That means either the Clan Lord’s eldest son or the beast handler hid something in there as evidence.
Or someone’s trying to frame them.
Then… does that mean the person who hid the evidence could also enter that enclosure?
Or perhaps… they bribed someone who could enter.
From what I remember of my previous life, the current Clan Lord’s eldest son was placed under house arrest.
That must’ve been either because his schemes were exposed… or because he was falsely accused.
My head started pounding.
First… I need to confirm if what’s inside is related to the plague from the Thorn Gate Sect.
I’ve got to get in there somehow.
The problem is… that thing isn’t just a snake. It’s a Venom-Horned Serpent with lethal poison.
But something feels strange.
Why do I only sense the presence of the Thorn Gate Sect’s plague here?
I don’t feel the presence of the Mountain Air Poison—the one that nearly ruined Jin-ho’s Deputy Merchant Lord inauguration.
No way…
I asked Lady Tang Su-bin.
“What does the third young master do?”
“The third brother is the Deputy Commander of the Tiger’s Stride Unit (虎步隊).”
“Tiger’s Stride… is that another combat unit?”
“It’s the assault unit of the main family.”
“I see.”
So that’s why it’s called Tiger’s Stride… it suits an assault unit pretty well.
“I’d like to visit that place.”
“…I’ll guide you.”
Interestingly, each combat unit was located far apart—like the easternmost or westernmost corners.
“There are a lot of people here obsessed with martial arts. When they get into fights, it doesn’t end quietly. That’s why the units are spread out far, partly to serve as a perimeter defense for the clan.”
“That’s a wise decision.”
When we arrived at the Tiger’s Stride Unit at the western edge… I instantly felt nauseous.
This nausea… belonged to the Unorthodox Sect.
The Tang Clan harboring Unorthodox Sect?
It’s absurd…
No. It’s not impossible.
Even in the Zhuge Clan, I sensed evil Qi from Zhuge Gyeong.
This means… someone like that exists here as well.
Then, as if he’d been informed of our arrival, the Clan Lord’s third son appeared.
“Welcome. I’m honored to receive you, Benefactor Eun.”
“Ah, thank you for the warm welcome.”
“I am Deputy Commander Tang Yeon-chil of the Tiger’s Stride Unit.”
“I’m Eun Seo-ho.”
At my introduction, the escort guards behind me also introduced themselves one by one.
“I heard you were touring.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then I must live up to your expectations. Hahaha. This way, please. I’ll give you a special tour of the training grounds.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Deputy Commander Tang Yeon-chil turned to Lady Tang Su-bin.
“And you. You’re not even going to greet your brother?”
“I didn’t think it was necessary.”
“Well… fair enough.”
What is this? They’re siblings, but they don’t seem to get along.
“This way.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
He felt even more revolting than Zhuge Gyeong… but I forced myself to smile.
If I hadn’t reached Peak, I probably would’ve vomited from the nausea.
I looked around the training grounds… but I couldn’t find any evidence related to the Mountain Air Poison.
A dead end?
Still… my suspicion that Deputy Commander Tang Yeon-chil was the mastermind seemed right.
If not… there’s no way I’d feel this disgusted.
Hiding the evidence of the Thorn Gate Sect plague in the Venom-Horned Serpent’s enclosure… must’ve been his way of framing the eldest son.
The problem is… I have no proof that he’s the culprit.
The nausea I feel isn’t exactly objective evidence.
And logically speaking, to create something like the plague-inducing poison from the Thorn Gate Sect… or the Mountain Air Poison… someone would need to be part of an organization directly related to poison research.
But Tang Yeon-chil belongs to a combat unit, the Tiger’s Stride Unit.
On top of that… he’s a direct blood relative of the Tang Clan. If I accuse him without concrete evidence, I could end up being framed instead.
Wait.
An organization that makes such things…?
After leaving the Tiger’s Stride Unit, I asked Lady Tang Su-bin.
“What does the second young master do?”
“He’s the Deputy Hall Lord of the Poison Flower Hall. I work there too.”
That decided the next destination.
I told Lady Tang Su-bin.
“I’d like to visit where you work next.”
She smiled brightly.
“It’s finally my turn! This way.”
Poison Flower Hall.
It was a place where poisons were developed and researched. The hall was divided into two main sections—application and research.
“My second brother handles the research side. I’m part of the application side.”
I grinned.
This time… it won’t be a dead end.
As we got closer to the Poison Flower Hall… the presence of the Mountain Air Poison, the one that almost ruined Jin-ho’s Deputy Merchant Lord inauguration, grew stronger.
We entered the hall. Lady Tang Su-bin cheerfully guided me around, showing me every corner.
Thanks to that… I figured it out.
The evidence related to the Mountain Air Poison was inside the research section of the Poison Flower Hall.
.
.
.
By the time the tour ended, it was already evening.
“Today’s been very enlightening. Please convey my gratitude to the Clan Lord.”
“I will.”
“By the way… how many siblings do you have?”
“Seven. Three older than me and three younger.”
“The youngest is Jo-ung.”
“That’s right. He’s my younger brother from the same mother.”
Ah… that explains why she’s so affectionate toward him.
“I care for him deeply, but… Jo-ung really is talented.”
Her eyes sparkled as she said it.
“Since you speak so highly of him, I look forward to his future.”
I continued asking casually.
“Do your three older brothers treat you well?”
“Yes. They’re good to me. They get so absorbed in their research that they sometimes neglect family, but I understand.”
“I hope this isn’t rude… but back at the Tiger’s Stride Unit, you seemed… uncomfortable.”
From their conversation, it sounded like typical sibling banter.
But her eyes… clearly showed hesitation. Discomfort.
“The truth is…”
She rubbed her arm as she continued.
“I don’t know if it’s okay to say this on a first meeting… but… for some time now… I’ve felt uneasy whenever I see my third brother.”
“I see.”
I hid my smile and cupped my fists.
“Forgive me for asking something so personal.”
“It’s alright.”
As we exchanged a few more questions, we arrived at the annex where I was staying.
“Thank you for escorting me all this way. Please, head back safely.”
Lady Tang Su-bin looked like she still had something she wanted to say.
But in the end, she hesitated and couldn’t bring herself to say more before leaving.
After dinner, I sat in deep thought.
Right now… the places where the Clan Lord’s eldest and second sons work are the same places where something related to the plague from the Thorn Gate Sect and the Mountain Air Poison used in the Eunhae Merchant Group incident is hidden.
If the third son were to expose this… the eldest and second sons would be eliminated from the race for the Clan Lord position.
First… I need to confirm with my own eyes exactly what these things are.
.
.
.
That night.
When everyone had fallen into a deep sleep.
I used the Illusory Sleep Technique to create an illusion of myself lying on the bed. Then I quietly slipped out.
I couldn’t let anyone else know about this.
I needed to move quickly… and secretly.
I thoroughly checked my surroundings. Palgap could pop out of nowhere.
…Clear.
I immediately moved.
The martial art I was using now was the No-Trace Step, a footwork technique my master taught me.
It made no sound when walking, and at my current Peak level… not even footprints remained.
My destination was the Life Research Hall.
I had to check the evidence hidden inside the Venom-Horned Serpent’s enclosure.
Before long, I arrived at the Life Research Hall.
— There are people on duty at night. Just one or two. They patrol the area every so often.
I recalled what Lady Tang Su-bin had said… and hung quietly beneath the roof, waiting.
Hanging like this wasn’t easy, but all my physical training was paying off.
About half an hour passed… then suddenly, a bright light swept across the yard.
Two men were approaching, holding something like a staff with a small Night-Luminescent Pearl attached to it.
Apparently, they used those instead of torches since fire could agitate the venomous creatures here.
Using something as expensive as Night-Luminescent Pearls in a place like this… seriously?
After making their rounds, the two disappeared inside the building. I heard the sound of the door closing.
They wouldn’t come out for at least an hour.
I quietly dropped down and approached the Venom-Horned Serpent’s enclosure.
The serpent was awake.
Its body looked thicker than mine.
‘Probably thinks I’d make a nice snack.’
It hissed at me as I slowly reached into my sleeve to pull out a sleeping agent.
I always carry one. You never know when you might need it.
But… the moment my eyes met the serpent’s… its tail trembled violently.
Then it curled its tail and fled to a corner.
…What?
Why’s it running away?
I’m confused.
Well… guess I won’t be needing the sleeping agent after all.
I pulled out a needle to pick the lock on the enclosure.
A skill I learned in my previous life.
It came in handy more often than you’d think.
Click.
The lock opened.
I carefully stepped inside and searched thoroughly.
Inside a pile of hay… there was a hidden bundle.
Feeling it… it was a book.
As I was about to slip it into my pocket… a fun little idea popped into my head.
‘Perfect. Guess I finally get to use that thing I’ve been carrying around.’
.
.
.
By the time I finished checking the Poison Flower Hall… a lot of time had passed.
I returned to the annex where I was staying and dispelled the illusion lying on the bed.
“Did you enjoy your little outing?”
“Gah!”
I jumped at the sound of Palgap’s voice behind me.
Whipping around… there he was, looking right at me.
I tried to act nonchalant.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
“How could I sleep when Young Master snuck out?”
“…”
“You mad?”
“Why would I be mad?”
Yeah. He’s mad.
“You’re mad because I went out alone and put myself in danger, right?”
“Sigh…”
Palgap let out a heavy sigh.
“To be honest… I’ve decided not to worry anymore when Young Master goes out alone. Your martial arts are strong, and you’ve got that little beast too.”
“…”
“But at the very least… could you let me know when you go out? That way, if something happens… I can do something about it.”
“Uh…”
Can’t argue with that.
I apologized right away.
“Sorry. Next time, I’ll let you know before I go.”
“Understood.”
“Then… since you’re already awake, go stand lookout for me.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve got something I need to check.”
Still… Palgap… remember, I’m the one you serve.
A little while later…
I pulled out what I’d found in the Life Research Hall and the Poison Flower Hall.
Two books.
I opened them… and started reading carefully.
“…What?”
The contents were absolutely horrifying.
It was research material detailing exactly how the plague from the Thorn Gate Sect was created… and how the Mountain Air Poison was developed.
With this… there’s no escape. Anyone caught with this would be branded the culprit without question.
And with this… I was fully convinced.
The mastermind is the third son.
Because the books carried a faint but unmistakable trace of demonic Qi.
The same Qi I felt from the third son.
But… why didn’t I find any evidence of this at the Tiger’s Stride Unit?
Even if the Murim Alliance orchestrated the overall scheme, the fact that the Ragged Sage himself said both poisons came from the Tang Clan… means there has to be a dedicated facility somewhere within the clan that researched and created them.
And that place… has to be somewhere under the third son’s watch.
‘So… there’s a hidden space somewhere.’
I organized the books and slipped them back into my pocket.
.
.
.
Morning came.
I circulated my Qi, did my training, and had breakfast.
A completely ordinary morning.
“Young Master.”
Palgap approached me.
“Lady Tang Su-bin is here to see you.”
“Oh, is she?”
The annex had a separate guest room. Lady Tang Su-bin was waiting for me there.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Benefactor.”
No matter how many times I hear that… it’s still embarrassing.
“I came with a message from my father. He’d like you to spend some time with Jo-ung today.”
“With Jo-ung?”
“Yes.”
Lady Tang Su-bin nodded.
“Father made a promise to Jo-ung yesterday. He said if Jo-ung completed a set task, he’d let him spend time with you. And… he finished it yesterday.”
I don’t know what the task was, but judging by how proud Lady Tang Su-bin looks… it couldn’t have been easy.
–TL Notes–
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