The Magistrate's Resolve
After being appointed as the magistrate of Ungae County in Hangzhou, Song Wolun had only recently begun to breathe a sigh of relief.
It was all because of the massive cleanup left behind by the previous magistrate.
The county office had been completely hollowed out.
Filling every vacant position—from the six departments to the constables and patrol officers—was no easy task.
And just as that work was finally wrapping up...
A massive fire broke out in Hangzhou.
What had seemed like an uncontrollable blaze was unexpectedly quelled with surprising ease.
All thanks to Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan.
The two had apparently acted on the orders of a man they called “that person” to put out the flames.
But something about it didn’t add up.
The fires had erupted simultaneously across multiple locations. It was clearly the work of dozens of arsonists.
Yet every single one of those criminals had been eliminated without a trace.
Who had done it? And for what reason?
Rumors were swirling that the Yangtze River Waterway Bandits were behind the fires, but weren’t they both enemies of the government and martial artists?
For dozens of such martial artists to be wiped out before the county office could even mobilize... it was a humiliating incident that only proved the office’s incompetence. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
In any case, once the incident was over, Song Wolun had begun investigating both the violent upheaval at the county office and the circumstances that had led to his own appointment here.
The truth behind the case turned out to be simpler than expected.
According to the records stored in the county archive, the previous magistrate, Baek Changseo, had been an unimaginably vile man.
He had decided guilt or innocence based on bribes, and traces of him sucking the blood from innocent civilians were everywhere.
The constables and patrol officers had all gone along with it.
That was why the entire county office had been flipped upside down.
Honestly, the previous magistrate’s behavior made his blood boil with uncontrollable rage.
But before that, one question stood out above all.
The culprit behind the office’s upheaval—Yu Sucheon.
The very man who had helped extinguish the great Hangzhou fire.
He was someone who, by all rights, should never have been in a position to put out those flames.
Because he had violated the Gwan-Mu Bulgachim—the Non-Aggression Pact between Government and Wulin—and overturned the county office itself.
He should have been arrested and made to pay for his crimes instead of being allowed to put out fires.
Yet here he was, strolling freely through Hangzhou, even being called a hero and receiving the respect of the common people.
Why?
Song Wolun began to dig into the unseen underbelly of the situation.
With the persistence of a snake.
He had originally been a gentle person by nature.
But now he had become a cold, emotionless fanatic.
He would stop at nothing if it meant solving the case.
This change had come from a single experience in his past.
He had been seventeen at the time.
His remote mountain village had been attacked by bandits.
Everyone had died.
Everyone except him.
Just as he was on the verge of death, a man had appeared before him and slaughtered dozens of bandits in the blink of an eye.
Since Song Wolun had only seen the man’s back, he never learned his face or his name.
But that single event had changed his destiny forever.
Like the man who had saved him, his sole purpose in life became the eradication of evil.
That was why he had become a magistrate.
He had crushed evil by any means necessary, no matter how brutal or cruel.
Even if it meant becoming an arrow that would break rather than bend.
He had never once regretted it.
While Song Wolun was relentlessly digging through every lead, he heard a strange story from Geum Sochil, the youngest patrol officer at the county office.
The man in charge of the wagons used to transport prisoners was the only person who hadn’t been punished during the office’s upheaval.
As a newcomer, he had never taken a single bribe.
When he had been questioned by investigators sent from above, he had overheard the senior constables and officers talking before their own interrogations.
They had said the real culprits were a young man and woman with the surname Dan who had been brought in and demanded the officers’ release.
And Geum Sochil’s testimony matched the name of the last person recorded in the prisoner log—Dan Seoyeon.
Moreover, there was no record of them ever being punished.
It meant someone had taken them out of prison without a trial.
After further investigation, Song Wolun discovered that the woman named Dan Seoyeon was the daughter of the Dan family, owners of a long-established silk shop in Hangzhou.
That was it.
The investigation was complete.
People who had violated the Gwan-Mu Bulgachim and yet received no punishment.
They were almost certainly connected to the Dan family.
It was time to deliver justice.
While he had circumstantial evidence, he still lacked physical proof.
So Song Wolun took five patrol officers with him and headed for the Dan Manor.
Knock. Knock.
The sound of rapping on the gate echoed, and shortly after, a man opened the door.
He stood at a slant, swept his gaze over the five officers, and spoke with a sullen expression.
“Judging by your clothes, you must be the magistrate. What brings you to the Dan Manor?”
It was phrased with some semblance of politeness, but the tone was distinctly unpleasant.
Who does this bastard think he is, talking like that?
Song Wolun maintained a facade of patience and studied the man carefully.
A face as pale and handsome as a courtesan’s.
It matched one of the faces he had seen during his investigation.
This must be Yu Sucheon!
He already knew from his inquiries that the man had taken up residence at the Dan Manor.
Though he still didn’t understand why.
Song Wolun said, “Ahem. I’ve come to see the older brother of Dan Seoyeon.”
“He’s not here right now.”
“When might I be able to meet him?”
“I wouldn’t know. It’s not like I can ask every time he’s home, now is it?”
Yu Sucheon grabbed the main gate and tried to slam it shut with force.
Song Wolun quickly reached out and stopped him.
“Would it be possible to wait inside?”
“He might not be back until tomorrow or the day after. You still want to wait?”
Still polite in wording, but the attitude was completely crooked.
Song Wolun realized the man was walking a tightrope along the line of the Gwan-Mu Bulgachim, cleverly avoiding crossing it outright.
This damn bastard…
Yu Sucheon moved to close the gate again.
At that moment, another hand caught the gate.
The owner of that hand, Dan Hyunwoo, opened it once more and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Ah… You were home? I thought you had gone out…”
Yu Sucheon looked off into the air, avoiding eye contact.
There was no way a martial artist like him wouldn’t have noticed people approaching.
To tell such a blatant lie without even changing expression—like a professional swindler.
The eldest son of the Dan family is standing right here, and this bastard says he’s not home?
Stop being a pain in the ass and get lost already, you son of a bitch. What the hell are you here to leech off of us for? County office bastards, every last one of them! Tsk.
Yu Sucheon’s eyes asked, You gonna back down first? while Song Wolun shot back with a glare that said, You first.
The two engaged in a fierce, silent battle of expressions, careful not to violate the Non-Aggression Pact.
In the end, Dan Hyunwoo stepped between them.
“Please, come in.”
“Ahem! Thank you for welcoming me even though I came without notice.”
Song Wolun offered a polite greeting.
He planned to make a good first impression, then stab them in the back later once he found evidence.
In the room Dan Hyunwoo led him to, seated before a tea table, Song Wolun finally had the chance to speak with the man alone.
A little strange.
Dan Hyunwoo’s first impression was unexpected.
Yu Sucheon had been handsome, but he couldn’t compare.
This man was so good-looking the term “noble young master” fit him perfectly.
And for some reason, he felt familiar.
They were meeting for the first time, yet he had a strange sense of déjà vu, as if they had met somewhere before.
Have we met?
He tried to recall, but nothing came to mind.
For some unknown reason, the familiar feeling made Song Wolun uncomfortable.
“What brings the magistrate to the Dan Manor?”
“Ah! My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
Song Wolun quickly returned to reality and remembered why he had come.
He hesitated briefly, wondering if he should ease into it, but ultimately decided on a direct strike against the eldest son of the Dan family.
“What do you think of the Gwan-Mu Bulgachim? Don’t you believe those who violate it should be punished?”
If you can dodge, go ahead and try. I already know you’re the culprit. Song Wolun smiled with that thought in mind. But Dan Hyunwoo answered calmly, without the slightest change in expression.
“Between the government, the martial world, and the common people—which one takes priority?”
“Hmm?”
Answering a question with another question? Song Wolun crossed his arms, thought for a moment, then replied.
“All three are subjects of His Majesty the Emperor. So I would say none takes priority over the others.”
“A correct answer. In that case, I will respond to the magistrate’s question like this. If the government was tormenting the common people and the martial world stepped in to protect them, wouldn’t that simply be fellow subjects helping one another? Or is it right to turn a blind eye to the tears they shed, comforting ourselves with the fact that we didn’t break the treaty while the common people suffered during the period of non-aggression between government and martial artists?”
“……?!”
His lips trembled.
He couldn’t find a single word to respond to Dan Hyunwoo’s question, which had begun like some kind of Zen riddle.
The man’s words had pierced straight through his heart.
That’s right.
The eldest son of the Dan family was asking him—if the martial world had instead been the one tormenting the common people, would he, as a government official, have simply stood by and watched?
No. If it were me, I might have done the exact same thing.
He would have used any means necessary.
He himself was that kind of person.
Once he admitted it, he felt strangely refreshed.
Just like the man who had saved him that day, he too would walk the path of saving the common people without rest, day or night.
I have nothing more to say. I should withdraw for today.
Song Wolun rose without any lingering attachment.
“I was extremely rude on our first meeting. Please forgive my discourtesy.”
“I’ll see you out.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as he stepped outside the room, Yu Sucheon was standing there with a swagger, glaring at him.
Watching Song Wolun walk toward the main gate, Yu Sucheon made a sinister face and drew a finger across his throat in a slicing motion.
“Should I just… slit his throat?”
Thwack!
Dan Hyunwoo smacked the back of Yu Sucheon’s head hard.
“Ack!”
“Don’t.”
“Ughhh… That hurts! It hurts! But that… that bastard, didn’t he come here to get something out of us?”
“Even if he did, can’t you change that ‘kill first, ask questions later’ way of thinking?”
“Slitting throats is so much simpler. No loose ends either. Just bury the body properly and we’re done.”
“You used to be terrified of violating the Gwan-Mu Bulgachim. Have you changed your mind now?”
“That was scary when there was a chance of getting caught. If no one knows and they don’t know I’m the culprit, what does it matter?”
In truth, there was another reason. Even though it was known that he had violated the Non-Aggression Pact, he was still living comfortably. Because of that, Yu Sucheon’s gall bladder had swelled considerably compared to before.
Dan Hyunwoo said, “That man is fine.”
“How can you be sure? Bad guys always approach pretending to be good people at first.”
This guy is talking about himself like it’s someone else’s story.
Instead of answering, Dan Hyunwoo quietly stared at Song Wolun’s back as he left.
His eyes were filled with a mixture of longing and tenderness.
And then he smiled softly.
That young friend has grown up so well.
It had been about eight years ago.
A mountain village in the remote hills of Shanxi Province had been set ablaze.
It was a common occurrence—another bandit raid.
While carrying out a mission, he had changed course and rushed there.
He remembered running as fast as he could, hoping many had survived.
But all that remained was a single boy on the brink of death.
He had leaped between the trembling boy and the bandits, saving him.
Should he consider it fortunate that he had at least saved one?
At the time, he had blamed himself for his own powerlessness.
But seeing that boy return as a magistrate brought a fresh wave of emotion.
He hadn’t been powerless.
That boy had become an upright and excellent magistrate who cared deeply for the common people.
It seemed the trauma of being the sole survivor had made him rather rigid in personality.
But that was fine.
It was truly fine.
I no longer need to worry about the government side. From now on, Ungae County in Hangzhou will be governed by a good magistrate and become an even better place to live.
Dan Hyunwoo watched the magistrate leave through the main gate, then smacked the back of Yu Sucheon’s head once more.
Thwack!
“Don’t secretly grab your sword. And don’t even think about following the magistrate.”
* * *
As Song Wolun left the Dan Manor, he reflected on Dan Hyunwoo, whom he had just met.
“I can’t quite figure him out. The eldest son of the Dan family… There’s something mysterious and special about him.”
If not, he wouldn’t have been persuaded so easily.
But his suspicions had not yet been put to rest.
He had investigated the man beforehand.
His name, the fact that he had been away from home for a long time and only recently returned.
Suddenly, another comment Geum Sochil had overheard while being questioned came to mind.
They mentioned something about the Six-Horse Golden Plaque.
Geum Sochil had kept that story to himself.
It seemed even his dim brain instinctively understood that speaking of it would get him executed.
Still, after being threatened and intimidated, he had eventually spilled it.
If what Geum Sochil said is true, then Dan Hyunwoo is the one who possesses the Six-Horse Golden Plaque…
As the thought crossed his mind, he let out a small chuckle.
Why would someone holding the Six-Horse Golden Plaque be the son of a family that ran a silk shop?
Would they really be living in such a tiny estate with walls barely thirty meters long?
No.
He didn’t think so.
The Six-Horse Golden Plaque couldn’t possibly exist here.
And even if it did, Dan Hyunwoo couldn’t be its owner.
“Still, that Geum Sochil… the Six-Horse Golden Plaque? There’s a limit to spreading nonsense. I should throw him back into wagon duty for another two years so he can come to his senses.”