III

Joongi

“Get out of the way! Move, move!” shouted the soldiers, shoving and pushing the poor citizens to clear the road. Behind the soldiers, came Wang Yo who was riding his black horse. With a sly smile on his face, he went out of the palace to take a look around the town. On his head, he got his father’s crown.

“The new King has come, move out of the way!” Shouted the soldier again and at once, people kneel and bowed down to Wang Yo. Some of them were terrified of what just happened while the others cried for the King’s help.

“Crown prince! What are you doing?!” cried Empress Ah as she saw her son get on his knee to kneel down. Wang Mu’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his first harder than ever, then, with his shaky voice he pleaded, “Please.. Don’t hurt my people, they’ve got nothing to do with this, Wang Yo!”

The younger prince, Wang Yo, smirked and lowered his body to get a better look of the crown prince’s face, “Sure I can do that, Wang Mu. But I want something in return and you know exactly what I want.”

Empress Ah’s heart broke into million pieces as her son made an eye contact with her, “I’m sorry, mother. I need to do something for my people. There’s no way I could pretend like nothing happened when I am the one that can save their lives.”

Everyone had their lips sealed as the crown prince bowed down, “I, Wang Mu, sincerely congratulate the new King of Goryeo.” And soon, the others followed Wang Mu. They bowed down to the new King, King Wang Yo.

“Your highness! P-Please help my family, some people came and stabbed them with a sword- Please!” cried a woman as she bowed down right in front of Wang Yo.

A soldier stepped forward, about to push that woman away then suddenly, “What do you think you’re doing?” Muttered Wang Yo in his cold tone, side-eyeing the soldier. “Are you trying to hurt my people?”

“N-No, your high-“  Said the soldier before he got stabbed by Wang Yo’s sword. Wang Yo’s face didn’t show any guilt after he killed his own servant, meanwhile, the woman was shaking madly, her eyes showed her fear thinking she might be the next one to be killed.

“Fear not, I, King Wang Yo will protect you. I’ll find the man behind this ridiculous incident and kill him with my own hand,” His smirk grew wider and wider as he left the location.

While riding his horse, Wang Yo got distracted by a scene of some people fighting at the end of the road near the port. He sent some of his people to take a look but he couldn’t resist his own curiousity.

He pulled out his sword once again before he made his way to where all the noises came from. Wang Yo saw his men got killed by only one person, he was furious but curious at the same time.

“Y-Your highn-ness-“ A soldier with a bloody wound on his chest crawled to Wang Yo’s direction, the tip of his fingers reached for Wang Yo’s robe, hoping that his King will help him. That was when Wang Yo pulled his robe away and gave that soldier another deep wound on his back, “Weak.” Muttered Wang Yo then he walked away to the other man.

Wang Yo’s eyes scanned every move that man made and shomehow, he was fascinated by that man’s sword skill. He found lots of potential in him.

When that one man got cornered, he told his soldiers to surround him and caught him. That man struggled while shouting as loud as he can, his arms were tied behind his back and he was forced to get on his knee.

Wang Yo pointed his sword at that man’s neck, it was kind of hard to recgonized his face since he got so many blood on his face.

“I found these inside his pocket, your highness,” A soldier showed a pocket of money and an identity made from a thin wood. Wang Yo ignored the rusty pocket (of course, those amounts of money are nothing for the King) and took the identity, “Lee Joongi?” He read what’s written on it.

“Say, Joongi, who are you?” Wang Yo got on one of his knee, he made sure that his eyes were on the same level as Joongi’s. Joongi panted and raised his head a litte, the two of them made an eye contact.

“Me? I’m the one who’s gonna kill you,” Joongi’s answer made every soldiers gasped and pointed their swords at him furiously. But then, as Wang Yo killed another soldier, the rest of them froze with fear.

“Did.. Did I give you any order to point your sword at him?” Wang Yo asked the soldiers while chuckling like a mad man, “DID I?” he shouted. After he glared at them, he cleared his throat to check on Joongi again.

“Kill me? Why? I believe we just met for the very first time.”

Joongi smirked, then spitted some out some blood due to a wound on his mouth, “These people, they’re your men right? They killed my father, they took my friends and I don’t have any freaking idea where these bastards took them!” Joongi’s chest rose as he took a deep breath, he teared up and couldn’t control his emotion any longer, his heart crushed everytime he remember how Teacher Yoo got killed right in front of him.

“They’re probably dead now! AND THAT IS WHY-“ A bitter yet scary chuckle came out of Joongi’s lips, “That is why, I’m going to kill you.”

Joongi watched how Wang Yo, who didn’t show any reaction for a minute, suddenly laughed loudly as he got up. Wang Yo tightened his grip on his sword before he swung his sword furiously to kill his own soldiers.

Joongi eyed how the dead soldiers fell to the ground one by one.

“How dare you? How dare you killed this man’s father?! How dare you took his friends away?!” barked Wang Yo, pressing his bloody sword against the other soldier’s neck, “Where are they? Where did you take them?”

The soldier’s face got pale all of sudden his lips trembled and his eyes were begging for forgiveness, “I d-don’t know, t-the other man got away, your highness-“

“Who ordered you to kill his father?” asked Wang Yo again.

“Y-Your-“ The soldier suttered then collapsed to the ground right after Wang Yo sliced his throat. Wang Yo didn’t give him any chance to answer, well he already knew the answer. He was the man behind this incident.

S-Seojoon got away?  That means.. He’s still alive? Joongi thought. He frowned, and with the back of his hand, he wiped the blood away from his face. With his sore knees, he slowly got up, “I’ve got nothing to do with you anymore, I need to find my friend now.”

Joongi walked pass Wang Yo without any interest, the remaining soldiers cleared the way for him after Wang Yo gave them the order to let him through. Wang Yo was thinking, really hard. He was planning to take over the whole Goryeo from the other princes who might turned their back against him and start a rebellion against his era as a King.

Therefore, he need to build a strong army, and he was sure he just found the right person.

“I can help you.”

Joongi immediately stopped his foot steps. “To find your friends, I can help you.” Added Wang Yo.

With a dismissive face, Joongi curled the side of his lips into a smirk, “No, thanks.” He said with his back still facing Wang Yo, he took one of the dead soldier’s sword from the ground then began to walk again.

“I know who killed your father.”

This time, Joongi’s ears perked showing an interest. He turned his head over his shoulder, greeted by Wang Yo’s sly smile. “I know who’s behind this incident. I can help you to find your friends and I can help you to get your revenge.”

Revenge.

That word sounds really tempting for Joongi. Deep inside his heart, he wanted to kill everyone that had anything to do with Teacher Yoo’s death so badly. Wang Yoo took the chance to approach Joongi and took some steps forward.

“Who are you?” asked Joongi in his cold tone.

“Me?” Wang Yo laughed, folding his arms behind his back as he walked around Joongi, “I am the one who will help you to seek for your revenge. I am the new King of Goreyo, Wang Yo.”

Joongi’s eyes showed anger as he swung his sword toward Wang Yo’s direction all of sudden. Wang Yo, who also had some good sword skills, quickly dodged Joongi’s sudden attack. The two of them swung their swords against each other’s in a speed of light.

“WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOUR PEOPLE NEED YOU? YOUR INNOCENT PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND YOU DID NOTHING!” barked Joongi as tears flowed out, he gritted his teeth while panting loudly.

One of the soldier tried to help his King by shooting an arrow at Joongi’s direction. Wang Yo who saw the arrow quickly swung his sword to dodged the arrow but he accidentally slashed Joongi’s face, leaving a scar right below Joongi’s left eye.

Wang Yo was really mad and ended up killing another innocent man. He then stood across Joongi who was hissing in pain, Wang Yo put his bloody hand on Joongi’s shoulder and said, “The only way you could get your revenge is by entering the palace. You’ve got nothing to fear, I am on your side, and I will give you power to do what you’re heart is craving.”

Joongi’s palm was now red, covered in his blood, “Palace? W..hy?”

Wang Yo leaned closer and lowered his voice, not wanting the remaining soldiers to heard what he was about to say, “Because the man behind this incident live inside the palace. Princes are not angels, don’t you think so? They could do whatever they want. As a King, I want to stop them and I need your help.”

“You’ll help me to take over Goryeo, and I will help you to get your revenge. Will you help me, Joongi?” asked Wang Yo and he smirked in victory when Joongi slowly bowed down to him.

With a shaky breath, and hands clutched tightly, Joongi whispers, “..I, Joongi, congratulate you.. King Wang Yo, as the new King of...Goryeo.” And deep inside his heart, Joongi promised he’ll do whatever it takes to gain that power the King promised him to find Yoon Ha and Seojoon, to seek for his revenge.