Bringing Him Into the Cult
“I plan to bring that man into our cult.”
“What? Bring him into our cult?”
Chang-hae’s eyes went round with shock at Yeo Chang-dong’s words, as if he had just heard something impossible. Yeo Chang-dong smiled as though he had expected exactly that reaction and continued.
“From what I saw today, he is no ordinary timber. Give him even a little guidance and he is certain to become someone great.”
Yeo Chang-dong’s eye for talent had long been renowned. Anyone he personally recommended already had their potential as good as verified. Moreover, Chang-hae himself had gauged that same talent early on, so the man was an outstanding prospect without question.
“But he’ll still have to pass the entrance exam, of course. It would be troublesome if he later turned out to be a running dog of the Orthodox Path.”
Ever since the Demonic Cult had begun large-scale farming, spies from the Heavenly Martial Alliance had occasionally slipped in to probe the truth. Weeding such people out was part of Chang-hae’s duty as a member of the investigation unit.
Watching Chang-hae sink into thought, Yeo Chang-dong spoke again.
“I’ll leave the entrance exam to you, Chang-hae. I’d like to handle it myself, but as you know, there are too many eyes watching.”
The fact that Yeo Chang-dong was working as a team leader was known only to a handful of high-ranking members of the Demonic Cult and the Black Lotus Merchant Alliance. For that reason, it was proper for Chang-hae to take the lead.
“When should we carry it out?”
“In ten days. During the regular inspection would be ideal.”
“Do you intend to make a big production of it?”
“A person’s true nature only shows itself when they are pulled out of their daily routine. And it’s the perfect moment to check his martial arts as well, wouldn’t you say?”
“Indeed. With the stage set like this, I’ll carry it out perfectly.”
“Then I’ll leave the rest to you.”
With those words Yeo Chang-dong rose and left. Chang-hae waited until the door had fully closed before a faint smile touched his lips.
“I was getting bored anyway… This should be fun.”
“You’ve all worked hard today.”
Yoo Eunhyeon offered the greeting to the laborers. Having become team leader of Group 6 overnight on Yeo Chang-dong’s recommendation, he might have been expected to feel flustered, yet the work was the same he had always done, so there was no real awkwardness.
“Whoa, Team Leader Yeo! Sharp as a knife! Finished right on time again today! Completely different from the previous team leaders!”
One of the workers laughed heartily and clapped Yoo Eunhyeon on the shoulder. It was only natural, in a way. Whenever the men seemed to lag, Yoo Eunhyeon would pitch in himself first. By watching everyone’s pace and always moving one step ahead, he had made the difference.
“How is Brother Cheol-dong doing?”
“From the looks of it he should be able to return to work starting tomorrow. Don’t worry too much.”
“Even so, he’s not fully recovered yet, so it’s better to be careful. I’ll assign him the lightest work possible.”
“Yeah, that would be good. Thanks for your hard work. See you tomorrow.”
After finishing for the day, Yoo Eunhyeon headed for his quarters.
The raise that came with the team-leader post was welcome, but the best part was the private room he had been newly assigned. It was the room Won Il-chu had used—so narrow it was almost embarrassing to call it a room, barely large enough for a bed and a single desk. Even so, for Yoo Eunhyeon this alone was more than enough to be grateful for.
“No matter how small, a place where I can rest alone is the best.”
Smiling in satisfaction, he stretched out on the bed. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a moment—
“Team Leader Yeo, are you in there?”
The door burst open without warning and a man strode in as if it were his own house. Barging into someone else’s room like that was the height of rudeness, yet the man only grinned, completely unconcerned.
“As expected, you were inside.”
“You’ve come again.”
The visitor was none other than Yeo Chang-dong. Ever since Yoo Eunhyeon had been appointed team leader, Yeo Chang-dong had come looking for him without fail the moment work ended. At first the sudden visits had made Yoo Eunhyeon wary, but since the man always simply asked about farming and left, that wariness had gradually eased.
“Shall we have a drink again today?”
“Of course. Please come in.”
“I’ve brought something to grease our mouths with, so let’s chat away again today.”
Seeing Yeo Chang-dong smile with a gourd bottle in hand, Yoo Eunhyeon naturally took out two cups.
“I brought honeysuckle tea today. It has the effect of lowering body heat. It should be good for cooling the heat built up from work.”
As he spoke, the yellow honeysuckle tea was poured calmly into the cups. Yoo Eunhyeon lightly sniffed the aroma and took a sip; unlike the subtle sweet fragrance, a bitter taste spread across his tongue. It was not that he had never drunk flower tea before, but this was the first time he had encountered tea of such a different caliber.
Watching him savor the tea, Yeo Chang-dong opened the conversation.
“When growing chili peppers, what kind of soil is good?”
“Since chili peppers are also a crop, of course they grow well in fertile soil. But even in the same land, the quality varies depending on the location and depth, so even a slight difference in conditions changes how the crops grow.”
As always, talk of farming continued. The conversation flowed without end, and before they knew it roughly two hours had passed.
“Whew. Truly a beneficial time. As expected, you’re the talent who surprised me.”
“When it comes to handling chili peppers, I’m confident, you know.”
The moment the words left his mouth the nuance felt a little odd somewhere, but Yoo Eunhyeon deliberately shook the thought away. These things only grew more embarrassing if you were the first to notice. Yeo Chang-dong seemed to feel the same, for he laughed heartily.
“No need to be humble. You’re good enough to be called a master.”
“I think I’m still lacking to receive such a grand title.”
“Hahaha. No need to decline. Still, a title is a bit grand to use casually. Ordinarily I’ll just call you Hyeon-je. How about it?”
“As you wish.”
At Yeo Chang-dong’s insistence Yoo Eunhyeon nodded as if he had no choice. Inwardly, however, he was carefully observing the man’s demeanor.
From the flow of qi I can sense, it’s clear he’s practicing martial arts… So why does he keep asking only about farming?
The more he learned, the more suspicious corners he felt, yet he could not openly dig into them either, so his frustration only grew. Having no choice, Yoo Eunhyeon decided to take a step back and set down his teacup.
“Brother Dong. Let’s stop here for today.”
By then the honeysuckle tea in the gourd bottle had bottomed out. Yeo Chang-dong shook the empty bottle once, then smacked his lips with a regretful expression.
“Can’t be helped. Then I’ll be heading back.”
Though his regret was plain, the hour was quite late and he could not stay longer, so Yeo Chang-dong stood. He soon left the room quietly, spinning the gourd bottle as he went.
After that as well, Yeo Chang-dong visited Yoo Eunhyeon’s room almost every day. Naturally the days of drinking flower tea and chatting about farming increased, and in the meantime the relationship between the two grew even closer.
Then one day—the seventh since Yoo Eunhyeon had taken office as team leader. That day, the moment work ended, rain began pouring down as if it had been waiting.
“Oh no. This rain is pretty heavy.”
Dodging the downpour, Yoo Eunhyeon hurried his steps toward the quarters. Just as he almost arrived, the figure of a man standing tall in the rain came into view.
“Little brother, you’re late today.”
It was Yeo Chang-dong, as always. Still holding the gourd bottle and standing there getting soaked, his appearance was somehow nonchalant. Looking at the man wet with rainwater, Yoo Eunhyeon quietly handed him a towel and spoke.
“Brother Dong. On a rainy day like this you could take a rest.”
“Haha. Can a farmer afford to be lazy? But the rain looks serious. It’ll be hard to work until tomorrow morning.”
After a hearty laugh Yeo Chang-dong sat under the eaves. Watching him shake the moisture from his wet clothes, Yoo Eunhyeon paused a moment before quietly speaking.
“Speaking of which, today I’ve prepared something to drink.”
“…Hm? You, Hyeon?”
Yeo Chang-dong’s expression showed surprise, as if the suggestion were unexpected.
“Even so, I can’t just keep receiving drinks. I should offer at least this much, shouldn’t I?”
As he said that, what Yoo Eunhyeon took out was the Doyakju he had secretly buried in the ground after coming here.
At first, living in the communal quarters, he had no choice but to hide it; now that he had a private room there was no longer any need to conceal it.
“This is… liquor, isn’t it?”
“It’s the liquor we used to share after work when farming in the village I lived in. It’s brewed only in the village, so Brother Dong is probably tasting it for the first time.”
“Hmm. I’m not really the type to enjoy liquor much.”
“At least try smelling the aroma.”
Yoo Eunhyeon pulled the stopper from the Doyakju he had set on the table. A rich peach fragrance immediately filled the room. At that scent Yeo Chang-dong’s skeptical expression gradually relaxed, and Yoo Eunhyeon poured the Doyakju into the cups they had been using for tea and handed one over.
“Oh ho… A rich peach aroma, followed belatedly by the subtle fragrance of peach blossoms. And at the end a fresh yet slightly bitter herbal scent lingers. Excellent. Indeed worthy of Hyeon proudly offering it.”
“Have a cup first. As you said, Brother, it seems we’ll get a short rest tomorrow, so this much should be fine, right?”
As Yoo Eunhyeon also raised his cup, Yeo Chang-dong likewise raised his without further question. He knew well that such things revealed their true value only when drunk. Yoo Eunhyeon downed the Doyakju in one go and glanced at Yeo Chang-dong, who was slowly savoring the aroma and taste.
I hope he likes it.
Of course it was not because he felt sorry for all the flower tea he had received so far that Yoo Eunhyeon had brought out the Doyakju. From the beginning he had a separate purpose for infiltrating this place.
The fact that he’s practicing martial arts, and anyone can see he’s either a Demonic Cult member or connected to them. For now, leaking the Doyakju in this direction is the safest method.
At present no better method came to mind. The only people Yoo Eunhyeon could contact here were Byeon-ak and Yeo Chang-dong, and if he had to choose one, Yeo Chang-dong seemed far better—because Yeo Chang-dong appeared to hold greater influence than Byeon-ak.
“This is really good? I can see why you drink it while working. It feels like strength is welling up.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“With something this good I could drink liquor occasionally. The aroma is not inferior to the finest flower teas. Certainly this kind of matured, rich fragrance is something flower tea doesn’t have.”
“Flower tea is enjoyed for its subtle fragrance, after all.”
“It’s a matter of comparing long and short, so they can’t help but be different. By the way, what did you say the name of this liquor was?”
“It’s called Doyakju.”
“Liquor brewed from peaches and herbs… The name suits it well.”
“I’ll pour you another cup.”
And so the liquor went around several times. The two men chatted about this and that, and in the midst of it Yoo Eunhyeon, who had been watching for an opportunity, finally felt the time had come.
“I think I’m really lucky. To have met someone like you, Brother Dong.”
“Haha. What’s there to thank me for? It’s not like I’m the one handing out the money. If you want to be grateful, thank the people who pay you.”
“Even so, the person who created this job opportunity in the first place is the one I’m most grateful to. That’s also why I offered you the Doyakju, Brother Dong.”
“Hm? What do you mean by that?”
At Yeo Chang-dong’s counter-question Yoo Eunhyeon steadied his breath inwardly. After a brief inhale he opened his mouth with a nonchalant expression.
“Brother Dong. Who is the highest person here?”