“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Jilin Governor-General Xianyu Hyeong-bi was no stranger to the dark arts of interrogation. Far from a novice, she had personally overseen tortures in the past to set grim examples for her subjects. Yet, hearing a man beg not for his life, but for the cold embrace of death, was an entirely different breed of suffering. General Gwak’s wretched, primal shrieks—clawing their way from the depths of the dungeon to the surface—were enough to strike her mute and send a violent shiver racing down her spine.

“Those closest to the heart of the Luoyang Yeon Clan’s power undergo specialized training within the Inner Court,” the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword remarked, scratching the bandaged nape of his neck as he sat beside the Governor. He narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial low as he added, “They serve the head of the largest and most formidable clan in the Empire. It’s said their technical expertise in these matters rivals that of the Imperial Palace itself.”

As Xianyu Hyeong-bi sat stunned, unable to find her voice at the mention of the Imperial Court’s level of cruelty, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword pushed himself up from his chair.

“Ugh,” he grunted, shuddering visibly. “A simple swordsman like me can’t stand those kinds of sounds. It’s too gruesome to just sit here and listen to. I think I’ll step outside for a bit.”

The irony of his statement—given the number of people he had personally butchered on the battlefield—was enough to make the dead rise from their graves in protest, but the Governor was in no mood for jokes.

“Ah, I’ll join you—” she began, rising in a hurry.

Before they could reach the exit, the screaming abruptly ceased. The heavy door groaned open, and the two of them froze, turning their heads with the stiff, synchronized precision of puppets. Standing there was Jeong-ah, the Grand Young Master’s Head Handmaiden.

Her face, as pale and flawless as fine white porcelain, was splattered with a fine mist of crimson blood. She looked at them without a trace of emotion. “Are you two going somewhere?”

Beside her, a twin maid named Sam-ryeong handed her a towel. Jeong-ah began to wipe her hands, the white cloth instantly turning a heavy, sodden red.

“Uh, well…”

Life-Stealing Ghost Sword could have simply been honest and said he wanted some fresh air. Instead, unnerved by the eerie light in Jeong-ah’s golden eyes, he sat back down with uncharacteristic haste. “It’s nothing. I just felt a bit… stiff.”

Jeong-ah’s gaze drifted from the Ghost Sword to the Governor-General. Xianyu Hyeong-bi, famous for her sharp wit and lightning-fast reflexes, was already seated, gracefully lifting a teacup as if she had never intended to leave.

“My, Head Handmaiden,” the Governor-General said, feigning a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “I assume you’ve finished your business?”

Despite her title, Jeong-ah was effectively Yeon So-hyeon’s proxy. In the past, when So-hyeon was mocked as the ‘Swordless One,’ things might have been different; but now, no one in the Central Plains dared to treat the Head Handmaiden with anything but the utmost deference.

“Not yet,” Jeong-ah replied.

“Pardon…?” Xianyu Hyeong-bi’s teacup stalled in mid-air.

“He is a creature who dared to act insolently before my Lord and even attempted a rebellion,” Jeong-ah stated, her golden eyes darkening as they filled with a sharp, focused killing intent. “I cannot allow him a swift or easy end. I believe his stamina has flagged, so I will let him rest for a while before we continue.”

“Ah… I see.”

The Governor-General swallowed hard. She could feel it—Jeong-ah wasn’t just punishing General Gwak; she was delivering a visceral warning to Xianyu Hyeong-bi herself. Even Life-Stealing Ghost Sword’s earlier mention of the Inner Court and the Imperial Palace felt like a calculated part of the same cold psychological pressure.

“What if the bastard tries to run while you’re resting?” the Ghost Sword asked. His simple mind was likely devoid of the complex political undertones, but his question was practical.

“I’ve severed every major tendon and meridian in his limbs,” Jeong-ah replied coolly. “Unless he can learn to slither like a snake, escape is impossible.”

“…You cut all that and he’s still alive?”

“That is where the technique lies.”

As Life-Stealing Ghost Sword shrugged, having run out of things to say, Jeong-ah turned her attention back to the Governor. “Governor-General Xianyu.”

“Yes…?” Xianyu Hyeong-bi straightened her posture, snapping into focus.

“How is the matter of the Heilongjiang remnants being handled?”

“Ah, that!” The Governor relayed the reports she had received. “We are proceeding exactly as you instructed, Head Handmaiden.”

Though she was a provincial Governor taking orders from a maid, neither of them—nor the Ghost Sword—seemed to find the arrangement odd.

“I’ve already spread rumors through the surrounding villages,” the Governor-General continued. “The message is clear: any soldier who surrenders voluntarily will be incorporated into the Northern Great General’s Headquarters to fulfill their military service.”

This, of course, was the direct strategy devised by Yeon So-hyeon.

“And is it proving effective?” Jeong-ah asked. Her face was a mask of certainty; she already knew the answer.

“Immensely,” Xianyu Hyeong-bi nodded. “The primary reason for its success is that we’ve offered these terms under the name of the renowned Admiral Lee Yeom-ik.”

Admiral Lee Yeom-ik, the former Supreme Commander of the Southern Sea Fleet and the legendary ‘Guardian Deity of the Empire’s Waters,’ currently served as the Emperor’s Chief Military Advisor. His name carried a weight that few others could match.

“Reports are flooding in of soldiers surrendering in droves after hearing the news. Honestly…” The Governor shook her head in amazement. “If I weren’t directly involved, I would find it hard to believe how perfectly everything is clicking into place, like a meticulously rehearsed play. To think… you used the Haedong Iron Cavalry to crush a rebel legion without losing a single man of your own, and then absorbed the scattered remnants so rapidly.”

She looked out the window at the fading afternoon sun. “The psychological play of offering amnesty before they even had a chance to regroup was brilliant. The Iron Cavalry’s charge was devastating, but because the rebel lines collapsed so instantly, the actual casualties were far lower than expected. Most of them just scattered.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Since the Iron Cavalry operated alone, the Grand Nobleman didn’t have secondary units for a pursuit-and-annihilation phase. Most of the casualties in war happen during the rout, but these men were barely chased. This means…” Xianyu Hyeong-bi trailed off, a look of sudden, profound realization washing over her face. “…Wait. Wait just a moment.”

She turned to Jeong-ah, her eyes wide with suspicion and awe. “Don’t tell me… did the Grand Young Master plan for this outcome from the very beginning?”

Instead of answering directly, Jeong-ah sat down and lifted a fresh teacup. “With this,” she said calmly, “the Northern Great General’s Headquarters has secured the largest granary in the North—the cultivated lands of the Gwak Clan—along with the entire veteran defense force of Heilongjiang, which previously operated as an independent entity.”

It was a staggering consolidation of power. Moyong Woonjeong, who had been struggling to fill her father’s shoes while facing open rebellion within her own clan, had been catapulted in a single stroke into the position of one of the North’s most powerful sovereigns.

“To be blessed with the Grand Young Master’s trust and protection to such a degree… it is enough to make one envious,” the Governor-General murmured, almost to herself.

Jeong-ah offered a small, knowing smile. “The Acting Great General has built a long history of trust through her exchanges with my Lord. Of course,” she added, her golden eyes softening as she looked at Xianyu Hyeong-bi, “should the Governor-General of Jilin prove herself equally reliable, I am certain my Lord will see to it that you are appropriately rewarded.”

Gulp.

The Governor-General swallowed and nodded slowly. “Of course. I shall do my absolute best.”

“Argh!” Life-Stealing Ghost Sword, who had been scowling through the dense political talk, suddenly bolted upright. “I can’t just sit here anymore! I’m going stir-crazy!”

It was an absurd complaint from a man who had just finished a life-or-death duel with Grand Nobleman and was still wrapped in bloody bandages, but he pressed on regardless. “You said that Sima guy’s tricks have caused rebellions all over the place, right? And that we have to stop them? Then let’s get moving!”

“Very well.” Jeong-ah rose, offering a polite shrug to the Governor. “Governor-General Xianyu.”

“Yes, please, go ahead.” Xianyu Hyeong-bi stood to see them out.

“I shall return shortly,” Jeong-ah said, bowing her head slightly. “In the meantime… please take good care of General Gwak.”

To an outsider, the words might have sounded like a lover’s concerned parting. To Xianyu Hyeong-bi, hearing the murderous intent shimmering beneath the surface of those golden eyes, it was a request that made her blood run cold.

“…You can count on me,” she managed to reply.

“Then, we shall take our leave.”

“See ya later, Governor!” the Ghost Sword called out as they departed.

Watching their retreating figures, Xianyu Hyeong-bi realized more clearly than ever that the entire order of the North was being violently, efficiently reshaped around a single center: Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

***

The Hallway.

“Hey, Head Handmaiden,” the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword asked as he followed Jeong-ah. “Don’t you think you laid it on a bit thick back there? I mean, with the scaring her and all.”

Despite his rough exterior, the Ghost Sword had spent years navigating the political viper’s nest of the Luoyang Yeon Clan. “I’m no expert in these things, but if you squeeze someone that hard, won’t it just backfire?”

“No.” Jeong-ah shook her head slowly. “She is a remarkably shrewd woman. If you give her even an inch of breathing room, she will forget her fear, start calculating the odds, and eventually try to stick her head back out to see if she can gain an advantage.” She paused, a clinical coldness in her tone. “This level of pressure is precisely what is required.”

“Heh.” The Ghost Sword let out a long whistle. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you could see right into that woman’s skull.”

“Did you not know?” Jeong-ah stopped and turned to look at him. “I can see into her mind quite clearly. Every single corner of it.”

Life-Stealing Ghost Sword met those piercing golden eyes and immediately looked away, feeling as though he’d been scorched. “Ahem. Right. We’ve got a long way to go, let’s pick up the pace.”

He hurried ahead, muttering under his breath, Where the hell did the Lord find such a terrifying woman?

Walking behind him, Jeong-ah answered the thought as if it had been spoken aloud. “My Lord did not find me. I sought him out.”

Goddammit, I need two or three more brains just to talk to her. Reaching the same conclusion he always did, Life-Stealing Ghost Sword quickly changed the subject. “Anyway…” He looked out a window toward the northern horizon. “Are you sure we don’t need to go help our liege personally?”

“What we are doing now is the greatest help we can provide him,” Jeong-ah replied instantly.

“You think so?”

“Everything we are accomplishing here,” Jeong-ah said, a faint, sharp smile touching her lips, “without exception, will place an enormous, suffocating pressure on the Dread King and Grand Strategist Sima.”