Chapter 165
“…What did I do wrong?”
―That’s what I’m saying. What did you do wrong? I know you got unluckily entangled in this, so I’m telling you this. But if I need you to get rid of those bastards, I can get rid of you too. I’ll do it if necessary.
It wasn’t an idle threat but a serious tone. Rather, Lee Joon-seung felt pity for the reality where Eunseong had to be sacrificed.
―Saying this to someone young like you… I know it’s hard for you too. Whether you trust me or not doesn’t matter – what’s important is that we need to stop Yoo Siwoon. That person isn’t in his right mind. You’re the only one who can do it.
Lee Joon-seung spoke solemnly, as if he had risked danger to approach Eunseong and give him information just to say these words.
“How?”
Eunseong asked hesitantly, vaguely understanding what he was trying to say.
―You need to prove yourself that you’re fake.
“But you said I was real. Everyone acts like… like I’m real.”
Lee Joon-seung hadn’t seen the executive director’s eyes when he said that conceiving the ‘God who came by a side path’ was sacred and joyful work, and that one shouldn’t take such a destiny lightly – the way they looked at him. Eunseong shook his head, not wanting to remember.
―No, that can’t happen. Those who believe that are crazy. Those bastards are all cult members.
“What do you… what do you mean?”
―I told you before. If I were you, I would have committed suicide.
“…”
―You need to disappear.
“Are you telling me to commit suicide?”
Dry tears fell down Eunseong’s cheeks as he asked if that’s what he meant.
―No, I’m saying you need to disappear.
“How do I disappear? I’m alive like this, how do I disappear? Where do I disappear to!”
―If you disappear, the Yongse Pacheon Church will weaken, and that child… damn it, that ridiculous child won’t be born either. Yoo Siwoon’s control will eventually weaken too. I’ll help you disappear. You’ll stow away. You can live hiding your identity. There’s a witness protection program supported by the police.
“…”
―Let me know when you’ve made up your mind. I’ll prepare for it. Just keep in mind that we don’t have time.
Eunseong already had a false identity as Shin Wooyoung. It wasn’t different from the method Yoo Siwoon had tried to use when he wanted to send him away.
∞ ∞ ∞
“Something doesn’t feel right. Something’s wrong.”
Taeho, who had been going up and down the second floor as if monitoring Eunseong and trying to eavesdrop on sounds from beyond the door, carefully muffled his footsteps as he came down the stairs and whispered to Mugeuk.
Cheon Gwanghangja was busy gathering gold bars and cash hidden throughout the winter villa in preparation for an extended life of hiding. Confirming from a distance his back as he busily stuffed bundles of cash into a backpack he had obtained somewhere, Taeho gestured to Mugeuk to go outside.
The villa surroundings, covered in June’s green foliage, had no human presence except for the rustling of small animals and bird songs. It was deep in the mountains where no one could easily approach.
“Doesn’t it seem like Cheon Gwanghangja isn’t grasping the situation?”
“He is a Dohyeonja. He’s going to be the next apostle. Your words are excessive.”
At Taeho’s words, Mugeuk gently scolded him from a senior’s position. Taeho stamped his foot once as if frustrated. Even while looking at Mugeuk frowning with displeasure, he continued:
“The Great Crevice didn’t know who he was from the beginning, so it’s natural for him to act like that, but isn’t Yoo Siwoon too strange?”
“What’s strange about it? If I were him, I would have kept it secret from The Great Crevice too. It’s a realm that those without faith cannot see and matters they cannot understand.”
“That’s not what I mean. Didn’t I tell you before? Yoo Siwoon destroyed the Jeokdan he confiscated from Yoo Oseon. He buried all of that precious stuff in the ground like throwing away trash.”
“CEO Yoo Siwoon’s greenhouse always has an appropriate amount of Jeokdan growing well. There’s no need for more than that, so of course it’s right to dispose of the rest.”
“I heard it was also Yoo Siwoon who initiated the apostle’s audit.”
“It was a regular audit. The schedule was just moved up a bit.”
“Why didn’t the executive directors conduct the regular audit, but Yoo Siwoon’s people did it secretly? What if he intended to thoroughly investigate and get rid of the apostle from the beginning? I heard he said to appoint the Dohyeonja as the next apostle – who does he think he is? If he’s a breeding partner, he’s a breeding partner, but he hasn’t even become the father of the God who came by a side path yet, has he? But honestly, if I were the Dohyeonja, I would have dealt with the apostle without looking back either.”
Even though there was no way Cheon Gwanghangja, who had personally dealt with the former apostle, could hear him, Taeho lowered his voice considerably at that part. It was because it could sound like the former apostle was innocent but Cheon Gwanghangja had dealt with him out of ambition to become an apostle.
“Didn’t Taeho see it directly here too? There are embezzled offerings placed everywhere. Believers don’t offer donations for personal advancement. They all offered treasures with pure hearts to receive the knight’s mark on their foreheads and hands. The former apostle defiled such faith of the believers. God also said long ago that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where was the former apostle’s treasure? That’s the truth.”
Mugeuk said firmly that he had committed sins deserving death. He felt pathetic for having truly believed in and followed the former apostle. As if that filthiness had pooled in his mouth, Mugeuk spat on the ground.
“We need to postpone the remaining breeding partner trials for now. Conception isn’t easy, and there are clearly two more breeding partners, so destroying all the Jeokdan is wrong. Yoo Seongil, who manipulated The Great Crevice, may be beyond salvation, but Yoo Oseon didn’t commit crimes worthy of trial. It should end with just confiscating the Jeokdan. We need to prepare for contingencies.”
“To proceed with trials, an apostle needs to be appointed, but time just keeps flowing endlessly like this.”
Mugeuk was equally worried about this situation. Although they said they followed The Great Crevice’s orders, the longer this period of hiding continued, the more it could appear as if they were antagonizing Yoo Siwoon, which was most burdensome.
“I’m worried about that too. It’s already been a week. When I think of Yoo Siwoon, who was so devoted to The Great Crevice, we might end up taking all the blame later, and we might give him unnecessary ammunition.”
“What unnecessary ammunition?”
“Can’t you see how things are going? Yoo Siwoon is getting rid of everyone he doesn’t like. No matter how important conception is, would a breeding partner want to turn his companion over to others? If I were him, I would have eliminated them too.”
“We did nothing wrong. We can’t refuse The Great Crevice’s command, can we?”
While agreeing with part of Taeho’s words, Mugeuk didn’t want to unnecessarily increase anxiety. And they hadn’t instigated Eunseong to run away with them. Yoo Siwoon would understand that it was a situation where they couldn’t help but follow Eunseong’s orders.
“I eavesdropped on what Eunseong was doing earlier, and it seemed like he was talking to someone on the phone. Could it be Director Nam Giwoo? Aren’t they secretly contacting each other? From what I briefly heard, he was speaking formally, so it wouldn’t be a friend, right? And now isn’t the time to leisurely chat with friends.”
“It wouldn’t be Director Nam Giwoo. If that were the case, Yoo Siwoon would have immediately known where we are. The fact that it’s still quiet means he doesn’t know.”
“Then who is he talking to? If it’s not Director Nam Giwoo.”
“…That’s right. Who exactly.”
If it wasn’t Director Nam Giwoo or Yoo Siwoon, it was difficult for them to guess who Eunseong was talking to.
They couldn’t just waste time like this anymore. Mugeuk, who had been pondering the situation as Taeho suggested, went into the villa and came out with car keys. Taeho followed him and asked:
“Where are you going?”
“I need to use a phone. If I contact the main church, I’ll know what Yoo Siwoon is doing. We can’t even turn on our phones since they’re probably already being tracked.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“Cheon Gwanghangja might misunderstand, so just stay here. If he looks for me, tell him I went out to buy something we needed.”
Mugeuk pacified Taeho, who wanted to follow, sent him back inside, and drove alone toward the city. The city of this rural village was nothing more than a street where restaurants, grocery stores, and agricultural equipment shops were gathered.
Mugeuk wore sunglasses like a tourist and covered his unusually small pupils. After buying snacks and drinks from the supermarket, he made an excuse about his phone battery being dead and borrowed the store’s phone.
“Okjin? This is Mugeuk. Yes, yes, everyone is safe. By any chance… what did you say? What? No, that’s ridiculous, no. That won’t do! Never let him know. Don’t tell anyone where we are, and that I called too, for now, I’ll hang up for now. I’ll contact you later.”
Mugeuk hung up the phone in bewilderment. The store owner, who was hard of hearing, looked at him suspiciously as he stood perplexed. Mugeuk bowed his head repeatedly in thanks and hurried out to get in his car.
As soon as he arrived at the villa and got out of the car, he ran inside.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
