Chương 26: The Price of Loyalty

The wooden wheels of the Tai-shan convoy clacked hollowly against Imperial stone pavers as the caravan finally rolled up to the gate of the Tai'an branch. For the few survivors that called this compound their home, the arrival brought with it tears of relief. For everyone else, it brought wails of grief from the families of the dead. But while this was the final stop for most of the convoy, for Chae-ha, there was still no time to rest.

She, Mu-cheon, and a handful of others still needed to complete the journey back through the Stone Throat, and report to their superiors in the main sect. Ideally, before any rumors caused by the convoy returning in such disrepair got out of hand. The journey up the mountain was grueling, especially because they were already weary from travel. When the group finally arrived at the secluded mountain basin they called home, Mu-cheon went straight to speak with his father. And Chae-ha went to speak with Elder Gwak.

The young girl made her way to the quiet, familiar sanctuary of the third floor of the Archives. Her mentor was already waiting for her at her desk. Spread out before him was the preliminary casualty manifest from the convoy, resting uncomfortably beside a fresh copy of the Imperial Magistrate's finalized report.

"A corrupt branch head, executed for treason. An Imperial Commissioner, assassinated by the Hundred Ghost Pavilion. And a heroic sacrifice by High Elder Ma. A beautiful story," Elder Gwak noted, his quiet voice carrying easily within the silence of the building. The man tapped a leathery finger against the second, much longer report.

"And yet, this second manifest you sent lists nearly fifty of our own sect members dead. Did the assassin kill them, too? You have a lot of explaining to do, Inspector." Chae-ha sat down across from him and took a deep breath. Elder Gwak's support was necessary for the cover up, and she intended to tell him the truth. If anyone in the sect could be trusted with the information, it was him. The young girl recounted the history of the previous two weeks in plain terms.

She told him about the ambush by the Eye Demon, Branch Head Yu's treason, his collusion with the Commissioner, and how she had used them both to frame the Hundred Ghost Pavilion. Elder Gwak listened attentively the entire time, his face unreadable, although his nose twitched at several points in the narrative. When she finally finished laying all of their secrets bare, the old man closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.

"So, you used the bounty on the Eye Demon to bribe the Magistrate?"

"Yes. It was the only solution I could see." Elder Gwak opened his eyes and stared at the young girl for a long time. The sheer audacity of what she had orchestrated – and the cold way she had covered it all up – was staggering.

"What the two of you did was reckless," he eventually replied, in his usual blunt fashion.

"Any sensible person would have retreated – and left the wounded to die." Chae-ha hung her head. She already knew that, and she was prepared for the dressing down that was about to come.

"Although, if you had…we would still have a corrupt Branch Head to deal with. As well as an active assassination contract on our Young Master. We would all be sitting here at the main sect, licking our wounds, with a High Elder dead and nothing to show for it. Given the outcome, I already know what the Sect Leader would tell me to do in this situation," he remarked, dryly.

"He would tell me to promote you." Chae-ha raised her head slightly in surprise, before quickly lowering her eyes again.

"The Sect Leader is a man who values results more than anything else, Chae-ha. Before you left, he told me to reward you if you acquitted yourself well in Yangliu. And I say you have proven your worth beyond any shadow of a doubt. So, I think it's time I give you the reward he authorized." Neither knew it about the other, but both of their hearts began to beat quickly.

"Your father's name, and the protection it offered you, may be gone. But the House of Gwak stands strong. I would like to invite you into it – as my direct disciple." Chae-ha seized up in shock, her breath catching in her throat.

"You will bear my family name," Elder Gwak continued softly, putting an encouraging hand on her shoulder, "and become a daughter of my house. No longer a civilian, but a full member of the sect. With all the status, wealth, and martial protection that comes along with being a High Elder's heir. Congratulations, Chae-ha. You deserve it." The young girl looked at the leathery hand resting on her shoulder. This was more than just a simple reward.

The Archive Elder was offering to give her everything she had lost on the day her father died. He was offering her a family. Chae-ha barely hesitated before giving her reply. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"You're telling me that everything in this report is a lie?" Mu-cheon nodded, a grim expression on his face as he struggled to meet his father's implacable gaze. He had spent the last hour recounting the events of their journey, and he was ready to pay the price for doing so.

"Almost everything, yes. There's only as much truth in there as we needed to make it believable." The Sect Leader drummed his fingers on top of his basalt desk, the regular tapping echoing in the silence between them. His eyes never changed their intense focus on his son.

"A High Elder and fifty of our men – dead. A civil war in the courtyard of one of our branches. A public execution for treason. And an assassination of an Imperial official. You're telling me that a junior Inspector was responsible for all of this?" Mu-cheon bristled.

"No, Sect Leader. I was the one responsible. After Elder Ma died, I was the highest-ranking sect member left. I was the one who made the decision to go to Yangliu, and I was the one who asked her how to make it happen. Chae-ha was just following orders."

"Was she, now?" Hyeon-je murmured, clearly unconvinced.

"She was. It was my decision, and I'll take whatever punishment is coming for it. I know I was being stupid," the Inner Disciple said, crossing his arms and finally finding the courage to stare directly back at his father, "but I'd do it again." Their conversation was interrupted by three quick raps against the chamber door.

"Enter," the Sect Leader commanded, already knowing who had come. The door swung partially open, revealing Elder Gwak.

"Sect Leader, I am sorry to intrude, but…could we speak in private? It is a matter of some urgency."

"You have excellent timing, Mun-su. I was hoping to speak with you as well." Hyeon-je's gaze turned back to his son.

"Leave us, Mu-cheon. You and I will discuss this matter further when I have had some time to process all the implications of this." Elder Gwak waited until the young man had stepped out of the room to approach the Sect Leader.

"So it seems you've heard the story, as well," he said, as he took a seat across from the basalt desk.

"I'm not entirely certain I believe it, but yes, I've heard it. If even a fraction of what Mu-cheon said is true, it is more important than ever that we hold onto this girl."

"That's what I wanted to speak with you about, Sect Leader," Elder Gwak replied, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Uncharacteristically, small signs of emotion were escaping from his normally composed demeanor.

"I offered her the direct discipleship, exactly as we had discussed. But…she rejected it out of hand."

"She did what?"

"There wasn't even a moment of hesitation. She just…politely declined and went back to work. Honestly, I was somewhat dumbfounded. I didn't know what to do, other than to return here and report." The Sect Leader's fingers resumed their earlier drumming.

"I am missing something about this interaction. And that worries me." He paused momentarily before continuing.

"Draw up a list of all the estates and other properties we own in Jinan and Linzi. Anything that could reasonably be transferred." Elder Gwak's eyes widened.

"Exactly how big of a reward are you planning to give her?"

"If the Tai-shan had the opportunity, right now, to forge an alliance with the Jae-gal family – how much should we be willing to pay?"

"Whatever it takes. But –""This girl weaponized the Imperial Army and used it to destroy our enemies. The corruption in Yangliu is ended, the Hundred Ghost Pavilion will soon be erased from the Jianghu, and my successor's life is once again secure. But the architect of those events is a civilian, and one who just refused our offer to join the sect. Do you see the issue here?"

"So, what do you propose we do?"

"Bring her here," Hyeon-je replied, his eyes narrowing with determination.

"I will speak to her personally – and find out what the price of her loyalty is." He looked at his friend resolutely.

"And then, whatever it is, I will pay it." Chae-ha stepped out of the Archives and into the cool, dry air of the basin, the thick wooden doors sealing shut behind her with a loud thud. The young girl took a slow, deliberate breath. Her legs protested every movement as she began the long walk, but her mind was racing too fast to care about her blistered feet. She had been summoned to the Obsidian Palace. Exactly why the Sect Leader had summoned her, she wasn't quite sure.

But the junior Inspector could guess it would be a difficult conversation. One that likely involved the events that had taken place at Yangliu, and her recent rejection of Elder Gwak. Chae-ha felt a twinge of remorse thinking about it. The old man's offer of adoption had been genuine, and a part of her had yearned to accept the safety and comfort of having a family again. But as a High Elder's daughter, she would no longer be invisible. To be effective, she needed to remain a ghost.

The young girl didn't see much need for status – or for silver. She looked down at her dirty, travel-worn scholar's robes. They screamed unremarkable. Ordinary. Replaceable. She smiled softly to herself. They were already perfect. Why replace them with crimson? As Chae-ha arrived at her destination, she turned her gaze upwards. Looming right in front of her, on the far eastern side of the basin, was the Obsidian Palace.

It was a foreboding piece of architecture, built to project the absolute authority of the Sect Leader. The sweeping, multi-tiered roofs and thick wooden crossbeams were supported by ominous, dark columns, each covered in a veneer of polished obsidian. The white paving stones lining the pathway to the main doors were mixed with basalt, creating a stark, contrasting pattern that repeated along its length. Chae-ha forced herself to put one foot in front of the other and proceed towards the main entrance.

Two towering guards in oxblood robes pulled the ornate, windowless doors open, the weight of the dark ironwood causing the hinges to squeal in protest. Breathing deeply, the young Inspector stepped out of the light and into the darkness. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior, lit only by a few iron braziers against the walls. She followed a silent, oxblood-robed attendant through the labyrinthine corridors until they reached a set of enormous, unadorned doors.

The attendant bowed and withdrew, leaving her alone. Chae-ha steeled herself, raised a hand, and knocked.

"You may enter." The young girl opened the door, stepped into the room, and bowed deeply. Before her, enthroned behind his basalt desk, sat the imposing figure of Kang Hyeon-je. Mu-cheon's father, and the most powerful man in the sect. The shocking streak of white in his jet-black hair stood out in the darkness like a vein of quartz running through onyx.

"Han Chae-ha," the Sect Leader began, motioning for her to take a seat.

"I think it's time the two of us discussed what happened in Yangliu."