Chapter 39
“Why? Even a half-sibling is still your sibling—do you care for him?”
“…No, I don’t.”
“I’ve told you again and again: the only people in this clan you can truly trust are the two of us who share the same mother, not our half-blooded brothers and sisters.”
Dang Jinhyuk clenched his lips against the vice-tight grip on his shoulder.
“Even though he’s only five now, you never know how he might one day threaten our positions. You need to learn your place right now, before he outgrows you.”
Only when Dang Jinhyuk nodded did Dang Jinyo—the “Good Young Lord” of their clan—release his grip and smile as if nothing had happened.
“If I can make Dang Jinak abandon the clan-head contest and move at my command like a loyal retainer, there’s no greater prize.”
Although he was the third son, Dang Jinak possessed the greatest talent and martial power of all their siblings. He and Dang Jinyo had both been named leading candidates for clan head, but Dang Jinak was clearly prevailing. Sensing the threat, Dang Jinyo had—when their mother died—cut off every one of Dang Jinak’s allies.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of killing Jinmyeong. Just enough fear to keep him in line.”
Dang Jinhyuk watched his brother’s serpentine eyes beneath that polite smile and thought, “Lord Brother, even virtue has its limits.” He’d already sinned beyond redemption by letting their mother’s accident slide. Now, to hold Dang Jinak firmly by the throat, he dared to threaten Jinmyeong too. If Dang Jinak ever learned the full truth…
Suddenly, loud voices rang out outside:
“Do not come in!”
“Stop! If you force your way, we will use violence!”
Dang Jinyo’s eyebrow shot up. “What is this commotion?”
“I’ll go check,” said the Black Python Corps commander, and strode out—only to find an unwelcome guest already at the door.
“Brother, we need to talk,” said Dang Jinak, tossing aside one grim member of the Black Python Corps who lay bleeding at his feet.
Dang Jinyo greeted him with a fresh, genial smile. “Jinak, what brings you here at this hour without warning?”
His gaze flicked to Dang Jinak’s hand—and the half-dead corpsman clutched in it. Dang Jinak flung the man aside.
“One hour ago, Jinmyeong came looking for me.”
Dang Jinyo’s face went pale. “What? Jinmyeong went out on his own?”
“Yes—and shortly afterward, he disappeared. We searched everywhere; he’s nowhere to be found. I fear he’s been kidnapped.”
“My goodness, you must have been terrified. Perhaps he returned to the main estate—send someone to check—”
“No. He wasn’t there. I already finished that search on my way here.”
Dang Jinyo rose to intervene, but Dang Jinak cut him off. They stared at each other in uneasy silence. Dang Jinhyuk’s heart pounded—today, Dang Jinak behaved unlike himself. He should have been frantic, yet he was eerily composed, as if he already knew everything.
“Jinhyuk,” Dang Jinak finally said, narrowing his eyes at his brother, “I have one question. You’re the one who showed Jinmyeong the tunnel and told him where I was—true?”
Jinhyuk’s heart sank. He’d only stoked Jinmyeong’s longing for his brother, as instructed by Dang Jinyo.
“That wasn’t my intention! He just missed his brother so much…”
“You should have told me first. Why teach a child something without considering the consequences? If anything happens to him…”
Dang Jinak ground his teeth so hard that a greenish poison droplet formed at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think I can forgive you…!”
The room’s air turned suffocating. Dang Jinhyuk could barely breathe. Even Dang Jinyo—ever the diplomat—clapped his hands to silence them.
“That’s enough. We need to find Jinmyeong.”
Only then did Dang Jinak ease his murderous glare. “Before he disappeared, did anything odd happen? He wouldn’t vanish on his own.”
Dang Jinak’s shoulder twitched; his fist clenched. Dang Jinyo saw the guilt flicker across his brother’s face with grim amusement. Just as I planned.
With a worried expression, Dang Jinyo spoke as if comfortingly: “You two must have argued, right? Don’t fret—when night falls, he’ll come home. Jinak, calm down and wait a while—”
“No! You don’t understand—Jinmyeong may have been taken! We must deploy the corps immediately to search for him!”
This was the second time Dang Jinak had spoken over his brother. Dang Jinyo’s friendly mask cracked; his eyes turned ice-cold.
“A kidnapping? That’s absurd. If he still isn’t back after dark, I’ll order the search then.”
“No! I insist we search now. Brother, lend me the Black Python Corps.”
“Jinak, have you lost your wits? Would you have me borrow my forces just so you can undermine me? Today is tomorrow’s clan-head contest!”
During the clan-head contest, treachery ran rampant—even noble heirs could be attacked in their sleep. Securing one’s own forces was critical.
“You seem to seek to check me,” Dang Jinyo hissed, “or perhaps you’ve hidden Jinmyeong somewhere to fabricate a disappearance scandal. Are you that low?”
“Brother!”
“I cared for you as though you were Jinhyuk himself—and this is how you stab me in the back?”
Dang Jinyo’s voice rang out loud enough to drown Dang Jinak’s protests: “You may not have the Black Python Corps—but call all our guards and expel him from this room!”
The corpsmen seized Dang Jinak and dragged him out by force. He had the strength to shrug them off, but he could not move—because he had seen the triumphant curl of Dang Jinyo’s lips as the door closed.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Dang Jinak cursed silently, certain now that Dang Jinyo was the architect of these evils. He wanted to smash his brother’s smug face—but there was no time to waste. No one else in the clan was close to him; even the clan head himself he could no longer approach after last year’s disgrace.
He had no choice but to ask the clan head only to notify him if Jinmyeong were found—and return to Chwiseonru.
I’m the only one left who can save Jinmyeong…
And it wasn’t only Jinmyeong who had been taken.
“Bastard! You’re right—it was Dang Jinyo who orchestrated this! First we have to survey the area—”
“I’ve identified the culprit.”
“R-really?!”
It was astonishing that Dok Go-ryong had deduced so much in that brief time away from Chwiseonru.
“Have you heard of the Hongwol Trading House?”
“The Hongwol? A new merchant guild that’s building its reputation recently?”
“Exactly. On the surface it’s a legitimate business—but behind closed doors they extort, abduct, even murder—things only gangsters would do.”
Through information from the beggar—and eliminating suspects among the many visitors to Chwiseonru—Dok Go-ryong and Hao Moon’s help had narrowed the field. The only group capable of spiritedly spiriting away two children was the Hongwol.
“They’ve taken Jinmyeong! We must march on their headquarters—”
“I already did. It was empty—like someone planned the whole thing then vanished with the kids.”
Dang Jinak froze in his tracks. “Then where do we go to pursue them?”
“To Yongmun Mountain. I traced those guild scum there. Follow me—and don’t lag. If you fall behind, I’ll leave you.”
Dok Go-ryong’s eyes sparkled beneath his black brows. Dang Jinak met his gaze and said coldly, “I won’t fall behind. Run at full speed.”
With a snort, Dok Go-ryong sprang forward, activating light-body skill from the very first step. Dang Jinak did not hesitate—and leapt after him without losing a heartbeat.
