WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
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◈ Murim in my Hometown ◈
Chapter 35: Yehyang
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After catching up on the laundry and cleaning, I stopped by Pungcheon Inn for the first time in a while.
Gusam, who had been wiping down an empty table, approached me hesitantly.
“Great Hero... are you all right?”
Gusam had not meant to, but he had effectively led Do Hoengil to my home.
Thankfully, things had worked out. Otherwise, I might have lost my head or had my limb tendons severed and been crippled.
Even if it had not been Gusam, Do Hoengil would eventually have found out where I lived.
He was the tenacious sort who had traveled all the way here, asking around with nothing but a facial composite drawn after interrogating a one-armed saber wielder in Zhejiang.
Gusam had kept faith with me. He pretended not to know, then secretly ran to warn me.
It was not his fault that he had failed to consider that the other party was a veteran of the martial world who had seen it all.
He had done everything he could, so he deserved a reward rather than a scolding.
I smiled at the anxious boy and handed him ten copper coins.
“...Why are you suddenly giving me money?”
“Go buy yourself some snacks. And next time someone comes looking for me, don't run straight over. Watch your back first.”
“Yes! Don't worry. If I make the same mistake again, I'll join the Beggars’ Sect if I have to and avenge you after you die a horrible death...”
“Is the old gentleman here?”
“...He left yesterday morning. He said he'll come back later.”
Gusam looked around the empty inn, then lowered his voice.
“About that elder...”
“What about him?”
“Is he your master, Great Hero?”
“Well... something like that. Did something happen?”
Gusam suddenly put his left index finger to his lips with a solemn expression.
“I didn't see or hear anything that day.”
“Hmm.”
It seemed Do Hoengil had sworn Gusam to secrecy. It did not seem like he had threatened the boy with a sword.
There was no fear in Gusam's bright eyes. They were filled only with pure admiration and the grim loyalty of someone sharing a boat with another.
It seemed Do Hoengil had won Gusam over not with martial strength, but with his silver tongue.
I did not know what he had said, but as long as Gusam kept the secret, I could rest easy.
I was eating thin noodles in cold tea when someone entered the inn.
“Great Hero Jeong, there you are.”
It was a servant from Simhyang Pavilion who served Geuk Hwan.
“What is it?”
“The higher-ups are asking for you.”
* * *
“An escort job? Again?”
I was deeply reluctant. For some reason, a faint smile, like one drawn with a fine brush, appeared on Geuk Hwan's pale face.
“You know Yehyang, do you not?”
“Is there anyone in Seochon who doesn't know Yehyang?”
“Choi Estate is holding a banquet tomorrow evening. They have invited Yehyang to enliven the gathering with her pipa. We would like you to accompany her.”
“...You want me to escort Yehyang?”
“That is correct.”
“Where is Choi Estate?”
“It is not far. If you leave in the morning, you will arrive in the afternoon.”
“Does Yehyang often go out after receiving invitations?”
“This is the first time. There is a first time for everything.”
There had to be a reason to suddenly do something one had never done before.
“Are there no others more suited to escort work?”
“I must attend the Pavilion Master, and Great Hero Won is busy with the Black Night Gang. The other resident retainers are not suited to this sort of work. You are exactly the right person for it, Great Hero Jeong.”
What exactly made Geuk Hwan think I was the right person?
Still, as long as it was truly just an escort job and not another matter of cutting people into pieces, I had no reason to refuse. I needed to earn diligently if I wanted to afford spirit herbs.
“Just in case, what should I do if someone at Choi Estate lays hands on Yehyang? If they molest her or drag her into a bedroom to demand her services...”
“That will not happen.”
Geuk Hwan was firm.
“You know Simhyang Pavilion is no ordinary pleasure house. Few people know its true identity, but everyone who matters knows that the Pavilion Master is close to the Prefectural Magistrate. That is why no one wishes to make enemies of us or earn our grudge.”
When I continued looking unconvinced, Geuk Hwan finally revealed a private secret.
“Yehyang is not merely a courtesan. She is the Pavilion Master's only adopted daughter. If it seems something unfortunate may happen, you may reveal that fact. If that is not enough, you may use force. The Hao clan will bear all responsibility afterward.”
“So this may not be a simple invitation to perform after all?”
Geuk Hwan neither confirmed nor denied it.
I did not know much about the pleasure-house world, but taking someone as an adopted daughter meant raising her to inherit everything.
Hong Hui was both the owner of Simhyang Pavilion and the head of the Hao clan's Seochon Branch.
If Yehyang had been chosen as the successor, there was no harm in getting acquainted with the next head of the Hao clan's Seochon Branch and building a good relationship. I could make some money while I was at it.
“Fine. Let's do it.”
* * *
I had seen Yehyang in person exactly once, when I had worked as a doorman at Simhyang Pavilion.
When she had come out with the Pavilion Master to welcome the Prefectural Magistrate, Yehyang had looked like a deer grazing in the morning mist.
It had not been that long ago, and the features I saw again were still delicate and pure.
The only difference was that she wore blue light attire instead of fine clothes.
“I am Jeong Daecheon. I have been assigned to escort you on the round trip to Choi Estate today.”
We had technically never been introduced, so I greeted her and introduced myself first. Yehyang politely bowed her head.
“My name is Yehyang. Please take care of me.”
Her voice was exactly what I imagined a deer would sound like if it could speak. When she raised her head, the butterfly-shaped ornament in her pinned-up hair trembled.
For some reason, it looked strange. Like a peculiar fate born with wings, yet unable to fly and only fluttering helplessly.
We left Simhyang Pavilion in the large, sturdy carriage provided by the Pavilion Master as pale daylight broke.
Perhaps because it was her first time going out to perform by invitation, Yehyang was extremely tense. She kept her lips tightly pressed together, her face resolute.
The next time would probably be easier. The time after that, easier still. Gradually, she would become accustomed to it and grow more experienced.
For now, she looked pure and pitiful, stirring the hearts of countless men. But after the world had worn her down, she might unhesitatingly grab the balls of troublesome customers trying to skip out on their drink tabs and shake them mockingly.
Some people may remain indifferent to money, but no one remains unchanged by time.
After leaving town, the carriage headed north along the official road.
This was the official road leading to Hubei, so it was relatively well maintained. It did not rattle as much, and my backside did not hurt.
The trip was comfortable enough to feel like an outing. Then the driver suddenly slowed down and called to me.
“Sir! Something has happened up ahead.”
I opened the front door and climbed onto the driver's bench. The sound of swords and sabers clashing carried through the air.
Near the official road at the foot of a distant mountain, three masked attackers were locked in a vicious battle with five martial artists trying to defend a carriage. Robbery in broad daylight on an official road?
“Are there bandits around here?”
The driver shook their head in disbelief.
“Not at all. People usually travel through here without any trouble. Why else would it be called an official road?”
“Stop the carriage.”
We pulled off the road and parked the carriage among the bushes. From the driver's bench, I watched the fight.
The bandits were outnumbered, but the ones getting cut down and collapsing in sprays of blood were the martial artists.
The bandits were quite skilled. All three used swords. One was powerfully built, while the other two were tall and lean.
They surrounded their opponents, attacking and withdrawing with practiced coordination. This was not the work of people who had only fought together for a day or two.
The driver had a discerning eye as well, and their expression quickly darkened.
“Wouldn't it be better to turn back? We could return to the Hao clan and bring more people...”
Before I could speak, Yehyang firmly refused.
“No. We have to go to Choi Estate today, no matter what. It is the Pavilion Master's order.”
The driver also belonged to the Hao clan, so they could not disobey the branch head's order. I was only the escort, so the decision belonged to Yehyang.
Fortunately, after robbing the carriage, the bandits swiftly mounted their horses and fled into the wilderness. They even took the two horses that had pulled the carriage.
The bandits killed every martial artist guarding the carriage. Why had they bothered wearing masks in such hot weather?
We waited until the bandits had completely disappeared, then set out again.
Perhaps wanting to leave the area as quickly as possible, the driver kept urging the horses onward. The carriage jolted up and down.
As we passed through the site of the slaughter, the stench of blood poured in through the open window.
All color drained from Yehyang's face as she sat frozen in place, gripping the seat.
“Are you all right?”
Yehyang nodded firmly.
“The Pavilion Master always says that if you wish to become a great person, you must face the greatest fear of your life directly and overcome it. Only then will you see the path you must take to live.”
I did not fully understand what she meant, but I could clearly feel the resolve behind her words.
It was as if someone born with an upright heart and a fragile nature had made up their mind to become strong, no matter what it took.
* * *
Despite the delay caused by the bandits, we arrived at our destination without being late.
‘Choi Estate.’
It was a large, high-walled residence built in a sunny spot. There were quite a few guards for a mere estate.
On the way, I had learned some basic information about Choi Estate from the driver.
The master of Choi Estate was Choi Sadeuk.
They said he was a rather exceptional figure who had amassed wealth through various businesses and revived his once-humble family.
He was supposedly well known as a wealthy man in the area, but the banquet was unexpectedly modest.
There were only five guests gathered to enjoy the pipa performance, including the master of Choi Estate.
Yehyang climbed onto the stage in the banquet hall, which was so empty that it felt sparse, carrying her pipa.
There were only five guests, but the pressure Yehyang felt seemed great enough to make breathing difficult.
Choi Sadeuk and his companions sat below the stage, leisurely sipping their drinks as they watched Yehyang.
As Yehyang looked over them, she seemed either frightened or as though her mind had gone completely blank.
After taking a deep breath, Yehyang sat down.
She closed her eyes and cradled the pipa against her chest as though holding a baby. Her fingers moved over the strings.
Twang.
The first note was as unstable as her unsettled mind. The next note scattered away just as easily. From the fifth note onward, a proper resonance emerged.
As Yehyang began to immerse herself in the performance, every note swiftly found its place.
Yehyang's pipa did not flaunt technical skill. It consoled with sorrow and embraced with deep tenderness.
Seeing her up close was indeed very different from hearing her outside Simhyang Pavilion.
Her pipa performance was extraordinary, but coupled with her mysterious appearance, it made me feel as though I had briefly stepped into another world.
I could understand why distinguished guests sought Yehyang out so eagerly.
About a quarter-hour into the performance, someone approached Choi Sadeuk in secret and whispered in his ear.
Choi Sadeuk's expression changed at once, and he leaped to his feet.
“We'll stop here.”
Choi Sadeuk went outside, followed by his companions. Yehyang stopped playing as well.
As she tried to rise, her legs seemed to lose strength. She dropped the pipa and sank to the floor.
“Are you all right?”
When I went over to support her, Yehyang trembled and gripped my arm with both hands. Her grip was so desperate that the veins stood out on the backs of her hands.
Something was wrong. When I looked at her face, Yehyang was gritting her teeth with all her strength, as if forcing down something that threatened to burst from within.
A murderous aura I had never seen before blazed in her bloodshot eyes. It was chilling, as though blood might begin dripping from them at any moment.
When I led Yehyang into the hallway, a waiting servant approached us.
“Both of you are to come as well. This way.”
A group of people had gathered in the inner room. A stern-looking man who appeared to be around thirty glanced our way. His face looked familiar.
Where had I seen him before...?
When I noticed the two young ladies standing behind him, I remembered.
I had seen them exactly once while working as a doorman at the pleasure house.
Hoyeongeom.
As I drew closer, I stopped without realizing it.
A faint but fresh, sharp scent of blood lingered in the air, impossible to fully wash away even after changing clothes and bathing.
All three wore swords at their waists. The man was sturdily built, while the women were slender. I realized it instinctively.
They were the bandits I had seen earlier that day.
Choi Sadeuk entered the inner room through the opposite passage and asked Hoyeongeom,
“Did you find the Internal Energy Method?”
“Here it is.”
Hoyeongeom produced a thick book.
So that was why. The reason a martial artist with such a respectable alias had worn a mask and attacked a carriage in broad daylight.
Choi Sadeuk opened the book and checked its contents, then burst into delighted laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Well done! Your reputation truly precedes you. With this, Blood History Gang and Heaven-Breaking Sect will not be able to sit still.”
“Estate Master, I would like the payment we agreed upon.”
For an instant, displeasure crossed Choi Sadeuk's face. But he soon smiled amiably and spoke as though soothing him.
“Of course you shall have it. I will give it to you before we begin. Do not worry.”
Choi Sadeuk turned toward us.
“What happened with the request given to the Hao clan?”
Yehyang took a book from inside her robe and handed it over.
“These are the materials compiled by our clan.”
So that was it. I had known something was strange.
Inviting Yehyang as a performing courtesan had merely been a cover. In truth, she had come to deliver the Hao clan branch head's orders.
“As expected of the Hao clan. I was right to entrust this to you.”
Choi Sadeuk closed the book with a satisfied expression and turned around.
He made eye contact with each of the four companions who had listened to the pipa performance earlier, then raised the book.
“The time has come. Before tonight is over, we must take that bastard Jeok Chuyeong's head.”
Jeok Chuyeong. Could it be someone with the same name...?
Impossible. Jeok was a rare surname, and Chuyeong was not a common name either.
The leader of the Black Night Gang. Black Slaughter Sword Jeok Chuyeong.
There was no doubt that Choi Sadeuk, the master of Choi Estate, was targeting Seochon's Black Night Gang.
Footnotes:
The Korean joke pairs “men's hearts” with a similar-sounding word for “testicles,” shifting from Yehyang charming men to potentially punishing troublesome customers.
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