novelraw Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Chapter 63
“He didn't say that. But he looked truly happy when he was talking about the dumplings from Cheonghaeru. It was fortunate that it was in Qinghai. My father-in-law said it was a good thing we didn't go to Sichuan. He said that if we had gone to Sichuan and eaten the food there, she would probably have said she wanted to eat that too.”
As he spoke, he realized it wasn't something Paeng Ga-jong would like to hear. When he glanced over, his displeasure was evident on his face.
“I didn't mean it like that… And my wife doesn't like spicy or stimulating food, so she probably wouldn't have liked it. She also said that when the baby is born, we should come to Cheonghaeru and eat together.”
As he tried to humor him, the flames of his creativity also ignited. Cheon Ha-seong was getting worked up, making up things that hadn't even happened, when Paeng Ga-jong looked at him strangely.
“Why… are you looking at me like that?”
Cheon Ha-seong asked, looking at his expression, wondering if he had made another mistake.
At that, Paeng Ga-jong stared blankly at Cheon Ha-seong, then shook his head as if it couldn't possibly be.
Listening to Cheon Ha-seong, he had the thought that he didn't seem like a Manager of the Golden Merchant Guild, but rather someone from the Divine Cult. One reason he had come to that conclusion was that Cheon Ha-seong's way of speaking was similar to that of a person from the Divine Cult he had often encountered. However, what was more important was that as Cheon Ha-seong explained how he had come to Qinghai, he was able to guess where he had come from.
It seemed that what was in that direction and at that distance was the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, but he was confused, as it seemed unlikely he would be a follower of the Divine Cult.
Then, Paeng Ga-jong decided to just ask him outright. It was because he thought that it was a problem that would be over once he confirmed it, and there would be no answer if he just agonized over it by himself.
“Excuse me… Manager. You're not perhaps from the Divine Cult, are you?”
“…!”
Cheon Ha-seong was not a person who was easily surprised in most situations. But now, he had come outside the Divine Cult for the first time in his life and was facing a task he absolutely had to succeed at. So he had intended not to reveal who he was until the mood was right, but he had been found out.
Cheon Ha-seong was frantic, wondering what he should say at a time like this. If he said no, it would be a lie, and he couldn't think of a way to handle what would follow. But if he said it was true, it seemed Paeng Ga-jong would run away.
Cheon Ha-seong realized how difficult it must have been for the countless people who had had to lie in front of him until now.
“…”
Cheon Ha-seong hoped for a good idea to come to him quickly, but no words came to mind.
However, Paeng Ga-jong was also a quick-witted person, so he guessed that his silence was an affirmative answer.
“To tell you in advance, I do not think badly of the Divine Cult. I know that the people of the Divine Cult suffer many hardships from the persecution of the imperial court and the orthodox murim, and are used for bad things. I also know that when a problem arises, they are sometimes needlessly made into scapegoats to cover it up. I knew someone who was a follower of the Divine Cult, and he was the most diligent and kind person I have ever met.”
Cheon Ha-seong didn't know who that person was, but he thought he was truly grateful.
Wasn't it that his one life, lived righteously, had created a good impression of the Divine Cult in someone's heart?
If Paeng Ga-jong hadn't spoken up first, he would have had to struggle for a long time to bring up the topic. Cheon Ha-seong finally firmed his resolve and spoke.
“What you said is correct, Chef. I am a person of the Divine Cult. My wife is as well.”
“Ah…”
Paeng Ga-jong, even though he had been the one to ask first, was dazed as he heard Cheon Ha-seong's words. He was not unaware of the treatment the followers of the Divine Cult received, and he felt he had made things too big.
Cheon Ha-seong, as if thinking Paeng Ga-jong needed time to think, waited quietly from then on.
“It's so sudden that I don't know what to say.”
“I am not asking you to decide right now. Just as I have my own circumstances, you must have yours, Chef. And your circumstances must be prioritized. I am, after all, a person who has appeared suddenly. What I can do is probably just entreat you.”
That was also different from what Paeng Ga-jong had been thinking. The followers of the Divine Cult that people knew were not like this. Even though he himself was free from the prejudice people had because he knew another follower, this was beyond imagination.
Isn't this person a Manager of the Golden Merchant Guild?
‘Ah… is that fake too?’
When Paeng Ga-jong asked about it, Cheon Ha-seong made an embarrassed face.
However, he did not answer right away. If Paeng Ga-jong decided to follow him, he could tell him, but if not, it was a matter to be careful about. He could not cause a disruption to the activities of other followers in the future.
When Cheon Ha-seong avoided the answer, saying he was sorry, Paeng Ga-jong also nodded.
“Are you by any chance of a high rank in the Divine Cult, Manager?”
Paeng Ga-jong asked, deciding to keep calling him Manager for the time being.
“I am of a fairly high rank. My wife's position is truly high. My father-in-law is extremely high.”
Cheon Ha-seong spoke with an earnest expression, thinking that these words would be the important ones to decide Paeng Ga-jong's heart.
“Everyone there must be a follower of the Divine Cult, so the treatment they receive must be different from the treatment followers receive here, right?”
Of course, it was true that the treatment was different, but Cheon Ha-seong was bothered by this question of his.
He could already feel from Paeng Ga-jong's tone that he was positive about following him, but instead of answering, Cheon Ha-seong asked something else.
“Are the followers of the Divine Cult still suffering hardships? Can you tell me where those people live and what they are going through? I don't know about those who are far away, but I ask because I want to help even a little while I am out here.”
At that, Paeng Ga-jong's expression darkened.
Seeing him say that, it finally sank in that he was now speaking with a follower of the Divine Cult.
“It is not a level where one person can step up and do something about it. It is because the followers of the Divine Cult are in a position like a village punching bag.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At that, Paeng Ga-jong asked with a bewildered expression.
“Manager, isn't the matter of taking me to the Divine Cult more urgent for you?”
“It is… but listening to you, Chef, it seems the followers are suffering a great hardship. My wife is unable to eat properly because of the baby in her womb, but if my father-in-law infuses her with his internal energy, there will be no issue with her health. But it seems it is not so for the followers of the Divine Cult.”
“Well, that may be true… But even so, if it were me, I would think of my wife first. Why would you risk getting injured or killed by getting involved in another's affairs?”
Cheon Ha-seong could not answer that right away. But his heart was troubled. If he were to pretend not to know and just leave, it felt like he would end up coming back anyway.
“It is because that is the mission given to a martial artist of the Divine Cult by the Demonic God. We exist to protect the followers.”
Paeng Ga-jong stared blankly at Cheon Ha-seong.
Countless people in high positions would say such things. The words that the emperor is the father of the people and the people are the emperor's children, that officials must work for the people, that martial artists must protect the weak.
However, if one thought about how many people would believe those words and put them into practice, the outlook was very negative.
Paeng Ga-jong wondered if he shouldn't try to stop this man. It also seemed that it might have been better if he hadn't told him how the followers of the Divine Cult were treated in the first place.
“Manager, I understand. I will follow you to the Divine Cult. In return, you must give me as much money as I was receiving here. And it would be good if you could also arrange a place for me to live.”
Paeng Ga-jong tried to subtly change the subject. However, Cheon Ha-seong had already firmed his resolve.
“Chef, could you please tell me where the followers live and give me just three days' time? Then I will come at that time and escort you. And thank you so much for accepting my proposal.”
“After three days, I have a feeling your head might not still be attached to your neck. The Azure Sea Sect, the largest martial arts group in Qinghai, is involved in this matter. The Azure Sea Sect has hundreds of martial artists belonging to their sect, and among them are a considerable number of masters. It is a place that exercises absolute power, as the government has entrusted the security of this area to them.”
A look of displeasure was written on Paeng Ga-jong's face as he explained. It seemed he felt bad just talking about the Azure Sea Sect.
“But aren't those people on good terms with our cult?”
“They wouldn't be maintaining the security of Qinghai without getting anything in return, would they? While saying they are maintaining security, they are the ones who receive money from the merchants in the name of protection fees. At first, they only took from the merchants, but it seems that wasn't enough later on. Now they are hell-bent on extorting money from the common households as well, and they have used the followers of the Divine Cult for that.”
“No way.”
The moment he heard those words, something came to mind.
It was known to people that the followers of the Divine Cult were of the demonic path and that they ate the hearts and livers of living people. If a rumor spread that such a vicious demonic path was running rampant, people would be terrified, and it seemed the Azure Sea Sect could use that anxious atmosphere to gather money.
“Masked men lie in ambush on the road and attack and mercilessly kill passersby, and a rumor has spread that their identity is that of Divine Cult followers. That is why people have burned down the houses where the followers live.”
If he had wished for Cheon Ha-seong not to go there, he could have just not said anything, but Paeng Ga-jong was spouting such words in the end. It was because he also felt pity for the followers of the Divine Cult, who were suffering for no fault of their own.
Cheonghaeru was a place where countless people came and went, and many of the leaders of the Azure Sea Sect also visited frequently. Some of them liked to call a chef to their room, have them cook there, and eat immediately.
As a result, Paeng Ga-jong also helped the other chefs and sometimes went to the rooms to cook.
Among the things he was saying now were many stories he had heard in such settings. Therefore, he could be confident in the accuracy of the information.
“Do the followers of the Divine Cult normally reveal who they are and live openly?”
“They do not. And depending on the case, incidents also occur where people who are not followers are branded as such and are attacked or killed. But this time, it seemed they were actually followers. I have heard the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect say so themselves. They had said that they had found out by chance that they were followers and that they should use it later.”
“How did they say they found out?”
“They said they saw them making the Divine Cult's hand sign.”
Cheon Ha-seong was startled to hear that.
It was because the Divine Cult's hand sign was a secret signal for the followers to recognize each other, so he wondered if it had been exposed.