You Never Know with Human Affairs
A man came running toward them.
It was Left Messenger Hwang Bi-won.
Dan Yeop introduced him to the constables, who were staring in confusion.
“This is Great Hero Hwang Bi-won, who has come to help me.”
The constables eyed Hwang Bi-won with open curiosity but said nothing more. They still had no idea he was the Left Messenger of the Gwangpunghoe.
The horses carrying the six constables and Hwang Bi-won began galloping east.
In Son-taek.
The Son residence.
The inner courtyard.
Late afternoon.
A single drop of ink fell with a soft plop from the brush gliding across pure white paper.
When the ink bloomed in the wrong place, Son Yeon-hwa frowned.
She had been painting orchids for years, yet this was the first time she had made such a mistake.
“Haa…”
With a light sigh, she folded the paper and set it beneath the desk.
She spread out a fresh sheet, dipped the brush deep into the ink, and began again—only for another drop to fall exactly where it shouldn’t.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Why am I like this today?”
Tilting her head, Son Yeon-hwa finally gave up on painting and rose to her feet.
She stepped outside and wandered the courtyard. In the distance, the annex caught her eye.
Just looking at it filled her with a strange sense of dread.
Suddenly, her brother’s recent words surfaced: Dan Yeop is investigating something dangerous these days.
Unable to shake the unease, she went looking for Son Ji-heon, who had just returned from the National Academy.
“Brother.”
“What?”
“Is the case Brother Dan Yeop took on really that dangerous?”
“They killed the magistrate of Nakan County and three martial artists. Of course it’s dangerous.”
“Will Brother Dan Yeop be all right?”
“Yeop? He’ll be fine, won’t he? His martial skill is at least on the level of an elder from the Five Great Sword Schools.”
“Really? Is Brother Dan Yeop’s cultivation truly that strong?”
“Very strong. It feels like he’s grown even stronger lately. He doesn’t seem to train anything special, yet here we are. I’m honestly jealous.”
“So I can stop worrying?”
“Well… the gangho is a treacherous place. Strong martial arts don’t guarantee safety, as you well know.”
Playfulness had taken hold of Son Ji-heon. He could see his sister’s anxious heart plainly, yet he deliberately refused to comfort her.
“Nothing bad will happen to Brother Dan Yeop, right?”
“Why? Worried about him?”
“No, it’s just… I keep making mistakes I never make. It feels like a bad omen, and my heart won’t settle.”
“Really? I don’t feel anything at all. I’m closer to Yeop than you are. Since I sense nothing, he should be fine.”
“You’re just dense, Brother.”
“Me? Where do you get that? All my friends say I’m the sensitive one!”
“Perhaps they saw how picky you are when choosing a gisaeng?”
“Yeon-hwa, why are you trying to follow in Grandfather’s footsteps? If even you start, I’ll have nowhere left to turn.”
“When a brother who doesn’t seem the least bit sensitive no matter how you look at him is called sensitive by his friends, that’s what I say.”
“Hey! Get out.”
When Son Ji-heon waved her away with a face that said he was done talking, Son Yeon-hwa stuck her tongue out at him and left the room.
The distance from Chang’an Castle to Nak-hyeon in the Ha-jung Prefecture was roughly a thousand li—about four hundred kilometers.
Even on horseback, the journey would take at least seven days.
Fortunately it was spring, so the road to Nak-hyeon proved uneventful.
On the evening of the third day, the party arrived at Tong-gwan County.
Tong-gwan sat at a vital crossroads leading to Chang’an and the strategic crossing of the Yellow River. Troops were stationed there in force, and inspections were far stricter than elsewhere.
“I am a constable from the Jangan County Office.”
Dan Yeop produced his badge and handed it to the guard.
The soldier glanced at the others. “Are the rest of them constables too?”
One of the mounted constables flashed his own badge. “We’re with the mounted unit.”
The guard returned Dan Yeop’s badge and waved them through.
Only then was the party allowed to enter Tong-gwan County.
In Tong-gwan County.
Dan Yeop’s group secured rooms at the nearest inn.
After the meal, the constables poured outside in a noisy rush. Having reached a lively town after days on the road, they were eager to enjoy its nighttime pleasures.
Dan Yeop remained in the inn’s dining area, sharing tea with Hwang Bi-won.
“I’d like to hear my brother’s story. How did you end up in Haomun?”
“Ah… that’s rather a long tale.”
“The night is long. What does it matter?”
Dan Yeop gave a bitter smile. The man had a point. The story must have been long indeed if even the constables had fled the table rather than listen.
“When I was young I lost my way and wandered until a member of Haomun noticed me. He took me in and raised me as his adopted son.”
“Aha! What is the name of that gracious man? I must remember it, so I don’t commit any discourtesy toward my brother’s adoptive father.”
Though the odds of the Gwangpunghoe ever crossing paths with Haomun were slim, Hwang Bi-won spoke with sincerity.
“He belongs to the Amun branch. His name uses the characters for ‘not’ and ‘authority.’”
“Dan Bul-wi. I’ll remember. Then you never knew your real parents?”
“Not until recently. I was lucky enough to find my birth mother a short while ago. I still have no idea who my father is.”
“Oh! So your mother was alive. That’s truly wonderful. What was it like meeting her?”
“It was… average, I suppose.”
Noticing Dan Yeop’s reluctance, Hwang Bi-won smoothly changed the subject.
“Have you heard anything about your birth father?”
“Nothing at all. From what little I know, he doesn’t seem like a good man.”
“Still, don’t resent him too deeply. Without him, you would never have been born.”
Dan Yeop remained silent.
He understood the logic, yet his heart refused to accept it.
“Do you ever think about seeking him out later?”
“Not particularly. I doubt anything good would come of it.”
“Tsk. Still, you never know with human affairs. There may be a story behind it. You should at least hear his side before judging too harshly.”
“Brother, can there truly be a ‘story’ behind a man violating a woman?”
The words were shockingly blunt, yet Hwang Bi-won’s tone stayed careful.
“Who can say? One cannot know without becoming that person.”
“I have no desire to understand such a story.”
“Fair enough. What’s wrong is wrong.”
“By the way, Brother, what business brought you to Chang’an? I hope I haven’t interfered with your duties.”
“I was running a personal errand for the Association Leader, but it’s already finished. You don’t think I’d set aside my own work just to help you, do you? People of the Gwangpunghoe aren’t that generous.”
It was the straightforward speech of an unorthodox expert.
Oddly enough, Dan Yeop felt relieved by it. He still found the blunt relationships of Haomun far more comfortable.
Four days later.
Ha-dong Province.
Ha-jung Prefecture, Nak-hyeon.
Around sunset.
Seven men on horseback rode into the village entrance.
It was Dan Yeop’s party, having left the Jangan County Office.
Because Nak-hyeon had grown along the Yellow River, there were no checkpoints at all.
The lead constable surveyed the village from the saddle. “Now this feels like a place where people actually live. Tong-gwan was far too strict. Don’t you agree, Constable Dan?”
Dan Yeop nodded. “It was rather excessive. But isn’t this place a little too lax?”
“What are you talking about? This is how people can live. They say even fish can’t survive in water that’s too clear.”
It wasn’t the most constable-like thing to say, but Dan Yeop simply laughed.
There was no point arguing with them right before a dangerous operation; he would only lose face.
Dan Yeop looked at the group. “Let me go over our plan once more. Find an inn, unload our baggage, then split up and locate the Seok family manor or residence. Once you find it, do not attempt to scout inside. Return at once. We mustn’t disturb the grass and alert the snake. If the culprits flee from here, we will never find them again. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“You think we’ve only done this once or twice? Stop worrying.”
After meeting each man’s eyes, Dan Yeop took the lead into the village.
Soon they had secured rooms at an inn.
Hwang Bi-won remained behind while Dan Yeop and the constables dispersed into the streets.
Two hours later, after the sun had fully set, Dan Yeop returned to the inn.
In truth, he had not expected to find the Seoks so quickly. No matter how experienced the constables were, locating someone in unfamiliar territory was never easy.
Yet Constable Wi-rip declared triumphantly, “I found them.”
“Already?”
“I made a friend while doing military service in Youju. He’s from the Seok clan. When I told him I came looking for that friend, he gave me directions without hesitation.”
“And that worked?”
“Most men conscripted from Ha-dong Province were sent north to places like Youju, Byeongju, or Sakbang. I took a shot in the dark and got lucky. Even I didn’t expect it to be this fast.”
“But are you certain it’s the right Seok family?”
“They said the daughter of the house married into a family in Ha-buk Province. It has to be them.”
“It is.”
Dan Yeop felt strangely hollow at how smoothly everything had fallen into place.
Wi-rip asked, “When do you want to investigate the manor? By tomorrow the whole village will know we’ve been asking about the Seoks…”
Dan Yeop thought for a moment before answering.
“We finish this tonight. If word reaches them, they will certainly disappear.”
“Just the two of you?”
“We don’t yet know how deeply the Seoks are connected to the local county officials. We cannot ask for their help.”
The constables offered no objection. If the Seoks and the officials were close, every effort so far would be wasted.
They watched Dan Yeop carefully. Not only was he in charge, his martial prowess clearly surpassed their own.
“I will investigate the Seok manor with Great Hero Hwang. The rest of you will watch the compound. If anyone leaves, follow them discreetly.”
Dan Yeop had them tail any escapees rather than attempt arrest, mindful of the constables’ limited strength.
Understanding his intent, the men nodded vigorously.
“Understood.”
“We’ll handle the pursuit.”
Yellow River riverside.
Seok Family Manor.
Eight in the evening.
Two men walking the night road approached the manor’s main gate.
Dan Yeop and Left Messenger Hwang Bi-won.
Dan Yeop knocked firmly.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The heavy sound reverberated through the darkness.
Before long, a voice called from inside.
“Who is it?”
“Constable Dan Yeop of the Jangan County Office,” Dan Yeop answered. “I have questions for the master of the Seok Family Manor. Open the gate.”
“Did you say you’re a constable from Jangan?”
Tension was obvious even in the voice alone.
Dan Yeop instinctively knew the culprits were inside.
“Correct.”
“Wait a moment. I must inform the manor lord first…”
“Open the gate first. If the criminal escapes because of your delay, I will arrest you as well.”
The gate opened at once, as though the threat had struck home.
As Dan Yeop stepped inside, he told the gatekeeper, “You made the right choice. Now simply lead us to your lord.”
The gatekeeper bowed repeatedly and escorted them toward the inner courtyard.
Outside the main building, Dan Yeop gave the man a pointed look.
The gatekeeper bowed low and called out loudly, “My lord! Two constables from the Jangan County Office have come to see you!”
The door flew open almost before the words faded. Three people rushed out—an elderly man and a young man and woman who appeared to be in their twenties.
Dan Yeop recognized the young pair as the culprits at once.
The old man, however, was covered in age spots and had dry, withered skin. He looked entirely ordinary, making it difficult to guess his identity.
The young man in his twenties scowled—