The Reincarnated Cop Who Strikes With Wealth

I Am Your Father (2)

In my original timeline, the Past Life Church was exposed to the public due to a complete coincidence. It was only after a typhoon blew in from Japan, passing over Sakgui island, and the government had launched an investigation into the aftermath, that the knowledge of the cult’s existence became widespread. That was how much these people wanted to protect their enclosed society.

“As long as we don’t get hypnotized, there won’t be any danger.”

We should be fine if we can just avoid offending them. The most important thing was to avoid being deceived by Jeom Mal-Seok’s aura and his silver tongue. Once we managed to get past this meal safely, then we could leave and come back with the police.

“Everyone, make sure to keep your guards up. Don’t listen to anything you hear here, let it all flow in one ear and out the other. Understood?”

“Of course. In the first place, I just can’t imagine how people can read things like this and end up believing in them,” Ji-Hye snorted with laughter as she flipped through the book that Sang-Ho had left them.

“You know how to read Chinese characters?”

“Pretty much. Blood is thicker than water… Honor thy father above all else…” without further interruptions from us, Ji-Hye read the scriptures out loud.

The more she read, the more she filled out my blurry memories of the Past Life Cult from my previous life. This was proof that Ji-Hye wasn’t just reading at random, but instead had found the core of the cult’s teachings. Chief Kim and I exchanged surprised looks, blinking at each other with slack-jawed faces.

Lying down next to us, Sang-Beom calmly drawled, “Ji-Hye is the overall top student in our grade.”

Wow. Not only is she a diligent volunteer, she’s also a good student. As Sang-Beom praised her, Ji-Hye’s face flushed, seemingly out of embarrassment. Then she closed the book with a grin.

“I can read it, but I’m afraid that I can’t interpret it into modern Korean.”

“Why would you even want to? It’s good enough that you can read it. No need to try and interpret that rubbish as well. In any case, since the sky’s getting darker, it should be nearly time for dinner,” Chief Kim shook his head as if he was disgusted with the very idea.

The humidity had risen suddenly, perhaps because of the sea nearby.

I opened the scriptures and skimmed the notes made by those who had studied it. The scriptures had actually been written and published by Jeom Mal-Seok himself, though he had been careful to make it out of paper specially treated to appear aged. Even as he preached about God and the truth, he was simply a deceptive bastard who had prepared this con meticulously.

“Everyone, please come in. I will start the prayer soon.”

A few moments later, we heard Sang-Ho’s voice calling us from inside the town hall. Long tables had been lined up the entire length of the wide hall. Everyone else was already seated and waiting for us. It was one of their rules that whenever a meal was shared beneath the eye of the godfather, everyone must start eating at the same time.

“This way.”

Sang-Ho led us to our seats at the head table, but remained standing by his seat. Across from me, having changed his clothes, the godfather was waiting there calmly.

“Let us pray.”

“Let us pray.”

With every word that Sang-Ho proclaimed, the villagers chanted along. Sang-Beom’s jaw dropped and he appeared shocked at his brother’s stern appearance. We quietly sat and watched this scene play out. The godfather gently placed both hands on his chest in the cult’s signature pose.

“Euiwonaisikpoah…” they started chanting in words that none of us could understand.

The sound of sutras rolling off twenty people’s lips filled the air with a solemnity that gave us all goosebumps.

Murmur murmur murmur…

Closing their eyes shut, they began praying whole-heartedly. After a few minutes of intense personal devotion, once Sang-Ho’s prayer had finished, the hall fell into silence.

“Let us commence the meal,” the Godfather curtly ordered.

At these words, the strange air of solemnity disappeared and the atmosphere of the room became lively.

“Make sure to eat up, Sang-Ho’s younger brother.”

“Yes yes, have some of this as well.”

The people sitting around us set several plates of food down in front of us. An unknown soup made from chicken, crispy kimchi, pickled radish, and multi-grained rice.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Although there wasn’t a lot of variety, I had known it would be like this. What did it mean for these villagers to slaughter a chicken for us when supplies were so limited in a place like this? It meant that they were being as welcoming and hospitable as they could possibly be.

As we picked up our spoons, the Godfather spoke up, “Oh, that’s right. How has your trip to Jeju been?”

The Godfather’s gaze was fixed on Ji-Hye. This bastard, could it be…

I replied on behalf of our group, “Well, you know how it is right? Vacations like this tend to be cherished more in hindsight.”

“What deep thoughts, quite unusual for a young man like yourself. Did you say that you were high school classmates with Sang-Ho?”

“Yes. That’s right. But I had to transfer soon afterwards, so it looks like Sang-Ho doesn’t remember me.”

“Oh-ho. That’s unfortunate.”