Chapter 08
Invitation (2)
‘……Oh, what a headache.’
Watching this scene from afar, Yu Yeop-gyeong clutched his head with one hand.
He had been wondering what the two were doing, but that son of mine had knocked out Officer Jang in one hit.
Thinking he had caused trouble, Yu Yeop-gyeong was about to get up, when Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang waved his hand dismissively
and spoke.
“Yu Hak-jeong. It’s nothing serious.”
“What do you mean, not serious? Officer Jang went flying over there.”
“Hahaha. Officer Jang is a master of martial arts. No matter how much of a strongman Mumu is, he’s not someone who would be
so easily beaten. He’s probably just having a prank with Mumu.”
‘A prank? Hmm. Is that really it?’
For a prank, the constables seemed to have rushed over in surprise.
As he was feeling puzzled, Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang changed the topic of conversation.
“More importantly, will you really be alright? Making a stop along the way.”
“What choice do I have? As Vice-Commissioner O said, if the Minister of Punishments has asked to see me, I have no way of refusing.”
Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Punishments was in charge of matters related to law enforcement and prisoners.
Its General Manager was the Minister of Punishments, a Senior 2nd Rank official.
Although he had been given a special pardon due to a national auspicious event, he could not refuse the summons because the
Ministry of Punishments was the one that had been responsible for his exile.
“But I have no idea why he’s calling for me.”
This was a doubt for Yu Yeop-gyeong.
It had been seventeen years since he was caught up in ‘The Incident’ and sent into exile.
From what he heard, many of the figures in the political world had already been replaced, and few people knew him.
He didn’t know why he, who was now nothing more than a sinner, was being summoned.
“Hmm… Actually, I have a guess.”
“What is it?”
At Yu Yeop-gyeong’s question, Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang smacked his lips and spoke.
“Well, I was planning to tell you when we arrived at your home in Kaifeng to give you a surprise, but it can’t be helped.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“It’s probably because of your sons.”
“My sons? Are you saying those children have caused some kind of trouble?”
Yu Yeop-gyeong asked with an anxious heart.
In Kaifeng were his two sons whom he had not seen for a long time.
The first would now be past the age of twenty, and the second was the same age as his adopted son, Mumu.
“Ah, ah, please don’t misunderstand. It’s not like that.”
“Then?”
“You have very fine sons.”
At those words, Yu Yeop-gyeong couldn’t understand the reason.
At this, Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang smiled and spoke.
“Your first son has graduated from the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy with second place and has been appointed as a
Senior 7th Rank Censor Inspector of the Office of the Censorate.”
“W-what?”
At those words, Yu Yeop-gyeong was dumbfounded.
The Office of the Censorate was the inspection agency of the Imperial Capital.
Due to its nature, an inspection agency that handled the performance and auditing duties of officials sometimes wielded more
power than the Six Ministries.
To become a Senior 7th Rank Censor Inspector in such a place literally meant he had made a great success of himself.
‘Is this a dream or waking reality?’
Even he himself had only been a Senior 8th Rank Scholar Official.
But from a family exiled as criminals, a Senior 7th Rank government official had emerged.
It was surprising, but also completely incomprehensible.
“Are you perhaps joking with me? How could the government possibly appoint the son of an exiled criminal?”
“Ah, ah, ah. It’s natural that you don’t understand.”
“What is the reason?”
“My, where should I start explaining… Ah! Do you remember the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy I mentioned earlier?”
“I do. You said my first child graduated with second place? What on earth is that place?”
It was the first time he’d heard of the academy.
When he was in Kaifeng, he didn’t even know of such an academy’s existence.
Seeing the character for ‘Martial’ at the front, it didn’t seem to be a literary academy.
“Yu Hak-jeong. Do you perhaps remember the Hegemonic Despot Association?”
“The Hegemonic Despot Association? You don’t mean that vicious group of rebels who threatened even the Imperial Palace,
claiming they would conquer the Central Plains with martial might?”
How could he not know.
The starting point of The Incident back then was related to the Hegemonic Despot Association.
A great number of people from the National Academy all became criminals and were sent into exile.
In any case, even Yu Yeop-gyeong, who didn’t know much about the Murim, knew better than anyone how much fear that group had
instilled in countless people.
“But what about it?”
“You also know who defeated the Hegemonic Despot Association, don’t you?”
“That… wasn’t it those people called the Four Great Grandmasters?”
“That’s right. The Changcheon Martial Arts Academy was founded by two of these Four Great Grandmasters.”
“But how could he, after graduating from there?”
“Did you also know that one of the Four Great Grandmasters is a member of the Imperial Family?”
At those words, Yu Yeop-gyeong’s eyes widened in shock.
Being in exile after the incident broke out, there was nothing to be done for him to know such things.
Besides, he had no interest in the affairs of the Murim.
“A member of the Imperial Family…”
“That person from the Imperial Family is, surprisingly, a member of the Great Grandmasters of the Murim, so he is called the
Southern Blade Imperial Uncle. He and the Northern Heaven Fist Hero founded the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy.”
“Hmph. I see.”
“The Imperial Household and the government, acknowledging the merits of the Four Great Grandmasters, the heroes who saved the
Central Plains from the Hegemonic Despot Association, and the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle who is one of them, are bestowing
and appointing government posts in the Ministry of War, the Office of the Censorate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and so on, to
those who have graduated from the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy with the grades of Top Scorer, Second Scorer, or Third Scorer.”
Yu Yeop-gyeong, who had not known any of these facts, could not hide his amazement.
To think that the path to a government career had opened up even for martial artists in this way.
At one time, weren’t the government and the Murim in a non-aggression relationship?
But there was a question.
“Vice-Commissioner O. But is that possible for the child of an exiled criminal?”
Not everyone who goes into exile is subject to punishment by association.
However, for a criminal’s family, the path to a government career is literally closed.
At this, Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang smiled and spoke.
“Yu Hak-jeong. His Majesty also calls that person Imperial Uncle and deeply favors and appoints him to important positions.
That is why he has proclaimed that an opportunity will be given to anyone, regardless of their social status.”
“Ahhh!”
At those words, a gasp of admiration filled with emotion escaped Yu Yeop-gyeong’s lips.
If Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang’s words were true, didn’t it mean his son had graduated from that Changcheon Martial Arts
Academy as the Second Scorer and been appointed to the Office of the Censorate?
For him, who worried about his children in Kaifeng day and night, there could be no happier news.
“Are you perhaps crying?”
“N-no. It seems an ember got into my eye.”
“If an ember touches your eye, you’ll go blind.”
“…Can’t you just let it slide?”
“Hahahahaha. If it were me, and my child had grown up on their own and entered government service while I was in exile,
I would have shed tears of emotion too.”
As his state of mind was understood, Yu Yeop-gyeong wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
Who would have known that such joyful things would happen one after another in his life?
But suddenly, two questions came to mind.
‘How did that child get into that academy?’
When he left him in Kaifeng, he was only four years old.
Yu Yeop-gyeong’s family had been a family of scholars for generations.
He wondered what kind of connection his first son had to be able to enter that place.
Moreover, to be the Second Scorer meant he had overcome a lot of competition to get there.
‘What on earth happened?’
It seemed he would find out once he returned to Kaifeng.
The second question was this.
“But are you saying the Minister of Punishments seems to have called me because my first child entered the Office of the Censorate?”
“That’s probably it. I heard that the son of the Minister of Punishments is also planning to enroll in the Changcheon Martial Arts
Academy this time. Isn’t it likely related to that?”
“The son of the Minister of Punishments…”
These words strangely bothered Yu Yeop-gyeong.
It took a fortnight from then to arrive in Kaifeng.
During that period, Mumu, conscious of his father’s eyes, couldn’t use the training tools he had secretly packed and could only do
light bare body training.
Of course, the intensity of that training was far beyond the normal range.
For example, doing ten thousand push-ups while in a handstand on two fingers, or repeating the motion of bending his knees very
slowly a thousand times all night—it was training that pushed his body to the extreme.
‘Hah…’
Officer Jang, who secretly watched this, was left speechless.
After he came to his senses, he couldn’t bring himself to say things like ‘become my disciple’ to Mumu because he had to save face.
The bigger reason was that his front tooth was broken.
To save face in front of the constables, he had to keep his mouth tightly shut for the entire journey.
‘What kind of body is that?’
He secretly kept watching, but he couldn’t understand it at all.
The training methods were at the level of abuse, and full of things that even he couldn’t do easily.
It was amazing that he could do that with his bare body, without any internal energy.
‘…He overcame my Tenth-Level Power with just strength.’
That itself was a shock.
He had resisted with all his might, but wasn’t he the one who got dragged away instead?
He wanted to study in detail what kind of body it was, but it seemed that opportunity was now over.
The constables waved their hands at Mumu, bidding him farewell.
“Mumu. Take care.”
“If you have a chance, come visit us in Dohyeon County.”
“You can’t forget us ahjussis.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll come visit if I ever think of you.”
Mumu also bowed his head, promising to see them in the future.
The mission for Officer Jang and the constables, who were affiliated with Dohyeon County, ended here.
Since they had arrived in Kaifeng, they now had to complete the handover and return to Dohyeon County.
As everyone was about to leave, Officer Jang approached Mumu and gave him something.
It was a neatly folded piece of paper.
“Mumu. We made a promise then, but this is just a gift from this ahjussi to you.”
“What is this?”
“Later, if you develop even the slightest interest in martial arts, open the paper. Well then, see you next time.”
With those words, Officer Jang followed after the constables.
In his heart, he hoped Mumu would get curious and be sure to open the paper.
He was curious to see what would happen if Mumu, whose body was already more trained than first-rate masters, were to
properly learn martial arts.
Of course, there was also the hope that he would carry on his own legacy.
Mumu, who was staring blankly at the paper given by Officer Jang, soon put it in his bosom as if he had no interest in it.
And Mumu also followed his father, Yu Yeop-gyeong, and Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang.
Mumu was busy looking around, seeing for the first time in his life the bustling streets of Kaifeng, the splendid houses made of tiles,
and the general stores.
“Father, look over there.”
“Doesn’t that look delicious?”
“Are those pretty people in skirts over there what you call women?”
Yu Yeop-gyeong looked at this side of his son with a warm smile.
He had been confined only in the mountains, so he felt satisfied that he was finally showing him the proper world.
After moving like that, they stopped at a certain place.
“Wow.”
Mumu let out a gasp of admiration as he saw the wall and entrance pavilion, the scale of which was incomparable to other houses.
This was the estate of the Minister of Punishments, who governed one of the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Punishments.
When Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang said something to the warriors guarding the entrance, they hurried inside, and soon the estate’s
butler came running out.
“Welcome. The Minister was just waiting for you.”
Thus, they entered the estate.
It was magnificent even from the outside, but the inside of the Minister of Punishments’ estate was nothing short of splendid.
From the pond in the very center of the yard to the flowerbeds full of vibrant plants, it naturally drew one’s gaze.
Upon arriving in front of the main hall building, the butler spoke.
“Is this young man here the son of Yu Hak-jeong?”
“Ah, yes, he is.”
At these words, the butler nodded with a “ho-oh” and continued.
“But the Minister said he would see only the two of you, so your son will have to wait outside for a moment.”
Yu Yeop-gyeong found this odd, but soon said to Mumu.
“Wait quietly while looking at the pond. This father will go see the Minister of Punishments.”
“Okay.”
Like that, Yu Yeop-gyeong and Vice-Commissioner O Ji-gang went up to the main hall’s floor.
In the meantime, Mumu looked at the pond in the yard.
In the pond, carp with splendid colors he had never seen in the mountains were swimming here and there.
There were two human figures watching him intently.
“That must be the guy.”
A rather handsome boy with slightly drooping eyes, standing next to the right pillar of the main hall building,
gestured towards Mumu with his eyes and spoke.
Then the girl with pretty eyes next to him replied with a somewhat dazed face.
“……He’s handsome.”
“You think that’s handsome? He looks like a wench or an effeminate man.”
“He’s much more handsome than you, older brother.”
“What?”
The boy expressed his displeasure at the girl’s assessment.
He had pride in his own looks, so it made him sulky to hear that someone was more handsome than him.
Then he stared intently at Mumu and said.
“I wonder if that guy is as good as that Yu Jin-seong.”
“The rumor is that he might be as talented as his hyung, so wouldn’t he be on the better side among his peers?”
“Who knows. Who’s to say it’s not an exaggerated rumor.”
“Are you already on your guard?”
“On guard? Hmph. As if this older brother would be on guard against a punk like that. Fine. I’ll test just how outstanding he is.”
With those words, the boy stepped forward.
“Wait a minute, Orabeoni!”
The girl tried to grab him, but he was already heading towards Mumu, who was looking at the pond.
Striding forward, the boy stood with his hands behind his back and called out to Mumu.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
Mumu, who was observing the carp, turned his head slightly.
The boy extended his hand to him and spoke.
“Nice to meet you. You’re the son of Elder Yu Hak-jeong, right? I am Mo Il-seo, the first son of this house.”
“Mo Il-seo?”
The boy frowned slightly at Mumu’s questioning attitude.
If he said he was the first son of this house, he should have immediately realized who he was, but why was
he looking at him with such an innocent gaze?
Actually, more than that, Mumu was fascinated to meet a peer for the first time.
“Why are you holding out your hand?”
“Don’t you know about the handshake that’s been in vogue in the Imperial Capital lately?”
“What’s a handshake?”
“It’s a greeting method used by the people of the Western Regions. They say you meet, grab hands like this, and shake them.”
“Really?”
“Are you going to keep leaving my hand hanging awkwardly?”
At Mo Il-seo’s words, Mumu extended his hand as well.
At that sight, Mo Il-seo’s eyes twinkled.
The reason he extended his hand, talking about greetings of foreigners and whatnot, was to test him.
‘Let’s see just how great you are, this Mo Il-seo will check for you.’
-Grip!
Grabbing his hand, Mo Il-seo composed his breathing.
Mo Il-seo, who had already been circulating his Ki, raised his internal energy and focused it on his hand.
He instantly raised it to eighty-percent power and squeezed his hand.
But,
‘Huh?’
He was applying force with his internal energy, but the guy was just staring at him blankly, looking completely fine.
He had expected him to naturally resist with internal energy.
He thought that way they could compare their level difference, but what was this reaction?
Just then, Mumu opened his mouth.
“Are you squeezing with all the strength in your hand?”
“Uh, huh? Y-yeah.”
“Like this?”
As the thick veins on the back of Mumu’s hand bulged,
-Crunch!
“Kiyaaak.”
In that moment, Mo Il-seo’s whole body twisted like a squeezed towe
