The Solution (4)
My question prompted Palgap to grin as he replied,
"The cherished daughter of the Dong family has died, young master."
"Oh?"
It wasn't exactly something to smile about, of course, but Palgap knew the truth.
That death was a fake one.
And it meant our plan was proceeding smoothly.
"They say she was walking down the road when a rat suddenly darted out, startling her into a fall. And wouldn't you know it, she hit her head on a garden stone and died on the spot."
They'd schemed hard among the three of them to ensure no one could be blamed.
"So they've come here to buy a pig."
This region had a custom of holding funerals as lavishly as weddings. They'd slaughter the pig, share the meat, and console one another in their grief.
"When does the funeral start?"
"In two days, sir."
It was time to move.
I glanced around at my bodyguard warriors and said,
"This is top secret. You all understand, right?"
"Of course."
Seo-u Warrior spoke for them, and everyone nodded—including the Myeongjong Warrior and the Changun Warrior.
"I swear it on my life."
No need to go that far...
Still, it showed their commitment to keeping the secret.
A funeral two days from now meant Jaryeong Sojeo's body would arrive tomorrow.
The rites only began once the deceased was placed behind the screen.
Which meant we had to sneak in tonight.
This time, discovery wasn't an option, so it would just be me and Seo-u Warrior.
The stronger your martial arts, the less likely you were to be detected.
When deep night fell and darkness blanketed everything,
Seo-u Warrior and I headed for the Dong family estate.
True to their imperial collateral lineage, the manor was impressively vast.
Sasasak.
We vaulted the wall and slipped inside, making straight for the spot the Guijuseong Prefect had described.
The room where Jaryeong Sojeo's body would be laid.
Upon arrival, we spotted a small door in the ceiling.
Our reason for hiding here was to personally verify the Murim Alliance's confirmation of her death.
We'd discussed it with the Prefect, and he'd suggested the perfect spot.
"Jaryeong's body... Feels weird saying it like that. Anyway, in the room where they'll temporarily store the coffin, there's a small door in the ceiling. It's for a storage loft—perfect view straight down."
That was the door.
Too high to reach without a ladder, but no trouble for us.
Tat!
I leaped lightly, stuck to the wall, opened the door, and slipped in.
We left just a tiny gap to peer through and closed it behind us.
As the Prefect said, the space was decently roomy.
But thick with dust from disuse.
Still beats hanging from the rafters for three straight days.
And dust? I had a fix for that.
Wooong.
I circulated my inner energy, gathering the dust into a corner.
Much better.
And with that, our test of endurance began.
Druruk.
The next day, the door opened, and people entered.
They spread cloth over a wide table and placed the coffin on top.
"Check the deceased's condition."
"Yes, sir."
They opened the coffin.
Jaryeong Sojeo lay inside, looking every bit the corpse.
Just to be sure, I probed her energy with the barest wisp of my own inner power, careful not to alert anyone.
A faint heartbeat confirmed she was alive.
The White-Haired Divine Healer's skills were incredible.
Good thing we'd snuck in early. One of the newcomers carried the aura of a Black Path warrior.
As the group bustled to position the coffin and leave, he slyly drew a needle from his bosom.
What the—?
At the same moment, I sensed a nearby energy flinch.
Jin Yu Warrior's.
I'd left him at the river station to guard Jaryeong Sojeo and watch for anyone trying to confirm her death.
He'd trailed her here.
I sent him a sound transmission right away.
Just watch.
No poison aura from the needle.
Even if there had been, I could detox her as long as too much time hadn't passed.
I'd expected him to take her pulse, not this.
Then again, for absolute certainty of death, it was foolproof.
And his only window.
He pricked her leg with the needle.
No reaction.
Hardly any blood flowed, and what did was dead man's blood.
Ideally no wounds on her body, but unavoidable.
Satisfied, he wiped the blood with his sleeve, pocketed the needle, and left.
It all happened in seconds.
I memorized his face perfectly.
Nothing I could do now, but once he reported upward... Proclaim her dead.
I transmitted to Jin Yu Warrior.
New orders. Tail that man.
Understood.
Three days passed.
Wails echoed from outside, but no one else came to check the body.
Druruk.
The door opened again. A group entered, washed Jaryeong Sojeo's body, and sealed the coffin.
They carried it out.
Time to move.
We slipped out in the gap after they left.
Then raced to the cave the Prefect had indicated.
The Dong family practiced dongjang—entombing coffins in caves.
Ideal for the damp climate: good ventilation preserved the bodies best.
That custom made this plan possible.
The cave sat along a steep mountain path, but we entered effortlessly.
Soon, raucous voices approached.
Coffin bearers arrived and set it down.
They sprinkled liquor, lit candles, and chanted elegies. Among them: the needle guy.
Meaning Jin Yu Warrior was nearby...
There.
Any reports?
Yes. Confirmed him sending a message pigeon.
To his superiors, then.
Affirmative.
Wait—what?
I intercepted it mid-flight. It confirmed Lady Dong's death without a doubt.
You read it?
Yes. Same method as that Im Do fellow before—hiding it in a tree for the bird. Easy to check.
Ah... the tree stash and pigeon relay.
Couldn't trace the destination, though. My apologies.
Doesn't matter—that message needs to reach them intact. Counts as half the plan succeeding. Good work. Meet at the rendezvous at the sulsi hour tonight (7-9 PM). We'll move the moment you arrive.
The group finished their rites and began filing out.
Jaryeong Sojeo's brothers all looked dazed.
Her mother could barely stand from grief; the Prefect wore a heartbroken expression.
Of course, his sorrow wasn't for a real death, but for faking his healthy daughter's.
His rage and grudge against the Murim Alliance? Invaluable to me.
As the saying goes:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Even so, the sight tugged at my heart—heavy with their pain.
I'll make this right. I swear it.
Two hours after they left, with no presences left,
I opened the coffin, sliced away the mourning shroud with my dagger, and pulled Jaryeong Sojeo out.
Looking around, I saw neatly stacked bones from other remains.
Once desiccated in their coffins, they were removed and piled aside.
Otherwise, the cave would fill up.
I bowed to them first.
Sorry.
But it's to save a descendant. Lend a hand?
Now to swap in a suitable skeleton for her...
Clatter.
As if in answer, a nearby skull rolled, bounced, and landed in the coffin.
Permission granted for my future deeds?
I placed the skeleton inside, doused it with strong liquor, and lit it.
Whoosh!
The flames roared high, fueled by the booze.
Evidence destroyed.
"Let's go!"
"Yes, sir."
I carried Jaryeong Sojeo out and headed to where Palgap and the others waited.
"Young master!"
Palgap was there, somehow knowing I'd arrive.
"She's here, sir!"
He opened the carriage door. A woman sat inside.
A maid from the Dong family estate.
Someone Jaryeong Sojeo had saved before.
Accused of stealing a precious heirloom, she'd been exonerated when Sojeo found it.
So we'd asked for her help, and she'd agreed readily.
A lady's maid would draw too much attention—they stuck close to their charges.
But servant girls? Invisible. Perfect choice.
We'd brought her specifically to tend to Sojeo and change her clothes.
All men in our group.
Plus, she couldn't travel to Beijing in burial garb. We'd stop at inns along the way.
"Eg-moni!"
The maid gasped as I carried Sojeo aboard.
"Miss!"
I calmed her with a steady voice.
"Don't panic. She looks dead now, but in two days, she'll wake."
"R-really?"
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Change her into the clothes you prepared."
"Right away."
"You've heard the rest from my servant."
She nodded.
"Never breathe a word of Jaryeong Sojeo's true identity."
"I know. To protect her life."
"Exactly. But someday, she'll reclaim it. I promise."
A promise to myself, too.
Reclaiming her status meant the Murim Alliance could never touch her again.
Jin Yu Warrior joined us just then, and we departed at once.
Unlike the trip down, we took the river north to Beijing—swift and discreet.
.
.
.
Ten days passed. We were still aboard.
"No seasickness?"
Jaryeong Sojeo shook her head.
"No."
"Surprising. I figured you would."
She smiled.
"Me too."
Two days after extracting her, as the White-Haired Divine Healer predicted, she awoke.
And promptly vomited blood—the stagnant dead blood purging from her body.
Color returned, vitality surged. She moved normally now.
White-Haired Divine Healer... incredible.
"We'll reach Jenam soon."
To evade Murim Alliance eyes, we'd disembark at Jenam and head overland to Beijing.
"Cold?"
She shook her head.
"It's fine. Feeling the chill means I can really see the snow now."
"True enough. You wanted to see snow."
"Um... where will I live now?"
"I'll prepare a quiet place. You'll live there under a new name and identity."
Her new persona? I'd sent word via Gold Token to my master, asking his help.
He's known publicly as Guo Hoon Daehyeop's descendant now.
And thanks to that hidden life, folks have forgotten him—ideal cover.
Untouchable position, too.
He'd agreed readily.
"Um... I have a request."
"What is it?"
"If it's not too much trouble, could I help with the merchant group?"
"Pardon?"
"Truth is... I learned all sorts to assist my father."
Totally unexpected.
Time to test her.
"Can you do arithmetic?"
"Yes."
"The Four Books and Three Classics?"
"All of them. And..."
She listed her studies.
I couldn't hide my surprise.
She could pass the civil exams tomorrow.
And only nineteen? Mastered it all?
Her father was a jangwon-geupje—top scholar.
Inherited the best from both parents.
I gave her a test problem. She pondered briefly, then nailed the answer.
I'd focused on her foresight gift, but she was talented regardless.
I smiled.
"How about my adjutant? I could use one."