Family Head Sang Gwan Eung glared at Sang Gwan Jin-ho.
“You couldn’t even secure the house properly, and yet you were dreaming of a branch family?”
“I am ashad.”
“I’ll forgive it this once, but there will be no next ti. Do you understand what I an?”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho bent deeply at the waist, nearly folding himself in half.
“I understand.”
Sang Gwan Eung stared at him for a mont longer, then clicked his tongue once and walked out of the office.
—BANG!
As the door closed with a loud bang, Military Officer So Seok-ha turned to Sang Gwan Jin-ho and said,
“rchant Lord, the Family Head has left. Please raise your head now.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho had heard the door close and knew the Family Head had left.
But he still couldn’t bring himself to straighten his back.
It was because he didn’t want to show such a pitiful appearance in front of the officer.
“If you keep that up, your forehead’s going to touch the floor.”
Stung by the officer’s remark, Sang Gwan Jin-ho smoothed his twisted face and lifted his head.
“Officer, are you satisfied now?”
When Sang Gwan Jin-ho glared at him, Military Officer So Seok-ha gave a bitter smile.
“rchant Lord, I serve as the officer of the family. I must distinguish public from personal matters.”
That single comnt humiliated Sang Gwan Jin-ho further. With it, he was made to feel even more like a fool.
“I know well that you won’t easily let go of your grudge against , rchant Lord.”
“......”
“In truth, it was an impertinent ddling on my part back then. Saying that a pine caterpillar gets into trouble when it covets oak leaves... that was harsh.”
“You must be pleased to see that I’ve finally gotten into trouble.”
“You think too little of .”
So Seok-ha shook his head and continued.
“You know well, do you not, that becoming an officer of a noble martial family is no easy task?”
“......”
“Though you may not believe , ever since you beca a son-in-law of the family and took on the Sang Gwan surna, I’ve wished you well.”
“......?”
“That hasn’t changed. That’s why, even though I saw you report a figure half of the actual losses to the Family Head, I kept silent.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s eyes widened.
“How did you...?”
“I ca to know, by chance, that you privately borrowed one hundred thousand silver taels from Hwang Geumseong.”
Seeing the color drain from Jin-ho’s face, So Seok-ha continued.
“Still, I can’t turn a blind eye forever out of old affection. You understand what I’m saying.”
“......I do.”
When Sang Gwan Jin-ho nodded, So Seok-ha smiled faintly and said,
“Then, allow to borrow your office for a mont. I need to write a letter to the Martial Alliance.”
So Seok-ha watched Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s retreating figure as he left the office.
He could tell—without even seeing—that the man's face was twisted like a bull with a nose ring.
—THUD.
Once the door shut and he was alone, So Seok-ha approached the safe and examined it carefully.
—Clunk, clunk.
He lifted the broken safe door and matched it several tis to the fra before concluding: the fra hadn’t shifted—the door itself had been deford.
“To deform a cold iron door without the help of any fire or tools... with pure Yang Heat Force? And that from a Daoist of Samnyeonggung, Mount Wudang?”
A faint, enigmatic smile appeared on So Seok-ha’s lips.
“There’s sothing here indeed.”
****
“Grand Elder, thank you.”
Inside the tavern’s dining hall, Kwak Yeon bowed to Danmok Seong seated across from him.
“Daoist Kwak, there’s nothing to thank for. I did it expecting a return.”
Danmok Seong waved his hand dismissively and continued,
“But still, I was impressed once again by you.”
Assuming the old man was praising his handling of the Grand Scholar’s birthday banquet, Kwak Yeon replied,
“Anyone could have done as much with so thought.”
“No, I’m referring to your heart, Daoist.”
Danmok Seong sighed softly and continued,
“I brought my young lord here hoping he’d learn even half of your chivalrous spirit. Now, I’d be content if he could even reach your feet.”
It was a comnt that both praised Kwak Yeon and expressed regret toward his own heir.
“In my view, your young lord seems to be reflecting deeply. You need not worry, Grand Elder.”
“Thank you for seeing him in such a good light. And please, address as you did before—as Old Senior. Being called Grand Elder by you feels rather embarrassing.”
It was an indirect way of recognizing Kwak Yeon as a martial junior.
Kwak Yeon offered a respectful nod and replied,
“Then, if I may be so bold... I will do as you say, Old Senior Danmok.”
“That sounds much better.”
Danmok Seong laughed heartily, then said with so regret,
“Still, it’s a sha the young lord isn’t here with us now.”
The young lord, Danmok Cheong, had gone straight to her room claiming fatigue as soon as they arrived at the tavern.
“By the way, may I ask where Miss Ju’s sect is?”
Ju Yeoryeong had also retired to her room early.
At the ti, Kwak Yeon sensed she wished to avoid being around Danmok Seong, so he didn’t stop her.
Besides, her presence would have only disrupted their conversation.
“I apologize, but I do not know Miss Ju’s sect either.”
Danmok Seong asked with a curious glint in his eyes,
“You don’t know her sect and yet travel together? You two seed quite close.”
“There are reasons.”
Kwak Yeon answered vaguely, having intuited that her sect likely didn’t have a good relationship with the Danmok Family.
Danmok Seong took the hint and changed the subject.
“In any case, I’m worried the Sang Gwan Family might stir up trouble.”
“......”
“The Family Head is a hard man, but he rarely strays from the righteous path, so I’m not too worried. But the rchant Lord of Cheongwu... he’s ambitious and narrow-minded.”
“I had sensed that as well.”
Kwak Yeon had learned from dealing with I Gwal of the Black Serpent Hall that those who rely on petty sches rarely give up easily.
Danmok Seong studied Kwak Yeon for a mont before speaking.
“Would this old man be allowed a bit of nagging?”
“I’m listening.”
“If sothing happens—however unlikely—try not to handle it too harshly. Not just because of concerns over conflict with the Sang Gwan Family. People are instinctively afraid of those who’ve shed blood, no matter whose blood it was.”
“......”
“It’s a fear rooted in instinct.”
Kwak Yeon bowed deeply, having co to understand that truth himself through So Cheong.
“Thank you for your advice.”
Danmok Seong, looking at him fondly, suddenly let out a wistful sigh.
“I envy you.”
“...?”
“In my younger days, I only briefly road the martial world. The rest of my life, I was buried in the family estate. Now that I see you in your pri, I can’t help but feel a twinge of regret.”
There was a trace of deep regret in Danmok Seong’s eyes.
“Old n say foolish things. I’ll take my leave now.”
As Danmok Seong began to rise and gather his things, Kwak Yeon asked abruptly.
“Old Senior Danmok, do you play go?”
“Go? Well, I know the basics. In the family, we’re taught the Four Arts: zither, go, calligraphy, and painting.”
Nodding without hesitation, Danmok Seong asked curiously,
“Daoist Kwak, are you asking for a ga?”
“Not , but there is soone seeking a partner.”
At that, Danmok Seong thought of Grand Scholar Seol Jung-hyu. And suddenly, he realized why the Cave Daoist had so insistently held him back after dinner.
“So you an to wring the very last drop out of this old man, is that it?”
“I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. I was only throwing a fit.”
Danmok Seong chuckled and continued,
“In any case, it’s welco news for . I was just wondering how I’d pass the ti.”
****
Inside his office, rchant Lord Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s eyes burned with fury.
He had half lost his sanity.
He was enraged that the Family Head had put a blade to his neck—but that alone wasn’t enough to break him.
What had truly driven him to fury was the pitying gaze from Military Officer So Seok-ha. More precisely, the disdain disguised as pity.
‘I’ll show them. I’ll recover, no matter what.’
If sches wouldn’t work, then violence would.
Up to now, he had refrained from using force in the Sangjeon Village venture.
Because the Grand Scholar held great prestige, and his virtue was widely respected. If they weren’t careful, they wouldn’t just sully the Sang Gwan na—they’d drown it in filth.
But now, he could no longer afford such concerns.
He was on the verge of losing two hundred thousand silver taels.
Unless he gained the upper hand now and seized the weaving workshops, Cheongwu rchant House would fall.
And with it, his lifelong dream of becoming the head of a branch family—now just one step away.
Gnash!
Grinding his teeth, Sang Gwan Jin-ho spoke to the man seated before him.
“Leader Wang, whatever happens, do not kill anyone.”
“Don’t worry, rchant Lord. We of Blue Night Lodge aren’t so demonic cult. There’s no need to earn unnecessary infamy. Besides, if we’re to manage the Sangjeon Village operations later, it won’t help to make enemies.”
Blue Night Lodge Leader Wang O-geol replied brightly while watching Sang Gwan Jin-ho’s reaction.
“That said, even the sharpest blade can slip, you know. Accidents happen.”
“Make sure this accident doesn’t happen.”
“But you know our n... they’re not exactly subtle...”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho stared at him for a mont before speaking.
“This is for your own sake.”
Wang O-geol, unable to contain his curiosity, asked,
“rchant Lord, just who is this man you’re being so careful about?”
“You’ve heard of the Cave Daoist, haven’t you?”
“I’ve heard the rumors—that Wudang released a killer into the world. Ah! You an to say that Cave Daoist is in Sangjeon Village now?”
As a faction leaning toward the dark path and with ties to the Sado Union, Blue Night Lodge had certainly heard of the Cave Daoist.
“Then I’ll give extra cautionary orders.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho nodded.
“Take your entire crew and seize the operations in Sangjeon Village in one swoop.”
Wang O-geol now understood Jin-ho’s true intent.
“So as long as we don’t kill any villagers, the Cave Daoist has no justification to interfere. And since we’re taking the operations with ‘agreent,’ we can claim legitimacy.”
Sang Gwan Jin-ho didn’t tell him about the other plan he had in motion.
Because it had to look like sothing completely unrelated to Cheongwu rchant House. He felt bad for Blue Night Lodge, but that couldn’t be helped.
Now that he’d unleashed the Blue Night hounds, it was ti to ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) open the cages of the true hunting dogs he’d raised with care.
“rchant Lord, did you summon ?”
Not long after Wang O-geol left, the kennel master entered the office.
After giving detailed instructions, Sang Gwan Jin-ho said,
“In any case, it must look like the Blue Night scum did it.”
“We’ll prepare accordingly. Clothing, appearance, and weapons will all match theirs.”
“Once the Blue Night thugs start making noise in the marketplace, that man will surely go there. That’ll leave just a few clueless bumpkins near the Grand Scholar. And after killing that old man, don’t forget—tear the place apart. Completely.”
“Understood. That way, it’ll look like they did it for loot.”
Nodding, Sang Gwan Jin-ho added,
“After the job’s done, your team will leave for Hangju imdiately. I’ll call for you when it all settles.”
“rchant Lord, is that necessary?”
“There might be so idiots who recognize your faces.”
“You really are ticulous, sir.”
That’s how I rose to this seat.
Sang Gwan Jin-ho swallowed the words rising to the tip of his tongue as he looked at the kennel master in admiration.
If it ca to it, the hunting dogs might have to be slaughtered too.
There was no reason to warn them ahead of ti.
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