Yellow Dragon Castle (1)
Yellow Dragon Castle (1)
Eun Ho-seol had not disliked Hwang Ryong-seong from the beginning.
She was a person who understood duty even though she had not grown up in the Central Plains. She believed without a shred of doubt that the bond of marriage was ordained by heaven, and that if she upheld that bond and spent her life with him—regardless of how the union had been arranged—they could grow old together, even in a political marriage.
"North Sea Ice Palace. Those hicks from the backwater sure use grandiose names."
So she held back even when Hwang Ryong-seong said those words with an arrogant expression during their first meeting.
"Your background is a bit iffy, but your face is decent, so you'll be serviceable."
She endured it when he held her chin and examined her up and down as if appraising a slave, even when he used the word 'serviceable.' There had been a time when she believed that as time passed and they grew fond of each other, they could still live a quiet, harmonious little life in their own way.
"You use that bedroom."
But Hwang Ryong-seong treated Eun Ho-seol entirely as an ornament. Just as no one brings their finest jewelry into the bedroom, he allowed no marital intimacy whatsoever, let alone sharing a bed. The only times Hwang Ryong-seong treated her as a wife were when they received an invitation somewhere, or when they held a banquet and he could show off her beauty.
"That North Sea Ice Palace accent is quite amusing. Say something in the northern dialect."
Yet Eun Ho-seol still endured. Even when a surge of emotion welled up inside her, she could bear this humiliation because she thought of her family waiting for her far away in the North Sea and the long-cherished wish of her clan. Since it was a matter pledged upon the honor of the clan, she believed that if she just endured this humiliation, a bright future surely awaited her.
"Didn't I tell you not to run into me when I take a walk? Stay quietly in your room."
After all, Hwang Ryong-seong was that kind of man. He was a giant who would bring a new wind to the Central Plains and one day lead the martial world.
*******
"But he deceived me."
Eun Ho-seol's face contorted. Even as she was recalling the past, it seemed hard for her to keep her boiling emotions in check. She grabbed my sleeve, twisted it, clung to me, and murmured through tears.
"He deceived me, and my clan too."
*******
That particular night, Eun Ho-seol couldn't fall asleep. She adjusted her clothing and cautiously went outside. Since Hwang Ryong-seong would openly show his displeasure whenever their eyes met, she always had to hide her presence when walking outdoors.
While she was carefully making her way to the garden under cover of shadow, she overheard someone talking.
"I'm telling you, Hwang Ryong-seong was a beggar."
Hwang Ryong-seong stood with his head lowered and a scowl on his face like a guilty man, while a beggar leaning against the wall laughed with a shabby appearance. The beggar bared yellow teeth and had grown his beard out like a hedgehog, making him look like a bandit. His clothes were unwashed, stained all over with yellowish and pitch-black marks.
A faint, disgusting stench seemed to drift through the garden on the wind. The beggar looked at Hwang Ryong-seong and said,
"Big Brother Du-pal. This is the item the Sect Leader prepared."
"From my father?"
The two were exchanging something. The beggar handed over an expensive-looking wooden case that did not suit his appearance, and Hwang Ryong-seong accepted it without hesitation. He smiled, apparently satisfied with its contents, and said to the beggar,
"...I thought I told you not to call me by that name. I am Hwang Ryong-seong. Not Chu Du-pal."
"What does it matter between us, brother?"
When the beggar spoke as if they were close, Hwang Ryong-seong kept his distance. He frowned openly, fastened the case to his waist, and waved his hand as if shooing away an insect.
"If your business is done, get lost."
After the beggar disappeared, Eun Ho-seol suppressed her racing heart and tried to piece together what she had just heard. Not Hwang Ryong-seong, but Chu Du-pal. The sect leader was his father. The leader of the Beggars' Sect was his father.
And in that moment, Eun Ho-seol recalled the things Hwang Ryong-seong had said before.
[North Sea Ice Palace. Those hicks from the backwater sure use grandiose names.]
[Your background is a bit iffy, but your face is decent, so you'll be serviceable.]
[That North Sea Ice Palace accent is quite amusing. Say something in the northern dialect.]
******
"A beggar, of all people."
Eun Ho-seol's hands turned ghastly white. A chill radiated from all around her, and the grass that clung to her turned white with frost, cold droplets dripping onto the ground. Her face was twisted with rage, and the angrier she got, the more the cold energy swirled around her.
"A beggar, not even worth comparing to the North Sea Ice Palace."
I stroked Eun Ho-seol's back. White frost rose, and in the cold wind, Seon-go sniffled and stepped back. Each time my hand touched her, I could feel the chill subsiding. Eun Ho-seol muttered words that seemed meant for no one in particular.
"And with such a background, he looked down on me. On me and my clan."
Eun Ho-seol wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing herself close, and said,
"I can't stand it."
Betrayal.
More than her desire to serve her clan, her fury toward Hwang Ryong-seong—who had deceived her about his identity and dismissed her—was overwhelming.
******
"You said Hwang Ryong-seong is the Sect Leader's son?"
Zhuge Yeong-yu also blinked with a surprised expression. At the involvement of such an unexpected bigwig, he seemed flustered. I nodded and continued.
"That's right. Chu Du-pal, the son of the Beggars' Sect leader Mu Ji-gi Chu Wang Pae, is Hwang Ryong-seong's true identity."
"Chu Du-pal...."
Zhuge Yeong-yu's lips quirked up in a small laugh. He then realized he had been rude and cleared his throat, adjusting his expression. I said,
"A guy who is so thorough about his pretenses and self-preservation wouldn't bother putting on a play with a beggar just to use an alias like Chu Du-pal. We have no evidence besides Eun Ho-seol's testimony, but it would be fair to assume he is the son of the Beggars' Sect leader and that the Beggars' Sect is supporting him."
Zhuge Yeong-yu rubbed his chin as he spoke.
"Indeed, as the Beggars' Sect leader, he has no restrictions on his movements unlike the sect heads of other schools, so it would be easy to hide and raise a child. Furthermore, while the Beggars' Sect is a group of beggars, their numbers are immense, and they pay no taxes and face no wealth inspections, so there's no way to trace the flow of money. Since the tribute money is routed up to the sect leader, the money he personally embezzles would easily be enough to make his son a wealthy man."
"Then the next task is an investigation into Chu Wang Pae and the Beggars' Sect. If we can just obtain proof that the money flowing from the Beggars' Sect is being funneled to Hwang Ryong-seong, we can pressure him and corner him."
Zhuge Yeong-yu smiled and said,
"Leave that to me. You've worked hard. Now I can see a way to deal a solid blow to the Eight Trigrams Association."
We had laid the groundwork to shake the Beggars' Sect and the Eight Trigrams Association. But even if we stripped Hwang Ryong-seong of the Beggars' Sect and the Eight Trigrams Association, his own martial arts would still remain. The martial world ultimately obeys the strong. A talent like Hwang Ryong-seong could make a comeback in any number of ways.
To completely destroy him, I had to strip him of everything. To do that, I needed to find out his weakness. I couldn't form a plan based on mere speculation like 'it seems he practices the Celibate Cultivation Art.' I needed concrete proof that he had cultivated the Celibate Cultivation Art.
And in this situation, there was an ally who could help me.
*******
A few days later, I visited the most famous brothel in Hubei Province. A tattooed man bowed his head deeply at the entrance and greeted me. I ignored him and surveyed the interior. A man with a gaunt face sat in a corner of the brothel, rattling an abacus.
His complexion was pale and he looked frail, his hands trembling, but a subtle inner energy flowed through him, and even in his casual sitting posture, one could see he was prepared for a surprise attack.
"Aigo, Great Hero. What business brings you here?"
The tattooed man groveled as he spoke. I handed him a bit of money and said,
"You're working hard. Is that fellow over there the manager here?"
"Ah, yes. I'll prepare a seat right away."
The tattooed man was quick-witted. As soon as he bowed his head, he rapidly gestured to arrange a private space. Following his hand, people bustled about, setting out basic refreshments and hanging curtains to block the view. Another employee called over the manager, who was in the middle of counting, and pointed at me.
The manager glanced at me briefly, tilted his head, then followed me.
As we sat facing each other in the room, the curtain dropped, hiding us among the hushed conversations.
Even in this one-on-one setting, he still wore a sickly expression and kept glancing at me cautiously as he spoke.
"Aigo, why would a great hero such as yourself seek me out? I'm just a powerless brothel manager...."
I picked up a pastry and ate as I asked.
"Can you contact the Hao Sect Leader directly?"
The manager's eyes flickered as he studied my reaction. Unlike a moment before, he wore a rather sharp look. He rolled his eyes around as if trying to figure out my purpose, but I had no reason to explain my objective to him.
"Tell the Hao Sect Leader this: The Crimson Ring Sect's Sect Leader Docheol is looking for him to finish the conversation we couldn't complete last time. I'll be waiting at Dongga Lake in Hubei Province, so have him prepare as thoroughly as he can and come immediately upon receiving the message."
The manager asked,
"...Will that be enough?"
"That will be enough for him to understand."