I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 42
Seonwu was amused.
‘Coming out to the Jianghu gives me plenty of reasons to smile.’
When it came to a luxurious and comfortable life, his time in the Imperial Court was truly the ultimate pinnacle.
Forget modern civilization; the Imperial Family or the Prince Mansion his father had prepared for him was the absolute best.
The luxury of the furniture and the rooms far surpassed even the seven-star hotels he had only seen on screens in his past life.
The finest gourmet delicacies were prepared for every meal, and countless servants attended to his every need.
He could freely browse secret manuals that would throw the Jianghu into chaos if even a single one leaked.
He could consume Spiritual Medicine whenever he needed it.
He was assigned the absolute best masters to ensure the highest level of training, so how could anyone fully describe such luxury?
If he wanted to indulge in any kind of entertainment at the Prince Mansion, what was there that he couldn’t do?
But as expected, nothing was quite as rewarding as punishing villains.
In his past life, he could never have become a prosecutor or a judge.
Sometimes, he had even envied Lee Jun, who had risen to the top of the legal profession.
‘But now, I act as the prosecutor, the judge, and even the special forces team catching the criminals all by myself.’
It was glaringly obvious that the Leader of Baekwol Sect would spill everything one after another.
It was at that moment.
“Make way for the County Magistrate!”
Constables and their captain poured in, followed closely by Ji Hyun.
As if to show how well he fed himself, Ji Hyun entered the messy interior of the White Moon Sect stroking his handlebar mustache, his lower belly protruding thickly.
‘Oh? I was already thinking I should deal with Ji Hyun here while I’m at it, and now he walks right into my lap.’
Seonwu stared like a tiger at the prey that had entered the danger zone of its own accord.
‘Or should I say like a dragon?’
Ji Hyun cleared his throat as he looked at Seonwu and Dan Suyeong, who were keeping the Leader of Baekwol Sect suppressed.
“I heard a massive brawl broke out at the White Moon Sect and came to look, so who might you be?”
“Allow us to introduce ourselves, County Magistrate. My junior disciple and I are Seonyoung and Dan Suyeong of the Eunhak Sect.”
Seeing Ji Hyun, Peng Muliang felt exactly as if he had met Ksitigarbha right in front of Yama.
‘I’m saved!’
They say even if you’re caught by a tiger, you can survive as long as you keep your wits about you.
Of course, as a Jeoljeong Gosu, he wasn’t actually afraid of tigers.
But right now, the situation was exactly like that.
‘I shouldn’t confess to this guy.’
“County Magistrate, I have committed a crime. I wish to surrender, so please place me in jail first and judge my transgressions.”
“Hmm? What is the meaning of this?”
Ji Hyun, who had come to see what on earth was happening, smacked his lips when the Leader of Baekwol Sect suddenly begged to be put in jail of his own accord.
‘If a fight broke out, I was planning to intervene moderately and take bribes from both sides.’
No matter who held the upper hand, it was always troublesome for the Wulin when the government intervened.
Therefore, he would first accept a bribe in exchange for leaving them alone to resolve it among themselves.
Then, once the victor was decided, the losing side might cling to the government to survive.
He could then take a second bribe.
He had snooped around thinking this was a perfect opportunity to diligently collect bribes, but was the fight already over?
He pretended not to understand what was happening, but he actually grasped the situation perfectly.
So he sent a message to the Munju via Sound Transmission.
[So you mean you want to escape the situation from those two, even if it means entering jail first?]
[Yes, County Magistrate. If you rescue me for now, I will reward you handsomely later so you won’t be disappointed.]
[Hmm, very well.]
For Ji Hyun, it was a pity to miss out on the first bribe, but he figured he could still get the second one.
The White Moon Sect had plenty of money.
However, because their strength was also formidable, he couldn’t extort bribes from them endlessly, but thanks to those two young masters, he had gained a source of extra income.
“Surely you must know that harming people violates the laws of the land. Why have you turned the White Moon Sect into this state?”
“We witnessed them breaking the laws of the land first by using Yama’s Debt as an excuse to traffic people. When we tried to stop them and demand answers, they threatened us instead.”
Seonwu replied with a gentle smile.
Since he was acting as an ordinary chivalrous Xia, he spoke politely to Ji Hyun.
“Ahem! Even if that is true, looking at the situation, you two are far superior masters! Couldn’t you have just subdued them appropriately instead of escalating things to this extent?”
“County Magistrate, that is a misunderstanding. Though it appears we won based on the result, it was by no means an easy fight.”
“How can I believe that excuse?”
Knowing that Seonwu was in disguise, Dan Suyeong endured in silence.
‘If Your Highness would only give the word, I would sever the neck of that insolent County Magistrate.’
A sword is useless if it is drawn without its master’s permission.
Since he lacked permission, he merely endured for now.
Yet, for him to keep insisting like that even when Your Highness explained the circumstances, was it not far too sacrilegious?
Unaware that his head was hanging by a thread, Ji Hyun subtly sent a signal to Seonwu.
If only they offered an appropriate bribe to make it believable, he would choose to believe them.
However, Seonwu pretended not to notice that subtle signal.
“It is the absolute truth. Since I merely acted in self-defense during a dispute between Wulin citizens, my conscience is clear.”
‘This fellow only talks and doesn’t offer a bribe.’
Ji Hyun debated whether or not to order the constables to arrest this guy as well.
But at some point, his body began to grow colder and colder.
He trembled despite having a body well-protected by thick fat.
He also consumed many good things and possessed a reasonably High-Ascending Realm Inner Energy of his own.
And he realized the source of it lay in the terrifying aura being radiated by the junior disciple, Dan Suyeong.
‘What… What a lunatic!’
How dare he direct his aura toward himself, a Principal 7th Rank County Magistrate?
But what if he was a genuine madman?
If they killed Ji Hyun, the two of them would become wanted fugitives, but his own head would already be severed.
What good would it do for the majestic laws of the land to judge the two afterward?
It would happen after he had met a violent death.
A sane person wouldn’t dare do such a thing, but what if he was crazy?
“Ahem, well, fine. Since you say it was a dispute between Wulin citizens, I will not press the matter further.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“However, even if the White Moon Sect is guilty of the crimes you mentioned, judging and governing them is rightfully the business of the authorities! After I place them in jail, investigate to clarify the truth, and deliver a fitting punishment, you two may take your leave.”
“Hmm… Will it truly be a proper trial?”
“Impudent! How dare you doubt the authorities!”
‘Because it’s the authorities, I doubt it even more.’
Even the judges of the democratic Republic of Korea couldn’t be trusted in so many instances.
And he was supposed to trust the authorities of this era?
To be fair, it wouldn’t do to carelessly disparage the reign of the Emperor, who was also his father.
He sincerely thought it was remarkable just that he drove away the rampaging Demonic Monsters, stabilized the Border, and managed water control well using large-scale state-level formations…
‘That is that, and the corruption of local officials is corruption.’
While his father was indeed a great Emperor, wiping out the corruption of local officials was not included in that grand achievement.
However, there was no need to argue here about whether he could hand them over due to a lack of trust.
A mere chivalrous Xia couldn’t go that far.
“Understood. Since the County Magistrate has personally graced us with his presence, I cannot be stubborn. Please arrest them. However, here is a confession document they filled out, so please use it as a reference.”
Seonwu intentionally handed over only one of the three confessions.
“Ahem, I shall take it into consideration.”
After receiving it, Ji Hyun withdrew along with the members of the White Moon Sect.
Even as they were dragged away by Ji Hyun, the members of the White Moon Sect actually felt relieved.
‘Phew, we’ll just stay locked up in jail for a bit, and once those guys leave, we’ll be released naturally.’
‘We’ll probably just receive some light, formal punishment.’
For instance, something like a light flogging.
As long as they went through the motions, it wouldn’t hurt even if they were struck a thousand times.
‘We’ll get extorted for a lot of bribes, though…’
‘It can’t be helped.’
More than that, the confession document they had already blurted out was the problem.
Using this as an excuse, how much would the Munju torment the three of them?
But they would just have to appeal that they had to do it to survive the bastard’s tyranny right then and there.
‘Even if the Munju wanted to, what would he do if he truly cast the three of us aside?’
One needs hands and feet to rule, after all.
At any rate, they had fought the bastard enough to sustain major injuries somewhere.
If the Munju, who was also defeated and captured, still took issue with them blurting out what the opponent wanted to hear, then if things really went south, they could just flee and pledge allegiance elsewhere.
‘He won’t be able to go that far.’
Watching those who departed with such reassurance, Seonwu sent them off with a smile.
‘They say even if you’re caught by a tiger, you can survive as long as you keep your wits about you?’
Can one survive by sheer willpower even when caught by a dragon?
Let’s test it out from now on.
Dan Suyeong asked respectfully.
“What will you do?”
“Junior disciple, you need to run an errand for me.”
“Give the order.”
“You must bring the Prefect.”
A mere chivalrous Xia can’t dismiss a County Magistrate, can he?
A Prefect, who rules over a prefecture—the higher unit above a county—can easily judge him.
“In what manner should I bring him?”
“A royal decree is one thing… You, a guard of the Golden Dragon Guard, and the Prefect are both of the same Principal 5th Rank, right?”
“That is correct.”
“Hmm, it would be excessive for the Prefect himself to come. The Magistrate Judge beneath the Prefect is of the Principal 6th Rank, and he also possesses the authority to inspect County Magistrates, right?”
“Yes.”
That was fitting.
“As a guard of the Golden Dragon Guard, tell him that the County Magistrate here is deeply corrupt and has too many irregularities to be overlooked, so the Magistrate Judge should come in a few days to verify it and handle the aftermath appropriately. He should get the message with just that much.”
“Then while I am away, what will you do, senior disciple?”
Although Dan Suyeong was someone who had rampagingly fought slightly apart from Seonwu’s side during the battle, moving far away and leaving his post entirely was a different matter altogether.
“What are you worried about? Do you think I’d run into trouble in a place like this?”
“Of course that could never happen, but…”
“Aside from you, I have this fellow too, don’t I?”
Saying so, Seonwu held up the Demon-Subduing Divine Dragon Sword.
At that moment, the Divine Dragon Sword poured out words once again.
[You wicked master, I am right here by your side yet you only talk amongst yourselves. Why do you not let me join the conversation? I also want to live while speaking. I also need conversation. I deserve to be respected, acknowledged, and…]
Seonwu quickly let go of his hand.
‘How can I get this fellow to cut down on his words even just a little?’
A sword that could fly and fight on its own was truly wonderful, though.
Dan Suyeong looked at the Demon-Subduing Divine Dragon Sword.
In truth, he bowed his head before a sword that was stronger than himself.
It stood to reason that a more exceptional subordinate should stand guard nearby while a lesser one ran the errand.
“Understood. I shall return shortly.”
Although he was currently being outmatched by a sword, he would surely become a guard superior to it.
* * *
After sending Dan Suyeong away, Seonwu leisurely took the absolute best room in the finest inn within the county.
Naturally, he ordered decent items for his meals as well.
‘Hmm, would an ordinary chivalrous Xia lack this kind of money? No. Still, he’s a powerhouse capable of taking down the White Moon Sect for now.’
It would also be awkward for a master of this level to be entirely penniless.
Unless he was intentionally living frugally, even the best inn in a mere county wasn’t all that expensive.
And hearing the news that Seonwu was staying there, the Leader of Baekwol Sect and his subordinates inside the jail felt uncomfortable.
“No, why isn’t that bastard leaving?”
“Isn’t it a demonstration to see how the judgment turns out?”
“Damn it, of course the judgment is the authority of the County Magistrate, but…”
Still, if a master who smashed the White Moon Sect was watching, it would put pressure on Ji Hyun as well.
“What does the County Magistrate say he will do?”
“He says we should wait because he has to put on a show of investigating properly.”
“Hmm, nothing bad will happen, right?”
“How long can that bastard possibly squat here? He will leave when the time comes, so we can just receive an appropriate judgment then. More importantly, take good care of your bodies and recuperate.”
“Yes.”
They were subordinates lacking loyalty, but since he still had to make use of them for now, the Leader of Baekwol Sect told them to get treated.
Thanks to his connections built over time, a physician freely entered and left the jail, and healing medicine also came in without a hitch.
Of course, that was all money, but what choice did he have?
One must spend when it’s time to spend in order to make a comeback.
Even though Seonwu was watching, Ji Hyun, who had received the bribe, provided conveniences, and the White Moon Sect began a peaceful jail life without a single worry.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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