Chapter 1367
Do you know what shame is? (2)
“Sahyeong.”
“Hmm?”
As they ran alongside with Hwasan ahead of them, Lee Jayang subtly asked Gwak Hwanso.
“Did you understand their conversation earlier?”
Gwak Hwanso’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Without prompting, Lee Jayang continued.
“To be honest, I couldn’t quite grasp it. From what I gathered, didn’t they help those villagers who were in danger of losing their lives to Sapaeryeon on their way to Hainan?”
“It seems so.”
“So ultimately, even after receiving such a great blessing, the villagers didn’t offer a single sack of grain, didn’t they?”
“That seems to be the case…”
Lee Jayang looked straight ahead as if he had no idea what was happening. The members of Cheonumaeng were running at the front.
“But how could they be so calm? It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Frustration tinged Lee Jayang’s expression.
Seeing this, Gwak Hwanso asked casually, “What would you have done?”
“Huh? What do you mean…?”
“I mean, if you were in the shoes of Hwasan’s people, what do you think you would have done?”
Lee Jayang furrowed his brow for a moment before replying.
“I… I would have probably demanded a compensation.”
Even imagining it seemed to stir up anger in him, as his voice subtly intensified.
“Isn’t it true that people should recognize kindness? How can we call them human when they talk about gratitude with their mouths, claiming they have no way to repay, but when it comes down to it, they refuse to give up even a single grain of what they have?”
“That’s right.”
“The difference between humans and beasts is supposed to be that humans understand gratitude, isn’t it? When receiving, they are grateful, but when it comes time to help others, they turn away as if they’ve never received any help themselves. Such people don’t even deserve the right to receive help!”
Gwak Hwanso nodded slowly, indicating he understood Lee Jayang’s opinion without necessarily agreeing.
“What about you, Sahyeong?”
When Lee Jayang asked, Gwak Hwanso laughed after a moment of contemplation.
“I probably would have done the same. As you know, it’s quite a challenge for me to restrain myself in such situations, given my temperament.”
“Isn’t it?”
Lee Jayang nodded as if it was obvious.
“But… I’m not sure. Just because they’re different from us, would they have felt differently? We can only imagine, but since they experienced it firsthand, they might have been even angrier, not less.”
“Of course.”
“And, um… as you know, their temperament doesn’t seem particularly gentle compared to ours.”
At that remark, Lee Jayang’s face contorted noticeably.
Honestly, it was understandable. Now there was no one who wouldn’t acknowledge that they were true Taoists, but when Lee Jayang first saw them at the Martial Arts Competition, they were just a bunch of thugs.
Especially that Vice Sect Leader, who was as crazy as they come, aside from his prowess in martial arts, he was among the craziest people Lee Jayang had ever encountered.
The memory of the sudden brawl that ensued is still vivid. Wasn’t it those individuals who, upon hearing that their sect was criticized, came charging in without a second thought? It happened right there in Shaolin, of all places.
‘But why are they holding back now?’
Given the circumstances, he understood that they couldn’t afford to escalate the situation or waste time. But it wouldn’t have been difficult to leave a few sharp words behind.
At that moment, Gwak Hwanso spoke quietly.
“There’s a saying in Taoism.”
“Yes?”
“When you call it Tao, it’s no longer Tao.”
Lee Jayang furrowed his brow. What kind of abstract nonsense was that?
“According to that saying, the moment you call kindness ‘kindness,’ it ceases to be true kindness. It implies that the moment you demand repayment for a favor you’ve done, it no longer remains genuine kindness.”
“Hmm…”
Lee Jayang laughed at the ridiculousness of that.
Does that even make sense? Those who take righteous path are still human. How can people continue without expecting anything in return, or risk their lives for something worthless?
The ambitious young martial artists dreaming of becoming heroes, isn’t it because they aspire to gain fame and become known throughout the world through their journey?
“So, are you saying that even if you bestow kindness and receive nothing in return, and even face condemnation, you should accept it as a matter of course?”
“…”
“Then who on earth would do that?”
“They do.”
For a moment, Lee Jayang found himself speechless. He could only stare blankly at those silently running ahead.
“Of course, they’re human too, so they can’t be entirely happy about it. But it seems they consider that single sack of grain reasonable reward.”
“Are they insane…?”
Gwak Hwanso chuckled at Lee Jayang’s overly candid and vivid reaction. His own thoughts didn’t differ much. However, he vaguely understood why they thought that way.
“They’re probably hoping that someone who receives their kindness without expecting anything in return will, in turn, become someone capable of bestowing kindness without expecting anything in return.”
“Will it really work out as you say?”
“Immediately? Probably not. It’s just a continuous effort. But gradually, more people will understand their intentions.”
Lee Jayang shook his head with a complex expression in his face.
It’s an exceptionally difficult path. It’s human nature not to easily give up what they have, even when faced with strong people. How could they change?
“I see it as nothing but an unrealistic dream,”
Lee Jayang scoffed.
“Despite all the grandeur, in the end, they only received a handful of grain in exchange for saving dozens of lives and were driven away. Isn’t that the truth?”
“…”
“Is the one who gave them the grain genuinely thankful, or is it just a matter of saving face? People don’t change so easily. You know that, don’t you, Sahyeong? You have seen how stubborn and self-centered people can be.”
Gwak Hwanso nodded slowly.
Having faced the harsh realities of the sea, they understand better than anyone else how selfish people can be when their lives and livelihoods are at stake.
“I’m not disregarding them, but if someone thinks that a single sack of grain has changed everything, it’s just finding solace in denial. Nothing has really changed.”
“Yeah, that could be true.”
“Do you think that’s not it, Sahyeong?”
“In fact, I agree with you. The path they’re taking isn’t necessarily wrong, but the world isn’t so forgiving. Especially the common folk – they’re not as innocent as one might think. In fact, they can be even more selfish due to having nothing to lose.”
Gwak Hwanso looked at Chung Myung’s back as he ran ahead. The blood he had shed had dried on Chung Myung’s clothes, which were so messed up that even the word ‘rags’ was not enough.
‘What you’re trying to achieve may be even more challenging than placing the entire world around the foot of Hwasan.’
And perhaps, futile. It might just be an act of kindness unrewarded. But…
“I still want to believe that they’re not wrong.”
“…Huh?”
“… I just want to do that.”
Gwak Hwanso muttered and kicked the ground.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Vicious…”
Baek Bi’s face twisted.
As the personal aide of Ho Gamyeong and as ruthless as a beast, Baek Bi had tortured countless people and extracted information from their mouths.
The members of Maninbang were more afraid of commander Ho Gamyeong than of their leader Jang Ilso, largely due to the impact of what he had done in the shadows.
If someone fell into his hands, no matter how strong-willed they were, a mere glance was enough to make them speak. But if he allowed even a moment’s respite, he could manipulate a person’s memories from their infancy to their earliest steps.
For someone like Baek Bi, making a powerless commoner speak was child’s play. No, it only took a few breaths, not even a glance.
It had to be done, without a doubt.
However, as Baek Bi looked at the fallen figure before him, his eyes were filled with a sense of weariness. Despite always remaining composed in the face of blood, dirt, and filth pouring before him, his usually calm eyes trembled faintly.
“How…”
A voice akin to a sigh escaped him.
In truth, it was difficult to even call the figure before him a person anymore. Almost resembling a heap of bloodied flesh, it lay there without much vigor, unable to thrash or squirm.
It was still clearly alive. The faint rise and fall of the blood-stained chest indicated as much. But it seemed that not much time remained.
Baek Bi gritted his teeth.
He wished he could grind that wretched body into dust while it still breathed. But torturing it further was impossible now. Just touching it could very well snuff out whatever remained of its life.
Extracting information from that person failed, without a doubt.
“Haaa…”
Then, from the fallen one’s mouth came a sound, whether a sigh or a laugh, it was unclear. Baek Bi gritted his teeth and bowed his head towards Ho Gamyeong.
“…I apologize.”
Ho Gamyeong was observing him silently for a moment, seemingly puzzled.
“It’s strange.”
“…”
“Did you show leniency?”
“…Not exactly. I believe there wasn’t anything lacking.”
“In that case, it speaks volumes about that man. Even you, who could make formidable warriors scream like children, couldn’t get a word out of that bastard’s mouth.”
For a moment, a flash of anger crossed Baek Bi’s face.
Even those who ruled over regions, ruthless bandits, and murderers who had killed countless people couldn’t help but spill everything under his torture.
Yet, this insignificant country bumpkin managed to withstand his torture until the end. How could one explain such a situation?
Ho Gamyeong stepped forward, causing Baek Bi to step aside. Ho Gamyeong walked at a leisurely pace, still looking down coldly at the barely breathing figure.
“What reason could there be for enduring this much?”
As expected, there was no response. Ho Gamyeong lowered his body and whispered into the gaping hole that should have been an ear.
“Don’t you want to be at ease? Even if they showed you kindness, they’ve already left. You’ll never have to face them again.”
“…”
“Just turn a blind eye for a moment. Then, I’ll heal all your wounds and provide you with substantial wealth. Promising such things in exchange for information is unprecedented for me.”
“…”
“It’s a sign of how much I respect you. You’ve done enough. Even if you speak now, no one in the world would dare to criticize you.”
Surprisingly, Ho Gamyeong’s words were sincere. He was truly in awe of the person before him.
“Even if you die here like this, no one will acknowledge it. No one will admire you. Everything ultimately comes from being alive.”
“…”
“Now, this is the last chance. Answer me. If you tell me where they went, I’ll immediately treat you and promise you a position and wealth that no one would dare to disregard. And I’ll spare all the villagers as well. I promise all of this in the name of the Poisoned Heart Rakshasa – Ho Gamyeong of Sapaeryeon.”
Ho Gamyeong’s voice sweetly penetrated Hyeong Wook’s ears.
“But if you refuse, neither you nor anyone else here will survive. And even those who have risked their lives to protect you won’t know that you died so miserably here. Surely, you don’t want to die so insignificantly, do you?”
“…”
“So…”
Ho Gamyeong’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“Answer me. Where did they go?”
At that moment, a faint sound escaped Hyeong Wook’s lips. It was so small that even the keen ears of Ho Gamyeong had difficulty catching it.
“Speak more clearly,”
Ho Gamyeong moved his ear closer to Hyeong Wook’s mouth.
Hyeong Wook’s lips parted, and thick blood trickled down. From his gaping mouth, a sound that seemed like it could break at any moment emerged hesitantly.
“…Wh-“
“Which way? Say it again.”
“…”
“Speak clearly. Quickly.”
A fleeting expression of triumph briefly crossed Ho Gamyeong’s face.
Considering how rare it was for emotions to surface on his face, one could easily guess at the thrill stirring within him.
Amidst the silence that engulfed them, Hyeong Wook’s voice finally reached Ho Gamyeong’s ear.
“…ea…t…sh…i…t……”
For a moment, silence prevailed.
Ho Gamyeong’s face contorted slowly like a demon’s.
“You…!”
With all his might, Ho Gamyeong’s fist crashed down upon Hyeong Wook’s head.
Crash!
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