Seeing The Demon (4)

An alley near the River Dragon Grand Pavilion.

Han Cheol-sang appeared before Jin-hyeon, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

“Patriarch.”

“You’re here.”

Jin-hyeon gave a snort of laughter as he read the letter Han Cheol-sang handed him.

“So this is what it’s like when things start falling into place.”

“Wasn’t this part of your intent too?”

“Intent, my ass. How would I know he’d go to the Vice Branch Master?”

“You knew perfectly well.”

Han Cheol-sang sounded certain.

“Wasn’t it from the start that if you sent Supreme Patriarch Gyeong Hang toward the Investigation and Defense Court, they’d notice?”

As he folded the letter back up, Jin-hyeon’s face showed neither excitement nor ease.

“Divine Iron’s intelligence is strong, but not enough to dare watch people of the Branch. But Gyeong Do-cheon actively runs assassins. Assassins gather information on a different level than ordinary intelligence groups.”

“So how did you even know that…”

“Be it back during the Eight Wastes Alliance days or now, assassins move the same way.”

Han Cheol-sang shut his mouth without realizing it.

“Of course, they might not have noticed. That’s why I planned to move the Supreme Patriarch around a lot. I didn’t think they’d catch it in one shot like this.”

“Doesn’t that mean the assassins he runs are that capable?”

“Right. And there are far more than I expected. If I didn’t know this, I would’ve pegged the number of his assassins at around fifty. I was wrong. He’s running numbers that are practically on the level of an entire assassin organization.”

Han Cheol-sang felt a chill run down his spine.

Not because of Gyeong Do-cheon, but because of Jin-hyeon. He had tossed out a fishing line like it was nothing, then laid out in his head whether the bait would be taken or not, and how he would respond depending on the outcome.

He’d known for a while that the man left no openings. But his read on situations were frighteningly sharp. It wasn’t just good discernment. You needed a truly brilliant mind.

“What about the Vice Branch Master matter…?”

“He went to the Investigation and Defense Court Master’s office. How would that bastard touch him there? There’s only one way. He’ll use the man he’s been feeding money under the table to somehow pull him in.”

“Gyeong Do-cheon won’t know who took the Supreme Patriarch. Wouldn’t he think the Investigation and Defense Court Master is helping?”

“Therefore, to get to the bottom of that, he needs Woo Gyeong-baek. Still, he likely never truly suspected the Investigation and Defense Court Master. It’s too far-fetched.”

Han Cheol-sang nodded along, then tossed out a line.

“Even with the Black Society’s intelligence, it wouldn’t have been easy.”

“What?”

“That Gyeong Do-cheon was paying Woo Gyeong-baek under the table.”

“They knew about all the money spread elsewhere besides Woo Gyeong-baek. That side is hard to monitor too.”

“Then how did you know about the relationship between Gyeong Do-cheon and Woo Gyeong-baek?”

“Mun Jung told me.”

Jin-hyeon looked toward the River Dragon Grand Pavilion.

It wasn’t far. Close enough that with his ability, he’d be there before he could count to ten.

Gyeong Do-cheon was there.

Seureuk!

Jin-hyeon’s hair wriggled on its own, then went still.

“The River Dragon Grand Pavilion is the Branch Chief’s masterpiece.”

“?!”

“It’s not that outstanding at gathering information from elsewhere. But for information circulating inside the limited space of the Sichuan Branch, no organization can match the River Dragon Grand Pavilion.”

“Ho.”

“What Mun Jung said is true. He vowed long ago to change Sichuan. The beginning of it was that River Dragon Grand Pavilion.”

“Then does that mean the Branch Chief has all the secret information on the power-brokers inside the Branch?”

“Not all of it. The stronger the power, the better they get at hiding secrets. But within the Branch, he probably has more information than Black Society.”

Han Cheol-sang gave a bitter smile.

“Right. It would’ve been impossible to take the entire Sichuan Branch with information alone.”

More than half of those assigned to the Sichuan Branch would have backing. For Mun Jung to change Sichuan, he would have needed to be able to handle them, and their backing too.

If he had fought fiercely at the cost of his life, he would’ve gained results. But Mun Jung was tired. Once someone is tired, they lose confidence easily.

“And Gyeong Do-cheon?”

“Branch Chief Mun is sharp. He’s got him held down, insisting they drink until their noses go crooked.”

“Good. Now all that’s left is contact from the Black Society…”

Before the words were even finished, the two men’s gazes changed.

“He’s here.”

“So he is.”

A moment later, Dam Jun approached from far down the alley.

“It’s been a while, Teacher.”

“You’re here, Pebble.”

“I told you I’m not Pebble.”

“Whatever.”

Still, he seemed glad to see them after a while. A plain smile touched Dam Jun’s face.

“The Gold Pillar says everything is ready.”

“I found out this time, the number of assassins is far more than we expected…”

“A total of two hundred seventy-five.”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes widened.

“You investigated all that?”

“Yes.”

“Impressive. If it was like that, I should’ve just gone and asked.”

“No. I didn’t count them one by one. I was able to grasp in one go how ‘those bastards’ ended up under Gyeong Do-cheon.”

Those bastards.

Familiarity seeped into his tone. Jin-hyeon asked.

“You know them?”

“Yes.”

Dam Jun’s expression hardened sharply.

Jin-hyeon didn’t ask more.

“You said you can take responsibility, so I’ll trust you and proceed again.”

“Don’t worry. There are a few even around here right now. We’ll deal with those first, then head straight to the Divine Iron Merchant House and render every assassin useless.”

He didn’t say he’d kill them. He said he’d make them useless.

It amounted to the same thing, but Jin-hyeon stored away that subtle difference in Dam Jun’s tone.

“But for that, Teacher, you’ll have to move with us too.”

“Of course. I’ll bring the Supreme Patriarch and open the front gate.”

“There are assassins all along the roads leading to the Merchant House as well. We’ll follow behind, dealing with them one by one.”

“Good.”

Jin-hyeon slowly turned his neck.

He’d held one posture too long, and an ‘Udeuk! Udeuk!’ cracking sound popped out on its own.

“Let’s go, Brother Han.”

“Let’s.”

After receiving Han Cheol-sang’s letter, the Investigation and Defense Court Master handed Gyeong Hang over at once.

Gyeong Hang’s expression was far calmer than Jin-hyeon’s.

“Did it go well?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You worked hard.”

Jin-hyeon knew Gyeong Hang’s calm was something he was forcing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to rein in his trembling chest.

At some point, Jin-hyeon and Han Cheol-sang were dressed in constable garb. Both wore the uniform of special constables, with a black hood that covered their heads and a black face mask that covered below the nose. Only their eyes were visible.

“Let’s go.”

And so the three took the Investigation and Defense Court’s escort carriage and headed for the Divine Iron Merchant House.

Perhaps it was specially outfitted, the inside of the carriage was quiet.

“I didn’t know.”

Looking out the window, Gyeong Hang spoke as if sighing.

“That you had ties with someone that remarkable.”

“…”

“As far as I know, the Investigation and Defense Court Master is a proud and greedy man. Of course, by rank, he has no choice but to bow to the Branch Chief. Still, I didn’t know he’d live and die by the Branch Chief’s orders this easily.”

“Seems like the Branch Chief has him by the collar.”

“Is that so?”

“…”

“Right. That could be.”

In truth, that wasn’t what mattered to Gyeong Hang.

Gyeong Hang shook his head with a long sigh.

“I feel awful.”

Jin-hyeon felt he understood.

It was a clan he had belonged to his whole life. He had created a policy, out of greed, to push the Gyeong family line as the legitimate line and make them Patriarchs. That only made his attachment deeper.

And now he was on the way to overturn that place. With his grandson, of all people. His feelings couldn’t be simple.

“Regretting the past has no meaning. I know that, but I’m truly sorry to the blacksmiths who know nothing.”

Divine Iron’s blacksmiths held powerful influence, yet they never once stuck their heads into the clan’s politics.

If even they stepped into politics, the clan’s future would darken. So through generations, they lived strictly as craftsmen.

Thanks to that, they didn’t even know the clan had reached such a state.

“I should’ve at least tipped them off.”

“Can’t we explain the circumstances after everything is settled?”

Gyeong Hang looked at Jin-hyeon.

“Se-hwi.”

“Speak.”

“Do you truly intend to fulfill the deal with In-geol?”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t a flicker of hesitation. Gyeong Hang sighed again.

“What else can I say at this point? Still, as you know, they spent their whole lives in the clan, swinging their hammers. Doing that to them… it may be a bit too harsh.”

“Divine Iron is already dead.”

Gyeong Hang felt dizzy.

“Even if they gather in a dead place and swing their hammers, the glory of old won’t return.”

“…”

“Now each and every one of them has to live their own life.”

“And you?”

“…”

“Can’t you take them in?”

Jin-hyeon smiled faintly. With the mask, you couldn’t see it well.

“If they choose to rely on me, I’ll help with all sincerity. I should welcome it with both hands. If they become members of the clan I built, it will be an honor.”

He had heard about the clan, so he knew.

Gyeong Hang was deeply surprised, and worried. But he truly hoped the clan his grandson was building would do well. At the very least, he hoped he wouldn’t repeat the same path as him.

“If your thinking is like that, I won’t argue on this matter either.”

“Thank you.”

“But before we reach Divine Iron, there’s one thing I want to say.”

“I will listen respectfully.”

Gyeong Hang’s expression turned solemn.

“A clan isn’t a place only for those tied by blood. Like you told this grandfather before, even without blood, one can become family. Like you and me.”

Han Cheol-sang lowered his head without meaning to.

He had come to know Jin-hyeon better than anyone, but hearing his grandfather speak like this, he felt he finally understood why Jin-hyeon built a clan rather than a sect.

This young Patriarch shared blood with no one. Yet even without sharing blood, one could become one.

He had become the first member of that clan.

“This grandfather failed. No, both this grandfather and that adoptive father of yours failed. But even though our two selves brought the clan to this state, there’s one thing I never forgot.”

“What is it?”

“The mouth.”

“Yes?”

“The family members’ mouths are the reason a Patriarch exists.”

“What do you mean…”

“A Patriarch must put food into their family members’ mouths so they don’t starve. And that hunger isn’t only a matter of the stomach. You must always strive and act so their hearts don’t starve.”

“…”

“At the same time, you must try to accept even blunt words sweetly. In the end, a Patriarch must keep watch over the mouths of those who make up the clan.”

“The mouth…”

“Put food into their mouths. Don’t take lightly the words that come out of their mouths. A Patriarch needs more qualities than you can count, but the most important virtue is still the mouths of your people.”

A small smile fell over Gyeong Hang’s solemn face.

“That’s all I wanted to say.”

Jin-hyeon bowed his head.

“I will never forget this.”

“Well said. Still, hearing my grandson say he’ll build his own clan in that harsh Kangho of a Murim, I feel great pride as a grandfather, even before any guilt that I couldn’t help.”

Gyeong Hang closed his eyes.

“I’m tired. Let me close my eyes for a bit.”

“Please do.”

After the conversation ended, Jin-hyeon turned his gaze out the window.

Heavenly Wolf Qi pulsed faintly. He could feel someone trailing the carriage. And he could also feel someone else beginning to catch them.

But right now, the assassins’ presence didn’t matter to Jin-hyeon.

‘The mouth…’

A gateway of life, and a doorway of ruin.

And so, all the more, the place he had to watch.

Like Gyeong Hang, Jin-hyeon’s contemplation grew long.

Two hours later.

The carriage reached the Divine Iron Merchant House.