Episode 76: If I decide to live.
I definitely have a feeling of dependence on Hyecheon Doma.
If there is a part of him that relies on his father, there is a separate part of him that relies on Hyeolcheondoma.
“Solve it with what you do best.”
“What is it?”
“Kill the Pungcheon religious leader.”
I thought it was a joke and laughed out loud, but Hyeolcheon Doma was serious.
“Why are you laughing? It would be like killing two birds with one stone. If you kill the leader of the Pungcheon Church, no one will dare object to you becoming the successor. As a bonus, you get the subordinate you want.”
“I will not kill the leader of the Pungcheon Church.”
“why?”
“He’s not a good person, but he’s not so evil that he deserves to be killed.”
“I guess that’s not why. “Isn’t it because it’s your treasure trove that you can’t kill it?”
“Well, there’s that too.”
“You are the villain.”
“I admit it.”
“Why do you admit it so easily?”
“How can we catch the wicked by being good? I will become a proper villain. So, I will bear the karma and go to hell.”
“People like me should go to hell. “You will walk the flower path.”
I was deeply moved because I felt that his words were sincere.
“You’ve already made your decision, right?”
“yes.”
After a conversation with Commander-in-Chief Sima Ming, I decided to make the shackled man my own person.
“He is a member of the Pungcheon cult, so he cannot be taken away without permission.”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you. “Let him come directly to you.”
“He’s even shackled?”
“You have to take off those shackles yourself. “Isn’t someone worth bringing in who has to show that level of ability?”
“That’s true, but I’m not sure I gave him that much confidence. “We haven’t even exchanged a word yet.”
That’s why I came to visit Hyeolcheon Doma. I didn’t know if it was anyone else, but I believed that only Hyeolcheondoma would understand my feelings.
Indeed, instead of calling me crazy, he gave me an answer that I had never thought of.
“Then convince him.”
“how?”
“Show him your people.”
“!”
“Show me your people and I will know what kind of person you are. If the person you’re recruiting is a smart person, just looking at your people will convince them of you. “I probably won’t be able to get through it without coming.”
I quietly looked at him. I never thought I would give you this advice. It was even more valuable advice because it was based on his experience.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“That’s the best advice.”
“Honestly, it’s not that bad, is it?”
“One of my people is an elderly person. So, this is the best advice.”
“So this is the worst advice ever?”
This time, I laughed first and Hyeolcheondoma followed suit.
“Anyone who will come see me will run away, so show me the others. “It wasn’t said with me in mind.”
I told him firmly.
“Elderly people need to go too.”
“hate.”
“It’s not because I want to show that person who I am.”
“then?”
“I want to show it to the elderly too. “Who did I choose?”
“why?”
“Then wouldn’t you know better what kind of person I am?”
“so why?”
“I want to give you confidence in me. Because I want to become closer to the elderly. “This is truly two birds with one stone.”
The corners of Hyecheon Doma’s eyes twitched. It’s usually an expression he makes when he’s angry, but now it was an awkward reaction.
“You often say such strange things to my face.”
“Let’s go.”
I suddenly got up from my seat.
“now?”
“Is there anything you want to postpone anyway? Let’s take everyone who has time. We will show it to each other. What kind of person did I choose? “That’s why I know what kind of person I am.”
“As expected, you are crazy.”
“ha ha ha.”
So. It’s so difficult to create my own person.
This applied to both the blood chopping block and the shackled man.
* * *
The air in the room was cold.
The leader of Pungcheon was looking out the window, and the shackled man was looking at the sound bell. The two didn’t say a word for a long time.
Let me say this first. The winner of this match was decided from the beginning. The man in shackles could not say a word for an entire year.
In the end, the Pungcheon religious leader spoke first.
“sorry.”
It was a difficult apology. So I hoped that the answer would not come easily, but the shackled man spoke as if he had been waiting.
“it’s okay.”
It was an apology that he made after worrying and thinking about it, but he accepted it so casually that the leader of Pungcheon became angry again.
But it was the same before and now. It wasn’t a situation for him to get angry. If nothing else, it was a really big mistake to open the space where the corpses were piled up. Knowing very well how much the shackled man loves spaces with blue skies and fields.
“Recently, I seem to have become very angry without realizing it when I gave the sacred object to Gongja Lee. “I’m sorry.”
The leader of Pungcheon Church apologized again.
“it’s okay.”
The head of the Pungcheon Church stiffened his expression at the consistent tone of answer. He was not confident that this expression would not be noticed, so he continued to look out the window. I bit my lip until it bled.
All kinds of random thoughts tormented him.
‘Is this all because they are narrow-minded and greedy? Because I’m a small person? Damn it! How can you advance to the midfield if you can’t win the hearts of your subordinates? Other subordinates will do more, right? They may swear loyalty on the outside, but they may be laughing at me on the inside.’
If you really try to eat your luck at a time like this, you will get cursed.
Just then, a word came from behind me.
“It’s the leader.”
The moment he heard those words, the leader of the Pungcheon Church was overcome with tears. He was angry and blaming himself, but deep down, he was worried that he would never hear those words again.
“why?”
“The religious leader is holding me in shackles and is also trying to control my heart. I told you before, right? “Neither the religious leader nor I are fortunate enough to have everything without throwing anything away.”
“I am the one who rules Saeoe Wurim! “If I am not blessed, who is blessed?”
“Did you take over Saeoe Murim with your own strength? Cult leader, you just inherited it. Well, if it is a blessing, it is a great blessing, but the blessing I am talking about is not the blessing that came down through the umbilical cord.”
“Kkanjokkanjok! “You’re pissing me off again!”
Then the shackled man kept his mouth shut.
There was an awkward silence for a moment.
Even if I say something, I get angry, and even if I don’t say anything, I get angry.
The leader of Pungcheon knew exactly where his anger started today.
“Why did you accept Lee Gongja’s drink?”
“just.”
“Where is it? Tell me why. “I deserve to be heard.”
The man in shackles did not answer. The leader of Pungcheon suddenly asked. I really didn’t want to ask this question.
“You don’t really want to go to Master Lee, do you?”
The shackled man neither confirmed nor denied.
At that moment, the leader of Pungcheon felt his legs lose strength.
“Are you sure you want to go? really?”
“Nothing has been decided yet.”
“That’s what you mean!”
The eyes of the Pungcheon religious leader who let out a loud sound were torn apart.
“When did you plan it? “Did you even share a message without my knowledge?”
It would be better if the answer was yes.
“The whole sound was never shared.”
“But how?”
“I read your mind. “Gongja Lee wants me.”
“Fuck that bullshit! Stop talking bullshit! Where are you imitating the Subhonmazon? “How can you read minds?”
Now I can see why the head of Pungcheon was so offended and angry at Geommugeuk’s sarcasm when he poured drinks for the shackled man. It wasn’t because he didn’t accept his own drink and accepted Lee Gongja’s.
This is exactly what he foresaw. His fate, his instincts, his premonitions were reading this shit.
“Do you think I’ll let you go? “If you kill me, I’ll kill you and I’ll never let you go!”
“Then you will have to kill me now.”
“what?”
“Kill while you can. “I won’t be able to kill you later.”
Pungcheon’s entire body trembled with anger.
The shackled man was the only person who understood his feelings. Killing someone like that? Being taken away by someone else?
“Are you doing this because you think I can’t kill you? “For ignoring me!”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church walked to the shackled man with long strides.
He raised his hand.
If you hit the nail on the head, you will be free from all your troubles.
If the shackled man had looked up at his face, he might have hit him.
But the shackled man stayed still with his head down so that he would not feel remorse.
Seeing him meekly accepting death, the leader of the Pungcheon Church could not strike a blow.
“If I can’t kill you now, I’ll never be able to kill you. If I decide to live, no one will kill me. So if you’re going to kill him, you should kill him now.”
Pungcheon’s hand, raised in the air, trembled.
But in the end, he couldn’t hit it.
The leader of Pungcheon slowly lowered his hand. The anger that had erupted like lava had calmed down before I knew it.
“Are you going to run away alone from this chaotic world? So easy? you’re welcome! “I won’t let that happen.”
The shackled man slowly raised his head. The gazes of the two people were intertwined in the air with complex emotions.
The leader of Pungcheon Church has not given up hope yet.
“You said you haven’t decided to go yet, right?”
“okay. “Not yet.”
“As long as I don’t get you taken away, right? “I just need to become a better person than a scientist, right?”
A smile appeared on the shackled man’s lips. It was not a forced smile, but a natural smile.
“Yes, this is how we will continue to live.”
“I told you not to talk like you’re going to break up!”
“Don’t be obsessed with me. “It looks bigger because someone else wants to have it.”
“Shut up! Give me a chance to persuade, then decide who to bring. They say I hate it, but since I spent so many years in one room, I can probably struggle. “I will work hard to catch you.”
“But that won’t work. “I am not your opponent.”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church sighed. The already empty new object was telling me that I couldn’t handle it.
“I can’t just send it away. “If you want to go, take me with you.”
The shackled man chuckled. Today I smiled for the first time since the two of us argued.
“okay. “Come with me to Gongja Lee.”
“what?”
Since I had no idea that he would ask me to go with him, the leader of the Pungcheon Church had a blank expression on his face.
“Are you crazy?”
But what the shackled man said next was even more surprising.
“I heard you decided to make Gongja Lee a Heavenly Demon? Come with me and make Gongja Lee a Heavenly Demon. Then, the dream of becoming a religious leader will naturally come true. “If I were a scholar of science today, I would be the person who would build the Pungcheon Church headquarters next to the Cheon Demon Church.”
“Crazy guy! “That’s it.”
At that time, a subordinate spoke outside.
“Technical workers and guests came to visit.”
“Guests?”
“yes. “There are five people who came with us.”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church sighed and shook his head.
“ah! “You’re pushing it so hard.”
Normally, he would have been very irritated, but the leader of the Pungcheon Church had a relaxed expression on his face.
“You are right. We talk too much about Lee Gongja. So, like a tiger that hears my words, manna comes to me.”
The leader of Pungcheon Church said to his subordinates.
“Hurry and take him. And prepare plenty of drinks and snacks.”
“yes!”
The leader of the Pungcheon Church looked at the shackled man. It was a different look than usual.
“It seems that fate is trying to negotiate with you. Okay, let’s decide today. Either Lee Gongja dies or I die. Either go to Lee Gongja or stay with me. Let’s decide everything today. Instead, judge fairly.”
“In that respect, graduate students are at a disadvantage. “Like the leader said, I listened to you more.”
“Okay, that’s it.”
Soon after, the sword dance group entered inside.
The head of Pungcheon Church welcomed the guest with a cheerful smile as if nothing had happened.
“Hahaha, come quickly!”
And so the decisive drinking party that would change their fate began.