Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Recently, Hong Won-chang was not in a good mood.

It was because his nerves were sharply on edge due to the bandits active mainly in the Hunan region stirring up this village and that village.

The Prince’s Palace was even pressuring him to clean them out as soon as possible, but because they were so elusive, capturing them was not as easy as he thought.

Eventually, he even posted a wanted poster of the bandit leader and put up a bounty.

Although nothing would have been more appreciated than if martial artists or vagabond warriors stepped forward to subjugate them, no one was willing to step forward.

‘It was because of Jang Baek-san.’

Jang Baek-san was the leader of the bandits.

Having first-class martial arts skills, ordinary vagabond warriors could not even touch him, and because his horse-riding skills were so outstanding, he was also good at fleeing when fighting experts stronger than himself.

Thus, many people gave up on catching them.

As the pressure from the Prince’s Palace and the grievances of the citizens caused by the bandits’ raids did not cease, Hong Won-chang finally raided the bandits’ stronghold after a relentless pursuit.

Although he missed Jang Baek-san and most of his subordinates, he was fortunate enough to capture Jang Baek-san’s family there, and he decapitated them all, displaying their severed heads on pikes.

That was a kind of warning sent to Jang Baek-san.

A warning telling him not to do anything foolish anymore.

However, Jang Baek-san, who harbored a grudge because of that, rampaged even more to the point where he could no longer be controlled by the power of the government office. Now, the imperial army would be dispatched.

“The imperial court will sweep them away on a large scale soon, so we will have one less thing to worry about.”

“I hope so too. I haven’t even been able to rest, and it has already been over a year.”

Looking at the frowning magistrate, the officers nodded. Wherever the magistrate went, they had to follow. It was a kind of escort duties.

Since they had killed Jang Baek-san’s family, retaliation would naturally come, so the officers found themselves in a position where they could not take their eyes off the magistrate for even a single moment.

Thus, half a year passed.

Although they had relaxed somewhat by now, it was still unavoidable to feel nervous every time they left the government office. The officers cast their gazes here and there while walking casually.

It was then.

“Hmm?”

After walking along the rugged road for a long time, a bizarre sight entered their eyes. A manor, which certainly had not existed even a fortnight ago, stood there grandly.

The officers blinked their eyes, and Hong Won-chang was also lost for words.

“H-Hey, is what I am seeing right now really reality?”

“I-It is unmistakable. T-There is definitely a manor there.”

A magnificent and luxurious manor was built there.

To build a manor of this scale on this land, even if dozens of workers were employed, construction would have to go on for more than half a year.

However, it had only been a fortnight.

Furthermore, considering the time when the rumors began to spread, that period became ridiculously shorter.

Since a manor had appeared in such a short time, how could this be explained in words?

Gulp!

He swallowed dry saliva involuntarily.

“Amitabha… Amitabha.”

“I-Infinite Life Buddha…!”

The officers bowed their heads while chanting Buddhist and Daoist invocations. This was because even they found it difficult to believe that what they were seeing with their own two eyes was reality.

“Is it… really a ghost?”

“How could that be! Let’s go quickly!”

Hong Won-chang cleared away his anxiety and regulated his breathing. Since he did not believe in ghosts, it was definitely a person. Or there was also the possibility of it being a martial artist.

They said that martial artists sometimes accomplished things that ordinary people could not even imagine.

As they approached the manor, a rustling sound was heard from one side. Every single one of them turned their heads with tense expressions. Soon, the bushes parted with a rustle, and a man revealed himself.

“Hmm? I do not recall inviting any guests.”

Holding a rabbit in one hand, Dan Woo-hyun stared intently at Hong Won-chang and the officers. Not liking how they were crowding in front of someone else’s house, he half-closed his eyes.

But Hong Won-chang was not intimidated at all.

For he was the magistrate.

“Are you the master of this manor?”

“Yes. And who are you?”

“I am Hong Won-chang, the Magistrate of Yueyang.”

“I am Dan Woo-hyun.”

Even upon hearing the word “magistrate,” Dan Woo-hyun replied with a lukewarm reaction. Since it was an action that seemed to pay no heed to someone like a magistrate, Hong Won-chang’s face instantly flushed red.

“Is it true that you built this manor?”

“I did not build it; I repaired an abandoned house.”

That was nonsense.

Even looking at the erected walls or the features of the visible building, it could not be considered that he had repaired an abandoned house.

Because it was far too neat.

Moreover, originally, there was not even a single structure here, let alone an abandoned house.

“Are you joking! This is government land. It is a place where you cannot build a manor or live without permission! Are you going to say you did not even know that?”

“Can you not just grant permission?”

“Grr!”

“Sigh…”

“What kind of crazy guy is that…”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s single remark, the officers wore dumbfounded expressions. It was a statement that was just that absurd.

“Hmm.”

Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin.

It seemed that he was not supposed to build a manor here without permission. He thought that if he had known he would be caught right away like this, he would have built it a bit deeper in.

However, he did not feel like leaving the house he had already finished building and going somewhere else at this point.

With his eyes flashing, Dan Woo-hyun rummaged through his bosom.

Then, he soon thrust it toward Hong Won-chang.

“Please overlook it with this.”

“…”

“…”

Clink.

Hong Won-chang was once again lost for words.

He was by no means an honest and clean official. He accepted bribes enough to avoid trouble, and pocketed kickbacks here and there while avoiding the eyes of the Prince’s Palace and the imperial court.

Thus, he did not have any aversion to receiving requests. It was a minor matter that he could easily overlook for money.

However, the money Dan Woo-hyun offered was the problem.

Five iron coins.

It was not five taels of gold, but five iron coins. With this, one could only buy and eat a single bowl of plain noodles at an inn.

No matter who looked at it, it was an insult to himself, the magistrate.

“Bind him immediately!”

“Yes!”

The officers rushed forward in a crowd and tried to bind him.

Dan Woo-hyun was about to take action but then hesitated. The opponent was none other than the magistrate. It would be troublesome if any aftermath occurred from taking action rashly.

Although he was used to a life of being chased, Hwa So-mi was not. He had no desire to make that child walk the same path of hardship as himself.

‘Shall I watch for now? It is a relief that So-mi is asleep.’

Dan Woo-hyun obediently let himself be bound.

* * *

The road to the government office.

It was a distance of a little over two hours on foot. Although it was a fairly long distance if one called it far, Hong Won-chang was taking the shortest shortcut possible.

It would have been good if he had come riding a horse, but walking out of useless stubbornness was the root of the trouble.

‘Well, it would have been even more troublesome if I had ridden a horse in the first place.’

Hong Won-chang glanced back and looked at Dan Woo-hyun. He had not said a single word since being dragged along.

He thought there should have been at least some minor reaction, but the man merely looked around and did not utter a word, nor did he even frown once.

Hong Won-chang found that highly strange.

“Everyone has a dark expression when they are caught committing a crime, but you are not like that. Do you have no consciousness of having committed a crime?”

“I do not particularly feel anything.”

Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

If merely building a manor were a crime, the Dan Woo-hyun of the past would have already been decapitated and had his head displayed on a pike multiple times.

Even so, he was someone who had never felt even a single shred of guilt.

Thus, he did not even consider this to be a crime.

‘What kind of gaze is this savage?’

Hong Won-chang shivered in spite of himself. The corners of Dan Woo-hyun’s mouth curled up slightly. It was clearly a sneer, but he could not bring himself to get angry at it.

Because his gaze was so savage that his knees felt like they would give out the moment he looked at him. Involuntarily, he slowly turned his head away.

‘Is he a martial artist?’

Even if that were the case, he had no intention of releasing him, but it was true that he felt somewhat uneasy. Moreover, if the man were a martial artist, he would not have been captured so obediently, so he tried to deny the thought.

“You chose the wrong opponent today. I will never let you off easily, so you had better brace yourself.”

The officers also nodded with firm expressions.

Since he had toyed with the magistrate of all people, it would not end with a mere paddling. Perhaps he might not even come out of the government office alive.

It was then.

Dan Woo-hyun took two steps back from the officer in front of him.

“Hmm? You rascal, where are you escaping… Urgh!”

Thud!

It was something unbelievable even after seeing it with one’s own eyes. A spear flying from somewhere accurately pierced the chest of the officer. If Dan Woo-hyun had not stepped back, it would have definitely affected him as well.

“W-What, cough?!”

Thud, thud, thud!

Following that, arrows flew in wildly. The arrows pouring down from the air shot down as if accurately identifying their prey, piercing the chests and necks of the officers.

A dozen or so officers collapsed in an instant.

“T-This is…”

Hong Won-chang trembled violently.

He could not grasp at all what on earth had happened. For spears and arrows to fly out of nowhere. Where and who had shot them?

However, he could soon know who the culprits were.

People revealed themselves, parting the bushes here and there. Hong Won-chang, who recognized the face of one of them, cried out in horror.

“J-Jang Baek-san?!”

“Bwahaha! Hong Won-chang! You sure roam around outside a lot!”

The one running over was without a doubt Jang Baek-san.

He glared at Hong Won-chang. Although he was bursting into a loud laugh, his eyes were full of murderous intent as if he would pounce right away.

Hong Won-chang was extremely flustered.

The only thing that could serve as a weapon was a single sword at best.

However, he could not win against dozens of first-class experts.

While he swallowed hard in a situation where there was not even an escape route, Jang Baek-san and his crowd surrounded Hong Won-chang.

“Your life ends today, Hong Won-chang!”

“Urgh…!”

It was a mistake.

He really had not thought that they would target him, the magistrate.

In fact, because killing his family was also something that had happened half a year ago, there was also the reason that he had let his guard down.

“Boss! Let’s cut him down! We must avenge Sister-in-law right this instant.”

“That’s right, Boss! I will cut off all this bastard’s limbs and feed them to the dogs.”

The bandits gnashed their teeth everywhere.

Since he had killed all of the family of Jang Baek-san whom they followed, their anger had soared sky-high.

Those who gnashed their teeth drew their swords.

They intended to tear the fellow to pieces right away.

With just that, Hong Won-chang could not help but lose his nerve.

With a pale complexion, he trembled like a leaf.

“S-Spare me.”

“Haha! I wondered when I would hear those words, and I hear them today. However, it will not change the fact that today is the day you receive your memorial table!”

Jang Baek-san bellowed.

Dismounting from their horses, the bandits crept closer.

Then, they grabbed Hong Won-chang and forced him to his knees.

“H-Hieek!”

“Drag him away! I will show him hell.”

“Yes!”

The subordinates led Hong Won-chang.

Meanwhile, Dan Woo-hyun, who was standing blankly in his place, wondered what on earth was happening.

The opponents seemed to be bandits, and they probably had a grudge against the magistrate.

Dan Woo-hyun frowned.

Although the grudge was a grudge, it was because the thick smell of blood flowing from the corpses scattered around irritated his nose.

“Boss, what should we do with this guy?”

At that moment, a man pointed at Dan Woo-hyun and asked.

Seeing that his hands were bound, they judged that he was captured by the magistrate while committing some deed.

Perhaps feeling a sense of kinship as fellow criminals, they did not express any particular murderous intent.

“Hmph, consider yourself lucky. If not for us, you would have suffered a disaster.”

At Jang Baek-san’s words, a man approached and untied the bindings.

It meant for him to just go.

Dan Woo-hyun swallowed a groan, contemplating something.

He glanced over to look at Hong Won-chang. If the magistrate were dragged away by the bandits like this, it seemed he would not have to worry about the manor.

“Hmm…”

However, feeling somewhat uneasy, Dan Woo-hyun scratched his head vigorously.