Episode 258
Discovery of fire (2)
The meal at Pagungak was not as awkward as I thought.
Surprisingly, it was thanks to seniority. Yeonwi was unusually talkative, and Yeonhojeong led the mood by reacting to her father as usual.
Mukbi also occasionally participated in the conversation with a brighter expression. Kang Ryang, who had been awkwardly drinking at first, seemed to gradually get used to the atmosphere and filled his stomach with a comfortable feeling.
Just like that, the meal that lasted half an hour was over.
“It’s colder than yesterday. “I guess winter has really come.”
When I lightly blew my breath, white steam poured out.
“Time always passes quickly for people who live busy lives. Furthermore, the older you get, the faster the year passes.”
Yeon Ho-jeong deeply sympathized with Yeon Wi’s words.
After training in Sasinmu, he left the martial arts world and committed himself to the Black Island. When he looked back, he realized that he had built Heukje Fortress, and the martial people were afraid of him, calling himself the owner of Heukje Fortress by the nickname Heukamje.
In fact, I had no idea how quickly time had passed. Even from the time I returned to the past to the present, time passed by like crazy.
‘A lot has happened.’
And there will be a lot more to come.
‘As long as you don’t die.’
Yeonwi spoke in a characteristic blunt tone.
“He was a nice young man.”
“yes?”
“This is a child named Gangryang.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“The problem is that he has little experience, but he is still honest and trustworthy.”
“It seemed so.”
Yeonwi looked up at the sky.
It was snowing heavily until yesterday, but today the sky was clear all day. The twinkling stars were very beautiful.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What do you mean?”
“That young man was the successor to Gwicheolgeommun.”
“Did I do that?”
Yeonwi said as if she couldn’t stop him.
“I only heard that the child’s parents and siblings were dead and the clan he belonged to was extinct. “I didn’t know he was from Heukdo until he introduced himself.”
“I guess I forgot.”
That couldn’t have been possible. Even though he was a busy son, there was no way he could make a mistake with something like this.
Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.
“But what about it? He’s a good guy. Just because they come from the Black Island doesn’t mean they are all evil humans. “Your father knows, right?”
“Of course I think so too. In fact, Gwicheolgeommun was famous for his generous nature, although his path was different from that of our Baekdo.”
“I know.”
“Did you want to try this baby?”
Yeon Ho-jeong waved his hand.
“Don’t say that. “Why would you test your father when there is no one else to test you?”
“Why not just mellow it out by saying you wanted to see the reaction?”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeon Wi.
Yeonwi chuckled.
“You haven’t revealed yourself well since you were young. But even if a child deceives his parents, what parent doesn’t know the child’s true intentions?”
“Is that so?”
“Even though I felt I raised you too strictly, I never turned my eyes away from you.”
“….”
“Of course, I was very embarrassed by your sudden change.”
A sudden change would mean the moment of return.
Yeon Ho-jeong filed a complaint.
“Hearing that, I seem like an easy guy to get to know.”
“Everyone you show your sincerity to will think the same way.”
It was an accurate insight.
If Yeon Ho-jeong decides to deceive, he can deceive anyone. Wasn’t Yang Cheon, the fighting king of the world, completely fooled by Yeon Ho-jeong’s amazing acting?
However, that is only a case of necessity, and Yeon Ho-jeong also rarely tries to deceive others.
Wouldn’t it be better if we just smashed it outright?
“father.”
“okay.”
“Like my father said before, I am a quick-tempered and twisted person.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever said anything was twisted.”
“Well, that’s it.”
“haha.”
“But even I, who has a nasty personality, knows this one thing.”
“what?”
“You can distinguish your enemies by faction and sect, but people’s natures are very different even if they belong to the same group.”
There was a look of satisfaction on Yeonwi’s face.
“That’s great. This father wasted nearly thirty years to realize that. “You are several years older than me.”
Yeon Ho-jeong wanted to say no.
If he hadn’t trained the Four Gods Dance, if he hadn’t committed himself to the Black Path.
If he hadn’t built the Black Emperor and competed against the Baekdo martial arts team, he would have been stuck in a stereotype forever.
‘That’s why your father is so great.’
Yeon Ho-jeong forced himself to swallow the sound of his heart rising to his throat.
“Not all people from the Black Island are bad people. On the other hand, not everyone who comes from a white province is full of consensus.”
“Of course.”
“I just don’t know what kind of people I will become friends with as I live in this world. “You could be from the Black Island, you could be the son of a third-rate military officer, you could be a fortune teller or a beggar.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Yeon Wi with somewhat trembling eyes.
“Still, can you treat my friends like that?”
Yeonwi, who was looking at Yeonhojeong, tilted her head for a moment.
“This father did not have a proper relationship with that child named Kang Ryang.”
“….”
“But I will treat Kang Ryang as well as Bia. From what I’ve seen so far, he seems like a kid I could date, but he doesn’t know what’s going on in the world.”
“….”
“I believe in my son, and I will regard his friends as my own children. However, for trust to sprout in a relationship, a certain amount of time and conversation is needed.”
“I know.”
“Okay, that’s all you need to know.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled again.
“That is enough.”
Since he is my son’s friend, I will treat him like my son too.
But Yeonwi is also a person. This meant that apart from being his son’s friend, his relationship with himself was also important.
In other words, he will accept any friend you bring, but he also needs time with himself as his father, so he asks you to understand only that part.
In the end, it means don’t worry. Yeon Ho-jeong felt reassured by his father’s words.
Yeonwi got up from his usual bed.
“I’ll have to wait and see, but I can see why you liked that kid. Of course, we will have to put in a lot of effort to develop together in the future.”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll help you with the little details. “Of course, if that child wants to be taught.”
“This is the teaching of Gangdong’s best expert, Judges’ Association. “Who in the world would reject that?”
“Your words are good, man.”
Yeonwi adjusted her collar.
“Your internal energy is flexible, so you won’t feel much cold, but don’t expose yourself to the cold wind for too long.”
“All right.”
“Enough.”
Yeonwi headed to the main gate of Pagungak. It seemed like he had some other business to attend to.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was quietly looking at her father’s back, opened her mouth.
“father.”
“hmm?”
“Actually…”
Yeon Ho-jeong hesitated for a moment.
In fact, there were many reasons why he had not spoken about his past until now. Even after my bond with my father deepened, I couldn’t talk to him easily because I thought he had a hard time managing his facial expressions due to his personality.
But now.
Now, if you don’t just believe in me as I am, but also recognize me as a proud warrior.
If you were the father you are now, who said that with such sincerity and without even a hint of lies, that he would treat you like a son no matter what kind of person he brought with him.
And if it is the head of the Yeonga family who has begun to skillfully use the wisdom he possessed through political strife.
If so, wouldn’t it be okay to say it now?
“It looks like I have something else to say.”
“…That’s right.”
Yeonwi, who was quietly examining her son’s face, smiled.
“I’ve known it for a long time. That you are hiding something from me. “That secret may be the biggest secret you have.”
“Did you know?”
“I said it a little while ago, but you are easier to understand than I thought.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
Yeonwi shook his head.
“Once you tell a secret, it’s over. “You may have had your own struggles, but if that secret is truly your biggest secret, I think you should be very careful, even if it is your parents.”
“….”
“I won’t listen today. “Think about it one more time and tell me when you’re sure it’s okay to tell my father.”
With those words, Yeonwi left Pagungak.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was looking at the gate where her father left, sat down again on the bench.
“Tell me when you’re sure it’s okay to tell the truth…”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked up at the sky.
My father’s favorite star was shining particularly beautifully today.
“Actually, I don’t need that kind of assurance. “I know you will believe me no matter what nonsense I tell you.”
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
“But I only found out about it now.”
Parents knew everything about their children, but children looked to their parents for assurance.
‘I’m too far away.’
I grew up through bloody chaos, but in the end, that’s all.
Although he reigned as the king of the dark island, he was still young. At least in front of my father, I didn’t need a tactical eye or an amazing plan to detect the weaknesses of my martial arts skills.
Perhaps most of the things I have shown my father so far were the childish thoughts of a child trying to boast about how much I have grown.
‘opportunity.’
He always wondered how he returned and, if Heaven had sent him back to the past, why he had sent him back.
Until now, I thought it was to prevent the midfield from becoming a sea of fire. I don’t know if Heaven really wanted that, but I think it’s easier to think that way.
But now I have decided to think differently.
He said that the reason he returned to the past was not only to stop the Three Cultists and the Guju Myeong Family.
The greatest value to him is to build the trust he was unable to share with his family.
“A risk!”
Yeon Ho-jeong turned his head.
Before I knew it, the river had arrived.
“Have you finished eating?”
“exactly.”
“What about silence?”
“My sister said she would clean it up herself. “I told you to leave now…”
Yeon Ho-jeong said with an angry look on his face.
“sister?”
“exactly.”
“Why is Mukbi your sister?”
Kang-ryang tilted his head.
“He is much older than me. “Then of course you’re not my sister?”
…That thing is better than I thought? It wasn’t like that in the past, right?
“So.”
“don’t do it.”
“You are my benefactor, and you are also a year older than me.”
“Stop.”
“So I’m thinking of just calling him brother.”
Yeon Ho-jeong scratched both arms. Because I got goosebumps.
Of course, even during the time of the Emperor of Darkness, Kang Ryang called himself “brother,” but I thought this process wasn’t right.
“I don’t know when that will be, but I’ll ask you to take care of me until I leave.”
“Okay, so stop calling me brother.”
“I don’t like it.”
Even if the sky fell tomorrow, I was ready to call him brother. Once he made up his mind to do something, he would do it even if it meant death.
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed and got up.
“I’m resting here for the time being.”
“uh? “Where are you going?”
“I have a place to go here and there with Mukbi.”
“All over the place? Within the Murim Alliance?”
“okay.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked toward the west.
Kangryang felt his back become wet as his eyes suddenly cooled down.
“…It’s time for the crazy dog to start moving.”
