The Constable's Audacity
Muk Geum-gang forced a laugh to match.
A short while later, Dan Yeop left Mannyeon Cheoljang under Muk Geum-gang’s escort.
***
Right after Dan Yeop left, Muk Geum-gang returned to Manse-dang.
“Did you really tell him Father made the Baekryeon Umochim?”
“I did.”
“Why?! Why would you tell such a lie!”
“Because the only place in the world capable of making something like that is Mannyeon Cheoljang. If I had denied it, he would have only grown more suspicious.”
“So? Who did you say you gave it to?”
“Do you take me for a fool? I told him I gave it to Song Ik, who died of the plague about ten years ago. So stop worrying.”
“Haa! From now on, if it wasn’t discussed with me first, just say you don’t know. That’s the only way to keep Mannyeon Cheoljang’s lineage from being severed. Do you understand?”
“Ugh! I understand, so stop scolding me already.”
Only then did Muk Geum-gang let out a deep sigh and walk outside.
***
Jangan County Office. Constables’ Office.
As soon as Dan Yeop returned from Mannyeon Cheoljang, County Magistrate Do-geom came looking for him.
“What did they say at Mannyeon Cheoljang?”
“It was the Baekryeon Umochim that Muk Cheol-sim forged twenty years ago.”
“Baekryeon Umochim? They gave it a plausible name. So, who did they say the owner was?”
“They claimed it was handled through an intermediary named Song Ik, so they don’t know. Song Ik died of the plague over ten years ago.”
“Tsk! So in the end, we still don’t know who the culprit is. After going through all the trouble to obtain evidence…”
“Have you identified any female masters skilled with hidden weapons?”
“There are a few, but none who use that kind of needle.”
“Since it’s such a specialized weapon, they would have used it even more discreetly.”
“Still, we did identify the man. They say he’s an assassin named Myeol-do.”
“Myeol-do?”
“The constables went around the martial factions in Chang’an Castle with portraits, and someone at Janwol-gak recognized him by chance.”
Janwol-gak was the foremost unorthodox faction in Chang’an Castle.
“People who deal in dirty work must have had some connection with him?”
“Correct. They said they met him a few years ago when they commissioned him for a job.”
“Still, it’s surprising they gave him up so easily. I’d expect an unorthodox faction to cover for one of their own.”
“It wasn’t free. We agreed to release a high-ranking Janwol-gak expert currently imprisoned in the Jangan County Office jail.”
“Ah…”
“Now we just need to identify the woman, but that’s proving difficult.”
“We might find more if we dig deeper into Mannyeon Cheoljang.”
“Do you think Muk Cheol-sim is involved?”
“I got the feeling that both Muk Cheol-sim and his son Muk Geum-gang are hiding something.”
“Hmm! Understood. I’ll have men watch Mannyeon Cheoljang. For now, stay away from it and assist Constable Jang Ho. He went to meet the Janwol-gak expert to find Myeol-do, but it seems he’s running into quite a bit of trouble.”
There was no way an unorthodox expert would meekly listen to a mere constable, let alone the county magistrate.
County Magistrate Do-geom was placing his hopes on Dan Yeop.
“Yes, sir.”
“Also, I heard you took a prisoner from the Western Market Guard this morning?”
“Ah, that was…”
When Dan Yeop tried to explain, County Magistrate Do-geom spoke first.
“I heard it was a member of Haomun. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“I see. In the future, leave matters like that to me. This time it ended without incident, but the Golden Crow Guards might start bothering you.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll be more careful.”
“Pass any minor issues involving Haomun to me. I’d like to throw my weight around with Haomun a little.”
He ended with a joke, but his true intention lay in his first words.
A mere constable pulling a prisoner out of the Golden Crow Guards?
Even if it was a minor offense, it was something that normally should never happen.
The Golden Crow Guards weren’t fools.
If it happened repeatedly, they might start making unreasonable demands of Dan Yeop.
County Magistrate Do-geom did not want that to occur.
“Thank you.”
Dan Yeop guessed the magistrate’s true feelings but pretended not to notice.
Just then, Constable Jang Ho entered, supported by several patrolmen.
Startled, County Magistrate Do-geom asked, “What happened?”
Constable Jang Ho answered with a badly swollen face.
“I was beaten by a Janwol-gak expert.”
“Who did this?”
“Patrol Leader Hyeol-na-chal Ha Ryun…”
Constable Jang Ho trailed off in shame.
No matter how despised the position of constable was among the common people, being beaten while conducting an investigation was still humiliating.
“…”
County Magistrate Do-geom trembled with rage but said nothing.
A patrol leader of Janwol-gak could only be dealt with by someone of at least county magistrate rank.
Officials ruled over ordinary citizens, but martial masters without official posts were still treated with the respect due to high officials.
“Ouch…”
Jang Ho, who had been standing awkwardly, pulled out a loose molar with a groan.
Seeing this, Dan Yeop spoke with a hardened expression.
“I will immediately arrest Hyeol-na-chal Ha Ryun.”
96th Chapter. He Doesn’t Seem Like a Constable
Zuocheng (same time period).
Daean District.
Hwawol Pavilion.
Two men were drinking with courtesans at a prime window-side seat with an excellent view.
They were Janwol-gak’s Patrol Leader Hyeol-na-chal Ha Ryun and Self-defense Leader Ja-gyeong.
While listening to Ok-hwan’s pipa performance—a specialty of Hwawol Pavilion—Ja-gyeong suddenly spoke.
“Patrol Leader, about that constable from earlier. There won’t be any trouble, right?”
“Constables have always been everyone’s punching bags. What’s there to worry about? Don’t you agree?”
When Ha Ryun asked the courtesan beside him for agreement, she giggled and replied.
“Hohoho! The master is right. Getting beaten isn’t exactly new for constables, is it? They get hit by chief clerks and administrative officers too, so don’t worry about it.”
Chief clerks were low-ranking officials from the sixth to eighth rank, but the actual clerks had no rank at all.
So while hitting a chief clerk might be possible, claiming they hit clerks too was an exaggeration.
But no one pointed that out.
Just as martial artists despised Haomun, the common people hated constables.
Even after the courtesan’s words, Ja-gyeong couldn’t shake his unease.
“But lately, if it involves Cheonlyeon, the officials flip their eyes and come charging in…”
Ha Ryun snorted.
“Hmph! If I had beaten the county magistrate, maybe. But they won’t raise a fuss over a mere constable getting roughed up a little. Besides, this was the Jangan County Office’s mistake from the start. Even if the county magistrate came himself, I might or might not have cooperated. What business does some low-ranking constable have coming? They should be grateful I didn’t break any bones.”
“That may be true, but the atmosphere at the Jangan County Office feels a bit…”
“So what? What can the county magistrate do to me? If they mess with me, they’re the ones who’ll suffer. If I get pissed off, kill County Magistrate Jo, and flee to Gangnam, what can they do? Will they send the Golden Crow Guards all the way to Gangnam just to catch me? Damn it, even when the Blood Emperor rampages through Gangnam they don’t send troops. You think they’d dispatch an army just because I killed one magistrate? They’d probably just send a bunch of useless constables. Even a hundred constables wouldn’t make a difference. That’s why they can’t do anything.”
Since it made sense, Ja-gyeong nodded along.
The courtesans listening chimed in with admiring faces.
“Our big brother Ha is truly impressive.”
“Oh my, I got goosebumps just listening. So even the county magistrate can’t touch you.”
Ha Ryun shrugged and held out his cup.
“Come, come. Talking about this only makes my mouth tired. Let’s just drink. Pour for me.”
The courtesan beside Ha Ryun quickly reached for the wine bottle.
At that moment, three patrolmen roughly flung open the door of the brothel and entered.
The owner at the counter approached them with a slightly tense expression.
“Oh my! Honored sirs! What brings you all the way here today?”
But the patrolmen didn’t say a word.
Growing anxious, the owner lightly grabbed one patrolman’s arm. Just then, a young man wearing tinted glasses entered.
While the owner wondered what this was about, the young man flashed his constable badge and spoke.
“I am Constable Dan Yeop of the Jangan County Office. We received a report that a traitor is here and have come to arrest him.”
“Eek! A t-traitor?”
The owner turned deathly pale and took a step back.
Once the word “traitor” left a constable’s mouth, not even money could fix it.
He didn’t dare ask any more questions and returned to the counter, eyes darting around.
The news spread rapidly through the brothel via the maids.
The courtesans began slipping away one by one, and the music stopped.
Ok-hwan, who had risen with her pipa, suddenly grabbed the arm of a maid who was trying to leave.
“What did they say the constable’s name was?”
“I think it was Dan Yeop? Why? Do you know him?”
“No.”
Ok-hwan looked toward the entrance with a puzzled expression.
Was the young man wearing tinted glasses really a constable?
She thought to herself, ‘What a strange constable.’
“I caught a glimpse of his side profile earlier. He was incredibly handsome.”
“A constable?”
“Yes.”
Ok-hwan let out a small laugh.
After all, he was still just a constable.
She was about to leave with her pipa in her arms when she suddenly froze.
The constable was heading straight for Hyeol-na-chal Ha Ryun’s table.
“Huh? He shouldn’t go over there…”
Meanwhile, when the young man in tinted glasses stopped right beside them as if showing off, Ja-gyeong frowned fiercely and demanded.
“Who the hell are you?”
He wasn’t actually asking because he didn’t know who the man was.
His nerves were already on edge from the earlier incident with Constable Jang Ho.
The constable’s voice was clear; anyone paying even slight attention could hear it.
He was simply refusing to yield to a mere constable and spoke aggressively.
Dan Yeop held out his constable badge and said, “I am Constable Dan Yeop of the Jangan County Office. I have come to arrest the traitor named Ha Ryun. Which one of you is Ha Ryun?”
The way the constable spoke so casually left Ja-gyeong wondering if he had misheard.
“What did you just say?”
“I said I came to arrest the traitor named Ha Ryun. Are you perhaps Ha Ryun?”
Only then did Ja-gyeong shoot up from his seat.
“What kind of madman are you?! A traitor? Do you even know who Lord Ha Ryun is before spouting such nonsense?!”
Not only the courtesans and maids, but even Hyeol-na-chal Ha Ryun himself turned to stare at the bizarre constable.
“Of course I know. He holds the rather insignificant position of patrol leader at Janwol-gak. That man attacked a constable from the Jangan County Office who was investigating Cheonlyeon traitors. At that level, it’s fair to consider him a follower of Cheonlyeon. Are you Ha Ryun?”
Ja-gyeong involuntarily glanced at Ha Ryun.
If he beat the constable again in this situation, he might truly become a traitor.
Everyone who knew Ha Ryun at that moment thought he would explode.
But Ha Ryun did not.
A patrol leader of Janwol-gak still had a better head on his shoulders than most.
He had no intention of complicating matters further here.
The idea that he could simply kill the county magistrate and flee to Gangnam if things went wrong was nothing more than the typical bravado of unorthodox experts.
There was no one in Gangnam who would welcome him anyway. Why would he go there?
Suppressing his fury, Ha Ryun spoke.
“I am Ha Ryun, patrol leader of Janwol-gak. There seems to be some misunderstanding. I am not a follower of Cheonlyeon.”
“Now I see. So you are Master Ha. Then why did you attack Constable Jang Ho, who was investigating Cheonlyeon, and injure him?”
“That was simply because Constable Jang failed to show me proper respect. It has nothing to do with Cheonlyeon.”
“I understand. Nevertheless, you must still come with me to the Jangan County Office for questioning.”
Ha Ryun’s face twisted in displeasure as he shot back.
“I already explained everything in detail. What more questioning do I need? Stop talking nonsense and leave.”
“I cannot simply leave after hearing only your words, Master Ha. Whether you are guilty or not will be determined once we reach the government office.”
Ha Ryun was no fool.
If he went to the Jangan County Office now, from that point on his fate would be decided entirely by the officials’ whims.