Chapter 5

As a small boat arrived at the pier, the soldiers scattered around the riverbank, hurrying towards the pier. Looking carefully towards that place, Hyun eventually recognized the man he spoke to before. It was the very man he paid with silver ingots in exchange for taking him and Jung-Hee along the river.

Hyun stared quietly as the man began to unload his cargo. There were several wooden chests, large straw bags and other small boxes and packages. While wondering what this whole thing could possibly mean, Hyun suddenly heard Jung-Hee speaking in a small voice.

"This looks like a routine check. I heard my father once speaking of this. There are certain places like this one that are used for smuggling and the court has a difficult time managing the situation. Sometimes even magistrates and high-ranking officials are involved, which makes the situation even harder for those responsible for catching the thieves."