There are certain types of education that people must receive.
Things like not harming others, or not stealing.
If you were born as the child of a hunter or slash-and-burn farmer, you would receive education about not going deep into the mountains where you might encounter tigers, and if you were born a child of the martial world, you would learn just how terrifying the Demonic Cult is.
But there is one type of education that anyone born anywhere in the Central Plains, regardless of their status, must absolutely receive.
"What are you talking about?"
Unfortunately, Wei Yan-ho was someone who had not properly received that education. During the time when such proper education should have been conducted, he was already so lazy that even his teachers would shake their heads and turn away, so he did not accurately know about the Emperor's dignity.
The one who knew that dignity well was Wei Jeong-han.
"Kaaaack!"
Wei Jeong-han bolted up from his seat, grabbed Wei Yan-ho, and forcibly pressed him down to the floor.
"This is an Imperial Command! Lower your head immediately!"
"...Isn't that usually what treacherous ministers say?"
"Quiet! You fool!"
Wei Jeong-han burst out angrily and then whispered quietly.
"If you act against an Imperial Command, there's no telling what might happen. Just stay quiet for now and watch the situation."
Though he seemed furious on the outside, Wei Jeong-han's eyes had sunk low.
'What Imperial Command has been issued?'
The martial world and the government do not interfere with each other. Living as if the other doesn't exist in their respective worlds was an unwritten rule. In principle, it should be impossible for the Emperor to issue an Imperial Command to an individual like Wei Yan-ho.
It meant it shouldn't happen, but more accurately, it meant it wouldn't happen.
While Wei Jeong-han was thinking, Moon Eun-ji opened her mouth.
"As the nation's calamities do not subside and times remain troubled, officials fail to fulfill their duties in caring for the people, and the martial heroes of Jianghu are obsessed only with seeking their own profit. With heretical groups appearing and blood disasters occurring, I cannot help but worry. Therefore, out of concern for the peace and tranquility of all life under Heaven..."
"Wait a minute."
Wei Yan-ho raised his hand high.
"What? How impudent! I'm reading an Imperial Command!"
"Since it's just us here, let's just get to the main point."
"...That person really deserves to have his three generations executed."
Moisture gathered in Wei Jeong-han's eyes. The anxiety that the phrase 'deserves to have his three generations executed' might actually become reality was attacking him relentlessly.
Moon Eun-ji spoke coldly.
"Therefore! I wish to seek advice from trustworthy martial people about the reality of the martial world, so martial person Wei Yan-ho shall immediately enter the palace and come to meet me!"
Moon Eun-ji rolled up the scroll with a snap and shouted once more.
"Wei Yan-ho, receive this Imperial Command!"
"..."
A moment of silence descended.
Words began to emerge one by one, two by two, from the mouths of those who had quietly interpreted what they had just heard.
"Trustworthy?"
"Martial person?"
"Advice?"
"Enter the palaaaace?"
After a time of confusion where they looked at each other, then at Wei Yan-ho, then at each other again...
Finally, unable to endure this long period of silence, Jang-il sprang up from his seat with eyes flashing and shouted.
"What kind of bullshit is this, damn it!"
Here was another person whose three generations deserved execution.
"...What's going on? And why are you here again?"
"Can't you see? I came to deliver an Imperial Command."
"But why were you in that chest? Do you have some strange hobby?"
"I was captured! Captured! I was coming this way after hearing you were in this area, and I got caught by that eunuch! My goodness, to threaten someone carrying an Imperial Command! This is treason!"
Wei Yan-ho chuckled.
"Anyway, he doesn't have any family to execute."
"Ah... that's right. Since he's a eunuch."
If Jo Gong had been awake, he would have desperately protested, 'I may not have children, but don't I have parents!' Unfortunately, Jo Gong was in a state of unconsciousness.
"Um..."
Wei Jeong-han approached Moon Eun-ji, who was chatting casually, and asked carefully. Though she was around the same age as his son, it was unreasonable to be too casual with someone who had come bearing an Imperial Command.
"I would like to hear exactly what this situation is about."
"Ah..."
Moon Eun-ji bowed her head deeply.
"Please understand my lack of proper etiquette."
"Oh, not at all."
"And please speak comfortably."
"How could I...?"
Moon Eun-ji sighed.
"Though I don't want to admit it, I am indebted to your son. If it hadn't been for your son, I would have already defiled my body and bitten my tongue to death."
"Oh, right!"
Wei Yan-ho said with wide eyes.
"Hey, you might have been better off just getting violated back then."
Moon Eun-ji immediately grabbed Wei Yan-ho's hair.
"Ah! Owww! Ow! Why are you doing this!"
"Hey, you human scum! There are things you should say and things you shouldn't say! If you're going to blurt out whatever comes to mind, you might as well just sew your mouth shut!"
Wei Jeong-han watched his son getting beaten like a dog by a young woman and his face contorted.
'This is so refreshing!'
It felt like ten years of indigestion was suddenly clearing up.
More! Beat him just a little more, miss!
"I'm saying he was incredibly handsome!"
"Are you crazy?"
"And his martial arts were incredibly strong too!"
"What are you talking about? He was already strong."
"No! That's not what I mean!"
Wei Yan-ho thumped his chest as if frustrated and shouted.
"That Nok Mok-pung was Baek Geom-yeong, Baek Geom-yeong!"
"What?"
Moon Eun-ji's eyes went wide.
"That Baek Geom-yeong of the Baek Geom Clan was Nok Mok-pung! Handsome, strong in martial arts, and from a prestigious family! That kind of guy proposed to you. How's that? Does your stomach hurt now that you know the truth?"
Wei Yan-ho giggled, but Moon Eun-ji only looked at Wei Yan-ho with pitying eyes.
"...Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
"Whether that person was Nok Mok-pung or Baek Geom-yeong doesn't matter. From the beginning, it's impossible to associate with someone whose character is lacking. What meaning could external appearance have? Even if that person didn't look like that, I have no interest in someone whose insides are rotten."
"But being handsome is still better, right?"
"Well, that's tru... What are you saying, you human!"
Watching Moon Eun-ji pointing accusingly at Wei Yan-ho like flames, Wei Jeong-han stroked his chin with a serious expression.
'Not bad.'
The picture was coming together.
It was a picture that perfectly satisfied Wei Jeong-han, who had been wanting a strong daughter-in-law who could control Wei Yan-ho, whom even his parents couldn't manage.
'But then...'
Wei Jeong-han glanced back at Jin Ye-ran and flinched, shrinking his body.
"N-noona."
Looking at Jin Ye-ran who was emitting cold air with a venomous expression, Jin So-ah slowly backed away.
Though Jin So-ah was the master of Sacred Hand Hall who had seen countless patients, endured countless worldly hardships, and was now acquiring the dignity of a renowned physician, in front of the anger emitted by the sister who had tormented him since childhood, he could only become a mouse before a cat.
Watching Jin Ye-ran glaring as if she would devour Moon Eun-ji at any moment, Wei Jeong-han let out a low sigh.
'Our son's future won't be smooth either.'
It was a feeling that was both exhilarating and worrying.
"To summarize..."
Wei Jeong-han scratched his head vigorously and said.
"You're really saying His Majesty told Yeon-ho to come to the palace?"
"Yes."
"How does His Majesty know about Yeon-ho?"
This was the part Wei Jeong-han absolutely couldn't understand.
Though Wei Yan-ho had gained some fame in the martial world now, that was only in the martial world—in civilian life or government circles, he was nothing more than a nameless wild person. So how could the supreme one know of Wei Yan-ho and summon him to the palace?
"And why Yeon-ho?"
If, as written in the edict, the martial world's situation was serious and someone was to be summoned to inquire about the situation, there would easily be over a thousand people more suitable than Wei Yan-ho.
No!
If he honestly evaluated his son, even grabbing any random person rolling around in the martial world would be a hundred times better than Wei Yan-ho. How was he supposed to accept that Wei Yan-ho was being summoned for such a task?
"Of course..."
Moon Eun-ji smiled slyly.
"The Grand Tutor must have spoken of it."
"Eh?"
"The only person who could inform His Imperial Majesty of Master Wei's existence and have him summoned to the palace would be the Grand Tutor, wouldn't it?"
"Are you saying Prince Lee knows Yeon-ho that well?"
"Of course. It seems you haven't heard from him directly, but the Grand Tutor cherishes Master Wei so much."
"Is that so?"
It was quite a remarkable thing.
Cherishing Wei Yan-ho was never an easy task. Of course, there are people in this world who pick up stones, wash and polish them for decoration, so one couldn't guarantee there absolutely wasn't such a person, but...
"He cherishes him so much that he repeatedly said he would very much like to see with his own eyes the parents who raised such a person."
"..."
This sounds like family extermination.
Really like family extermination?
"W-what on earth did you do, you fool!"
"What?"
"What did you do for such words to come from Prince Lee's mouth! What on earth did you do!"
"Come on, father."
Wei Yan-ho chuckled.
"If I had done something wrong, would I have received rewards and been released? On the contrary, I accomplished merit."
"..."
Well, that makes sense too...
"Merit is merit."
Moon Eun-ji nodded quietly.
"But there are people in this world who accomplish merit yet still get cursed."
Wei Jeong-han could roughly guess the situation from that one statement. Well, it wasn't really a problem that needed much thought. He had watched enough until now.
Hadn't he accomplished tremendous merit at Mount Hua but still gotten cursed at?
"Then, now..."
Wei Jeong-han said with a trembling voice.
"Do we have to enter the palace?"
Enter the palace.
Going to the Imperial Palace. What kind of situation was this?
Wei Yan-ho frowned and said.
"Do I really have to go?"
"Y-you fool, not following after receiving an edict is treason."
"Since when have we listened to the Emperor? Wasn't it that the martial world and government don't interfere with each other?"
"...That may be so, but we can't ignore it when an edict comes directly."
"Ah, this is annoyingly troublesome."
Wei Yan-ho pointed accusingly.
"I wondered if there was something to pick up by coming all this way! You came to make trouble for me, didn't you?"
"Hmph! Then did I come to do you a favor? Stop complaining and get ready. I was told to grab you tight so you can't run away."
"Who said that?"
"Who do you think? Prince Lee."
"That bastard..."
Heat began to rise in Wei Yan-ho's face.
"I'm going!"
"You can't run awa... what?"
"I said I'm going!"
Wei Yan-ho declared boldly.
"Since it's come to this anyway, I'll go without regrets. It's not like anything will change just because I stopped by there briefly."
"...Why are you like this?"
"Didn't you say to go?"
"Considering your personality, I thought you'd make a fuss about not going."
"It's a waste of time anyway. Father's right. Since an edict has been issued, I have to go."
Moon Eun-ji's expression relaxed slightly.
She had been worrying about how to drag this lazy bum all the way there, but fortunately things were going smoothly...
"But!"
Wei Yan-ho's voice boomed out loudly.
"Don't complain later!"
Moon Eun-ji's face rapidly filled with anxiety.