My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 65
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
65.
Seol Mujin opened the door and went out.
Then the latch inside the office moved and clicked shut.
A moment later, the door opened again and Seol Mujin entered.
“This kind of thing is just a trick anyone with decent martial arts can do.”
“The witnesses who will testify that Dong Muhyeok was chasing my sister who rejected him…”
“There were three of them, right?”
Hwang Sujang flinched in surprise.
“If we bring those guys to the Geumeuiwi, how long will it take for them to tell the truth? One hour? Half an hour?”
“You’re saying you’ll torture the witnesses?”
“Witnesses my ass. For obstructing a Geumeuiwi investigation with lies, they deserve to die. And we’ve already found who drugged the alcohol that Dong Muhyeok and Hwang Hyeryeong drank that day.”
Hwang Sujang was so shocked his face turned pale.
To Hwang Sujang who could only gape his mouth, Seol Mujin said.
“Who do you think ordered them to put in that drug?”
“Are you saying it was me?”
“I never said it was you.”
“…”
“One hundred thousand nyang. Bring it to Dong Muhyeok’s house by the end of sul-si (7-9 PM) tomorrow. Then this case will conclude with Dong Muhyeok having murdered Hwang Hyeryeong.”
“O… one hundred thousand nyang… That’s absolutely ridiculous…”
“You’ll have to figure out how to get the money yourself. Tomorrow at sul-si.”
***
Yeon Daebang was out of breath trying to keep up with Seol Mujin’s quick pace.
“Where exactly are you taking me?”
“To the real culprit who killed Hwang Hyeryeong.”
Yeon Daebang was startled.
“So Dong Muhyeok really isn’t the criminal?”
“Since he’s not the criminal, that’s why you assigned me the case, isn’t it?”
“Of course I thought he wasn’t, but you caught the criminal this quickly?”
“We’re on our way to catch them, so we haven’t caught them yet.”
Crossing through downtown, Seol Mujin stopped at every intersection to check the walls.
Yeon Daebang couldn’t see anything no matter how he looked, but to Seol Mujin the markings left by the Triplets were clearly visible.
The markings led past the downtown district into a residential area.
The roads were wide and all the houses had tile roofs, suggesting it was a wealthy neighborhood.
“Huff! Huff! Let’s rest for a bit. Oh my.”
Seol Mujin circulated his martial power and patted Yeon Daebang’s back.
Yeon Daebang suddenly felt his breathing clear and strength return to his legs.
“Huh? I suddenly feel fine? What did you do?”
“Just used a little trick.”
“Nice skill. I could easily go ten li now.”
Seol Mujin followed the marks the Triplets had made.
After diligently following for about an hour, they finally reached a marker indicating their destination.
It was a house at the edge of the residential area, smaller than the others but complete with everything including a well in the courtyard.
When he pushed the door, it opened smoothly.
Suddenly a head appeared from the rooftop.
“Brother, you’re here?”
“Hiiek—!”
Seol Mujin caught Yeon Daebang who was about to fall over in surprise.
“Tsk tsk tsk…”
Seol Ryeoseon just clicked her tongue at Yeon Daebang without saying anything else.
If Seol Mujin hadn’t warned her beforehand, she would have scolded him with something like ‘How can such a cowardly person hold a high government position?’
Seol Ryeoseon came down to the ground and guided the two men.
Pointing at Seol Ryeoseon who was putting her index finger to her lips, Yeon Daebang mouthed ‘Who?’
Seol Mujin whispered.
“My sister.”
“Why is your sister here?”
“Shh!”
Seol Ryeoseon led them to a narrow space between the fence and the building wall.
Where Seol Ryeoseon raised her hand was beneath an open window.
Yeon Daebang still couldn’t understand what Seol Mujin was doing.
But then a man’s voice came from inside the window.
“Really, no one came looking for you?”
A woman’s voice followed.
“I’ve told you several times already! Why are you acting like this?”
“That bastard Ch’ŏmsa Seol Mujin is reinvestigating this case.”
“What? I thought it was already concluded that Dong Muhyeok was the criminal?”
“Damn it! Some strange bastard suddenly appeared out of nowhere! If he didn’t come looking for you, then who did he go looking for?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That bastard said he found the person who drugged Dong Muhyeok’s alcohol that day.”
“What? Me? But really, no one came looking for me. And who would suspect me? I’m not even working in the tavern kitchen, I’m just a hired entertainer.”
“That’s exactly why I had you put in the drug. Because no one would suspect you.”
As the conversation between the man and woman continued, Yeon Daebang’s mouth fell open wider.
“That bastard demanded one hundred thousand nyang from me as the condition for burying this matter.”
“Cr… crazy! He’s planning to live off three generations with one job.”
“The fact that he pointed to me as the criminal means he knows something.”
“Just kill him then.”
“You think killing a Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa is that easy?”
“But you can’t give him one hundred thousand nyang! Do you even have that much money?”
“For now, you should go far away. If they can’t find you, there’s no evidence or witnesses that I’m the criminal.”
“I don’t want to. How would I live if I left you?”
‘Those bastards are having a field day,’ Seol Ryeoseon said with her eyes.
“You just need to stay away for a little while. No, there’s a more certain method than that.”
“What is… Kkeuk—! M… master…”
“Only the dead don’t talk.”
Startled, Seol Mujin smashed through the window and entered.
Hwang Sujang, who had been gripping the woman’s neck, turned his head in surprise.
“Let go of her!”
Seol Mujin struck down with his sword toward Hwang Sujang’s arm.
Hwang Sujang had no choice but to release the woman and step back.
“Cough! Cough!”
The woman who barely saved her life knelt down and coughed violently.
“How… how did you know to come here…?”
“You guided me here. I was sure there had to be someone who drugged the alcohol, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find them. I never thought an entertainer would have done it.”
Hwang Sujang finally realized.
“Demanding a bribe was also bait to make me come here.”
“If I had demanded one thousand nyang and you readily gave it, that would have been troublesome.”
Seol Mujin asked Seol Ryeoseon.
“Ryeoseon, how is the woman?”
“Well, he won’t die.”
The moment Seol Mujin’s gaze turned away, Hwang Sujang attacked.
His speed in drawing and swinging his sword was fast, but it was far from enough against Seol Mujin from the start.
He could easily subdue him by deflecting the sword and landing punches to the abdomen and jaw.
Even in that state, Hwang Sujang shouted loudly.
“Who do you think will believe your nonsense! My father is the deputy…!”
“Oh my!”
Hwang Sujang’s eyes widened like lanterns at the sound from the broken window.
“L… Lord Yeon!”
Yeon Daebang stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.
When Seol Mujin said, “Please come through that door,” Yeon Daebang muttered, “Ah, I see.”
Yeon Daebang, with his hands behind his back, asked Hwang Sujang.
“I believed Dong Muhyeok wasn’t the culprit, but to think the real culprit was you. Why did you kill your sister?”
“No! This is a conspiracy!”
“I heard your entire conversation, and I clearly saw you trying to kill that woman, yet you deny it!”
When Hwang Sujang closed his mouth, Seol Mujin spoke.
“It’s jealousy or honor killing. Maybe both.”
“Huh? Jealousy or honor killing?”
“He probably thought it would bring shame to the family for a high-ranking official’s daughter to date a mere illegitimate son.”
“You really killed your sister for such a stupid reason?”
Hwang Sujang shouted angrily.
“How could a mere illegitimate son become a member of our family?”
Yeon Daebang looked at Hwang Sujang with a truly dumbfounded expression.
Then he asked Seol Mujin.
“Honor killing aside, what about jealousy?”
“I did some investigating, and they said Hwang Sujang cherished his younger sister terribly. It was so severe that people said Hwang Sujang hadn’t married yet because of his younger sister.”
“You bastard! Stop talking nonsense!”
Hwang Sujang, who charged at him for no reason, only got beaten.
Seol Mujin, who had subdued Hwang Sujang’s pressure points so he couldn’t move at all, continued speaking.
“That’s why I considered Hwang Sujang the prime suspect. The wound that killed Hwang Hyeryeong had hesitation marks, and he even pressed her pressure points. He hesitated until the moment of killing and showed consideration so she wouldn’t feel pain when dying. The only person who would show such consideration while killing Hwang Hyeryeong would be Hwang Sujang.”
“Haha! Now that I hear it, everything fits together perfectly.”
“Most cases have clear cause and effect. Finding that is what we do.”
Though Seol Mujin spoke simply, Yeon Daebang knew well that investigation wasn’t that simple.
‘There’s a reason the Namgung Family praised him so highly.’
Seeing how easily he subdued Hwang Sujang, his martial arts weren’t low either.
Seol Mujin escorted Hwang Sujang and the woman to Bukjinmuseo.
The woman cursed at Hwang Sujang the entire way, making it noisy, but understanding her feelings, he just let it be.
Only after handing over the two at the Geumeuiwi office did he finally feel relieved.
It wasn’t much different from being a constable in Jinan, but the golden robes of a third-rank inspector somehow felt burdensome.
“It’s finally over.”
As Seol Mujin threw off the golden robes worn by Geumeuiwi, Yeon Daebang asked him.
“Would you like to meet the Third Prince once?”
“I don’t want to.”
Yeon Daebang looked bewildered at Seol Mujin’s answer that came without a moment’s hesitation.
“You don’t want to? It’s the Third Prince we’re talking about.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want to. I’m comfortable just being a constable in Jinan. What would a Jinan constable do meeting the Third Prince?”
“Wasn’t being a Geumeuiwi inspector good? That’s considerable power.”
“I was too busy investigating to enjoy any power, and even if I could enjoy power, I’d decline.”
Since he was already enjoying it plenty in Jinan.
“Did you really come to Beijing just to run errands without wanting anything for yourself?”
“Yes.”
***
Even though he had clearly expressed his refusal to Yeon Daebang, he had no choice but to meet the Third Prince.
When the Third Prince calls, you can’t not go.
The place Seol Mujin was summoned to in the quiet night was a private residence.
His inner expectation of ‘Maybe I’ll get to see the Imperial Palace?’ disappeared.
Not knowing how to show proper etiquette when meeting royalty, he simply bowed at the waist in greeting.
Third Prince Ju Cheonmyeong pointed to the chair across from him with a smiling face.
Yeon Daebang, who came with him, sat to Ju Cheonmyeong’s right.
Shortly after, a maid brought food, which wasn’t much different from what Seol Mujin usually ate.
Ju Cheonmyeong asked Seol Mujin.
“Do you know why I called you?”
“I don’t know.”
Ju Cheonmyeong picked up a wine bottle.
It was the Seolbaekju that Seol Mujin had brought.
“This alcohol. What’s its name?”
Huh? He called me because of alcohol?
“It’s Seolbaekju.”
“Where did you get it?”
“From a pleasure house called Yeonji-ru in Jinan.”
“There must be a brewery that supplies alcohol to the pleasure house.”
Does a prince know about such things?
“That brewery is operated by Yeonji-ru.”
“Really? How on earth do you make alcohol like this?”
Ju Cheonmyeong, who poured alcohol into his own cup, said “It’s too precious to give to you two” before taking a sip.
“Ugh, another cup is gone. It feels like my lifespan is shortening.”
It’s true that lifespan shortens moment by moment.
“If you ever come to Jinan, you’ll be able to drink to your heart’s content.”
At Seol Mujin’s words, Ju Cheonmyeong rested his chin on one hand.
“Jinan… I went there once before, and it was quite a boring town. The pleasure house was just so-so and the alcohol tasted bad too. Though the courtesan was excellent.”
After another cup of alcohol, Ju Cheonmyeong asked.
“You solved Dong Muhyeok’s case well?”
“It seems so.”
“You scratched my itch and brought such alcohol, so tell me what you want.”
“Can you grant me anything I want?”
That question seemed unexpected.
“You’re a bold fellow. Since I’m the Third Prince, I can grant most things, right?”
“Then could you honestly answer one question of mine?”
“If it’s just one question instead of a hundred, it shouldn’t be difficult.”
“What kind of emperor do you want to become, Third Prince?”
Ju Cheonmyeong’s motion of swirling his wine cup stopped.
“This feels strange. This is supposed to be where I decide whether to use you or not, but why does it feel like you’re evaluating me?”
“If it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to.”
“Love for the people and love for the country.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
