Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 218
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218. Are You Really My Aunt’s Son?
Yi Yuha was so shocked that she couldn’t speak.
She was washing dishes in the village chief’s kitchen when someone rushed in, claiming her house was on fire. Alarmed, she ran home, only to find her younger sister and an unknown young man playing with fire in the yard.
“Who are you to be playing with fire in someone else’s house? Should I call the village chief to handle this?”
Seokjang Village is far from the government offices, so the influence of the village chief is strong. One word from him, and the local men would come armed with sticks.
“Are you Yuha, Sihwa’s sister? You two look so much alike that I knew who you were right away. Isn’t that so?”
“That’s not the point! Who are you? Identify yourself first!”
Seeing her sister was too upset, Yi Sihwa quickly intervened.
“Sister, he says he’s our cousin.”
“Cousin?! We don’t have any living relatives!”
Yuha, frustrated by the unbelievable claim, replied vehemently.
“He says he’s our aunt’s son.”
“What aunt? We don’t have any aunts! You’re so gullible that you’ve been deceived!”
“I don’t know. He says there is one.”
“Why are you so easily tricked? Hey! Why did you say you’re the son of an aunt who doesn’t exist? What’s your real purpose?”
After scolding her sister, Yuha turned to Yeon Jeokha and demanded answers. Yeon Jeokha, while rubbing his hands near the fire, calmly responded:
“You’re still a child. When your father arrives, you’ll know whether I’m your aunt’s son or not.”
“Hah! Who are you to call me a child? You don’t seem that old yourself.”
As she spoke, Yuha examined Yeon Jeokha carefully. Although the young man had a friendly expression and clear eyes, she still felt uneasy. The situation was even more confusing because her parents were in the mountains.
The confrontation between the sisters, Yuha and Sihwa, and Yeon Jeokha continued. Meanwhile, two men from the village arrived from the village chief’s house. They entered with a challenging attitude, but seeing that Yeon Jeokha was armed, they merely warmed themselves by the fire.
Suddenly, Yeon Jeokha stared at one of the men.
“Mister.”
“Are you calling me?”
“Does the village chief always send people to watch over others’ houses?”
“Not always.”
“Then why are you here? Are you related to my uncle?”
“We don’t know who you are yet, so we’re here just in case. As you can see, there are no adults in this house.”
“No adults? Don’t you see one right here? They said she’s getting married soon.”
Yeon Jeokha pointed at Yuha. The man, with an uncomfortable expression, looked between Yeon Jeokha and Yuha, unsure of what to say.
Yuha frowned, irritated by the mention of her marriage.
“Hey! Who are you to talk about my marriage? This isn’t your house!”
“I’m your cousin, so I have the right to speak. When your father arrives, you’ll know if I’m telling the truth.”
Yeon Jeokha insisted he was her cousin, which left Yuha confused. She thought no one would tell such an easily disproved lie.
‘Could it be that there is an aunt I don’t know about? It can’t be…’
She remembered that her eldest uncle and an aunt had died before they got married. So who was this young man claiming to be her cousin?
At that moment, Yeon Jeokha threw the last piece of wood into the fire. Yuha felt a pang of hurt as she watched. That wood was meant to be sold, brought with much effort by her parents.
“Listen, I don’t know who you are or why you’re doing this, but that wood was brought by my parents with great effort. You shouldn’t burn it like that.”
“I lit the fire to warm Sihwa. What would you do if she got sick? The cost of the wood would be nothing compared to an illness.”
Yi Sihwa, who had been watching, exclaimed with wide eyes:
“Hey! You said you’d bring us better wood!”
“Who said I wouldn’t?”
“Then why do you speak as if you wouldn’t?”
Yeon Jeokha realized that these two sisters valued the wood greatly. To him, it wasn’t a big deal, but to them, it seemed to be an important part of their life.
“Alright, I’ll bring better wood. Trust your cousin.”
After promising again, Yeon Jeokha turned to the men.
“Gentlemen.”
“What is it?”
“If you want to warm up here, go get more wood. If you’re not going to bring wood, get out of the house.”
“What? What nonsense is this?”
The man, Seok Yangsoo, looked at the young man with disdain. Though Yeon Jeokha was armed, he was starting to seem easy to handle.
“It’s not nonsense. I promised to bring more wood, so this wood is mine. Why should you warm yourselves for free? Do you think I’m a fool?”
“…”
Yeon Jeokha’s straightforward words made Seok Yangsoo look to his older brother, Seok Injung, for advice. Being more cautious, Seok Injung shook his head.
Seok Injung slowly stood up.
“I think you’re right. We’ll leave. Yuha, if anything happens, call us. We’ll be outside.”
“Yes.”
Yuha responded, and the men left without further argument.
“Tch! What’s with them? And why hasn’t my uncle arrived yet? Could it be that a tiger got him?”
Yi Sihwa quickly replied:
“Hm! There are no tigers here, but there might be wolves.”
“Oh! Wolves are worse than tigers. They hunt in packs, taking down cows and even people.”
Yi Sihwa, frightened, looked at her sister.
“Yuha, don’t talk to strangers. If you listen to them, they’ll keep lying.”
“Yes, but do you think Mom and Dad will be alright?”
“Of course. The village chief must have sent someone to find them.”
Yeon Jeokha, who had been listening, suddenly asked:
“Does the village chief take good care of Uncle? Why does he do that? Is he some kind of saint? Or is it because you’re going to marry his son?”
“Shut up!”
Yuha, unable to hold back, shouted. The noise drew the attention of the men outside.
“Wow! Why are you so angry? Did I say something wrong? Or a lie? Why…?”
“Please stop talking!”
Yuha trembled with anger, and Sihwa took her arm.
“Sister, calm down. You said not to listen to him, so don’t listen to him either. Hey, ajusshi, why are you bothering my sister if you know she’s marrying the village chief’s son? You’re mean.”
Yeon Jeokha finally understood the situation, but he still didn’t grasp why Yuha was so upset.
After all, marriage was something everyone faced, and marrying the village chief’s son didn’t seem so bad, even if she was young.
Without considering the consequences, he voiced his opinion.
“Everyone gets married sometime. It might be hard at first, but you get used to it over time.”
Sihwa muttered:
“Fool! That depends on the person. The groom is forty-five years old. It’s cold! Sister, can we get closer to the fire? It’s our yard, so we can warm ourselves, right?”
The cunning Sihwa quickly changed the subject. Resigned, Yuha let her sister lead her to the fire.
The three sat around the bonfire. After a while, Yuha asked:
“Are you really my aunt’s son?”
At that moment, the door burst open, and a middle-aged man and woman entered. They were Yi Wooseok and his wife, Jang Somin.
“Who are you?! What nonsense are you spouting about being my nephew…?”
Yi Wooseok stopped when he saw Yeon Jeokha. There was something familiar about the young man, something he couldn’t ignore.
Jang Somin, with a sharp eye, noticed the young man resembled her daughters.
Yeon Jeokha greeted them with a bow.
“Uncle, this is the first time we’ve met. I’m Yeon Jeokha.”
“Um, hello. None of my brothers or sisters left children, so how can you be my nephew?”
“Do you remember my mother, Yi Buyong?”
“…”
At the mention of Yi Buyong’s name, Yi Wooseok was stunned. Yi Buyong had been his younger sister, who disappeared when he was seven years old. His parents told him she had died and buried her on the hill behind the house. In those times, death was so common that he didn’t doubt the explanation.
But now, her son was standing before him.
Yeon Jeokha calmly explained:
“My grandparents sold my mother to a passing warrior. She grew up thinking she was an orphan and died believing so. I discovered the truth thanks to certain people who told me.”
“You’re Buyong’s son. I can see it in your eyes. Welcome. Welcome.”
Yi Wooseok, moved, tightly grasped Yeon Jeokha’s hands. Although uncomfortable, Yeon Jeokha didn’t pull away and waited patiently.
Jang Somin smiled and said:
“Welcome, nephew. I recognized you as soon as I saw you. You really do resemble our daughters.”
Jang Somin, fearful of her armed nephew, treated him with respect.
Seeing their parents accept Yeon Jeokha, Yuha and Sihwa were left bewildered. But Sihwa quickly began to smile and chat cheerfully.
“I knew he was our cousin. Sister didn’t believe it, but I knew from the start.”
The Seok brothers, watching from outside, discreetly disappeared.
After the introductions, Yi Wooseok led Yeon Jeokha inside the house.
————–
At the village chief’s house in Seokjang, three men sat before the chief, Seok Ilham. They were Seok Yangsoo, Seok Injung, and the chief’s son, Seok Wudae.
Seok Ilham, with a thoughtful expression, said:
“So a wanderer appeared and turned out to be Yi’s nephew. Is that it?”
Seok Injung responded on behalf of the brothers.
“Yes, it seems Yi had a younger sister who was sold when she was a child. That young man is her son.”
“I thought all of Yi’s relatives were dead.”
“It appears his younger sister was sold to a warrior. Now her son has come to find them.”
“He must have missed his family.”
“It’s natural, being family.”
Seok Wudae, with a worried expression, interrupted:
“Father, I saw that young man at the village entrance today. He seems quite stubborn. Won’t this ruin my marriage?”
He was anxious. Only two weeks remained until his wedding, and this unexpected situation made him nervous.
“Hah! Do you think a marriage can be ruined just like that? Can Yi survive in Seokjang if he opposes?”
Seok Ilham scoffed at the idea.
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