Chetamja: The King’s Eyes — Chapter 8

SUNMONG LEE.

HE WAS BORN AS THE SON OF EUNG LEE, WHO PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN KING TAEJONG'S RISE TO POWER IN THE FIRST PRINCE'S REBELLION.

AS THE ELDEST SON OF A MERITORIOUS SUBJECT, SUNMONG WAS IMMEDIATELY APPOINTED TO A GOVERNMENT POST.

HE BECAME A THIRD-RANK MILITARY OFFICER AND SERVED AS A PROMINENT MILITARY OFFICIAL.

JUST LIKE YUNDEOK CHOI, THE FLAWLESS SWORDSMAN...

...SUNMONG EARNED THE MONIKER OF THE SUPREME AND ULTIMATE SWORDSMAN.

TOGETHER, THEY WERE CONSIDERED THE GREATEST SWORDSMEN IN ALL OF JOSEON.

HE WAS A COMPETENT OFFICIAL WHO CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE KINGDOM...

...BUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE WAS RATHER PROBLEMATIC.

HIS CONSTANT DRINKING, SWEARING, AND EXCESSIVE FONDNESS FOR WOMEN...

...CAUSED BIGGER SCANDALS AS HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS.

THAT OLD GEEZER...

RUNNING HIS MOUTH AS IF HE'S BETTER THAN ME...

BY ANY CHANCE,

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME?

YUNDEOK CHOI CHIEF COMMANDER <THE BEST SWORDSMAN IN JOSEON>

OF COURSE! WHO ELSE BUT YOU?

I DON'T LIKE THE WAY YOU PUFF UP YOUR CHEST AND ACT SUPERIOR TO OTHERS!

WHY DON'T WE BATTLE IT OUT AND SEE WHO TRULY IS THE BEST SWORDSMAN IN JOSEON?

HOW DARE YOU?! HIS MAJESTY HIMSELF FORBID YOU TO DRINK!

OH, LOOK. IF IT ISN’T THE MIGHTIEST WARRIOR OF JOSEON, GENERAL CHOI HIMSELF!

JOIN US. LET ME POUR YOU A DRINK...

SUNMONG NEVER STOPPED CAUSING TROUBLES AND SCANDALS.

YOUR MAJESTY! YOU MUST STRIP SUNMONG LEE FROM HIS POST AND PUNISH HIM FOR HIS ACTIONS!

HIS APPOINTMENT WAS SOLELY BASED ON HIS FATHER’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE KINGDOM! BUT HE IS A RECKLESS MAN WITH NO RESTRAINT OR SELF-DISCIPLINE.

HE MUST BE PUNISHED!

THAT’S ENOUGH.

I WILL NOT PUNISH SUNMONG LEE, AND THAT IS FINAL.

YOU ARE NOT TO BRING THIS UP AGAIN.

THAT'S RIGHT. GENERAL LEE WAS NEVER PUNISHED DESPITE ALL THE TROUBLES HE CAUSED.

WHAT? THAT'S NOT FAIR. WHY WASN'T HE PUNISHED?

WHO KNOWS? IT COULD BE HIS FATHER'S NAME.

BUT IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE HE'S TOO DARN GOOD AT HIS JOB.

LEE SUNMONG <THE BEST SWORDSMAN IN JOSEON>

DON'T JUST STAND THERE!

TAKE THIS BOY TO A PHYSICIAN AND GET HIM TREATED AT ONCE!

GO!

LEE... YOU'VE DONE IT THIS TIME...

HMPH... THE GEEZER IS NAGGING AGAIN...

EVEN THE FOOLS IN THE STREETS ASK...

...WHY THERE ARE TWO BEST SWORDSMEN IN JOSEON.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, GENERAL CHOI?

WHY DON'T WE SETTLE WHO'S THE BETTER OF THE TWO ONCE AND FOR ALL?

BECAUSE I BELIEVE I AM THE BEST IN JOSEON.

LEE...

IS IT YOUR WISH...

...TO DIE RIGHT HERE?

GENERAL, PLEASE! CALM DOWN!

YOU’RE DRUNK--

THEN...

...LET ME START.

AS YOU WISH. YOU WILL PERISH RIGHT HERE!

HAHA! THIS IS GREAT!

LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!

WHAT?! BUT HOW...?

YOU'VE GROWN OLD, GENERAL.

YOU'RE TOO SLOW.

HAHA... HAHAHA!!

AT LAST!!

I AM...

...THE BEST SWORDSMAN IN JOSEON!!!

IT IS I!

THE BEST OF THE BEST!

BWAHAHA! YOU'RE DONE FOR!

WH-WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT HIM, SIR?

HE'S LOST IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS GIVEN SUCH A CRUCIAL ROLE...

YOUR TIME HAS COME TO AN END--

HE ISN'T WORTH STAINING MY BLADE OVER.

GUARDS! HAVE THIS FOOL LOCKED UP AT ONCE!

I'M... THE BEST...

IN JOSEON...

SIR... WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT THE TEST...

AND THE REST OF THE CANDIDATES?

IT'S SIMPLE.

HAVE THEM TAKE THE TEST THE WAY THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO.

CANDIDATE 17, DISQUALIFIED!

RATS!!

WHAT? SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SHOOTING THE ARROWS?

THE BOW IS JOSEON'S PRIMARY WEAPON.

THEREFORE, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO MASTER THE BOW TO PASS THE MILITARY EXAM.

THEN WHAT WAS THE OTHER TEST ABOUT?

ARCHERY? NO. I HAVE A VERY INTERESTING IDEA.

WHY DON'T YOU GO AND GET ME SOME MELONS?

SO HE DID IT JUST TO AMUSE HIMSELF?

WOW, SOUNDS LIKE A FUN GUY.

BUT STILL... YOU CAN'T DENY HIS STRENGTH.

THAT'S WHY HE NEVER GOT PUNISHED FOR DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.

DID HE REALLY CATCH THE ARROW WITH HIS HANDS?

YES, SIR. GENERAL LEE AIMED FOR HIS HEAD, BUT HE DODGED IT...

I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING, SIR.

APPARENTLY, THE BOY IS KNOWN IN THE NORTHERN REGIONS AS THE GHOST'S SHADOW.

SINCE HE WAS GIVEN THE JADE PLAQUE BY HIS MAJESTY, WE WILL EXEMPT HIM FROM THE TESTS.

NO. LET HIM TAKE THE TESTS.

I BEG YOUR PARDON?

THE JADE PLAQUE WAS THE KING'S WILL, NOT MINE.

THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE BOY'S TRUE STRENGTH.

FROM THIS POINT ON...

...I WILL OVERSEE THE TESTS UNTIL THE END!!

YOUR STRENGTH WILL BE ASSESSED IN THE THIRD TEST.

YOU WILL PAIR UP WITH A PARTNER OF YOUR CHOOSING AND SPAR WITH THEM.

HOWEVER, THE RESULT OF THE MATCH WILL NOT DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS.

WE WILL BE OBSERVING HOW YOU FIGHT.

YOU CAN WIN AND GET DISQUALIFIED FOR USING INAPPROPRIATE MEANS.

LIKEWISE, YOU CAN LOSE AND STILL BE QUALIFIED IF WE SEE POTENTIAL IN YOU.

NOW, CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER.

D-DUMOK. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAIR UP WITH--

NO. MATCHUP IS CRUCIAL FOR THIS TEST.

WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM OUR BEST TRAITS DUE TO OUR SIZE DIFFERENCE.

MAYBE YOU'RE JUST AVOIDING ME BECAUSE I BEAT YOU UP IN THE FIRST TEST.

WH-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! BESIDES, TEAMMATES AREN'T SUPPOSED TO FIGHT EACH OTHER!

HEY, WANNA GO WITH ME?

YOU HAVE A NICE BODY. SURE.

HEY... DO YOU WANT TO PAIR UP WITH ME?

HEY, WHY DON'T WE--

N-NO, THANKS.

NO WAY. THAT'S GWIYEONG, THE GHOST'S SHADOW.

WHO'D WANT TO FIGHT HIM?

WERE YOU UNABLE TO FIND A PARTNER? THEN I SUPPOSE--

I WILL!

I WILL FIGHT GWIYEONG!

IN YOUR INJURED STATE? THAT WON'T DO.

YOU HELD OUT AGAINST LEE'S VILE DEEDS.

I WILL GIVE YOU A PASSING MARK FOR THE THIRD TEST, SO FOCUS ON YOUR RECOVERY.

NO...

PLEASE LET ME FIGHT HIM.

HEY... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?

HE'S ABOUT TO GIVE US A FREE PASS, SO SHUT UP--

GWIYEONG.

I HEARD YOU SEE HALLUCINATIONS OF YOUR SISTER WHO DIED AT THE HANDS OF THE BARBARIANS.

WHAT'S THE MATTER? IS YOUR SISTER TELLING YOU NOT TO FIGHT?

THAT'S ENOUGH. THE TWO OF YOU WILL BE--

YES, I WILL FIGHT HIM.

BUT I MIGHT END UP KILLING YOU.