Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 119



Only Krnovel

119. Where the forest is thick, tigers come (4)

Myeongil grabbed the handle of the sword, shivering. His body was shaking so much that the sword shook up and down violently.

If it had been the shaman’s Taegeuk Hyegeom, Myeongil would have come out right away. But since it was the Hwasan faction’s sword technique, he held back like that.

As seen in Namgung Hwi’s case, the people of Murim seem to have a strong sense of camaraderie about sharing a world. Right now, Myeongil is making an expression as if he’s been insulted.

The fact that the sect’s core martial arts were being sold in a black market like this was not just an insult, it was something that shook the very foundation of the sect.

I grabbed Myungil’s shoulder and rubbed it. Myungil looked back at me with a red face. He looked like he wanted to explode with anger at any moment.

“It could be fake. Calm down.”

I held Myeongil’s hand and leaned towards Yeom Baek-gyu.

“Is this that precious thing?”

Yeom Baek-gyu glanced at me and smiled.

“That’s right. It’s none other than the Hwasanpa’s Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique. If this isn’t precious, then what is?”

“Usually those kinds of martial arts books are fake? If you learn something like that wrong, your danjeon will be destroyed.”

This wasn’t just a rumor, it was the truth. The martial arts secrets that were usually found in places like this were either incomplete or completely fake, so if you learned them, you could end up possessed by the demonic spirits.

In fact, people were unable to even bid because they were trying to determine whether it was real or fake.

“I heard that it is definitely authentic.”

Yeom Baek-gyu whispered to me. His eyes were full of confidence, not the kind that told lies.

“For your information, this is an item listed by a seller who is guaranteed by our market. If you purchase it, you can see the seller in person.”

People were in an uproar. It wasn’t easy for the black market to vouch for someone’s identity.

The black market, like any other market, has a manager who acts as its administrator. However, he or she does not do everything that the manager does.

Normally, all merchants who wanted to sell in the market had to report to the city council and register. However, this was not required in the black market. This was because everything that appeared there was either stolen goods or illegal items.

Since everyone hides their identity here, it is special that the mayor guarantees your identity. In addition, it is said that you can even see the seller when you make a purchase.

“Hmm.”

A sigh came out on its own. With those words, people’s trust rose, but tomorrow’s trembling grew even greater.

“Then two thousand five hundred nyang.”

Someone has made a claim. The 24-hand plum blossom sword technique of the volcano is truly a priceless treasure.

Of course, you can’t learn that and strut around the world openly. The Hwasan faction will be on the lookout for it. However, just studying that level of ascending swordsmanship will bring about tremendous added value.

It was a gamble that could be made even if it was not known whether it was real or fake. In fact, people tried to bid even if they were willing to take the risk that it was fake.

The value of the emergency item soared through the roof with just one word from the auctioneer.

What was surprising was that Yeom Baek-gyu continued to try to bid higher, although the range of bids gradually narrowed due to the budget limit.

“Seven thousand five hundred nyang.”

The price of emergency supplies has risen to that level. Yeom Baek-gyu clicked his tongue in displeasure.

The silver was 7,500 nyang. Of course, if you consider the value of the secret, which was believed to be real, this was also a steal.

Myungil looked at me anxiously. Even though it wasn’t his school’s martial arts, it was the core martial arts of the same old school. It seemed like he couldn’t accept that it was being sold like that.

“Ten thousand nyang.”

At that time, a bid came out that turned the table upside down. The first bidder was even worth ten thousand nyang. Everyone’s eyes were focused on him.

The person who had asked for ten thousand nyang had his face covered because he had pulled his hat down so low that I couldn’t see his face. That wasn’t unusual. Since I also wore black sunglasses that covered half of my face, everyone else was covering their faces.

What caught my attention was his prayer. His appearance was as solid as an iron tower, and the air around him seemed to be heavy and settled. Just by looking at him, it seemed like he had trained in a profound inner energy. I also looked at him with my magic eye to see if he had any magical energy, but there was nothing particularly unusual.

“Oh, ten thousand nyang has come out. Do you have any more?”

The auctioneer bit his tongue. Ten thousand nyang was an outrageous amount of money.

People are starting to take notice. If you raise the price that much, you can’t help but consider the risk that it might be a fake.

“Do you know the author?”

Yeom Baek-gyu came up to me and spoke. The person he was referring to was the person who had just offered me ten thousand nyang.

“How would you know? It’s covered like that.”

“I know.”

I looked at Yeom Baek-gyu. I was starting to become curious about Yeom Baek-gyu’s true identity.

It didn’t seem like he was just a swindler who had been brought in to design me. He could spend thousands of nyang, and he had a strange aura when he approached us. He also seemed to have information. He was definitely not someone who could be consumed as a mere pawn.

“Who is it?”

“This is Jang Gwang-yeong, the master of fighting.”

“……really?”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t find words for a moment. Who is Toujon? He was a member of Paljon.

Usually, when people list themselves as one of the five greatest swordsmen in the world or the three greatest swordsmen in the world, they are recognized as the best masters in the Central Plains.

Paljon was a master of the next level. Even if he wasn’t included when choosing the best in the world, he could be included when choosing the top ten masters in the world. Paljon’s position was that great.

But what surprised me wasn’t just the fact that it was Paljon.

“Why of all things.”

Why on earth did it have to be Tuzon out of the eight Palzons?

There was another title for Touzon. That was the Green Forest General. He was none other than the one of only two people in the Eight Zones, a figure from the Sa-pa faction.

“Honestly, it’s a story that’s hard to believe.”

Yeo Hong-yang, who had been eavesdropping from the side, chimed in. Yeom Baek-gyu twitched the corners of his mouth.

“Did I approach you on purpose?”

Suddenly revealing that with her own mouth here. Yeo Hongyang was speechless for a moment. Yeom Baekgyu laughed.

“As expected, you knew. I tried my best to hide it.”

“Who are you?”

“That’s not important right now. What’s important is to keep the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique from reaching Tuzon.”

There was no time to worry about the sudden change in the public and private sectors. Yeom Baek-gyu was right. Although Tou-jon would not learn the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, it could be the starting point of enlightenment.

As a disciple of the shamanist faction and as a merchant, it was not a welcome thing that the Nokrim General Chaeju was getting stronger. Even leaving aside such personal matters, if it was known that Toujon possessed the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, the martial arts world would be thrown into chaos. It was a serious matter that the fundamental martial arts of the old school had been leaked.

“First of all, are you sure about that? That guy is Toujon, and that secret weapon is the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”

“If it’s a lie, cut out my tongue.”

“great.”

Yeom Baek-gyu was an ally at least for this moment. For some reason, he was wary of Tou-jon using the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

Now it was time to really think about strategy. Of course, time was running out as the auction was still ongoing.

“But how much is the budget?”

“Ten thousand nyang. I thought this would be enough, but Toujon has more money than I thought. It seems that Nokrim is a job that pays well.”

“okay.”

I raised my hand right away, just before the auctioneer, who had been waiting, declared the winning bid.

“Fifteen thousand nyang of silver.”

People’s astonished gazes turned to me. Fifteen thousand nyang. Now, it was truly an amount that could not be laughed off.

Everyone’s eyes turned back again. It was the man in the bamboo hat who had just bid. It was an exciting auction. Will you bid more, or will you die? The auctioneer just rolled his eyes.

“He seems like a young guy, but I wonder if he’s a little too energetic.”

The man whom Yeom Baek-gyu had referred to as Jang Gwang-yeong, lowered his voice.

At this point, I just have to trust Yeom Baek-gyu. I trust his ability to discern people and his judgment to discern lies, which he has developed through his career as a merchant.

The man, presumed to be Jang Gwang-yeong, continued speaking.

“It’s the Hwasanpa’s twenty-four-handed plum blossom sword technique. The moment you’re caught with it, you might experience the infamous Cheonrajimang (天羅地網) of the Murim Alliance.”

“Are you saying that you don’t experience it?”

“I’m a person who can handle it. You’re not.”

It was certainly an arrogant remark that could only be made by someone who was not a two-zone. The green forests are densely spread throughout the central plains. It would be difficult to spread the net of heaven and earth against someone like that, and the Murim Alliance would have to suffer enormous losses to hunt down someone as powerful as Pal-jeon.

“And if you learn the twenty-four-handed plum blossom sword technique, do you think you can immediately become a plum blossom swordsman? If you don’t have the talent or ability to do so, then just give up.”

“The owner of the treasure is neither the person with talent nor the person who can handle the treasure.”

“Then what?”

“A person who has the money to buy treasure. It’s a simple calculation.”

I looked at Jang Gwang-yeong and smiled.

“So if you don’t have money, don’t talk and just stay quiet.”

“How dare you!”

Jang Gwang-yeong’s long robe swelled and the bamboo shoots flew away. In an instant, an enormous sense of oppression formed in the auction house.

“If you don’t recognize people in the world, you should die.”

The black knights in charge of security in Heuksi sensed an ominous aura and entered the auction house, but this aura was so strong that a few black knights could not defeat it.

“Oh, who is the deceased?”

One of the black swordsmen shouted. The man in the bamboo hat opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“It’s Jang Gwang-yeong.”

When I revealed my name, people’s eyes widened. No matter how many merchants there were, it was common sense in the Central Plains that they would be familiar with at least the Eight Zones.

There was only one person in the entire Central Plains named Jang Gwang-yeong who could wield this much power.

“To zone!”

“Why is Toujon here… … .”

Not only the blacksmiths, but even the merchants who participated in the auction were in a state of panic. This was because Jang Gwang-yeong, the chief of the Toujon, was known for his vicious temperament as a Sapa.

“Okay. Now you know who you were talking to?”

Jang Gwang-yeong approached me with a smile. The black swordsmen who were supposed to protect the security of Heuksi had already lost their will to fight. If it was Pal-jeon, it would be almost like a natural disaster.

“I didn’t say anything wrong. If you beat me to death here, people will say that you killed the other party because you ran out of money during the auction.”

Jang Gwang-yeong hesitated. Even if Jang Gwang-yeong was a Sapa who didn’t care about people’s opinions, he was still a Pal-jon. It would be a lie if he said he wasn’t proud of his own honor and reputation.

Even Jang Gwang-yeong of the world flinched when he said something that touched that.

“Haha. You’re a guy who has the words to briefly revive someone who’s already dead.”

Jang Gwang-yeong laughed.

“But I’m not killing you because I don’t have money. Everyone here heard you insulting me.”

“If you don’t have money, you’ll be broke? Isn’t that not wrong?”

“Yes, that’s not wrong. The problem is that you insulted my values.”

“Values?”

“The treasure belongs to the capable. Because you twisted that phrase to be insulting. Now, isn’t that enough of a reason to turn you into a corpse?”

I glanced at Yeom Baek-gyu. Yeom Baek-gyu’s face was pale, overwhelmed by the momentum. Even if he had hidden martial arts skills, it would be difficult to stand up to Pal-jon.

“The one who insulted me first was Toujon.”

“Me? When did I insult you?”

“Didn’t you first belittle me by saying that I had no talent and no ability to protect myself?”

“Because that’s true. How can the truth be an insult?”

“What if it’s not true?”

I took off my sunglasses and drew my sword.

“I don’t know if I have the ability to protect, but I am confident in one thing: talent.”

Jang Gwang-yeong stared intently at my sword and tilted his head. It seemed like he had figured out what my sword was.

“… … Songmungogeom? Are you the shaman’s Malko? No, there’s no way Malko would be in a place like this. What on earth are you?”

For a moment, Myeong-il flinched, but I pretended not to see and continued talking.

“I am a former disciple of a shaman.”

“Since when have shamans given Songmungo swords to their lay disciples?”

“I told you, I have talent. I get special treatment.”

“That talent, that talent. Are you talking about talent in front of Paljon right now?”

“Would you like to try it?”

I raised my spirits. The leisurely internal energy based on the Taecheongdan scattered Jang Gwangyeong’s spirits. Jang Gwangyeong’s eyes narrowed.

“He was a man of few tricks.”

“Then, will you do it like this? If Touzone recognizes my talent, you will give it up cleanly.”

“Hehe. I have no intention of acknowledging your talent, even if you are a genius of the ages. It seems like you think I am some kind of hypocrite from a political party.”

“I guess true talent is being able to surpass that and impress others.”

Jang Gwang-yeong tilted his head back and laughed loudly.

“Yes, if you impress me, I will give you the 3,000 nyang of silver I brought to buy the secret. What will you bet in return?”

The money that Jang Gwang-yeong brought was 30,000 nyang. That’s why he opened his mouth like that.

“Well, is there anything you want?”

“Oh, yes, there is. Your treasure.”

“My treasure?”

Jang Gwang-yeong smiled coolly.

“That three-inch tongue. I want that. It looks like a rich tongue.”

“The math doesn’t add up, but let’s do it that way.”

“It’s nice and cool. Then shall we start right away?”

There was a murderous look in Jang Gwang-yeong’s eyes. I held out my palm.

“Just a moment. I need to get ready.”

“Ready to get your tongue cut out?”

“No, it will only take a moment.”

I turned around and went to Yeom Baek-gyu, who was blankly staring at me. When I reached out my hand to Yeom Baek-gyu, he looked back and forth between me and my hand.

“Please give me some money.”

At my words, Yeom Baek-gyu’s expression became strangely distorted.