I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 39: Dog or Guest

The presence of high-ranking military officers took Jincheon completely by surprise.

Suppressing the pounding in his chest, he asked quietly,

“Who are they?”

It wasn’t Gi Seoran who answered, but rather Ak Mujin, East Wind Commander.

“They’re the imperial dogs.”

Despite being in the rear, Ak Mujin’s voice came through clear and sharp, as if he were riding right beside Jincheon.

Jincheon instinctively turned to look at him.

What... what did he just say?

At first, he thought he had misheard.

Imperial dogs? To call high-ranking military officers something like that—he had never heard anything so outrageous.

No, he hadn’t heard it—he hadn’t even imagined it. For Jincheon, the word blasphemy came to mind automatically.

And yet, Ak Mujin’s eyes—clearly visible at the edge of Jincheon’s gaze—were filled with open contempt for the officers ahead.

“Incompetent fools who don’t even know their place, daring to show themselves here...”

He made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

Just as Jincheon was reeling from the shock, Gi Seoran’s composed voice reached his ears.

“He is the Commanding Officer of the Garrison.”

Jincheon turned to her and couldn’t help but repeat,

“Who did you say?”

“Eom Gyeonghan, the Commanding Officer of the garrison at Gahyeok Pass. He’s in his third year since appointment—a relatively new regional official.”

Jincheon blinked several times in a row.

First imperial dog, and now Commanding Officer—it felt like he was being hit from both sides.

Commanding Officer...?

He’d definitely heard her right, but it made no sense.

Just to be sure, he asked again,

“The... the Commanding Officer, as in, the military chief of a Garrison Post?”

The Commanding Officer oversaw the stationed army of a garrison.

With thousands of troops under his command and the authority to forcibly conscript civilians in times of emergency, such a man wielded absolute power within his post—he was basically a king in all but name.

“How could I presume to know the depths of the Red Dragon’s insight,”

Gi Seoran replied, in the phrasing Jincheon was now all too familiar with.

“But if you mean the man who holds military authority over the Garrison Post, then yes. Although operational command is retained by the Imperial Court and his range of action is limited, the garrison troops at Gahyeok Pass fall under his jurisdiction.”

Her explanation was precise and logical.

But that wasn’t the issue.

“No, I mean... what would the Commanding Officer be doing here...?”

“I believe he has come to greet the Palace Master,” she said.

“Me? The Commanding Officer? Why?”

The question came out automatically, before he could even think.

Neung Gayeon, North Wind Commander, responded this time.

“Perhaps as a guest paying respects to his host. Though, of course, one might say he’s forgotten his place.”

What?

Jincheon thought he must have misheard again.

But Neung Gayeon’s gaze remained gentle and serene, as always.

A Commanding Officer... a guest?

A guest was someone who stayed in another’s home by their host’s goodwill.

You could say they were freeloading, but in a noble house, a guest was a position of honor.

It meant you had been recognized by someone powerful.

The problem here was that the guest being referred to was a Commanding Officer—a man appointed by the Emperor himself.

And the host was, presumably, Jincheon.

At this point, he honestly couldn’t tell whether imperial dog or guest was the more insulting term.

...Good grief.

Jincheon clicked his tongue inwardly.

These were metaphors he could never have imagined using himself.

Then again, how often had their common sense clashed with his own?

Is it because they’re so isolated? Or is it just that they’re a native faction with a strong sense of ownership?

Groups that lacked outside contact often resented interference from officials. They believed that outsiders without proper qualifications were violating their autonomy.

Even the use of the word host reflected that. To them, those who had taken root here were the rightful owners of this land.

But under imperial law, it was the opposite. The world belonged to the Emperor.

Sure, but it’s not like they’d ever accept that. I’ve heard martial artists are the same way...

The Heavenly Valley wasn’t just a native group. It was, in essence, a militant organization. With people who held such a strong sense of ownership, their attitude made a certain kind of sense.

Not that Jincheon agreed with it.

Clop, clop.

In the meantime, Jeolyeong, the white steed, pushed forward without hesitation.

Soon, Jincheon came face to face with the Commanding Officer and several military officers accompanying him.

Tap.

A few of the officers immediately dismounted and knelt before Jincheon, heads bowed.

They were probably people from the Heavenly Valley—but even so, that was not the kind of posture one was supposed to take in front of the Commanding Officer.

Yet the officer himself said nothing to stop them.

Instead, from atop his horse, he clasped his hands in formal greeting.

“I am Eom Gyeonghan, Commanding Officer of the Garrison. It is an honor to meet the Palace Master of the Heavenly Flame Palace.”

A middle-aged man with a powerful build spoke, his voice low and resonant.

His intense eyes and bristling beard betrayed years of service as a soldier.

And the aura he exuded ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ was impressive enough that, had this been the old Jincheon, he might have instinctively flinched.

Cluck.

Behind him, Ak Mujin clicked his tongue.

Truthfully, the only reason Jincheon wasn’t intimidated was because of Ak Mujin.

Compared to the crushing pressure that Ak Mujin gave off, the Commanding Officer’s presence wasn’t particularly overwhelming.

Jincheon ignored Ak Mujin’s reaction and brought his hands together in a polite return gesture.

“I’m Jincheon... a pleasure to meet you.”

His reply was awkward at best.

Because how was he supposed to process the fact that a general in charge of border defense had come out here just to greet him?

The Commanding Officer met Jincheon’s eyes with that intense gaze and said,

“Since Your Grace did not desire a formal audience, I have prepared a quiet space within Jucheon instead. Would you honor me with your presence?”

It was an invitation.

A formal one—from a high-ranking regional official who held military authority over the garrison at Gahyeok Pass. He had even come all the way to the outskirts of the city to greet him personally and extend it with proper decorum.

Back when Jincheon was still a humble scholar preparing for the civil service exam, something like this would have been beyond imagination.

But now? He wanted nothing more than to decline.

Me? Why? What for? What could he possibly want to say?

To be fair, it wasn’t totally incomprehensible.

He had just been thinking about how hard the local officials must have it, constantly walking on eggshells around the Heavenly Valley.

If they were that desperate for local cooperation, it made sense they’d want to treat Jincheon, the Palace Master, with utmost care.

But a Commanding Officer?

This makes no sense.

It was like getting posted as village chief in some backwater hamlet, only to have the general of a nearby army show up asking for a meeting.

Why?

He didn’t know. But every instinct in Jincheon’s body screamed not to get involved.

At least it didn’t look like he was being arrested.

That’s when—

Crack.

A sharp, brittle noise came from behind him.

Jincheon turned around.

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Ak Mujin was grinding his teeth, his face twisted with fury.

“How dare he... that imperial—”

“I accept.”

Jincheon’s voice cut through the air just in time.

He knew exactly what word was about to come next.

So he quickly kept going.

“Thank you for the invitation. We were actually just looking to rest anyway. Ha, haha.”

It was an awkward laugh, but it worked.

His effort to prevent a total disaster had paid off.

The Commanding Officer, Eom Gyeonghan, bowed again—this time even more respectfully.

“Your Grace’s consideration is deeply appreciated.”

“Ah, no—think nothing of it.”

Consideration, he says. There was none to speak of.

If someone had dared to say imperial dog in front of the Commanding Officer, how the hell was Jincheon supposed to clean that up?

That was a situation he absolutely had to avoid.

Clop.

Meanwhile, Eom Gyeonghan, the Commanding Officer, turned his horse around.

As he began to move, several of the officers who had knelt rose and mounted their horses to follow.

Jincheon let out a soft sigh.

Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he glanced toward Ak Mujin, East Wind Commander.

“Y-Your Grace! I was only—”

Ak Mujin flinched and hurried to speak, but Neung Gayeon's voice came first, cool and unhurried.

“I’ve warned you, time and again, that your rashness would only make things difficult for the Palace Master.”

She shook her head gently.

“When will you ever grow up?”

Ak Mujin’s sturdy face twisted, but he had no retort.

Neung Gayeon clicked her tongue lightly. Jincheon turned his gaze away from them.

...Well, there’s no getting out of this now.

Once he accepted the invitation, there was no backing out.

And besides—didn’t that old man say if there’s no choice, call it fate?

Jincheon nudged Jeolyeong forward.

Clop, clop.

The beautiful white steed with the platinum mane moved ahead at a graceful pace, as if reading Jincheon’s will.

But Jincheon’s thoughts atop that elegant horse were anything but light.

Commanding Officer this, Commanding Officer that... ugh.

No matter how he turned it over in his head, there was no answer.

An invitation from a Commanding Officer, out of nowhere—what was he supposed to do with that?

And let’s be honest. The people of the Heavenly Valley might treat him like a Palace Master or Red Dragon, but Jincheon himself didn’t feel like he had the authority—or the qualifications—to actually respond to this kind of thing.

...Ugh. I give up. I don’t know anything anymore.

With that, Jincheon gave up on understanding, on justifying, on rationalizing. He glanced back.

The people who had knelt still hadn’t moved.

He assumed they would get up once he was gone, but that didn’t stop him from worrying about it.

“They’ll return to their posts shortly.”

Gi Seoran had noticed his concern.

“I see. Please pass along my thanks.”

Gi Seoran bowed respectfully and accepted the order. Jincheon relaxed slightly and let Jeolyeong’s pace carry him forward.

He had no way of knowing that these Heavenly Valley people were only a portion of the whole—and that they had come outside the city to greet him in order to maintain the local custom of not offering formal ceremony within Jucheon itself.

****

Jucheon hadn’t changed a bit.

Not that anything could change in just a few days—but for Jincheon, it was still oddly moving.

Too much had happened in the meantime.

Lost in momentary nostalgia, Jincheon let out a wry smile and looked up.

Yeah. Of course it’s here.

The place the Commanding Officer had arranged for them was none other than Tianshan Daeru—the same three-story tower he’d first visited when he arrived in this city.

It was the largest tavern in Jucheon.

“Please dismount.”

At Gi Seoran’s prompt, Jincheon gave a small nod.

He stepped down from Jeolyeong’s back.

“Ah—!”

He moved instinctively, and was immediately startled.

Getting off a horse was no easy task—the height was considerable.

Jincheon had anticipated it, but what he hadn’t noticed was that Po Eunryeong had quietly positioned herself behind him to help.

Realizing it a second too late, he lost his balance. And Po Eunryeong reacted instantly.

Whump.

She caught him, wrapping both arms around him.

A soft floral scent, gentle warmth, and a plush embrace surrounded him.

It was the right thing to do at the right time, but for Jincheon, it felt like he had suddenly fallen into Po Eunryeong’s arms—and that was more than enough to fluster him.

Not to mention, she was a stunning young woman in her prime. There was no not being embarrassed.

Regardless of how Jincheon felt, his feet now rested gently on solid ground.

“Th-thank you.”

“Think nothing of it, Your Grace.”

Po Eunryeong immediately dropped to one knee and bowed her head.

Ahem.

Jincheon started to say something more, but then caught Ilyo’s gaze and quickly turned his head.

Hadn’t there already been rumors floating around about him and Gi Seoran? And now Po Eunryeong too?

If he said anything more here, those rumors might just grow wings.

“Let’s head in.”

Jincheon adjusted his robe and started walking toward the entrance.

But he couldn’t shut out the voice that slipped through his ear from nearby:

“Lucky youuu~”

Ugh.

That voice—Geumyo’s, sweet and teasing—felt like a dagger aimed straight at him.

It was clearly just an idle remark, not even directed at him.

But Jincheon, struck by his own guilt, had no room left for rational thought. He simply picked up the pace.