I asked my father for a month of absence, claiming I would go to the Low Mist Sect in search of teachings. He simply nodded, indifferent—perhaps still mourning, or perhaps just relieved by my absence.
In five days, I crossed misty mountains, icy rivers, and dense forests until I reached the gates of the Gwan Clan. The guards hesitated upon seeing me, but my name still held weight—and I was soon taken to the main hall, where Patriarch Gwan Taejin awaited.
"I want your help weakening the Jaegal Clan," I said, without pretense.
Silence fell, heavy and sharp. Taejin studied me with eyes of steel.
"You come to me, son of Jaegal Hwan, and say this as if it weren't treason."
"What is treason, if not a shift in loyalty? I don't care about blood. I care about the throne. The clan needs a new leader—and it won't be the second son or Ma Yung who brings that."
Taejin remained still.
"And why should I help you?"
"Because I can open the gates from the inside. Because with a single strike, you can collect old debts and still come out as heroes—if that's how you want to be seen. I don't want the Jaegal Clan to fall… I want it to bleed. Just enough for all to see its former power is gone. Enough to make me indispensable."
The smile that spread on the patriarch's face was far from friendly.
"You've thought this through too well. What if I simply kill you here, and use your body as a message?"
"If you kill me, you lose the chance to plant a spy inside the greatest formation clan in the region. I know secrets. I know how to unlock seals, disable barriers—and more importantly… I know when the second son returns."
Taejin went silent, then finally nodded.
"And what do you want in return?"
"Make the attack look real. Let there be blood. But stop when I tell you to. The moment Jaegal Seong and Ma Yung are dead… pull back. Leave the rest to me."
Taejin stood, at last.
"Very well, Jaegal. I'll gather my men. In two weeks, we march on your gates."
He extended his hand. I shook it.
"Let the weakness of one clan be the birth of your empire."
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Curiosity:
The Gwan Clan's grudge was born after a peace meeting between the two clans, when their former patriarch was killed by trap formations secretly left by the Jaegal Clan. The massacre was dismissed as a "diplomatic accident," but the Gwan never forgot the humiliation of losing their leader on enemy soil.