Betrayal's Reckoning
“Ah, it’s been a while, Elder. We met briefly back then, didn’t we?”
Hong-guk greeted me as if he recognized me.
‘So that’s why Hong-guk never told Gyu-ryeon that Seo Hyul took Baek-nyeong away!’
“…At first I thought I was mistaken. But thinking back, the projection art the Grand Prince used that day was remarkably similar to the techniques used by the Heavenly Demons of the Blood Sound Realm. No, it was almost identical. I know, because I’ve fought them.”
“So it seems,” Cheon-ryang said with a grin.
“This is our chance to make Seo Hyul abandon that ridiculous naming project!”
The Cheon-gyeon Clan, to which Cheon-ryang belonged, was one of the races that disliked having their names managed by the Jinryong-maeng.
Among them, Cheon-gyeon particularly despised Seo Hyul, who had subtly pushed the thirteen great clans into supporting the naming project, and wanted him removed from politics forever.
I knew Cheon-ryang’s dislike for Seo Hyul well, and since I had been beside Hong-guk at the time, I understood the situation clearly.
‘Hong-guk’s testimony is highly credible.’
After all, the art Seo Hyul used to sacrifice his own kin and summon his projection was unmistakably from the Blood Sound Realm.
‘This is different from when I was the only witness.’
Back then, when I alone claimed Seo Hyul was a Blood Sound Realm spy, my words carried no weight.
But now, with Cheon-ryang, an actual elder of the Cheon-gyeon Clan, and Hong-guk as a witness, if the anti-Seo Hyul faction poured all their strength into exposing his connection to the Blood Sound Realm, they might inflict serious political damage.
‘Excellent.’
Whether we succeed or fail, there is no downside for me.
I’m simply shouting that Seo Hyul is a spy.
If we fail, I can still push for his marriage by arguing that such slander only happens because he is a branch-line descendant of the Black Dragon Clan from the lower realms.
If we succeed, I can brand him a Blood Sound Realm spy and erase his influence within the clan.
‘Even if Seo Hyul is a spy, they’ll only force him to swear an oath on the Axis never to contact the Blood Sound Realm again and place him under house arrest. After all, a Four Pillars expert is too valuable to discard.’
Either way, the outcome suited my goals.
“Very well. However, no matter how much we dislike Seo Hyul, a single witness’s testimony won’t carry much weight.”
“Then…”
“Do you have any evidence, Investigator Hong?”
At my question, Hong-guk nodded gravely.
“The projection arts used by the Heavenly Demons of the Blood Sound Realm leave traces on the earth. I’m not certain, but if we return to that cotton farm, we should be able to confirm it.”
“Good. I’ll send subordinates to collect the evidence.”
“However…”
Just as Cheon-ryang was about to gesture to someone, Hong-guk spoke cautiously.
“The reason I haven’t gone to the cotton farm to gather evidence until now is partly because I couldn’t believe a Dragon Prince would do such a thing, but also because the traces of the Heavenly Demons’ projection arts vanish easily when exposed to spiritual energy waves. In short…”
“You can’t bring the evidence here. We have to go and see it ourselves.”
Hong-guk nodded at Cheon-ryang’s words.
“Hmm…”
I felt a twinge of unease, while Cheon-ryang licked his lips in excitement.
“Perfect! Then the entire anti-Seo Hyul faction will gather and head to that farm! Everyone can confirm it together!”
Watching his enthusiastic cry, I let out a small sigh.
“That won’t be possible.”
“What?”
“Have you forgotten? The cotton farm Hong-guk speaks of is territory granted to Senior Gyu by the Jinryong-maeng under the name of the Lord of the Realm.”
“Ah…!”
“If we only took a bit of soil to examine, it might be fine. But if all the Nascent Soul and Heavenly Person investigators of the anti-Seo Hyul faction swarm there, what do you think the Lord of the Realm will say? You already know the relationship between the Lord of the Realm and Seo Hyul.”
“…You’re right. I was shortsighted.”
“Let’s set a time later and go quietly, just the two of us, to confirm the evidence.”
Having the entire anti-Seo Hyul faction descend would obviously be problematic, but Cheon-ryang and I going alone should be manageable.
We agreed on a date, planning to visit the farm while Gyu-ryeon was occupied with her duties as Lord of the Realm.
A month had passed since I suggested to Cheon-ryang that we search for evidence linking Seo Hyul to the Blood Sound Realm.
‘For the next seven days and nights, Senior Gyu will be organizing spatial rifts in the lowest depths of Bongmyeong-ju.’
By tomorrow she would be fully immersed in the repairs, her mind completely absorbed, so Cheon-ryang and I could head to her cotton farm then.
That was what I thought.
Tung!
A familiar metallic sound rang behind me.
Startled, I turned with a smile.
“It’s been a while, Yu-hwa.”
“I trust you have been well.”
The one who appeared behind me was Yu-hwa, the half-spider woman with the lower body of a spider.
“Your Wansuigungmurok has improved greatly.”
“The foundational incantation was so absurd that it was easy to learn.”
“It must be thanks to your talent… So, what brings you here?”
“…It concerns my disciple.”
A bitter light passed across Yu-hwa’s face.
“I have removed all the brainwashing Seo Hyul placed on my disciple. I also succeeded in dispelling the self-suggestion that arose from his guidance. However… my disciple says Seo Hyul promised her many things.”
She continued.
“Excellent living conditions and ruling-class rights for the Baek-yeom Clan, her own treatment, and the treatment of her Cheoksanpyeon… He promised countless rights to Baek-nyeong and the entire Baek-yeom Clan. That was why she even placed self-suggestion on herself that Seo Hyul was a fine man.”
“So he won her over with vested interests?”
“…That is not all. What Baek-nyeong wants is…”
Yu-hwa’s words continued.
“Do you know of a boar yokai named Hong-guk?”
“…I do.”
Somehow, I had been hearing that boar’s name far too often lately.
“When Hong-guk was the supervisor of the cotton farm, he forced Baek-nyeong to whip his own parents.”
“…”
“In the end, Baek-nyeong’s parents lost their lives by her own hands under Hong-guk’s orders. Seo Hyul… promised Baek-nyeong that he would let her kill Hong-guk in the cruelest way possible.”
She spoke.
“Baek-nyeong said that if I tore Hong-guk apart in Seo Hyul’s stead, she would completely give up on him.”
“…So you came because of Hong-guk.”
“Yes.”
“You came to ask for help with revenge?”
“That is correct.”
“Then…”
I looked up at the sky, gazing at the faint flow of consciousness drifting through the air.
“Why don’t you say it yourself instead of through her mouth?”
Startled!
At my words, Yu-hwa flinched, and immediately afterward Baek-nyeong appeared from the air.
“Your understanding of Wansuigungmurok is far inferior to your master’s. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator could have noticed.”
Baek-nyeong remained silent for a moment before looking at Yu-hwa, then at me.
“I originally intended to speak. But my master stopped me.”
“Hmm…”
I looked at Yu-hwa and asked.
“You had no trust in me?”
“I trust you, but the situation made me uneasy.”
She gave a wry smile.
“I know you are currently in contact with the anti-Seo Hyul faction and that they need Hong-guk.”
“Correct.”
“So I thought you might become hostile to us because you also need Hong-guk. I prepared measures for my disciple to escape if necessary… but it seems they were meaningless.”
“Even the time we’ve each spent learning Wansuigungmurok differs… Of course I can see the holes when someone less talented tries to use it.”
“It is my fault.”
After looking at the two master and disciple, I considered what to do about Hong-guk.
“…I acknowledge the grudge between Hong-guk and Baek-nyeong. However, right now I still need him.”
Baek-nyeong clenched her fists in frustration.
“But once we secure evidence at the farm linking Seo Hyul to the Blood Sound Realm and submit it to the Jinryong-maeng Council of Elders, Hong-guk will no longer be useful. After that, I’ll arrange for him to meet Baek-nyeong alone.”
At my proposal, Yu-hwa’s face brightened.
Baek-nyeong’s spiritual sense also calmed.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you very much.”
Yu-hwa and Baek-nyeong bowed to me in turn.
Yu-hwa spoke in a bright voice.
“Then you mean Hong-guk will no longer be useful starting tomorrow.”
“No, not tomorrow. Tomorrow Cheon-ryang and I will go to the cotton farm, find the connection between Seo Hyul and the Blood Sound Realm, and once it is confirmed, we will submit it to the Jinryong-maeng Council of Elders…”
“Pardon?”
Yu-hwa interrupted me, her voice puzzled.
“Right now a Heavenly Person yokai named Cheon-ryang is leading the entire anti-Seo Hyul faction, with Hong-guk at the front, flying toward Gyu-ryeon’s cotton farm… Are they not trying to secure Seo Hyul’s weakness?”
“…!”
I shot to my feet and quickly poured spiritual power into the sound-transmission artifact connected to Cheon-ryang.
Wuuung!
The artifact vibrated for a moment before the other side scattered the transmission.
‘Damn it, I told them to be careful!’
Gyu-ryeon had entered the lowest depths of Bongmyeong-ju today.
Given her personality, once she began her duties as Lord of the Realm, after about a day she would become so absorbed that she would ignore everything else.
But a full day had not yet passed, and if any signal came from her territory, she might emerge from Bongmyeong-ju to investigate.
“These idiots… I’m sorry I can’t offer proper hospitality, but I need to visit Gyu-ryeon’s cotton farm for a moment.”
I left the office of the Lord of the Realm’s attendant in Bongmyeong-ju and soared into the sky.
At that moment, Yu-hwa and Baek-nyeong also rose beside me.
Chwarururuk!
Yu-hwa transformed into a crimson river, swallowed Baek-nyeong, and fluttered into the air, concealing herself with Wansuigungmurok.
[Please allow us to accompany you. Since we must ask for your help anyway, if there is anything we can do in this matter, we will assist.]
“Do as you please. Let’s talk while we fly!”
Paaat!
I flew upward at full speed, using flight arts, yokai gliding techniques, and Void Step all at once.
* * *
Whooooosh—
Before I knew it, night had fallen.
In the dead of night, the cotton farm in Gyu-ryeon’s territory beyond the mountain range began to come into view.
Tsutsutsuts—
The Jangryeong Cotton plants glowed pure white even under the moonlight.
And in one corner of the cotton farm far away, an enormous upheaval was taking place.
Kugugugugu!
“…!”
I stared at the sight with my mouth agape.
The very spot where Seo Hyul had previously used projection arts through the bodies of the Haeryong Clan warriors.
The surrounding land, including the dragon veins flowing through it, was being torn upward.
A portion of the Jangryeong Cotton farm was being ripped out entirely.
A cotton field spanning roughly two to three li had been lifted straight into the sky, and around it, Nascent Soul and Heavenly Person level yokai were channeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to raise the field.
“What the hell are you doing, you lunatics!”
I shouted at Cheon-ryang in the center, my face pale.
“Didn’t I say Gyu-ryeon entered today!? I told you we could only investigate tomorrow, just the two of us! Not only did you come without me, but you brought every yokai above Heavenly Person level and now you’re doing this to Senior Gyu’s farm!?”
Cheon-ryang crossed his arms calmly and shook his head.
“Sorry, Investigator Seo. But your methods are too soft!”
“What…?”
“And while I acknowledge that you helped unite the anti-Seo Hyul faction, some within the faction pointed out that you are the attendant of the Lord of the Realm, so following your plan completely felt a bit…”
“No, what are you saying?”
“Everyone knows the relationship between the Lord of the Realm and Seo Hyul. We decided to proceed with the operation because we thought it dangerous to follow the plan of Seo Eun-hyun, the attendant of the Lord of the Realm who has that kind of relationship with Seo Hyul.”
“What nonsense… Fine. Then what exactly are you trying to do with Senior Gyu’s farm?”
Hong-guk answered instead of Cheon-ryang.
“There is definitely evidence in the Lord of the Realm’s farm that Lord Seo Hyul used Blood Sound Realm arts. However, if we submit only the evidence separately to the Jinryong-maeng Council of Elders, it will vanish due to the nature of Blood Sound Realm projection arts when exposed to spiritual energy waves. Therefore, we decided to tear out this entire area and submit it to the Council of Elders.”
“Ha! Senior Gyu is currently in the lowest depths of Bongmyeong-ju, and you’re going to take this to Bongmyeong-ju?”
Cheon-ryang shook his head at my words.
“No, we won’t take it to Bongmyeong-ju. The Lord of the Realm’s farm will be transported to the territory of the Tiger Clan. The Taeho Clan will lead the investigation into this matter, and the Jinryong-maeng Council of Elders will also be held in Tiger Clan territory this time.”
“…!”
Of all places, they were holding the matter in the territory of the Tiger Clan, which had the worst relationship with the Dragon Clan.
“From the beginning… you were influenced by the Tiger Clan?”
“Not exactly. Once the anti-Seo Hyul faction was formed, the Tiger Clan, which wanted to tarnish the Dragon Clan’s honor in any way possible, approached us.”
“…”
In other words, this was no longer my fight alone.
It was a political struggle between the Tiger Clan and the Dragon Clan.
‘It’s not necessarily bad…’
Thinking about it, having this matter fall into the Tiger Clan’s hands wasn’t entirely bad either.
If the Tiger Clan, which had a poor relationship with the Dragon Clan, could strike a blow against the Dragon Clan, they would even fabricate evidence that Seo Hyul was connected to the Blood Sound Realm.
‘This is actually a chance to make Seo Hyul’s fall from grace more certain.’
But…
“…All of that is fine. But this is too reckless…! What if Senior Gyu notices!?”
“Hahaha! We have our own sources as well. The Lord of the Realm has already begun repairing the spatial rifts in the lowest depths of Bongmyeong-ju, and…”
“No! I work beside Senior Gyu, so why won’t you trust my information!? I told you we have to wait until tomorrow!”
“That’s exactly why it’s hard to believe. We also needed to handle things quickly on our end. I heard that once the Lord of the Realm enters spatial rift repairs, her concentration is so intense that she pays no attention to anything outside.”
“…Damn it, that’s not the issue…”
I pressed my throbbing head and sighed.
‘Damn it, I don’t know anymore.’
“…Do as you please. Since things have already come to this, move the farm to Tiger Clan territory as quickly as possible!”
“We were going to do that anyway. Don’t rush us.”
Looking at Cheon-ryang’s calm expression despite having caused this mess, I felt anger boiling inside me.
“Senior Gyu might have already noticed by now. Thanks to you people, we’re in a hurry, so we have to finish this quickly!”
“…”
“What are you doing!? Hurry up and move the evidence to the Tiger Clan!”
“…”
“Why are you all… so quiet?”
“…Behind, behind…”
A chill ran down my spine.
“Seo Eun-hyun.”
And then I heard a familiar voice.
When I slowly turned my head, there was a small spatial rift.
Barely the size of a palm.
Yet through that palm-sized rift, a familiar golden pupil was staring at us.
“Just now… what exactly did you say?”
“…”
“And what is this situation?”
“…”
“Those people are the ones who have been openly slandering him recently as the anti-Seo Hyul faction, aren’t they? Why are you with them? And what about my farm? What do you mean by moving it to the Tiger Clan?”
“…”
For a while, silence hung over the group.
Then, breaking through that silence, I gritted my teeth and shouted.
“What are you doing, you idiots!? If you didn’t listen to me and already did it, then at least do it properly! Move it!!!”
“Hmph!”
“Hah!”
Only then did the Heavenly Person yokai of the anti-Seo Hyul faction snap out of it and hurriedly begin using yokai arts to transport Gyu-ryeon’s farm toward Tiger Clan territory.
Kugugugugu!
And from Gyu-ryeon, who had been dazed, an enormous killing intent began to pour out.
[You people… must explain exactly what is going on here…!]
Chirit, chirit-chirit…!
Enduring the killing intent that seemed to flay my entire body, I poured all my strength into leaping onto the cotton field they were moving and used arts to increase its speed.
“Pour all your spiritual energy into it! Senior Gyu will be coming after us soon!”
“No, isn’t Senior Gyu a Four Pillars investigator? Even if she is at Four Pillars Grand Completion, she is currently inside Bongmyeong-ju with spatial rifts torn open to her territory. To cross that distance and chase us with spatial rifts would take considerable time…”
“You brainless idiots! Senior Gyu is no longer a Four Pillars investigator!”
“What…!”
I shouted urgently while watching the enormous energy swelling from behind.
“She has already begun the Unity of Heaven and Earth and is ascending to the Integration stage!! Why do you think I said we should do this tomorrow!? Senior Gyu told me that while repairing the spatial rifts, she would let me know around tomorrow whether she would enter closed-door training in the lowest depths!!!”
I yelled at the yokai who had ignored my words and foolishly ruined everything.
“What is chasing us now is not a Four Pillars Grand Completion! It is a quasi-Integration stage Demon King!!”