One Heart, One Thought, Endless Torment
Dan Yeop was likely in league with the killers.
Of course, he still had no idea why the scroll had been handed over to Son Yu-baek.
“It embarrasses me to say this myself, but it is not merely outstanding. Whatever you imagine, the truth will exceed it.”
“What!”
“Pfft!”
Exclamations burst from Do Gyeom and Son Yu-baek alike.
Son Yu-baek’s daughter-in-law and Son Yeon-hwa could not close their gaping mouths.
Yet their astonishment at his brazenness lasted only a moment. Mother and daughter soon nodded, thinking that such a thing might indeed be possible.
Do Gyeom turned his gaze to Son Yu-baek.
“Lord Son, my learning is shallow and I do not know how to proceed in a case like this. Please share your esteemed opinion.”
In short, he was asking for help in proving Dan Yeop’s claim.
It was a request possible only because Son Yu-baek was not merely a high official who had served as a provincial governor, but a true master of scholarship.
After a brief moment of thought, Son Yu-baek stepped outside and returned with a thick volume in his hands.
“This is the recently compiled Compendium of Laws and Ordinances. Even I obtained it with great difficulty. It has not yet been released to the public. A university scholar would feel his head throb just reading it. How about this for fairness? Magistrate Do may open it to any page, and Young Master Dan will read that section. Then Magistrate Do and I will question him on what he has read. What do you think, Magistrate Do? This should suffice to reveal how exceptional Young Master Dan truly is. Ah, of course, if Young Master Dan wishes to suggest another method, we can change it. Honestly, even I lack confidence in this approach.”
Magistrate Do Gyeom accepted the book and opened it. The dense legal clauses made his head spin after only a glance. He quickly closed it.
“That seems acceptable.”
Do Gyeom agreed, thinking he would finally put the arrogant Dan Yeop in his place. At the time, he assumed Dan Yeop would ask to change the method.
“I will do it.”
“What? You say you will do it now?”
“Yes. Knowing the law may prove useful later.”
“Hah! Young Master Dan is truly an arrogant man. Do not come crying with excuses later.”
With those words, Do Gyeom swiftly opened the book. By chance, it fell upon the opening of the seventh section, the Criminal Code. He showed it to Son Yu-baek, then handed it to Dan Yeop.
“Read the seventh section, the Criminal Code, aloud right here. Once you finish, I will question you on it.”
“Yes.”
Dan Yeop took the book and flipped through the pages in a blur, as though counting how many sheets the seventh section contained. Without realizing it, Do Gyeom began counting in his head.
‘One, two, three, four…… twenty.’
Dan Yeop stopped riffling the pages and held the book out to Do Gyeom.
Do Gyeom spoke with a knowing expression.
“So you are giving up now? I just told you not to make excuses later……”
“Please ask your questions.”
Do Gyeom stared at Son Yu-baek in disbelief.
“Lord Son? What did Young Master Dan just say?”
“Well, I must have misheard. It sounded like he told you to ask away……”
“I heard the same. Young Master Dan, are you joking with us?”
“I already told you. Whatever you imagine, the truth will exceed it. Ask.”
Though exasperated, Do Gyeom found the seventh section and opened it.
‘Damn it, even finding the right page is hard enough. When did he read it?’
At last he asked with a stern face.
“There are special provisions regarding the hanging of criminals. What are they?”
“First, adjustments to punishment based on the perpetrator’s status; second, adjustments based on the victim’s status. First, if an official commits this crime……”
Twelve special legal clauses flowed smoothly from Dan Yeop’s mouth. Do Gyeom, listening in a daze, hurriedly followed the text in the compendium with his eyes.
‘This…… this is impossible!’
Dan Yeop spoke as though reading directly from the open book. Son Yu-baek snatched the compendium from Do Gyeom’s hands.
“……It says, ‘Those who commit other crimes together may receive a reduced sentence, but must pay tenfold compensation.’”
Do Gyeom muttered in a stunned voice.
“What in the world is going on? Lord Son, are you and Young Master Dan in league to mock me……”
“Nonsense. You chose the seventh section yourself. Do you truly believe Young Master Dan memorized the entire Compendium of Laws and Ordinances? Even if I had shown him this book beforehand and he managed to memorize it all, that alone would prove he is a genius the likes of which appears once in a thousand years.”
“I was wrong. Please forgive my careless words.”
Do Gyeom immediately bowed his head to Son Yu-baek. The older man’s reasoning was sound, and more importantly, Son Yu-baek had no reason to conspire with Dan Yeop in such a manner.
“Young Master Dan, today this Do Gyeom has broadened his horizons. The world is vast, and remarkable people are many. I apologize for doubting you.”
“It is nothing. Such suspicion is only natural. To catch the culprit, one must suspect everyone, regardless of who they are.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
As the conversation seemed to draw to a close, the middle-aged lady smiled and spoke.
“Now then, let us eat. The dishes I prepared will grow cold.”
She thought to herself how fortunate it was that her son was not present.
‘Tsk! He should stop boasting just because he attends the National Academy.’
If Son Ji-heon had been here, he would have choked on every bite.
Glancing at her daughter, she saw honey dripping from the girl’s eyes. It was understandable—such a face paired with a genius mind was rare indeed.
‘I suppose I must seriously discuss this with Father.’
Even though Dan Yeop was an orphan, Son Yeon-hwa seemed the lesser party.
She nudged her daughter’s elbow and whispered.
“Stop staring and eat.”
“W-what?”
Startled, Son Yeon-hwa ducked her head. The middle-aged lady shook her own head at the sight of her daughter’s ears turning bright red.
***
After finishing lunch, Dan Yeop was resting in the annex when a voice called out.
“Young Master Dan, are you inside?”
At Son Yu-baek’s voice, Dan Yeop hurried to open the door.
“Yes, Lord Son. What brings you here?”
“If you are not busy, I thought we might talk for a moment.”
“Yes, that is fine. Please come in.”
Seated in the place of honor, Son Yu-baek spoke with difficulty.
“It is about the scroll you found this morning.”
“You mean Gwak Jin’s belongings?”
“Yes. Do you happen to know what it is?”
“Not at all.”
Even Dan Yeop’s brilliance could not reveal the contents of something he had never seen.
“I see. Young Master, do you know of the Thousand Lotuses?”
“The Thousand Lotuses? I have never heard of them.”
Though a genius, Dan Yeop had grown up in Byeongmachong and knew little of the wider world.
“The Thousand Lotuses is a native religion founded upon Buddhism, Daoism, and Manichaeism.”
“Ah, so it is a religion.”
“They view the world as a struggle between good and evil. Well, that much is a matter of personal judgment, so it is not the issue.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“The Thousand Lotuses believes that evil has seized worldly power. Thus they regard the imperial court as evil and officials as its minions.”
“Good heavens……”
Dan Yeop found himself at a loss for words at such an extreme stance.
“Twenty years ago, when the Thousand Lotuses held sway, they hunted down corrupt officials and executed them personally. Government offices burned, and countless corrupt magistrates perished.”
“……”
Dan Yeop thought inwardly that they had deserved it, but kept the thought to himself.
“At that time the court declared the Thousand Lotuses a heretical sect and launched a massive suppression campaign. Thanks to that, the chaos across the realm subsided.”
“Was that scroll connected to the Thousand Lotuses?”
“It was. That is why I brought Magistrate Do without telling you. I needed to assure Magistrate Jo Mu-jin that you had nothing to do with this incident.”
Dan Yeop felt a wave of relief wash over him. He had thought the goal was merely to prove he was not in league with the killers, but there had been a far greater purpose behind it.
After explaining why he had brought Magistrate Do, Son Yu-baek continued.
“Magistrate Do left without incident today, but Magistrate Jo will likely order an investigation into your background. The position of county magistrate requires caution at every step.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I believe you have no connection to the Thousand Lotuses. Do not betray that trust.”
Son Yu-baek fixed Dan Yeop with a burning gaze. If Dan Yeop truly belonged to the sect, Son Yu-baek himself could be branded a traitor.
“I most certainly do not.”
“I believe you.”
It was no empty assurance. Had Dan Yeop been involved with the Thousand Lotuses, he would never have given Gwak Jin’s scroll to Son Yu-baek.
“What exactly is that scroll?”
Dan Yeop showed interest in the scroll. Now that it was tied to the Thousand Lotuses, he needed to know what it contained.
“It records one of their scriptures. At the end, the sect’s emblem is boldly stamped.”
“A scripture?”
“Part of their canon comes from the story of Nok-yeo found in the Samghata Sutra, the tales of the Buddha’s past lives.”
“What is the story of Nok-yeo?”
“Long ago, a doe drank a sage’s urine and gave birth to a woman of exquisite beauty. Wherever she walked, lotus flowers bloomed in her footsteps. King Beom-yeong took her as his second consort. When she became pregnant, she gave birth to a thousand lotuses, and within those lotuses were a thousand children. All of them grew into mighty warriors. The Thousand Lotuses believes these thousand sons are the Thousand Buddhas of the present kalpa, their father is King Jeong-ban—the Buddha’s father—and their mother is Lady Maya.”
“Fascinating.”
“While entertaining as a Buddhist text, the Thousand Lotuses’ version is terrifying.”
“Why?”
“The Thousand Buddhas of the present kalpa refers to the thousand Buddhas who appear in this age to guide all beings. Do you understand?”
“So the Thousand Lotuses claims to be those thousand Buddhas?”
“Precisely. Yet they interpret the present kalpa in another sense as well.”
“Surely not as the ‘present crisis’?”
“Why not? The Samghata Sutra is entirely allegorical, and allegory……”
“Depends on interpretation.”
“Correct. The Thousand Lotuses reads it as the ‘Thousand Buddhas of the Present Crisis,’ meaning ‘the thousand Buddhas who will resolve the crisis of this age.’ Well, one cannot say it is entirely wrong. The intention is good.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“The problem is their belief that the Thousand Buddhas can only save sentient beings after the Thousand Calamities occur.”
“What! They intend to cause the Thousand Calamities?”
“Exactly. They claim that only after a thousand great tribulations will the Thousand Buddhas appear to save the people. Those Thousand Buddhas are none other than the Thousand Lotuses themselves.”
“So they cause the disease and then sell the cure?”
“Haha, one could interpret it that way. Remembering the chaos of twenty years ago, I dread to imagine what a thousand calamities would bring.”
“Still, does the Thousand Lotuses actually help resolve the calamities?”
“From a certain perspective, yes.”
“How so?”
“They stand firmly on the side of the weak. One might even say unconditionally on the side of the victims. They prioritize natural law over the Compendium of Laws and Ordinances you read earlier. Evil must be destroyed without exception.”
Dan Yeop found himself thinking, ‘Hmm, that does not sound so bad.’
“Yet in the process, the Thousand Lotuses themselves commit evil. Many innocent people have died caught in their purges. The sect regards such deaths as mere natural disasters—like standing beside a crooked tree and being struck by lightning along with it.”
Dan Yeop frowned. Even to him, that seemed problematic.
“Today I have learned much from you, Lord Son.”
“In any case, I told you this so you will keep a low profile for the time being. Magistrate Jo will be watching you.”
“I will be careful.”
“By the way, have you promised marriage to anyone, or is there a woman in your heart?”
“Not yet—”