A Well-Honed Sickle Is a Pity

Chil Seong was locked in the storage shed.

Ji An insisted on speaking with Chil Seong himself, but Ji Un firmly reassured his younger brother.

“Stay here, and your brother will find out everything.”

Ji An did not want to let Ji Un go. To him, this kind-hearted brother who never learned how to blame others was no different from a fragile child left unattended near a dangerous river. The fact that Ji Un had fallen directly into Hae Won’s clutches the moment Ji An fled the capital in his past life was proof enough. If it were entirely possible, Ji An wanted to lock his brother away in the deepest recesses of the inner chambers to keep him safe.

“But that scoundrel is insidious—”

Ji An anxiously tried to push his brother away from the storage shed door, but as a trained warrior, Ji Un naturally did not budge an inch.

“Do you truly believe I have seen less blood than you have? Stop talking nonsense and wait here.”

Ji Un looked down at his younger brother, who had recently transformed from merely sharp-tongued to entirely precarious. He had no idea what had caused his brother to suspect Chil Seong. He also couldn’t fathom what his brother had witnessed to make him flee the capital two years ago as if his life depended on it.

However, one thing was absolutely certain: his younger brother was bearing a massive burden entirely alone, one he couldn’t even share with his own family.

Since Ji An insisted he couldn’t speak of it, Ji Un couldn’t force him to talk. Yet, leaving his brother to suffer through that agonizing weight in isolation was not something he could do as an older brother.

Witnessing the profound trembling in Ji An’s eyes, Ji Un gently patted his slender shoulders. Old Man Park had already gone to summon their eldest brother, so he would arrive shortly. Once Eldest Brother arrived, Ji An would likely calm down a bit, so he just needed to hold on until then.

“Take excellent care of the Young Master.”

Ji Un gave a sharp warning to the head servant standing beside Old Man Park, and the man gave a subtle nod of understanding.

In truth, the entire household was already well aware that the third young master had thrown a massive fit, declaring he would rather die than see his older brother go through with the marriage. To make matters worse, Grand Prince Myeong Yun—the greatest mage in the entire kingdom—had specifically mentioned a terrible curse, causing everyone to worry anxiously, wondering if their young master had gone entirely astray from immersing himself in magic from such a tender age.

Honestly, the only reason they had agreed to look into the matter regarding Chil Seong was largely out of fear that Ji An would throw another violent fit if he were ignored, but to think the servant truly possessed such a bizarre item.

The head servant subtly shifted his position to stand directly behind the third young master. He intended to use his own physical body to restrain him if the young master attempted to harm himself once more.

Ji An fiercely bit the inner flesh of his lip as he watched Ji Un step inside the storage shed. Within Ji Un’s shadow, he caught sight of the low-grade ghost’s crimson eyes gleaming as it let out a faint, eerie chuckle. At that groveling laugh, which seemed to promise it would listen closely and report back, Ji An simply lowered his eyes before looking back up, offering a subtle nod instead of a response.

With a soft rustle, the low-grade ghost vanished deep back into the darkness of the shadow.

Ji Un slid the storage shed door shut and looked down cold-eyed at Chil Seong. Flanked by two able-bodied laborers, Chil Seong was bound securely with thick ropes. The fellow’s eyes darted frantically in every direction as he desperately tried to assess his current predicament.

There were certain things that simply could not be shown to the third brother.

When Ji An departed for the magical mountain at the mere age of six, every single member of the household had been left with a profound sense of guilt. Six years old was far too young an age to be torn from a mother’s embrace. Ji An was neither a commoner nor a destitute orphan, so why on earth did he have to leave his parents and siblings behind to journey alone into the world where the Guardian Beasts resided?

Though Ji An had eventually returned entirely without physical injury, the Guardian Beasts were notoriously savage, and it was far from uncommon for them to severely harm their own disciples. It was an unwritten law that even if a royal prince—let alone a member of the nobility—perished at the hands of the Guardian Beasts, no official protest could ever be raised. Yet, a six-year-old Ji An had been sent to such a terrifying place all alone.

Because of that, their father granted Ji An absolutely anything he desired, and their mother and eldest brother acted exactly the same. His sisters always prioritized weaving Ji An’s garments above all else. They poured vastly more care into crafting Ji An’s robes than they ever did for their own father’s attire.

“Chil Seong, oh, Chil Seong.”

Ji Un offered a smile. It was an expression Ji An had never once seen on his brother’s face.

“I truly never imagined such an immensely bold individual would emerge from among our household servants. So, tell me, who exactly gave you that chunk of gold?”

“I-I earned it myself! It is none of the Young Master’s business—”

In the briefest blink of an eye, Ji Un instantly closed the distance, appearing directly in front of Chil Seong. Ji Un’s hand fiercely gripped the servant’s collar. His other hand snatched up a sharp sickle that had been resting against the wall of the shed.

“The sickle is remarkably well-honed. It will cause you far less pain, which is quite a pity.”

The sharp blade of the sickle slid directly inside Chil Seong’s lips. Feeling the cold edge slicing into the corner of his mouth, Chil Seong let out a horrific scream. Though it was only a minor tear, Chil Seong found himself completely unable to breathe, gasping and choking violently.

He realized with absolute terror that the usually good-natured second young master was fully prepared to rip his mouth wide open—and had even muttered that it was a pity the blade was sharp, as a dull edge would have caused far more agonizing pain. His eyes went wide with shock.

T-This shouldn’t be happening. The second young master is supposed to be a massive pushover whom everyone takes advantage of…

The sickle pressed deeper into his lips. As the agonizing pain of the splitting flesh flared, Chil Seong screamed once more. At that, Ji Un finally withdrew the sickle from his mouth.

‘I barely survived.’

As Chil Seong thought this while bleeding profusely, Ji Un yanked his collar forward. The moment his body lurched downward, Ji Un struck the back of his neck with a swift, crushing force.

Bringing his body back upright, Ji Un prepared to shove the sickle into his mouth yet again, prompting Chil Seong to open his mouth to shriek even louder. He desperately hoped the second young master was merely acting out of concern for the third young master waiting right outside the shed, well aware of the family’s extreme partiality toward Ji An.

However, absolutely no sound emerged from his throat.

“Hey, don’t scare our boy. You know full well that An is far more faint-hearted than he appears, so why are you acting like this?”

The sickle continued to slice Chil Seong’s mouth open, bit by agonizing bit. Chil Seong’s entire body shook uncontrollably. No matter how violently he tried to scream, his voice refused to return. Why? Why was this happening? Was his body already permanently broken? Chil Seong’s eyes clouded over with pure terror.

Ji Un did not bother to inform Chil Seong that he had accurately struck his mute acupoint. Possessing absolutely no knowledge of martial arts, Chil Seong wept bitterly, firmly believing he had been struck permanently mute.

“Young Master, that miserable scoundrel has soiled himself. Please step back carefully.”

At the laborer’s words, Ji Un glanced down between Chil Seong’s legs and let out a sinister laugh.

He had seen plenty of wretched individuals like this before.

When people heard the name ‘Royal Guard,’ they assumed the warriors did nothing but stand in close proximity to protect the King. How could that possibly be the case? It was a place where the absolute finest martial artists in the entire kingdom were gathered. They executed close-quarters defense alongside various other dark missions. Ji Un himself had witnessed and shed blood on countless occasions.

Indeed, though this kingdom was ruled by scholars and Confucian officials, how could absolute authority ever be maintained without the shedding of blood? Though Ji An remained entirely oblivious to it, the Shim clan was a family that had grown immensely by consuming a fair share of their enemies’ blood.

This was the vast difference between the second brother and the third brother. Furthermore, their eldest brother likely witnessed an even more ruthless reality than Ji Un did. After all, Eldest Brother was the one destined to inherit the lineage of the Shim clan, bearing the absolute responsibility for the survival and prosperity of every single servant bound to their name.

Right then, the door to the storage shed swung open. Someone attempted to barge inside but was immediately held back. Ji An, firmly restrained by the head servant, was desperately trying to verify if Ji Un was completely unharmed.

Witnessing his brother’s severe trembling, Ji Un felt a bitter pang in his heart.

Why had his younger brother become so profoundly unstable? Because of what? By whose hands?

Pushing Ji An slightly aside, their eldest brother and the formal successor of the Shim clan, Shim Ji Hyuk, stepped into the shed.

“Un, you step outside as well.”

Ji Un subtly evaluated his brother’s expression before standing up and approaching Ji Hyuk. As long as their father remained asleep, the absolute authority over household matters regarding servants naturally fell to their eldest brother. He knew this well, but Eldest Brother was a civil official, was he not? As a typical civil servant holding the position of Assistant Section Chief in the Ministry of Personnel, he was entirely unsuited to witnessing such bloody affairs.

Even as he stepped aside, Ji Un couldn’t help but worry aloud.

“Brother, things are about to get rather brutal in here.”

At that, Ji Hyuk replied with a thoroughly disgruntled expression.

“Just go look after An. Look at his face—he looks completely pale. Even a mischievous mutt that stirs up trouble manages to stay healthy, but the third child of our house causes a massive scene while being entirely fragile, making him worse than a common mutt. The cook is rushing around, so the breakfast table should arrive shortly. Stay by his side and make sure he stuffs something into his mouth.”

It seemed his brother’s resentment had far from faded regarding Ji An’s reckless act of harming himself right in front of their parents. Judging by his remark comparing him to a mutt, a massive amount of anger clearly remained, yet his deep concern was entirely impossible to hide.

Ji Un gave a firm nod and tossed the sickle aside. The weapon he threw embedded itself perfectly directly between Chil Seong’s thighs. Chil Seong went entirely pale with horror, frantically scrambling backward, barely managing to avoid being struck by the blade. Had he been even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been forced to roll his eyes back in agony with a sickle pierced straight through the very anatomy he prided himself on.

“You’ve been remarkably lucky since a moment ago, haven’t you?”

Ji Un’s words sounded as though he were thoroughly determined to witness a stroke of terrible misfortune before the night was through. Chil Seong violently shook his head side to side, his face entirely drenched in a horrific mixture of tears, mucus, and blood.

Ji Un completely ignored Chil Seong, wrapping his arms around Ji An instead. Ji An seemed to calm down slightly the moment Ji Un emerged safely from the storage shed. He no longer stubbornly insisted on remaining outside the shed door.

Hearing his younger brothers depart, Ji Hyuk let out a sharp click of his tongue. At that signal, one of the able-bodied servants quickly stepped forward to retrieve the sickle. The second and third brothers likely believed their eldest brother was merely a thoroughly dependable, ordinary scholar.

“Chil Seong, I have harbored a single curiosity regarding you for quite some time now.”

Ji Hyuk lightly stroked his chin. As clean-shaven faces had recently become immensely popular among the young nobility, Ji Hyuk’s chin was entirely devoid of a beard, unlike their father, Shim Mu Young. While that clean look made him appear somewhat youthful, his sharp jawline simultaneously caused him to exude an incredibly piercing intensity.

“That foolish fellow Un… suddenly started lunging around like a mad ox that had swallowed something toxic, desperately insisting on marrying Prince Hae Won. When I went back and counted the exact timeline recently, I realized his bizarre behavior began exactly one week after you started personally attending to his needs. The signs were highly abnormal from that exact moment.”

Ji Hyuk surmised that if it had been Ji An, he likely wouldn’t have sensed anything amiss. Ji An was far too reckless, traveled outside extensively, and was thoroughly steeped in the exceptionally free-spirited nature characteristic of mages.

But Ji Un was entirely different. Ever since his childhood, Ji Un had trained relentlessly to walk the path of a military official. Naturally, his discipline was absolute. Furthermore, by the age of twenty-two, Ji Un was already an established member of the Royal Guard. To be a member of that guard at twenty-two meant he was formally recognized as one of the top one hundred martial masters in the entire kingdom.

The Royal Guard was notorious for maintaining a terrifyingly brutal level of discipline, even within the already strict Imperial Army. For a brother who was born to be so thoroughly obedient that he could smoothly adapt to such a ruthless environment to suddenly throw a massive tantrum, declaring he would abandon the family if he couldn’t marry the third prince—a royal he barely even knew—was completely absurd. To make matters worse, the moment the third brother caused a scene, he broke off the alliance with absolute ease. If breaking the engagement was going to be that simple, why on earth had he thrown such a fierce tantrum in the first place?

Lastly, there were moments when he felt Ji Un’s usually clear eyes appeared somewhat clouded. When he pieced all of these anomalies together.

“I firmly believe you are a rat.”

Ji Hyuk’s eyes looked down cold-eyed at Chil Seong.

“A rat operating under the secret orders of another master. Tell me, how exactly do we get rid of a rat?”

At Ji Hyuk’s question, the servant holding the sickle in a reverse grip lightly tapped the flat side of the blade against Chil Seong’s cheek, murmuring, “We must burn it, of course. Alive.”

Chil Seong’s eyes went wide with pure horror. As the servant began to tremble violently, Ji Hyuk spoke up once more.

“However, perhaps you are merely an ordinary ox belonging to our household who simply picked up and swallowed something toxic before running wild. In such a scenario, why would we slaughter a perfectly good ox? We still have fields to plow, after all. So, Chil Seong, you speak for yourself. Are you an ox belonging to our house, or are you Hae Won’s rat?”

Ji Hyuk bent his body forward, striking the acupoint at the back of Chil Seong’s head to release the lock. In that exact instant, a horrific shriek exploded from Chil Seong’s mouth.

“Aaaagh!”

Startled by the sound of his own scream, Chil Seong quickly clamped his mouth shut.

‘My voice… it returned…?’

People commonly assumed that Confucian scholars spent their entire lives doing nothing but reading ancient classics like the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean, but that was far from reality. Ji Hyuk had dabbled in absolutely everything his peers did. This meant he was perfectly capable of casting divination blocks and striking vital acupoints. After all, it all ultimately traced back to the Book of Changes and ancient medicine.

The exact moment he realized the young masters of this household were perfectly capable of rendering him mute and restoring his voice at their absolute whim, Chil Seong completely lost the will to resist.

“The way it happened was…”

As Chil Seong began to pour out his confession, the silent moonlight illuminated the interior of the storage shed before slowly withdrawing.

Having subtly shifted its position to ride directly within Ji Hyuk’s shadow, the low-grade ghost let out a twisted laugh, its crimson eyes gleaming intensely in the dark.