200 times. You may know the depth of ten feet of water, but you cannot know the heart of a one-foot person.
Namjikryeoseong.
Soho, south of Hapbi.
Anaerobic reduction.
Around 3am – 5am.
A man knocked urgently on the tightly shut side door of the oxygen-free farm.
Bang bang bang.
The man’s face was not revealed because he had pressed the shutters down in the early morning.
After a while, there was a noise from inside, and a worker opened the door slightly and stuck his head out.
“It’s still dark. Who are you out at this hour of the morning?”
“I came to see Musan Nangnang, the master of the oxygen-free farm. Are you inside?”
“It has been a long time since our lord left for Jeongju. Who are you?”
“Well then, who is in charge here?”
“The general is still here.”
The man from Banglip said, sticking his toes in through the front door.
“Guide him.”
“No, I need to know who you are before I can guide you or not. If I invite just anyone in the middle of the night and things go wrong, I’ll die.”
Then, the man in the palace took out the royal seal from his bosom and held it up close to the servant’s eyes.
The words written on the plaque that glows softly in the darkness are Namjin Musa.
But unfortunately, the servant just tilted his head as if he didn’t know how to read.
The man in the room whispered softly into the servant’s ear.
“I am a person from the Royal Guard. This is an urgent matter, so hurry.”
“Ah! Yes, yes.”
The servant bowed at the word ‘Geumuiwi’.
Guest room.
The man from Banglip and the general of the oxygen-free society, Hyeol-gwi Wan Sa-seok, sat facing each other.
Wansaseok, who had been forced to wake up, looked at the man with bloodshot eyes.
I really can’t figure out why I have to meet the King at this hour.
“You said you were looking for the lord, but you came in vain.”
“I have already heard about that. The reason I have come to see you is because I have something to tell you.”
“What did you tell me?”
The man from Bangrip handed a letter to Wansaseok, who was just blinking without knowing English.
“What is this?”
“The leaders of the Jeongeui Alliance are going from Nanjing to Jeongju on four different routes. This letter records which route they are taking.”
“Huh! Is that true?”
Wansaseok quickly snatched the letter away, fearing that the man’s mind might change.
The man of the room, Jin Il-gang, the Southern Warrior of the Royal Guard, smiled and said.
“If we want to strike a blow against the Justice Alliance, we need to get it across as quickly as possible.”
“How do you know this is true? No, more than that, why are you telling me such valuable information from the royal court?”
Wansaseok looked at the man with strange eyes.
“From our perspective, there is no difference between the righteous and the evil factions. There are those who do not want the power of the Justice Alliance to become too strong. No, it would be more correct to say that they are reluctant to have one force dominate the world. It could be that they want to help because of the strong relationship between the famous religion and the imperial family. Do you think that our reasons for helping you are insufficient?”
“Haha. Thank you for your words.”
Wansaseok first expressed his gratitude.
In any case, it would be necessary to wait and see whether the contents of this letter were true or false.
Jiilgang said, lowering the tip of the pole further down.
“I’m sure you know, but no one should know that the main office has been here.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret.”
“The gatekeeper who guided me here knows my identity. You must shut his mouth.”
“Don’t worry. The old man will take care of him himself.”
Only after receiving a definitive answer about the follow-up matter did Ji Il-gang stand up from his seat.
Knowing that he was trying to leave under the cover of darkness, Wansaseok did not stop him.
***
release.
Around 7pm – 9pm.
That day too, Sa Yeon-hwi, the inspector general of Gaebongseong, worked late into the night and left the office.
Sa Yeon-hwi, who was about to knock on the door, tilted his head.
The front door, which should normally be shut tightly at this hour, was wide open.
Through the open front door, I could see the brightly lit interior of the house.
Judging from the fact that there was even a bonfire lit in the yard, it seemed like he had no intention of sleeping at all.
As I entered, the servants who had been coming and going in the yard came running and bowed their heads.
Sa Yeon-hwi locked eyes with one of them and asked.
“What’s going on and why is there such a fuss?”
“His Highness was out and about when he encountered a robber and was badly injured.”
“What? Moon Jung-i was seriously injured by a robber? How badly was she injured?”
“Both my arms were broken, and my teeth and nose were also broken.”
As soon as the servant finished speaking, Sa Yeon-hwi ran into the inner quarters.
When he entered the eldest son’s room, everyone in the room stood up.
His wife, Shin Yu-jeong, came forward to greet him and bowed.
“Are you here?”
After taking a quick look at his wife, Sa Yeon-hwi walked briskly to where his eldest son was lying.
Samunjeong, who saw his father, tried to raise his upper body in a hurry.
A member of the National Assembly who had been standing aside hurriedly approached and grabbed Samunjeong’s arms.
“What the heck… … is going on?”
Sa Yeon-hwi looked at his son with a miserable face.
Samunjeong could not bear to look his father in the eye and quietly lowered his head.
“I went out to see the Yellow River and on my way back I met a robber.”
“When? Where? Do you know who the robber is?”
Sa Yeon-hwi, like a police officer, asked questions one by one.
“I was kidnapped from an inn in Hwasangchon around 1-3pm. It was the first time I saw an old man, but he seemed to be a martial arts master judging by his strength.”
“Are you saying you were kidnapped from an inn in broad daylight?”
“yes.”
“How could that happen? How many robbers were there?”
“It seemed like there were two people.”
“two people?”
“Yes, it seemed like the old man who captured me had a companion. He looked to be in his late teens.”
“Can you remember the first impression?”
Then, Shin Yu-jeong, who was listening from the side, slipped out two pieces of paper.
“I already called the painter in the evening and drew it for you.”
“Good job.”
Sa Yeon-hwi took the painting and examined it with eagle eyes.
He was an ordinary old man with a goatee and a boy with bleary eyes.
I thought about it carefully, but no name came to mind that suited this face.
Sa Yeon-hwi, who had been staring at the paper, turned his gaze to the director.
“General Jang, do you know who these people are?”
Zhang Liang shook his head.
“I heard it when I was explaining the impression, but I couldn’t tell who it was.”
“hmm!”
A voice flowed out of Sa Yeon-hwi’s mouth.
Zhang Liang was a master of the Zhengshiji clan who once ruled Henan Province.
Since he said he didn’t know, it means the criminals aren’t from Gaebong.
‘Could it have come from outside?’
The number of martial artists flocking to the conflict between the Justice Alliance and the Yuming Cult has increased.
Most likely, one of them did it.
Shin Yu-jeong looked at Samun-jeong with a pitiful look and said.
“Oh my! You’ve ruined a perfectly good kid. How can there be such bad guys in the world, such a kind and gentle kid? Please catch those robbers.”
“Don’t worry. I will put everything else aside and catch those guys and deal with them according to the law. I heard that the royal family has a lot of resentment towards the martial artists. This time, I will not sit idly by.”
“That’s right. We can’t just leave illegal and immoral people alone.”
As if a sudden thought occurred to him, Sa Yeon-hwi asked Samun-jeong.
“But why did you go to that far away place without an escort? Didn’t you always have to take an escort with you when you go far away?”
“I went out to renew my resolve and that’s what happened. I apologize for causing you any trouble.”
“Tsk tsk! Don’t you know that the world is in an uproar right now because of the fighting between the martial artists? Even the government is being cautious because they are moving in groups. It’s fortunate that you survived, but it was a reckless act.”
“… … .”
Samunjeong lowered his head in shame.
Then, his mother, Shin Yu-jeong, made an excuse on behalf of her son.
“Don’t scold me too much. I must have been frustrated because I suddenly had to study a lot these days. I didn’t let him meet his friends, so he went alone.”
“Don’t go outside the castle for the time being. This goes for everyone else. If you run into the martial artists in a remote place, you might end up in a terrible situation.”
“yes.”
When the owner of the house, Sa Yeon-hwi, warned them, the family members inside the room responded in unison.
***
next day.
As soon as Sa Yeon-hwi arrived at the court, he immediately summoned Vice Minister Cheon Ryang-ji.
“It looks like our eldest child was mugged by robbers near the Yellow River yesterday.”
“Oh, my. Is your son okay?”
“They were so cruel that they broke not only both my arms, but also my teeth and nose.”
“Huh! What kind of people do such things?”
“You’ll have to figure that out. Fortunately, it happened in broad daylight, so I was able to clearly see the culprits.”
Sa Yeon-hwi placed two pieces of paper on the table.
“Last night, my wife called an artist and had him draw a portrait of the robbers.”
Cheon Ryang-ji’s eyes widened as he carefully lifted and unfolded the paper.
‘Oh my! It looks like Simtong and Yeonjeokha?’
When Cheonryangji was surprised, Sa Yeon-hui asked urgently.
“Why are you so surprised? Are you people you know?”
“No. I know people who look like this, but they’re not that person.”
“Who are they?”
“Before I tell you that, is it true that your Majesty was robbed?”
“That’s right. If they beat you until your bones were broken and took your money, isn’t that robbery?”
Sa Yeon-hwi stared at Cheon Ryang-ji as if demanding an answer.
Cheon Ryang-ji, who had been hesitating, looked at the painting again and then spoke.
“The people I know are the Green Forest’s general patrol and his subordinates.”
“The Green Forest Patrol? So that old man is the Green Forest Patrol and the young man is his subordinate?”
“No. The young man is the general patrolman, and the old man is a peerless expert who follows him like a shadow.”
“I know that the Nokrim ranks are determined by the level of martial arts prowess.”
“Yes. The martial arts of the General Patrol Yeonjeokha have already reached the realm of the spirit.”
“How did you meet him?”
“That’s actually… … .”
Cheonryangji told in detail what had happened not long ago.
“Why would such people commit robbery? And in the inn they run!”
“That’s why I said they are similar but different people. Even if they are from the Green Forest, do you think they would spit in their own drinking water?”
“… … .”
Sa Yeon-hwi did not refute his statement because he believed that his words made sense.
There was a moment of silence between the two.
After a while, Sa Yeon-hwi said.
“First, you meet them. Then you will know. Whether it was their doing or not.”
“All right.”
Cheonryangji folded the paper neatly and put it in his bosom.
Sa Yeon-hui, who had been silently watching him, spoke coldly.
“If by any chance they are the culprits, I will definitely punish them.”
“He is not a madou who has completely closed off his thoughts about love. He is definitely not like that.”
“There is a saying that you can know the depth of ten feet of water, but not the heart of a one-foot person. It is even more so when the opponent is a green forest. You should not trust him too much either.”
“Yes. I always keep in mind that they are green forests too.”
“Go and take care of business.”
“yes.”
Cheonryangji got up from his seat, bowed to Sa Yeon-hui, and left.
Sa Yeon-hwi, left alone, stroked his beard with a complicated expression on his face.
Everything was a little bit off.
Why would a young thief in the prime of his life buy an inn and live in seclusion?
It also makes no sense that such a person would commit robbery in the inn he had worked hard to earn.
‘Oh, really. I don’t know.’
Wuxia,
