The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 234

I, while slowly following him, thought.

'Was his name Jeong Yi-hak? He passed the military examination at the age of twenty, and it's been more than fifteen years since he became a military official.'

As I recalled things about him, I seemed to understand why the master of the Shi-yue Pavilion had no choice but to leave home.

He has a considerable age difference with his two older brothers.

And that's understandable, because he is a child whom Minister Jeong adopted as his son after his parents, who were relatives, died unexpectedly.

Although Minister Jeong gave him the surname Jeong and called him Jeong Hwan, the current master of the Shi-yue Pavilion is using his original surname, Gongsun, again.

He said it wasn't because their relationship was bad.

'If I continue to use the surname Jeong, it might cause trouble for my father, so I deliberately changed my surname. Shall we say it's a kind of alias?'

Although running a brothel is not a bad thing, and there is no high or low in occupations, it is not uncommon for people to judge others just by their occupation.

If it were to be revealed that the third son of Minister Jeong, who had served as a chancellor, was running a brothel, it would be a great disgrace to Minister Jeong.

'My older brothers... are difficult people. Although they didn't treat me badly, they didn't treat me warmly either. From the time they knew that I had no interest in academics or martial arts, the two of them hardly even spoke to me. It probably means they have no expectations.'

Since the person I had heard about in passing was walking in front of me, I even had the thought that it was strange.

At that time, Jeong Yi-hak, who had been walking ahead for a long time, stopped in his tracks.

He, after glancing back at me who was following him well, said, "How far are you going to follow me?"

"I'm just going my own way. Please don't mind me."

“……”

He, as if he were glaring at me, continued to move his steps.

Just now, he did not speak down to me.

Although he had been speaking down to all the servants until a little while ago, the fact that he raised his tone slightly only to me means that he has guessed my identity to some extent.

The fact that he recognized who I was even though I was not wearing the clothes of the Wudang Sect, but was wearing ordinary martial arts clothes.

'A little. No, a little more than a little suspicious?'

For a moment, the thought that he might be the culprit flashes through my mind.

Even if it is a parent-child relationship, power and money have the power to go against that natural law.

'In the first place, he said that the one who coveted the family heirloom was the Left General of Luoyang, right? The words 'Left General'... in the end, it means that he is also a military official. He might have some connection with Jeong Yi-hak.'

After thinking about it a little, it seems to be a plausible story.

But there are also quite a few strange things.

Among them, the most representative one is the question of why he appeared at this time.

'Did he make a move because he thought I might pinpoint the culprit if I were left alone? Or did he perhaps want to tell me to take my hands off the affairs of the Jeong family?'

Although I thought about various things, there is nothing that seems to be it.

It would be quick if I asked him, but he wouldn't say it.

"How far are you really going to follow me? If you keep doing this, I have no choice but to get angry."

"Come on. Aren't you being too self-conscious? I'm just going my own way."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Minister Jeong."

"My father?"

He, looking at me, his eyes sparkled.

When I was admiring the sharp gaze that had flashed by for a moment, he, looking at me with an insinuating look, said, "Why are you coming this way to see my father? My father's quarters should be on the other side."

At his question, I almost tilted my head without my realizing it.

Is this person really saying this without knowing? Or is he trying to test me, knowing everything?

"Minister Jeong is currently using the building in the back as his temporary quarters... didn't you know that and were going this way? I heard everything you said about going to see my father a little while ago."

"... By any chance, are you a martial artist of the Wudang Sect?"

"Didn't you know?"

"I knew... well. I knew, but I didn't know exactly who you were."

"Who did you think I was?"

"I thought you were another riffraff whom my father had called. If I treat such people rudely, they go outside and gossip about me and my father. So I pretended to respect you from the beginning."

I, with a small laugh, said, "Then now that you know that I am a Taoist of the Wudang Sect, how are you going to treat me? Am I also a riffraff?"

"No. You are a martial artist whom I can fully respect."

"I've only seen you for the first time today, but where do you see that?"

He, with a snort, said, "Where do you think you are right now? This is my house. In my house, I have my eyes and ears, and I am informed of what is happening here as much as possible."

"Oh... you had a spy?"

"A spy? What are you talking about? Didn't you hear me a little while ago? This is my house. I'm not saying it's a spy, but I'm saying that there are many of my people in this house."

He, after showing a little displeasure at the word 'spy', soon looked at my face and, with a slightly softened expression and voice, said to me, "Although the situation has become a little strange, I originally wanted to thank you when I met you."

"Suddenly?"

"Thank you."

He, as if he couldn't hear my question, with a very polite fist-and-palm salute, bowed his waist slightly to me.

Since it is a very rare thing for a high-nosed military official to do this, when I was looking at him with surprised eyes, he, even with a slight smile, said, "I heard that thanks to you, my father has been eating again recently. Just that alone is such a great comfort to this unworthy son... In fact, the reason I didn't recognize you at once a little while ago was because you were much younger than I thought. Because I thought you were a person who was at least about forty..."

He, scratching his head, said, "More than anything, I heard that you were confident that my father was definitely not suffering from dementia. The reason I suddenly came here from the court is precisely that. Because I wanted to talk with my father... You also said you were going to see my father, right? If you have business, how about going with me?"

At his reaction, which was very different from my expectation, to be honest, I was greatly surprised inside.

Although I don't know at all whether it is a trick to prove his innocence by taking advantage of my revealed existence, or whether it is an action that comes from his sincere heart, there is one thing I feel.

'He has the same eyes and the same expression as the head steward.'

Both Jeong Yi-hak and the head steward are purely happy at the fact that Minister Jeong is not senile.

Although I don't know anything else, I think I know one thing.

"It seems that one of the eyes and ears of the Captain in this house is the head steward, Yi Jeong."

"H-That's right."

He has a very surprised expression.

And that's understandable, because I have revealed two of his secrets at the same time.

The first is that he is currently a Captain in the court.

A Captain is a person who is in charge of the instructors when those who have just passed the military examination gather and receive training to become imperial soldiers.

So the Captain's identity is kept strictly secret until his term of office ends.

Because the first posting of those who have passed the military examination is decided by the results of their training, there is a possibility that people who know his identity will secretly approach him and give him a bribe to give their son a good score.

"How do you know that I am a Captain?"

"Minister Jeong told me."

"Ah, my father?!"

His expression contorts very slightly.

Minister Jeong has also worked in the court for decades.

Minister Jeong would know better than anyone that the Captain's identity should not be revealed.

But he told me his identity? It's probably because he had the thought that perhaps his judgment had deteriorated due to senility.

"Don't worry. It means that Minister Jeong trusts me that much. He is fine now."

"Haha... it's as if you're reading my mind."

How long have I lived by reading people's expressions in my previous life, how could I not recognize a reaction of that level?

"But how did you know that the head steward is my close associate?"

"That's also obvious. Because the only person in this house who has clearly told me that Minister Jeong is not suffering from dementia is the head steward."

"Ah...!"

"I'm a little disappointed in the head steward. I begged him not to tell anyone, but he broke his promise and told you."

"Ah... that's not it..."

In an instant, the attitude of our conversation was reversed.

I was scolding him, and he was flustered by me.

I, to see his reaction, deliberately threw a few more words as if I were angry, and he, while being flustered, began to try to appease my anger.

'Although he's a military official, he doesn't seem to be so stiff-necked, and he seems to have some manners... and his concern for Minister Jeong seems to be sincere?'

Although I looked a little more closely to see if he was acting like a good person, I couldn't see any such sign at all.

"Well. I understand. For now, let's go and see Minister Jeong and talk again. My lodging is up there. I'll go back there and wait."

"A little while ago, you said you had business with my father..."

"It's gone now. Then I'll be on my way."

I, without even waiting for his answer, immediately returned to my lodging.

Although I don't know exactly whether I should think of him as our side or the culprit's side right now...

'For now, according to my intuition, he seems to be a trustworthy person.'

I, deciding to trust my sixth sense, which had been maximized since I started living in this body again, returned to my lodging.

***

He appeared at the lodging about half an hour later.

He had a very different face from when he had parted with me earlier.

"Great benefactor. I have met my father and have also seen the head steward's face for a moment."

In that short time, the title he used to call me and his tone had changed greatly.

It would not have been easy for a person who is a military official of the imperial court to call me, who is much younger, a great benefactor. And even with the utmost respect.

I, deliberately pretending not to know about it, answered calmly, "Did you meet both of them already?"

"Yes. A long story was not necessary. I also have an intuition that I have gained from working in the imperial court for quite a long time. And that intuition is now screaming at me to hold on to you, great benefactor."

"What do you mean...?"

His expression became serious for a moment, and then he immediately opened his mouth.

"Right now, our Jeong family is divided in half. Hmm... to be more honest, it's a little more than half... no, it's a form that leans much more to one side... but anyway, it's true that it's divided into two."

"With whom. And why is missing."

"Yes. I was about to tell you right away. Right now, most of the servants and martial artists in this house have almost all gone over to the hands of the Hanlin Academy's Reader-in-waiting, my older brother, Jeong Il-hak."

"Your older brother?"

"Yes. Currently, most of the servants and martial artists in the house are following my older brother, not my father or me, and they are almost serving my older brother as the head of the family."

I, without my realizing it, have a slight frown on my face.

"Then, what that means is..."

Although I had already come to a conclusion in my mind, I couldn't easily say it out loud, so I trailed off.

Then he, with a more resolute expression than me, said to me, "I suspect that the one who is tormenting my father now is not the Left General of Luoyang, Jin Baek, but my older brother. Right now, my older brother... is committing patricide."

I, at the unacceptable matter, couldn't even answer properly and just opened my mouth wide.

The thing I didn't want to think about the most had happened.

(End of Chapter)