Two Heads Under One Roof - 1
Having captured the Inmyeon Jiju and turned Baeksu-mun into a sect cooperative with the court, all our business was concluded. Yet we hadn't left Baeksu-mun yet and were still waiting. I'd sent a letter to Nang-jung Wang about transporting the Inmyeon Jiju. If he sent men all the way to Baeksu-mun, Jo Wi-cheo and I could depart without regret. There was no worry they'd let the prize slip away or let it suffer after going to such lengths to catch it—we could head to our next destination with peace of mind. On the flip side, if Nang-jung Wang wanted delivery, we'd have to trek to Nang-jung with Baeksu-mun's help. The former option would be far more convenient.
While awaiting Nang-jung Wang's reply and staying at Baeksu-mun, I ended up in a private meeting with Ji Wi-pyeong.
"Boy-cha tea. A unique item that only grows here in Yunnam."
"Impressive color. I'll enjoy it."
— Shiiik!
— Shiiiiiik!
To be precise, it became a three-way meeting including Samshik.
"Haha, what a hearty eater. Delicious, is it?"
— Shiiiiiik!
— Sieeek!
— Shiuuuuk!
"Good boy. You answer well too. Here's one more."
— Shiiiiiik!
Samshik, who had been licking the egg, shook his head front, back, left, and right in a little dance at Ji Wi-pyeong's words. The kid was still young and simple-minded. It felt like just days ago he'd dashed out egg-crazed and suffered under the elders.
The sect leader's normal. What a relief.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief at Ji Wi-pyeong's warm expression as he handed another egg to Samshik. Compared to the elders, Ji Wi-pyeong wasn't just normal—he was practically the sole voice of reason. And he was the one who'd founded Baeksu-mun and gathered all sorts. Even if he was mild-mannered next to them, he was still a beast enthusiast. Thanks to that, he remembered Samshik's egg obsession and gave him the leftovers. No handling required, so of course Samshik was thrilled.
"That egg... I heard Baeksu-mun's running low. You sure it's okay to hand them out like that?"
"Of course. No matter how precious eggs are, they're just food for the kids in the end. Besides, it takes time, but we can make more."
His unhesitating reply had me stroking my chin. Mun-gyeong had used something similar—eagle eggs from the Sichuan-Shaanxi border, aged in Yunnam poison. Baeksu-mun could procure dozens or hundreds of eagle eggs, and the Yunnam poison was local. If they put their minds to it, they could definitely produce them.
…
"Sect Leader. Anyone besides your sect know how to make those eggs?"
"Ah, yes. A poison expert visited from Sichuan a few years back. We made them together. His knowledge of poisons was impressively deep."
I'd asked just in case, and it turned out to be true, drawing a hollow laugh. That bastard Mun-gyeong. Not similar items—these were made right here.
So that's how it connects.
A meeting between a poison maniac and beast lovers. A truly miraculous encounter.
— Shiiiiiik! Shiiik!
"Done already? But I can't give more. Too much of anything is harmful."
— Shiiik…
Ji Wi-pyeong chuckled as Samshik slunk dejectedly back into my sleeve, then picked up his teacup.
"Cute little guy. I can see why Nang-jung Wang told you to bring a fitting companion."
After sipping his tea, Ji Wi-pyeong fixed me with a serious look.
"Now that he's gone in, I'll get to the point. You wanted info on Jeom-cheongpa, right?"
"Yes. Anything, no matter how trivial."
I nodded. The reason for this private meeting with Ji Wi-pyeong: to learn about Jeom-cheongpa, the other major sect in Yunnam rivaling Baeksu-mun.
"Ah… Jeom-cheongpa?"
His reaction from days ago flashed back, making my limbs tremble. Jeom-cheongpa wasn't just on par with Baeksu-mun in size or fame. Circumstantially, their madness likely matched too. Charging in unprepared could give me high blood pressure—or worse. Dealing with sects like Baeksu-mun was enough for one lifetime.
"Where do I even start…"
As I steeled myself, Ji Wi-pyeong tapped the desk and sighed.
"First, Jeom-cheongpa's scale isn't comparable to ours. In sheer size, they vastly surpass Baeksu-mun."
"What?"
An unexpected bombshell right out the gate. As far as I knew, Jeom-cheongpa was founded later than Baeksu-mun. The innkeeper in Omongbu had called Baeksu-mun "a notable force in Yunnam alongside Jeom-cheongpa." That's phrasing for equals. Yet here was Baeksu-mun's leader saying they were dwarfed?
What's going on?
Was one side bluffing me? No, more likely the innkeeper was misinformed.
"But their actual deployable strength is about on par with ours, maybe a touch higher. Jeom-cheongpa isn't a normally functioning sect."
Ji Wi-pyeong continued matter-of-factly, sensing my doubt.
"Have you heard of the Dali Kingdom?"
A deeply unsettling question.
Dali Kingdom. A state that ruled this Yunnam region for centuries, one of the countless nations felled by the 13th-century Mongol scourge. But the key wasn't who destroyed it.
"Dali was ruled by the Duan and Gao clans. Duan held the throne, but Gao monopolized the prime minister position. Gao even briefly seized the throne."
"…A regent clan that took the crown wasn't exterminated?"
"Don't try to make sense of it. Just accept it happened—it's easier for you that way."
The retort rose to my throat, but I swallowed it.
"Anyway, from the Duan perspective, Gao must've been thorns in their side. So when the Mongols came south, Duan collaborated, ousting Gao in exchange for puppet status under Mongol rule."
That much I knew. As a Song official, Mongol history was unavoidable.
"Then Taizu conquered Yunnam, shattering Duan's power and position. Duan and Gao both fell together—amiably."
Cold sweat trickled as it dawned. I'd asked about Jeom-cheongpa, and now he was recounting Dali history and the downfall of its ruling clans. Any bureaucrat who couldn't connect the dots didn't deserve the post.
"Jeom-cheongpa harbors descendants of those Duan and Gao clans."
"Damn it."
Realizing it and hearing confirmation were worlds apart. A curse slipped out at Ji Wi-pyeong's words.
Descendants of a purged royal house and the regents who stole their throne, under one roof? What kind of absurd setup was this? Like Gongyang Wang and Yi Seong-gye sharing a home. The mere thought choked me. One might question if it even qualified as a "home."
"Moreover—"
There's more?
I flinched at his tone implying further issues.
"Jeom-cheongpa consists of monks and Taoists. The monks carry heavy Duan influence, the Taoists Gao."
Religious strife too? My vision went white. This was madness elevated to art.
I shared Ji Wi-pyeong's intel with Jo Wi-cheo.
"Why the hell are those guys in the same sect?"
"Beats me."
A perfectly reasonable question. I wondered the same. With clan grudges and different faiths, why stick together? If they hated each other, split already.
Are they squatting on Jeom-cheongsan in a territorial standoff?
If it was a "you leave if you hate it" pissing contest, it'd be idiotic but explicable. Territory was serious business.
"Anyway, huge size but deep internal rifts mean they can't leverage it. They're quiet now, fighting among themselves, but if it spills outward, trouble."
Even as a new sect with massive issues, Jeom-cheongpa had the bulk and potential to represent the region. If it collapsed, it'd headache the court. So, dislike it or not, I had to visit—show face, at least. See what lunatics bickered under one roof. If their infighting harmed the people, it'd be catastrophic.
A messenger pigeon from the Left Vice Inspector General arrived.
We discovered and captured an Inmyeon Jiju in southern Yunnam. Secured cleanly without a single injury, with active cooperation from the local sect. Preserving it preciously.
Enclosing a letter announcing the capture of the Inmyeon Jiju, a spirit beast among spirit beasts.
They really caught it?
I stared blankly at the letter, rereading it multiple times. It was real. The Left Vice Inspector General had truly snared a spirit beast rivaling Samshik—one as rare as they come.
"Hah."
A sigh escaped unbidden. Who could've foreseen this?
I said it offhand.
I'd told the Left Vice Inspector General I couldn't just give away Samshik, so bring a suitable replacement. I wouldn't forget my own words. But it was perfunctory. In front of the Sichuan prefect and two sect leaders, I couldn't hand over my property for free. Formality required a "trade." I hadn't specified a deadline or type of spirit beast. What lunatic issues orders like that? Worst case, what if he dragged back a backyard spider?
So Samshik and I had written it off as a non-issue…
From now on, I need to be more precise.
The Left Vice Inspector General had misunderstood and actually caught one. My careless words had burdened the young man, leaving me uneasy.