WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 85: Doubt (1)
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Dusk had fallen.
A procession carrying torches crossed a hill on horseback.
At its head, two men rode side by side. Anyone could tell they were officials from their traveling official hats and blue robes.
The handsome, bearded official riding on the left, who looked to be in his late thirties, spoke first.
“We hurried here, so we should reach Changcheon Martial Academy tomorrow.”
The young man riding to his right nodded.
“Yes, Left Assistant Censor.”
The handsome, bearded official was O Mu-yang, the fourth-rank Left Assistant Censor of the Censorate.
The Left Assistant Censor was a position that could be considered an aide to the Censorate.
The young man beside him was...
“Inspector Censor Yu, it must feel unpleasant to be returning to your alma mater after so long because of such an unfortunate matter.”
“Not at all. The academy is in a difficult situation, so I am only grateful to be able to lend a hand, even in this small way.”
“Ha ha ha. Good. I am glad you see it that way.”
Inspector Censor.
His full title was seventh-rank Inspector Censor of the Censorate.
It was an official position that carried out inspections in provincial regions, ranking above a scribe.
The Inspector Censor’s name was Yu Jin-sung. He had graduated from Changcheon Martial Academy as the second-ranked cadet before entering officialdom, and was considered a promising talent even within the Censorate.
“Still, it is reassuring to have someone as familiar with the academy as you accompanying us.”
“No. Even if I am a graduate, things change every year. How could I possibly know everything? I will simply do my best.”
“Yes. That is the right attitude.”
O Mu-yang’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Yu Jin-sung, who had answered so firmly.
This investigation could, in a sense, turn Changcheon Martial Academy, Yu Jin-sung’s alma mater, upside down.
Yu Jin-sung spoke calmly, but O Mu-yang found himself wondering what the young man truly felt.
“Come to think of it, your younger brother entered Changcheon Martial Academy as a new cadet this year, did he not?”
“...Yes.”
For the first time, Yu Jin-sung’s answer came half a beat late.
The corner of O Mu-yang’s mouth curled up slightly.
So this one was human after all.
No matter how upright Yu Jin-sung was, to the point that people called him an iron man, his own younger brother had become caught up in this affair. Of course he would be worried.
“I look forward to meeting Inspector Censor Yu’s younger brother. He must be as gifted as you.”
“He is more talented than I am.”
“Oh? Is that so? Perhaps in three years, we may see your younger brother in the Censorate as well.”
“That is still uncertain.”
“You praise his talent, yet make no promises about his future. I see.”
“One can never know what will happen in life.”
O Mu-yang gave a small laugh at Yu Jin-sung’s reply.
The young man excelled in many ways, but he was also somewhat rigid, rarely saying things merely to flatter others.
That was why he suited the Censorate.
“Ah! But you do not have only one younger brother. I heard Scholar Yu took in an adopted son.”
Yu Jin-sung’s eyes turned strange at those words.
He had already heard that his father, Yu Yeop-kyung, had taken in an adopted son while in exile.
Yet after being dispatched to the provinces, he had not had a chance to meet the boy.
If he went to the academy, this would be their first meeting.
‘Was his name Mumu?’
* * *
Mumu and his friends had gathered in the dormitory dining hall for dinner.
The issue of whether he could remain at the academy had been settled during his private meeting with the Academy Director. Vice-Master Dan Pil-hu had also been cleared of the false accusation, so Mumu was in high spirits.
“Our Mumu must be in a good mood. Look at that mountain of rice.”
As Mo Il-hwa said, the rice in Mumu’s bowl rose above its rim like a stone pagoda.
Calling it the ultimate mountain of rice would not have been an exaggeration.
“It is not just the rice.”
Just as Hae Ryang said, Mumu’s side-dish bowl was piled high with meat.
It was enough for nearly ten people.
Mumu shoved rice into his mouth and spoke.
“I need to eat lots of meat too, or I’ll lose muscle. Munch munch.”
“Muscle loss again... Still, it is impressive that you can put away that much food without eating noisily.”
Surprisingly, Mumu did not eat greedily despite consuming so much.
It seemed Yu Yeop-kyung had properly taught him dining etiquette. Whenever he put food in his mouth, he kept his lips tightly closed and chewed at least thirty times.
Proper eating habits had become second nature to him.
“Oh, you are right. The two young masters do resemble each other at times like this.”
Hae Ryang looked back and forth between Mumu and Jin-hyeok.
Both ate with neat posture, so they did look rather alike.
“What?”
Jin-hyeok glanced sideways at Mumu and furrowed his brow, apparently bothered by the comment.
“Why are you so bothered by it?”
Mo Il-hwa giggled at the sight.
Whenever someone said he resembled Mumu, Jin-hyeok reacted like that. It was cute.
‘...Huh?’
Mo Il-hwa froze for a moment.
Why had she just thought that stiff, serious guy was cute?
‘Oh my goodness. Have I gone mad? What is wrong with me lately?’
This was bad.
Yu Jin-sung was the only one for her, so why had she been acting like this lately?
Once she became aware of it, she found it difficult to look Jin-hyeok in the face.
Hae Ryang watched her with narrowed eyes.
‘Heh. Is that what this is?’
He was quick to notice things at times like this.
Recently, whenever Mo Il-hwa looked at Jin-hyeok, she had been fidgeting to herself. It seemed she had developed feelings for him.
‘Youth.’
It was quite a pleasant sight.
Jin-hyeok had Mo Il-hwa, while Mumu was quietly popular with older women.
Mumu himself had no interest at all, but Tang So-so openly showed her feelings, and a few female seniors seemed interested as well.
‘...That is all well and good, but when will youth come for me?’
His eyes suddenly began to sting.
As Mo Il-hwa continued fidgeting by herself, she abruptly changed the subject.
“Ahem. I heard the masters will be handling roll call for the time being, starting today.”
Jin-hyeok nodded.
“Yes. They cannot exactly make all these cadets sleep out on the streets. Until the arson case is fully resolved, the masters will probably take turns overseeing roll call.”
“I see. But Southern Blade Residence was badly burned, was it not?”
Southern Blade Residence was the only one of the four dormitories damaged by the arson.
No one had died, but the fire had spread the most there. Some rooms had been damaged by the flames, and around twenty percent of the cadets had shown breathing difficulties from the smoke.
“That is why the Southern Blade Residence cadets will likely be divided among the other three dormitories until repairs are complete.”
“It will be crowded.”
“Probably.”
“Ugh. More than half our classes are not being held, the dormitories are in a mess, and I do not understand why all these things had to happen at once when we started attending the academy. Nothing like this happened before.”
Mumu spoke through mouthfuls of food.
“That is all the more reason to eat properly and train hard, so you do not lose muscle.”
“...”
This guy’s brain really did seem to be made of muscle.
Mo Il-hwa set down her chopsticks and clicked her tongue.
Someone approached their table just then.
“Master Mumu.”
“Huh? Dorm head.”
It was Do Yang-woon, the dorm head of Northern Heaven Residence and the grandson of the Northern Heaven Fist Hero.
Everyone looked at him in confusion at his sudden appearance.
Do Yang-woon spoke to Mumu.
“Could you spare me a moment before returning to the dormitory?”
* * *
Do Yang-woon led Mumu toward the western side of the dormitory grounds.
Western Wind Residence stood in that direction.
Mumu asked Do Yang-woon, who walked ahead of him.
“So you need me to testify that you and Senior Gu Yang Seo-han had a martial match that night?”
“That is correct.”
That was Do Yang-woon’s request.
Mumu found it strange.
Gu Yang Seo-han had poisoned himself before their eyes, and then his entire body had melted away because of the Bone-Dissolving Powder inside him.
Yet Gu Yang Seo-han had been alive and well that night.
“Did you speak with Senior Gu Yang Seo-han, the one who was alive and well?”
“Not for long.”
“Why not?”
Do Yang-woon sighed at Mumu’s question.
“He said he was disappointed because I had asked him for a martial match and then avoided it. He would not even speak with me.”
Because of that, Do Yang-woon had been unable to have a proper conversation.
He wanted to explain the situation and find out what had happened.
“Did you ask him for a martial match first, Dorm head?”
“That is another mystery.”
“Huh?”
“Gu Yang Seo-han was the one who sent me a letter asking for a martial match.”
“Really?”
“Would I lie to Master Mumu about something like that?”
“Then you still have the letter?”
“...It disappeared.”
“It disappeared?”
Do Yang-woon was troubled by that as well.
Because of the internal injuries and fractures he had suffered the previous night, he had spent the night in the infirmary.
When he woke, the letter from Gu Yang Seo-han that he had kept in his clothes was gone.
He had searched the infirmary and asked the physician, but the staff said they had never touched his belongings. There was nothing he could do.
“Then there is no proof that Senior Gu Yang Seo-han asked you for a martial match first.”
“Yes. That is why something has been troubling me.”
“What is it?”
“That... I will explain later. It is not certain yet, so it is difficult to reach a conclusion.”
‘...Perhaps this was planned. Senior Sister Hong’s case too.’
Do Yang-woon hoped his suspicions were wrong.
If his guess was right, this was not simply a series of coincidences.
They soon arrived at a garden near Western Wind Residence.
A man and a woman were waiting there.
They were the Gu Yang Seo-han and Gu Yang Seo-rin siblings.
“You?”
Gu Yang Seo-han spotted Mumu and Do Yang-woon entering the garden, frowned, and looked at his twin sister, Gu Yang Seo-rin.
She had said she had found a man who would be exactly to their grandfather’s liking and wanted to introduce him.
Gu Yang Seo-han had come reluctantly, or rather, because he had been extremely curious.
But this was not what he had expected.
“You tricked me.”
“I did not trick you.”
“How is that not tricking me? I am not in the mood to talk with that guy right now. I do not know what he asked you to do, but...”
“It is while we are at it.”
“What? While we are at it?”
“Look, they are coming. See that cute one?”
The person she pointed toward with a nod was Mumu.
Gu Yang Seo-han frowned when he saw him.
That was Mumu, the one who had captured the arsonist with his sister the previous night.
‘Was he the freakishly strong guy who passed the entrance examination without learning Martial Arts?’
No one at the academy was unaware of Mumu anymore.
It would not have been an exaggeration to call him famous.
“...Are you serious?”
Gu Yang Seo-han looked at his sister and asked.
Gu Yang Seo-rin was a cold beauty with enough allure to make several men cry, but she had never shown interest in any male cadets.
She had even said that she liked mature men and shown interest in Master Meok Chong-un, one of the Six Stars of Heaven.
“Of course I am serious. Have you ever seen me lie to you?”
Gu Yang Seo-han’s eyes narrowed.
‘That arrogant brat likes him?’
He could not understand it at all.
Mumu was a handsome boy, but he looked far removed from the type of real man Gu Yang Seo-rin always talked about.
“Even if your tastes have changed, do you think he will catch Grandfather’s eye?”
Mumu had not even learned Martial Arts.
Gu Yang Seo-rin’s lips curled upward.
“Who knows? He might be more than enough.”
The Mumu she had seen the previous night, soaked in blood and mercilessly slaughtering his enemies, had been the very embodiment of the manliness she had always wanted.
Of course, she could not tell Gu Yang Seo-han about it because she and Mumu had agreed to keep that night secret.
Gu Yang Seo-han clicked his tongue at her attitude.
Then he rose from his seat.
“Well, I will see for myself. Either way, whether it was while we were at it or not, you still tricked me.”
“So what are you going to do? Leave just like that?”
“I do not want to talk with that bastard right...”
“You should hear him out. As a dorm head, I do not want to associate with Do Yang-woon either, but what he said... was rather interesting.”
Gu Yang Seo-han looked puzzled at her suddenly serious tone.
What could Do Yang-woon possibly have told her that she found interesting?
“Seo-han.”
Do Yang-woon approached him as he was thinking.
Gu Yang Seo-han spoke irritably.
“I told you I did not want to talk with you for a while, and now you are even using Seo-rin to drag me here?”
“You are mistaken.”
“Mistaken? What am I mistaken about? You asked me for a martial match after so long, so I waited over an hour before leaving. How little must you think of me...”
“I received one too.”
“What?”
“I also received a letter from you before roll call that night, asking for a martial match.”
One of Gu Yang Seo-han’s eyebrows rose at Do Yang-woon’s words.
What was this guy talking about?
“What nonsense are you saying? You sent the letter first.”
“I never sent one.”
“Are you saying I cannot even recognize your handwriting? It was clearly sent by you...”
“Where is that letter?”
Gu Yang Seo-han frowned at Do Yang-woon’s question, then answered.
“I threw it away.”
“You threw it away?”
“Yes. You broke our promise to have a martial match, so I threw it away.”
Do Yang-woon asked in a doubtful tone.
“Did the letter not disappear rather than get thrown away?”
Gu Yang Seo-han’s eyes shook slightly.
Just as Do Yang-woon said, the letter he had left in his room had vanished overnight.
He had even been considering setting a trap with tracking incense, wondering what fool had dared to steal his belongings.
“You... how do you know that? Do not tell me you...”
“No. The letter I received from you also disappeared last night, while I was being treated in the infirmary.”
“Treated?”
Now that he looked, Do Yang-woon’s face was covered in bruises.
That was actually why Gu Yang Seo-han had been even angrier.
He had wondered who Do Yang-woon had fought with and ended up like that after asking him for a martial match.
“Who did you fight?”
There were not many cadets who could leave wounds on Do Yang-woon.
It would have to be a descendant of one of the same Four Immortal Masters, or a senior ranked among the top five in the third year.
Do Yang-woon let out a soft breath.
“You.”
“What?”
“You did this to me.”
Gu Yang Seo-han was dumbfounded.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I returned without even exchanging a single move with you.”
“That is why I brought Master Mumu here as a witness.”
“Master Mumu? You... Hah!”
Gu Yang Seo-han scoffed.
Gu Yang Seo-rin had already told him that Do Yang-woon called Mumu his master.
But he was actually calling a junior his master.
It made him newly ashamed that this fellow was his rival.
“Master Mumu.”
“Ah... I saw it too. In the Special-grade training hall, Senior fought Dorm head Do Yang-woon, and then tried to kill him.”
“What? I tried to kill him?”
Gu Yang Seo-han was beyond dumbfounded.
He had never even shown his face, so why would he try to kill this guy?
“Are you trying to joke with me right now?”
“This is not a joke. I clearly fought you, and I lost to your overwhelming martial prowess.”
“Well, that at least sounds believable, but I...”
“And after trying to kill me, you were defeated by Master Mumu here and killed yourself.”
“...”
Gu Yang Seo-han found himself speechless.
That was even more ridiculous than everything he had heard before.
Do Yang-woon continued.
“Your strength had risen so much that I could barely understand it, and I felt something was wrong from the moment you tried to kill me. But after seeing you alive and well despite having killed yourself, I am confused too.”
“Hey, Do Yang-woon! What kind of nonsense are you spewing? Why would I try to kill you and then attempt suicide?”
“I cannot understand this situation either. That is why I wanted to talk.”
“Hah!”
Gu Yang Seo-han found it impossible to accept this.
He wondered if Do Yang-woon was mocking him, but the man was speaking far too seriously.
“Hey, Do Yang-woon. Do you realize how incoherent you sound right now?”
“Incoherent?”
“Yes. It makes no sense that I tried to kill you in the first place, but you are saying I overwhelmingly defeated you, only to lose to this kid?”
Gu Yang Seo-han pointed at Mumu.
Do Yang-woon asked in confusion.
“What is incoherent about that?”
“You think it makes sense that I, whose strength rose enough to defeat you with ease, would lose to this kid and kill myself?”
“Setting aside the suicide, why does the first part not make sense?”
“...”
Gu Yang Seo-han’s eyes narrowed at Do Yang-woon’s reaction.
Was this guy serious?
From that reaction, Do Yang-woon seemed to think it was not strange at all for Mumu to defeat a version of Gu Yang Seo-han whose strength had risen so dramatically.
Gu Yang Seo-han scoffed and spoke to Gu Yang Seo-rin.
“You heard that, right? Do Yang-woon is joking with...”
“It is not a joke. Strength increase or not, you cannot beat Mumu.”
“What?”
“Did you not hear me? Unless you risk your life and throw every poison you have at him, you cannot beat Mumu.”
!?
Footnotes:
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