Chapter 230
"By any chance... Do you have something in mind?"
On the way to Minister Jeong's original room, the head steward, Yi Jeong, asked me.
"In the end, from what I've heard so far, isn't it that the problem is only happening in that room?"
"... It seems so."
"Have you never thought of that until now?"
"I have thought about it, but... I didn't think it had any great significance."
"Why is that?"
"Well, since I thought that all of this was caused by the master's delusion... I thought it would be better if he could feel at ease even if he went into a small room like that."
I carefully observed the head steward, Yi Jeong, who was rambling on in response to my words.
'It doesn't seem like he's lying...'
Although I can't read minds, I'm quite skilled at grasping a person's psychology to some extent just by their expression.
Because in my previous life, whenever I was with the martial artists of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the famous masters of the martial arts families, I was always busy reading their expressions.
'It seems he's genuinely worried?'
To be honest, I had thought that the culprit of what was happening now might be the head steward in front of me.
Since he suddenly told us, who were no different from Minister Jeong's guests, that Minister Jeong had gone senile and that we shouldn't make a futile effort and should go back, it's enough to arouse such suspicion.
But now, it doesn't seem like he said that with the intention of dishonoring Minister Jeong.
"This way."
The building that Minister Jeong originally used as his quarters was quite large.
It was a single-story building, not a two-story one, and it was built in the shape of a horseshoe, so there were many rooms in this building, and there was also a small courtyard inside.
"There are seven rooms in this building alone."
"Minister Jeong wouldn't use a different room every day, would he? Which room did he mainly use?"
"It's the largest room in the middle."
"Let's go."
While we were going there, I asked the head steward.
"Then what were the other rooms usually used for?"
"Three of the remaining six rooms were used by the master's three sons, and the other three rooms were left empty and used as something like a warehouse. So now, no one lives here. The young masters have all left home, and the master is not here either."
As if to prove that Minister Jeong was not here, there was no martial artist guarding this place.
"I'd like to take a closer look around here, is that okay?"
"Yes. Since there is no one around here anyway, you can look around as much as you want."
"Then can we just look around by ourselves for a while?"
"That's..."
He trailed off and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.
It wasn't because he had something to hide, but it was an expression of worry as to whether it was okay to leave us, who were outsiders, alone in the inner building.
"I understand. Please do so. I will also tell the servants not to come near this place for a while. Then I will go and take care of some business for a while. When should I come back?"
I looked at the sky and roughly checked the current time.
Because I had to keep my promise to bring food to Minister Jeong before it got too late.
"Then please come and get us in about an hour."
"I understand."
He, saying that he trusted the four of us and that if there was anything we could find out, to be sure to find it, disappeared with short steps.
I, after gathering with my senior brother and the Shaolin monks in the courtyard, said to them, "Now we will all split up and look for anything strange in this building."
Monk Il-jik, who was standing closest to me, answered, "What do you mean by strange?"
"For now, I'm suspecting two things. So I think we can focus on searching for those two things. First, please look for a secret passage that a person can really go through, a tunnel, or at least a hole in the roof. And second..."
I, after looking around at the other three, said, "By any chance, is there anyone here who is skilled in formations?"
“……”
“……”
“……”
Of course, I expected that.
Although Monk Il-jik stealthily raised his hand and said, 'If it's the Eighteen Arhat Formation...', I lightly ignored him.
"Then please all focus on finding the first thing. I'll look for the formation side."
"But a formation. Unhwi, are you suspecting that there is a formation around here?"
"Yes. No matter how much I think about it, I can't think of anything else. Or it means that a master who can come and go in this manor without being noticed is coming and going here every time... No matter how great the 'Art of War by Wu Qi' is, I don't think a master of that level would really come and go here every time for no reason."
After that explanation, we began to look for what we were each assigned.
Although I don't have a great skill in formations myself, I have an eye to distinguish what becomes the object of a formation.
So I was confident.
That if what was tormenting Minister Jeong now was because of a formation that someone had set up, I would definitely be able to find it.
***
Nothing. There is nothing.
To get straight to the point, in the end, we couldn't find anything.
Although I knew it was rude, I searched all the rooms, and I even pulled out a tree that I suspected.
But still, I couldn't find anything.
When the time came, the head steward came to pick us up, and in the end, we followed him out of the manor and then came back to Minister Jeong with the food we had bought at a nearby restaurant.
After telling my companions to rest in the lodging that the head steward had given them for now, I gave the food to Minister Jeong.
He, this time too, devoured the food I had brought as if he were possessed and then had a slightly satisfied face.
"It's been a while since I've eaten so comfortably..."
"Are you worried that there might be poison in the food?"
"That's right. In fact, there have been times when strange things were mixed in..."
As if he had recalled that time, anxiety appeared on Minister Jeong's face.
Looking at his sudden change of expression, I think I can understand why the head steward suspects that he has gone senile.
'It's a little unfair that there were bugs in the food. I don't know if they got in by mistake while cooking, or if it happened while bringing the food after it was cooked, but there were two flies that had fallen and died in the food that the minister was about to eat. The minister, after seeing that, was terrified and then began to refuse to eat or drink at all.'
When a similar incident happened in the past, the head steward said he would give the cook who had made this food a stern word, but at that time, Minister Jeong, with a smile, said that it wasn't done on purpose, and that it was a mistake, so not to say anything.
"But, minister. I have one thing I'm curious about."
"Please say anything."
"In the end, you think that there are people who are after the family heirloom of the Jeong family, don't you?"
"That's right. Because this kind of thing started happening right after the Left General Jin Baek coveted our family heirloom."
"But even if the minister were to hand over the family heirloom, how would they try to take it?"
"Tsk. That's what's so cunning about them."
He, after letting out a deep sigh, said, "To be honest... once, I thought I would have to hand over the family heirloom to the person who had come to my room, so I deliberately left the family heirloom on the table and went to sleep."
"But you're saying they didn't take it?"
"They didn't take it."
"Then wasn't the purpose not that family heirloom?"
"Hoho..."
He, after suddenly letting out a hollow laugh, said to me, "At that time, there was a note on the table. Because the situation was so terrifying, I immediately burned that paper, but I remember the contents clearly."
"What was written on it?"
"That if he had intended to steal it, he could have stolen it long ago... So that person is putting pressure on me to officially hand over the family heirloom to Jin Baek myself."
His expression was full of confidence.
I, while thinking about the stories he had told me until now, thought that one thing was certain.
'Minister Jeong is definitely not senile. His mind is clear.'
That means it's one of two things.
That there is really a person who is intruding here, or that someone has really played a trick.
"I understand. For now, I will go back today."
"Thank you. But since the Taoist master came, I have been sleeping well and eating well, so I feel like I'm alive. Just being in the same place seems to make me feel at ease."
"No. I haven't really helped you with anything yet."
"If you can solve this matter..."
"Just a moment."
"...?"
"You were about to say that if I solve this matter, you will give me a great reward, right?"
He nodded his head instead of answering.
"Let's talk about that a little later. To be honest... since I haven't gotten any clues yet, I don't have the face to make such a promise already. Today is just the first day. I need to find out more."
At my words, Minister Jeong, with a face that seemed to have even more trust, said, "Thank you... thank you very much. In fact, when Huan first told me, I was half in doubt... but now I can completely trust you."
"I hope I can repay that trust."
I, after talking with him for a few more words, came out of the small room because Minister Jeong seemed to be getting sleepy.
For now, it was a relief that he was sleeping well for a few days.
After returning to the lodging, I began to pack my things.
"Hwi-ya. Where are you going?"
"I'm not going to sleep here, but I'm going to sleep somewhere else."
"Somewhere else?"
"I'm going to sleep in Minister Jeong's room that we went to earlier."
"Huh? Why there?"
"You never know, right? What if those assassins come while I'm sleeping there?"
Before returning to the lodging, I had stopped by the head steward's place for a moment.
And I asked the head steward to tell the servants that Minister Jeong, who had gotten better since we came, would be sleeping in his quarters today.
"If something happens today... it will mean that there is really an insider who is communicating with someone."
"Then in the end, you might have to face someone you don't even know by yourself... shall we go together?"
"No. You said that when a martial artist is in the room, nothing happens. I'll go alone."
While I was talking with my senior brother, the head steward secretly approached our lodging.
He, after dressing me in Minister Jeong's clothes, took me to Minister Jeong's room.
"Master. I hope you have a peaceful night. I will take my leave now."
He, who had greeted me politely with a surprisingly good acting skill, disappeared somewhere.
Although I feel a little spooky thinking that I am alone in this spacious building.
But, I am a person who has often slept outdoors with only fallen leaves as a blanket even in the mountains.
This is more than I could ask for.
***
And that night.
After falling asleep for a little while, I, feeling something moving, stealthily woke up.
'He's really... here.'
In a lying state, I slowly began to draw up the energy from my dantian and send it to every corner of my body.
To make it so that I can perform martial arts at any moment.
I opened my eyes very slightly.
Then a human shadow was flickering in my eyes.
'Now!'
I, immediately getting up from the bed, threw my body towards the owner of that shadow.
(End of Chapter)