CS Chapter 27

Silently following Taerim, a soft exclamation escaped Seowoo’s lips. As they rounded the stone wall, just as the Cheonsin Bosal had told them, a breathtaking view unfolded.

 

A forest lush with verdant leaves. Nature, basking in the late summer light, was a marvel to behold. Listening to the songs of birds nestled in their respective trees, classical Korean poetry, the kind one would usually only encounter in Korean literature textbooks, naturally came to mind unbidden. She even wondered if the munsin (scholar officials) of old hadn’t composed poems while leisurely enjoying such places.

 

“Oh my god…!”

 

Just then, a scream abruptly burst from Seowoo’s mouth. A jet-black cat, dripping with blood, had passed right by her calf.

 

Barely regaining her composure, she saw a small bird clamped in the cat’s mouth. Although blood was dripping profusely, the bird’s vigorous struggles suggested it was still alive.

 

Seowoo instinctively gripped her bag, ready to strike the cat if necessary. Her first thought was to save the poor bird.

 

“Stay still.”

 

However, Taerim, who had witnessed the scene, gently stopped her.

 

“Cats are spiritual beings. Harming them will bring misfortune. Humans shouldn’t interfere with the natural order of things.”

 

Only then did Seowoo slowly lower her clutched bag. More than the mention of spiritual beings, the words about not interfering with the natural order resonated with her. It was simply the interplay of predator and prey; the cat was not at fault.

 

“I’m sorry, I was so startled…”

 

As Seowoo apologized to Taerim, the cat quietly disappeared. A strange silence hung between them for a moment.

 

“My name is Ji Seowoo. What’s your name?”

 

It was Ji Seowoo who broke the silence first. Unlike the Cheonsin Bosal, who had evoked a sense of wariness, Taerim, perhaps being around her age, was much easier to open up to.

 

At Seowoo’s question, Taerim hesitated. She had rarely spoken to anyone other than the Cheonsin Bosal.

 

“…I’m Lee Taerim.”

 

“Are you a shaman too, Taerim?”

 

Just as Taerim was about to quietly nod, the man’s broad shoulders twitched as if sensing something strange. Then, he started running frantically in the direction they had come from with Seowoo.

 

“Cheonsin Bosal!”

 

He ran back to the shrine in a single breath. Sure enough, beyond the wide-open sliding door, the Cheonsin Bosal lay collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Cha Minjun stood nearby, looking down at her observing the scene with an impassive face.

 

“What did you do to the Cheonsin Bosal?! Huh?”

 

Taerim, who quickly helped the Cheonsin Bosal up, yelled at him, but Minjun simply shrugged. He, too, was unaware of the cause. The Cheonsin Bosal had suddenly shouted and then collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

 

“Mr. Minjun. Are you alright?”

 

Seowoo, who had hurriedly followed Taerim, also turned pale at the sight of the Cheonsin Bosal. While everyone was in a state of confusion, only Cha Minjun remained calm, taking out his cell phone. He intended to call 119 (Korean emergency services).

 

But this, too, was short-lived.

 

“Oh dear, oh dear…! That… that… poor thing! Unfortunate thing!”

 

Suddenly, the Cheonsin Bosal sat up, eyes rolled back, and wailed towards Seowoo.

 

“Trying to save that man’s life, you’ll die in his place. Such a young and beautiful woman, destined to be a scapegoat, what a tragic life… Oh dear, oh dear!”

 

Astonishingly, a raspy voice, like that of an old person, flowed from her mouth. As if that wasn’t enough, bloody tears gushed from her eyes. It was truly a mystery, inexplicable in human terms.

 

***

 

In the secluded VVIP room of a sky-high lounge bar, rather clandestine activities were taking place. Several scantily clad women were entertaining to a single man.

 

On a long sofa, a woman in lingerie straddled the man, her pale buttocks bouncing rhythmically. Another woman brazenly pressed her swaying breasts against his face. The remaining women sang songs, poured drinks, and did their utmost to cater to the man’s every whim.

 

Ironically, these women providing the entertainment weren’t prostitutes. They were all ordinary university students, but they shared one commonality: they were all devotees of the Sky Salvation Church.

 

While the man was thoroughly enjoying himself, fondling and kissing the women, the door quietly opened. Recognizing Elder Daniel who had entered the room, the man burst into hearty laughter.

 

“Hahaha! Our Elder, where did you find these amazing girls?”

 

“I hope they are to your liking, sir.”

 

“I like them very much. You know, Elder, I have severe OCD, so I can’t stand loose women.” [TN: Implying he prefers virgins or women who haven’t had many sexual partners. This is a common, albeit often inaccurate, belief among some men.]

 

“Oh, I’m glad you’re satisfied, sir.”

 

Unlike his usual demeanor, Elder Daniel behaved subserviently, almost fawning over the man. He then smoothly took a seat next to him and filled the man’s crystal glass to the brim with whiskey.

 

“Have you had a chance to discuss matters with the Chairman?”

 

“Ah, about that…”

 

The “Chairman” Elder Daniel referred to was the head of the “Guseongpa,” an organized crime syndicate that controlled the Gangnam area. The Guseongpa expanded its influence by owning numerous karaoke bars, room salons, and nightclubs in Gangnam, but their most lucrative business was drug trafficking.

 

They had primarily been trafficking and dealing in familiar drugs like heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, but five years ago, they began smuggling a new drug called “Titan” from Shanghai, China, and discreetly distributing it within Korea. One of their major clients was the Sky Salvation Church.

 

This explained the reason why Daniel, who was considerably older, was so deferential to the younger man. The man before him was the chief distributor of Titan, so Daniel always put significant effort into lobbying him.

 

Recently, however, a problem had arisen. Due to supply issues in China, the distribution of Titan had been disrupted, causing the price to skyrocket.

 

It wasn’t entirely unexpected. Getting people hooked on cheap drugs and then gradually increasing the price was a common tactic used by people in this line of work.

 

“Negotiations with China are proving difficult. Those damn Chinese are always so hard to deal with.”

 

“Couldn’t you somehow manage it, sir? It’s not like we haven’t been doing business for just a year or two.”

 

“Sigh…”

 

The Titan supplied by the Guseongpa was indispensable to Daniel. It was the main ingredient in the “life water” he distributed to his church followers.

 

Of course, as a precaution against potential crackdowns, the life water given to ordinary followers was merely salt water. However, Daniel strategically used Titan-laced life water for specific purposes.

 

The holy water he had given Ji Junseo a few days ago was also laced with Titan. The writhing man, oblivious to the fact he had ingested drugs, repeatedly shouted “Hallelujah,” claiming to have witnessed a miracle. His pathetic state was so comical that Daniel regretted not filming it.

 

“Please consider our church’s situation. We depend on donations for our livelihood. I humbly beg you, sir.”

 

“Oh, Elder, you keep being so obsequious, and it puts me in a difficult position. Anyway, a price increase is unavoidable. Even our Chairman is racking his brains over this matter.”

 

The man, who had been diligently kneading a woman’s breasts, patted Daniel’s shoulder with his hands as if offering a favor.

 

“But I’ll give you a generous service in return. I’m only doing this much because you’re our Elder, you know what I mean?”

 

“So, how much…?”

 

“50 billion won¹ by the end of next month.”

 

At the man’s words, one of Daniel’s eyebrows shot up in dismay.