Episode 309
I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t speak.
The reason why Maeng’s secrets were sold to the Demonic Cult during wartime was just to meet the expectations of the Great Master of Jujuk?
Does this sound like nothing?
I turned to Jong-ri So-yeon and gestured with my chin to ask if that was true, and she nodded slowly.
‘How on earth should I accept this?’
Jong-ri So-yeon, who committed a serious crime to gain recognition from her boss, and Ju-jak Dae-ju, who protects her.
Both sides were completely incomprehensible to my common sense.
If I were a Hwaseong believer, I would have kicked Jong Li So-yeon out when her guilt was proven.
In any case, she would have argued that it was just her lone crime and that the main body had nothing to do with this incident.
‘You probably don’t know how dangerous it is to seek leniency from Zhongli Xiaoyeon in this situation.’
It was something that a leader of a faction should never have done.
Suddenly I became curious.
What on earth is the relationship between Jong-ri So-yeon and Hwaseong Island?
I could not understand what had been shown so far with a simple hierarchical relationship.
There was definitely something more to it than that.
“I know it’s a shameless request.”
“······.”
“I’m not asking you to bury this incident for Suzakudae’s sake. I don’t even hope that Commander Zhongli returns to his unit safely. “I just hope that she can survive her life.”
Hwaseongdo bowed his head with a face that looked like he was about to shed tears.
Seeing her humble appearance, which had always been confident in front of others, Jong-ri So-yeon could not stand it any longer and raised her voice.
“The fault is mine!”
“······.”
“It’s all my fault! The Great Lord and Suzakudae have nothing to do with this matter. So please punish me! “I admit to all the charges and will faithfully participate in the investigation!”
It was a truly tearful decision.
I looked at Zhongli Xiaoyeon and Zhou Jiaju alternately with an annoyed expression.
‘I’m getting a headache from talking nonsense.’
I had no idea where to start and how to point this out.
Why are they making a fuss in the interrogation room?
“First, I will give you an answer to the great lord’s request.”
“······.”
After taking a breath, I shook my head firmly and said.
“It’s impossible.”
“Cheonan Inspector General.”
“Be careful what you say. “Don’t you know what the consequences of your current actions will be?”
“I won’t ask you with my bare mouth. I promise that no matter what you ask from now on, I will definitely grant you one thing. So please think again.”
“What has already happened cannot be undone. What happened today will have already spread throughout the group, and the members of the group will show great interest in this incident. Execution is inevitable.”
Of course, Zhongli Shaoyeon in this life did not cause as much damage as he did in his previous life.
Although he was a high-ranking official, the current Zhongli Shaoyeon felt lacking in many ways to be a key figure in Meng.
Of course, the secrets she sold to the demonic cult were probably nothing more than vague information.
The Demonic Church also invested because they saw potential in her, but they probably did not expect to get much out of her right away.
In fact, in my previous life, that investment returned to the Demonic Cult as a huge profit.
‘but.’
Regardless of whether the scale of the damage was large or small, Zhongli Soyeon was clearly a felon.
The crime was incomparable to petty corruption such as bribery or stealing public office.
Punishment to be inflicted?
It was not enough to destroy Danjeon and drive him out.
He had to be beheaded just to set an example.
If she wasn’t properly punished, she could be sure that Meng’s public opinion would rapidly deteriorate.
“I’m asking you to do this…”
“My lord!”
Hwaseongdo got up from the chair and knelt on the ground.
Zhongli Xiaoyeon let out a scream-like cry.
I was embarrassed to see her throwing away everything, including her pride.
I don’t know how many rare sights I see in such a short period of time.
The master of the Suzaku, the Hwaseongdo who was like the embodiment of stubbornness, was kneeling in front of me.
I had the thought that I would return the favor one day since I had been treated so well, but I did not wish for this to be the case.
Instead of the feeling of superiority that came from being in a superior position, a feeling of discomfort and discomfort arose.
I asked, pressing my forehead with my index finger.
“Why on earth are you doing this?”
“To be honest, I don’t know myself.”
“······?”
“Maybe that child is looking at his own younger brother, who was killed by a demon a long time ago.”
Suddenly, a memory passed through my mind.
This is what was written in the information sheet delivered by Haomun in the past.
‘Did you say that you lost your parents and siblings because of a madman drunk on magic?’
It wasn’t just about being a relative, but he risked everything he had built up over something so trivial.
I didn’t understand it, but since it wasn’t important, I decided to skip it.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
‘how will we do it.’
Either ignore the request and force the execution of Zhongli Xiaoyeon, or impose a debt to Hwaseongdo at this point.
There was no harm to me either way.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to tie Hwaseong Island with Jong-ri So-yeon to make the game bigger, but we decided not to go that far.
There has to be a certain level of raising the topic.
If it were too much, it could have given cause for intervention by the ruling faction or the senior faction.
As I was contemplating with my chin resting on the back of my hand, I let out a small sigh and said.
“great. “Please do me a favor.”
“Really!”
“However, we will revise the conditions upward. “It’s something I have to take risks with.”
“······.”
“My lord, I need you to grant two requests.”
“I understand.”
“It’s not possible!”
Jong-ri So-yeon jumps up from her seat and raises her voice.
Hwaseongdo glared at her with harsh eyes.
Jong Li So-yeon, who was banned from performing internal exercises, could not withstand the momentum she gave off even for a moment.
Jong-ri So-yeon fell down on a chair, her legs feeling weak, and closed her eyes tightly.
“I will tell you this in advance so that there is no misunderstanding. “The only thing I can guarantee is her life.”
“That’s enough.”
“There are two options for you to choose from. The first is to give up Danjeon, become an ordinary person, and live buried in the wilderness. The second is to be assigned to an unofficial unit under the Cheonan Inspectorate.”
“Unofficial unit?”
“For your information, whichever one you choose, you will have to change your face. We have to officially announce that Sojeo has been executed. “Wouldn’t it be difficult if, even if just by chance, someone recognized Sojeo’s identity?”
“What does that mean? “You’re changing my face?”
“I mean it literally. “You hire a professional to change the appearance.”
“No matter what, isn’t that too much?”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something, but Zhongli Xiaoze is not in a position to choose between means and methods right now.”
“······.”
“If you can’t accept it, you can be executed gracefully.”
You don’t want to lose your beautiful face?
Then you shouldn’t have cheated in the first place.
I can guarantee that the number of monks who died due to the secrets that Zhongli Xiaoyun sold to the Demonic Cult would be at least double digits.
Is the beautiful appearance of Zhongli Xiaoyeon, a young star praised by the world, worth more than the lives of dead monks?
At least not from my standards.
Although it was unfortunate for Jong-ri So-yeon, he had no intention of taking care of her convenience.
If Hwaseongdo had not accepted the conditions I presented, I would never have offered her a way to live.
“Let me ask you. “Which would you choose, the former or the latter?”
“I won’t choose one over the other. “Please kill me instead.”
“I don’t remember giving a third option. If you want to turn the Great Lord’s sacrifice into nothingness, you can take the opportunity and commit suicide. “I won’t stop you there.”
“······.”
“Don’t procrastinate, answer quickly. There isn’t much time. “You have to set a direction so you can prepare on time.”
“······I will choose the latter.”
Jong-ri So-yeon comes up with an answer after a long period of thinking.
I nodded as if I knew it would happen.
How easy would it be for a warrior to give up martial arts?
A person with mediocre skills like Bu Yeok-un might not know it, but a martial artist who has reached the level of skill like Jong-ri So-yeon has a great reaction when he loses his dantian.
Not only was my body weakening and it was interfering with my daily life, but if I made a mistake, I could have died.
“From this time on, Zhongli Xiaoze will be stripped of his status as a martial leader and will be assigned to work in the unit I designated.”
“······.”
“The reason why I am assigned to a unit under the Cheonan Inspectorate is for the purpose of surveillance, but it is also to give me a chance to repay my sins by working for the Maeng.”
Zhongli Shaoyeon lowered her head and cried quietly.
Master Suzaku stood up with my support and stared at her with a bitter expression.
“I don’t think we are in the mood for further interrogation, so let’s leave the room for now. Lord, please go back now. “Shouldn’t you go to the Suzaku members and explain the situation?”
“I understand.”
* * *
The Murim Alliance was shocked.
Everyone was shocked when the betrayal of Zhongli Xiaoyeon, who was said to be a talented person who would lead Meng’s future, became known.
The main body was silent about the incident.
All the blame lies with Jong Li So-yeon, and Jujakdae maintained that he did not know about the wrongdoing she committed.
Many people argued over the topic, ‘What kind of punishment will Geombong (劍鳳) receive?’
Meanwhile, the Cheonan Inspectorate officially announced some news.
The men who had always admired her sighed.
Some people responded that it was a good death and that it was refreshing.
The execution ceremony was not carried out in front of ordinary believers, and the severed head was not performed.
However, no one complained about that fact.
It was a very different reaction from the time when the head of the inspection department and the head of law enforcement were punished.
The public’s heart is so treacherous that they become infinitely lenient toward the sins committed by beautiful women or heroes they admire.
The followers who had only seen Zhongli Shaoyeon’s good looks until now did not want to see her head hanging on a pole.
“How do you feel?”
I stared at the woman whose entire face was wrapped in white cloth and asked her what she thought.
The woman, Zhongli Shaoyeon, answered, looking up at the ceiling with eyes like dead fish.
“I do not know. “How am I feeling right now?”
Red-stained cloth and cut hair were strewn under the bed.
The worker who finished the work wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and clicked his tongue.
“I’ve had countless guests, but this is my first time experiencing something like this.”
“Thank you for your effort.”
“It feels like randomly scratching a well-polished gem. I felt like it was a waste throughout the procedure.
“Never mind. Didn’t Noya just do what he was ordered to do?”
“······.”
“I repeat, what happened here must never be revealed to the outside world.”
The trader who received the payment leaves the room.
I spoke as a warning to Jong Li So-yeon, who was motionless as if she were dead.
“Don’t forget. Sojeo is alive today thanks to the sacrifice of Lord Sujak.”
“······.”
“It would be better not to do anything stupid. “If you don’t want to cause any more trouble to the great lord.”
The best way to control Zhongli Shaoyeon now was to stimulate her guilt.
That’s why she didn’t bother to say what she knew.
“Take a good rest.”
I said goodbye and left the room.
martial arts,
