Chapter 143. The Value of Truth

There was not even a cup of tea placed on the table, for time was scarce.

Even so, a sense of composure lingered.

With the direct descendants of two noble clans facing each other, even the humble space carried a solemn weight.

The first to speak was Tang So-hwa.

"Do you truly believe the Alliance Leader is burning incense?"

Though abrupt, Zhuge In-hwi allowed himself to be drawn into her lead.

"Is there any reason to think otherwise?"

"It is not unusual—most people do burn incense after returning from a journey. However, wouldn’t it be excessive to burn incense when he’s not going to be in there for long? More than anything…”

Tang So-hwa added in a leisurely tone.

"Was there ever an incense burner in Spring Pavilion?"

“There isn’t, but it is not a place where incense cannot be burned."

"To conduct an incense ritual in a place where incense is not prepared..."

The corner of Tang So-hwa's lips curved.

"I wonder what kind of incense the Alliance Leader usually carries with him."

Zhuge In-hwi fell silent.

This woman was not questioning him.

She was leading him toward suspicion of the Alliance Leader.

Zhuge In-hwi broke the silence with a cold voice.

"What are you trying to say?"

"How much do you trust the Alliance Leader, Hall Lord?"

A chill silence hung in the air.

So-hwa understood his displeasure.

Their close bond was known throughout the Murim.

Even so, So-hwa pressed on, driving a wedge between Zhuge In-hwi and the Alliance Leader.

The Alliance Leader had confessed that Zhuge In-hwi had died while trying to inform him of the Blood Sect’s existence.

Though Tang So-hwa did not believe the Zhuge Clan, she thought the Hall Lord before her might be worth trusting—for he had once risked his life to tell the Alliance Leader the truth.

"You mentioned strange reports have come into Summer Pavilion, did you not?"

The Hall Lord said nothing, but So-hwa continued.

"Have you perhaps heard of an item that clouds a person's mind?"

"Are you speaking of Five Minerals Powder from the Hubei branch?"

"Yes. And Five Minerals Powder is not merely a drug that clouds the mind."

"Then what is it?"

"It is something that can tamper with thought and alter memory. When mixed into food in the right proportion or inhaled as smoke, it subjects the individual to brainwashing by the user."

She offered up the truth with ease.

"The Blood Sect member I faced tried to burn Five Minerals Powder and enslave me with its smoke."

Gazing at Zhuge In-hwi's motionless face, So-hwa murmured as though to herself.

"They said the Alliance Leader was burning incense—so Spring Pavilion must now be filled with smoke."

Beneath the table, Tang So-hwa's hidden hand rose.

The rustle of paper rang loud.

She drew out a cloth-wrapped document and set it aside, then reached deeper within.

Her movements were exaggerated, as though meant to be seen.

Zhuge In-hwi closely observed the eldest daughter of the Tang Clan as she spoke with her body.

Soon, something carrying the scent of medicine followed her fingertips.

Tang So-hwa laid a small pouch upon the table and said.

"I am a fearful person."

The Hall Lord dismissed it as nonsense not worth believing, and So-hwa herself did not seem to care about his reaction.

"I wondered... could it be that the Alliance Leader struck a bargain with the Blood Demon before returning? And that he left us here only so he could tamper with our memories before sending us back to our clans? Such blasphemous suspicions frighten me."

With long fingers, she opened the pouch and took out a small pill.

"This is a medicine known only to a few, even in the Tang Clan. In your body, Hall Lord, its effects will last for about half an hour, shielding you from the influence of the Five Minerals Powder."

Though she knew he was blind, she placed the pill deliberately into her mouth, as if to show him.

Zhuge In-hwi's expression did not change—even after Tang So-hwa swallowed it as if he could not see anything.

Withdrawing her hand from the pouch, So-hwa spoke in a calm tone.

"No matter what I say, you will still believe in the Alliance Leader."

"......"

"You asked me to give you a reason to protect me, but I am no master of words. I cannot hope to win your trust with speech."

It sounded mocking, yet also sincere.

"In the end, it rests solely on your choice. If you wish to see the truth, take it. If you would rather trust the Alliance Leader, discard it."

"And why should I take a pill handed to me by you? There is no assurance that it is not poison."

"Truth is not something easily obtained. For you, perhaps, it has been handed over freely—envy-blinded men flocking to feed you information, or enemies dragged before your eyes so you might judge them. In such a life, truth must seem cheap and effortless. But for most, truth demands sacrifice—and sometimes, one's very life."

The corner of Tang So-hwa's lips curved.

"It is not something to be demanded of others, as though for free."

She slid the document she had laid out back into her sleeve.

"If you desire it, seek it yourself. No matter how difficult or dangerous, truth is something one can only believe after confirming it with one's own eyes—not through another's lips. Moreover..."

Her cold voice cut into his ears.

"I am not so weak as to lean upon another's protection. Do not try to test me with such words again."

A sharp burst of qi scraped across the Hall Lord's skin.

The elusive woman revealed her only true heart through a calm, unwavering stance.

Tang So-hwa rose and left Winter Pavilion without a bow. One who knew etiquette chose to spurn it. It was a deliberate insult.

Zhuge In-hwi could not understand her hostility.

Whether it was aimed at him or at the headquarters itself, he could not be sure.

Staring blankly into the air, Zhuge In-hwi picked up the pouch.

Thud.

He drew out a pill and tossed it. A hidden rat crept forth and devoured it.

The rat showed no reaction.

Watching for a moment, the Hall Lord at last gathered the pouch and left Winter Pavilion.

Tang So-hwa was gone, likely already headed for the Spring Pavilion.

Zhuge In-hwi halted, facing the Spring Pavilion.

Like all pavilions of the Four Seasons Hall, it was stifling—no window opened.

Now, the thought of incense being offered within struck him as strange.

With an unreadable expression, Zhuge In-hwi looked at the Spring Pavilion, and from his breast he drew out the pouch.

***

"You have all worked hard."

The stifling smoke that clung to the secret chamber was unpleasant, but no one mentioned it.

Only the Alliance Leader's voice filled the Spring Pavilion.

"Searching Dabeishan Mountains for a single person is as difficult as finding a grain of sand on the roadside. Yet you all labored, combing every ridge and slope."

The Alliance Leader spoke of Dabeishan Mountains, a place none of the party had even set foot in.

So-hwa kept her gaze lowered, not daring to lift her eyes for fear they might drift toward him.

"Even so, one cannot say the effort was in vain. We were fortunate to discover the Blood Sect's stronghold and rescue Young Lady Tang So-hwa. Moreover, because of the Blood Sect's attack on Platinum Pavilion, the Namgung Clan came to aid us, and thanks to that, we were able to annihilate them more swiftly. Truly, it can only be called heaven's blessing."

The Alliance Leader laughed softly as he spoke such nonsense.

"I believe this must have been a valuable experience for the Tang Clan's Young Lord and the youths of the Zhuge Clan. Though you did not enter the enemy’s stronghold, you held your ground in the forest, slaughtered over a hundred Blood Sect members, and guarded the retreat—did you not? They say it was thanks to the Tang Clan's Young Lord’s poison smoke and hidden weapons. Zhuge Clan, be sure to report what you witnessed in that battle to the Summer Pavilion. That way, everyone will understand why only the Tang Clan's Young Lord was so grievously injured, and no one will doubt you."

The martial artists of the Zhuge Clan replied in perfect unison, as if measured with a ruler.

"Yes, we shall do so."

An oddly long silence followed.

No one else opened their mouth.

Their eyes all lacked light.

It was a dialogue in which only the Alliance Leader spoke.

"However, because we went too far in our rampage, the Blood Sect's stronghold is gone and their formations destroyed. It will no longer be possible to find the place again. Even the tracking incense we used to follow Young Lady Tang has been lost..."

Clicking his tongue as though regretful, the Alliance Leader concluded.

"Still, it is fortunate that everyone returned safely."

Sensing the mood, he looked upon the silent faces and, reassured, continued his indoctrination.

"With the Blood Sect's resurgence, as in the old tales, one might have worried that the Blood Demon truly existed. Yet through this campaign, we confirmed that such a being does not exist, and that brings relief. The Blood Sect's leader wielded impressive martial strength, but since he perished at our hands, he clearly was not some legendary figure."

The Alliance Leader bit his lip once before speaking again.

"Those waiting for you must have been anxious. When you return to your clans, tell them just that."

"Yes, we shall do so."

Everyone answered together. So-hwa moved her lips faintly, echoing their response.

The Alliance Leader exhaled slowly, tension easing from his body.

"You all look tired. Go and rest. I will personally convey the details to Young Lord Tang Hak and to the Divine Physician, and then send them back, so the Tang Clan Head need not worry and may depart first."

"Yes. I leave it in your hands."

As the Tang Clan Head rose from his seat, the others stood as well.

So-hwa followed the flow of the atmosphere and quietly left the Spring Pavilion.

Within the chamber, only the Alliance Leader and the Four Seasons Hall Lord remained.