Who Will Vouch for This? (11)
“Benefactor, welcome to the Hao Clan’s Seopyeong branch.”
“Are you the branch leader?”
“Correct. It has only been four days since I assumed the role. The previous branch leader stationed here was a traitor, which is why…”
A traitor in Seopyeong. It already smelled fishy.
“You know why I’ve come, yes?”
“Of course. You wish to confirm whether Yang Mun-pyeong is truly a spy for the Demonic Cult, correct?”
Good. The conversation was moving quickly.
“Is it certain the bastard has the Demonic Cult backing him?”
“Yes. We found traces of correspondence between him and the traitor who used to lead this branch.”
The branch leader handed me a neatly folded sheet of paper. On closer inspection, it was clearly a letter. I unfolded it at once and examined the contents.
To the one who walks in shadow,
Provide a full report on the internal movements within the Hao Clan. How have the branch leaders reacted to recent events? Detail every development without delay. We await your swift reply.
— One Who Dwells Beyond the Veil
“...There’s no wriggling out of this one.”
This was solid evidence. The letter asked the suspected mole for updates on how matters were unfolding inside the Hao Clan. I wasn’t sure why they hadn’t destroyed it, but perhaps in the rush to replace the branch leader they had simply forgotten to hide it. When your own neck is on the line, other details tend to blur.
“What happened to the traitor?”
“He’s dead.”
“You killed him?”
“No organization keeps a traitor alive.”
Fair enough. Unless you were a complete pushover, there was no reason to let a betrayer keep breathing.
“Still… if Yang whatever-his-name-is learns of this, he’ll probably try to run.”
“Indeed. That is why I have already stationed watchers. And just yesterday I received word that he appears to be preparing to leave Seopyeong.”
Hmm. So the other side had noticed that their little rebellion had failed. That made things simpler.
“Then we need to seal off the area around his estate.”
I could take this letter to the Beggar Clan, borrow their beggars, and have them lie in wait around the mansion. Catching him in the act of fleeing would be the most decisive proof. Simply surrounding the place with beggars and shouting “This man serves the Demonic Cult!” was an option, but given the letter’s contents, the Hao Clan would probably hesitate to make such a bold move. Even though the traitor was dead, the letter still proved that someone inside the Hao Clan had been communicating with the Cult.
Catching him while he was trying to escape would be best for both the Hao Clan and me.
“For now, select some men and position them. It would also be good to contact the Beggar Clan and scatter their people around the perimeter.”
That way we could definitely catch anyone trying to flee over land.
Over land, at least.
“Tell me, does that bastard’s house have any underground passages?”
“The Yang estate was built twenty years ago, so locating the original builders would be difficult. However… a man who serves as a mole for the Demonic Cult would not have neglected to prepare an escape route for himself. An underground passage is very likely.”
“Hmm…”
Tunnels. I had bitter experience with those before. In the end the location had been discovered and everyone inside was wiped out, but still.
“We can’t just dig up the whole area… though sneaking inside to search is also an option.”
Since we didn’t know where the tunnel was, the only choice if he fled through it would be to follow right behind him. I wasn’t sure if I could keep up at my current speed. My qinggong let me ignore obstacles, but it wasn’t particularly fast. I had no idea how quick his people were, and there was always the risk of the tunnel collapsing on top of me if I chased them underground.
“In the end, infiltration is necessary.”
“...Will you be all right?”
“Just make the surveillance net as tight as possible. Mok-gyeong.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Have you ever climbed over walls before?”
“...I did it a few times as a child.”
I needed someone skilled at infiltration. I could handle a frontal assault, but sneaking in like a thief was not my talent. Neither Hye-ryeong nor Mok-gyeong seemed particularly gifted in that area either. Besides, with Hye-ryeong’s figure, hiding would be difficult in itself.
“Does the Hao Clan have any members working inside Yang Mun-pyeong’s estate?”
“...There is one, but the news is not good…”
“So receiving help from inside is out.”
Then the plan would be to surround the place from outside while finding some excuse to enter the estate itself.
“Understood. Just prepare everything. I’ll handle the method of entry myself.”
“As you wish.”
Now that the discussion was finished, I would visit the Beggar Clan again tomorrow morning. I rose from my seat, pondering how best to torment those Demonic Cult bastards.
“So this is the estate.”
“Yes, Great Hero. This is the Yang family’s residence.”
Whoa. Even the wall was intimidatingly long. A normal adult male would need a good twenty seconds of running to reach the end.
“My lord, where do you intend to wait?”
“Near the main gate would be best.”
I looked around for a good spot to observe the main gate while staying hidden. But no suitable building or terrain stood out. The entire area around here belonged to Yang Mun-pyeong, so...
Did he arrange it this way specifically to avoid surveillance?
The surrounding buildings were strangely short. There should have been at least one two-story structure, yet every building near Yang Mun-pyeong’s estate was only a single story.
“I understand that part. Now then…”
How could I catch these bastards easily?
Should I just charge in?
Honestly, nothing was simpler than barging in and raising hell. If I could draw enough attention to force a face-to-face meeting with Yang Mun-pyeong, I had several methods ready.
...Should I just do it?
If I left him alone he would definitely try to destroy all the evidence. Or maybe he already had.
Let’s see.
I took the lion mask from my robe and pulled it over my head.
When I suddenly put on the mask, Hye-ryeong stared at me and asked, “Mister, what’s that mask?”
“It’s for concealing my identity.”
“Does that actually hide who you are?”
“Who knows.”
Since I was obviously going to clash with the Demonic Cult anyway, it would only buy a little time. No matter how much I tried to hide, the Cult was the Cult. They wouldn’t need long to figure out my identity. So before that happened, I planned to cause as much chaos as possible. Enough to stop them from using their full strength even if war broke out.
After all, the Demonic Cult was already outnumbered in the Central Plains. If they lost their internal allies, they wouldn’t have the power to conquer the region overnight like in the original story.
“You look so cool, mister!”
“You have rather unique tastes.”
Where exactly did this bizarre lion mask look cool? I shook my head at Hye-ryeong’s strange preferences. She puffed out her cheeks and thumped my chest.
“My tastes are completely normal!”
“Sure, sure.”
“My lord, what exactly do you plan to do…?”
“Hmm…”
I stared at the main gate where two guards stood, then turned my gaze to the endless stretch of wall.
“Shall we just break through?”
Hiding really didn’t suit my temperament. Especially after I’d already put on the lion mask.
I walked past the main gate and along the wall. Entering through the front still felt a bit much. When I suddenly started walking, the others followed me.
“Great Hero Wi, what plan have you come up with?”
“What was your name again?”
“Wang Chil.”
“When you have a chance to kill two birds with one stone, what do you think that means?”
“...Catching them and obtaining information about the Demonic Cult?”
“Wrong. We catch them and take their tunnel for ourselves.”
“Ah.”
The Beggar Clan guys really weren’t the sharpest. That secret passage was almost certainly connected to a hidden safe house somewhere. If we seized it and used it ourselves, we would profit. We could also sweep up everyone inside the safe house.
“But…”
“What do you think the Demonic Cult hates most?”
When dealing with fanatics, there was only one sure way to provoke them that I knew of.
“Calling them slave bastards in front of the Mamluks worked wonders back then.”
Trading insults on the battlefield was common enough to feel stale now, but those who had never experienced it had weak resistance.
When we reached a deserted spot, I stopped and looked at the wall.
“Kids, it might get dangerous, so stay back a little and follow. Wang Chil, tell the beggars to surround the place so no one can slip away.”
“Yes, Great Hero!”
“Mister, you’re not seriously going to…”
“My lord. Have you perhaps grown too fond of destroying things lately?”
Ah, the righteous path really is cold. Why are they looking at me like I’m a walking disaster?
This is still an act of chivalry in its own way.
“But if a wall happens to be in the way while I’m passing by, what can I do? My qinggong is still immature, so I can’t stop in time.”
Please stop looking at me with those frozen eyes. I shifted my right foot back and lowered my stance.
“Shall we go, then?”
I unleashed my qinggong toward the wall without hesitation.
By accident, of course.