Things Gone Awry (7)
Hunan Province's Pacification Commissioner furrowed his brow and continued.
"I've thought it strange for some time now. People have been showing up already knowing about the matters I'm pushing forward with."
"Does that mean they had prior information?"
"Exactly. All sorts of people came calling. It was clear they were getting their intel from somewhere."
In my view, the Murim Alliance was feeding them that information and reaping the rewards.
"I was planning to summon you separately anyway, since I had a favor to ask."
"Of me, sir?"
"I've heard a great deal about your reputation. And aren't you the one the Murim Alliance recognizes as a hero?"
So, in other words, he trusted the Murim Alliance's endorsement.
Sigh, what a disaster waiting to happen.
Well... on the surface, the Murim Alliance did seem so righteous and just.
While behind the scenes, they were up to every dirty trick in the book.
And when they got caught? Their excuse was always the same: it was unavoidable for the greater good.
What about the innocent few sacrificed in the process?
There's one blind spot people who buy into that don't consider: they themselves could become that sacrificed few someday.
I didn't bother telling Hunan Province's Pacification Commissioner right then that the Murim Alliance was actually rotten to the core.
He'd figure it out naturally in due time.
"Is the favor you wish to ask related to that matter?"
"That, and the issue you mentioned as well. This letter makes it impossible to say there's no connection between them."
He went on.
"As payment... first, tell me. Are you a warrior? Or a merchant?"
"I'm a merchant, sir."
"Then I'll give you five hundred taels of silver as compensation."
A fittingly generous offer from a man of his stature. But to me, five hundred taels were worth less than something else.
"I appreciate it, but I'll decline the money."
"Do you seek honor, then?"
"Honor is useless to a merchant and nothing but a headache."
I continued.
"All I ask is that, should our Eunhae Merchant Group ever find itself in trouble here in Hunan Province, you lend us your aid just once."
"Is that truly enough?"
"Yes, sir."
What I'd just asked for would prove far more valuable than five hundred taels down the line.
Perfect. Screw the Murim Alliance and get compensated to boot.
"But it must be within my power to grant. You understand that, right?"
"Of course, sir. I'll make my request within bounds that won't trouble you."
"Very well. We'll do it that way."
The Pacification Commissioner readily accepted my proposal.
"First, we should investigate that tea... Isn't handling gifts to other families the lady of the house's domain? I'd appreciate it if you could look into that part, sir."
"Consider it done."
"Then I'll look into where this letter was meant to be sent. For starters, I'll spread a rumor that I picked it up."
Im Do was satisfied with his current situation.
No hard labor, good treatment, and a generous salary to boot.
But this easy life won't last much longer.
The fourth young master he served seemed to be catching on that something was off.
That Im Do was feeding information on the Pacification Commissioner's initiatives to outsiders.
Once the higher-ups received the letter he'd sent, orders would surely come down to eliminate the fourth young master.
And maybe get rid of that wretched girl too.
While working as a servant at Dongjaryeong Manor, Number Twenty-Six—who had poisoned her—had kept surpassing him, and it grated on his nerves.
If things went according to his letter, he could halt her rise.
As Im Do crossed the fourth young master's quarters on an errand, he overheard a maid chatting with a kitchen servant.
"Did you hear? That guest, Young Master Eun Seo-ho, found some letter in the inner quarters."
"A letter?"
"Yeah. Apparently, a bird sitting on a tree dropped it while flying off."
Im Do's heart skipped a beat at the conversation.
That had to be the letter he'd hidden to send to his superiors.
He pricked up his ears.
"How strange. What did he do with it?"
"Just tossed it, they say."
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank heavens it was thrown away. If it had fallen into the Pacification Commissioner's or anyone else's hands, it would've been a disaster.
Damn bird!
He ground his teeth.
Still, I need to hurry and write another letter!
The recovery news from Dongjaryeong Manor, relayed by Gui Prefecture's Pacification Commissioner's household yesterday, had shocked him.
If his report on that was delayed...
The mere thought was horrifying.
He drafted a new letter to his superiors.
But he had no intention of hiding it in the same spot. Curiosity from the rumor might draw eyes to that tree.
Truth be told, that bird is trained to come to a set location based on how I blow the whistle.
This time, he hid the letter in a tree on the opposite side.
Then he took out his whistle and blew.
Piiik!
About fifteen minutes after the shrill sound echoed, a black bird swooped down from the sky and perched swiftly on the tree.
He tied the letter directly to its leg. No mistakes this time.
Flap flap!
As he watched it soar into the heavens and turned to head back, a voice rang out.
"So it was you. The sender of that suspicious letter."
Startled, Im Do whipped around. There stood a handsome young man... and Hunan Province's Pacification Commissioner.
Got him.
The reason I'd spread the rumor that I'd found and discarded the suspicious letter was to catch him in the act with evidence on-site.
Hearing that, he'd try sending another one.
And he fell right into it.
"Wh-what are you talking about? I was just out for some air..."
Hunan Province's Pacification Commissioner, standing beside me, spoke up.
"You're the fourth young master's servant. And his quarters are quite a ways from here—why come all the way out for 'air'? Your words ring false!"
The servant dropped to the ground at that.
"Truth be told, sir, it may seem like I'm slandering my master, and for that I'm sorry—but there are circumstances."
"What circumstances?"
"Well... the fourth young master has been subtly tormenting me... so I was hiding out here for a bit."
"I see. Hah... You thought I'd buy that?"
"Pardon?"
He looked up, bewildered by the Pacification Commissioner's words.
What a piece of work.
I couldn't help but scoff.
No way the Commissioner would fall for that.
"That boy isn't the type to torment anyone. He's innately timid and meek. Oh, a father might not see his son clearly, but he's not that kind of person."
His expression turned icy as he continued.
"What insolence! Trying to muddy the waters with clever lies! The important thing is you tied a letter to that bird's leg and sent it off somewhere."
The Pacification Commissioner glanced behind him.
"Seize him."
"Yes, sir!"
Warriors rushed from the rear and bound him on the spot.
"Tell the truth! Where did you send that letter?"
Realizing excuses were futile, he showed his true colors.
"Heh heh heh. Think I'll tell you?"
"You bastard!"
The Pacification Commissioner flew into a rage.
Just before, I'd learned from him about the source of the tea Jaryeong young lady drank.
It was tea personally procured by the third son—Jaryeong young lady's fiancé.
When questioned, the third son claimed he'd been busy and asked his younger brother to handle it.
Asking the fourth son about the tea...
"My servant Im Do brought it. I tried it myself—fragrant and delicious."
Exactly.
This Im Do before me was the black hand behind it all in this household.
To uncover his backers, we needed to pry open his mouth.
The warriors binding Im Do at the Commissioner's order tortured him every which way, but his lips stayed sealed.
Well, that much I'd anticipated.
—My lord. We've located their base.
Jin Yu Warrior's sound transmission reached my ear.
—Kui!
Gold Spirit's too.
Yeah yeah, one tael later.
Earlier, when Im Do sent off the bird, I'd tasked Gold Spirit with tracking it.
And reporting the location to Jin Yu Warrior.
So, Im Do's silence didn't matter.
Then why let the Commissioner torture him?
He'd made my life hell. And caused suffering to so many others.
We still had to catch and interrogate that escaped maid too.
I wanted to make him suffer more, but time was short. No telling how his recipients' superiors would react.
"Sir, that's enough."
"What do you mean?"
"My guard has tracked where the letter went."
......
......
A short while later.
I returned to my quarters and met Jin Yu Warrior.
I'd told the Commissioner I'd investigate and report back.
"You're here."
"Yes. Where?"
"Have you heard of the Seowoon Sect?"
Where's that?
"I only learned of it myself this time, but they're the ones behind this."
"Hoo. I see. We need to deal with them quickly. If that letter reached their hands, they might go after Jaryeong young lady..."
Jin Yu Warrior looked awkward at my words.
"Ah, you don't need to worry about that..."
I followed his gaze downward.
Gold Spirit sat there.
"...?"
Noticing our stares, Gold Spirit spat something out with a ptui!.
It was a black bird, soaked in saliva and passed out.
That the one from earlier with the letter?
I untied and unrolled the letter from its leg.
Yup.
"What? How'd you fetch this?"
"Kui! Kui kui! Kui!"
I got the gist of what Gold Spirit was saying.
It had snuck into Seowoon Sect, crept up on the bird perched on their signal tower, and swallowed it whole.
"No one saw you?"
"Kui!"
"Good boy. No witnesses."
No need to rush, then. What a champ.
I stroked Gold Spirit's head.
"Ku-it?"
Oh, not working. I'd hoped petting would suffice.
I gave a wry smile, pulled out a tael of silver, and offered it. Gold Spirit snapped it up.
Still, impressive?
Gold Spirit was smaller than this bird—how'd it swallow it?
"What should we do with this bird? It's still alive, but killing it might be safer."
A thought struck me then.
Maybe Gold Spirit hadn't killed it for a reason.
Gold Spirit approached the bird and smacked its head with a forepaw. Thwack!
Flap flap!
The bird jolted awake in fright.
Gold Spirit glared. Under that stare, the bird froze rigid...
Wait. Lowering its eyes in submission?
Gold Spirit nodded in satisfaction.
Whoa...
Did Gold Spirit just make the bird its subordinate?
Well, if Gold Spirit claimed it, I couldn't just decide its fate.
......
......
That night.
I headed to the Seowoon Sect—the culprits behind this—with my guards.
It wasn't far.
About an hour by lightness skill.
They'd made a sizable manor their base.
We came to scout the number and caliber of their warriors.
If small-scale, we could handle it ourselves and report later.
We infiltrated cautiously, surveying the interior.
A vile black path aura hung in the air.
The problem was...
Far more numerous than I'd expected.
We withdrew for now.
"What are your orders?"
Seo-u Warrior asked. I sighed.
"Let me think a moment."
I sat on a stump, deep in thought.
Plenty of people there, but not all exuded black path aura.
Meaning most were ordinary folk.
Why gather normals here? This was prime farmland—mostly peasants.
They should be busy with harvest, yet armed...
Ah! I had a hunch.
Refugees from famine. And gathered like that...
One word flashed in my mind.
Rebellion.
It all fit.
A rebellion could even threaten the Pacification Commissioner's household.
No—how far did this Jaryeong poisoning plot reach?
Last time too. Why was the Murim Alliance stirring up peasant revolts?
Either way, beyond my pay grade.
"Back to the Commissioner's residence."
"Understood."
We returned and reported to him.
He immediately sent a letter to Beijing.
He lacked military authority, and preemptively crushing a non-existent rebellion required the Emperor's approval.
And the one bringing the Emperor's edict was an unexpected figure.
"Huh? Jin Yeong Daehyeop?"