Tangmunjeon - Chapter 379



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Tangmunjeon Episode 379

Seizure

It would have been nice to see everyone jump up from their seats and run to Cheonsan while maintaining the excited atmosphere, but that would have been difficult from a common sense perspective. It was the same even from the common sense of the drunken martial artists.

In the end, the martial artists decided to spread the news to their respective clans and families and gather people to move together.

“Once you go back, at the end of the year… No. It’s too cold to go back and forth to Cheonghae Castle, so let’s meet up near Gongdongpa next spring when the weather gets warmer. Around the 15th day of the middle of spring.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Since Namgung Myung’s wedding was at the end of June, there was a full eight months until the gathering of the common faction.

It may seem overly leisurely, but in fact there is no way to make things go any faster. In fact, even the end of eight months may seem a bit harsh to some people.

For example, someone like Murong Xiao from the distant Murong clan would have to go back to the northeastern end of the Central Plains from the Nanggong clan, gather people from his clan, and then move to the Gongdong clan in the west of the Central Plains.

Although there may be differences in degree, it was the same for both Anga and Pangga.

It was a bit of a disappointing situation, but it was definitely meaningful because there was no way to determine the timing of the Great Battle of Jeongma more quickly and reliably than this.

The drunken martial artists slowly found their seats with slightly excited expressions on their faces. Jeong Ok-ryeong also whispered something in Namgung Myung’s ear and quietly left.

Dang Mu-jin looked at Namgung Myung and Jeong Ok-ryeong and smiled in a mature and sinister manner as if he knew everything.

When snoring could finally be heard here and there, Dang Mu-jin spoke to Hyun-gong.

“It’s like Namgung Myung did your work for you.”

“That’s true.”

Hyungong planned to unite the martial artists and advance towards the Demonic Cult. However, Namgung Myung suddenly took over that role.

If it were the usual Hyeon-gong, he would have said a few more words, but now he glanced at Nam-gung-myeong and kept his mouth shut.

In the end, Dang Mu-jin spoke to Hyeon-gong again.

“I think you’ve been wanting to say something for a while now. Why don’t you just pour it out?”

Hyun-gong looked a little surprised after hearing Dang Mu-jin’s story.

“···Did you know?”

“We’ve been together for several years… I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I know for sure that you’ve been thinking about something. Not only me, but Namgung Myung and Hong Geol Gae must have known too.”

Namgung Myung nodded calmly. However, Hong Geol-gae’s eyes trembled slightly.

“That’s right···”

Hyun-gong scratched the back of his head a little nervously, then sighed deeply and sat down on the stone steps at the edge of the pavilion.

“I felt like Banyeop’s story was a little strange earlier.”

“That thing called the water hall?”

Dang Mu-jin accepted the story as if he had been waiting for it, but Hyeon-gong waved his hand.

“No. It’s not strange that I don’t know the Taoist temples in Kunlun Mountain. If you include the abandoned and small Taoist temples, there must be over a hundred Taoist temples, and I can’t possibly know them all.”

“Then why did you ask which consulate it was?”

“Because the act of asking someone to talk has meaning in itself. The trembling and high/low of the voice. The gap between asking a question and receiving an answer. If we accumulate more clues like that, we can guess more. Even before that, Banyeop was a bit suspicious.”

“What was suspicious?”

Hyun-gong pointed to Nam-gung-myeong, who was leaning against the pillar of the main hall, and said.

“As you might have guessed, the most suspicious thing is that the Kunlun sect members recovered your father’s sword and body.”

That was also the first question that Hyun-gong asked Ban-yeop. Hyun-gong continued his explanation.

“Even if we give in and recover the body, it doesn’t make sense to recover the sword as well. You all know how much the martial artists desperately want good swords.”

After hearing that story, Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae answered.

“I don’t know. Isn’t that something that can be made in just two or three days?”

“I have never coveted a sword either.”

“···.”

Hyun-gong was a smart person, so instead of explaining in detail, he continued his explanation naturally as if he had received the answer he wanted.

“Yes. Of course I thought you would understand. It’s ridiculous that the Demonic Cult’s warriors wouldn’t immediately take a famous sword like Chamyeong.”

Hong Geol-gae intervened again and asked.

“You said you fought desperately and defeated the enemy, right?”

“The problem is that someone as skilled as the Swordsman died. In such a fight, would the Kunlun Sect warriors be able to drive out the enemy even if they fought hard? They even repelled the enemy immediately without giving the Demonic Cult warriors time to prepare their swords? If that’s the case, the situation becomes even more serious.”

“Why is it getting serious?”

“It means that he hid his abilities until the Sword Master passed away, and then immediately drove out the Demonic Cult members and retrieved the sword.”

Not only Namgung Myung, but also Dang Mujin’s mood became terrifyingly calm. Hyungong waved his hand and eased the mood among the group.

“Of course, it’s not that there’s no possibility that Ban-yeop’s story is true. But it’s foolish to believe that slim possibility outright.”

Dang Mu-jin also joined in and spoke.

“I also felt something strange.”

“What is it?”

“The Namgung Jincheon I remember was not someone who would ask for revenge.”

Dang Mu-jin recalled the last time he saw Namgung Jin-cheon.

Namgung Jincheon was a man who had finally become free after being freed from all obligations.

Namgung Jincheon’s goal was not to eradicate the demonic cult.

Namgung Jincheon, a man whose name fits him so well, simply wanted to reach the sky with just one sword.

Would Namgung Jincheon have wanted revenge? Would he have even tried to place such a heavy burden on his son who had only recently ascended to the position of head of the household? It is absurd.

Hong Geol-gae, who was listening to the story, asked.

“Could it be that the Kunlun Sect has already been taken over by the Demonic Cult?”

There was a similar case. In the past, wasn’t there a time when the Gongdong faction was taken over by the Demonic Cult? Hyun-gong nodded.

“It’s quite possible. They’re trying to drag the Jeongpa drones out of their sphere of influence and turn the fight to their advantage… But that’s not the only possibility.”

“Then what is there?”

“For example, it is possible that the Kunlun Sect could have created this situation if it had not been taken over by the Demonic Cult. Do you remember the Youyou Daoists?”

“Oh, that guy.”

The eldest son of the Kunlun school, Yuyu Taoist.

Dang Mu-jin and his party recalled the story told by the Kunlun School’s Yoo Yoo-do-in at the past Wudangsan meeting.

Didn’t they say that if the Jeongpa Murim didn’t come forward before the Demonic Cult broke out, they would all run away together, regardless of whether the Demonic Cult passed by or not?

People found the story too extreme and brazen.

However, since Dang Mu-jin was the head of the Dang family, he could understand the reaction of Yu Yu-do-in, the head of the Kunlun school.

The Taoist monk You You would not want to see the Kunlun School’s Taoists die while covered in misfortune. Even if he were to cover up misfortune alone, it would not be possible to preserve the peace of the Central Plains.

You may think that it is better to continue the lineage even if it means losing your reputation than to suffer meaningless hardships and have your lineage cut off.

Dang Mu-jin asked Hyun-gong.

“How many years ago was the Mudeungsan Conference?”

“It’s been about three years.”

“In the meantime, what did the Jeongpa Murim do to prepare for the Demonic Cult?”

To be exact, I fought a great battle against the Sapa martial artists controlled by the Demonic Cult.

But that was the end of it. The mastermind behind the Demonic Cult was revealed to the world, but there were almost no people in the martial arts world who stood up and shouted that the Demonic Cult should be defeated. The reason was one: the sacrifices made in the Jeongsa Daejeon were great.

The eldest of the Jongnam faction, Ilseonja, the Cheongseong faction’s Yeongheoja, Shinsung, and Geolseon… these renowned masters were killed in the last Jeongsa Daejeon.

The sects that had suffered great damage were cautious, fearing that losing a few more key leaders could shake the foundation of the sect, while other sects were cautious because they felt burdened by having to step forward and take control of the situation.

Thanks to that, the martial arts world became quiet as if nothing had happened.

It was like the calm before a storm. People knew something was going to happen, but they tried to avoid eye contact. Like children who believe that if they close their eyes, their fears will disappear. Or like a rascal who puts off a burdensome task until the very end.

However, the Jeongpa unmanned people kept repeating this to themselves in order not to become cowards.

We may not be the first to step forward, but when the Demonic Cult begins to move, we will be the first in the martial arts world to raise our swords and rise up in indignation.

It was actually intended to be so, and it finally happened. When Namgung Jincheon’s death was announced, didn’t everyone start to move?

But what was the point of waiting until the Demonic Cult got into action? It would have been enough if they had just gotten up a little earlier.

Everyone knew it. But everyone kept putting it off until the very end. The human mind is so foolish.

Hyun-gong said.

“Do you remember how impatient Yoo Yoo-do was three years ago?”

“I remember it.”

“And for three years, the Jeongpa martial arts world has not been able to unite, let alone invade the Demonic Cult. If you were a member of the Yoo Yoo Movement, how do you think you would have acted?”

When Hyun-gong asked, the little Hyun-gong in Dang Mu-jin’s mind woke up and started to talk about all sorts of dark schemes. Of course, Dang Mu-jin thought that the darkness of these schemes was due to Hyun-gong, not himself.

In any case, the goal of the various schemes was the same.

“···It will create a situation where the Jeongpa has no choice but to attack the Demonic Cult.”

“Yes. That’s the situation right now.”

“Hmm.”

The circumstances fit together so perfectly.

The wedding of the Namgung family. The warriors of the Jeongpa clan gathered from all over the Central Plains. The sudden news of death was delivered. The warriors who had become brave due to the alcohol.

Who could step back in this situation?

“Isn’t that all just guesswork?”

When Hong Geol-gae intervened again and asked, Hyeon-gong nodded.

“That’s right. It’s all guesswork. But it fits the situation so perfectly, and it’s a guess that smells fishy at the end. In my experience, guesses that smell fishy at the end are rarely wrong.”

Whether the Demonic Cult took control of Kunlun, or Kunlun created this situation without the Demonic Cult taking control of Kunlun. It is certain that the Kunlun sect is suspicious.

The story seemed to end there.

But there was one story left to tell.

Namgung Myung let out a deep sigh and said.

“Hyungong. Why are you telling me that story now?”

“···.”

If someone spoke late, it may be because they did not organize their thoughts in time.

However, Hyungong is different. The speed at which Hyungong plots is far beyond the level of an ordinary person. I don’t know for sure, but he must have made all the decisions before the conversation with Banyeop ended.

In other words, Hyun-gong must have had some hidden agenda, so he didn’t bring up the subject in front of Ban-yeop.

And Dang Mu-jin had the ability to guess Hyeon-gong’s true feelings to a greater extent than expected.

‘What will change if we don’t bring up the story?’

‘Whether Ban-yeop lied or told the truth in the slim chance, it seems that after confirming the Kunlun faction, we should head to the Demonic Cult with the Jeongpa warriors.’

‘If Hyun-gong had directly told Ban-yeop about his suspicions, Nam-gung-myeong would have left for Kun-lun-pa to check the situation. That would have been the end of it. It wouldn’t have directly led to the Jeong-ma War.’

Only then did Dang Mu-jin understand Hyeon-gong’s true feelings.

“Is it a question of when the Great Battle of Jeongma will take place?”

That was the reason why Hyun-gong didn’t speak right away. It was to bring forward the timing of the Jeongma War even a little.

Instead of denying it, Hyun-gong bowed his head.

It was right to apologize, since he had used his friend’s father, even his death, for his own purposes.

“sorry.”

Hyun-gong rarely did anything for which he had to apologize, and even when he did, he never got caught.

Looking back, I think it was the first time I saw Hyun-gong apologize.

“···.”

Namgung Myung stared at Hyeon-gong.

If any ordinary person had tried to use such a trick on the head of the Namgung family, there would have been chaos. It would not have been strange for someone to literally lose their head.

However, Namgung Myeong considered Hyeon-gong a friend, and furthermore, he knew how desperate Hyeon-gong was.

I remembered Hyeon-gong wailing and cursing the world in front of Seol-hwa’s death, and I also knew how deeply his anger and hatred were engraved.

Namgung Myung was about to pass over Hyungong by hitting him with all his might, but then he noticed Dang Mujin standing next to him.

Namgung Myung thought back to his twenty-one-year-old self, when he had made a foolish mistake. And he thought back to the twenty-year-old Dang Mu-jin, who had cleverly forgiven him.

Namgung Myung thought that he, who was now thirty years old, should be more mature than Dang Mujin, who was twenty.

No, actually, it didn’t seem like he was that angry. As time passed, Namgung Myung also became a little more mature.

That’s why Namgung Myung let out a deep sigh.

“···Oh my.”

That was the end. Hyun-gong expected a fist to fly, but there was no sign of that.

When Hyun-gong looked at Nam-gung-myeong with a puzzled expression, Nam-gung-myeong shook his head.

“Okay, okay. My father has passed away anyway and we have to go to the Demonic Cult anyway, so it’s better to go early.”

“···Can we really just let this go?”

Rather, when Hyun-gong asked in confusion, Nam-gung-myeong said.

“There’s no use in trying to hit someone… Instead, this is a temporary confiscation. If you bring me Ban-yeop, I’ll give it back to you.”

“Confiscate?”

There was only one thing that Hyun-gong could confiscate right now. Hyun-gong hurriedly touched his waistband.

But there was nothing in hand.

Namgung Myung stepped back, unfolding the Jeunjong, the shamanistic rite of passage that he had learned by stealing from among the many rites of passage. At the same time, he raised the sword in his right hand and showed it to Hyeon-gong.

“Confiscate the Songmun Sword. If we can’t catch Banyeop, the Songmun Sword will become the heirloom of the Namgung family.”

Hyungong immediately launched a light attack toward Namgung Myung, but it was difficult for Hyungong to catch up with Namgung Myung with his light attack.

Even the difference in the achievement of lightness was so great that Namgung Myung easily shook off Hyeon-gong and even took Jeong Ok-ryeong, who was in the annex. He guessed that Hyeon-gong would take the hostage.

Namgung Myung’s new form began to melt into the darkness.

“You might as well hit me!”

Hyungong shouted urgently at Namgung Myung, but Namgung Myung responded calmly.

“Oh my! How can you fight with friends…”

Finally, Namgung Myung and Jeong Okryung, who had a bewildered expression, disappeared into the darkness.

Dang Mu-jin was secretly impressed. Spending the first night outdoors? What a bold decision.

Hyun-gong immediately shouted at Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae.

“Move quickly! We have to catch the leaf!”

However, Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae were not very cooperative.

“Why us?”

After sighing deeply, Hyun-gong launched his light attack with all his might towards the direction where Ban-yeop was expected to have left.

However, Hyun-gong was unable to find Ban-yeop until the sun rose the next day.