My vision is all red.
There is nothing that is not red. Of course, it may not be an appropriate sentiment to feel at this moment.
The moonless night of the New Year was colored with the color of a blazing fire. A scene so intense and so foreign that it made you shudder was engraved like a burn in Hu Jia-ming’s eyes that day.
Someone’s screams, cries, and despair again. All of that disturbed my ears.
The fire engulfed everything and became brighter. It was as if the sun, which had disappeared leaving behind darkness in the sky, had descended here.
Hu Jiaming, who was staring at the fire in bewilderment, suddenly felt that all of this was just comical.
Was it this easy?
Was it something that could be done so easily?
I was so embarrassed. Even though they committed so many evil deeds, did they live without even the slightest preparation for the sword pointed at them?
They couldn’t even imagine that someone could be targeting them. Even though I have lived with so much resentment.
That fact was so funny that Hu Jiaming ended up laughing.
“Aaaahhh!”
Another scream pierced my ears. I could clearly feel the fear and injustice inside.
What on earth is unfair? When they think of those who have been trampled by their hands, even if their bodies are torn to pieces, it will not be enough. How on earth is the world they live in so different from the world he lived in?
The acrid smoke stung my nose, and the bloody smell mixed with it hurt my stomach. It seemed to seep into not only his clothes but also his skin.
“Ugh! “Ugh!”
At that time, an evil voice pierced my ears. When Ho Ga-myeong turned around, he saw Jang Il-so walking out through the wide open manor gate.
Pulling someone by their hair and dragging them.
“No, let go…” … . Let go, you bastard! How dare you know who I am!”
A fat old man struggling to get rid of the hand that was holding his hair. Hu Jiamyeong knew very well who he was.
Jang Il-so asked calmly.
“Is this the guy you wanted?”
Hu Jiaming nodded slowly. His gaze did not leave the old man for even a moment.
Jang Il-so threw the object he was holding in front of Ho Ji-myeong like throwing an object.
Quadang!
“eww… … . Ugh… … .”
The old man groaned in pain and lifted his head with difficulty. And he belatedly checked the person in front of him.
“You, you…” … .”
In those eyes, there was a brief despair, a deep sense of despair, a slight fear, and a sense of embarrassment as a human being. But even for a moment, only anger blazed in his eyes again.
“Who are you?”
“… … .”
Hu Jiaming was dazed at that moment and could not say anything. When a person gets too angry, they tend to lose their mind for a moment.
Then the old man became even more elated and cheered up.
“Yes, yes you bastard! “Do you think you can do something like this and still get away with it?”
I didn’t know about it. He is who he is. Who is the nickname?
I didn’t want to ask for forgiveness. But she believed she would at least recognize him.
I thought that maybe he was on the lookout for Hu Jiaming, who would one day surpass his power and seek revenge.
Hu Jiaming constantly asked himself questions and prepared numerous answers. His relationship with the prince, and even countermeasures against the numerous threats he will pull out.
But at this moment, it all became meaningless.
“Yes, I don’t care who you are. From the looks of it, you seem to read every line, but you should know who I am. “There’s no way you don’t know how reckless and reckless this is!”
Hu Jiaming ended up letting out a helpless laugh.
I’m not bluffing. The old man really doesn’t know. Even though he had reached this point, he did not understand that he was now being trampled by the feet of Hu Jiaming.
“Wangsa (王師)… … .”
How could you not know?
Even if all of that is false, he has accumulated enough knowledge to be called the king’s teacher. He has withstood the fierce struggle of the imperial palace for decades.
But why do you say such stupid things without even understanding my situation?
The more I thought about it, the more I started laughing.
Yes, it’s easy to not know. People would never dream that they would die from being bitten by ants. Even if you get bitten by an ant, you will find the reason for your death somewhere else.
To this old man, his nickname and his family name were nothing more than insignificant ants, nothing more or less.
So, even though he trampled on his family and the anthill, he must have slept comfortably without even being on guard. Because ants don’t know how to take revenge. Because people believe that.
“Not yet, not too late. “If you bite everyone and forgive them right now, I’ll spare your life!”
“… … .”
“But if you don’t, you and your whole family will be put to death! This is definitely not just a threat! Do you understand?”
Hu Jiaming laughed.
No, I cried.
Did his family have to suffer like that just because of the greed of a person like this and a lowly bastard? At best?
When Hu Jiaming followed the words of Gong Meng, the king’s history was so high and great. However, when I looked at him like an animal, I saw that Wangsa was just an extremely fat and ugly old man.
Hu Jiaming finally spoke.
“How will you destroy it?”
“… … what?”
“All of my relatives have already died by your hands. How can you destroy them? Would you dig up the grave and trample on its white bones?”
The king’s eyes briefly wavered.
“I’m sorry, Wangsa.”
“Yes, you… … .”
The old man began to tremble. I finally realized it. He knew that whatever capital title he had would not work on Ming.
His eyes, which had been full of greed and arrogance, now began to roll with fear.
“Now, just a moment! Wait a moment! “What do you want?”
“… … .”
“I can give. I can give you anything. government office! Riches! dominance! enjoyment! Whatever it is, I can give it to you! But if I die, you will be chased for the rest of your life! “Don’t you know?”
As there was no change in Hu Jia-ming’s expression, the old man became impatient and crawled on all fours, holding on to his trouser legs.
“Now, think carefully! “Isn’t there something we can do about what has already been lost?”
The old man’s eyes showed an earnest wish that was so desperate that it seemed pure. Hu Jiaming looked down at this coldly and said.
“What’s the point in surviving like that?”
“… … .”
“Your family and relatives have already been beheaded. But what are you going to do while surviving alone, waiting for the day when you grow old and die? Wouldn’t it be better to die proudly here?”
Then the king’s face distorted fiercely.
“You don’t know! “Family, relatives, what does it all mean?”
“… … .”
“They only have meaning if I have them! What value do I have to them without me? If I’m alive, I can rebuild my family. “As long as I don’t lose my strength!”
I knew what the name of the thing that was shining in the old man’s eyes was called.
It’s just greed that someone who was once respected by many Confucians and Jungwons held on until the last moment. Desire.
“So save me! Well, you lost your family too! Same goes for me. “Then wouldn’t it be okay for us to become each other’s family?”
“… … family?”
The old man must have thought, “This is working.” He nodded vigorously.
“Come as my adopted son! Then you will have all my wealth and power. Then wouldn’t you be able to restore your family’s honor and send them off in peace?”
The old man’s grip on the hem of Hu Ga-myeong’s pants gained even more strength. Hu Jiaming just looked down at that hand blankly.
It was someone other than Ho Ga-myeong who responded to the proposal.
Tuk.
He dropped something near the household name.
When I turned my head, I saw a dagger stuck in the ground.
“Doesn’t that sound like a bad offer?”
Hu Ga-myeong, who picked up the dagger, looked at Jang Il-so, the person who opened his mouth.
“… … “You said it wasn’t a bad offer?”
“Don’t you think so?”
Jang Il-so twisted the corner of his mouth as if he was mocking.
“There will be suspicions. But I think that offer is sincere. A guy like that doesn’t really have any grudges. Now that my other relatives have died, wouldn’t I need a smart young guy to manage my property and take care of me with the utmost care?”
“… … .”
“If you promise right, he will really adopt you. Then you will inherit everything from that guy. “Wealth that others would never be able to obtain even if they worked like dogs all their lives, and even power that they could never hope for even if they risked their lives.”
Hu Jiaming’s eyes darkened. However, Jang Il-so paid no heed and continued speaking.
“No matter how much revenge you take, what you already lost will not come back. A dead bastard is just a dead bastard, and there will be no rejoicing in the afterlife for your revenge. “Then the only thing left to do is to resent your petty resentment.”
Jang Il-so said mockingly.
“I think I received an offer that was more than adequate in return for that grudge.”
Ho Jiamyeong, who was looking at Jang Ilso intently, asked.
“are you okay?”
“I just get paid and that’s it.”
The corner of Jang Il-so’s mouth curls up.
“If you can sort it out at this point, I too will be able to avoid having to deal with it in the future. “Wasn’t that the deal from the beginning?”
“… … .”
Hu Jiaming’s eyes turned to Wang Si again.
Meanwhile, the king was desperately looking at Hu Jiamyeong. There was definitely a hope in those eyes that wasn’t there just a moment ago. There was hope that Hu Jiamyeong might accept his offer.
After a moment of silence, Hu Jiaming opened his mouth.
“… … “That’s a good suggestion.”
“Well, then… … !”
“Thanks to you, I know for sure now. What did I do wrong? “What a foolish thing you did.”
The king’s eyes shook.
“Wangsa. Please be aware. “My name is Ho Ga-myeong.”
“Ho, ho… … .”
And it was that moment.
Paaaaaa!
Quad deuk!
The dagger wielded by Hu Jiaming like a sword struck Wangsa’s shoulder.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A cruel scream burst from the king’s mouth. Every time the dagger stuck in her shoulder twisted left and right, blood splattered mercilessly onto Ho Ga-myeong’s face.
“You’re going to pay for something like that? “Something like that?”
“Ah, ah! Argh!”
Ho Jiamyeong grabbed Wangsa’s hair, which had become scattered.
“Take note, Wangsa.”
Hu Jiaming’s bloodshot eyes stared directly into Wangsa’s tearful eyes. The venom in those eyes seemed as if it would burn and melt the king at any moment.
“Trade can be established when both sides offer something that is appealing to both parties. “Don’t push for what you think is valuable.”
Faaaat.
Hu Ga-myeong pulled out the dagger stuck on the king’s shoulder and struck it back.
The king’s eyes, looking at the dagger stained with his own blood, showed such despair that he could not resist.
“Please…” … .”
“Sixty-seven lives. From now on, I will make them clearly aware of the pain they must have felt. So please… … .”
“Save me… … .”
Hu Jiaming’s eyes burned with anger as he gritted his teeth.
“Don’t die easily.”
Paaaaaa!
The dagger pierced the king’s abdomen.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Blood splashing out again and again, terrible screams, and helpless sobbing and wailing.
A twisted smile appeared on the lips of Jang Il-so, who was watching all this commotion in silence.
It was a smile that resembled the old moon that finally emerged through the dark clouds.
