Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 25

“How can such an absurd thing happen in this world? If it’s the fault of the Imperial Guard who already received their posts, it has nothing to do with Instructor Ilchung!”

Yunhyun asked as if seeking agreement, but Eunuch Park simply shrugged.

“It seems the higher-ups see it differently, yes.”

The Forbidden City was, quite literally, a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair, a place where one never knew what might happen.

It was impossible to know how many great and small storms had swept through the Forbidden City, and countless people had lost their lives or been stripped of their positions in their wake.

Did they all truly deserve such fates because of grave mistakes or sins?

Probably not.

Yunhyun, of course, lived in the isolated Changryong Hall within the Forbidden City, unaware of all this.

“But why would they try to hold Instructor Ilchung responsible?”

Eunuch Park shook his head at the scholar’s naive question.

The reason no longer mattered. Yunhyun still didn’t understand that.

“Instructor Ilchung usually keeps a low profile, but…”

Eunuch Park continued slowly.

“In fact, he is the descendant of a prestigious martial arts family, and the name he inherited from his ancestors carries weight. Moreover, some of the superiors have been subtly uncomfortable with Instructor Ilchung…”

That wasn’t the ‘reason’ Yunhyun had in mind. But in a way, it was the correct answer.

In the end, Instructor Ilchung was the best card for the high-ranking officials to discard. A card with just enough weight, whom they had wanted to get rid of anyway.

“That’s unacceptable!”

Thud.

Yunhyun slammed the table and spoke firmly.

“But…”

Eunuch Park tried to say something, but Yunhyun continued with an agitated expression.

“Who is more faithful to his duties than Instructor Ilchung! I will never condone this.”

‘Oh dear.’

Eunuch Park sighed inwardly.

What could a resident of an isolated hall do if he didn’t condone what was happening in the midst of a raging storm?

But whether he knew Eunuch Park’s inner thoughts or not, Yunhyun continued in a resolute voice.

“I will submit a memorial to His Majesty and correct this matter.”

“Yes?”

This time, it was Eunuch Park who was surprised.

“A memorial, you mean a written petition to the Emperor? U-Un Scholar Yun, even so, there’s no need to go that far…”

Inwardly, Eunuch Park was flustered.

In fact, the storm raging within the Forbidden City was no small matter.

It seemed they were determined, and even the chilling phrase ‘conspiracy to rebel’ was being thrown around.

Whatever the pretext, the opposing faction’s goal was simple.

They wanted to completely eradicate the influence that the hostile faction had over the Imperial Guard.

To prevent that, to protect their key figures, this faction had abandoned Ilchung.

In this situation, if Yunhyun submitted a memorial defending Instructor Ilchung, he would likely be swept away by this storm.

As a target that no one would protect, no one would side with, and both factions would antagonize.

“This is no time for that. Now that I think of it, right away…”

Yunhyun straightened up and prepared to write.

Eunuch Park hurriedly called out to him.

“Scholar Yun!”

Yunhyun turned his head.

Eunuch Park took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

“As you know, this Imperial Palace is a place rife with schemes.”

Eunuch Park smiled.

“Surely you wouldn’t submit a memorial based solely on this humble one’s words without verifying the facts yourself, would you?”

Submitting a memorial was a great risk.

Exile or death due to a memorial that displeased the Emperor was not uncommon, so as Eunuch Park said, it was not something to be handled carelessly.

Eunuch Park thought Yunhyun would hesitate a little at this point.

However, Yunhyun’s reaction exceeded his expectations.

“There’s no need for verification.”

Yunhyun said with a firm look.

“I can’t hear the whole story from the person involved anyway. In the end, I have no choice but to hear it through someone else’s mouth, right? If so, I will choose the interpretation of those I trust.”

Yunhyun turned his head again and picked up his brush.

Eunuch Park, who had been momentarily confused by the confident answer, barely managed to ask.

“I-Interpretation, you say?”

Yunhyun answered without turning around.

“Even the same fact can be interpreted differently depending on the viewer’s perspective. And it is human nature to distort the facts without realizing it. So, in the end, it is a matter of whom you trust.”

Holding the brush, Yunhyun didn’t look up.

But Eunuch Park could clearly see his eyes shining resolutely.

“Instructor Ilchung, as I know him, is someone who should never be harmed by such a thing, and Eunuch Park has never once told me a lie. I trust both of you.”

‘Good heavens…’

Eunuch Park was momentarily speechless.

He had used a lot of difficult words, but in the end, he was saying that he would write a memorial based solely on Eunuch Park’s words.

‘I knew he was naive, but I didn’t know he was this naive…’

Eunuch Park shook his head in disbelief.

But what could he say when he trusted him? Eunuch Park couldn’t speak.

In fact, something warm was rising from within, making him speechless.

Rustle, rustle.

Yunhyun’s brush was already racing across the paper in a single stroke.

Eunuch Park pursed his lips and silently watched Yunhyun write the memorial.

He couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his eyes.

“Please take care of it.”

“Yes. Don’t worry, hohoho.”

Eunuch Park held Yunhyun’s memorial in his arms and covered his mouth with his hand as he laughed.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

After bowing to Yunhyun, Eunuch Park walked out between the bookshelves with a light step.

“Hehyo.”

Leaving Munyeon Hall, Eunuch Park sighed lightly.

‘It’s been over ten years of palace life, but people are still…’

Eunuch Park was still dumbfounded.

Why didn’t someone like Scholar Yun know that countless people had lost their heads over a flimsy memorial [a formal written petition to the emperor]?

‘Now, what should I do with Scholar Yun’s memorial?’

It was easy to receive the memorial from Yunhyun.

With the words ‘Do you know where to submit it?’, Eunuch Park was able to take Yunhyun’s memorial.

Eunuch Park was dumbfounded to see Yunhyun writing a memorial based on his words and entrusting it to him so easily.

“I have no choice but to buy Eunuch Yang dinner…”

Eunuch Yang was in charge of organizing the memorials that came from all over the country.

All he did was organize them neatly, so he had no power, but the memorial placed on top and the memorial placed on the bottom could make a big difference.

Of course, the memorial he was holding in his arms would be placed at the very bottom.

So that it wouldn’t catch anyone’s eye, especially the Emperor’s.

“Hehe.”

Eunuch Park let out a laugh without realizing it.

It was because he remembered Yunhyun’s face when he said, ‘I trust both of you’ with a serious expression.

“Eherra, Eunuch Yang. Please put this at the very bottom.”

Eunuch Park quickened his pace, humming the words he would say to Eunuch Yang like a song.

A small laugh lingered behind him. It was not a mockery, but an unusually bright and warm laugh.

***

Whoosh.

A faint sound followed as the wooden sword cut through the air.

The sword path flowed smoothly through the space like cold stream water, and the slender sound echoed quietly like a small ripple.

Weeing.

Yunhyun’s wooden sword drew another stroke in the air, but there was no sound of cutting through the wind.

Only a soft weeping sound was heard, and Yunhyun’s wooden sword moved quietly along the sword path of the White Tiger Training Sword Style.

A strange energy was faintly, but definitely, lingering in the wooden sword.

Thud.

“Hoo.”

The twelfth form of the White Tiger Training Sword ended as Yunhyun took a long breath.

Yunhyun, who was slightly out of breath, looked down at his wooden sword.

The faintly flickering energy had disappeared, and the rough blade of the wooden sword came into view.

Yunhyun gently stroked the blade and murmured regretfully.

“It still doesn’t work like last time.”

Yunhyun was quite excited when he started training with the White Tiger Training Sword.

He wondered if he could have the same eye-opening experience again, but as expected, it didn’t happen.

‘But it’s much better now.’

Regret filled him, but it was true that he had improved a lot.

Yunhyun consoled his empty heart with that.

Now he fully understood what the White Tiger Training Sword Style was trying to say, and a faint energy began to linger in the wooden sword.

The White Tiger Hall scholar said that when the sword begins to vibrate on its own, it is the beginning of training; when energy begins to linger in the sword, the training becomes complete; and when one realizes that the heavens and earth are full of energy, the training is finished.

So, according to the White Tiger Hall scholar’s records, the day of completion was not far off.

“Hoot.”

Yunhyun couldn’t help but smile when he thought of the White Tiger Hall scholar.

‘That person probably never thought that I, a fellow scholar, would master his sword style.’

He probably never thought of it.

Didn’t the books always use the example of a skilled martial artist?

“Still, please think of it as commendable. I’m a scholar, but I’ve come this far with a wooden sword that’s not even a real sword, so isn’t it worth saying that my sincerity is admirable?”

The White Tiger Hall scholar probably never thought that anyone would train with a wooden sword.

No, perhaps he didn’t even expect anyone to train at all.

Yunhyun smiled as he imagined the surprised look on the face of the White Tiger Hall scholar, whom he had never met.

“By the way, Instructor Ilchung…”

Looking down at the wooden sword, he was reminded of Instructor Ilchung’s situation.

Yunhyun sighed deeply without realizing it.

‘Surely nothing bad will happen.’

After entrusting the memorial to Eunuch Park, Yunhyun visited the Imperial Guard training ground as usual.

At first glance, the atmosphere of the training ground didn’t seem to have changed much.

However, he could quickly tell that the instructors’ expressions were stiff.

‘It’s obviously a ridiculous accusation. Instructor will be fine.’

As if shaking off the worry rising from one corner of his heart, Yunhyun shook his head, resolving himself.

His memorial wouldn’t have much power, but he thought it would help anyway, and he felt calmer and more relieved.

“That’s right…”

Yunhyun raised the wooden sword and frowned slightly.

“Why did I skip the vibration at the beginning?”

Yunhyun had no way of knowing that his sword had resonated long ago.

“Ah, it’s already time…”

Yunhyun looked at the darkening sky with regret and put away his wooden sword.

Then, he began to trudge towards his quarters.

As he disappeared between the pavilions, the evening twilight slowly descended.

***

The storm that Eunuch Park had feared soon arrived.

Crash.

Yunhyun jumped up, and the antique chair in Munyeon Hall fell over with a loud noise.

But no one was paying attention to it now.

“I-Is that true, Eunuch Park?”

Yunhyun’s voice trembled as he asked Eunuch Park.

Eunuch Park’s expression was also not bright as he answered.

“Yes. Many high-ranking officials have been imprisoned overnight. Regardless of their rank, there are quite a few military officers among those who have been arrested…”

Eunuch Park hesitated.

“It is said that Instructor Ilchung and other Imperial Guard instructors are among them.”