Episode 1293 This is just the beginning. (3)
“Yes, Jangmun-in.”
Baekcheon immediately opened his arms and greeted Geumyangbaek. However, Geumyangbaek did not open his mouth right away but stared at Baekcheon with a complicated expression.
From that gaze, Baekcheon roughly guessed what Geumyangbaek wanted to say.
‘Was it six?’
It’s not exact, but it would have been something like that. The number of Haenam disciples who sacrificed their lives while coming here.
It was an extremely painful number for Baekcheon. However, no matter how much Baekcheon sympathizes with the pain, it cannot compare to the despair Geumyangbaek must be feeling.
The trembling eyes of the gilded silver seemed to be telling the story. What kind of pain is he enduring right now? Baekcheon decided that he would endure as much harsh criticism as he could.
At that time, Geumyangbaek put both hands forward and politely waved.
“I’m sorry for showing you my ugly side.”
A glimpse of embarrassment flashed across Baekcheon’s face.
“As a scholar from Haenam, I was unable to properly lead my students. “Please forgive me for putting a burden on Director Jang Moon.”
Baekcheon looked blankly at Geumyangbaek. Not only Baekcheon but also other Hwasan disciples could not hide their surprise.
Of course, it cannot be denied that Geumyangbaek’s mistake placed a burden on others. However, it is not easy for the head of a sect to admit his mistakes so plainly.
So it’s bound to be surprising.
“You don’t have to say that, Jang Mun-in.”
Baekcheon quickly shook his head and said.
“If Jang Moon-in had not taken care of it quickly, the damage would have been greater. So don’t blame yourself.”
At those words, Geumyangbaek slowly looked up at the sky.
Baekcheon couldn’t bear to offer any more consolation. It would be presumptuous to even guess what Geumyangbaek is thinking right now.
But at that moment, an angry voice was heard.
“Why is Jang Moon-in apologizing!”
One of the elders of Haenam let out an angry voice.
“If you’re judging right from wrong, you should blame them! What on earth were you thinking when you did this! “This is a sacrifice that would not have occurred in the first place if we had not pushed ourselves so hard to break through the enemy lines!”
“Gwak Yue.”
“Was I wrong? Jang Mun-in? What kind of madness is this! “You have to do something that makes sense in the first place!”
“Stop it.”
“I didn’t believe what those young guys said in the first place. “You’re blind and all…”
“Can’t you just shut your mouth!”
Geumyangbaek glared at Huo Yue with angry eyes. Huo Yue bit his lip so hard that it bled. Geumyangbaek, who pressed down on Huo Yue, let out a deep sigh. And then he struck Baekcheon again.
“…sorry. Because I lost the death penalty that I had been with my whole life… I am so heartbroken. “Please understand with an open mind.”
“No, Jang Mun-in.”
Baekcheon shook his head.
“Jangmun Assistant Manager.”
“Yes, Jang Mun-in.”
“It is entirely our fault that there were casualties. “I am not responsible for Deputy Jang Moon.”
“….”
“This is not the land we came here to live in in the first place. If I had stayed in Haenam, I would have been in even more trouble than I am now. But how can you blame Manager Jang Moon? However…”
Geumyangbaek glanced back at the disciples who were performing the exercise. Even though they were in mid-air, they all looked exhausted. As Geumyangbaek looked at the miserable faces soaked in blood and sweat, he couldn’t help but ask.
A sighing question flowed out.
“…Really…is it possible to escape their siege like this?”
“It’s a long story…”
“I know. It was a difficult task from the beginning. “Of course, in order to accomplish something that is not easy, you have no choice but to push yourself.”
Baekcheon stared at Geumyangbaek in silence. Geumyangbaek is not making a fuss right now. Rather, he speaks his opinion more calmly than anyone else.
“But Deputy Jangmun. If it’s impossible anyway… shouldn’t you at least not die like this? The disciples of Haenam crossed the sea to protect their honor. Even if I die, I want to leave Haenam’s name behind. So…”
Geumyangbaek bit his lip and continued.
“Isn’t it okay to let people die like this? Rather honorable….”
“Honor?”
At that moment, Cheongmyeong’s cool voice cut off Geumyangbaek’s words at once.
“Cheongmyeong.”
Baekcheon tried to stop him, but Cheongmyeong did not stop.
“Whose honor?”
“That’s right…”
“Haenam’s honor?”
There was an obvious mockery on the corner of Qingming’s mouth.
“You’re talking about honor.”
“Cheongmyeong!”
“Jangmun-in.”
Cheongmyeong said, glaring at Geumyangbaek coldly.
“You seem to be greatly mistaken… Good deaths only exist in stories.”
“….”
“The same is true even if you do something great that will leave a lasting mark. Do you think there is such a thing as a person who has no regrets at the moment of death? Those who die have only one thought in their last moments.”
Cheongmyeong said as if chewing.
“I just want to live.”
Geumyangbaek bit his lip tightly.
“If you want to die proudly to protect the honor of Haenam, Jang Moon-in, do so. If you say you want it, who can stop you? instead.”
Cheongmyeong’s lifeless eyes pierced through the golden nickel silver.
“Don’t use your petty authority to force your disciples to say things like honorable deaths and such. “Because we will save at least one more person.”
Geumyangbaek dropped his head.
Even after seeing him like that, Cheongmyeong did not express any sympathy. He just glared at me as if I was going to kill him and then turned away. Baekcheon sighed briefly as he watched Cheongmyeong walking away.
Cheongmyeong distanced himself from Geumyangbaek and nervously rubbed his face. Every time I heard something that didn’t understand reality like that, my anger rose. Even though I know that those who have lived in a peaceful world will not be able to truly understand the nature of war.
Cheongmyeong was about to grab his neck out of frustration when something suddenly hit the side of his face.
“What…”
“Drink.”
Cheongmyeong was momentarily speechless and closed his eyes.
Yu Iseol, holding out the water bucket, was still staring at Cheongmyeong with an expressionless face, not knowing what she was thinking.
“Ask and escort….”
“Drink.”
“No, I’m fine….”
“Drink.”
Words don’t make sense.
No, it is unreasonable to hope that Yu Iseol can understand in the first place. There is no way to win this confrontation. Cheongmyeong silently accepted the water bottle offered by Yu Iseol.
As Cheongmyeong began to drink water, Yu Iseol withdrew her outstretched hand and watched him in silence.
“after.”
Cheongmyeong emptied the water in one go and handed the water container back to Yu Iseol.
“Okay?”
“huh.”
Yu Iseol took the water bottle with a calm expression and hung it back on her waist.
“So now I’m going to escort you…”
“It’s not your responsibility.”
The words came out as suddenly as a bucket of water. Cheongmyeong stared at Yu Yi-seol in silence and then burst out laughing.
“What are you talking about? Suddenly, out of the blue. Anyway, the accident…”
“You can’t save everyone.”
“You know?”
Who else knows that better than Cheongmyeong? It just seemed absurd that someone would say something like this to him.
However, Yu Iseol stared at Cheongmyeong with dark, sunken eyes without saying a word. Cheongmyeong looked at that for a moment and sighed.
“…I really know.”
Then Yu Iseol turned around without saying anything in response. It was about returning to where you were supposed to be.
Cheongmyeong watched her, slightly dazed. But there was no time to get lost in sentiment. Something flew towards my face again.
“What again?”
I caught it flying in and saw that it was a pure white cotton cloth without a spot.
Cheongmyeong’s eyes darkened slightly. The cotton cloth was dyed red from where my hand touched it.
“Wipe your face. “It doesn’t look like a person.”
“it’s okay. “It’s going to get dirty again anyway.”
“Just do as I’m told.”
“…No, no need….”
“Wipe it.”
Since Cheongmyeong showed no signs of giving up, he continued to complain and rub his face with a cotton cloth. The pure white cotton cloth quickly turned dark red.
Baekcheon, who had been watching silently, opened his mouth.
“How do you feel?”
“what?”
“What Jang Moon-in said is not necessarily wrong.”
“….”
“I don’t know about honorable death or anything like that, but… I know they’re having a hard time.”
“That’s better for now.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m angry, I’m upset, and I want to kill everyone.”
Cheongmyeong spoke in a pitchless voice.
“It’s better when you’re angry. The fact that you can be angry about the tragedy and death happening next to you means that it’s still worth enduring. The real thing comes later.”
Anger is fuel. However, when that anger turns into fear, people lose the will to resist.
“The moment I start thinking that I might be the one to die next, the situation becomes more bothersome. You need to move as much as possible before that happens. “From then on, physical strength will not be an issue.”
Cheongmyeong roughly threw away the blood-stained cotton cloth.
Being chased and surrounded.
They do not yet know the true horror that comes from it. Resting no longer means resting, and when you collapse from exhaustion and take a nap, you wake up screaming from a nightmare of a knife being stabbed in your throat, and there is no way to replenish your stamina anymore.
We have to take at least one step further before we reach that point. If that doesn’t work, everyone will be annihilated.
Baekcheon said.
“I said it before…”
“Huh?”
“It is not a lie to say that if the situation worsens, we will abandon Haenam or anything else and run away. “It was honestly sincere.”
“…What are you saying? It’s natural. “What about Haenam?”
Baekcheon looked at Cheongmyeong calmly and then opened his mouth.
“And I will make that decision.”
“What are you talking about…”
“Don’t go and say something else then. “I will beat you up and take you away.”
Cheongmyeong looked at Baekcheon as if he didn’t understand at all.
“Does Sa-suk think I would risk my life for Haenam?”
“You know everything in the world.”
“huh?”
“We know things that we have never even guessed as if they were natural, and we do things that no one could even imagine as if they were natural.”
“…Suddenly, what…”
“But there is one thing you don’t know anything about. Do you know what that is?”
“…What?”
“You are yourself.”
Baekcheon said with a stern face.
“So it would be the role of someone who knows you well to stop you. Keep this in mind. You must follow my orders no matter what. “The moment you disobey the order I gave you and act on your own, I will excommunicate you in my capacity as Deputy Jangmun.”
Cheongmyeong was so absurd that he was at a loss for words. Baekcheon added calmly.
“It’s no joke. “It’s not a threat.”
“….”
“Remember that.”
With those words, Baekcheon turned and walked away. Cheongmyeong, who was staring at the back, looked up at the distant sky.
“It’s this guy and that guy…”
Now my hair has gotten too thick.
