“Grand Young Master. This way, I have prepared a reception room.”

As he watched the Sixth Department Head of the Court of Judiciary walk ahead, personally guiding them as if he were a mere attendant, the Director of the Treasury clicked his tongue in disbelief. I knew the Grand Young Master wouldn’t make such a bold claim without preparations, but… The Treasury Director stroked his beard, his eyes fixed on Yeon So-hyeon, who followed leisurely with his hands clasped behind his back.

…still, the Sixth Department Head of the Court of Judiciary?

Even if he was the youngest of the department heads, he was still a department head in the Luoyang Sword Clan’s largest investigative body.

And not only that…

The Treasury Director’s wrinkled gaze bored into the Sixth Department Head’s back.

…to make the youngest department head stab his own direct and highest superior, the Head of the Court of Judiciary, in the back…!

The Treasury Director’s eye twitched.

…And to do it in front of everyone.

The Sixth Department Head’s actions, committed in such a public space, were nothing short of insubordination. It was an act that the Head of the Court of Judiciary absolutely could not, and should not, let pass.

And yet…

The Treasury Director wasn’t just watching his back; he was observing his demeanor. His gait was stable, if a little stiff. The way he held his head high as he led them… it was as if…

…as if he hasn’t a single worry about what’s to come.

What possible method could allow the youngest member of a pack to rebel against the alpha and still act with such confidence? Not even the Director, a man who had seen and survived every dirty trick in the messy, bloody battlefield of finance, could…

…I can’t even imagine it.

The old man shook his head, his gaze settling on Yeon So-hyeon’s back.

But, I have a question.

The very instant that thought formed in his mind, Yeon So-hyeon glanced back over his shoulder.

“You’re wondering why I felt the need to make an enemy of the Head of the Court of Judiciary right now, aren’t you?”

A bitter smile formed on the Treasury Director’s previously stiff face. “Was my expression that obvious, Grand Young Master?”

“No.”

“Then…?”

Until he had smiled, the Director’s expression had been impossible to read. If one couldn’t even guess his mood, how could one read his thoughts?

“Because after you analyzed the entire situation, that would be the natural question left to ask.”

The Treasury Director could only shake his head, exasperated, at Yeon So-hyeon’s casual shrug. “…You truly are one of a kind, Grand Young Master.”

Just then, as if timed perfectly, the Sixth Department Head’s footsteps stopped.

“Here we are.”

As his aides opened the doors to the reception room, Yeon So-hyeon stood framed against the light streaming out, a smile playing on his lips.

“I wasn’t the one who made an enemy of him, Treasury Director.”

“…What do you mean?”

Looking at Yeon So-hyeon’s twisted smile, the Director found his answer.

“The hand he offered… it wasn’t one of peace?”

“Correct. It was,” Yeon So-hyeon nodded. “nothing more than a smokescreen, a trick to make us lower our guard so he could strike at our backs.”

“…!”

Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes, backlit by the sun, glinted. “If we had accepted that hand, he would have dragged his feet until your fate was sealed.”

The Director was not shocked that a man of power would plot such a thing. He was shocked by how Yeon So-hyeon knew.

“The Head of the Court of Judiciary… he was never on my side, not since my first conflict with the Inner Court. He was one of the hidden, key figures who tried to prevent me from ending my seclusion.”

How? How did he know these things? These were events from before he had his current influence and prestige, things that had happened among the highest echelons of power. How could he know them as if he had seen them with his own eyes?

“…The Head of the Court of Judiciary…” Yeon So-hyeon’s glinting eyes looked as if they could see through everything, from the past to the present. “He staged this little show because he couldn’t possibly imagine that I already know the inner workings of his Court of Judiciary, right down to the last mouse hole.”

“…I see.”

The old man wiped away a bead of cold sweat that had begun to form on his brow.

Abruptly, his surroundings snapped back into focus. The Sixth Department Head’s faction had clearly prepared the reception room meticulously for a guest. And yet, the moment Yeon So-hyeon began to speak in the hallway, they had, as if this hallway were the reception room, naturally and immediately sealed it off, securing the space.

Even the Sixth Department Head himself stood a quiet step behind, listening to the Grand Young Master’s words with rapt attention. As if they had not a single question about his actions, their individual faces showed no trace of discontent. Their attitude was one of such complete accord that if Yeon So-hyeon had declared he would drink tea on the hallway floor, they would have accepted it as the most natural thing in the world.

…The Grand Young Master’s control, his influence… since when did it reach so deeply into the Court of Judiciary?

It was so complete that if someone had claimed this was the Wongakjeong, not the Court of Judiciary, he wouldn’t have been surprised.

Naturally, Yeon So-hyeon’s words from earlier echoed again in the Treasury Director’s mind.

‘From now on, you will see for yourself just how much my stature has changed within this family.’

“But, if that’s the case…” The Treasury Director shook his head, forcing his thoughts back to the main issue. “…was there truly a need to reveal your card, the Sixth Department Head, right now?”

With this, the Head of the Court of Judiciary would surely ostracize the Sixth Department Head’s faction. They would face disadvantages, and even the flow of information they once had would be cut off.

“Is that so?”

“Is it not?”

At the Treasury Director’s counter-question, the smile on Yeon So-hyeon’s face deepened.

A sudden, lightning-like realization struck the Director.

“Don’t tell me…?!”

“That’s right. Just as you’ve guessed,” Yeon So-hyeon said with a short laugh. “Do you really think that the Sixth Department Head is the only piece I have inside this Court?”

A frigid chill ran down the Treasury Director’s entire spine.

***

At that same moment. The Court of Judiciary.

Outside the office of the Head of the Court of Judiciary, a silent war was unfolding.

“Where in the hell did all the department heads go?!”

The Head of the Court of Judiciary’s chief aide, his voice lowered to a furious whisper, was trembling as he berated his subordinates.

“Why is no one responding to this lord’s emergency summons?!”

He and his men… until just a few moments ago, they had believed without a shadow of a doubt that they had the entire Court of Judiciary firmly in their grasp. That was, until the Grand Young Master arrived.

“I-I don’t know, sir! The Third Department Head said a sudden family emergency came up and he had to leave the main clan…”

“The Fourth Department Head is claiming a ‘sudden illness’ and is refusing entry to his quarters.”

“The Fifth Department Head is simply absent, without even giving a reason!”

Every last one of them was drenched in sweat, as if they’d been caught in a summer downpour.

“What in the world is going on…?!”

At his subordinates’ reports, the chief aide clutched his head.

“What is happening to this Court?!”

***

Inside the office of the Head of the Court of Judiciary.

The air was thick with stale smoke. The tea in the cup on the table had gone cold long ago.

“…In the end,” the Head of the Court of Judiciary was the one to break the heavy silence. “Of the six department heads, four have refused the summons.”

This was an unprecedented event, the first of its kind since he had become the Head of the Court of Judiciary.

“They cannot all be traitors,” said the Second Department Head, a woman in her early years. She took a pull from her long smoking pipe and exhaled the smoke along with her organized thoughts. “Most of them are likely just testing the winds, given the sudden change in the situation.”

The First Department Head nodded in agreement. “If all of them had truly defected, the Court wouldn’t be this quiet.”

If they had secured sufficient numbers, they wouldn’t be hiding. They would have already stormed this office to impeach him.

“But the fact that they are ‘testing the winds’ means—”

“It means that what the Grand Young Master showed them, was that shocking.” The First Department Head licked his lips, eyeing the Second Department Head’s pipe. The Sixth Department Head, who always lent him tobacco, was not here.

He had publicly stabbed the Head of the Court of Judiciary in the back, but that wasn’t all.

“A fissure has begun to crack open in the Court of Judiciary.”

“And now,” The Second Department Head took a long drag, as if to spite the First Department Head, and continued, “the only question is whether this fissure can be patched over, or if—”

Tsk. The Head of the Court of Judiciary clicked his tongue, cutting her off.

“Or if it will lead to a total collapse.”

The Head of the Court of Judiciary’s eyes were burning with a cold blue light, but even that fury couldn’t fill the emptiness of the vacant seats.

The heavy silence returned, only to be broken by the chief aide, who entered cautiously.

“My Lord. We have visitors from the Third Young Master’s faction, and from the Yeon clansmen. They are insisting on seeing you.”

At that news, the Second Department Head clicked her tongue softly. “…The vultures heard the news quickly.”

“…This might also be the Grand Young Master’s doing. Damn it.” The First Department Head let out a sigh, cursing under his breath. “The massive upheaval the Grand Young Master caused in the main clan… it was supposed to be a great boon for us.”

His words were, without exaggeration, the simple truth.

Yeon So-hyeon’s rise had caused numerous powers within the family to be purged or fall under investigation. The Third Young Master’s faction was in trouble over the ‘Dragon and Phoenix Assembly Stadium’ incident, and the Yeon clansmen were entangled in the massive corruption scandal surrounding the Treasury. It was only natural that the Court of Judiciary, as the center of all these investigations, would see its influence swell.

“Should we find a way to send them back for now?” the First Department Head suggested.

“That…” The chief aide shook his head, looking troubled. “They do not seem inclined to leave easily. They are openly mentioning their ‘deals’ with us, verging on threats.”

‘Good fortune and bad luck come intertwined’, was it?

As the First Department Head was sighing again, the Head of the Court of Judiciary’s mouth opened.

“…Second Department Head.”

Her gaze shifted to him.

“You handle them.”

“…That.” She made a sour face. The Head of the Court of Judiciary’s jaw tightened. She had answered the summons, but her attitude was clearly different from usual.

At least, it felt different to him.

“…Second Department Head. Did you not have your sights set on an Elder’s seat?”

At those words, she shot a glare at the First Department Head, who merely shrugged. The Head of the Court of Judiciary and the First Department Head were both Elders of the Luoyang Sword Clan. In this room, she was the only one who was not.

“…This is going to cost you dearly.”

As he watched her leave, the Head of the Court of Judiciary turned to the First Department Head. “Watch my back for a moment.”

“Of course, but…” The First Department Head rose from his chair as the Head of the Court of Judiciary stood up. “Where are you going…?”

***

The Court of Judiciary, Guest Reception Room.

“Grand Young Master. An urgent report.”

As Yeon So-hyeon was about to enter the room, someone approached and handed him a small note.

“Thank you.”

Yeon So-hyeon took the note, and the messenger was gone before the Treasury Director could even get a look at his face.

“Heh.” A low chuckle escaped Yeon So-hyeon’s lips as he read the note. “It seems the Head of the Court of Judiciary has secretly left his post, taking only a handful of his men.”

To get an immediate report on the secret movements of a man like the Head of the Court of Judiciary… and at a time like this, when he would be on his highest guard?

Just how many eyes and ears has the Grand Young Master planted…?!

The Treasury Director’s sharp eyes caught the Sixth Department Head’s subtle, momentary freeze.

‘Even the Sixth Department Head, one of his own men, doesn’t know all of his pieces.’

It was as if Yeon So-hyeon’s shadow had consumed the entire Court of Judiciary.

“For the Head of the Court of Judiciary to leave his post at a time like this… what could be the reason?”

It was the Treasury Director who answered Gang Ho’s quiet question. “Now that the Sixth Department Head has sided with us, there is only one investigative body left that’s related to the Treasury case, isn’t there?”

“Ah.” Gang Ho slapped his palm. “The Inspectorate Bureau!”

The Treasury Director nodded slowly, affirming Gang Ho’s deduction. “Indeed. If he wants to exert his influence on this case, the only path left is the Central Inspectorate, which raided the Treasury in the first place.”

And the Central Inspectorate was under the jurisdiction of the Inspectorate Bureau. The Treasury Director let out a low “Hmm,” his eyes narrowing.

“It seems… he’s going to meet the Head of the Inspectorate Bureau.”

First the Head of the Court of Judiciary, now the Head of the Inspectorate Bureau. Even if Dokgo Ya-yeon, the famously neutral Head of the Central Inspectorate, tried to stick to her principles, she would not be able to ignore pressure from her own superior.

This is…

The saying ‘mountains beyond mountains’ came to mind. The Treasury Director let out a low groan, ”…This is not easy.”

“You think so?” But Gang Ho was smiling.

Just then, a man who had been waiting inside the reception room stepped forward.

“A pleasure to meet you, Treasury Director.”

He had a seemingly friendly smile as he introduced himself.

“I am Hwa Bok, of the Central Inspectorate.”

“…Why is the Central Inspectorate here?”