WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 103: Hidden Weapons (1)
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Sa Mu-heo, one of the Six Stars of Heaven, lay in the holding cell as though dead.
Only an hour earlier, he had recalled the conversation he had shared with the Left Assistant Censor.
"So what do you want, brother?"
At Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang's question, Sa Mu-heo reined in his fury and resentment before answering coolly.
"I will repay this debt twice over."
Without O Mu-yang's help, Sa Mu-heo could not get through this situation.
The person before him was the final gambling piece he had been waiting for.
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang spoke with a satisfied look.
"I like that answer. If only you got rid of that pointless fire inside you, we could walk the same path whenever we pleased. Still, at least you can be reasoned with."
"I have two demands."
"That is quite a lot."
In truth, there was only one thing Sa Mu-heo wanted.
To escape Changcheon Martial Academy.
Yet leaving was impossible in his current state.
"First..."
"Naturally, you want to get out of here?"
"...Yes. And..."
"Your second demand is a way to quickly heal that ruined body of yours, is it not?"
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang stroked his beard and grinned as if to say, Was I right?
Sa Mu-heo snorted and shook his head.
"My body is not important. There is something more urgent."
"Something more urgent?"
"That bastard... We need to eliminate him."
"Him..."
"Mumu!"
Artifact or not, Mumu's monstrous strength, which defied all common sense, threatened to throw the Grand Plan within the academy completely off course.
Only by dealing with him for certain could they reduce the variables in the Grand Plan.
At Sa Mu-heo's request, Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang gave a small laugh.
"Your second request... It is already underway."
"What?"
* * *
'Brute force is not always the answer for dealing with troublesome enemies. This time, I will teach you a lesson.'
The stage for a spectacle had been prepared perfectly.
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang glanced somewhere to the side.
-Tap tap tap tap!
A Censorate official hurried through the gathered crowd, then dropped to one knee before O Mu-yang and reported with both hands clasped in salute.
"Left Assistant Censor, there is a serious problem!"
Everyone's attention turned to the Censorate official.
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang kept his expression calm as he asked, "What is this serious problem?"
"I-Inspector Censor No Ik-bong, who had been resting in his quarters, passed away after his injuries ruptured."
"What?"
O Mu-yang reacted as though shocked.
Naturally, that was not what they truly felt.
No Ik-bong's death had always been part of the plan.
'What?'
Beside O Mu-yang, Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong's expression hardened.
Was No Ik-bong not the Inspector Censor who had suffered severe injuries after trying to test Mumu's strength?
His sudden death was a disaster.
It could lead to misunderstandings.
'...They may think Mumu was responsible.'
No, they could force the situation in that direction.
Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong looked at Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang with troubled eyes.
Just as expected, O Mu-yang's face reddened with anger.
'I need to act first.'
Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong hurriedly performed a fist-and-palm salute.
"Left Assistant Censor, please restrain your anger for a moment. Something appears to be amiss. This official will immediately..."
"A Censorate official was killed by that cadet's hand! How can you speak of some problem now!"
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang cut Do Jeong-myeong off and shouted.
The surrounding crowd stirred at the accusation.
"What did they say?"
"A Censorate official was killed by a cadet?"
Hearing the murmurs, O Mu-yang smiled inwardly.
Some people thought strategy and schemes were simply a matter of how cleverly one could use their head.
But that was all nonsense.
'What matters is how well you create the situation, the momentum, and the board itself. That is strategy. That is an underhanded trick.'
This was exactly such a moment.
Their method was to use the situation and momentum to steer everything in the desired direction.
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang raised his voice and pointed at Mumu.
"This official knows little of Martial Arts, but after seeing Inspector Censor No Ik-bong's face and head split open by that cadet's hand, this official could not help but worry. Did the Academy Director and Vice-Master not clearly say there would be no problem?"
At O Mu-yang's forceful words, Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong's eyes narrowed.
When Do Jeong-myeong had examined No Ik-bong's injuries, they had clearly not been severe enough to endanger his life.
Yet No Ik-bong had suddenly died, and O Mu-yang was using it to push the atmosphere in this direction.
'There is something behind this.'
There was an ulterior motive.
If Do Jeong-myeong let himself be dragged along, they might fall into O Mu-yang's trap.
Still holding the salute, Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong spoke.
"Left Assistant Censor, please calm yourself and hear this official out. This official personally examined the late Inspector Censor No's condition. His injuries were not severe enough to put his life in danger..."
"No matter how dissatisfied you may be, how can the Academy Director of an academy resort to such manipulation to obstruct a Censorate investigation?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang looked at the official who had given the report.
"Tell the Academy Director who you are."
'What does that mean, tell them who you are?'
As Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong looked puzzled, the official gave a salute and spoke.
"Yes, Left Assistant Censor. This lowly official is Jong Gak, Chief Clerk of the Imperial Palace Medical Bureau assigned to the Censorate."
'The Medical Bureau!'
Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong frowned.
They had not expected the Imperial Palace Medical Bureau to be mobilized for the investigation.
A sixth-rank Chief Clerk was a renowned physician whose medical skill was guaranteed.
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang spoke to Jong Gak.
"Tell them. When you examined No Ik-bong's condition earlier, what did you say?"
"Inspector Censor No Ik-bong suffered damage to the Qinghui, Shangguan, Qubin, Xuanli, and Yangbai blood pressure points and chi in the head from a powerful impact to his face and head. I said that his life could be in danger."
"Did you hear that?"
Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong's brow furrowed further at O Mu-yang's words.
Though not physicians, most martial artists were more knowledgeable than ordinary people about the human body and blood pressure points and chi.
A master of Do Jeong-myeong's level, known as one of the Ten Great Masters of the Force of Justice, could determine the severity of an injury simply by sending ki through the body.
'They came prepared.'
Still, Do Jeong-myeong could not surpass a physician's authority.
It was far too convenient that the one making this crucial report was a physician.
That made it highly likely to be intentional.
The only purpose Do Jeong-myeong could infer was this.
'To resume the investigation, while gaining a pretext to pressure the academy.'
Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong understood Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang's aim.
Resuming the investigation had been O Mu-yang's goal from the beginning. Escalating the situation like this appeared to be an attempt to use Mumu as a scapegoat and suppress the academy.
'What a ruthless person.'
Academy Director Do Jeong-myeong clicked their tongue inwardly.
No matter the goal, sacrificing a fellow official like Inspector Censor No Ik-bong was truly ruthless.
"Can you still deny it?"
"Left Assistant Censor, if the Imperial Palace Medical Bureau's Chief Clerk examined him, then naturally there is little chance of a misdiagnosis. But at the time, the Vice-Master and this official personally..."
"There is no need for that. This matter cannot be overlooked."
"...What do you mean?"
"A Censorate official who received the nation's stipend has died. How can this be allowed to pass? Censorate officials, listen well. Arrest that cadet for the murder of Inspector Censor No Ik-bong."
"Yes, sir!"
-Shing! Shing!
The moment O Mu-yang finished speaking, the Censorate officials drew their weapons as if they had been waiting for the order.
The armed officials moved to surround Mumu.
Then Yu Jin-sung, Mumu's adopted older brother and an Inspector Censor, hurried before the Left Assistant Censor, dropped to one knee, and called out with both hands clasped in salute.
"Left Assistant Censor, please stop for a moment!"
"Inspector Censor Yu, what are you asking me to stop?"
"I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I also examined Inspector Censor No Ik-bong's condition at the time. But his injuries were not severe enough to..."
"Hah! How can someone who receives an imperial salary defend a criminal simply because he is a brother from the same family!"
Yu Jin-sung was momentarily left speechless by Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang's rebuke.
It was because Yu had realized this was a trap.
'Was this what they wanted?'
Yu Jin-sung had expected this investigation to have a purpose.
Yu had remained as vigilant as possible to avoid falling for hidden moves, yet O Mu-yang had built the situation like this. O Mu-yang was a frightening person.
If Yu tried to protect Mumu here, they would surely use it as a pretext.
But...
'I did not become an official for wealth and glory!'
Yu Jin-sung clasped both hands together again and raised their voice.
"I am not defending him. There may be little chance that Chief Clerk Gwak of the Imperial Palace Medical Bureau misdiagnosed him, but the Academy Director, the Vice-Master, and even I examined Inspector Censor No Ik-bong's condition. Someone may have done something to Inspector Censor No Ik-bong afterward!"
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang smiled inwardly at Yu Jin-sung's words.
As expected, Yu was a person of unbending principles.
By now, Yu might not have known O Mu-yang's true intentions, but Yu had surely realized O Mu-yang intended to use No Ik-bong's death as a pretext to handle many matters.
Yet Yu was willing to step forward despite the consequences.
'They are willing to sacrifice themselves for someone who is not even blood kin.'
If anything, that was something to be grateful for.
O Mu-yang had thought someone as clever as Yu would find a way to evade the situation, unless their real younger brother had been targeted.
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang opened their mouth.
"Inspector Censor No Ik-bong was guarded by Censorate officials. Who could have done something to him afterward?"
"That..."
Yu Jin-sung could not easily continue.
'It may have been someone within the Censorate.'
The moment Yu said that, Yu would be betraying the Censorate.
Yu could even be treated as an internal suspect.
The trap was far too obvious.
Time seemed to slow.
Yu Jin-sung looked at Mumu, who was being accused of murdering an official.
'Even if we are not connected by blood, you are my younger brother and a member of our family.'
If an older brother did not protect his younger brother, who would?
Yu Jin-sung opened their mouth.
"This..."
'Yes. Say it.'
Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang relished the moment inwardly.
The instant Yu claimed it could have been an inside job, O Mu-yang could tie Yu up in the matter as well.
That was when it happened.
"Please stop!"
Someone shouted.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
The person rushing through the crowd was none other than Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu.
Dan Pil-hu approached Yu Jin-sung's side and performed a fist-and-palm salute toward Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang.
Yu Jin-sung looked at Dan Pil-hu in confusion.
Without looking at Yu, Dan Pil-hu whispered, "Do not step into the mud. This sort of affair is this Vice-Master's specialty."
'!?'
What did that mean?
Before Yu could ask, Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu looked troubled as he addressed Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang.
"Left Assistant Censor, there is something I must tell you."
"It seems you have something to say, but step back. We are in the middle of arresting a murderer of a Censorate official."
"It is an urgent matter."
'Urgent? Hah.'
O Mu-yang scoffed inwardly.
Nothing could stop this situation now.
If Dan Pil-hu tried to restrain them through force, it would only provide an even better pretext to intervene.
Then Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu spoke.
"Left Assistant Censor, I hardly know how to say this. The Censorate officials guarding the quarters, along with Inspector Censor No Ik-bong, have all been murdered."
'!?'
-Murmur, murmur!
The crowd erupted.
Inspector Censor No Ik-bong was not the only one killed. Censorate officials had been murdered too?
Then it was not the murder of just one person.
At Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu's words, Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang's eyes sharpened.
'This... bastard!'
Dan Pil-hu had caught O Mu-yang completely off guard.
Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu wore an awkward, apologetic expression.
But Dan Pil-hu's eyes were nothing like that.
They stared straight at O Mu-yang.
* * *
Only a gak earlier, Secret Agent No. 6, who had been ordered to keep watch, came to the Vice-Master's office.
"Vice-Master, there is a problem."
"A problem?"
"It seems Inspector Censor No Ik-bong has passed away."
"What? Is that true?"
Dan Pil-hu's eyes narrowed.
If Inspector Censor No Ik-bong had died, there was no knowing what kind of trick the snake-like Left Assistant Censor would pull using it as a pretext.
The most obvious possibility was that O Mu-yang would target Mumu, who had injured No Ik-bong, as the murderer of an official.
"But something is strange. Even though Inspector Censor No Ik-bong died, the officials' reaction is indifferent. It is as though they expected it."
Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu's troubled expression changed at Secret Agent No. 6's words.
"Is that so? I see."
The corner of Dan Pil-hu's mouth rose sharply.
Secret Agent No. 6 was reminded of Dan Pil-hu from the shadow agency days, when schemes and intrigue had run rampant.
"What should I do?"
"Kill every official guarding the quarters."
"All of them?"
"Yes. If possible, make them die in a manner similar to that bastard No Ik-bong."
* * *
'Is it not only natural to answer dirty tricks with dirty tricks, Left Assistant Censor?'
Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu gave Left Assistant Censor O Mu-yang a meaningful look.
Footnotes:
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