WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Oblivious

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◈ Murim in my Hometown ◈

Chapter 14: Gatekeeper

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“So you’re saying this is four kkeut? And you got six kkeut, Brother Bang?”

“That’s what I said. Turn it over.”

I flipped over the gambling tile in my right hand before Bang Join’s confident eyes.

“It’s nine kkeut?”

Bang Join’s eyes went wide.

“Huh? Why is it nine kkeut? Have you got something in your hand?”

Bang Join suddenly grabbed my wrist. When I showed him my empty palm, he scratched his head furiously, looking flustered.

“That can’t be right...”

I snickered, brushed off my palm, and stretched.

The technique Bang Join had proudly demonstrated just now was Tile Swap.

It was the first basic trick one learned when studying how to cheat with gambling tiles. You hid one tile in your palm, then secretly switched it out.

The key was to keep the hand as natural as possible while curling it only slightly to hold the hidden tile without being noticed.

The moment anyone noticed the unnatural look of a hand holding something, their wrist would be cut off.

Bang Join’s tile swapping skills were nowhere near good enough to fool even a blind drunk.

Even if Seochon’s gambling dens were a gamblers’ paradise that gathered every gullible fool in the world, there was no way such pathetic sleight of hand would work.

Since his hands were still intact, I suspected he had only practiced it and never actually used it at a gambling den.

Gamblers who talked a lot were usually cowards too.

Watching his clumsy trick gave me a petty idea. When he held out his pouch and told me to pick a tile, I secretly took a high tile and used the technique on him.

It had been years since I last held gambling tiles, but I could fool a half-baked gambler like him with my eyes closed.

Now that he knew his shortcomings, he ought to have shut himself away to train. Yet without realizing that I had extended his life a little, Bang Join shuffled the tiles again.

“Try it one more time. I think I made a mistake because I was nervous before. This time, I’m sure of it.”

I folded my arms and casually looked both inside and outside.

Even if a senior had pressured me into it, it would not look good to slack off on my first day.

Especially not right in front of the completely exposed main gate rather than at the lodgings.

I was considering saying I needed the privy and stepping away when I spotted two horses entering the alley in the distance.

“Brother Bang. There’s a carriage coming.”

“Huh?”

Bang Join quickly put the gambling tiles into his pouch and returned to his position.

“Guests are coming!”

When Bang Join shouted inside, a servant came running out.

The two-horse carriage moved slowly down the middle of the fairly wide alley as though it were in a procession.

“Make way!”

At the driver’s shout, pedestrians enjoying the night streets hurried to either side.

Since it was moving slowly, no one was struck by the horses.

The driver stopped before the main gate, tugged the reins, and shouted.

“Honored guests from Jeong Family Manor have arrived!”

“Please proceed directly to the main building.”

Escorted by the servant, the carriage passed through the main gate and stopped before the eight-story pavilion.

Someone got out from the far side of the carriage. The manager bowed at the waist to welcome the guest.

Once the carriage departed toward the stables, I could see the guest from behind.

He was a well-built middle-aged man dressed in silk.

A young martial artist who appeared to be his guard accompanied him, a sword hanging from his belt. His gait was steady, and the presence he gave off was quite sharp.

“That’s the lord of Jeong Family Manor. He’s an influential local notable who runs a large trading company in Hubei. He comes around twice a month to have some fun.”

“Hubei is at least two days away by carriage. He comes that often? Aren’t there plenty of famous pleasure houses in Hubei too?”

“Who knows? How are we supposed to understand the tastes of rich men?”

“I heard Yehyang’s pipa playing was famous. It seems that reputation wasn’t empty.”

“Well... it’s not that impressive.”

Bang Join absently fiddled with his gambling tiles, looking unimpressed.

“You’ve heard her play?”

“You hear it if you’re here. It’s nothing special. Maybe it’s different if you hear her right in front of you. This is a pleasure house, so they don’t provide bedchamber service, but what they do inside... Another one is coming. Guests are here!”

This time, it was a small carriage pulled by a single horse.

It was a cargo cart without any fancy decorations, with only a rough roof attached to keep off the rain.

“Great Hero Hoyeongeom and party have arrived.”

When the driver quietly announced the guests’ identities, the servant led them into the main building, seemingly because they had a reservation.

Three martial artists with swords on their backs got out of the carriage.

The black-clad martial artist with a stern expression, who looked around thirty, appeared to be Hoyeongeom. The other two were young ladies around my age, dressed in lightweight blue martial attire.

They too vanished into the eight-story pavilion behind the manager.

“Who is Hoyeongeom?”

Bang Join narrowed his eyes as he studied the group, then tilted his head.

“I don’t know. It’s an alias I’m hearing for the first time. They must be children of some martial family. What a fortunate life, coming to a pleasure house at that age. I don’t understand the hobby of bringing women to a pleasure house.”

After that, things quieted down.

Not many people visited a pleasure house in the early evening, not long after sunset.

The same boring stretch of duty continued.

Bang Join yawned on the other side of the open gate while habitually fiddling with gambling tiles in one hand.

Something came to mind, so I spoke.

“How long have you been with Yongcheon Escort Agency, Brother Bang?”

“Me? Let’s see... About three years.”

“You’ll be going on the Sichuan escort run next month, then?”

“Me? I’m not going.”

“I thought you were a full escort?”

Bang Join snorted and grinned.

“Hmph. If every escort went on escort runs, who would guard Simhyang Pavilion? Only three or four guards will be picked from those guarding this place.”

“If you’ve been there three years, you must have been there before Yongcheon Escort Agency came to Seochon.”

“I joined after they settled here, thanks to an older acquaintance. I worked myself to the bone for a while, then moved into security and immediately washed my hands of escort runs. I didn’t do it for long, but escort work doesn’t suit me at all. We all do it to make a living, but what are we, wandering souls who can’t rest in peace? Walking every day until your feet blister is no life for a person.”

Bang Join shuddered as though he did not even want to think about it.

“The chief head escort and head escorts ride horses, but escorts have to walk on their own two feet just like porters. This Sichuan escort run will be quite exhausting too. Do you know how treacherous Sichuan’s mountains are? There are many bandits, and the water is unfamiliar, so it’s easy to get an upset stomach. No matter what anyone says, home is best. Wander outside, and all you’ll gain is a death away from home...”

As I listened and gave the appropriate responses, not a word of it was wrong.

I too had once worked briefly as a guest escort for a small escort agency. I knew well enough how miserable escort runs could be.

Walking all day and sleeping outdoors in dangerous mountains were minor inconveniences.

The truly annoying part was the robbers after the escort goods, who could appear anytime and anywhere.

I was paid three taels of silver for accompanying an escort run as a guest escort from Jiangxi to Hunan, but we were ambushed seven times along the way.

One escort died, and two were injured. The mountain bandits and highwaymen I killed during those fights alone numbered three.

Even if Jiangxi and Hunan were territory of the Unorthodox Faction, this was excessive.

We had not even been transporting goods valuable enough to make anyone lose their mind.

The escort agency had simply been small and easy prey, so every bastard tried their luck.

Three taels of silver were nowhere near enough to make it worthwhile.

If I was going to spill blood to earn money anyway, I was far better off being hired as a wandering martial artist.

Yongcheon Escort Agency would not be any different.

Many people targeted large escort runs too. Even the mountain bandits who normally collected passage fees and let travelers pass safely might change their minds.

Yongcheon Escort Agency held enough influence in Seochon that no one dared provoke it easily, but things would be different once it left town.

At times like that, the only people one could trust were comrades who worked well together.

That was why they were gathering as many proven escorts as they could.

It was true that guarding Simhyang Pavilion would not involve meeting the guests.

More carriages came to Simhyang Pavilion as night deepened, but I could not even catch a glimpse of who rode inside. Every one of them passed through the main gate and headed straight for the main building.

Seochon’s night streets outside the alley were crowded with people who had come to drink.

Though Seochon lay outside the city walls and had no curfew, constables still patrolled.

They only made a round near Simhyang Pavilion, making sure people saw them before leaving. It seemed the government truly was keeping an eye on the place.

“Do you hear it?”

Bang Join called to me quietly and gestured toward the pavilion.

Lively laughter never ceased from the brightly lit main building, from the first floor to the eighth.

Whenever the laughter and conversation briefly died down, the soft sound of a pipa filled the silence without making it uncomfortable.

After listening carefully for a while, I asked Bang Join.

“Is that Yehyang playing?”

“Obviously. There are several courtesans at Simhyang Pavilion, but when honored guests want to hear a pipa, Yehyang is the only one they ask for.”

Perhaps my expectations had been too high. I found it somewhat disappointing.

The main gate of Simhyang Pavilion was not a place where one could properly appreciate Yehyang’s skill.

It was more than ten jang from the main building, with walls and windows in the way, and the sound was buried beneath laughter.

If she had truly been a master of the pipa, she would have played with such skill that it pierced through these poor conditions like an awl through a pocket and made one’s ears perk up. Yehyang did not seem to be at that level.

Still, the melody had considerable charm.

At times it was splendid, at times simple, and somehow faintly lonely.

* * *

The music and laughter that grew louder as night deepened gradually faded, only falling silent near dawn.

The guests who had arrived by carriage also departed by carriage.

A languid silence settled both inside and outside the walls as the gray light of dawn appeared.

My first night shift was finally nearing its end.

I changed shifts with the day team, who arrived on time, then changed clothes at the lodgings.

Jo Gyeongjik was not there. Since I had nothing in particular to report, I simply left Simhyang Pavilion.

Shops and inns along the street outside the alley were beginning to open one by one, but no one was passing by.

I left town under the morning sunlight, which was already fairly harsh.

It had been a long time since I stayed up all night, but I was not very tired. The shift had been boringly peaceful, and I had eaten a filling late-night meal halfway through.

The pay was a little stingy, but it was easier on both body and mind than living as a blade-for-hire.

Still, as I told the chief head escort, I should quit at the end of this year.

Living with day and night reversed was not something one could do for long. The same went for acting like a watchdog.

The moment I returned home, I covered the window with a blanket to block the sunlight and lay down.

I rose after noon, stretched lazily, and gulped down cold water.

Chewing tough jerky, I went out into the courtyard and swung my bamboo staff in circles to loosen up until I fully woke up.

I lay on the wooden porch to cool off, eased my hunger with dry rations, then practiced the Nameless Saber Art again.

Late in the afternoon, I fastened my willow-leaf saber at the back of my waist. The sunlight was still strong, so I put on a bamboo rain hat and left home.

When I stopped by Pungcheon Inn, Gusam asked as he served the food.

“Great Hero, did you see Yehyang?”

“No.”

As I picked up my chopsticks, several meat dumplings I had not ordered slid onto my plate.

When I stared at them, Gusam glanced toward the kitchen and lowered his voice meaningfully.

“Please don’t forget me.”

I looked between Gusam’s blazing eyes and the dumplings, then snickered and picked one up.

Guarding the entrance to Simhyang Pavilion was boring, but not dangerous.

Since every guest traveled by carriage, there was no trouble from drunkards.

Even Black Night Gang lackeys and local ruffians did not dare come near, perhaps because they feared Yongcheon Escort Agency and the officials.

After working without incident for several days, Jo Gyeongjik, the chief of security, summoned me on the fifth day.

“Is the work manageable?”

“It is.”

“The escort you work with is Bang Join?”

“Yes.”

Jo Gyeongjik closed his mouth for a moment, then asked in a low voice.

“Is that bastard still playing with gambling tiles during his shift?”

I remained silent.

It did not seem to be a rare occurrence, and it did not seem as though he was asking because he did not know. If he already knew without being told, it was best to keep quiet.

“Don’t get tempted and fill your head with nonsense. One out of every three people who die in Seochon’s back alleys is a gambler. That bastard won’t live out his natural lifespan... Huuuu.”

Jo Gyeongjik let his words trail off with a deep sigh and shook his head. After calming himself, he spoke again.

“Today, some very important guests have reserved all of Simhyang Pavilion. The Prefectural Magistrate will be coming too. There must not be even the slightest negligence in guarding the main gate. If that Bang Join bastard takes out gambling tiles without coming to his senses, tell him I ordered it and kick him in the ass. Understood? Then report to me immediately.”

I wondered why he was saying this to me instead of telling Bang Join directly, but judging by his expression, he seemed to have already called Bang Join in and given him a thorough warning.

Even so, he did not seem reassured.

“I will.”

I headed for the main gate, passing servants who were sweeping more diligently than usual and bustling about.

Bang Join stood empty-handed, apparently because he had truly been scolded.

He wore a gloomy expression, fidgeting with hands that felt empty without gambling tiles. When he saw me, he quickly came over to speak.

“Did you hear Simhyang Pavilion has been rented out today?”

“Did the Prefectural Magistrate have a late-in-life child?”

“Huh? Haha, if that were the case, would he rent a pleasure house like this? He’d throw a feast at his own home. The star of Simhyang Pavilion tonight is not the Prefectural Magistrate. It’s a young Confucian scholar from Hubei.”

“A Confucian scholar?”

Bang Join had somehow even learned the scholar’s name.

“They say his name is Yi Yunjae. Most Confucian scholars are pale-faced men with nothing but knowledge in their heads, but this fellow is an exception.”

Bang Join chattered proudly, as though he were related to the scholar.

“You know what the civil service examinations are, right? The tests the state holds to select officials. There isn’t just one. There are three stages in total...”

The Provincial Examination, held in each province.

The Metropolitan Examination, held by the Ministry of Rites for those who passed the Provincial Examination.

And the Palace Examination, held before the Emperor in the imperial capital for those who passed the Metropolitan Examination.

Passing the Provincial Examination made one a Provincial Graduate, practically guaranteeing a position as a county magistrate.

The banquet at Simhyang Pavilion today was to celebrate the Confucian scholar Yi Yunjae passing the Provincial Examination.

The Prefectural Magistrate likely organized this event to make a promising new official one of his own people.

The other guests invited to the feast probably had similar goals.

A broad network would give Yi Yunjae reliable supporters in his future official career, so there was nothing bad in it for him either.

It was beneficial for everyone involved, so the atmosphere would probably be warm and pleasant. Yet Bang Join seemed uneasy about something.

“The escort agency master might come too.”

High officials were holding a celebratory banquet at a pleasure house managed by Yongcheon Escort Agency. From the escort agency master’s perspective, it would be worth setting aside everything else just to show his face.

It was not strange, yet Bang Join’s expression had darkened. He fidgeted like a puppy desperate to relieve itself.

It was understandable that he would not welcome the head of his organization appearing at his workplace, but this went beyond ordinary nerves.

When I looked at him curiously, Bang Join forced an awkward smile.

“You haven’t met the escort agency master, have you?”

“No. I heard he was originally a Lay disciple of Mount Qingcheng Sect.”

“That’s right. They say he was quite famous in Sichuan. They say that when the Black Path heard the name Flying Steel Sword Gam Hujeong, they’d have fits even in their sleep. Age hasn’t diminished that presence, so even the escorts sometimes have fits when they see him.”

Bang Join appeared to be one of them. He openly feared the escort agency master.

Had he ever caused trouble gambling and been summoned by the escort agency master?

I was about to ask indirectly when Bang Join stared hard toward the far end of the alley.

When I turned to follow his gaze, a two-horse carriage was entering.

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