Tangmunjeon - Chapter 369



Only Krnovel

Tangmunjeon Episode 369

Any green forest

The moment Hong Geol-gae unleashed his Hangryongyuhoe, the leader of Nokrim Island crouched down and protected his body with the iron club and both arms to prepare for the coming impact.

Boom!

A loud noise. Immediately afterwards, the dull, turbulent energy unique to Hangryongyuhoe enveloped the entire body of the leader of Nokrimdo.

The leader of the Green Forest felt as if he was being beaten with an invisible iron club.

The leader of the Nokrim Island withstood the impact with a fairly sturdy defense, but there was no way to stop his body from being pushed back. Two long lines were drawn along the leader of the Nokrim Island’s feet.

The distance the leader of the green forest was pushed back was almost a meter. The surroundings became as quiet as a mouse.

“···.”

It’s possible to strike an opponent without touching them with your hands or feet.

It was a sight that everyone present, except for Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae, had never seen before.

Even the power was not ordinary. Several people behind the leader of the Green Forest lost their balance and fell, rolling around on the ground.

Bang Woong-yeop, who was watching the scene, came to his senses belatedly and shouted.

“I never thought I would see the open, peerless martial art, Hangryong Sipaljang, with my own eyes!”

Because Bang Woong-yeop’s reaction was so satisfying, Hong Geol-gae’s shoulders rose slightly without him realizing it. Hong Geol-gae slowly relaxed his posture and enjoyed Bang Woong-yeop and the others’ reactions.

As Hong Geol-gae had expected, Bang Woong-yeop’s reaction did not end there.

“A young beggar who unfolds the eighteen chapters of Hangryong… Hong Ga! No, the identity of Hong Daehyeop is becoming clearer!”

Hong Geol-gae looked at Bang Woong-yeop with a deep expression.

That gaze was filled with the desire for him to introduce himself and his nickname to people.

It was the first time Dang Mu-jin had seen Hong Geol-gae so happy.

‘···How sincere was that Hong Geol-gae?’

Bang Woong-yeop shouted without hesitation.

“Hong Dae-hyeop… You’re the Hong Gyeon Dae-hyeop, the winner of the last martial arts competition!”

“···.”

Hong Geol-gae made a trembling expression. However, the people who heard Bang Woong-yeop’s story were surprised and started talking among themselves.

“I’ve… heard of it! He was a third-rate talent when he participated in the martial arts competition, but by the end of the competition, he had reached the pinnacle of skill. The future of openness and the next generation’s greatest martial artist, the Heavenly Spirit Dog Hong Gyeon!”

“I know! You easily beat up Namgungga’s contestant and won, right? Are you already a top-class expert?”

Hong Geol-gae’s shoulders, which had been raised to their full height, slumped.

Strictly speaking, it can’t be said to be a wrong answer, but it wasn’t the situation that Honggeolgae had hoped for. Honggeolgae wanted people to recognize Honggeolgae Hongjusan, not Cheonryeonggae Honggyeon.

In fact, the fame of Honggeolgae did not reach that of Cheonryeonggae Honggyeon.

A nickname must have a strong incident to spread widely.

It was only natural that the name and nickname of Hong Gyeon, the winner of the non-competition Cheonryeonggae, became more widely known than that of Hong Gyeolgae, who had been active quietly and steadily. This was especially true since Hong Gyeolgae’s activities were always overshadowed by those of his three friends.

On the other hand, the story of the Chinese dog Hong Gyeon was very provocative.

A third-rate loser who participated in a martial arts competition and won the competition by overcoming the wall of the highest peak. Where in the world can you find a more thrilling story than that?

Hong Geol-gae felt a little wronged.

‘These people didn’t even participate in the Jeongsa War, did they? If there were people from the great sect that fought together in the Jeongsa War, they would have recognized me···.’

Even now, Hong Geol-gae has not yet used his magic.

If you nod your head here, the world might know that Cheonryeonggae Honggyeon and Honggeolgae are the same person.

That is why Hong Geol-gae had to deny the relationship between himself and Cheonnyeong-gae Hong Gyeon.

Hong Geol-gae shook his head.

“I am not the Heavenly Sword Hong-Gyeon. Of course, I have heard that the Heavenly Sword Hong-Gyeon Daehyeop is also a very skilled person…”

“No way! Then who are you, Hong Daehyeop? A legendary master who has hidden his identity? Or a legendary hermit?”

“Neither. My name is Hong Ju-san. My close friends call me Hong Geol-gae.”

“Hong… Jusan? Ah, ah. Honggeol… Honggeolgae! Yeah! I think I’ve heard of it!”

Not only Bang Woong-yeop, but also the reactions of other people around him were a bit lukewarm.

Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae quickly figured out what the people’s reactions meant.

When you worry about whether you should pretend to know something even though you don’t know it well and look at the mood of the people around you, and then realize that you’re not the only one who doesn’t know, and feel relieved, that’s exactly the kind of reaction you get.

Hong Geol-gae was overcome by a dangerous desire to introduce himself and show off how great he was, but he desperately suppressed that desire.

Even by Hong Geul-gae’s standards, that was an extremely ugly act.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Nokrim clan came to his senses and shouted.

“What are you doing, you bastards! Get at me right now!”

“Yes, yes···.”

However, contrary to the expectations of the leader of the Nokrim Island, the subordinate Nokrim Island members were noticeably hesitant.

It didn’t seem like he had much loyalty to his boss. When his boss’s power was overwhelming, he would have followed him without question since victory was certain, but now it wasn’t like that.

Thud thud.

Hong Geol-gae approached the leader of Nokrim Island. This was an action to show off his skills and make his name known.

Hong Geol-gae said, raising his baton.

“Let’s see whose club is sharper?”

At the same time, Hong Geol-gae began to attack the leader of Nokrim Island with his striking technique. The leader of Nokrim Island quickly raised his iron club and blocked Hong Geol-gae’s striking technique.

The atmosphere suddenly became such that the winner was decided by a one-on-one fight.

‘Not good.’

Dang Mu-jin couldn’t easily get involved in the fight. Not only was the atmosphere bad, but it was also obvious that if he spread poison in this situation, Hong Geol-gae would also get poisoned.

But after a while, Dang Mu-jin noticed something strange.

‘It’s surprisingly not bad…?’

Hong Geul-gae’s inaction can be expressed simply.

He was clearly a top-tier master, but he was at the bottom of the top-tier masters. That was exactly Hong Geol-gae’s position. It was a sad but clear reality.

Hong Geol-gae was pushed back by the irrational and incompetent Tohee Wi Ji-nan-hyang, and was also pushed back by Jang Il-nam in a duel. The gap between Hong Geol-gae and masters like Sam-an-bul and Nam-gung Jin-cheon was even greater.

The only thing I can do is occasionally hit someone with a punch using the Chupalseonbo.

But now, Hong Geol-gae was pushing the leader of Nokrim Island quite steadily.

‘···Hong Geol-gae beats the ultimate master?’

As far as Dang Mu-jin knew, it was the first time that Hong Geol-gae had gained the upper hand in a one-on-one fight with another top-tier fighter.

‘Am I missing something?’

No matter how I looked at it, there was no such thing. The leader of the Nokrim Island was just anxious to defend himself.

There was no way Hong Geol-gae’s achievements could have suddenly increased. That was why Dang Mu-jin quietly looked at the leader of Nokrim Island.

‘···It’s a bit strange. Are you really a top-notch expert?’

Clearly, the leader of the Nokrim Island was too strong to be considered a top-tier master.

If you think that someone stronger than a master is the standard for a super master, then the leader of Nokrim Island was indeed a super master.

However, in Dang Mu-jin’s opinion, the leader of Nokrim Island was a bit too clumsy to be called a true master.

As evidence, isn’t he unable to stand before Hong Geol-gae right now?

Even this situation strangely felt familiar.

The first thing that came to Dang Mujin’s mind was the several supreme masters of the Demonic Cult that he had encountered since the last Battle of Jeongsa.

Looking back, it was strange that so many top-notch players whose names Dang Mu-jin didn’t know appeared.

‘Let’s say that Ghost King, Left Guardian, and Gwangyeomra have been supreme masters since long ago. However, I knew how many supreme masters there were in the Demonic Cult. It’s strange that so many supreme masters whose names I don’t even know have appeared in just a few years. Could this guy be one of them?’

I was well aware of the fact that the Demon Lord spared no expense in teaching martial arts and raising masters.

But they had one thing in common. Compared to other top-tier masters, they were strangely lacking in martial arts.

Not only was he inferior to Guangyeomra and the Ghost King, he was also weaker than Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang, who was at his peak but lacked martial arts skills.

Even in the North Sea Ice Palace, weren’t two of the most unfamiliar top-tier masters killed by Baek Hyang-ah? Even though Baek Hyang-ah’s yin energy was incredible, it would be ridiculous to deal with two people so easily.

In the past, it was thought that they had reached the pinnacle of enlightenment and had not yet fully attained enlightenment, as time had passed.

But now, Dang Mu-jin’s thoughts have changed.

‘Those guys, weren’t they real top-notch players?’

Even if they look similar, there is a clear difference between a sword made by hammering iron with sincerity and a sword made only to look good.

At that moment, Hong Geol-gae’s voice interrupted Dang Mu-jin’s thoughts.

“Stick-hit leprosy dog!”

The first type of baton, the Bongdora dog.

As Hong Geol-gae raised his sword diagonally, the leader of Nokrim Island rolled on the ground in a flying state.

It was a very unsightly sight. It was even more so because there were many onlookers, including his subordinates. The face and ears of the leader of the Nokrim clan were red.

“Hey… Mr.!”

Instead of straightening his posture and rushing back, the leader of the Green Forest Island turned around and started running away like crazy.

Dang Mu-jin, who had been quietly watching the scene, waved both his hands. Before he knew it, he was holding a flying wheel in his hands.

The flying dragon left a clear blood line on the side and back of the thigh of the leader of Nokrimdo Island.

“Ouch!”

It wasn’t a serious enough wound to lose his life, but it was enough to make the fleeing Green Forest leader roll around on the ground again.

The leader of Nokrimdo, who was staggering and trying to get up, felt eyes on him.

Before he knew it, Dang Mu-jin was crouching down and looking at the leader of Nokrimdo. Hong Geol-gae was standing next to him, leaning on a stick.

Dang Mu-jin said to the leader of Nokrimdo.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

It was a no-option offer.

The leader of the Nokrim Island nodded.

*

“···That’s why I got out.”

The leader of the Nokrim Island clan told the story one after another.

As Dang Mu-jin had expected, the leader of Nokrim Island was connected to the Demonic Cult.

It is said that he learned martial arts in the Demonic Cult and then ran away.

It was funny that I ran away again from the demonic cult where the runaways gathered.

But Dang Mu-jin didn’t bother to bring up that story. The story of the leader of Nokrim Island was more interesting than his situation. Among them, there was one story that was the hardest to believe.

“You suddenly reached the peak of your power?”

“yes.”

According to the story of the leader of the Green Forest, he said that his progress stopped just a little past the middle of the original peak unmanned stage. He said that he was a little disappointed, but he had no major complaints.

However, the problem was that a friend who had similar achievements and was in a similar situation met the leader of the Demonic Cult and suddenly reached the next level.

He went to see the leader of the Demonic Cult out of curiosity, and he said that the leader really taught him a new martial art. In less than three months, he said that he had become a top-notch master.

“···Of course, not all of those who went to see the leader became masters. Only two or three out of ten people reached the pinnacle. The rest had no significant results.”

It’s hard to believe that he made two out of ten top masters into super top masters.

Dang Mu-jin felt a strange sense of deprivation.

“What on earth did you learn to become such a master?”

“The cult leader told me to stop practicing the martial arts I had learned for a while and to first learn the martial arts he was teaching me. After that, he had me practice the internal energy method and the recommended method while reciting sutras endlessly in a room filled with a strange fragrance, and I suddenly reached the next level.”

“Suddenly?”

“yes.”

Dang Mu-jin’s brow furrowed. It was strange that he had suddenly reached the next level, but the strange scent was bothering him.

During the last Jeongsa War, Dang Mu-jin and his friends hid behind the wall of the Gongdongpa and watched the scene where the Ghost King was teaching strange martial arts to the Sapa warriors.

A ghost king who burns strange incense and teaches people.

And the Sapha’s warriors, who were accepting the teachings while groaning in a state of no-mind.

Didn’t this guy train in a similar situation?

Dang Mu-jin asked.

“You’re saying that incense and martial arts can bring you enlightenment? It’s not like you can reach enlightenment through such trivial methods.”

“I’m also in a daze, so I don’t remember exactly. But I think I saw an endless stretch of darkness.”

The darkness stretches endlessly. It must be talking about the world in one’s imagination.

“Have you reached the road?”

“What path are you talking about?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

The leader of the Nokrim Island seemed completely unaware of the path unfolding in his mind.

With this, Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae gained confidence.

The Demon Lord is creating an imperfect Supreme Master in a somewhat suspicious way. A person who is stronger than other Supreme Masters, but cannot reach the level of other Supreme Masters.

The leader of the Nokrim Island said.

“Oh, by the way, there were people that the leader didn’t teach.”

“It seems like you lacked talent?”

“No. On the contrary, I did not teach those who were too talented. But such people were very rare.”

Dang Mu-jin nodded.

Are you saying that you are leaving alone those who can reach the pinnacle on their own, and leading some of those who cannot reach the pinnacle to the realm of the pinnacle?

This time, Hong Geol-gae asked the leader of Nokrim Island.

“By the way, why did you kidnap the other drones?”

“I didn’t mean to harm you. I just wanted to teach you the martial arts that helped me reach my peak, and together we could figure out a way to solve the problem.”

Contrary to expectations, the motive was strangely constructive. The only good thing was that Wang Ho did not die as the merchant Wang had expected.

Hong Geol-gae asked back.

“Problem? What problem are you talking about?”

“After learning martial arts from the cult leader, I started to feel like my personality was getting weirder. I was irritated by everything, got angry over trivial things… I even beat someone half to death without realizing it.”

Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae’s eyes crossed.

Baek Hyang-ah said that after receiving teachings from the leader of the Demonic Cult, she felt an incredible coldness and it became difficult for her to suppress her killing intent.

Aren’t Baek Hyang-ah’s symptoms similar in many ways to the murderous intent this guy talks about?

Hong Geol-gae asked again.

“Were you the only one who did this?”

“No. It was mostly similar, with only a difference in degree. Even as time passed, the condition seemed to be getting worse, so I ran away from the Demonic Cult with the intention of finding a solution. That’s all.”

I’ve asked almost everything I wanted to ask, except for one thing.

Dang Mu-jin asked the leader of Nokrim Island.

“By any chance, how strong is the Demon Lord’s current status?”

The leader of the Nokrim Island was lost in thought.

In the past, the Demon Lord was a master who could easily subdue the Three-Eyed Buddha.

By now, I had a feeling that the Demon Lord might have reached Hwayeonshinni’s level of power.

Of course, Dang Mu-jin couldn’t accurately gauge Hwayeon Shin-ni’s level of power. He could only guess that she had reached the peak of her power.

Finally, the leader of the Nokrim Island opened his mouth.

“I don’t know.”

Hong Geol-gae asked back rudely.

“You don’t know? Even if you’re not a complete master, you could probably guess it, right?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

The leader of the Nokrim Island continued speaking.

“Even the leader wouldn’t know what to call that realm.”