[Chapter 15]
Seo Daeryong, holding a dead crow, followed me with a puzzled expression.
"Hang it up there."
Seeing Seo Daeryong's eyes asking if I was serious, I firmly replied, "Hang it right in the center where it's visible."
I had Seo Daeryong hang the dead crow in the middle of the hallway where the Magun most frequently passed.
Hearing the news, the Magun gathered. Some showed curious expressions, but most frowned and cursed.
"Damn it! What is that?"
"Why the hell would you hang a dead crow, bringing bad luck?"
"Is this some investigator's trick?"
"Those unlucky bastards from Hwangcheon Pavilion."
"Ugh, I had a bad dream last night too."
"That spot's perfect for hanging a torn-apart corpse, not a crow."
They wore uniforms with numbers symbolizing each unit, so it was easy to tell. The Magun from Unit 1, who nearly clashed with me at the entrance earlier, were the ones swearing the most.
Though they didn't directly mention me, cursing Hwangcheon Pavilion was essentially cursing me.
Just when the atmosphere became hostile, one person couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward.
"Isn't this going too far?"
His voice echoed through the hallway.
"Who said that? You all look equally ugly."
While everyone frowned, one man stepped forward.
"I am Jangho, the Third Leader of Magun."
Jangho was the largest among the Magun. His muscular body looked as if it would burst out of his uniform, and the long scar running across his face was intimidating.
Seo Daeryong quickly sent me a message through sound transmission.
―Jangho, popularly called the Third Leader, is known to be the strongest martial artist between the Leaders. His personality isn't ordinary either.
Indeed, Jangho's presence was overwhelming compared to everyone else there.
"What does Leader Jang find displeasing?"
"Do I really need to spell it out? Why would you hang something so ominous where people walk?"
"Isn't it better than throwing it on someone's bed?"
"Stop ruining everyone's mood and punish the person who did this."
I stared at Jangho quietly. He showed no intention of backing down. The powerful dark energy he emitted pressed down on both me and Seo Daeryong, momentarily taking our breath away. It was evident why he was regarded as the strongest among the Leaders.
"You make a valid point. Investigator Seo, take it down."
"Yes."
Seo Daeryong took down the hanging crow. The Maguns watching him openly mocked him.
"Such a coward."
"He'll only listen when you beat him."
"Does he even know where he is, acting so arrogant?"
Ignoring their blatant insults and laughter, he returned to his room.
As soon as he entered, Seo Daeryong asked, "Why did you hang up the crow's corpse? If you were going to take it down so easily…"
His face was red with anger, hurt pride evident.
"I wanted to find out who sent the anonymous letter."
He asked, looking perplexed, "So, did you find out?"
"Yes."
"What?"
Seo Daeryong's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How?"
I looked at the crow and said, "Thanks to these guys. So go out and give them a proper burial."
* * *
The next day, the full-scale investigation began.
I gathered the Magun Three Generals in one place. Since Jangho, the leader of the Three Generals, was involved in yesterday's crow incident, his dissatisfaction was obvious.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"What do you mean? Haven't you heard that I'm here to investigate?"
"Then why are you starting with us instead of the First Generals?"
"Because I want to."
"Are you holding a grudge over yesterday's incident?"
"What happened yesterday?"
Jangho glared at me, biting his lip.
"You must submit all records. We will investigate your recent activities as well as all financial records."
The Magun Three Generals began to murmur. Even ordinary people would have some dirt if you dig deep enough, let alone the Magun. To exaggerate a bit, the kindest person here would probably be a minor boss of some local gang.
Jangho shouted furiously, "Even if it's you, you can't do this!"
"Oh, but I can."
Bang!
Jangho smashed the desk in front of me.
"Look, you're free to get angry, but don't forget that rebellion is a serious crime."
At the mention of rebellion, a few of the Magun Three Generals rushed over to restrain Jangho.
"Calm down, leader."
"He's not someone to deal with reasonably."
I provoked Jangho even more.
"We'll start the investigation with you, the leader."
"Fine! Let's settle this outside! All of you, leave!"
Magical energy swirled around Jangho.
His subordinates tried to calm him down.
"Leader! You must not get agitated."
"Don't worry, just leave."
"Yes."
The subordinates glared at me with frightening eyes before eventually leaving the room. It was clear that they genuinely followed him.
After all the subordinates had left, Jangho spoke coldly.
"You will regret treating me like this."
The scar across his face twisted even more grotesquely.
I silently observed Jangho before lowering my voice and quietly asking,
"How long will you keep testing me?"
Jangho flinched in surprise for a moment.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're the one who sent the anonymous letter, aren't you?"
Jangho's pupils shook for a moment.
"What are you talking about?"
However, he wasn't good at lying. His voice trembled after his eyes did, and soon, Jangho admitted the truth.
"How did you know?"
The excitement in his voice dropped to a whisper, making him seem like a different person.
"Yesterday, you stepped forward in a situation where you didn't need to. Wasn't that to avoid the suspicion of the Magunju?"
"That's correct."
"Also, your subordinates are the most disciplined among the Three Great Warriors. When attaching the crows, only your subordinates refrained from cursing or mocking. And just a moment ago, the way you stepped forward out of concern for them. As the saying goes, you can tell a lot about a person by observing just one of their actions. A person who runs an organization like this would find it hard to overlook corruption within it."
In truth, that's not how I figured it out.
I realized Jangho was the one who sent the letter thanks to the message I received from Seo Daeryong when Jangho first appeared.
―Jangho, popularly called the Third Leader, is known to be the strongest martial artist between the Leaders. His personality isn't ordinary either.
As soon as I heard that message, I remembered something from before my regression.
There had been an incident where one of the leaders of Magun died around this time. I remembered it particularly well because the leader who died was said to be the strongest among them. Why did someone with such strong martial arts die? I recalled pondering that question.
I was convinced that the person who died was Jangho. He must have sent the letter and tried to resolve the issue within Magun, only to be killed by someone within Magun.
Sure enough, Jangho was the one who sent the letter.
"I couldn't include detailed information because I wasn't sure if the letter would work."
He suspected that even Hwangcheongak might be under the influence of the Heavenly Blood Blade Demon.
"I never imagined that the young master would come out to investigate in person."
"How did you feel when you heard I was coming?"
"Forgive me for saying this, but I thought we were doomed."
I turned to look at Seo Daeryong and said,
"Is honesty trendy among young people these days?"
"You, young master, are younger than us."
"Ah, right."
After smirking, I asked Jangho,
"What on earth is going on here?"
"Magunju is using Magun for his personal gain."
"How?"
The details Jangho shared were far more serious than I had imagined.
"He is accepting money to deploy his subordinates as assassins for hire."
"What?"
Even I, who rarely gets surprised, was shocked. I had thought he might be taking bribes from some local sect. This was something that should never have happened.
With masters like Magun moving, it wouldn't be for small sums. They must be making a fortune.
Seo Daeryong asked in shock,
"How is that possible?"
"He uses vacation time or sends them under the pretext of special training."
"Even so, it doesn't make sense."
Unlike Seo Daeryong, I realized there was one way this could be possible.
"The entire group is involved."
"How did you know?"
Jangho was astonished at my quick deduction.
"They were the first to stop us. They also cursed the most when they saw the crow corpses. When things happen, they move together seamlessly. Didn't I mention before? You can tell a lot by looking at one thing. Just by seeing the leader, you can figure it out. Now, how did you find out about this?"
"A warrior who killed the investigator and then committed s*****e during a previous investigation was my friend. He was the one who sent the anonymous letter."
"He didn't commit s*****e; he was forced to."
"That's right. He told me about sending the letter a few days before his death."
In my previous life, I hadn't known about this case. All I knew was about Jangho's death. It means that this case had remained buried without being uncovered.
"How close were you to him?"
"We joined the sect at the same time. He was like family."
"Why didn't you reveal this back then?"
"After they killed my friend and the investigator, they monitored us so strictly that it was terrifying. We could barely breathe."
"Who killed them?"
"I believe it was under the orders of Magunju, and Godang, the leader of the first division, acted directly."
If what Jangho said was true, this was a massive corruption scandal involving both Magunju and the entire first division of Magun. Including the murder of an investigator, it was the largest crime in the history of our sect.
Did my father or Sima Myung not know about it?
They must have had some suspicion. That's why they sent me.
They sent me to test whether I could handle this situation against Magunju. Considering that I might die facing Magunju… it was quite harsh.
Father, the saying that a predator throws its cubs off a cliff to make them stronger is not true. When the cubs fall, the predator runs down swiftly to catch them and bring them back up!
I looked at Jangho and said,
"You had a good friend."
"He was the good friend. If I were a good friend, I would have stepped up when he died."
"That would make you a foolish friend."
Not all members of Magun were scumbags.
Seo Daeryong, who had been watching, also seemed to be moved. The investigator who died in the previous investigation was a senior he respected.
Both of them had suffered the pain of losing someone close in that incident.
Looking at these two, I felt there was hope for the 'lost demonic path.' The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect I envisioned was a place where people like them held important positions.
"Thank you for your courage."
"I decided to trust you, young master, when you figured it out all at once."
"It was a good choice. By the way, is there anything problematic if I dig through your records?"
"No. You can dig as deep as you want, and you won't find a speck of dust."
"Everyone has dust. Even things you don't consider dust can be turned into dirt. But don't worry. I won't dig that deep."
I opened the door and walked out. In the distance, the three division subordinates were waiting.
"Leader Jang has decided to hand over all records on your behalf. So, you can all go back."
Jangho shouted in agreement with my performance.
"Just wait and see! If I am innocent, I will not stay silent."
His eyes were filled with gratitude. By saying that he would take the investigation on behalf of his subordinates, he made them trust him even more. Jangho from my previous life had died, but the current Jangho would not die.
Saving those who shouldn't die—this was the purpose of my return.
As I closed the door, Seo Daeryong spoke to me.
"You seem quite different from what the rumors say, young master."
"What are the rumors like?"
"Well…"
"Just be honest. You're just relaying what you heard, right? It's not your opinion."
"They say you don't fit the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. I'm sorry."
"It's alright. That could be a compliment, couldn't it?"
"Sorry?"
"Would it be a compliment to fit the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect? I don't think so. I believe ruling our sect through fear is an outdated idea. Our sect needs to change, don't you think?"
Talking about change made a glimmer of light flash in Seo Daeryong's eyes. However, he soon spoke in a somewhat gloomy tone.
"Change isn't as easy as it sounds."
"That's right. It isn't easy."
"If you become the Heavenly Demon, will you try to change the sect?"
Of course.
If it doesn't change, my family will be destroyed, and the sect will be sealed off from the world. But instead of revealing my true thoughts, I said something else.
"Honestly, I'd rather travel around the Central Plains and have fun than become the Heavenly Demon."
To some extent, I meant it. Once I killed Hwa Mugi, I planned to travel the Central Plains and enjoy myself to the fullest.
"Everyone else is willing to sell their souls to become the Heavenly Demon…"
"You think I'm being ungrateful, right?"
"I won't deny it."
"That's because you're a power-oriented person."
"Me?"
He opened his eyes wide in apparent indignation, and I suddenly asked,
"Do you feel happy when you help someone?"
"…No."
"Do you feel happy when you get promoted?"
"…Yes."
Seo Daeryong sighed and then mocked himself.
"Oh, I guess I am a power-oriented person?"
"Everyone has different conditions for happiness. For some, it's money or power. For others, it's living quietly. And for some, it's following chivalry."
"Is it possible to be happy by practicing chivalry?"
"Does that sound insincere?"
"Yes."
In my past life, I had encountered such a person. Someone who was so selfish that they wore the mask of chivalry to hide it, eventually deceiving even themselves. That person wasn't virtuous but believed to the end that they were walking the path of chivalry.
Seeing such a person made me more uncomfortable than those who openly pursued ambition, but I didn't intend to criticize them. That, too, was just a way of living.
"There are many people in the martial world who genuinely live by chivalry. There are people too great for us to measure with our small, soy-sauce-dish-sized hearts."
He sighed after staring at me for a moment.
"I'm a power-oriented person, so… I don't really get it."
I chuckled as I looked at Seo Daeryong. To my peers, he might seem a certain way, but to me, this side of him appeared endearing.
"Stop the ill-fitting self-reflection. Go and dig up Jangho's records. Like I said, do it moderately. And bring more investigators from Hwangcheongak. We need to create an atmosphere of a thorough investigation starting now."
"Understood."
I stood by the window and looked outside. At that moment, I saw Magunju standing by the window of the building opposite, staring in this direction. Our eyes met, but I pretended not to notice.
What I was looking at wasn't the insignificant figure of Magunju, but rather the distant Heavenly Demon Pavilion that lay beyond.