Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Unmasking the Traitor
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Hwangbo Un-gyeong, who had come to the guest hall, finished speaking with a heavy expression.
“……That’s all.”
Seol Hwa-un spoke with an impassive face.
“So in the end, you uncovered nothing.”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong had no words to say, even if he grew ten mouths. He had tried his best, but there was almost nothing to show for it.
The man who ambushed the North Wind Brigade member, Jang Song-il, hailed from a place called Compassion Garden in the highlands. He had caught the eye of a Hwangbo Clan expert who happened to visit when he was young and was brought here.
Though he started learning martial arts relatively late, his exceptional talent allowed him to advance quickly, eventually becoming a Tiger Roar Brigade member.
He had no close ties outside, being an orphan with no family. No matter how they investigated, there was no way to prove Jang Song-il was a spy for the Slaughter Heaven Sect.
In fact, he was known for his diligence and affable nature, earning him a good reputation.
At this point, it was even questionable whether he truly was a spy. There wasn’t a single suspicious thing about Jang Song-il, even if they searched with eyes washed clean.
Hwangbo Un-gyeong let out a deep sigh.
“Now even this old man has no idea. Whether Jang Song-il was truly a spy under the Slaughter Heaven Sect’s orders, or if he simply fell into qi deviation and lost his mind.”
“Is he still in the dungeon?”
“That’s right.”
“Good. Then bring him here. I’ll interrogate him myself.”
Hwangbo Tae-seong, who had come along, furrowed his brow.
“That’s…….”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong looked uneasy as well, but Seol Hwa-un reassured him.
“Don’t worry. I’ll only interrogate him.”
Since it was the victim’s request, they couldn’t very well refuse.
“……Understood.”
Soon after, Jang Song-il was dragged into the guest hall.
With everyone watching, the bound Jang Song-il stepped inside.
“…….”
He looked like he’d been through hell—his face was pale, and the clothes he wore were soaked in blood.
His eyes were unfocused, as if utterly exhausted.
“Hmm.”
Some members of the Hwangbo Clan were seated as well, including those who had favored Jang Song-il in the past. They gazed at him with looks of pity.
Seol Hwa-un slowly approached.
“Jang Song-il.”
Even at his call, Jang Song-il showed little reaction.
“Strange. The northern barbarian you cursed and wanted dead so badly is right in front of you, yet no response.”
At Seol Hwa-un’s words, a faint spark returned to Jang Song-il’s eyes. He slowly raised his head.
“Kill me already, you northern scum.”
His gaze was definitely off. It wasn’t poison so much as a desperate longing.
“Eyes that beg for death. But I can’t kill you until the truth comes out.”
“…….”
“You might even want to live once you hear my story.”
“What tricks are you…….”
He flinched!
Feeling the chilling killing intent emanating from Seol Hwa-un’s body, he shrank back involuntarily.
“Answer only what I ask. I warn you beforehand—I’m not merciful to martial artists.”
“……!”
As Jang Song-il clamped his mouth shut with a stiff expression, Seol Hwa-un withdrew his killing intent.
He began slowly circling around Jang Song-il.
“From what I’ve learned, your case has grounds for leniency.”
The retainers’ expressions changed.
“Leniency?”
“What does that mean?”
Murmurs rose around them, but Seol Hwa-un continued without minding.
“Jang Song-il. No—Wang I.”
“……!”
Jang Song-il’s eyes trembled faintly.
“Don’t you have an older brother?”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong’s eyes widened.
“An older brother? He’s supposed to be an orphan……!”
Seol Hwa-un continued, looking at Jang Song-il.
“After losing your parents to a flood, you had a reliable older brother named Wang Il.”
Jang Song-il’s body shuddered. Anxiety filled his face.
“When you entered the Hwangbo Clan, you were at Compassion Garden with your brother.”
Jang Song-il—no, Wang I’s brother, Wang Il—had watched his younger brother get selected for the Hwangbo Clan but pretended not to know him.
Instead, he earnestly warned Wang I never to mention having a brother. He worried that if they knew he had family in the military, his brother might not be taken.
It was needless worry, but to him, it was a critical matter tied to his brother’s future. He even forced him to change his name.
Thus, Wang I became Jang Song-il and, after joining the Hwangbo Clan, occasionally visited his brother. But Wang Il refused even that, fearing his brother might get expelled for no reason.
Then, when Jang Song-il had finally settled in and planned to bring his brother to the Hwangbo Clan, fate played a cruel trick—Wang Il joined the Slaughter Heaven Sect.
From then on, meeting became even harder. There was the insurmountable wall between righteous and evil factions.
Still, they occasionally exchanged secret letters to maintain their bond.
A few days ago, an item was delivered to Jang Song-il. It was a cleanly severed left hand—one he knew all too well.
A distinct burn scar on the back of the hand.
It was from when Jang Song-il, as a child, nearly burned badly playing with an oil pot, and his brother saved him, getting the scar instead.
Once Seol Hwa-un finished his tale, the retainers couldn’t hide their shock.
“Young Palace Lord, is that true?”
Seol Hwa-un nodded confidently.
“Not a single lie.”
“How on earth did you find out?”
“I’ll explain that later. The important thing is verifying this fact.”
Jang Song-il shouted.
“Lies! Nonsense! Where’d you get that story? I have no brother!”
But his voice was already trembling faintly.
“Is that so? I’ve confirmed the existence of this Wang Il. He’s in the outer sect of the Slaughter Heaven Sect—not hard to find. Coincidentally, he vanished a few days ago.”
“……!”
“They say he reappeared two days ago. So I need to capture him to confirm, even if it means forcing my way in. He’s in the Slaughter Heaven Sect, so he might die in the fight, but that can’t be helped.”
At that, Jang Song-il cried out involuntarily.
“N-No! Leave my brother alone! Just leave him be!”
The retainers, who had been half-doubting Seol Hwa-un’s words, realized the truth upon hearing his outburst.
‘It’s all real!’
Seol Hwa-un said to Jang Song-il with an impassive face.
“I told one lie. Wang Il never returned after going missing.”
“What?”
“His body was found yesterday. The Slaughter Heaven Sect probably killed him to eliminate evidence once the plan failed.”
“L-Lies!”
“It’s true. Dead men tell no tales, so I’d do the same. What’s the point of lying now?”
“Lies…… My brother dead? My brother…… Ack, urk!!”
The shock was too much—Jang Song-il suddenly vomited blood and collapsed.
* * *
In the Hwangbo Clan’s conference hall.
Hwangbo Un-gyeong and the clan’s leadership were seated along with Seol Hwa-un and the North Wind Brigade Leader.
The atmosphere was much brighter than before.
Hwangbo Un-gyeong politely cupped his fists.
“We thank you, Young Palace Lord, for uncovering the truth.”
“No need.”
“Now tell us plainly. How did you find out?”
Hwangbo Tae-seong couldn’t hold back his curiosity either.
“We knew you were extraordinary, Young Palace Lord, but what method did you use?”
Seol Hwa-un gave a faint smile.
“Nothing special. I just made use of the two greatest information networks in the world.”
“Information networks…… You mean the Beggar's Sect and the Hao Gate?”
“That’s right.”
“The Beggar's Sect makes sense, but getting the Hao Gate’s help isn’t easy…….”
The Hwangbo Clan had requested the Hao Gate’s aid out of desperation but received a polite refusal.
“To be honest…….”
Seol Hwa-un’s not-quite-threat had worked. His show of force helped too.
He had instilled in Jo Il-pyeong the fear that the Slaughter Heaven Sect might collapse.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t secure the Hao Gate’s full cooperation. So he made an additional ‘proposal,’ which they accepted.
Fortunately, the Hao Gate had already been investigating Jang Song-il closely.
In fact, Seol Hwa-un had deliberately waited two days before coming for that reason—to give them time.
He figured an information network would recognize the value of such high-level intel and act, and he was right.
Seol Hwa-un had personally compiled the gathered data with Jo Il-pyeong to uncover the truth. Then he approached the Beggar's Sect.
He moved them with a similar veiled threat.
From the Beggar's Sect’s perspective, the Hwangbo Clan—already split from the Righteous Heaven Alliance—falling wouldn’t be a huge issue.
But if the ‘largest righteous faction in Hunan Province,’ the Hwangbo Clan, vanished, the Beggar's Sect branch would be isolated and surrounded by evil forces, doomed to collapse in time.
Reminded subtly of this, the Beggar's Sect had no choice but to act.
With their help, they located Wang Il’s discarded corpse—just as Seol Hwa-un had predicted the Slaughter Heaven Sect would never leave a hostage alive.
Once Seol Hwa-un finished explaining, the retainers were speechless.
“You played the Beggar's Sect and Hao Gate like fiddles.”
“Truly impressive!”
“How did you even think of that……!”
The North Wind Brigade Leader smiled as if he’d expected that much from the Young Palace Lord, but inwardly, he was just as astonished.
‘The Young Palace Lord’s limits—where do they end? Showing new sides like this…… He really is a monster.’
Seol Hwa-un asked, as if refreshing the air.
“What will the Hwangbo Clan do now?”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong said with a stern expression.
“With the Slaughter Heaven Sect’s vile scheme exposed to all, we must lodge a formal protest.”
One might say protesting was all they could do after such a blow, but for a prestigious righteous clan, it was a vital procedure.
Seol Hwa-un thought differently.
“Now is the time to strike first.”
“Strike first?”
“A surprise attack would be ideal.”
The Hwangbo Clan leaders looked troubled.
Hwangbo Un-gyeong spoke up.
“In this situation, if our clan attacks the Slaughter Heaven Sect, it won’t be easy, no matter our high morale and public support. Especially with the Tiger Roar Brigade absent from our current forces…….”
Seol Hwa-un asked.
“If I’m right, the Tiger Roar Brigade is already on its way back, isn’t it?”
Hwangbo Un-gyeong’s eyes widened.
“Heavens, you’re like Zhuge Liang himself! How did you know that?”
“Just a guess.”
The day casualties occurred in the Heavenly Kings Brigade, Hwangbo Un-gyeong realized the gravity and secretly sent a messenger to Hefei.
He ordered the Tiger Roar Brigade to return, leaving only minimal personnel.
It was a top-secret matter, kept hidden lest the Slaughter Heaven Sect learn and intensify their pressure.
“If the Tiger Roar Brigade returns, the immediate threat fades, but nothing changes much. The Slaughter Heaven Sect will still target the Hwangbo Clan, and we’ll be stuck in a war of nerves. It’s not a fundamental solution.”
“Hmm.”
“This is our chance. The Hwangbo Clan has been busy with my palace’s affairs and responding to provocations. The Slaughter Heaven Sect won’t expect us to strike first.”
“……!”
Seol Hwa-un’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“As I said, my palace does not forget grudges. I’ll cover any shortfall in forces.”