NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
Episode 208. Jang Chun-il (1)
Near the desert tower of Lamganj, there are seven historic villages that are said to have shared its history since its formation.
Among them, Jang Chun-il, who had been serving as a guard in Goitek for eight years, had outstanding security skills and was recognized for his abilities and was appointed as the leader of the guard unit, even though he was from the Central Plains and not Xinjiang.
Jang Chun-il was originally a low-ranking warrior belonging to a small military family in Sacheon, but while he was away on a mission, his superior harassed his wife. It was later discovered that the mission given at that time was also deliberately designed to lead Jang Chun-il to death.
Although he was surviving by doing the work of a swordsman in Sapa, Jang Chun-il did not commit unnecessary killings or overly oppress the common people. It was his innate nature, and he also tried not to incur unnecessary resentment because he had a wife and children.
However, there were those who looked down on Jang Chun-il – none other than his fellow low-ranking warriors. They would complain that Jang Chun-il was acting noble alone, and that they had to get their hands dirty even more. Jang Chun-il was a man devoted to his family, to the point that he rarely had a drinking party with his colleagues, and it was common for those who did rough work to talk about their absent colleagues while drinking.
It was a drinking party on the day of receiving salary as usual. It was raining that day, and a superior who had just taken office had come to socialize. Jang Chun-il also attended that day out of formality.
Now that I’m in the mood, let’s go to the bar and play with the butts of the girls━ Jang Chun-il asked for understanding and wanted to go home as his superior, who had already started to dominate the place, began to jeer at him. There were jeers from his colleagues, calling him an incurable widow and a disgrace to all men, but Jang Chun-il just laughed it off.
━My wife is much more beautiful than a gisaeng… …?
Looking back, it was a meaningful tone, but perhaps because he was drunk, Jang Chun-il didn’t notice anything particularly strange at the time. He just thought that he was a very witty person.
After Jang Chun-il left, his colleagues took out all the complaints they had accumulated on Giru to their new superior. Of course, this was just a story they usually told over drinks. No one knew that their superior, Geum Jin-cheong, had been glaring at the mention that Jang Chun-il’s wife was indeed quite beautiful, that he was so obsessed with lust that he had even been learning the art of seduction, and that his appointment to a position in charge of lower-level warriors was a sort of disciplinary action—in other words, a demotion.
Those who call themselves Sapa usually have a personality that does not hesitate to satisfy their selfish desires. That is why, even though they have mastered the ignorance of the path, they are classified as ‘Sapa’ and not ‘Jeong’.
Jang Chun-il, who barely survived the dangerous mission, went to Muga before reporting his survival. Since he had already sent a letter on his way back, Muga would have known about his survival and other important information. It didn’t matter if he was a little late. However, Jang Chun-il, who hurried his steps despite his exhaustion, was greeted by the rotting body of his wife who had taken her own life.
Hey, Chun-il, is it here? – An old, haggard voice called out to him in shock.
Among the neighbors who lived across the wall from Jang Chun-il’s house, there was an old woman who had difficulty moving. She had no family and was not easy to move, so she just kept her eyes and ears open in the house. Jang Chun-il’s wife felt sorry for the old woman and would occasionally visit her and take care of her as if she were her own mother. Jang Chun-il also knew this, so as soon as he heard the old woman’s voice, he would run over the wall and look for her. She might know something about his wife’s death… …!
Indeed, the old woman had a keen sense of hearing that was unusual for an old person, and she had heard stories from Jang Chun-il’s wife who visited occasionally. The old woman stammered and told Jang Chun-il about what had happened.
━A few days after you left, Chun-il, your superior came. His name was Geum Jin-cheong, and he immediately said in a pitiful voice that he had come to tell you the news of your wife’s husband’s death. As your wife, you couldn’t help but believe it. A considerable amount of money was given as condolence money. I bet you never imagined that your superior, the author, approached you with evil intentions.
That’s right. When Jang Chun-il heard it, it was clearly not an amount of money that someone in charge of managing low-level warriors could easily give. It was probably money that high-ranking officials in the family could easily throw around.
━He came to me several times, pretending to feel sorry for losing his beloved subordinate. I knew early on that he was trying to comfort your beautiful wife, but at that time, this old man was also fooled by his cunning. Don’t the living have to live somehow? Even if you have a lot of money, it’s not easy for a woman to raise a child alone. I know this better than anyone. Furthermore, isn’t this Sacheon now a land where Safa martial artists, including Heuksa-ryeon, run rampant? It’s different than before. Of course, you’re a Safa martial artist too… … What I mean is, you needed someone to protect you. In that situation, it wouldn’t be wise to just push away a man who showed interest and approached you, this old man said carelessly. I’m very responsible for things turning out this way. I’m sorry, and I’m sorry again… … .
The time Jang Chun-il was away on duty was about the same as the moon waxing and waning twice. It was a long time if it was long, and a short time if it was short, but during that time, Jang Chun-il’s wife accepted her husband’s death and became entangled with Geum Jin-cheong, who consoled her grief. The old woman blamed herself, saying it was her fault, but Jang Chun-il thought that his wife had given her heart because she was also moved. However, rather than feeling angry at his wife for immediately abandoning her chastity, he felt more puzzled.
Geum Jin-cheong even faked the death of his subordinate to covet Jang Chun-il’s wife. It definitely felt like a plan. When did he start harboring evil intentions? And since they already met, why didn’t they live well together? Why did his wife choose death? And it was so recently. And where did his precious daughter, whom he would not mind putting in his eyes, go?
The answer to the question could be found in the old woman’s words.
━The attitude of the author who had been promising marriage and whispering sweet words to you all the time changed overnight. He told you the shocking news that you were alive. He also pressured you to return the money he had paid you as consolation money. Your wife was completely out of her mind. Even if you could return the money, how could you cover up the fact that you had an affair with another man while your husband was still alive? How many people had already seen that guy, Geum Jin-cheong, coming and going from your house countless times? When your wife asked how such a mistake could have occurred, he answered with a smile on his face. It seems that Chun-il’s life is more tenacious than I thought. That’s when I realized. The mission you went on… was a trap set by Geum Jin-cheong. Your wife was not a person without sense, so she seemed to have realized it right away. My goodness, you had an affair with the man who tried to kill your husband! There is no humiliation like this one. He muttered that this kind of ending was not bad either, and dragged the infant away.
‘Young-ah’ was Jang Chun-il’s daughter, who was only five years old. She was also the couple’s treasure. When forcibly taking the young child away, Geum Jin-cheong did not forget to threaten her. If Jang Chun-il came home right away, she should not show any sign of it and send her to him. Otherwise, the young child’s life would be easily ended.
Guilt and humiliation.
Add to that the burden of having to weigh the lives of her husband and child.
The pressure Jang Chun-il’s wife must have felt was considerable. If she told her husband the truth, her daughter would die. But sending Jang Chun-il, who barely managed to survive, to Geum Jin-cheong would be like killing her husband with her own hands. In fear of not knowing when Jang Chun-il would come home, Jang Chun-il’s wife finally made a decision. She chose to take her own life.
━I thought that was the only way to save the baby and for Chun-il to atone for his sins towards you.
The old woman’s words ended like that, and soon there was a loud noise, and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. She had bitten off her tongue and attempted suicide. Was this her own atonement? Or perhaps she was barely holding on to her remaining breath in order to tell Jang Chun-il the truth. Jang Chun-il looked as if she hadn’t eaten for several days.
Jang Chun-il, who was completely heartbroken, did not stop her and just waited with reddened eyes for the old woman’s faint breathing to completely stop. He too had lost the will to live.
After the light in the old woman’s eyes went out, Jang Chun-il thought back on everything he had heard for a while, then collected the bodies of his wife and the old woman one by one and disappeared. No one has seen Jang Chun-il since then.
A few days passed.
Although Jang Chun-il was only a low-ranking warrior, he was originally more accustomed to collecting and processing information than to wielding a sword. He gathered information about Geum Jin-cheong by boldly disguising himself, such as by deliberately scarring his face. He wanted to get his daughter back immediately, but he instinctively knew that he had to be careful at times like this.
Jang Chun-il soon found out that Geum Jin-cheong had been a notorious debaucher since his youth, and that he had harassed countless women of the time. However, since he was the illegitimate child of a well-known military family, it was quietly covered up every time. This time, he was appointed to a position that managed low-level warriors, including Jang Chun-il, because he had caused trouble in his original position by harassing the daughter of a high-ranking official.
Jang Chun-il had been loyal to the martial arts family for many years, but he had a feeling that there would be no punishment for reporting the incident with Geum Jin-cheong to his family. It was only natural. After all, he was the illegitimate son of the head of the family. To avenge a low-ranking warrior, he would discipline the head of the family’s son… …?
It was nonsense.
Jang Chun-il realized that he had to take revenge on his own. He could not expect help from the government. After the Black Lotus took hold, the government’s presence in Sacheon became completely meaningless.
There is no answer even with personal force.
Jang Chun-il was a low-ranking warrior even within the martial arts. He only had slightly better swordsmanship than ordinary people and some internal energy. His martial arts achievements and the martial arts he had learned were also mediocre.
So, it was only natural that Jang Chun-il came to Tangga with poisoning in mind.