Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 183
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C183. He Will Flee Even with a Simple Cough
The next day.
Nam Su-gyeong opened her eyes as the morning sunlight streamed into her bed. She quickly sat up and looked around, startled by the unfamiliar scene.
“Ah! I’m at my grandfather’s inn.”
As she relaxed, she realized that she had slept in late for the first time in a long while. Suddenly, she recalled what had happened the previous day.
It had been a hectic day, like a typhoon had passed. Old Shim had gone out to search for the conmen, but the young Yeon Jeokha had remained at the inn. Her grandfather had said he would report Yeon Jeokha to the authorities in Kaifeng because he was suspicious of him.
“Has he already gone to Kaifeng?” she wondered.
Curious, she got out of bed, changed her clothes, and went outside. After quickly washing in the backyard, she felt fully awake.
When she entered the dining area, the attendant, Sangdo, quickly approached and bowed in greeting.
“Miss, would you like breakfast?”
Nam Su-gyeong smiled. The attentive attendant was already treating her like an owner.
“Could you bring me some noodles and dumplings?”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
Sangdo rushed to the kitchen and shouted, “The young lady wants noodles and dumplings!”
Nam Su-gyeong looked out the open window toward the street. Two years ago, there hadn’t been a single person around, but now it was quite busy.
“What a relief.”
If the inn had no customers, it would have been hard to survive with her grandfather. The noodles and dumplings arrived quickly.
As she was about to leave, Nam Su-gyeong called out to Sangdo.
“Yes?”
“How old is Young Master Yeon?”
“I heard he’s twenty-one years old.”
Nam Su-gyeong slightly opened her mouth in surprise. She had thought he was around her age due to his youthful face, but he was actually two years older.
“Hasn’t he left yet?”
“No, he’s at Suicide Rock. He always goes there in the morning.”
“I see. You can go now.”
Sangdo bowed and walked away.
After quickly eating her noodles and dumplings, Nam Su-gyeong went outside. She was worried about the young Yeon at Suicide Rock.
“He seemed quite upset yesterday. I hope he’s not having any bad thoughts…”
The large rock next to the inn was called Suicide Rock due to the fast currents beneath it. Anyone who fell in wouldn’t be able to get out, and every year, one or two people would throw themselves from there.
Nam Su-gyeong hoped Yeon Jeokha didn’t have any ill intentions. She herself had thought of suicide several times during the two years she was harassed by Nok Dam-pyeong. However, she had always held back, fearing that her grandfather would die of grief.
Nam Su-gyeong ran until she could see Suicide Rock. Just as Sangdo had said, Yeon Jeokha was sitting on the rock, staring into the void.
She made a deliberate noise as she approached.
“Young Master Yeon?”
Yeon Jeokha slightly turned his head at the sound of someone calling him. The young Nam Su-gyeong was approaching with a shy smile.
“Yes?”
Nam Su-gyeong climbed onto the rock and sat near him. She remembered how she used to come here as a child. Each time she did, her grandfather would scold her for the danger and take her back home.
“I was just out for a walk and saw someone I knew, so I came to say hello.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yeon Jeokha turned back to the river.
“As a child, I also liked this place. Time passed quickly watching the river flow.”
“……”
Yeon Jeokha nodded silently. Indeed, time flew by sitting there watching the water flow.
Nam Su-gyeong continued cautiously.
“Yesterday must have been quite a shock.”
“Yes.”
Yeon Jeokha didn’t deny it. It had been the first time in his life that he had been swindled.
“Even though it’s hard, don’t have any bad thoughts. Better days will come eventually.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you have anywhere to go?”
“Why?”
Yeon Jeokha interpreted the question as a suggestion that he should leave quickly and responded brusquely.
“I thought that if you don’t have anywhere to go, you could stay with us for a while.”
“But your grandfather won’t allow it, will he?”
“I’ll try to explain to him.”
“You don’t have to. I’m not the type to be swayed by what others say.”
‘That means he’ll do whatever he wants anyway,’ thought Nam Su-gyeong, smiling.
It seemed that, being a man, his pride made him defiant even in this situation.
“Okay, but I’ll still try to explain your situation to my grandfather. He’s not a harsh person, so he’ll understand.”
Yeon Jeokha let her words go in one ear and out the other. He knew that Nam Su-gyeong had no ill intentions and only felt sympathy for him because of the large amount of money he had lost.
‘Those despicable conmen!’
The kinder she was, the more his hatred for the conmen grew.
‘That scum…’
At the same time, Nam Cho-gyeol was in Kaifeng, meeting with the district deputy, Cheon Ryangji.
“So, you’re telling me that a man without identification has taken over your inn after swindling you, is that correct?”
“Yes. At first, he was with an old man, but now only the young one remains. He seems like a vagrant who does nothing but loiter around. It’s unlikely that he had 12,000 taels of silver, and claiming he bought an inn worth 5,000 taels for 12,000 taels is also suspicious.”
“That does sound suspicious. Did you say the old man seemed like someone from Murim?”
“Yes, it only took him half an hour to go and bring Jang I-yu from Kaifeng.”
Cheon Ryangji’s face creased in deep concern.
“As you may know, the men of Murim call themselves men of Jianghu. They say they are above the law of the land. They live by the sword rather than the law; they are truly wild.”
“But the old man said he was going to catch the conmen. I don’t know if he actually went to catch them or if he just left when I showed up as the rightful owner. Only the young vagrant remains.”
“If it’s a Murim issue, why don’t you try contacting an escort agency in Kaifeng?”
Nam Cho-gyeol smiled awkwardly.
“I would, but I’ve already spent all the money I had just to come and see you.”
“The young man seems like a vagrant. If the district deputy just coughs, he’ll flee in fear.”
Seeing the logic in his words, Cheon Ryangji nodded.
“Understood. I’ll go with my guards this afternoon and take care of the matter.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget your help.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Nam Cho-gyeol thanked him repeatedly and stood up.
The inn in Hwasang Village.
Around siesta time (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.), Cheon Ryangji, the district deputy of Kaifeng, arrived at the inn with ten guards. Startled, Sang Il-woon quickly went to find Yeon Jeokha, who was lounging in a room.
Cheon Ryangji, seated at the table, was relieved when he saw the young man with a baby face. He had thought he might be a man of Murim, but at first glance, he seemed like a simple civilian.
“Kaifeng received a report from Nam Cho-gyeol. Are you the Young Master Yeon?”
“And who are you?” responded Yeon Jeokha.
One of the guards shouted angrily, “Insolent! This is the district deputy of Kaifeng, Cheon Ryangji!”
“Oh, what a fright! Why are you suddenly shouting? Is anyone here deaf?” Yeon Jeokha calmly retorted.
Cheon Ryangji was taken aback. He had been told the young man was a vagrant, but his behavior was too bold.
“What is your name?”
“My name is Yeon Jeokha.”
“They say you were the victim of a large scam. Is that true?”
“That’s what they say, but until they catch the conmen, we won’t know if it’s true.”
Cheon Ryangji frowned. It seemed that he wasn’t accepting reality, either because of the shock of the scam or because he was lying.
“I’m an expert in these matters. Show me the contract.”
Yeon Jeokha took the contract from his pocket and placed it on the table. Upon hearing that the district deputy was there, he had grabbed the contract, and it turned out to be a wise decision.
Cheon Ryangji examined the contract meticulously and murmured, “Wow! This was done by experts. I’m not surprised you fell for it.”
“Is it really fake?” Yeon Jeokha asked in a disheartened voice.
With the Chamber of Commerce Chief and now the district deputy both saying it was fake, it seemed he really had been scammed.
“Yes. There have been many similar scams across the country lately. They operate in one city and then move to another, making it hard to catch them.”
“Oh no! Then I was really scammed.”
“It’s unfortunate that you were scammed, but the rightful owner has returned, so you must leave the inn.”
“I’ve invested 12,000 taels of silver in this inn. I have nowhere to go. If the old man catches the conmen, I’ll leave on my own.”
“That’s not possible! Your scam has nothing to do with the rightful owner. If you don’t leave, I’ll have to arrest you according to the law.”
“And what will happen then?”
“Of course, you’ll go to prison.”
“Do they give food there?”
“Ha! Don’t you know what a prison is?”
“That’s why I’m asking.”
“It’s a place where criminals are locked up. Of course, you’ll get food, but you’ll wear shackles and be confined. It’ll be very uncomfortable.”
“Like a warehouse?”
“Compared to prison, a warehouse is like an inn.”
“Then no, thanks, you can leave.”
“If you don’t leave this inn, I’ll take you to prison.”
“District deputy.”
Yeon Jeokha’s voice turned grave. That strange pressure made Cheon Ryangji sit up straight in his chair.
Yeon Jeokha extended his hand, and the teacup on the table flew into his hand. Cheon Ryangji held his breath at the sight of that unsettling scene.
The teacup turned to powder in Yeon Jeokha’s hand.
“I’m trying to leave my violent past behind and live peacefully by buying this inn. But now I’ve lost all my money in a scam. I want to destroy everything, but I’m holding back. So don’t provoke me further.”
A whirlwind of energy swept towards Cheon Ryangji. Cheon Ryangji’s body trembled violently under the pressure of Yeon Jeokha’s energy.
Shortly after, the storm of energy subsided as quickly as it had begun.
Terrified, Cheon Ryangji didn’t dare to get up and continued to watch Yeon Jeokha.
Finally, the guard Im Sa-seong quickly intervened.
“District deputy, given Young Master Yeon’s situation, wouldn’t it be better to allow him to stay at the inn?”
“Yes, yes, you’re right. Young Master Yeon, I’ve made a mistake. Since you’ve invested so much money, you should manage the inn together with Nam Cho-gyeol until everything is resolved. I’ll speak with Nam Cho-gyeol to ensure there are no more problems.”
After saying that, Cheon Ryangji quickly got up. He didn’t want to stay a minute longer in front of a powerful master of Murim. Indeed, the law was flexible and could be interpreted according to the circumstances.
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