Chapter 139
There was a storage container placed in a corner of the wasteland, seemingly intended as a resting place for laborers. Yeom Man-Gun and I sat down in the container and exchanged a conversation. It smelled slightly of earth, but it was a reasonably cozy space. Above all, I was comforted by the fact that no one was watching us.
"Well, Cult Leader, there ain't nothin' between you and me but open honesty. You see, this land here is..."
Yeom Man-Gun talked only about the land with an excited expression. He emphasized several times that the land he owned was of incredible quality, and it was truly a miracle that it still didn’t have an owner.
I nodded or chimed in appropriately, listening to his story.
"Well, now, the crucial question is, how do we make use of this land...?"
Yeom Man-Gun finally started talking about his business. He was currently running a soju factory and thought that engraving intoxication spells on mass-produced soju wouldn’t be profitable.
Instead, he wanted to build a new factory on this newly acquired land and use traditional distillation methods to produce premium soju. In other words, he wanted to upgrade and diversify his business, which didn’t sound like a bad idea.
However, there was one concern.
"Isn't there too high of a risk of failing? The profits won't outweigh the initial investment costs unless the liquor is exceptionally delicious."
"Don't you fret none 'bout that. I reckon I'll whip up some of the most mouthwaterin' spirits you ever did taste. Them prelates and them foolhardy folks, well, they'll be grinnin' like possums in a persimmon tree, sippin' their way into blissful oblivion."
"Oh... You seem to be confident in the quality of the drinks."
"Well, shucks, I sure do hope so! I gotta my start collectin' them cast-off bottles and turning 'em into a business, and I've been slingin' spirits for nigh on a decade now..."
To summarize, he had been running a liquor store for several years, so he was already skilled in making alcohol. I wouldn’t have to worry about the quality of his products, and furthermore, if the business went well, even prelates would turn into prisoners under my spell.
Yeom Man-Gun had confidence in his business idea. Although the expansion plan itself was a bit vague, it wasn't completely baseless. Above all, Yeom Man-Gun was talented, so with luck on his side, the business would surely succeed.
"Well, Executive Yeom Man-Gun is talented, so I believe you will succeed no matter what. I feel relieved that I have you around.”
"..."
Yeom Man-Gun looked at me, blinking his eyes but not saying a word. He seemed touched by what I said. I quickly got up from my seat, finding his gaze uncomfortable.
"Can I take a look around the area? I've been inside the container for too long. I need some fresh air."
"Ain't no rush here. You just take all the time you need."
I left the container. Uncle and Ha Pan-Seok were talking in the middle of the barren wasteland. Meanwhile, Soo-Yeong's eyes were darting back and forth anxiously.
The two were the unexpected faces wandering around Yeom Man-Gun when we arrived. I didn't know why Ha Pan-Seok and Soo-Yeong from the Chungcheong Branch came here, but I went over to them...
"Why is it you and Yeom Man-Gun again? Aren't you from that group that was planning a rebellion last time?"
"Ha. Are you suspecting us just because we're in the same place? Can't I be friends with Yeom Man-Gun? Of course, our branch has a lot of interactions with the Jeolla Branch since our underground chapels are close to each other.”
“So you two were planning a rebellion, right? I’m skeptical about you because you have a history. You think I would have suspected you if you hadn’t done anything wrong?”
As I drew closer and listened, I found out that Uncle and Ha Pan-Seok were fighting. It seemed like Uncle had started the argument, asking questions along the lines of, “Why are you two together? Are you plotting a rebellion again?”
It was only when I intervened between them that they stopped fighting. However, the hostility in their eyes was still evident. Soo-Yeong paced back and forth like a helpless puppy amidst a full-blown dogfight.
"Why are you fighting again?" I asked.
Ha Pan-Seok raised his voice as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Cult Leader! Executive Jin-Sung is accusing me of plotting a rebellion and putting pressure on me!"
"Rebellion..."
"Of...of course, it's true that I had thoughts of doing such disrespectful things before. But during the last executive meeting, didn't I promise loyalty to you, Cult Leader? I’m struggling to keep my cool when he keeps pushing me around, knowing the change of heart that I’ve had."
Ha Pan-Seok expressed his grievances and pounded his chest, frustrated. I slowly examined his expression and nodded my head.
"I actually have something to say regarding the rebellion."
"Huh? What..."
"Why don’t we go behind that container over there?"
The matter wasn’t something to discuss in front of Soo-Yeong. If Ha Pan-Seok tried to evade or showed flustered signs when asked why he hadn’t offered the sacrifice last month, I intended to consider it as him preparing for a rebellion. Then I’d execute the proper repercussions.
Soo-Yeong looked at me with fearful eyes, but I ignored her and took Ha Pan-Seok to a secluded place. Without delay, I immediately confronted him.
"You didn't send an offering last month."
"Ah..."
"I'm not saying that you are preparing for a rebellion. I'm just surprised that you didn't leave a message to explain what was going on."
Upon hearing my words, Ha Pan-Seok visibly showed a sense of confusion and panic on his face. If it was a misunderstanding, he could have simply said so, but Ha Pan-Seok didn't even attempt to make an excuse.
So he really was planning to betray me... It was unfortunate, but there was no turning back now. Just as I was about to unleash Voodoo magic, Ha Pan-Seok hesitated and explained, "Actually, our current financial situation is not good. It’s hard for us to maintain our livelihood, let alone have the funds to operate our branch.”
Ha Pan-Seok hung his head. It seemed that those words were difficult and embarrassing for him to say aloud. I stopped casting the spell and observed Ha Pan-Seok's expression. It didn't seem like he was lying.
"Didn't I give you some funds during the executive meeting? It should have been a considerable sum of money."
"Well... there were so many places to spend it here and there... "
"And what do you mean by here and there?"
"Sigh... My daughter insisted on attending an academy.[1]
An academy?
Ha Pan-Seok sighed heavily as I looked at him with confusion.
"I’m told that these days, academies are not just for studying, but it’s also a place where kids make friends as well. She’s been saying that she feels excluded at school... But, you see, the academy fees are no joke."
"Aha. But with the money I gave you, you would still have had some left even after paying for the academy, right?" "
“Yes, you’re right. To be honest, I'm in the process of preparing for a remarriage, so some of the money went toward that."
It was truly shocking news, but Ha Pan-Seok's expression remained calm. While the Voodoo Cult didn’t have a doctrine prohibiting remarriage, it still came to me as a shock.
I was so surprised that I asked again, "Remarriage? What do you mean?"
"Please, give me a chance to explain myself. It's not like I forgot about my deceased wife. It's just that, you never know what might happen in life... "
"Does Soo-Yeong know this as well?"
"I told her, and we had a bit of a fight about it. Ha, what am I even saying this for..." Ha Pan-Seok said, glancing at Soo-Yeong having a conversation with Uncle in the distance.
To summarize, Ha Pan-Seok was preparing for remarriage and fought with Soo-Yeong about it. Feeling frustrated, he came to have a drink with Yeom Man-Gun, but it turned out that Soo-Yeong had followed him, thinking her dad was secretly meeting his lover.
Ha Pan-Seok's remarriage partner was a fairly well-known entrepreneur. He had succeeded in converting his partner into a Voodooist, but because the partner was a successful businesswoman, Ha Pan-Seok ended up spending a lot of money out of his pocket to match her expensive tastes.
"That's interesting."
Now that I knew Ha Pan-Seok wasn't betraying me, I felt relieved. I wasn't particularly interested in love stories, but this one was quite intriguing.
Ha Pan-Seok sighed deeply and complained, "It's not an interesting story to me, though..."
"Haha... I understand. Anyway, you weren't trying to betray me."
"Of course not. Even though my son was taken to prison, he is undoubtedly alive. He isn’t a weakling who would die in prison. Until I see that kid’s face again, I will never betray you, Cult Leader."
"Does that mean you will betray me after seeing his face?"
"By then, I would have no more wishes in life. I would sacrifice my life for you without any hesitation."
Ha Pan-Seok's loyalty had become even stronger over the time I hadn’t seen him. For his son in the underground prison, it seemed he had sworn loyalty to me, even if it meant sacrificing himself. Come to think of it, Ha Pan-Seok was the one who had been the most loyal to my father, the Second Cult Leader. No one could change his mind once it was set.
"If you can't send offerings, at least send me a brief letter. Honestly, it doesn't matter much if you don't send offerings."
"I will. Lately, my mind has been so occupied that the idea never made it to my mind."
Honestly, it didn’t matter whether he sent offerings or not. If Yun Chang-Su or Yuk Eun-Hyung hadn't sent any offerings, I would have dismissed it, thinking that they were probably too busy.
Also, although one shouldn't use the funds personally, I didn't make an issue out of it with Ha Pan-Seok. This was because he had done this in order to paint a bigger picture through remarriage.
The problem was that it was Ha Pan-Seok who hadn’t sent the offerings. He had previously attempted a rebellion. I couldn't help but be suspicious.
Now, it seemed there was no need to doubt Ha Pan-Seok anymore. The same went for Yeom Man-Gun. They recently plotted a rebellion and even tried to kill me, but now they recognized me as the Cult Leader and showed me respect. Even if it was just a little by little, I felt that the Voodoo Cult was gradually coming together.
I redistributed some of the headquarters' money to give to Ha Pan-Seok through my uncle. The amount of money I had given him was a very small amount compared to the money I had given during the previous executive meeting, but Ha Pan-Seok was very happy and expressed his gratitude to me continuously nonetheless.
"Damn... Seeing him smile like that makes me feel bad all of a sudden."
My uncle openly showed his displeasure, even though the amount of money I gave to him was very small compared to the money I gave during the previous executive meeting.
*
"You’re going to take a nap?"
"Yeah, if I drive now, we'll definitely get into an accident. Give me thirty minutes, and then we’ll be on the road. Luckily, there’s a container here."
I tried to leave after finishing my business, but my uncle said he was too tired and couldn't drive. In the end, I had no choice but to stay here a little longer. My phone battery was almost dead, so I decided to look around.
This area was truly as good as Yeom Man-Gun had described. There were no houses nearby, and there was a river of suitable size nearby, which seemed convenient for obtaining industrial water. It was a tough place for people to live, but it was a very suitable place to run a factory.
It was also a good place to try using the Loa's power, which was great because I had a few things I wanted to test out.
The first was the Prayer to the Loa, and the second was the utilization of vévé, the symbol of the Loa.
No, it was the perfect time to test these out, as I had just made an offering before coming here.
However, the power of the Prayer to the Loa and the utilization of vévé were too strong to experiment with an easy-going attitude. If I were to do it, I decided it would be better to fully commit. I took off my shirt. It was only then that the girl who had been quietly following behind me finally revealed her presence.
"Ah, ahhhhh!"
Soo-Yeong covered her mouth and screamed. Her eyes seemed to have lost a sense of direction as they were shaking in their sockets.
I approached her with loose-hanging clothes on my arm. Soo-Yeong hesitated and shuffled back.
"Oh, don't come any closer. You lunatic!"
"You’re telling me not to come closer? You're the one who followed."
"Hey, argh! You’re crazy. At least put on some clothes if you're coming closer...!"
Soo-Yeong's frantic gaze stopped at a certain point. It rested on the spot where I had gotten a hole through my stomach. More precisely, it was the scar in the area where there had been a hole. Seeing that, Soo-Yeong blinked her eyes in confusion and approached me. Then, as if trying to analyze the pattern of the scar, she examined it with a puzzled expression.
"What is this... Why is there a hole in your stomach? Is this a burn? Is it a burn mark?"
"A sword stabbed me."
"What? Why? No, uh... When? When did this scar appear?"
"Not long ago. About two months ago?"
"Two months?"
Soo-Yeong furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and repeated my words. Then, as if realizing something, her eyes widened.
1. Common word used to translate ??, or hagwon. A place where you go to do extracurricular studying, very common in Korea ?
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