Namgoong Clan Council Room.
A young man dressed in pristine, heavy silk robes bearing the blue and white crest of the Namgoong clan strode rapidly down the grand hallway. The guards stationed outside the heavy oak doors bowed deeply, not daring to stop him as he pushed the doors open without knocking.
This was Namgoong Woncheng, the first son and current acting Young Lord of the clan.
Inside the massive, dimly lit council room, an old man in his seventies sat quietly at the head of a long mahogany table. He had long gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a distinct, high-collared robe that marked him as the Grand Elder of the clan.
The Grand Elder was calmly brewing tea.
He didn't look up as the doors slammed shut. He smoothly took a fresh clay cup, poured the steaming tea into it, and pushed it gently to the opposite side of the table just as the young man sat down.
"Young Lord," the Grand Elder said, his voice slow and composed. "What brings you here in such a rush?"
Woncheng's face was flushed, showing clear signs of barely contained anger. He snatched the tea cup from the table, not even caring about the heat.
"Grand Elder," Woncheng snapped, glaring at the old man. "What about the search for the culprits who injured the Patriarch? Is there still no lead?"
The Grand Elder slowly shook his head, taking a measured sip of his own tea. "Nothing. We have utilized all of our intelligence networks and scoured the surrounding provinces. We have done everything, but we still cannot find a single trace of them."
Bang!
Woncheng punched the heavy wooden table, rattling the teacups.
"All these years and nothing!" Woncheng grit his teeth, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and deep-seated insecurity. "I have always wanted to be the true heir of the great Namgoong clan. I trained until my bones broke. I tried everything to let Father see that I am capable of making the clan proud. But he never acknowledged me! He always looked at me with that same disappointed gaze."
Woncheng breathed heavily, staring at his clenched fist on the table. "And now he is on his deathbed. I claimed the title of Young Lord myself, and still... nothing changes."
The Grand Elder lowered his cup, looking at the young man with a gaze full of practiced, grandfatherly warmth.
"The most capable one to lead the Namgoong clan is you, Young Lord," the Grand Elder said smoothly. "The clan is in a precarious position. We need someone who has strong will and the courage to act on it. Nobody is more fit for this seat than you. When you secure our future, Namgoong Heon will finally be proud of you."
Woncheng let out a bitter, mocking laugh.
"Proud? He will not be proud," Woncheng scoffed, his eyes darkening. "He will be displeased. He is always displeased."
He chugged the remaining hot tea in one gulp and slammed the cup back onto the table.
"Make sure my father receives the best physicians," Woncheng ordered sharply. "Make sure he gets back to his full health. I want him to see it with his own eyes."
He stood up abruptly, his silk robes snapping with the movement. "I am taking the Sword Squad. I am going to find the people who did this myself. You have been stopping me from going out all this time, claiming it is too dangerous, but I have had enough of being treated like a child. I will find the people who injured him, and Father will have no choice but to acknowledge me. Nobody will stand in my way."
The Grand Elder stared at him for a long moment before letting out a slow, tired sigh.
"Alright, Young Lord," the Grand Elder said, bowing his head slightly in submission. "I understand your resolve. I will arrange for the Sword Squad to depart in a week and gather all the necessary supplies for your journey."
Satisfied, Woncheng turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, the heavy doors shutting loudly behind him.
The Grand Elder sat in the silence of the large room, watching the closed doors. The warm, grandfatherly expression on his face completely vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating emptiness.
"You can come out now," the Grand Elder said quietly.
From behind a thick wooden pillar near the back door, a tall man in dark armor stepped out. It was Guard Jin, the personal guard assigned to the second young master.
Guard Jin walked forward and bowed deeply. "Grand Elder."
"I told you not to visit me in broad daylight like this," the Grand Elder said, picking up his tea again. His tone was casual, but the underlying threat was clear. "Send a letter, or use a middleman."
Guard Jin straightened his posture, apologizing immediately. "Forgive me. It was urgent. I came here as soon as I could find a valid reason to leave the second young master's side for a short while."
The Grand Elder paused, sensing the tension in the guard's voice. "Speak."
"Yesterday," Guard Jin began, his voice tight, "an envoy of Han Moojin came to the estate to deliver a medicine to treat the Patriarch."
The Grand Elder stopped sipping his tea. The cup hovered an inch from his lips. His sharp eyes locked onto the guard.
"Han Moojin..." the Grand Elder repeated the name slowly. "Is he here?"
Guard Jin shook his head. "No. He sent two ordinary couriers to deliver it."
The old man placed the teacup down. The casual atmosphere in the room completely evaporated. "And the medicine? Did it work?"
Guard Jin hesitated for a fraction of a second. "He is showing improvement. His worsening condition has calmed down, and his breathing stabilized."
The Grand Elder's eyes sharpened into narrow, dangerous slits. This was not what he had planned. If the Patriarch's condition was allowed to improve, the carefully maintained balance he had created over the last several months would shatter. It would become uncontrollable.
"Things are getting out of hand," the Grand Elder muttered, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden table.
He stopped tapping, his decision made.
"But this might be the perfect opportunity," the Grand Elder said, his voice dropping into a lethal whisper. "If he dies now, after taking a foreign medicine... we can easily put the blame on Han Moojin."
He looked up at Guard Jin.
"I will tell them to deliver the final dose of the poison," the Grand Elder ordered coldly. "We will end this within two weeks. Also... the couriers who delivered the medicine. Did they leave the estate?"
"They are still in the guest quarters," Guard Jin replied.
"Make sure to send someone to watch their movements," the Grand Elder ordered, waving a hand dismissively. "And ensure they are not discovered."
Guard Jin didn't offer any further words. He simply bowed deeply and melted back into the shadows of the secret corridor, leaving the room as silently as he had entered.
Alone once more, the Grand Elder sat in the heavy silence, his mind rapidly adjusting to the new variables. The sudden improvement in the Patriarch's condition was a variable he had not anticipated.
He reached into his sleeve, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment and a fine ink brush. He quickly drafted a short, cryptic message, his handwriting sharp and precise. He folded the parchment carefully and sealed it with a thick drop of unmarked wax.
Rising from his seat, the Grand Elder smoothed out his pristine robes. He walked over to the main doors and pushed them open.
The guards stationed outside immediately snapped to attention, bowing their heads.
The Grand Elder handed the sealed letter to the nearest guard.
"Deliver this to him now," the Grand Elder commanded, his voice returning to its usual tone of absolute authority.
"Yes, Grand Elder," the guard replied, taking the letter with both hands.
Without another word, the Grand Elder walked past the guards, heading toward the outer hall and leaving the dark council room behind.