Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 26

026. Deterioration

“Th, that can’t be…”

Un-hyun’s face twisted.

When Assistant Park informed him of Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s imprisonment, Un-hyun thought, ‘The thing I feared most has finally become a reality.’

However, if it wasn’t just Instructor Il Chung-hyun who was imprisoned, the story was a little different.

Didn’t they say that only Instructor Il Chung-hyun would take the blame?

Un-hyun looked at Assistant Park and asked with a stiff expression,

“What on earth is going on? What could have happened that even high-ranking officials and military officers are being imprisoned?”

“Well, that is…”

Assistant Park hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and spoke.

“I regret to inform you that it is treason…”

The color drained from Un-hyun’s face in an instant.

“Treason!”

The shock that suddenly hit Un-hyun scrambled his mind.

Treason meant plotting rebellion.

Wasn’t that a grave crime that would never be forgiven, defying the Emperor’s solemn rule?

Feeling his body sway, Un-hyun, now pale, steadied himself on the table.

Thud.

‘Treason, treason…’

He had clearly heard it with his own ears, but he couldn’t grasp the reality.

Whether the treason was real or not, no one accused of it and imprisoned had ever survived.

If Instructor Il Chung-hyun was accused of treason, then everything was as good as over.

But he couldn’t figure out what had happened.

Why did the gruesome word ‘treason’ suddenly pop up?

“It’s truly an absurd accusation. But now there’s nothing we can do…”

Un-hyun, who had been leaning on the table, suddenly stood up.

“This won’t do!”

“Sir?”

Un-hyun looked at Assistant Park and said quickly,

“Where is Instructor Il Chung-hyun imprisoned? I’ll go immediately…”

Seeing the atmosphere as if he would charge in right away, Assistant Park hurriedly grabbed Un-hyun’s sleeve.

“That won’t do, Scholar Un-hyun.”

“What do you mean it won’t do! What won’t do!”

Un-hyun was furious.

It wasn’t Assistant Park’s fault that Instructor Il Chung-hyun was imprisoned, but Un-hyun’s voice was getting louder without him realizing it.

“This doesn’t make any sense! Instructor Il Chung-hyun committing treason! I must go and…”

“…Go and do what?”

Assistant Park’s cold voice struck Un-hyun’s ear.

Un-hyun looked bewildered at Assistant Park’s calm expression.

“Do what? Shouldn’t I clear Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s name?”

It was such a natural answer.

But all that came back was Assistant Park’s long sigh.

“Scholar Un-hyun.”

Assistant Park looked straight at Un-hyun and said,

“Who doesn’t know that?”

Un-hyun was momentarily speechless. Assistant Park continued in a calm voice.

“Treason is just an excuse. If it were really treason, there would have been chaos long ago. This is just a purge.”

“A purge?”

Assistant Park nodded at Un-hyun’s words.

“Yes, a purge. Getting rid of those who aren’t on their side.”

Seeing Un-hyun staring blankly at him, Assistant Park sighed softly again.

“Instead of this, please sit down for a moment.”

Assistant Park’s explanation continued for quite a while.

He rattled off stories about which high-ranking official belonged to which faction, who was close to whom in high places, what the recent transfers of high-ranking officials were like, and what their impact was.

It was unfamiliar content for Un-hyun, but despite the long explanation, the conclusion was simple.

As Assistant Park said, one faction was currently purging those who were not on their side.

And very thoroughly and cruelly.

“Hmph.”

Un-hyun sighed deeply as Assistant Park finished his explanation.

‘It’s not that I didn’t know…’

It wasn’t that he didn’t know.

Factions were everywhere, and conflicts could arise at any time.

The days when he thought he could be recognized with pure loyalty alone were long gone.

But when he faced the reality, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Moreover, this was a problem directly related to Instructor Il Chung-hyun.

“…Isn’t there any way?”

Un-hyun asked with a pitiful expression, but Assistant Park shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but…”

Normally, he might have found a way.

But this was a purge where the side with overwhelming power was trying to uproot the other side.

There was no mercy or moderation in it.

Moreover, it was so planned that they even put on a smokescreen, pretending it was a problem with the newly appointed Embroidered Uniform Guard [secret police] in order to summon some officials and generals from the provinces and purge them all at once.

If so, it meant that who would live and who would die was already decided, so what could a mere scholar and eunuch do in the meantime?

No matter how unfair the accusation, there was no way out.

“Hmph. How, how could this be?”

A hollow sigh escaped from Un-hyun’s lips, and Assistant Park lowered his head with an apologetic expression, saying nothing.

“Hmph.”

The old-fashioned Munyeongak [a library or archive] was as quiet as a mouse, with only Un-hyun’s sighs ceasing.

***

After the large-scale imprisonment of officials, including Instructor Il Chung-hyun, the atmosphere in the Forbidden City was very chaotic.

Whispering figures could be easily found here and there, and the oppressive feeling that seemed to weigh down the entire Forbidden City did not disappear.

Although Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s imprisonment was the biggest cause for Un-hyun, others were also shaken.

However, that atmosphere lasted only three days.

As no more shocking news came in for three days, people quickly began to return to their daily lives.

It was also an accurate understanding of the ruling faction’s intention that there would be no more bloodshed, and it was also the beginning of accepting the fate of the imprisoned as a fait accompli [an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action].

The empty seats were quickly filled, and the Forbidden City had already begun to forget the victims.

But Un-hyun couldn’t.

Clang.

The door opened in the darkness with a dull sound.

Un-hyun nodded to the Embroidered Uniform Guard standing in front of the door to express his gratitude, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard had no reaction with a blank face.

If he hadn’t seen him open the door just now, he would have mistaken him for a stone statue.

Squeak.

As Un-hyun applied a little force, the thick door pushed open with a low sound.

‘Hmm.’

Un-hyun frowned.

Compared to the brightly lit outside, the inside was unusually dark.

Moreover, a pungent odor assailed his nose as soon as the door opened.

But Un-hyun didn’t turn his head.

‘Hoo-oop.’

Taking a deep breath, Un-hyun took a step into the darkness and stench.

Squeak, thud.

The door closed behind Un-hyun as he entered. At the same time, the stench worsened.

A musty and fishy smell, a smell of something rotting, and a faint moan floated in the dim light.

“Umm.”

Un-hyun let out a low groan without realizing it.

There were thick wooden bars densely filling both sides of the passage, and beyond them were the figures of people who were terribly broken.

They were the people who had been imprisoned in this incident.

Un-hyun slowly moved his feet and looked around the prison.

‘Ugh, this is…’

Deep wrinkles formed on Un-hyun’s forehead as he examined the people.

The appearance of the people in the prison was miserable.

Everywhere was torn and covered with wounds, as if from ruthless torture.

The identity of the fishy smell that had been floating here was the smell of blood.

Un-hyun frowned, but he didn’t cover his nose with his hand.

Although he couldn’t say that all of them were righteous, at least this was a senseless and meaningless bloodshed.

Un-hyun slowly took one step at a time, like a pilgrim, and looked for Instructor Il Chung-hyun.

“Ah!”

At the end of the unusually long passage, Un-hyun found Instructor Il Chung-hyun.

He was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed as if he were meditating, and traces of torture remained on his body as well.

Rustle.

Instructor Il Chung-hyun didn’t react even though he approached.

Even though he would have noticed Un-hyun approaching, he didn’t move as if he couldn’t hear anything.

“Instructor Il Chung-hyun.”

Only when Un-hyun called out in a low voice did Instructor Il Chung-hyun open his eyes.

“…What brings you here?”

His voice was surprisingly calm.

Moreover, it was somehow reproachful.

Un-hyun trailed off.

“Instructor Il Chung-hyun…”

“I asked what brings you here?”

Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s eyes were fierce.

But that gaze looked even sadder, so Un-hyun was heartbroken.

“This is not a place suitable for a scholar, so please go back.”

As if he had nothing more to say, Il Chung-hyun closed his eyes again.

But Un-hyun had no intention of ending it like this.

“How can I not come when you have been unfairly imprisoned? Fortunately, Assistant Park used his connections to help…”

“Hmph.”

A low sigh escaped from Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s mouth.

“Assistant Park, I didn’t see him that way, but he didn’t even think of stopping you…”

“Instructor Il Chung-hyun.”

Instructor Il Chung-hyun turned his head. He looked straight at Un-hyun and said,

“Why are you so thoughtless?”

“Yes?”

As Un-hyun asked back, Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s voice continued.

“Why do you think entry here was allowed? Do you think they are so careless?”

Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s voice was getting louder and louder.

“Why don’t you know that they are watching this place?”

Only then did Un-hyun understand what Instructor Il Chung-hyun meant.

Meeting a prisoner accused of treason would never be a simple matter.

Nevertheless, the fact that they were able to meet like this was also because they were intentionally left alone.

To find out who the remaining sympathizers were.

“If you know, go now. If you get out of their sight, Scholar Un-hyun might suffer…”

“It’s okay.”

Un-hyun’s answer popped out before Instructor Il Chung-hyun could finish speaking.

Un-hyun’s voice was slightly agitated.

“What if I get out of their sight? I have nowhere else to go down or up.”

“Hmph.”

Instructor Il Chung-hyun looked at Un-hyun with a dumbfounded expression.

But Un-hyun’s eyes were more serious than ever.

“But you…, you have lost your life because of this ridiculous thing…”

Before he knew it, tears began to well up in Un-hyun’s eyes.

“Where else is there such an unfair thing?”

Thud.

A large teardrop rolled down Un-hyun’s cheek.

“This can’t be. This can’t be…, this can’t be.”

Un-hyun couldn’t finish his words.

Tears flowed down Un-hyun’s cheek as he lowered his head, and Instructor Il Chung-hyun, who was watching, also felt his heart ache.

‘Hmph. This, this…’

Il Chung-hyun is a military officer with an iron will who doesn’t fear death.

But now, what is flowing down Un-hyun’s cheeks is not tears but warm affection, and Il Chung-hyun also feels his eyes getting hot without realizing it.

As if to hide it, Instructor Il Chung-hyun closed his eyes tightly.

Thud, patter.

Only the falling tears wet Un-hyun’s front, and both of them were silent.

After a while, the first one to speak was Instructor Il Chung-hyun.

“At one time, I dreamed of becoming a great hero roaming the martial world [a world of martial arts and chivalry].”

Was it because Un-hyun, who was crying for him, didn’t seem like a stranger?

Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s tone was as soft and friendly as if he were treating a brother.

“But I couldn’t disobey my father’s will, so I left the rough martial world and joined the military. I was disgusted by the martial world, where people harmed others for their own small gains, so I believed it was a meaningful thing and didn’t refuse the position of instructor.”

Instructor Il Chung-hyun continued, staring into the distance. As if staring at the invisible sky.

Un-hyun raised his head and looked at him.

“I have never forgotten my father’s words that those who have power have that much responsibility, but heaven did not allow me the time, so I am going to die like this…”

Instructor Il Chung-hyun stopped talking and sighed deeply.

And he slowly turned his head and smiled at Un-hyun.

“In the end, it seems this is my fate.”