Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 287
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Episode 287. You’re a Good Man
When the scent reached his nose, Yeon Jeokha withdrew his murderous intent, murmuring with an incredulous expression.
“Why were you acting like that if you couldn’t even handle this? I thought you were an incredible master by the way you lived. If you lack skills, you should live with caution.”
Hyeol Haedo, who was barely standing, opened his mouth.
“P-please, forgive me.”
“Who said I was going to kill you? I’m not that cruel. But you must pay for moving your legs without thinking.”
With those words, Yeon Jeokha fiercely struck Hyeol Haedo’s groin.
Bam!
Hyeol Haedo let out a choked scream and fell backward.
Yeon Jeokha quickly followed and began to stomp on his groin.
“This is the problem! This! For scum like you, it’s better not to have this! Luckily, you met me, a good person. But what will you do if you meet someone crueler? I’ll help you!”
“Ah! Ouch! Ack!”
Even after Hyeol Haedo passed out, Yeon Jeokha stomped on his groin two or three more times before stepping back.
Song Hacheong, the vice aboss, covered his groin with a pale face.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Yeon Jeokha slapped Song Hacheong across the face.
Slap!
Although his head snapped violently, Song Hacheong didn’t remove his hands from his groin.
“P-please, forgive me. Please…”
“What sin do I need to forgive? It’s not a crime to be weak, is it?”
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Song Hacheong’s lips split and bled.
Even so, his hands didn’t move from his groin.
He seemed determined to protect his groin at all costs.
Yeon Jeokha looked at him with curious eyes.
The fact that he valued his groin more than his face seemed pathetic to him.
However, that didn’t erase the crime of his third leg.
“What’s your name?”
“S-Song Hacheong.”
“Good, Song. Why do you keep putting your face forward when it was the middle leg that made the mistake?”
“P-please, forgive me. I won’t do it again.”
“Alright. You won’t do it again. Trust me.”
Yeon Jeokha moved his hand like lightning and struck Song Hacheong’s ear with his palm.
Bam!
With a dull thud, Song Hacheong’s body swayed.
As the ground and ceiling spun, Song Hacheong raised his hands and stumbled.
At that moment, Yeon Jeokha’s foot sank into Song Hacheong’s groin.
Squelch!
With the sound of something breaking, Song Hacheong’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed backward.
Song Hacheong lost consciousness with a single, precise blow.
Yeon Jeokha also meticulously stomped on Song Hacheong’s groin.
“This is for your own good. To manage a mountain, you need to live a long time. Whew! So difficult. Now you’ll hate me, but one day, you’ll thank me!”
Wolh-ah and Geum-ah, who were sobbing in a corner, trembled.
There was no longer any fear or hatred towards the men who had violated them.
In fact, they felt pity seeing the men’s groins covered in dirt and blood.
Yeon Jeokha looked down.
He noticed his feet were slightly wet and saw they were soaked in dirt.
“What’s this?”
He rubbed his feet together.
But the dirt had already seeped in and wouldn’t come off easily.
Yuwol tried to clean it with a cloth, but it was useless.
Finally, Cha Jungrae hurriedly brought a new pair of shoes to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, Yuwol took Wolh-ah and Geum-ah to bathe and change their clothes.
After the storm, calm arrived.
Shim Tong, the Old Shim, who was sniffing, murmured.
“Young Master, the scent is really important. A place that makes the heart race can seem like a latrine in an instant…”
“At your age, does your heart still race?”
“Young Master, one may age, but the heart never ages.”
“Oh, really? Old Shim, if you don’t want to end up like them, be careful with your flirtations.”
Yeon Jeokha pointed his chin at the two unconscious bandits.
“Hehe. Are you comparing me to those ignorant fools who don’t even know the Dao of Wine? I’m offended. Why did you rush in? Did you think I couldn’t handle those guys?”
“What? No, someone pushed me.”
“Who?”
Yeon Jeokha hesitated to answer, and Namgung Yeon, the Incomparable Among Ten, intervened.
“It was me. I thought if Old Shim touched the Boss and the Viceboss, rumors might spread.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yeon Jeokha nodded.
Now that he thought about it, it would be strange to see the Boss being beaten by Old Shim.
“Jeokha, do you remember what Hyeol Haedo said earlier?”
“What did he say? I heard so many things…”
“He said, ‘What’s wrong? Isn’t this what Nokrim usually does?’”
“Oh, right, he did.”
“Hyeol Haedo is known for being a fool. Normally, when someone superior gets angry, they bow, but he questioned it. He said Nokrim is different from the hypocrites. It’s rare for someone so dull to say that. Maybe someone incited him.”
“Really?”
“Wake him up and find out. Lately, there are many rumors about Nokrim in the Justice Alliance. It could be an attempt to weaken your influence over Nokrim.”
“Weaken my influence?”
“You brought Nokrim into the Justice Alliance. Maybe they want to leave, but they don’t dare because of you.”
“What does that have to do with causing trouble in a brothel?”
“Maybe they want to show that you’re different from the others in Nokrim. Nokrim feels no guilt for killing, looting, or raping. But you do. They want to highlight that difference to create friction between you and Nokrim.”
“Not everyone in Nokrim is bad…”
Yeon Jeokha tilted his head.
Even his sworn brothers were mostly good.
Many had climbed the mountain to avoid starving. Why would that be a problem?
Namgung Yeon, as if understanding his thoughts, said.
“Jeokha, among the Masters of Nokrim, there is no one as good as you. That’s why your righteous actions stand out more.”
“I don’t fully understand, but if you say so, it must be true. I’ll wake one up and ask.”
Yeon Jeokha pinched his nose and approached Hyeol Haedo.
He tapped his head with the tip of his foot.
After a while, Hyeol Haedo woke up with a groan.
With his head clear, Hyeol Haedo trembled from the extreme pain in his groin.
“Hyeol Haedo, right?”
“Yes, yes…”
“Answer my questions correctly. If not, I’ll hit you again.”
“Yes, yes. Please ask.”
Hyeol Haedo, fearful of not hearing the question through his groans, clenched his teeth to hold them back.
One more hit and he would really die.
“You’re known for being a fool, right?”
“Yes, yes. I’m a fool.”
“Then why did you say those things about Nokrim? Who incited you?”
“No one incited me. I swear.”
Namgung Yeon, who was watching, intervened.
“Who did you see before coming here?”
“I met Boss Hyeok. That’s all.”
Namgung Yeon laughed disdainfully.
Hyeok Munchun, the Boss of Haksanchae, had been causing trouble here with Guiyeong Ja.
It was obvious that he had tricked him into coming here.
“What did you talk about?”
“We just talked about the women we had. Please believe me.”
Namgung Yeon, suspecting Hyeok Munchun’s schemes, continued.
“And what did he say about Wolh-ah?”
“He said she was an unmatched beauty who had never known a man.”
“What an idiot. Wolh-ah is a treasured courtesan of the Old Shim of the Nine Heavens. Hyeok Munchun and Guiyeong Ja tried to violate her yesterday but were stopped by the Old Shim. Why do you think Hyeok Munchun specifically mentioned Wolha to you, knowing what you like?”
“…”
Hyeol Haedo, groaning, began to realize that Hyeok Munchun had manipulated him.
Namgung Yeon looked at Yeon Jeokha.
Yeon Jeokha sighed deeply.
“Ha! As you said, Hyeok Munchun was behind this. I don’t think he acted alone, right?”
“Yes. Since you and the Old Shim are involved, it’s likely he had Guiyeong Ja’s permission.”
“Wow, that Hyeok Munchun! The first of the Twelve Demon Lords really is that vile?”
“Young Master, Nokrim has always been like this. The higher the rank, the more cunning they are.”
“I know, but it still bothers me. I thought, being a disciple of the Great Chaeju, he would be better.”
“Hehe. Expecting something from the Twelve Demon Lords is foolish. They’re known to be feared by all. Don’t think the other Demon Lords are like you.”
“You’re right. I… am a bit special.”
“Hehe. It’s better if you don’t say that yourself; it’s embarrassing.”
“Hey. No one else says it, so someone has to. Someone should say it occasionally.”
Since childhood, Yeon Jeokha had never received praise.
Since joining Nokrim, even less.
Namgung Yeon could perceive Yeon Jeokha’s need for praise.
“Jeokha.”
“Yes.”
“You’re really a good man.”
“Hehe. Thanks, sister.”
Upon hearing the word “man,” his heart raced.
To hide his racing heart, he shouted boldly.
“Alright! Let’s catch that cunning Hyeok Munchun!”
At that moment, Shim Tong cooled him off with a comment.
“Young Master.”
“What?”
“Instead of causing more trouble here, why not take Hyeok Munchun to Pungji Mountain?”
“Take him too?”
“If you attack him here, it’ll look like you’re just picking a fight. That’s what Guiyeong Ja wants.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hyeol Haedo and Song Hacheong were caught in the act, so your reaction is understandable. But if you point to Hyeok Munchun as the instigator, you’ll be playing into Guiyeong Ja’s hands.”
Shim Tong, known for his plots and strategies, knew well what he was talking about.
“It’s better to leave the matter of Wolh-ah and Geum-ah here. Making a big fuss will only reveal your good deeds.”
Namgung Yeon nodded in agreement.
“The Old Shim is right, Jeokha. This is what Guiyeong Ja might want. To handle this discreetly, take Hyeok Munchun to Pungji Mountain.”
Namgung Yeon was right, so Yeon Jeokha nodded gladly.
“Yes, I’ll take him.”
In the current Chilliha Village, Yeon Jeokha’s word was law.
Thus, another master of Nokrim joined them on their way to Pungji Mountain.
Shanxi Province.
Jiaocheng County, also known as Gyoguhyeon.
Pungji Mountain.
At sunset.
The Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors, who was sitting in the shrine of the Fairy Temple, slowly stood up.
Finally, the forty-nine days agreed upon with Cheong Ryushin had passed.
The Holy Mother, with a golden bell in her hand, stepped outside.
And she ran up Pungji Mountain like the wind.
Upon reaching a rocky slope, she stopped in front of a huge vertical rock.
It was the place where she had previously summoned Cheong Ryushin.
In the twilight stained with blood-red, the Holy Mother of the Eight Emperors softly murmured a mantra.
“Om nannen kaya nebata de hum.”
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