Drawing the Line
The main street of a certain village in Yichang. Once again today, the sound of fighting rang out right on schedule.
"I refuse to back down today!"
"And what exactly will you do about it?!"
The merchants busy setting up their morning stalls glanced over out of pure habit.
"Hard at it again, I see."
"Well, would you look at that. Such diligent young men."
But it only lasted a moment. Everyone soon lost interest and went back to work. The sight had been repeating itself for a solid month now, and the merchants had long since given up on spectating; they simply tended to their own business. No matter how vicious the fights got — like blades might fly at any second — hardly anyone ever died or was seriously hurt. They all knew that neither the men of the Martial Arts Academy Association nor the Black Tiger Gang, never an honorable lot to begin with, would cross the line with one another.
"Teacher! Plenty of eyes watching!"
"Grrk! Next time you fall into my hands, I swear I won't let it slide!"
"You think I'm scared just because you say that? Nyahaha!"
Today's battle of nerves went to the Black Tiger Gang. The gang members basked in their victory with triumphant faces — for exactly a moment, before heaving long, weary sighs.
"Do we... have to do it again today?"
"Boss. If we don't, won't there be hell to pay?"
"Damn it all... Fine. Everyone, scatter!"
The gang members dispersed into the street.
Even as those fearsome-looking gang members came pouring into the street all at once, the merchants didn't shrink from them — if anything, they welcomed them.
"Well, if it isn't you lot! Welcome, welcome!"
"What is it this time? Got work for us or not? Out with it."
"Nothing today. You boys sure put in the hours."
"'Put in the hours,' my ass."
"By the way, about that chair you lot smashed during your scuffle the other day—"
"You rotten bastard! You had it and swore you didn't?! You wanna die?!"
The gang members made their rounds of the street, tidying up and handling every manner of menial chore. The merchants watched them with warm smiles and whispered among themselves.
"That Seo Mun-am lad has finally come to his senses. His father worried himself sick over that boy before he passed..."
"He only got that way from tagging along with Cheol-gun's crew too long. Remember what a bright kid he used to be?"
"That's true enough."
The merchants gossiped as though they knew every last detail about the gang. Which was only natural. Aside from a few outsiders, most of the Black Tiger Gang had been born and raised right here in Yichang.
"Goddamn it! Hell! Why am I even doing this!"
One such native son, Seo Mun-am, vented his fury in a stream of curses — even as he dutifully carried out the odd job a local merchant had asked of him.
"You doing that right or not? If this goes wrong, our whole crew is dead!"
"I'm doing it! But Boss! Is this right? All because of that bastard Cho-sam, what in the..."
"Watch your mouth, Mun-am, you little shit! Do you have any idea who stands behind Cho-sam?!"
Seo Mun-am's face went pale.
As if he didn't know. It was all because of that monster of a man.
"...Goddamn it."
Biting his lower lip, he set his broom sweeping.
Just then—
"Mun-am. Come here a moment."
Seo Mun-am flinched at what the local merchant suddenly held out to him.
"What's this, all of a sudden?"
"Rice cakes. You're working hard, so have some."
"Why would you give me these?"
"Because you're working hard, you rascal! I even rolled them in precious honey just for you! Eat them on the sly, got it?"
In a daze, Seo Mun-am accepted the rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves.
"Mun-am, I can't tell you how glad I am you've come back to your senses. It pained me to watch those martial academy fools strutting around, but thanks to you boys, I haven't had to bow and scrape in ages. Go on, eat up. Eat."
Seo Mun-am stared blankly at the merchants. Then his gaze dropped to the warm, pillowy rice cakes in his hand, and his lips pushed out into a pout.
"I'm only doing this because I was told to. Only because I was told to. Damn it."
Muttering, he crammed a whole rice cake into his mouth and chomped away. Then he got busy with his hands — even in spots no merchant had asked him to touch.
"...And so, operations are proceeding smoothly again this month."
Cheongun Martial Arts Academy. Cho-sam finished his report with brisk energy and looked to Jin Cheong-un.
"Hm. Running smoothly, are we. The number of troublemakers has dropped a lot lately, too."
"Th-that's right."
Cho-sam nodded for his life. Well, of course they weren't causing trouble. No — they didn't dare. Look what became of anyone who did.
"Mmph. Mmmph..."
"Ughk. Urrrgh."
"Grrrrrgh."
Dozens of Black Tiger gang members knelt with their foreheads pressed to the floor of the training grounds. Some among them had resisted. Some had been caught trying to flee. Some simply couldn't shake their old habit of preying on ordinary folk.
Some, you say? Then what was the rest of them guilty of?
Collective responsibility.
If even one man stepped out of line, Jin Cheong-un made the entire district share the punishment. No exceptions.
'That idiot! I told him to keep his mouth shut, no matter what the merchants said!'
'Just you wait till we get back, you good-for-nothing bastard!'
Astonishingly, the gang members didn't resent Jin Cheong-un. They resented the comrade who had caused the trouble.
You call yourselves men of the dark path — where's your pride, living like this?
Rather, one wanted to ask: how exactly were they supposed to mouth off in front of the madman who had fought the entire Black Tiger Gang single-handedly, swept away the gang leader and the Fierce Tiger Unit's warriors, and could command the Beggars' Union and the county officials alike like his own two hands?
"I can hear the gears turning over there. Someone must be feeling comfortable."
"...!"
"Hm. And here I thought I was speaking to someone. No answer, though."
The moment Jin Cheong-un made to rise from his chair, the Black Tiger gang members shrieked in a panic.
"We beg your forgiveness!!"
"It will not happen again!"
Only then did Jin Cheong-un settle back into his seat. He swept his gaze over them, wearing a wistful expression.
"Your Academy Master understands you."
"...?"
"You resent me now, I know. But in truth, I only wished to give you a chance. From the bottom of my heart."
Jin Cheong-un's voice grew impossibly earnest.
"There are, by nature, no bad people in this world. It is only that..."
He wagged his fist a few times as he finished:
"...they weren't beaten enough as children."
"...?"
"It all comes down to a proper education in one's youth. And how could an educator such as myself simply stand by and watch? Silent again, I see."
"Th-that's right...!"
"It is all a matter of mental fortitude. Until that fortitude takes root, this Academy Master shall teach you with the utmost devotion. I pray you come to understand the depth of my care."
"Yessir-!"
And off to one side, the Jeong siblings watched the entire spectacle with hollow eyes.
Watching the Black Tiger gang members sweat and groan, Jeong So-ryong turned to his sister.
"Sister. Is this right?"
"...I don't know either."
Their master had revived a sect of the dark path — and become the shadowy mastermind behind it. The thought that something here had gone deeply wrong simply would not stop.
And yet...
"...good outcomes are good, aren't they?"
That was what Jeong So-so decided to think. Honestly, it was rather satisfying, too. Without noticing it, she was well on her way to being assimilated into her master's ways.
"Hm. That should have drilled it into them."
By then Jin Cheong-un had wrapped up his business and turned back to Cho-sam.
"By the way, Cho-sam. Is that really everyone who won't listen? No need to spare my feelings."
"I-it seems word has gotten around, because everyone's been working hard. The mood has gotten a bit... odd lately, so I think that's part of it."
"Odd how?"
"I think the senior brothers are rather quietly enjoying it themselves."
"...!"
Jin Cheong-un flinched.
"What in the world kind of twisted taste is that..."
"N-no! Not the beatings! I meant that they've been getting along with the merchants and the villagers!"
A brief silence fell. Cho-sam fidgeted, then spoke.
"Um, Academy Master."
"Hm?"
"Might I ask you one thing?"
"Full of questions today, aren't we."
Cho-sam hastily ducked his head.
"F-forgive me."
"Forgive you for what, exactly?"
"Sir?"
Jin Cheong-un rested his chin on his hand and, watching the groaning Black Tiger gang members with indifference, said:
"There's a fine old saying — never be ashamed to ask, even of those beneath you. It's being embarrassed to ask, or berating the one who does, that's unmanly and petty."
"Oh..."
"I am a manly and magnanimous man. Ask to your heart's content."
The words left Cho-sam rather flustered. As for what came after — he would simply pretend he hadn't heard it.
Born and raised on the streets, he had spent his whole life learning the exact opposite.
Don't ask, just do as you're told. Why are you so damn curious? That's exactly why your parents threw you away.
Stammering, Cho-sam forced the question out.
"Why are you going about it this way?"
"Hm?"
"If you set your mind to it, couldn't you just beat them all down, like you did back when you crushed the Black Tiger Gang?"
Jin Cheong-un studied him for a long moment before answering.
"I could, yes."
"Then why don't you?"
"It just felt wrong, somehow."
"Sir?"
Jin Cheong-un yawned, smacked his lips, and went on.
"My old master once told me something. If you don't know the answer, draw a line within yourself — and hold nothing but that line."
Cho-sam turned the words over for a while, then asked:
"Are we inside that line?"
"I'm working on it."
"Is that why you've given us a chance?"
"A chance?"
"You seem somehow different, Academy Master, from the sort of people who only use us when they need us and throw us away after."
"Well, you're not wrong there."
Cho-sam scratched his head.
"I haven't had much schooling, so I can't explain it properly... but I think you're giving us a chance, Master."
At that, Jin Cheong-un regarded him in silence.
Even though the man's eyes were barely half-open in boredom, Cho-sam felt utterly seen through, and hunched his shoulders hard.
Jin Cheong-un turned his head back toward the Black Tiger gang members.
"It's because you're ignorant."
"...Sir?"
"You may have done wrong out of sheer ignorance, so the least I can do is teach you once. Well — I don't expect much. It's not as if people ever truly change."
"...?"
"And yet — so you lived as a street thug until yesterday. Does that mean you must live as one tomorrow, too?"
Somehow, Cho-sam had a feeling those words would stay with him for a long, long time.
"Cho-sam. Did you follow any of that?"
"Honestly, I don't know."
"Truth be told, neither do I. I just recited it to sound impressive. So stop asking."
"I see... Oh. Wait. Didn't you just say that asking is no wrongdoing?"
"..."
"Actually, there's one more thing I'm curious about..."
What was with all these questions? He'd only just said the words himself — he couldn't exactly take them back and order the boy to stop.
Jin Cheong-un hastily turned to the Black Tiger gang members, still prostrate on the floor.
"You've all had plenty of enlightenment by now. Rise!"
"R-Rise!"
The Black Tiger gang members scrambled to their feet, faces like the newly dead. Then their strength gave out entirely and they collapsed into a tangled heap atop one another — it was utter chaos.
"I'm letting this slide today for Cho-sam's sake, but know that there will be no next time."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Good. Everyone's dismissed. Off you go."
The Black Tiger gang members headed for the main gate, wearing the expressions of men who had, at long last, survived.
Just then—
BANG!
Before they could even make it outside, the gates of Cheongun Martial Arts Academy were flung open with a violent crash.
"Academy Master Jin! Come out here!"
"N-now, see here, Gun-ak. This is hardly the way—"
Another man came scrambling in behind, trying to talk him down. Jin Cheong-un's eyes went round.
What are those two doing here?
None other than Baek Gun-ak, vice president of the Martial Arts Academy Association, and Geum Tae-bang, chief bailiff of Yinghua Village.
"Geum Tae-bang, keep out of this! What business is it of yours, an official?"
"Just hear me out... hm?"
The two men bickered their way inside — then froze. Slowly, they looked around. In the dead silence, dozens of Black Tiger gang members met their eyes. Baek Gun-ak's gaze traveled past them — to Jin Cheong-un, standing behind.
Jin Cheong-un scratched his head.
"Hm."
Busted.
"I knew it! I knew this is what you were up to!"
"Now, now. Calm yourself!"
"Be quiet. Don't tell me you're on his side as well?"
The reception room of Cheongun Martial Arts Academy. Baek Gun-ak was glaring at Jin Cheong-un, his face boiling over.
After a moment's thought, Jin Cheong-un cleared his throat and declared with perfect confidence:
"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
"Those men just now! Those were Black Tiger gang members, were they not!"
"Oh, were they? I hadn't noticed."
Baek Gun-ak's expression went slack. Even Geum Tae-bang, who had been trying to talk him down, could only stare in a daze.
Wow. In all my years... I have never met anyone this shameless.
Baek Gun-ak ground his teeth.
"Don't tell me you mean to wriggle out of it. Well, I suppose with everything laid bare, that's the only card you have left to play."
Jin Cheong-un's cunning mind spun through one excuse after another. But he'd talked far too much already today — to the Black Tiger gang, to Cho-sam — and he was tired of it, bored of it, so he decided to condense things.
"So what?"
"...!"
"I'm telling you it wasn't me. What exactly do you plan to do about it?"
The mouth that had been raging moments before snapped shut. It was then that Geum Tae-bang hurriedly wedged himself into the conversation.
"Now, now — let's all take a breath."
"Come to think of it, Chief Bailiff Geum — what brings you all the way here?"
"W-well, this gentleman here asked me to mediate..."
Come to think of it, Geum Tae-bang was a White Horse Academy man himself. He must have leaned on that old connection to make the request.
"I'll come straight to the point. Master Jin, why not let your anger cool and bring this matter to a close here and now?"
"Hm."
"...What is it?"
"Tell me — is this, by any chance, some manner of backroom pressure? The kind applied through regional ties and school connections?"
At that lukewarm response, Geum Tae-bang's face drained white.
"N-no, nothing of the sort! I told you — I've only come to mediate!"
"Mediate?"
"Then hear me out. How about we do it this way?"
At what followed, Jin Cheong-un tilted his head.