Ten Paths of the Master - Chapter 97

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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 97. The Imperial Constable
Jwaseong, Sincheonbang district.
Janwolgak.
Late at night.
Two men sat facing each other in Mangwoldae, the Hall Master’s residence.
Sawu, the Hall Master of Janwolgak’s Moonless Blade faction, and Jakyeong, the Village Master.
“Just before Ha Ryun was taken away, he told me something, sir. He said to come to you and report it. He also said you would clear his name of this injustice.”
When Jakyeong finished speaking, Sawu stared at him in disbelief.
“So you’re telling me Ha Ryun was arrested by constables from Chang’an County Office while drinking with you at Hwawolru just moments ago? But your face doesn’t look drunk—none of this makes sense. What kind of nonsense is this? How in heaven could mere constables arrest Ha Ryun? Was he dead drunk?”
“No, sir. It happened before we’d even finished our first bottle.”
“What’s the constable’s name?”
“Dan Yeop, they said.”
“Dan Yeop? Where have I heard that name… Wait, is he from Haowen?”
“Haowen? You know this young man, sir?”
……
Sawu said nothing in reply.
He’d heard last winter that Haowen had promoted Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop to Grand Master and Master of the Order. At the time he’d dismissed it as foolishness and thought nothing more of it.
He’d written it off as the ravings of madmen.
‘So Dan Yeop has planted himself in Chang’an County Office?’
Given Haowen’s nature, it was entirely plausible.
No doubt he’d maneuvered to have the boy installed in the government bureau for his own purposes.
What troubled Sawu was the boy’s martial skill.
With Haowen’s level of cultivation, they could never have subdued Ha Ryun—a master of Hyeolnachal—not even if they beat him half to death first.
‘What does this mean?’
No matter how he turned it over in his mind, nothing fit.
“Jakyeong.”
“Yes, sir.”
“At first light, go to Haowen and investigate this Dan Yeop. Find out about his martial background and whether he really did take a position as constable in Chang’an County.”
“Yes, sir.”
***
The next morning.
Sawu went to meet Seol Yeom, the Gyeongjo Yun—their patron in the administration.
The Gyeongjo Yun oversaw all administrative matters in Chang’an City and the surrounding regions, handling judicial enforcement, security, and civil affairs alike.
To look at what they did, Sawu and Seol Yeom were worlds apart, but in truth they were partners in commerce.
Seol Yeom turned a blind eye to Janwolgak’s illegal gambling dens and black market operations, pocketing bribes and a share of the profits in return.
He’d also employed Janwolgak’s skilled fighters to eliminate political rivals more than once.
Seol Yeom regarded Sawu with displeasure as he arrived so early in the morning, and asked coldly.
“What’s this about? I told you not to visit or contact me for a while—the atmosphere isn’t favorable right now.”
“I wouldn’t have come if I had a choice, but there’s a troublesome man involved.”
“Isn’t handling such matters Janwolgak’s specialty?”
“Even when the man is a constable from Chang’an County?”
Seol Yeom laughed harshly. “What? Janwolgak can’t deal with a single constable and has to come running to me? This is disappointing.”
“Of course I could handle him myself, sir. But if I did, wouldn’t it create more trouble for you?”
Sawu’s smooth reply wiped the smile from Seol Yeom’s face.
“So what exactly are you asking me to do?”
“There’s a constable named Dan Yeop. He arrested one of my men, Ha Ryun.”
Seol Yeom focused on the name Ha Ryun, thinking that securing his release was the real goal here.
“You want me to have Ha Ryun freed?”
“The man could become an obstacle to Janwolgak’s operations.”
What Sawu meant was that he wanted Dan Yeop removed from his position as constable in Chang’an County.
“You’re asking me, the current Gyeongjo Yun, to move against a mere constable?”
“Since relations between this man and Janwolgak have soured, we’ll be at odds constantly. That makes it impossible for me to conduct business in peace.”
“You can’t handle one constable yourself and want to dump it on me? Perhaps if it were the County Magistrate, but me—the Gyeongjo Yun—getting involved in the appointment of a low-ranking constable? Everyone would find it suspicious.”
It was true.
The Gyeongjo Yun could influence the County Magistrate’s appointments.
But to suddenly remove a nameless constable with no rank?
It would immediately attract unwanted attention and gossip.
Especially now, when everyone’s nerves were raw with concern about Cheonryeon.
“What if this constable Dan Yeop is also from Haowen?”
“Haowen, you say?”
“That’s right. Even if Constables are a looked-down-upon profession, it’s quite another matter to wade into Haowen, isn’t it?”
“But who in their right mind recommended Haowen as a Constable?”
“That, I’m afraid, I cannot say. Please see to it yourself, sir.”
“I see. If Dan Yeop is a Constable from Haowen, that changes things. I’ll handle it personally.”
“Thank you, sir. And please accept this small token of my gratitude.”
Sawu drew a wooden box from his robe and slid it quietly across toward Seol Yeom.
Seol Yeom accepted it with a show of reluctance and checked its contents.
It held roughly a dozen pearls.
A satisfied smile bloomed across Seol Yeom’s face at last.
“Think nothing of it. I’ll look into your subordinate’s affairs and handle them right away.”
“I am grateful, sir. Then I shall take my leave.”
Sawu bowed respectfully and turned to go.
***
Chang’an County Office.
Pobang.
Since dawn, Dan Yeop had been pressing Ha Ryun, the martial master with the Hyeolnachal technique, for Myeolddo’s whereabouts.
“Master Ha, we’re both tired. Let’s end this quickly and rest. Where can we find Myeolddo? If you keep saying you don’t know, this will only get worse. Our County Magistrate will resort to torture and interrogation. You know the mood in Chang’an City isn’t good right now, don’t you?”
“Hmph! I saw Myeolddo only once, three years ago. I merely told you that the man in the portrait was Myeolddo, and you turn around and accuse me of obstruction? Do you call yourself a man? No wonder Constables are despised.”
“That’s because you beat Constable Jang Ho, who was investigating in the first place. Why make excuses? Did someone else beat Constable Jang Ho?”
“An incompetent fool kept pestering me, so I taught him a lesson. I’m not the sort to play games with mere Constables, am I? You said the County Magistrate was coming? Good. I have things to say to him as well. Tell him to hurry.”
Ha Ryun showed no sign of intimidation, even in custody.
Rather, he was shouting for the County Magistrate to be brought.
The truth was, Dan Yeop was a stubborn man, but from the perspective of Ha Ryun, a master from Janwolgak, it was understandable.
The two were in the middle of a heated exchange when footsteps thundered outside.
Cho Mujin, the County Magistrate, and Do Gyeom, the County Defender, entered Pobang with two administrators.
The two administrators were Seol Yeom, Gyeongjo Yun, and Seomun Gang, the Gyeongjo Deputy Administrator who served under him.
When Ha Ryun saw Seol Yeom, his eyes lit up with recognition.
The moment Seomun Gang spotted Ha Ryun, he started in surprise and greeted him warmly.
“Why, who do we have here! Master Ha, what brings you to such a place?”
Seomun Gang looked bewildered, glancing back and forth between Ha Ryun and Cho Mujin.
Then Seomun Gang turned to Cho Mujin.
“County Magistrate Cho, what is the charge against Master Ha?”
Seomun Gang, as Gyeongjo Deputy Administrator, outranked Cho Mujin in official grade, despite the County Magistrate’s title.
Cho Mujin answered respectfully.
“Yes, sir. Ha Ryun was arrested last night for assaulting Constable Jang Ho, who was pursuing the assassins of Great General Choi Eon.”
Cho Mujin was no pushover himself.
Though Seomun Gang had called him “Master Ha,” Cho Mujin deliberately addressed him as “Ha Ryun” to emphasize his status as a criminal.
Seomun Gang caught Cho Mujin’s intention and frowned slightly.
“I hear it was Master Ha who identified the man in the portrait. If that’s so, he’s rendered considerable service. Surely he deserves better treatment than this. You know as well as I do that Constables can be rough, and disputes arise frequently.”
Seomun Gang subtly shifted the blame onto the Constables.
Only then did Cho Mujin realize that Seol Yeom and Seomun Gang had come to secure Ha Ryun’s release.
He’d thought they were here on an inspection tour, but Ha Ryun’s discharge was their true purpose!
It was infuriating, but they were both his superiors, so he couldn’t argue.
“Yes, sir. I will look into the circumstances and take appropriate action.”
In other words, he would let him go.
At last, a satisfied smile crossed Seomun Gang’s face.
He approached Ha Ryun and offered a word of comfort.
“Master Ha, once County Magistrate Cho understands the situation, leniency will follow. Bear with it just a little longer. Tch, is this how one treats a man who’s done good service? It’s shameful.”
Then Seomun Gang’s gaze shifted to Dan Yeop, who stood beside Ha Ryun.
“Who are you?”
His tone, upon seeing the young Constable, had turned sharp.
“Dan Yeop, Constable, sir.”
“Ah, so you’re the one I’ve heard about.”
Contempt flickered across Seomun Gang’s features.
Dan Yeop couldn’t fathom Seomun Gang’s sudden hostility.
Neither could Cho Mujin.
Then Seomun Gang abruptly addressed Cho Mujin.
“County Magistrate Cho, even if our Constabulary prides itself on open-mindedness, there are principles we must uphold, wouldn’t you say?”
“Pardon me, sir? What do you mean?”
“I mean concerning Constable Dan Yeop. Haowen, you say? The Constables have already lost the people’s trust, and if we let in Haowen on top of everything else, what then? How will the common folk view the Constables and their Assistants?”
County Magistrate Cho Mujin had belatedly realized that Seomun Gang and Seol Yeom hadn’t come merely to extract Ha Ryun.
But Dan Yeop was something he couldn’t yield on.
“I beg your pardon, but Constable Dan is a man of exceptional ability. It would scarcely be an exaggeration to say that all the cases resolved by Chang’an County Office of late owe their success to Constable Dan.”
When the resistance proved unexpectedly fierce, Seomun Gang found himself looking at Seol Yeom without quite meaning to.
Only then did Seol Yeom add his voice to the matter.
“To credit all of Chang’an County’s achievements to a single man seems excessive. Granted, as someone from Haowen, he’d have his tricks. But we must consider how the people watching Pobang perceive these matters. The constabulary is already losing public trust—would it serve us to bring in Haowen on top of that?”
“Your words carry considerable weight, but the matter of Constable Dan is not so straightforward as that.”
At this unexpected opposition, Seol Yeom’s eyes twisted with displeasure.
“What manner of absurdity is this? What difficulty can there be in releasing a single constable?”
“Constable Dan was recommended by Son Yubaek, who once served as Provincial Administrator. Since Constable Dan distinguished himself in Cheonryeon’s investigation, the imperial court itself has begun to speak of making him an Imperial Constable. Should we release Constable Dan at such a time, the imperial court would—”
Seol Yeom cut off County Magistrate Cho Mujin’s words.
“Hold on! What are you saying? When did I ever say to release him? You’ve misunderstood me. I was merely pointing out that the people might regard such matters with concern.”
“Ah, yes—forgive me. I will exercise greater discretion so that the people need not harbor such worries.”
This time Seol Yeom turned his words toward Dan Yeop.
“Dan Yeop, if you rush to produce results, you’ll earn the people’s resentment. Modulate your pace and avoid stirring controversy. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Seol Yeom regarded Dan Yeop in silence for a moment, then clicked his tongue softly and turned on his heel.
County Magistrate Cho Mujin saw Seol Yeom and Seomun Gang out, but Hall Master Do Gyeom remained in Pobang.
Dan Yeop asked Do Gyeom a question.
“What does Imperial Constable mean?”
“It’s all come about because you insisted you wouldn’t take the examination even if it killed you. The imperial court thinks maybe they can use you in some such capacity. Everyone’s half-mad over the Cheonryeon affair.”
“I see. Begging your pardon, sir, but shouldn’t we conduct at least a basic interrogation before releasing Great Master Ha? We still need to catch Myeolddo.”
Dan Yeop, zealous in pursuing Cheonryeon’s fugitives, had no wish to simply let Ha Ryun go.
Ha Ryun’s face had gone deathly pale.
He’d seen how the Deputy Administrator had backed down at the mention of Imperial Constable.
“Since you’ve brought it up, shall Constable Dan give it a try?”
“Me? I’m not sure if it isn’t a case of an amateur physician killing the patient. Well, it’s not even my body on the line—let’s give it a go.”
Hearing this, Ha Ryun—who had already tasted the bite of Jeomhyeol—cried out in desperation.
“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything I know!”

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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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