Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 223
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223. I’m Not a Person Who Likes to Fight
Lee Sihwa was sitting by the campfire, watching Yeon Jeokha work. All the logs he had chopped were thick and of good quality, much better than the ones her father used to bring to sell. Yeon Jeokha took less than fifteen minutes to tie two bundles of firewood. If he hadn’t stopped to light the fire halfway, he would have finished much sooner. When he approached the fire with the bundles, Sihwa praised him:
“Wow! You do it so well. Why don’t you become a woodcutter?”
“You don’t understand. I just have to sit idle, and money comes to me.”
“Bah! That doesn’t make sense. Where is there a job like that?”
“It’s true. People just give me money when they see me.”
Of course, that was when he was at the Five Peaks Mountain.
Seeing the seriousness in her cousin’s face, Sihwa had no choice but to believe him.
“My parents work late and earn almost nothing. How can I make as much money as you?”
“Are you good at fighting?”
“No.”
“Then it will be difficult.”
“Why don’t you teach me?”
“Hey! Do you think this is something you can learn in a day or two? It took me ten years.”
Sihwa didn’t insist after hearing that it took him ten years. She couldn’t imagine her cousin living in Seokjang Village for that long, so she gave up the idea.
“We should go back.”
Yeon Jeokha loaded the bundles of firewood onto his shoulders and started descending the mountain, with Sihwa leading the way. When they reached the yard, Yeon Jeokha dropped the firewood with a thud. Hearing the noise, Lee Wooseok came out of the house.
“What’s that?”
Sihwa quickly responded for him.
“Since I used the firewood without permission, my older brother went to chop more.”
“Tsk! I told you it was fine. It wasn’t necessary. Anyway, Jeokha, come in for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yeon Jeokha dusted off his hands and entered the room. Seeing his nephew, Lee Wooseok explained:
“In winter, there’s not much to do, so almost all the men in Seokjang Village stay at home. If they go out, it’s only to drink or gamble.”
“I see.”
“Your aunt and Yuhwa are helping with preparations for a feast at another house. You said you’re staying in Hyangyang.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m sorry. As your uncle, I should be able to welcome you better, but we’re poor.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been well-received in other places.”
Knowing that Yeon Jeokha was somewhat peculiar, Lee Wooseok simply nodded.
At that moment, Sihwa entered and sat in a corner. Normally, in summer, she would have stayed outside, but since it was winter, she preferred to come inside. Lee Wooseok, used to living in a small room, didn’t mind.
“I spoke with the village chief.”
Sihwa, pretending not to listen, paid close attention to the conversation. It was natural, considering the stir her sister’s marriage had caused in the family.
“I told him we couldn’t go through with the marriage, but he wouldn’t accept it.”
“He didn’t accept?”
“He said that even the magistrate from Hyangyang would attend, and they would go ahead with the plan. He told me to convince you.”
“Do you plan to convince me?”
“Do you think I’m the kind of person who would force my daughter into a marriage she doesn’t want?”
Yeon Jeokha had a confused expression. It wasn’t the response he expected. Seeing his confusion, Lee Wooseok sighed and continued:
“What should we do now? The chief seems determined to go ahead. Maybe we should flee during the night. With what little we have, we could live anywhere.”
“Why flee when we haven’t done anything wrong? They’ll just say you didn’t want to pay your debts and ran away. They might even report you to the authorities.”
“So what do you propose?”
“If the village chief wants that wedding so badly, let him get married alone. Didn’t you tell him no?”
“I told him this afternoon.”
“Then it’s fine. Let him make a fool of himself trying to get married alone.”
“Ah! It won’t be that simple. Today, he seemed determined to take Yuhwa by force.”
“That won’t happen.”
Lee Wooseok looked at Yeon Jeokha with distrust. His nephew had barged into his life with such confidence that it made him feel insecure.
“Honestly, if the chief decides to act, we couldn’t do anything. Do you know where we are? In Seokjang Village, the Seok are like kings. If they send a few men, we won’t be able to stop them. I think fleeing during the night is the best option.”
Lee Wooseok was so convinced of his plan that he was already getting restless.
“I’m telling you it’s not necessary. If you’re worried, let’s hold a coming-of-age ceremony for Yuhwa.”
“A ceremony?”
Lee Wooseok blinked, surprised. Yuhwa was already sixteen, so she had passed the typical age for such a ceremony, which was usually held at fifteen.
“Do you want to hold the ceremony on the wedding day?”
“Yes.”
“I understand your intention, but the chief isn’t stupid. He won’t stand still. The house will be a mess, and Yuhwa will be dragged into the wedding.”
“Uncle, my sword isn’t just for show. No one will touch Yuhwa.”
Yeon Jeokha showed the sword at his waist. Even so, Lee Wooseok was still worried.
“Please, don’t do that. If we flee during the night, no one will get hurt. Why take the risk?”
“Didn’t you say the chief has a relative in the magistrate’s office? Are you going to spend the rest of your life running from the authorities? I’d report you if I were him.”
Lee Wooseok swallowed hard. Fleeing and leaving debts would only make things worse. He looked at his nephew with resentment. He had money, but he wasn’t using it to help. If he paid off the debt, they could flee without worries.
“The ceremony will be fine. Don’t worry about the money, I’ll take care of the preparations.”
Lee Wooseok was about to yell at him. He didn’t understand why he was so insistent on a ceremony that would surely be interrupted. He could use that money to pay off the debt.
“If we announce that we’ll hold the ceremony, people will mock us. They’ll tell us to pay our debts first.”
Lee Wooseok hinted at his debts, hoping Yeon Jeokha would understand. But his nephew continued as if he hadn’t heard.
“The ceremony will be perfect. While the village chief organizes his wedding, we’ll hold the ceremony. It will be memorable.”
Finally, Lee Wooseok gave up the idea that his nephew would pay off the debt. If they couldn’t flee, he didn’t care what they did. The chief would surely ruin everything anyway.
“Do what you want.”
With resignation, Lee Wooseok allowed Yeon Jeokha to go ahead with his plan. He couldn’t imagine how it would all end.
“Jeokha.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t fight, no matter what happens.”
“Uncle, I don’t like to fight.”
Sihwa, who had been listening silently, couldn’t help but comment:
“You said you spent ten years learning to fight.”
“I trained in martial arts, not in fighting.”
“Liar. You said one needs to be a good fighter to make money.”
“So, do you want me to just watch while they take Yuhwa?”
“Just asking, do you think you can stop them if the chief sends his men?”
“Did you see how I chopped those trees? Do you think his men are tougher than trees?”
“Are you comparing people to trees?”
“You don’t get it, people are easier.”
Dealing with trees required all his strength, while with people, he could hold back. For Yeon Jeokha, people were easier to handle.
“Are you saying it’s easier to cut down people?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s just a manner of speaking.”
Lee Wooseok sighed deeply. His nephew had lived as a Wanderer for too long.
“Stop thinking about fighting and pay off my debts. Fleeing at night is the best option.”
Between the village chief’s wedding and the coming-of-age ceremony, everything seemed increasingly complicated.
—————–
Henan Province, Kaifeng, Gold Guard Headquarters, Meeting Room
Two middle-aged men, dressed in Gold Guard uniforms, were sitting across from each other. They were Dong Yusu from the Kaifeng Guard and Ji Ilgang from the Nanjing Guard. They had known each other since they had worked together at the same headquarters when both were captains.
Despite their familiarity, the atmosphere in the room was tense.
“Is it true that the units from the Justice Alliance, the Evil Annihilation Unit, and the Celestial Unit have suffered near-total destruction?”
Dong Yusu nodded.
“The Evil Annihilation Unit has only thirty-five survivors, including the wounded, and the Celestial Unit has seventy-two survivors, of whom only fifty-two are fit to fight. Altogether, there are only eighty-seven men left. When all the units are gathered, there are five hundred and forty-five men. They won’t be able to face the Yoomyung Cult.”
“Wow! How could this happen? The Commander ordered us to leak information about the Alliance to the Yoomyung Cult to prevent a total defeat. We didn’t know the Alliance was so weak.”
“I was also surprised by the strength of the Yoomyung Cult. From the start, the Alliance was no match for them. No one could have predicted that the Yoomyung Cult would be this powerful.”
“We leaked information to avoid a one-sided massacre, but we only gave wings to the tigers. Do you think the Justice Alliance will be able to counterattack?”
Dong Yusu shook his head.
“I see it as impossible. The Alliance couldn’t even stop the Demon Warriors of the Yoomyung Cult. Although they were caught off guard, the Yoomyung Cult didn’t have a significant numerical advantage. In an almost balanced battle, the Alliance was nearly annihilated. In a situation of numerical inferiority, there is no hope.”
“So, will we just watch as the Alliance falls and the Yoomyung Cult takes over the Murim? If that happens, our Southern Guard will suffer the same fate as the Northern Guard.”
Ji Ilgang looked at Dong Yusu with concern. Although the decision had been the Commander’s, the failure always falls on the subordinates.
This situation could give the North Division, which had lost power after the failed assassination of the Great Swordmaster of the Yoomyung Cult, a chance to recover. Rumors were already circulating that the North Division had begun meeting with the Commander.
“I thought if the Evil Faction allied with the Justice Alliance, the power balance would be restored…”
Dong Yusu hesitated.
“What’s the problem?”
“The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord, leader of the Evil Faction, has remained on the sidelines in all this.”
Mentioning the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord made Ji Ilgang fall silent. He was known for treating officials like dogs. Even the leaders of Nokrim maintained a proper relationship with the authorities, but he was different.
“Wow! That man is hard to find, and even if we found him, it’s impossible to persuade him. It seems our luck has run out.”
Dong Yusu smiled slightly and said:
“Recently, I heard that the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord has entrusted ‘the Sword of Nokrim’ to someone.”
“Really? To whom?”
“To the Grand Inspector of Nokrim, Yeon Jeokha.”
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