WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 138: The Rear Waves of the Yangtze Push the Front Waves (12)
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“Provincial Governor, do we really need to make this so complicated?”
Incense burned in the room.
Yang Hoeam, the provincial governor of Yuezhou, sat in the empty chamber with his eyes closed.
No one was visible, yet a voice spoke.
“It’s the last time, anyway. Why not simply throw that Yeon brat into Dongting Lake or lock him in prison? The daughter of the Moyong Family is already dead.”
Yang Hoeam did not answer.
It was as though he wanted to enjoy the silence.
“Provincial Governor.”
Pressed by the bodiless voice, Yang Hoeam slowly opened his eyes. Irritation showed on his face.
“Do you not understand that I am being cautious precisely because it is the last time?”
“That is exactly why. Once Mid-Autumn Festival passes, it will all be over. What does it matter if we push ourselves a little? Things have already become noisy with Moyong Ha or whatever dead...”
“That’s the first problem!”
Yang Hoeam gritted his teeth, as though struggling to restrain his anger.
“That should never have happened. Why spill the blood of a treasured child from a prominent family for no reason?”
“It’s not as if we did it deliberately. That bitch snuck in on her own and brought wrath upon herself. What were we supposed to do? We nearly got ourselves into serious trouble too.”
“That is why. From the beginning... Tch. Forget it. In any case, it is not a good idea to touch Yeon Sowol now.”
“Why not? Set a trap under your august order, strike all at once, and arrest him.”
“I envy you. You can say something so foolish. How comfortable life must be when you know nothing and care about nothing.”
“...Then enlighten this ignorant fool.”
“Ruling people is difficult. The common people are ignorant, irreverent, and ungrateful.”
Yang Hoeam’s gaze wandered through the empty air, as though he were recalling old memories.
Then, as if he had found something, clear contempt filled his face.
“Even if I devoted decades to them, they would not remember it for long. They give themselves over to the mob mentality of the moment.”
“Mob mentality? You mean the martial arts tournament?”
“Exactly. Right now, Yeon Sowol is no different from an emperor in Yuezhou. If I oppress someone like that without good reason, do you think people will follow my orders?”
“Why does it matter whether those commoners follow you? So long as the generals and soldiers under your command do.”
“I say this because there are martial artists among those commoners.”
“Ah.”
“Yeon Sowol himself is no easy opponent. He is counted among Hunan’s Three Greats. If the other martial artists gathered in Yuezhou help such a master escape, there are too many variables. There is no guarantee we can catch him. Only my authority will be dragged through the mud. Despite all I have done for them, they will suspect me. They will try to judge me anew. They may even begin treating my orders lightly. Once authority collapses like that, it is not easily restored. Then the chance of ruining things at Mid-Autumn Festival will only grow.”
Yang Hoeam closed his eyes again.
“As you said, it is the last time anyway. If we get through this final stretch, it will all be over. I cannot take pointless risks at a time like this.”
“I see... So that is why you place such importance on the final day of the martial arts tournament. I thought you simply wanted to enjoy the final days of your official career.”
“What an impudent thing to say. Everything I do is necessary. Still, if I make good use of a justification, I should be able to impose strict control based on what I have built up so far.”
Yang Hoeam spoke as though sighing.
“I learned it all too late. That everything was futile. Great causes, loyalty, bringing peace to the people... I wasted the most precious years of my youth on such nonsense. I am sick of it now. I want to cast it all off as soon as possible.”
It was nearly a monologue, but the bodiless voice answered even that.
“It will be so soon, Provincial Governor. For both you and me.”
Yang Hoeam remained silent.
The voice did not speak again.
In the empty pavilion, curtains had been lowered to block all sides.
Only incense burned quietly over the still floor, its clear fragrance drifting through the room.
* * *
Yeon Sowol looked around the courtyard.
He took in every rumor and strange incident in Yuezhou, one by one.
Then he returned to the wooden board about the water raiders that he had seen first.
“Did something come to mind?”
Yeon Sowol nodded at Jin Geol’s question.
“You said Yang Hoeam wanted to finish the martial arts tournament and take control of Yuezhou. That he had shown everyone so much consideration, so now they should obey him.”
“I did.”
“He will declare war on the water raiders under that justification.”
“Yeah.”
This was a battle over justification.
With a justification, Yang Hoeam could not act carelessly against Yeon Sowol, and Yeon Sowol could not act carelessly against Yang Hoeam.
“Then we should use the water raiders too.”
“Oh...? How?”
“We’ll say that we intend to subjugate the water raiders as well.”
Jin Geol tilted his head.
“Won’t Yang Hoeam forbid that?”
“He will. But the justification changes depending on how we present it.”
What Yeon Sowol had thought of was not a clever scheme.
It was a stubborn, direct confrontation.
After all, that was what moved people’s hearts.
That was when it happened.
“Who is it?”
Creak.
The door opened.
The owner of the house, Gaseopmyeong, appeared.
“...”
“...”
Yeon Sowol and Jin Geol fell silent for a moment as they studied Gaseopmyeong.
Gaseopmyeong had spent night after night writing, and his complexion was terribly haggard. Even so, his eyes shone brightly.
The qi of nature slowly stirred.
It was a different kind of energy from what martial artists possessed.
Yeon Sowol could not take his eyes off Gaseopmyeong.
It felt somewhat like when he had first met Seo Myeongeum, the Governor-General of Liangguang.
Yet it was completely different.
If Seo Myeongeum cultivated his spirit through Nature Learning and, while seated, contemplated matters a thousand li away, Gaseopmyeong’s innate spirit was exceptionally powerful, allowing him to intuit all manner of events.
Even so, this was extraordinary.
‘So this is possible too.’
Yeon Sowol was deeply impressed.
“What?!”
Gaseopmyeong suddenly sprang up.
He blinked repeatedly.
“No. No??”
He vigorously rubbed his eyes.
Blink. Blink.
Then, with his mouth hanging open, he asked Yeon Sowol, “A-are you perhaps the Leader of the White-Robed League?”
Gaseopmyeong watched the martial arts tournament every day and wrote about it. There was no way he would fail to recognize Yeon Sowol.
Yeon Sowol cupped his fist and replied.
“I am Yeon Sowol of the Guangdong Martial Alliance.”
Gaseopmyeong trembled as if struck by lightning. He hurriedly straightened his clothes, clasped both hands, and gave a deep bow.
“I am Gaseopmyeong of Yuezhou. It is a tremendous honor to meet the Leader of the White-Robed League!”
Gaseopmyeong was an honest man.
His cheeks reddened, and his once-sunken eyes shone like a boy’s.
「He really likes you.」
Jin Geol teased him softly.
Yet the teasing soon turned to admiration for Gaseopmyeong.
「And yet he doesn’t look nervous or intimidated at all. This man is impressive.」
Yeon Sowol gave a small nod.
He certainly felt that this person could provide exactly the help they needed now.
Yeon Sowol smiled gently and was about to begin speaking.
Then...
“Ah.”
Gaseopmyeong flinched, his expression turning stiff.
He studied Yeon Sowol’s face closely and muttered, “You are tense. Determination. An extraordinary resolve, one that puts your life on the line... Anticipation, worry, anger, sorrow...”
“...”
Yeon Sowol was speechless.
Every emotion Gaseopmyeong had named was one he held at that very moment.
It was as if each word had sliced through the tangled threads in his heart and laid them bare.
‘Didn’t I smile calmly on the outside...?’
Could he read even what lay behind a fabricated expression?
Gaseopmyeong read even Yeon Sowol’s shock and flinched.
“Ah, I apologize. When I stay up all night writing, things I’m thinking in my head tend to spill out of my mouth. I can roughly guess what someone is feeling when I see their expression... So I did it without realizing. Um, anyway, you did not come here for an ordinary matter, did you?”
Yeon Sowol looked at Jin Geol.
Jin Geol looked back at Yeon Sowol.
「Even I didn’t expect this much.」
Even Jin Geol, who had found Gaseopmyeong, looked surprised.
As they needed to uncover what Yuezhou’s provincial governor Yang Hoeam was hiding, Gaseopmyeong’s talent could become their greatest trump card.
“So, what is it? Since it is none other than the Leader of the White-Robed League, I wish to help to the best of my ability.”
Yeon Sowol looked into Gaseopmyeong’s eyes.
They were clear.
His clear eyes revealed an upright, sincere character.
Yeon Sowol looked back at the courtyard.
A kind of map representing Yuezhou with gravel. Wooden boards placed throughout it, each recording noteworthy details about a location.
This was likely someone who had spent a lifetime searching for the truth behind stories drifting through the streets.
If he had been born in the twenty-first century, he would have become a reporter. The kind of real reporter found only in old stories, who would run even into a battlefield, see things with his own eyes, and write the truth without compromise.
How should he make a request of such a person?
How could he draw out everything that person had to offer...?
“Mr. Gaseopmyeong.”
“Yes.”
“I need all information about the Dongting Lake water raiders. I also need a document describing their crimes in as much detail as possible.”
“Ah!”
Gaseopmyeong’s face brightened.
Someone had shown interest in what he had diligently investigated alone. And that person was Yeon Sowol.
“I will write it at once!”
Yeon Sowol grabbed him as he tried to rush back into his room.
“Rumors alone will not be enough. It must be as close to the truth as possible, and I need reliable information. I intend to subjugate the water raiders.”
Gaseopmyeong’s expression suddenly darkened.
“Ah. I believe I have investigated the water raiders more deeply than anyone in Yuezhou, but... Even I do not have information at that level...”
Yeon Sowol added, “If you gather it, I will make sure you can verify everything the water raiders have done.”
“What?”
Gaseopmyeong froze.
He stiffly turned his head.
“You will let me... verify it?”
Yeon Sowol answered with conviction.
“Yes. Once the water raiders have been subjugated, I will show you everything there.”
!!!
Gaseopmyeong’s eyes blazed.
For someone who gathered scattered stories and clues from the world to piece together the whole picture, what could be more thrilling than the chance to confirm the truth in person?
“...This is not something I should do alone. I know gossipmongers who receive news quickly. I will gather them all and collect every piece of information about the water raiders!”
Only then did Yeon Sowol release Gaseopmyeong’s sleeve.
With Gaseopmyeong’s exceptional ability, along with the information network of people whose abilities he acknowledged, would they not be able to gather enough quality intelligence?
‘Enough to let me act recklessly once.’
Thinking of what he had to accomplish from now on, Yeon Sowol gritted his teeth and bowed his head.
“I am counting on you.”
“No! You made the right choice in seeking out Gaseopmyeong instead of anyone else! I will prove it!”
He nodded with a flushed face, then suddenly smiled.
“Still, the water raider problem has always given the provincial governor a headache. If Hero Yeon steps forward, the provincial governor will be very pleased.”
At those words, Yeon Sowol and Jin Geol wore awkward expressions.
“I don’t think so...”
“What?”
Gaseopmyeong tilted his head.
Footnotes:
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