Vol 2 Chapter 5. Past Ties Part 7

Kang Oh flipped through the pages, reviewing the bribes the Third Overseer had received over the years and listing the names of those who had given them. Four names stood out near the top.

“Seop Gil Im, Seop Gil Hoon, Seop Hoon yeo, Seop Gil Ji? “They’ve taken quite a lot.”

At Kang Oh’s muttered words, Il Woon frowned slightly and replied under his breath.

“None of those names sound familiar.”

“I thought the same.”

Kang Oh shrugged and began writing the four names on a separate sheet of paper. As he looked them over in silence, his brow furrowed. He began shifting the order of the characters and muttering to himself.

By rearranging the characters, placing what were likely surnames at the front, he was able to uncover something familiar.

“But if you combine the names like this—”

From there, things moved quickly.

Il Woon tore the sheet into strips and watched with widening eyes as Kang Oh continued, now matching the names with growing speed and confidence.

“Yeo Mulhoe, Seop Gil Ji, Ya Rak Hoon, Im Gong Jin… This is starting to look familiar.”

“Is it the Second Disciple? What would he even gain by working with the Third Overseer?”

“No. It’s not him.”

“Then…”

Il Woon didn’t finish his sentence, but Kang Oh already knew who he meant. He shook his head.

“Say no more. It’s best not to speak such baseless suspicions.”

“Yes, understood.”

Il Woon lowered his head and answered with a martial salute.

Only after spreading his qi to ensure no ears were listening nearby did Kang Oh speak again.

“I don’t believe it’s him. He may oppose me, but he would never throw away the honor and pride he’s bound to uphold.”

The First Disciple he knew was proud to a fault. There would be no reason for him to go so far as to collude with the Third Overseer through bribes.

“That’s why it’s better we investigate this separately. They say there’s no peaceful day for a tree with many branches… but if this is coming from an outside force..”

Kang Oh trailed off but kept his eyes cold as he studied the Third Overseer’s ledger of bribes.

“Is he dead?”

“Yes. On the third day after entering the mountain forest, he was torn apart by wolves.”

“I see. At least he died in pain.”

“The Third Overseer was known for his loyalty to the Lord of Heukcheon…”

Il Woon murmured quietly.

“He must have realized it too. That no matter how devoted you are, loyalty alone won’t buy you power and glory.”

Kang Oh had seen all kinds of people in his life. Even an exceptional martial artist could be a coward. A simple woman from a farming village could show extraordinary courage.

Just because someone like the Third Overseer was filled with devotion didn’t mean everything he did was good for Heukcheon.

“Submit the ledger publicly, but separate these four names.”

“May I ask why?”

“They’re the ones who gave the largest sums to the Third Overseer. But it’s unclear what they got in return. He was cautious enough to scramble their names in a hidden ledger, yet these four names show up together.”

Kang Oh tapped his fingers against the table.

“These four are connected.”

The Third Overseer may have been ruthless and blindly loyal, but he wasn’t a fool. He had still risen to the rank of overseer in Heukcheon, even if only third in line.

Had he not been consumed by insecurity over his martial abilities, he might have aimed for the Second Overseer’s seat.

Would someone like that mix only these four names without reason?

This was the same man who had accepted bribes in secret, so cleverly that even the Lord of Heukcheon never openly questioned him. A man like that wouldn’t have created a meaningless code.

There had to be a reason for him to group those four together.

“I’ll investigate their connection.”

Il Woon gave a martial salute and withdrew.

Kang Oh continued flipping through the ledger, but his thoughts drifted, as if caught by a wave, back to the one who had led him here. Woo.

Could it really be that Woo had discovered something so carefully hidden just because the Third Overseer let his guard down?

That couldn’t be.

Letting the work in his hands fall away, Kang Oh leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming.

……..

In the late afternoon, Yeryeongdang received a rare visitor.

“Third Disciple.”

It was none other than Yae Kang Oh. At his appearance, the First Overseer, Seo Mun Geumryeong, rose from her seat to greet him.

“Please, sit.”

Once Seo Mun Geumryeong returned to her seat, Kang Oh handed her a document.

“What is this?”

“A copy of the bribe ledger recovered from the Third Overseer’s quarters.”

“Bribes, you say.”

Kang Oh nodded.

“You won’t claim you knew nothing, will you?”

“We suspected as much, but couldn’t secure any proof. Several of the merchant guilds that previously supplied Heukcheon were removed, and new ones filled their place.”

“How bold of you to look the other way.”

Kang Oh gave a cold sneer. If she had already grasped the circumstances, then producing evidence would not have been difficult. In the end, that was how the dark path worked.

The word of someone powerful carried authority all on its own.

Which meant Seo Mun Geumryeong hadn’t refrained because she lacked proof. She simply hadn’t acted.

There must have been some use for the Third Overseer.

A sudden thought crossed Kang Oh’s mind. That wretched man may have survived this long by abusing Woo.

Even if he told himself it couldn’t have gone that far, the mere possibility made his stomach twist.

“He was competent in his own way. Had a sharp nose for money. Through him, we were able to filter out those with corrupt intent.”

Seo Mun Geumryeong added the comment as she organized the ledger.

“But I suppose that’s come to an end now. Don’t you agree?”

Seo Mun Geumryeong met his gaze calmly. It was clear she already knew everything. There was no way she wouldn’t, not when one of her own overseers had vanished.

Kang Oh had hoped the Third Overseer’s disappearance would shake things up in Heukcheon. But from the way things stood, he could tell Seo Mun Geumryeong had quietly taken over the man’s duties.

“Was it Master’s instruction?”

“Preventing anything that would tarnish the Third Disciple’s name is part of my job.”

Seo Mun Geumryeong’s expression was flawless, as if painted on.

“So it was Master.”

Kang Oh muttered quietly. He knew Yae Jinrang wouldn’t cast him out for killing the Third Overseer without permission. Even so, he should be reprimanded for acting without proper cause.

But it was buried. Even though no effort had been made to cover it up for the sake of public judgment.

Yae Jinrang’s affection was like a still lake that didn’t ripple even when stones were thrown into it. Even if a person were cast in, his master would simply swallow it whole without a reaction.

Even when it comes to blood relatives, he wouldn’t simply cover up their faults and let them go. All the more so in a master-disciple relationship, where discipline is stricter by nature. Yet though Yae Jinrang had raged when Kang Oh took Woo away, he had closed his eyes and ears when it came to the Third Overseer.

If they had the kind of hidden relationship that outside rumors sometimes whispered about, it might have made this easier to accept. But Kang Oh and Yae Jinrang had always maintained a relationship as clean and proper as untouched snow.

“You used the Third Overseer like a guard dog to sniff out those with corrupt intent in Heukcheon, only to cast him aside this easily.”

“All people have their use. He simply fulfilled his.”

Seo Mun Geumryeong’s expression did not shift even as she spoke those merciless words. She remained as composed and even-toned as ever, showing neither pity nor contempt for a man who had once stood as a fellow officer.

Only her lord, the Lord of Heukcheon, Yae Jinrang, would know what truly lay behind that face.

“Usefulness, is it…”

Kang Oh muttered. Just saying the word left a chill in his chest.

“I’ll handle the Third Overseer’s case and present it properly. Shall we say he was fleeing after the ledger was discovered and was killed by wild beasts in the forest?”

Forest, wild beasts. She clearly already knew everything.

“Do as you like.”

Kang Oh gave a flat reply and rubbed at his neck. It felt like an invisible thread was pulling at him. Even if it stemmed from affection, it was suffocating all the same.

Yae Jinrang poured his affection into his youngest disciple, always wanting him close. But in truth, he himself was the very reason Kang Oh kept drifting farther from Heukcheon.

Affection aside, Kang Oh couldn’t help but feel that Heukcheon was nothing more than a spacious cage.

To an outsider, it might have looked like the behavior of an ungrateful disciple who had forgotten his master’s kindness. But Kang Oh, who had never cared for what others thought, had spent ten years with his head lowered like a tamed beast, all for Yae Jinrang’s sake. A man no sword could pierce and no poison could harm, yet who seemed almost human only when standing before his youngest disciple.

Kang Oh feared nothing more than the thought of that man being hurt because of him, no matter how much he respected and followed him.

It was like hoping that a great mountain would never crumble. Like wishing that an old, rooted tree would never fall.

“Cruel as he was, the Third Overseer wasn’t stupid. So why would someone like him take such a dangerous step?” Kang Oh asked one final question.

“He must have wanted to climb higher.”

Seo Mun Geumryeong’s reply was calm. There was no trace of resentment in her voice, no reaction that might have revealed she had once been challenged by the Third Overseer’s ambition. It was as if she were speaking of someone else entirely.

As soon as Kang Oh left, the First Overseer rose from her seat, setting aside her work.

She made her way toward the residence of her lord, Yae Jinrang. Passing the outer buildings where he usually summoned his disciples, she walked deeper inside.

The detached wing she arrived at was, from the outside, as beautiful as any structure in Heukcheon. But beyond the window, the atmosphere was stark and cold. There were no signs of daily life, only the bare essentials arranged with chilling emptiness.

Unlike Heedowon, where a variety of trees had been carefully planted, the backyard here was overgrown with yellowing weeds. It was not a space meant to be seen by others. This was Yae Jinrang’s private residence, rarely visited by anyone. Even servants were forbidden to pass through.

Without guidance, Seo Mun Geumryeong pushed through the thick brush and approached her lord.

The man, seated beside a fishless pond with a fishing rod cast into the water, was reading a book. At the sound of her presence, he turned his head.

“Kang Oh brought this.”

Yae Jinrang opened the ledger and skimmed its contents. He recognized it immediately as the Third Overseer’s bribe ledger.

Kang Oh wasn’t the type to concern himself with appearances, let alone go out of his way to secure evidence. Yae Jinrang knew his youngest disciple well. If Kang Oh believed he was in the right, he never cared what others thought. If anything, what surprised him was that Kang Oh had let the Third Overseer live as long as he did.

It had been Yae Jinrang who had instructed Seo Mun Geumryeong to handle the aftermath when news of the man’s disappearance came in.

Because he understood Yae Kang Oh better than anyone, Yae Jinrang could already guess whose hand had placed this ledger in front of him. His lips twisted.

“What a filthy way to use a clever mind. Just like that woman. Using others to drag someone out like a dog.”

His voice carried a chilling undercurrent, heavy with resentment.

“What should we do?”

Yae Jinrang tossed the ledger to the floor as he answered.

“Bring him.”

He didn’t even name who. But as always, the First Overseer, the Lord of Heukcheon’s most loyal subordinate, lowered her head.

“Understood.”

---

Although it was late at night, Woo had not gone to bed. He was pacing anxiously around the room. The bait had already been set, and now it was only a matter of time before he had to face the consequences of what he had done.

As expected, Yeon Jin came looking for him. Her face was pale as if she had seen a ghost. She looked more drained than ever before, completely devoid of color. Woo felt uneasy. He understood the reason.

“Should I… go now?”

Yeon Jin kept her head down, unable to meet his eyes. Her lips, pale and trembling, barely formed the words.

“It’s my fault.”

The self-blame came out of nowhere, but Woo could tell why she said it.

“If I… if I hadn’t let the Third Disciple find out on purpose..”

Yeonjin had done exactly what the Third Disciple told her and used him as her excuse. She had been prepared to take the blame if things went wrong. What she hadn’t expected was that they would summon Woo instead.

To Yeonjin, the world was relatively simple. If she did something, she would take responsibility for it. Even if Kang Oh had factored into her plans, Woo had nothing to do with it. She had carried it out on her own.

It was reckless arrogance. No matter what she plotted or acted on, the movements of a mere servant were unlikely to escape the master’s notice. Yet, swayed by emotion, she had rushed into a half-formed plan.

Now, it was time to face the consequences. But the one paying the price wasn’t her. It was Woo.

Yeonjin found that fact unbearable.

“No, it’s not…”

Woo gently took her trembling hand. Her shaking slowly eased. Her skin was rough, but the way she held onto him so carefully brought a sense of calm.

“I was the one who made a move to meet him. Yeonjin had nothing to do with it.”

Yeonjin felt the strength drain from her body the moment she heard him say it.

He said he made a move? That didn’t make sense. Anyone could see that.

If Woo had truly wanted to meet The Lord, he only needed to say so. He had never once asked her to pass along a message.

Was he trying to comfort her, or had he really meant it?

She wanted to sink to the floor, but she forced herself to stay standing.

“We..need to go. The same place as before.”

Her voice wavered as the words came out, heavy and subdued. Woo gave a silent nod and followed her lead.

Since entering Heedowon, this was only his second time leaving its walls.

Yeonjin guided him through a secret corridor used only by servants. Woo slipped out through it and gathered his energy as he moved.

The path to the Lord of Heukcheon’s quarters was unnaturally quiet. The silence felt too perfect, as if someone had gone out of their way to make it that way. Not even the sound of insects could be heard. The night air was still and cold.

Yeonjin’s shoulders trembled now and then in front of him. Though no sound escaped her, she was clearly holding everything in. Woo said nothing, only watching her back with quiet concern.

“We’ve arrived.”

Yeonjin murmured as she stopped in front of a grove of blackened bamboo. The last time, they had met by the lake, but now a dense thicket stretched out before her.

“This should be the place… why is it a bamboo grove?”

She muttered to herself and looked down at the lantern in her hand. Its light shimmered, casting shadows that rippled like a disturbed surface of water.

“I’ll go.”

Woo stepped past Yeonjin and walked into the grove. He had already grasped what this strange shift in scenery meant.

It was a formation.

They had entered the range of the illusion array laid by the Lord of Heukcheon. That was why they saw a bamboo grove instead of a lake. Inside its bounds, only designated people or objects could move freely between what was real and what was hidden.

Yeonjin and the lantern she carried were among those allowed. Without its guidance, she and Woo would have remained trapped inside the formation forever. Even the eerie silence, the vanishing of insect sounds, was likely caused by this very illusion.

Yae Jinrang was not only skilled in martial arts but also adept with all kinds of tools and techniques. He was, in every sense of the word, a genius. Just as he could wield dark arts, he also had deep mastery of formation techniques.

No matter how narrow the path he chose, no matter how deep the night, slipping past the watchful eyes within Heedowon should have been impossible. It was only thanks to the formation that Woo was able to move unseen.

“Be careful.”

Yeonjin’s voice trembled as she watched Woo’s back. As always, he walked with a slight limp, but strangely, he looked composed. His usually hunched back had straightened, and even his shoulders, often drawn in and tense, appeared at ease. He didn’t look like someone walking into danger.

Yeonjin couldn’t tell whether it was all a trick of the eye, something her mind had conjured to reassure her, or whether Woo really would be fine. Biting her lip in growing anxiety, she stood waiting.

He passed through the silent bamboo grove, not a single broken stalk in sight, and there he saw Yae Jinrang standing ahead with his hands clasped behind his back. Woo lowered his head.

Before he could say anything, the Lord of Heukcheon spoke first.