Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Rendering Judgment
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It was the Silver Inspector's Badge that Myung Woo-jong had prepared for me long ago.
The county guard took one look at the badge, his eyes widening in surprise. He hurried inside and returned with the county's chief clerk in tow.
The chief clerk, who managed the county's finances, was more familiar with official seals than anyone. He wanted to verify it personally.
I handed the badge to the clerk, who examined it closely from every angle before bowing deeply to me.
"Pl-Please, come in. Sir Sil... "
"Shh!"
I pressed a finger to my lips vertically, and the clerk immediately fell silent.
The Silver Inspector's Badge I'd received was valid only in the Gangseo region, but it wasn't entirely powerless elsewhere.
As the guard and clerk fussed over the badge, my companions exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding what was happening.
"H-Hyungnim, what the hell is your real identity? Don't tell me you're some secret agent from the imperial palace or a hidden master?"
I scolded Pang Soun.
"Young Master Pang, aren't you a bit too immersed in heroic tales these days?"
"Then what is it? Let me see it too."
As soon as Pang Soun spoke up, all eyes turned to my hand.
"Ahem, this is a strictly personal matter. No need to be curious."
I tucked the badge back into my robe.
The others all wore thoughtful expressions, lost in their own speculations.
I followed the clerk's guidance into the county office.
After reporting to the county magistrate, the clerk emerged and announced,
"Not everyone can enter—only two of you."
I chuckled at the eager, hopeful looks from those who wanted to join me.
This was important to them in its own way.
When later-generation prodigies built their reputations, tales like this became the talk of the town.
"Young Master Pang, come with me."
It only made sense to bring the one who followed me most loyally.
Pang Soun jumped for joy at being singled out, though he restrained himself from laughing outright and settled for a beaming grin.
Revealing my identity to the others would be riskier than sharing it just with Pang Soun.
"Let's go."
As I entered with Pang Soun, the county magistrate rose from his seat.
"Welcome. May I see the Silver Inspector's Badge?"
I handed it over and explained,
"It's actually the Gangseo Silver Inspector's Badge."
"And yet you came to see me—there must be a reason."
I briefed the magistrate on the Demonic Cult's scheme.
"I'm well aware of this, as it was part of my investigation. We've even clashed with those Demonic Cult thugs ourselves."
The magistrate nodded thoughtfully after hearing me out.
"So they were plotting this elaborate scheme to plunge the nation into chaos."
"Exactly. They've distributed Demonic Cult martial arts across Hunan in this manner. But arresting everyone as Demonic Cultists would just play into their hands."
"Four days ago, we beheaded about ten as an example."
The magistrate spoke with a grim expression.
His zeal to avenge the Kunlun Sect had stirred up a bloodbath.
I said,
"What's done is done—wrap it up properly. I'd appreciate it if you released the people we brought in today."
"I hope it's not too late."
"Even if it is, the beginning is always the swiftest. You should implement it today."
"Understood. I'll follow the Silver Inspector's orders."
I suspected this issue extended beyond just Gojang County.
Still, thanks to the magistrate's flexible nature, things seemed likely to resolve smoothly here.
Not every magistrate would be as reasonable as this one, though.
'This could be trouble. It's not just a murim matter.'
The magistrate asked,
"May I have your full name, Silver Inspector? I need to submit a report on this to prevent further chaos."
"I'm Cheon Taesan."
I gave him my name and stepped out.
Pang Soun gazed at me with eyes full of admiration, murmuring,
"Hyungnim, are you involved with the literati, the bureaucracy, and the murim world? Just what is your true identity?"
"I'd appreciate it if you kept my status from the others, Young Master Pang. It's nothing major, but I don't want rumors swirling."
"Of course. I'll follow the Silver Inspector's command."
"Ahem, what are you doing?"
Just then,
the clerk approached and reported to the magistrate.
"To the magistrate: Two men have brought a gold ingot, both claiming it's theirs. We need your wise judgment."
The magistrate, already vexed by the Demonic Cult issue, nodded reluctantly—he had no choice.
"I won't see you out. We'll handle the matter you mentioned properly."
As he turned to leave, I said,
"Magistrate, may I observe this judgment?"
The magistrate had no grounds to refuse someone wishing to witness the proceedings.
This was part of a Silver Inspector's duties, after all.
"By all means."
I followed the magistrate.
"Hyungnim, aren't you sticking your nose into unnecessary business?"
"No. If the magistrate makes the wrong call, his reputation will plummet, and he'll lose the people's trust. His fame's already in the gutter from executing innocent folk—he needs to tread carefully. That's why I'm watching."
"As expected, hyungnim's foresight is remarkable."
If two men both insisted a gold ingot was theirs, one of them had to be lying.
I could tell who was lying just by reading their blood flow.
That's why I'd stepped in—to help a magistrate whose public support was at rock bottom.
Two men prostrated themselves on the mat and made their reports.
A fist-sized gold ingot lay before them.
"This humble one is Seok Mo, a tenant farmer. This man is my neighbor and friend. I dug up this ingot while tilling my field and bragged about it, but he stole it and now claims it's his."
"This one is Bang Gak. Everything Seok Mo said is true—it's me who's wronged. He's twisting my words to make it seem like it's his."
Cheon Taesan sensed the blood flow of both men.
As he observed their blood flows, Cheon Taesan couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Hahaha."
The magistrate pondered deeply but couldn't discern whose story rang true.
With no evidence, he had to judge based solely on their testimonies.
Eventually, he settled on the safest verdict.
"With no proof and both insisting it's theirs, I can't trust either word. Thus, the fairest judgment: Split the ingot in half and share it. If it's truly yours, you've befriended a thief—half is fair punishment. If not, you've gained half an ingot but lost a friend—that's your penalty."
It was a decent judgment among those the magistrate could render.
"Magistrate, may I say a word?"
Though irked by Cheon Taesan's interruption, the magistrate yielded to his status as Silver Inspector.
"Please do."
Cheon Taesan addressed the two men.
"Neither of you can have this ingot."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Because it doesn't belong to either of you."
"What are you saying?"
One man looked up at Cheon Taesan.
"This wasn't dug from a field—it's stolen."
"Pardon?"
"Someone nearby must have lost it. A quick search will turn them up. Gold doesn't grow in fields outside of mines! By claiming it's yours, you'll both end up in prison for theft once the truth comes out."
Bang Gak promptly kowtowed.
"Mercy, sir! I'm no thief."
"What do you mean?"
"I did take Seok Mo's gold, but I didn't steal it from anywhere else."
He admitted taking his friend's but denied outright theft.
I glanced at Seok Mo.
"No, sir. Seeing Bang Gak boast about it stirred my greed—I snuck it away. I'm sorry."
Now both denied it was theirs.
"You bastard! Seokga, how dare you lie!"
The magistrate, dumbfounded, issued his order.
"Throw both thieves in jail. They're crooks either way."
The two men ended up imprisoned over a single ingot.
The magistrate gave a hollow laugh.
"What an absurd affair... But how did you know? That the ingot was stolen."
"They both seemed to be lying, so I pressed them."
"But how did you know they were lying?"
The magistrate was genuinely curious.
"Truth be told, I've mastered mind-reading."
Reading blood flow was as good as mind-reading, so it was a vague cover.
"Well, I'll be. Such a thing exists? Though with soul-ensnaring arts out there, mind-reading isn't impossible."
As a secular disciple himself, the magistrate knew martial arts and recognized it wasn't outlandish.
Hearing Cheon Taesan's words, his companions recoiled, putting distance between themselves and him.
Dang Jin-ok and Zhuge Dowon, who already harbored strong resentment, backed away the farthest.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Safe travels."
As the magistrate bowed respectfully to see Cheon Taesan off, the group fell silent for a full hour, immersed in their own worlds.
"Young Master Pang. What on earth is Scholar Cheon's true identity?"
Un Sang finally couldn't hold back and approached Pang Soun in a low voice.
At his question, Zhuge Dowon, Dang Jin-ok, and Dang Ga-ryeong perked up their ears.
Pang Soun badly wanted to brag, but hyungnim had strictly forbidden him from spilling, so he clamped his mouth shut.
"Mm, I swore not to tell anyone about hyungnim. How could a man take his promises lightly?"
Un Sang blinked at words so unlike Pang Soun.
It would make sense from someone who kept promises, but Pang Soun was the opposite.
Still, he couldn't force it out of someone unwilling.
"Understood. If it's a secret identity, pressing for it would be rude."
As Un Sang backed off, the others deflated.
Pang Soun, thrilled to be the only one in the know, smiled at the group.
It felt gratifying to share such a secret uniquely with Scholar Cheon.
From then on, even Dang Jin-ok and Zhuge Dowon hesitated to challenge Cheon Taesan brashly.
Their eyes showed clear caution.
'This is why I like playing the mysterious type. They tread carefully when they don't know what I do.'
That was his ultimate goal.
Yeoseol chattered happily, delighted that her big brother was so remarkable.
"My big brother can do anything, he's so handsome and smart."
"Damn right. I've never met anyone as cool and wise as hyungnim."
Surprisingly, Yeoseol and Pang Soun got along when praising Cheon Taesan.
"For a wastrel, you at least have good taste."
Despite the harsh words, Pang Soun brushed off Yeoseol's jab.
She was cute, and as Scholar Cheon's sister, nothing she said bred ill will.
"Ugly little kid. Doesn't being a wastrel give me high standards? We wastrels recognize our own. So imagine how well I spot true character."
"Oh ho, you're not a total idiot?"
"Listen, ugly-but-cute little miss. Some life lessons only hit after tasting bitterness and sweetness."
"Big wastrels remind me of the importance of education."
"Huh? Cute-but-ugly little miss, what do you mean?"
"There's a saying: It takes a village to raise a child, but one person to ruin them. I'm curious who ruined you, Young Master Pang. Think—who corrupted that rotten personality?"
Upon reflection, one person came to Pang Soun's mind.
Seeing him gloom, Yeoseol added,
"But a good teacher can fix even the broken, like a physician. And that physician is my big brother."
"Realizing such profound truths—impressive. For a young, ugly-but-smart little miss."
"Hmph! Skip the ugly part. You're just a big, empty-headed wastrel lordling."
Yeoseol snorted, and Pang Soun burst into hearty laughter.
He couldn't recall the last time a conversation had been this enjoyable.
By now, the group had passed Zhongjing and entered Sichuan.