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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 11:33:59 GMT -5
when the emperor asked him how the outcome of his journey had been, the commander told him, "hwang sang bae ha, all the proof that you require has been carefully arranged at one of the training camps. will you inspect it for yourself?"
the archfiend nodded.
when they arrived at the training field, a long table had been set up and wa covering a series of objects in a row. "so what is this?" ui min asked. nodding to two soldiers, they removed the sheet.
the first thing the archfiend noticed was the smell - he nearly passed out from the stench. when he had covered his face with his sleeve to block out the smell, he was shocked to see the decaying heads of the choe clan sitting in a neat row along the table. "what is the meaning of this?" ui min asked incredulously.
"it is your proof, bae ha" im said matter of factly. "but we bring you one more prize - their leader we brought back alive, for you to do with as you will. bring the prisoner out!"
barely able to stand, pak jin jae was dragged in front of the archfiend.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 11:42:32 GMT -5
though the archfiend was glad that the choe clan had been wiped out, he felt pity for his enemy, still attempting to maintain an erect posture in spite of his considerable injuries. clearing his throat, ui min said, "lock him up for now." the soldiers saluted their assent.
as he was being led from the field to the prison, chang bi was walking with ji eun outside when she caught sight of a man who had obviously been beaten within an inch of his life being dragged behind a group of soldiers. "unnie" ji eun asked, "was that a bad man?"
"perhaps" chang bi answered, "but no man deserves to be treated like that, no matter what he has done." she saw that even ji-eun's eyes held pity for him. she shielded ji eun with her body as the procession went by her. the prisoner stopped his shuffling and turned to look at chang bi. she started in horror as she barely recognized him in his condition. she told ji-eun, "go inside and stay next to your mother!" ji eun nodded and ran inside the palace. making sure to stay out of sight, chang bi followed some distance behind the soldiers
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 11:51:10 GMT -5
after the prisoner had been thrown roughly into a bare cell, chang bi tried to enter the prison. she was stopped by the guards. "what is your business?" they asked her gruffly.
"i am here to treat this man's injuries" she said in a firm voice.
"we never received any word about anyone treating this man" the guard said.
"you pathetic excuse for a man!" chang bi shouted at him, catching him off guard. "do you think the emperor in his infinite grace is such an animal that he would not allow a completey powerless man the basic human right of medical attention?"
the soldiers nervously cleared their throats.
feeling as if she had them reeling, she ordered, "now, remove your spears and step aside!" she stared at them under lowered brows.
something of du kyung su's fearsome presence must have been felt, as the two men snapped to attention and allowed her to pass.
she went to the man's cell, her heart moved with sadness when she saw how close to death he was. kneeling by the cell, she asked him, "do you remember me?" she asked?
the man shook his head, but to his weary eyes, but with her worried eyes and sympathetic voice, she seemed to him an angel.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 12:15:58 GMT -5
fetching some hot water and clean bandages, she entered the cell and began cleaning his wounds. "who are you?" he whispered, wincing as the hot cloth met his skin.
as she wrung another cloth, she told him, "do you remember many yeasr ago, you came to the imperial city and held a sword to the back of a girl holding a bow and arrow?" he recoiled from her. "don't worry" she said in a genuine tone, "i'm not here to hurt you and i have no desire for revenge." she felt him relax.
"why do you help me?" he asked her weakly.
his skin now clean of crusts and scabs, she bagan applying bandages. "i help you because you need it."
"even if i held you at knifepoint?" he asked, amazed.
"even though your clan killed my uncle before my very eyes" she said sadly. she was surprised at what came next.
"du kyung su is dead?" he asked with true disbelief. "when?"
"you were unaware?" she asked haltingly.
the man looked down. "impossible, du kyung su was one of this nation's most illustrious warriors. how could someone kill him?"
though it made her heart sing to hear him speak of her uncle so, she was more concerned by the fact that this man seemed, at least to her, to have no idea about what had happened. helping him sit upright after she had finished, she looked earnestly into his eyes. "will you swear to me that you and your clan had nothing to do with my uncle's murder?" she said so that only he could hear.
he returned her gaze unflinchingly. "i swear on the souls of all my ancestors and the members of my clan that were murdered before my capture. we could not have sent someone to kill your uncle and if anyone had, i would know of it. but i swear to you, i am completely ignorant of your uncle's murder." he stopped, exhausted. his oath had been painful to utter in light of his injuries.
she looked at him with empathy as well as tears in her eyes. "you lost all of your kin?" she asked him.
he thought of their heads and the barbarous display that im ho gwon had arranged. "yes. and i alone was spared."
she took his battered hands in her own and told him in a shaking voice, "i too am all that is left. my uncle was all i had."
pak jin jae, looking at the face of this beautiful woman, felt a wave of pity for her that drowned out his own pain. though she had every reason to hate him, she had helped him anyway, even when she had thought him the murderer of her beloved uncle. and now he felt a kinship with her - as if being orphaned from both their families made them less alone. "i am sorry for what you have lost" he told her.
she knew that he meant what he said. he of all people understood. "i am glad that it was not you who was responsible for my uncle's death." she paused. "but if not you, then who?"
he winced as she tried to help him back into his bloody jacket. "perhaps" he whispered, "we should ask commander im ho gwon. he claimed he was coming here to destroy the archfiend for our cause. instead he led the imperial army to our hiding place and slaughtered all of my kinsmen."
she put a hand to his mouth, quieting him. "tell no one that we knew each other previously so that i can continue to help you" she advised him. in the meantime i will bring you something to eat."
"thank you" he mouthed silently.
before she left, she turned to him and smiled. "my uncle to the day he died could not figure out how he lost that game." before he could smile back, she had ducked out of his cell.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 12:34:44 GMT -5
before she could walk out of the prison, Im ho gwon grabbed her and threw her to the ground. "what are you doing consorting with a condemned prisoner?" he said icily.
Lifting her upper body off the ground with both hands, she looked at him defiantly. in an equally icy tone she replied, "i was treating this man's wounds."
he walked up to her body and said, "who gave you permission to do so?"
she spat at his feet. "who gave you permission to beat a man so cruelly?"
he picked her up roughly by the arm, "you are a proud wench, aren't you? i think it is time you had a lesson in respecting those in positions higher than your own."
"IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN YOU WILL RELEASE HER AT ONCE!"
chang bi turned and her face lit up with a smile as she saw her beloved general striding over to her flanked by his soldiers.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 12:40:29 GMT -5
im ho gwon dropped her arm and stood up, saluting. "sang jang goon" he bowed.
after helping chang bi to her feet, choi turned to im and in a furious voice shouted, "what is the meaning of this?"
keeping his head bowed, ho gwon answered, "this woman was commiserating with the prisoner we brought back from mongolia."
"sang jang goon" she told him, "this man beat this prisoner, the only surviving member of his clan, savagely and basically left him to die in the cell. i went in the name of humanity to at least ease his pain."
"this man does not deserve to have his pain eased!" ho gwon shot back.
"SILENCE!" choi shouted at the commander. "this is a matter that the emperor will decide on" he said, turning towards the palace
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Post by Chung Kyun on Jul 6, 2004 12:55:44 GMT -5
nice velvet to bad i see my end coming. ;D
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Post by luvarchfiend on Jul 6, 2004 13:00:25 GMT -5
wow VIB, incredible work. this is best thing i have read since 'Lonesome Dove'.....that is quite a compliment 2 comments about choi bu pics: when i changed his pic for the archfiend's at work i thought the other ladies would like it better, they didn't secondly, i had told one of them about your writing here and how good it was. when i showed her the drawing she was amazed. she asked what you did and i told her. she said you were wasting your talents. i believe that is a comment i made myself. she was very impressed as i was. thanks for sharing your many talents with us.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 13:06:35 GMT -5
*sniff* it's so nice to be appreciated
hey if you swapped the pic to one from the movie where he's giving you tickets to the gun show, they'd like that ;D
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 13:07:19 GMT -5
CK your end is not near yet.
it's just some drama and to bring back an older character
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 13:13:48 GMT -5
hey LCB, i have a really funny archfiend cartoon drawing for you but i have not scanned it yet
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 13:19:15 GMT -5
oooooh...CK...you dun fcuked up!
shoulda just killed pak jin jae instead of going for that extra "my loyalty is infinite" stuff ;D
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Post by Chung Kyun on Jul 6, 2004 13:19:16 GMT -5
CK your end is not near yet. it's just some drama and to bring back an older character oh ok!
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Post by Chung Kyun on Jul 6, 2004 13:47:35 GMT -5
oooooh...CK...you dun fcuked up! shoulda just killed pak jin jae instead of going for that extra "my loyalty is infinite" stuff ;D well your fault for not making him do that. ;D
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Jul 6, 2004 13:53:29 GMT -5
well how would he know not to? he joined up after cho chun died...
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