someone this way.’
Only seven or eight acupoints had been slightly disrupted. Individually, none would seem serious. But when combined, they caused the flow of qi to destabilize.
With such unstable meridians, the person would constantly feel fatigued. No food would digest, and at times their legs would buckle without warning.
It would begin with these minor symptoms, gradually appearing as an inexplicable illness. And since no renowned physician could treat it, the victim would grow weaker—like someone slowly poisoned.
And in the end, death awaited.
Jin Seong-un stared at the Emperor, momentarily uncertain.
He didn’t know whether this man was a tyrant or a wise ruler.
So he couldn’t tell whether saving him would be good or bad.
Unable to decide, he first chose to retrieve the Merchant King's treasure.
“……”
He felt a presence beneath the bed.
Jin Seong-un glanced around briefly, then lifted the Emperor’s entire bed.
The bed itself was massive and heavy, and with the Emperor on top, it required the use of internal arts.
Without a sound, he slid the bed aside to reveal a flat floor.
Without hesitation, he pressed his palm against the floor.
As expected, there was no reaction.
But when he channeled a bit of qi, the floor opened as if by magic—revealing a small hatch, like one leading to an attic.
Despite being untouched for ages, the hatch made not a sound. It spoke volumes about the effort the Merchant King had put into this place.
‘How did he even build something like this in the Emperor’s bedchamber…’
He made a mental note to ask when he returned and began descending the stairs.
Just in case, he closed the hatch behind him.
Technically, he was underground now.
Of course, there were no torches or lanterns.
Yet he could still see the stairs clearly.
Not because he was a master, but because light was seeping in from somewhere—and it grew brighter the further he descended.
At the bottom, a small glowing stone sat atop a shelf.
‘A night-glow pearl?’
A luminescent gem.
Jin Seong-un felt oddly underwhelmed.
Of course, a night-glow pearl was an incredibly valuable item. Especially one that shone so brightly and evenly—it was a rare premium product.
But because it had been hidden by the greatest merchant in history, he had secretly hoped for something grander.
He turned the pearl over in his hand, studying it, before tucking it into his robe.
‘Well, it’s probably more precious than I think.’
After all, without expertise, one couldn’t truly gauge the worth of a treasure.
Jin Seong-un, who had spent his life working in an inn, couldn’t possibly know its true value.
Just as he was about to climb back up the stairs—
“……”
He froze mid-step.
Two familiar presences were approaching the Emperor’s bedchamber.
It was the Princess and the Admiral of the Eastern Depot.
Jin Seong-un made a quick decision.
Should he run, put the bed back, and escape?
Given the Admiral’s level, there was a high chance he’d be caught.
If he were found masked inside the Emperor’s bedchamber, not only he—but anyone remotely associated with him—would be in serious trouble.
So he chose another way.
Closing his eyes, he focused his energy to the extreme.
Psychokinesis.
Through that mystery, he had pushed and pulled all manner of things—but never before had he moved such a large and heavy bed from such a distance, silently and in a rush.
Even for Jin Seong-un, his qi surged, and blood rose up his throat.
Jin Seong-un wiped the blood trickling from his mouth with his sleeve.
.
.
.
Click, clack.
The Princess and the Admiral naturally opened the bedchamber door and entered.
“……”
The Admiral surveyed the chamber with his characteristic cool, piercing gaze.
The subordinates had been unusually noisy, so he had gone to check and was told there had been a clash between the Royal Guards and the Eastern Depot.
Yet, the Royal Guard who caused the incident insisted it wasn’t his doing until the very end.
Of course, he could be lying out of fear of a superior’s reprimand...
But the Admiral was a man who distrusted every coincidence in the world.
A man who had survived decades at the center of power within the palace never let down his guard, even in his sleep.
“What is it?”
The Princess asked, and after a long while spent heightening his senses to the utmost and surveying the surroundings, the Admiral shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
“How dull.”
So saying, the Princess approached the Emperor.
With a face devoid of discernible emotion, she looked down at the Emperor—her father.
The Admiral silently waited during that time. Of course, he did not forget to continually expand his senses and inspect the surroundings thoroughly.
After some time had passed—
“What are the chances someone noticed?”
A brief question from the Princess.
The Admiral responded in a calm but certain tone.
“None at all.”
“What if a Divine Physician were to come?”
“It’s a method even physicians can’t uncover. Even if a Divine Physician—one who has reached the pinnacle of medical arts—were to come, nothing would change.”
The Princess nodded briefly, then after a short breath, asked again.
“What if a master came?”
“If the Murim Alliance Leader or the Demonic Cult Leader themselves came, they would likely notice.”
Two masters considered the finest in the world today were mentioned together. In other words, only those of that caliber would be able to detect it.
The Admiral could say so with certainty, because his own martial prowess was in no way inferior even to those of peak orthodox or unorthodox Huajing masters.
The Princess nodded in satisfaction.
“Not long now. Whether too early or too late—it won’t do. His Majesty must pass away at just the right time. Make sure to handle it carefully.”
The Princess casually spoke of the Emperor’s death.
The Admiral nodded as if it were only natural, and replied calmly instead.
“This is the time to be most cautious. Doubt, and doubt again. Doubt even the closest, the most trusted.”
At his words, the Princess smiled faintly.
For the meaning behind his words was clear.
“So, the Admiral truly doesn’t like Ha Joo-myeong.”
“I’m wary of those who hide their true thoughts.”
“Then, you’re saying you can read my true thoughts?”
“Apologies, but yes.”
Even at the somewhat provocative remark, the Princess smiled lightly as if pleased.
This was what she liked about the Admiral. He wasn’t afraid to show his true thoughts. He was the kind of man who only allied himself with those with whom he could be open.
Just as the Admiral said, Ha Joo-myeong was a man whose thoughts were hard to read. Even the Princess found that troubling at times.
Yet, whenever she faced Ha Joo-myeong and spoke with him, that wariness melted like snow.
She liked competent men.
They had to be outstanding in both looks and ability.
But if a man was competent enough to satisfy her, he was usually not good-looking. Conversely, if he was good-looking, his abilities were often lacking.
Only Ha Joo-myeong fulfilled both criteria.
“He’s still just a petty merchant. Nothing worth worrying over.”
The Admiral said no more about Ha Joo-myeong. He knew that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t change her mind.
Instead, he unexpectedly mentioned another man’s name.
“Jin Seong-un is the same.”
The Princess looked startled, as if she hadn’t expected the Admiral to bring him up.
The Admiral's gaze seemed to see right through her—as if fully aware she was curious about Jin Seong-un as well.
The Princess replied as if making an excuse.
“Even Myriad Gold Manor doesn’t satisfy me, so I was thinking of granting him an official title. Do you think I’d even remember some random innkeeper?”
“If that’s truly what you think, then I’m relieved.”
The Admiral paused briefly, then met her eyes and continued.
“He is dangerous. In some ways, even more so than Ha Joo-myeong, the Murim Alliance Leader, or the Demonic Cult Leader.”
“That much?”
“He’s far too young. None of today’s masters had such prowess at his age. If one like him gains five or ten more years…”
Having spoken, the Admiral wore a slightly regretful expression. For in the Princess’s eyes, a deeper curiosity had clearly blossomed.
He quickly concluded.
“In any case, it’s fortunate you have no interest. Of course, naturally so.”
“Of course.”
The Princess nodded.
The two of them then left the bedchamber together.
Afterward, silence lingered for some time—until the bed slowly began to slide back into place.
Having concealed his presence with the Tortoise Breath Technique, Jin Seong-un finally emerged.
Unintentionally having eavesdropped on the inner workings of the Imperial Palace, Jin Seong-un wore a slightly confused expression as he moved the bed.
As he slid the bed back into place, the Emperor—lying there as if unaware of the world—felt oddly uncanny.
He probably hadn’t meant to, but in the end, he had been the gatekeeper of the Merchant King's treasure. The Emperor himself had guarded this secret passage more securely than any formation or master.
Even the act of opening and closing the bed like a door each time had been made possible because of him.
Though he had crept in wearing a grand mask and with the intention to steal anything...
In truth, it was closer to retrieval than theft.
Thus, he felt no particular guilt.
If anything, he felt he should show some sincerity to the Emperor who had guarded the treasure all this time.
Jin Seong-un placed his hand lightly over the Emperor’s dantian.
‘Will this work?’
To tamper with meridians was to stake a life. Not his own—but someone else's.
According to the Admiral, it would take a master on the level of the Alliance Leader or Cult Leader to detect it. But Jin Seong-un had no idea how powerful those two truly were.
However, when it came to sensory qi—
He was confident that in terms of sensory acuity—something all of his Martial God Realm masters had acknowledged—he stood equal even to them.
‘If it doesn’t work…’
It’s just a pity.
Jin Seong-un decided not to think too deeply about it.
After all, left as is, the man would surely die.