Chapter 36 : Negotiations (2)

Chapter 36: Negotiations (2)

A good person?

Just what standard did that man use for ‘good’?

What sort of standard allowed him to spout such nonsensical drivel with such confidence?

“Will you accept the reward now?”

Wi Yeonho shook his head.

“There’s no need for that. You’re offering me compensation, and I’m not shameless enough to make you go through all that extra trouble too.”

“You’re quite a courteous fellow.”

Wi Yeonho was weak to compliments.

“Hehe, I’ve heard that before.”

The Second Prince let out a low mutter.

“...Bullshit.”

He no longer even had the strength to be angry.

Wi Yeonho turned his head slightly and spoke to Mun Eunji.

“That’s how it turned out.”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s how it turned out’?”

“Well, it just did. Thanks for feeding and housing me all this time.”

“You jerk!”

Mun Eunji rose to her feet with a force that made it seem like she’d lunge at Wi Yeonho any second. If she hadn’t been bound in ropes, she would’ve jumped him and slapped him across the face with both hands.

“That’s just how things go in this world.”

Wi Yeonho shrugged.

Then he looked at Nok Mokpung.

“So what do you want me to do?”

Nok Mokpung smiled.

“First, could you kill everyone you see in front of you?”

“...What?”

“They’re traitors who plotted rebellion. Eradicating their bloodlines is only fair. Let’s start with those here.”

“Kill them?”

“Yes.”

“'But they haven’t even stood trial yet!”

Nok Mokpung shook his head.

“Do you know what punishment awaits those involved in treason?”

“Well…”

“The punishment is dismemberment—cutting off every bit of flesh from their bodies, healing them, and repeating the process thousands of times until they die.”

Wi Yeonho trembled all over.

It was a punishment so horrific he couldn’t even bear to imagine it.

“If they’re formally sentenced, they’ll all die like that. Beheading them here is actually merciful. Do you think I want to do this?”

“Hmm…”

Wi Yeonho looked at Mun Eunji.

“That’s what he says.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

“Then why did you plot treason?”

“When did we ever plot treason! That bastard made it all up! Are you really believing that?”

“But the situation…”

Wi Yeonho looked around.

Now that he thought about it, the top experts of the Central Plains were all gathered, the Second Prince was here, and the joint petition had already been issued.

From any perspective, it looked pretty obvious.

“So much ambition... gone in a blink.”

“Argh! You rotten bastard!”

Mun Eunji screamed at the top of her lungs, still tied up.

Wi Yeonho flinched and turned his head away.

“Still, I don’t think killing them is right... I’ve never killed anyone before.”

“Is that so?”

Nok Mokpung smiled faintly.

“Then step aside. I’ll do it.”

“You’ll do it yourself?”

“I don’t want to dirty my hands either. But when it comes to executing the law of the land, there can be no hesitation. Step back. That will be enough. I’ll make sure your promised reward is prepared by tomorrow morning.”

“Hmm…”

“Do you not trust me?”

“No. It’s not that. I don’t think you’re the type to lie. I like to think I’m a decent judge of character, and people like you may use force, but you don’t speak lies.”

“Then is there a problem?”

“No.”

Wi Yeonho took a step back.

Nok Mokpung walked past him and slowly approached Mun Yuhwan and the others.

From beneath his sleeve, a short blade revealed itself.

“It’s time to end this. May you pledge your loyalty to His Majesty in your next life.”

The Second Prince shouted in fury.

“You wicked traitor! Even in death, I will never forgive you!”

Nok Mokpung sneered.

“I never expected forgiveness.”

Mun Yuhwan furrowed his brow and spoke as well.

“How could someone who lives on the nation's tax money commit such treachery?”

His voice was low, but dignified.

Nok Mokpung flinched before he realized it.

“You too must know loyalty, must have learned it. It’s not too late, even now.”

Nok Mokpung gave a soft smile.

“What I’m doing now is loyalty.”

Mun Yuhwan sighed and closed his eyes.

Mun Eunji said nothing, simply glaring at Nok Mokpung.

Even in that moment, she didn’t forget to shoot a glare at Wi Yeonho as well.

Wi Yeonho pretended not to notice.

“We… we’re innocent!”

“This is all a mistake! We don’t know anything!”

Sensing the worsening situation, the others began raising their voices.

But Nok Mokpung answered coldly.

“Traitorous scum clinging to excuses even to the end. Save your words for the King of Hell.”

The Second Prince ground his teeth.

“Nok Mokpung, Nok Gi! You think you can cover the sky with your palm?”

Nok Mokpung looked at the Second Prince.

“Even if I go to the heavens, I will never forget what you did!”

“Then why did you plot treason, Grand Inspector?”

“Heaven knows. The earth knows!”

“But people don’t. That’s the world we live in.”

The Second Prince glared at Nok Mokpung with a murderous gaze and spat out his words.

“Do you plan to kill everyone here?”

“That’s the plan.”

“What crime have they committed!”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know, are you?”

“Fine, kill me. Start with me!”

“If that’s your wish.”

With an unreadable smile, Nok Mokpung walked toward the Second Prince.

The prince looked enraged, but at the same time, his eyes closed as if in resignation.

His greatest regret was failing to anticipate Nok Gi’s move. Even though he had vowed to bring Nok Gi down, even though he knew how dangerous he was, the Second Prince had failed to prepare properly. Who else was there to blame but himself?

Mun Yuhwan looked at the Second Prince with deep eyes, while Mun Eunji glared at Nok Mokpung with eyes filled with venomous hatred.

At last, Nok Mokpung stood before the Second Prince.

“The Second Prince, standing on the opposite side of us is your only sin. You were the only one in the royal family worthy of respect. Sending you off with my own hands—this is my final courtesy.”

“You are just a barking dog.”

Nok Mokpung smirked coldly.

“In that case, the noble Second Prince shall suffer the disgrace of dying beneath a dog’s forepaw. What a sorrowful fate.”

Nok Mokpung raised his short blade.

“That’s far enough.”

Nok Mokpung slowly turned his head.

Where he looked, Wi Yeonho was sighing deeply with an expression that showed how tiresome everything felt.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m getting kind of tired. I need to go in and sleep, so let’s end it here.”

“Sleep?”

“Yes.”

A frown formed on Nok Mokpung’s brow.

“Have you already forgotten the conversation we had just moments ago?”

“No way. It hasn’t been that long. I’m not senile. I wouldn’t forget something we talked about a minute ago. If anyone needs to worry about senility…”

Wi Yeonho subtly glanced at the Second Prince.

“You lazy turtle bastard!”

Wi Yeonho waved his hands.

“I wasn’t pointing fingers at anyone in particular.”

Nok Mokpung spoke stiffly.

“And?”

“I’m only willing to go along with you up to this point.”

“Are you saying you don’t trust the promises I made you?”

“I trust them.”

“Then what? Are you saying you don’t want power and money?”

“I do want them.”

Nok Mokpung suddenly shouted.

“Then what in the world is the problem?!”

Wi Yeonho let out a light laugh and continued.

“Do you know the one thing that must come first in order to enjoy laziness?”

“…”

Of course, Nok Mokpung wouldn’t know. He had never known a lazy day in his life.

“What is it?”

“Don’t create things to feel guilty about. There was this one time I broke the inkstone my father treasured, and by chance, he wasn’t home. He came back three days later, and those three days felt like pure hell. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. When he finally returned, I nearly died—but after that, I was able to rest easy.”

The Second Prince sighed in sincere regret.

“You should’ve just died back then.”

Mun Eunji unknowingly nodded in agreement.

Wi Yeonho pouted.

“I’m serious. If he’d hit me one more time, I would’ve died.”

The Second Prince smacked his chest in lament.

“Just one more hit was all it would’ve taken!”

“Exactly. Just one.”

Hearing the Second Prince and Mun Eunji’s exchange, Wi Yeonho fell into thought.

“Maybe I should’ve just let myself die.”

“Ahem!”

The Second Prince turned away, his face red.

“In any case, to live comfortably, you must have nothing to feel guilty about. And the more I think about it, if these people die here, I’ll feel awfully uneasy. Especially that woman—if she dies, she’ll definitely come back as a ghost to haunt me.”

Nok Mokpung’s expression grew cold.

“So?”

“My master once said: ‘Never forget resentment, but never forget grace even more. One who does not repay a kindness will one day have to repay it with something far greater. Before that debt snowballs with compound interest into ten or twenty times more, make sure to repay it.’”

Wi Yeonho smiled brightly.

“And it just feels like now’s the time to repay that kindness.”

“I see.”

Nok Mokpung nodded.

“Grand words. But in the end, it means you’re trying to stop me, doesn’t it?”

“Well, I guess so. Not like that’s what I wanted.”

“Hahahaha!”

Nok Mokpung burst out laughing, then fixed his gaze on Wi Yeonho.

“Do you think I tried to win you over because I feared you?”

“I didn’t really get that impression.”

“Do you think killing a runt like you would be hard for me if I truly wanted to? I spared you because your talent was worth preserving, but now you act with no sense of humility.”

“I’ll admit I’m a bit cocky and unaware of my place. Even I think so. But even if you did make up your mind, killing me wouldn’t be that easy.”

“You really believe that?”

Wi Yeonho shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter what I say. You don’t seem like someone who’d change his mind without checking for himself.”

Nok Mokpung bared his teeth.

“You understand well. Then allow me to show you. That if I wished, killing you would be nothing.”

He raised both hands.

His sleeves suddenly swelled with tension.

“Consider it an honor to die by my hands!”

The air stirred violently around Nok Mokpung.

“Hmph!”

Even the Second Prince swallowed hard at the sight.

Not even he had expected that Nok Mokpung had such martial prowess hidden.

His hands turned pure white and extended slowly forward.

“Let me give you a piece of advice. In your next life, abandon laziness and live diligently!”

Paat!

In that instant, Nok Mokpung’s hands filled the world.

There was nothing to see—only his hands. The courtyard, filled with countless pale hands, looked terrifying and grotesque.

“Gasp!”

The Second Prince inhaled sharply at the overwhelming sight.

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