"Even though the Eastern Bureau and the Censorate are bitter enemies, we're all officials serving the same Emperor. Instead of showing mutual consideration, you're trying to commit murder and extermination?"
Wei Yan-ho was about to spit on the ground when he flinched.
He realized he was wearing a mask.
"And you, hey!"
Wei Yan-ho pointed his finger at Yo Song.
"Yes?"
"Did you see this or not?"
Wei Yan-ho swung his golden sword around. Seeing the golden sword radiating brilliant golden light, Yo Song gulped.
"I… I saw it."
"You know what this is, right?"
Yo Song nodded like a mute who had eaten honey, unable to speak.
"This is treason! Treason! You reactionary bastard!"
"..."
Yo Song clutched his head as if confused.
That was definitely the sacred relic of the Inspector General. To attack even after seeing that sacred relic was no different from ignoring the authority of the Inspector General, and furthermore, the Emperor himself.
The reason that golden sword was the Inspector General's sacred relic was because it was a sword the Emperor had bestowed upon the Inspector General. Since then, the Golden Sword had become the sacred object symbolizing the authority of the Censorate.
Yet to attack despite recognizing the Inspector's Golden Sword was clear evidence of treason.
"Think carefully, very carefully! Before the moment comes to choose between executing three generations or nine generations of your family!"
"..."
Yo Song's face turned ashen.
Watching this scene, Wei Jeong-han smiled contentedly.
'Our son, how wonderfully he handles threats too.'
Though Wei Yan-ho had no talent for persuasion, he seemed naturally gifted at intimidation.
Whether this was something to celebrate remained questionable, but surely being good at something was better than being good at nothing.
When Yo Song showed signs of hesitation, Jo Gong's face contorted.
"What are you doing right now?"
"But… but…"
"Do you think the direct order from Grand Eunuch Nok is worth less than that mere sacred object?"
"No… that's not it."
Cold sweat began flowing down Yo Song's back.
'This is maddening. What am I supposed to do?'
From his position, both the Eastern Bureau and the Censorate were equally frightening. If forced to choose, the Censorate, which held direct authority over officials' punishment, was admittedly somewhat more troublesome than the Eastern Bureau, which conducted internal palace inspections.
However, that person merely possessed the Inspector General's sacred relic—he hadn't come under the Inspector General's orders. But right now, Jo Gong had come here following Grand Eunuch Nok's command.
Was there any official who didn't know what fate befell those who fell from Grand Eunuch Nok's favor?
Yo Song let out a groan.
'Isn't this like a shrimp's back getting crushed in a whale fight?'
Why on earth was a fight between the Eastern Bureau and the Censorate breaking out in a place where they'd come to catch bandits?
"You seem to be pondering."
"No… no, I'm not."
Jo Gong smirked.
"You'd better think carefully. Grand Eunuch Nok already knows I came here. Isn't that right?"
"…Yes."
"But no one knows that person is here. Even we who surrounded the stronghold didn't know."
Yo Song's eyes narrowed.
"Could anyone blame you for failing to identify who was inside during an assault on the stronghold? If you said it was an oversight, given that Inspector General's temperament, he wouldn't hold you responsible."
It was certainly a valid point.
"But Grand Eunuch Nok is different. If he thinks you sided with the Inspector General, Grand Eunuch Nok will never let you be. Do you understand what I mean?"
Jo Gong's words clearly awakened Yo Song's mind.
"I understand."
"Then that's fortunate. Now, what are you hesitating about?"
Jo Gong pointed at Wei Yan-ho and the others wearing tiger masks.
"Kill them, right now. Don't leave a single one of those here alive…"
That was the moment.
"Ah, damn it!"
Wei Yan-ho, who had been wearing the tiger mask, pulled it off and threw it on the ground.
"See? I told you talking wouldn't work!"
"Didn't you agree to this from the beginning!"
"I didn't know that eunuch bastard would be here. Master said that eunuch bastards are crafty and greedy beyond measure because they're people who can't fill what needs to be filled."
"Well, that doesn't seem like something to keep saying in front of the person involved."
"What can you do? Since it's come to this…"
Wei Yan-ho grinned wickedly.
"I'll have to beat up the eunuch first."
Just as Jo Gong was about to fly into a rage upon hearing those words, Wei Yan-ho's body stretched out like taffy and reached right in front of Jo Gong.
"Gasp!"
The moment Jo Gong stood up in shock, Wei Yan-ho, without asking or reasoning, kicked Jo Gong straight in the crotch.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaak!"
Screaming a cry so horrible that anyone would have to cover their ears, Jo Gong shot up into the sky.
"Good heavens!"
"My goodness!"
All the men present brought their legs together, taking awkward stances. Just watching seemed to convey that pain.
How could a fellow human being commit such a terrible act? It would have been more merciful to behead him with a single stroke.
"Ah, my mistake!"
Wei Yan-ho clapped his hands together.
"Hey, since there's nothing there, it probably didn't hurt much, but I instinctively kicked there. I should have hit him somewhere else."
As Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue regretfully, Yo Song felt his hair stand on end.
'He looks plenty hurt though?'
Perhaps right now, Jo Gong was recalling the time when he still had something there?
Making someone who had lost it remember the time when they had it could perhaps be called a good deed…
"Hey, mister."
"Yes? Yes! Yes!"
Yo Song snapped to attention.
No matter how much of a military official he was, he was still an official, and officials must accurately read the scales of power to decide where to align themselves.
And the martial skill Wei Yan-ho had just displayed clearly showed where he should align himself.
'I missed it.'
Come to think of it, that Inspector General who favored warriors wouldn't have given his symbol to someone weak. It wasn't that this person was remarkable because he possessed the Inspector General's sacred relic. If he was someone to whom the Inspector General would bestow his sacred relic, he was certainly someone who couldn't be treated carelessly even without the sacred relic.
He had missed that obvious fact.
"That's no way to live."
"I'm… I'm sorry."
"You look like a real man on the outside, yet you're taking orders from a beardless eunuch? Naturally, you should side with this side."
'…You don't have a beard either though.'
Of course, one couldn't equate a eunuch not having a beard with someone still young whose beard hadn't fully grown yet.
"And anyone can see this side is innocent, but just because someone above ordered it, you blindly… Hm? Then… Ah, wait."
Yo Song's eyes filled with confusion.
Wei Yan-ho raised his hand to signal Yo Song to wait a moment and turned his body.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"
Then he kicked the falling Jo Gong again.
"Hiiek!"
"Again, again there!"
"Devil!"
Having precisely kicked Jo Gong's crotch to send him back up into the sky, Wei Yan-ho turned around and continued his lecture.
"Being an official is a job where you can't ignore orders from above, but still!"
"…I'm sorry."
"Since that eunuch bastard's crimes are greater, I'll understand just this once. Don't live like that in the future."
"…I'll keep it in mind."
Yo Song, who had been lectured and scolded merely for siding with the eunuch, swallowed his tears and bowed his head. If he had been cursed for failing to maintain proper conduct as an official and sound judgment, at least it wouldn't have been unfair.
'Who wants to listen to eunuch bastards' words?'
"But…"
"Yes?"
"The Eastern Bureau bastards' tyranny must be really severe? You can't even make a peep."
Yo Song's body trembled.
Hearing Wei Yan-ho's words, he began to worry about how to handle the aftermath. Wasn't Grand Eunuch Nok famous for never letting those who opposed him live?
"…Grand Eunuch Nok's tyranny reaches the heavens. Those who eat the nation's salary all fear him and cannot raise proper voices."
"Hmm…"
Wei Yan-ho scratched his cheek as if he didn't like it at all.
"I don't know what the old man is doing. If there's such a bastard, he should quickly eliminate him."
"It's impossible."
Wei Jeong-han said as he walked over slowly.
"Nok Gi's power surpasses that of Prince Lee Wang. Moreover, he enjoys the Emperor's favor, making elimination even more distant."
"The position of Emperor seems like a truly difficult position. It means he can only give trust to those who, being eunuchs, cannot usurp his position."
"…It's a lonely position."
"Hmm."
Wei Yan-ho nodded quietly.
"Well, it's not my concern."
Thud!
At that moment, Jo Gong fell to the ground. Seeing Jo Gong fainted, clutching his crotch with foam at his mouth, Wei Jeong-han squeezed his eyes shut.
'Though there's no room for sympathy…'
This was someone who had tried to kill them through murder and extermination. There was no need to sympathize with such a person, but seeing that pitiful state, he did feel somewhat sorry.
"He fainted? It shouldn't have hurt."
"…How could it not hurt?"
"There's nothing there, right?"
"…Wherever you get hit, if you get hit like that, it hurts, you fool!"
"Ah… right."
Seeing Wei Yan-ho grin sheepishly, Wei Jeong-han shook his head.
Though Wei Yan-ho was his son, the fellow was truly like a typhoon. Wherever he went, he caused trouble.
"Let's organize the situation for now. Things seem to have gotten somewhat serious."
Wei Jeong-han sighed.
No matter how much Wei Yan-ho possessed the Inspector's Golden Sword, the Inspector's Golden Sword only held symbolic meaning—it didn't make Wei Yan-ho an official.
Since someone who wasn't an official had reduced an official to this state, if handled poorly, the problem could become serious. Considering Grand Eunuch Nok's temperament, it wouldn't be strange at all if he framed this as treason.
'It might be better to kill this person.'
Wei Jeong-han's eyes grew cold.
Though he was called a gentleman, he wasn't without ruthlessness. Wei Jeong-han wouldn't hesitate to bloody his hands if it meant protecting his family and companions.
"Um…"
At that moment, Yo Song raised his hand.
"What is it?"
"I was pondering whether to speak or not, but there's one more person here related to you all."
"What do you mean?"
"While coming here, we captured someone who was moving to deliver the Inspector General's message."
"The Inspector General?"
Wei Jeong-han's face contorted.
"You've detained the Inspector General's messenger?"
"…I know it shouldn't be done, but I couldn't refuse the order."
"Where? Where is he detained?"
"Over… over there."
Where Yo Song pointed, there was a large chest. It had caught his eye earlier, making him wonder what was inside—but who would have thought a person was in there?
"Release him immediately! Right now!"
"Yes!"
Hearing those words, Yo Song hurriedly ran toward the chest.