WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 109: When Young, I Knew Not Sorrow's Taste (14)

──────

"What on earth did you bring? A beast?"

Won Huiseung shook his head at Yeon Sowol's question.

"First, take a look at what we found."

Thud. Thud.

Won Huiseung was about to take out the items he had brought with him. Yeon Sowol quickly cleared the piles of gift bundles from the desk and chairs, shoving them into a corner.

Won Huiseung looked curious.

"What's all that?"

"People kept giving me gifts..."

They had come from Yuezhou's influential figures and Jianghu martial artists of every sort.

Once he had cleared everything away, there was finally some room. Won Huiseung laid the items out on the table.

A military cap.

A military uniform.

Black leather boots.

They were horribly torn and battered, but they were unmistakably...

"Wait."

Yeon Sowol narrowed his eyes.

"Those are official robes?"

Won Huiseung nodded.

"Right. The kind martial officials wear. We found them with this jiangshi."

"A jiangshi?"

Before Yeon Sowol could fully grasp what that meant, Won Huiseung flung open a sack.

The damp stench of rot spread through Yeon Sowol's guest room. Beneath the sunlight pouring through the open window, something that defied the natural order was revealed.

Pale skin.

Hands and feet rotted in places.

An upper body severed from its lower half at the waist.

Yet its white eyes were wide open, and its limbs still flailed.

So Hye spoke quietly.

"Yes. A jiangshi. Something dead that cannot die, yet still lives. The evidence of the Demonic Path group Sister Moyong had been looking for."

Moyong Ha's eyes were fixed on the flailing jiangshi. She did not blink once.

So Hye glanced at her, then continued.

"The jiangshi was wearing a military cap, and we found these official robes nearby... We can tell that this person was a martial official in life. Of course, we still don't know whether the authorities are connected to the Demonic Path group or whether this person was simply an unlucky victim. Still, if we first investigate who this person was, we may find the next clue."

So Hye neatly summarized the situation.

Even though she had spoken at some length, Moyong Ha still had not blinked as she stared at the jiangshi.

Then a sigh-like murmur slipped past her lips.

"Dead... yet unable to die..."

At last, she blinked. Light returned to her eyes.

"This is a truly solid clue."

Still unable to take her eyes off the jiangshi, she continued.

"But as far as I know, beings like jiangshi contain baleful qi. Could we not use the qi itself as a clue, rather than only investigating this jiangshi's identity?"

So Hye nodded.

"That's right, Sister. But for that, we'd need help from a properly trained Daoist. I've learned alchemy, but I'm far removed from this sort of Daoist art. I'm worried, though. If we show this jiangshi too carelessly and word gets out, they might cover their tracks and go into hiding..."

Hearing that concern, Moyong Ha looked at Yeon Sowol.

"So we need the help of a trustworthy, properly trained Daoist whose identity we can verify?"

"Ah."

A face flashed through Yeon Sowol's mind.

* * *

The Huashan Sect was a prestigious major sect counted among the Nine Great Sects and One Gang. It was also a renowned Daoist temple.

Naturally, every disciple of the Huashan Sect was a properly trained Daoist.

Ha Jeop was no exception.

"..."

He did not speak.

Even when urgently summoned, he had meekly come after blinking and saying, "Ah, yes, yes..." But now, he studied the jiangshi with frost-cold eyes.

After examining it for a long while, he let out a long sigh.

"There is no doubt. This is a jiangshi created with a secret art of the Demonic Path. But it does not seem to have been made properly... I believe it was practice."

"Practice?"

"Yes. It feels like an experimental piece made while someone who had not created many jiangshi was studying and experimenting with the process..."

That was a strange thing to hear.

Yeon Sowol muttered, "An experiment? They experimented with a martial official's corpse?"

Even if the demonic practitioner who made this jiangshi had not personally killed the official, it was still an enormous incident.

People here placed great importance on treating the dead with respect. Exhuming a corpse to behead it, for example, was a punishment reserved for traitorous rebels.

So even if someone had obtained the body of a martial official who died by chance, turning it into a jiangshi was a horrific crime that was difficult to tolerate.

It would outrage Heaven and humanity to do that to an ordinary commoner's body. Yet they had done it to an official who had passed the civil service examination and received a certificate of passing before the imperial court?

It was an incident grave enough to warrant the mobilization of the imperial army.

And if they had killed the martial official themselves to make the jiangshi, that was even worse.

'They committed a crime like that just to experiment?'

Yeon Sowol found the whole situation deeply bizarre.

That was not all.

"And after all that, they left the jiangshi on some random island in Dongting Lake? Carelessly enough for passing merchants to see it and write it down in the Guide to Avoiding Danger?"

The others' faces stiffened at Yeon Sowol's words. The situation was clearly strange.

It was too careless.

As though they did not mind being discovered...

Moyong Ha stepped forward. Her dark irises stood out sharply against the clear whites of her widened eyes as she addressed Ha Jeop.

"Young Hero Ha Jeop. I'll be honest. We suspect the authorities."

Ha Jeop's eyes widened.

"The, the authorities?"

"Yes. We asked you here because we wish to use this jiangshi as a clue to confirm whether they are connected. We wondered if there might be a Daoist art that could help."

Sunlight pouring through the window lit Moyong Ha's cloudlike hair in layers. Her gleaming side locks, red lips, and white teeth made her look like a beauty from a painting, yet she now carried the imposing air of an immortal from the heavens, overwhelming everyone present.

Emotion churned in her eyes more deeply than ever.

Ha Jeop shrank back, avoiding her gaze as he nodded.

"There, there is a way..."

He placed his hand over the jiangshi.

The jiangshi flopped about like a fish on a cutting board.

"Jiangshi... are made by binding the corpse with the will to return home, then pouring special baleful qi into it, refined to keep it moving even after death. Various medicines are also used, but... at their core, a jiangshi is founded upon two things: a lingering will and wicked qi."

Ha Jeop slowly closed his eyes as if feeling the qi within the jiangshi.

"This wicked qi stirs when its own kind is nearby. In other words, if the jiangshi's qi fluctuates, we will know that something similar, or the culprit who created it, is nearby."

Moyong Ha's face brightened.

"Then..."

"B-but there is a problem."

Ha Jeop hesitantly lowered his head.

"The jiangshi was severed at the waist, and the will and qi dwelling in its body have scattered greatly. Even if we leave it as it is, in about a month they will disperse completely, and it will no longer move."

Won Huiseung sighed softly. Looking into the jiangshi's wide-open white eyes, he muttered.

"Perhaps that's fortunate, in its own way. But it will remain like that for a month..."

Ha Jeop glanced at him, then continued.

"At any rate, its qi has weakened that much, so even if its baleful qi stirs, it will be nearly impossible to detect. Unless one possesses an innate qi sense..."

Yeon Sowol raised his hand.

"I'll do it."

Ha Jeop's eyes widened.

"I'm confident in my qi sense."

Yeon Sowol truly was confident.

* * *

Ha Jeop performed a ritual called the Water-Fire Refining Rite on the jiangshi.

"It is a ritual that joins the qi of water and fire, purifies the soul, and sends it up to the high heavens."

They had taken this measure because it would be inconvenient to carry the jiangshi around if it kept wriggling. If they sent its soul to heaven first, it should no longer move.

Sure enough, after the Water-Fire Refining Rite, the jiangshi stopped flailing.

"Furthermore, since the jiangshi's will can no longer hold onto its qi, the subtle tremors of its baleful qi will become stronger. This should make it easier to detect."

Still, Ha Jeop's Water-Fire Refining Rite was only half a success.

"...Its eyes will not close."

Won Huiseung ran his palm over the jiangshi's eyes, but its lids only stayed shut briefly before springing back open.

Cloudy gray pupils rolled from side to side within its white eyes.

Ha Jeop lowered his head.

"It is... because I am lacking. Releasing a will can only be done with one's own sincere heart... My heart was not sincere enough... Still, the baleful qi itself should react more sensitively... probably..."

Watching Ha Jeop mumble in a voice that kept growing quieter, Yeon Sowol had to swallow the question that suddenly came to mind.

'Why was his heart not sincere enough?'

Then Yeon Sowol flinched at his own thought.

'...Father.'

What on earth had Yi Yubaek left behind in him?

In any case, they had failed to put the jiangshi completely at rest, but their preparations were finished.

There were still about two hours until sunset. It was a little late, but that was fine.

Yeon Sowol brought over a wrapping cloth and tightly bound the jiangshi in it. The jiangshi only rolled its eyes and remained still.

Once it was all wrapped up, it looked like an ordinary bundle of luggage.

Yeon Sowol casually picked it up and took the lead.

"Then let's go find out how deeply the authorities are involved in this."

So Hye asked worriedly, "What if... the authorities are connected?"

Yeon Sowol and Moyong Ha exchanged a brief look.

They answered at the same time.

"Then we expose it and set it right."

"Then they must answer for their crimes."

* * *

Outside the Yuezhou government office.

Five young martial arts experts stared silently at the government office gates.

⌜Sowol. Any reaction?⌟

Yeon Sowol shook his head at Moyong Ha's voice transmission.

He frowned and observed the movement of the jiangshi's baleful qi within the bundle, but he felt no change.

"I think we need to go inside."

Moyong Ha nodded and stepped forward. They had already discussed how they should act in a situation like this.

The guard who had been wary of the five of them tightened his grip on his spear.

"What brings you here?"

"I am Ha, daughter of the Moyong Family of Liaoning. I was present when we captured the bandit who had been using people for his own private ends."

"Ah, Young Lady Moyong. We have heard about the White-Robed League's deeds. That damned old bastard Jeon, treating those poor people that way... At any rate, this honored guest from Liaoning has done something truly great."

A smile touched the guard's fierce face. His wariness faded, and his grip on the spear loosened.

Upon hearing Moyong Ha's identity, he even became deferential.

Moyong Ha smiled softly.

"I only did what had to be done. In any case, I came because I was curious about how the bandit captured at that time was dealt with."

"Yes. I shall send word inside."

Not long afterward, they were able to enter with an official who had come to guide them.

They saw the prison where the vicious Jeon, who had used people as slaves, was being held. They were also told that he would rot in prison for the rest of his life while performing hard labor.

When they asked how the people harmed by Jeon would be handled, the answer came back that their taxes would be reduced for around three years. They were even able to meet the person responsible for the administrative work.

⌜Sowol. How is it?⌟

Yeon Sowol shook his head.

They followed the official around the government office, but the jiangshi's qi still did not move.

⌜Hmm. We have come all the way inside the government office...⌟

Listening to Moyong Ha's voice transmission, Yeon Sowol looked up. The tall halls of the Yuezhou government office stretched on in a line.

Yet Yeon Sowol's group had only looked around the outer areas.

'We need to get deeper inside...'

But the deeper sections of a government office were not open to just anyone.

'Then I need to come up with an important matter.'

An idea came to him on the spot.

It needed to be something consequential enough to guarantee a meeting with a high-ranking figure in the Yuezhou government office, while also being the most fitting matter for Yeon Sowol to raise right now.

He met the gaze of the official who had been guiding them.

The lower eighth-rank official wore a generous smile full of goodwill as he asked Yeon Sowol, "Is there anything else you need? Just say the word."

Having made up his mind, Yeon Sowol answered.

"The people who were taken away by that vicious Jeon and freed this time."

"It is truly pitiful..."

"Yes. So I thought about what I could do for them."

"Hm?"

"I intend to hold a martial arts tournament in Yuezhou. A grand one. We will sell food to the spectators, allow wagers, and use the profits to ease their pain from the past few years, even if only a little."

"That..."

The official's eyes widened.

Though Yeon Sowol had said it casually, every word carried such weight that the official could not decide where to begin objecting.

His mind raced.

'A martial arts tournament? Jianghu martial artists in Yuezhou?'

That alone would be no small disturbance. Armed martial artists would be gathering in one place.

From the government's standpoint, that could not help but be a tense matter. And on top of that...

'Spectators too?'

They wanted to sell food and allow wagering?

Then where would they find the space?

Since this was no ordinary spectacle, people would crowd in and create chaos. How would they maintain order?

Even that was already more than he could handle.

But there was something else that truly made him uneasy.

'They say they are going to relieve the suffering of people who were wronged?'

The government had done little for them beyond reducing their taxes for three years.

Yet a commoner was stepping forward to aid them?

Depending on how one looked at it, the plan was no different from rebuking those above him. Even I, a commoner, am stepping up like this. What on earth are you doing, when you receive a salary to care for the people?

The official's face tightened with tension.

"Uh, well. This does not seem to be something I can handle at my level. I will report it to my superiors. Please wait in that building over there."

The official hurried away.

Moyong Ha watched his retreating back, then looked at Yeon Sowol with round eyes.

"A martial arts tournament? What are you talking about? How are you going to hold one...?"

This was the first she had heard of it. It could not be helped. Yeon Sowol had only just come up with the plan.

"I have an idea."

"Mm... But, Sowol, a martial arts tournament is not something that can be held so easily..."

Her concern was valid.

"I am a full sixth-rank Assistant Prefect."

Following the official who had returned in a hurry, Yeon Sowol's group went deeper into the government office. There, they met a full sixth-rank Assistant Prefect.

The man immediately expressed skepticism when he saw Yeon Sowol.

"I have heard of your noble intentions. But I worry that your words are beautiful yet empty. I know you have gained a measure of fame leading the White-Robed League. But can you truly hold a martial arts tournament? Costs are one matter, but you would need at least dozens of martial artists. Would they be willing to display their skills before others?"

That was true.

Jianghu martial artists were proud.

Unless great honor, reward, or inescapable pride was at stake, no one wanted to become a spectacle for others by competing in martial arts before a crowd.

That was what the full sixth-rank Assistant Prefect was asking.

Could Yeon Sowol create that kind of stage?

Yeon Sowol answered.

"I have received many gifts. It seems that most of the Jianghu seniors currently staying in Yuezhou thought well of the White-Robed League's actions, because they sent me gifts and invited me to meet them."

"Hm. I would expect so."

"I will refuse all those invitations."

"Hm?"

"And I will send replies saying that I will put every gift I have received toward a martial arts tournament for those who were wronged."

"..."

The Assistant Prefect narrowed his eyes.

"You are quite something, young man."

Yeon Sowol smiled.

Jianghu martial artists lived and died by face.

If a junior said that he would even put the gifts he had received toward helping the unfortunate, what should a senior do?

The Assistant Prefect sighed and stood.

"Those were not empty words. Then this matter is beyond my jurisdiction as well. Come with me. We must report this directly to the provincial governor."

⌜Sowol!⌟

Moyong Ha turned toward Yeon Sowol, her face bright. Yeon Sowol gave a small nod and followed behind the Assistant Prefect.

At last, toward the deepest part of the government office.

Step. Step.

The further in they went, the quieter their surroundings became. The bustle of officials at work gradually faded away.

A rich fragrance drifted over on the wind.

Hummm.

Yeon Sowol felt a fluctuation of qi from the bundle in his hand.

His face hardened.

The jiangshi's baleful qi was reacting.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried