As Prophet - Chapter 83



Only Krnovel

Episode 83. The Temple of the Demon

“I will help you! I will help you run the military for the country in the name of the deceased. I will help you so that you will not lack anything and can devote yourself to nurturing the next generation. Don’t think about going anywhere and focus on education.”

Dalcheon knelt on the ground.

“Your kindness is truly infinite.”

“I’m going back.”

At the king’s command, the warriors in plain clothes moved quickly. They mounted their horses and surrounded the king like an iron wall.

“I have never felt so sorry since becoming your king.”

“I am so grateful.”

“Come visit the palace sometime.”

“majesty.”

“It’s nothing. I won’t make it a burden, so come by within a month. I’ll tell Baek Sa-ban the schedule.”

I couldn’t say no until then.

“It will be as you command, Your Majesty.”

“You agree to just one thing. Just that one thing! Hehe. Oh my gosh, this is impossible.”

The king let out a bewildered laugh, but he didn’t seem to mind because he was watching the amazing performance.

The king is on his way. At Dalcheon’s signal, the students who were scattered everywhere gathered and came to see the king off. The three members of the training center who were hiding on one side came out hesitantly and caught the eyes of the chief minister. For some reason, they were people who should not be there. Fearing that another word would come out, he motioned to the side, and the three lowered their postures and hid behind the students.

Dozens of people sent the king off.

“I hope you will become great people who are both civil and military. I entrust the future of our country to you.”

“Your kindness is truly infinite.”

It was just a word, but it was the king’s word. Everyone shouted “Seong-eun-i-something” and knelt on the ground. The sun that had risen in the morning rose very high above the sky, as the group quickly departed to the west just as they had come.

* * *

Dalcheon found the prince.

“There is something I do not understand in what Your Majesty said.”

“There were more things I didn’t understand in what Guan Zhu said.”

“I said no when they told me to come downstairs. The words were different, but the meaning was the same.”

“Was it so? Oh, I have never met such a king before, so I don’t know what to say. Anyway, he said he would help run the academy. His Majesty’s orders will come down, and it won’t be easy. Take this opportunity to completely overhaul and get things in order.”

“Ahem. It’s not enough, so I’ll just wait quietly. What do you think will come?”

“First, government slaves will come, and then the usual support is the handing down of land.”

“Oh, slaves and fields! Then?”

“You can use the grain from the farm to help run the academy.”

“Ahahaha! Then I can eat lunch properly now. Eating dried food is only for a day or two. Ahahaha.”

“I heard they do that in the mountains… … .”

“No. I don’t eat like that even in the mountains. I eat better than you think. That’s how I study. Ahaha! What else is there?”

The general looked down at the buildings below that were still under construction.

“You saw the building being built, so there will be a lot of lumber coming. It is a very high-quality, straight lumber called Hwangjangmok. It will be cut down in the winter and dried for a year, so you can build right away. And maybe they can even transport an entire temple to you. If you take it apart and bring it here and reassemble it, it will look exactly the same. In the early days of the founding of the country, they used materials from the temple to build the houses of many meritorious subjects.”

“That’s a bit concerning.”

“In the case of Sabuhakdang in Hanyang, we gave them the right to fish in the Jeolla-do fishing grounds. We run it with what we get from there.”

“Ahem, again?”

“This is because Baek Sa-ban is nearby, so weapons, armor, and horses may come from the training center or the offices under the three military departments.”

“Ahaha! That’s the best. It’s so hard to find a horse. Now that three people have all ridden away, there’s no way to fight.”

“It’s just an estimate. Don’t expect too much. As you said a few days ago, it’s a really poor country.”

Dalcheon was very happy as he drew the support items. The general touched the floor to get Dalcheon’s attention. Dalcheon, who had been smiling happily, blinked and became serious.

“Why? I’m surprised when you touch the floor like that.”

“The governor is surprised. More importantly, did you really plan on leaving?”

“If you don’t like this temple, you should leave. Even if you do, you’ll probably end up in a different temple.”

“… … .”

“I approach it with the determination to leave at any time. I try not to leave behind any traces of clumsy emotions, and I do my best so that I won’t have any regrets when I leave.”

“Did you say it was the best?”

“Yes, it’s the best. If you do your best, there’s nothing to regret or be sad about. It’s because you didn’t do your best that you feel regretful.”

“At times like this, I feel like I’m seeing a Taoist master.”

Dalcheon glared.

“Me? I am the Taoist! I am a Taoist who is known in Joseon, Liaodong, Liaoxi, and even the grasslands.”

“Huh, really?”

“When a Taoist master appears in the world, quite a few people come to visit. It was several years ago that the masters of the entire mountain came to visit and caused a commotion. I am a Taoist master!”

The Grand Prince smiles happily. Yes, this man is a Taoist. He may seem like a child because of his childish behavior at times, but he is a Taoist.

“You must keep your promise to enter the palace. You were told to come in within a month.”

“Come in, okay? I’ll go and sweep it all away.”

When people talk like this, they seem really light.

“What are you sweeping?”

“There are so many traitors and disloyal officials.”

* A traitorous subject: A subject who causes chaos in the country and a child who harms his parents. In other words, a person who is like a parasite in society.

“Huh?”

“And the government offices and palaces in Hanyang are called Bokmajeon (伏魔殿).”

* Bokmajeon (伏魔殿): refers to a house or cave where the devil hides. A place where evil deeds are secretly planned or carried out.

“Who said that?”

“That’s what I’ve heard from many people. When I put together the various rumors I’ve heard since I was a clerk in the countryside, it definitely doesn’t seem like a place where you can do proper work.”

“That’s a huge leap.”

“That’s what I’m saying. If I go there with the determination to wipe it out if I get caught, will that be enough?”

“You shouldn’t do that.”

“I saw that gentleman named Do Seung-ji earlier, and he seemed very negative. If someone like that were to serve Your Majesty right next to you, what would happen to the work Your Majesty does?”

“Are you trying to sweep it away?”

“I over-expressed what I saw and what I felt. Ahaha! Why did you ask me to see it instead?”

It seemed that even the Grand General had not thought about it deeply. I understood it as a kind of reservation to wait for another opportunity since I had tried to persuade him when we first met but it didn’t work. However, since he said he would set a different date within a month, it seemed like he had some kind of plan.

“Hmm, what do you think? I said everything I wanted to say. I said no, and nothing will change next time.”

“I need to think about it. As you said, it’s a fortune teller. I need to see what he’s thinking… … Ahem.”

“What’s wrong with the palace? It’s a problem that can only be solved by someone like me.”

“I haven’t been to the palace for a long time. I don’t know.”

“Whew, information is important. If you know it in advance, you don’t have to worry about coming up with countermeasures, right?”

“There are some very political issues, but that’s politics.”

Dalcheon drew attention by touching the floor like the prince had done. It was funny because the way he followed was similar.

“why?”

“I would like to ask you to accompany me when I enter the palace this time.”

“why?”

“Well, as a guide… … . First of all, I don’t know the way. And, well, if we go together, we won’t have to worry about the Grand Prince’s safety anymore. People will think, ‘That little brat is behind the Grand Prince.’ And thirdly, since he lived in the palace, he must have an eye for things. As I said before, I have a very foolish side that sees things straight. That’s why I always get hurt and repeat the same experiences.

When someone says let’s have a meal, I know that we really have to eat. The person who speaks only fills in the time of the relationship that was lacking at the time of separation with similar words, but it literally takes time to understand, wait, ask, and then recover from the hurt feelings after being rejected.”

“There is that side to it. Ahem.”

“Please. Oh, and when the king enters the palace, he is accompanied by one or two officials, instructors, or students. Isn’t the king an official? Ahaha.”

At times like this, he seems really shameless. He must know how much the prince hates the palace, but he asks without hesitation. The prince kept his mouth shut. It seemed like he was saying that he would never answer. Dalcheon smiled faintly and asked.

“It will be beneficial.”

“No, does a Taoist talk about gains and losses?”

“Well, they say that when persuading people in the world, you have to do it with pros and cons. So instead of just asking, I’m going to show them the pros and cons. Ahaha.”

It is really annoying that he speaks of the world and says that he is an outsider. There will never again be anyone who thinks of the Grand Prince as just an attendant.

“Do you really think they shouldn’t be touched in the future?”

“Of course. The minds of the officials are clear.”

“What is it like, in that head?”

“I think they have the intention of working for a long time, the intention of moving up, and the hope that this movie will continue for future generations. That’s about it. So wearing a government uniform and feeling the weight is nothing special. They are the kind of people who would easily throw away a hundred years of great work if they could work for one more year. They throw away the precious things that are connected to human relationships like flies. There’s nothing special to show them. If you say, ‘I’ll let you work for one more year,’ they’ll do anything crazy. If you say, ‘I’ll promote you when the opportunity arises,’ they’ll treat you like a deity. Isn’t that right? If you say, ‘I heard your son’s been playing around lately? I have a place I can help you get a job at,’ they’ll come running barefoot. Are they people? They’re the lowest of the desire realms. Hahaha.”

* Desire realm: K? madh? tu is one of the states of existence that living beings can be in, and is also the world in which living beings in this state reside.

“Have you studied Buddhism?”

“Yes, of course. We sometimes go to the temple at the foot of our mountain and get food to eat.”

“I think you are taking officials too lightly.”

“These are the simplest of the formulas that determine a person’s actions. There’s nothing more to see. Of course, not all of them are like that. There are also great shepherds like Baek Sa-ban. Hahaha.”

“To satisfy their greed?”

“It might show you that it’s not that big of a deal.”

“How?”

“Overwhelming force! I would wake up if I thought I was going to die right here. I think I won’t die, so I do all that crap. I think I’ll live forever.”

There is a logical structure in Dalcheon’s words that is not easily visible. It is something that goes beyond the common sense of ordinary people, but it is a causal relationship of simple and radical formulas that is too different.

“Are you going to use violence?”

“Oh, I don’t like that kind of thing. If you could just block my throat for half an hour so I couldn’t breathe, my outlook on life would change.”

“That is violence.”

“That’s what I mean. Well, I won’t lift a finger. Anyway, you’ll come with me, right?”

I couldn’t say no or no to this request.

“Okay, I will do that.”

“thank you.”

Dalcheon pulled back.

“How are your studies?”

“that is…….”

“Is there any progress?”

“That… … seems like it’ll work, it seems like I can catch it, but I can’t. I feel like I can get past this, but what was right in front of me is way too far away. It’s been a bit, how should I put it, strange these days.”

“It’s strange, it’s strange.”