Moen Kang Yo's footsteps echoed through the weathered wooden corridors of the logistics pavilion. Behind him, Gwi-Hyuk walked silently, but his sharp aura was enough to make the students who passed him pale.
Yoe Choin looked around. He wanted to scream at the rotting, sagging joints and the crumbling roof, but he held his tongue. He knew that in this world, he had to speak as the authoritative young master of the Demon faction, not as a project foreman.
"Gwi-Hyuk,"
Choin whispered softly, barely audible.
"This floor needs immediate reinforcement. If ten warriors jump here at once, the entire building will collapse."
Choin said, stomping on the wooden floorboards.
Gwi-Hyuk nodded briefly, his eyes reflecting the understanding that his master was now paying attention to details he had previously overlooked.
They arrived at the door to Han So-Wol's office. Without knocking, Choin pushed open the door.
In a room filled with stacks of rolled-up paper and dusty shelves, Han So-Wol looked up with an annoyed expression. Her thin glasses nearly fell off her nose when she saw who had entered.
"Young Master Moen Kang Yo."
So-Wol's voice was sarcastic, typical of a woman who had been disappointed too many times.
"I heard you were back, but I didn't expect you to head straight to this room without any money."
Choin didn't respond to her sarcasm. He pulled out a creaking wooden chair that reminded him of low-grade materials and sat down in front of So-Wol's desk.
"I want to see the sect's ledger, So-Wol,"
Choin said in a cold, insistent tone.
So-Wol laughed dryly, the sound of her abacus clinked sharply.
"The ledger? What for? Do you want to see how many zeros are left in the sect's treasury? Or do you want to ask for your monthly allowance to buy more medicine?"
"Stop talking nonsense,"
Choin interrupted.
"Give me the report. I want to know where the funds for repairing the main pavilion and the food supplies for the outer disciples have gone for the past six months."
So-Wol fell silent. She stared intently at Moen Kang Yo. She suddenly realized something was different in the man's eyes. There was no longer the hesitation or despair of an abandoned child; there was only a sharpness that demanded honesty.
Reluctantly, So-Wol handed over a large, worn-covered book. Choin opened it and began to read.
Yoe Choin thought to herself:
"Crazy... this isn't just bad management. This is outrageous looting. The budget for building stones has been tripled, but the quality of the incoming materials isn't even fit for a chicken coop."
"Why is there such a huge discrepancy in the maintenance section?"
Choin asked, pointing to a transaction column.
"It says ten thousand nyang for the roof of the Dragon Pavilion, but I see the roof is still leaking in five different places."
So-Wol looked away, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her robe.
"Ask Elder Gong about that. I'm just a clerk. Every time I question the flow of funds, he'll say they're 'unexpected expenses' for external sect relations."
"Unexpected expenses?"
Choin added.
"That's euphemism for bribes and money that would have gone into personal pockets."
Choin closed the ledger with a loud thud. He leaned toward So-Wol.
"So-Wol, you're a smart person. You know this sect is on the verge of collapse. If the pillars of support break, we'll all be buried under the rubble."
So-Wol stared at Choin, her eyes beginning to well with tears from pent-up anger.
"I know that better than anyone, Young Master! But what can a woman with an abacus do against an Elder with thousands of bodyguards?"
"You won't fight him with a sword,"
Choin said calmly.
"You will fight him with numbers. From today on, every nyang coin that enters and leaves must be approved by me. You will record every little indiscretion committed by his subordinates."
"And if Elder Gong finds out?"
So-Wol whispered hesitantly.
Choin glanced at Gwi-Hyuk standing at the door, then back at So-Wol.
"If he finds out, he will realize that a usurper has arrived. I will make sure you have the protection you need."
Han So-Wol watched Moen Kang Yo walk out of her room. She felt her heart beat faster, not out of fear, but because a glimmer of hope had appeared after so long.
For years, she had watched Elder Gong eat away at this sect bit by bit like a termite. She felt alone in the storm. But today, a man she once considered trash spoke of "foundation" and "protection" with unwavering authority.
"He knows..."
So-Wol thought as she stroked her abacus.
"He knows every single figure I've hidden. Who exactly is he?"
Outside the logistics pavilion, Moen Kang Yo paused to breathe in the damp wood-scented air.
"Foreman, have you got the evidence you need?"
Moen Kang Yo's true voice asked in his mind.
"That's just the surface, Boss,"
Choi replied.
"My suspicions were correct. That rat isn't just injecting funds; he's corrupting the entire distribution system. After finances, we need a solid workforce. Let's find a Chief Instructor. We need someone who can train those lazy students into strong pillars."
Choi walked toward the training field, where the sound of Instructor Ma's desperate cries could be heard in the distance.