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#517
Taejonbirok Volume 21, Episode 17
Chapter 116: The Lazy Man, Prepare (2)
“Are you asking what kind of place the Demonic Cult is now?”
"yes."
Yeommong's eyebrows narrowed.
It was a question that seemed obvious yet strange.
Many people had asked him about the Demonic Cult. However, most of the questions were about things like, "How cruel are the Demonic Cult members?" or "How eccentric are they?"
Every time he was asked such a question, Yeommong felt embarrassed.
“Are you asking how bad the demonic cult guys are?”
"no."
Wi Yeon-ho tilted his head.
“I was just asking what kind of guys they were.”
“Don’t you already know that the Demonic Cult is a place where bad guys live?”
"That's obvious. It seems like no one knows more about the Demonic Cult than you, Uncle. Wouldn't it be most accurate to hear it from your own mouth?"
'Uncle… … .'
The word 'uncle' strangely tickled Yeommong.
For him, who had lost all his relatives in the war against the Demonic Cult, the word "uncle" was a ticklish yet somehow nostalgic word.
“Let’s see. How should I explain it?”
Yeommong, who had brushed his beard twice, opened his mouth.
“Let’s say you’re living well, and then one day a group of robbers suddenly burst in.”
"yes."
“But then they killed your family and took over your land. So you were driven out, losing both your home and your family.”
"yes."
“Then what do you think of those robbers?”
“You must want to kill me.”
“Are they bad guys?”
“Yes! They are bad guys.”
Yeommong nodded.
“Yes. That’s what the Demonic Cult thinks of the Central Plains.”
“Huh?”
Wei Yanhu looked at Yan Meng with a surprised expression.
“It’s not the devil’s cult we think of?”
“That would work too.”
“What do you mean?”
"It's that we think of each other the same way. From their perspective, we're demons who killed their families and expelled them. From our perspective… I don't really need to repeat myself. It's the same. Yes, it's the same."
"but……."
Wei Yanho was not convinced.
“When did we kill them and drive them out?”
“Then where do you think they came from?”
"uh……."
Wi Yeon-ho tilted his head.
Where do you come from?
I never thought about that.
"Are they like people who came from outside and invaded the Central Plains? No, they are not. They are also Central Plains people. They are just people who lived on the outskirts."
"ah……."
Now that I think about it, it seemed like that.
We'd fought several fierce battles with demonic cultists in the past, but they weren't all that different from us. They were just people. It didn't feel exotic at all.
“I was persecuted because of my religion, and for many other reasons.”
“But they are evil.”
“Because they are enemies.”
Yeommong's voice was calm.
"They'll say the same thing about us too. They'll say those Central Plains bastards are heartless, vicious creatures. Their families, their relatives, died by our hands."
“…….”
"Where is there any evil in war? They say a kind-hearted man can't even feel the pain of a sword thrust into him. Nothing is more ridiculous than debating who's worse when you're already at war with each other. It's just a matter of differing perspectives."
Jang-il's face distorted.
“Are you defending them now?”
"advocacy?"
Yeommong had a sneer on his lips.
"Defense… If advocacy means stating the facts as they are, then yes, I suppose so. Sure, let's say I defend them. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Jang-il clenched his teeth.
The Demonic Cult is an entity that should not be defended.
How many people from the Central Plains fell, sprinkling blood on them?
Even if they did not do it out of a particular hatred for the Central Plains, the act itself was unforgivable.
But how could you say something like that?
The reason I couldn't spit out the boiling aging was because the person saying it was Yeommong.
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I couldn't give a long speech to someone who had dedicated his entire life to suppressing the Demonic Cult. Jang-il's life, too, was built on the sacrifices of people like Yeom-mong.
What I don't understand is that the person saying this is Yeommong.
Isn't it absurd that the person who should hate the Demonic Cult the most is supporting it?
“I think you’re asking why. Am I right?”
“……Yes.”
"As you think, I hate the Demonic Cult. My rage against it is insatiable. But, you see, hating someone and understanding them are two different things. For twenty years, I've observed the Demonic Cult. Sometimes from the watchtower, sometimes from their very presence, and sometimes in the face of death. What do you think my conclusion after all these years of observation is?"
“I don’t know.”
Yeommong answered as if it was no big deal.
“They are people no different from us.”
“Are they talking?”
“Why? Do you have three arms?”
"one……."
Yeommong sighed.
Every time he spoke about the Demonic Cult, he had to overcome the same barriers. It was always a tiring task to tell the truth, transcending the perception of those who simply wanted the Demonic Cult to remain as bloodthirsty demons.
“He’s just a person. He farms, draws water, and sometimes laughs and plays with children… Yes, that’s the kind of person he is.”
A strange atmosphere began to permeate the barracks.
It was nothing special. But there was so much in it.
“Think about it.”
Yeommong's gaze turned to one side. Beyond the bare barracks wall, everyone could guess what lay beyond.
"The sects of the Central Plains are self-sufficient. But all they need to do is make money. Run an inn, hire people to work the land. With that money, they can do anything. But what can they do here? Money? It's nothing more than a burden. They live here by tilling the land. Does that mean they're all warriors?"
“……That won’t be the case.”
"Most of those we know as demons are, in fact, just ordinary civilians. They live by tilling the land in that barren land. Unmanned? Sure, you hate them. But what other choice would they have? What can they do against those who hate them and refuse to give them even a single square foot of land? Just live on that land?"
Yeommong laughed mockingly.
“Or maybe I should have a conversation? With you?”
Jang-il kept his mouth shut.
"You can't have a conversation with someone who doesn't want to talk. Ultimately, you'll have no choice but to fight. That's the only way."
Yeommong tried to add something, but Wei Yanho spoke indifferently.
“So what’s the answer?”
"huh?"
“What kind of place is the Demonic Cult?”
“…….”
Yan Meng looked at Wei Yanhu with a look of utter displeasure. However, Wei Yanhu's expression remained indifferent.
"Well, they're human, so they have their own reasons and circumstances. I'm not curious about that. I'm just curious about what that place is like. Knowing that won't change anything."
“…….”
Yeommong looked at Wiyeonho with a bewildered expression, then laughed.
'What an absurd kid.'
Normally, when he made statements like this, defending the Demonic Cult, everyone would react with hatred or anger. Or they would just look at him with distrust.
But Wei Yanhu was neither of those.
He was just being bored, as if it was an obvious story.
'This guy is the son of a righteous man.'
No, maybe it's possible because he's the son of a nobleman.
"It's difficult to describe the Demonic Cult in a single word. I can't say I know everything about them. But one thing is certain: they are also people, and that place must be where people live."
"hmm."
Wi Yeon-ho scratched the ball.
“Did that answer your question?”
"It's not completely satisfactory, but it's an answer. But, um… I still don't understand."
“What do you mean you don’t understand?”
"Objectively speaking, I wondered if they had a reason. But, well, I don't think there's any particular reason."
“What a great reason?”
"hmm……."
Yeommong, who was about to ask again, closed his mouth.
'You're talking about my brother.'
It might not be appropriate to call him "hyung." In fact, Wei Yanhu and Wei Sanhu aren't related by blood.
This is a fact that even Yeommong did not know.
It was only after hearing from Detective Shin Gi-su about the deeds of Wi Jeong-han that I finally learned. Detective Shin Gi-su likely had no choice but to reveal them. Yeom-mong was the one most sensitive to changes in the Demonic Cult. I couldn't hide such a serious incident from him.
'That's why… … .'
Yeommong shook his head.
“Drink it.”
All Yeommong could do was fill everyone's empty glasses.
* * *
It was late at night.
The nights in the wasteland are incredibly cold.
The Wei Yanhus, exhausted from their long journey, settled down early and fell into a deep slumber. Finding a spacious and comfortable barracks was difficult, but they were grateful to have a sheltered place to sleep in this wasteland.
Although they were able to practice martial arts and thus did not accumulate much fatigue, the cozy bed they had found after a long time was enough to lull them to sleep.
But there were some who couldn't sleep.
'It's beautiful.'
Wi Jeong-han was looking up at the sky.
Stars fill the world.
A land filled with endless stars and darkness.
It was a strange land where the border was completely unknown.
Just seeing this made me think this barren land wasn't so bad after all. It would probably make the people who live here cringe if they heard it.
Wi Jeong-han quietly tilted his glass as he gazed at the overwhelming sight.
“Can’t sleep?”
Wi Jeong-han quietly turned his head.
A dream was rising above the watchtower.
“Aren’t you sleeping?”
"If you do the same thing every day, you won't be able to sleep well. It's not like you can set a specific time to sleep."
“That makes sense.”
"okay."
Yeommong took the seat next to Wi Jeonghan without saying a word. For a long time, the two remained silent, staring off into the distance.
“Didn’t you come here because you had something to say?”
“……It’s not really like that.”
“It seems like you used to be quite good at lying, but you’ve become quite naive.”
“If all I see is a sandstorm and all I talk to are those blunt guys, then it’s all going to end up like this.”
Wi Jeong-han silently held out a bottle of wine. Yeom Mong accepted the bottle and looked at the glass Wi Jeong-han offered.
“What kind of glass is this?”
“I thought you might come, so I prepared in advance.”
“With people.”
Yeommong filled the glass that Wijeonghan offered him with alcohol and drank it in one gulp.
widely.
Yeommong, who had put his glass down on the floor, looked into the distance for a long time before quietly opening his mouth.
“Why did you do that?”
Wi Jeong-han closed his eyes.
It's a question that needs to be asked. And it's something that needs to be answered.
But it was still not an easy answer.
"just……."
Wi Jeong-han slowly opened his mouth.
“At that time, I thought that was the way it had to be.”