Chapter 289
Chapter 289
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 289
Chapter Title: It's a Festival, Huh? (4)
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I unfolded the note that had been tucked inside the knothole.
Rustle-
Then Namgung Yun placed a hand on his sword hilt, scanning our surroundings warily as he asked me,
"What does it say?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"It's written in code. To the untrained eye, it's just a jumble of meaningless characters."
I held up the note, deep in thought.
Seeing this, my master asked,
- You're saying you don't know, but what are you staring at so intently?
‘...I'm doing my best to decipher it. If I can crack it right here, the smartest move would be to restore the note exactly as we found it in the knothole.’
- Fair enough. They won't know what you've seen anyway.
‘Yes. That's why I'm scrutinizing it for any clues I can unravel on the spot.’
I flipped the note this way and that, even holding it up to the sunlight.
But no clues emerged.
‘......’
- No luck, I take it?
‘Yes. It's impossible to decode here. The best option's off the table. Now it's either restore it and leave or take it straight to the Grand Strategist...’
With the optimal choice gone, I was left with two paths.
It didn't take long to decide.
"Better to show it to the Grand Strategist. Let's head to the Tang family compound."
Namgung Yun and I hurried from the spot, quickening our pace toward the city district where the Tang compound lay.
Fortunately, we encountered no ambushes on the way back.
As we neared the city outskirts, presences stirred to our left and right.
Shh-shh-
Namgung Yun and I tensed for a moment.
But those who emerged were none other than the Sacheon Twin Freaks.
"...It was you elders."
"Weren't you headed to the Heo manor?"
"Yes, Poison Freak Elder."
"Why bother trudging off to some shady backwater with unknown intentions? Just wastes your feet."
"That's exactly why we went—because their intentions are unclear. Were you waiting for us?"
The Freak Physician spoke up at my question.
"The Family Head said since you'd gone to the Heo manor, we should position ourselves nearby to respond at the first signal."
"I see."
"No signals came, and you two don't look roughed up. Looks like nothing happened?"
"Something did, but let's head to Jeongbin Pavilion. I'll explain there with the Family Head and Grand Strategist present."
Upon arriving at Jeongbin Pavilion, Tang Ho-tae and the Grand Strategist were there, just as when we'd left.
"Made it back safe?"
"Yes, Family Head. We're back, Grand Strategist."
"You kept your promise? I trust you didn't stir up trouble on your own."
"...Well, sort of?"
"...Sort of?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the presence of the Grand Strategist, Tang Ho-tae, and the Sacheon Twin Freaks, I explained the suspicious points from the Heo manor.
"I'll go in order. First, there were odd things about Heo Man, the Heo manor head."
"Like what?"
"His attitude toward the poisoning incident was off. After we met him, he kept insisting it was inconvenient for the Tang family to be fingered as the culprits, and repeatedly claimed he absolutely didn't believe we were behind it."
Tang Ho-tae tilted his head at my words.
"Not long after the autopsy confirmed poisoning, I visited their place myself. He said the same to me. But why's that suspicious? I just took it as him feeling sorry for us."
"That makes sense from your position, Family Head. But as an outsider, it's normal to suspect the Tang family in this situation."
"Hm."
"Your family's top elder was killed. Poison points straight to the Sacheon Tang family, and the whole city—heck, all of Sacheon—is whispering that we're behind it. Prophecies are even circulating."
"...Go on."
"It's normal to at least wonder, 'What if?' A minor clan might fear the Tang gate, but the Heo are a renowned house by lineage. No reason for them to fear us, right?"
The Grand Strategist spoke up here.
"But he didn't need to voice suspicions in front of you two. He knows you're fellow disciples of Lady Ok-gi, after all."
"True. But in this climate, isn't it normal to feel resentment or bitterness toward the Tang gate for holding a festival?"
"...Not even a hint of that?"
"No."
"That's strange. With just two juniors showing up, he should've at least probed about the festival casually..."
I continued, eyes on the frowning Grand Strategist.
"That's not all. We heard their youngest son was ill, so I offered to introduce the Medicine King Elder, but he just thanked me politely. Not the attitude of parents with a sick child. Right, Pal-yong... Yun-ah?"
"Yes. He said it seemed hopeless and he didn't want to make his son suffer more, but the vibe was off."
"Hmm. That's definitely weird. Turning down a connection to the Medicine King Elder... So what's your conclusion, Yong-un?"
"It fits if they've already received treatment and seen results."
This was when the Freak Physician spoke.
"I saw their youngest son myself. Born with blocked meridians, plus a constitution where yin or cold herbs cause demonic invasion and constricted breathing. Even spirit medicines couldn't cure him. Not by normal means..."
"There are abnormal folks for that. Ones who've researched reversing and bursting meridians for nearly a century."
"...Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?"
"Yes. We can't know the full story, but if they fixed the boy in exchange for cooperation, it lines up. They even know a guy masquerading as a doctor—the Rogue Demon Physician."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The Grand Strategist broke it.
"Family Head, esteemed elders? Yong-un's words ring true, but we can't raid the Heo manor without solid proof."
"......"
"......"
"......"
"You think so too, Yong-un? No hard evidence?"
"Yes. Just suspicions. But we did find this near the Heo manor."
With that, I presented the note from the Heo manor.
"Seonghwa seal. That's the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's sealing mark. And inside, it's in code. Where'd you find it?"
"While we were inside the Heo manor, Wang Sam found a tree knothole nearby containing this note."
As I answered, the Grand Strategist examined the note closely.
Meanwhile, the silent Poison Freak furrowed his brow and spoke.
"...Hm. Wouldn't it have been better not to take the note?"
"I considered that, but bringing it seemed wiser."
"Why? You knew the location, so you could've lain in wait and ambushed them. Won't the cult notice you've taken it now?"
"Catching them that way would just nab pawns, and even they don't talk easily."
Namgung Yun added,
"Yong-un's right. That demon band member we caught in the capital recently never cracked either."
"Better to know the contents and prepare. Slim chance, but if they realize we've got it and their plan falters, that's blocking the enemy in itself."
Here, the Grand Strategist set down the note.
"The ancient stratagems say victory without battle is best. Good call bringing it. But leaking it to us could be the cult's ploy from the start."
"Yes. Possible."
"...Whew. Let's sum up. We'll proceed with the festival regardless. Nailing this one rebuilds the Tang gate's trust with the people—that's priority. I'll work on decoding this. Might take days, so heighten security and focus on the festival till then."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While the Tang family's festival raged in the city heart,
in a remote manor in northern Sacheon's Zhaohua lands, the Rogue Demon Physician Song Gil-joon was sweating bullets against one of the cult's Cult Protector Kings.
Boom!!!
"Rogue Demon Physician! How much longer must I wait?!"
"Axe Demon. You know how vital this Sacheon basin is for the cult's advance, don't you?"
"That's why I've waited!"
"Just a bit more, please. If we secure the fertile plains from that river starting at Dokgang Cliff and all those people for the cult, we'll recoup our losses in one go and lay the foundation for our great aspiration."
The straightforward Axe Demon, Do-ol Wolma, preferred simple clarity, but as leader of the Axe King Division under a Cult Protector King,
he knew the cult's dire straits and Sacheon's importance.
"When's 'a bit more'? You said you'd draw the Tang forces to the Yangtze Three Gorges—hasn't happened! And burying their reputation? With this festival of theirs, that's gone sideways too!"
"......"
"How much longer? What if Eon Yong-un slips away? You want me striking air?!"
The Axe Demon agreed with the Rogue Demon Physician—no, the Demon Brain behind him.
But vengeance for his sole disciple, Black Immortal Demon General Man-woo, mattered too.
"I assure you, it won't happen. Eon Yong-un isn't the type."
"In even matches, seize chances—even reckless ones. Perfect timing never comes. Heed that."
"Heeded! And heeded again!"
"Heed too that my patience is wearing thin."
"...Yes."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Two days after returning from the Heo manor with Namgung Yun,
the Grand Strategist summoned me, my younger brother, and the Tang leadership, having decoded the note I'd brought.
"Nothing groundbreaking."
The note read:
『The Sacheon Tang family holds a festival to unveil secrets; public sentiment recovering.
The ploy needs more time.
Must calm the Axe King Division's wrath.』
"Not proof linking the Heo manor to the cult. But this Axe King Division name—I saw it in Ma Bang-yeon's reports. The Black Immortal Demon General who hit the academy was his disciple, right?"
I nodded at the Grand Strategist's question.
"Yes. Black Immortal Demon General Man-woo."
Eun Ha-seong, nearby, mimed a slash through empty air.
"His head went flying off Yong-un hyung's blade with a snick."
I hushed Eun Ha-seong's quip and said gravely,
"But the Axe King Division head, Do-ol Axe Demon, had only Man-woo as disciple. Even if he took a new one after, they couldn't be front-line ready."
"...Meaning?"
"Seems a Cult Protector King-level great demon lord—the kind they revere as 'Demon'—is in Sacheon."
A heavy silence blanketed Jeongbin Pavilion at the imminent threat.
But to me, it felt like a chance to strike the cult hard.
‘If we can catch Do-ol Axe Demon...’
It'd be symbolic in itself.
Unlike other Cult Protector Kings who often acted independently from the cult structure, Do-ol Axe Demon was cooperative with the Demon Brain Division and main cult.
‘Uprooting a pillar—or more—from the cult edifice.’
I mulled it over, then raised my hand toward the Grand Strategist.
"I have a suggestion."
"What?"
"There's a gaek performance during the festival, right? How about staging one based on my script?"
"A performance?"
"Yes. One so gut-wrenching for the cult demons watching."
"Since we know they're watching, provoke them?"
"Exactly. Something like this..."
After mulling my plot, the Grand Strategist approved.
I pulled an all-nighter with senior Ye Hae-su scripting and finalizing the show.
Then I approached the performers to discuss.
They eyed me skeptically at first.
"You look down on us as mere entertainers?"
"Not at all. Please just review the script. Reject if it's no good. This silver is just for your time."
But the hefty pouch and script won them over.
"...This could be fun?"
They accepted.
Senior Ye Hae-su had adapted the Xiang Yu and Liu Bang tale—swapping lines and characters—so the troupe prepped in a day.
The next day,
『Dragon Ox Clash』
The gaek title fluttered on a flag in bold script.
Amid lute and drum,
Dudududududu!
Colorfully costumed performers took the stage.
"This one-day calf called Man-woo dares stick his dumb snout into Dragon Hole, mistaking the dignity of a dragon soaring through the heavens for mere water!"
Do-ol Axe Demon, you watching?
If you stomach this, I'll legit respect you.