Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Chapter 574

#574

Taejonbirok Volume 23, Episode 24

Chapter 127: The Lazy Man Advances (4)

“Aren’t you going to keep your head straight?”

“…….”

As we go through life, we encounter countless instances of injustice. If you've never experienced any injustice, you've lived a truly peaceful and happy life.

But such a peaceful life could not be given to a beggar.

Seokpyeong (石坪) was a beggar, and as such, his life had been quite arduous. For a beggar living off of beggars, it was common to be insulted without reason, and sometimes he was falsely accused of stealing something he didn't, and was beaten to death.

Seok-pyeong, who had lived without losing his pride as a beggar despite the countless injustices he had endured, could not help but feel truly wronged at this moment.

“……I, Mr. Sogeulgae.”

"what?"

Seokpyeong, with his head buried in the ground, protested as if it was unfair.

"It was certainly our fault for not recognizing you, Sogeulgae. But how could we have known who was inside? Couldn't it have been you, Sogeulgae?"

"okay?"

“Yes! This is unfair.”

The beggars murmured in agreement.

Yet, he didn't lift his head from the floor. It was unfair, but Sogeulgae's orders were absolute.

“Unfair?”

Voices full of resentment protested all at once, but Jang Il simply turned a deaf ear.

“You feel wronged?”

"yes!"

"what?"

“We, we have a little girl…….”

“What would you do if it weren’t for me?”

"yes……?"

Jang-il spat on the floor.

"What? They don't even pay taxes, and they're begging or something? Are these beggars all eating rice and then getting sick? What do they do to each other, beggars? Taxes?"

That's it.

Seokpyeong closed his eyes tightly.

I thought he was angry because I hadn't treated him properly, like I was being harassed by him by suddenly ordering him to assemble. But now Jang-il was fuming about something entirely different.

And that part was beyond words.

"You beggars have nothing better to do, so you rob other beggars? Did they teach you that in your room?! They give you instructions once a month to help each other out, but what? Taxes? Taxes, huh?"

Jang-il thumped the floor with the club he was holding.

"If anyone saw you, they'd think you were from the government and came to collect taxes. Hey, you beggars. Why are you collecting taxes? If that's the case, you should have passed the civil service examination and become a government official. Are you crazy enough to be begging and lying around here?"

“That, that is…….”

Seokpyeong made excuses in a voice that was becoming increasingly shaky.

"Luoyang is such a large city that if we don't manage it properly, all sorts of people will flock there. From the beginning, we too…"

"what?"

Jang Il's voice lowered slightly.

Then Seokpyeong shut his mouth like a clam. What's most essential for surviving as a beggar isn't the ability to beg, nor the patience to endure hunger.

Just notice.

A beggar who lacks tact will be beaten to death. In this world, even sane people are murdered for offending others. If a beggar acts without tact, people won't tolerate a beating.

Seokpyeong's trained eyes were signaling that it was time to keep his mouth shut.

"hey."

"yes!"

“Were you a beggar from the beginning? Were you born a beggar?”

"……no."

"These are the kind of people who are like this. A beggar is someone who has nothing. They're beggars because they have nothing in their hands! And you look down on other beggars just because you've got that little bit of power?"

When Jang-il shouted, the beggars tightly closed their eyes.

'No, why is that person talking nonsense?'

Don't you know that those who make excuses get hit harder?

Jang-il glared at the beggars with blazing eyes and then opened his mouth.

“Overall weather.”

"yes!"

The beggars suddenly rose from their seats.

Jang-il glared at them and then opened his mouth.

“If things were as they were, I would have given you a harsh reprimand for looking down on fellow beggars, and I would have even given you a beating for failing to teach you properly!”

At Jang Il's words, everyone's mouths shut like clams.

In terms of hierarchy, Jang Il, a Sogeolgae, could not possibly intimidate the Buntajus. However, this was only a nominal hierarchy. Jang Il, by virtue of his position as Sogeolgae, could directly report what he witnessed to Bangju and decide on punishment.

If Jang Il takes a stand and starts to shake things up, Luoyang's open division will be shattered.

Then who will the Buntaju rob?

It's obvious.

The beggars, terrified, clung to Jang Il.

“Please, spare me.”

“I was wrong! I won’t do it again!”

“Then we die! The Lord of the Bunta will roast us!”

Jang Il said, clicking his tongue.

“Tsk, if it were normal, there would be no room for forgiveness, but since the situation is so urgent, I’ll let it slide this time.”

Only then did sighs of relief escape.

"instead……."

Jang-il smiled faintly.

“I need you to do something.”

"……yes?"

The beggars' faces were filled with anxiety.

“I am reporting to you.”

"hmm."

Shin Ki-su, who had taken up residence in a makeshift office in place of the collapsed main building, received the report with a trembling face.

“If you want to finish what I asked you to do, you won’t have time to come here and report back, right?”

“Don't worry. I've entrusted it to trustworthy people.”

“……It’s not something that ordinary people can do.”

“I left it to the right person.”

“Well, then.”

When Jang-il said that, Shin Gi-su seemed convinced and didn't ask any more questions.

In fact, Jang-il's grumbling and complaining may have diminished his credibility, but his work was not bad. By the standards of the Shin Gi-su investigation, not bad means he was incredibly thorough in the eyes of others.

If he could say that he had entrusted the job to the right person, it meant that he didn't have to worry about future progress.

“It’s such a sensitive issue, so please pay attention to it.”

“Yes. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not as lazy as that guy.”

"……yes."

A strange situation was unfolding in which a beggar was confident in his diligence, and the listener acknowledged his words.

“What about the rumors?”

“It’s spreading well.”

“Hmm.”

As soon as Shin Gi-su tried to say something, Jang Il struck him first.

"They're tight-lipped. And no one really listens to what comes out of a beggar's mouth, so don't worry about it."

“I guess so.”

That's why the new detective asked Jang Il to do this job.

“Ugh, do I really have to go this far?”

Right now, they were spreading rumors about Wei Yanho. It's important to handle the aftermath. However, Shin Gi-su believed that the first priority was to spread rumors about Wei Yanho.

'I need elements.'

We don't know how the future will unfold. We might win more easily than we expected, or we might suffer an absurd defeat. In this uncertain situation, we need a beacon to sustain the people's resolve.

The new investigator raised his head and looked up at the ceiling. As he gazed at the cracked ceiling, his heart sank.

'It's the misfortune of the world that it has to be Wei Yanho.'

I don't expect much.

Because perfect superhumans don't exist in this world. Someone strong enough to be the hope of the martial world, yet with a perfect personality? That kind of person simply doesn't exist.

Kwon Geuk was very close to that, but he lacked the power to remain everyone's hero.

On the other hand, Wei Yanhu had everything.

Power enough to be the hope of the world, potential enough to be the object of expectations, and… … .

'He's moderately handsome.'

It's a pretty important factor. How you appear to others is also important.

“Just personality… personality!”

People can't be perfect.

Even Shin Gi-su-sa doesn't expect perfection from Wi Yeon-ho. It's okay to be a little bit arrogant, and it's okay to be a little bit arrogant.

Even if Wi Yeon-ho was a savage who killed people like bugs, Shin Gi-su was confident that he could package it up nicely.

“But why that guy of all people! Why!”

“Calm down, sir.”

“Ugh.”

The new investigator shook his head violently.

No matter how harsh the world is, isn't this a bit harsh?

“The day will come when I have to pack that guy with my own hands.”

We can't simply present the rumors of Wei Yanhu as they are. We must subtract what needs to be removed and add what needs to be added, creating a perfect hope for the martial world.

“It can’t be helped.”

The new detective nodded.

'It's literally true.'

It can't be helped. Even if a human couldn't do it, even if Wei Yanhu was even more of a dog than he is now, Shin Gi-su would risk his life to protect Wei Yanhu.

“We need to spread the word.”

“I will do my best.”

People in desperate situations naturally seek something to lean on. Those who have hope don't crumble. People don't crumble because they're struggling. They crumble because they have nowhere to turn. No matter how difficult it is, those with hope don't give up.

'And hope is not given.'

Hope is something you create.

Ordinary people simply find hope in the world around them, but those like Shin Gi-su must create hope for others to lean on. In the last war, Kwon Geuk and a few others played that role. Now, Wi Yeon-ho must fulfill that role.

"really……."

The new investigator ended up laughing slightly.

'You say that, but aren't I also holding onto that guy as my hope?'

Those who find Wei Yanhu most terrifying are those who know him only a little. Those who don't know him well, or know him too well, end up relying on him.

Those who don't know Wei Yanho well only see his accomplishments, while those who know him well, despite all his flaws, know that he is a man who ultimately achieves. That's why they have high hopes. Vaguely, yet fervently.

Just like the current new investigation.

“That aside…….”

The new investigators have sorted out the situation. Now is not the time to waste time dwelling on such thoughts.

“Eternal.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you heard anything yet? From those dispatched from this side?”

“The enemy is not flying.”

“Hmm.”

The new investigator narrowed his eyes.

'Not yet?'

It's like a stone is being placed on my chest. It's a situation where I'm about to receive a call.

'I don't understand.'

Kwon Geuk wasn't the type of person who wouldn't contact him. Even if he died in an accident, he would still have someone to contact him. And there were people there, personally dispatched by the Shin Gi-su Investigation Agency, to make contact.

But does it make sense that they don't contact me at all?

'If I send a letter, it will take only a day. But I still haven't heard from you… '

It's one of two things.

Either an accident occurred and killed everyone who had been trying to adapt, or something so dire that they couldn't even think about adapting. Either way, it wasn't a good thing.

“Try to adapt again.”

“Sergeant One.”

“Just do it.”

"All right."

It was a moment when Yeong-Jeon nodded as if he understood.

A loud voice was heard outside.

"Sir! Adapt! Adaptation is here! Now!"

Shin Ki-su jumped up from his seat.

“Bring it here quickly! Quickly!”

The new detective who received the urgently delivered red envelope opened it without delay.

And then… … .

The detective's eyes trembled as if he had experienced an earthquake.