WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Memoir of a Regressor ◈

Chapter 5: Hierarchy

──────

The scheme devised by the two ladies had not included the opinions of their two sons, Yi Jeong and Yi Won at all.

Honestly, that was nothing unusual.

Though they took part in the clan's major and minor affairs, their opinions always ended up being one and the same as those of the two ladies.

In a sense, it could have been called rule from behind the curtain.

Then again, it also meant that the two men ultimately complied with the two ladies' wishes.

The two men had entered Myeongwolsan and were subjugating the bandits.

Eradicate them, root and branch.

Not even the roots could be left behind.

The plan was intended to make Yi Do's trading venture fail and isolate him even further within the clan, where he was already isolated.

That plan had fallen apart, but its underlying intent was no different from the two men competing for the position of Young Clan Head joining forces to attack the Yi Clan.

The matter had not yet reached the Clan Head's ears, but if Yi Se-geuk learned of it, the two men would undoubtedly find themselves in a very difficult position.

It had to be erased.

Of the two, Yi Won's behavior was a little strange.

A full day had passed since he had left Jangnyeong County for Myeongwolsan, yet he still wore an expression as though he were dreaming.

‘...What on earth happened to that guy?’

He could not make sense of it.

When Yi Do had grabbed his shoulder before they departed for Myeongwolsan, Yi Won had become a pitiful puppy cowering before a bear.

He could not understand it.

Yi Won had already reached the Qi Entry Realm and was on the verge of attaining the Circulation Realm.

It had been terrifying.

Even now, he could not forget the look in Yi Do's eyes.

It felt as though his life could end at any moment.

As though, if he failed to answer properly, his limbs would be torn apart right there.

‘...Something is very wrong.’

It was now certain that Yi Do had changed.

That meant he would clearly become a major obstacle to Yi Won becoming the Young Clan Head.

Several thoughts seeped into Yi Won's mind.

What if Yi Do had no interest in the position of Young Clan Head?

Yi Do's methods, the viciousness that made him seem like an entirely different person.

If he could make use of that, wouldn't Yi Do make the finest blade imaginable?

“Second Brother.”

Yi Won snapped back to his senses.

His eldest brother, covered head to toe in blood, was looking at him with a gentle expression.

“Get a grip. No matter how weak these bandits are, you could still get struck by a stray blade.”

His words sounded concerned, but that was not the impression Yi Won got.

He looked around. Leaving aside the corpses of hundreds of bandits, the Yi Clan's martial artists were watching them.

That was it.

Yi Jeong was conscious of those gazes. He approached Yi Won, placed a hand on his shoulder, and whispered quietly.

“I can only clean up your shit so many times. Get your head straight, you bastard. Did you come here for a picnic?”

“...Eldest Brother...”

“You fucking moron. I'd love to kill you, but that damned bloodline... Tsk.”

His tone was completely at odds with his gentle expression.

Yi Won stared blankly at Yi Jeong's retreating back.

That was the sort of man he was.

Two-faced, the classic type to bow before the strong and act endlessly tyrannical toward the weak.

He never hesitated to curse at or threaten anyone he considered beneath him in status or strength. Even his affairs with women were a complete mess. He had already gotten five courtesans pregnant.

Yi Won was certain of it.

If that bastard became the Yi Clan's next Clan Head, it would take no time at all for the Yi Clan to collapse.

Then, suddenly, Yi Do's words lingered in his mind.

‘For a secret to retain its value as a secret, shouldn't as few people as possible know it?’

Somehow, they struck him differently now.

If three people knew a certain truth, and two of them got their stories straight, what would happen to the remaining one?

In the end, would the words of the two who agreed with each other not become the truth?

“Second Brother, what are you doing? Why aren't you finishing up?”

Yi Won forced a smile.

It seemed he needed to speak with Yi Do as soon as they returned to the clan.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes.

A smile spread across my lips.

The rotting stench filling the room could not wipe it away.

My body felt incredibly refreshed. I lightly drew upon the energy in my dantian. It flowed through my meridians without obstruction.

Every trace of turbid qi that had accumulated within my meridians had clearly vanished.

In my previous life, I reached the Circulation Realm after my twenty-second birthday. Yet in this life, I had reached it at the mere age of seventeen.

It was tremendous progress.

I slowly got up. I threw away my rotten clothes, washed myself, and cut my long hair with a dagger.

Then I looked in the mirror.

I stood about six feet tall.

My once frail body had grown somewhat larger overall. I could not stop smiling.

That was when I heard a voice.

“Um... Young Master. Are you awake?”

I turned toward the sudden sound.

I did not know whose voice it was. It was likely a servant of the Yi Clan or a General Steward.

“What is it?”

“Um, well... The Clan Head urgently wishes to see you.”

“The Clan Head?”

The person who had barely sought me out in my previous life was now summoning me of his own accord.

Curiosity outweighed my annoyance.

So I headed straight to the Clan Head's Hall.

* * *

I raised my head.

I had expected a private audience, but it was not one.

The first wife and the second wife, along with my father, the Clan Head.

Behind them stood four elders, several General Stewards, and even the Grand Steward who oversaw them all.

The last time had only been a family meeting. This, though...

It resembled a hearing.

Yi Se-geuk, who had been pressing his temples as if he had a headache, let out a sigh.

“I believe you know full well why I summoned you here.”

I shook my head.

“I do not.”

“You do not?”

“Yes.”

I was entirely unruffled. Yi Se-geuk spoke.

“I heard you killed Chief Steward Jeong. With your fists, no less.”

So that was what this was about. He had only just heard? What a joke.

“Was that wrong?”

“That is why I summoned you. To learn the exact reason behind it.”

I stared at Yi Se-geuk, then looked at the two ladies standing on either side of him.

Hmm.

“Since you asked for a clear reason, I will tell you directly. Chief Steward Jeong stole my possessions.”

“He stole your possessions?”

“Yes. While I was away with the trading caravan, he cleaned my quarters without permission, stole the box of medicinal pills I had collected over the years, and brought it to my Second Brother.”

“So you are saying that your Second Brother ordered him to steal your belongings?”

I glanced at Lady Yun.

Her eyes trembled wildly, while Lady Sang, standing opposite her, wore a faint smile.

An interesting thought came to mind.

I cleared my throat and spoke.

“That is not the case. Chief Steward Jeong committed the crime on his own. My Second Brother merely held my possessions for a time, to see how many more treacherous servants like Chief Steward Jeong were lurking about. That is the full story.”

Lady Yun looked flustered, and Lady Sang frowned.

I had just made my Second Brother look good. Seen another way, it could look as though I, the third son, supported Yi Won, the second son.

They could interpret it that way.

Those two ladies must surely have hatched some scheme, but the trust between them was thinner than paper.

I ignored them and continued.

“Thanks to my Second Brother, I was able to kill a vermin within the clan that dared to forget its place and crawl upward. What a relief.”

“A relief? Yet you left his face beyond recognition. Our Yi Clan is not a clan that reveres the Demonic Way. There is such a thing as the Orthodox Path in this world. You went too far.”

“Clan Head, there are bound to be differing views on how a person ought to be killed, so I do not think there is any need to belabor that. Still, may your son say something about all this?”

“You wish to make your case? Very well. Go ahead.”

I shifted my gaze to the middle-aged man standing behind Yi Se-geuk and spoke.

“Since when has the Yi Clan's hierarchy fallen to such a miserable level?”

“...What?”

“A mere General Steward stole the belongings of a member of the Yi Clan's bloodline. A wretch lower than a slave dared to lay hands on the Yi Clan. Then why am I standing here? Shouldn't that Grand Steward over there be standing in my place?”

The Grand Steward was horrified.

I ignored him.

“I truly cannot understand it. Honestly, I fully understand that everyone in the clan, including my father, does not like me. Even so, am I not still blood of the Yi Clan? Whatever treatment you give me is another matter, but is it truly right to punish me for summarily executing the bastard who stole from a member of the clan's bloodline?”

“...”

“If you intend to punish someone, I believe you should punish the Grand Steward, who could not even properly train the General Stewards and servants under him. How incompetent and lacking in character must he be for those beneath him to dare covet their master's possessions? Fundamentally, this is a matter of hierarchy, so the Grand Stew...”

“Young Master. I have listened long enough, and I believe you are going too far.”

It was the Grand Steward.

Unable to endure any more, he interrupted me.

A gentle smile formed on my lips.

The Grand Steward slowly approached me. He descended the platform one step at a time, then finally stood before me and looked down at me.

“Let me make this clear once more. You are going too far. There are things one may say and things one may not. No matter what wrong Chief Steward Jeong committed, your actions were excessive. If you had simply told me, I would have punished him one way or another. Why did you do this?”

“I see now that I was definitely at fault.”

The Grand Steward let out a small laugh.

“It is fortunate that you have realized it, even if only now...”

“I should have killed you instead of Chief Steward Jeong.”

“...What?”

I could no longer be bothered to talk.

I immediately reached out and seized the Grand Steward by the throat. Though he was about half a foot taller than me, his body rose into the air.

No one in the Clan Head's Hall had time to react.

I tightened my grip.

Crunch!

His throat caved in.

That was not enough.

I drew back my right fist. My dantian stirred awake. Internal energy circulated through my meridians.

A faint white glow seeped into my right hand.

Then I thrust it forward.

Squelch-!!

My fist pierced straight through the Grand Steward's heart.

The Clan Head's Hall fell silent.

I pulled my fist out, then tossed the Grand Steward's body behind me.

Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

I spoke to one of the martial artists standing in the back.

“Go bury him in the hills.”

“...Y-Yes?”

“I said bury him beside Chief Steward Jeong. Let the wild dogs feed on them.”

The martial artist's mouth fell open.

I ignored him.

Turning back to Yi Se-geuk, I shook the blood from my hand and spoke calmly.

“I will say it once more. The clan's hierarchy is truly in a miserable state.”

“...”

“How could a mere Grand Steward dare interrupt a conversation between a Yi Clan father and son without permission? That would be impossible unless he had no regard for the Clan Head's authority. With someone like that serving as Grand Steward, it is no wonder those beneath him are of such a caliber.”

Footnotes:

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