Chapter 20. Why Does the Grand Duke Resemble a Demon Sect Leader?
The Commander's head was spinning.
The Grand Duke, who had been contemplating how to die, remained unmoved despite the family head’s pleas. This wasn’t some demonic realm, yet the Grand Duke carried himself like a minor leader of a sinister sect.
“Grandfather, please go inside. This man tried to kill me. I nearly lost my life—showing him this much mercy is already generous.”
“Ah… Yes, of course.”
The family head’s eyes widened in surprise. He chuckled briefly, then stammered, torn between shock at the Grand Duke’s ruthlessness and relief that his grandson had survived. When his gaze drifted to the blood-soaked Commander hanging from the ceiling, his words faltered again.
“But still… Don’t kill him. Ahem. Spare him.”
To the family head, the Commander’s betrayal felt oddly trivial. What truly unsettled him was witnessing his grandson coldly discussing executions.
As the family head departed, Songhwa escorted him out before returning to ask,
“Your Highness, the family head has left. Shall we continue the beating?”
The Grand Duke scowled.
“I ordered you to leave earlier! Why are you still here, covered in filth?”
Songhwa grinned.
“I am Your Highness’s shadow. Shall I fetch water?”
“Do as you please.”
“Hehe.”
After rinsing his throat, the Grand Duke addressed the Commander.
“Guak Do.”
“…Yes.”
Blood oozed from the man’s split lips as he spoke.
“This lord—ahem—”
The unintended honorific made Songhwa and the guards snap their heads toward him. The Grand Duke coughed awkwardly and corrected himself.
“As your liege, I see no way this plot unfolds without accomplices. Speak.”
“Y-Your insight is… impeccable. They are… the Black Faction (黑團).”
“Black Faction? Such a group exists in Jianghu? I’ve never heard of it.”
The Grand Duke tilted his head, genuinely perplexed. Songhwa leaned in to whisper,
“Your Highness, why pretend to know things suddenly?”
“Ahem. Step back. There’s nothing I don’t know.”
Guak Do rasped,
“It’s… natural you haven’t… heard…”
“Obviously. I expected as much.”
“The Black Faction… was secretly formed by… the Seomun Family… and the Azure Moon Sect…”
“What?”
Every person in the room froze.
The Seomun Family ranked among the Ten Great Clans, renowned for their power and righteousness despite rivaling the Jinju Family for the lowest position. The Azure Moon Sect, though not one of the Nine Major Sects, held significant influence in northern Anhui.
Memories surfaced—Seomun Hyeon, the Seomun Family’s third son, and Ban Gyoin, the Azure Moon Sect Leader’s daughter.
‘Strange. They never struck me as suspicious…’
Yet the pieces fit. Cheonhwaseogo’s vulnerable state made it an easy target. Moreover, Seomun Chu, the Seomun Family Head, had always unsettled the Grand Duke. His smile hid depths no one could decipher.
As for the Azure Moon Sect Leader?
‘Ahem. I’ve never met him.’
The Grand Duke set aside his thoughts and glared at Guak Do.
“You were told to confess, yet you spin tales.”
“I know it sounds… unbelievable. But why would I lie now? The Black Faction… was a contingency plan… because you… refused to die as expected…”
“Absurd! The Seomun Family and Azure Moon Sect are paragons of virtue. You’re fabricating lies to save your neck.”
“If I wished to deceive you… would I name two factions no fool in northern Anhui would dare accuse? Think… Your Highness.”
The logic was sound.
“Continue.”
“When the joint suicide pact… between you and the family head collapsed… the Black Faction’s plan advanced. They would destroy Cheonhwaseogo… then ‘drive out’ the Black Faction to claim heroism. To enable this… we altered some barrier spells… and disabled others…”
“Creating gaps for those Hexagonal Net vermin to tunnel through.”
“Yes… But I opposed this. I wanted… minimal casualties…”
The Grand Duke’s earlier suspicions about the spell alterations aligned with this. Yet the involvement of two prestigious clans defied reason.
“Your words remain unconvincing.”
“The Seomun Family… will deny everything. But we exchanged tokens… as proof. They’re hidden… in my temporary residence…”
**
The family head nearly leapt from his seat when he heard the confession.
“The Seomun Family and Azure Moon Sect—pillars of righteousness—conspiring like bandits? Preposterous! Guak Do seeks to sow discord!”
“We must verify it.”
“How? Storm their gates and demand answers? That’s tantamount to calling them thieves!”
The Grand Duke smiled.
“We need only cast bait. Bait that forces a reaction.”
By evening, the Grand Duke assembled his guards—nineteen loyal warriors untouched by the Commander’s corruption. Their faces bore the grim resolve of men prepared to die.
When the Grand Duke stepped forward, they knelt as one.
“Give the order. We will fight to our last breath.”
He nodded solemnly.
“Yes! Fight unto death—that is a warrior’s path!”
“YES!”
Their roar shook the night sky. The Grand Duke’s smile lingered before he added,
“But not today.”
Confusion rippled through the ranks.
“Today, you will spread rumors. By tomorrow night, every tavern and marketplace in northern Anhui must buzz with this tale: the Seomun Family and Azure Moon Sect created the Black Faction to devour Cheonhwaseogo. Wear plain clothes. Avoid conflicts. Let the truth—or lie—take root.”
Relief replaced dread. The plan was brilliant: if the factions were guilty, the rumors would paralyze them; if innocent, the matter would fade as baseless gossip.
Later, the Grand Duke summoned Jong Mugeok and Songhwa.
“Jong Mugeok. Retrieve the token from the Commander’s residence. Pose as his lackey.”
“Understood.”
To Songhwa:
“Shadow him. If he fails, return alone. If he doesn’t emerge within half a shichen, assume the worst.”
Two shichen later, they returned empty-handed. Jong Mugeok kowtowed, trembling.
“Forgive me! The residence was ransacked… the token gone.”
Songhwa confirmed his report, nostrils flaring in frustration.
The Grand Duke nodded inwardly.
‘They erased their tracks after his suicide.’
No matter. Tokens could be denied, but the meticulous cleanup lent credence to the confession. The Black Faction’s shadow grew darker.
