I’ll take a drink for the 75th time.
I crossed the final border of the inner circle with Cho Chun-bae.
Identification and body searches were conducted twice previously, and the various food ingredients that Jo Chun-bae had brought were inspected again.
Cho Chun-bae was completely frozen. As he entered the inner circle, the warriors guarding him became stronger and more fearful, so he could not even breathe properly.
Only after escaping the boundary line did Cho Chun-bae relax.
“Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever fallen like this in my life.”
“You don’t have to be too nervous. “I am there, right?”
“Well, sir, if it weren’t for you, would I have been able to come this far? “This is my first time visiting the hospital.”
The place we were heading to was the residence of the Pungcheon religious leader.
“What are your first impressions of my hospital?”
“I was so scared I couldn’t even look properly.”
“There is nothing to be afraid of. “There are only a few people in this large area who live as hard as the owner.”
“Oh, don’t say that.”
Cho Chun-bae waved his hand saying it was nonsense, but the corners of his mouth in good humor went up every time he waved his hand.
“I never imagined that I was so blessed that Master Lee visited my tavern, and thanks to that, I would be able to serve food to people I couldn’t even see in my dreams and even come to the hospital like this.”
The reason I brought Cho Chun-bae today was to ask him to cook a meal while drinking with the head of the Pungcheon Church, but in fact, it was to give him a tour of the hospital.
As the story goes, I said that I would like to visit the Cheonma Shinyo Church’s inner garden someday, and today I am going to make that wish come true.
These days, my exclusive servant, Lim Sook-su, was serving meals to the Pungcheon Bridge demons waiting in the outer garden with other servants, so there was ample reason to bring Jo Chun-bae.
“I guess I accumulated a lot of merit in my past life.”
“I guess our master saved the martial arts world in his past life.”
“Even if I couldn’t save the Murim, I’m sure I killed at least one Murim leader who invaded our church with an iron ladle.”
I laughed happily at his joke. At that time, the warriors from Naewon who were passing by saw me and greeted me politely. It was Jo Chun-bae who couldn’t even make eye contact with those scary warriors.
“Now that I’m here, I’m happy but also scared.”
“That’s why we established a small branch in Magachon. It is a place that is difficult for everyone to get to. So, the owner, please take a close look at the people of Maga Village and Sojibu, and if you have anything to say to me, please let me know.”
“Yes, I will.”
So we arrived at the residence where the Pungcheon religious leader resides.
“Are you here?”
The head of Pungcheon Church welcomed us warmly. I promised that I would serve drinks once the soulmate was decided. It felt good to be a Cheongseon, and since I had even rejected the sacred item, the Pungcheon religious leader seemed to be in a very good mood.
“This is the owner of Pungryu Gaekjan, whom you saw last time. I came with you because I wanted to eat warm food prepared by the owner rather than having cold food served to me. “Please, owner.”
“I will serve dishes with my soul.”
“The owner doesn’t really want to eat it, so you can make it as usual.”
“yes!”
While Jo Chun-bae was preparing the food, Pungcheon’s leader and I went into the room.
“I apologize for having Majon as my disciple.”
“It was something I could never have done if I wasn’t a scientist. “Thank you.”
“It’s because the leader taught his students well.”
“Call it our victory.”
We congratulated each other and enjoyed our victory. I thought Cheongseon would win. As long as a master of Pungcheon’s level had a hand in it, victory would have been achieved no matter what method was used. The opponent was too big for the transfer of Japanese imperialism to create any variables.
After a while, food and drinks prepared by Jo Chun-bae were served.
After tasting the food, the leader of Pungcheon was satisfied.
“Your sleeping skills are good.”
“I will tell it as it is. “The owner will love it.”
We enjoyed drinking and cooking. Cho Chun-bae’s cooking today was excellent.
“Have you met your father?”
“I decided to see you for a day.”
“Emphasize that when you meet them. He said that he would take Cheongseon as his disciple and raise him to become a stronger soul mazon than the previous soul mazon. “That’s the most important thing to my father.”
“I know what you mean. “Thank you for telling me.”
“you’re welcome.”
When the drinking party was ripe, I casually said to the leader of the Pungcheon Church.
“Can I offer a drink to the man in shackles over there?”
For a moment, the leader of Pungcheon was startled.
“Why are you giving that person a drink?”
“It doesn’t mean anything. “I’ve seen you several times every time I come to see you, and I wanted to give you a drink on such a happy day.”
The leader of Pungcheon Church smiled and said.
“That person can’t even drink alcohol.”
“Is that so?”
It was then. The shackled man opened his mouth.
“I’ll take a drink.”
I was surprised, but the leader of Pungcheon was even more surprised. The expression of the leader of the Pungcheon Church gradually hardened. I was able to guess it from the change in facial expression that could not be hidden.
The shackled man has never once received alcohol from the Pungcheon cult leader.
“Then I’ll give you a drink.”
I stood up and pretended not to see the Pungcheon Bridge that looked like it was about to explode at any moment.
Then he took a glass and a bottle and went to the shackled man.
I sat down in front of him and held out a glass.
Then the shackled man who had his head down raised his head and took my cup.
I slowly filled his glass.
Didn’t say anything else. I didn’t even hear it. I just poured myself a drink.
The shackled man lowered his head, took the drink, and drank it.
He then handed me back the glass and this time he poured me a drink.
I also got a drink and drank it cold.
We exchanged only glances and finally shared a drink. We only drank alcohol without any conversation, but that was enough for me.
The leader of Pungcheon, who was watching this, seemed really angry. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have said this.
“Do you know what that friend’s talent is? He can smell like a dog. It smells amazingly of someone coming to steal something. What is it like? Don’t those shackles look like a dog leash? Ha ha ha ha ha.”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church laughed out loud, saying something closer to contempt than a joke.
The only sound that could be heard in the room was his laughter.
And the silence that followed.
What he said a moment ago was a clear slip of the tongue that disrespected the shackled man. I took that tactfully and did not give him a chance to make up for his slip of the tongue. This was a gift of his indiscretion to me.
I went back to my original position and poured a drink into his now empty glass.
“Now, have a drink.”
The leader of Pungcheon took a sip of his drink in silence.
The shackled man was as stiff as a fossil, with his head down as usual.
The leader of the Pungcheon Church looked at this and gently bit his lip. At least in relation to the shackled man, the leader of the Pungcheon Church was unable to hide or control his emotions. Just like Hyeolcheon Doma does in matters related to Ilhwa Geomzon.
I said goodbye and left earlier than I had originally planned.
I gave the man in shackles a drink and drank his drink, so I achieved the purpose of today’s visit.
* * *
After the sword dance performance, the atmosphere was cold.
Even though the leader of Pungcheon admitted that he had done something wrong, he felt strangely bad. I didn’t want to apologize, but I forced myself to.
“Sorry about that.”
Despite the apology from the Pungcheon cult leader, the man in shackles said nothing.
“I said I was sorry.”
When there was no response even after apologizing again, the Pungcheon religious leader eventually exploded.
“shit! What are we going to do now? I am your master. You are my servant. I can’t even say that? I’ve been asking you if you’ll come or not, and you’ve become arrogant, right? Do you want to die? Is that it?”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church shouted. But the voice in his heart was reprimanding himself.
‘What are you doing now? ‘Why are you yelling at me for doing something good?’
The more he blamed himself, the louder his voice became.
“How long have I been patient with you so far? Speak informally five times? What kind of crazy person would give Suha an opportunity like that? Because it’s me! Wasn’t it because it was me? I don’t even know how grateful I am. You said you can’t drink? You say you don’t want to die? But Lee Gong-ja accepts alcohol? “And that too when I said I couldn’t drink?”
No matter how angry I was, it should have ended here.
However, the leader of Pungcheon could not control his rising anger and crossed a line that should not be crossed.
The next moment, the space they were in changed.
It was not a place with always open blue skies and fields.
It was in the middle of a battlefield where blood was flowing and corpses were strewn about. The bloody smell filled my nose, making it difficult to stay even for a moment.
“It’s the perfect place for you. From now on, this will be the only place you can see!”
Crucially, the reason why the leader of Pungcheon could not stop his anger was because he was playing the drum and janggu alone from beginning to end. You make a mistake and you get angry.
The shackled man didn’t say a word. I just got some alcohol.
‘No, that guy was the one who made the mistake first. I shouldn’t have accepted that drink. You said that to me, right? Are you narrow-minded and greedy? Why are you doing this when you know?’
At that time, as if reading his inner thoughts, the shackled man politely opened his mouth.
“My thoughts were short. sorry.”
It was so polite that the Pungcheon religious leader’s heart sank.
The Pungcheon religious leader’s heart began to pound with anxiety that he might never be able to hear the shackled man’s honest words again.
‘This is not it. Hurry up and apologize. hurry!’
I screamed in my heart.
But no words of apology came out. He also had a lot accumulated.
‘Why am I apologizing? I’m that guy’s owner. I am the leader of Pungcheon Church!’
Although I argued with him several times, I never had a conflict this big. So I was at a loss as to what to do.
If I had dealt with someone else, I would have handled it much more calmly. If Mabul were my opponent, I would have been screaming on the outside but flipping the abacus on the inside.
But that didn’t work for the shackled man.
The Sisan Blood Sea unfolding before my eyes was the mind of the Pungcheon religious leader. I thought about it and thought about it, but in the end, the leader of Pungcheon could not apologize.
Unaware of those feelings, all I could hear was the harsh howls of wolves that smelled blood.
* * *
I watched Seo Dae-ryong’s training from the corner of the yard of Hyeolcheon Doma’s residence.
After training in the basics, he was now practicing his basic skills, but his skill in wielding the sword was different from before.
I told Seo Dae-ryong at the Pungryu Gaekjan in the past. Although it is late, I will learn more carefully. So it’s okay. My words became reality.
He did not neglect a single movement. Moreover, Seo Dae-ryong was doing well, as smart people are good at learning martial arts.
At that time, Hyeolcheon Doma came next to me and stood side by side.
“Did you come to see Suha suffering?”
“He’s a friend who works hard during the day, so I don’t have such bad taste.”
“Then what is happening at this hour?”
“I came to see you because I have something to discuss.”
“Please come in.”
Leaving Seo Dae-ryong practicing, I entered the abode of the Blood Heavenly Demon.
I was amazed at the books that filled the closet.
“You have so many books.”
“Please add whatever you want to say.”
“Not fitting in.”
“It’s not a book to read, it’s a book for decoration.”
“Even the decoration doesn’t match.”
“Hey! “If you read all the books you read as a child, you will be as good as the person the religious leader killed.”
“Then you would have become a university professor.”
After joking around like that, we got to the point.
“What do we need to discuss?”
“There is someone I want to free from the shackles.”
Hyeolcheondoma, who was surprised by the unexpected words, misunderstood.
“Is there anyone you want to free from the underground prison?”
“no. “I have one nearby.”
Then this time, it was accepted in a symbolic sense.
“Yes, everyone wears at least one shackle.”
“What are the shackles for the elderly?”
“It’s me…”
Hyeolcheon Doma asked as something seemed to come out, but then sank in.
“Who is that person?”
“I am a subordinate of the Pungcheon religious leader.”
“Oh my.”
The expression on his face already shows that he is in trouble.
“He must be a good person because he is the person you want to get. That means there is a high possibility that the leader of the Pungcheon Church also cares about him.”
“You are correct.”
“Does the leader of Pungcheon know that you want that person?”
“I do not know.”
“Have you spoken with that subordinate?”
“No, I haven’t said a word yet. Still, I believe that our hearts were connected.”
“mind? You believe it? “This is a mountain of mountains.”
When I thought about who I should discuss the matter of the shackle man, the first person that came to mind was Hyeolcheon Doma. Even if he couldn’t give me an answer, I felt like I might be able to find the answer myself by talking to him. Hyeolcheondoma is that kind of person to me.
“Isn’t that why you went to visit the elder? Please tell me the way.”
“Did you leave it to me?”
I smiled broadly and spoke confidently.
“yes! “Please give me what you left behind. Please tell me the way out of this mountain.”