Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Chapter 547

#547

Taejonbirok Volume 22, Episode 22

Chapter 122: The Lazy Man Arrives (2)

Baek Jong-jin forced himself to calm his trembling heart.

“Phew.”

Take a deep breath.

Lightly clench and unclench your fist.

'Let's calm down.'

I always assumed something like this would happen someday. After all, a peaceful life in the martial arts world is a pipe dream. If you've lived by the martial arts world, the day will come when you'll have to pay the price.

And I thought that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Because I thought it was romantic.

When evil forces wreak havoc on the world of martial arts, the life of a hero, wielding a time-honored sword, vanquishes them. This is the life Baek Jong-jin has always dreamed of.

When he first entered the martial arts world and vowed to live as a martial artist, Baek Jong-jin had no doubt that he would one day become that hero. And after a long time, that opportunity finally arrived.

“Phew.”

But it wasn't as happy as I thought.

Baek Jong-jin had been given the opportunity to showcase his honed sword, but he was too old to truly rejoice in it. He had now learned that a sword is best when it's in its sheath.

Baek Jong-jin turned his head slightly.

The faces of the others were no different. They all wore faces etched with tension and anxiety.

'It doesn't seem like a story.'

The political figures in the story were all filled with conspiracy theories and did not hesitate to risk their lives to take on the evil group.

Baek Jong-jin also lived his life thinking that it should be that way.

But stories are stories, and reality is reality.

Who would happily accept a situation where their own neck could be cut off?

'It must have been like that from the beginning.'

Yes, some may become heroes. Some will make their mark in this war, leaving their mark on history. But what about Baek Jong-jin?

Baek Jong-jin bit his lip.

Those who can become such people must be extraordinary. This story has nothing to do with Baek Jong-jin, who is still hesitant to even register his name as a thief or receive a title because he is so ambivalent about everything.

Ultimately, the role he plays in this war is a matter of numbers.

Tens of thousands when it is said that Jangbi stopped tens of thousands of troops at Jangpanpa, and arrogance when it is said that Xiang Yu led five thousand and crushed five thousand.

Those who fail to engrave their names in history will ultimately remain as numbers.

Numbers. Numbers that are nothing.

Baek Jong-jin bit his lip.

That doesn't mean his efforts were lacking, or that he's lived a lowly life. While he may not have been a bandit, he's a respectable disciple of a shaman. While he still carries the somewhat ambiguous title of "secular," the mere fact of being a shaman's secular disciple confers a certain power in the martial world.

And in return for earning the name of that shaman's disciple and living with all his might, he was now being dragged to a battlefield with an unknown outcome.

'Is this really what I wanted?'

You never know.

With luck, he might demonstrate powers beyond his abilities, and perhaps his skills might even improve further during the war. It's not uncommon for someone who begins a war as a mere number to become a hero by its conclusion.

But that faint possibility didn't give him hope. Perhaps he could overcome the odds and pursue the possibility of becoming a hero. But the price he would pay was the extremely high probability of death.

My heart is pounding.

'Why!'

There was another factor that made Baek Jong-jin uneasy.

The point is that those who must fall beneath his blade to become a hero are not demonic. In his imagination, those he faces are always demonic.

The devil's cult.

What words are needed before that name?

The moment they're labeled a demonic cult member, it doesn't matter what crimes they've committed. As soon as they're demonic, they're evil. So, you can strike them down without hesitation. Without the slightest hesitation.

But it is not Baekgeomseong.

Baek Jong-jin met many people as a shaman and lay disciple. Among them were Baek Geom-seong's disciples. They were all good people.

But now Baek Jong-jin is going to fight them, risking his life.

'How on earth did it turn out like this?'

I can't understand it, I can't accept it.

No one knows why Baekgeomseong suddenly began attacking Jeongmu Alliance. Even the higher-ups didn't seem to know anything. Even if they did know, there was no reason not to explain.

What is certain is that Baekgeomseong has joined hands with the Demonic Cult and has already devastated a branch of the Jeongmu Alliance.

how.

How can you join hands with the devil?

Baek Jong-jin's mind was in utter disarray. The Demonic Cult was not a subject of negotiation. It was simply a target for eradication. But the fact that there was a group that had joined forces with the Demonic Cult, and that the members of that group were the same people he had once shared a drink with, was what was confusing Baek Jong-jin.

And this confusion is not limited to Baek Jong-jin.

“Whew.”

If you listen closely, you can hear low sighs, or even deep breathing, here and there. These aren't the sounds of confident strides taken to punish the enemy. They are the suppressed groans of those, like Baek Jong-jin, filled with confusion.

Lift your head and look ahead.

Looking at the back of Jang Moon-jin, who was leading the way, my heart sank a little.

'What is Jang Moon-in thinking right now?'

Something entered Baek Jong-jin's field of vision.

A large number of people can be seen approaching the front of Jang Moon-in's back.

'Is it the enemy?'

In an instant, Baek Jong-jin's tense body slackened. If they were enemies, Jang Moon-in's reaction wouldn't have been so calm. Jang Moon-in slowly greeted them, as if they were people he was supposed to meet.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

The armed Jangmun Song Hyeon lightly waved his fist at the approaching man with a large frame. The man he met smiled and waved his fist back.

"Indeed, it is. It seems that the long-spoken man's prayers have become more pure."

"It's incredibly embarrassing to hear such words from the Namgung family head. I used to feel small in front of the Namgung family head's accomplishments, but the gap seems to have widened even further."

"You're being too harsh. The Taegeukja's reputation is renowned throughout the world, so how can you say such things? I, Namgung Mo, wouldn't dare to follow suit."

The two men exchanged words of humility with each other.

Normally, they would have continued talking a little longer, but the situation they were in didn't give them the same amount of leeway as usual.

“What is the situation?”

“We are advancing northward. I guess it would be more accurate to say we are advancing at breakneck speed.”

Namgung Jo-wi, the head of the Namgung family, shook his head as if he was frustrated.

"They've reached Anhui in an instant. And they're massacring those who resist. Judging by their appearance alone, they should be called blood swords, not white swords."

“Why…….”

Song Hyeon sighed deeply.

"I simply cannot fathom why Baekgeomseong is acting this way. Even if he were aiming for world hegemony, there's no need to be this cruel."

“It’s not hegemony.”

"underneath……."

Namgung Jo-wi glanced around and spoke in a low voice.

“You know this, right? This is revenge.”

“…….”

"Your Majesty, you know this too. This is revenge. From the moment they declared themselves the Mangeom, this was an inevitable course of action."

“One, that’s already…….”

“It may be the past for us, but it is not the past for them.”

Song Hyeon quietly recited the Doho.

Yes, what Namgung Jo-wi said is right.

It was entirely their choice whether to regard it as a past to be forgotten and buried, or as a reality that still persists. How could Song Hyun interfere with that choice?

To Man-geom, the shaman was merely a perpetrator. Nam-gung was no different. If he committed a crime, he must pay the price. Fully.

one…….

"If they want my life, I can give it to them at any time. If that would appease their resentment, this old man would happily laugh and cut off their necks. But… these children don't know anything. They're just under the shaman's name, they have no connection to anything. And yet, you expect them to pay for it?"

“You’re late, Jinin.”

“…….”

Namgung Jo-wi shook his head.

"That's something you should have said long ago. You should have said it when you were on the throne and knew the truth. Did you seek out the descendants of Mangeom and reveal the truth to them, and then ask for forgiveness?"

“……No.”

"Yes. The moment we tried to bury it and forget it, we too became complicit. And now they're demanding payment. We're left with two options: either shed that much blood and beg for forgiveness, or cover our faces with thick skin and kill them."

Namgung Jo-wi's voice was extremely creepy.

"If you accept my apology without any price, I'd be happy to do so. But they've already declared they'll pay. So, all we can do is fight. True man, don't waver. Sins can be punished even in hell. In reality, all a true man should think about is the lives of his disciples and the well-being of the martial world."

“Immeasurable Life Buddha…….”

Song Hyeon recited the Doho over and over again.

Where did it go wrong?

'So much time has already passed.'

How wide and deep is resentment?

Is it right that their descendants, hundreds of years later, must shed blood and fight because of a grudge created in an era when they were not even born?

'Why did you do that, why did you do that?'

Will burn in hellfire.

Those who did what they shouldn't have done and hid what they shouldn't have hidden are probably now in the flames of hell, regretting it. But the price of their sins didn't end with them.

What would they think if they knew that even their descendants were caught up in this terrible cycle of resentment?

“True man!”

Song Hyeon's eyes widened at Namgung Jo-wi's sharp voice.

Not now.

As Namgung Jo-wi said, now is the time to simply fight. No matter what grudge or resentment I harbor, I cannot easily surrender my life to someone who seeks to kill me.

“What happened to Shaolin?”

“It seems a little late.”

“Are you saying that you are being lazy even in this situation?”

“That’s why it’s Shaolin. That’s why it’s Shaolin.”

"hmm……."

Namgung Jo-wi's face showed a disapproving expression, but he seemed to understand Song Hyeon's words. Shaolin was just that kind of place.

"At this point, it would be best to gather our forces and wait for them to join us. Only with the warriors sent by the Jeongmu Alliance and other forces joining can we truly compete."

“I think so too.”

Song Hyeon's face never brightened as he returned to his disciples after agreeing to the camping trip.

'What is justice?'

There is no negotiation in this war.

There is only resentment seething.

Even Doho, who was reciting the poem softly, felt weak.