Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: When That Bird Flies and Cries Once
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Chapter 44
Thud!
Thud!
Dang Ho-san's index finger absentmindedly tapped the documents nonstop.
He wasn't able to focus properly on his work.
"Are you worried about Young Master Un-hwi?"
Thud!
At that moment, someone plunked down a heavy stack of documents on the desk, snapping Dang Ho-san back to attention.
He turned his gaze to the side.
A slender build, a masked face with an ambiguous expression that could be either smiling or frowning, a seductive voice that made it hard to tell if it belonged to a man or a woman.
Jewelry of gold and silver dangled from his neck and ears, and he held a white-feathered fan in his right hand—an utterly bizarre figure.
Dang Geon.
He was Dang Ho-san's left-hand man, also known as his brain.
The former strategist of the Wild Wind Corps and the current chief steward of the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
He was also the true mastermind behind the various schemes swirling around the plot to assassinate the Dark Lord.
Dang Ho-san always called him the "Ghost Zhuge."
It was a nickname drawn by comparing him to Zhuge Liang, the legendary figure of the Shu region who served as its prime minister and strategist.
He possessed talents like Zhuge Liang but delighted in ghostly schemes, hence "Ghost Zhuge."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You've been unable to concentrate on anything since before. Ever since you got the report that Young Master Un-hwi left with the Lady of the House, you've completely dropped your work."
"Enough of that nonsense."
"Heh heh! If Young Master Un-hwi really brings back the head of the White Bone Net Master, that would be the most entertaining thing imaginable."
"Do you actually think that's possible?"
"At first, I thought it was impossible."
"At first?"
The tone suggested something different from what he'd expected.
Dang Ho-san raised the question, and Ghost Zhuge nodded.
"But everything Young Master Un-hwi has shown since then has been so fascinating. That's why I changed my mind. It seems possible now, doesn't it? Heh heh heh!"
It was Ghost Zhuge who had obtained the intelligence that the South Palace Clan and the Demonic Cult had joined hands to assassinate the Dark Lord.
And it was also Ghost Zhuge who had suggested not blocking it in advance but exploiting it instead.
The strategy of using the matriarch, Namgung San-yeong, as bait was nearly treasonous, but Ghost Zhuge didn't hesitate at all.
As always, Dang Ho-san readily accepted his proposal.
"Who could have predicted that the sly old fox of a Lady would be won over with just a few words—something even you and I couldn't achieve?"
Ghost Zhuge still remembered it clearly.
The time when Un-hwi had barged in out of nowhere and proposed a deal.
Un-hwi had asked everyone to leave the office, but Ghost Zhuge had hidden in a secret alcove by the wall and listened.
No piece of information related to the Nine Dragons Branch Family could escape his grasp.
Otherwise, this operation would be doomed to fail in the most dangerous way possible.
His goal was to eliminate all unpredictable variables.
Yet Un-hwi's proposals were nothing but variables.
They threatened to upend every plan Ghost Zhuge had meticulously built from the ground up.
Naturally, Ghost Zhuge had scoffed inwardly.
He was well aware that Young Master Un-hwi had undergone some massive inner change over the past two months.
Not only had he defeated Dang Yu-chang in front of all those retainers in a single blow, but he'd also fought Dang Gyu-jin to a draw.
In fact, it was Ghost Zhuge who had advised Dang Ho-san to stop the match between the two.
He'd feared that if it continued, the succession struggle would make the branch family even more chaotic.
If infighting broke out in the branch, it could hinder their surveillance of Namgung San-yeong's movements.
'That was the perfect moment. Young Master Un-hwi, that pebble, stirred the lake that is the Lady, startling all the fish. It was truly entertaining.'
Ghost Zhuge had even considered using Un-hwi at that point.
It could shake out the South Palace and Demonic Cult spies who kept trying to burrow deeper.
Striking the grass startles the snake.
Rustle the bushes, and the snake might flee deeper—or sometimes lunge out.
In fact, the Demonic Cult had panicked and sent an assassin.
Who could have imagined they'd have the guts to use sorcery right in the middle of the Nine Dragons Branch Family's main compound?
If Young Master Un-hwi seemed too cornered, he'd step in immediately—that's what Ghost Zhuge had thought at the time.
But he soon learned otherwise.
Worrying about Un-hwi was utterly pointless.
All his predictions had been wrong.
'Young Master Un-hwi isn't just a stick to startle snakes. He's the mongoose that catches them.'
Not only had Un-hwi captured the assassin, he'd even planned to strike the mastermind behind it directly.
That's why he and Dang Ho-san had hurriedly reined him in.
Later, Un-hwi had come to him seeking a counter-proposal during the chaos.
'No matter how confident and hot-blooded the kid is, most sons would shrink back or watch their step after such a stern warning from their father. But there wasn't a hint of that.'
Un-hwi had cornered Namgung San-yeong into surrender using nothing but schemes.
Then he'd sent Dang Gon to the warehouse to load up on thunder bombs before charging straight into the Demonic Cult's lair.
The whirlwind of events over just a few days had upended the branch family's rigidly structured politics of the past decade or more, even shaking the stone-like heart of Dang Ho-san.
Wild Wind.
Was this not a truly mad gale?
'It's miraculous. Where on earth did such a person come from?'
Ghost Zhuge's lips curled up in a grin as red as if he'd just devoured a rat.
"The Young Master Un-hwi I've observed so far absolutely cannot be judged by our standards. Do you remember the tale of King Zhuang of Chu?"
"You're talking about the bird that neither flew nor cried for three years."
"Yes!"
In the early Spring and Autumn Period, when King Zhuang of Chu ascended the throne, he ignored state affairs for three years, indulging only in wine, women, and song.
At that time, the loyal minister Wu Sansan steeled himself for death and questioned the king.
There's a great bird on the hill that hasn't flown or cried for three years. What kind of bird is it?
"King Zhuang answered Wu Sansan's question like this: 'That bird hasn't flown, but when it does, it will soar to the heavens. It hasn't cried, but when it does, it will startle the world (It does not fly, then flies to the sky; it does not cry, then cries to amaze the people).' Doesn't that perfectly describe Young Master Un-hwi right now?"
"You're interpreting dreams better than the dreams themselves."
"What dream? He's already showing us that very behavior. You must feel it too, my lord."
"......"
"Besides, I recently heard a very interesting story."
"A story?"
"Do you know where the family head is right now?"
The topic had shifted from Un-hwi to the Dark Lord all of a sudden. Why?
"He's surely on his way back to the branch family—"
"Wrong. He's at the Old Blind Hall. And it's been over seven days already, they say."
"...What?"
Even Dang Ho-san was caught off guard, his icy expression cracking for a moment.
It was absurd.
Ghost Zhuge inwardly found his lord's changing expression quite amusing.
Ever since the Wild Wind Corps disbanded, he rarely showed any emotion.
"You're mocking me inwardly right now."
"Oh dear! You've caught me? How did you know?"
"It's written all over your face."
"I'll be more careful next time."
"As if you'd actually manage that."
Among the few people Dang Ho-san could banter with like this, Ghost Zhuge was one.
"More importantly, explain in detail. Why is the family head staying at the Old Blind Hall for so long? Why didn't he come straight here upon arriving in Nine Dragons County?"
The owner of the Old Blind Hall was the Dark Lord's own younger brother, but given the Dark Lord's personality, he wasn't the type to linger in one place for so long.
"They say he's been diligently hammering away with Elder Noh Ban."
"!?"
The Dark Lord was a master smith on par with Dang Chuk-yung.
But this was a man who hadn't touched a hammer since becoming family head, so hearing he'd picked one up was shocking.
"They're crafting a special weapon. And do you know who commissioned it?"
"...No way?"
"Yes. Young Master Un-hwi."
"!!"
"I haven't grasped the exact details of the commission yet, but it's clearly something extraordinary enough to captivate both elders."
"Ha!"
"That's why I'm saying it, my lord. Young Master Un-hwi will really deliver the White Bone Net Master's head, just as he boldly claimed."
Ghost Zhuge now truly believed in Un-hwi.
"What we need to worry about is what comes after. Whether to reveal the full scope of our plan to Young Master Un-hwi, and if we entrust him with tasks, which parts to assign him. Or—"
Ghost Zhuge grinned widely.
"Whether to just let him continue doing as he pleases, like now."
"You seem to favor leaving him be as is."
"He's always delivered results far beyond what we anticipated. I just wondered if he'd do the same going forward."
"......"
"In fact, you seem to understand my words the best, my lord. Or am I wrong?"
Just as Dang Ho-san could read Ghost Zhuge's thoughts freely, Ghost Zhuge could easily read Dang Ho-san's.
He might not show it outwardly, but Dang Ho-san had clearly reached a similar conclusion long ago.
"Dang Gon came by last time and said something."
If Ghost Zhuge was Dang Ho-san's left arm, Dang Gon was his right.
"What did he say?"
"That if we just leave him alone, he'll roll along just fine on his own. If we try to grab him, I'll end up with my nose broken instead."
"What a subordinate, speaking so freely to his lord. Should I give him a good scolding when he returns?"
"You? And how exactly?"
"I'm the loyal minister for the ages, aren't I? No one else is better suited to discipline traitors like Dang Gon."
"Guess all the loyal ministers in this world have frozen to death."
Dang Ho-san snorted.
But Ghost Zhuge smiled.
He knew that prim, haughty demeanor meant agreement.
"Then, we'll prepare the next plan right away to align with Young Master Un-hwi's return."
"Do as you like."
It was just as Ghost Zhuge rose to bow and leave.
Suddenly, commotion erupted outside.
"Well, speak of the tiger and he appears. Perfect timing."
"Let's go see."
Dang Ho-san and Ghost Zhuge hurried out to the branch family's front courtyard.
A crowd had gathered, murmuring among themselves.
Carts and carriages loaded with piles of documents and records.
It was Dang Gyu-jin and Namgung San-yeong.
But the branch family's warriors had surrounded Namgung San-yeong, fidgeting anxiously.
They had her encircled to prevent escape, but they couldn't quite bring themselves to subdue her—a strange standoff.
"Do you know who I am? I am the lady of this Nine Dragons Branch Family! Threatening me like this? Do you think you'll get away with it?"
The louder Namgung San-yeong's shouts grew, the more flustered the warriors became.
They kept stealing glances at Dang Gyu-jin, whose own expression was icy cold.
The moment he saw it, Ghost Zhuge instinctively realized.
'All the intel on the South Palace connections has been exposed?'
Un-hwi hadn't just taken down the White Bone Net Master—he'd found evidence too.
The Nine Dragons Branch Family had only suspicions of collusion between the Demonic Cult and South Palace, lacking hard proof, so they'd held back.
Now, it seemed they'd acquired the perfect weapon to corner Namgung.
'But he's not here. Where did he go?'
As curiosity stirred about Un-hwi's whereabouts, Dang Ho-san approached Dang Gyu-jin.
"What happened?"
"Father."
"Branch Leader, release them! You can't intimidate me like this!"
Dang Ho-san glanced briefly at Namgung San-yeong before turning to Dang Gyu-jin.
"Branch Leader!!"
"Explain in detail."
"Un-hwi succeeded in subduing the White Bone Net Master."
Dang Gyu-jin held out a bundle.
Dang Ho-san took it and unwrapped it.
A face emerged.
The White Bone Net Master's, frozen in terror.
"Th-that's!"
"The White Bone Net Master!?"
"Did Lady Gyu-jin capture that vile demonic fiend?"
"Didn't you hear her ladyship properly? She said Young Master Un-hwi took him down himself!"
"What? How on earth did Un-hwi...?"
"I wouldn't know either......"
The commotion grew even louder.
No matter how much Un-hwi had changed lately, in their common sense, he was still the quiet bastard son holed up in his side room.
Dang Gyu-jin gave a full report on everything related to the White Bone Net Master.
Since it was only what she knew, it didn't include top-secret info like the Dark Lord assassination plot, but it was more than enough to set the branch family abuzz.
—The Demonic Cult's lackeys had been hiding in Nine Dragons County, and Young Master Un-hwi had tracked them down and subdued them.
Especially the news that Un-hwi had taken down the White Bone Net Master single-handedly fired up all the retainers.
The emergence of a new powerhouse following Dang Gyu-jin set everyone's hearts racing.
Ghost Zhuge's gaze turned to Dang Ho-san.
'See? He really did it. I told you we should've planned for the aftermath first.'
Dang Ho-san remained silently composed.
"—so we need reinforcements. Some should go to the shrine to retrieve the remaining evidence, and others to assist Un-hwi. Send me."
"Very well. Go."
The cartwheels were already in motion.
Dang Ho-san had no intention of stopping them.
Ghost Zhuge's advice to simply let Un-hwi do as he wished lingered in his mind.
"And the Lady—"
Dang Ho-san glanced coldly at the ashen-faced woman.
"Escort her to her quarters."
"You can't do this to me, Branch Leader! Branch Leadeeeeer!!"
Namgung San-yeong was dragged away by the Pure Wind Pavilion warriors, her arms seized. Her desperate screams echoed through the compound.
It was an order of confinement.