Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 189
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C189. So, From Today On…
Nam Su-gyeong, watching the scene unfold, leaned closer to Ju Hwa-yeong and asked in a low voice:
“Miss Ju, is the Young Master Yeon a Murim-in?”
Ju Hwa-yeong looked at Nam Su-gyeong, surprised by the question. It seemed like she really didn’t know much about the Murim.
“Yes, he is.”
“Oh, I see. Is he stronger than Sambobang?”
Nam Su-gyeong appeared concerned because the opponent was Sambobang’s sub-leader.
“With the Young Master Yeon’s skills, ten sects like Sambobang wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Really?”
Nam Su-gyeong’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe that Yeon Jeokha, who seemed so ordinary, could be so exceptional.
At that moment, Yeon Jeokha called out to Nam Su-gyeong.
“Hey, friend! Come here for a moment.”
“Why?”
When Nam Su-gyeong approached, Yeon Jeokha asked:
“What should we do with this guy?”
“What do you mean?”
Nam Su-gyeong blinked, confused by Yeon Jeokha’s question. She had lived passively in the face of violence, so she didn’t know how to respond.
“I mean revenge. You said he’s been bothering you, right? Today he even hit you. Have you never thought about getting back at him?”
“……”
Nam Su-gyeong hesitated. For the past two years, she had been harassed by him, but the thought of revenge had never crossed her mind.
“How would you like to pay him back when he bothers you?”
“I just thought about running away because I was scared. When I didn’t see him, I felt like I could live, but when I encountered him, it was so hard that I wanted to die.”
“Tsk. Why die over something like that? You could hire a Wanderer to handle him.”
“How could I do that?”
“Friend. Every life born struggles to survive. If someone bothers you to the point that you want to die, you should kill them. Why should you die? To please whom? Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, but…”
A bitter smile appeared on Nam Su-gyeong’s face. Saying it was easy, but doing it was not.
“People kill cows, sheep, and ducks to survive. Even if you don’t do it directly, you’re not innocent. But you feel good because you do it to survive. If you were born, you must do everything you can to survive. If someone has to die so that you can live, then killing them is the right thing to do. Saying you want to die without doing anything is disrespectful to life.”
Nam Su-gyeong was conflicted after hearing Yeon Jeokha’s passionate explanation.
“If you don’t want to kill him, at least return some of the pain he caused you.”
“How?”
Yeon Jeokha took out a knife from his clothes and placed it on the table.
“You can stab him with this, or hit him with a chair until you feel better.”
Nam Su-gyeong hesitated as she looked at Nok Dampyeong, who stared at the chair with pleading eyes. The chair seemed less threatening than the knife.
Nam Su-gyeong’s eyes met Nok Dampyeong’s. The man who had caused her so much fear was now looking at her with terror.
Suddenly, everything seemed insignificant. Realizing that Nok Dampyeong was nothing, her fear vanished.
Nam Su-gyeong walked up to Nok Dampyeong and slapped him hard.
Smack!
Nok Dampyeong’s face whipped around from the impact.
Then, Nam Su-gyeong shook her hands and said to Yeon Jeokha:
“I feel better now. I don’t know why I was so afraid of a man like him.”
“Are you really satisfied with just that?”
“Yes. Thanks to the Young Master Yeon, I realized that I was living like a fool.”
“If you let this guy live, he might bother you again.”
Nok Dampyeong shook his head frantically from the ground.
‘I won’t! Never again! I promise you!’
Nam Su-gyeong smiled and said:
“If that happens, I’ll use my savings to hire a Wanderer. I’ll do anything to survive, as you said.”
Nok Dampyeong sighed in relief upon hearing that. He was grateful that Nam Su-gyeong let him off with just a slap.
“Good. You’ve made a wise decision. Now, I have to take care of my own matters.”
Yeon Jeokha put the knife away and stood up.
Then, he grabbed Nok Dampyeong by the collar and hoisted him up.
“How weak must I look for you to dare to bother my friend? I can’t tolerate being underestimated.”
Nok Dampyeong’s face turned pale. He thought everything was over with Nam Su-gyeong’s revenge, but he realized it wasn’t.
Internally, he screamed, ‘It’s a misunderstanding!’ while rubbing his hands frantically, but Yeon Jeokha was unmoved.
He dragged Nok Dampyeong and quickly moved to the Suicide Stone, where he threw him.
Plop!
Nok Dampyeong, tossed like a sack, groaned in pain.
“Does it hurt?”
Nok Dampyeong shook his head frantically.
“I like the Murim. In the world, they say there are no actions that deserve a beating, but in the Murim, there are. You also prefer strength over rules, right?”
‘No. I’ll live by the law. Please forgive me!’
Nok Dampyeong shook his head, looking at Yeon Jeokha with pleading eyes.
“Are you saying that I’m wrong?”
‘No! You’re right! Absolutely!’
Nok Dampyeong nodded vigorously.
“So, you think I’m wrong? You’re sticking to your stance in the face of death? You’re crazy, aren’t you?”
‘No! That’s not it! Please forgive me!’
Nok Dampyeong shook his head frantically.
“It’s not?”
He nodded vigorously.
“I have something perfect for someone as incomplete as you. Do you know what it is?”
He shook his head.
Nok Dampyeong looked at Yeon Jeokha with wide eyes.
‘I don’t know. Tell me, I’ll do it.’
“Confucius said that when parents die, one must mourn for three years. Do you know why Confucius specifically said three years?”
He shook his head.
“Because a child needs at least three years of care from their parents. So returning those three years is the right thing to do.”
Nok Dampyeong cried out in emotion.
‘I’m also a beloved son of my parents. Please, let me live!’
“I realized something while I was here. I didn’t mourn for my parents.”
‘…’
As the story dragged on, Nok Dampyeong’s focus waned.
“I never received care from my parents. Still, I want to mourn for three years. But it would be hypocritical to do it myself. So, you’ll do it for me. Here.”
‘…’
Nok Dampyeong looked at Yeon Jeokha with his mouth wide open.
“You’ll mourn for me. Here. Do you understand? If you don’t want to, I’ll throw you into the river. If you survive, you’ll be lucky.”
Though he didn’t understand everything, he knew he had to agree.
Nok Dampyeong nodded repeatedly.
“Do you promise to mourn here for three years for me?”
‘Three years of mourning?’
Did he mean living in a hut by a grave for three years?
Yeon Jeokha explained:
“You’ll build a hut here and live for three years. If you touch alcohol, meat, or women, I’ll kill you. If you leave the Suicide Stone, I’ll kill you. So, we start today.”
Nok Dampyeong’s mouth dropped open.
Mourning for three years for someone else’s parents?
What nonsense!
But he was too scared to say no.
Yeon Jeokha looked at him and said:
“You won’t be bored. I like this place, and I come here every day.”
‘Don’t come.’
“Winter will come soon, so build your hut well. Tell Sambobang to bring you food or have it sent to the inn.”
“Yes.”
Nok Dampyeong looked at the river with sadness.
He wanted to jump in and die, but he held back.
At sunset.
Wan Ja-kyung, having recovered, led his men back to Kaifeng.
Kaifeng. Sambobang.
“What did you say? Nok Dampyeong is being held at the inn?”
The Bangju leaped to his feet, his eyes blazing as he glared at Wan Ja-kyung.
“He’s not being held… He’s mourning for three years.”
Nok Ilchwi flew at Wan Ja-kyung and kicked him in the torso.
Bam!
Wan Ja-kyung rolled on the ground, and Nok Ilchwi stomped on him mercilessly.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
“Idiot! Mourning for three years for someone else? What kind of nonsense is that? Nok Dampyeong drank himself silly the day his mother died! And now he’s going to mourn for someone else? What kind of idiocy are you spouting?!”
“Ugh! I told you… The Young Master Yeon ordered it.”
“Then, you should have planned a revenge with your men! How can you shamelessly say that Nok Dampyeong will mourn for three years?! Do you think I’m an idiot?!”
Nok Ilchwi kept kicking Wan Ja-kyung, who could only curl up on the ground, trying to protect himself.
“Ugh! The Young Master Yeon is a master of air control arts. How could we possibly go against him?”
“Air control arts, my foot! Since when did air control become so common? If that brat can do it, then I’m the Great Swordmaster Jang Mucheon! Idiot! Where did you get such nonsense?!”
Still fuming, Nok Ilchwi shouted towards the door:
“Yak Daeju! Are you out there?!”
“Yes, Bangju!”
“Go and bring the best sorcerer in Kaifeng right now!”
“Understood!”
Yak Daeju responded and quickly left the room.
Nok Ilchwi returned to his seat, still seething with anger.
Wan Ja-kyung, still lying on the floor, cautiously looked up.
The fact that the Bangju was looking for a sorcerer made him doubt himself.
He remembered that the Young Master Yeon hadn’t used any weapons or martial techniques.
‘Could I really have been fooled by sorcery?’
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