The meeting room was, of course, in chaos. No one could have expected that I would suddenly behead Elder Lee Cheongmyeong.
The shocking scene overshadowed everything else. Questions like where the money Elder Lee embezzled had gone were all swept aside. Even if asked, Lee Cheongmyeong would have lied, saying he had spent it all.
The news that I had beheaded Lee Cheongmyeong spread quickly within the family. Some dismissed it as a rumor, but I had prepared a small “gift” for those skeptics.
Alongside hanging Lee Cheongmyeong’s head at the Jailhouse on the Jail Gate—a punishment known as the Okmun Execution—I also ordered the Brand of Traitor tattoo to be carved onto his face.
“Jichul.”
“Hmm, yes!”
After that, Jichul’s attitude changed markedly.
I hadn’t even intentionally lowered my voice when calling him, yet his shoulders trembled.
“Let’s head to the Great Hall.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Why do you keep acting like an idiot? It’s always been the rule for us to eat together.”
“Ah, yes, understood.”
Jichul wavered for a moment before he brought over a pile of clothes and accessories to me. Well, it wasn’t that he carried them carefully—he practically tripped and dumped them all at my feet.
As he fell, Jichul instinctively looked up, but seeing me, his face immediately turned pale, and his head slammed into the floor.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
“That’s enough.”
I picked up the clothes I had personally ordered for my subordinates. The accessories weren’t necessary—they just got in the way. After all, I had to eat lunch and then head off to train with Gwak Jindo again.
“Finish dressing up quickly.”
“Yes.”
Jichul tidied the clothes in front of me and then led me out.
Several days had passed since beheading Elder Lee Cheongmyeong. In those days, many things changed.
“…He’s really the youngest master now.”
“Hey, hey, let’s turn back.”
From afar, the servants whispered among themselves, seemingly unaware that I could hear. They didn’t know I was listening, yet spoke cautiously about me. These were the same servants who once called me crazy or worse.
Right after beheading Lee Cheongmyeong, I wasn’t so feared. But soon after, the elders who had accompanied Lee Cheongmyeong, along with his servants and bodyguards, all disappeared within days.
I had expected this. That was the way of Cheonjuseong. Leaving no trace of failure was the definition of victory. Anyone connected to failure was also a trace to be wiped out. Therefore, those linked to failure were mercilessly erased.
Of course, those who knew Cheonjuseong would recognize their doing, but ordinary servants had no idea. Thus, strange rumors about me began to circulate among them.
“Jichul.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Can you tell me what people have been saying about me among the servants lately?”
“Um, well…”
Jichul hesitated briefly. I smiled faintly and said,
“Jichul, you’re my personal servant, aren’t you? Naturally, you’re on my side and have the duty to prioritize what I want.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then tell me.”
I pressed him until he finally opened his mouth.
“…There are a lot of rumors. Some say I’m a master of dark magic, others that I made a pact with demons to use sorcery, and some say if you meet my gaze, you get cursed and die.”
“That’s enough. Stop.”
They were all ridiculous stories from people scared out of their minds when they saw me. I could understand the gist, but those tales were nonsense.
In my past life, I would have been terrified. Now, I was the one instilling fear in others—at least among servants who still didn’t know martial arts.
“We’re here, Young Master.”
“Good.”
I followed Jichul’s guidance and entered the Great Hall. The bodyguards’ stances had widened slightly. Subtle, but noticeable.
And I could see how weak their martial skills were. In the past, I thought sheer bulk and muscle meant strength, but that wasn’t true at all.
Hmm.
Seeing the state of the family made me sigh quietly. The bodyguards flinched at the sound.
“Jichul, stay here.”
I left Jichul behind. It was time to change even the smallest things. Having servants around during my meals was uncomfortable. Jichul immediately bowed.
We entered the Dining Hall. Geumwolsang, Geumhwacheong, and Geumsurin were already seated. It was the first time after some incident that we had gathered together as a group, so it felt a bit unfamiliar.
“You’re here, youngest master.”
“Yes, good morning.”
I pulled a chair over and sat down. Then I scanned the servants standing tensely behind everyone.
The moment my gaze landed on them, their expressions stiffened.
“Come to think of it, shouldn’t the servants step outside while we eat?”
“Hm?”
Geumwolsang spoke, and the servants flinched. I didn’t want to waste time on such trivial matters.
“The servants go out. I can put my silver spoon in myself. It’s just uncomfortable otherwise.”
“Understood!”
The servants dashed out immediately without anyone protesting. They were servants, yet they obeyed their master’s word without question—showing how they now saw me.
Geumwolsang clicked his tongue, watching the servants leave without so much as a look back.
“…They really are a source of fear now.”
“I’m not trying to scare them.”
I still thought the current situation wasn’t bad. Change came one step at a time.
It might seem small, but even just shedding the servants’ watchful eyes would greatly expand the range of my movements.
“Sister, brother, you don’t have to be so wary anymore. But you still need to be careful.”
“That’s right. Actually, Elder Lee Cheongmyeong was only a fraction of the forces we had to deal with.”
Geumwolsang spoke as if he had been waiting to say that. I nodded in agreement. He was right.
“Other factions will be even more alert because of Lee Cheongmyeong’s death. They’re sharpening their senses to our movements. It might even be more dangerous than when we confronted Lee Cheongmyeong directly. Back then, we knew who the enemy was. Now, everyone is an enemy, so we must act on that assumption.”
“Exactly as you said, big brother. Some forces might become more openly hostile and act accordingly. But others will be more cautious, and some might even seek to form alliances. The point is, people will start showing more active moves.”
“So we should stay quiet for now, not provoking them.”
“That’s not it.”
I said firmly. Geumwolsang looked at me suspiciously, as if doubting my sincerity.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps announced the arrival of food along with a servant. Since I had no personal attendants, a kitchen servant took on the role of bringing dishes. He glanced at me, startled, then averted his gaze as he placed the food on the table.
“…Today we have Chwio, Horak, and Jakjagye. Please enjoy.”
“No explanations?”
Geumhwacheong asked, perhaps feeling overwhelmed for the first time. Or maybe because I was right there. The servant was flustered, so I cut him off.
“Chwio is a fish dish boiled with chili peppers, onions, mushrooms, and scallions. Horak is oysters pan-fried with eggs, and Jakjagye is chicken stewed in spicy seasoning.”
I explained the dishes instead of the servant. To me, the only advantage of the Hwanggeum Family was that we could enjoy an endless variety of Central Plains cuisine.
“Back to what I was saying, we don’t need to hold back so much. We actually need to move more boldly.”
“Why do you say that?”
I stabbed the Chwio broth with a silver chopstick, causing fish juices and the clear soup beneath to splash onto the table.
“What is this…?”
Geumwolsang started to ask, but his mouth snapped shut.
The silver chopstick had blackened with a creaking sound as it corroded.
“Ugh!”
Geumhwacheong jumped up in surprise, and Geumsurin froze in shock. It would be quite a blow to realize the food was poisoned.
But on reflection, it wasn’t that surprising. We always used silver spoons to detect poison, and servants ate first to double-check.
However, now that I was present, servants were no longer necessary. My senses were sensitive enough to detect poison before the food even entered my mouth.
“I don’t know anything! I was just the one bringing the food…”
“I know. Go back to the kitchen.”
I cut the servant off. He glanced nervously at us, then disappeared back into the kitchen like a ghost.
I completely submerged the silver spoon in the Chwio broth. The poison was so strong the soup bubbled, turning the spoon black instantly.
“This is why we don’t have to hold back. Anyone hostile to us will threaten us no matter what.”
My brothers understood, but this wasn’t an assassination attempt. It was a warning.
How could poison even be effective with servants around and silver utensils in use?
It was simply a demonstration of power.
“That only makes things more dangerous.”
Geumhwacheong said, his voice filled with resentment toward me. I looked toward the kitchen and replied,
“Not necessarily.”
“What?”
“A crisis is also an opportunity.”
I stood up from my seat.
“I’ll go ahead. The food looked delicious—it’s a shame. Still, someone must be held accountable for this. That will be Elder Jeongmyeong’s responsibility.”
“What do you plan to do?”
Geumwolsang asked. I thought for a moment and answered,
“Nothing.”
Geumwolsang’s face turned blank. I had only been honest.
***
Geumwolsang handled things quite efficiently. The poison had been injected during the selection of ingredients. But tracking down the culprit was difficult because so many hands touched the food before it reached our table.
Instead, Geumwolsang simplified the food supply chain and dismissed the kitchen master and servants from the family. Even if they weren’t directly responsible for the poisoning, they had to be held accountable.
“Hm.”
While Geumwolsang was busy making changes, I did nothing. Training with Gwak Jindo was the extent of my daily routine.
Even when Gwak Jindo or Geumwolsang asked about my plans, my answer was always the same: nothing.
They accepted my response but were helpless. You can’t tell the fish what bait will catch it.
I didn’t even know how many factions were attached to the Hwanggeum Family. Cheonjuseong was a large organization, so I understood that. Among the factions, there were even petty warlords trying to manage a small group.
The ones who poisoned the food were probably among those. They wouldn’t have acted otherwise.
“Come to think of it, it’s still a mess.”
Poisoning a meal directly was a bold threat.
Fortunately, my brothers weren’t shocked. They had already experienced stronger, more practical threats from the Seong Gajang.
As the family changed, so did my brothers.
Those changes would trigger yet more changes. I was waiting for that inevitable transformation.
As I quietly sipped Sojeon by the window, there came a cautious knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Jichul carefully opened the door.
“Guests have arrived.”
Who?
“It’s Elder Yeosangwoo and Elder Yang Cheolmok.”
I smiled the moment I heard those names. This was the change I had been waiting for—the start of a full-scale paradigm shift.