Dawn's rays crept timidly through the gaping windows of the Administration Pavilion, illuminating the dust dancing on the stacks of rolled-up paper. Han So-Wol still sat stiffly, her eyes red from staying awake all night, but her fingers nimbly flipped through the pages of a shadowy ledger, its surface hardened by the dried bloodstains of the warehouse rats Yoe Choin had executed just hours earlier.
To So-Wol, this ledger wasn't just a record of numbers; it was a forensic audit of a building that had been deliberately demolished from the inside.
"Incredible..."
So-Wol murmured, her voice hoarse.
"Elder Gong isn't just stealing; he's systematically dismantling the structure."
Before her lay two contrasting balance sheets. Evernight Gate's official balance sheet showed a deficit due to 'unexpected expenses' and 'material damage.' However, this shadowy ledger revealed a far more sinister truth. For the past three years, Elder Gong has been charging a 60% Global Markup on every Essence Pill purchased for Grade 1 and 2 disciples.
"No wonder our disciples' foundations are so fragile,"
So-Wol noted with her quill.
"They're given 'fake' or substandard materials, while the difference goes into Elder Gong's personal pockets to build private properties outside the sect."
She discovered a mysterious spending pattern coded "Spring Flower Project." Initially, So-Wol thought this was code for a concubine, but after tracing the logistics, she discovered the funds were being used to purchase access to information and protection from outside parties.
Suddenly, So-Wol's finger stopped on the last, roughly pasted page. There, a black iron material delivery note was stuck there, not recorded in any inventory. In the bottom corner of the note was a small stamp that made So-Wol's heart skip a beat: Plum Blossom Symbol.
"Mount Hua Sect?"
So-Wol whispered in disbelief.
"The Orthodox Faction bribed our Demonic Faction Elder to weaken the weaponry supply?"
This is no longer just internal corruption; it's geopolitical sabotage. Elder Gong has sold the 'nuts and bolts' of Evernight Gate's defenses to their arch-enemy so that when 'Total Demolition' occurs, the sect will collapse without a fight.
CRACK...
The pavilion door opened. Jin-Pyo walked in with heavy steps, carrying two cups of hot tea, the aroma of which was slightly soothing to the nerves. His face still bore the bruises from last night's frantic training.
"Sister So-Wol, the foreman still hasn't woken up,"
Jin-Pyo said, placing the tea on the table.
"Instructor Ma reported that Young Master Moen's body is in 'Structural Hibernation'. His breathing is very slow, but his body temperature is as hot as a tar furnace."
"Leave him alone,"
So-Wol replied without looking up.
"Her body is undergoing emergency repairs to the meridians that were ruptured by last night's overload. But look at this, Jin-Pyo..."
So-Wol handed her the phantom ledger. Jin-Pyo, who knew more about the field than numbers, frowned at the Plum Blossom symbol.
"This... isn't this the symbol of those self-righteous people?"
Jin-Pyo asked, anger beginning to loom in his eyes.
"That's right. Elder Gong is the most dangerous 'Project Pest.' He's allowed outside intelligence into our logistics lifeline,"
So-Wol explained sharply.
"If Yoe Choin hadn't dismantled that warehouse last night, Evernight Gate might have been razed to the ground next month by an attack by an outside faction that knows exactly where the weak points are in our defense walls."
Jin-Pyo clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Then what should we do? If Elder Gong finds out his book is missing, he'll execute a 'Termination Contract' on all of us before the Overseer wakes up."
So-Wol stood up, straightening the rolled-up paper that had now become a deadly legal weapon.
"The Overseer already gave his instructions through his actions last night. We won't wait for the enemy to attack. We will carry out a forced Asset Seizure this morning."
He took the official seal of the administration pavilion and pressed it firmly against the audit report.
"Jin-Pyo, gather the remaining loyal supervisory units. We will seal off Elder Gong's entire residence in the name of 'Emergency Restructuring.' If anyone resists, say this is a direct order from the new 'Architect' of Evernight Gate."
So-Wol gazed through the window at Moen Kang Yo's room. There, the Overseer was recovering for a greater battle.
"When he wakes up,"
So-Wol muttered with a cold glint in her eyes,
"I will make sure the execution stage is ready. We will crush anyone who dares to ruin the blueprint for this sect's future."
That morning, under the brightening skies of Evernight Gate, an administrative storm was just beginning. Swords might kill men, but for Han So-Wol, this audit book would uproot the entire empire of corruption.