Don't Steal My Merits
“A suspicious character?”
Won Seung furrowed his brow and asked again. The noble pointed at Im Cho-ye.
“Look at that girl. She possesses advanced martial arts and was trying to sneak into the capital. She could be an assassin.”
Won Seung looked at Im Cho-ye in disbelief. Dressed in official robes, he hadn't been recognized at first. Im Cho-ye had been glaring warily at the men in front of her until she heard that familiar voice and looked again.
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted.
“Bro….”
“I'm Investigator Joo Neung from the Ministry of Justice. What's your name?”
Won Seung blinked and asked. Quick-witted Im Cho-ye hesitated for a moment, then pointed her sword at the nobles and replied.
“I'm Un Ye-ye. Those guys were harassing me and trying to drag me away.”
“What?”
Won Seung's expression turned fierce.
“Hah, kidnapping a girl in broad daylight? Are you out of your minds?”
One of the guys next to the noble jumped forward and bellowed.
“How dare you! Don't you know who this is?”
“Who the hell is he?”
“Watch your mouth. This is the son of the Vice Minister of War….”
The noble raised his hand to silence his guard and spoke calmly.
“My name is Hong Il-wan. I'm from the Hong family of the Vice Minister of War. I was returning from a hunt and stopped here for dinner. I saw the girl acting suspiciously and was just about to question her. She drew her sword first.”
“Liar!”
Im Cho-ye cried out in anger.
“You were harassing me! And you tried to drag me away by force!”
Tears welled up in her eyes from the fury. Won Seung sighed inwardly. Im Cho-ye was like a freshly bloomed flower—stunningly beautiful. Now that he looked closer, she'd even applied a bit of makeup. Probably using the cosmetics he'd given her.
No wonder the lechers swarmed her.
Hong Il-wan, the supposed son of the Vice Minister of War, had a lecherous glint in his eyes.
Won Seung glanced at the nobles beside him. Handsome faces, expensive hunting clothes, fine bows, and jade-inlaid daggers at their waists. Their expressions screamed we're a big deal. Birds of a feather, all looking like they owned the pleasure houses.
“Waiter… hey?”
He called for the waiter to serve as a witness, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. Scanning the inn, he spotted chubby Jang Chun-sam peeking from behind the counter, waving frantically to signal they couldn't get involved.
These bastards?
The Hao Clan eastern branch could handle street thugs, but they'd rushed to Present Hall because the troublemakers were sons of powerful families, starting with the Vice Minister of War. Come to think of it, there should have been onlookers for such a commotion, but no one was around. The sharp-eyed people of Samya County knew better.
You owe me big time!
Won Seung glared, and Jang Chun-sam nodded vigorously.
“Both sides' stories conflict, so let's head to Present Hall for now. Causing a scene in an inn is disturbing the peace.”
“What? Didn't you hear me?”
“I did. That's why we need to go to Present Hall and sort out the truth.”
Hong Il-wan looked incredulous and glanced at his companions. One of the handsome ones spoke up.
“Hey, you backwater county clerk—don't you see who's in front of you? This is the Vice Minister of War's second son.”
“So?”
“He's not someone you can mess with. Just let it go.”
Won Seung's anger boiled over.
“Vice Minister of War or whatever bullshit… you think you can treat a Ministry of Justice investigator like dirt? 'Just let it go'? You done flapping your gums?”
Spitting vulgarities, Won Seung rolled up his sleeves. Hong Il-wan and the nobles stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
“Fine. I'll give you bastards a light beating.”
Won Seung charged at Hong Il-wan and the nobles. Hong Il-wan, who knew some martial arts, quickly drew his sword. In an instant, Won Seung swept his shin.
Thwack!
“Argh!”
Hong Il-wan doubled over in pain, and Won Seung smashed his fist down on the noble's head.
“Who told you to draw a sword, punk?”
Crack!
Hong Il-wan face-planted into the dirt. The nobles gaped in shock. A mere county investigator had openly beaten the Vice Minister of War's son. There were laws, sure, but power ruled this world far more. And yet….
But Won Seung thought differently.
Fists are closer than power. Time they learned that.
Won Seung eyed them with a chilling glare.
“Hong hyung!”
“Young master!”
The nobles and Hong Il-wan's guards rushed at Won Seung and the fallen noble.
“You lot get a light beating too!”
Won Seung swung his scabbard, battering the guards. They were first-rate warriors in their own right, but no match for him.
Thud! Thump thump!
“You think you can treat a national investigator like nothing? Huh? Drew your sword? You're done for.”
Anyone who drew a blade ended up a bloody mess.
There were over a dozen in Hong Il-wan's gang and guards in the yard—shins busted, noses bleeding, teeth knocked out… finally collapsing from blows to the back of the head.
After walloping the last one, Won Seung dusted off his palms. His eyes met Jang Chun-sam's from inside the inn. The man gawked, mouth agape, only able to stammer.
Everyone had expected a quick mediation, not a total beatdown….
“Waiter, get some rope.”
The waiter scurried off and returned with rope. Won Seung bound them one by one like dried fish, then splashed water from the horse trough over them with a ladle.
“Wake up, you punks. Kidnapping, disturbing the peace, obstructing official duties… you're all caught red-handed.”
Rolling in the dirt and doused, they looked pathetic.
“You bastard, you think you'll get away with this….”
Hong Il-wan glared, and Won Seung slapped him repeatedly with both hands.
Smack! Smack!
“Shut your trap. Your dad's the Vice Minister, not you.”
Hong Il-wan staggered, molars loose, eyes glazing over, mouth clamped shut. Seeing him get hit, no one else dared speak.
Won Seung sent a transmission to Im Cho-ye.
—Go home. I'll be there soon.
Im Cho-ye slipped away quietly.
Won Seung marched Hong Il-wan's gang ahead of him to Present Hall and tossed them in the jail cell.
“What's all this racket?”
O Chong emerged at the noise from outside.
“Caught these bastards harassing and trying to kidnap a young girl.”
“These sons of bitches daring to pull this in Samya County… huh?”
O Chong's cursing halted abruptly. Years as a clerk told him the prisoners weren't ordinary folk.
“What's your name?”
“I'm Hong Il-wan. Tell Vice Minister Hong of the Ministry of War that I'm here.”
“Vice Minister?”
O Chong paled, trembling as he looked at Won Seung.
What the hell have you done?
“Vice Minister Hong is….”
“My father. Hurry and tell him his son is here….”
A baton flew into the cell, smacking Hong Il-wan on the forehead.
“Shut up. You think this is an inn? Who do you think you are, ordering people around?”
Won Seung had snatched a jailer's baton and hurled it. O Chong collapsed to his knees.
I'm dead.
Beating the Vice Minister's son like that. He'd been thrilled about the new guy… but this was the grim reaper come for his neck.
O Chong snapped out of it, eyeing the brute of a newbie.
Get it together. Damage control.
He jumped up and yelled at the jailer.
“What are you doing? Open the cell!”
Won Seung smoothly blocked the cell door.
O Chong scowled fiercely.
“Investigator, open the cell now.”
“No can do. They're red-handed criminals. Don't steal my merits.”
Not stealing merits—trying to save your ass.
O Chong couldn't say it aloud and glanced at Hong Il-wan's crew. They were a mess. He looked at Won Seung. This guy was as good as gone. Time to save himself.
Then the county magistrate arrived at the commotion.
“What's going on?”
“This way for a moment….”
O Chong pulled the magistrate aside. The man's jaw dropped as he stared at Won Seung. His face drained of color, lips quivering, legs buckling—he grabbed O Chong's arm to steady himself.
He charged over and swung at Won Seung's face. Won Seung dodged effortlessly. No way he'd let an old magistrate land a hit.
“Hey, what's with you? Calm down.”
“Open the cell! Now!”
“They're red-handed criminals….”
“You're fired! Fired! Get out!”
The magistrate bellowed.
Won Seung blinked in surprise at the magistrate, then bowed slightly.
“Understood.”
“Open the damn cell!”
At the magistrate's shout, the jailer hurriedly unlocked it. Hong Il-wan and his crew rose and strutted out arrogantly—until they saw Won Seung glaring. They shrank and walked meekly.
“You bastards… count yourselves lucky.”
Won Seung growled, and O Chong yelled.
“You, get out!”
Won Seung went to the Justice Office, pulled out an official document, wrote something, slipped it into the pouch for the Ministry of Justice, slung it over his shoulder, and left Present Hall.
He raced through the outer city, past the walls, to the inner city's Justice Ministry.
“Coming today?”
A familiar clerk tilted his head at Won Seung.
“I'm resigning effective immediately. Just saying goodbye.”
He handed over the pouch. The clerk checked the documents, saw the report Won Seung had written—marked Upper on the cover. He opened it, read, and stared at Won Seung in shock.
“This true? The Vice Minister's son tried to kidnap a girl?”
“Yes. Caught 'em red-handed.”
The clerk gave Won Seung a baffled look.
Deserved to get canned. He could guess what went down in the county. And why this kid brought the report himself.
“Got it. I'll log it. Good work.”
He entered the report title in the receipt ledger. No way it'd vanish now. Won Seung bowed and left the ministry. Pausing at the main gate, he eyed the plaque.
Wonder if the Justice Ministry will save my neck.
The Justice and War Ministries didn't get along. Arrogant War Ministry folk, handling military power, often caused trouble and clashed with Justice, which oversaw major crimes and arrests. Won Seung was pissed not just at Hong Il-wan's gang, but the magistrate and O Chong too—so he'd snitched to Justice.
Won Seung bought tanghulu and tasty pastries from a outer city shop and hurried home.
Im Cho-ye waited in the main hall. He offered the treats, and she lit up, popping one in her mouth.
Watching her, Won Seung regretted not beating Hong Il-wan more.
“What happened? Didn't your uncle come?”
Im Cho-ye's face darkened.
“Uncle Gi came. But he said we were being tailed, told me to hide at Hwapyeong Inn while he shook them off….”
Gi Seung-gyo had brought Im Cho-ye out of Yeongtap Temple to an inn in southern Namhyeon County. Spotting surveillance, he'd lured them away and slipped her out.
Won Seung wondered why Gi Seung-gyo risked staying in the capital. Im Cho-ye didn't know either.
He pondered briefly, then realized.
So Bangpyeong came to the capital for a reason. Not just hiding.
The Great Lian Sword….
Gi Seung-gyo's mention of the Great Lian Sword came back to him.