The Jegal Clan (4)
A voice came from beyond the door.
"Father, it's Yul."
"Come in."
The door opened, and a middle-aged man with the look of someone from the Honam region entered, bowing his head.
"We have guests."
The Supreme Patriarch introduced us to him.
"Ah, make your greetings. These are the literary guests I summoned to exchange poems with—Yusoak Gong and Young Master Eun Seo-ho."
"I am Jegal Yul. Though lacking, I serve as the patriarch of this clan."
At his self-introduction, Chief Officer Yu and I quickly rose from our seats.
We clasped our hands in a formal salute.
"I am Yusoak, inner chief officer of the Eunhae Merchant Group."
"I am Eun Seo-ho, third son of the Eunhae Merchant Group's chairman."
There was a reason we hadn't been introduced to the patriarch on our first day. It was because we were guests of the Supreme Patriarch.
Typically, one doesn't deliberately introduce invited guests unless a superior is present.
They skip it for juniors as a sign of respect toward the guests.
It signifies treating the guests on equal footing with the inviter's status.
We were the Supreme Patriarch's guests, and he had no superiors.
"Welcome to the Jegal Clan. I hope you find nothing lacking during your stay."
Though far older and of higher status, he showed us full courtesy because we were the Supreme Patriarch's guests.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Patriarch."
"We appreciate it."
The Jegal Clan's patriarch seemed quite dignified and courteous.
Not frivolous, with a gentle expression to boot.
Looking at him, I could see where Jegal Yu-a's true nature came from.
Children are mirrors of their parents, after all...
He'd called him an uninvited guest, but the Supreme Patriarch's eyes brimmed with pride as he gazed at his son.
It was hard to believe that in a few years, this man would fall into qi deviation during closed-door training, unleashing a reign of terror against his own clan.
Most who fell into qi deviation had their qi and blood twist chaotically right there, leading to death.
But in the Jegal Clan's case, since their martial arts focused heavily on the mind, those afflicted became fools or went mad.
Simply turning into a fool or mildly insane would have been fortunate.
The problem was when it went badly.
They'd turn into indiscriminate murderers, slaughtering without restraint.
And the patriarch before me was just such a case.
As patriarch, his martial prowess must have been immense, and with the Supreme Patriarch dead, there'd be no one left to stop him.
Hm?
Come to think of it, something felt off.
If the Supreme Patriarch had still been alive and well when the patriarch caused that incident, would the clan's damage have been so devastating?
No.
Even if it was his own son, he would have made the decisive call for the family's sake.
They wouldn't have suffered such catastrophic losses. So the Supreme Patriarch must have been killed first.
That implied the patriarch's qi deviation was part of a scheme?
At that moment, a realization struck me.
The man before me was Jegal Yu-a's father—the one whose daughter I'd supposedly broken the arm of during last night's sparring match.
Ah...
Though the Supreme Patriarch had given tacit approval, it was still wisest to grovel when needed.
I bowed deeply in apology.
"I... I'm truly sorry. About last night, with Lady Jegal Yu-a..."
"No need to mention it. It was Yu-a's own doing—who is there to blame?"
"I'm still deeply sorry."
I apologized again, sighing inwardly.
How did things get so tangled up...?
Meanwhile, the Supreme Patriarch asked the patriarch,
"So, what brings you here?"
"Yes, Father. A letter has arrived."
"A letter?"
"It requires a hasty reply to the messenger, so despite knowing you had guests, I took the liberty of intruding."
He pulled a letter from his bosom. The patriarch unfolded it and read.
What kind of letter could demand such urgency?
Then I spotted the seal on the envelope and froze.
A cloud-shaped emblem.
It was the mark of the Murim Alliance. Meaning, that letter came from the Murim Alliance.
But,
The Supreme Patriarch's reaction to it was strange.
A fierce killing intent radiated from his body, growing ever stronger.
It was a flesh-cutting aura.
He glared at the patriarch, lips moving silently, and the patriarch nodded.
He must have used sound transmission because we were there.
"Father, the guests look unwell."
At the patriarch's words, the Supreme Patriarch glanced at us with a start.
"Oh dear! My apologies. I got carried away without realizing..."
"I-it's... fine."
Unlike me, Chief Officer Yu's face had gone quite pale.
Was killing intent that hard to endure?
I was perfectly fine.
"It seems we should end this gathering for now. Let's continue the talk over dinner tonight. This place has an enchanting evening ambiance, you know."
"Yes. As you wish."
At that moment, the Supreme Patriarch gave me an odd look.
"Young master... you mentioned wanting to observe the tea brewing earlier?"
"Yes, that's right."
At my words, he handed me something from his sleeve. A white jade plaque.
"Show this, and you can go anywhere. Feel free to take a look."
"Thank you."
.
.
.
I let Chief Officer Yu rest in the room and headed out with Palgap.
To see the tea brewing.
The Supreme Patriarch's reaction upon hearing "Murim Alliance" had been unexpected.
Clearly negative.
And the patriarch had nodded in agreement.
That explained why the Jegal Clan fell so senselessly, and why the Murim Alliance dismissed it lightly.
They'd been discarded like a worn-out shoe by the Alliance.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
The Jegal Clan's demise would be no different from losing an ally.
So, I should side with protecting them.
"This must be the tea brewing spot."
Palgap's words snapped me from my thoughts. I looked ahead—and came face-to-face with a man.
In that instant, a wave of disgust hit me.
A strange revulsion I'd never felt before.
The man before me asked,
"Judging by your attire, you're outsiders. Who might you be?"
"......"
He was asking my identity, but the unfamiliar disgust left me too dazed to respond.
"Why no answer?"
"......"
Palgap hurriedly stepped forward, bowing.
"Forgive our delayed response. This is Young Master Eun Seo-ho, third son of the Eunhae Merchant Group's chairman, and I am his servant. We've come at the Supreme Patriarch's invitation."
"Ah, I heard Uncle invited literary guests for poetry. Are you them?"
"Yes."
"I see. But this is no place for outsiders to wander freely."
"We know that. That's why we have the Supreme Patriarch's permission..."
Palgap continued,
"But it seems our young master has suddenly taken ill. We'll head back now..."
I raised a hand to stop Palgap.
"I'm fine."
My stomach had finally settled.
I could come back later, but no—that wouldn't do.
The one plotting the Supreme Patriarch's poisoning was meticulous enough to wait years for success.
If not now, while they least expected an outsider at the tea brewing area, the black rat would hide its tail.
I clasped my hands in salute to him.
"My apologies. I felt a bit unwell, so my introduction was delayed. As my servant said, I am Eun Seo-ho, third son of the Eunhae Merchant Group's chairman, invited as a literary guest by the Supreme Patriarch."
At my introduction, he returned the salute.
"I see. I am Jegal Gyeong, son of Jegal Myeong, the Hyunmu Hall Master and the patriarch's younger brother. You say you have the Supreme Patriarch's permission—may I see the token?"
At his question, I presented the jade plaque from the Supreme Patriarch.
Jegal Gyeong nodded upon inspecting it.
"It's the Supreme Patriarch's jade plaque, all right. You may enter."
He handed it back and strode off briskly.
In that moment, the disgust that had plagued me vanished.
What was that?
I almost doubted I'd felt it at all.
It made me look like I was faking illness.
Palgap eyed me curiously.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah."
"Your color returned so suddenly."
"Hm... It's nothing. Let's go in."
I brushed it off to Palgap and glanced back at Jegal Gyeong's retreating figure.
Could he be the source of that disgust?
But feeling repulsed just from seeing someone? Ridiculous!
Dismissing the thought, I entered the building marked Jaeanwon.
The hall for crafting peace...
Just from the name, I could guess what tea meant to the Jegal Clan.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Jegal Hyang, master of the Jaeanwon."
The man who greeted me was remarkably neat and composed. Upon seeing my jade plaque, he insisted on guiding me personally as the Supreme Patriarch's guest.
"This is where we sort the delivered tea once more. Even the same tea can have different grades, as you know."
"Of course."
"And we store them separately by grade. Over there is the tea storage."
I nodded.
The explanation continued, leading us finally to the brewing area.
"We brew and serve whatever tea is requested here."
"But don't many enjoy the brewing process itself?"
"As you say, brewing is part of cultivation. But our clan members love tea dearly. They go through at least five pots a day."
"At that rate, brewing must take up a good chunk of time."
"Exactly. So if you wish to brew yourself, let us know in advance. Otherwise, we prepare it here."
Places where people live are all much the same.
Even in our merchant group, we rarely brewed our own— we fetched it from the tea handlers.
I casually broached my curiosity.
"Truth be told, what piqued my interest was how delicious the tea the Supreme Patriarch served."
"I see."
"So, who brews the Supreme Patriarch's tea?"
At my question, Master Jegal Hyang pointed to a small alcove.
"Over there... oh, the attendant must be away."
The spot held brewing utensils and sealed containers of various teas.
Then someone called for the master.
"Master, you need to see this."
"Got it."
He excused himself to me.
"Pardon me briefly. Please look around freely."
"Sure. Don't mind me—handle your work."
An opportunity.
I headed to the Supreme Patriarch's brewing station. It was a separate space, but not a sealed chamber.
It was wide open on all sides.
Slipping something suspicious into the tea here?
Impossible.
And not just once or twice, but over a year of dosing without detection.
The poison had to be in specific teas only: Hwajo Cheongeum, Baejung Myeongwol, and Nokmiin with dates.
Any in others would cause reactions.
It was a finicky poison in every way.
So the simplest, safest method was one: use something already there.
Like the tea containers themselves.
As I reached for the Hwajo Cheongeum-labeled canister, Palgap subtly shielded me with his body.
Ah, good man.
I quickly opened it. Nothing suspicious visible.
Couldn't dump it out, though.
But it definitely held poison.
I pocketed a bit of leaf in my sleeve.
If the canister was tainted, so were the leaves inside.
I replaced it.
"Palgap, let's head back now."
"All done looking?"
"Yeah."
"Understood."
Back at the lodging, I asked Palgap to fetch some vinegar.
I brewed the smuggled leaves and added vinegar.
Wrinkling my nose at the sour scent, I pricked my finger with a prepared needle.
Ah, damn...
What kind of hassle is this?
I hated pain.
I squeezed a drop of blood from the wound into the cup of leaves, water, and vinegar.
Plop.
I let out a sigh.
My hunch was spot on.
The tea water turned purple. Proof of poison.
The method I'd used was well-known from the former empress's poisoning incident.
But now, no one knew how to detect this poison.
Probably only the culprit did.
Bringing it up rashly could backfire, earning suspicion.
Especially with the culprit likely inside—the frame-up would be easy.
Couldn't let that happen.
Was there anyone besides the culprit who knew about this poison?
A name flashed in my mind.
Ah!
Yes!
There was the perfect person for this.
And conveniently, not far—in western Hubei Province.
But first, secure the evidence.
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