Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 400

400. Arrest Warrant

Nanjing, residence of Seo Geuk-yoon, the Tongpan [a local magistrate].

The Tongpan Seo Geuk-yoon, who governed a district of the metropolis Nanjing, was in a very foul mood.

It wasn’t just because he failed to obtain Wolhyang, the gisaeng [Korean geisha] he had been trying to possess.

“Tsk.”

Seo Geuk-yoon frowned and glared at Vice-Chief Jang.

Vice-Chief Jang had a cloth wrapped around his face and drooped his shoulders like a sinner.

He was indeed guilty.

He had failed to carry out the orders of his master, Seo Geuk-yoon.

“Raise your head.”

At Seo Geuk-yoon’s words, Vice-Chief Jang slowly lifted his head.

Wrapping a cloth around his face was partly due to his broken nose, but it was also a sly attempt to show his master how much he had suffered.

However, it wasn’t all pretense; the area around the vice-chief’s cheekbones and jaw was darkly bruised.

It was because he had slammed his face into the floor.

“What on earth is this? You took fifteen men and couldn’t handle just two?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Vice-Chief Jang said in a dejected voice.

The number of servants he took was only about six or seven, but it didn’t matter.

A little exaggeration was necessary to convey how formidable the opponents were.

“They were no ordinary people.”

With a look of utter injustice, Vice-Chief Jang continued.

“Those guys, well, they were martial arts masters. They took down fifteen burly servants in an instant, and even left me in this state.”

Vice-Chief Jang even teared up, expressing his resentment to the fullest.

“Martial arts masters?”

Seo Geuk-yoon frowned.

Martial arts masters all of a sudden? It was an unexpected claim.

However, Vice-Chief Jang stated firmly.

“Yes, those very martial arts masters.”

In truth, he couldn’t be sure if they were martial arts masters.

He hadn’t seen them properly, nor did he have the insight to recognize a master.

But Vice-Chief Jang didn’t care.

Who else but a martial arts master could do such bizarre things?

The sword they carried, the old man’s unusual appearance, and the scholar’s fierce eyes all reinforced Vice-Chief Jang’s conviction.

“So, you’re saying you were beaten and came back?”

However, Seo Geuk-yoon’s expression didn’t improve.

“Even if they’re masters or whatever, aren’t they just street thugs with some strength?”

To Seo Geuk-yoon, the martial world was essentially the same as back-alley thugs who didn’t follow the rules of the government.

He had vaguely heard of masters, but he dismissed them as mere wordplay for gossips.

But Vice-Chief Jang waved his hand.

“Oh, my lord. Martial arts masters are different. They train something called internal energy [qi or chi] and can break rocks with their bare hands and fly over rooftops like birds. They made fifteen burly servants, well, actually about six or seven, fall in an instant with invisible techniques. What could I possibly do?”

Invisible techniques were indeed the right words.

He really couldn’t tell how they did it.

But the important thing was to emphasize that fifteen burly servants, well, actually about six or seven, were defeated without even putting up a proper fight.

That’s how he could avoid responsibility.

“I sternly rebuked them. I told them, ‘How dare you interfere with the Tongpan’s affairs?’ But they treated my words like dog droppings and even did this to my face… sob.”

Seeing Seo Geuk-yoon’s eyebrows twitch, Vice-Chief Jang quickly lowered his head and pretended to cry.

Saying they treated his words like dog droppings was essentially saying they were disregarding Tongpan Seo Geuk-yoon.

“How dare they…”

Seo Geuk-yoon gritted his teeth.

Vice-Chief Jang made a fuss about martial arts masters, but to Seo Geuk-yoon, they were no different from street thugs.

The thought of such people looking down on him made his stomach churn.

“And, well, there was this young punk stuck right next to that gisaeng…”

“What!”

Seo Geuk-yoon’s eyebrows furrowed instantly.

“Is that true!”

“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes.”

Vice-Chief Jang nodded with a resolute look.

Gritting his teeth.

Seo Geuk-yoon gnashed his teeth.

“I cherished her, yet she doesn’t know gratitude and brings in a young man?”

Seo Geuk-yoon’s anger soared to the top of his head.

“Even if I have to mobilize all the servants in my household, I will catch those adulterers and wipe them out!”

Thump.

Seo Geuk-yoon shouted, slamming the desk.

His beard trembled with rage.

“My lord.”

Vice-Chief Jang said, watching Seo Geuk-yoon’s reaction.

“There’s a simple way to handle this, why bother with all the trouble? Why should a great man like you cause a stir to punish those insignificant adulterers?”

In a subtle voice, Vice-Chief Jang continued.

“Just issue an arrest warrant.”

Seo Geuk-yoon’s eyebrows twitched.

“An arrest warrant?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

An arrest warrant (追捕令) was an order to capture criminals.

However, issuing an arrest warrant required the approval of the Chugwan (推官) [judicial officer], who was in charge of Nanjing’s judiciary.

The current Chugwan of Nanjing was a very strict man, which was a burden for Seo Geuk-yoon.

“But an arrest warrant…”

“Think about it, my lord.”

Vice-Chief Jang said with a serious look.

“Once the government’s arrest warrant is issued, what can even a martial arts master do? Even if they manage to escape by chance, they won’t have a place to set foot in the entire country, and they won’t be able to avoid the government’s pursuit wherever they go.”

Arrest warrants for serious criminals were spread to all local government offices.

It meant they would literally have nowhere to set foot in the world.

“Also, the arrogant Wolhyang will then realize your might, and eventually, she will have no choice but to come to you and kneel. Your will will be done without any fuss or trouble.”

Seo Geuk-yoon liked Vice-Chief Jang’s words.

Especially the part about ‘no fuss or trouble’.

Now that he mentioned it, would it be fitting for himself, the Tongpan of Nanjing, to make a scene just to catch them?

“Do you know their names?”

There was no way Vice-Chief Jang would know.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know their names or titles, but I remember their faces clearly.”

Knowing their faces was enough to issue an arrest warrant.

They could draw a likeness.

“I see.”

Seo Geuk-yoon made up his mind.

“I’ll go see my brother tomorrow, so prepare for it.”

The brother he was referring to was Seo Gae-gang, the Vice-Governor of Nanjing.

“Yes! My lord!”

Vice-Chief Jang’s reply was full of energy.

With Tongpan Seo Geuk-yoon moving in earnest, the matter was as good as over.

Vice-Chief Jang was certain that the day to take revenge on the guys who made his face like this and Wolhyang, who laughed at him, was not far off.

***

The second-in-command of Nanjing, Vice-Governor Seo Gae-gang, frowned.

He wondered what trouble his cousin, Tongpan Seo Geuk-yoon, had gotten into this time.

But the story Seo Geuk-yoon brought was quite different from Seo Gae-gang’s expectations.

“An arrest warrant?”

Seo Gae-gang asked, glancing at the two portraits placed in front of him.

Seo Geuk-yoon said with a serious look.

“Yes. Since they are martial arts masters, I suspect they might be bandits from the Heroic Alliance or something.”

Seo Gae-gang frowned.

“That place has already collapsed. Don’t you even know that?”

“Oh, is that so? Then they must be remnants.”

Seo Geuk-yoon quickly continued, momentarily flustered.

“These people dared to use violence against my servants in Nanjing. Isn’t this disregarding the authority of the court and the imperial family?”

His voice was quite indignant, but Vice-Governor Seo Gae-gang looked at Seo Geuk-yoon with a disapproving look.

So, the talk about bandits and the Heroic Alliance was all baseless.

If it were real, there would be no reason for Seo Geuk-yoon to come running to him.

“Tsk.”

Seo Gae-gang clicked his tongue.

“…Is it another woman problem?”

At Seo Gae-gang’s words, Seo Geuk-yoon flinched.

He immediately denied it.

“No, brother. Why would I be involved with a woman…?”

“I’ve even heard rumors that you’re desperate to get your hands on a gisaeng. The Tongpan of Nanjing can’t even handle one gisaeng and is becoming the talk of the town?”

Seo Gae-gang said with a stern look.

“Besides, have you forgotten that I had to bow my head to the Prefect to cover up what happened last time? You can mess with as many gisaengs as you want, but you shouldn’t have killed her!”

“I didn’t kill her, brother!”

Seo Geuk-yoon said, looking wronged.

“I just slapped her once because she was being disobedient… Besides, I haven’t even set foot in a gisaeng house lately.”

That was true.

Instead, he had been sending Vice-Chief Jang every day.

Seo Gae-gang glared at Seo Geuk-yoon.

“I’ll say it again, manage your personal affairs thoroughly. If you don’t want to end up as just a Tongpan, be careful in everything you do!”

Seo Geuk-yoon still looked wronged.

He couldn’t help it.

Seo Gae-gang committed even bigger problems, but he had simply managed his ‘personal affairs’ thoroughly, as he had said.

So much so that even Seo Geuk-yoon felt it was cruel and ruthless.

But Seo Geuk-yoon had no choice but to bow his head.

“…Yes, I understand.”

“Tsk.”

Seo Gae-gang clicked his tongue once more with a displeased expression.

Then, he looked at the two portraits placed in front of him.

The faces of a young scholar and an old man with an unusual impression were drawn.

They were probably the gisaeng’s lover and patron.

‘Bandits of the Heroic Alliance…’

They assaulted Seo Geuk-yoon’s servants, so the crime was certain.

The charge of being from the Heroic Alliance was also timely.

Wasn’t the court currently praising the suppression of the Heroic Alliance?

Of course, judging by the portraits alone, they looked far from being bandits.

“I understand.”

Seo Gae-gang said.

“I’ll talk to the Chugwan. The arrest warrant will be officially issued in three days at the latest.”

Once the arrest warrant was issued, the government would start the arrest, and notices (榜文) [public notices] would be posted everywhere.

It was literally being declared a criminal to the entire world.

Seo Geuk-yoon’s expression brightened.

“Thank you, brother.”

“That’s enough. More importantly, manage your personal affairs thoroughly. Oh, and you’ve looked into their background, right?”

Seo Geuk-yoon smiled.

“How could such guys have any backing? Don’t worry.”

However, Seo Gae-gang didn’t ease his frown.

“This is Nanjing. Who knows what might pop out if you carelessly touch something?”

Nanjing was one of the two hearts of the continent, along with Beijing.

Unlike other regions, it had an independent administrative organization, and most of the agencies in the imperial palace, although smaller in scale, were all located there.

So, people even compared it to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, which had many wealthy merchants, saying, ‘Don’t brag about money in Guangzhou, and don’t brag about your position in Nanjing.’

“As the old saying goes, ‘Prepare for the worst.’ Make sure to check their background. Do you understand?”

“Yes, brother.”

Seo Geuk-yoon answered obediently.

Then, he suddenly asked Seo Gae-gang.

“Shouldn’t we inform the Prefect?”

The Prefect was the chief administrator of the metropolis Nanjing.

But Seo Gae-gang scoffed.

“Hmph, why would I inform a has-been who’s about to retire?”

The current Prefect of Nanjing, Joo Deok-il, was already old and weak.

Within the Nanjing government, rumors were circulating as a foregone conclusion that he would soon retire.

In fact, Joo Deok-il had even entrusted most of his duties to Vice-Governor Seo Gae-gang, so there was no way Seo Gae-gang, who had a bright future, would fear him.

“There’s no need to worry about that at all.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Seo Geuk-yoon said with a smile.

With his wish fulfilled and in high spirits, Seo Geuk-yoon had already forgotten Seo Gae-gang’s advice to ‘check their background’.

‘Hehe.’

Seo Geuk-yoon smirked, imagining Wolhyang’s mature and elegant figure.

He could almost see her coming to him and bowing her head.

‘Three days…’

The three days until the arrest warrant was issued and the notices with the two men’s likenesses were posted throughout Nanjing felt so far away.