The Past Bound by the Four Gods (2)
“……”
No one seated around the table spoke first.
The atmosphere was heavy. The silence stifling.
Some time passed like that.
The first to speak was Jong Myeong.
“I’ll overlook the fact that you came without notice and stole time from a busy official.”
Jong Myeong looked at Tam-gyeong.
He was the only one smiling in the room. He even glanced around occasionally, as if the situation itself amused him, revealing a childlike innocence in his expression.
“How did you know to bring this gentleman here?”
He had said “this gentleman.”
The Left Governor of the Seungseon-pojeongsasa held the highest rank among local officials. For someone of his stature to speak with such deference meant the two already knew each other quite well.
Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“I thought it would look better to bring someone the officials find difficult and persuade them, rather than have martial artists oppress the administration.”
“……I’ll say this clearly.”
Jong Myeong’s gaze turned cold.
“Don’t you think that attitude of yours is exactly what makes people view your group as dangerous?”
“There’s no need to wear a mask in front of an official who already sees martial artists as a threat.”
Jong Myeong frowned.
“This goes beyond personal ideology.”
“Whether your ideology is right or wrong isn’t my concern. What matters is that while claiming to work for the future, you’ve ignored countless ways to make Guangdong a better place to live.”
“Reality is reality. It is an official’s duty to work day and night for a better future and a better life.”
“At the same time, isn’t it also an official’s duty to improve the lives of the common people living in the present?”
“I’ve never thought myself so incompetent that I need to learn the duties of an official from a martial artist.”
“Then I can only conclude that you’re laboring under a grave misconception and lack the qualities required of an official. Even a three-year-old child can teach a scholar something, yet you don’t even recognize the possibility of learning from others.”
Jong Myeong’s rigid cheek trembled.
He could endure many things, but being bested in words was not one of them. As a skilled administrator who had never lost an argument or negotiation, this was a bitter experience.
Yeon Hojeong continued in a calm tone.
“I’ll say this plainly: Guangdong is in the wrong right now. If you truly cared for Guangdong and the nation, you wouldn’t have allowed those rotten assassins to run rampant for over ten years, nor would you have failed to notice the orthodox sects losing their strength.”
“It seems you want to blame everything on me.”
“Now I see you not only lack the willingness to learn, but you’ve also cultivated the bad habit of only hearing what you want to hear.”
“You!”
Jong Myeong raised his voice.
“I will not tolerate any further insolence! This nation has laws, protocols, and discipline! The state does not appoint officials for nothing!”
“Stop deflecting and start by admitting what needs admitting.”
“Do you truly wish to be thrown in prison?”
“You are a failed administrator.”
“……!!”
The words struck like a sharpened blade.
“Failed administrator.” That simple, clear label sealed Jong Myeong’s mouth shut.
“You said the three branches—civil administration, military command, and judicial affairs—each have clear rights and responsibilities and do not interfere with one another. So perhaps it’s an exaggeration to blame Guangdong’s current state entirely on you. However……”
“……”
“While you may receive decent marks in financial and foreign affairs, you have clearly failed in passive administration such as maintaining order and public welfare.”
“……”
“Even if the three powers are separate, given Guangdong’s unique circumstances, the judicial office should bear the brunt of criticism regarding the assassins. The reason I came to you instead is because the Left and Right Governors are in the best position to understand what the common people want first.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes sharpened.
“Because you viewed the martial world—a real yet illusory realm—as something dangerous and to be rejected, you never accepted it as part of your administrative responsibility. Had you at least tried to eliminate it, that would be one thing, but you left it alone, allowing parasites to breed in the gaps.”
“……No matter what you say, my answer remains the same.”
His face flushed red, Jong Myeong spoke.
“I will not allow you to cross the line any further. Since you saved the life of this Left Governor, I’ll overlook your previous rudeness.”
“……”
“Leave. The affairs of the state will be handled by its officials. Do not interfere any further.”
At that moment, Tam-gyeong spoke.
“Before, that fellow Ju-gak once said something.”
Jong Myeong’s face froze instantly. It was surely because of the name Ju-gak.
Tam-gyeong spoke evenly.
“Smart people don’t need to be rigid, yet as they age, they become more rigid than anyone.”
“……”
“Being rigid isn’t necessarily bad. The problem is, in any organization, it becomes a sin for those in charge. Rigidity narrows one’s vision, and one stops paying attention to anything else.”
Jong Myeong stammered.
“Even if you mention that person’s name, Elder, I will never……”
“Are you afraid? Afraid I’ll pressure that friend and drag you into the mire?”
“……!!”
“Everyone has different personalities and abilities. But looking at you now, it seems you’re living for yourself rather than for Guangdong.”
“Elder.”
“That in itself isn’t necessarily bad. After all, officials are human too. The problem is, even for your own sake, you should have paid more attention to the people’s will in Guangdong. If you wanted to rise higher, you should have managed Guangdong sleeplessly to avoid any problems. Why? Because that’s why you receive such a generous salary.”
“……”
“Among your superiors, there are fools and the greedy, but there are also many with good character and sharp eyes.”
“……?!”
“Do you understand what I’m saying? Even if you eliminated countless rivals to reach your current position from the bottom, your current governance clearly has problems.”
Jong Myeong’s eyelids trembled.
Tam-gyeong’s voice was far calmer than Yeon Hojeong’s, almost leisurely. Yet the weight behind his words was immense.
“Whether to fulfill your ambitions or to carry out your duties as an official, you should never have left Guangdong’s administration in this state. I’m no expert in administration, but I can tell your mistakes are not small.”
“I……”
“You don’t want to admit it? Afraid it will tarnish the history you’ve built? Then you shouldn’t have let it happen in the first place.”
“……!!”
“What’s done is done. Your history already bears a stain. So there are only two paths left. Either demonstrate such skill that the stain is forgotten, or step down from your position.”
It was a terrifying statement.
Step down from your position. It was not something an old man who had even left the influential Shaolin Temple should say to a high official.
Yet Jong Myeong’s face had turned deathly pale. Tam-gyeong’s words did not sound like empty threats.
Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“If I’d known you were this obstinate, I should have left you to die.”
“……!!”
“Does that sound extreme? I don’t care. When I think of the common people screaming even now, officials who failed in their duties shouldn’t have a hundred mouths to speak with, and even a thousand severed heads wouldn’t atone for their sins.”
Yeon Hojeong turned to the side.
There stood So Bang, her expression sharp as a blade. With both hands bound by iron chains, her fierce look resembled that of a rakshasa.
“Do you know who this woman is?”
“……?”
“She’s a remnant of the Saeum Sect, a heretical cult from beyond the borders. And the Saeum Sect has joined hands with the Shinwha Sect to overthrow both the martial world and the imperial court, aiming to seize the Central Plains.”
“W-what did you say?!”
Jong Myeong stared at So Bang in shock.
So Bang’s face twisted even further. She was offended that Yeon Hojeong had called the Saeum Sect a heretical cult.
“And the assassin we eliminated was also a spy dispatched by the Saeum Sect. He was living as a force that would serve as a blockade at the southernmost tip of the Central Plains in the coming war, while also handling support troops in emergencies.”
Flash!
Yeon Hojeong’s gaze turned ice-cold.
“In the world you refused to see—or chose not to see—such things are happening. And they will continue to happen, having already grown too large to touch immediately.”
“I-is that truly true?!”
“What exactly have you been doing?”
“I asked if it’s true!”
“I don’t lie in front of an official of the Left Governor’s rank whose rotten head needs shaking.”
“T-this is!”
Jong Myeong shot to his feet.
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“Don’t think of reporting this to anyone. Their reach already extends to the highest levels.”
“……What?”
“Keep your mouth shut. The moment you speak carelessly about this matter, your head will roll without anyone knowing. They’ll send agents ten times more terrifying than the assassin who served beside you for seven years.”
“……!!”
“Furthermore, if you blabber before that, I’ll kill you first.”
Yeon Hojeong’s lips curled upward.
“Do you understand now why we’re telling you this?”
“……”
“You can no longer escape. As the old man said, it’s one of two things. Either keep your mouth shut and properly fix Guangdong, or die right here.”
“……”
“Since you’re obsessed with self-preservation anyway, I suppose there’s no need to warn you to watch your tongue. Good.”
Yeon Hojeong leaned back in his chair.
“It seems you’ve been in contact with the Eun clan. Let’s start from there—the path to saving Guangdong. I’ll say this in advance: don’t delude yourself into thinking your administration will work without the help of Guangdong’s martial world. I’ll assume you’re not that foolish.”
Yeon Hojeong had not only visited the Seungseon-pojeongsasa. Accompanied by Tam-gyeong and So Bang, he had also toured the military command and the judicial office over five days.
What he learned in the process was that Tam-gyeong’s presence was far greater than expected. Even the highest authorities in each department didn’t dare raise their voices before him.
Moreover, with So Bang’s presence, handling matters became remarkably easy. Yeon Hojeong would set the stage, Tam-gyeong would persuade, and So Bang’s existence would deliver the final blow, steering the officials as intended.
Thus, the five-day circuit concluded with reasonable success.
“Well then, does that mean my part is done?”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Tam-gyeong smiled.
“Now it’s your turn? Our deal, that is.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“Let’s go.”