Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Chapter 589

#589

Taejonbirok Volume 24, Episode 14

Chapter 130: The Lazy Man, Despairing (4)

It's miserable.

Looking at the battlefield, Kwon Geuk could only think of those words.

The land was devastated, and those who had lost their minds wailed in the shattered landscape, lost in thought and without a path. Those who fell before they could escape were left as cold corpses, their bodies cooling to the cold.

Blood from the corpse flows out, forming a stream.

defeat.

It was a crushing defeat, the likes of which had never been experienced in those long days of battle.

Even that cult couldn't inflict such a one-sided defeat on Kwon Geuk. There were times of defeat, but there were also times of victory. Even the most horrific defeats offered opportunities for revenge.

But not anymore.

He has no more chances. He must die with this defeat.

That fact was a bit of a sad drama.

'What a complete defeat.'

There are battles that are won through defeat. Kwon Geuk knows that sometimes, defeat is more valuable than victory.

But at least it wasn't this battle.

There is nothing to be gained.

Because they didn't find anything.

Those who wandered, unable to overcome the madness in the eyes of Kwon Geuk, entered. At least one of those who came here suffered from this symptom.

If you find out the cause of the change.

Had they figured out why they had all convulsed simultaneously, they might have had a chance to counterattack. However, while Kwon Geuk might have saved the lives of those who were destined to die here, he couldn't save those who were destined to die in the future.

Unless a solution is found, we are only prolonging the tragedy that is to come.

'It's blue.'

I lift my head slightly and see the blue sky. Whatever tragedy has befallen the earth, the sky remains as blue as ever.

Kwon Geuk wanted to live there.

Even if my body was soaked in blood and death, I always wanted my heart to be blue.

But all that was left was regret.

“Leader.”

Kwon Geuk slowly turned his head.

“……So Seongju.”

The moment Baek Hoe-myeong met Kwon Geuk's eyes, he bit his lip.

His resentment toward Kang-ho runs deep. But… …even so, he couldn't contain his hatred for this man.

How can you possibly hate someone who has dedicated everything to the martial arts world and is now dying like a withered flower? It's simply a wonder.

“Still, it’s just a martial art.”

A fleeting voice.

It was a voice that was heard only fleetingly, like smoke rising into the air and disappearing.

“Even if you can’t forget the grudge, you can still show mercy.”

“…….”

Baek Hoe-myeong was speechless.

There are a thousand things I could say to refute that. But to this dying man, it was simply too cruel.

"Please go your own way. As your senior in the martial arts world, this is all I can say."

“……Do you still think of me as Kang-ho’s junior?”

Kwon Geuk smiled brightly.

"Didn't I tell you, it's just the martial world after all. Conflict and resentment are all part of the martial world. Looking back, it'll just be a time of squabbling."

"I am……."

Baek Hoe-myeong, who had been licking his lips, ended up shaking his head.

No, no.

Just send it.

Guan Ji slowly turned his head and looked up at the sky again, as if he understood Baek Hoe-myeong's meaning.

“It’s blue.”

There is only regret.

But I have no regrets.

I wish I could have done a little better, but I did what I could. His foolishness is just something he has to bear. He did his best. That's enough.

'Yeonho, you punk.'

The face that came to his mind at the last moment was not Shin Gi-su, the detective Jo Hyeon-do who had been his lifelong friend, nor was it the family he had sent away far away.

Wi Yeon-ho.

The image of Wei Yanhu overlaps vaguely in the sky.

'I'm leaving you with too much burden.'

Still, I'm not too worried. That guy strangely makes people trust him.

“……Just a strong man.”

The great Sima Qianshi.

Those were the last words he left the world with.

Baek Hoe-myeong sighed softly as he looked up at the sky and saw Kwon Geuk's corpse frozen and cooling down.

'Is this revenge?'

It's not as refreshing as I thought.

And it wasn't as fun as I thought.

There was no thrill in inflicting the same pain on others. All that remained was an inexplicable uneasiness and a hint of sadness.

“Your Majesty, I will cut off this man’s head.”

“……What did you say?”

"This is the head of the political leader. It's a great help in lowering enemy morale and boosting the morale of our troops…"

“Look here, ghost.”

Gui-hon lowered his head as he realized that Baek Hoe-myeong's voice was unusual.

“Yes, Lord Soga.”

“As a vassal of the Hundred Schools, your words are admirable.”

"thank you."

"But as a warrior, he's the worst. At the very least, he deserves respect as a warrior. Isn't he?"

“……My thoughts were short-sighted.”

Baek Hoe-myeong clicked his tongue.

"Bury me in a sunny spot. A grave might be a luxury for a civilian, but I deserve that kind of luxury."

“I will do as you say.”

Baek Hoe-myeong turned his head and gazed at Kwon Geuk's body again. His shabby back seemed to still speak to him.

'Just a strong man… … .'

Baek Hoe-myeong shook his head and walked forward, passing Kwon Geuk's body. He heard something fall behind him, but he didn't bother to look back.

I don't want to see that person collapse.

“What’s the situation?”

“Those who escaped the siege are joining the open and fleeing.”

“Purchase.”

“We’ve already begun the pursuit. But what should we do with these guys…?”

Baek Hoe-myeong curled the corners of his mouth as he watched the madmen grumbling like beasts who had lost their minds.

“What should I do?”

Their original plan was to pit them against the Jeongmu Alliance. However, that plan was thwarted by the sacrifice of Kwon Geuk.

What remains is nothing but useless garbage. These madmen are not rational. You can make them run wild, but you can't make them obey orders.

“Leave it alone.”

"one……."

"Cleaning them up would be an option, but dealing with them would also mean taking damage. There's no need to get your hands dirty cleaning up things that would otherwise die on their own."

“You are right.”

Those without reason don't act on their own. They simply react to stimuli. Left unchecked, they will soon die, either from starvation or the reverse flow of blood and energy. Is there any need to bother them?

“More than that…….”

Baek Hoe-myeong came to a clear conclusion.

“I guess I’ll have to do some proper tracking.”

"yes!"

Pursuit is the foundation of military strategy. Nothing is easier than stabbing a fleeing enemy in the back. Isn't it true that the most victories in battle are achieved when pursuing a fleeing enemy?

“Cut off the breathing tubes. The battle isn’t over yet!”

“Your name!”

Baek Hoe-myeong frowned slightly as he watched his subordinates begin to move.

'Is this the power of Kang-ho?'

A completely unexpected twist of events occurred. But that, too, was a testament to their skill. In that situation, someone capable of acting in that manner led them as their leader. How could that be called luck?

It felt like the plan was off from the start, but it's okay for now. Perhaps we've achieved more than just slaughtering countless people.

The fact that Kwon Geuk died here would be fatal to them.

“The undying demonic spirits will run wild, but that’s something we have to accept.”

Baek Hoe-myeong shook his head and moved forward. He felt the urge to look back, but he refused to turn.

He'd already remembered the image he wanted to be remembered for. It would be better for him to be remembered as a warrior, someone he could respect, even if he was an enemy.

* * *

The atmosphere couldn't be any colder.

A stillness so peaceful that even the sound of a pin dropping resonated like thunder filled the room.

"like that……."

Chiljishin-gae sighed deeply.

“That was the last I saw.”

There is regret in his voice.

"I don't know what happened to the leader. I didn't even check his body. But… I guess you can tell without even seeing the results."

Everyone knew.

Left alone, Kwon Geuk had no chance of surviving. They might try to take him hostage, but he wasn't the type to survive like that.

I would rather die than be held hostage. That's because that's the true meaning of Sima Qian.

“Then the chase began. It was truly horrific.”

“How much did you suffer?”

Chiljisingae shook his head.

“I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know…….”

"I just had to prioritize what was important. My job wasn't to save those left behind. Anyone could do that. My job was to run faster than the birds and report this to headquarters. That's why I left them behind. I was the fastest."

The gaze of blame and resentment was directed at Chiljishin-gae.

It was a criticism of him for leaving Sima Qianshi to die and returning with his own life.

But the new investigator did not lose his senses.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

"……soldier."

"Thanks for your prompt delivery of the news, we were able to discuss countermeasures. Kangho will never forget the sacrifices made to open the world."

Chiljisingae bit his lips tightly.

Everyone bowed their heads.

Just looking at his severed arm reveals the immense hardships Chiljishinkai overcame to reach this point. Furthermore, the beggars he led were, on the whole, inferior in skill to those of other sects.

Since he abandoned his command and rushed here, the damage caused by the opening was bound to be the greatest. Shin Ki-soo pointed this out.

“So the leader has gone.”

Wi Jeong-han's voice rang out bitterly.

Even though they knew it wasn't the time to show their sorrow, no one dared speak. To speak further would mean admitting Sima Qianshi's death, so no one dared speak.

“Let’s discuss countermeasures.”

In the end, the person who spoke was Shin Gi-su.

"I know what you're all thinking, but that's not what the leader wants either. What would he say if he saw us now?"

“Hmm.”

“Your Majesty is right.”

The new investigator's eyes turned to Chiljishin Gae.

"My lord, I know it's difficult, but I need some more information. So, are those who went to Anhui still being hunted?"

"That's probably true. The situation should be more or less settled by now… but I don't know for sure. I've heard information from the beggars I let loose here and there, but the movement is so urgent."

“Then wouldn’t supporting that be the first priority?”

As voices of agreement erupted here and there, a soft voice flowed out.

It was a soft but powerful voice, so powerful that I couldn't help but listen.

“There are things that need to be taken care of before that.”

Wi Yeon-ho.

The people's gaze turned towards Wi Yeon-ho.