Absolute Return Episode 338
Episode 338: In a place where you can’t die even if you want to.
“three!”
After counting to three, Geommugeuk struck down his sword without hesitation.
Woo So-chu shouted urgently.
“It’s not a dot!”
Shhhh.
The sword that was being swung down stopped in midair.
Paat.
My wrist was cut and blood flowed out. Fortunately, only the skin was cut and the bone was not severed.
‘This crazy guy! He really tried to cut it!’
Woo So-chu felt his liver and gallbladder shiver. It was the first time in his life that he had been so surprised, so he could say that his life was truly comfortable.
“It’s not a dot?”
“That thing on your forehead, it’s not a mole, it’s a tattoo.”
“Tattoo? What kind of tattoo?”
Woo So-chu hesitated.
“One, two.”
This time, when I counted to two, the answer came.
“A snake’s head.”
“A snake?”
“There is a snake head carved into its forehead. It is black, so people mistook it for a dot.”
There was only one place in the martial arts world where all the crazy guys with snake heads tattooed on their foreheads gathered.
“Could this be the Black Snake Group?”
When the Black Death Squad was mentioned, not only the priests but also the residents all became thoughtful. Jonghak, in particular, felt goosebumps all over his body when he realized that what he had seen was the Black Death Squad’s symbol.
The Black Death was a group of people who belonged to the Sapa and committed all sorts of evil deeds. They were truly infamous among the Sapa’s evildoers.
“Did you receive the Black Death’s mark?”
Woo So-chu lowered his head and was unable to answer.
The expressions on the faces of the protesters hardened completely. One of them, a middle-aged man, could not hold back any longer and shouted.
“Your Majesty, is what I said true?”
Woo So-chu raised his head and glared at him. He could read his inner thoughts in his eyes.
No matter how many mistakes I have made, how dare you criticize me to the king?
He was truly beyond help.
Aside from the person who asked the question earlier, the other signatories also glared at Woo So-chu with cold eyes. Of all places, you received a sign from the Black Squad?
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Woo So-chu shouted.
“It was all for the sake of the flag! What the hell do you know?”
Geommugeuk tapped his wrist with his sword.
Woo So-chu, who had been shouting at the reporters, was startled.
“Don’t cut it! Please!”
The ministers sighed at the sight of his frightened appearance. It was shameful to have such a person as the king.
“What is the target?”
“I don’t know.”
“No way. Even if you were blinded by money, there’s no way someone like you would have joined hands with the Black Death Group without even knowing what the prize was.”
Geommugeuk raised his hand.
“One, two… … .”
“I don’t know, I really don’t know.”
“three.”
Shhh.
Crunch!
The sword passed through his wrist.
Bam.
The moment he saw the hand falling to the floor, Woo So-chu opened his eyes wide. Still, he had never thought of it.
Phew!
Usochu screamed as blood spurted from his wrists.
“Eww!”
The people who were watching turned their heads and closed their eyes.
Jo Chun-bae and Jong-hak opened their eyes wide and watched the scene. If Geommu-geuk hadn’t come, the hand that fell to the floor would have been Jong-hak’s hand.
The blood that was gushing out had stopped. The swordsman had blown a gust of wind and pressed down on his blood vessels.
At that moment, when Woo So-chu was about to spit out curses of resentment at Geommu-geuk.
Swish.
His right hand rose into the air of its own accord.
Woo So-chu was in a state of confusion.
“No! Stop! Stop, you crazy bastard!”
The sword dance counted the numbers again.
“One, two!”
Woo So-chu shouted.
“Children!”
There was a moment of silence. An unexpected answer came.
“Children are the target?”
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“Yes. I put the children who were put to sleep by the Turtle Breath Great Law into boxes and moved them to wherever they wanted.”
Since the ghost-sik method makes you sleep like a dead person, you can move them like objects for several days. The boxes containing the children would be disguised by filling them with other soft objects. This way, you can move many children quickly without being noticed.
“Please take me to the doctor.”
He picked up the fallen hand and spoke earnestly. The only person who could put it back together would have to be a magician.
The response to the sword dance was cold.
“Why did I leave that to you? Couldn’t we use the Sapha side’s flag? Or the Black Death Corps could move it on their own. The sooner you answer, the sooner we can go.”
“I asked the same thing. Then I heard that the Murim Alliance found out about this and was monitoring them.”
I remember the Black Swordsmanship. I’ve heard stories of Black Swordsmen kidnapping children with outstanding bone structure and selling them for a huge amount of money to amass wealth. I remember it as something that happened much later than now.
“I heard that the Demon Extermination Leader of the Murim Alliance personally went to investigate. That’s why he said he was hiding.”
The Demon Destruction Commander is Jin Ha-gun, the grandson of the leader of the martial arts world. There was a change in Jin Ha-gun’s actions due to his encounter with himself. As his fate changed, the fate of the martial arts world would also change as a result.
“Please! Please take me.”
“There are still questions.”
“I will go to the congressman and give you the answer.”
“No! Answer here.”
Woo So-chu’s eyes were filled with hatred and resentment that could not be hidden.
“How much more money did you get?”
“I got paid ten times more than I originally paid.”
After answering, Woo So-chu felt eyes on him.
When he turned his head, everyone was looking at him. The residents and the people in charge all had families. They were fathers raising children, and they were someone’s children. That’s why their eyes couldn’t be kind.
“You guys are different… … .”
Before Woo So-chu could even finish speaking.
Shhhh.
Crunch!
This time, without even counting to three, Geommugeuk cut off his right hand as well.
He screamed as he saw the blood spurting out. He was out of his mind with both his hands cut off.
“That’s what you were going to do to that guy. You committed a crime.”
He was screaming and trying to stop the bleeding in his arm by putting his chin on the acupuncture point.
Back when he was running wild like a madman!
Kururur! Bam!
A clap of thunder was heard, signaling divine punishment.
Phew!
The fist of Geommu-geuk sank into his face. Woo So-chu, whose face had sunken in, fell backwards, his breath cut off. Geommu-geuk did not allow him to utter even one last word.
Jo Chun-bae and his family were surprised, embarrassed, and relieved.
The Geommu Theater sent away the residents first.
“I think it would be best for you to go back now. And since this matter is related to the Black Death, it would be best for you to keep quiet about what happened today for the time being.”
No one will ever spread a rumor about the Black Death Squad, no matter how hard you try.
When they all left, Geommugeuk asked the priests.
“Who should I talk to now about the flag issue?”
Then the gazes of the judges turned to one person. The person everyone recognized was the very person who had earlier asked Woo So-chu whether that was really so.
“This is Pyodu Hwangwon.”
“For the time being, you will take on the temporary role of the head of the household.”
“I guess so.”
Originally, I would not have interfered in the affairs of the Hwangryongpyo Kingdom at all from now on, but since Jonghak was a vassal of the ruling party, I decided to pay attention to their future activities.
“Please lend me a dozen or so sets of Hwangryongpyo-guk’s official uniforms.”
“Can I ask why?”
“As you may know, I heard that they are going to collect the reward from Cheongsurim in three days. I will take the unmanned members of the main branch and try to rescue those children first.”
“Wouldn’t what happened here reach their ears?”
“So if they don’t come out, we can’t do anything. But if we’re lucky and get to Cheongsurim before we hear this news, we might be able to save the children on this package.”
Hwang Won stared at Geommugeuk and asked.
“Why are you trying to rescue me? You… … .”
You’re the leader of the Demonic Cult. Aren’t you people more cruel than the Sapa guys?
I asked with that in mind, and got a surprising answer.
“Because they are children. I don’t know about other people, but shouldn’t we at least save the children?”
If the sword dance performance hadn’t been on display today, I would never have taken these words at face value. But the performers saw it all from beginning to end.
“Can we discuss this amongst ourselves for a moment?”
“Okay then.”
After talking with the reporters, Hwang Won came to an unexpected conclusion.
“We’ll go to Cheongsurim together. If we don’t bring familiar faces, he’ll get suspicious. He might not show up in the first place.”
A few of the signatories came forward. Not all of them, but it seems that some of them volunteered.
“It could be dangerous.”
“I know.”
“But why do you want to go?”
“We are the people of the righteous faction. Even though we are people who carry other people’s belongings, we are still the righteous faction. This is a golden opportunity to rescue the kidnapped children, and we cannot turn a blind eye to it.”
And although he didn’t say anything, I had the belief that if the leader of this demonic cult was with me, we could handle this situation well.
“Please restore the reputation of our country that the Pyo state has ruined.”
“The Black Death might retaliate later.”
It seemed like he had thought about that part too.
“As soon as I rescue the child from Cheongsurim, I will report this to the Murim Alliance and ask for their help.”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
The Sword Dance Theater accepted their request. If they go together, things will certainly be more advantageous in many ways.
After getting a set of clothes from Hwangwon and changing into them, we promised to meet at Cheongsurim in three days.
The Geommugeuk troupe rented a carriage from Pyo-guk.
“Come on, let’s get on. We have a place to go.”
Yun, Yang In, Yang Seon, Jo Chun-bae, and even Jong-hak were all put into the carriage.
“I will drive the carriage.”
Jonghak, a skilled swordsman, came forward, but declined the sword dance.
“Take care of your wounds. If you don’t take care of them now, you’ll suffer for the rest of your life.”
They forced him into the carriage.
Cho Chun-bae and his family sat facing each other in the carriage. Sitting in the same space like this, they finally felt a sense of relief that their family had safely escaped the crisis.
The voice of the person who made this miraculous event possible was heard from the stable.
“Then let’s go.”
* * *
The carriage ran without stopping for half a day.
The carriage entered the forest path and ran on, creating a pathless place, before stopping somewhere.
“You have to get off and walk for a while.”
The sword dance took them into the forest. After walking for a while, a foggy place appeared.
“From now on, will you please follow where I step?”
The women did not know the reason, but Jo Chun-bae and Jong-hak, who had seen and heard a lot, knew that they were trying to pass the Jinbeop.
Geommu-geuk walked very slowly out of consideration for the elderly Yun. Following his guidance, he passed through the formation and arrived at a place where the magnificent view of the winter waterfall unfolded.
A middle-aged man greeted them politely.
“welcome.”
Jo Chun-bae could feel that he was a master of the Demonic Cult.
The view of the snow-covered manor was so beautiful.
“This is my first time seeing such a wonderful manor.”
“Me too, sis.”
Yang In and Yang Seon were amazed.
Jo Chun-bae asked Geommu-geuk.
“Where is this place?”
“This is the main school’s safe house. It’s not a regular safe house, but a special safe house that only those above the level of Ma-zon can use. It’s a place where you can’t die even if you want to.”
Everyone was surprised at the mention of the Cheonmasingyo Anga. They never thought that the Geommu Theater would bring them to Anga. And what about a special Anga?
“I think it would be best to be careful since the Black Death has been involved. Please rest comfortably here until this matter is concluded.”
The sword dance drama took absolute care of the safety of Jo Chun-bae’s family. It eliminated every single one of them.
“How could we be in such a precious place?”
“Because I’m a friend of the leader of the Cheonmasin Church.”
“How on earth are you trying to impress me with this?”
“I look forward to free snacks at Pungryu Tavern.”
Cho Chun-bae was so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to do. It was a favor that he couldn’t finish even if he only made free snacks for the rest of his life.
The reason the Geommu Theater brought them here wasn’t just for safety reasons.
“When was the last time you traveled?”
Cho Chun-bae was taken aback by the unexpected question. When was it? There was no need to think about it.
Jo Chun-bae gave his wife an embarrassed look.
“Then has the owner ever closed the tavern to take a break?”
“doesn’t exist.”
There were times when I had to take a break because of something at home, but at least I never took a break because of myself. I opened the door every single day without fail. I opened it even when I was sick, and I opened it even when I was tired. There were days when I really wanted to take a break. I opened it on those days too.
“Little Leader? No way?”
“Yes. Think of it as a trip, and a long-awaited vacation, and get some rest.”
Jo Chun-bae didn’t know what to say. He was so moved by the person that he was dumbfounded.
“It’s an easy job for me. All I have to do is open my mouth. It’s not that big of a deal, so don’t worry about it. Then I’ll come pick you up as soon as I’m done.”
Before leaving, Geommu-geuk relayed several matters to the middle-aged mine through voice. And finally, he gave an order.
“Treat these people as you would me.”
The middle-aged man bowed his head politely.
In a flash, the sword dance disappeared into the distance, becoming a dot.
Jo Chun-bae and his family stood quietly and watched the scene.
The middle-aged man in charge of this place guided them with a kind smile.
“Okay, let’s go in.”
“Oh my, yes.”
Cho Chun-bae and his family entered the mansion. The carpets on the floor, the furniture in the hallway, and even the paintings on the walls were all precious and luxurious.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve been to a place like this.”
Where would only the Yangin be? This was their first time in a place like this.
As I passed by, I saw an open kitchen where a hostess was preparing food. It was food that you would only find in a high-class restaurant.
The middle-aged man prepared three separate rooms: the room of the Yoon family, the room of the Cho Chun-bae couple, and the room of the Jong-hak couple. The rooms were decorated more luxuriously.
“Can we do this?”
Jo Chun-bae shook his head at the two men’s question.
“I don’t know either.”
Yangseon laid Jonghak down on a bed covered with a soft, white blanket.
“Now, don’t worry and just rest.”
When Geommu-geuk left, An Ga’s doctor came and took my pulse, gave me some medicine, and left.
Yang Seon was moved by the sight and smiled brightly as he said.
“Brother-in-law is right. This is a moment that will never come again.”
Jo Chun-bae and Yang-in came into his room.
Mr. Yoon gave the largest room to his eldest son-in-law.
The two sat on the bed and stared blankly out the window. A truly stormy day had passed. Jo Chun-bae wondered if he had been dreaming.
Yang In-do felt the same way.
“As we live, days like this come.”
“That’s right.”
The sunset was beautiful outside the window in the distance. I couldn’t even remember when I last sat side by side like this and watched the sunset.
“Thank you for your hard work, honey.”
Today, those words sank even deeper into my heart. Yes, these words were enough. Because I couldn’t say these easy words, this valuable suffering became a living hell.
“You’ve had a hard time too.”
Jo Chun-bae knows how tenaciously his wife lived, raising the children and doing all kinds of hard work.
Then a commotion came from outside and said:
“The meal is ready.”
The two sat there blankly for a moment in this unrealistic reality.
Then Jo Chun-bae got up first and extended his hand to his wife.
“Madam, let’s go eat.”
Yangin got up, smiling and holding her husband’s hand. It was the first vacation she had ever had in her life.
“Then, shall we go eat some food that someone else made? I’m going to eat a lot.”
