Chapter 50
Chapter 50
"Why on earth…"
He looked as if he wanted to ask why Seo Mugyeom had suspected Un Jongak in the first place, but he stopped himself. He had asked that question before and already received an answer from Seo Mugyeom.
Seo Mugyeom was glad he stopped. He couldn't reveal that he had lived through all this once before, and he wanted to avoid lying to the Division Leader if at all possible.
"Go and get some rest. Starting tomorrow, you’ll have to stay tense. You’ll be far more exhausted than usual."
Even once they arrived at the Divine Martial Sect, there would be no room to relax—because of the matter of taking Ak Seol-ah.
Seo Mugyeom turned back just as he was about to leave after giving his farewell.
"Division Leader, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For going through all this trouble and hardship because of me."
"You mean about Young Mistress Ak?"
Pyo Inhaeng smiled. It was a thanks he deserved to receive. In truth, even he didn’t know why he had taken on such a troublesome task.
What did it matter to him what became of Ak Seol-ah? What did he care if Seo Mugyeom and Ak Seol-ah longed for each other with aching hearts?
Even if Seo Mugyeom later claimed he had done it out of sympathy, anyone who knew Pyo Inhaeng would never believe that.
"Just don’t go saying you want to transfer to the First Division later. I’m keeping you hostage in the Tenth Division so you can’t change your tune then."
Seo Mugyeom chuckled and nodded.
"Understood. Didn’t I already say so? I might leave the Tenth Division someday, but I’ll never leave you, Division Leader."
"Don’t say such creepy things. You should be saying that kind of thing to a woman—why are you saying it to me?"
Pyo Inhaeng shivered as if he were truly disgusted, and Seo Mugyeom burst into louder laughter before finally exiting the tent.
Before arriving at the Divine Martial Sect, Pyo Inhaeng halted all the people who had participated in the mission and gathered them close.
It was a secluded area with no foot traffic, and such places would be rare beyond this point.
Everyone could tell from his demeanor that the Division Leader had something important to say.
"The fact that Young Mistress Ak is alive is a secret. Don’t trust anyone outside of those here—including others in the Tenth Division."
He glanced at Ju Jirang and added that the same applied to the Ninth Division.
From the tone of Pyo Inhaeng’s voice, they could tell just how seriously he regarded the matter.
"I considered having Young Mistress Ak wear a human-skin mask and teaching her disguise techniques."
At that, Ak Seol-ah lowered her head.
Pyo Inhaeng had tried to teach her disguise arts, but it hadn’t worked. It required internal energy, and though she had barely formed her dantian, her internal energy was virtually nonexistent.
Even if she managed to learn disguise, she would only be able to maintain it for an extremely short period.
"Using a human-skin mask isn’t easy either. High-quality ones are extremely expensive, and after some time, the adhesive comes loose. Up close, people can tell it's a mask—and the Guardian Ten Division will definitely recognize it."
The group now understood that even the smallest details needed to be handled with care. Nothing about this situation would be easy, and worry began to show on their faces.
"So for now, she’ll wear the mask only during entry, just in case. Once we’re inside the Tenth Division's base, we’ll keep her hidden. When we return to the Divine Martial Sect, I’ll make her my personal attendant and have her run my errands. From that point on, she will go by a different name."
Pyo Inhaeng looked around at everyone as he continued.
"Her name will be Yang Soso. Let’s say she’s the daughter of someone I knew whose family was slaughtered, both parents dying on the same day. Her mother was my beloved, and I suffered a sorrowful parting. That should keep people from prying too deeply about Soso. What do you all think?"
Seo Mugyeom admired how far the Division Leader had thought this through. Everyone nodded, agreeing it was a good plan.
"Soso barely survived when the murderer attacked. Her mother hid her at the last moment, but she heard everything from where she was hiding. Because of that trauma, she fears people and is extremely wary of strangers. So I keep her near me, helping with personal affairs, and don’t let her appear before others."
Pyo Inhaeng looked around as if to ask whether they thought others would accept the explanation or spot any holes in it.
The warriors of the Tenth Division all nodded seriously.
"You’re saying this is mainly in case the First Division Leader or the Sect Leader starts questioning, right, Division Leader? I think it’s a very solid plan. Even if someone finds out who Young Mistress Ak is, no one would dare criticize you for it. Only the First Division Leader or the Sect Leader might be a problem."
As Ho Jo-yeong spoke, others nodded in agreement.
"Frankly, even the First Division Leader doesn’t really put pressure on you. He probably won’t be an issue either. It’s the Second, Third, and Sixth Division Leaders who are always itching to take you down."
"True, but even they know they can’t handle our Division Leader in a direct fight. If you watch, they provoke him but never go all the way. If it looks like things might get serious, they make excuses and back off."
Pyo Inhaeng found their banter amusing. It was clear that everyone already understood these dynamics.
"So should we start calling Young Mistress Ak ‘Soso’ from now on?"
Ju Jirang asked, and Pyo Inhaeng nodded.
"Soso, I’ll be counting on you."
Ju Jirang spoke first, and Ak Seol-ah nodded with a nervous face.
Seo Mugyeom gave her a warm smile, and Ak Seol-ah seemed to draw comfort from it.
"I trust you’ll all do well, but this is not a request—it’s an order. If anyone disobeys or accidentally reveals Young Mistress Ak’s identity, they will be severely punished. If it’s discovered, that person will be found headless. Keep that in mind."
Ak Seol-ah was startled, but she was the only one surprised by those words. Everyone else had been threatened like this countless times before. And even if the Division Leader hadn’t spelled it out, they all knew it would come to that.
Ak Seol-ah now understood just how frightening these people really were.
"Mugyeom, I hear you’ve been teaching Soso martial arts. Make sure you continue her training diligently."
"Yes, Division Leader."
"Now, on to the matter of Vice Leader Ju."
At those words, both Ju Jirang and Ho Jo-yeong stiffened.
If anything, Ho Jo-yeong looked more nervous than Ju Jirang.
Pyo Inhaeng found that ridiculous and burst out laughing. He had sent them on a mission, and they returned like a pair of lovebirds. Not once had he thought it would be nice to gain more subordinates this way.
"The Ninth Division is full of people who want the Vice Leader position, so no one will mind if Vice Leader Ju transfers to the Tenth Division."
"Indeed."
"Are you sure about your decision, Vice Leader Ju?"
"Yes."
Ho Jo-yeong couldn’t hide the smile creeping across his face.
Pyo Inhaeng disliked that expression and briefly considered not accepting Ju Jirang into the Tenth Division. Everyone could tell what he was thinking.
They signaled Ho Jo-yeong to knock it off, and he bit his lip to stop smiling.
Seo Mugyeom watched the exchange with amusement.
By now, the tension among them had eased. Pyo Inhaeng gave them all one last look.
"We failed the mission. We were ambushed while passing through Black Dragon Keep without warning. In the heat of battle, we lost Young Mistress Ak."
He drilled this false story into them again. Though it was something they had already reviewed many times on the way, everyone listened carefully and nodded.
"Yang Soso, if you're ready, let’s move out again."
"Yes, Division Leader. I’m ready."
"Good. Then let’s go."
And with that, their procession began to move once more.
A noblewoman, radiating dignity, sat inside a room. Outside the beaded curtains, a man stood drenched in nervous sweat.
He hadn’t even been permitted to sit.
Even mentioning that he had been standing there for over two double-hours would be an audacity beyond imagination.
"The lamb noodle soup made by Wang Suksu is always delicious. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager often spoke of it. She said she missed the lamb noodle soup served here."
The noblewoman—niece of the Empress Dowager—sipped her soup as she spoke.
She sounded so leisurely that it almost seemed she had forgotten someone was standing outside.
"Wang Suksu deserves a reward. Her Majesty might covet everything I own, and I would give it—but Wang Suksu is one I won’t part with. What joy would life hold without her?"
Her voice was full of refinement, but the man outside knew all too well how cruel it could become.
He had no idea what sentence might be passed on him in that voice, and the anxiety nearly drove him mad.
Though his family’s fame and influence had waned, he was still the Head of the Ak Clan. For Ak Dongcheon, the idea that his fate now hinged on a single word from an old noblewoman was unbearable.
"Clan Head Ak, are you still there?"
The noblewoman spoke as if she had forgotten he was there, though she clearly hadn’t.
"Yes, my lady."
"Then are you ready to answer how you’ll make up for that failure?"
"I am truly sorry. But the girl is already dead—there is nothing I can do. Even if I apologize a hundred times, I can’t change the outcome. If you desire something else from me, I will do it."
But the noblewoman only scoffed, as if she found the offer beneath her.