Chapter 563: Narrowly Escaping a Crisis
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 563: Narrowly Escaping a Crisis
"I will ask you once more... Lord Alliance Leader, what were you doing at that time?"
Heo Sam-gwan asked, his eyes fixed on Lee Jae-won with blatant suspicion. Though he claimed to believe him, his gaze told a different story—one filled with doubt.
"I... I was..."
Lee Jae-won hesitated, stalling for time. He had never expected the finger of blame to be pointed back at him. Usually, no matter what foul deeds he committed, he managed to slip away like a snake over a wall. It didn't matter if there was evidence or not, or if his alibi held water.
He thought this time would be the same. He expected everyone to just let it slide, as they always did.
But he was wrong.
They were doubting him—the founder of the Cheonmu Alliance and its first leader. These people, the very core of the alliance's leadership, were looking at him with suspicion.
Lee Jae-won was flustered. He couldn't help it. Until now, he had reigned as an absolute being, someone beyond the reach of doubt. But now, these ants who had lived under his thumb were starting to question him.
How could he not be shaken?
‘What do I do? Fuck, what do I do?’
Lee Jae-won agonized internally. He had acted on impulse, assuming he could just brush it off later. He never imagined Paeng Ga-ryeon would identify the culprit so specifically.
A lone perpetrator, a master of the Profound Realm with a grudge against Gu Ja-yeop—who else could it be but him?
‘Goddammit, Paeng Ga-ryeon, you stupid bitch! If you say it like that, of course I’m going to be the prime suspect! Can’t you just mix business with pleasure for once?! You fucking bitch!!!’
Lee Jae-won cursed Paeng Ga-ryeon in his head for her rigid professionalism. He was seething with irritation at the fact that he had been backed into a corner.
‘Shit... how do I get out of this...’
He began to rack his brain, putting to use a mind that had been idle for twenty years, desperate to escape this crisis.
"Lord Alliance Leader, why are you so silent? Please, give us an answer."
When Lee Jae-won failed to respond, Heo Sam-gwan pressed him again. The suspicion in his eyes grew even more intense. Lee Jae-won’s inability to provide a proper answer was only fueling the fire.
‘Fine. I’ll just kill everyone except my wives. I can just tell people the Heavenly Demon or the Yin-Yang Demon attacked. My wives will understand, so I’ll leave them out of it.’
Lee Jae-won made up his mind. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no logical way out. His solution was simple: slaughter. If everyone who knew the truth was dead, the problem would be solved, wouldn't it?
It was a primitive, one-dimensional thought, but Lee Jae-won didn't care. Why bother with complex schemes when there was such a simple solution?
Sssssss—
Lee Jae-won began to slowly release his Formless Qi. He intended to kill every member of the leadership in the room in a single stroke.
Just as he was about to unleash his energy and end them all...
"The Lord Alliance Leader was with me that night."
Zhuge Ju-kyung, a beautiful woman with an intellectual air, interjected.
"With you, Madam?"
Heo Sam-gwan turned his suspicious gaze toward her and asked for clarification.
"Yes. That evening, after finishing his duties, the Lord Alliance Leader came to my quarters."
Zhuge Ju-kyung continued in a calm, steady tone.
"And why would the Lord Alliance Leader visit your quarters?" Heo Sam-gwan asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.
"Does a husband need a reason to visit his wife's room?"
Zhuge Ju-kyung replied with a captivating smile.
"Madam Zhuge."
Heo Sam-gwan spoke her name flatly.
"Please, go on."
"Is what you are saying the absolute truth, without a single shred of falsehood?"
He glared at her with sharp, piercing eyes.
"It is the truth."
Zhuge Ju-kyung answered without a moment's hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Well now... that is quite hard to believe."
Heo Sam-gwan shook his head slowly.
"Why is it so hard to believe?" Zhuge Ju-kyung asked, acting puzzled. "How can you not trust my word?"
She continued with an air of supreme confidence. "What could be more natural than a husband visiting his wife?"
"In ordinary circumstances, perhaps. But isn't the relationship between the Lord Alliance Leader and his wives far from ordinary?" Heo Sam-gwan asked, his eyes gleaming.
"......What do you mean by that?"
Zhuge Ju-kyung’s face stiffened instantly.
"It is a well-known fact among the leadership of the Cheonmu Alliance that the Lord Alliance Leader has not visited his wives' quarters in a very long time. And yet, you claim he visited you? On the very night this specific incident occurred?"
Heo Sam-gwan glared at her with eyes as cold as ice.
"Doesn't that seem a bit too convenient?"
Certainly, it wasn't inherently strange for Lee Jae-won to spend the night with Zhuge Ju-kyung. Why would it be odd for a husband and wife to share intimacy?
‘But that only applies to couples who actually like each other.’
Lee Jae-won and Zhuge Ju-kyung were different. It was a famous open secret that Lee Jae-won ignored his wives. They looked harmonious on the surface, but underneath, he was more indifferent than anyone.
And yet, he supposedly went to sleep with Zhuge Ju-kyung on the very night of the murder? It was far too contrived. It was practically begging to be doubted.
"It seems you are mistaken about something," Zhuge Ju-kyung said calmly. "The relationship between the Lord Alliance Leader and us is not as cold and dry as you might think. On the contrary, it is quite hot and passionate."
She looked Heo Sam-gwan straight in the eye.
"I find that hard to believe."
"Of course you do. We haven't exactly made a public display of it."
"You haven't made a display of it?" Heo Sam-gwan repeated, looking skeptical.
"Sigh... I suppose I have no choice but to tell you the truth."
Zhuge Ju-kyung let out a long sigh and began to speak slowly.
"In truth, the Lord Alliance Leader has been enjoying secret trysts with us all this time. He kept our relations private so that no one would find out."
"What kind of nonsense is that? Why would a husband and wife need to have 'secret trysts'!?"
Heo Sam-gwan looked utterly baffled. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea of a married couple having secret affairs with each other. Having a physical relationship with one's spouse wasn't something to be ashamed of. If anything, marital bliss was something to be praised.
So why would they need to be so secretive about it? It made no sense.
"The Lord Alliance Leader is in a position where he must be very conscious of public perception, is he not? That is why he was so careful with his words and actions. How embarrassing and shameful would it be if rumors spread that the Great Alliance Leader was obsessed with carnal pleasures?"
Zhuge Ju-kyung began to defend Lee Jae-won, her argument sounding remarkably persuasive.
"......Hmm."
Heo Sam-gwan let out a low groan. Despite the suspicious timing, her explanation carried enough weight to be plausible. An Alliance Leader who pretended to be ascetic for the sake of his reputation while secretly enjoying his wives for decades—it was the kind of story that felt real. After all, the leadership was full of hypocrites who pretended to be saints in public.
Heo Sam-gwan fell into deep thought, his expression grim. Zhuge Ju-kyung’s defense had clouded his judgment. The circumstances were suspicious, but now there was a witness providing an alibi. How was he supposed to make a definitive call?
"..........Can you prove it?" Heo Sam-gwan finally asked.
"Prove it?" Zhuge Ju-kyung asked back, as if she didn't understand.
"Yes. Prove that you have been enjoying these secret trysts with the Lord Alliance Leader."
"Would you like us to perform right here to prove our passion hasn't faded?" Zhuge Ju-kyung asked with an incredulous look.
"That won't be necessary. There is another way to prove it."
"And what is that?"
"I can simply ask the other wives besides Madam Zhuge."
Heo Sam-gwan continued in a level voice. "I will ask if they, too, have been enjoying secret trysts with the Lord Alliance Leader over the past few decades."
His eyes sparkled as he turned to Tang Jin-seol, who was seated near the head of the table.
"Madam Tang, I ask you. Have you been enjoying secret trysts with the Lord Alliance Leader?"
"Yes, I have. He visited me once a week," Tang Jin-seol replied calmly.
".......I see....... Very well. Then, Madam Eon."
Heo Sam-gwan turned his gaze toward Eon So-so.
"It is the same for me. I have never once felt neglected by him," Eon So-so said, her expression stiff.
".........And what about Madam Moyong?"
"I'm the same as the others. We have always maintained a dignified, elegant, and very lustful relationship," Moyong Ran said with a relaxed, subtle smile.
".............."
Hearing their answers, Heo Sam-gwan’s expression grew even more somber. Since the wives were all backing Zhuge Ju-kyung’s claim, her story was gaining serious credibility. The "secret trysts" were becoming an established fact.
"...Madam Hwangbo."
Finally, Heo Sam-gwan looked at Hwangbo Yu-yeon, who was tucked away in a corner.
".........Me? I've never done anything like that," she replied, looking genuinely confused. "Wait, was everyone doing that except for me?"
She looked hurt as she spoke.
"Is that the truth?" Heo Sam-gwan asked, his face brightening. Her statement directly contradicted Zhuge Ju-kyung’s claim.
"Yes....... I... he never visited me......."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon trailed off, looking dejected. She seemed genuinely disappointed that she had been the only one left out.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, you airheaded bitch! Read the damn room!’
Lee Jae-won cursed her in his head. He was livid that Hwangbo Yu-yeon wasn't backing him up. Look at the situation! All the other wives were working together to protect him! How could she be so clueless as to tell the truth?
‘Shit, this is why women should go to the military too. How does she even survive with zero situational awareness... Ugh, you total screw-up!’
Lee Jae-won couldn't contain his rage, continuing to hurl mental insults at her.
"Ho... I see. Thank you for your honest statement."
Heo Sam-gwan bowed to her with great politeness. Then, he slowly turned to face Paeng Ga-ryeon.
"Hall Master of Law Enforcement—no, Madam Paeng. Have you enjoyed secret meetings with the Lord Alliance Leader?"
"......Hmm. I am no different from Madam Hwangbo. I had no idea such secret meetings were taking place... Honestly, I'm shocked."
Paeng Ga-ryeon denied it, acting as if she were hearing about it for the first time.
".....Thank you for your honest testimony."
"Don't mention it," Paeng Ga-ryeon said, waving it off.
"Then....... I will ask one last person. Great Matriarch."
Heo Sam-gwan turned to the woman sitting beside Lee Jae-won, Joo So-yang.
"Have you enjoyed such a secret relationship?"
His eyes were filled with a dogged persistence.
"No. I have never had such a relationship with him."
Joo So-yang spoke with absolute firmess, without a hint of hesitation.
"I have not had relations with the Lord Alliance Leader once since I gave birth."
For a woman, admitting she wasn't loved by her husband was a source of great shame. It usually invited criticism that she lacked the charm to keep her husband from straying. Yet, Joo So-yang exposed her own vulnerability without a second thought, her demeanor perfectly calm.
"..................."
Overwhelmed by her poise, Heo Sam-gwan fell silent. He knew she was a formidable woman, but he hadn't expected her to be this bold.
"Thank you for your honest testimony."
Regaining his composure, Heo Sam-gwan thanked her for her honesty. Then, he slowly turned back to Zhuge Ju-kyung. Her intelligent face was now twisted in a scowl, as if she were about to explode with irritation.
"The opinions of the wives are split exactly down the middle. What do you have to say about this, Madam Zhuge?"
Heo Sam-gwan asked, watching her with a suspicious eye.
"That... that is..."
Zhuge Ju-kyung stammered, caught off guard. She hadn't expected those three to refuse to go along with her story.
"I shall explain that myself."
Lee Jae-won, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up as he looked at Heo Sam-gwan.
"The Lord Alliance Leader himself?"
Heo Sam-gwan looked at Lee Jae-won, his face full of doubt.