After the initial shock, the old man takes a look at the poster, presented to him by Young-Sik, "An almost believable forgery," the old man said
"How did you know it's a forgery?" Jin-Ri asked, wondering why everyone could immediately spot that it was a fake
"Well, young one, documents stamped with seals from the officials and the royal family are archived within the palace," so any circulating documents with a seal are certainly a forgery.
Young-Sik asked, "Can you tell us more about it?" hoping the old man could shed further light on the document
The old man explained, "The use of a dragon for the seal is a major giveaway that this forgery is an inside job. Only the archivists, officials, and the royal family know that the royal seals are dragons."
"That is what I thought too, anything else?" Jin-Ri probed, pretending to know beforehand what was already discussed. Young-Sik, Lady Hu, and the old man turned their sights on Jin-Ri. "What?" she asked
"Fortunately, young lady, I may know who made this." The old man said as he continued to examine the forged document under a magnifying glass
"How can you know who made this?" Lady Hu asked curiously
The old man starts to break down his discoveries. "You know, a forgery can't be an exact match for mainly two reasons. First, there's not enough information, or the original piece is just too detailed. Second, the forger could be too cocky, believing that any mistakes they make, won't be caught." He lays the poster on the table and indicates the seal. "This poster shows both issues: not enough information and a big dose of arrogance."
Young-Sik takes the magnifying glass and checks out the spot the old man is indicating. "Wait, is that a family crest in the tail?"
"Absolutely! If I remember right, that crest is from a family of forgers. They're known for making everything from fake documents to counterfeit cash and even art. One of them is based right here in the capital," the old man said with a smirk.
"What is the name of the person we are looking for?" Young-Sik inquired
Later, the pair found themselves walking the busy market streets. "The old man said the person we're looking for has a bookshop near the edge of the market," she reminded him.
Young-Sik and Jin-Ri reached their destination and saw a middle-aged man closing up the bookstore. "Hello," Jin-Ri greeted the man. "Can you accommodate one more customer?" she asked politely
"Sorry, but it's already late, you can come back tomorrow," the man said, still busy closing his shop
The man was about to close the door behind him when Young-Sik stopped the doors from closing. "It would be worth your while in gold if you listen to what we have to say, Cha Un-Gwang," he said with a smile
Inside the shop, the trio was gathered around a wooden table. Young-Sik set his white sword down on the surface. "Could you whip up a copy of a document? I have been told that you can imitate everything, including the royal seal," he inquired.
Un-Gwang frowned slightly as he examined the document they wanted to forge. "A tax increase declaration?" he chuckled lightly before saying, "I'm just a lowly book printer, not into any forgery business."
Jin-Ri pouted, clearly unimpressed. "Well, if you're not the one we need, I guess that's that." She turned to Young-Sik and said, "Let's go, Yong. Looks like someone else is cashing in on those ten gold bars."
Just as they were about to leave, Un-Gwang nervously interrupted with a chuckle. "Maybe I spoke too soon. Let's sit down and talk about this profitable opportunity."
"Ten gold bars for a forged tax increase? I can handle that in a flash!" he said confidently, pulling out some parchment, ink, and brushes.
In no time, Young-Sik found himself gripping a fake tax increase declaration, proudly stamped with a royal seal. "Check it out, this is a unique forgery! I'm the only one who knows how those royal seals look," Un-Gwang boasted.
Young-Sik nodded, "Pretty impressive, looks like a legitimate document," he replied. "But are you aware that all sealed papers are tucked away in a palace archive?" he asked, curious if the forger was in the loop.
"Oh, I'm aware of that, but not everyone is in the loop. Honestly, a sealed document carries way more weight than one without a seal, you know?" Un-Gwang said, "So, can I get my payment now?" he asked with excitement.
"I do have one thing to clarify," Young-Sik replied, placing the parchment on the table and pointing to the seal. "This isn't the seal of Prince Kim Young-Sik."
"Come on, they're just being nitpicky! I swear that's his seal," Un-Gwang said. "Besides, how would you even know what that arrogant prince's seal even looks like?"
Jin-Ri chuckled, reaching into her sleeve to pull out the prince's ring. She opened it and stamped it on Un-Gwang's forehead. "Because he is that arrogant prince!"
Un-Gwang's jaw dropped in surprise when he saw Young-Sik wearing the royal ring. "Cha Un-Gwang, you're being arrested for falsification..." Just as the prince was about to finish, Un-Gwang flipped the table and sprinted out of the room.
Young-Sik sighed heavily, "Why do they always make a run for it?" He grabbed his sword, and the two of them took off after him.
Un-Gwang dashed through the crowd, bumping into people and knocking things over as he tried to make his getaway. Jin-Ri, even in her long skirt, was right behind him, not giving up. Young-Sik paused for a moment, glancing left and right, then took off down the alley to the right.
Un-Gwang suddenly realized he had stumbled into a narrow alley that ended abruptly. He paused, scanning his surroundings for an escape route. When he saw no other options, he seized the little girl who was selling jasmine garlands.
As Jin-Ri finally arrived, he found Un-Gwang gripping the girl by her hair, a small knife aimed against her throat. "Take another step, and I swear I'll slit her throat!" He threatened.
The young girl sobbed, desperately shouting for her father as she struggled to escape. "Dad...Dad... he's hurting me! Please help me!" she pleaded, her voice filled with fear.
"Young-Ju!" her father shouted, his heart racing. "Please, let my daughter go... we are just poor villagers, I beg you, don't harm her!"
"What are you thinking? The little girl has nothing to do with this situation; just let her go!" Jin-Ri demanded to Un-Gwang.
Young-Ju's father, upon hearing her voice, dashed over and clutched her hand. "Please, I need you to help my daughter!"
Jin-Ri sought to soothe the anxious man. "We won't let any harm come to your daughter, Mister. Trust us... But where could that fool be?" she thought, her eyes darting around for Young-Sik.
"Are you stupid? You don't know the reputation of the man you are with? He is a merciless executioner. Now get out of the way or I will...KILL THIS GIRL!" Un-Gwang shouted
"You know I can't let you go! Now just let the girl go and surrender peacefully" Jin-Ri told the abductor
"If you won't let me escape, Then I'll take this girl with me to hell!" Un-Gwang shouted as he raised his knife ready to strike the girl
"NO!" Jin-Ri shouted, she rushed towards the girl in an attempt to save her from being harmed
Before Un-Gwang could make his move against the girl, Young-Sik leaped from the rooftops, striking the hostage taker with a brutal hit that rendered him unconscious. Young-Ju rushed into her father's embrace, and once they were together, they clung to each other, both overwhelmed with emotion and tears.
Jin-Ri's eyes widened in disbelief as she rushed over to the motionless Un-Gwang. "Wait, did you just... kill him? This is exactly why everyone is terrified of you! We need him alive, you know that, right? How on earth are we supposed to interrogate him now?"
Young-Sik playfully covered Jin-Ri's mouth, trying to quiet her rapid-fire chatter. "He's just fine! I only gave him a little tap with the dull side!" the prince said, a cheeky smile on his face.
Just then, Young-Ju's father rushed over, his eyes wide with gratitude. "Your Highness, I can't thank you enough for saving my daughter!" he exclaimed, shaking Young-Sik's hand with fervor. But as soon as their hands connected, the little girl's dad let out a dramatic scream and took off running in a hilariously exaggerated manner, leaving everyone, especially the prince, doubled over with confusion.
Young-Sik and Jin-Ri shared a confused look as they watched Young-Ju, who was nervously chuckling and fiddling with her hair. "Uh, sorry about that, Your Highness," she said, her cheeks turning pink. "My dad has this irrational fear of swords. He tends to freak out! But I have to admit, your sword looks way more scarier than the ones he's encountered." With a quick wave, she sprinted after her dad.
"Did she just seriously blame my sword for her dad's antics?" Young-Sik asked, his brow furrowed in disbelief.
With a cheeky grin, Jin-Ri turned and said, "If I didn't know you, I'd be sprinting away right now!" She winked and continued on her way, leaving him flustered.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Come back! We still have to interrogate this jerk! I can't possibly drag him by myself!" he yelled after her, frustration bubbling up as she walked away with a smirk.
A little while later, back at the Cherry Blossom, Un-Gwang found himself strapped to a chair in what seemed like an interrogation room. He started sweating buckets when he noticed Young-Sik toying with a tiny sharp knife. What really sent chills down his spine was the lack of emotions on the prince's face.
Young-Sik got up from his seat and slowly walked toward Un-Gwang, the apathy in the prince's eyes terrified him. "You know, people often say that big swords are the best for torture. But I think that's just silly. Sure, big blades are great for killing, but if you really want to make someone suffer, it's all about the control. They're easier to maneuver and let you make those precise cuts that hurt like hell without actually killing the person."
Un-Gwang gulped and said nervously, "Y-you're the prince, right? Aren't you supposed to be saving people, not torturing them?" His voice was shaky and uncertain.
"You're correct about me...I'm a cold-blooded killer. I'm only going to ask this once...who commissioned that poster?" Young-Sik said, his voice low and threatening. "Whether you choose to answer is up to you. Honestly, I'd prefer it if you didn't so I can have a reason to carve you into little pieces. I'll start with your eyes, just to keep you guessing what I'll take next. The agony of wondering which part will go next, adds to the thrill of the whole experience."
With a vicious tug, Young-Sik seized Un-Gwang's hair, stretching his neck to present his eyes as if they were prey. "I'll take the right eye first; it's your dominant side," he taunted. He effortlessly forced open Un-Gwang's right eye, the blade gleaming ominously in his grip. As he lifted his arm, ready to deliver the fatal blow, he plunged the knife downward with ruthless precision.
Un-Gwang saw the blade speeding towards him and shouted, "Minister Son...it was Minister Son" He began to cry like a child "I'll tell you everything just don't hurt me please" he continued to sob
Young-Sik stopped the blade, the tip was so close to Un-Gwang's right eye that it was almost touching the cornea. "Really? I haven't even begun yet. Should I continue to ask questions? Until I ask something that you don't know the answer?" Young-Sik asked mocking and mentally torturing his captive
"No please no...I'll tell you everything I know...just please no more" Un-Gwang begged Young-Sik
The prince stepped out of the room and left the sobbing man inside. He was met by Jin-Ri who asked "Do you have it? Do you know the name of the mastermind?"
"Yes, I do" Young-Sik grinned "Lady Hu, would you please write down whatever additional thing our guest has to say?"
Lady Hun smiled and bowed to Young-Sik "Yes your Highness"
"I think I'll have dinner at Minister Son's house," Young-Saik said, He collected his sword, walked out of the Cherry Blossom, and continued to walk to his destination, The house of the minister that besmirched his name.