Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Betrayal (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I sneered at the Great Heavenly Demon.
"With such poor judgment of people, how on earth did you command all those subordinates of yours?"
"I never trusted my subordinates."
"How impressive."
The Great Heavenly Demon gazed up at the sky gradually brightening.
"Shall we make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"I predict Seok Yang-ho will come asking about this matter. But you won't believe my words, will you? How about this: if I'm right, you grant one of my requests. If you're right, I'll grant one of yours."
It was a fairly tempting proposal.
After a moment's thought, I laid out one condition.
"As long as it doesn't involve handing over my body."
Kkulkulkul...
"Seems you're lacking confidence. But very well. If I lose this bet, I'll leave you."
What?
I doubted my own ears.
Surely, I had misheard.
"What did you just say...?"
The Great Heavenly Demon laughed.
"I said I'll leave you."
My ears hadn't betrayed me after all.
"Fine."
Kuhahaha...!
The moment I accepted, the Great Heavenly Demon erupted in mad laughter and vanished.
The kitchen, where we were having breakfast, was utterly quiet.
The junior disciples, who had returned at dawn, said not a word.
As breakfast drew to a close, Myeong-gak spoke up in a grave tone.
"Are you planning to visit the Seok Family, High One?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"In that case, you should reveal the assassins too. With Dao Lord there as well, better to have Soseung as your witness."
"No need."
I refused outright, but Myeong-gak clung stubbornly.
"Not for your sake, High One, but for that assassin sect. They make secrecy their principle. Who would believe an assassin's word anyway?"
Myeong-gak had a valid point.
"All right, then."
Once I relented, the others chimed in one by one.
"Wise decision, High One."
"You've thought it through. We'll accompany you there."
After finishing our meal, I and the junior disciples headed for the Seok Family.
"Seok Family Head is going to be heartbroken."
"No helping it. They slaughtered ordinary villagers who weren't even martial folk. And in such a vile, cowardly manner to boot. The real question is how that Gwang-u will react..."
"With irrefutable witnesses, he'll accept it on the spot, won't he? Besides, aren't you like an elder brother to young Seok?"
I shook my head at Cheongpung's response.
They still didn't truly know Gwang-u.
"That guy's far too simple."
When we arrived at the Seok Family gates, the retainers on guard bowed deeply.
"Please, come in."
Without even inquiring our business, they flung the gates wide open.
"High One and the righteous heroes of the martial world have arrived!"
Seok Yang-ho, upon receiving word, came rushing from the main hall to greet the junior disciples.
"Please, enter. Dao Lord is inside as well."
We followed Seok Yang-ho into his chambers.
Pang Cheon-ho, seated within, welcomed me and the junior disciples warmly.
"Come in. I was just about to pay you a visit. But your faces look so grim—what happened?"
He had noticed our pallid complexions.
"Haven't you received the report about the village tragedy?"
Seok Yang-ho replied as he took his seat.
"We were just discussing it with Great Hero Pang here. The necks were cleanly severed, so the culprit appears to be a martial artist. I plan to dismiss the retainers and investigate any outsiders."
As expected, Seok Yang-ho was completely in the dark.
I cut straight to the chase without mincing words.
"The culprit is right here in the Seok Family."
Seok Yang-ho blinked in bewilderment, scanning me and the junior disciples.
"What do you mean, High One?"
"The culprit is Seok Ja-kyeong, one of your family's retainers."
"What?"
He leaped to his feet in shock.
Pang Cheon-ho was no less stunned.
"One shocking revelation after another. Do you have proof...?"
"Soseung is the witness. He happened to spot Seok Ja-kyeong slipping into that village."
Seok Yang-ho, reeling from the revelation, suddenly paled.
Bang!
He hurled the door open and bellowed at the retainers.
"Bring Seok Ja-kyeong here!"
His enraged roar reverberated through the family compound.
"Yes, sir!"
Unaware of the reason for their master's fury, the retainers bowed hastily and complied.
A heavy silence blanketed the room.
Moments later, the door opened, and Seok Ja-kyeong entered.
"You! What did you do last night?"
Seok Yang-ho demanded, his face twisted in rage.
Seok Ja-kyeong, flustered, glanced at me, Pang Cheon-ho, and the junior disciples before stammering a reply.
"I was with... Instructor Seok... having a drink at Mi-seon Pavilion, Family Head."
I already knew from reports that Seok Ja-kyeong and the retainers had been drinking late into the night with Instructor Seok.
And the one who had permitted it was none other than Seok Yang-ho himself.
His face hardened as he rose and flung the door open again, summoning more retainers.
"Bring everyone who drank with Instructor Seok yesterday!"
The retainers who had shared drinks with Gwang-u were promptly hauled in.
"Did Ja-kyeong drink with you lot?"
"Yes, Family Head. We kept Instructor Seok company and drank until late."
Myeong-gak interjected.
"Did he ever leave the gathering?"
"Yes. He said he was short on silver, so he went back to the family compound briefly."
"You wretch!"
Shing!
Seok Yang-ho, in his fury, even drew his sword.
Yet Seok Ja-kyeong was no easy mark.
Thud.
He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
"Family Head, I am guilty of nothing. My only offense is stopping by the family for silver while hosting Instructor Seok, then returning."
As the situation unfolded, Seok Yang-ho even summoned the night watchmen.
"Did Ja-kyeong enter and leave the compound last night?"
"Yes. Well past midnight, he came in, said he had to host Instructor Seok, and left again."
Zhuge Ji, who had been listening quietly, questioned the retainers.
"What time did young hero Seok depart Mi-seon Pavilion?"
"Not precisely, but just shy of midnight."
The retainers recounted everything as reported.
"Mi-seon Pavilion isn't far from our compound—why did it take so long?"
Seok Ja-kyeong, still kneeling, wiped away his tears with his sleeve.
"The moon was so breathtakingly bright last night that I lost myself in its beauty without realizing. And being drunk, I strolled slowly, gazing at it, and arrived late."
On the surface, it was a flawless alibi.
Namgung Hye, observing him intently, spoke up.
"Your facial wound has healed nicely. That was you with the Feng Family caravan too, wasn't it?"
"No! I'm innocent! I would never commit such an atrocity!"
Seok Ja-kyeong's denial seemed the picture of wronged innocence.
At that moment, a hulking figure burst into the room.
"Brother! What's going on? What happened?"
"Calm down."
I explained last night's events and the Feng Family caravan incident to Gwang-u, step by step.
But Gwang-u's reaction far exceeded my expectations.
"What are you saying, Brother? Ja-kyeong young hero as the culprit? Impossible! He was drinking with me!"
Seok Ja-kyeong eagerly backed him up.
"Exactly. I am no villain. Monk Myeong-gak must have mistaken someone else for me."
"You scum!"
When Seok Ja-kyeong cast doubt on the witness Myeong-gak himself, Seok Yang-ho erupted anew.
"Don't you know the difference between words you can speak and those you can't? How dare you question Monk Myeong-gak!"
"I'm innocent! Truly innocent!"
Shing!
Suddenly, Seok Ja-kyeong drew the sword at his waist.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Right here! Right now! I'll prove how deeply wronged I am!"
With a look of grim resolve, Seok Ja-kyeong placed his hand on the floor and sliced off his own pinky finger.
Groan...
Gritting his teeth as blood poured from the stump, he placed the severed digit on the table.
"Will you still not believe me, Family Head?"
Everyone in the room was stunned by his drastic act.
I alone felt no surprise.
What wouldn't a cornered beast attempt?
This was his final, desperate gambit.
Yet Gwang-u, taken in by the crude ploy, insisted on his innocence once more.
"See, Brother? I told you Ja-kyeong young hero isn't the culprit! He's the most outstanding martial artist among the Seok Family retainers—destined for greatness!"
"Martial prowess and innocence are separate matters entirely, Gwang-u."
"No, they're not!"
Finally losing patience, I fixed Gwang-u with icy eyes.
"Enough."
Gwang-u glared back with feral intensity.
"Brother. I've always trusted every word you've said. But not this time."
"You fool!"
He must have grown deeply attached during our stay at the Seok Family.
Having lived in isolated loneliness on the mountain, mingling with so many people now—it was understandable.
Averting my gaze from Gwang-u, I turned to Seok Yang-ho.
"Family Head. How will you deal with him?"
Seok Yang-ho stared down at the prostrate, bleeding Seok Ja-kyeong for a moment before issuing orders to the retainers.
"Confiscate his sword and lock him in the storehouse."
"Yes, sir."
The retainers dragged Seok Ja-kyeong from the room.
"I'm innocent! I committed no crime, Family Head!"
His cries of innocence rang out to the last.
My spirits were low as we departed the Seok Family.
Gwang-u followed me all the way to the gate.
"Brother. You know I'm set to marry Seok young lady—how can you do this?"
"So you want me to overlook this incident?"
"That's not it. But Ja-kyeong young hero truly isn't the culprit."
"Myeong-gak is right here as witness."
Gwang-u's eyes shifted to Myeong-gak, walking behind me.
"Brother Myeong-gak. Did you truly see Ja-kyeong young hero commit the deed?"
"I didn't witness the act itself, but I saw him enter the house, little brother Gwang-u."
"There, Brother. Even Brother Myeong-gak didn't see it clearly."
What was I to do with this idiot?
Frustration surged into outright anger within me.
"Get back inside before I give you a slap."
"Fine, Brother. But I believe Ja-kyeong young hero is innocent."
As I watched Gwang-u trudge back into the Seok Family, I let out a wry smile.
He seemed far better suited to living there than at my place.
"Just as you predicted, Seok Daehyeop is shielding him."
"That's how he is. Once he takes a shine to someone, he stops seeing straight."
"How will Seok Family Head dispose of him?"
Myeong-gak fielded Zhuge Ji's question.
"Namo Amitabha, Guan Yin Bodhisattva. The Seok Family will soon reek of incense."
Puns even in this moment.
When I shot him a glare, Myeong-gak quickly looked away and changed the subject.
"Let's hurry home. Soseung will prepare a delicious lunch."
Dao Lord, observing the troubled Seok Yang-ho, finally spoke.
"Retainer Ja-kyeong is suspicious enough, but him cutting off his own finger makes it seem unlikely. Perhaps there's some circumstance unknown to the Family Head—why not meet with Ja-kyeong yourself?"
Dao Lord's suggestion eased Seok Yang-ho's torment, if only slightly.
Seok Ja-kyeong was a prodigy acknowledged by the entire family.
Losing such a young talent would be a grievous blow to the household, and tarnish its hard-earned reputation.
"Thank you, Great Hero Pang."