Emperor of Steel

A week later, Hwang Bo-sung, who had gone to the Hwang Bo clan, had returned.

However, he didn’t come back alone. He was back with the elders of the Hwang Bo clan, including the former chief, Hwang Bo-in.

Hwang Bo-in and the other elders of the clan, knelt on their knees in front of the Imperial palace as they committed a grave sin.

“Your Majesty, please kill us!”

“Please don’t forgive the thoughtless sinner who gave birth to such a monster!”

Hwang Bo-in and the others bowed their heads and asked to be prosecuted. Some even touched the ground with their heads.

Hwang Bo clan once reigned as the best Moorim clan.

After Hwang Bo-kwang became the advisor of the regent, people of the other clans would point their fingers and spit on the gates, the Hwang Bo clan had turned into a clan which had committed all kinds of sins in the Empire.

“Huh, they are surely struggling to not let the clan be taken down.”

“The father itself handed over his son to the Imperial Palace.”

“But it’s all like cutting the tail of a lizard, it only comes back.”

There were only a few people who felt bad for the Hwang Bo clan elders.

All because the people of the capital were almost sacrificed and the creation of Kangshi had turned into a huge topic.

In addition, as Hwang Bo-kwang and Jo Won-gyun fled, they set fire to the Imperial Palace, and the fire ended up spreading over to the residential homes which were around and caused a huge loss of property to the other people.

Fortunately, the rebels had entered the capital at the very moment and started to subdue the fire with the help of Princess So-hye and the other wizards, they were barely able to prevent the fire from destroying the capital.

“Your Majesty! Please kill us…”

Thud!

As he asked, a stone flew into Hwang Bo-in, who had been asking to be punished for the crimes.

“If you know you are in the wrong, you can quietly decide to punish yourself! What do you expect them to do?”

“You people don’t even deserve to raise your voices!”

Hwang Bo-in and the elders were silently facing the stones and dirt thrown onto them.

Hwang Bo-sung and Hwang Bo-yun, who watched it all unfold from a distance were confused.

A few days back, when they reunited with their father, they made sure to talk to their father, who wanted to get punished. The public sentiment in their clan had already taken the turn for the worst.

So they kind of expected the situation to turn out a little like that.

As a proud warrior, Hwang Bo-in was very ashamed to get down on his knee and plead.

However, he went through with it.

It was because he thought that a simple end to his life wouldn’t be suitable for a sinner, and he wanted the Hwang Bo clan to flourish, so he decided to plead as the sinner.

“Chief, how would our family be if they see you like this?”

“Well, I don’t think that it needs to be our concern for now.”

According to the Song Empire’s law, the first rule about the clan that sins were to destroy 3 families in the clan.

In the most severe cases, 9 families would be destroyed as an example.

The problem was that not all of the Hwang Bo clan had participated in the treason.

In the case of Hwang Bo-sung, he assisted Luke and helped the rebels, and Hwang Bo-yun also supported the opposition forces within the clan and prevented the spread of Kangshi in the capital.

And it wasn’t just that, he was also part of the rescue group which took in by the Emperor.

Those who made that kind of help couldn’t be executed.

So, Jo Won-rak was discussing the appropriate level of punishment for the Hwang Bo clan by exchanging the opinion with Luke, King Biryu, and Lee Yong-mu.

“By the way… I got to see you again brother. I always thought that you only enjoyed drinking.”

“Huh, isn’t a capable hawk supposed to hide its claws?”

Hwang Bo-yun had a sneaky smile and said.

“Even the one you serve as your Master seems to be the one who hides his nails too.”

“Yes, he won the one-on-one combat with Lee Yong-mu. Perhaps, even if both the Southern and Northern warriors combined, there seems to be no one who can beat him.”

There was one person they didn’t know about.

It was said that he defeated Arsene a while back, however, there was no guarantee when and where that undying monster would strike back.

“I think that it is reassuring if that kind of a person is on our side.”

“Yes, he will remain to have a friendly relationship with the Song Empire until we decide to remove the source behind the incident.”

The Kangshi poison, which was meant to be spread in large amounts, was the same as the zombie disease which was spread throughout the Holy Empire.

In addition, there were traces of the warlocks experimenting in the Imperial palace after the fire was subdued.

Since the first time that he had come to the Southern Continent, Luke had been suspicious about the connection between Hwang Bo clan and Arsene, so Luke asked for his men to conduct a thorough investigation into it.

“What are you planning to do in the future?”

“As soon as the things are done here, I will return back to Symphonia Kingdom with my Master.”

“Going back? Who will look after the clan?”

Hwang Bo-yun didn’t expect that answer from his brother.

“Aren’t you still here, brother?”

Hwang Bo-yun shook his hands at his younger brother’s words.

“I hate it. It isn’t that I hate it, I just don’t have the ability to do it. As you know, the only martial arts I learned from the clan are the basic ones.”

Hwang Bo clan is a warrior family.

Naturally, the principle was that the chief had to be someone from the direct lines and be the best in their clan’s martial arts.

Which was why Hwang Bo-kwang envied Hwang Bo-sung.

“As you said, our clan won’t be destroyed, but it will be difficult for our family to regain its lost glory. I think that you, who has managed to master the Trinity skills are the only one who can revive the Hwang Bo clan.”

“I am very sorry brother, but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“What my elder brother said and did to me were terrible, but some of his words were indeed right. You know… the world is a lot more than what we know. I want to follow my Master to see this huge world and reach a higher level.”

At the words of his younger brother, Hwang Bo-yun stared into his eyes.

Hwang Bo-sung’s eyes were clearer than the sea, as it held a deepness that could engulf any human being. Hwang Bo-yun saw the seriousness in his younger brother, something which didn’t exist in his time when he was in the clan.

“If that is what you want, I can’t do much to change it… father will be very disappointed.”

Said Hwang Bo-yun with a smile.

Hwang Bo-sung felt bad at the words, however, he had no intention of going back on his decision.