Chapter 19: It's Okay to Disappoint Me
When you think about it, I, Beomhang, am the root of all evil.
“Bumong.”
“Yes, eldest brother.”
“Once you leave here, activate the outer wall formation and seal the library. No one—not even a single ant—should be allowed to escape.”
“What about Grandfather?”
“It’s not too late to inform him after we’ve dealt with this.”
“Understood.”
Just as I was about to speak to Yun, he opened his mouth first.
“Eldest Brother, I will activate the Black Thunder Formation installed in the training grounds. After that, I will identify the traitors among the guards.”
When the Black Thunder Formation is activated, the training grounds will turn into night. The world will instantly darken, with thunder and lightning striking, making it impossible for anyone to see even those standing beside them. He intended to use that moment to distinguish the traitors.
It was a decent plan, but Hoo Gong shook his head.
“There are only eight traitors among the guards, and the six defenders are scattered. There’s no need for such a commotion. Just seeing me walk out unharmed will resolve everything.”
“Ah! That would be better.”
Yun immediately understood and nodded with a sly smile. But when he saw the eldest brother stroking his chin as if deep in thought, he quickly composed himself and waited for further instructions.
“Hmm, but there’s something else. Among the traitors revealed by Cheon Gyu-in, we need to find someone with a weakness…”
“Are you referring to someone who might betray us again?”
“Exactly.”
Yun’s eyes darted around as if recalling each person one by one.
“Jong Mugeuk would be ideal. He has someone he must protect.”
Hoo Gong nodded and grabbed a winter book floating in midair. In an instant, they were back in the study.
While Deputy Commander Onso was stalling time with the assembled guards, something flew down from the sky.
Boom!
A figure landed among them, sending up a cloud of dust.
As the dust settled, a grotesque figure writhed on the ground.
None of the guards could comprehend what it was.
When they hesitated in shock at what appeared to be a bloody lump—was this even human?—Yun’s voice rang out from afar.
“That writhing thing is the Commander of the Guards! He tried to kill Eldest Brother but ended up struck by Feng!”
No one understood what he meant, and all turned toward the voice.
The Grand Lord was walking toward Yi Gongja.
“Gasp!”
Among the 32 guards, including Deputy Commander Onso, eight who had joined the rebellion turned pale as death.
**
Before evening fell, the situation at Cheonhwa Library was resolved.
It was smooth sailing from there.
The guards and some defenders who had joined the Chief Administrator’s conspiracy were subdued without even putting up a fight. They had no choice. What they had been waiting for was not their writhing Commander but news of the Grand Lord’s death delivered with sorrowful expressions. Moreover, when they saw the Grand Lord—who should have been dead—walking toward them so calmly, they could do nothing but collapse mentally.
Mental collapse.
None of them had anticipated failure, so they were all stunned, their minds completely blank. Not only were the guards arrested, but scholars and administrators involved in the conspiracy were also dragged out and imprisoned immediately.
The prisoners were dispersed across five locations, each secured with formations and seals. Interrogations followed individually. During this process, falsified ledgers were discovered—half of Cheonhwa Library’s assets had already been embezzled. Additionally, several books and treasures listed in notes had been leaked outside.
All these measures were carried out under the Grand Lord’s command. His instructions were simple yet clear, devoid of any unnecessary complications. Everything moved like clockwork. By the time the situation settled around dusk, what should have been a major event felt almost trivial.
As darkness crept in, one conspirator was summoned before the Grand Lord: Jong Mugeuk, a man in his early thirties whom Fan Yun had identified as a suitable candidate for betrayal due to his vulnerabilities.
“Your wife is beautiful, and your young daughter toddles about adorably, does she not?”
At the Grand Lord’s abrupt words, the color drained from Jong Mugeuk’s face. His entire body trembled like an aspen leaf.
No fool could misunderstand what the mention of his family implied.
“G-Grand Lord…”
Jong Mugeuk fell to his knees in terror, kowtowing as his body shook.
“This lowly one has committed a capital offense. I betrayed your grace and harbored wicked intentions. Even if I acted under coercion, I deserve death a thousand times over. If you order me to die here, I will obey immediately. But my wife and daughter are innocent. They have no connection to this matter. Please, have mercy on them.”
“Hmm?”
At the Grand Lord’s incredulous snort, Jong Mugeuk looked up with bloodshot eyes. The Grand Lord was shaking his head.
“What nonsense are you spouting? I can’t comprehend you. Do you truly believe I would kill your wife and child?”
“N-no! I spoke rashly. I know you would never do such a thing.”
But the fear for his family’s safety had already taken root in his mind, refusing to leave.
The Grand Lord was no longer the meek scholar of the past.
Whether the Commander had been struck by Feng or not, the image of the Grand Lord calmly observing that wretched, writhing figure remained vivid. His eyes held no fear or hesitation—only the cold certainty of a man capable of anything.
And now, those eyes were fixed on him.
Even today, the Grand Lord’s demeanor as he commanded the situation had been unnervingly composed, surpassing even seasoned veterans of the martial world.
“Grand Lord, give me your orders. I will do anything. You will not be disappointed.”
Jong Mugeuk was no fool. He recognized that being summoned separately was his only hope and pressed himself even lower to the ground.
“It’s okay to disappoint me.”
“...What?”
“Frankly, I can’t be bothered, but if I must intervene…”
“No! I will handle it. Just give the command.”
“Oh? If you insist so earnestly, very well. Bring the Chief Administrator before me by tonight. Can you do it?”
“You need not worry. It’s nothing.”
“Good. I’ll expect results. But remember this.”
He paused deliberately, and Jong Mugeuk swallowed dryly.
The Grand Lord rose and began circling the kneeling man.
Thud. Thud.
He knew how deafening those footsteps sounded to Jong Mugeuk.
“Jong Mugeuk, life doesn’t always go as planned. You might hesitate. You might change your mind.”
“...”
“And if you do, know that my mind can change as well. When your resolve wavers, remember this: I swore not to resort to cruelty, but I might just do something horrific.”
Jong Mugeuk’s teeth chattered as he trembled.
The unspoken implications—who he might target—were clear.
“I-I will bring the Chief Administrator without fail!”
“Alive.”
“I depart immediately.”
The Chief Administrator’s external mansion was opulent.
The pavilion at the center of its moonlit pond exuded tranquility, and it was there the Chief Administrator received the news.
“The Grand Lord is dead?”
His voice slithered out, dark and oily.
Jong Mugeuk maintained an indifferent gaze.
“Yes.”
“Was it suicide, or did the Commander act?”
“The Grand Lord took his own life.”
“Haah…”
The Chief Administrator sighed deeply, his eyes brimming with sorrow as he gazed at the night sky.
“Grand Lord, why did you choose this path? Those who loved you—how are we to live on while you walk alone into peace? How must I bear this grief? I was negligent. I failed you.”
Tears finally spilled down his cheeks.
As Jong Mugeuk waited in silence, the Chief Administrator’s gaze sharpened.
“How did I look just now?”
Jong Mugeuk flinched.
The man was now smiling brightly, tears still glistening on his face.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Did I appear convincingly grief-stricken?”
“Ah! Yes, even I felt a pang of solemnity.”
“Haha, didn’t I? With the family head fainting and the Second and Third Lords drowning in despair, I had to match their sincerity.”
“Of course.”
“But speaking of which…”
The Chief Administrator’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“How odd. Why would you be the one to report such critical news?”
“As a fellow conspirator, is it strange?”
Jong Mugeuk’s reply came without hesitation. Yet the Chief Administrator tilted his head.
“From what I recall, you dote on your wife and daughter, refusing even the Commander’s orders if they kept you from dinner. For you to leave the library alone on such a night—isn’t that peculiar?”
The corners of the Chief Administrator’s lips curled upward, his eyes glinting coldly. Behind him, a black-clad swordsman stared at Jong Mugeuk with blade-sharp intensity, fingers drumming on his hilt.
Jong Mugeuk smirked.
“You’re right. Normally, I’d refuse even the Commander. My time is precious. But today is special. On such days, one must step forward to secure their share.”
“Ohoho, you’re a cunning one. I like that. Men who prattle about justice and loyalty make me sick.”
The Chief Administrator stood abruptly. When the swordsman moved to follow, he waved a dismissive hand.
“Stay here, Lady Heukwol. This is an internal matter of Cheonhwa Library. It wouldn’t do for you to accompany me. It’ll take time—holding the Grand Lord’s funeral, then the family head’s, then the next, and the next… Hahaha! The mere thought exhausts me. Not that I’ll do much besides weep with sorrowful eyes. Don’t fret.”
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The Chief Administrator did as planned.
Tears streamed endlessly from his sorrowful eyes.
The only deviations were his naked body hanging upside-down from the ceiling and the fact that his tears mingled with snot and blood.
In this blood-rushed state, he stared at the Grand Lord—who he’d believed dead—now lounging boredly in a chair.
You were supposed to be dead!
The Chief Administrator had screamed this the moment he entered Cheonhwa Library, only to be greeted by the Grand Lord himself at the gates. He’d been dragged away and strung up immediately—stripped naked—before being beaten unconscious by three guards. When he came to, he heard the family head’s voice.
“Child, this is too harsh. Our Cheonhwa Library isn’t some demonic sect or bandit den. Must you torture him so brutally?”
The family head chided the Grand Lord, adding, And why strip him before beating him?
What the hell… What is this?
