Chapter 63
Chapter 63
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Stirring the Pot
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*Crash!*
The door flew open, pushed with enough force to shatter it.
“Mas—teeeer.”
“Quiet!”
“...ter?”
Arriving at the Head Steward's office within Dancheon Gate, where Neung Un-bi was said to have gone, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung could only stand there, dumbfounded.
Scribes were stacking ledgers on a table.
And beside them, dressed immaculately, sat Neung Un… bi? He was savoring the taste of tea with the Head Steward before turning his head toward them.
“Oh, my two guards have arrived. Have you seen the physician already?”
“...Pardon?”
“The Third Young Master told me. When he mentioned feeling weary, the two of you, worried about his travel fatigue, went to fetch a physician.”
“...”
“Truly, being a guard for the Young Master is no ordinary task. How can you be so full of loyalty?”
“Well, that’s…”
As Takbal-ryeo suddenly showered them with praise, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung scratched their heads with awkward expressions.
“But why didn't you inform me? Matters concerning physicians are also part of our Head Steward's office duties.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Of course. Then again, you’ve come from the main fortress, so it’s understandable you wouldn't know.”
“...”
“That place requires so much management that it has a separate medical office overseen directly by Elder Han Ui-gyeom, the Demonic Physician. But how could a branch like this afford such a luxury? One person must handle multiple tasks.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“Come, come this way. I was just hearing about the two of you from the Third Young Master.”
“About us… huh? You were?”
“Yes. The Guard Captain who braves fire and water for his master, and the Slashed Moon Unit Leader who is nothing but a corpse without his loyalty. Ahh, it truly makes my heart swell. The Third Young Master was praising you both so much, my ears were starting to ring.”
At Takbal-ryeo's flattery, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung looked at each other and tilted their heads.
“...Praise? Are you sure you didn't mishear insults?”
“Insults? What nonsense are you spouting? Come now, don't just stand there, have a seat.”
“Yes? Oh, yes…”
“Guard Captain, I hear you are the First Young Master of the Snow Mountain Manor?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right, but.”
“Wow, the legendary Snow Mountain Manor, whose name alone is formidable… and you’re the First Young Master! My eyes are truly blessed today.”
As Takbal-ryeo took his hand and led him, Wang Cheon, despite his confusion, reluctantly took a seat.
“Slashed Moon Unit Leader, you sit as well. The ceiling won't collapse.”
“...Yes.”
Ju Seung sat down with a reluctant expression, his eyes repeatedly glancing at Neung Un-bi.
*What is this?*
*What in the world is this situation…*
According to his subordinates, Neung Un-bi had been sharing a profound friendship(?) with the empty air, so he should have been in the throes of Qi Deviation, wreaking havoc…
Why did he look so perfectly fine?
“See? I told you, didn't I? I said they’d come running in shock when they heard I had left first.”
“Yes, you were absolutely right. To be so unwilling to be apart for even a moment… the Third Young Master must feel very secure.”
“You don’t know the half of it. Sometimes it’s just a nuisance, they cling to me so much.”
“Please understand. That is the way of guards.”
“...”
As Takbal-ryeo and Neung Un-bi conversed, Ju Seung and Wang Cheon could only blink their eyes.
“What are you doing? Not drinking?”
“Pardon?”
“It's tea the Head Steward brewed himself for us. And it's none other than the Anxi Tieguanyin tea that only the Cult Leader drinks.”
At Neung Un-bi’s chiding, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung looked down at the teacups placed before them.
*So that's why it smelled so good. It was the Anxi Tieguanyin tea that the Cult Leader enjoys… wait, that's not the point!*
[What happened?]
Wang Cheon narrowed his eyes and quickly sent a telepathic message.
But Neung Un-bi, with a face devoid of any surprise, sipped his tea and replied nonchalantly.
[What do you mean, what happened?]
[I mean, I specifically told you to stay in your quarters, so why did you come to the Head Steward’s office! And you beat up the Slashed Moon Unit members! What gives?]
[They tried to stop me from leaving. What was I supposed to do?]
[What? And for that you beat them so mercilessly? Several of them are injured… no, all of them are practically bedridden!]
Wang Cheon flared up at his dismissive attitude, but it was awkward to scold him via a telepathic message.
*Damn him. He’s completely abandoned all courtesy just because others can’t hear.*
“Ahem! By the way, Head Steward, your work is truly impeccable.”
Ignoring Wang Cheon’s frustration completely, Neung Un-bi changed the subject while flipping through a ledger on the table.
“Heh heh, thank you for your kind assessment.”
“This should be sufficient for the inspection of the Head Steward's office.”
“Pardon? Already?”
“Yes, already.”
At Neung Un-bi’s beaming reply, not only Takbal-ryeo but also the scribes who were bringing more ledgers looked bewildered.
*What did he even see?*
They hadn't even brought out all the ledgers related to operations yet.
He’d claimed he was here for an inspection, but all he'd done since arriving was open one ledger and drink tea.
But Neung Un-bi just sipped his tea as if he had never been interested in the inspection in the first place.
“My, this tea is excellent. Might I ask for another cup?”
“Yes. That’s no trouble at all, but…”
As Takbal-ryeo tilted his head and stood up to refill the teapot, Wang Cheon lowered his voice and asked cautiously.
“My lord.”
At the barely audible whisper, Neung Un-bi squinted one eye.
“Speak up. Or just stick to telepathy.”
“Have you already concluded the inspection of the Head Steward's office?”
“Of course. How could I treat the Cult Leader’s command lightly? I've been entrusted with the grave duty of inspecting all the branches in the Central Plains; I cannot afford to waste time.”
“...”
He had a point.
To a member of the Demonic Cult, what could be more absolute than the Cult Leader's command?
True! That was true, but…
Wang Cheon blinked and glanced around the room.
An immense number of ledgers.
They surely contained every detail of how Dancheon Gate had conducted its business.
But wasn't this absurd?
Not even an hour had passed since Neung Un-bi had caused a commotion in his quarters.
The two of them had rushed over as soon as they heard the disturbance, and upon learning Neung Un-bi had left, they immediately asked around and followed him straight to the Head Steward’s office.
And yet… he’d seen it all?
*Did he learn speed-reading or something?*
*No, even with speed-reading, is it possible to read all of that in such a short time?*
An inspection meant verifying that the contents recorded in the ledgers matched reality, and checking for any embezzlement.
It was a task that required meticulousness upon meticulousness…
“What’s with that look?”
“No… it’s not that…”
“What? You think I did a sloppy job?”
“...”
“Tsk, tsk. So dense.”
Neung Un-bi clicked his tongue, shook his head, and said with a sigh.
“Here, look.”
“...”
The ledger Neung Un-bi spread before them.
It detailed Dancheon Gate’s financial operations.
Income, expenditures, balances, and how the funds were used were all organized so clearly that it was easy to understand.
It even meticulously recorded which pages contained detailed attachments.
“They say if you see one thing, you know ten.”
“...”
“When it’s organized this well, there’s no reason to look any further.”
“...But isn't there a protocol to follow?”
“Protocol? What protocol? What, you think the Head Steward embezzled funds to create a personal slush fund?”
“What? No, when did I ever?”
Neung Un-bi deliberately spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, causing Wang Cheon to look around frantically with a horrified expression.
“And let’s say there was something suspicious.”
“Do you think we’d be able to find it?”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
“When was the inspection announced?”
“That was…”
“Over a month ago. Dancheon Gate isn't run by fools. Even if they had embezzled funds, do you think they’d just leave the evidence lying around? They would have already spent days and nights fixing everything! Look, see how sunken those scribes' eyes are. And this ledger is newly written too. The ink isn’t even fully dry yet.”
“...”
As Neung Un-bi personally flipped through the ledger page by page to show him, Wang Cheon was utterly mortified.
*So that’s what he meant by ‘if you see one thing, you know ten’.*
*But what good does it do to say it so openly?*
Every time Neung Un-bi opened his mouth, the scribes flinched and their eyes darted about.
“Th-Third Young Master. That is a misunderstanding.”
“Pardon? A misunderstanding?”
Takbal-ryeo, who had returned with the tea, suddenly interjected with an excuse.
“We simply reorganized the records to make them easier for you to review for the inspection. Embezzlement? A slush fund? That’s preposterous. I stake my honor on it, Takbal-ryeo’s honor.”
As he thumped his chest and swore, Neung Un-bi let out a smirk.
*Honor, my foot.*
“Who said anything? I was merely chiding Wang Cheon for being so suspicious; I had no intention of blaming you, Head Steward.”
“...”
“Honestly… so full of suspicion.”
Neung Un-bi shifted all the blame to Wang Cheon, but in truth, he had been observing Takbal-ryeo’s state from the beginning.
The hunched shoulders, the servile expression, the trembling pupils.
It was ten out of ten certain that he had something to hide.
*A dog doesn’t stop eating dung.*
*How could someone handling rice cakes not get some bean flour on their hands?*
It wasn't like the man was a saint. A demon cultist skimming a little money was to be expected.
The fact that he brought out the expensive Anxi Tieguanyin tea was all just a ploy to get on his good side.
But what did it matter to him whether the man embezzled money to buy a house or enjoy some entertainment?
The purpose of this inspection lay elsewhere from the start.
“Well, the inspection of the Head Steward's office seems to deserve the highest passing grade. I will report back and highly commend your efforts in preparing for this inspection.”
“Th-thank you, Third Young Master.”
“No need for thanks. More importantly, could you spare some of that Tieguanyin tea? I found it quite delightful.”
“The Tieguanyin tea?”
“Why? Is it not possible?”
“Of course not! I will prepare a tin of the finest quality for you at once.”
“You will? How very kind of you. Hahaha!”
Neung Un-bi cheerfully patted Takbal-ryeo on the shoulder, and Takbal-ryeo, having traded a tin of tea for a passed inspection, let out a sigh of relief and clutched his chest.
*Now, for the real objective.*
“Oh!”
“...?”
As he was leaving the Head Steward’s office, Neung Un-bi stopped as if he had just remembered something.
“Which department is responsible for tracking the branch’s external affairs?”
“External affairs, you say?”
“Well, it’s been bothering me a bit.”
“...”
“The actions of the Heavenly Pillar Gate are not the fault of the Dancheon Gate Master, but as someone who must lead the Cult in the future, I can’t just stand by and watch, can I?”
“That is…”
“I figured it would be good to learn about them so I can lodge a formal protest with those Orthodox Murim Alliance bastards when I return to the Cult.”
“...You can inquire with the Patrol Division.”
“Hmm, the Patrol Division. Then I shall make that my next inspection site. Thank you for your hard work during the inspection.”
“Yes, Third Young Master.”
Takbal-ryeo bowed deeply as he saw Neung Un-bi off, who strode away with purpose.
*That’s it. This is enough.*
Of course, he didn't know anything for certain yet.
But now that he had given a little poke, if there was even the slightest connection, the guilty party would be the first to react.
“My lord! External affairs? What on earth are you talking about?”
“...”
“Surely you’re not entertaining that ridiculous idea that the Dancheon Gate Master is somehow involved again, are you?”
“Ridiculous?”
“Is it not?”
“...”
“Please, exercise some restraint. You’re conducting the inspections so carelessly, what will you do if you stir up trouble at Dancheon Gate and face a backlash? Huh?”
Wang Cheon nagged him relentlessly from the side.
He was probably just worried it would interfere with his own path to success.
*But don’t you worry.*
*No matter what I do, you’re not going to succeed anyway.*
*I have no intention of becoming the Cult Leader, so how could you?*
*So just shut up, watch the show, and think about getting your share of the spoils.*
*From now on, I’m just going to relax, conduct these inspections, and wait with my mouth open until the persimmon falls.*
*The rest… will be taken care of by some nameless man and woman.*