Tangmunjeon - Chapter 371



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Tangmunjeon Episode 371

souvenir

The next morning, Dang Mu-jin said to Hong Geol-gae.

“How about resting for a few more days and getting rid of the hangover?”

But Hong Geol-gae shook his head.

“It’s better to move right away without dawdling. Maybe it’s because I’m not diligent by nature, but once I sit down, I tend to stay seated.”

Hong Geol-gae hurriedly finished preparing as if he was being chased by something.

Of course, Hong Geol-gae didn’t have much to pack. All he packed was a few odds and ends and at most enough food to last a day.

Dang Mu-jin spoke, recalling the treasure chest he had discovered yesterday.

“Should I give you some travel expenses? I just happened to have some prepared. You’ll be able to live comfortably on the way to Gaebong.”

Hong Geol-gae looked very annoyed, but soon closed his eyes tightly.

“No. Jincheong will also have to live in Gaepoong-do, so I have to show him the life of Gaepoong-do on the way from here to Gaepoong-do.”

“I see.”

Wang Jinqing chose a life of openness.

If you think about it, it was a bit strange.

Wang Jinqing doesn’t have to walk the path of a free spirit. He can live off the Tang family and learn medicine or metallurgy, or he can help out with miscellaneous tasks and live comfortably.

Even if you insist on taking the unmanned path, there is no reason to necessarily open it.

He could have followed Hyeon-gong and become a Taoist monk of Mt. Wudang or a Taoist monk of Cheongseongpa. Even in the Tang family, there were many people who could teach Wang Jin-cheong martial arts.

However, Wang Jinqing decided to follow Hong Jiekai and become an open-minded person since he was young.

I thought that as he got older, his mind might change, but Wang Jinqing’s thoughts did not change.

At first I thought it was strange, but after thinking about it, I realized it might have been a good choice.

Since Wang Jin-cheong got on the Hong-geol-gae rope early, wouldn’t he be able to skip all the intermediate stages and become the successor right away?

Becoming the second-in-command of openness at a young age of not even twenty is a feat that can be said to have succeeded in the gamble of a lifetime.

‘You’re really good at standing in line.’

Dang Mu-jin looked at Wang Jin-cheong with that thought in mind.

Wang Jin-cheong, who was about thirteen or fourteen when we first met, has grown quite a bit. He is even half a head taller than Hong Geol-gae. This is probably because he has been eating well for the past few years.

Of course, Hong Geol-gae wasn’t that tall, but it was a sight that felt meaningful for some reason.

Hong Geol-gae took a deep breath and smiled playfully at Dang Mu-jin.

“Go.”

“Okay. See you later.”

That was the end of the greeting. Hong Jie-gae waved to Dang Mu-jin as he left the main gate of Danggajang with Wang Jin-cheong.

“···.”

Dang Mu-jin felt the void even more deeply than when Namgung Myung and Hyeon-gong left. Unlike Namgung Myung and Hyeon-gong, who were his close friends, Hong Geol-gae was almost like a brother to Dang Mu-jin.

Dang Mu-jin looked around every corner of the party hall with a slightly depressed mood.

Mr. Wang, who returned with us yesterday, was seen following Danseolyeong around and learning from her. Danseolyeong was teaching Wang this and that, and when she met Dang Mujin’s eyes, she smiled brightly.

When Dang Mu-jin introduced Wang to her yesterday, Dan Seol-yeong was visibly pleased.

It was a reaction he had never shown even when he returned from a trip to another country with valuable gifts.

Talents like Mr. Wang are hard to come by, even if you pay a lot of money. Danseolyeong finally has someone to share the countless tasks she has been handling alone for the past few years.

Dang Mu-jin looked around again and ran into Mok Wan-ah. Mok Wan-ah immediately approached Dang Mu-jin and asked him a question.

“Bloodworm! How was the bloodworm?”

It felt like I was suffocating for no reason. Dang Mu-jin tried to explain it as naturally as possible.

“···It was incredible. As soon as I opened the box containing the bloodthirsty insects, it felt like the smell of death was vibrating. Even I was gripped by fear.”

“really?”

“then!”

It wasn’t a lie. Didn’t the bloodthirsty bugs all freeze to death, unable to withstand the northern weather?

However, thanks to Dang Mu-jin’s ambiguous expressions, Mok Wan-ah understood Dang Mu-jin’s story in her own way.

Dang Mu-jin quickly changed the subject before Mok Wan-ah could ask more about the bloodthirsty insects.

“What was more powerful than the bloodthirsty bug was the poison of the Inmyeonjiju. Thanks to that poison, I gained enlightenment and saved my life.”

“You saved my life?”

“Yes. Because I combined the poison of the Inmyeonjiju with other poisons and defeated the supreme master in one go. Not only me, but Hyungong who was there also survived thanks to that. If Hyungong had come back with you, he would have kowtowed to you, right?”

It’s always nice to hear someone else recognize the results of your efforts. Mok Wan-ah smiled happily.

*

After returning to the Tang family, Tang Mujin continued his regular life.

First of all, wake up at dawn and finish the Daejucheon while feeling the cool breeze.

During the day, he examines patients who come to the clinic and talks with the doctors, and after dinner, he begins his full-fledged martial arts training.

Occasionally, when Sam-an-bul and Hwa-yeon-shin-ni would appear, their fight would continue late into the night.

At first glance, it may not seem like much, but it was a tough schedule.

Because Dang Mu-jin was not in a position where he could just finish his assigned tasks and ignore the rest.

While carrying out assigned tasks without a hitch, as the head of the household, he must also handle the big and small affairs of the household and play with the children from time to time.

I was so busy that I felt it was much more comfortable to travel around the central region with my friends.

Several months passed by in the meantime, and it was time for flower buds to form on the trees in the yard.

As the weather cleared, the mood in the party hall became noticeably more lively. Each member of the assembly began preparing to leave.

The number of doctors who gather at Danggajang to learn medicine reaches its peak in the fall. They move to Danggajang during the cool fall season, study medicine there throughout the winter, and return to their hometown when the weather gets warmer.

While Dang Mu-jin was handling small matters in his office, he heard noises outside the office.

“Your Majesty, this is Son Yeop. May I come in for a moment?”

“Come in.”

After receiving permission from the party secretary, the assemblyman, who had carefully trimmed his thin beard, entered the office and saluted. He was a assemblyman whose face had become quite familiar over the winter.

I don’t remember whether it was Guangdong or Guangxi, but I remember that it was from a warm region.

Rep. Son said to the party executives.

“Your Majesty, it is time to go back, so I came to pay my respects. Thank you for your valuable teachings.”

“I was the one who received the greatest help.”

Dang Mu-jin’s story of receiving great help was not an exaggeration.

Years ago, Dang Mu-jin gathered the members of the Central Plains to become the party leader with a very simple idea.

Since he had obtained all of the medical books of the three greatest doctors in the world, he only thought about teaching medicine to doctors who had gathered from all over the country. In fact, that alone was more than enough to carry on his teacher’s legacy.

In the past, when there were only a few members of the National Assembly, the relationship between the party executives and the members ended there. The party executives taught, and the members learned.

Of course, gathering the knowledge of the three greatest doctors in the world does not mean that he can treat all the patients in the world. Dang Mu-jin is only the doctor who knows the most, not the doctor who knows everything.

I can’t know everything about the human body, about medicine, or about poison, but I thought that was enough.

However, as the number of lawmakers gathered increased from their thirties to fifties, the situation gradually changed. The relationship was no longer one in which the party leadership unilaterally taught them.

Medicine is a history of endless trial and error. The human body is infinite, and diseases and treatments are also infinite.

It would be nice if it could be treated with conventional methods, but there will come a time when there is no treatment.

Members of the medical profession have no choice but to use their knowledge and experience to test new treatments for patients who are struggling to breathe.

Most fail, but sometimes they succeed.

In this way, records of success accumulate and the field of medicine expands.

But at the same time, failure also expands the realm of medicine.

The foolish members of the National Assembly do not record their failures, but the real members of the National Assembly, who have the death and suffering of patients in their hearts, record their failures. So as not to repeat the same failures.

The disgruntled lawmakers gathered at Danggajang to seek better medical care.

The gathering of the members of the Danggajang meant that numerous experiences from all over the Central Plains were gathered in one place. The members instinctively realized how great this was.

When the sun went down and the patients stopped coming, the doctors would gather among themselves and talk all night long.

We shared our experiences of success and failure, and asked for each other’s opinions without reservation.

In that situation, what would it have been like if this prescription had been given?

If I had done this, wouldn’t I have been able to save my life?

There are things in the world that only people who have reached the realm of genius, like the three greatest doctors in the world, can accomplish.

However, there are certainly things that only a large number of ordinary people can do. In fact, there are more things that a large number of ordinary people can do than a small number of geniuses can do.

And among the members of the National Assembly gathered at the party hall, there was always Chusam.

Chusam, representing ordinary members of the National Assembly, was creating a new medical book by organizing the experiences and records of the members of the ruling party.

In this way, the knowledge of the members of the National Assembly was gathered over many years.

Thanks to that, Dang Mu-jin’s medical skills were now at a much higher level than when he received the medical books of the three greatest doctors in the world. And it was clear that his skills would continue to deepen in the future.

Dang Mu-jin asked Rep. Son.

“Are you planning to leave today?”

“No. There are three of us who want to return to Gwangju, so we decided to leave together in four days.”

“I see. I understand.”

“I really learned a lot.”

“It’s me.”

Rep. Son once again expressed his gratitude to the party executives and left their offices.

But Dang Mu-jin was not at ease.

Just as many lawmakers expressed their gratitude to the party leadership, the party leadership also wanted to express its gratitude to the lawmakers.

Rather than just passing it off as a one- or two-word conversation like now, I wanted to give you a real gift.

‘···Isn’t there any way? Should I at least provide travel expenses? No. That would be a bit disappointing.’

Dang Mu-jin thought about what he could give to the members of the National Assembly. The first gifts that came to mind were poison and a secret weapon.

Hasn’t the party leadership been teaching basic self-defense techniques to the members of the National Assembly for some time now?

‘It would be nice if you could make at least one dagger.’

It wasn’t hard to administer the right amount of poison in small doses, but memorization was the problem.

I know that the most realistic solution is to ask the night watchmen to make a lot of knives. But I don’t feel like it at all. The pride of the party leader doesn’t allow him to hand over a flimsy item to someone else.

‘Most of the members of parliament will leave within the next three to ten days.’

I want to share things that I make myself as much as possible.

However, even if he was a Dang Mu-jin, he couldn’t make dozens of knives in three days. While Dang Mu-jin was racking his brain for a while, he felt another presence. It was Chu-sam’s presence.

“This is Chusam. May I come in?”

“Come in.”

Dang Mu-jin chatted with Chu-sam about various things for a while.

But unlike usual, Chusam did not get up from his seat even after the story was over.

Chusam asked Dangmujin.

“Do you have any concerns?”

“Are you worried?”

“Your brows are furrowed and won’t open at all.”

“ah.”

Dang Mu-jin realized that he had been secretly worrying about something.

Dang Mu-jin waved his hand and said.

“It was nothing special. I wanted to give a gift to the departing members, but I didn’t have anything to give them. And I can’t hurry up and make a knife now.”

Then Chusam answered.

“There’s no need to give me a knife, right?”

“Isn’t there anything else suitable?”

“Yes. There is something that the members of the National Assembly covet the most.”

“···What is that?”

“You know that sink that the head of the family has? That’s the thing that the members of the National Assembly envy the most.”

“ah!”

In the past, the reason why the goblin took Dang Mu-jin as his disciple was not because of Dang Mu-jin’s medical skills or talents, but because of the acupuncture needles he made.

To be exact, the relationship between Goeui and Dangmujin was not that of a master and a disciple. Dangmujin promised to make acupuncture needles, and Goeui promised to teach Dangmujin medicine and martial arts.

The perfection of the needle that Dang Mu-jin made was so excellent that it immediately captured the heart of the knowledgeable Go-ui.

A needle as thin and elastic as a cow’s hair. A needle so delicate that it is difficult to find even the smallest curves when looking closely.

Although Dang Mu-jin was used to the needles he made himself, he didn’t feel much interest in them, but the needles Dang Mu-jin made were incomparable to the needles made by ordinary craftsmen. Even if you put together five or ten of Dang Mu-jin’s needles, they were thinner than one needle made by an ordinary craftsman.

The needles made by other night watchmen felt like iron stakes compared to Dangmujin’s needles.

But Dang Mu-jin quickly shook his head.

On second thought, the problem wasn’t solved at all.

“But making a needle is not a quick task. Depending on the purpose, you would have to make two of them in different lengths, thicknesses, and shapes to be able to handle one person, but it would be much faster to make a single dagger.”

To make a needle, you must first make a wire. A thin, elastic wire.

You have to cut the wire into appropriate pieces and then trim them one by one to make needles.

The time it takes to make one needle is much less than the time it takes to make one rain, but the story changes when the number of needles increases.

However, Chusam burst into laughter after hearing Dangmujin’s story.

“Isn’t that too generous? I don’t think the members of the National Assembly would expect that much.”

“Well then?”

“Even if we get just one or two needles per person, we’ll be dancing with excitement. Long needles would be best, but the most commonly used hair needles would also be fine.”

Dang Mu-jin thought quietly.

A needle case that each member of the National Assembly carries in his arms. A single needle that he made himself, stuck in the middle of countless needles like a treasure.

‘···It’s refreshing.’

Wouldn’t it seem like a badge that only the most capable members of the numerous legislators across the Central Plains possess?

Dang Mu-jin jumped up from his seat.

“Good idea. I’ll make the quilts and hand them out one by one within three days. If you’re planning on leaving earlier, please tell them to stay a little longer.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Dang Mu-jin headed straight to the blacksmith shop where Seok Ji-seung was.

A few blacksmiths who were hanging around the blacksmith shop to cool off became very excited when they saw the approaching Dangmujin.

But Dang Mu-jin stopped walking.

‘If I’m going to give it away as a souvenir, it’s a bit of a shame to give away something made of ordinary iron.’

It doesn’t take a lot of materials to make one needle, so I thought it wouldn’t be a big problem to use slightly more expensive materials.

When Dang Mu-jin, who was approaching the blacksmith shop, turned back, the blacksmiths sighed, unable to hide their disappointment.

*

Dang Mu-jin went into the warehouse and searched every nook and cranny.

‘I wonder where it is…’

A warehouse filled with all sorts of medicinal herbs. However, in one corner was a small box.

‘Found it.’

Dang Mu-jin opened the box. As expected, there was a round, flat iron ingot inside.

That wasn’t ordinary iron. It was a lucky iron.

An item stolen from the guys who sold Oseok Mountain during the time I was wandering around with the monsters.

I had it sitting there for years because I didn’t have a chance to use it, but then I finally got a chance to use it.

Dang Mu-jin lifted and put down the iron wheel to gauge its weight.

‘If you make a needle out of iron, it will not bend or break easily even if you make it much thinner than a normal needle.’

I thought that if I used it wisely, I could easily make hundreds of long needles rather than short ones.

‘I think this will be a souvenir for the next five or ten years.’

It felt a bit strange to make a needle instead of a weapon with precious iron, but after thinking about it carefully, I thought that it was also a good idea.

You don’t have to spend your precious fortune only on killing people. In fact, it’s much more rewarding.

Dang Mu-jin grabbed Yun Cheol and headed to the blacksmith shop.

As Dang Mu-jin entered the blacksmith shop, the blacksmiths naturally lined up on both sides to make a path.

“I’d like to use the stove.”

No separate permission was required.