Episode 1598. I can’t even laugh. (3)
Cheongmyeong stubbornly looked ahead again, suppressing the rising feeling of nausea, anger, or sadness.
“Ah… my… tabul…”
Hyeyeon couldn’t control her growing emotions and kept chanting in a trembling voice.
Everyone dug into Cheongmyeong’s ears one by one.
Even the sound of Yu Iseol, who is always unfazed, grasping her sword tightly.
Whose fault is this tragedy?
“Cheongmyeong…”
Hyeonjong sighed and placed his hand on Cheongmyeong’s shoulder. But when I tried to say something more, I ended up just shaking my head.
What more can he say in a situation where it is so difficult for even him to calm his heart?
“The air is cold.”
Hyeonjong ended up saying something a bit out of the blue.
Cheongmyeong glanced up at the sky. It’s still before the sun comes up. The cool morning air passes over my face.
So much so that my body trembles.
At that moment, Yu Iseol walked forward without saying a word.
Slurp.
Because I lost where to swing, the sword that had been sleeping in its sheath was pulled out through the early morning air.
She quietly knelt down and plunged her sword into the floor.
Faaat.
The sword dug into the ground with a harsh sound, no different from cutting off an enemy’s head. Holding the handle of the sword with one hand and the blade with the other, he silently dug into the dirt.
“⋯⋯.”
Cheongmyeong looked at the scene without saying anything.
Hyeyeon, who was only complaining with anger and sadness that could not be extinguished, also quickly walked forward, knelt down, and began digging the ground with her hands.
Jerk. Jerk.
Song Baek, who had already approached them, went to their side without saying a word and dug into the ground with his sword.
Although each person wears a different outfit, they are building tombs for the dead with the same hands.
These are people who once thought they would never be able to stand in one place forever.
Cheongmyeong let out a small laugh and looked at the sky again. It seemed as if the sadness of the world had not yet reached the upper reaches.
It’s cold. It will be even more so for them.
It was the moment when Cheongmyeong let out a short breath and was about to take a heavy step.
“Ah…”
A faint moan was heard from behind. Cheongmyeong’s gaze, which became cold for a moment, returned to that direction.
“Ahh…”
The court, which had barely managed to get up and was almost half-crawled, was trembling.
At that moment, everyone’s eyes were on him.
There were indeed a variety of emotions. Hate, pity, or have complicated feelings about how to view him.
In the meantime, the court tried to somehow take the class president with pathetically shaking hands.
“Ah…my…”
Cheongmyeong’s teeth chattered.
“⋯⋯Shut up.”
“⋯⋯ta⋯⋯.”
“Shut up!”
His wrinkled hands are shaking and his complexion is pale. It’s like stuttering forward without being able to open your eyes properly because your body isn’t listening properly yet.
The golden clothes were torn, soaked in blood, and tattered, and the body exposed through them was covered in wounds. It would not be surprising if it fell down at any time like a rotten old tree.
The once majestic appearance of the Shaolin master is now shabby, with nothing to be found.
There is no figure of a Buddhist who devoutly followed the Buddha’s will, nor of a leader who went beyond Shaolin and led the powerful force known as Gupa Ilbang.
What is here is just a shabby human suffering from his own sins.
And to Cheongmyeong, even that appearance… Yes, even that sight was just disgusting.
Cheongmyeong took long strides toward the court.
“⋯⋯Cheongmyeong.”
Hyeonjong grabbed his shoulder and hurriedly stopped him. However, Cheongmyeong, who had always respected King Hyeonjong’s words, pushed his hand away this time and did not stop walking.
Jerk.
Jerk.
Every time those cold feet took a straight step, the court’s body trembled slightly.
Eventually, Cheongmyeong approached the court and glared coldly at the court with a face colder than an ice cave.
At that moment, no one knew Qingming’s thoughts.
What is he thinking with that face that seems to be carrying all the suffering in the world?
Suddenly.
Cheongmyeong grabbed the courtroom by the collar. Then, with a single stroke, he thrust the court’s face towards that terrible tragedy.
“look.”
The court’s gaze was forcibly fixed.
“Look without closing your eyes.”
At the sound of a growling voice, the court struggled to lift its almost closed eyes. The eyes that opened, trembling, soon closed tightly again.
“Ah, ami… “Ami… tabul….”
Tears flowed from the eyes of the courtroom without any way to stop them.
“Is there a Buddha here?”
A chilling voice penetrates the court’s ears.
“Don’t look for Buddha. This is what you did. “You, not Buddha!”
The strength is leaving the legs of the courtroom.
However, Cheongmyeong’s hand grabbed his collar and did not even allow him to fall.
“look.”
Cheongmyeong forcibly pushed the court’s head in another direction.
“look!”
The eyes of the courtroom fill up. A sin from which he could never escape.
A deep, profound karma that can never be fully repaid even with eons of penance. It seemed as if the weight would crush the courtroom and make it explode at any moment.
The courtroom sagged. It was as if the soul had escaped.
Looking at that, Cheongmyeong bit his lip.
“Is this what you were trying to get?”
Why repeat?
“this?”
Why do we repeat the same thing when faced with such painful consequences? What is that name? What is that reputation? If you die, you’ll be nothing.
“At best! “Just something like this?”
Crack.
The hem of the court’s clothes, which were held in Cheongmyeong’s hands, are eventually torn off.
“Speak up! Anything!”
I feel like my heart will burst.
If this was going to happen, I should have done it. I should have gotten everything I wanted and laughed at those who couldn’t.
If that were the case, then it would be better…!
At that moment, someone grabbed Cheongmyeong’s hand, which was overcome with passion.
Cheongmyeong looked blankly at the face of the person holding her.
Hyeyeon, whose face was drenched in tears, was holding Cheongmyeong’s arm tightly around the court’s collar.
He slowly shook his head. Without any words of persuasion.
“⋯⋯.”
When Cheongmyeong faced eyes full of sadness, his spirit suddenly relaxed. The hand holding the court’s collar lost strength.
dump.
The courthouse was demolished in its place.
Cheongmyeong, who was glaring at the courtroom lined up like a person who had lost his soul, turned around.
There is no court here. All that’s left is just a shell. I lost myself due to sin and self-blame that I could not escape.
It was difficult for Cheongmyeong himself to know whether what he was feeling at this moment was sympathy, sympathy, or just disgust. He spoke in a cold voice even though he did not know anything.
“You probably had it too.”
The court did not react as if it had not heard anything.
“At least… one person.”
Someone who will accept him as he is, even if he doesn’t get fame or something shining.
The moon was obscured by black clouds that rolled in just in time. It feels like the world has been immersed in deep darkness. Just like his frustrating feelings that he has no way to resolve.
It was just as Cheongmyeong let out his exhausted breath and was about to move his feet.
“Ugh…”
A sobbing sound was heard from behind.
“Uh oh…”
It’s not about twisting and squeezing. It’s a sob that builds up to the point where it overflows. No matter how hard I try to stop it, I can’t do anything about it and it leaks out.
“Uh… Uh… Ugh…”
Cheongmyeong was somehow familiar with this sobbing. The resemblance seemed unfamiliar.
When I looked back, the court was crawling on the ground.
After a long and painful movement, the court’s hand finally reached somewhere. The pale face of a corpse that has already cooled down.
“⋯⋯gye⋯⋯.”
It was the body of Beopgye, carried by Hyeyeon herself.
With trembling hands, the court traced the face that could no longer show any expression.
“Law… “The legal world…”
The lights in the courtroom were shaking. It was an extremely shabby and sad move.
The court probably knew what I had done.
His deep sin. But even after seeing it all, the one who fought to save him until the end.
A hollow laugh escaped Cheongmyeong’s mouth.
‘Why always…’
Do you come to know a person only after losing him?
Why do you try so hard to get what you don’t need without knowing the meaning of what you already have?
Why are you so foolish?
“Uh… Uhhhh. Ah… Aaaaaaa!”
Sobs broke out desperately.
“Aaaah! Legal world! Gyeya! Aaaaaaaaa!”
Even those who hated and despised the court could not say anything in the face of those cries that seemed to tear out their hearts.
No matter how much of a character there is no room for sympathy, you can guess his sadness.
“Aaaaaaaaaaa!”
Cheongmyeong, who had been watching the courtroom with dark eyes, turned his head.
There is no such thing as pity to waste on the living.
“Cheongmyeong.”
Cheongmyeong met Hyeonjong’s gaze and nodded.
“Taesang Jangmunin… Apprenticeship.”
“okay.”
Hyeonjong also nods slowly.
“So then.”
There is nothing the living can do for the dead. Regardless of whether it is a disciple or a Buddha, it is ultimately intended to comfort those who remain.
Even though people know this, they cling to that pointless act. I hope that this earnest prayer will bring some comfort.
It was a time when Cheongmyeong took weak steps towards the bodies lying on the cold ground.
“Sajil. “Taesang Jangmunin.”
Yu Iseol quietly looked around and approached me with a stern face.
“accident?”
“⋯⋯a lot.”
Looking at Cheongmyeong with a questioning look, Yu Iseol added quietly.
“The bodies of our enemies.”
Hyeonjong frowned. If it is natural that there are many enemy corpses on the battlefield, why do you say such a thing so seriously?
But Cheongmyeong’s face visibly hardened. He immediately understood the meaning of Yu Iseol’s words.
“⋯⋯A lot?”
That means that the old faction that died here was stronger than we thought.
If not…
‘The enemies were weaker than I thought.’
Is it possible? Something like that?
At that moment, Cheongmyeong opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards one place.
“No way…!”
The clouds cleared and the moon appeared again. Under that light, Cheongmyeong’s two eyes swayed.
❀ ❀ ❀
“There is no tracking, Mr. Ryeonju. “They say they have started burying the bodies.”
“Hmm, really?”
Jang Il-so shed a strange smile.
“Oh dear. It’s also kind. You put so much effort into something that is just a piece of meat. “Shouldn’t we learn something like that, Gamyeong?”
It was a question I couldn’t figure out what to answer. Hu Jiamyeong was naturally silent.
Jang Il-so opened his mouth again, wondering if he had asked a question specifically to get an answer.
“That’s just it.”
“⋯⋯Yes?”
“Don’t you think it would be too complacent to think that the war is over?”
One corner of Jang Il-so’s mouth twitches.
“War does not cause wounds. War is all about digging up wounds.”
His gaze turned to the east. It was in the same direction as where Cheongmyeong was looking.
❀ ❀ ❀
“This place…”
Cold eyes without any warmth stare at the mountain rising in front of me.
Among the five famous mountains in the world, this mountain, called Jungak (中嶽), was actually much more famous for something else than its beautiful scenery or mountainous terrain.
It is the most famous temple in the world, located to the north of the towering Sosilbong Peak.
Songshan, where the world’s most famous temple, Shaolin, is located.
His skinny fingers took off the blood jacket that was covering his head. As the brown robe fell to the ground, the entire red clothing was clearly exposed.
The person in the center had even his body exposed outside his clothes wrapped in red bandages.
When he opened his mouth, an eerie voice that seemed to come from hell came out.
“It’s Shaolin.”
“Master.”
“okay. Know. “We’ll have to hurry to avoid Yeonju’s nagging.”
A bright glow of blood flowed from the man’s eyes.
“I don’t like the idea of just clearing out the remnants… but since I’m involved, I have to make sure I do it.”
They began to head towards the road leading to Sosilbong Peak.
“Let’s go. Today we will erase Shaolin.”
Hyeongyo exposed his bloody teeth towards Shaolin.
