Taking Office (1)
Seven days later, at a manor near Mun-seong in Jeol-gang Province.
Murim Alliance Mun-seong branch leader Im Choong let out a deep sigh as he gazed at the corpses laid out side by side in the courtyard.
"What kind of mad bastard...!"
There were thirteen bodies in all—a whole family wiped out. The martial world might seem like it was constantly swept by bloody storms, but that wasn't the reality. Incidents like this were exceedingly rare. No one with a shred of sanity would slaughter an entire household of non-martial artists and servants unless they harbored a grudge as deep as the abyss.
The victims were Yang Chu and his family. Yang Chu had been renowned not just in Mun-seong but across Jeol-gang Province as a great hero, only to meet this tragedy overnight.
"Branch leader."
At that moment, squad leader Beon Saeng, who had been out canvassing the area, approached. He had a gentle, smiling face that made him seem affable and approachable.
The Mun-seong branch had a total staff of nine, including the old woman who cooked for them. Among them, there were six martial artists, Im Choong included.
One branch leader, one squad leader, and four regular warriors. It was the smallest outfit among all Murim Alliance branches—a mere outpost, little more than a liaison office.
"No one saw the culprit."
That figured. Whoever killed Yang Chu had to be a considerable expert, and such a figure wouldn't let witnesses spot them.
"No one heard anything either?"
"Even if they did, you think they'd come forward?"
"Fair point. Send the bodies to Physician Hwang for now."
"Yes, sir."
Physician Hwang was Mun-seong's only doctor, and he handled autopsies for homicide cases.
"Oh, and branch leader."
Beon Saeng glanced around furtively and lowered his voice.
"Wang, the division chief, says he'll be waiting at Baek-hwa House tonight."
Im Choong's brow furrowed at the mention of Wang the division chief.
"Why?"
"He didn't say."
Im Choong asked in a curt tone.
"Hey, Squad Leader Beon. Are you a Murim Alliance warrior, or are you with Shin-hwa Bang?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's an appointment with the Murim Alliance branch leader. And you set it without even knowing the purpose?"
"I'm sorry."
Beon Saeng bowed his head deeply.
Wang the division chief was Wang Gon, a warrior from Shin-hwa Bang.
Shin-hwa Bang had risen meteorically after the war, establishing itself as Jeol-gang Province's premier faction. Its shrouded origins had spawned countless rumors.
Some said it was an old faction from another region rebranded for a fresh push into Jeol-gang; others claimed it was founded by a shadowy overlord of the black path or an elder master emerging from seclusion. The speculation was endless.
Whatever the truth, Shin-hwa Bang had grown at a terrifying pace, and now no one in Jeol-gang could ignore it.
The faction had dispatched four division chiefs to cover the province's east, west, south, and north. The Wang Gon in question was the South Division Chief, overseeing Mun-seong and the southern reaches.
No one in Mun-seong dared challenge his authority. Rumors even swirled that the previous branch leader had been ousted for offending him.
Common sense suggested that was impossible, but common sense didn't apply in Mun-seong, so far from headquarters.
'Damn it!'
Im Choong, who had taken the post last year, had disliked Wang Gon from the start.
His sneering eyes, his attitude, the subtle barbs laced with contempt—he made no effort to hide that a lowly branch leader like Im Choong was disposable.
Why would a wandering outpost leader from the central plains intimidate him?
"Tell him I don't have time."
"He insists it's important and you must come."
Beon Saeng added in a pleading tone.
"Just meet him?"
Im Choong swallowed a sharp retort. If even he felt cowed by their momentum, how much more so for Beon Saeng, the go-between?
"Where does he want to meet?"
"He's reserved a private room at Baek-hwa House."
Im Choong scowled.
'That bastard. If he wants to see me, he should come to the branch. Thinks booze and women fix everything?'
He might be the branch leader in this backwater corner of Jeol-gang, but he was still an officially appointed Murim Alliance officer. It grated that some faction's division chief could summon him like a servant.
He wanted to put the man in his place, but reality demanded he grovel.
Im Choong tamped down his boiling rage and changed the subject.
"By the way, a new transfer's arriving tomorrow."
"Oh! First one in years?"
"Treat the poor guy gently. You think he wanted to come here? He's probably been exiled for pissing off the wrong people. We can't make his life hell in this dump too."
"I'll handle him like a lady. Ah, things'll be easier now."
Beon Saeng grinned broadly. One more perk to look forward to.
"Come to Baek-hwa House with me tonight."
"Me too? Great! I'll make sure everything's perfect!"
His face lit up at the thought of the pretty courtesans. His meager salary barely covered a single drink there.
"Thank you, branch leader."
"Head in first. Finish up and join me."
"Yes, sir."
He handled nearly all the branch's practical work. Im Choong needed him, so he had to keep him sweet. The branch without Beon Saeng was unthinkable.
* * *
That night, Im Choong and Beon Saeng entered the private room at Baek-hwa House.
"It's been a while, Branch Leader Im."
"Division Chief Wang, I hope you've been well."
The man waiting was Shin-hwa Bang's South Division Chief, Wang Gon.
The sharp-featured warrior with him was Heuk Su, Wang Gon's right-hand man. Rumors held that his martial prowess surpassed even the division chief's.
Heuk Su was known for his fierce pride as a warrior, yet paradoxically, he did anything Wang Gon ordered—even deeds no true warrior should touch.
Heuk Su merely nodded curtly at Im Choong instead of a proper greeting. He drew his self-worth from such arrogance.
Wang Gon, by contrast, clasped Im Choong's hands warmly in welcome.
"I'm sorry to drag such a busy man out like this."
"Nonsense. It's an honor to meet you, Division Chief. Call on me anytime."
Hollow words, but Im Choong wasn't green enough to show his irritation.
"They say there's fine liquor tonight. Let's get properly drunk."
"Sounds good."
The four men laughed and drank with the courtesans, emptying several bottles. Wang Gon, past fifty, matched the young men bottle for bottle.
Im Choong sipped carefully, determined not to get sloppy.
'Nothing in this world is free.'
Generous hospitality meant they wanted something.
He couldn't stand Wang Gon. Sober, he was tolerable; tipsy, his petty need to trample others peaked, fueling Im Choong's disgust.
But what could he do? To hold onto even this backwater post, he had to laugh louder the worse it got.
"Hahaha. Division Chief, you're something else."
"It's all thanks to your support, Branch Leader—moral and material."
"I'm grateful for your kind words."
Even then, Im Choong ignored Heuk Su's mocking stare. He'd heard the rumors: assaults, threats, murders. Enough to warrant an investigation.
'If I could, I'd start grilling that bastard first.'
Im Choong drained his cup.
'This isn't the life I dreamed of.'
He'd wanted to uphold justice and righteousness, bowing to no one. That's why he'd become a warrior.
But somewhere along the way, he'd yielded to 'reality.'
'Who am I, really... just this kind of guy all along.'
Could something anyone could protect truly be called justice or righteousness?
Lost in self-loathing, he emptied another cup. The liquor tasted especially bitter tonight.
Only after the revelry died down did Wang Gon clear the room for a private talk, sending Beon Saeng, Heuk Su, and the courtesans next door. Then he revealed the purpose.
"This man wanted to see you for one reason."
"Please, speak freely."
"Headquarters is starting a small new venture here in Mun-seong."
"Oh! Congratulations."
"It's nothing grand, so no need."
"What sort of business, if I may ask?"
"We're planning to build an iron house."
"An iron house?"
Im Choong was caught off guard; it was the last thing he'd expected.
Wang Gon offered no details.
"As you know, new ventures always stir up rumors and gossip."
If it ended at gossip, they'd be lucky. Given Shin-hwa Bang's track record, complaints and victims would pile up. Im Choong felt a pang of dismay.
"Even if some filth reaches your ears, Branch Leader, let it slide. That's why I asked to see you."
Preemptively applying balm like this suggested their 'iron house' was no simple smithy.
Though uneasy, Im Choong forced a smile.
"I understand perfectly."
"With you here, I feel secure. Here, in that spirit."
Wang Gon slid over a small prepared box.
"What's this?"
"I heard your son is learning martial arts. Have him take this."
Im Choong opened the box and gasped at the contents.
"This is...?"
"Indeed. Century-old He Shou Wu."
Im Choong's eyes widened.
A spirit herb that could grant a martial artist anywhere from five to ten years' worth of inner power.
"I can't accept something so precious."
"Exactly—it's incredibly rare. That's why it's a special gift for our Branch Leader Im."
Im Choong wavered. If genuine, it would transform his son's future.
'Still, I can't take it.'
It was blatant bribery. Worlds apart from a free drink at a brothel.
Wang Gon loathed losses. He'd squeeze out a millennium's worth of blood for this century herb.
"My son lacks the talent for something this valuable."
Smiling, he offered the box back.
"Don't reject my sincerity."
"Haha, I'll treasure your thought alone."
The box slid back toward Wang Gon.
In that instant, Wang Gon's eyes turned icy. Naked disappointment and irritation—an intimidation beyond mere pressure.
'No, I won't!'
Im Choong knew: accepting the bribe meant eternal servitude. One wrong button, and the last hole would be his grave.
'That's not a spirit herb—it's poison.'
* * *
The next day, at the Murim Alliance Mun-seong branch.
Im Choong stared down at the hangover remedy Beon Saeng had brought.
"Something troubling you?"
He shook his head at Beon Saeng's question.
"No."
"Your face tells a different story."
Wang Gon, of course.
'Should I have taken the He Shou Wu after all?'
He'd refused to the end. He should feel clean for rejecting the bribe, yet unease lingered. Recalling Wang Gon's sour expression made his chest tighten.
"You..."
"Yes?"
He almost asked if Beon Saeng had taken anything on the side but stopped. Even a subordinate deserved discretion. Instead:
"Hear anything from Heuk Su yesterday?"
"About what?"
"Shin-hwa Bang's building a new iron house."
"Yeah. Several times bigger than the usual ones."
"Several times?"
"They boast it'll be the largest in the central plains. Wonder how much cash they're raking in. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing."
Im Choong downed the remedy and massaged his temples.
Yang Chu's family massacre, Shin-hwa Bang's new venture, the bribe. Headaches piling up.
And now one more.
The door opened, and a man entered, travel pack slung over his shoulder. It was Baek So-cheon.
He walked up slowly, handed Im Choong the transfer order, and said,
"I'm the new arrival, Baek So-cheon."