As Prophet - Chapter 28



Only Krnovel

Episode 28. The Visitors

While I was out, I had the slaves hand out rice cakes to the people around me. Baek-ui-hyeong went up and down the road from the alley to the main street several times, familiarizing himself with the terrain, and checked out the houses nearby. However, the strange thing was that the house of the grand prince, which was said to be right next door, was not visible. No, the house that seemed to be the grand prince’s house was not visible. He regretted not asking for more details earlier.

It was a great relief that it wasn’t Prince Hwaseong. He would have gone to see the master of Dalcheon and forced him to die. If he did, his relationship with Prince Hwaseong would be irreparable. Didn’t he say he was brave because he didn’t know? Why would he come to the house of the director when he had achieved results in the last Japanese invasion?

I circled a square room with the main road as the boundary line. The sword with the belt around it caught my attention. There was no one carrying a weapon. I saw two young men in white robes passing by, holding very thin swords for self-defense. As peace grew longer, the swords became shorter and thinner.

On the way back, Baek I-jeong and his party, who had started late, came in with a carriage. Since it was an alley where carriages could not enter, they parked the carriage at the entrance and transported it.

“You’re late.”

“Yes, sir.”

Although he is not an uncle by descent, he is of the same generation as my father, so I call him uncle.

“Nothing happened?”

“I asked Prince Dalcheon again, but he refused.”

“Why did you do that? We’ve already discussed everything.”

“I heard that the political situation in Hanyang is very chaotic. I heard that instead of establishing public opinion and trying to handle things, they are working through collusion, and even using force frequently occurs.”

“That’s in the past. It won’t happen again.”

“How do you know, sir?”

“I’ve looked into it here and there. It seems like the rumors about the past were excessive. They started a rebellion because they weren’t properly recognized for their achievements in conquering the Jurchen, and ended up holding out in the mountains near Hanyang. It’s already over.”

“That’s also a rebellion.”

“Yes. The government officials must have been horrified. They punished those involved in the subsequent backlash, and the atmosphere was not good. It’s been more than five years since then.”

“Oh, yes. But I still wish Prince Dalcheon was with me.”

Baek Ui-hyeong knew that there was nothing wrong with her hope, but on the other hand, he thought that the priest needed to be taken into consideration.

“That kid, um… … we didn’t study together, um… … the times were different. But we learned from the same teacher. That’s why we’re called disciples, but that doesn’t mean that the two are of similar levels. I can’t surpass that kid’s martial arts. While I’m trying to survive in this world by learning in the mountains for a while, that kid is someone who studies in the mountains and reaches the pinnacle. They’re complete opposites. We can’t hold them to the same standards.

He needs a quiet place without people. He came out to learn about the world, but he still has to study. It might be better for him to separate from his family and stay at his parents’ house. He could study more deeply.

And there will be no need for the child’s force. I don’t know if it will happen again, but it won’t happen. You may think Yangju is far away, but it is very close. The child can come running at a moment’s notice. He said he would help us whenever we are in trouble, so don’t worry at all.”

Baek Yi-jeong bowed her head deeply at the long explanation.

“I’m sorry. I know it must be uncomfortable for you to bring up this topic again since it’s already been discussed.”

“What was your expression when you said that?”

“It’s always been the same.”

“Ahem. I guess I’ll have to go and check it out in a few days.”

“sorry.”

“Go into the house and take a look.”

“What about you, sir?”

“I was scouting the area.”

“Hohoho, reconnaissance?”

Baek I-jeong covered his mouth and laughed at the military-style expression.

Baek Ui-hyeong, who was just looking around, asked people where the private residence of the Four Princes was, but he couldn’t find it. It wasn’t in a narrow alley nearby. He thought it was strange and went back home.

* * *

It was a few days after the move that Geumwon visited Dalcheon. He went to the house and politely asked the doorman for Dalcheon, and when he was told that he would be back in the afternoon, he said that he would wait at a nearby inn.

When Dalcheon returned home, he went to the inn and found himself sitting alone on the bench, drinking alcohol.

“What’s going on?”

“I wanted to see you just once. I hope you wouldn’t refuse my visit like this.”

There weren’t many people there because it was a guest house where ships heading to Hanyang stopped for a while to fill their boats. The willow branches that had grown carelessly along the water’s edge were drooping their green leaves on the water’s edge, and the clear sky was dotted with pure white clouds. It was a clean afternoon. Dalcheon smiled softly.

“Is your injury okay?”

“Thanks to you, I feel much better.”

Mukhyeong tried moving his left arm. It was a little uncomfortable, but he thought it would be okay once he got better.

“A few strands were broken, but it won’t affect your daily life. It was a really great day.”

“You didn’t come here to say that, did you?”

“I stopped by because I wanted to build a relationship with you, as if the owner of one mountain were to go and say hello to the owner of the next mountain.”

Dalcheon’s gaze became narrow. He didn’t like the idea of ​​someone who had already descended the mountain a long time ago talking about it, but he nodded, thinking that it was understandable to think that way.

“Please speak.”

“Shortly after I came down, I stopped studying. It’s not something that can be done just by working hard. At some point, I found myself stopping. I regret that I didn’t stay in the mountains the whole time.”

Dalcheon tilted his head. For whatever reason, one has to come down someday. The most common reason is that one cannot endure it in the beginning or there is no progress in the middle. There are also many cases where one goes down due to family issues and cannot return. In the end, it is my own fault.

In any case, it is a pity for the viewer. There is a tendency to look down on them. There is no intention of listening to what they have to say about the mountain. Because they are failures.

But when he mentioned studying, Dalcheon couldn’t help but snicker. If you’ve come down, you should forget everything and live like a local. It’s really bad to harass ordinary people with your shallow studies. It didn’t seem right to become a great man with that little talent and work while studying.

“It’s a shame.”

Dalcheon thought that the only way for him to set things right was to return to the mountains and follow the path of seeking the Way. Since life can be this way or that way, such narrow-minded discrimination was definitely present. People like Baek Ui-hyeong were people who had studied for a while and wanted to live a life of non-commissioned officers, so they could freely come and go from the mountains and no one would say anything. There was a tendency to be particularly harsh and depreciating only those who had devoted themselves to the mainstream of the Taoist path. There were many complex meanings layered in the word “regrettable.” It was not about whether you did well or not, but that it was regrettable that you ended up like this.

“I felt a lot after seeing the martial arts of the mountain people.”

“Why? So you want to do it again?”

“It is impossible. How can someone who has gone astray do it again?”

“Then why?”

“I just came here because I wanted to be close to you. If you look closely, you know? It might be the opportunity to start again.”

“There are many reasons for dropping out, but I understand that most of them make it difficult to study again… … .”

Dalcheon’s words sound like a declaration. He said that he had hoped but it had already been shattered, so he couldn’t do anything about it. All I could do was sigh. Dalcheon changed the subject.

“Your Majesty, do you have any other words?”

“I told you firmly. One of you must die, whether willingly or not… … .”

“Those are scary words.”

“Isn’t that how the divine will continues? If it hadn’t been like that, the wrath of the mountain man would not have stopped.”

“I appreciate it.”

“My mouth is watering. I shouldn’t have said anything, but I was so shocked by what I had felt after so many years that it just spilled out without me knowing.”

Dalcheon said something of an ending.

“What kind of force does a ruler require? Isn’t it something like assassination of a political enemy or rebellion? There is no reason to need force like mine to live a life on this earth. And I should not interfere in the affairs of the underworld.”

“Yes.”

“The reason the Grand Prince keeps you close may not be that pure.”

“I refuse to teach martial arts except as a master.”

Dalcheon found it hard to believe, but he nodded in agreement. That was what he wanted, and he said nothing else.

“but…….”

“Go ahead.”

“I am worried because the Grand Princess’s ambition is too great.”

“I see. So you’re saying you won’t back down easily?”

“Yes.”

“There is nothing more important than life.”

Dalcheon said it bluntly. It sounded like he was going to kill her. It was something you wouldn’t say to someone you met in your daily life. Mukhyeong let out a long sigh after reading his intentions.

“What would happen if the Mars Grand Prince were to seek the throne? In a peaceful world. I don’t know much about the world, but what could he do when the nation is already ruled by a king? It would be rebellion.”

“Yes, but the desire for power changes people. It is said to be stronger and more powerful than any other desire.”

“I’ve heard that no one has ever been expelled because they were greedy for power.”

“Well, I don’t know how it came to this.”

“Aren’t you the prince’s teacher?”

“Words are teachers, but you seem to think of them as tools.”

“We are all tools to someone.”

Dalcheon smiled bashfully after saying what he had said. It was a trivial matter, but the content of the conversation changed because they shared the same opinion.

“I can’t ask you to teach me. I miss the innocent times before I came down.”

“What are you worried about when you are studying in a quiet place?”

“There are things I can’t say.”

“Seeing something and living it are two different things.”

Dalcheon pulled back.

“If you have no other business, may I stand up?”

“… … Ahem.”

Mukhyeong nodded with a look of resignation.

“I wasted a lot of time. However, if circumstances permit, I wanted to tell you to continue your studies at Geumwon.”

“Thank you. Get well soon.”

Dalcheon took the example and pulled out. He came without a reason, but there must be a reason. There are just many things that are not expressed in words.

* * *

When I returned home, Baek-ui-hyung was there. It had only been a few days, but I was so happy to see him, as if I had not seen him in years. The time of separation is like that. It is because I feel the absence regardless of the period. We seem to live in the space I have prepared for us, but in reality, we may be with the coordinates where those people are located. Even though it is the same house, it is not the same because there are no people.

“Oh. The executioner is here?”

As Dalcheon happily ran towards him, Baek Ui-hyeong showed his teeth and smiled brightly.

“Yeah, is your life enjoyable since you enjoy yourself alone without following others?”

“Hahaha! Are you still upset? Thanks to your understanding, my study on my own has deepened.”

“Yeah, you go out early in the morning to study and come back late?”

“There’s a good spot on that nameless mountain behind me.”

“Let’s just build a hermitage.”

“It’s not that I didn’t think about that either… … .”

Baek Ui-hyeong regretted saying that out loud. If it were him, he might really do that. I heard that he had been practicing alone in the mountains for quite some time at his main temple. It may only be a few months in worldly time, but studying alone for two or three seasons is by no means easy.

“I was just saying that.”

“It’s not that difficult to go up and down.”

“Was there a good seat?”

“There is a place on the ridge extending to the south with a good view and good energy.”

“Yeah, are you studying well?”

“I just have to work hard. Whether it works out or not, it’s up to heaven to help.”

“That gentleman must be busy too. Why would he care about you?”

“That’s right.”

The conversation ended with a joke.