The Black Alliance’s Banquet Of Ten Thousand Sounds (4)

The guest quarters were where the Black Alliance’s visitors stayed. Naturally, Neung Je-gang and his party should have lodged there, but the Ten Thousand Sounds Pavilion Lord led them instead to a place beside the guest hall.

The Bincheong, or “guest hall,” by name implied a place for honored guests, yet Neung Je-gang doubted whether they were truly worthy of such treatment.

“Now it is my turn to state the conditions I can offer.”

“If that is so, then the three sect lords will…”

“They made those promises for the sake of avenging their children, so that should be considered separate from the Black Alliance. Is there something you desire? Would you accept financial support for Hwaegye Mountain and the dispatch of warriors, as the Martial Alliance proposed?”

“My condition is one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“Zhejiang Province, where Hwaegye Mountain lies, is managing to hold off the wako fairly well. Losses aren’t nonexistent, but compared to the past, things are much better. The real problem is Fujian Province. There, even Hwaegye Mountain lacks the strength to stop the wako. It seems the pirates, sensing Zhejiang’s defenses, have shifted mostly into Fujian. What I want is your help in dealing with the wako there.”

“Fujian? Would sending warriors suffice?”

“No. What I want is not warriors sent, but pressure applied to the court.”

“The court?”

“The court has sent expeditionary forces to Zhejiang and Fujian under the pretext of wiping out the wako more than once. Yet even when armies are dispatched, the suffering of the people never lessens. The generals use their expeditionary forces not to catch the wako but to seize the common people. They treat those campaigns merely as a ladder for promotion. Since the pirates cannot penetrate deep inland anyway, they think it is fine to let them be.”

“Is that so? But when you ask us to apply pressure…?”

“I believe the Black Alliance has ties to a fair number of court officials. All I ask is that you create the authority to inspect the expeditionary forces in Zhejiang and Fujian. That will compel those units to operate properly.”

Expeditionary units acted as their generals commanded. If the right to promotion were placed under oversight, the generals would no longer toy with their troops, and the people would suffer less from the pirates.

“If that is what you request, I will see what I can do.”

The Ten Thousand Sounds Pavilion Lord did not seem to think it very difficult.

Neung Je-gang had conceived of such a condition only after seeing Cheong Yeon. Iron-Blooded Sect Lord Yang Wi-ryeong had even falsified records to save him. That suggested the Black Alliance might have deeper ties to the court than expected.

It was what his master had always said: if entrusted with command of the expeditionary generals, he would correct their mindset completely and make them perform properly.

Yet despite his renown in the martial world, Nam Yeong had no connections among the higher ranks of the court.

Now Neung Je-gang thought perhaps his master’s hope could yet be realized. If they could erase even treason charges, then surely granting an inspector’s office would be easier.

“Is that all?”

When Neung Je-gang said nothing further, the Ten Thousand Sounds Pavilion Lord asked.

“That is all.”

The Pavilion Lord sat in silence for quite some time, perhaps surprised that such a request was all.

“Haha, you truly are without greed. I am used to those who always demand more, so this is strange to me.”

For the first time, the Pavilion Lord laughed aloud. Unlike the thin smile that had lingered across his face before, it was a broad, open laugh.

“Rest. What you have asked for will be arranged regardless of the success or failure of our venture.”

“Thank you.”

Neung Je-gang found the Pavilion Lord’s words to his liking.

It stood in sharp contrast to Go Won-gi of the Martial Alliance. Even in failure, there was something to be gained here.

“Indeed, the Martial Alliance never even fed us. I had to beg for a single cup of tea. How could two men dealing in the same intelligence behave so differently?”

If Go So-jeong had heard, she might have charged at him with fire in her eyes, but the truth was that Go Won-gi had been a stingy miser.

Of course, Neung Je-gang did not take the Pavilion Lord’s words as proof of trust. He believed that such courtesy was given because the Pavilion Lord wanted something in return.

Thus the first night in the Black Alliance deepened into silence.

By dawn, Neung Je-gang set out with Go So-jeong and Majil to meet the Pavilion Lord again.

“What of the corpses?”

“What corpses do you mean?”

“Those who died, of course.”

“Ah, the corpses were buried after examination. The autopsy results are written here.”

The Pavilion Lord handed him several sheets of paper.

Neung Je-gang accepted them and read through swiftly.

“Have you traced the origin of the narcotic called Minor Soul Yin Essence?”

“Minor Soul Yin Essence was a secret formula of the Heavenly Poison Grove, a sect eradicated years ago. About ten years past, they slandered the No-Poison Sect and were annihilated.”

The Heavenly Poison Grove had a long tradition as an orthodox poison sect, but their strength could not rival the No-Poison Sect. They had accused the latter of being mere impostors, claiming the No-Poison Sect was but an offshoot of their own order and mocked the world with the name ‘No-Poison.’

Strictly speaking, they were right — the No-Poison Sect had indeed branched off from them.

But in the martial world, even the truth needed power to be upheld. The No-Poison Sect would not tolerate such insults, and the result was the annihilation of the Heavenly Poison Grove.

“Then survivors of the Heavenly Poison Grove may be involved?”

“We thought so as well. Yet we could find no information about any.”

For an investigator, saying “I don’t know” was shameful, an admission of limits.

“Are you certain the escaped servant knew no martial arts?”

“Since he appeared within the Alliance, not once has anyone seen him use martial arts. If he had any, he might be an unimaginable grandmaster.”

The possibility was ever present. Not using martial arts did not mean he had none.

“Then we can only hope that servant is indeed a grandmaster.”

“What?”

“Otherwise, the organization behind him would have silenced him already. If he were without skill, his body would be buried in some unfindable place by now.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

They could only hope the fugitive was a master — for then, at least, there was a chance of finding him alive.

“The crime scene was preserved, yes? There is no record of its inspection here.”

“The records are here. As for the scene itself, too much time has passed…”

Neung Je-gang frowned.

Preserving a crime scene was the most basic of duties. Yet here, he had no chance to see either corpses or site with his own eyes.

He accepted the sheets the Pavilion Lord offered. Written records rarely yielded much alone.

“Hm? Who conducted this investigation?”

“Chief of Bloody Veins did. He once belonged to the Eastern Depot’s Capture Bureau. He is an expert in such matters.”

Neung Je-gang nodded.

It was Cheong Yeon’s work. Every finding from the site was carefully recorded.

He recalled the days when he and Cheong Yeon had hunted criminals together in Beijing. Cheong Yeon had been the silent sort, carrying out his tasks without fail.

The notes showed the victims had died unable to resist, drugged and struck down while not in their senses.

The martial art used for the killings was Black Steel Hand, the exclusive art of Black Cloud Demon, Lord of the Black Alliance. On that basis, it was concluded that the killers of the three heirs were disciples of the Alliance Lord.

“I see. Then I must take time to consider a few matters, so I will return now.”

Neung Je-gang headed back to his quarters.

Go So-jeong, who had hardly dared open her mouth in their dealings, now pouted fiercely.

“Did you discover anything?”

Perhaps resentful of her enforced silence, she demanded the moment they returned.

“The problem is complicated. Too many things arouse suspicion… Did you notice nothing strange, Lady Go?”

“Strange? Hm. I only find it strange that an old servant with no martial skills could vanish so completely. Perhaps also that the Ten Thousand Sounds Pavilion seems far less capable than its reputation?”

“Less capable than its reputation?”

“Yes. In truth, in the martial world it is said the Ten Thousand Sounds Pavilion is superior even to our Investigation Unit. But today, all I saw was ignorance. At this rate, we might be the greater.”

“I see.”

Neung Je-gang did not share her view — he knew too little of the Pavilion’s real abilities. Yet if the truth differed from the rumors, perhaps something was being concealed.

“You must be tired. Rest now. Majil!”

“Yes?”

Even in that brief time, Majil had been training to forge his fire blade, but he turned at Neung Je-gang’s call.

“Let no one enter until night falls.”

“Understood.”

Majil rose and dropped heavily at the entrance of the Bincheong.

To see Neung Je-gang now, one first had to earn his leave.