Chapter 10 – The Assassination Attempt
The night grew deep.
Even the prison fell silent.
Half asleep, Yeong-woo began to dream.
He was returning home.
Across a hill thick with green grass, Ok-i ran ahead of him.
The sky above was clear and blue.
White clouds drifted gently.
Birds by the water were even whiter than the clouds.
Something felt wrong.
His throat was dry.
He bent to drink from a stream.
Just then a dark shadow fell across the water.
Yeong-woo turned.
A huge scarecrow lunged at him.
He cursed and rolled over in his sleep.
Then he heard a strange sound from across the cell.
In the flickering light of an oil lamp, a shadow raised a sword.
And stabbed it down into the straw figure lying on the bed.
"Huh—!"
Yeong-woo clamped a hand over his mouth.
The fool of a man stabbed the straw body once more, then quickly fled.
In the crossing shadows of darkness and lamplight, Yeong-woo caught a glimpse of the face.
No.
He was certain.
The man had been sent by Park Cheol-gu.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
"Why go this far…?"
No.
Park Cheol-gu was certainly a vicious man, but he was not this cunning.
Then who?
Suddenly another thought came to him.
Perhaps the assassin belonged to Seo Ui-taek.
The clumsy movements and round face reminded him of one of Seo's subordinates.
A man who would do anything Seo ordered.
Kill me.
And blame the murder on Park Cheol-gu.
Seo Ui-taek was one step ahead.
More ruthless than the petty and jealous Park Cheol-gu.
In the end, Seo would win.
Yeong-woo stared at the straw corpse that had died in his place and let out a slow breath.
Even then sleep pulled at him.
It was the medicine.
Everything felt tiresome.
If he died like this, perhaps that would be fine.
For now… just sleep.
At dawn the prison erupted in chaos.
They said a sword had been driven through Yeong-woo's throat.
So Cheol-ryong from the neighboring cell had seen it through the bars and shouted.
A guard came to check.
After a glance he shrugged.
"Just some idiot's prank. A bit rough for a threat."
And he left.
Yeong-woo remained asleep.
If the assassin believed the job was done, he would not return.
So Yeong-woo stayed still.
Baek In-gyeom returned from the night battle and inspected the scene.
He sighed.
He did not need to see much.
He already knew exactly what had happened.
Han Ji-won was sent to speak with Park Cheol-gu.
Park Cheol-gu looked exhausted.
The Yeojin night assault had kept him awake the entire night.
His face showed the hollow look of someone near despair.
"Why did you drive a sword into the armor in the prison?" Han Ji-won asked.
"I did no such thing."
"There is no one else with reason to do it."
Park Cheol-gu bit his lip.
"If someone benefits from that boy's death, it would be my rival."
"My enemy."
"Seo Ui-taek."
"You're saying it wasn't you?"
Han Ji-won's question made anger flare in Park Cheol-gu's chest.
"We fought the enemy all night. We barely have enough men as it is."
"Do you know how difficult that was?"
"Then why did you send soldiers to their deaths?"
"I followed orders. Do you think I did it on my own?"
"Do you follow every order without thinking?"
"My guess is that Seo did this."
"Do you have proof?"
"In matters like this, there is no proof."
"But I am certain."
"Do not move without proof."
Han Ji-won's voice hardened.
"Hoeryong Fortress… how should I put it…"
"It is a nest of demons."
It was the judgment of an Immortal.
He held no official rank.
Yet his words carried weight.
Act on suspicion, and it might only serve Seo's plan.
"Understood," Park Cheol-gu replied.
"But why come to me?"
"I am not worried about you."
"I am worried about those innocent young soldiers."
But after Han Ji-won left, Park Cheol-gu smirked.
He had never thought of such a method before.
He had learned something useful.
Why had he struggled so much before?
If someone must die, kill them quietly.
As long as no one is caught, what does it matter?
Of course, murder would be a crime.
But only if one were caught.
Just then Han Ji-won stopped and turned back.
As if he had read the thought.
"Do not start any more trouble."
"Baek In-gyeom is watching."
"Baek… Gong?"
"Yes."
"That is why I came."
Park Cheol-gu's thick lips twitched.
Baek Gong.
The leader of the Immortals.
Even the court in the capital knew his name.
If only those men would stand on his side.
But that would never happen.
After the South Gate incident, their trust in him had surely fallen to the ground.
For a moment another thought crossed his mind.
Perhaps he should kill Seo Ui-taek himself.
Not now.
But later.
On some battlefield.
An "accident" would not be difficult.
For now, though,
he would do nothing.