Monopolizing Fortunes (180)
Monopolizing Fortunes (180)
Won Jung-bang stared blankly at Do Tong-dal's back as he left the room. He thought the odds of Do Tong-dal accepting his wager were low. All Do Tong-dal knew was Won Jung-bang's face.
With that single piece of information, he was supposed to figure out what the man was currently doing? Absolutely impossible. So what was that confidence of Do Tong-dal's?
"A needless worry."
Won Jung-bang felt in advance what Liu Bei must have felt upon gaining Zhuge Liang.
After leaving Won Jung-bang's room, Do Tong-dal paced for a long while near Won Jin-u's room.
Even with clues and fine information networks like the Beggars' Sect and the Northern Unorthodox Alliance, finding out a single person's present circumstances was never easy.
Given a time limit of one month on top of that, it was nearly impossible. Do Tong-dal ought to have refused the promise, but the thing he was counting on was Won Jin-u.
Won Jin-u desperately wanted this fight to end. And because of Do Tong-dal's plan, the end of that desperation had been in sight.
But Won Jung-bang had slammed the door on that hope, so the despair would be beyond words.
Of course, he would not betray his father over it, but the ember of that desperation was certain to remain.
After pacing for one ke, he was able to meet Won Jin-u. Won Jin-u looked surprised, as if Do Tong-dal's waiting for him was unexpected.
"What is it?"
His voice still had an edge to it.
"A way to end this fight quickly has come up."
Walking side by side with Won Jin-u, Do Tong-dal told him about the promise he had made with Won Jung-bang. A crease formed between Won Jin-u's brows.
"You made such a reckless promise? Looks like we'll be eating from the same pot from now on. Once you're in the Revenge Society a month from now, I'll work you as hard as I please."
"My joining the Revenge Society, or this revenge ending quickly—which do you want more?"
"You coming in and ending the revenge quickly would be best."
"You think I have no chance of winning the bet?"
"Finding out the identity of someone you know nothing about within a month? If you could do that, they'd have to call you a god."
"I do have a few clues, and the Young Sect Leader might be able to help."
"You're telling me to betray my father! I absolutely cannot do that! Do you know how much my father has sacrificed for this revenge!"
"Isn't it only natural for revenge to come with sacrifice?"
Won Jin-u spoke as if growling.
"It isn't the sort of common sacrifice you're imagining. Do you understand?"
Do Tong-dal scratched his cheek.
"Revenge, by its nature, means eating dirt and living like a beggar for ten years."
"Do you think my father didn't live like that?"
"I suppose he did. No wonder the beggar disguise was so convincing."
When they came up from underground to the surface, Won Jin-u turned in another direction and spoke.
"My father lost the most precious thing a man has. I can never betray the Revenge Society."
Do Tong-dal stared blankly at Won Jin-u growing distant.
"Young Society Leader, thank you."
In that short conversation, Won Jin-u had told Do Tong-dal everything he needed to know.
Do Tong-dal returned to the Righteous Chivalry Sect and informed everyone of his promise with Won Jung-bang.
"Are you insane! How are you supposed to find that out! Did you want to become the Revenge Society's dog?"
"As Protector Namgung says, it's impossible."
"Let's find another way, even now."
"Hm. I thought he was smart, but he turns out to be a delusional megalomaniac."
"Master, no matter what happens, I'll follow you."
Roughly these reactions poured out. Do Tong-dal waited for everyone to settle down, then opened his mouth.
"I've almost figured it out. The Young Society Leader gave me a clue."
Won Dae-yeon asked in surprise.
"The Young Society Leader betrayed his own father, the Society Leader?"
"It wasn't betrayal, and he didn't flat-out say who it was either. But it was information I could find out with."
Namgung Seol-rin asked hurriedly.
"So who is it?"
"Now I have to go find out. I won't even need the full month. Seol-rin, send word to the Beggars' Sect and the Northern Unorthodox Alliance. Tell them to meet in Beijing in two days."
"Beijing? The Society Leader is in Beijing?"
"Not right now, probably. I'll go check first and send word."
"How am I supposed to wait for your word? I'm going too."
Before Do Tong-dal could say no, Won Dae-yeon spoke.
"Let's do that. It's been a while, so spend some cozy time alone together too."
"No, we're going to work—what cozy time alone together......."
"I'll go get ready to leave!"
Afraid Do Tong-dal might get another word in, Namgung Seol-rin dashed out of the room.
"Honestly, that immature young lady......."
Jang Yu-seom's voice cut through Do Tong-dal's scolding.
"Be good to Protector Namgung. Don't regret it later for nothing. A woman's grudge lasts a hundred years."
"Is that...... from experience?"
Jang Yu-seom nodded gravely. The mutter of "Madam Seon doesn't seem like that type." came back as the retort, "There isn't a single woman in the world who isn't."
Namgung Seol-rin, leaving with Do Tong-dal, was thoroughly excited, but the picnic-like flutter was dashed when they arrived in Beijing in no time.
"You idiot! If you had to shit, you could've just stopped and done it on the way—why'd you run like your ass was on fire!"
"We're busy."
"You said we had plenty of time!"
"It doesn't end with just exposing the Society Leader's identity. I have to prepare everything that comes after too."
Do Tong-dal left Namgung Seol-rin at the inn and went alone to the imperial palace. Given that she stayed behind willingly, Namgung Seol-rin had a decent sense of where she should and shouldn't stick her nose in.
Though she had set Do Tong-dal's heart fluttering with the words, "In exchange, come back quickly. I'll bathe and wait."
Since he had sent word ahead, Yang Su-pan was waiting.
"I thought you wouldn't be coming for a while. What's the matter?"
He was both glad and puzzled. From the fact that everyone passing by wore white mourning clothes, he could feel the reality that the emperor had died.
"There's something I need to look into. It's very important."
At Do Tong-dal's serious expression, Yang Su-pan's face hardened as well.
"What is it?"
Do Tong-dal held out the portrait he had brought to Yang Su-pan.
"Please ask the eunuchs whether they know this man. It would be best to start with eunuchs who can enter the Imperial Palace Secret Archive."
"Why eunuchs all of a sudden?"
Do Tong-dal told Yang Su-pan about the promise he had made with Won Jung-bang.
"You made a needless promise. If you told His Highness the Crown Prince, he could wipe out that little Revenge Society for you."
Individually, martial world fighters surpassed government troops in martial arts, but the martial world could not withstand an army of millions.
"And please also investigate anyone who became a eunuch around the age of forty or so."
"Becoming a eunuch at such a late age is impossible."
"Isn't the imperial palace a place where nothing is possible and nothing is impossible?"
"Well, that's true enough."
"If such a person exists, please also find out who made him a eunuch. And whether he's currently alive or dead."
"Do you think this eunuch is the Revenge Society Leader?"
"Putting together the various pieces of information about the Society Leader, there's no doubt."
That he had begun seriously learning martial arts at a late age and still risen to the ranks of the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven could be explained by the Imperial Palace Secret Archive.
After all, the Imperial Palace Secret Archive was full of peerless divine arts and elixirs. On top of that, Won Jin-u had emphasized that Won Jung-bang had sacrificed the most precious thing a man has.
What would the most precious thing a man has mean? And Won Jung-bang had accurately predicted that the emperor would die.
That was information no one could possibly know unless they had solid connections in the imperial palace or lived there.
Putting all of that together, Won Jung-bang was clearly a eunuch. There were close to a thousand eunuchs in the imperial palace, but with the information Do Tong-dal had given him, it would not be hard for Yang Su-pan to find him.
"How long will it take?"
"Come back tomorrow. You'll see His Highness the Crown Prince before you go, won't you?"
"Let's make it tomorrow. I have a prior engagement today."
At the inn, Namgung Seol-rin was waiting, having bathed.
* * *
"His name is Song Do-uk. Fifteen years ago, at the age of forty-five, he first became a eunuch."
"If he became a eunuch at forty-five, wouldn't that have caused a problem?"
"Looking into it, the Grand Academician, father-in-law of the First Prince, and Tae-jin, a trusted eunuch, were involved. Because the numbers are so large, the eunuchs don't even know each other, so they falsified it to make it seem he'd entered long ago—but fortunately, the original record remained."
"His post must have been the Imperial Palace Secret Archive."
"He was in charge of cleaning, and nine hundred nyang of silver went into the Grand Academician's and Tae-jin's pockets."
"That's an enormous bribe."
"But he's recorded as having died half a month ago. The cause of death is listed as heart failure—nine out of ten dead eunuchs have heart failure as their cause of death."
"What was his reputation like?"
"It was good. There wasn't a single eunuch who spoke ill of Song Do-uk. He spent money freely, wherever it came from, and if a fellow eunuch had trouble, he'd step up and help."
"Did he perhaps go out of the palace often?"
"How did you know? I only found out about the special treatment Song Do-uk received after twisting Tae-jin's arm."
"He'd have to go out often for things to add up. Anyway, thank you for your trouble."
"Trouble, nothing. But you look far more tired than yesterday—did something happen?"
"Huh? Ah...... no. Tired, what......."
"I'll have a word with the physician in black and have them prepare a tonic for you."
"The emperor has died—are the imperial physicians all right?"
When an emperor dies, even if it was simply old age, someone inevitably ends up taking responsibility and dying.
"Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince held no one accountable."
"I've uncovered the Society Leader's identity in the imperial palace, so I'll be going now."
"You won't meet His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Imperial Princess?"
"The Crown Prince must be extremely busy right now—would he have time to see me?"
"No matter how urgent things are, he'd see you."
"Just tell him to attend to his urgent business. As for Her Highness the Imperial Princess...... not meeting her is better for my long life. She's probably busy training these days too."
"That she is. Anyone watching would think she's gone mad for martial arts."
"She has gone mad."
Yang Su-pan asked casually.
"Hearing what you've said, it sounds like the martial-world business will be wrapped up before long too."
Do Tong-dal narrowed his eyes and gave him a suspicious look.
"And if it is?"
"There's also what His Highness the Crown Prince said last time......."
"Censor Yang."
"Hm?"
"I told you before, didn't I? If the Third Prince becomes emperor, don't pester me."
"No, why would you kick away such a fine position that others are dying to have?"
"Give that fine position to someone who likes it. I'll just stay a thug. I've told you clearly."
Having driven the point home, Do Tong-dal left the imperial palace. Fortunately, neither Ju Hyeong-seon nor Ju Seo-in caught him by the scruff of the neck.
Back at the inn, Ha Su-ran and Baek So-gu, whom he had summoned, were waiting.
Ha Su-ran greeted him warmly, but Baek So-gu grumbled.
"Summoning the Beggars' Sect Leader like some mongrel from your own yard."
"Do you insist on comparing yourself to a mongrel?"
Having lost the initiative from the very first exchange, Baek So-gu spat out his words.
"So what's the business?"
"I met the Revenge Society Leader."
Baek So-gu and Ha Su-ran, who had been about to drink the tea set before them, froze.
"The Society Leader showed himself?"
Do Tong-dal told the two of them about the bet he had made with the Society Leader. Baek So-gu and Ha Su-ran reacted exactly like everyone else.
"You lunatic! If it were a year, I'd mobilize the entire Beggars' Sect to find him, but with one month, there's no chance!"
"Better yet, come to the Northern Unorthodox Alliance. We'll take responsibility and protect you. Or rather, let's use this chance to make the Revenge Society disappear. That seems simpler."
"And the bloody storm that would hit the martial world?"
"The orthodox sects would have to take responsibility for that. Our Northern Unorthodox Alliance only needs to protect Young Master Do."
"Would Alliance Leader Hwangmi do that?"
"If she won't, I'll make her. No matter what, I can't stand to see Young Master Do become the Revenge Society's dog."
"That's true. If that bastard joins the Revenge Society and starts using that head of his...... just thinking about it is horrifying."
Do Tong-dal seized the brief moment when the two of them paused.
"I've already found him."
Ha Su-ran, who had been about to say something, asked with a baffled face.
"Found him? You mean you've uncovered the Society Leader's identity?"
"He'd been a eunuch for fifteen years."
"A eunuch—you mean those fellows in the imperial palace without their whatsit?"
At Baek So-gu's question, Do Tong-dal nodded.
"Yes. He went in and out of the Imperial Palace Secret Archive, ate elixirs, and learned martial arts from secret manuals."
"No, how did you find that out in such a short time? Did the bastard drop his trousers or something?"
* * *