The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

Chapter 23: The Four Seasons Lord

 
Jegal In-hwi’s warm gaze, fixed on the corpse, belied the frigid atmosphere in the room.
“Blood Cult?”

A tense silence followed. However, unlike his anxious unit leaders, Namgung Jin responded calmly.
"Yes. That is correct." He offered no surprise, no excuses. Mirroring Jegal In-hwi's slight smile, he continued, his voice even and steady, “Since you seem to already know, I imagine you have many questions.”
He addressed the gatekeeper standing nervously near the door. "Sangrim, go and inform the Hongcheon Unit to prepare for the Lord’s arrival."

“Y-yes!” The gatekeeper, relieved to have a task, scurried up the stairs.
Namgung Jin offered a respectful bow. "This discussion will likely take some time. Please, Lord, have a seat.”
The Four Seasons Lord, his gaze fixed on some unseen point in the room, turned his head slightly.

“Four warriors only. The rest of you remain here.”
“Forgive me, Lord, but the presence of too many people will accelerate the decomposition of the bodies. It’s difficult to maintain the low temperature in this chamber. I hope you understand.”
Jegal In-hwi’s gaze returned to him, but Namgung Jin simply smiled, his expression warm and inviting. “This is for your own benefit, Lord. You came here to retrieve the bodies, didn’t you? Decomposition has already begun. It will be difficult to contain if left unchecked. That is why I, myself, never remain in this chamber for long.”

The Namgung heir had just subtly threatened the Four Seasons Lord. It seemed he had tampered with the bodies. If they wanted to retrieve them intact, they would have to play by his rules.
Jegal In-hwi smiled enigmatically. “Then what do you suggest, Young Master?”
“Ideally, I would ask that the Four Seasons Hall members wait outside the White Sky Pavilion, but I understand that’s unlikely. Perhaps you could wait just outside this chamber? I’ll give you the key, so you can enter at any time if you sense anything amiss.”

At his words, Jegal In-hwi's gaze shifted, fixing itself on Namgung Munseon, standing beside Namgung Jin.
A shiver ran down Namgung Munseon’s spine. ‘Does he know I have the key?’ He pushed down his unease and handed the key to Namgung Jin, who, in turn, offered it respectfully to the Four Seasons Lord.
Jegal In-hwi’s calm voice broke the silence. “Sawn.”

One of the warriors stepped forward and took the key from Namgung Jin.
“You stay as well.”
Having accepted Namgung Jin's proposition, the Four Seasons Lord, without needing to be told where the Hongcheon Pavilion was, turned and ascended the stairs.
Namgung Jin watched him leave, then glanced at the coroner, a silent instruction to stall for time while he disposed of the poisonous insects and prepared a new autopsy report. The coroner nodded slightly.

* * *
 

Within the opulent reception hall on the first floor of the Hongcheon Pavilion, white silk drapes adorned the walls, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere in the room.
Jegal In-hwi turned his head towards the large paper windows lining one side of the room. “The weather is quite pleasant today.”
The soft sunlight, filtering through the thin paper, filled the room with a warm glow. It was a deceptively peaceful scene. Namgung Jin knew he wasn't simply admiring the weather. Waves of barely contained killing intent and anger, emanating from outside, seeped into the room along with the sunlight.

It was the energy of the Namgung warriors stationed around the Hongcheon Pavilion.
He considered feigning ignorance, making small talk about the weather, then dismissed the idea. There was no point in trying to deceive Jegal In-hwi, a man said to be capable of seeing through any facade.
The current Jegal Clan Head had a peculiar habit of replacing his heir apparent every year. In any other clan, such behavior would be criticized as erratic and unstable. But no one dared question the Jegal Clan Head. They simply assumed he had his reasons.

Trying to decipher the cunning Jegal Clan Head’s motives was a futile exercise, especially for a young, inexperienced warrior like himself.
As if emerging from behind a cloud, the sun suddenly shone brighter, the light streaming through the windows intensifying.
The Four Seasons Lord’s pale eyes, bathed in the sunlight, shimmered with a faint, ethereal blue. His delicate features and otherworldly gaze created an almost mystical aura. However, Namgung Jin knew better than to underestimate a warrior based on appearances.

Though Jegal Cheon-hwi was the current heir apparent, it was his younger brother, Jegal In-hwi, who had held the position most often, a testament to their father’s capricious nature.
Jegal In-hwi was said to have lost his sight while practicing a forbidden eye technique as a child, succumbing to Qi deviation. However, he had also gained something in return, a unique and powerful ability. He couldn’t see, yet he could see everything. It was a paradoxical concept, difficult to grasp for those who hadn’t experienced it firsthand.
Namgung Jin’s gaze shifted from Jegal In-hwi’s eyes to his hair. ‘He’s said to be so sensitive to touch that he keeps his hair short to avoid the irritation.’ Yet, his hair now reached past his shoulders, smooth and even, without a single stray strand. Someone so averse to physical contact, so meticulous about his appearance, wouldn't entrust his hair to another. He must have cut it himself. The perfectly symmetrical cut spoke volumes about his heightened senses.

Jegal In-hwi’s pale eyes, which had been fixed straight ahead, suddenly shifted slightly to the side.
Their gazes met. In moments like these, it was hard to believe he was truly blind.
As if sensing his discomfort, Jegal In-hwi smiled. “I heard you personally led the mission to Sichuan to capture the Blood Cult. Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is.” Namgung Jin didn't deny it. In fact, to avoid any suspicion of deception, he elaborated. “We captured nine Blood Cult members. They must have been using some sort of forbidden technique because they all died shortly after arriving at the branch, coughing up blood. We were quite surprised. We had also captured five warriors who were with them, hoping to interrogate them, but…” He trailed off, then continued, “They were already severely injured. They didn’t last three days, despite not being subjected to any… harsh interrogation methods.”
“So, you’re saying they died of their own accord?”
Namgung Jin’s face hardened. “Are you suggesting we killed them, Lord?”

The Four Seasons Lord shook his head. “I believe you’re telling the truth, Young Master. However, the circumstances are… unusual. You captured fourteen individuals, yet learned nothing?” A sigh escaped his lips. “According to the reports, Tang Min, the Black Heaven Dark Ghost of the Tang Clan, confronted their leader. He seemed quite dangerous.” A flicker of weariness crossed Jegal In-hwi’s usually serene face. “Black Heaven Dark Ghost claims to have killed him, but he was forced to leave the body behind to attend to his family. And the Emei Sect elders, who searched the area, found nothing. Therefore, the only leads we have are the prisoners you captured. They would have known about the escaped leader.”
“We share your disappointment, Lord.” Jegal In-hwi smiled at Namgung Jin’s attempt to interrupt.
“As I said, I believe you’re telling the truth.” He took a deep breath. “However, that is simply my assessment. I can’t guarantee the other branches will share my view.”

“What do you mean, Lord?”
“An accusation has been filed with the Summer Revelation Pavilion. The accusation claims that the Namgung Clan deliberately concealed the Blood Cult’s presence and stole the prisoners from the Tang Clan, who had captured them in Sichuan.”
Namgung Jin’s brow twitched involuntarily. The accusation was cleverly worded, implying that they had taken the prisoners to protect the Blood Cult.

The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Sensing Namgung Jin’s silence and the turbulent fluctuations in his internal energy, the Four Seasons Lord blinked slowly. As if seeking confirmation, he asked, “Is it also true that you simply observed while the Blood Cult attempted to assassinate members of the Tang Clan’s main family?”