Tangmunjeon - Chapter 366



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Tangmunjeon Episode 366

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After Dang Mujin and his party left the Bukhae Ice Palace, the atmosphere remained somewhat calm for two days. This was the last time they gave Hyeon-gong time to overcome his sorrow.

And on the third day, Dang Mu-jin, Namgung Myung, and Hong Geol-gae began to subtly lighten the mood without bringing up stories related to Seol-hwa. That was how men consoled their friends.

Of course, Hyun-gong did not reject his friends’ consideration, but accepted it naturally. Didn’t he mourn Seol-hwa for quite some time in the Bukhae Ice Palace?

Now it is time to move forward again, either for Hyun-gong himself or for Seol-hwa.

There are many ways to lighten a stalemate, but one of the most surefire and simplest is to start the conversation with a topic that is clearly controversial.

The downside is that the atmosphere can get a little heated, but right now it’s better for it to be heated, so there was no problem.

Namgung Myung and Hong Geol-gae were each lost in thought. What would be the topic of today?

If we needed some stimulation, we could have talked about food preferences or which area would be a better place to live.

If it was a day that required more intense stimulation, I might have enjoyed talking about which school’s martial arts were stronger, or ranking the martial arts skills among the top masters who were not present.

Hong Geol-gae secretly sent a message to Namgung Myeong.

– Sure, that would be good, right?

– Yeah. That’s it for today.

But today, there was an overwhelmingly provocative topic prepared that lightly surpassed such topics.

A topic that Namgung Myung and Hong Geol-gae had been saving for this moment. But at the same time, a topic that had to be brought up at least once.

Namgung Myung spoke to Dang Mujin in a light voice as he passed by.

“Dangmujin.”

“why?

“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“You, are you sure you’ve become a true master?”

“···.”

It wasn’t a simple question. The tone was filled with suspicion.

The moment Namgung Myung’s question was asked, an explosive tension enveloped the group.

It was a daily routine for them to joke around and tell each other stories that were close to slander, but this time it wasn’t groundless slander.

In general, a warrior is someone who trains his body and handles weapons.

And the movements of the lower class and the upper class tend to differ in many ways. The martial artists used to gauge each other’s achievements by observing each other’s momentum and minor actions.

However, Dang Mu-jin was a little different. Didn’t he say that he reached the realm of the supreme through his own skills, not through his ability to handle weapons or the accomplishment of recommended methods?

Even if you look through the history of martial arts, Dang Mujin is the only person who has achieved the pinnacle of accomplishment in a direction separate from the physical body.

It was amazing and great, but it resulted in a problem.

Although he has entered the realm of the ultimate master, Dang Mu-jin’s swordsmanship, martial arts skills, and body movements are not comparable to those of other ultimate masters.

As a result, even now, Dang Mu-jin’s achievements are seen as nothing more than the beginning of a peak, or at best, barely hanging on the middle of the peak.

In the past, even if there was a gap between actual and apparent inaction, all problems could be solved with a single rebuke, saying, “Where is the hierarchy when you’re at your peak?”

But now that Dang Mu-jin has come forward and said that he is now a top-notch professional, I had to sort out the situation at least once.

As Namgung Myung had expected, Dang Mujin immediately protested vehemently.

“Of course I’m a top-notch expert! If I were just a mere idiot, would I have been able to take out the North Sea Ice Palace Lord’s windpipe in one go?”

Not long after entering the realm of the super-peak, Dang Mu-jin actively disparaged the peak martial artists. It was an action to further demonstrate the fact that he had become a super-peak master.

But Namgung Myung answered with a groan.

“Well? I don’t know. The achievement is peak, but it could be because I happened to get my hands on some precious poison.”

Dang Mu-jin’s voice grew louder.

“Hey, do you think that’s just ordinary poison?”

“Who said it was ordinary poison? I’m saying this even more because I know it’s not ordinary poison. In fact, whether I spray it or you spray it, the effect will be the same.”

“Not at all!”

Although Dang Mu-jin shouted strongly, Namgung Myung pretended not to hear Dang Mu-jin’s protest. Namgung Myung continued to say what he wanted to say.

“Imagine two neighborhood kids of similar skill fighting each other. One of them is holding a weak stick, while the other one is holding the world’s greatest sword. Just because the kid with the famous sword defeats the kid with the stick doesn’t mean the kid with the famous sword is considered superior in martial arts, right? In a similar vein, it’s a bit strange to say that someone with strong poison is a master…”

“Do you think that the soul mate is just that kind of poison? Anyone who touches it will die immediately. You are no exception···”

“for a moment.”

While Dang Mu-jin was continuing his passionate speech with the blood running down his neck, Hong Geol-gae interrupted and cut him off.

Naturally, the group’s attention was drawn to Hong Geol-gae.

“Dangmujin, you said you got a new poison from Mokwan-ah before you left, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If what you say is true, shouldn’t it be said that Mokwan-ah, not you, is the ultimate expert?”

Dang Mu-jin opened his mouth for a moment, speechless, and then asked again.

“···Speak sense. If Wan-ah is a top-notch player, then who am I?”

“A portable poison locker?”

Dang Mu-jin was speechless, holding the back of his neck.

Now I could understand why the fierce battles between generals were always mentioned in old war stories. The fierce battles were bound to be effective. Dang Mujin’s hands trembled with anger.

“Do you think that what I received from Wan-ah was the soul poison? What Wan-ah gave me was the poison of the Inmyeonjiju! What I used to kill the Ice Palace Master was the soul poison! They are clearly different!”

“Kyeonhonsu, that’s the name you gave it, right?”

“that’s right.”

“You named it ‘Kyeonhonsu’ to differentiate it from the poison of the Inmyeonjiju… Ahem, good. Do you have any other excuses?”

A blatantly indifferent reaction. Dang Mu-jin was overcome with a desire to show Hong Geol-gae and Nam Goong-myeong the power of the Kyeonhonsu. Once they tasted the Kyeonhonsu, such doubts would surely disappear as if they were washed away.

However, unlike other martial arts, there is no joking around in Dokong. If you use the Kyeonhonsu here to show off your achievements, your friends may lose their lives.

If you think about it, Namgung Myung and Hong Geol-gae are risking their lives to undermine Dang Mu-jin.

Not only was the life of my friends at stake, but the fact that my wedding gift was being wasted was also a huge problem.

Poison can’t be extracted indefinitely. Especially when it’s a poison that’s as strong as a spirit. It’s too much of a waste to use it on friends who are playing pranks.

Inevitably, Dang Mu-jin assumed a calm demeanor.

“A true master like me has a quiet and gentle spirit, so it’s hard to gauge his accomplishments. You guys who just learned the martial arts taught to you by others and easily reached the pinnacle of skill by following the path laid out by those before you would never know…”

Namgung Myung nodded his head.

“Please continue talking.”

“But I didn’t find the path in my mind like you, I made the path in my mind myself. Even among the most advanced masters, there are levels. If you think about it, I’m far above them. I’m the grand master. You’re just ordinary masters rolling around on the street like rocks. Do you understand?”

Putting aside the question of whether or not there were super-high-level players rolling around like rocks on the streets, Dang Mu-jin’s story itself continued without much of a hitch.

Namgung Myung and Hong Geol-gae nodded and muttered.

“I made a path in my mind···.”

“Okay. Do you understand now?”

Was it finally working? Dang Mu-jin smiled with satisfaction. However, Namgung Myung’s reaction was different.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“···.”

Namgung Myung’s words left me speechless. There was no way to confirm what had happened in my mind.

Dang Mu-jin asked Hyun-gong for help.

“Hyungong! You saw me attain enlightenment, right? Quickly!”

However, Hyun-gong’s attitude was strangely lukewarm.

“The power was definitely great. Even the most extreme swordsman’s skills wouldn’t be of that level.”

“Did you hear? Did you hear?”

“But if you ask whether Dang Mu-jin’s realm has truly reached its peak… Well, I don’t know about that either.”

Unlike usual, a simple reaction without any calculation.

Even Hyun-gong had no way of assessing his own abilities in a field he knew nothing about.

Hong Geol-gae intervened and sorted out the situation.

“Okay, let’s start gathering opinions at this point. Mr. Dang over there is now claiming that he is a top-notch expert and that he should stand shoulder to shoulder with us. Does anyone agree with that claim?”

Dang Mu-jin raised his hand. He didn’t show any shame. However, Namgung Myung and Hong Geol-gae linked arms with a solemn attitude.

Dang Mu-jin turned his head and looked at Hyun-gong. Hyun-gong’s hand seemed to slowly rise, then stop, and then stop somewhere in between.

Dang Mu-jin pointed to Hyun-gong and said.

“Isn’t that about half-agreeing?”

Hong Geol-gae nodded willingly.

“Well, I can accept that. Since one and a half out of four people agree… Okay. At that level, I guess you could call me ‘quasi-peak master’, ‘potential peak master’, or ‘peak master hopeful’. Which one do you like better? Is it still a quasi-peak master?”

“···.”

When Dang Mu-jin did not answer, Hong Geol-gae and Namgung Myeong clapped their hands and teased Dang Mu-jin.

“Congratulations on becoming a top-notch expert, Dang Mu-jin!”

“If I ever have to introduce you somewhere, I’ll make sure to tell you that you’re somewhere between a peak master and a super peak master, so that you don’t get mistaken for a peak master. Don’t worry! Among the peak nerds, you’re the best!”

I really want to kill you.

Dang Mu-jin thought about that for the first time in a long time.

But at the same time, Dang Mu-jin was gripped by a deep sense of anxiety.

The anxiety that I might not be treated as a top-notch player in the future.

*

After traveling a considerable distance further south, Tang Mujin and his party arrived near Lanzhou.

The four crossed the Yellow River in a small boat. After getting off the boat and Tang Wujin paid the fare, the boatman nodded and rowed away, creaking loudly.

Hyun-gong looked at the scene quietly, then made an expression full of regret.

“Thank you for your hard work. See you next time.”

“okay.”

There was no promise of when they would meet again, but no one thought they would never meet again.

The world is wide, but the distance between people who are destined to meet is narrow. Even if you don’t intend to meet, you will meet again someday.

Besides, there was an opportunity to meet again: the Battle of Jeongma.

Seeing the demonic cult warriors appearing here and there these days, it was obvious that a great war would break out soon.

But there was one more thing that Dang Mu-jin had not expected. Namgung Myung was secretly standing next to Hyeon-gong.

Dang Mu-jin gestured towards Namgung Myung.

“Why are you there? Come here.”

But Namgung Myung shook his head.

“I’m also thinking about going back to my hometown. To get to Anhui Province, I have to go southeast from here, so I plan on accompanying Hyungong for a while.”

Not only Dang Mu-jin, but also Hyeon-gong seemed to be hearing it for the first time.

Of course, Hyun-gong’s reaction wasn’t too bad. It’s more enjoyable to travel with a companion than to move alone.

“There was no such story, right?”

“I just decided on the ferry.”

“suddenly?”

“As I was rocking back and forth on the boat, the thought crossed my mind that I would be thirty next year. If possible, I should become the head of the household before then… Above all, I thought that I couldn’t delay my marriage to Ok-ryeong any longer.”

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed that he was more concerned about marrying Jeong Ok-ryeong than about becoming the head of the Namgung family. It seems that he had a lot to think about after seeing Seol-hwa’s death.

As we talked, Hong Geol-gae also began to look at Dang Mu-jin’s expression.

In fact, Hong Geol-gae had no thoughts until just now.

But in this situation where Namgung Myung and Hyeon Gong were trying to find their own paths as adults, he thought it was a bit strange that he was the only one who went back to the Dang family and acted as a guest.

As Hong Geol-gae stood secretly next to Hyeon-gong and Nam-gung-myeong, Dang Mu-jin asked Hong Geol-gae.

“···Are you going too?”

“Oh, I should probably go to Gaebong soon. I think I should meet the old man, Hwahwanogae.”

In other words, it means that you will get on the open ark seat.

Dang Mu-jin was overcome with a strange emotion.

As fate would have it, the four of us came together.

A doctor who made medicine in the backyard of the house. A beggar who got lost while looking for a doctor. A fool from the Namgung family who stole a sword. A young Taoist who was strangely arrogant.

And it was time to disperse.

When we meet again soon, I will be the head of the Tang family, the head of the Yongdubang family, the head of the Namgung family, and the head of the Mudang faction.

It seemed like nothing had changed, but so much had changed without anyone noticing. This happened eight years after meeting Hong Geol-gae and five years after meeting Hyeon-gong.

But suddenly a thought crossed Dang Mu-jin’s mind.

“Hong Geol-gae, what are you going to do with Wang Jin-cheong?”

“Oh, right!”

“···.”

Surprisingly, Hong Geol-gae had completely forgotten about his disciple, even though he had brought him in alone.

Hong Geol-gae spoke softly.

“Then I will go to the Tang family first and take Jincheong to Gaebong.”

Hong Geol-gae thought that he should immediately appoint Wang Jin-cheong as his successor once he ascended to the position of Yongdubangju. If he didn’t, it was obvious that Hwa-hwa-no-gae would wander the world looking for Hong Gyeon, the Cheonnyeong-gae.

Hong Geol-gae stood next to Dang Mu-jin again.

Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae stared at Hyeon-gong and Nam-gung-myeong, then snickered.

“See you later.”

“okay.”

That was enough of a farewell. The four of them split up and went their separate ways.

*

“Dang Mu-jin. How about we chase after those guys and beat them up right now?”

“good idea.”

That evening.

Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae realized that the pouch containing their travel expenses had been stolen by Namgung Myeong.