Chapter 79: Torturer [2]
What does he mean?
All in the room including Ganghyuk were surprised at the remark of Hangbok.
Ryu Seongyong strongly reacted, as he could be free from the old disease that made him suffer for a long time thanks to Ganghyuk.
“Why are you slandering him. He is a good doctor.”
“Yes, I know. I got help from him. He is a really good doctor.”
“Then, why did you say that?”
“A good doctor means a person who can treat human body as he wants.”
Lee Hangbok looked at Ganghyuk showing mysterious smile.
“If he can cure somebody, he can damage someone, too.”
Ganghyuk got goosebumps.
He thought the same thing a few days ago.
Ganghyuk did not tell anybody, so Hangbok could not hear the idea from someone.
It confirmed that Hangbok was not an ordinary man.
“Eum”
Jeong Cheol and Ryu Seongyong frowned at the idea to make a doctor a torturer.
They showed the same facial expression but their thought was different.
Jeong Cheol was not sure if Ganghyuk could make him talk.
‘If he can do that…’
If they could get an evidence that Jeong Yeorip was planning to revolt…
The era of Dongin would go and they could start the new ear of Seoin.
He felt sorry for Seongyong but he could not help it.
It was for the power and there could not be personal feelings.
‘I can save Seongyong.’
Seongyong was the subject that King Seonjo liked very much.
Even if he was a Dongin, he might not be able to remove Seongyong.
It would be better to keep him in the office.
Actually, Seongyong was the one who could negotiate with other party.
‘It’s serious.’ Seongyong thought. Ganghyuk was the best doctor that he had ever seen. He thought Ganghyuk might be the best one in history. He could cure hemorrhoids that made him suffer for decades. Now his anus was as good as that of a child.
‘He might be able to torture very well.’
Seongyong could not object the plan.
It was evident why they came to Seongyong and had such conversations in his house.
‘They might give me a chance.’
It might be a warning not to be involved with Jeong Yeorip.
Once it became the case of treason, nobody would be able to escape from the net.
All the people who were caught in the net would be killed.
The sword would not know mercy.
“Eum”
Jeong Cheol and Ryu Seongyong looked at each other.
And then they nodded their heads at the same time.
“Ok. It would be good if Ganghyuk could get any information from the Pyeonsu.”
Now the ball is in Ganghyuk’s net.
Although it was a heavy and ugly ball, he could not reject it.
Ganghyuk thought quickly.
‘Gichukoksa… Gichukoksa…’
He tried to remember the historical incident.
Seongyong escaped the terrible massacre fortunately.
He became a prime minister later, so it could be said an example of ‘Bad luck often bring good luck.’
‘The original Gichukoksa happened at a strange time.’
It was only 2 to 3 years before the terrible war ‘Imjinwaeran’.
It was certain that Jeong Yeorip or Seoin had not known what it would cause.
As a matter of fact, however, it used up most of national force and when Imjinwaeran outbroke, the state did not have enough force to fight against Japanese.
‘If it must come, I think it is better to come earlier.’
Ganghyuk nodded his head.
“Ok, I will do it.”
“Good. If you contribute to the state, you would be rewarded accordingly. Don’t worry.”
“Yes, your Lordship.”
Ganghyuk tried to look at the spirit of Seongyong while nodding his head.
Ganghyuk knew the power game between Dongin and Seoin.
Seongyong felt uncomfortable.
Yeorip had belonged to Dongin, and Seongyong was the head of the party.
How could he feel comfortable to prosecute the one who used to be his follower?
But Seongyong saw reason.
He did not have lingering attachment on someone who had gone.
“It is Ok. Please do your work.”
“Thank you, your Lordship.”
They finished the serious conversations.
Jeong Cheol and Lee Hangbok became relaxed and showed soft smiles on their faces.
Ganghyuk felt a somewhat frightening spirit from that sudden change.
‘Politicians are always same no matter what era they are living.’
They are the people who can adjust their thought and even their emotions according to necessity.
Ganghyuk thought that they were born different from others. He was not that kind at all.
“Well, now put aside serious themes… Let’s talk about lighter things.”
Jeong Cheol drank as if he had forgotten the heavy theme of treason.
“Well, you had a big event some time ago.”
“Ah, Yoshitoshi and Genso?”
Seongyong answered with smile.
Jeon Cheol clapped his hands with delight.
“Yes, yes.”
“I was surprised at Hangbok relating the incident.”
“Eum? What is it?”
“We had an envoy from Japan. Tachibana Yashiro came to Joseon as an envoy.”
“I know.”
At that time, Cheol was in exile but it seemed that he knew what was going on in Hanyang.
He nodded his head constantly.
‘It is natural for the Chief of Seoin to know about what happened in the palace.’
Ganghyuk nodded his head.
He remembered the conversation between Lee Hangbok and Ryu Seongyong.
‘I realized why he was a great man leaving his name in the history from the conversation.’
Hangbok had a deep and keen insight.
Ganghyuk was moved.
“When he came back, Hangbok told me something. I thought it was interesting, so I still remember it clearly.
“What did he say?”
“He said that he was sure that Yashiro would be killed when he came back to Japan and Japan would send another envoy sooner or later. Then we need to treat him better.”
“Ho, did he? I heard that he had died. That was why you held big parties for the envoy…”
Cheol nodded his head as if he could understand all the situations clearly.
He looked at Hangbok with trust and affection.
He might feel blessed.
It was a real blessing for Seoin to have such an able man like Hangbok.
“Yes, we will send a positive answer this time. We do not have a specific schedule yet though.”
“Will you send an envoy?”
“Yes, your Lordship.”
“Did you tell your opinion to the King?”
“No, not yet. I will report it soon.”
“If you want, I will ask my friends to support your proposal.”
“Thank you.”
An important and big decision was made in Seongyong’s reception room.
Ganghyuk was amazed that he was in that scene.
‘The heads of the two parties gathered together.’
Of course, there were higher-ranking officials in Dongin.
Lee Sanhae and Lee Bal had higher offices, but they were enemies of Jeong Cheol.
They did not talk with Seoin and did not eat or drink together with Seoin.
They virtually hated Seoin.
There was no room for negotiation with them.
They talked about other national issues and their personal situations for some time.
When the drinking party was over, it was very late.
Hangbok came to Ganghyuk when he tried to take on his leather shoes.
Ganghyuk could smell alcohol from him.
“Hu, are you ok?”
“Yes, I am Ok.”
“You are really strong. You drank like a whale, but you are still good.”
“Haha, I am a heavy drinker.
“Do you have a secret not to be drunken?”
It was a famous story in that world.
Ganghyuk was the best drinker in his class when he was a medical student and he could not find a match in his hospital when he started to work as a doctor.
‘I was dragged by seniors.’
He had to bleed.
They took out his blood for blood sample test.
They told Ganghyuk that he had several times higher alcohol breakdown enzyme and acetaldehyde lyase.
“This one is really a monster…”
One of his seniors shouted.
Ganghyuk thought he was born as a heavy drinker.
“No, I was born like this.”
“I envy you. Once I was knock down after drinking the drink that the King bestowed. I almost behaved indecently in the royal palace.”
“Ah, I heard from my father. When he was in Hongmungwan, he had the same incident.”
“Yes, I envy a confirmed alcohol drinker since then.”
Seonon.
It is a special word being used for the King.
When a king bestowed a glass of alcohol to his subjects, it was called ‘Seonon’.
The alcohol bestowed by the king is glory and grace.
As it was the grace of the king, they could not reject or vomit.
They drank as they were given without complaints and collapsed.
“Haha, it is not a thing to envy.”
“Anyway, I will tell you why I want you to do this work.”
No alcohol trace remained in Hangbok’s voice.
He quietly but clearly said.
“I happened to meet a fellow who ran away from your house by chance.”
He said ‘by chance’ but it might be he intentionally caught him to investigate the case.
It must be an inevitable meeting and it might be good to say Hangbok caught him.
“I don’t know what happened, but he could not walk. Do I know the situation correctly?”
“Ah, yes. I did not mean to torture him, but it happened.”
“He was frightened and confessed even though I did not ask any question. He was a low class and did not know much, but…”
“Eum”
“Don’t think it too serious. Just let the Peyonsu open his mouth. He is really stubborn, and he does not open his mouth at all no matter what I did.”
“I see.”
Ganghyuk was curious what Hangbok did to him.
His curiosity was solved soon.
There was a house that Hangbok had. He put Peyonsu in that house.
When he was about to open the gate, he smelled a foul odor.
Dolseok following Ganghyuk covered his nose with his hands and said.
“Wow, the patient might be very sick.”
Dolseok did not know the situation. He thought that Ganghyuk came here to treat a patient whom Hangbok introduced.
Therefore, he was curious at many useless things.
“Why did you take Makbong only, instead of Yeoni and Miss Yeoju? They might be helpful to treat patients.”
Ganghyuk nodded his head instead of giving him an answer.
‘They may be helpful.’
He did not want them to see this scene.
Although Yeoni is strong and brave, she is a girl that Ganghyuk felt some affection with.
He did not show her the torturing scene. If one wants to show a torturing scene to the girl he likes, he must be a psychopath.
Not to mention of Yeoju who was brought up as a noblewoman.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yes, sir.”
Makbong was glad to follow him leaving those two at home.
His face was full of delight, even though he was carrying a lot of scrotums on his back.
He was happy until he saw the man in the room.
“This is…?”
Although he was slimmer and had wounds here and there, Dolseok and Makbong recognized him.
“Is he the Pyeonsu of the group?”
“Yes… I did not beat him to this state. What happened to him?”
“Heum.”
Ganghyuk could know how many efforts Hangbok had made to make him confess what he knew.
Pyeonsu of Gwanghee group became a rag that laid on the floor.
‘He did not open his mouth till this state.’
Ganghyuk felt respect for his loyalty.
But Ganghyuk had sorted his mind to make him confess because of the remark that Hangbok made.
“-Jeong Yeorip is thinking of treason. All kinds of rebellious people will come to him. I cannot leave him messing up the order in the difficult times. We need evidences.”
Ganghyuk looked at the man holding his fist.
His eyes were still shining in that state.
“You… you are the gangster in the marketplace.”
He was still arrogant.
‘If he showed a servile attitude, I could do it better with lighter mind.’
Ganghyuk opened his mouth clicking his tongue in his mouth.
“Hey, I will torture you. You will feel pain that you have never had before. Just tell me now before I torture you.”
“Go away.”
“You make things more difficult. I can’t help it. Dolseok, open the bag.”
“Ah, yes…”
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