To Hell with the Eastern Depot
As I stepped into the inn, a chaotic racket echoed through the air. After a series of loud thuds and crashes, Ha Migwa descended the stairs, looking perfectly put-together, leading another eunuch behind him. I expected him to come running down half-dressed, but he was surprisingly decent.
"Well, you certainly seem busy."
Ha Migwa, walking down with his hands clasped behind his back, stared at me intently before raising an eyebrow.
"...Your tone is a bit more casual than the last time we met, isn't it?"
Ah, so he was going to play dumb. Fine, I would match his energy.
"Do you really think I have the patience for pleasantries?"
"And here I thought you were a well-mannered young man."
"You pull a stunt like this and expect me to be polite?"
As the vice-commander, Jangma, and Hye-woon filed in behind me, Ha Migwa's expression shifted instantly. His mocking smirk vanished, replaced by a blank, unreadable mask. A classic poker face.
Oh, so that's how you want to play it?
"Hey, Mr. Jang."
"..."
I turned my head to address Jangma. The eunuch's eyes went wide, and he pointed a trembling finger at himself.
"You have permission to speak. Tell him what you did."
"Well, that is... you see..."
"Hey."
Seeing him hesitate and steal glances at Ha Migwa, I wiped all traces of amusement from my face and spoke in a cold, serious voice.
"Keep stuttering if you want to be beaten like a dog."
"...You would dare beat a eunuch of the Eastern Depot like a dog?"
Ha Migwa chimed in, unable to read the room. Keeping my voice flat and dangerous, I shot back.
"Why? You think I won't?"
Seriously, the sheer nerve of this guy. Non-interference pact or not, if you stab someone in the back, you'd better be prepared for the consequences.
"Mr. Jang, if you don't open your mouth right now, I'm going to thrash you until the Chief Eunuch himself has to come drag you away."
Just as I was about to channel the Baekyak-gwonkyeol—igniting my fist with a faint glow of fist qi—Jangma finally broke.
"T-That is... I was acting under the orders of Associate Director Ha Migwa! I met with Chef Hye-woon to carry out the mission—urk!"
Whoosh! Ha Migwa's hand shot out like a viper, aiming straight for Jangma's throat. I instantly snatched Ha Migwa's wrist and swept it aside.
"...!"
Thud! A powerful recoil rippled through my arm. It wasn't just me failing to overpower him; Ha Migwa's internal energy had actively repelled my grip. A sharp, tingling pain shot through my palm.
"I heard the Eastern Depot's eunuchs practice martial arts, but did you master the Virgin Boy Art or something?"
"The Imperial Palace is a place where a single flick of a finger can decide the lives of dozens, even hundreds. Having survived those deadly power struggles, it is only natural that I possess some self-defense skills."
"Either way, don't try to silence my witness. A man of your stature should know better."
What kind of lunatic immediately launches a lethal strike on his own subordinate? If he wanted to keep his secrets so badly, he should have hired someone competent in the first place.
In any case, I still had a pretty "extra life" standing right next to him. Even if Ha Migwa managed to take out one of them, I had another chance. This needed to be wrapped up quickly.
I turned back to Jangma.
"Mr. Jang. Since you're wasting time trembling, just answer my questions with a yes or no."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
"Hye-woon's recommendation letter was forged. True or false?"
To my untrained eye, the document had looked perfectly authentic, but I was no forgery expert. For an organization like the Eastern Depot, securing a master forger capable of deceiving both me and Woo Mi-do, the Head of Academic Affairs, would have been child's play.
Ha Migwa glared daggers at Jangma, but the trembling eunuch eventually averted his eyes and looked at me. I couldn't let my pressure slip. I clenched my fist, letting my fist qi flare up brilliantly as I stared him down. Jangma finally confessed.
"T-True..."
"Hye-woon has no idea who Geum Ho is, nor has she ever met him. True or false?"
"True..."
"Hye-woon doesn't know the first thing about cooking. True or false?"
"True..."
Ha Migwa's fingers twitched, clearly itching to strike, but knowing my martial arts were on par with his, he couldn't bring himself to make a move.
Now that he was fully functioning as a truth-bot, let's move on to phase two.
"Where did you recruit Hye-woon from?"
"...We initially approached the Haomen, but after they rejected us, we hired one of the Eastern Depot's own informants."
"The Haomen rejected you?"
"They stated they would not accept any requests involving Chef Yoon..."
Hearing the name Haomen immediately brought Ju Suran, the Henan Branch Leader, to mind. A brief image of her striking beauty—rumored to rank among the top ten beauties of the Central Plains—flitted through my head. Come to think of it, she did ask me to drop by whenever I passed through Henan. Whether it was due to our connection or someone higher up than the branch leader, they had flatly refused the job.
"What was Hye-woon's objective?"
"...Believing that the Three-Virtue Chef, Yoon Gomyung, would be weak to a woman's seduction, we planned to place Chef Hye-woon in the Inner Dining Hall to slowly uncover his weaknesses and gather intelligence."
That was half of the answer I wanted. I decided to leave the other half aside for now.
"Associate Director Ha, what do you have to say about this?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Ha Migwa shrugged, his voice dripping with smooth nonchalance.
"Naturally, this was a rogue operation. A subordinate making a misguided attempt to win my favor."
"Ah, so you're throwing your subordinate under the bus?"
I glanced at Jangma as I spoke. His eyes were shaking violently. It was one thing for his superior to try to kill him, but to be openly declared a disposable pawn was enough to shatter anyone's loyalty. Even Hye-woon, standing beside him, frowned, clearly displeased with the situation.
"Mr. Jang, who drew up this plan?"
"...Ha Migwa."
"You've dropped the honorifics, but at least you're answering. Are you going to deny this, Associate Director?"
"I have no knowledge of this."
Ha Migwa continued to play dumb. Fine, then I'll just push him a little harder.
"He says he doesn't know, Mr. Jang. What are you going to do? At this rate, not only will you take the fall, but you'll also be branded as the prime culprit behind violating the non-interference pact."
As I egged him on, a surge of betrayal seemed to wash over Jangma, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"There are documents!"
"Oh, documents. And I assume you've hidden them in a place only you know?"
"Of course! Somewhere Associate Director Ha would never find them!"
"Oho, as expected of the Eastern Depot. Even the subordinates know how to look out for themselves."
As I chuckled and played along with Jangma, Ha Migwa's face began to contort with rage.
"Well, Associate Director Ha, feel free to go cry to the Chief Eunuch and beg him to fix this. Meanwhile, I'll take Mr. Jang's documents and run straight to the Headmaster and the Hall Directors. I'll spread the rumor far and wide: 'The Eastern Depot went so far as to use a honey trap to target an academy official!'"
With that, I slung my arms over Jangma's and Hye-woon's shoulders, making a show of heading toward the exit of the inn.
"......Wait."
"Ah, I'm a busy man. Don't call me back unless you're ready to surrender."
"Three-Virtue Chef Yoon Gomyung."
"Not Yoon Gomyung. It's Master Yoon Gomyung."
"......What?"
I whipped my head around to face the visibly flustered Ha Migwa.
"I'd appreciate it if you addressed me as Master Yoon Gomyung."
"You're no sage! Why on earth should I call you Master?!"
"Suit yourself."
Am I the one in a hurry? Nope, you are. I had all the time in the world, and plenty of people to tattle to.
"Hmm, who should I visit first? Ah, Northern Hall Director Oh Waja, the former Beggar Sect elder. With his incredible information network, he'd be perfect for spreading this rumor..."
"Yoon Gomyung..."
"Huh? Still dropping the honorifics?"
Ha Migwa let out a deep, agonizing sigh that seemed to bubble up from the depths of his soul, and slowly forced the words out.
"Master... Yoon Gomyung..."
"Oho, there we go."
Yes, that's the stuff. I spun back around to face him. Ha Migwa's face was twitching. I bet the second-in-command of the Eastern Depot never imagined he'd have to utter those words.
"Well, since you've shown proper respect to your master, I suppose I can hear you out."
"......What do you want from me?"
"I'd love to demand a naked, kneeling apology, but I have absolutely no desire to see a middle-aged man in the nude, so I'll pass on that."
I also kind of wanted to slap the second-in-command of the Eastern Depot across the face, but I decided to let that go too. I didn't have any pressing emergencies, but there were two things I'd been wanting for a while.
"Let's build an ice house at the academy."
I made sure to use polite language when making my request. Ha Migwa, clearly displeased, scoffed.
"...Why are you asking the Eastern Depot for that?"
"Because the Eastern Depot is filthy rich. Everyone knows you guys shake down corrupt high officials for cash."
"Sh-Shake down?"
"Look, no matter how close I am to the Headmaster and the Hall Directors, I'm not crazy enough to just demand they build me an ice house out of nowhere. But having one would be amazing for aging meat."
It didn't need to be as grand as the ice house at the Wulin Alliance, but a decently sized one would be incredibly useful. This wasn't a request; it was my terms.
"You want an ice house built... just for cooking?"
"Hey, Mr. Ha. Watch your mouth. You just got outsmarted by a guy who 'just cooks.'"
He looked like he wanted to spit fire, but since I held all the cards, he had to swallow his anger. Ah, this was why teasing people was so addictive.
"......Is that all?"
"No, there's one more thing."
"*Sigh*... What else?"
"I believe some of the merchant groups supplying the Imperial Palace trade with the Western Regions."
"There are. But why are you looking for them?"
"Hook them up with the academy."
I wanted to see if I could find some incredible ingredients or spices imported from the West.
"Ugh..."
"Shut your mouth, Jangma."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
A massive stone rested on the thighs of the kneeling Jangma. Fortunately, the floor beneath him was just ordinary stone, but the heavy rock crushing his knees was still causing him excruciating pain.
Ha Migwa had heard rumors about Yoon Gomyung's silver tongue, but he had never met anyone bold enough to say such things to his face.
In any case, the first reason Jang Yu was undergoing the knee-crushing torture was because Yoon Gomyung had handed him right back, and the second was, of course, because he had betrayed Ha Migwa. Fortunately for him, Ha Migwa hadn't ordered a more severe punishment.
Clever bastard, Ha Migwa thought, looking down at Jang Yu. To have the meticulousness to record every single conversation they had in writing—not bad for a mere cockroach. Although it was insolent, the records could prove useful in the future, which was why Ha Migwa had settled for a relatively light punishment.
I'll keep Jangma like this for about three days... The real problem is that bastard Yoon Gomyung.
He had even been forced to sign a written contract to fulfill the two conditions: building the ice house and establishing contact with the Western merchant group. When Ha Migwa had asked if a verbal agreement with the second-in-command of the Eastern Depot wasn't enough, Gomyung had shot back:
Faced with such undeniable logic, Ha Migwa had been left speechless. Having signed a contract stamped with his official seal, he was now bound to fulfill his end of the bargain.
Spies don't work, honey traps don't work...
He truly had no idea where a monster like this had suddenly come from. For now, he would fulfill the contract, and then use it as leverage to extract something from Gomyung later.
...Should I just send Princess Bohee to make his life miserable?
He even contemplated schemes that would have earned him execution by the Emperor himself, but no brilliant ideas came to mind.
"Ugh."
"I told you to shut up, Jangma."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
Ha Migwa rested his chin on his hand and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"*Sigh.*"
Yoon Gomyung was definitely not a man to be trifled with.
"...In a few moments, we will hear an opening address from Headmaster Jo Janglim."
Following the administrative instructor's announcement, the Headmaster made his entrance. As always, he carried himself with an undeniable air of elegance.
"Ahem... My beloved fellow students of the Mutual Righteousness Academy. I trust you all had a pleasant summer break. As the second semester begins today, I hope everyone will focus on their studies and martial arts..."
I watched the opening ceremony from the roof of the Outer Dining Hall. In the distance, I could see On Ban-hui sitting gracefully, all dressed up. Since she usually went bare-faced, I'd never noticed before, but with makeup, she actually looked quite charm—whoa, what am I saying? No, she's not charming. Not pretty at all. If she were just a few years older, she'd be the age of my mother.
I slapped my cheeks to snap myself out of it.
My gaze drifted to Ha Migwa, who was sitting at the head table looking smug, and any lingering appreciation for beauty instantly vanished, replaced by pure annoyance. Why the hell is that bastard sitting up there?
Well, whatever. So many crazy things had happened over the break; I just hoped the second semester would pass by peacefully.
I wanted to hold hands with Seonwoo Seol at a tea house, spar with Man Hanseok for fun, and continue my project of plumping up Gongson Yeongji's cheeks.
Where on earth did all my free time go? I just wanted to lounge around and do absolutely nothing.
Still, having spent over half a year at the academy, I'd grown quite comfortable. What a wonderfully peaceful moment. No one was looking for me, no one was—
"Chief Chef! Goodness, where did that giant of a man disappear to?"
"Ah, yes! Coming!"
And of course, someone's looking for me. I quickly scrambled down from the roof as Mrs. Park, one of the Outer Dining Hall cooks, waved me over.
"Over here, over here! Your guest has arrived!"
"Ah, right. I forgot they were coming today."
I had completely forgotten about the important guest scheduled to arrive today while watching the opening ceremony. I quickly tidied up my clothes, checked my reflection in a bronze mirror, and went out to greet them.
"My, you must be exhausted after such a long journey. Welcome."
"It is an honor to meet you, Three-Virtue Chef."
A young woman greeted me with a polite martial arts bow. Her unique hairstyle—with her bangs swept straight back and tied with a portion of her hair—was one I had seen once or twice before. It was the signature hairstyle of Abbess Aryeon Satae and the disciples of the Emei Sect. Since the person before me was also from Emei, she wore her hair the exact same way. Which meant...
"I am Woo Ji-yang of the Emei Sect."
"I am Yoon Gomyung, the Inner and Outer Hall Master. Please, feel free to just call me Chef Yoon."
Woo Ji-yang, a chef from the Emei Sect's vegetarian kitchen, had visited the academy to teach authentic temple cuisine. Seeing new faces arrive one after another as the second semester kicked off, I had a sneaking suspicion that this term would be just as eventful as the last.
"Where is the kitchen?"
"Ah, right this way. Let me show you around."
The petite Woo Ji-yang stared toward the kitchen, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Well, let's focus on the task at hand first.