The Kirin of the Hengshan Sect (4)
The Kirin of the Hengshan Sect (4)
The Kirin of Hengshan Sect.
Im Seo-ryeon.
What she had done at my house today.
Mocking my wife, who couldn't walk, telling her to try walking.
Ruining the liquor we had been brewing for a family gathering.
Smashing the Qin Dynasty pottery, a family heirloom passed down through generations.
Of course, she hadn't found a single shred of the evidence of corruption she had originally set out to uncover.
"What's the meaning of this?"
When the situation reached this point and the inspector's authority hit rock bottom, a remarkable thing happened.
A first-rate master stood helpless before a thug who hadn't even reached the second-rate.
"Well, that... I mean..."
"Look, I understand ransacking a home in search of corruption. But even if you came here under the Murim Alliance's orders, does that give you the right to behave like this? Mocking my wife, smashing family heirlooms to pieces. I might be a man with no connections in this region, but isn't this kind of tyranny going too far?"
"Docheol, it's fine. Let's just... let's just pretend this never happened."
Seon-go said that as she clung tightly to my arm. Im Seo-ryeon, her face twisted, was fumbling desperately for something to say. The confident demeanor she'd displayed mere moments ago was nowhere to be found.
"That... during the investigation... uh, it was just an accident that happened..."
The deputy officer was equally at a loss for words. He had awkwardly taken a step back, and Im Seo-ryeon seemed to feel even more shame knowing he was watching her.
Now that I thought about it, we were having this conversation in full view of all the servants. No matter how favorable my position, humiliating her more than necessary would backfire.
I glanced back and forth between the deputy officer and Im Seo-ryeon once, then lowered my voice.
"Deputy officer, could you give us the room? This isn't the sort of conversation to be had out here. Let's talk inside."
Im Seo-ryeon nodded, her body hunched inward. The deputy officer seemed to accept my words as well. As he stood there awkwardly, glancing around, I pointed to one of the servants and spoke.
"Let him rest inside. Serve him some tea and snacks as well."
"...I'm ashamed."
Im Seo-ryeon said that as she looked at her deputy officer. She was more deflated than necessary, crushed by a failure that exceeded anything she'd imagined.
I kept my expression neutral as I turned the gears in my head.
'She'd probably grant just about any request right now — but how far would she actually allow this to go?'
******
Though the room was silent, the water in the teacup trembled. Her breathing had grown unsteady, and as a first-rate master, that energy was disturbing the water, sending ripples across the surface. I stared quietly at the teacup for a moment, then deliberately lifted it and tapped it against the table.
Tak.
Tak.
At that sound, Im Seo-ryeon raised her head, and the subtle energy she'd been unconsciously emitting also vanished.
Only then did Seon-go let out a light breath and wipe away her uncomfortable expression, and I spoke in a low voice.
"I'd been considering lodging a formal complaint with the Murim Alliance about this incident, but..."
"That..."
Im Seo-ryeon's face changed. I'd only lightly probed, but she visibly showed the pressure she felt.
Let's think about this rationally.
I was third-rate at best. Moreover, a fairly large faction called the Venerable Geumbok considered me a thorn in their side. It was clear that a formal protest from a fool of a sect leader with no connections, surrounded by nothing but hostile bastards nearby, wouldn't cause any major trouble.
Even if I put on a stern face and sent a protest letter, she wouldn't be fired or face serious disciplinary action.
But Im Seo-ryeon had turned pale at the mere mention of me protesting, and was at a complete loss.
"...I thought... things could perhaps be... resolved in another way..."
That was because Im Seo-ryeon's position was different. From what I'd heard from the deputy officer, she was under immense pressure regarding her performance record.
She'd originally taken pride in her epithet 'Kirin of Hengshan Sect,' but she wasn't producing any meaningful results in the inspector work she'd so confidently thrown herself into.
Hating to hear such talk, she'd approached this assignment with a venomous attitude, but rather than finding corruption, she'd caused an incident — smashing someone else's family heirloom and insulting his wife.
If I sent a letter of protest about this matter to the Murim Alliance? She wouldn't be fired, but how much mockery would she face from people over this incident? They'd curse her, saying she couldn't even properly handle a third-rate sect's matter, causing every kind of accident imaginable.
I had no idea what sort of insults she would endure, but for Im Seo-ryeon, that imagination was reassembling itself into something terrifyingly concrete, disturbing her inner vision.
"...Our sect is certainly not above suspicion, and the inspector was simply trying to do her job diligently. I thought it wouldn't be right to press the matter too harshly."
So forgiving her was the correct answer.
Because even if I truly reported this incident to the Murim Alliance, it would only sour Inspector Im Seo-ryeon's mood; nothing else would change. It was better to package this as if I were doing her a favor and resolve the situation amicably.
"Anyone can make mistakes in life. So, let's just let this matter drop without further inquiry."
Im Seo-ryeon looked at me. She blinked, unable to find her words. She seemed moved, and also as if she found me fascinating. After searching for words for a moment, she spoke carefully.
"...Is there something you want in return?"
"Of course there is."
But that didn't mean I could just let her go. A first-rate master was essentially spreading her legs before me, defenseless, asking to be devoured — how could I possibly let such a golden opportunity slip away?
When I said there was something I wanted, her eyes took on an 'I knew it' expression.
"...The price of the pottery... I can't pay it all at once right now, so I'll somehow split it into..."
At that moment, Seon-go carefully took my hand and traced a character on my palm.
'委'
It was the character 'wi,' meaning 'to entrust.'
It had been an heirloom the Crimson Ring Sect people had safeguarded for generations, but now both she and this sect were entirely mine. She meant that no matter how I resolved this issue, she wouldn't object.
Having received her permission, I smiled and spoke.
"I have no intention of taking money. What good would it do to indebt a renowned master of the Hengshan Sect in such a manner? We may have taken up different weapons, but we are both cultivators seeking truth through martial arts. Let us not sully our relationship with vulgar things like money."
Im Seo-ryeon looked surprised at my words. She looked me over with an expression of admiration, then straightened her posture again. She had a fox-like, sharp-featured face, but when she relaxed like this, there were many endearing qualities to her.
"...I failed to recognize a great hero."
She spoke to me in a more courteous tone than before. I felt a bit awkward at that treatment. After all, being called a great hero wasn't what I'd been aiming for this time. I carefully looked her over and spoke.
"Scholars converse through writing, but martial artists speak through the body. Lend me your body for just a moment."
"...Huh?"
The eyes that had briefly regarded me as a great hero now twisted in disgust. Seon-go stared at me with a bewildered face, and in the room where an ominous atmosphere was creeping in, I was the only one maintaining composure. She spoke in a low voice, looking ready to draw her sword at any moment.
"...You'd better explain yourself properly."
******
"Calm down. When I said lend me your body, I didn't mean I intended to satisfy carnal desires."
That was right. Just playing with words.
But when you added her sense of indebtedness to my flimsy excuse, Im Seo-ryeon released her killing aura and spoke in a calm tone.
"...Let's hear it first. What you're talking about."
"Truth be told, though you may have done some investigation, I am not someone who inherited the martial arts of the Crimson Ring Sect. I came upon the secret manual of a reclusive eccentric, learned various martial skills, and through luck took this seat of sect leader. Now that I've claimed a sect position, I believe it's my duty to honor that eccentric's grace and transmit this martial art to others. So I want to operate a new sect based on what I possess. But I'm still unskilled in its use, so I can't get a feel for how to teach others."
Im Seo-ryeon asked.
"What kind of martial art is it that makes you say that?"
"It's not a martial art. It's closer to medicine. A kind of massage where you focus inner energy into your hands and open up the meridian channels."
"Massage?"
Curiosity sparked in Im Seo-ryeon's eyes. I nodded and spoke.
"When I once received it from a master, I felt my entire body loosen and relax, and I even thought this technique ought to be spread throughout the world. However, I've never tried using it on a martial arts master, so I don't know how effective it is, and I haven't met a master willing to cooperate. If I don't understand the essence of this technique and try to teach it to others, wouldn't that be deceiving the masses and committing fraud?"
I looked straight into Im Seo-ryeon's eyes and spoke.
"That's why I'd like to borrow your body. Opportunities to lay hands on a master's body are rare."
Im Seo-ryeon looked like she was pondering for a moment. She bit her lip and spoke.
"...As a body engaged in cultivation, it's improper to casually expose oneself to an unrelated man."
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Because the mood was one of refusal.
"But the grace you've shown me today is beyond measure."
I looked at Im Seo-ryeon's face again. Her face had turned oddly red, and she fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke.
"If your wife observes, and my body is covered with a cloth... th-then it's fine."