774 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

There is a rumor that somewhere in the Forbidden City lies a grand library containing all the martial arts in the world. In the past, when the power of the imperial palace was overwhelming, it is said that they gathered and perfected martial arts under heaven and earth, serving as a repository of martial arts. Some say the emperor commanded all sects to offer them, or it was the legendary Admiral Zheng He, a man hailed as a great loyalist, a magnificent general, an esteemed admiral, and a pioneering explorer, who ventured beyond land and sea to collect all martial arts. Of course, a rumor remains a rumor, and the imperial palace has never affirmed the existence of such a martial arts vault in a single word. Yet, for Zhongyuan(中原) locals who adore martial arts, isn't it truly a dream-like place? Hence, the existence of the imperial palace library was less about its reality and more a realm of faith for them. It was a place filled with dreams and hopes of one day entering, mastering profound martial arts, and becoming renowned across the land. Nevertheless, humans are creatures that create hierarchies. From the advent of private property to the far future in Qing's homeland, they have always formed thorough hierarchical societies. Thus, the dreams and hopes of the have-nots were simply a part of the daily lives of the haves. This was also true for the imperial palace library. Access to the imperial palace library, coveted by every Zhongyuan inhabitant, was merely routine for Fan Yuegong(範若宮). Indeed, it extended beyond routine into the realm of duty. Patrolling the imperial palace library was also his responsibility. As the door opened, the rich scent of books seeped into his nose. Under the dim illumination of the luminous pearls, the faint outlines of the library came into view. Luminous pearls! Jewels that emit light on their own! They are currently the greatest mystery of Zhongyuan, an enigmatic treasure no one fully comprehends, a divine gift from the heavens. However, to Fan Yuegong, they held no particular allure. No matter how precious, looking at something daily renders it devoid of any sense of value. The countless martial arts books in the imperial palace library were no exception. No matter how abundant the precious arts were, the martial arts one could truly master were only a few in number. Select one good inner energy book, learn a weapon technique that complements it, study one or two movement skills to match, and that’s all. Although one could endeavor to learn various sword techniques, after all, martial arts are challenging to master even when devoted to just one throughout a lifetime. Learning many would not be of much aid. Most involved self-study, using martial texts without a mentor, just solitary volumes of martial books. Although the martial texts of the imperial palace library were comprised of detailed illustrations and commentaries across numerous volumes to facilitate maximum self-learning, the limits of learning without a teacher are still apparent. Unless one could entirely grasp the origin and intent of the martial art and the group it belonged to without mentorship. In such a case, mastering numerous martial arts might be advantageous. To swiftly ascend through realms by comparing, splitting, and merging them. Fan Yuegong's gaze drifted to one side. Under the mystical green light of the luminous pearl, he stared far ahead, yet not at the front. An old man's characteristic gaze, reminiscing about the past moments spent in that space. ‘Wow, the smell of books. I love it.’ ‘Oh dear, do you really love the smell of books? I've never seen your majesty reading a volume.’ ‘Hehe, just the scent of books. But! From today, it changes! I shall read! Read martial texts! There, there, where's the Divine Maiden Sword Technique?’ ‘Ah, over this way—’ ‘No! That's no fun! I want to find it myself!’ The most troublesome kid in the palace, love bestowed by all palace folk despite her antics. Before receiving the princess' title, she was merely a nameless young master, as children of the Tianzi typically were. Strictly speaking, she had a name, but it was a precious name only to be spoken by members of the imperial family; hence just referred to as your majesty, the young master. This young master bustled through the library, looking everywhere with eager steps. ‘What's this? Seukseukmanwoomwoorlakgong? Fan Gong, Fan Gong, guess what this reads?’ ‘That’s... 환접(環摺), Oh, let me have it. What's such worthless material doing here?’ ‘Hmm? Why? Is it valuable?’ ‘It's, um, yes. It must never be spoiled, so kindly return it to its place with care.’ ‘Okay! Here!’ The well-behaved young master cheerfully smiled, handing the book on ornamental arts to Fan Yuegong, instead of placing it back, as if entrusting him to do so. Thus, wandering around the imperial palace library, peeking here and there, trying to read the lacking letters, and asking Fan Yuegong to guess the unfamiliar ones. And then, it happened. ‘Oh? There's something behind the book! Wow, someone hid it! So this must be the Legendary Yue Maiden Sword, right?’ For the young master, the finest martial art was Qing's legendary Yue Maiden Sword Technique. A hidden martial art was the most precious one, and the most precious one was undoubtedly Yue Maiden Sword Technique—this was her unwavering conviction without any trace of doubt. The young master passionately pulled books off the shelves and placed them in Fan Yuegong's arms. While Fan Yuegong merely regarded it as the young master being as delightful as always, watching on with pleasure. However, even he frowned at the book hidden in the place of the martial texts drawn from their spots, nestled like the top stroke of the character 而 in the shelves' depths. One couldn't help but wonder, how dare someone not place the martial texts properly but hide them away like this. Likely one of the scoundrels who entered must have hidden it to learn it all by himself, grumbling that they would know them if caught. At that moment. ‘Wow! Fan Gong, look! It's writing!’ ‘What? Oh no, your majesty!?’ In all the events witnessed by Fan Yuegong in his lengthy life, this was the most bizarre sight. From the book held in the young master’s hand, letters poured out uncontrollably. An unbelievable phenomenon, an expression that defied reason, yet ink lines seemed to pour forth into the air, swirling around the young master. Unlike the delightedly laughing young master, Fan Yuegong was startled and reached out. In an instant, all the letters rushed into the young master's body, melted, and vanished without a trace. ‘Are you okay, young master?’ "Are you okay? What's this? Fan Gong, you looked like a magician! So mystical! Can you do it again? Please, quickly, pretty please?" To Fan Yuegong's dismay, the young master seemed to think he had performed some fantastic trick just for her, badgering him for an encore. What remained was a single, utterly empty book left with countless blank pages. Following the event, the young master pestered Fan Yuegong relentlessly, pulling on his sleeves in an eager, playful fit, and even resorting to lying on the floor in protest when her demands weren't met. But eventually, she gave up and continued her quest to find the real scroll of the Yue Maiden Sword. The next day, she boasted that she had seen Lady Yue in her dreams and had been taught the true Yue Maiden Sword Technique, carrying an air of self-importance as her confidence soared skyward. As Fan Yuegong's focus returned to the present, the scene of the imperial palace library appeared unchanged — no youthful master bouncing about, only he, with the passing of time evident in his aged form. With time slipping away in the early stage of the Profound Realm, even the greatest masters cannot escape its grasp forever. Sure, reaching the next stage could extend his life significantly, but time was still short. Fan Yuegong pulled a book from his sleeve. The title on the cover, written in a fierce and graceful script, read "Wuxiang Repository." "無相庫" Wuxiang Repository literally translates to "Formless Archive," depicting a storehouse without physical form. Alternatively, it could imply a repository for the formless itself. Since that event, Fan Yuegong had expended considerable effort to uncover the truth behind this Wuxiang. Initially, his concern was for the young master. While there seemed no immediate harm, who could tell if problems might arise in the future? If it were some harmful spell or sorcery, uncovering its nature secretly was imperative for resolving it quietly. He needed to resolve it without drawing attention. Unauthorized access to the imperial palace library, even for a royal family member, was a grievous crime warranting severe punishment. For royal family members, the crime was more serious. A rule dictated that only the emperor could practice martial arts, rendering arts like the Fairy Arts, intended for aesthetic rather than combative use, not counted as martial arts. Thankfully, the Forbidden City held comprehensive records of martial history. Naturally, this was the case. Before any emperor’s reign, martial artists were seen as potentially dangerous hounds, and post-reign, they were viewed as the most formidable adversaries. For one to prepare against threats, deep understanding is essential. However, the records were vast and varied greatly depending on the time and region where rumors were collected. Moreover, as a bodyguard to the young sovereign, Fan Yuegong had limited time for extensive research. Thus, it took him a considerable amount of time. Finally, Fan Yuegong unearthed records about an ancient, long-vanished mysterious sect rumored to possess impossibly potent supernatural martial arts. Wuxiang Arts. Xiaowuxiang Arts. A mystical martial art that allows one to instantly understand any martial art and become a proficient master. More akin to a talent or special ability than martial art, one would consider such rumors to be outlandish nonsense upon hearing them. Yet, the scene Fan Yuegong witnessed… If Wuxiang Arts involved such absorption of characters, it would be a singular martial art available to only one individual per generation. For those aware of such supreme martial arts, wouldn't they have fought to the death for it? Much like the internal strife that led to the downfall of that sect. Fan Yuegong gently closed the empty book. And there he stood, gazing intently. To be specific, he gazed at his hand atop the cover, observing the wrinkled skin speckled with liver spots. ---- The Yangxin Hall is where the emperor practically conducts governmental affairs. The grand Huangji Hall was reserved for assemblies with all the ministers and significant meetings, while Yangxin Hall was where the emperor's duties—mostly stamping seals for national matters, really—would occur. Into Yangxin Hall, high-ranking officials of the Forbidden City steadily entered. Nonetheless, the officials appeared somewhat uneasy. Upon entering at the emperor's summons, they found eunuchs and Jin Yiwei guards lined up on either side of him. Particularly, the look on the face of the grand secretary of the Ministry of War, who was also the Empress's younger brother, was especially displeased. The eunuchs from the Ministry of War faction, led by Seo Chang, and the martial individuals among the Jin Yiwei guards belonging to the Empress's faction, were absent. Of course, the Empress was the emperor’s greatest ally, allowing such factions to exist implicitly. In truth, although the grand secretary of the Ministry of War internally supported the strengthening of imperial power, the Empress’s strong-willed stance couldn’t be ignored. She was akin to the primary decision-maker of the Seo family; as such, her will could not be disregarded. However, despite everything, the foreboding prospect of resorting to military intimidation was worrisome. Nor could he understand what drove this extreme measure. But soon, the grand secretary understood the emperor’s motive. "The reason I’ve summoned you at such an hour is to clear misunderstandings between us and earnestly seek your understanding. I intend to bestow the noble lady title upon Ximen Qing(서문청) because…” The emperor candidly revealed his intentions. I detest the martial world. And to keep it in check, I must bestow a noble lady title to a woman from the martial world. I assure you the new noble lady will never set foot outside the palace, and this assurance can be documented if needed. Sincerity has a compelling power over people. An earnest revelation of one's true intentions boasts the remarkable ability to resolve accumulated misunderstandings and foster harmony. Thus, the officials' response? "How could it be that Your Majesty makes promises to us subjects? It overwhelms us gravely. Simply issue your commands, and we shall obey." A dramatic resolution! Naturally, it was logical. The officials believed the emperor planned to use martial prowess to boost imperial power. Hence, they had protested. But if that is not the case? If it was truly to defuse and subdue the power of the martial world, there was no reason to oppose it, was there? Moreover, regardless of being pro-royalist or not (there are no anti-royalist factions, as that would be considered treason), aren't we all bound together as government officials? The enemies of our administration are the martial artists, and the nation's enemies are the barbarians. It made perfect sense to unite efforts in addressing the martial world. Yet, the emperor found it somewhat ironic. Those vehemently opposing, declaring they would rather die lying down, were now willing to comply with anything, just waiting for their orders.