Midnight Guest (3)
A pitch-black night where not a soul stirred.
I headed to the spot where Taoist Cheongsu had collapsed, accompanied only by Seo-u Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior.
The reason I brought just the two of them was simple—they were the strongest.
We needed to move fast and quiet.
"Come to think of it, I heard Taoist Cheongsu survived thanks to the silver you gave him, young master."
"Yeah, that's what they say."
Mosanpa Taoists often traveled mountain paths late at night, making it hard to use banknotes.
So they needed portable silver or copper coins, and I'd slipped some silver into his pocket.
Keeping it tucked in his left breast pocket had saved his life.
"I think it was Taoist Cheongsu's good karma that truly saved him, not the money I gave."
The two warriors nodded at my words.
No one could deny the Taoist’s accumulated merits.
We soon reached the place where we'd found him and began scouring for traces of the fiends.
Stealing and transporting five zombies—no way they left zero signs behind.
"Footprints here."
"Broken branches over there."
The two warriors, rich in tracking experience, spotted clues in no time, and we followed them.
"That's it."
Further along, a mountain stronghold came into view.
It looked like they'd seized an old bandit lair and made it their base.
Bonfires blazed here and there, and a crudely built large warehouse stood out.
Ting-a-ling.
Ting-a-ling.
Three zombies shuffled into the warehouse, guided by the bell's chime.
I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the sight.
Not just anyone could shake that bell and control zombies.
It required infusing the bell with Taoist power—and not just any infusion would do.
Like mastering martial arts through years of training in a sect, it demanded long cultivation of Mosanpa spells.
In other words, the one holding that bell was a Mosanpa Taoist who'd joined Hwancheon Group.
Then someone approached the warehouse.
I focused my inner energy on my ears, and their conversation faintly reached me.
"Three this time. That makes... up to now..."
"Ninety in total."
"How long will it take to gather enough at this rate for the great cause?"
A calm voice replied to the frustrated question.
"No choice. We can't rush it—gotta take it slow and steady."
"Why not just grab people, kill 'em, and make our own zombies? Wouldn't that be faster?"
The response came laced with irritation.
"You trying to work me to death? Making one zombie drains a ton of power. Stealing ones other Taoists already made is way quicker."
"Right. I hope our group leader becomes emperor soon."
From that exchange, I pieced together why they were stealing zombies.
Creating them consumed massive Taoist power, so they were pilfering to build up numbers.
And becoming emperor, huh...
Just as I'd suspected—it was definitely that Hwancheon Group I knew of.
Seo-u Warrior whispered with a grim face.
"Young master, I think that's enough."
"Yeah."
We quietly withdrew from the stronghold and headed back toward the village.
As the distance grew, Seo-u Warrior wiped his face and sighed.
"Way more serious than I thought. Traitors plotting rebellion..."
Jin Yu Warrior added,
"Not just the zombies—their warriors are no slouches either. Around a hundred strong, and some at super first-rate level."
"You gauged that?"
Jin Yu Warrior nodded at my question.
"Yeah. Skills I picked up as an assassin. Gotta scout surroundings precisely for safe kills."
"Handy talent."
"Saved my skin more than once."
"Can you teach me?"
"Of course."
"Later, then."
Wait, not the point right now.
"Anyway, those guys don't strike me as the type to use zombies for anything good."
"No kidding. Hoarding them by the hundreds? Sounds like zombie soldiers."
"At least they don't have a ton yet. Small mercies."
Seo-u Warrior asked,
"What're your plans, young master?"
"I hear Mosanpa never refuses a request from their Taoists."
"True. But no rule says you must help. Taoist Cheongsu would understand."
"Probably. But seeing that and walking away—could you live with it?"
"..."
Jin Yu Warrior said worriedly,
"We can't take that stronghold ourselves, though."
"Agreed. They'd wipe us out."
I nodded and continued,
"But does helping mean we have to swing the sword ourselves?"
The two warriors gave me puzzled looks.
"Remember their talk? Answer's obvious."
"Ah...!"
Realization dawned on them.
"We don't have to handle this alone. Just passing the word is enough."
The Emperor muttered to himself while handling late-night state affairs.
"No early bed tonight either. If only there was a reliable, sharp talent to help with my work..."
He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes briefly.
Then, one promising prospect popped into his mind.
Eun Seo-ho.
Probably nineteen now.
Almost twenty—not much longer. Bring him in next year and put him to use?
Thud.
A warrior dropped from above, prostrating.
"Your Majesty, urgent dispatch from Senior Hwangbo Hwi."
"Hand it over."
The warrior respectfully offered the letter; a waiting eunuch took it and presented it to the Emperor.
The Emperor's face hardened as he read.
He set the letter on his desk and commanded the eunuch in a cold voice.
"Trouble brewing. Summon the Embroidered Guard Commandant."
I finished my morning meditation and opened my eyes to find Gold령 staring up at me.
A letter dangled from its tail.
"Back already? Good job."
I petted Gold령 lightly and untied the letter to read.
It confirmed the info had reached His Majesty, who would likely muster the Embroidered Guards to handle it.
And the final line:
You even requested aid from the Mosanpa Taoists, huh? By the way, do incidents seek you out, or do you seek them?
Same words I'd heard from Father recently.
Beats me.
Two days later,
A warrior in black storm robes sought me out.
"You Eun Seo-ho, sub-branch head of Eunhae Merchant Group?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Imperial decree from His Majesty."
I immediately bowed on the spot.
"I receive His Majesty's sacred edict."
Raising my head, I said to him,
"But... am I truly worthy to receive His Majesty's edict? To think I'd be honored with it—something to boast about for generations."
Tears of emotion, even.
Ka!
Perfect performance, even by my standards.
I was overplaying it because his gaze hadn't been friendly.
Embroidered Guards—if they deemed you suspicious, they could detain and torture without imperial approval.
His expression softened a bit.
"No need for that. Take it."
"Yes, sir."
I carefully accepted and opened the letter right there.
"..."
Almost lost my composure for a second.
"Says you're to come along and point out the rebels' location."
"That's right. Let's move. Troops are waiting outside the village."
Of course, that wasn't all.
What the hell did Senior from the sundries shop write to His Majesty...?
Right on cue, Mosanpa Taoists arrived, and the Hwancheon Group purge began.
"Charge! Rebels!"
"Raaagh!"
"H-how'd they get here so fast?!"
"No choice! Zombies upfront!"
In desperation, they pushed their hoarded zombies to the front.
But the Mosanpa Taoists weren't about to let that slide.
Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling.
With bell chimes and incantations, the zombies crumbled like puppets with cut strings.
Zombie control lifted.
The rebellion that had ravaged Shandong and Beijing in my past life ended here as a minor disturbance.
Weed out the sprouts with two fingers, as they say.
.
.
.
"Thanks to the layman's help, we recovered the poor souls' bodies."
Taoist Cheongsu expressed gratitude with a fist salute.
"No, no—that was all the other Mosanpa Taoists and Embroidered Guards."
"We know you started it all."
I scratched my cheek.
"Thus, Mosanpa deems you a silver benefactor. Call on us anytime you need aid."
He handed me a wooden plaque.
I tried refusing, but his insistence left no room.
Taoist Cheongsu and the others then re-zombified the bodies—reversing the spell—and planned to return them home.
Time for us to get back to business.
Palgap approached.
"Young master, when do we depart?"
"About time."
Then Jin Yeong Daehyeop, who'd led the Embroidered Guards in the raid, came over.
"Good work."
"Nah, what'd I even do?"
"His Majesty seems to hold you in high regard."
"Pardon?"
"Said he'd chop off my wrist if I touched you."
"..."
"Made me wonder if you're his secret son or something."
So that's why he eyed me suspiciously at first?
Overdid the acting?
No—more importantly, Your Majesty... chopping wrists?
"Haha, secret son? No way. Just Eunhae sub-branch head."
"I figured. But that's big trouble in its own right."
"Huh?"
"Means you're right in His Majesty's favor. And he never lets go of talent he picks."
"..."
Then,
In the distance, a carriage bearing the imperial flag approached.
Damn, going this far?
His recent edict had noted my trip north, sent a carriage, and ordered no excuses—just head to the palace.
Jin Yeong Daehyeop chuckled at the sight.
"Guess he likes you even more than I thought."
"..."
"You'll be working at the palace soon."
Jin Yeong Daehyeop's words were light teasing, but to me, they rang like a curse.
I had no plans to be the Emperor's errand boy in Beijing.
Eunhae to top merchant group, revenge on Murim Alliance and Baekcheon—priorities.
Couldn't let the Emperor snag me easily.
But riding his carriage to Beijing? No avoiding that.
"Carriage is insanely nice, huh?"
I nodded at Palgap's comment.
The other escorts rode alongside on horseback.
"So, Beijing means seeing those kids?"
"Kids?"
"The academy brats."
"Obviously..."
A thought flashed—my face broke into a grin without thinking.
Right, that could work.