If Caught, I'll Cut You Down
“Did I go a bit overboard?”
Having made a show of crushing Won Ilchu with sheer presence, Yoo Eunhyeon dusted off his hands and left the room. He had only meant to scare the man, yet Won Ilchu’s final words had twisted something ugly inside him, and he had ended up doing more than intended. It was a shame the fellow had fainted before any real punishment could be handed out—not a single punch landed—but he decided this would have to be enough.
“Still, that felt damn good. Bastard.”
Truth be told, even if he had never said it aloud, Yoo Eunhyeon had long found Won Ilchu thoroughly unpleasant. The man never gave proper orders and spent his days slacking off; the sight of him had been a constant thorn in the eye.
“You all right, lad?!”
“He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
The others, who had returned late, stared at Yoo Eunhyeon in surprise and fired off questions. He smiled and shook his head.
“I’m fine. How’s Brother Cheoldong?”
“Ugh… I’m all right.”
Whatever Yoo Eunhyeon had done earlier seemed to have helped; Mo Cheoldong, still lying down, waved an arm weakly. His face was still twisted in pain, but his mind was fully clear now.
“The wound itself isn’t much, but my head’s ringing like a damn bell. More than that…”
He trailed off, wincing again as the ache flared. Yoo Eunhyeon glanced naturally at the man’s leg.
“Can you move it?”
“Not right now, I don’t think. Damn it…”
Mo Cheoldong kneaded his own leg once and grimaced as fresh pain rolled through him. The workers had already set a splint, but even at a glance the limb was swollen badly. It would take at least three full days of complete rest before he could hope to walk properly again.
“Th-then… what happens to us now?”
The moment Mo Cheoldong seemed lucid enough, the next problem settled over everyone like a cloud. They had come to protest an injustice, yet in the end they had abandoned their work to do it. Worry about the consequences was only natural.
Subtle tension and unease settled on every face.
“We went this far against Foreman Won. There’s no way they’ll just let it slide.”
The most senior among them, Gang Samdong, muttered as though the situation had turned truly ugly. Until now things might somehow have been smoothed over at Won Ilchu’s level, but with two men in this state, Heokryeon Sanghoe was certain to step in.
“Tomorrow’s going to be rough…”
Mo Cheoldong’s quiet sigh rode the breeze and spread evenly through the group.
The next morning, before the sky had fully lightened, restless noises outside woke the workers one by one.
“Everyone outside!”
The sharp order at dawn sent them scrambling into clothes and out the door. Heokryeon Sanghoe staff stood in neat ranks. The laborers, still half-asleep and stumbling, fell silent at the unfamiliar sight.
Then the same Heokryeon Sanghoe employee who had guided Yoo Eunhyeon’s group here on the first day spoke.
“I am Byeon Ak, administrator of Heokryeon Sanghoe. I have heard there was an unfortunate incident yesterday involving Foreman Won here. Where are the parties involved?”
His booming voice was enough to send a chill down the spine. On the first day he had not even bothered to give his name, as if the whole matter were a nuisance; now his grave expression made it clear this particular affair would not be brushed aside lightly.
“Here.”
Leaning heavily on another man, Mo Cheoldong hobbled forward and raised a hand. Byeon Ak glanced back and forth between him and Won Ilchu standing nearby, then got straight to the point.
“Explain the situation.”
He had almost certainly already heard Won Ilchu’s version, yet he seemed determined to cross-check with Mo Cheoldong’s account. Mo Cheoldong was not the sort to deceive anyone; though his words came in fits and starts, he laid out the previous day’s events honestly.
“Hmm… It lines up well enough.”
Byeon Ak nodded repeatedly as he listened. Whatever spin Won Ilchu might have put on his own statement, Byeon Ak appeared focused solely on establishing the facts. When the story was finished he cleared his throat.
“Very well. Forcing you to work in the rain yesterday was clearly our side’s responsibility. The other crews did not move, yet this one alone was made to labor. We will pay double the usual daily wage.”
“R-really?! Thank you!”
Mo Cheoldong nodded, still looking dazed. The others, equally unprepared for such fairness, brightened at once. Speaking up had been the right choice after all.
Yoo Eunhyeon, however, caught Won Ilchu shooting him a sidelong glance and a meaningful little smile. Something else was being calculated.
“Next. A fight broke out over this matter. According to the account, Foreman Won Ilchu was negligent even in an urgent situation, and the altercation occurred during the protest. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
“Good. If Foreman Won Ilchu’s negligence is true, then of course he must be held accountable.”
Byeon Ak nodded as if by habit. Mo Cheoldong and the others, never expecting Heokryeon Sanghoe to judge so impartially, let relief and joy show plainly on their faces.
If the negligence is true… How exactly does he plan to prove something that important?
Yoo Eunhyeon’s thoughts were complicated. If Won Ilchu simply denied it, there was no evidence; the decision would rest entirely with Byeon Ak. He could not be sure whose side the man would take, but the odds seemed high that he would favor Won Ilchu.
“Foreman Won Ilchu. Did you truly act with negligence?”
At Byeon Ak’s question several of the workers who had been quietly celebrating stiffened. If Won Ilchu simply denied everything, there would be no way to prove otherwise. Won Ilchu composed himself and began to speak with shameless confidence.
“To those who know nothing of the matter, it may have looked like negligence. But I was by no means negligent.”
Gone was his usual arrogance; he defended himself with the air of a diligent, kindly superior.
“If it was not negligence, then there was some other reason?”
“Of course. There was another matter of great importance that prevented me from assisting with the work.”
A brief silence fell. Another matter of great importance? The workers had never heard of any such thing. When their puzzled looks became impossible to hide, Byeon Ak pressed Won Ilchu again.
“The most important duty we entrusted to Foreman Won Ilchu is the management of these fields. Can you explain what could possibly have been important enough to abandon that?”
“Yes. The mission I received from the Alliance is not only to lead the crew and manage the fields as foreman, but also to control and supervise the crew members themselves.”
Yoo Eunhyeon glanced at Won Ilchu and already knew, from the look in the man’s eyes alone, exactly how this was about to unfold.
“Supervise? Are you saying there is a problem among the crew?”
Byeon Ak’s eyes twitched sharply as he asked. Won Ilchu answered as though he had been waiting for the cue.
“It seems one of the crew members is a spy who entered while concealing his identity.”
“A spy?”
Byeon Ak’s eyes widened and his expression hardened. If true, it was a matter grave enough for Heokryeon Sanghoe itself to demand answers. He glanced briefly at the Demonic Cult martial artist standing behind him. Hearing there had been a fight, he was glad he had requested assistance.
“Yes. That spy is none other than this man.”
At Won Ilchu’s pointing finger, Yoo Eunhyeon hid his shock as best he could and spoke.
“M-me? You’re saying I’m a spy?”
“You insolent bastard! After the way you swaggered at me yesterday, you thought you’d walk away unscathed?”
The overwhelming presence Yoo Eunhyeon had unleashed the day before was nowhere to be seen. Only Won Ilchu was shouting; in front of Byeon Ak and the Demonic Cultist, Yoo Eunhyeon kept his head down as though thoroughly cowed.
“Accusing someone without a shred of evidence! After injuring Brother Cheoldong, no less!”
Yoo Eunhyeon’s cry of injustice carried real persuasive force. Mo Cheoldong and the others began to murmur angrily.
“Worse than a beast! Making fools of us like this!”
“He hurts Cheoldong and then only looks after his own skin—slandering someone else on top of it?”
At the rising voices Won Ilchu bellowed.
“You lot! Do you think I’m the one lying? You’re the ones being deceived! That man is a murim expert who hid his identity and infiltrated us!”
“Everyone quiet. A murim person would not do something like this without reason, and if he did, there would be a hidden purpose.”
When Won Ilchu roared, Byeon Ak spoke in a low voice, trying to restore order. Once the noise subsided he looked at Won Ilchu.
“You have evidence, I trust?”
“Yes! Yesterday that man seized an iron hammer with both hands and crushed it right in front of me while threatening me!”
Won Ilchu was telling the truth. Yoo Eunhyeon spread his hands in a show of wounded innocence.
“What? How could any man crush a hammer with his bare hands? Aren’t you just trying to hide the weapon you used to injure Brother Cheoldong?”
On words alone, no conclusion could be reached.
“Very well. Both claims have merit. Ordinarily I would decide the matter myself… but this time both sides’ assertions are serious. Master Chang-hae, may I leave the rest to you?”
“Do so.”
Byeon Ak raised a hand and bowed his head toward the Demonic Cultist Chang-hae. Chang-hae stepped forward.
“Ugh…!”
Several people let out involuntary cries. A chilling aura had suddenly wrapped around the entire area.
“Well now. My usual work is so dull. How rewarding to have something interesting turn up.”
Chang-hae wore a damp, unpleasant smile as he looked between Won Ilchu and Yoo Eunhyeon.
“The judgment is simple. Whether you dared to deceive us and sneak in, or whether you tried to protect yourself with some petty lie—neither is a light matter.”
He paused to draw a breath, then smiled thinly.
“If you’re caught, I’ll cut you down on the spot.”
