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#492
Taejonbirok Volume 20, Episode 17
Chapter 111: The Sluggard, Trembling (2)
To be honest, Baek Hoe-myeong wasn't someone who enjoyed the taste of tea that much.
Those who are well-versed in tea ceremony are said to be able to discern the subtle differences in the flavors of tea and become immersed in its mysteries, but Baek Hoe-myeong is someone who prefers cold water to tea.
Unless he was the leader, tea ceremony was not at all to his liking.
Still, there are times when I sit in front of the car like this and get lost in thought.
I don't know what tea tastes like, but I enjoy the aroma of tea.
The faint scent of tea had the effect of calming people's minds.
If it were normal, that is.
Although he could smell the gentle scent of tea through his nose, Baek Hoe-myeong's mind remained unsettled. Something even more stimulating than the tea scent was before him.
A being that always stimulates him.
His father, an old man called the lord of Baekgeomseong, sat before him.
A breeze is blowing gently.
A single strand of neatly combed white hair swayed in the wind. Even the sight was picturesque.
“The wind is blowing.”
“Yes, Father.”
"Stability is a good thing. But if there were no wind in the world, that would be a sad thing too."
“Yes.”
“What do you think?”
Baek Hoe-myeong raised his head slightly.
“What are you talking about…….”
“Can what we are doing bring a new wind to the world of martial arts?”
Baek Hoe-myeong sat in thought for a moment without answering.
What should I say in response?
If someone else had asked, it would have been easy to answer, but the words coming out of Baekgeomseongju's mouth had a different weight.
“It can’t just be the wind.”
The old man quietly raised his head and looked at his son.
"The wind will never stop. It will soon become a storm, a typhoon, purifying the impure. When the world looks upon us again, they will face an inevitable storm."
“Hmm.”
The old man nodded quietly.
As if he liked it, but also as if he didn't like it… …with a face that made it impossible to read his exact feelings.
“Hweimyeong-ah.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You’re old enough now, and it’s time to develop your own opinions.”
“Yes.”
“So, let me ask you something. I am not asking you as your father, but as the head of the Baek family, to ask you, Sogaju.”
Baek Hoe-myeong's body was filled with strength. The position of head of the Baek family still felt burdensome to him. Nevertheless, he refused to back down and stared straight at his father.
“Please inquire.”
“Do you think what we are doing is right?”
Baek Hoe-myeong kept his mouth shut.
I never thought I would be asked this question.
“Why do you ask such a thing…….”
The old man smiled gently.
"I just wanted to hear your opinion. I'm not testing you, nor do I have an answer in mind. I just want to know."
The old man turned his head and looked at the distant sky.
The wind is blowing.
“I have been thinking alone for too long.”
There was a hint of emptiness in his voice.
"My thoughts hardened, my resolve hardened. I built a solid, unshakeable wall within my heart. I had work to do. So I did it. I never once doubted that what I did was wrong. And now it's time to see the results. Knowing that, I wondered about one thing."
“…….”
"The wall I built is incredibly strong. But I didn't consider where to build it. I was just too impatient to lay the cornerstone. I built it so high and strong that I can't see below. I can see far into the distance, but I can't see the bottom. That's why I ask."
The car was in his hands.
As the tea, which had cooled down a bit, began to boil slightly on its own, I brought the tea to my lips and savored it.
"Did I build the castle in the right place? Perhaps I missed the step of examining whether it was appropriate to build the castle here before I started?"
Baek Hoe-myeong looked at his father with renewed eyes.
giant.
This man is a giant.
It wasn't because he was his father. Even if they weren't related by blood, Baek Hoe-myeong would have respected and followed him. As far as he knew, there was no one greater than him in the world of martial arts.
Although he was a father, Baek Hoe-myeong had never once considered himself a father figure. He was too vast to be tied down by the smallness of fatherhood.
Still, I didn't feel regretful, and I wasn't disappointed. Giants have giant lives.
That father was now revealing his true colors for the first time.
The solid walls that seemed as if they would not be worn even a little even after being weathered by the wind for a thousand years were now opening their doors to him.
Baek Hoe-myeong was right.
After much thought, Baek Hoe-myeong opened his mouth.
"I'm incredibly grateful that you acknowledge me, Father. But I'm still not sure if I'm worthy of your opinion."
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Baek Hoe-myeong swallowed hard and continued speaking.
"But since you want an answer from me, Father, I'll tell you what I think. Father, this is what I think."
Baek Hoe-myeong stopped talking and closed his eyes.
Knowing how important this answer is, knowing that it must not be off by even a single inch… … I think and think again.
After much thought, the answer I came up with was this.
"I know what you fear, Father. The world will be drowned in blood. Our power is immense. But the martial arts world is also immense. So, bloodshed is inevitable. The common people will suffer, and the world will be turned upside down. Isn't that what you're worried about?"
The old man did not answer.
But the silence was giving the answer.
"Father, grudges are unforgettable, but sometimes they must be forgotten. To bring peace to the world, someone must close their eyes. If we close our eyes and turn our heads, the world will be at peace as it always has been. But I have a question."
Baek Hoe-myeong's eyes burned.
“Why should we be right?”
“…….”
The old man and Baek Hoe-myeong's gazes became intertwined.
"Was Taejo right? Was Han Gaozu right? Ultimately, righteousness is a judgment only for future generations to make. If we win, it will be right. But if we lose, it will be wrong. Who will remember the reasons and circumstances behind it?"
The old man nodded.
“Father, no! My lord!”
Baek Hoe-myeong spoke confidently.
"Baekgeomseong can forgive the world. And he can do good deeds for the world. But Mangeombaekga cannot forgive the world. And he will return the favor to the world. Are you, Father, the Lord of Baekgeomseong, or the head of Mangeombaekga?"
"I am……."
The old man answered without any hesitation.
"I am the head of the Mangeombaekga clan. From the moment I ascended to the position of head of the clan, from the moment I inherited this position from my dying father, I have never once forgotten that I am the head of the Mangeombaekga clan."
“But why are you hesitating?”
“Yeah, I see.”
The old man's face became stern.
I just wanted to make sure. Not in his head, but in someone else's words.
Because everyone wants to hear at least once that they're not wrong.
Because I already know that I can't stop once I'm on the tiger's back, that's why I want to check it again.
“Ready?”
“It’s over.”
“Yeah, I see. How are you two?”
“I am motivated to do my job perfectly.”
“I guess so.”
The old man smiled gently.
That's how it should be.
"It's too late to turn back. Then we have no choice but to move forward."
“Your Majesty.”
It wasn't his father. The old man knew the difference.
Baek Hoe-myeong bowed his head and said.
"I dare not imagine the weight on your shoulders. I dare not imagine how thorny the path you've walked so far has been. But I—no, not just me, but all of the Mangeom Baekga clans—are following only your footsteps."
“Hmm.”
"Please don't waver. Be steadfast. Be our guide. Then we will fight with our lives for the glory of the Ten Thousand Swords and Hundred Schools."
The old man nodded.
“I have shown you an ugly side.”
"no."
"There's nothing to be shaken about. I'm an unshakeable person. I've never wavered once. It was just confirmation."
“I think so too.”
“When did it start?”
“Your uncle will do it.”
“I see. That’s the kid.”
"yes."
The old man turned his head and looked at the distant sky.
“You have to eliminate variables. The heavens are mean.”
"Now that my uncle has personally stepped forward, he won't be able to hold out any longer. I will take control of the world, starting with Sacheon."
“I guess so. Okay, go ahead.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Baek Hoe-myung bowed deeply and retreated at a brisk pace. He retreated until he was out of sight of the head of the household, sighing softly.
'That's strange.'
I felt a little uncomfortable.
His father is a man of unwavering integrity. His own words confirm this, as I've observed for decades. So why would he suddenly say something like this at this point?
To see when Baek Hoe-myeong will acknowledge his true identity and hand over his position as head of the household?
No way.
The right time is after everything is over. You can't leave the harvest of the field you've spent your life working to someone else. So why are you asking this now?
Baek Hoe-myeong bit his lip slightly.
'I need to come to my senses.'
At this point, change is unnecessary. If the head of the household shows any signs of change, he must fill the gap. Baek Hoe-myeong left the garden with a heavy step.
“It has already begun.”
There's no turning back. Now, no one can stop it.
In the pavilion in the garden where Baek Hoe-myeong had escaped, the old man was quietly looking up at the sky.
sky.
Yes, it is the sky.
He carries out the mandate of heaven. It is the mandate of heaven to avenge the resentment of those who died unjustly.
So why hesitate?
But, one thing.
“……You’re looking at my back?”
Baek Hoe-myeong's words pierced the old man's heart.
A slightly bitter smile appeared on the old man's lips.
"Kangho, Kangho… The time has come to repay the price of my sins. I have waited too long. And…"
The old man closed his eyes.
I can hear it.
The sound of the wind.
The wind that had been tickling him passed by, and a new wind blew again.
“Man-geom…….”
The old man reached out into the air, as if chasing an elusive illusion. Grasping the air, he chuckled.
“Man-geom, man-geom……. Hehehe, man-geom…….”
The old man's hand slowly draws a line.
As if dancing.
The old man's hands gently swept the air, as if he were dancing a harp.
Woof woof!
The garden, ablaze with flowers, was torn in half. But soon, as if it were an illusion, the garden returned to its former glory.
The old man looked down at his hands.
With a face that was a mixture of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
“How far must I chase? Ten thousand swords, ten thousand swords…….”
No one can know now what the old man was chasing.