Min ordered his servant.
“Beat these bastards up and throw them out!”
“Yes, sir!”
Soon, the servants grabbed clubs and started beating Ma Jeong and his nephews mercilessly.
These were the very servants who had witnessed their master Min’s humiliation, so every swing of the club was filled with emotion.
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
“Fine, fine! We’ll leave, alright?!”
They fled Min’s house in a panic, trying to escape the beating.
“Ugh… I won’t forget this humiliation… Ah-choo!”
Ma Jeong growled at his nephews.
“Let’s try that house.”
“Yes, sir.”
They ground their teeth in anger, thinking only of how Min had cast them out, not of what they’d done to deserve it.
Before long, they arrived at another house, and Ma Jeong knocked on the door.
“Ahem. Anyone home?”
“Who is it?”
After a moment, a man opened the door.
“Starting today, we’re living in this house. So get out.”
“What?”
“I said, get out.”
“Why would the Head of Ma Manor live in a shabby place like this?”
“Ahem. Circumstances.”
The homeowner looked at their appearance.
They looked like rats pulled from a river, their clothes covered in soot, bruises all over like they’d been beaten.
The man recalled what a handsome young man had told him earlier that day.
Ma Jeong had lost everything. He no longer had warriors to protect him, so there was no reason to bow to him anymore.
He hadn’t believed it, but now he saw it was true.
Otherwise, why would someone like that show up at his house in such a state?
“Please wait a moment.”
He went inside, filled a bucket with water, and splashed it right onto Ma Jeong and his nephews.
“Uwah!”
“Pfah—!”
“What nonsense are you babbling?! Get lost!”
Slam—!
The gate shut loudly along with a shout.
“…”
Ma Jeong ground his teeth.
“Just wait! I won’t forget this disgrace!”
“Um, should we just go back to the cottage?”
“Let’s just go.”
His nephews cautiously tried to dissuade him, but his pride had been wounded.
“No! I’ve got my pride. I can’t give up like this. Let’s try that house!”
But that was the one house they shouldn’t have gone to.
It was the home of Ma Jeong’s third wife’s family.
“Anyone home?”
He called out several times before someone finally came out.
“Who is it?”
This time, Ma Jeong shoved the man aside and strode in.
Then, in a haughty tone, he gave an order.
“Bring us a full meal. A proper one.”
“What?”
“Why are you standing there? I said bring out a meal. And starting today, we’re living here. So get used to it.”
“…”
Then it happened.
“What? A meal? You’re living here? You rotten bastard!”
They turned around in panic, but it was already too late.
The homeowner, Ma Jeong’s father-in-law, was swinging a club straight at him.
Crack—!
Stars exploded in front of Ma Jeong’s eyes.
“You killed my daughter and now this? Bastard! Perfect timing! I’ll kill you today and avenge her!”
Thwack—! Crack—!
The arms trained by years of labor were powerful, and Ma Jeong and his nephews were beaten relentlessly.
“Oh no, Deok-bae!”
At that cry, one of the nephews muttered.
“Didn’t Deok-bae betray us too?”
“He’s not coming even if you call.”
“Shut your mo— Ugh!”
Another club joined the beating.
It was the son’s club.
He hated Ma Jeong just as much for killing his sister.
“Someone, help—!”
“Help? You think you’re a person? You’re worse than a beast!”
It was only after a long beating that they managed to escape from the house before being beaten to death.
But they were so bruised they ached all over.
As he limped away, Ma Jeong muttered with a depressed look.
“Let’s just go back to the cottage.”
“Yes, sir.”
In the end, they had no choice but to return to the cottage Eun Seo-ho had prepared.
Their clothes were not only torn to rags, but frozen stiff from being soaked in water.
Shivering violently, they barely managed to get a fire going.
But they burned the rice.
After a night that felt like a nightmare, dawn finally broke.
Ma Jeong, who hadn’t slept a wink, stepped outside.
He was planning to go beg Eun Seo-ho.
Surely he’d at least give them a maid, he thought.
That’s when a group of government soldiers suddenly stormed toward the cottage.
A glimmer of hope flashed in Ma Jeong’s eyes.
‘Yes! Ji-hyeon must have heard about my situation and sent help! I took such good care of Ji-hyeon, after all. Of course!’
The soldiers approached Ma Jeong and asked,
“Are you Ma Jeong?”
“Yes, that’s me. Ahem! Isn’t it obvious?”
“I thought you were a beggar.”
“How rude! Do you know who you’re talking to—”
“Yeah, yeah. Where are your household members?”
Something was off.
Their tone wasn’t the usual polite one.
“Inside…”
“This man and his kin are murderers. Arrest them!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers quickly subdued Ma Jeong and his nephews and bound them with ropes.
“What’s the meaning of this?! Release me this instant! I’ll remember all your faces! If you think—”
Smack—!
His face snapped to the side.
One of the soldiers had punched him.
“Shut it! Acting like you’re someone important, you criminal bastard!”
“C-Criminal? You think I’m a criminal?”
“You killed eight innocent women. What do you call that if not a crime?”
“What are you talking ab—?”
“Quiet. Gag him.”
“Yes, sir.”
I headed to the county office after receiving Ji-hyeon’s message.
“You’ve arriv—”
I held out my hand and spoke.
“Why’re you suddenly being formal? Just speak casually, like always. People are watching.”
“Ah, r-right. Hahaha. You’re here.”
“Yeah. How’s the interrogation going?”
Ji-hyeon nodded calmly.
His expression looked genuinely refreshed.
“He’s confessed to a lot already.”
“Has he admitted to murdering his wives too?”
“That and other crimes. He’s spilling everything.”
“What about the matter of his brothers?”
“That’s still ongoing. Want to check it out?”
“Sure.”
I followed Ji-hyeon to the prison.
As we got closer, the air grew thick with the smell of blood and the sound of screams.
“Aaaaagh! W-Wait! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
A man hung from the wall, undergoing torture.
He screamed in agony.
Wow…
Is that even a human being?
The thought crossed my mind.
But knowing what he’d done, I didn’t feel much pity.
“T-That day, I pushed my oldest brother off the cliff. I told him to grab my shoe stuck near the edge and then…”
As I listened to his confession, another thought popped up.
He could use a few more beatings.
.
.
.
A few days later, a messenger from the Imperial Palace arrived in Taegyeong County.
“Ji-hyeon of Taegyeong County, receive the Emperor’s decree!”
Ji-hyeon immediately knelt.
“Ji-hyeon of Taegyeong County receives the holy decree…”
The Emperor had ordered Ma Jeong and his kin to be sent to the capital.
That was because I’d already written to the Emperor in advance.
Since I had acted under authority granted by the Emperor, I had to report it properly.
It’s not that I couldn’t report it after the fact, but this time I sent the report in advance.
It was a perfect opportunity to set an example, so the Emperor wouldn’t tell them to handle the punishment themselves.
Just as I’d expected, the Emperor issued a decree to transport Ma Jeong and his kin to the capital.
Along with that, I also received a royal summons to appear at the palace.
Clatter, clatter.
Inside the wooden mobile prison sat Ma Jeong.
Following behind was another prison wagon carrying his nephews.
All that lined the wagon pulled by horses was a bed of brambles.
As the procession left the county office, the people of Taegyeong County had gathered outside.
At a glance, it seemed like the entire town had come out.
Naturally, they weren’t there to see Ma Jeong off with any goodwill.
As proof, every one of them held a handful of sand.
Originally, they’d held stones, but I had given Ji-hyeon a heads-up to have them replaced with sand.
We couldn’t risk Ma Jeong dying from a stoning while under royal custody.
No matter how deep their desire for revenge, they must not violate an imperial decree.
“You bastard!”
“Because of you, my daughter—!”
“You’re the worst scum alive!”
“You filthy, rotten piece of—!”
The residents of Taegyeong County all hurled curses as they threw sand at Ma Jeong.
But Ma Jeong already seemed mentally broken and didn’t react to the barrage at all.
Then, when he saw me, he suddenly rose up.
“P-Please help… Pffgh!”
He tried to say something to me but choked on the sand that flew into his mouth.
I grinned at the sight.
He was probably trying to say, “Please save me!”
Why did he still think of me as a lifeline?
Even a little thought would show that everything had started unraveling the moment he met me.
He still seemed to be the only one unaware that this was karma.
I turned to the side and spoke.
“How do you feel?”
“Fantastic.”
Standing beside me was Han Jae-ik.
“So, have you made up your mind?”
Young Han nodded.
“Yes. I’ll join the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Welcome aboard. I’ll make sure you have a good position.”
The next day,
The Han Martial Hall was busy preparing to move.
Young Han’s father, Hall Master Han Su, had recovered enough from his injuries to travel.
That’s when—
“Master!”
A young boy ran into the hall.
“Please don’t leave!”
“Yoon-seok?”
“I’m sorry! We were wrong! I didn’t come before because my parents told me not to, and I skipped training behind your back too… I’m sorry!”
It wasn’t just Yoon-seok who clung to Hall Master Han.
Many children, young men, and even their parents came flooding in.
“Master!”
“Master, please don’t go!”
“Hall Master Han, if you leave this town, what are we supposed to do?”
“Please give us a chance to make up for what we did to you.”
Hall Master Han’s eyes grew red as he looked at them, and then he turned to me.
“Why do you look like that?”
“I just… I don’t feel like my life was in vain.”
“You should be proud. That’s the virtue you’ve built up over the years.”
Hall Master Han gave a bitter smile and spoke to me.
“I’m sorry, Deputy Merchant Lord. I don’t think I can leave this village after all.”
I smiled at him.
“You’ve made the right decision.”
“Huh?”
“As the only martial hall in Taegyeong County, you should be the one protecting it.”
I continued.
“This works out perfectly. I was wondering what to do with the former Ma Manor. From now on, that’ll be Han Martial Hall.”
“What?”
“The courtyard’s spacious, too. It’s a great location for a martial hall.”
“Ah…”
Hall Master Han’s eyes wavered.
“Also, please take good care of the cotton fields in the area.”
“B-But I’m not good with numbers…”
“Don’t worry. We’ll send someone from our merchant group soon. And there’s Chief Administrator An Suk too, isn’t there? You can rely on his help.”
“Alright, I will.”
I turned to ask Young Han Jae-ik.
“Then, what about you, Young Han?”
“I…”
I saw hesitation in his eyes.
He must be reluctant to leave his parents behind. Understandable, given his devotion to family.
“You should stay here too. If you help, managing the cotton fields will be much easier.”
“You sure that’s alright?”
“Of course.”
I nodded.
“Once Hall Master Han is fully healed and spring arrives, please come visit the Eunhae Merchant Group. My father is the Merchant Lord, after all—you should meet him at least once.”
“Thank you!”
Smiling, I called out to the workers.
“Perfect timing. Move those belongings to the manor.”
The workers, seemingly pleased by the situation, responded loudly.
“Yes, sir!”
I looked at Hall Master Han and Young Han.
“Then we’ll be on our way. I’m counting on you both. If anything comes up, send me a letter.”
I stepped back.
Chuk—!
Hall Master Han and Young Han cupped their fists and bowed to me.
“We won’t forget the grace you’ve shown Han Martial Hall.”
I returned the bow and turned to leave the manor.
Truthfully, it had been part of my plan to spread the rumor that the Han family was leaving.
There had indeed been tension between the Han family and the townspeople.
But both sides had their reasons, and they shared a common enemy in “Lord Ma.”
As they say, the earth hardens after rain. Having gone through such a trial together, their bonds would only grow stronger.
Also, the presence of a martial hall to protect the village was invaluable.
And, frankly, it was better to use locals to manage the cotton fields.
Lately, with business expanding, I’d been short on people. I really needed to secure more talent fast.
Now then, it’s time I head home…
No, to the palace.
I was planning to go there anyway, so it’s fine.
There’s something I need to do before spring arrives.
–TL Notes–
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