Even beasts know gratitude. (5)

His entire field of vision was red.

There was nothing that wasn’t red. Of course, this might not be the most appropriate sentiment for the moment.

The night of the new moon, without even the moon to light it, was dyed in the color of roaring flames. The scene, so intensely vivid and disturbingly foreign, was engraved into Ho Gamyeong’s eyes like a brand made with red-hot steel.

Someone’s screams, wails, and despair filled his ears.

The fire consumed everything, growing brighter and brighter. It was as if the sun, which had disappeared leaving darkness in the sky, had descended here.

As he watched the flames in a daze, Ho Gamyeong found all of this to be almost comedic.

Was it really this easy?

Could it be done so simply?

It was bewildering. Despite committing countless atrocities, they had lived without any preparation for the blades that would eventually be aimed at them.

They never even imagined someone would target them. Despite earning so many grudges.

The thought made Ho Gamyeong laugh bitterly.

“Aaaah!”

Another scream pierced his ears, filled with fear and resentment.

What could they possibly feel wronged about? Considering the people they had trampled, having their bodies torn apart would still be insufficient. How different could the world they lived in be from the one he had lived in?

The acrid smoke stung his nose, mixed with the stench of blood, making him nauseous. It seemed to seep into his clothes and even his skin.

“Ugh! Aaaaah!”

At that moment, an enraged voice pierced his ears. Ho Gamyeong turned to see Jang Ilso walking out of the wide-open gate of the manor.

He was dragging someone by the hair.

“L-Let go… let go, you scoundrel! Do you even know who I am?”

The fat old man flailed, trying desperately to get free from the hand that gripped his hair. Ho Gamyeong knew exactly who he was.

Jang Ilso asked indifferently.

“Is this the one you wanted?”

Ho Gamyeong slowly nodded, his eyes never leaving the old man.

Jang Ilso tossed the man in front of Ho Gamyeong like a piece of trash.

Crash!

“Ugh… ugh…”

The old man groaned in pain, struggling to lift his head. When he finally did, he saw who stood before him.

“You… you’re…”

His eyes briefly showed despair, deep embarrassment, a hint of fear, and the bewilderment of a man caught off guard. But it was fleeting. Soon, his eyes burned with rage again.

“Who are you?”

“…”

In that moment, Ho Gamyeong was too stunned to speak. When a person is consumed by too much anger, they often become momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, the old man became even more triumphant and furious.

“You, you scoundrel! Do you think you can get away with this?”

This man didn’t know. He didn’t know who Ho Gamyeong was. Ho Gamyeong hadn’t expected him to beg for forgiveness, but he had thought the man would at least recognize him. He had even imagined that this man might be wary of Ho Gamyeong, considering him a future threat.

Ho Gamyeong had prepared countless answers, pondering over his connection to the prince and strategizing against the various cards this man might play. Yet, in this moment, all of that seemed meaningless.

“It doesn’t matter who you are. You seem to be someone who has read a few books, so you must know who I am. You should be well aware of how ruthless and reckless this act is!”

Ho Gamyeong couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

It wasn’t out of bravado. The old man truly didn’t know. Even at this stage, he couldn’t comprehend that he was now being trampled under Ho Gamyeong’s feet.

“Wangsa…”

How could he not know?

Even if all that reputation was just a hollow title, he was someone who had accumulated enough knowledge to be called the king’s teacher. He had endured the fierce and treacherous palace intrigues for decades.

So how could he be so foolish as to not understand his own situation and spout such senseless words?

The more Ho Gamyeong thought about it, the more he couldn’t suppress his laughter.

Yes, it made sense that he wouldn’t know. People would never imagine that they could die from an ant bite. Even after being bitten, they would search for another cause for their death.

To this old man, Ho Gamyeong and his family were nothing more than insignificant ants, nothing more and nothing less.

That’s why he could crush Ho Gamyeong’s family, their ant hill, without a second thought and sleep peacefully without any vigilance. People believe that ants can’t seek revenge.

“It’s not too late yet. If you withdraw now and beg for forgiveness, I might spare your life!”

“…”

“But if you don’t, not only you but your entire family will be sentenced to the death buy a thousand cuts [능지(陵遲)]! This is not just a mere threat! Do you understand?”

Ho Gamyeong laughed.

No, he cried.

Had his family really had to suffer such a fate because of the greed of someone so insignificant? Really?

The Wangsa that Ho Gamyeong revered during his Confucian studies was so lofty and great. But now, as he looked upon him as a beast, Wangsa was nothing more than a grotesquely fat, ugly old man.

Finally, Ho Gamyeong spoke.

“How will you destroy my family?”

“…What?”

“My relatives are already dead by your hand. How will you destroy them? Will you dig up their graves and trample their bones?”

Wangsa’s eyes wavered briefly.

“It’s unfortunate, Wangsa.”

“Y-You…”

The old man began to tremble. He had finally realized that none of his schemes would work on Ho Gamyeong.

Eyes once filled with greed and arrogance now rolled in sheer terror.

“W-Wait! Wait a moment! What do you want?”

“…”

“I can give it to you. I can give you anything. A government position! Wealth! Power! Pleasures! Whatever it is, I can give it to you! But if I die, you will be hunted for the rest of your life! You know that, right?”

As Ho Gamyeong’s expression remained unchanged, the desperate old man crawled on all fours and clung to his pants.

“Think carefully! What’s already lost can’t be helped, can it?”

The desperate, almost pure longing in the old man’s eyes was evident. Ho Gamyeong, looking down coldly, spoke.

“What meaning is there in surviving like that?”

“…”

“Your family and relatives have already been beheaded. So what’s the point of you, an old man waiting for death, surviving alone? Wouldn’t it be better to die here with dignity?”

At this, Wangsa’s face twisted fiercely.

“You don’t understand! What do family and relatives even mean without me!”

“…”

“They only matter because I exist! Without me, what value do they have! I can rebuild my family as long as I’m alive. As long as I don’t lose my power!”

Ho Gamyeong knew what that writhing look in the old man’s eyes was called.

For someone who was once respected by so many scholars and the people of the Central Plains to cling to mere greed, to desire, in his final moments.

“So save me! You’ve lost your family too, haven’t you? I’m the same. We can become each other’s family!”

“…Family?”

Thinking he had found an opening, the old man nodded vigorously.

“Become my adopted son! Then you can have all my wealth and power. You can restore your family’s honor and let them go in peace.”

The old man’s grip on Ho Gamyeong’s pant leg tightened. Ho Gamyeong simply looked down at the hand in a daze.

It was not Ho Gamyeong who responded to the proposal, but someone else.

Thud.

Something landed near Ho Gamyeong.

Turning his head, he saw a dagger stuck in the ground.

“Not a bad offer, is it?”

The man who had spoken and threw the dagger was Jang Ilso. Ho Gamyeong looked at him blankly.

“…Did you say it was not a bad offer?”

“Don’t you think so?”

Jang Ilso twisted his lips as if sneering.

“You might have doubts. But to me, it seems like a sincere offer. That old man doesn’t hold grudges. With his other relatives dead, he needs a smart young man to manage his wealth and take good care of him, doesn’t he?”

“…”

“If you just make the right promise, he will indeed take you as his adopted son. Then you’ll inherit everything from him. Wealth and power that others could never hope to attain, no matter how hard they work or how much they risk their lives.”

Ho Gamyeong’s gaze darkened, but Jang Ilso continued unabated.

“No matter how much revenge you exact, what you’ve lost won’t come back. The dead are dead, and they won’t rejoice over your revenge in the afterlife. All that remains for you is your pitiful grudge.”

Jang Ilso spoke mockingly.

“It seems to me that the offer you’ve received is more than adequate in exchange for that grudge.”

Ho Gamyeong, staring intently at Jang Ilso, asked.

“Are you okay with this?”

“As long as I get my due, I’m fine.”

Jang Ilso’s lips twisted into a crooked smile.

“If you wrap this up now, I’ll be able to avoid what I’d have to deal with later. Wasn’t that the deal from the start?”

“…”

Ho Gamyeong’s gaze returned to Wangsa.

During that time, Wangsa continued to look at Ho Gamyeong with desperate eyes. Hope, which hadn’t been there before, now flickered in his gaze, the hope that Ho Gamyeong might accept his offer.

After a brief silence, Ho Gamyeong spoke.

“…It’s a good offer.”

“Then, then…!”

“Thanks to you, I now realize it clearly. How foolish I’ve been.”

Wangsa’s eyes wavered.

“Wangsa. Remember this. My name is Ho Gamyeong.”

“Ho, Ho…”

And at that very moment.

Flash!

Crunch!

The dagger swung by Ho Gamyeong like a bolt of lightning plunged into Wangsa’s shoulder.

“Aaaaaargh!”

A wretched scream burst from Wangsa’s mouth. With every twist of the dagger embedded in his shoulder, blood sprayed mercilessly onto Ho Gamyeong’s face.

“You think you can pay with something like that? Something so worthless?”

“Aaagh! Aaah!”

Ho Gamyeong grabbed Wangsa’s disheveled hair firmly.

“Remember this well, Wangsa.”

Ho Gamyeong’s bloodshot eyes stared directly into Wangsa’s tear-filled ones. The venom in his gaze seemed ready to burn and melt Wangsa at any moment.

“A deal only works when you offer something appealing to both parties. Not what you think is valuable.”

Ho Gamyeong yanked the dagger from Wangsa’s shoulder and gripped it in reverse.

The immense despair in Wangsa’s eyes grew as he looked at the blood-soaked dagger.

“P-please…”

“Sixty-seven lives. I will make you understand the pain they felt. So please…”

“…S-Spare me “

Ho Gamyeong’s eyes blazed with fierce determination.

“…Don’t die easily.”

Flash!

The dagger plunged into Wangsa’s abdomen.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Blood spurted out repeatedly, accompanied by horrific screams and pitiful sobbing that gave way to wailing.

Jang Ilso, who had been silently watching the entire commotion, had a twisted smile spread across his lips.

It was a smile reminiscent of the new moon, which finally emerged stealthily from behind the thick clouds.