Episode 171: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Did you say that Master Sa visited before Master Sang came here?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And you just let him in?”
The martial artists of Biyung Pavilion exchanged uneasy glances before one of them hesitantly replied.
“During the day, the head of the family instructed us to treat Master Sa with the utmost respect and allow him to use the facilities as he wished…”
Smack!
A sharp slap echoed as the martial artist’s head snapped to the side.
Ha Taesang, his face flushed with anger, shouted, “I told you to show respect, not to fling the doors open for anyone! And he was only supposed to use the facilities when accompanied by me!”
“But he insisted he would return, even if it meant waking you in the dead of night…”
“So you just opened the door without thinking? Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m sorry! But as I mentioned, all he took was a single book.”
“Silence! You fools!”
Ha Taesang struggled to contain his fury, his shoulders heaving with the effort.
The guards on duty were unaware of the secret vault’s existence, so they couldn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.
‘I can’t shake this uneasy feeling. I need to check for myself!’
Only he possessed the key. Yet, the nagging anxiety wouldn’t leave him.
Just as Ha Taesang was about to enter the secret archive to verify the gold bars, a servant rushed in.
“Master.”
“What now?”
Ha Taesang snapped irritably, causing the servant to shrink back as he reported.
“The guests are preparing to leave.”
**
Despite the chaos, Ha Taesang made his way to the village entrance to see them off.
Sabikang smiled warmly in response.
“You didn’t have to come all this way.”
“Nonsense! You’ve worked tirelessly for the justice of our alliance. It’s the least I can do. I only regret not being able to offer more assistance.”
“Your sentiment is more than enough. Haha.”
“Oh, and please accept this small token of my support for your endeavors.”
Ha Taesang quickly handed Sabikang a voucher.
Sabikang grinned widely.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have!”
“If it’s for a righteous cause, no amount is too much. I only wish I could give more.”
“Haha, well, that’s unfortunate for both of us.”
“Haha… yes… indeed…”
Ha Taesang forced a smile, suppressing the curses he wanted to hurl, while also feeling a sense of relief.
He had been worried that Sabikang might have discovered the vault, but his reaction suggested otherwise.
Still, to be sure, he probed gently.
“I heard you stopped by the secret archive last night to exchange a book…”
“Oh, I meant to mention that. I didn’t want to disturb you at such a late hour, so I went alone. I hope it wasn’t an inconvenience…”
“Not at all. Please feel free to visit us anytime.”
“Of course! The Dongbang family feels like home now.”
“Haha… is that so?”
“Absolutely. I’m grateful for your hospitality!”
“The pleasure was all mine.”
With that, Ha Taesang exchanged pleasantries with Sabikang until the inspection team disappeared from view.
He then hurried back to the family estate and returned to Biyung Pavilion.
“What are you waiting for? Open the door!”
His impatient voice made the guards fumble nervously with the lock.
Ha Taesang entered the secret archive, clutching the key tightly, and strode purposefully to the corner where a blue door appeared.
Holding a lantern, he stepped inside, nearly collapsing on the spot.
“What… what is this? How could this happen? How…!”
He staggered, shouting in disbelief.
The vault, which should have been filled with gold bars, was nothing but an empty void.
**
Crash!
Ha Taesang’s fist smashed through a table, splintering it to pieces.
The chief steward standing nearby flinched, watching Ha Taesang’s trembling, rage-filled hands.
“Damn it!”
He was on the brink of madness.
No matter how he thought about it, nothing added up.
The guards at Biyung Pavilion swore Sabikang left empty-handed.
Well, he did take a book.
Even after pressing them, they insisted they saw nothing else.
And Sang Geomak? He, too, entered and left empty-handed.
Yet the gold bars that should have filled the vault had vanished without a trace.
How could this be possible?
It wasn’t as if a ghost had spirited them away!
“What do you think?”
Ha Taesang ground his teeth, directing the question at the chief steward.
The steward, clueless about the situation, hesitated, prompting Ha Taesang to frown.
“Do you think it was the work of a ghost? Or a person?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, the steward stammered, unable to discern Ha Taesang’s intent, until he barked again.
“I’m asking you!”
“I-I think it was a person.”
The steward quickly bowed his head in response.
Ha Taesang, known for his benevolent facade, revealed his true, terrifying nature when things went awry.
The steward, aware of this, knew his real face was as fearsome as a demon’s.
Ha Taesang let out a bitter laugh.
“A person’s doing. Then it must be one of two people, right?”
“What do you mean…?”
“Two people were suspected of entering the vault last night: Sang Geomak and Sabikang. Which one do you think is more likely?”
The steward, after gauging the situation, spoke his mind.
“Perhaps… Sang Geomak, who knows about the secret vault and the key?”
“Right. Sang Geomak knows how to operate the mechanism. He knows about the key. But would he really betray me?”
He was someone Ha Taesang trusted implicitly.
Could he have really stabbed him in the back?
Yet, aside from the steward and himself, Sang Geomak was the only one who knew about the key.
If so, how did he manage to steal all that gold?
To carry out such a feat without alerting the guards, he would have had to make countless trips with the gold hidden on him.
It made no sense.
Still, he couldn’t help but suspect.
Especially since Sang Geomak and the Red Martial Corps vanished without a trace shortly after.
They were an elite unit of top-tier martial artists.
Could they have disappeared so completely without doing so of their own volition?
‘Damn it!’
Seeing Ha Taesang’s contorted expression, the steward mustered the courage to speak.
“Master, you must think with reason, not emotion. Assess the situation calmly.”
The steward knew how much Ha Taesang trusted Sang Geomak.
But he believed differently.
His philosophy was to ‘suspect those closest to you first.’
Finally, Ha Taesang lifted his head.
“Send a message.”
“Understood.”
“Classify it as top secret.”
“Of course.”
As soon as the steward finished speaking, he hurried out of the room.
Crash!
Ha Taesang slammed the broken table again, reducing it to dust.
“Sang Geomak…! Where on earth are you?”
**
Flap!
A pigeon with a message tied to its leg flew in through the window.
Gu Yoon, seated at his desk, quickly unrolled the scroll and read the densely written words, his expression shifting with each line.
After finishing, he smiled faintly and burned the message over a candle.
A subtle smile lingered on his lips.
“Good news.”
From the shadows, Biryung’s voice emerged.
“Is it from Master Sabikang?”
“Yes.”
“So he succeeded.”
“You seem to have a high opinion of his abilities.”
“I’ve seen what he’s done and continues to do.”
“Currently, Master Sa is officially stationed at Gangjin Jidan with the Cheonmyeol Corps.”
“But the Cheonmyeol Corps won’t search Gangjin Jidan, will they?”
“No. They’re just there to pass the time. Gangjin Jidan was just an excuse. For now, it’s better if the Inspection Bureau appears insignificant to the dissident forces. It might even lull them into complacency.”
Gu Yoon walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back.
“He made a request of me.”
“A request…?”
“Having lost all the funds accumulated by the Dongbang family, they’re likely in chaos. So, my task is to…”
“It’s time to catch the fish swimming beneath the surface.”
Gu Yoon nodded with a gentle smile.
“Exactly. We need to catch those fish and hand them over to Master Sa. Only then can he cook them properly.”
“But for that, Hyesung Pavilion alone won’t suffice.”
Hyesung Pavilion was an organization composed of Gu Yoon’s direct subordinates.
However, due to its small size, it struggled to gather extensive information.
The strategist nodded.
“You’re right.”
“We’ll need to mobilize Cheonan Pavilion. But currently, Pavilion Master Lee Saheum…”
“Told me to wait.”
“Excuse me?”
Gu Yoon smiled faintly at Biryung’s surprise.
“He said if I wait, they’ll come to me naturally.”
“Did he say that?”
“Yes. Master Sa did.”
“Then… it will happen.”
Gu Yoon chuckled at Biryung’s murmur.
“Haha. Yes, it will.”
**
Cheonan Pavilion was a four-story building.
On the top floor, the fourth, they send carrier pigeons to dispatch missions to informants scattered across various regions.
The floor below, the third, is where these pigeons return, bringing back information from informants all over the central plains.
Hundreds of pigeons come and go each day, and a hundred members of the organization sit at tables, analyzing the incoming data.
The initial information that arrives on the third floor is a chaotic mix, ranging from trivial details to highly significant intelligence.
Analysts sift through this jumble, assessing the importance of each piece, and categorize them into high, medium, and low priority before sending them down to the second floor.
On the second floor, another hundred analysts focus on extracting only the high-priority information, verifying its accuracy.
Once confirmed, they further evaluate the information’s significance, classifying it into top-tier and high-tier before passing it down to the first floor.
On the first floor, ten wise men review the information, add their insights, and prepare a report for Lee Sa-heum, the master of Cheonan Pavilion.
However, the wise men on the first floor had long since been replaced by Lee Sa-heum’s loyal followers.
At first glance, it might seem like a non-threatening organization, but anyone who understands the power of monopolizing information knows it cannot be easily dismissed.
Despite the critical nature of his role, Lee Sa-heum was dozing off in his office.
Just then, one of the wise men burst through the door, causing Lee Sa-heum to open his eyes groggily and lift his head.
“What is it?”
“There’s something you need to see.”
The wise man strode forward, handing over a document and whispering something into Lee Sa-heum’s ear.
As Lee Sa-heum read the document, his eyes widened.
Finally, he sprang to his feet.
“I’ll be back shortly!”