[Chapter 17]
I parted ways with the Magunju and headed to the medical room.
Seo Daeryong, who had arrived there first, was startled.
"Oh? How did this young master get here?"
He seemed surprised that I had come to this place.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"It's nothing. I didn't expect this young master to come to the medical room."
"I'm more surprised that you're here."
"Pardon?"
"I heard you're disliked by your colleagues?"
"That's why I'm trying to make up for it."
Contrary to his words, I didn't sense much discord between him and his colleagues who were with him.
"How is the condition of the injured friend?"
"The Magi (Demon Doctor) is treating him right now. Thank you for calling the Magi, sir."
"Of course, I had to call him. Even though it's a temporary position, he's still a colleague I'm working with."
What I said without much thought seemed to have touched both Seo Daeryong and the Hwangcheongak inspectors standing next to him.
After a while, the Magi came out of the treatment room.
The Magi, known as the best doctor in the sect, was called "Magi" by the Orthodox faction. He liked being called that, so we called him Magi.
"How is the condition?"
"Fortunately, his life is not in danger. However, he will need to recuperate for a while before he can return."
"Please use the best medicine available."
"I will."
The Hwangcheongak inspectors, who had heard our conversation, came up to me to express their gratitude. Even if they were injured during a mission, they wouldn't have had the opportunity to receive direct treatment from the Magi.
As we returned to our quarters, Seo Daeryong asked.
"What did the Magunju say?"
"He wants us to stop here and go back."
"What about the death of the First Leader?"
"He wants to pin the blame for this incident on that guy."
Seo Daeryong was shocked.
"But it was his most cherished subordinate who died?"
"Not his most cherished subordinate, but his most useful one. Someone else will soon fill that void. What did you expect from the Magunju?"
"I thought he would go crazy, seeking revenge for his subordinate."
"That's a misconception. Do you think villains get excited more easily?"
"Don't they?"
"That's something only wastrels do. True villains don't get excited easily. On the contrary, pure and kind people get excited easily. Their emotions surge quickly."
Of course, the Magunju would harbor great malice towards me. Whenever he got the chance, he would probably drive a sword through my heart to relive today's humiliation.
"What are you planning to do now?"
"I've set the bait. Let's see how they react."
"Bait?"
"I'll tell you if they bite."
They said evidence is needed to cover up the case, so we had to see how the Magunju would act.
"Then what should I do now?"
"Drink with me."
Seo Daeryong then changed direction.
"Where are you going?"
"To buy some alcohol. Do you have any preferences?"
"Buy whatever you want to drink. Here, take some money."
As I tried to hand him money, Seo Daeryong walked briskly away.
"I'll buy the drinks today."
I drank with Seo Daeryong from early in the afternoon.
The alcohol he bought was sweet, making it easy to drink, but it also had the downside of leading to overconsumption.
"I like sweet drinks."
"But you said you didn't like eating much?"
"I do drink sometimes."
After a few glasses of alcohol, Seo Daeryong revealed his true feelings.
"You once called me a power-oriented person, didn't you?"
"Attaching the word 'person' at the end makes it sound too harsh. Let's just say I have power-oriented tendencies."
"That's the same thing."
"It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's better than being helpless, isn't it?"
Despite his somber appearance, Seo Daeryong had big dreams. A person without dreams wouldn't talk about 'change.'
"Honestly, I want to succeed. I have no grand desire to root out corruption in the sect and implement justice. It's hard enough just to make a living for myself."
I should have brought Lee Ahn here. This mindset was exactly what Lee Ahn needed.
"If you're living hard for yourself, why are you feeling down? Lift your head up!"
Seo Daeryong lifted his head.
"How old are you?"
"I'm thirty-two."
"Wow! You're older than you look."
I was surprised. I thought he was in his early twenties. Then again, no matter how smart you are, it would take at least ten years of experience to become a special investigator.
"Why did you become an investigator?"
"To be honest, I wasn't confident I could succeed in martial arts. I didn't learn martial arts that could make me a master, and I'm not physically built for martial arts since I'm short…"
Hwangcheongak, by its nature, wasn't an organization for combat. It was a place to maintain discipline within the sect with absolute authority.
Thus, Hwangcheongak recruited not the strongest martial artists but those who were smart, had excellent judgment, and could handle investigative targets well.
"It may sound pathetic, but I chose to become an investigator because I wasn't confident in my martial arts."
"Since you keep emphasizing that, you must still have regrets about martial arts."
"Who wouldn't? Anyone who steps into the martial world does."
"It's not too late even now."
"It's too late."
"Now, that sounds a bit pathetic."
Seo Daeryong lifted his head from staring at his drink and looked at me.
"Too late, you say? You think you can't do it because the martial arts you learned are weak? Because you're short? Do you really think that's why?"
Seo Daeryong drank without offering any excuses.
"Getting hit with the truth after a long time really hurts."
"Later, your bones will ache even if you stay still. You have to move before you get old."
"You're younger than me, yet you speak like that."
I laughed and emptied my glass.
At that moment, a Hwangcheongak investigator came over and handed something to me.
"This was sent by the Magun's side."
It was a booklet and some vouchers worth thousands of nyang.
"They took the bait."
The booklet was a record of contract killings. It detailed how the Magun members in the area were mobilized to kill people for money.
"This was found in the residence of Il Daeju Godang."
The ledger detailed which martial artists in the area were mobilized for the contract killings, how much they were paid, and who they killed. Conveniently, the names listed were those who had died by my hand earlier.
It seemed they had extracted parts of the original contract book to create a new one. Their intention was to wrap up this incident using those who were already dead. Moreover, they reduced the number of cases to just a few, making it appear as if it was merely an isolated incident involving Godang and a few others, minimizing the Magunju's responsibility.
I handed the booklet to Seo Daeryong.
"Dunk your face in cold water and sober up!"
"Yes, I'll start by investigating these vouchers."
"There's no point. They're probably untraceable. Instead, investigate something else."
"Tell me what it is."
"Find out who the smartest guy among the Magun members is. There must be one who is unusually knowledgeable and intelligent."
"Understood."
"I have to meet the Magunju again."
"Why him?"
"I need to buy some time."
We hurriedly left the room and went about our respective tasks.
When I met the Magunju again, he looked much more at ease.
"Evidence was found in the residence of Il Daeju Godang."
"Oh, that's good news."
"With this, we can breathe a little easier."
"Haha, we should drink to celebrate this. I'll make a reservation; let's meet at the same place later."
"But there's one problem."
"Again? What is it this time?"
"This was brought by the Magun's side. We should have found it ourselves."
His face flashed with irritation, as if questioning why I was nitpicking so much.
"Is the source really that important?"
"It is important. The Chief Investigator isn't just anyone. If it's revealed that the information came from the Magun's side, they'll immediately question the investigation process and its results. If it's found out later, I'll be in danger too."
"So, what do you suggest?"
"We need to at least pretend to investigate. I'll conduct a thorough investigation for just one day, so please cooperate. Do you think I want to stay here any longer?"
I had one decisive point to persuade him.
"I won't look through any confidential documents. Just general documents will suffice. It's just a formal investigation anyway."
Finally, the Magunju nodded and agreed.
"Alright. I'll tell my subordinates to cooperate."
With the Magunju's permission, a large-scale search and seizure operation began.
The Magun's ledgers and documents were moved to the investigation room, and the investigation started.
I didn't request any confidential documents that might put the Magunju in a difficult position.
They weren't necessary anyway. What I needed were the application forms they submitted when they first joined the Magun and the wills they left before going on dangerous missions.
I discreetly brought in the best handwriting expert within the sect.
I had them determine who recorded the contract book using the documents I collected.
When Seo Daeryong returned after completing his investigation, I played the role of a fortune teller.
"Shall I guess who the smartest person among the area's martial artists is?"
He looked skeptical as I named one person.
"Yang Gu, right?"
"Huh, how did you know?"
The handwriting analysis revealed that Yang Gu was the one who wrote the contract book.
Now, I knew who managed the Magunju's household. With the handwriting comparison, I had solid evidence.
"So, what do we do now?"
"What else? We move to the next stage. Quietly bring Yang Gu to the tavern in Maga Village. Can you do that?"
"I'll think of something."
"I trust you, chief investigator!"
One shichen later, Seo Daeryong successfully completed his task.
He brought Yang Gu to the designated tavern in Maga Village.
It was the beautiful investigator, Jo Hyang, from Hwangcheongak who had brought him.
"I like the food here."
"I also enjoy the dishes here."
Yang Gu was filled with anticipation, thinking he might have an enchanting night with this woman.
"Why are there no customers here? This place is usually crowded."
Yang Gu looked around with a puzzled expression.
"Isn't it nice and cozy?"
"Even the sky seems to be welcoming our first meal together."
As Jo Hyang playfully matched his grand statement about the sky, he laughed.
"I didn't know there could be a connection at first sight."
"The atmosphere is great. Let's have a drink."
"Sure."
Yang Gu shouted toward the kitchen.
"Bring out the best alcohol and food!"
Then, Seo Daeryong and I, who had been waiting in the kitchen, came out.
"Unfortunately, it seems we'll have to save the drink for another time."
Yang Gu was startled by my appearance.
"You, Young Master?"
Rolling his eyes to grasp the situation, he fiercely glared at Jo Hyang.
"You wretched girl! You tricked me!"
Smack.
In the next moment, Yang Gu's jaw turned as he rolled on the floor. Seo Daeryong had struck him with lightning speed.
"She's not someone you can insult."
Seo Daeryong imitated me, glaring at him with his foot planted on his face.
"Should I smash your head like your leader's?"
Yang Gu frantically shook his head.
"No! I was wrong!"
Seo Daeryong didn't fear Yang Gu, who was twice his size. It wasn't because he trusted me, but for another reason.
While other investigators waiting nearby subdued Yang Gu and led him out through the back door, Seo Daeryong approached Jo Hyang.
"Well done."
"I just did as you advised. I told him I wanted to dine with the smartest person in Magun. I didn't expect him to follow so easily."
"If it were you, he'd come even if you just glared and asked him to eat."
Jo Hyang briefly smiled mischievously.
"Is that a compliment?"
Seo Daeryong remained silent.
After greeting Seo Daeryong and me, Jo Hyang left the place.
Once we were alone, I spoke to Seo Daeryong.
"You're quite the man, a real manly man."
"Huh?"
"You like that girl, don't you?"
"No."
"Your passion said otherwise."
This guy, usually so gloomy around me, shone in front of Jo Hyang.
"She's just a junior colleague."
Seo Daeryong, his face turning red, quickly changed the subject.
"What do we do now?"
"It's time to wrap things up. Mobilize as many investigators and enforcers as you can."
"Yes!"
"And call that junior you like too!"
"I told you, I don't like her!"
Raising his voice unnecessarily, Seo Daeryong hurried out of the place.
"He's so obvious…"
I went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of alcohol, and sat on the pub's railing.
"Come out!"
Lee Ahn walked out from beside the building, head hung low.
"You silly bear, is it so hard to play alone?"
"I was just curious about how you were doing."
"Come here. Since you're here, let's have a drink."
"I'll get a glass."
"No need."
I drank from the bottle and handed it to her.
"Drink and give it back."
"How could I?"
"Why? Is it dirty because I drank from it?"
"No, it's not that. It's just that I feel it's too presumptuous to put my lips where you did. I'll drink, I'll drink."
She tried to drink without touching the bottle with her lips but ended up spilling it all over her clothes.
"Sorry, Young Master."
"Lee Ahn."
"Yes."
"You don't have to do that."
"…Okay."
"Everyone else in the world might, but you don't have to."
I took the bottle back from her and drank again.
"It's nice to see you again after a few days."
Lee Ahn smiled shyly, her eyes almost hidden by her cheeks. She really smiled like this only when she was genuinely happy.
"Are you training well in martial arts?"
"Yes, I'm doing my best."
"You need more than that. Even villains do their best."
"When you say things like this, it unknowingly gives me strength. Your advice is addictive, Young Master."
"If you hear it often enough, you'll start to dislike it."
"I don't think I will."
I handed the bottle back to her.
"Drink your worries away with this and go back to wait."
Then, I gave her some encouraging words.
"This matter will be settled today."