Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Confession of the Corrupt Magistrate
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The Branch Magistrate's expression hardened. He hadn't even imagined that much would be refused. His multi-layered, fatty chin trembled with rage.
"How dare a mere martial artist threaten this official? You have no such authority from the Alliance. If you try to behead me, the court will never stand idly by."
"Still haven't grasped the situation, huh?"
"...What?"
Yuk Ryul kicked the Branch Magistrate square in the chest. It was a purely physical blow, without any internal energy. Even with mercy in his strike, the man choked and gurgled as if dying.
"Hey, you think the Emperor really gives a damn about you? Not with the White Lotus Cult involved. They'd sooner silence you completely to erase the evidence. The court probably wants you to take the fall for all the evil deeds anyway."
The Branch Magistrate's face drained of color. He might not know the intricacies of the jianghu, but he understood politics well. Yuk Jin-yang chimed in from the side.
"The empire is vast, and officials are plentiful. Know who said that?"
"Emperor Tajo."
"And with those words, he purged over ten thousand officials. They probably thought the same as you back then. 'I'm the exception.'"
The Branch Magistrate shifted his posture. His tone grew far more deferential.
"What exactly do you want from me? And what can you offer in return?"
"We'll handle the paperwork to say you died quietly. And we'll turn a blind eye while you take your wealth and go. Not a bad deal, right?"
The Branch Magistrate quickly caught Yuk Ryul's meaning. Flee to some forgotten corner and live in hiding.
After a moment's deliberation, he nodded.
He was already neck-deep in a headache of a mess. Better to vanish far from the court's gaze.
"Ask anything. I'll answer everything I know."
"How did the Huangbo Clan sway you?"
"...Embarrassing to admit, but they gave me some gold. I grew up poor, with no inheritance, so my household funds were always short."
The Branch Magistrate's ears flushed red. Admitting he'd taken bribes seemed to shame him anew.
Neither Yuk Jin-yang nor Yuk Ryul paid it much mind. Official corruption was hardly surprising. Even during the civil exams, bribes were openly exchanged.
Yuk Ryul pressed on.
"And what did you do in exchange?"
"Oh, just looked the other way on various matters. Lent them post horses from the relay stations. Provided meals and lodging for the detained Gong family. That's all."
Yuk Jin-yang frowned at the shameless reply. The man felt no remorse whatsoever. Despite countless commoners suffering under the Huangbo Clan's extortion.
"What about the White Lotus Cult?"
The Branch Magistrate blinked his bulging toad-like eyes.
"Why ask me?"
"No connection at all?"
"I-I really don't know about that! Well, I knew but ignored it. The Huangbo Clan openly sheltered them—what could I say? Even if I'd mobilized the guards, I'd have been the one to suffer."
There was no hint of deceit. They handed the guards over to other martial artists and headed for the Huangbo Clan's compound. Yuk Jin-yang spoke up.
"Did they leave any documents or letters behind?"
"Possibly. Caught off-guard by the raid, they wouldn't have had time to burn everything."
The Huangbo Clan's grand hall was imposing. It eschewed modern styles, mimicking ancient architecture—a blatant display of their inferiority complex. Yuk Ryul muttered with a sneer.
"Newly risen upstarts build grand mansions, but it doesn't change their roots."
"Deficiencies are like that. They never see it in themselves."
Yuk Jin-yang replied from experience. Oblivious to his nephew's past life, Yuk Ryul brushed it off and entered the hall. Servants who hadn't fled trembled at the sight of them.
They picked the oldest servant as their guide. Simple reasoning: long-time household staff would know the secrets.
"Cooperate fully, and you live."
"Y-Yes! A-Ask anything!"
The elderly retainer, utterly cowed, bobbed his head frantically. No loyalty—just raw desire to survive.
They headed first to the patriarch's chambers.
"The family head kept documents here, mostly."
The servant pointed to a safe disguised as a bookshelf. Intricate locks, but the two smashed it open with brute force. A hidden study lay revealed.
Mounds of paper stacks filled the space. They soon summoned the other martial artists. No time to sift through—they'd take it all.
The Five Harmony Alliance warriors prepared to depart at leisure.
They loaded sealed documents and evidence onto carts while saddling horses from the stables.
They'd coerced the Branch Magistrate into providing several carriages. The freed Gong clansmen boarded them.
Yuk Jin-yang was selecting a suitable mount when advice came from the side.
"I've already picked a fine steed for you. This one looks superior at a glance, doesn't it?"
It was Daoist Hwanryeong. He handed over the reins of his sturdy warhorse and subtly nodded toward the outdoors.
"Care for a short walk?"
"Certainly."
Shhhh.
A drizzle had begun. The two ignored their dampening clothes, walking in silence amid the serene patter of rain.
Tiny droplets like glass beads formed on their blood-weary skin. Streams of water in varied hues mingled and washed away. They'd strolled the market streets for some time when...
Daoist Hwanryeong, walking abreast, suddenly sighed.
"If only the blood on our hands could wash away like these stains."
"... ."
Daoist Hwanryeong stared intently at the silent Yuk Jin-yang.
"They say you beheaded the Huangbo Clan's elder council head?"
"Yes."
"And before that, you allied with the Haenam Sect to wipe out the Guangdong Jin Clan?"
"Indeed."
"Earning great merit as a martial world newcomer is rare. You're the picture of a prodigy."
It was all preamble. Yuk Jin-yang met Daoist Hwanryeong's gaze. Deep worry etched the wrinkles time had carved.
The elder posed a vague question.
"What are your impressions of entering the jianghu?"
"Impressions?"
"At your age, I was utterly reckless. Felt like I could conquer the world with one sword, drunk on omnipotence. Everyone fawned over me as a genius or prodigy, feeding the delusion."
"Are you saying I should be more humble?"
Daoist Hwanryeong shook his head.
"Who am I to lecture? You're already far stronger than I was at your age, with talent on another level. Top-tier in the world, I'd wager."
"Then...?"
"All the more reason not to forget righteousness. Let it anchor your heart, keeping you from sinking into depravity."
The old master's admonition weighed heavy.
In his past life, Jang Un was a warrior, not a true knight-errant. In this life, Yuk Jin-yang raced toward revenge. Righteousness held little sway in his existence, nor would it in the future.
Thus, he stayed silent. Daoist Hwanryeong gazed long, then changed the subject.
"Why did you take up the sword?"
"...Who knows."
That was all he could muster. Why had he gripped the blade? Even his past life's resolve felt like ancient history now. Those emotions and memories had worn away with time, leaving no trace.
Daoist Hwanryeong voiced it for him.
"Maybe for glory and honor, or fame and success. Or perhaps something else."
Yuk Jin-yang started to protest, but the elder gave no opening. His gaze peeled back layers, staring intently.
"But don't become lost in power. Keep the character for 'righteousness' etched in your heart. Without it, you'll devolve into a monster devoid of self. I've seen it too often."
"Wise words. I'll keep them in mind."
Yuk Jin-yang acquiesced readily. A withered smile creased Daoist Hwanryeong's lips.
"That was long-winded. Forgive an old man's nagging at the sight of promising youth."
The Five Harmony Alliance warriors' return journey was leisurely, thanks to the Mount Tai Sect escort that followed them all the way to Chohyeon.
At the Shandong-Henan border, they exchanged final farewells.
Yuk Ryul turned to the Mount Tai Sect Daoists and offered a cupped-fist salute.
"Thanks to your aid, the mission concluded smoothly. But leaving like this feels heavy-hearted."
"No need to make us blush. We merely repaid an old debt."
Daoist Hwanryeong waved it off modestly, then added words of concern.
"Take care of yourselves. The remnants left in Shandong are small fry anyway. No need to worry about us."
Yuk Ryul gave a wry smile and turned away.
Henan's atmosphere differed vastly from Shandong's. Even a single county town buzzed with vitality.
People went about their livelihoods peacefully. Streets teemed not with refugees, but with passersby and merchants hauling goods.
In this tranquil air, the Alliance warriors fully relaxed their vigilance. They even joked and chatted amiably.
"Seeing this scenery really drives home that we've escaped that hellhole Shandong."
"If I ever have to go back, I'll spit on the ground first."
"Can't help it if duty calls."
Yuk Jin-yang reflected anew. The brutal Shandong ordeal already felt like distant memory.
"After such a long mission, I hope they give us plenty of rest."
"Agreed. This one was brutally tough."
His uncle responded to the musing. Yi Jeong-baek interjected.
"Doubt we'll get a break. With chaos everywhere, they won't idle forces like ours."
"They'll give us at least a few days, right? Let's report in quick and hit a tavern. I'm craving a drink."
"Will Great Hero Yuk join us? You've finished your rites, so I'll gladly treat."
"Sounds good."
As they conversed idly, Kaifeng Prefecture loomed close.