Chapter 62

“That is all for today’s report.”

Seong Yu-geon, Inner Hall leader of the Glorious Flower Manor’s Supreme Harmony Hall, finished and prepared to leave. But the Family Lord, Bukgung Cheon, did not dismiss him. Normally Bukgung Cheon sent guests away the moment business concluded; today, inexplicably, he simply stared at Seong Yu-geon.

“Is there something you wish to instruct…?” Seong Yu-geon hesitated, then spoke.

“Is there no news from Flying Swallow Manor?”

Seong Yu-geon was taken aback. Bukgung Cheon rarely asked direct questions; he trusted his subordinates to report and dismissed those who failed. He paid even less attention to his children’s affairs—whether they embezzled, squandered money, or caused trouble was not his concern unless it threatened the main family’s interests. It was a policy of complete laissez-faire.

“Hall leader, I asked if there is any news from Flying Swallow Manor.”

“Yes? Ah, yes… Um. I heard recently that at Namsa Lake the Southern Four Alliance, Flying Swallow Manor, and Solitary Cloud Manor clashed…”

“I have already heard that.”

“Yes, I’m sorry. It seems the friction with Solitary Cloud Manor continued. This time Solitary Cloud Manor invited the Zhuge and Hwangbo families to a martial contest, but a warrior originally from Flying Swallow Manor attended in disguise.”

“…Continue.”

“Because of that one warrior, relations between the two great families and Solitary Cloud Manor were gravely damaged. There are reports that the Zhuge family’s eldest heir was nearly poisoned during the contest. As a result, the heirs of both families declared they would sever ties with Solitary Cloud Manor. Solitary Cloud Manor has lost a major backer.”

“I see.” Bukgung Cheon stared at his inner steward. “My question was about Flying Swallow Manor. Why are you talking about Solitary Cloud Manor?”

Seong answered without flinching. Repeating questions and probing were part of Bukgung Cheon’s method.

“If the lord of Flying Swallow Manor begins to expand his power, friction with Solitary Cloud Manor is inevitable. Solitary Cloud Manor’s support is weaker than most. Flying Swallow Manor has also established a foothold in Shandong because of the Namsa Lake incident, so the two can’t be separated.”

Silence followed. Then, calmly: “You are correct.”

Seong Yu-geon exhaled in relief, but there was no time to relax. The Family Lord’s questions continued.

“So what do you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“How will Solitary Cloud Manor react after losing its backer?”

Bukgung Cheon often asked retainers for their opinions not merely to hear them, but to gauge and test the asker.

“They will probably try to resolve the matter: send letters of apology to the two great families, pay compensation, and smooth things over…”

“What level of compensation would account for the life of the Zhuge family’s young heir?”

Seong Yu-geon was at a loss. “I’m sorry—”

“What is there to be sorry for? That was only my prediction.”

But the Family Lord’s judgment was rarely wrong; his foresight could be astonishing.

“The Hwangbo family is the same. The Hwangbo value loyalty and brotherhood. This incident will have shattered their trust in Solitary Cloud Manor.”

Bukgung Cheon sounded pleased. As Inner Hall leader, Seong found it hard to fathom—was the Family Lord implying the two great families had effectively turned away from the main house? The notion strained his mind.

“Shall we send letters to the two great families in the name of Glorious Flower Manor?” Seong asked.

“Why?”

Seong’s thought—Wouldn’t it be a shame to let them go like this?—rose to his throat, but he swallowed it. That restraint proved wise.

“Hall leader, would you lament if we moved money from the left pocket to the right?”

“…Yes?”

“Although the two great families cut ties with Solitary Cloud Manor, that opens a relationship with Flying Swallow Manor. Where did I first learn of this?”

“Ah…!”

The place that exposed Solitary Cloud Manor’s methods was Flying Swallow Manor. Though the two great houses severed ties with Solitary Cloud Manor, that severance created opportunity with Flying Swallow Manor. Broadly speaking, both Solitary Cloud Manor and Flying Swallow Manor were among the Bukgung Family’s holdings.

Seong Yu-geon inwardly admired the Family Lord’s insight.

“Then, Family Lord, what do you intend to do?”

“Do what?”

“…Are you content to let Flying Swallow Manor gnaw away at Solitary Cloud Manor’s power like this?”

Seong knew that Bukgung Bi-beom lacked the stature expected of a Family Lord. But even a lesser fish is still a fish: Bukgung Bi-beom was his son, and the lord of Flying Swallow Manor, Bukgung Yoon, was his daughter—the youngest daughter who could not become Family Lord. Seong thought it better for the Family Lord to step in and clearly sort the ranks rather than let unnecessary strife fester between his children.

Bukgung Cheon’s answer surprised him.

“Why not?”

“Are you alright if Miss Yoon devours Solitary Cloud Manor and grows powerful? Even if she aspires to become Bukgung Family Lord?”

A rare smile spread across Bukgung Cheon’s face. “What meaning does gender have for the lord of the world’s greatest family?”

Un Ji-kang had a dream. In it, he screamed—No! No! Nooooooooo!

Solitary Cloud Manor burned. His life, his goal, his home—everything he had built—collapsed into flames. He rushed through the manor trying to smother the inferno, shouted the names of the Lonely Claw Troops until his throat burned, but no one came. The flames licked at him; he ran like a mouse while the fire crept onward. No matter how he fought, the blaze consumed everything—his throne, his ambition, his power.

He clenched his fists until his nails bled and bit down so hard his molars ached. The flames swelled and, mockingly, formed two faces: Yeon Mujin, leader of Flying Swallow Manor’s External Protection Troops, and the Bukgung Family Lord’s daughter. The inferno’s roar sounded like their laughter.

Un Ji-kang screamed at the blaze: Do you think I’ll collapse like this? Everything I built through a lifetime of effort—do you think I’ll let the two of you take it all away quietly? You… “…Damn bastard sons of bitches!”

He woke with a ragged breath. His bedding was damp with sweat; his hands and nape were slick. Even with his eyes open, the nightmare had not ended—his world was actually crumbling.

He splashed water on his face and tried to orient himself. At first it had been a minor disturbance: one spy planted in Flying Swallow Manor was compromised. They could have cut it off and pretended ignorance. He hadn’t worried much at first; such a loss was small to a great power like the Bukgung Family.

Where did it go wrong? The next blow struck at the Wang Merchant Union connected to that spy—the hall where Un Ji-kang had kept gold bars and corpses, the treasures he’d stockpiled to seize the family: jewels for corpse-cultivation techniques. In the ruins of the Wang Merchant Union, standing before the lost treasures, he vowed to find and kill whoever had done this.

“It was surely that bastard’s doing as well.”

The Southern Four Alliance, then the Zhuge and Hwangbo families—everything he had built as an altar to sit on the throne was collapsing because of a petty, vulgar, mediocre, nameless wanderer swordsman.

“Yeon Mujin.”

As Solitary Cloud Manor faltered, Flying Swallow Manor’s prominence only rose. Only now did Un Ji-kang truly see the man as a leech sucking his blood.

“I must kill him to survive.”

No—Solitary Cloud Manor must survive, for Un Ji-kang was Solitary Cloud Manor.

He rose and stepped into the corridor. Shadows lurked in the dark as he walked.

“Has everyone gathered?”

“The Lonely Claw Troops’ gold members have all assembled under the leader’s orders.”

“Let’s go.”

Un Ji-kang walked toward the lord’s bedchamber. Windows dotted the corridor; with each he passed, two, three, four shadows fell in behind him. By the time he reached the last window and the door, eighteen shadows followed—eighteen remaining elite warriors of the Lonely Claw Troops, the gold members he had raised at the cost of his life.

At their front stood Black Fang Unit leader Un Cheon-mok.

There was no sound when the door opened. Un Ji-kang whispered at the bedside of the sleeping lord.

“Lord of Solitary Cloud Manor.”

“Hm? Who… ugh!”

Bukgung Bi-beom, dozing, woke with a scream. Eighteen pairs of eyes watched him from the dark.

“Lord of Solitary Cloud Manor. I fear I’ve been gone far too long.”

“W-who… wait, Commander Un?”

“I was not originally this sort of person. It seems I’ve been trapped in this narrow manor too long.”

“What are you saying all of a sudden? No, what is this commotion at this hour?”

“This old man has no patience by nature. Yet I’ve endured enough cleaning up after a stupid wretch like you.”

“Commander, are you mad? Are you threatening me now?”

“No. The time for threats passed long ago.”

Un Ji-kang signaled with his eyes. A coarse sackcloth snapped over Bukgung Bi-beom’s face.

“Ugh! Aah…!”

His scream was muffled; Un Cheon-mok struck the back of Bukgung Bi-beom’s neck and rendered him unconscious.

“Tsk.”

Un Ji-kang looked down at the senseless man like a worm and spoke to Un Cheon-mok. “Can he be turned into a jiangshi?”

“We can attempt it, but it may be difficult while he’s still alive.”

“What’s the chance?”

“About sixty percent.”

“That’s sufficient.”

He asked another gold member, “Any other corpse that can be used to disguise as the lord’s body?”

“They’re being transported as quickly as possible.”

“How far have they come?”

“They will arrive in three days.”

“Good.”

All preparations were in place.

“In three days, the kidnapped Lord of Solitary Cloud Manor will be found under Flying Swallow Manor’s protection. As retainers serving our lord, we will do everything to retrieve him. After tending to him with the utmost care, we will restore the lord’s life. Understood?”

Clack!

In the dark, the gold members responded with the sharp sound of palm strikes. A revived Bukgung Bi-beom as a corpse-servant would be different from before, but in Un Ji-kang’s estimation he could hardly be any dumber.

At that moment, Yeon Mujin stared at the stolen Un family pill. “Finally it’s fallen into my hands. I’ve gone through hell looking for you.”

He sighed at the torment he’d endured to obtain the tiny pill.

“Become my internal qi willingly.”

Yeon Mujin opened his mouth and swallowed the pill.

(T/N: Previously was Yeon; now turned to Un—i.e., Un Ji-kang’s family—according to the new chapters.)