Episode 796
Black Emperor (1)
Why?
Yang Chen thought. Yeon Ho-jeong’s burdensomely sharp and cold words become less shocking as time passes.
It was strange.
The aggression and coldness contained in the words and the reality are becoming more and more harsh, but the impact is becoming weaker.
‘why?’
I couldn’t figure it out. Little by little, I was regaining my composure as it was no longer enough to get angry at the guy who was hurting me to the point of being obnoxious.
It was a strange thing. It was a strange situation.
Before I knew it, my energy, which had been burning like a forest fire, had been completely consumed. It is not that they have been silenced, but that they are in perfect control as usual.
‘Why?’
Why did I become so calm in a situation where I couldn’t be calm?
‘No, it’s not cold.’
Yang Chen’s reason took a closer look at his condition.
Yes. It’s not that cold. His heart was feeling strong emotions.
Yang Chen was greatly surprised after looking into his emotions.
The words of relief, joy, and regret were mixed in his waves of emotions.
‘Relieved?’
whatever?
‘pleasure?’
What is good?
‘It’s a regret…’
What am I clinging to?
Yang Cheon’s eyes were empty as he looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
“Unification is reconciliation and union.”
“….”
“The very idea of having everything by force is wrong. “You know that, right?”
“….”
“Even if unification was achieved by force, unless a post-unification system and a clear future were planned, the world would collapse in less than ten years.”
“….”
“Do you think I betrayed the martial arts group?”
Yang Chen’s eyes became bloodshot slightly.
Yeon Ho-jeong laughed bitterly.
“In order for me to betray the martial arts group, I need one premise.”
“What is that?”
Yang Chen was quite surprised to hear his own voice. The cracked and dull voice did not feel like his own at all.
“The martial arts world and the imperial palace are different realms.”
“…?!”
“Inviolate government affairs? Just a play on words. Murim has always been part of the empire. “We just pretended not to know each other through a ridiculous treaty of non-aggression against government affairs, but the martial people are also subjects of the empire.”
I thought I had calmed down, but it seems that wasn’t the case.
Yangcheon also knew that Murim was also a world included in the empire. However, knowing with your head and accepting with your heart are different things.
Yangcheon thought that Moorim was a different world. And it was so.
However, the members of the martial arts group are subjects of the empire. Therefore, the martial arts world is part of the empire.
“I did not betray the martial arts group. “I just hope that in the present situation, which has changed from the past, the majority of the people of the world will be united again so that they can live a slightly more comfortable life.”
“…Do you think that is right?”
“I don’t know. But I think that’s very likely.”
“Why did you think that?”
“It’s because of the martial arts people.”
“what?”
“Murim people long for freedom. They say Gangho has elegance and romance. But the world is not always bright and beautiful.”
“I know that.”
“I know, but I probably didn’t realize it. “Murim people are people who are not subject to the sanctions of the law.”
“…!”
“For famous powerful people, even if it is not a direct sanction called fame, there is a mental restraint called face. However, the half-baked martial artists whose names are unknown are nothing short of a disaster to the people.”
Murder arose in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.
“If three martial artists who are not even first-class get together, they can take over a village. “He reigns as the king of the place, trampling on the people as he pleases, including murder, assault, and rape.”
“….”
“Who manages them? Baekdo political faction? Of course, they catch and kill those guys whenever they find them. But does that solve the fundamental problem?”
“….”
“He or you? “Do you live every day with the thought that you will capture all those thieves and tear them to death because you need to stabilize the world?”
“….”
“Unless the time comes when everyone in the world awakens, conflict will inevitably arise.”
“Laws sometimes infringe on freedom.”
“Freedom without law is self-indulgence, and law that does not provide freedom is violence.”
“….”
“Law does not exist for a perfect world. “It is to present a path to a better world, layer by layer.”
“I don’t think it’s a story that will resonate with those in power.”
“Are you really trying to discuss the harmful effects of the law by asking what will happen to those in power who use the law to fill their stomachs?”
“….”
“There is no crime in the law. “Those who abuse the law are the ones who will kill us.”
“….”
“Even if there are people who play around with the law, the law must exist. Of course, even if there is a separate law, there are limits. “Only when law and morality coexist will we be able to maintain a stable foundation.”
Yang Chen snorted.
“A rare martyr has been born. “Since when did you worry so much about the world?”
“Since I started thinking about getting rid of the three religions.”
“…?”
“If I let them, one day they will kill my family and friends. I immediately thought of the world for the safety of my people. “I am now here after building up day by day.”
Yang Cheon swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
Yeon Ho-jeong continued speaking with a confused look on his face.
“I said this, but I don’t know what the world will be like after unification. I don’t know philosophy. Not a great thinker. “I know a little about the law, but I have no administrative skills.”
“….”
“I just wonder what direction is right for the world I have experienced in my life to move forward… This is the only answer to that agony.”
Yang Chen’s eyes deepened.
“Just as you are thinking about the future of the world, I am only thinking about the future that will allow me to fulfill my ambitions.”
“….”
“As you said, in order for the imperial palace and the martial arts to merge and unify into a new empire, one premise is needed. “The three religions will disappear.”
“exactly.”
“Then your dream, like my ambition, is nothing more than a vain fantasy.”
“So I can’t be the manager of the new world.”
“what?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“That is a job that must be handled by His Majesty the Emperor and the smart people under him. “I just do whatever it takes to get rid of the Three Religions.”
“What nonsense? Then, in the end, nothing changes, does it?”
“Yes.”
“What on earth has changed?”
“It is different to live as Yeon Ho-jeong, a martial artist, rather than as a descendant of a famous Baekdo martial arts family.”
“…?!”
“That’s why I came up with the idea of becoming your successor. Even if the Baekdo Murim points a finger at me, I will eliminate the demons that have invaded our world for a new era.”
“…!!”
“And I believe that my father will accept this promise of mine. So to speak, I am doing this even though I know it will be very difficult for my father and family.”
Yang Chen swallowed again.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled fire.
“I have always risked my life. There was no back for me. “My purpose has always been one.”
“….”
“Then another wind came to me. “That is the well-being of all people in the world.”
“….”
“And the reason why that wish came about is because of capable politicians who want a better world than it is now.”
“Is he the emperor?”
“exactly.”
“In your opinion, the emperor’s abilities were outstanding.”
“Still, I have to risk my life. As always, as always.”
Why?
Yang Cheon saw that Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes were particularly sparkling.
That wasn’t all. Yeon Ho-jeong’s fingers were trembling slightly, almost as if they were invisible. The uvula also twitched as if swallowing saliva.
‘…are you shaking?’
Yes. Yeon Ho-jeong was trembling now.
It was shocking. Why is this rare genius, a monster who readily presents solutions at any moment, shaking?
“I am.”
Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his throat with a short cough. My breathing became slightly rough, as if I was trying to calm down something that was bothering me.
“Even though I thought about the world for a while, my goals always came first.”
“….”
“But the number of people who firmly support me as I pledge to create a much better world using my goal as a stepping stone is increasing one by one.”
“….”
“Now this fight is not just about the outcome of the war, but has become a fight about the real future. At least it is to me.”
Yang Cheon looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s face in silence.
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
“I feel sorry for you.”
“….”
“Even if the results are clear, I don’t know if it’s right to deny a person’s lifelong dream. I can’t imagine how you feel right now. “If someone had told me a definite future in which the three religions could not be eliminated, I would have had a hard time keeping my cool.”
“….”
“I want to apologize to you.”
Yeon Ho-jeong lowered his head.
He didn’t kneel, he just bowed his head in a sitting position, but it seemed even more sincere.
Yang Chen, who was quietly looking at him, chuckled.
“You’re a funny guy.”
“….”
“You guys argue about my future, but the future hasn’t arrived yet. “What kind of future we create is my problem, not yours.”
“It’s everyone’s problem.”
“That’s true for everyone. But not for me, who wants a different world.”
“The future of a person who has become a dream and goal without a clear plan is the same as everyone else’s future. In the end, many ‘your’ lives will be distorted.”
“….”
“Let me ask you one question. If you unite Moorim, do you intend to lead the world to a better place? Or are you planning to ravage the world to your heart’s content for your own lust for power?”
“…!!”
Yang Chen’s eyes shook greatly.
He was the second person to be greatly shocked today. Yeon Ho-jeong’s question was so sharp.
‘After unification…?’
It’s not that I haven’t thought about it. But I never thought about it deeply.
As Yeon Ho-jeong said, his dream has become less about the world after unification and more about unification itself.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was quietly looking at Yang Cheon, blurted out a word.
“You are not the kind of person who would ravage the world.”
“…!”
“But if you, who have no proper governing system or plan, try to rule the world, the world will face another difficult time.”
“….”
“Furthermore, in the current situation, there is little chance that you will unify the martial arts group.”
Yang Cheon’s breathing became increasingly rough.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.
“Where is the reality and justification for your goals?”
“….”
“Do you really want to unify the martial arts group? Or… are you clinging to the lingering desire of a dream without a clear plan or fiery passion because you feel like you shouldn’t live without that level of ambition as the leader of the Dark Island?”
