Chapter 8
“Do you have something to say?”
“It seems there were no casualties, was that because the Chief Minister intervened?”
“…Yes. He desperately stopped it. It was truly fortunate.”
“Desperate?”
Seol Un-hwi, who had uttered that single word, let out a small laugh.
“Desperate… well, let’s just say that’s the case.”
The Chief Minister’s expression became strange.
“…You’re truly strange today, Young Master.”
“Is it in a good way? Or a bad way?”
“Well, I’m afraid I can’t really judge that.”
“Why can’t you judge?”
“…Excuse me?”
“It’s natural for people to make judgments in all matters. Normally, the word ‘subjective’ is used in that context.”
Seol Un-hwi reached out and grabbed the Chief Minister’s shoulder.
“Even tools can make judgments.”
“…”
“I want an answer. Is it in a good way, or a bad way?”
“…I think it’s in a good way.”
As soon as he spoke those words, Seol Un-hwi smiled, and the Chief Minister continued.
“But I am worried.”
“What worries you?”
“…You don’t seem to look back at all.”
“Then the Chief Minister should stand behind me.”
The Chief Minister couldn’t easily answer, and Seol Un-hwi didn’t press him further.
“Did you also touch the Gaebang?”
“I did.”
“How many did you kill?”
“Well, I usually don’t count those things, but this time, I killed about two.”
“…Did you also kill the Branch Chief?”
“I did.”
“What exactly are you planning to do?”
He smiled faintly.
“Is this Seol-ap a land of Gaebang?”
“…No, it’s not.”
“They are clearly parasitic beings. What should we do if beggars, who pick up leftover scraps, act like masters?”
“…What should we do?”
“Beat them to death.”
“…”
“Their club, the ‘Dog-beating Stick,’ was originally a stick used to beat beggars who harass dogs. But what should we do if the beggar holding the stick starts acting like a dog instead of a human? We must help them come to their senses.”
“By killing them?”
“If they deserve to die, then they should die. Isn’t this the Martial World?”
Just as Seol Un-hwi stood up from his seat, the Chief Minister spoke.
“Are you planning to kill all the Buntawons?”
Seol Un-hwi slowly turned his head.
“Even if Gaebang is one thing, among the Buntawons chasing the fugitives, the highest-level martial artist is Ju Cheon-gyeong. The fugitives are the same. There’s nothing higher than that. We’re at a disadvantage in numbers, but do you really think the Buntawons can go beyond collecting the items and kill all the fugitives?”
The Chief Minister’s question had a clear intention.
Why did he drive them to the edge instead of embracing them?
From the beginning, Seol Un-hwi had expected this entire situation.
The value of the items? The Yeongdan? Training resources? Money? Frankly, none of that mattered.
He meant that he wouldn’t care if he lost everything.
But there was one thing he valued even less than those, and that was “other people’s lives.”
“Do you think I made the wrong judgment?”
“…”
“I want to ask in return. What did they do when I was treated like a puppet?”
“…That…”
“As I know it, it’s been about six years. During those six years, what did they do? They watched from the sidelines.”
“…”
“Of course, there were several times when the Buntawons changed, but the fact remains unchanged—they watched from the sidelines. They must have had their reasons, but that doesn’t give them the reason to be embraced. Why should I embrace such people?”
“…But I think ruling is the same as embracing. True embracing means understanding their wrongs, forgiving them, and even giving them new opportunities.”
Seol Un-hwi pondered the Chief Minister’s words for a moment.
His eyes became serious.
“Your idea of embracing seems to be about hugging and understanding everyone, no matter the past, and dreaming of ideals.”
“…Young Master…”
“The embracing I know is different from yours. Embracing isn’t about comforting the weak. It’s about the strong delivering judgment to the weak. It’s about deciding whether they deserve to live or die. That is true embracing. So, it’s better to discard such sweet kindness.”
“…”
“At least I gave them a chance without killing them. I need those who will absolutely obey my commands.”
“…”
“Even those who ate from the same pot until yesterday, if they are betrayers, and I command their death, I would kill them without hesitation. I need that kind of blade.”
The Chief Minister closed his mouth with a complicated expression at Seol Un-hwi’s words. Seol Un-hwi continued.
“You asked if they could kill all the fugitives. I don’t know. Whether they will kill all of them and come back, or whether they will all die and return.”
“…”
“But this is the Martial World. Isn’t the Martial World a stage where one proves themselves? If they all die, then they are no more than worthless people, and not worth remembering. If they return alive, I might give them a chance.”
“…What will you do if they all die and return?”
“I will kill them all in a short period.”
“…How can you say that?”
“I plan to hire assassins.”
“…”
“There are about two assassin organizations around Seol-ap, so I can hire both.”
“Young Master…”
“And I will make an offer to the assassins. They stole a lot from here, but I will not claim ownership of those things.”
“…”
“Whether they torture or whatever, as long as they find it, they will earn additional pay on top of their original fee, so… they won’t die easily.”
He stood up from his seat.
“I’m going to train. No one is allowed inside.”
“…Yes.”
“Someone from Gaebang or Cheongun’s group will come today. Chief Minister, you welcome them. If there is nothing wrong with their offer and information, proceed as instructed. The Buntawons are unlikely to return today, but just in case, stay on standby.”
“…Understood.”
As Seol Un-hwi was about to enter his quarters, the Chief Minister asked one more question.
“May I ask how you knew about the martial arts of Han Cheol?”
“You’re asking a lot of questions today.”
“…Sorry.”
“Are you curious about the source?”
“Yes.”
Seol Un-hwi answered the Chief Minister’s question very clearly.
“I picked it up in the mountains.”
“…Excuse me?”
“To be precise, I found it under the cliff of Hwaseong Mountain. There was a skeleton, and on the stone wall in front of it, the words ‘Cheonsalnangseonggyeol’ were inscribed.”
Seol Un-hwi asked.
“Does that answer your question?”
“…Yes.”
With that, Seol Un-hwi entered the room, and the Chief Minister silently watched his back.
This passage has a tense and philosophical exchange between Seol Un-hwi and the Chief Minister, dealing with themes of power, judgment, and the nature of embracing others.
