Episode 116. Don’t try to live an easy life.
Jin Seol-ha, the second disciple of Changinmun, grew up receiving ample love. Perhaps because of this, his actions were as unwrinkled as his bright appearance.
Even in her daily life, she lived with awkwardness and a sense of isolation when meeting someone for the first time.
Her personality was fully displayed when she first met Nokrimdo. She treated Yeonjeokha as if she were a member of the Justice League.
At the end of the meal, she spoke without hesitation, saying ‘Yeon So-hyeop’ and ‘Sim No-seon-bae’.
During the light drinking party that followed, he also tapped Yeonjeokha on the shoulder and laughed out loud.
Thanks to her active participation, Seol Cha-su and Yoo Geun-sik also started to talk more little by little.
By the time the drinking party was over, the two had almost shaken off their initial awkwardness.
“… … That’s when the man says, ‘If I had to choose between you and the world, I would choose you.’ Whoa! How is it? Isn’t it cool? I like men like that.”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
She was half-drunk and patted Yeon-jeok-ha’s shoulder and back with a flushed face.
Yeonjeokha looked at Seolchasu and Yugeunsik with perplexed eyes.
Seolchasu hurriedly sent a signal to Jinseolha.
“Jin Samae, you seem drunk. Let’s go now. Okay?”
Seol Cha-su stood up awkwardly, but didn’t even pretend to hear the presentation.
“Oh my, what are you talking about? I haven’t even had a few drinks.”
Jin Seol-ha looked at Yeon Jeok-ha with eyes that seemed to have been wronged.
Yeonjeokha said as he pulled away Jinseolha’s hand that had been stuck to his arm like an octopus.
“Excuse me, Miss Jin, shall we rest here for today? We have a long journey tomorrow.”
Even though he was sweating profusely, he did not treat Jin Seol-ha roughly. He felt Han Chae-yeon’s shamelessness and Ha So-baek’s innocence in her, and he was even more careful.
It is true that he hates women, but that is only if the other person has malicious intent or is someone who has nothing to do with him.
No matter how self-willed Yeonjeok was, it wasn’t easy to push away a woman who approached him without formality and acted comfortably like Jinseolha. Moreover, she was also his companion.
Simtong didn’t stop her and just laughed ‘hehe’ as if he liked Jinseolha.
Only after hearing the words, “You have to go a long way tomorrow,” did Jin Seol-ha get up from her seat with a regretful expression. Judging from the fact that she immediately responded to Yeon Jeok-ha’s gentle refusal, it seems she wasn’t drunk.
When Seolchasu and Yugeunsik disappeared with Jinseolha, Yeonjeokha let out a long sigh.
“Ha! What’s so hard about this? Next time, let’s just eat rice.”
“But it didn’t seem like you hated it. Am I seeing things wrong?”
“There’s no reason to dislike him. He seems like a nice person.”
“Hehe, I see. It seems to me that you and Confucius get along well.”
“What do you mean by connection? It’s just that he’s not a bad person. Do you think Lady Jin is a bad person?”
“If that were the case, I would have kicked you out already.”
“See? I’m just like that.”
“I think you went a little further than that? You even linked arms affectionately… … .”
“Old Man Shim, tell me straight. I had my arm taken away. I was scarier than the ten-headed woman before. Can you see the sweat on my back? I told you it wasn’t a joke.”
He shook his head as if it was a misunderstanding.
It was while the two people were having a not-so-pleasant argument.
A man came up the stairs.
In the meantime, out of curiosity, a few customers came up to the seventh floor, but the two didn’t even look up. Since it was still the peak business hours, they wondered if anyone else had come.
Yeonmu Baek, who had climbed up to the seventh floor, immediately recognized Yeonjeokha.
Traces of fourteen years ago still remained on the young man’s youthful face.
He walked briskly to the seat of the old man and his wife.
At that moment, Simtong spoke coldly.
“What are you doing? Come any closer and I’ll cut your balls off.”
Yeonmu Baek couldn’t help but flinch and stop at those harsh words.
A strong murderous aura emanated from the old man, as if to prove that it was not an empty promise.
Yeonmu Baek hurriedly bowed his head.
“I am Yeonmu Baek. I am a general patrolman… I came here to have a brief conversation with you.”
Simtong opened his eyes wide and glared at Yeonmu Baek.
“Huh! Where did that brat come from? I thought our lord would meet just anyone… … .”
“Old Man Shim, go have a drink somewhere else.”
“yes.”
Simtong got up from his seat without saying a word and moved to the edge of the window.
Yeonmu Baek, who had been hesitating for a moment, sat down in front of Yeonjeokha.
Yeonjeokha looked blankly at Yeonmubaek.
I knew the lotuses would come to visit me soon.
Since something as big as the Samjangbullip incident had occurred, it would have been impossible to remain silent.
It’s a different feeling from when I saw Baek Mi-ju a few days ago.
When I first encountered her, I was so angry that I didn’t think about anything, but when I saw Yeonmu Baek, old memories came flooding back.
Yeonmu Baek, Yeonseung Baek, and Yeonseonju tormented themselves endlessly under the pretext of playing.
At that time, the curse words that could be used in the green forest were basic.
It is still a mystery where the children of the noble families learned such swear words.
While Yeonjeok-ha was lost in thought, Yeonmu-baek bowed his head.
“I’m sorry. I was young and couldn’t tell right from wrong, but I committed a very big sin. Now, whatever I say will just be an excuse. But even if it wasn’t because of this incident, I wanted to meet you and apologize.”
“Don’t try to live an easy life. Do you think all the bad things you’ve done are just an apology?”
“… … .”
Yeonmu Baek lowered his head with a bitter expression.
That’s right.
The world is not that simple.
If Yeonjeokha was a man, the Yeons would have died long ago. It is only because they are blood relatives that they are not taking their own lives.
But I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
“I know it’s shameless to ask for forgiveness. But for the sake of my father, please give me just one more chance. How can I make you forgive me?”
I wanted to ignore the lover, but I couldn’t.
Yeonmu Baek’s sincerity could be felt in his painful expression and honest confession.
Just from his few words, you could tell he was a pretty decent adult.
“Do you know what happened to me in Grandmother’s Waryongjang?”
Yeonmu Baek nodded.
“Go and tell Grandmother, the old men of the Yeon clan, the Baek family warriors, their master Baek family lord, and the Yang family lord who helped Grandmother rebuild Waryongjang. If you confess your sins to me, I think he might forgive you.”
“… … .”
Only then did Yeonmu Baek realize why Yang Ga-Jang was included in the Samjang. He had become the target of revenge because he had provided money to the Waryongjang established by his mother.
“Ha! I’ll tell them, but I don’t know if they’ll do it.”
Then Yeonjeokha snickered.
“If you want to completely ruin yourself, there’s nothing you can’t do. It’s your last chance, so try to make the most of it. But it won’t be easy starting tomorrow. I’m going to be busy.”
“… …Isn’t there another way?”
“Hahaha. Hyung Mu-baek. You seem to be treating me like water too much. I’m not an easy person. If you were in my shoes, it would have been even worse. No?”
Yeonmu Baek averted his gaze from Yeonjeokha’s piercing gaze.
That might be the case.
If something like that happened to you and you had the power to take revenge… … .
“Okay, I’ll pass on what you said.”
Yeonjeokha spoke to Yeonmu Baek, who was standing up from his seat, as if passing by.
“I’ve heard it too, don’t be too attached to Waryongjang. There’s also the life of your children.”
“… … .”
Yeonmu Baek didn’t understand at first why Yeonjeok Ha was saying that.
I never for a moment lost the thought that I was the head of Waryongjang. Even when my mother was shaking Waryongjang, I thought, “I am the head of Waryongjang.”
***
Baekgajang.
At the sudden request of Waryongjangju Yeonmubaek, Baekgajangju and Yanggajangju gathered in one place. Baekgajang was located in the middle of Samjang, so this was chosen as the place.
“Yes, Yeon Ga-ju. Why did you ask to see us? Is there any news from the Justice Alliance or the Green Forest?”
Mu Cheon-geom Baek Seung-ho did not speak informally to his opponent even though he was his grandson.
This subtly reveals that this is a public place where the three monks gather.
Yeonmu Baek looked at Baek Seung-ho and Lee Hwa-shin Chang Yang Ju-hwan with hardened eyes.
‘I cannot hide it for the sake of Samjang’s future.’
Even though it is a family shame, you should not hesitate because if you keep trying to cover it up, you will end up ruined.
“I didn’t want to tell you this… … . I can’t keep it a secret any longer, so I’ll tell you. Everyone said they didn’t understand why the person who called them Yeon-jeok was bothering the monk. Actually, there is a good reason for that.”
Yeonmu Baek confessed what Baek Miju did in the past after Yeonmu Ryong’s death. Starting with the fact that Yeonjeok Ha was his half-sister, and what Baek Miju did in the past.
“… … It is said that he obtained the fate left by his ancestors in the warehouse where he was in love. Ten years later, he escaped from the warehouse. This happened right before I returned to Waryongjang. After that, he threw himself into the forest and caused the incident that he is in today.”
“… … .”
Baek Seung-ho’s face turned black and dead.
He felt ashamed that this had happened because of the actions of his own daughter, not someone else’s.
Yang Ju-hwan, who had been shaking his head, asked with a dumbfounded expression.
“Then, what crime did Yang Ga-jang commit?”
“It’s because the two families helped rebuild the palace’s dragon palace… … I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before? Come to think of it, there was something similar in Luoyang. If I had known that there was such a favor, would I have paid the money? What is this that I have to endure because of Waryongjang and Baekgajang?”
Yang Ju-hwan scolded Yeon Mu-baek as if he was being treated unfairly.
Baek Seung-ho was upset, but he had to endure it because he was guilty of having raised a daughter in the wrong way.
“Hmm! I see where things went wrong. Do you know how to fix this?”
“I just met Yeonjeokha a little while ago and I’m on my way back. He said that if everyone involved bows down before him and apologizes, he might forgive them… … .”
Baek Seung-ho immediately snorted.
“Huh! Are you going to bow your head to my bastard?”
Yang Joo-hwan also shook his head as if it was nonsense.
“I would rather fight to the death than bow my head to Nokrimdo.”
“But, Master, it is clear that it was our fault… … .”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? To be exact, it was my in-laws who were at fault. My only fault was that I showed compassion and helped my son-in-law. If I bow my head and apologize for something so trivial, my fellow martial artists will laugh at us.”
Since Yang Ju-hwan’s words were correct, Yeon Mu-baek was left speechless.
“I am the same as the two heads of the household. There is a saying that I am a person who has left home, so why should I bow my head for the wrongdoings I committed at Waryongjang? Isn’t that right, the two heads of the household?”
“Your words are right. I don’t understand why we have to suffer because of Waryongjang’s incident. If this isn’t the atrocity committed with the support of the Green Forest, then what is it?”
Yeonmu Baek, who had been listening to the conversation between the two, spoke cautiously to Baek Seung-ho.
“Baek Gaju, no, maternal grandfather, things are not that simple. Those who locked the enemy in the warehouse and watched him for ten years are Baek Gaju warriors. No matter what you say, Baek Gaju is by no means free from this matter.”
“That’s… … . Ugh!”
Baek Seung-ho groaned, unable to find any other excuse.
At this moment, Yang Ju-hwan said a word.
“As you know, son-in-law, the Yang family is not at fault, right? Please try to persuade Yeon-jeok-ha.”
“Master, he hates the Waryongjang that his mother rebuilt. He is also angry at the people who helped him do it. He is not a wicked person, so if you just bow down a little, he will be fine.”
“How can you tell me to bow my head when I am innocent! And to Nokrimdo at that! Even though I have no power, Yanggajang is a prominent family in the Jeongpa faction. Don’t ever let that kind of talk out of your mouth again.”
“Two elders. Please think about it again. Tomorrow will be the day that even that opportunity will be lost. While Yeonjeokha is in Jeongju, the Samjangbullip must be canceled.”
Yeonmu Baek felt suffocated.
I haven’t even told my mother yet. She’ll be furious no matter what. But Baek Ga-jang and Yang Ga-jang, who I thought would be relatively easy, were not easy either.
In the end, Baek Seung-ho and Yang Ju-hwan did not say anything about bowing their heads. They, the most famous figures in the political faction, had expressions that said, ‘I would rather die than submit to Nokrimdo.’
Wuxia,
