Seeds of Suspicion
"Finally."
Eun Hwa-yeong's red eyes gleamed as she read the letter I Yeon had sent via secret missive.
"Any results?"
"Read it."
Mu-yeong took the letter politely from Eun Hwa-yeong and scanned it.
'This is...'
The existence of a hidden chamber. Traces of a vulgar tryst between one man and three women there. It was information packed with real value, unlike anything they'd uncovered before.
The issue was the level of that value. Eun Hwa-yeong would make the final call, of course, but Mu-yeong pondered it himself.
'Not decisive. The clues are a bit vague too. Could this incestuous affair really connect to the new Battlefield Lord?'
Mu-yeong judged the odds low. Still, he saw significance in the fact that, for the first time, they had something substantial.
"Good news, it seems."
He carefully placed the letter back in front of Eun Hwa-yeong and spoke.
"Yes. First, compile a list of all the large-built men in the Golden Dragon Battlefield."
We need to find that footprint's owner, and since I Yeon—a woman—couldn't freely enter the outer courtyard, it was a natural order.
"I'll contact them right away."
Unlike the secluded inner courtyard deep in the estate, the outer courtyard bustled with constant traffic. There were plenty of ways to communicate with spies beyond even the black ledger.
"For the women, I'll naturally ask Yeon-a. Her sharp eyes should make quick work of it."
"I agree, Lady."
"Heh."
Eun Hwa-yeong let out a short chuckle.
"You seem in high spirits."
"Wouldn't you be? We've finally got a lead to peel back the new Lord's hidden true colors."
"I didn't realize you'd see it that way..."
Mu-yeong trailed off, his face showing surprise.
"Isn't it obvious? That pervert has to be connected to the new Lord."
Eun Hwa-yeong stated it with utter conviction.
"I'd like to know your reasoning, Lady."
"You think someone unrelated to the Lord could sneak into the inner courtyard—a men-only zone—and fool around with not one, but three women like that? Ridiculous."
"What if there's a collaborator inside? Sneaking in wouldn't be impossible..."
"The Lord isn't an idiot who wouldn't notice. If he were that stupid, we wouldn't need all this hassle."
"...Hearing you say it, my thinking was shortsighted."
Mu-yeong bowed his head, quickly conceding. He wasn't fully convinced yet, but whenever their thoughts diverged, Eun Hwa-yeong had been right every single time. Such deference came naturally.
Eun Hwa-yeong smirked and continued.
"It's probably more than just connected—he's likely a trusted retainer. Whether he's an open one or a shadow operative, I can't say."
It was a razor-sharp deduction that would have made Bang So-un flinch if he'd heard it. That was her terrifying edge.
Even as one of the two great intelligence networks alongside the Beggars' Sect, the Hao Sect's information accuracy rarely topped seventy percent. Intelligence was like that. Fresh intel, verified only minimally and gathered swiftly, often held far more value than stale, thoroughly checked old news.
And complete information was never guaranteed. Fragmentary scraps were the norm, naturally devaluing them—less profitable on the market.
But Eun Hwa-yeong was different. She had a rare gift for extrapolating hidden truths from those fragments. Turning scraps into premium intel via her insight was routine.
It wasn't exaggeration to say her standing in the Hao Sect stemmed from that talent.
And it was on full display now.
"A retainer? Then linking it to the Lord's scandal becomes possible."
Mu-yeong's eyes lit up.
If the Lord's retainer committed open incest under his tacit approval—in the men-only inner courtyard, no less—it qualified as a full-blown scandal. Especially for the Lord of the Golden Dragon Battlefield, a pillar of the orthodox sects.
"Of course it's possible. But it's still too weak on its own."
"Pardon?"
"What do you think of a woman crawling on all fours like a dog for that?"
Eun Hwa-yeong asked with a bewitching smile.
"I'm not sure I follow exactly..."
"Do you think that's possible in one's right mind?"
"Ah... I see. I do recall a guest here at the Crimson Flower Tower with such perverse tastes."
"No, you misunderstood. Not the man—the woman."
"Pardon?"
Mu-yeong looked flustered. He'd never considered the reverse.
After a moment's thought, he hesitated before replying.
"Well... I've never seen it myself, but surely some women have those tastes too? An extremely rare subset with peculiar preferences..."
"Yes, they exist. I even know one."
"Ah... I see."
"But get this."
Eun Hwa-yeong narrowed one eye as she pressed on.
"Does it make sense for not one, but three women with those tastes to be there? It's not like he gathered a collection of them."
"...Honestly, no, it doesn't."
Mu-yeong admitted readily. The odds were too astronomically low, even by coincidence.
"So what's the answer? Why three such women?"
"Hm..."
Conversations with his shrewd liege were always taxing. All he could do was listen, as usual. The answer would spill from her lips anyway.
"Because he made them that way, right? So, how? With what?"
Eun Hwa-yeong's red eyes took on a sly glint.
"An aphrodisiac to shatter their minds? That could do it, I'd think."
"An aphrodisiac..."
Mu-yeong's expression grew grave.
Sexual acts fueled by aphrodisiacs? In the martial world, anyone caught doing it was branded a fiend and publicly denounced—without exception. Yet such perpetrators kept emerging, thanks to the drugs' irresistible power. Pleasure dozens of times beyond normal ecstasy. Men knowingly risked annihilation for that ultimate high.
In any case, if aphrodisiacs were truly involved, this went beyond scandal. It could topple the new Lord entirely.
"Local apothecaries... no, even the boldest wouldn't deal openly like that."
Eun Hwa-yeong nodded once, then continued.
"Comb every black market dealer in Jiangnan. Find anyone buying aphrodisiac ingredients."
Even black marketeers wouldn't dare traffic the finished drugs in the martial world. Ingredients for crafting them were the safer bet.
"We'll be short on manpower."
"Do what you can. Limit it to purchases since the Lord took over."
"Understood, Lady."
And so, the ripples from Jang Il's slip-up and I Yeon's discovery began to spread.
Seoljeok Hall.
Bang So-un sat face-to-face with an elderly man—an unusual occurrence.
Normally, even the Lord met retainers standing or to the side as proper etiquette demanded.
But this elder had the stature for it. He was none other than Oenoya, the outer courtyard steward.
If Inner Mistress I Hwa-rin ruled the inner courtyard, Oenoya reigned over the outer.
And he was a veteran among veterans, having served the Golden Dragon Battlefield far longer than even I Hwa-rin. He'd been at former family head Hwang Bo-pyeong's side since his youth—no further explanation needed.
His decades-spanning tenure as outer steward had people calling him "Oenoya" instead of his name.
For Bang So-un, this man had been the hardest to sway right up to the end. Having weathered life's storms and joys alike, he saw through Bang So-un's overtures as transparent ploys.
'No ordinary elder, that's for sure.'
Bang So-un readily acknowledged his greatness. Beyond raw ability, his lifelong devotion, toil, and loyalty to the Battlefield defied easy measure.
He'd been the fiercest opponent of Bang So-un's ascension as Lord.
Typically, a new lord in such cases would oust opponents under some plausible pretext.
But not here. Why? Because even Lord Bang So-un couldn't touch this titan lightly. Forcing his retirement would flip the entire Golden Dragon Battlefield upside down.
Yet even he had eventually accepted Bang So-un.
Hwang Bo-seol had played the pivotal role.
'His one weak spot, she said.'
Later, Hwang Bo-seol confided that seeing her genuinely happy had swayed him.
Happy, sure—but if he knew the outrageous things happening behind her back, the shock might kill the old man outright...
Bang So-un chuckled inwardly at the thought.
Oenoya's brow furrowed.
"Why the laugh, my Lord?"
"Oh, just thinking of Madam's face."
"Hm."
Hwang Bo-seol's name worked wonders. The elder's mouth snapped shut.
Shaking off the reverie, Bang So-un got to business.
"How's the task I requested coming along?"
Respect colored Bang So-un's words. This wasn't just any elder—he was the late Hwang Bo-pyeong's close friend, a peer of that generation, and by age, akin to Bang So-un's grandfather. Such deference was only proper.
"Wrapped up recently."
"Oh? And the results?"
"Spotless."
"I see."
The task: background checks on the twenty newly selected female escorts.
Bang So-un had gone to Oenoya specifically for his connections. Decades of networking made him a force unto himself.
Among them: a Beggar Clan Elder of the Seven Greats, a longtime intimate friend. That allowed an anonymous, off-the-books request.
The distinction mattered. Official requests bore the Golden Dragon name; unofficial ones left no trace. Anonymity made backtracking hard.
But such requests were rarely accepted. Publicly taking them invited abuse by shady elements.
As a core orthodox pillar—the Beggars' Sect—they were especially cautious. Official channels effectively ignored them.
Private channels were tough too, but Oenoya's ties made it possible.
Not that it'd last forever.
No matter. Soon, he'd seize a means for unrestricted covert intel gathering.
'Fox hunting can wait.'
First, the twenty escorts.
"Milord."
Oenoya spoke first. Not a trivial matter—otherwise, he wouldn't bother.
"What is it?"
"The [fly]'s movements are getting suspicious."
Bang So-un's eyes sharpened at the code for the outer courtyard mole they'd long identified but left alone.
Nothing valuable leaked from the outer courtyard anyway. Knowing their spy, they could even feed disinformation.
Not knowing the faction dulled the ploy's edge, though.
"How suspicious?"
The spy was under surveillance by the outer courtyard's most trusted figure: Oenoya, naturally. No one more capable or reliable.
"Secretly cataloging every large-built man in headquarters, one by one."
"...Large-built men?"
The words triggered an ominous flash in Bang So-un's mind.
Jang Il. No coincidence his image surfaced.
But his true appearance had never been exposed outside...
Then...
'This time?'
Not outer courtyard—nothing but trash info there.
Inner courtyard, then. A traitor inside?
Impossible. Only absolute-obedience hypnotized slaves.
Which meant...
'A mole among the twenty.'
Not mere paranoia. A real spy, planted by some faction to snoop intel.
And the same faction as the outer one, at that.
"Something wrong, milord?"
Oenoya looked puzzled.
"No. Just hand over the list."
Bang So-un, thoughts sorted, replied.
"You sure? Targeting only large-built men's details is odd."
"It's fine. Looks like they're sizing up headquarters' forces seriously. Our real elites are in the inner courtyard anyway—no issue."
The excuse rang hollow. Blocking now would confirm they'd hit paydirt. Better to let it slide.
"If you say so. But there could be more to it—are you certain?"
"Yes. Just my imagination."
"Very well, if you're that sure. I'll let it pass."
The meeting ended.
But Bang So-un remained seated, pensive. Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, so that's how it is. Interesting. Truly interesting."
First time since nearly dying to Sagong Hemi in ignorance that an enemy's blade pierced inside.
Yet no fear or anxiety stirred. Excitement surged instead.
The world wasn't easy. Good thing, too.
Plucking simple flowers lacked thrill. Only conquering the thorns brought ecstasy multiplied tenfold, no, dozensfold.
How many more thorny blooms awaited?
The anticipation sent shivers down his spine.
Competitive spirit? No. Dominance. Pure dominance lust.
Vivid visions of breaking the hard-won prize to his will electrified his brain.
Fine sensation. Perfect.
"Now, time to plot catching that little rat bitch."
Bang So-un's eyes blazed with thrill.