Chapter 135
The officer could only stare blankly at Jinseong after hearing that question.
First, he threw out a seemingly insignificant question, confusing people's minds, and now he was asking a terrifying question that seemed impossible to answer?
Cheon Hui-su wracked his brain trying to think of an answer to the question.
What could it be? Something greater than the Creator? Thought? Knowledge? Wisdom? It's probably not something tangible, but something intangible. If it's the fastest thing in the world, it would be thought, but it's great, wealthy, resolute, blessed... The world? No. How could creation be greater than the Creator?
He pondered endlessly.
He thought and thought again.
He had no choice but to keep thinking.
The bear-like person next to him would never be able to come up with that answer.
Only he had to think of the answer and tell him!
But Seong Min-hyeok, seeing the officer sweating profusely as he pondered, took a big step forward for some reason. Then he cleared his throat and shouted at Jinseong.
"There's no such thing, you son of a bitch!"
At that answer, the officer who had been deep in thought next to him suddenly looked up in surprise.
The officer's face had turned pale, and he was looking at Seong Min-hyeok with a reproachful gaze as if to ask why he had given such an answer. But Seong Min-hyeok proudly puffed out his chest as if this was the right answer and stared straight at Jinseong, and soon a voice was heard from inside Jinseong's mask.
"Correct."
"What?"
The officer looked at Jinseong as if he couldn't believe the declaration of the correct answer, but Jinseong calmly continued speaking.
"No matter how wide the world is and how much remains unknown, how could there be someone who fulfills all of this? Transcendence is truly mysterious and can fulfill some of it. However, it's impossible to have everything while breaking through all contradictions. The answer is 'there is none'."
The golden mask smiled distortedly.
"An old theologian and devout divine sorcerer, Werber, said that the God of four letters is truly great and omnipotent. However, the existence of transcendent beings undermines the absoluteness of the great being, so he pondered and pondered in the monastery to find the answer. And so, when he repeated his prayers without drinking even a sip of water and starving, a revelation finally came down, and that was the existence close to the great four-letter God!"
Jinseong exclaimed in an exaggerated voice.
"Who is like God (Quis ut Deus)? Ah, here is one who has become similar to God in the closest place to God, and he comes down spreading his wings to share his questions and answers, truly glorious. Ah, Michael. Great being who tramples the dragon, wields fire, and governs the sun!"
He suddenly developed fingers and tore off one of the banknotes stuck to his body, then set it on fire. Then he moved his palm back and forth over the burning flame to create wind and shape it, and its form was similar to that of an angel holding a sword and scales.
"Michael says, O one fallen into delusion. You faithful servant of God. What are you pondering? There is nothing greater than God, and nothing more evil than the devil. The great God is absolute, so why do you ponder and ponder again? No matter how much a newborn baby grows and sows seeds, it is an unchanging fact that it first came out of its mother's womb, and no matter how wide the world becomes, it is natural that the Creator who created it is even greater. Do not ponder on the obvious and do not swim in delusion, falling into the vain. Only sincere prayer is needed, so you, Werber. You should only use the good side of humans as a light to illuminate the path and break through the narrow gate of heaven with prayer."
Seong Min-hyeok, watching the magnificent movement of the flames, muttered.
"What the hell is he saying..."
His expression was exactly like a bear hearing incomprehensible words, making Jinseong burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Yes. There is nothing more blessed than acting directly without knowing with your head. You truly believed there was no answer to this, and thus found the right answer, there is nothing better than that."
"Hmm."
"Yes. You should be proud. You found the answer to this question that once terribly tormented this old divine sorcerer with only your instinct, ah. As the old saying goes that a sage sleeps in the human soul, it is truly wise and wise again."
Jinseong praised Seong Min-hyeok highly and then readjusted his posture. Then changing his mask back to expressionless, he asked.
"This is the last question. Do you think it's okay to do something a little extreme for justice?"
That question was truly chilling.
The soldiers all opened their eyes wide.
The officer's face lost all color.
Even Seong Min-hyeok, who had been proud of getting the problem right, was startled.
It was that kind of question.
Wasn't this the kind of question a terrorist aiming to overthrow the state would ask?
"Ah, don't misunderstand. Overthrowing the state is quite extreme, isn't it? Doing something to superiors is also quite extreme. What I mean by something a little extreme is when the methods are a bit excessive. Yes, like excessive use of force."
"Excessive use of force?"
"That's right. Let me give you an example. Let's say there's someone who took a lot of drugs and went out with a club to beat people. The victim was crushed all over and hospitalized, and even after using all means to recover, they were unable to act normally as before. But the perpetrator was only charged with special assault. Seeing this, many people were indignant and said."
Jinseong spoke in a whisper-like small voice.
"Ah, that bastard should have had all his bones crushed too."
And that small voice turned into the murmurs of many people.
The figures drawn on the banknotes stuck to his body began to move their mouths and speak.
"Just prison for ruining someone's life?"
"That guy will live well in that hotel-like prison."
"The victim had all their bones broken and lost their job."
"They'll live a difficult life with mental illness too, how can it be like this."
"The one who committed such a terrible act is there because of connections, right?"
"Besides, he's a junkie, a junkie. How do we know if he tried to kill someone while on drugs."
"Shouldn't he be charged with attempted murder? Such. Such trash."
"Should be isolated from society."
The voices gradually grew louder.
"Give proper punishment!"
"This isn't enough for that bastard!"
"Forget the slap on the wrist, give punishment now!"
"Give the right punishment!"
"The right one!"
"Death penalty!"
"Death penalty!"
"Death penalty!"
It sounded like a crowd shouting.
The officer looked aghast at the huge resonance that sounded like people swept up in collective madness shouting in unison. But Seong Min-hyeok, despite that bewitching sound, calmly puffed out his chest and shouted.
"Death penalty for beating someone? What nonsense! The law must be upheld no matter what! If you don't like it, change the law!"
"Is that so?"
Jinseong nodded as if he understood Seong Min-hyeok's answer.
Then he stood up and walked steadily towards him.
"That is also right. For those who do the nation's work, the law is no different from the royal command. It's truly the right thing. However, you are devoted to the law but not a sage, and although you have accumulated martial arts, you prefer to wield it as a weapon rather than use it as a tool for training."
Jinseong tilted his mask, which was identical to the one facing him, to the side and said.
"You know. The criminal who can be killed. The act of killing someone, whether they're a criminal or not. Following your instincts to crush people's bones, grab their legs and swing them around to break bones, crumple people up and throw them into corners to knock them down like bowling pins. You know."
Jinseong moved his hand covered in banknotes to move the mask this way and that. The mask glittered as it settled crookedly on his face, and the light seemed to try to bewitch Seong Min-hyeok in front of him.
"War."
Jinseong put his finger on the corner of the mask's mouth that had found its place and pulled it up to his ear. The gold then created cracks like clay and smiled a smile that split to the ears, and from the sunken places, golden droplets formed and flowed down along the mask.
"War is coming. The criminals you said deserve to die will flock here. It is a place where they will point guns and swing swords at the ordinary people of Korea who have been living normally, and they will advance and advance, killing men and women equally. Even buildings that soared as if to pierce the sky will collapse and everything will turn to ruins. Ah, what good is the miracle of the Han River? The miracle made it possible to achieve what seemed infinitely difficult, but human malice is even greater than that and instantly reverses everything."
"What?"
Seong Min-hyeok frowned at Jinseong's words. The explanation, so detailed that it seemed as if a video was being replayed before his eyes as he listened, was enough to stimulate him.
"Now. An opportunity comes to you. An opportunity to kill criminals who will torment people to your heart's content without violating the law. An opportunity to show off the strength you've honed and stand tall as a hero of the country comes. You will become a hero. If you join hands with me, you will gain soaring honor, and if you receive my help, you will save countless lives in the coming war. Ah, it is truly a good and beneficial thing."
Jinseong spoke this way to Seong Min-hyeok, like a monster bewitching people.
"A murderer who killed people sure talks a lot."
"Hehe, murder, you say. Didn't I say earlier? Killing soldiers who invade us is not murder, and fighting people with guns and swords is called combat, not murder. You didn't clearly say in the first question that the law is the standard, but in the third question, you truly, sincerely said that the law must be upheld. Then, what doesn't violate the law is not a crime, so what I did is not your concern."
Briefly, in a voice that etched into the ears, he spoke.
"If a spy was discovered during a war. If there were those who infiltrated to do nasty things, how could killing them be a crime?"
"A spy?"
"That's right. You wouldn't just leave it alone if spies came during a war to exploit people and cause social chaos, would you?"
"That's, true."
"What I did was just that. I know the future, so I killed them without hesitation, and only left alive one person who would not sell out the nation and would not commit crimes in the future. That was my good deed."
Jinseong said, stroking his arm covered in banknotes.
"Think about it. How could I have killed so many people and left just one person?"
"Hmm."
"If I wanted a perfect crime, how could I have left someone to testify? Just by looking at this, you can see that I am not obsessed with murder, and that I can clearly distinguish between good and bad. Think about it, don't you think so too?"
"That's, true, but. You still killed people, didn't you?"
Jinseong grinned at that question.
"There is a venomous snake that bites people with terrible poison. When you see its babies swarming, is it right to just pass by, or is it right to kill them?"
"Should kill them, right?"
"There are tiger cubs that will grow up to kill people. Then should we just leave them be?"
"Kill, them, I suppose."
"There is a monster that, when grown, will spew poison everywhere, contaminating water and killing and torturing many people. What would you do if you saw this?"
"Eliminate it."
"Even though they're babies?"
"What does it matter if they're babies. It's obvious they'll cause harm when they grow up over time."
At that answer, the golden mask said.
"That's what I did."
Jinseong made Seong Min-hyeok think for himself and give the answer.
Endlessly, endlessly, he wanted to ask questions that he could likely answer, wanted him to draw out the answers himself, and through the act of giving those answers, wanted to create empathy with himself.
And finally, when empathy was formed.
Jinseong began to bewitch Seong Min-hyeok.
"The loan sharks would have received orders from Japan and sucked blood. And soon when the war broke out, they would have become an internal disease, making people suffer. They would have raised interest rates, increased the number of people lending money, made many people suffer, and dropped the lives of people who were already struggling into the abyss. And if they wanted to pay even the interest, they would have tried to control them with threatening words to do as they were told. This would have surely been harmful to the country."
He explained what the loan sharks would do.
"Take this item and leave it at the designated place. Sell your body. Someone needs to be framed, so you step up and go to prison. Sell your child to us. Your child seems talented, so we're thinking of sending them abroad to study, hand them over. If you want to pay off your debt, work at the place we designate. Give us your organs."
He imitated the incomparably vile loan sharks and acted to the fullest so that Seong Min-hyeok could vividly imagine it.
"There would have been drugs in the bag. Those who sold their bodies would have been foreigners or traitors. The people killed on the loan sharks' orders would have been patriots, and the children sold would flow to those who start wars and be treated like toys. The talented ones would undergo brainwashing to become their loyal subordinates while simultaneously draining Korea's military power and future. The labor they forced would have fattened their bellies. Even taking organs would have benefited them. Ah, it's terrible, terrible."
Seeing Seong Min-hyeok's expression harden, he said.
"And the country that would commit such acts is right next door. They are a race that has been faithless and barbaric since ancient times. We used to call them 'Wajin' in the past, and now we call them Japanese."
"Those Japanese bastards..."
"Yes. I just took action because I couldn't stand by and watch those guys harm the Unified Korea. So this is something that shouldn't be punished, even if it can't be praised. Don't you think so?"
Seong Min-hyeok unconsciously looked at the officer at that question, but Jinseong stopped him as his head was about to turn.
"Why do you try to rely on others for your thoughts? Trust in your wisdom that easily solved the second question. Your instinct will create the answer, and it will create the 'right answer' that even that seemingly smart person couldn't think of. Trust only your instinct and your experience to derive the correct answer."
After spitting out those words, the golden mask changed its form. The brilliantly shining lump changed into powder and fell to the floor with a pattering sound, and the banknotes wrapping his body crumpled up again and changed into the form of insects. And the gold that was in the places where the banknotes fell off also changed into sand and poured onto the floor, gradually collapsing the human form.
What was in the place where the banknotes and gold disappeared was empty space.
"What, what is this."
Seong Min-hyeok was startled and tried to grab it, but it was useless.
The body that had started to collapse disappeared in an instant as if it had gained acceleration, and the banknotes that had turned into insects flew high into the sky. The sand that fell to the ground disappeared as if seeping into the earth.
"Three questions and three answers. When it ends correctly, a path opens. Just as Sheshef Ankh opened the way, I too can freely move the path."
Jinseong created a mouth on the part that barely maintained its form and said.
"I will go."
And after spitting out those words, the mouth disappeared in an instant.
The gold to the ground.
The banknotes to the sky.
Thus, the strange person who had been toying with everyone with questions until just a moment ago disappeared in an instant.
But as if he had something he wanted to say even as he disappeared, the strange person had written words on the ground.
『 Remember. I am moving for the Unified Republic of Korea. 』
『 The war has already begun. Now you too will be able to feel it. 』
『 Japan will try all sorts of tricks. 』
『 So if you need help, say so. 』
『 I will move with your tacit approval and work for the country amidst your indifference. 』