Eternal life

Chapter 44

In recent days, when he ate or read, he felt really calm. He would touch his chest and fell as his heart slowly was beating. It was soothing. He was happy with that feeling, because it felt like it wasn't there for some time.

He stood up from the stone he was sitting on and went back to his court. The houses he has passed were abandoned. Yesterday he asked one old servant what happened, that everyone left, but this old man just looked at him weirdly and run away, without answering.

Later, this man's daughter told Woong Tae that once, back in the time, an old master of her father cut his tongue out, because he would recite some spells all the time and pray. Woong Tae wondered what kind of man was that master of his, to be so cruel. He wanted to know more, but only he and his daughter were left in this deserted town.

Young master also didn't understand why he was there. He woke up one day and realised that he is so alone. It was hurting him. He sighed. Few seconds ago he calmed down, by now again he has anxiety, because of all of the thoughts of his. In the morning he'll at least talk with the girl.

The servants were used to getting up early, with at dawn, knowing that the master Shim barely sleeps, so he prefers to eat early. This time was indifferent, however in past months they usually woke him up. He never was mad, cherishing the sun rays or the smell of the rain. No matter of the weather, he liked it.

In the morning the girl walked in and greeted her master. He was fully clothed, all well-groomed. He smiled at her. 'Good morning. Your father is still asleep? He usually visited in the morning.'

'No sir, he's feeling bad. I ordered him to stay in.'

'You should go to the doctor with him.'

'Sir, there is no medic in the town anymore. We would have to go far away.'

'Oh... Do you know why?'

'Sir, when most of the habitancy run away, I wasn't on this world yet. I don't know what caused it.' Girl tried to sound not offending.

'Right... Sorry. Then please, make him rest as much as he needs. Also, if you can't, you don't have to come to me. I can get my food.'

'Thank you, sir.' Girl bowed and wanted to walk away, when Woong Tae called after her.

'Can you tell me in return one more thing?'

'What it is, sir?'

'Why is your father so scared of me?'

The girl didn't know how to start. 'Um... My father can't tell me, as you know. He's also illiterate, he only communicates basic needs. I really didn't know, but he sometimes waves after you, like he's chasing something evil. There are talismans in our room.'

'He thinks I'm something... evil?' Woong Tae was shocked with this. He couldn't understand why someone would think that.

'Sir, this is something between you and my father and I shall not be in between.'

'He's older than me, I would never offend an elder...' Woong Tae wanted to justify himself.

'Master, excuse me, but... How old do you think I am?'

'You look like 17?'

'I've been here for all of my life. I grew from this little...' She showed the height of a kid. '...to the woman I'm right now.'

'Yes...'

'And through all of this time, you, my lord, you've been looking... the same. Nothing changed.' The girl said.

'I don't get old?'

'Maybe you do. I don't know what kind of deal with whom you made, but your face doesn't change. Don't get me wrong, sir, I'm not trying to offend you or anything. I like being here, there's plenty of food and it's calm. Also you're nice to me, so I don't care being around you. But yes, it does frighten my father.'

Woong Tae was left speechless.

'So now, master, if you pardon me, I will go to feed one more person.'

'One more?'

'Sir, you don't remember? We talked about it last week. There is a man, locked in the cell. I'm feeding him, you agreed.'

'I agreed...' It shocked Woong Tae, that he had no memory of consenting. However he wanted to look nice in the eyes of this girl, since she somehow trusted him. 'Right... You know what? Let him out. I think that if he spent there so much of the time, he must've paid for his sins.'

'Really? I can do it?' Girl cheered up. Earlier she was talking blandly, but the vision of freeing this man made her happy. He was really talkative, throwing here and there some jokes. 'Thank you, sir.'

She run to the backyard and passed the happy news to the man trapped inside. He sighed and laughed, thanking the girl for putting in good word for him, but he asked that if she's going to free him, he'll need some clothes, so she run to the main house to ask the master for some.

However Shim Woong Tae was gone, so she took some without permission. She thought she will ask later and then hurriedly she run to the man and opened his cell, throwing the clothes in. After a while a man walked out. He had a beard, his hair was long. He asked if he can use some water to clean his face, so the girl leaded him to her room, where she and her father lived.

The man walked in and asked for something to cut his beard. Father was sleeping, breathing calmly. Girl prepared everything. When the cleaning was done a very handsome face showed up from underneath. The man smiled at the girl.

'Thank you. Your master, Shim, is he a good man?'

'He's really nice.' The girl answered.

'Ah...' He sighed. 'You're wrong. He's not.' The man stood up and with the knife he was holding, slit her throat. 'But I'm worse.'

The father woken up at all the commotion. He opened his eyes widely, seeing his daughter laying on the floor, in the puddle of blood. He screamed, gaining the attention from the man. He tried to say his name, since he recognized him, but couldn't because of his tongue.

'Oh, you know me? I'm Yoo Ji Woon, right? Yes, I'm not dead!' And with those word also killed the father, then walked out.

Meanwhile Woong Tae felt sudden urge for a walk. He got out of the town, stood on one of the hills, between high grass and... he didn't know anymore where he was going. He tried to focus, so he wanted to call his own name, but there was no name. He was in the middle of nowhere, not knowing why he was there.

Suddenly a man was approaching him, walking on the path. He called him.

'Sir! Sir...'

The man smirked and approached him.

'Um... Sir, if you would be so kind and show me the way to the nearest town... It seems that I'm lost...'

'It's Ji Woon. Call me Ji Woon.'

'Ji Woon, so-' His words were cut because he was stabbed with the knife. The man held the dragger in him and moved it, expanding the wound and hurting him.

'I really want to continue that...' Ji Woon took out the knife. The wound immediately healed. '...but it's not going to do anything. I know it on my own skin, even a fire wouldn't touch it!' He screamed at frightened man, kneeling in front of him, checking his stomach. 'There's nothing, I'm going to spare you that.'

'But how?'

Ji Woon scratched his head. 'As if I'm going to tell you.' He kicked the man, beating him hardly, leaving bruises. 'Those thankfully aren't life threating, so they won't disappear. Now I'm going to tell you what you should do. You're going to go in that direction.' Ji Woon pointed out. 'There is a town, you're going to ask for help. I'm going to disappear from your sight. But don't worry. I will be always near. And when you'll settle down, when you'll fell at least a little bit of happiness... I will take it from you.' For last time he kicked the ground, throwing some dirt into the man's eyes. It was an old trick of his. Then he went away, leaving scared man in the middle of field. 

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