WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
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◈ Murim in my Hometown ◈
Chapter 18: Pavilion Master
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I expected to be confined to my quarters for a day or two, but I was released without incident at dawn.
“You’ve had a hard time. Go home and get some rest.”
“What about my shift?”
Jo Gyeongjik let out a short sigh, his exhausted face seeming to have aged several years overnight.
“There’s nothing to implicate you, so report for duty at your usual time. Do you want to quit?”
“No.”
I did not want to get tangled up in something like this, but stepping away now would make people suspicious or invite their cold looks.
I still had to live in Seochon, and having an uncomfortable relationship with Yongcheon Escort Agency would be troublesome in many ways.
Besides, I had made a promise to the Chief Head Escort. I should at least last a month.
After changing clothes, I left Simhyang Pavilion. The main building was quiet, as though the drinking party had ended.
Even the red lanterns hanging thickly from the eaves had been extinguished, though several escorts still stood guard nearby.
Leaving the strange looks of the daytime gate guards behind me, I headed out through the broad alley.
Hardworking merchants were opening their shops here and there, waking the hazy morning.
The sun had not even risen, but the streets were already lukewarm. It looked like another sweltering day.
Not one of the Black Night Gang lackeys who had caused trouble yesterday was in sight. Maybe they were still sleeping, or maybe they had died overnight.
I was merely heading home after resting comfortably in the quarters, yet my steps felt unsettled.
Even after returning home, washing up, sleeping, and waking in the afternoon, my mood had not improved at all.
The weather was too hot, so I skipped saber training and headed for Pungcheon Inn.
For some reason, Gusam came over carrying a teapot with his eyes shining brighter than usual.
“I heard an escort died at Simhyang Pavilion last night?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“The rumor’s all over the market. Whenever people gather, that’s all they talk about.”
There had been more than one or two witnesses. Even if they tried to keep people quiet, word was bound to get out.
Still, from what I heard, it did not seem like a rumor that had spread naturally.
“They say the Murderer was the same one who took out those Black Night Gang bastards. That means they’ve challenged Yongcheon Escort Agency too, right?”
“Who knows.”
“I heard one of the Ten Great Masters of the Unorthodox Faction came to Seochon. Some people say they saw Evil Slayer, the Vicious Killer.”
I stopped as I rinsed my mouth with cold tea.
“Vicious Killer? One of the Three Great Evils?”
“Yes. The killer who tears people apart with that serrated saber. They say Vicious Killer is the cruelest of the Three Great Evils?”
“Why would Vicious Killer climb over the walls of a backwater village like this?”
A laugh escaped me.
The Chief Head Escort must have started the rumor, but mentioning a monster like Vicious Killer as the Murderer was probably just idle gossip from people who enjoyed talking.
After filling my stomach, I left the inn and headed to work.
Despite all the uproar yesterday, two escorts still guarded Simhyang Pavilion’s gate.
They should have welcomed me since I had come to relieve them, but the gate guards pretended not to see me and looked elsewhere.
The escorts guarding the quarters did the same. They had been talking loudly enough for people outside to hear, but their conversation abruptly stopped when I entered.
“Has it gotten this late already?”
“I should be getting back to the escort agency.”
Neither man even met my eyes as they hurried away.
Only one taciturn middle-aged escort remained. He was the one assigned to the night shift with me in Bang Join’s place.
“Let’s go.”
When I got off work that morning, more than a dozen escorts had been swarming around Simhyang Pavilion.
Now, there was not a single escort anywhere, not even in the main building. There had only been two in the quarters a moment ago.
“Doesn’t it seem like security has been reduced even more than usual?”
When I stared at him and waited for an answer, the escort reluctantly opened his mouth.
“Apparently, Head Escort Jo was summoned by the Pavilion Master this morning, and she pulled everyone out. Said the guards were ruining business. Internal patrols have been suspended for now.”
It was understandable from the Pavilion Master’s perspective.
If a pleasure house had tight security, even distinguished guests would turn away, and all manner of malicious rumors would spread.
If Bang Join’s killer was Yi Yunjae or one of the resident guests in the side buildings, the Pavilion Master probably knew already.
In that case, there was no further danger, so there would be no reason to increase security.
Would the Pavilion Master really summon me?
The Chief Head Escort had said it with certainty, but I doubted anything would change just because she called me in to ask about the situation.
“Have they caught the culprit?”
“I don’t know.”
This middle-aged escort had always been quiet, but now he seemed even less willing to speak.
Come to think of it, no one had spoken to me since I was isolated in the quarters alone last night.
I had not known the other escorts long enough to be close to them. Still, we had at least exchanged greetings in passing. Now, they all avoided even that.
They did not suspect me of murdering a fellow escort. They just felt uneasy and wanted to keep their distance for the time being.
Jo Gyeongjik said I had been cleared of suspicion, but no one knew what problems might arise later if they got involved with me for no reason.
After all, lightning usually struck those standing beside a vicious bastard.
It was the same principle as when a fierce martial artist burst into an inn and pointed a blade at someone. Everyone nearby who had been eating would panic and scramble away.
As evening fell, several carriages arrived. As usual, attendants rushed over and guided them to the main building.
Around the time the moon rose over the pleasure house’s roof, Jo Gyeongjik called for me.
“The Pavilion Master wants to see you. Go.”
Watching the attendant who had come for me, Jo Gyeongjik gave me a meaningful look. It meant I should watch my words and actions and not make a mistake.
I nodded to show I understood and left the quarters.
As I carefully went over my conversation with the Chief Head Escort from last night, the attendant led me not to the main building, but toward the side buildings.
“Where are we going?”
“The Pavilion Master ordered me to bring you to her residence.”
“Residence?”
What could she possibly want to discuss with me in her residence?
We passed the spot where Bang Join had collapsed and entered the side-building district hidden behind the wall.
The brick wall was too high to jump up and climb over. It was dark, and I could not see any cracks where I could place my feet.
At a glance, it looked impossible to breach, but it could easily be crossed with a rope tied to a grappling hook. Bang Join might have crossed the wall that way.
“Who is staying here?”
“I don’t know. There are separate attendants assigned to manage the side buildings.”
The passage between the walls split in two at the end.
“So there are more than one or two side buildings?”
When I asked just in case, the attendant proudly held up all five fingers.
“There are five in total. Even famous pleasure houses in major cities only have one or two that are properly decorated, but all five of Simhyang Pavilion’s are first-rate enough to stand anywhere.”
“It cannot be easy to run.”
“As you have seen yourself, guests never stop coming. They are not just any rabble either. Most are wealthy, distinguished guests, so they do not care about the cost.”
“Impressive.”
As I gave the appropriate responses, we soon arrived before the side building where the Pavilion Master stayed.
The attendant respectfully knocked three times and announced his business.
“This is Cheongbok. I have brought Escort Jeong.”
A moment later, the sound of a bolt being drawn came from inside, and the wooden door opened inward.
A young man with a face pale enough to seem bloodless appeared.
At first glance, he looked like a kept man who lived off a pleasure house, but what emanated from him was not the scent of face powder.
His stern presence was like a freshly honed white blade, and a chill ran down my spine.
Faced with a master appearing out of nowhere, I swallowed dryly and stepped back. Instinctively, I gripped the scabbard of the willow-leaf saber at my back and shifted it to my hip.
As I tensed up, the man’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you Escort Jeong Daecheon?”
“I am.”
“Come in.”
The man stepped aside and opened the door wide. The attendant bowed and left, but I could not do the same.
I calmed myself and forced my feet to move.
Once I crossed the threshold, I noticed the sword hanging from the belt of the man standing to one side.
A swordsman...
I did not want such a troublesome master behind me, so I kept my distance. The man closed the door and went ahead.
“This way.”
I followed at a generous distance.
My eyes had not deceived me.
The man’s movements and stride were so light and even that they gave me goosebumps.
Even while showing me his unguarded back, I could find almost no opening.
Though an unfamiliar martial artist armed with a blade was walking behind him, the man never looked back even once.
His attitude seemed to openly display the gap between our martial skill. For some reason, it made me feel slighted, and my competitive spirit began to stir.
Surely the martial artists staying in the other side buildings were not all this skilled.
The inside of the side building was larger than it had looked from outside.
After passing through a garden tastefully arranged with various stones and trees, the man stopped before a lantern-lit building.
“Pavilion Master. Escort Jeong Daecheon has arrived.”
“Bring him in.”
“Leave your weapon outside.”
The man stepped aside and held out his hand.
So he was a bodyguard...
To think she kept a master like this at a pleasure house.
Moreover, the man’s respectful manner toward his superior showed a hierarchy as strict as any martial sect.
At this point, I could not help but be suspicious. What exactly was Simhyang Pavilion? It could not simply be a pleasure house that sold liquor and entertainment.
I removed my willow-leaf saber and handed it over before going inside.
The Pavilion Master was waiting for me in a wide, splendid reception room.
When I bowed my head slightly in greeting, the Pavilion Master offered me a seat.
“Please sit. I am sorry to trouble you.”
“It is nothing. I am on duty anyway.”
“Are you?”
Once I sat across from her at the round table, the Pavilion Master lifted a jade teapot and filled my cup.
When I took a sip, a rich fragrance spread through my nose, as though flowers had bloomed inside it.
It was high-grade tea, incomparable to the cheap stuff I drank at the inn.
Unfortunately, I had no leisure to enjoy its aroma or flavor.
Judging by the Pavilion Master’s expression, neither did she.
Someone had died at her pleasure house, and the culprit had not been caught. There was no reason for her to be in a good mood.
With a masterful bodyguard like that, she probably did not need to fear for her own safety, but the harm to the pleasure house’s business and reputation was as clear as day.
It would be normal for her to angrily demand to know what the escort agency was doing.
Despite her light makeup, the Pavilion Master’s dignified beauty seemed untouched by age, but her expression was exceedingly cold.
Perhaps because they were not smiling, they seemed less like a hardened courtesan and more like the mistress of a wealthy merchant guild or great family.
No, more than that, something felt strange.
I had clearly never met the Pavilion Master before, but her voice remained oddly familiar.
Where had I heard it before? I had definitely heard that voice somewhere.
After allowing an awkward silence to linger long enough for me to feel fully pressured, the Pavilion Master spoke.
“Then shall we hear what happened?”
I repeated the statement I had already given Jo Gyeongjik and Du Jaryeom several times, keeping it as concise and sincere as possible.
The only difference was that I casually added the part I had agreed upon with the Chief Head Escort.
The Pavilion Master, who had listened silently, tilted her head.
“A black-clad, masked figure... Has their identity been discovered?”
“As far as I know, not yet.”
“Hm...”
The Pavilion Master frowned slightly and touched her teacup. She seemed dissatisfied with how the escort agency was handling things.
“Was there anything else?”
“What do you mean?”
“Anything unusual at the scene, anything different from normal that you saw.”
“...Well.”
“Even something trivial is fine. Please speak freely.”
Her tone was calm, as though it were nothing important, but the Pavilion Master was quietly persistent. A cold light also lingered in her eyes as she calmly watched my reaction.
This was it...
The reason she had called me despite already hearing everything from the Chief Head Escort.
I had not seen anything in particular, but what was it I was not meant to see? Or what should have been there?
“I did not see anything special. The area was dark, someone suddenly died, and I was too flustered to examine things properly.”
“...That makes sense.”
The Pavilion Master nodded as though satisfied, took a sip of tea, and leaned back in her chair. Her shoulders dropped slightly with a quiet sigh.
Only then did I realize that the Pavilion Master had been tense as well.
It was understandable that she would feel relieved that I had not seen anything, but why did I sense a strange disappointment from her?
Was the culprit really Yi Yunjae or one of the resident guests in the side buildings?
If her goal was to protect them, would she not drag things out for a while before ending the matter vaguely at an appropriate point?
After drinking several more cups of tea and exchanging questions and answers, I finally came outside.
The bodyguard did not return my willow-leaf saber until we had crossed the garden and reached the gate.
I walked away as the door closed behind me.
I absentmindedly looked up at the moonlit side building, and only then did I remember where I had heard the Pavilion Master’s voice.
The night of Yi Yunjae’s celebration. A woman humming a Hubei lullaby. There had been no lyrics, but the voice had definitely belonged to the Pavilion Master I had just met.
The next day, Yi Yunjae had sung that lullaby while looking up at the moon, and Bang Join had hummed it too.
If the three of them had met together...
All kinds of theories and guesses tangled chaotically in my mind. Every one of them was something that would bring disaster if I carelessly spoke it aloud.
“Haaa...”
With a sigh, I took my eyes off the Pavilion Master’s residence. I turned toward the quarters, but my steps stopped somewhere unexpected.
In a secluded corner of the wall, about five jang from where Bang Join had fallen dead, something glimmered softly like a cat’s eye.
I searched through the weeds and found a small fragment of jade about two knuckles long.
I could not tell what shape it had originally been, but yellowish patches showed through it, as though gold had been mixed into it.
Who would leave something like this...
As I held the jade fragment up to my eye, something passed through the edge of my vision.
Startled, I turned toward the outer wall at the far end of the side buildings.
Something swayed sharply, and someone landed atop the wall.
The figure revealed beneath the moonlight was the back of a person dressed in black and wearing a bamboo rain hat.
Before I could do more than blink, the black-clad figure vanished beyond the wall.
I tucked the jade fragment into my clothes and ran.
The secret behind the black-clad figure’s astonishing qinggong was a pine tree growing diagonally along the wall.
Stepping on the swaying pine tree, I was able to climb to the top of the wall without much difficulty.
The black-clad figure was hurrying out of the alley beyond Simhyang Pavilion.
I was dumbfounded.
Had the Chief Head Escort mentioned a black-clad, masked figure because he knew something?
There was no time to call for people, nor any room to hesitate.
I checked the ground outside the wall, turned around, and lowered my body. Hanging from the wall to shorten the drop as much as possible, I let go.
The moment I landed safely, I drew my willow-leaf saber.
Keeping its cold, moonlit blade hidden in the darkness beneath the wall, I pursued the black-clad figure.
Footnotes: Qinggong (lightness skill) is a traditional Chinese martial arts training method focused on achieving extreme agility, balance, and the illusion of weightlessness.
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