Chil Yook did not wish to hear Dae Wong's plan anymore. He had a cognitive black-out. He tried patching up the work junks, vague ideas—things he could not comprehend. What did Dae Wong want exactly? The old man preferred not to get ahead of himself so he clarified, his hand stroking his meshy white beard. "What does that mean?"

Dae Wong answered nonchalantly as if the question was as simple as what is your favorite food, "Thank you, Chil Yook. You just gave me a wonderful idea."

"Cut this nonsense. Say what you really mean."

"Jung Min will never know that you are indeed the owner of the headband."

"So are you telling me that you'll do a dirty work for that to happen?"

Dae Wong frowned, quite insulted by the old man's harsh and hasty generalization. "No! Don't think that way. Think of this as getting rid of house pests."

Chil Yook shook his head and scorned Dae Wong, eyes flashing disbelief, "No. No. Dae Wong, you're insane! I thought you're going to be different but you sound just like the Prime Minister now!" he stood and hammered the table.

The tension was overruled when they suddenly heard Shun came out from the door. "Father?"

He was standing awkwardly at the open door, holding a kitchen knife and a porcelain bowl full of vegetable peels. The son had no idea what had just happened but seeing his face gave a dead way conclusion: a heated argument between his father and the owner of the house. What could it be? He wanted to know but chose not to dip his finger.

Dae Wong leaned closer and looked up to Chil Yook's face. "You better sit down. You don't want to look an insolent ingrate in front of your son, do you?"

Chil Yook breathed deeply and slowly, his bottom making its way back to the chair. Shun focused on his business and went to the backyard. As the son disappeared from their sight, the two engaged again in their arguments.

"Whatever your thinking, don't do it," argued Chil Yook.

"I am not like Jung Ho. I don't kill people. I kill poisonous desires."

The ill man shook his head and crossed his arms. "Fine. I just don't want your hands to be tarnished by dirty blood, like mine."

"That would never happen. You can put off your guard now."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Like what you've said: Distract Jung Min. He should be preoccupied to shift his attention, to delay his searching."

"How exactly are you going to do that?"

Dae Wong grinned. "Simple. Make a problem. A big problem. Something that will make him investigate and prosecute someone."

"You didn't answer my question."

When Dae Wong was about to answer back, Shun came back from the backyard, ready to climb to the porch. But he stopped and asked, "I don't mean to be rude but... is everything alright?"

The minister answered, "Yes, Shun. No need to worry. You know your father. Sometimes, he could be..." he cast a short mocking glance to Chil Yook, "... overdramatic."

"Sometimes?" Shun laughed. Then the two followed. A short comic relief, loosening the tight tensions of their muscles. Forced laughs. Har har har!

"Son, is there a problem? You look annoyed a while ago." asked Chil Yook, swaying the focus of the conversation.

"Oh yes, father. Just this new stupid dull knife. It wouldn't cut hard meat."

"Dull knife? When did you even buy one? Let me see that."

Shun walked to his father and handed the knife. With just a quick closer glance at its blade, Chil Yook's eyebrows scrunched in disgust. "You wasted money for this trash?"

"Ah Moo!" he called.

The humble servant came out and hastened straight to the old man. "Yes? You asked for me?"

"Where did you buy this?"

"In the market, Muhyuk-ahjussi."

Chil Yook scoffed—confused and insulted at the same time. "No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did." a certain answer.

"From a senile blacksmith?"

"No, ahjussi. In fact, you can see the same type all around the market."

"Whatever happened to the iron industry of this province?" Chil Yook snapped already and tossed the knife off the ground. Shun picked it up and tapped his father's back. "Father, your heart. Look, we're sorry for this."

The confused Dae Wong interrupted. He felt that he needed to meddle with the issue even though he still did not know the context of Chil Yook's rants. One thing was for sure for him though—it was serious. "W-wa-wait, can I ask? What's with the knife, Muhyuk-ahjussi?"

"That's garbage! Just copper with a pinch of iron. Normally, a knife is composed of iron and some parts carbon and copper, not the other way around!"

"So, you've been fooled?" Dae Wong chuckled.

Chil Yook turned to Ah Moo, ignoring Dae Wong's banter. "Go to that blacksmith and return that. Ask your money back! How much is that anyway?"

Ah Moo bowed his head and bit his lips, "Err... nine gold coins."

"What? That's crazy! This is injustice."

"I know, ahjussi. I actually poked around and asked. There is scarcity in iron these past weeks."

There! At that moment, Dae Wong knew something was wrong. He thought the idea was farcical. Naturally, the province of Sangju had the most abundant supply of iron ores. It was the metal capital of Silla. The cradle of hematite.

Iron ores could turn into steel. Steel was the heart of the majority of life's daily routines. Saying that there was scarcity could affect the entire nation. It would spread like a plague all around Silla, crippling and eventually destroying a lot of cultural functions, especially the military. What would the hwarangs do if enemies attack and terrorize everyone? Throw wooden sticks at them? No! This was a problem that had to be solved right away. An opportunity needed to be seized.

"Is the governor aware of this?" put in Dae Wong.

"I don't know, My Lord." muffled the guilty servant.

"Then what is he doing then? If he doesn't move, we will. We need to solve this right away... Saddle the horses. Shun, come with me. We are going to the market."

~~•~~

Hiya hiya! Before you could even say, "klikitty cluck", Shun and Dae Wong had already made their way to the marketplace. As usual, it was a busy place. Actually, it was not healthy busy. It was rowdy. People yelling at each other, hwarangs intervening and arresting a few men, store owners closing their booths.

Like undercover dogs, the two jumped down from their horses and asked some locals, who were also fleeing away from the tumultuous scene. An old woman happened to be their lucky target. "Ahjumma, what's this chaos all about?"

"The whole marketplace is a war zone, son. Be careful. People are desperate to buy legitimate steel equipment. I feel awful for the blacksmiths."

Dae Wong shook his head as the bedlam continued to worsen every passing second. An unbearable entropy in a supposed to be peaceful province. "This won't do. We need to go to the bottom of this. We need to ask these store owners how much a gram of iron ore is."

"I'll do it, Lord Dae Wong. Just stay away from these people. You might get hurt," Shun suggested.

As the minister walked away from the commotion, Shun asked one stall owner who sells daggers and knives. A middle-aged man with a young girl apprentice. "Ahjussi, how much is the smallest dagger?"

"Boy, make sure you're going to buy. I'm closing in a minute. I want to go home! These people are driving me insane!"

"Yes, I'll buy. How much?

"Ten gold coins."

Shun scratched his head and let out a frustrated sigh. He gave what the seller asked. When he had the dagger, he asked another question, "Why is it expensive? Do you have any idea how much a gram of iron ore costs?"

"I'm not sure. According to rumors, it's one is to three. One kilogram of iron ore is to three small gold cubes. Now, are you still going to buy because if not, I'm closing already."

Three gold cubes? That's already thirty gold coins. Thirty gold coins is equivalent to sixty silver dimes. Heavens! This is alarming. Some people couldn't even afford ten silver dimes. Shun asked again after thinking about some currency conversions, "Do you know where I can buy raw iron?"

"I don't know!" yelled the seller and banged the store windows close.

Shun ran back to report to his master. He lost sight of the minister because of the flowing volume of people either going out or coming in the market. He passed to different stalls but no luck until he saw their horses near a tavern. Dae Wong, who happened to be hiding in a dark, narrow alleyway saw Shun passing.

"Shun! Come here." a shadowy figure waved his hand to the young man.

With no hesitation, Shun came closer, recognizing the voice. "Lord Dae Wong, it's confirmed. The prices have tripled. According to one seller, the ratio of raw iron to gold is one is to three. One kilogram is to three regular-sized gold cubes."

"What? That's ridiculous!"

"What are we going to do?" asked Shun.

"It seems like the governor is not doing anything to resolve this."

"Do you think he's involved?"

"I can't say he's not. This is caused by a big organization, and we have to know who's behind all of these... Now here's what you're going to do. Go home first and meet me here in the market at dusk. I will bring some hwarangs with me, and we will all go to Goryeong Mountains."

"Alright, Lord Dae Wong."

The two parted ways. Shun went home and prepared himself, his weapons, and all. Dae Wong rushed back to Seorabeol to recruit some Yellow Tigers secretly. The King should not know yet. Like peeling an onion—the right phrase to describe Dae Wong's master tactic. Breach the first line of defense, then as they would go deeper and deeper, more political parties would be involved: Jae Joong, Jung Ho, and of course, Jung Min. He thought of this as a good opportunity. Gold in a steamy pile of trash.

When the sun was about to depart on the afternoon skies, tainting the blue hues with orange patches, Dae Wong had successfully arrived with five Yellow Tiger hwarangs. The rumbling sound of the horses gallops reverberated on the entire place, making it difficult to ignore. Fortunately, a few people were walking in and out of the market. Some drunk men reeling with young girls, old women with their baskets full of fruits, some kids riding their cows—probably going home. Most of the stores were closed. Only the light from the moon and the red lanterns from the taverns made it possible for them to see Shun, who was standing beside a post. He was with a middle-age commoner.

Dae Wong stopped and descended from his horse. "Who is he?"

The nangdos followed and nodded at Shun, acknowledging his presence. A mini-reunion with their suspended colleague.

"He's a blacksmith, My Lord. We need someone who knows the place and the trading industry."

"How sure are you that he could be trusted?"

"Ah Moo-ahjussi introduced him to me. Father doesn't want us to walk in the enemy's lair unprepared."

Dae Wong threw a short glance at the unknown man. "Lead us to the mining site."

The man bowed, "As you wish, My Lord."

~~•~~

As the blanket of darkness fully covered the orange skies, the whole team traveled into the mountain on foot, into the woods, guided by their small torches and the light coming from the Earth's natural satellite.

"There are actually four mining sites here in Goryeong. I'm taking you to the main one. We take this route to avoid night bandits lurking. Some say they are assassins, killing intruders. Anyway, that's just a word of mouth, no confirmed fatalities yet." the blacksmith warned.

"Your good deed will be rewarded." Dae Wong assured.

"Don't mention it, My Lord. I'm just doing my part for our community. We also want to end these people's dirty careers. They're exploiting our resources, and it seems like the local government is just sleeping on this issue."

After quite some time, their eyes were almost burned by an intense flash of yellow light a few meters from them.

"We're here." the blacksmith confirmed.

They put off their torches and prowled like tigers hunting for food. The lesser the noise, the higher the chances of survival. As they moved closer, the prowls became crawls, then crawls became slithers. The weeds rubbed against their faces. Stones, slits, and dead leaves stuck on their elbows and arms. There it was! The entrance of the mine—a small deep cave with railway. Torches and lamps were attached on trees, boulders, and even on the mouth of the cave. Men in full black suit were roaming around. Around twenty (rough estimate). Clank of metals resounded from the earth's interior. Kling, kling, kling!

What caught their attention were the seven piles of sparkling iron ores. Piles of supposedly natural resources utilized by the common folk but monopolized by this group. A bunch of insolent hoarders! Soon later, they heard a rumbling sound coming from the cave. A mine cart came out. Not just one, but three. The first cart contained the miners. The second and the third were bunches of freshly mined hematite—black and red bright colors fighting over dominance under the warm yellow light. Rocks and soil even attached and mixed with the minerals. Miners picked the iron and distributed it evenly.

As they watched, Dae Wong could not help but be furious about the situation. "How long have been they doing this?"

"I heard a rumor, My Lord. It's been operating for three weeks." the blacksmith guide answered.

"Who are these people? Where are they giving those irons?"

Suddenly, a palanquin tailed by a cart arrived. A short, stout nobleman descended with five bodyguards. A man in black welcomed him and showed him the collection. They had a short conversation, then a quick transaction. A pocket of gold (as it was seen from afar) for half from a pile. The illegal hoarders transferred some iron ores to the cart, and then after some small talk, the nobleman left.

"We need to follow those people. We need to know who they are," instructed Dae Wong.

"How about these fools, Lord Dae Wong?" asked Shun.

"We will deal with them after we know who they supply with. Come on, let's go."

Showing dominance was out of the question. A bigger organization hiding in an unknown layer of mask was their bigger enemy. Solving one problem at a time would be the best solution. Dae Wong and his team followed the nobleman. To know his identity, one card should be used: stealth.

At an ample distance away from the mining site where everything was almost naturally dark, the canopy roof thicker accompanied by the mist of the deepening night, cicadas harmonizing with the crickets, the five nangdos attacked from behind like a python jabbing a rat, strangling it to death. With hands and legs as quick as a hurricane, they jumped into the backs of the escorts and stabbed their necks with daggers. With just a split second, other guards were alerted.

Done with daggers, now down with the swords. The mist actually sided the heroes. Dead foliage danced into the mid-air as their boots swished into the forest ground. A series of ripostes. Blocks here, block there. Swing swing until all broke their wings. It was not a one-sided victory after all. Some of Dae Wong's nangdos were wounded (not serious though—they were still alive for Heaven's sake). The fat nobleman's guards were not assigned for nothing. Their only fault was that they remained lenient, thinking absolute safety awaits them to their hellholes. Two enemy guards remained alive plus their terrified master.

Shun barged inside the palanquin and dragged its occupant outside, blood dripping from his sword. Cold sweats all over his forehead and neck. He pushed the stout fool, making the poor man dropped on his knees. Dae Wong nodded to Shun, signaling him. The suspended nangdo pulled the nobleman's hair and pointed his sword near the fat, wobbly chin.

The other nangdos tied the guards and smacked them to sleep. Then time for valor duty—they started attending their colleagues' wounds.

"Who are you? Where are you from?" asked Dae Wong calmly.

Crying and sobbing like a child, the nobleman screamed for his life, "Spare my life, please!"

"You didn't answer my question. Who are you? Why are you hoarding those iron ores?"

"I'm just a regular noble from our province. We have an iron shortage, and this is my way to help our people. Please, don't kill me!"

"Iron shortage? The trade of iron was going well all around Silla. I don't understand why—" Dae Wong paused, his eyes grew large in a sudden realization.

"Answer me. Where are you from?"

The nobleman gulped and closed his eyes before answering. "Okjeo Province."

"Okjeo?" Dae Wong's lips thinned out as he clenched his fist. He ordered Shun, "Take them! We'll bring these people to Seorabeol." Following his master's orders, Shun grabbed the nobleman's nape, his fingers pressed on some points, and the fat man fell asleep. Dae Wong scoffed, seeing a vile technique exclusively for higher-level hwarangs.

"I saw that," Dae Wong teased.

"My father has taught me a lot of things," grinned Shun.

Dae Wong instructed his whole team for their final mission that night. "Alright. Take our gifts. Tomorrow morning, we'll present them to our King."

After a few seconds, the entire surrounding brightened up again. The mists were gone, and on the spur of the moment, a group of men in black suits and swords was standing in front of them.

__________

NOTES:

Goryeong Mountains (고령) - a small mountain in southern North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

Okjeo Province (옥저) - a province in Balhae Kingdom, located in Modern day Hamhung, North Korea.