Vice-Leader's Announcement Ceremony (5)
Normally, my father would've handled everything without a single mistake.
But on the very day his eldest son was announced as the Vice-Leader, an unprecedented situation where he was nearly assassinated by a killer caused him to show a rare moment of vulnerability.
We needed to calm the people quickly and restore the atmosphere.
At that moment, I spotted the person in charge of the drum.
I ran over to him as he stood there dumbfounded and said,
"Quick, get up on the stage and beat the drum."
"Huh?"
"Hurry!"
At my urging, he quickly climbed up the platform and began beating the drum.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The sudden sound of the drum drew everyone's attention to the stage.
I turned to my father and said,
"Father, it's your moment to step forward."
"Ah! You're right!"
At my words, Father finally came to his senses and went up onto the platform with my brother, Seoho.
"As you all know, something unfortunate occurred just moments ago. My eldest son, the Vice-Leader, was nearly assassinated by a killer."
"..."
"By heaven's grace, my son is safe. We do not yet know who was behind this act, but I and the Eunhae Merchant Group will not overlook this matter."
"..."
"However, those of you who have no relation to this need not worry. Just as we always have, the Eunhae Merchant Group will continue to treat you with trust and sincerity."
Standing beside him, my brother also bowed and added,
"I will do the same."
"The mood has been dampened, so let's resume the banquet. More wine and food will be served, so please enjoy yourselves."
Father shouted to the musicians,
"Strike up the music!"
"Yes, sir!"
At their response, the music once again filled the banquet hall, and the dancers resumed their performance.
People raised their cups and chatted, using the earlier incident as something to gossip about.
The atmosphere warmed again.
Because no one had died.
That was fortunate.
In my previous life, the mood never recovered and the banquet ended early.
The Vice-Leader's official announcement had ended up being a bitter memory for my brother, Seoho.
After stepping down from the stage, Father approached me and took my hand.
"Thank you. Because of you, I was able to collect myself."
"Even if it weren't me, Father, I'm sure you would've regained your composure quickly."
"No. What just happened was utterly bewildering for me. I wouldn't have been able to steady myself so easily."
Father's hand was still trembling as he said this.
.
.
.
Evening fell.
The banquet continued through the night.
The Zhongyuan is vast, and it's rare for everyone to arrive precisely on time.
That's why most banquets don't last just a day or two—they usually go on for several days.
Typically, the first day of the official event is the grandest, followed by gradually smaller gatherings.
That's probably why the assassin struck on the first day.
It's the busiest, with the most people—perfect for blending into the crowd.
I'm tired.
Yawning, I made my way to my quarters.
On the way, I saw my brother, Seoho, coming from the Finance Pavilion, and greeted him cheerfully.
"Oh? Brother."
"Ah, Seoho."
I looked toward the Finance Pavilion and asked,
"Were you visiting Warrior Jeon Woojin? Is he okay?"
"Fortunately, the physicians acted quickly."
"That's a relief."
"Yes, I'm really thankful. If Warrior Woojin had died, I would've been deeply troubled."
He let out a long sigh and his expression hardened.
"The killer who targeted me, the one called the Faceless Guest. According to the maid in the Reception Hall, he was the guest waiting for me in the Private Chamber."
"Really?"
"But Warrior Woojin said he had a bad feeling, and since I'd also made a promise to you, I didn't go."
Listening to him, I understood why he hadn't acted the same as he had in my previous life.
But... he didn't go just because of a promise to me?
For someone who values propriety so much, it was a bit strange.
"If something had happened in the Reception Hall, it would've been catastrophic."
"Exactly, a narrow escape."
"But…"
He looked at me and asked,
"Did you… know I'd be targeted by an assassin?"
I flinched inside, but smiled and casually deflected.
"Hahaha, what are you saying? How would I know that?"
"You said you felt uneasy. Then the Flying Silver Arrow bracelet you gave me, and the suggestion to reposition the physicians. Putting all that together, something feels off."
As expected…
He might seem soft, but there was no one sharper than my brother, Seoho.
And once he started questioning something, he wouldn't stop until he got a satisfying answer.
Which meant, if I didn't give him a proper explanation now, it'd be a headache later.
But I couldn't exactly tell him I died and came back to life at fifteen.
"And you told Father to strengthen security, didn't you?"
"Well, that was, uh…"
I continued with a smile.
"Master mentioned it. Said he had a bad feeling."
"I heard the Chief of Internal Affairs passed that along. So we increased security. But that alone doesn't explain everything."
"…Also, after I was sick, I started getting weirdly accurate intuitions. And the Flying Silver Arrow I gave you, I really just happened to come across it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I got it from a place run by that elder."
Since I now knew the old man who captured the culprit ran a general store in the Library Pavilion, and that he was actually the powerful figure known as the Ghost Mask Officer, my brother didn't pry further.
"He helped you out, then."
"I guess so."
My brother nodded, looking convinced.
Good.
Back in my quarters, I sat in front of the tea table, deep in thought.
Unlike my previous life, this time Warrior Jeon Woojin survived, and we even captured the culprit.
Which meant… we might even uncover the mastermind behind the attempt on my brother's life.
Still, to think someone sent an assassin…
It reeks of the Dark Sect.
Surely it's not the White Heaven Merchant Group, is it?
I was killed by them and warriors from the Murim Alliance in my past life, so suspecting them wasn't unreasonable.
Come to think of it, Master did say the killing intent he sensed felt like it came from the Dark Sect.
Just then, I heard Palgap's voice.
"Young Master! Young Master! I'm coming in!"
Without waiting for permission, Palgap burst through the door.
In truth, a servant or personal guard could enter without permission—after all, waiting for orders in an emergency could cost precious time.
That wasn't what mattered right now…
Palgap's expression said something important had happened.
"What is it?"
"I've found out!"
"Found out…?"
There was only one thing he could be this excited about.
"Don't tell me—you've figured out who was behind the attempt on Brother Seoho's life?"
"Yes! That's right!"
Palgap nodded vigorously.
"That old man interrogated him so well, the guy called the Faceless Guest spilled everything—from his hideout to the list of those who hired him! So the Silver Wind Squad recovered the list, and there… they found it!"
Palgap paused for breath, then continued.
"The name is Oh Daedeuk, the Leader of the Black Wine Gang."
I recalled my master's words.
So the culprit really was part of the Dark Sect?
.
.
.
As soon as it was revealed that Oh Daedeuk, the Black Wine Gang's Gang Leader, had ordered the assassination of Brother Seoho, the Eunhae Merchant Group moved swiftly.
The old man from the general store, the Ghost Mask Officer, also mobilized all his connections, and they finally succeeded in uncovering the full extent of the Black Wine Gang's crimes.
What was revealed was too horrific for words.
Masquerading as a merchant group, they had been counterfeiting currency, and even engaging in human trafficking.
Each and every one of those crimes was deserving of the death penalty.
Soon, the Inspector-General took action.
Well, with crimes of that scale, it made sense for the Inspector-General to move, but even so, the response was faster than expected.
It had to be due to the old man's connections.
"Since the government forces are now on the move, the Black Wine Gang is like a rat in a jar," Palgap said.
I nodded at Palgap's words.
Truth be told, the Black Wine Gang had always been nitpicking at us, the Eunhae Merchant Group.
But now, after carelessly provoking a powerful sect, they were facing total annihilation.
Remembering the losses we suffered due to their interference gave me a certain sense of satisfaction.
Also, thinking of all those who had suffered because of them, perhaps now was the time to put them down for good.
But wait a moment...
Something Palgap had said caught my attention.
"Palgap, what did you just say?"
"Huh? I said that since the government forces are moving, the Black Wine Gang is like a rat in a jar."
"Right... a rat! Palgap, when you think of rats, what comes to mind?"
"Rats… holes?"
"...!"
I jumped to my feet.
"A rat hole!"
At the time, the Black Wine Gang had been wiped out, but the Gang Leader had survived and was said to have taken shelter in a mountain hideout.
They supposedly had a perfect Heavenly Net Formation in place—how could the Gang Leader have escaped from there?
There had to have been a rat hole.
I hurriedly spread out the map of the Sungyang District, searching for the Black Wine Gang's headquarters.
"Where is it…?"
My eyes scanned the map rapidly until my finger stopped at one location.
I found the rat hole.
"Here it is."
The problem was time.
Getting the government troops to move there immediately would be best, but there wasn't enough time.
In other words, I had to go myself.
The problem… was Palgap.
If I said I was going to capture the Gang Leader, he'd definitely raise a fuss.
Looks like it's time to use the Illusion Mirror I got from the general store.
.
.
.
I told Palgap that I was going to sleep and sent him out.
Then I took out the mirror.
Its name was Illusion Phantom Mirror.
It had the ability to project one's illusion in a desired place.
Later, it ended up in the hands of a notorious serial killer, who used it to fabricate alibis.
Despite multiple pieces of evidence pointing to him as the culprit, he kept being released due to testimonies claiming he'd been seen elsewhere at the time of the murders.
But after that happened repeatedly, someone started to suspect something was wrong.
None of the people who had claimed to see him had actually spoken to him.
One particularly tenacious officer dug into the case and finally captured the real culprit.
But now that it's in my hands, there's no danger of it being used for such vile purposes.
I rubbed the mirror exactly thirty-three times, then placed it on the bed.
An image of me appeared on the bed.
Hm, not bad looking.
Especially lately—my body had gotten a lot more defined from all the cultivation, so I looked even better.
Ah, this isn't the time for that.
I shook my head, brushing the thoughts aside, covered the illusion with a blanket, and slipped out the window.
All that remained was to get over the Merchant Group's outer wall.
Just then—
"Young Master."
"Uwaah!"
I nearly fell backward in surprise.
"Where are you going at this hour, sir?"
Standing before me was Palgap.
Where did he come from?
I hadn't sensed a single trace of him.
"Ah, well, that's…"
Palgap could be overprotective, but he was someone who had literally risked his life for me.
And here I was, keeping a secret from him—guilt tugged at my chest.
Palgap was smart, and sharp.
There was no way I could keep this a secret for long.
Maybe it was better to come clean now.
"I'm going to capture the Dark Sect Gang Leader."
"What? The Gang Leader? That's someone the government troops and the Chief of External Affairs are handling. So you, Young Master—"
"The secret passage."
I continued.
"There's a secret passage. And right now, I'm the only one who knows about it."
"Then we should inform them—"
"By the time I do, he'll already be out of Sungyang District. That's why I have to go myself."
"Then at least let me request a personal guard to accompany you."
"That would take too long!"
I spoke firmly.
"Even if you try to stop me, I'm going. That man tried to kill my brother. Could you live under the same sky with someone like that?"
"..."
"Besides, I've been training hard. Master even acknowledged that."
Palgap sighed.
"When you're that stubborn, there's no stopping you. Fine. But then I'm coming with you."
"You?"
"Yes. That way, if anything happens to you, I'll know who to take revenge on."
"..."
Palgap was someone who'd pursue vengeance even if it took fifty years.
So I couldn't take those words lightly.
Well, it can't be helped.
When it comes to my safety, Palgap simply doesn't compromise.
"All right. Then follow me, quick. If you dawdle, I'm leaving you behind."