Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 297
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Episode 297: What the Hell Are You Saying?
Outside of Gyoguhyeon County, in the village of Gangseongjin.
As dusk began to fall, Yeon Jeokha and his group arrived at the entrance of the village. Gangseongjin consisted of just about twenty scattered houses, making the search for an inn almost embarrassing.
The Immortal Taiyi muttered to himself:
“Hum! It seems there are no inns here…”
“There aren’t. Last time, we also spent the night at the shrine at the end of the village,” explained Jang Mudeok, the Apprentice of the Supreme Tao, while sweeping his gaze nostalgically over the surroundings.
The first time the Black Turtle Division had arrived here, they were excited, not understanding the gravity of the situation. They enjoyed the moment, leaving behind the tedious life in Chilriha village.
Every stop was an opportunity for the young ones to gather and whisper among themselves. Watching those young people with the same excitement he had in his youth was also a pleasure.
But now, they were all gone.
The Immortal Taimu abruptly asked:
“So, should we go to the shrine again?”
Shaken from his thoughts, Jang Mudeok silently nodded. There was no way an inn had appeared in just a month, so it was the logical choice.
As they crossed the village, the shrine soon appeared. It was surprisingly large compared to the size of the village.
Jang Mudeok briefly explained in front of the shrine:
“A long time ago, this was a rather large village. I heard it shrank due to the war.”
The Three Immortals of Kunlun, in the front, nodded in understanding as they exclaimed:
“Ah!”
Upon entering the shrine, Jang Mudeok paused. The place hadn’t been maintained, and there were traces of previous camps everywhere. To him, these were the traces of the Black Turtle Division.
Shaking his head slightly, he headed to a different spot from where he had previously stayed.
The others also scattered around the shrine, finding their own spaces. Although scattered, they could all see each other in the same place.
Shim Tong, like a shadow, followed Yeon Jeokha and the Incomparable Among Ten, Namgung Yeon. He didn’t have a good relationship with the Demon General Guiyeong Ja and Hyuk Muchun, and didn’t naturally fit in with Jang Mudeok or the Three Immortals of Kunlun.
Guiyeong Ja and Hyuk Muchun hurried to collect branches to start a fire. Not just to keep warm, but to prepare a simple meal.
They took out a pot and various cooking ingredients, a notable difference from when they only carried their own rations.
When the water in the pot started to boil, Hyuk Muchun added rice, dried meat, various vegetables, and spices. It wasn’t exactly soup nor porridge, but it smelled delicious.
When the meal was ready, they brought a bowl to Yeon Jeokha and Namgung Yeon.
“Grand Inspector.”
Guiyeong Ja carefully presented the bowl. Hyuk Muchun also quietly placed Namgung Yeon’s bowl in front of Yeon Jeokha.
Shim Tong, who had been watching with a displeased expression, got up and headed for the pot. The Three Immortals of Kunlun and Jang Mudeok were already there.
Shim Tong joined them with an awkward expression. The Immortal Taimu gave him a friendly look as he spoke:
“Nokrim’s food is surprisingly good. Does it have a name?”
“We call it ‘Pork Porridge.’”
“Ah!”
The Three Immortals of Kunlun and Jang Mudeok looked at the soup with curiosity. It was acceptable until they heard the name, which caused some discomfort.
Hyuk Muchun, who had returned, spoke in a brusque tone:
“If you don’t want to eat ‘Pork Porridge,’ don’t.”
Guiyeong Ja, silent, took his bowl to a corner. Hyuk Muchun, in a hurry, did the same.
Guiyeong Ja and Hyuk Muchun could only eat once the meal was ready.
“Guiyeong Ja, is something bothering you?” asked Hyuk Muchun.
“No, nothing.”
“Then why the expression…?”
Guiyeong Ja muttered in a low voice:
“Fool.”
Doing the work of a servant, he really seemed to think he was one. If it weren’t for the Sacred Artifact amulet on Yeon Jeokha’s chest, the tables would have turned.
‘If only I had aimed for the neck…’
In that case, he would be the one laughing now. Luck wasn’t on his side, but Yeon Jeokha wasn’t an insurmountable mountain. Who could have imagined someone would carry something so strange on their chest?
‘Damn it…!’
He lost his appetite. Seeing Hyuk Muchun content with his role as a servant only enraged him more. Would there be another chance?
Guiyeong Ja glanced at Yeon Jeokha. He, without worries, was whispering something to Namgung Yeon.
After dinner, darkness settled in. Guiyeong Ja and Hyuk Muchun kept the fire burning, not for cooking, but to ward off the darkness.
It was a task imposed by Yeon Jeokha. A few days earlier, they had fallen asleep, and the fire had gone out, and they were severely punished. Since then, they guarded the fire with their lives.
The conversations in the shrine gradually dwindled until most had fallen asleep.
Around midnight, a heart-wrenching scream echoed.
“No!”
“Alert!”
“What’s happening?”
Awakened by the scream, everyone stood on guard. Guiyeong Ja, with bloodshot eyes, looked at Hyuk Muchun.
“What’s going on? Is there an intruder?”
Hyuk Muchun pointed at Yeon Jeokha.
“It seems the Grand Inspector had a nightmare.”
Guiyeong Ja and the Three Immortals of Kunlun looked towards Yeon Jeokha. Awake from his own scream, he was asking Namgung Yeon what had happened.
‘Damn it! Now he’s even doing this nonsense…’
Guiyeong Ja lay down again in frustration. The Three Immortals of Kunlun also returned to their spots once they realized it wasn’t anything serious.
Shim Tong discreetly observed Yeon Jeokha. He had had nightmares before, but never screamed like that. What kind of dream could have scared him so much?
He knew that Yeon Jeokha’s dreams weren’t just dreams. People revered him as if he could read destiny, but few knew he had attained clairvoyance. His dreams often foretold the future.
Shim Tong looked at him curiously.
“What are you staring at? You’re making me uncomfortable.”
“I’m just curious. What did you dream of to scream like that?”
He couldn’t contain his curiosity. Given the situation, he wanted to know what was coming.
“It was nothing. Don’t worry.”
“Ah, I see.”
Shim Tong closed his eyes, understanding that Yeon Jeokha didn’t want to talk.
“Are you alright?” Namgung Yeon asked.
Yeon Jeokha hesitated. No, he wasn’t alright. In the dream, just as he was about to save Namgung Yeon, darkness engulfed her. That darkness was so horrifying that just remembering it gave him goosebumps.
Namgung Yeon was swallowed by the darkness in an instant, leaving only a strange symbol in her place. Even though it was a dream, the impact was so strong that he screamed. He didn’t know what happened next. He had woken up from his own scream.
Sitting with a lost expression, Yeon Jeokha looked directly at Namgung Yeon. He knew that someday it would happen. If he could prevent it with effort, he wouldn’t have seen it in the dream.
Thinking about losing Namgung Yeon that way made his chest tighten. He still hadn’t confessed his feelings to her.
“Sister?”
“Yes?”
Seeing Namgung Yeon’s star-like bright eyes, Yeon Jeokha felt his breath catch and his heart pound.
“It’s just that…”
“Tell me. It’s okay.”
Her kind words made him hesitate. She seemed like a sister caring for her brother, so he couldn’t easily say “I love you.” But the nightmare pushed him to go on.
After biting his lips, Yeon Jeokha spoke firmly:
“I love you. Not as a sister, but as a woman. I’d go to the ends of the world or to hell for you.”
“……”
Namgung Yeon felt her heart stop at the sudden confession. She had dreamed of this moment, but she didn’t expect it to happen in a remote shrine in the middle of the night.
With a dazed expression, Namgung Yeon stared at him. Yeon Jeokha, nervous at her lack of response, hurried to clarify:
“I know you may not see me that way, but I had to tell you. You don’t need to feel pressured…”
“I love you too.”
“What?”
“I love you too, as a man. I’d go to the ends of the world or to hell for you.”
Namgung Yeon emphasized “as a man” so there would be no misunderstandings.
“Oh, well, then…”
Surprised by her response, Yeon Jeokha didn’t know what to do. He had never been in a relationship before, so he didn’t know what to do next.
“Thank you.”
Namgung Yeon laughed at his awkward thanks.
“Thank you too.”
Namgung Yeon gently took Yeon Jeokha’s hand. He held it tightly, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
As he squeezed her small, soft hand, Yeon Jeokha said without thinking:
“With these hands, you’ve fought well.”
Namgung Yeon, her face reddening, gently pushed him away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t see Master Jang Mudeok.”
“Did he go to the bathroom?”
Yeon Jeokha was more interested in Namgung Yeon than in the old Jang Mudeok. He reached for her hand again, but Namgung Yeon pushed him away.
“You said it’s been a while since your nightmare. He should have returned by now. Something must have happened to him.”
“What could have happened? Pungji Mountain is still half a day away.”
“Not half a day away, but only half a day. A master like him could go there and back in two hours if he hurried.”
“Do you think he went only to Pungji Mountain?”
“I don’t know, but there’s no other place to go around here.”
“Why would he go alone?”
“That’s why we need to find out where he went.”
“What is he doing in the middle of the night?”
Yeon Jeokha felt annoyed by the interruption of his time with Namgung Yeon.
Shim Tong slowly stood up.
“Young Master.”
“What?”
‘It’s too late to be greedy, calm down.’
But he couldn’t say that out loud.
“Congratulations, did you see how easy it was?”
“What? Master Jang Mudeok disappears, and you congratulate me? What the hell are you saying?”
Annoyed, Yeon Jeokha raised his voice. The Three Immortals of Kunlun, Guiyeong Ja, and Hyuk Muchun, who had been listening, quietly approached.
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