Chapter v19c5

## The Art of Making Bindaetteok

– Meeting the Envoy

“Why is the Headmaster taking so long?”

Five earrings dangling from the left ear of the flamboyantly dressed young man jingled impatiently.

“He will be here shortly.”

The distinguished middle-aged man replied politely to the young envoy.

“That’s the fifth time I’ve heard that.”

Lee Si-Geon’s tone sharpened.

“My apologies. Such a clichéd phrase. It was my oversight. I will use a different expression next time you inquire.”

The middle-aged scholar maintained his composure and polite demeanor.

‘So that means I have to wait even longer!’

Lee Si-Geon’s carefully maintained composure crumbled.

Despite the repeated assurances of “He will be here shortly,” he had been waiting for quite some time.

Just as his simmering anger was about to boil over, the door to the main hall burst open.

“Ah, my apologies! I’m so sorry! Did this old man keep you waiting?”

The man who strode casually into the tense atmosphere was none other than Iron Fist Ma Jin-Ga, the Headmaster of Cheonmu Academy.

“My apologies. As you get older, your bones ache, and your steps become slower. It’s a real problem.”

His words lacked conviction, coming from a man with arms thick as tree trunks, capable of felling an ox with a single blow. It seemed more like a display of power than an apology.

“I’ve heard about your… lively activities. You’ve already met my students, haven’t you?”

The massive old man crossed the hall with vigorous strides and settled onto the Seat.

“I apologize for any inconvenience. I enjoy socializing, and it seems I made a mistake.”

Lee Si-Geon replied, bowing slightly with his hands clasped. The old man, his head resting on his massive right hand, waved dismissively.

“No, no. I believe it’s time for the younger generation to take the lead. It’s good to interact with each other. Minor conflicts are inevitable. I don’t think you intended to harm the relationship between our two factions. It’s understandable for a young man to be impulsive. Don’t you agree?”

Despite the veiled criticism, the young man could only force a smile and agree.

“Y-yes, Headmaster Ma!”

“But who will compensate for the severed wrist of that young man? It’s a regrettable incident.”

Lee Si-Geon felt a pang of guilt.

Indeed!

‘So this is Iron Fist Ma Jin-Ga, the Headmaster of Cheonmu Academy, the “Unbeatable One-Strike, No Need for a Second”?’

He raised his gaze slightly to observe the massive man on the Seat. The old man, with a physique reminiscent of a steel fortress, exuded an overwhelming aura, suggesting he hadn’t neglected his training. But the flamboyantly dressed young man remained composed, his posture relaxed, despite facing such pressure.

Being an envoy wasn’t a job for the faint of heart. It often involved walking into enemy territory.

There was a saying that an envoy’s neck didn’t belong to them. It could be taken at any moment. That was why envoys always carried three essential items: their envoy token, their diplomatic letter, and their will.

This might not be a battlefield with swords and spears clashing, but it was a war nonetheless. He enjoyed this tense atmosphere. The fact that everyone was wary of him meant he was an important figure.

“Show me your envoy token!”

Lee Si-Geon produced a half-token and a diplomatic letter, its wording clearly intended to provoke.

There was a saying, “to match tallies.” It meant to perfectly align. A “tally” referred to a token split in half. Since they were originally one, they would fit perfectly when joined together. And if they didn’t match? It was immediate execution for impersonating an envoy. Throughout history, there had been countless impostors, and they were always a nuisance.

“Very well!”

Son Mun-Gyeong, the man with narrow eyes who had repeated “He will be here shortly” five times while holding the position of “Military Advisor and Assistant to the Headmaster,” approached Lee Si-Geon and received the token with a respectful bow.

Ma Jin-Ga, upon receiving the token, rose from his Seat and walked towards the back of the hall. But Lee Si-Geon wasn’t fazed by his sudden action. He knew the steel giant was heading towards a large vault. The red vault, adorned with carvings of flowers, butterflies, bees, and orchids, looked like an ornate cabinet often found in wealthy households, but its inner structure was made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. The decorative wooden panels were merely a facade, concealing the true nature of the vault.

Click!

Click!

The double locks on the vault clicked open. With a heavy thud, the red doors swung open, revealing dozens of locked silk boxes. Each box had a label: Murim Alliance, Wudang Sect, Hwasan Sect, Murim Alliance Shanxi Branch, Murim Alliance Hubei Branch, First Inspector, Second Inspector, Secret Agent, and so on.

Ma Jin-Ga retrieved the box labeled “Machun Pavilion.” It was covered in silk, but its interior was made of solid steel. This box also had a sturdy lock, adding to the already tedious process. The contents of this heavily guarded box weren’t jewels. It contained the other half of the envoy token. The seemingly insignificant iron token was carefully wrapped in a red silk cloth, as if it were a precious treasure. He retrieved the token with cautious movements, as if worried his rough hands might damage it. The two halves, one in each hand, were slowly brought together. The cut edges aligned perfectly. The images and characters engraved on them matched flawlessly.

A curved bow, a drawn string, an arrow notched between them, and two characters inscribed below.

* * *

Awaiting Response.

* * *

They opposed each other, yet relied on each other. There was no better way to describe the relationship between the Machun Pavilion and Cheonmu Academy. But few remembered or acknowledged this fact anymore. Even the most noble organizations, once they became institutions, their pure ideals were twisted by collective interests, greed, and selfishness, reshaped into self-serving ideologies. The poison of ideology slowly paralyzed reason, eroded wisdom, and eventually blinded, deafened, and silenced. By then, truth no longer mattered. The current state of Cheonmu Academy and the Machun Pavilion was no different. They had forgotten the spirit of “Awaiting Response,” consumed by their rivalry, growling and baring their fangs at each other.

“The tallies match!”

Only after confirming the envoy’s identity through this tedious bureaucratic process did Ma Jin-Ga break the seal on the letter and unfold it.

“Please bear with the tedious process.”

Ma Jin-Ga apologized, and Lee Si-Geon waved his hand dismissively.

“Not at all. It’s only natural. Our procedures at the Machun Pavilion are five times more complex. This is nothing.”

“Hmm, I’m relieved to hear that. Your security checks are notoriously meticulous.”

‘M-meticulous…’

Lee Si-Geon’s face twitched as Ma Jin-Ga’s expression brightened.

“It’s better than being complacent.”

“We should strengthen our security as well, based on your advice. Don’t you agree, Military Advisor Son?”

It was too late to protest that he hadn’t given any such advice.

In an era where communication relied solely on handwritten letters, identity theft and forgery were rampant. With horses as the fastest mode of transportation and carrier pigeons reserved for a select few, verifying someone’s identity was a major challenge. The Ministry of War, responsible for military dispatches from the capital to the provinces, was particularly paranoid about this. They couldn’t trust a single seal on a piece of paper. To alleviate their anxiety, the “tally” system was implemented.

“It’s a rather complicated and tedious process, but I appreciate your understanding. In these times, you never know who might suddenly drop their mask and attack. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Not long ago, we suffered a major loss when a trusted friend’s colleague suddenly turned into an arsonist. We managed to contain the fire, but the damage was significant. Since then, we’ve been extra cautious. It’s a sad world where you can’t trust anyone, don’t you think?”

His tone was gentle, filled with concern for the declining state of the world, but his words were sharp. A soft sword was still a sword. It could still wound, and that was its purpose. Softness was its greatest strength.

Lee Si-Geon felt the sharp edge of the verbal sword, woven from flesh and blood, and tensed up.

Ma Jin-Ga wasn’t the only one wielding a tongue as sharp as a sword.

“I don’t understand what the Machun Pavilion is thinking. Sending such a young envoy. I wonder if they understand the gravity of this situation.”

“This is an insult!”

“We’ve been mocked!”

Critical voices rose from all directions. They whispered loudly, ensuring their words reached his ears. They were basically saying, “You’re just a kid, and the Machun Pavilion is a bunch of fools for sending you.” It was a subtle form of diplomatic pressure, intended to make the young envoy feel small and insignificant.

Clap! Clap!

Two claps echoed through the hall. The noisy crowd, now openly expressing their outrage, turned their attention to the source of the sound. It was Son Mun-Gyeong, the Military Advisor and Assistant to the Headmaster, who had clapped to get their attention.

“Now, now, calm down! You can’t just assume that! They’re not fools, are they?”

He said, his narrow eyes scanning the crowd.

“So they’re not fools, Military Advisor?”

An elder, his anger still simmering, shouted as if he had made a groundbreaking discovery.

“Oh my…”

“You were mistaken, weren’t you, Military Advisor?”

Incredulous responses followed. It was a deliberate provocation, and it worked perfectly. Lee Si-Geon’s face turned red with anger. This situation was demanding too much from him, a man who had little patience.

“Everyone, please calm down. You should behave yourselves in front of our young guest. You’re not setting a good example for the younger generation.”

Son Mun-Gyeong was more often called “Military Advisor” than “Assistant to the Headmaster.” But it wasn’t because his military expertise was valued more than his administrative skills. It was simply because “Military Advisor” was shorter than “Assistant to the Headmaster.” But ironically, he actually handled more administrative tasks than military ones. It was a time of peace – though few agreed with that assessment – and his military talents were rarely needed.

‘So this is Son Mun-Gyeong, the “Hidden Eyes”?’

Lee Si-Geon, hiding his curiosity behind a mask of indifference, glanced at the man whose name he had heard so much about back at the Machun Pavilion. The rumors were true. But that didn’t mean he was blind. His eyes were just two narrow slits, as if a straight line had been drawn with a slight break in the middle.

‘It’s amazing he can see with those eyes.’

That was his honest impression.

Military advisors of large organizations usually had grand titles: Heavenly Strategist, Heavenly Thunder, Ten Thousand Strategies, Ten Thousand Strategies and Thunder, Second Coming of Zhuge Liang, Reborn Zhuge Liang, Resurrected Zhuge Liang, and so on. But this man, said to possess a million strategies and ten thousand wisdoms, was simply called “Narrow Eyes” due to his unique physical feature. His official title was “Hidden Eyes,” a respectful acknowledgment of his knowledge, wisdom, and status, but he was more commonly known as “Narrow Eyes.” But his thoughts were as unreadable as his eyes, so no one knew which title he preferred.

He was a genius whose mind was as impenetrable as his eyes. Lee Si-Geon, his own eyes sharp with interest, observed him closely.

‘Indeed… The rumors were true.’

Rumors were usually exaggerated, but sometimes they were accurate. Lee Si-Geon confirmed this after a long observation, albeit with a tinge of disappointment. How could they be so small? True to his reputation, the Hidden Eyes of Cheonmu Academy’s Military Advisor were unreadable, concealed behind two thin slits. The inability to read his opponent’s thoughts made the young envoy uncomfortable.

What was he going to say?

Son Mun-Gyeong didn’t disappoint him. Instead, he infuriated him.

“This is just my speculation, but I believe they’re fully aware of how seriously we take this matter and how outraged we are. Unless their brains froze during the winter, the Machun Pavilion isn’t so ignorant or incompetent as to miss such a simple fact. I believe we need to consider their hidden motives for taking this approach.”

“They did it intentionally? That’s worse than doing it out of ignorance!”

An elder, unable to ignore such a statement, raised his hand and asked.

“Well… You could say that.”

“How devious…”