People gathered around the maid. They were the ones who worked at the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. They had approached, wondering what was going on, but upon seeing the body, everyone's eyes went wide.
The murmuring voices grew louder, but no one came over to ask what had happened. There was someone else to handle such matters. A middle-aged escort pushed through the crowd and ran over urgently.
“What is it?”
“I was on my way to the quarters for a late-night snack when I heard a scream. I came to check and found this.”
I explained it just as it was, subtly stepping aside as if handing the scene over to the escort. The escort flinched upon seeing the body lying in a pool of blood under the bright moonlight.
“That… could it be Bang Jo-in?”
“Yes.”
As if unable to believe the sudden death of a colleague, the escort froze in shock.
“You heard a scream?”
The escort turned around as I pointed to the maid who was slumped on the ground. I had been keeping an eye on the maid from the start, in case she disappeared, but seeing her state, I realized there was no need. The maid was completely out of her wits, only trembling.
She couldn't answer the escort's questions properly and just stammered. In that moment, I was struck once again by how different I was from ordinary people. Seeing a gruesome corpse, stabbed to death, it's normal to be so shocked that your legs give out and you collapse.
The people gathered around were also gripped by shock and anxiety, unable to leave the spot easily. But what about me? The moment I saw the body, I instinctively drew my blade and scanned my surroundings.
Without any hesitation, I touched the corpse and searched its clothes. This is only possible because I am a martial artist. A martial artist carries a blade because there is a reason to use it.
So wherever you go, it's one of two things. Either you make a corpse, or you become one. It was a relief that I wasn't the one who had become a corpse, but seeing someone else's was not a pleasant affair either.
After getting an answer from the maid, the escort ran to the quarters. A short while later, Jo Gyeong-jik arrived, leading a group of escorts. Without any need for me to step in, the escort from before led them to the scene.
“Good heavens. It really is Bang Jo-in.”
“How did that guy...”
The escorts were shocked and began to murmur. Their colleague, who had been perfectly fine just moments ago, was suddenly murdered at their workplace. The shock must have been considerable.
Still, it seemed they didn't wear the escort uniform for nothing; no one panicked or wet their pants. Jo Gyeong-jik knelt on one knee and examined the state of the body. Seeing the two characters for Dragon Sky soaked in blood, he unfastened the top.
The wound in the exposed heart was larger than expected. After confirming the cause of death, Jo Gyeong-jik covered the body again and stood up. The focus in his dazed, vacant eyes sharpened.
With bloodshot eyes, Jo Gyeong-jik spurred the escorts on.
“What are you all staring at? Chun Dae! Im Gu! Move Bang Jo-in to the quarters. Naeng Seok! Call everyone off-duty and tell them to get here on the double. The rest of you, in pairs of two, guard the perimeter of the main hall. Jo Yeon! Find the patrol on duty right now and bring them here immediately. Choi Sang-kwon!”
“Yes!”
“Run to the agency right now, inform the Chief Escort Leader of the situation, and request backup. We need to strengthen security and conduct a search, so bring as many as you can. Everyone, move! Before the guests in the main hall panic and break up the party.”
The escorts who received their orders moved quickly. The manager of the brothel, having been informed of the situation, came outside. After a brief conversation with Jo Gyeong-jik, he silenced the servants and sent them all back inside the building.
From the moment the maid screamed, to the people gathering and dispersing, to Bang Jo-in's body being moved, not even half an hour had passed. Perhaps the courtesans were handling the situation gracefully, as music and hearty laughter still flowed from within the main hall. The escorts formed a wide perimeter around the main hall, guarding the surroundings with vigilance.
No one knew the whereabouts of Bang Jo-in's killer. He could have escaped over the wall, or he could be hiding near the detached houses. Jo Gyeong-jik's decision to focus on guarding the main hall instead of searching the area was an extremely calm and practical judgment.
If, by some chance, the esteemed guests were harmed by the culprit, the consequences would be unbearable. The guests here were all influential figures from the authorities or merchant guilds. If any of them were to die or get injured, it would bring great trouble not only to the head of security but also to the agency master.
Having received no orders, I simply stood to one side, quietly observing the situation. After positioning the escorts and giving various instructions, Jo Gyeong-jik finally sought me out.
“You, come talk with me.”
This was the second time I had been inside his office. In an atmosphere far more serious than the first day, an explanation of the circumstances and a series of questions and answers followed.
“That fellow seemed to have come into some money lately. Do you happen to know where he got it? Any idea?”
A gambling addict, known to all the escorts, had suddenly taken a leave of absence. The reason was obvious. Jo Gyeong-jik also seemed to suspect that the source of that money was the reason for Bang Jo-in's death.
“I do not know. He was usually talkative, but he never spoke about money. I think he was playing with tiles all night last night, though.”
Jo Gyeong-jik let out a heavy sigh, his face grim.
“I knew he was a lost cause, but I never thought he would go like this. When I see his father in the underworld, I won't have the face to meet him...”
Jo Gyeong-jik trailed off, having inadvertently mentioned his personal connection to Bang Jo-in. He shook his head bitterly and held out his hand to me.
“Let me see your blade.”
I had expected this, so I untied my willow blade without a word and placed it on the table, scabbard and all. Drawing the blade and examining its edge in the lamplight, Jo Gyeong-jik's eyes narrowed.
“It's new? When did you buy it?”
“I bought it at a smithy before joining the agency. The long blade I used before was cracked.”
“Which smithy?”
“Dojeong Smithy.”
“Ah, that one.”
Jo Gyeong-jik understood immediately. It was the only smithy in the Western Village that forged blades, so he couldn't have been unaware of it. Jo Gyeong-jik brought the blade to his nose, sniffing for the scent of blood, then nodded and sheathed it.
He didn't seem to distrust me, but he would probably send someone to the smithy at daybreak to confirm my purchase.
“Do you have any other weapons?”
Without a word, I bent down and untied the dagger strapped to my ankle. Jo Gyeong-jik meticulously checked the condition and scent of the dagger's blade before returning it.
“For now, your shift is over. Wait in the quarters. The Chief Escort Leader might look for you when he arrives, so don't go anywhere. As long as you don't do anything to arouse unnecessary suspicion, you'll be fine.”
And so, I was left alone in the spacious quarters. Even the reserve personnel had been deployed for security, so the restaurant attached to the quarters was also empty. The Chief Escort Leader rushed to the Deep Fragrance Pavilion in less than two hours.
I was filling my stomach with thin, grilled pancakes and dumplings when I was summoned to repeat the story I had told Jo Gyeong-jik. Chief Escort Leader Du Ja-ryeom did not suspect me. There was a witness to testify to my innocence, and coincidentally, my willow blade was brand new, never having tasted blood.
Even my dagger was always washed with lye and oiled after use. He must have known that it would be unreasonable to frame me as the culprit.
“If you have any inkling as to who might have killed Bang Jo-in, speak freely.”
For a moment, the image of Lee Yun-jae glaring at Bang Jo-in came to mind. Without a second thought, I shook my head. Naming a promising provincial graduate, cherished by the prefectural city, as a murder suspect was by no means a wise course of action.
“I do not know.”
“You don't have even the slightest suspicion?”
Du Ja-ryeom was persistent. It seemed I would have to give him something to end this conversation. Racking my brain, I found something suitable.
“The place where Escort Bang fell is the back path leading to the detached houses.”
“That is correct.”
“I heard that martial artists are staying in the detached houses. They are said to be the house guests of the Deep Fragrance Pavilion.”
“Did Bang Jo-in tell you that?”
“Yes. He said he once got into trouble while passing by there.”
“Hmm.”
Du Ja-ryeom let out a low hum, his face serious. The walls of the Deep Fragrance Pavilion were high. The only place an outsider could enter was the main gate.
The escorts also patrolled the inside at set times. It was more likely that the culprit was an insider rather than an outsider. Bang Jo-in was a gambler who had recently skipped his shifts to play tiles at a gambling den.
It was reasonable to assume he had come into an unexpected sum of money. When his money ran out, he had climbed back over the wall of one of the detached houses where he had struck it lucky, and was killed after being followed while stealing silver taels. This speculation fit the circumstances.
It would make sense if the culprit had to retreat without retrieving the silver taels because the maid appeared. Although I never had the chance to confirm his skills, Bang Jo-in was also a martial artist who carried a blade. To have died instantly from a single stab to the heart meant he had no time to resist.
The culprit was surely a martial arts master with ample experience in killing. Despite having a clear suspect, the Chief Escort Leader did not speak easily. It was not because he hadn't thought that far, but because if this were true, the repercussions would be more than enough to shake the entire agency.
If a house guest of the Deep Fragrance Pavilion killed an escort of the Dragon Sky Escort Agency, it wouldn't be a major issue if framed as punishing a thief. On the contrary, the fact that an escort hired to guard the house had committed theft would become the problem.
The pavilion master, having lost trust in the Dragon Sky Escort Agency, might terminate the security contract. Not only would they lose a major client, but an indelible stain would be left on the agency's prestige and reputation. However, to simply cover up the death of an escort would also damage the agency's honor.
It was a difficult situation either way. After a long pause, the Chief Escort Leader spoke, but about something completely different.
“Are you aware that three members of the dark path from the Black Night Gang were killed at once last night?”
Caught slightly off guard by the sudden change of topic, I nodded.
“How could I not know? Rumors are rampant in the market.”
“The very next night, an escort is murdered at the Deep Fragrance Pavilion, a place under the protection of the Dragon Sky Escort Agency. Does that seem like a simple coincidence to you?”
I tilted my head, studying Du Ja-ryeom's expression. What on earth was he trying to say? If it wasn't a coincidence, then.
“Are you saying the culprit who raided the Black Night Gang yesterday climbed the walls of the Deep Fragrance Pavilion today?”
“What are your thoughts?”
As I remained silent, Du Ja-ryeom took a sip of tea and continued.
“For the past two years that the Dragon Sky Escort Agency has been in charge of security at the Deep Fragrance Pavilion, it hasn't been without unpleasant incidents. However, no one has ever been killed or seriously injured. There have been no clashes between the house guests in the detached houses and our escorts either. It's right to assume the culprit infiltrated from the outside. Crucially…”
As if to add weight to his words, Du Ja-ryeom lowered his voice.
“As you saw, Escort Jeong, the killer ignored the neck and other vital points, and instead stabbed right through the two characters for 'Dragon Sky' on the left chest of the uniform, killing Bang Jo-in in a single blow. Anyone can see this is a provocation and a challenge to the Dragon Sky Escort Agency. Yesterday, the Black Night Gang. Today, the Dragon Sky Escort Agency. An unknown master is picking a fight with the two powers that divide the Western Village.”
“That’s…”
He probably aimed for the heart, and it just so happened that the agency's name was embroidered there. He could have been stabbed from behind. To imagine an unknown master targeting the Western Village based on that alone was too much of a leap and speculation.
I was about to point out the common sense aspect but trailed off due to a sense of unease I couldn't ignore. What is this? Du Ja-ryeom's serious face.
It was calm and dignified, yet I could read a hint of pretense in his solemn expression. Looking closely, it was certain. I hadn't seen it wrong.
It was a look I had seen countless times before, one that concealed inner thoughts and intended something else. The kind of look from guys who bluffed as if they held a winning hand even with a losing tile.
The kind of look from martial artists who feigned confidence as if they had a hidden move, even when their resources were depleted. Du Ja-ryeom wore a similar expression. This man knew it too.
He knew just how much nonsense he was spouting. The reason he had to do this was probably because he had no other clever solution. If Bang Jo-in died while stealing, he would just be a nuisance to the agency, just as he was in life.
But if he was killed by the culprit who raided the Black Night Gang, he would become an innocent, dignified victim. The culprit was skilled enough to secretly dispose of three members of the Black Night Gang.
It would not be easy to stop a master of that caliber from climbing the walls and breaching the agency's security to infiltrate the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. This naturally created a good excuse for the security failure. Whether it was true or not didn't matter.
If they could believe it for now, use it as a cover, and smooth things over, they could put out the immediate fire. Even if the hidden truth were to be revealed later, by then, everything would already be settled. Seeing as the one who killed Bang Jo-in had disappeared, it was unlikely he would come forward to claim responsibility.
Is this how they plan to cover it up? It couldn't have taken even two hours for him to get here after receiving the report of the incident. To come up with such a solution, linking it to the Black Night Gang incident from last night, in such a short time.
Unlike his Daoist-like clear demeanor, Du Ja-ryeom's mind was anything but ordinary. It seemed that Jo Gyeong-jik had urgently sought the Chief Escort Leader not simply because he was his superior. As I inwardly clicked my tongue, I realized the main point hadn't even begun.
Why was the Chief Escort Leader having this conversation with me? During this precious time when he should be chasing the culprit and resolving the situation...
“Is there something you want from me?”
Deciding there was no longer a need for pretense, a smile spread across Du Ja-ryeom's lips.
“Just as Escort Leader Pung said, you are indeed quick-witted. People who are quick, whether in sparring or conversation, are always helpful.”
He stared at me with a satisfied look before getting to the point.
“I want you to say that when you heard the scream and ran to find Bang Jo-in's body, you thought you caught a glimpse of a figure in a black mask and robe climbing over the wall. Not the wall near the detached houses, but the one behind the servants' quarters, by the warehouse.”
“Who am I supposed to say this to?”
The smile vanished from Du Ja-ryeom's face. He fiddled with his teacup with an awkward expression before opening his mouth.
“The pavilion master. The pavilion master will seek you out soon. You just have to say it then.”