A Storm in the Grand Hall
What in the world is this...?
A flicker of panic crossed Do Ye-cheon's eyes.
Though he tried his best to maintain his composure, he could not hide the sudden stiffness in his expression.
But he couldn't help it.
The situation unfolding before him was entirely different from what he had anticipated.
"W-what do you mean by that? Sadocheon's treasury has been plundered?"
"It is exactly as I said. As a result of a joint investigation by the Finance Division and the Law Enforcement Division, we have confirmed that the Fox Demon of Lust, Ji Jung-yeong, siphoned off and siphoned off Sadocheon's internal funds."
"...?!"
"Furthermore, we have confirmed that an insider within Sadocheon assisted him in this process, and we have traced the path of the siphoned funds."
The speaker was the Leader of the Finance Division, one of the five pillars of Sadocheon, who managed all of the organization's wealth.
Grand Chancellor Jeung Yu-beom adjusted his spectacles with his middle finger, presenting the evidence related to Do Ye-cheon's slush fund before the entire assembly.
This was the Grand Hall of Sadocheon.
The agenda of this grand assembly was the embezzlement of the treasury—in other words, the misappropriation of public funds.
The attendees included Vice Lord Do Ye-cheon, the leaders of the Five Divisions, the captains of the Ten Heavenly Squads, and other key executives.
In short, it was a meeting where the entire leadership of Sadocheon had gathered.
Several members of the Vice Lord's faction were struggling to maintain their composure.
If it's the funds siphoned by the Night Lord...?
They must have gone straight to the Vice Lord...
Only a select few knew of the relationship between the Night Lord and the Vice Lord.
However, if the investigation continued, the truth would eventually come to light, and it would be impossible to hide the Vice Lord's involvement.
As cold sweat began to break out, Gwak Dae-mo, the Leader of the Taesan Squad, raised his voice.
"Wait, an insider helped a demon of lust within Sadocheon? Do you actually have proof of this?"
"Since we are still in the investigation phase, we do not have definitive proof yet. However, the circumstantial evidence is clear."
At the Finance Division Leader's words, Do Ju-man, Do Ye-cheon's son and the Leader of the Gwang-hon Squad, chimed in.
"Are the Finance and Law Enforcement Divisions raising such a serious issue based on mere circumstances? What if this is a mistake?"
The Finance Division Leader and the Law Enforcement Division Leader listened in silence.
They simply wanted to hear what nonsense Do Ju-man would spew next, but Do Ju-man, thinking his words were carrying weight, raised his voice even higher.
"Besides, who in Sadocheon would ever commit such a—!"
At that moment, a heavy voice cut him off.
"How strange."
"...!"
It was a majestic, resonant voice that one could never quite get used to.
The inner energy infused into each and every word pressed down heavily on the surroundings.
This was not a mere shift in atmosphere.
The owner of the voice was physically dominating and crushing the entire space.
"L-Lord..."
Do Ju-man barely managed to squeeze out a word, but Dok-go Cheon did not deign to reply. Naturally, Do Ju-man's gaze drifted toward his father.
However, Do Ye-cheon also looked deeply perturbed, clearly unsettled by the current turn of events.
"Leader of the Taesan Squad. Leader of the Gwang-hon Squad."
"Y-Yes!"
"Did you call for us, Lord?!"
After a brief silence, Dok-go Cheon spoke.
His gaze was chillingly cold.
Dok-go Cheon glared at the two squad leaders. Overwhelmed by his sheer pressure, Gwak Dae-mo and Do Ju-man swallowed hard, barely managing to suppress their panic.
"The treasury's funds are the very roots and future of Sadocheon. If someone has laid hands on them, we must bring the truth to light through a rigorous investigation. Yet, why do you speak in such a manner, Leader of the Taesan Squad? Are you trying to cover it up?"
"I-It is a misunderstanding! I am not trying to cover it up. This subordinate merely wished to prevent Sadocheon's manpower from being wasted on useless endeavors..."
"What is useful and what is useless..."
Dok-go Cheon cut him off flatly.
As the brilliant light in his eyes flared and his pressure intensified, Gwak Dae-mo's face turned pale.
"...will be decided by me, the Lord of Sadocheon."
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the meeting room, as if a massive weight had just dropped.
During grand assemblies, Dok-go Cheon usually preferred to listen quietly.
For someone who rarely intervened except to mediate opinions to suddenly assert himself...
It was the aura of a true king of the mountain—a tiger showing its dominance.
Faced with those sharp fangs and unblunted claws, everyone in the hall had no choice but to bow their heads.
"F-Forgive me, Lord."
"My... my thoughts were short-sighted."
Following Dok-go Cheon's intervention, a shift occurred within the hall, like the deep ocean.
Though calm on the surface, undercurrents were swirling endlessly beneath.
Depending on their factions and alliances, the attendees quickly shifted their gazes, trying to process the shock and assess the situation.
Something has changed.
Do Ye-cheon felt it instinctively.
Was it because he had positioned himself as Dok-go Cheon's antithesis?
He realized it faster and more clearly than anyone else.
Until now, Dok-go Cheon had behaved like a toothless tiger.
Even when the Vice Lord coveted power, monopolized interests, and expanded his influence...
Dok-go Cheon had shown no significant reaction.
He had simply believed it was natural for those of the unorthodox path to pursue power and strength.
That was why Do Ye-cheon's faction had acted so openly, relying on that very assumption.
But the man before him now...
"What are the Vice Lord's thoughts on this matter?"
"...!"
...was targeting Do Ye-cheon directly.
As if he would tolerate no further insolence.
Swoosh...
Whether it was a real draft or an auditory hallucination brought on by the heavy atmosphere, a chill swept through the room.
Amidst the suffocating silence, Dok-go Cheon stared at Do Ye-cheon.
A gaze that felt like both a glare and a simple observation.
While everyone held their breath, the moment Do Ye-cheon locked eyes with him...
Dok-go Cheon became absolutely certain.
He is openly showing his hostility.
It was a look Dok-go Cheon had seen countless times on the battlefields of the distant past.
Like a beast eyeing its prey.
An intent to sink teeth into a soft throat.
In other words, the eyes of someone looking at an enemy.
Not a comrade.
Indeed. Do Ye-cheon now clearly recognized him as an enemy.
So, you were looking for a blade to stab me with.
The slush fund created through Ji Jung-yeong.
That was likely the blade meant to cut him down.
But mere money cannot push me out. Financial power is ultimately powerless before martial might.
Then what was Do Ye-cheon thinking?
As Dok-go Cheon speculated on his old comrade's state of mind, Do Ye-cheon slowly nodded.
"I share the Lord's sentiment. If there is anyone shaking the foundations of Sadocheon, they must certainly pay for their crimes."
"..."
Do Ye-cheon went even further, taking a firm stance.
Insisting that they must find the accomplices.
There was only one reason Do Ye-cheon could be so confident.
There is no proof. If there were, they would have produced the ledgers right here.
Besides, the materials Jeung Yu-beom brought out are trivialities, not even ten percent of the actual sum. They haven't even begun to trace the real assets yet.
They probably wanted to test me, but did they really think I would fall for it?
Jeung Yu-beom, the Finance Division Leader and Grand Chancellor, was a man who maintained strict neutrality, refusing to align with any faction.
He had no loyalty that would drive him to fabricate evidence for the Lord.
If he were that kind of person, he would have sided with the Lord long ago.
"I see."
Had Do Ye-cheon's guess hit the mark?
Dok-go Cheon withdrew his pressure and spoke plainly.
"If the Vice Lord shares the same opinion, then there should be no obstacle to proceeding."
"Indeed."
"Grand Chancellor, you heard him. Cooperate with the Law Enforcement Division Leader to track this to the end and ensure the accomplices are found."
"Understood, Lord!"
It was close to what he had expected.
Yet, something... something felt off.
A brief flicker of confusion crossed Do Ye-cheon's face, but it vanished just as quickly.
Afterward, Do Ye-cheon regained his composure, his expression hardening further.
There are no variables. Dok-go Cheon, you are too late. You can never defeat me.
If anything, this was like mending the barn after the horse had bolted.
To Do Ye-cheon, it looked like nothing more than a belated, desperate struggle, which he found utterly laughable.
Suppressing a smirk, Do Ye-cheon scanned the faces in the grand assembly hall.
The people gathered here were the executives of Sadocheon.
In other words, these leaders were Sadocheon.
And more than half of them followed him.
Among the leaders of the Five Divisions, two followed him.
As for the Ten Heavenly Squads, a whopping seven had sworn loyalty to him.
It was no exaggeration to say that he held the leadership of Sadocheon in the palm of his hand.
I must move up the promised date with Yukhonbang.
There was only one reason.
He had made up his mind.
He would accelerate the plan to eliminate Dok-go Cheon.
"Before we move on to the next agenda item, we shall summon the individual involved in this matter first..."
The moment Grand Chancellor Jeung Yu-beom spoke those words...
Whoosh!
Rumble!
Suddenly, a powerful energy erupted from outside the doors.
In an instant, along with the release of an aura that transcended the Peak Realm and reached the Transformation Realm...
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out.
"Ugh..."
"Argh..."
The heavy double doors of the assembly hall flew inward, shattered to pieces, and the gatekeepers who had been guarding the entrance were thrown onto the wreckage in a pathetic heap.
Who dared to commit such an outrage in the grand assembly hall of Sadocheon?
The moment everyone rose from their seats, hands reaching for their weapons...
"Next time, know your place before you act up."
"Hic!"
The culprit behind this havoc walked inside, mocking the gatekeepers.
Someone let out a loud hiccup.
It was Jang Bo-heum, the Leader of the Gwi-mong Squad, who sat closest to the entrance.
His face had turned completely pale.
Is this the man...?
Conversely, a strange gleam flashed in Grand Chancellor Jeung Yu-beom's eyes.
"Leader of the Baekya Squad, Jeok-un. I have arrived as summoned."
Jeok-un strode into the grand assembly hall with absolute confidence.
"...The Ruin-Bringing Mad Wolf."
"So that is the one from the Jegal Clan..."
"Wait, but that energy just now was definitely of the Transformation Realm..."
"No way, it must have been an illusion. The Transformation Realm at his age? That makes no sense."
With every step Jeok-un took toward the center, the whispering voices grew louder.
Yet, Jeok-un paid them no mind, calmly taking his designated place.
Sigh, that fellow never makes a normal entrance.
Unlike Jeung Yu-beom, Hu Seong, who had met Jeok-un a few times, massaged his temples.
He felt a headache coming on.
"Bwahaha! What a lunatic! Yes, this is exactly why I came to this meeting!"
Hwa Mu-il cackled, clutching his stomach.
Normally, a mere Hall Leader had no place here, but it didn't matter.
Hwa Mu-il was attending today as one of the newly appointed leaders of the Ten Heavenly Squads.
He had suddenly declared to Dok-go Cheon that he would establish a combat squad that combined medicine and warfare, and had stubbornly claimed the position of its first leader.
It was an act of sheer obstinacy, but no one could stop Hwa Mu-il.
In terms of seniority alone, he should have been promoted to Division Leader long ago, and besides, no one wanted to cross paths with him.
Those who did not know the reason behind his eccentric behavior were shocked to see Hwa Mu-il clapping and cheering at the sight of Jeok-un.
...Could it be that he suddenly took up a squad leader position because of that kid?
The members of Do Ye-cheon's faction finally realized the cause of his bizarre actions.
Just what kind of relationship did he have with Jeok-un?
As their doubts deepened...
"You insolent brat!!"
A middle-aged man sitting in the Division Leader's section roared.
He was so enraged that the veins on his neck bulged blue.
His fists were larger than an average adult's head, and he had the appearance of a fierce general who would charge at the very front lines.
Surprisingly, he was Maeng Po, the Chief Military Advisor and head of Sadocheon's military affairs, known as the Iron Fist Phoenix.
"How dare you commit such an outrage in the presence of the Lord! Kneel and beg for forgiveness this instant!"
Like the Law Enforcement Division Leader Hu Seong, he belonged to the Lord's faction.
Looking at the man who seemed ready to pounce at any moment, Jeok-un spoke calmly.
"I refuse."
"...What?"
Maeng Po was taken aback instead.
Jeok-un said flatly:
"I have done nothing wrong, so there is no reason for me to apologize."
"Y-You impudent...!"
"If anyone needs to pay for a crime, it is those insects sprawled on the floor over there."
Clank.
Jeok-un tossed the object he was holding toward the gatekeepers.
It was a shattered set of iron shackles.
"They dared to try and put these things on my wrists."
"...!"
In an instant, everyone in the hall understood what had happened.
Jeok-un had already paid his dues.
There was absolutely no reason for him to wear shackles, so if they had forced them on him, it must have been a deliberate scheme by someone.
To make him appear before everyone looking like a criminal in chains, solely to humiliate and demean him.
"I clearly stated that I would walk in on my own feet, and that if they blocked me, they would pay the price. They ignored my warning and received the punishment they deserved. There is nothing wrong with my actions."
"You dare speak such nonsense?!"
"One more time."
Whoosh!
Rumble!
At that moment, that same energy erupted from Jeok-un once again.
"If you dare call me a brat one more time, I will make sure you join them on the floor."
It was a brilliant, dazzling energy, like the starlight in the night sky.
Shock colored the eyes of everyone present.
They couldn't help it.
For it was unmistakably the energy of the Transformation Realm, leaving no room for doubt or illusion.
"Arrogant bastard—"
Fury flared in Maeng Po's eyes.
His own cultivation was at the peak of the Transformation Realm.
He was ready to leap at Jeok-un for his insolent words, but...
"Enough."
The Lord, Dok-go Cheon, stepped in and settled the situation.
With that single word, Maeng Po sat back down as if nothing had happened.
Maeng Po's loyalty to the Lord was absolute.
In response, Jeok-un's energy also gradually subsided.
Dok-go Cheon spoke to Jeok-un in a casual tone.
"Your achievements have grown even further in the meantime."
"I had a few interesting experiences."
"And I suppose you have no intention of telling me what they were."
"Of course not."
"Tsk, troublesome fellow."
What in the world was this?
The entire assembly was bewildered.
The sight of Dok-go Cheon conversing so comfortably with Jeok-un, who had just committed all kinds of insolence, was incredibly jarring.
According to rumors circulating in the martial world, the relationship between the Lord and Jeok-un was supposed to be no different from that of mortal enemies.
"Then I guess I will have to drink the Jiannanchun I prepared all by myself."
"Make sure to clear your schedule, as we will need at least two nights to finish it."
"Heh, very well."
What on earth was this display?
The way the two of them casually joked with each other in such a serious situation looked, with only a slight exaggeration, like that of lifelong friends.
"Now that I have heard it, the Leader of the Baekya Squad makes a valid point. Have the injured moved to the Black Medicine Hall, and we shall resume the meeting."
"...Yes, Lord."
Dok-go Cheon's subsequent words conveyed a clear message to everyone.
That Jeok-un, the Leader of the Baekya Squad, was unequivocally the Lord's man.
Because everyone was so deeply shocked, no one noticed.
This is only the beginning.
That Jeok-un's chilling gaze...
You bastard of the Do family.
...was fixed solely upon Do Ye-cheon.