"Bastard..." Hyeok spat curses at Hongyoo's retreating back. Hongyoo, with no time or inclination to indulge his childish rage, continued on his way.

  Hongyoo's hurried steps came to a halt before a small tent guarded by two soldiers. The guards recognized Hongyoo and immediately parted the tent flap. As he entered, a stale, musty odor washed over him. A gaunt figure, hunched like a rolled-up straw mat, looked up from beneath a crude gag. It was Jang'gyeong Yoon, barely clinging to life, his wrists bound and outstretched. Hongyoo knelt on one knee and met his gaze. Reaching behind Yoon's head, he removed the gag, and Yoon gasped for breath.

  Hongyoo asked gently, "Is it easier to speak now?"

  Yoon rasped, his voice barely audible, "Don't waste time and just kill me."

  His voice was hoarse from not speaking for a long time, and his breath reeked. Yoon's weak defiance was pathetic to Hongyoo.

  "Why bother asking me for a favor? Do it properly this time, not half-heartedly like before. I know you don't have the courage to try it again after failing once."

  Yoon smirked, his lips twisting with effort. "Do you think you wield some great power just because you're flitting about like a gnat?"

  "Your words are still slurred. That's why you shouldn't do such foolish things recklessly. A person's life doesn't end just because they bite their tongue. If you try to act tough with something you've heard half-heartedly, you'll only end up suffering needlessly. It's a waste of time for both of us."

  Yoon's empty eyes, already drained of energy, barely focused on Hongyoo as he muttered. Hongyoo pulled up a nearby chair and sat down. Yoon flinched. As if to soothe his pathetic fear, Hongyoo stroked the loosely wrapped bandage on Yoon's head.

  "Don't be afraid. I'm here for a chat today. Now that your wounds are healing, I've brought some news you might appreciate."

  Yoon, unable to decipher Hongyoo's intentions, merely rolled his sunken eyes up and down.

  Hongyoo continued, "Myeonghyeon Ryang has disappeared."

  Yoon frowned. "What?"

  "Just as I said. Myeonghyeon Ryang has disappeared. His sister came to me, creating quite a scene, demanding her brother's return. I don't believe she was feigning it. She was out of her mind and almost attacked me with a 'you die, I die' attitude."

  A flicker of bewilderment crossed Yoon's face. Hongyoo leaned closer and probed, "Any idea why, Yoon of House Jang'gyeong?"

  Yoon instinctively recoiled. He replied, I've been your prisoner this whole time. I know nothing."

  Hongyoo offered no response. He merely stepped back and gazed down at Yoon in silence. The thought of what might be hidden up Hongyoo's sleeve filled Yoon with dread. The fear intensified with the prolonged silence. Finally, unable to bear the tension, Yoon shouted, "What do you want from me?!"

  A subtle smile crept across Hongyoo's lips. "What kind of enemies would the Wi rebel financier have? I suspect you have some insight."

  Yoon's expression hardened briefly. He gave a hollow, manic laugh, then turned serious and asked Hongyoo, "Don't tell me that viper betrayed Wicheong?"

  Hongyoo slowly replied, "Judging by your reaction, Myeonghyeon Ryang's loyalty runs quite deep. He confessed readily enough under a little pressure. I almost mistook him for a shallow man, devoid of any sense of loyalty."

  "I asked if he betrayed us." Yoon snapped, his eyes wide and resolute. Hongyoo let out a soft chuckle and answered Yoon, "You just made a mistake. You should have pretended ignorance of Myeonghyeon Ryang's rebel affiliation."

  Yoon's face drained of color. Hongyoo tilted his sharp chin upwards with his right hand. "You came to Her Highness and revealed the Myeonghyeon identity, but you concealed their rebel ties. Even enduring this... This makes your hatred quite clear. But why protect the most crucial secret that could destroy the Myeonghyeons in an instant? I'm truly curious about your reasoning."

  Hongyoo's gaze, predatory and intense, was hidden beneath his drooping eyelids. Yoon twisted his neck, trying to wrench his chin free from Hongyoo's grasp, but Hongyoo's grip tightened. He continued, "You didn't approach Her Highness for personal gain. If that were the case, you wouldn't have done something as foolish as biting your tongue."

  Yoon's eyes winced under the increasing pressure. Hongyoo pressed, "What are you trying to protect? Who sent you here?"

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Yoon didn't answer. Hongyoo pressed him again. "Whoever is behind you, it can't be Myeonghyeon Ryang's ally."

  Seeing Yoon, helplessly held and unable to hide his fear, yet still refusing to speak, Hongyoo guessed the size of the shadow cast over him. The grip on Yoon's chin loosened slightly. As his index finger left Yoon's chin, Hongyoo made an enticing offer.

  "It's time for you to admit that I'm the only one who can save you in here. Don't you want to get out of here alive? Maybe even today."

  Yoon's eyes lifted, and Hongyoo caressed his right cheek with a compassionate hand. "Let's have a long, deep conversation."

  ──────────

  Inside the Nahmgyo office, Seolyo Jin's low voice reverberated. She repeatedly reprimanded Seon.

  "You brought the Dahnian forces all the way to the south gate, and now you expect me to do what?"

  Despite the tension caused by the sudden commotion, Jin kept her voice low to avoid being overheard. Her usual warm and affectionate gaze towards Seon was nowhere to be found. Though Seon couldn't lift her head, humbled by her blunder, she answered firmly,

  "Can't you simply allow them to search for my brother and then send them back?"

  Jin retorted, Do you even have a clue where Ryang has disappeared to? You should have some idea before suggesting such a thing. Are you proposing we let those bastards ransack Nahmgyo? And even if, by some miracle, you find Ryang through such a foolhardy act, do you think that impertinent princess will withdraw her forces from Nahmgyo afterwards?"

  "We have to reclaim Birahng and drive out the princess's forces eventually. It's inevitable anyway."

  Jin slammed her hand on the desk. "You naive girl! If it were that easy, Wi wouldn't have fallen in the first place! Besides, with your brother's whereabouts unknown, who will help the Guardian and lead this tremendous task?"

  "If you cooperate, my brother will return."

  "This is driving me crazy."

  Frustrated, Jin snatched the pipe lying on the side of the desk and lit it as if she had swallowed sand from the beach. After taking a few deep puffs and exhaling repeatedly, she asked in a calmer voice, "Going to the encampment without a plan... What in the world were you thinking, child?"

  "I couldn't shake my suspicion of the Royal Attendant. I didn't anticipate the princess's sudden arrival. And I didn't know that Gahngyun Hyeok, or whatever his name is, her betrothed, was observing us..."

  Jin frowned deeply and clicked her tongue. "When Ryang returns alive, tell him all this. I can already imagine his furious glare.

  Seon avoided Jin's stern gaze. "Finding him comes first. The stars, the prophecy, all other problems come later. So, please, allow the Dahnian forces entry. You can't offer us any real assistance anyway."

  Jin shook her head. "Not me, nor that princess. You should have gone to Wicheong first. The one who can truly aid you, the one you must rely on, is the Guardian. He's the lord you should be turning to."

  Seon pressed her lips together. The lord I should rely on?What a ludicrous idea. If Cheon Seong had any ability to be relied upon, she wouldn't have witnessed her father's terrible death. Jin saw Seon's hasty approach to Kyeong'ui as a mistake, but for Seon, the mistake was relying on and trusting Seong. She couldn't make the same mistake twice.

  Seon suppressed her rising anger and said, "It's already happened. The Princess now knows that we have a secret passage. If you don't let the soldiers in through the south gate, she will have them disguise themselves and infiltrate through that passage. Then you won't be able to control them with your authority as the Lady of Nahmgyo."

  As Seon's words turned into a half threat, Jin became even more exasperated. "You're really making things complicated."

  She smoked her pipe in silence for a long time, the wrinkles on her forehead deepening with each puff. Only after burning through all the tobacco did Jin roughly unfold a blank sheet of paper, scribble on it with a fine brush, and stamp it with her seal. She tossed the document in front of Seon.

  "You'll reap what you sow. Whatever happens, you're responsible for the consequences. If any trouble breaks out in Nahmgyo, I'll have to deal with it decisively, even if it involves you."

  "I understand." Seon crumpled the paper in her hand and rose. Before she crossed the threshold, Jin said,

  "It shouldn't happen, but if Ryang doesn't return, your life is all that remains of House Myeonghyeon. A thousand years of legacy rests on your shoulders. Remember, you can't be too cautious."

  Seon looked back and replied, "House Myeonghyeon will not fall. My brother will return alive, and so will I."

  With Jin's permission granted, fifty heavily armed soldiers passed through the south gate of the fortress. Crowds gathered along the road to Yeonyahng, watching the Dahnian soldiers in their splendid armor and the gleaming blades of their sharp swords and spears. Upon reaching Yeonyahng, half of the troops dispersed in unison, surrounding the walls. The other half followed Seon through the guesthouse and deep into the merchant house. The guests, unaware of the sudden commotion, murmured amongst themselves, and the atmosphere quickly became unsettled. Stopping at the entrance to the rear garden, Seon said to the Dahnian officer,

  "This is as far as you can go."

  He replied, "Her Highness has ordered us to inspect the secret passage in the rear garden."

  Seon's face contorted. "Her Highness? Not the Royal Attendant?"

  "Open the way, My Lady. If you refuse to show us the passage, Her Highness will suspect House Myeonghyeon of having ulterior motives."

  "What other motives could we possibly have?"

  "I don't know. If there are any, you would know."

  Seon straightened her expression and asked, "What is your name?"

  "It's Mujin."

  Seon's sharp gaze quickly but carefully scanned the officer's features. He met her gaze without flinching. Seon said, "I will remember your face and name."