The captain has put unconscious Ji Woon over his horse and like that they travelled to the town. Through whole journey no one uttered a word. The atmosphere became stiff and suffocating. Young master has become hard-faced.
Before entering the court Woong Tae stopped and spoke to the guard. 'Bring all of the Choi family to our yard.' He ordered and guard left to do so.
As they came to the court, young master spoke to the captain. 'Take this... friend of mine... and tie him up, then leave him in the middle of the yard. I will join you soon.'
Captain wasn't sure what to do, but eventually listened to the Woong Tae order and get to the work. Meanwhile Woong Tae get off of his horse and went to the father's study. The general was inside, as usual polishing his sword. As soon as young master walked in, general looked at him.
'Son, I've tried to warn you many times. Friends are no good.' Landlord has said and came back to his task.
Woong Tae earlier didn't said a word, not even welcomed his father, but after hearing this words he started to laugh out loud. General stopped his work and placed the weapon on the table in front of him. Then he approached his son and slapped bitingly his son's face. But it didn't stop Woong Tae from laughing.
'Do you need me to punish you again?! Stop playing around! Because of your silly sense of responsibility and absence your child is-' He didn't finish.
'Dead!' Woong Tae said in joyful tone. 'You know, I think is a good thing. It died before it could become a disgrace for you!'
'How disrespectful!' General wanted to hit his son again, but Woong Tae suddenly get rid of his smile, caught the hand, that was about to reach him and pushed his father away from him, leaving him completely shocked. It was the first time ever Woong Tae behaved like that towards general.
Young master, unaffected and adamant went to the table, where the sword has laid. He picked it up and started to look closely. 'You know, I always wondered how it felt to wield this, since you've never let me touch it. And I may say that I'm disappointed. Just a piece of steel, almost cold as you. Almost, because there is nothing cooler than my father.'
'You've gone mad! I knew it! My son went crazy!' General has lost his composure and started shouting.
'So how it feels?' Woong Tae run to his father and stabbed him with the sword, which he held. 'To be stabbed my such a crazy man, your only son and only failure in life?' Young master pulled out the sword and let the blood stain general's clothes, as well spout on Woong Tae face. Landlord got on his knees, not believing that he got wounded. 'Probably hurts your honour. But this will be worse. To be killed with your favourite toy.' Young master again stabbed his father and didn't stop until general stopped moving.
As he was standing over the motionless body, the captain walked in and halted in the doorframe, seeing the massacre. He reached for his sword.
The young master didn't even turn around, as he heard the guard move behind him. 'What are you going to do? Better think about it. Isn't it like this, that with his...' Woong Tae kicked the body. '...death I become the lord here?'
Captain was considering the options. He decided to not argue. Seeing what happened with landlord it was maybe better not to anger the Shim Woong Tae right now. 'Young master...'
'Master.'
'Master... Choi family is here.'
'Right. Let's go then.' He started to walk out, then he stopped. 'Oh, open all the changhoji here.'
Captain was shocked with the order. Opening all the windows would make all the people see the dead body of the general. They gathered, since they sensed some kind of attraction and came to see what was happening at the Shim court. Even though the order was weird, he proceeded to do as he was told.
Soon all the people saw the landlord's blood covered body and young master walking cheerfully to the centre, where the Choi officer was standing. Crowd suddenly stopped talking and the court went silent. Everyone moved as far away as they could from the Woong Tae, yet they didn't leave wondering what will happen.
'Why they are not tied?' Woong Tae pointed with the sword at the members of Choi family and asked the guard which brought them in. But the servant just stood with his mouth open wide, too scared to utter a word.
Thankfully for him the captain run to the middle. 'Sir, I beg for your forgiveness.' He turned to his men. 'Tie them up immediately.'
Slightly heavily all the guards started to tie them. Officer Choi was first to speak, as the sly fox he was. Earlier he was too shocked to see his pivot man dead, but now was getting irritated. What that young man thinks? That he can do something to a man like him?
'Young master! I think you're wrong what is your jurisdiction! You can't order them to tie me, an officer of your father, and my family up! Wake up, son!'
'Your family? Ji Woon is not part of it? Since he's lying there all in ropes!' Woong Tae had a smirk on his face.
Officer proudly looked at laying man. 'He's not a part of Choi family. Now let us go. Crime like this...' He pointed at general's dead body. '...will not be neglected. You'll be punished!' Mister Choi really thought he was doing something, but in reality it only irritated Woong Tae. Finally, when he lost all patience, he took a swing and this time stabbed officer Choi in his stomach. His wife and kids screamed. 'Guards! Fucking tie them up or you're going to be next!'
Young master Shim made sure to move the sword a bit, to deepen the wound and then he pulled it out. Officer Choi hit the ground and started to bleed out. The guards finally trussed the rest of the household.
Maybe because of the scream, maybe because he rested enough, Ji Woon woke up to see his father hit the floor, as Woong Tae was pulling the sword out of him. He firstly tried to scream, but his throat was dry. He grunted and tried again.
'What... What is happening?' His horrified voice came out weak, but it got to Woong Tae attention.
'Oh hello! Did you slept well? You might still think it is a dream, since your least favourite person in this world is dead...' Woong Tae got closer to Ji Woon and pointed at the body of officer Choi. 'But I will save you from trouble and assure you this is a real thing!'
'A dream? What... why? It's nightmare!' Ji Woon was shaking his head in disbelief.
'Nightmare will start is few minutes! Now tell me, isn't someone missing?' Woong Tae wore a grin, when he tried to hint something.
'Woong Tae, stop it... It frightened me... It's enough...' His friend was not paying attention to young master's words. It still felt like a cruel joke. Last thing he remembered was the haunting with Woong Tae. His friend complained about Hong Gil Dong story. Ji Woon couldn't recall when he fall asleep, but he definitely did, since he's now in the Shim household.
'Look and see who's missing!' Woong Tae was losing his temper.
Finally, Ji Woon slowly moved his head. Firstly he noticed the dead body of the general, then he moved his head to face the bloodstained sword, held by Woong Tae. Then he looked at his family, his mother's face was covered in tears, as she looked at her husband's body and his brothers were all pale from the stress. He wasn't sure what is wrong.
'Hmm? Nothing? I called here all of the Choi family! All!' Woong Tae had so much fun teasing his friend.
The fear creeped into Ji Woon's mind. It couldn't be. He turned to one of the twins. 'Where is Hwa Ryeong?'
However his brother was staring at the ground, being scared that talking would harm him. Woong Tae approached him and, with the tip of the sword, picked up the head of the boy.
'Speak. Say it.'
'Ji Woon... Hwa Ryeong died today...' As the body said it, his brother started to shake his head and scream.
'No... No. No! It can't be! It's some kind of cruel joke!' Ji Woon was trying to bust out of the ropes holding him, but two guard came to keep him in place.
'Good boy.' Woong Tae said to the one of the twins and slit his throat. Madam Choi again screamed. 'Kill this noisy woman and this kid!' Young master ordered the guards. They hesitated, so Woong Tae repeated his order. Captain walked in and carried out the command. He stabbed the mother, but second twin succeeded in running away. He was fighting his way through the crowd, which was making him a way, but the death still awaited for him and he hit the ground hard, with a dragger pointing out from the back of his head.
Woong Tae grinned creepily. 'See! I'm good at aiming!' He said triumphantly.
Ji Woon felt like he couldn't breathe. All this situation seemed to be truth, but what happened that it became like this? 'Woong Tae... End with this madness... I don't know what happened, but please tell me...' He begged his friend.
Young master turned to him and started to approach him. 'Of course you don't remember... I wonder why again you was chosen as the first to have this.' He put the tip of his father's favourite weapon to the Ji Woon's chest. 'You were so lucky in life... But not anymore. Not, when I'm alive. You're a lair, you know? Mine biggest trait is that I never lie. Hwa Ryeong is dead and soon you'll too. That's the truth.' And with putting the weight of his body on the hilt he started to slowly push the sword into the Ji Woon, making him feel horrific pain.
When young master's head was near the ear of his friend, he whispered. 'I hope that the last moments of your life were tremendous, hurtful and unfair.'
Woong Tae took out his sword and Ji Woon's head dropped down. Young master turned around and raised his head, facing the sky. He closed his eyes and let his hand down, resting the weapon on the ground. He hoped that with all of this he will feel... something. Some relief, some grief or at least sadness. But all he felt was anger and dullness.
He tried to calm down, but the whispers and gasps from the crowd woke him up from this meditation. He opened his eyes and looked at the audience, trying to catch what is this commotion, but everyone was pointing at something behind him, at Ji Woon, so Woong Tae looked back.
Ji Woon was looking at his chest with disbelief, as well young master. Shouldn't his friend bleed out right now? There was no stain, no single drop of the blood on the clothes. Yoo Ji Woon was breathing just fine, as nothing happened.
Woong Tae run to him and opened his clothes wide, exposing his skin to the cold air. There was no wound, nor a bruise. 'You... No. You have to die!' Young master grinned his teeth and started stabbing insanely his friend, but nothing was happening. Every time the sword left Ji Woon's body, his split body was miraculously healing.
Most of the people from the crowd run away. It was too much, something evil was happening there. Ji Woon was speechless. Woong Tae was simmering, with his eyes red. 'You!' He pointed at the captain of the guards. 'Kill him!' He ordered.
Captain approached Ji Woon and put his sword up high. Then he dropped it, wanting to cut young man's head, but some strange force stopped the steel millimetres from the skin on the prisoners neck. Captain was wrestling with it, but it was too strong. He tried again, but every attempt ended the same way.
'Anyone who can kill him will get half of my wealth! Or even all of it!' Woong Tae was desperate.
Some people run to Ji Woon and tried to harm him. Any wound, that would usually cause an immediate death, was either pushed away or surprisingly quickly healed. Yet Ji Woon was tortured with this, most of the attacks would cause him unbearable pain. He screamed and finally he fainted, still not dead.
Captain approached Woong Tae and spoke. 'Sir, I might have an idea. Let's burn him at the stake.'
Woong Tae was thrilled with this proposition. 'Great! Go to work! He has to be dead!' He screamed really loudly, scaring the rest of the gaping onlookers, which run away.
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