Tangmunjeon - Chapter 380



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Tangmunjeon Episode 380

Kunlun Mountain

“You missed the half-leaf? Why?”

Hyun-gong made a bitter expression at Dang Mu-jin’s question.

“What other reason could there be for missing it? I just couldn’t find it…”

By Dang Mu-jin’s standards, Ban-yeop was not a master.

Not only did he not surpass the peak wall, but he also did not have the skills to stand at the top of the first-class ranks. At best, Banyeop’s achievements were in the lower-middle ranks of first-class martial artists.

In fact, at that level, you can be recognized as a skilled person anywhere and do your part, but you cannot become the main axis of a large sect.

Rather, it was suitable for him to be entrusted with the role of going back and forth between Kunlun Mountain and Namgung Sega. The Kunlun faction would not be shaken by the absence of Banyeop, but it would be rare for them to encounter misfortune while going back and forth.

The problem was that his hiding skills were not in line with his martial arts skills, and his tracking skills were not at a special level. It was not easy to find traces, even in the dark of night.

Hong Geol-gae, who was lying in a slanted position, asked.

“Namgung Myung hasn’t returned the sword yet?”

“Okay. If you want it back, hold on to the leaf and hold on for a long time.”

It was clear that Banyeop wouldn’t be of much help unless he was caught right away. Sooner or later, we would find out what happened in Kunlun Mountain.

However, there was one reason why Namgung Myung did not withdraw his condition to capture Banyeop.

Regardless of his intentions, Hyun-gong took advantage of Namgung Jin-cheon’s death, so he must pay at least the minimum price.

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

“You’re finally getting your karma back… Anyway, I should probably go now.”

Hong Geol-gae got up from his seat, shook off his shabby clothes, and went out the front door, mixing in with the people leaving Namgung Se-ga.

Next time we meet, Hong Geol-gae will definitely be the ark and the gunman.

Dang Mu-jin also packed his bags and got up from his seat.

The wedding was practically over, so they planned to return to the main house as soon as possible.

As always, once you arrive at the party venue, you’ll feel a little more relaxed, but the father tends to get anxious when he’s away from home for a long time.

“See you next time.”

When Dang Mu-jin said that, Hyeon-gong waved his hand.

“There’s no need to say goodbye already. I’ll be leaving with you.”

“Oh, really? That’s good.”

Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong packed their bags and headed to the main gate of Namgung Se-ga together.

Finally, Dang Mujin looked back. Namgung Myung, who had come out in front of Gajujeon, was waving his hand at Dang Mujin and Hyeon-gong. The Songmun Sword was firmly tied to Namgung Myung’s waist.

Hyun-gong let out a deep sigh.

*

Based on the Namgung family lineage, Sacheon Castle is to the west and Mt. Wudang is to the northwest.

Since their directions overlapped to some extent, it wasn’t particularly strange for them to end up together halfway through.

However, even after crossing the Wuchang River and arriving at Yichang, Hyeon-gong showed no intention of getting off the ship.

Dang Mu-jin asked Hyun-gong in a casual manner.

“Shouldn’t you be getting off around here?”

However, Hyun-gong’s reaction was different from Dang Mu-jin’s expectations.

“Me? I plan on accompanying you to the party headquarters.”

“···Why the party leader?”

When Dang Mu-jin spoke with a suspicious tone, Hyun-gong made the most harmless expression in the world.

“Don’t worry. I plan to go to Kunlun via Tanggajang. I will go to Kunlun Mountain and find Banyeop. I don’t know if I will get there first or Banyeop will get there first.”

“It seems like you really want to get the Songmun Sword back.”

As Dang Mu-jin listened to the story, Hyun-gong smiled bitterly.

“Of course. I can’t help it because of my situation.”

“What’s the situation?”

“Youth is good. But for a long-suffering man, youth is a weakness. This is especially true for me, since I have risen to the long-suffering position by breaking the above distribution. If I lose the Songmun Sword and return to Mt. Wudang, things will get serious.”

“What problem?”

“First of all, I have to step down from the position of the long-serving officer. Actually, that’s not a big deal. I’m not that attached to the long-serving officer.”

It was a story whose credibility dropped sharply.

However, Dang Mu-jin nodded politely and accepted the story.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that if I, who was appointed by the Youngbojin, lose my position, other shamans will look at the Youngbojin Elder with suspicion. I hope that situation does not arise. He is already old and has difficulty moving···”

Hyun-gong tried to secretly attract Yeong-bo Jin-in and stimulate Dang-mu-jin’s sympathy.

In the past, he would have been fooled right away, but now, Dang Mu-jin was not easily fooled.

In fact, the best situation that Hyun-gong could think of was not to get the Songmun Sword back right away.

The most ideal situation that Hyun-gong can think of is receiving a famous sword comparable to Songmun Sword from Dang Mu-jin.

If that happens, the fact that the Songmungo sword was lost can be covered up without any problem.

Furthermore, if you are lucky enough to catch Banyeop and retrieve the Songmun Sword, the Mudangpa will have one more divine sword. And that will be entirely Hyungong’s achievement.

Hyun-gong planned to use the situation of losing the Songmun Sword as an opportunity.

However, Hyun-gong did not openly ask Dang Mu-jin to make a sword for him. As far as Hyun-gong knew, Dang Mu-jin was not the type of person who would make a new sword just because he was flattered.

Dang Mu-jin would only make a sword when he judged the situation to be justified based on his own standards.

Of course, Hyun-gong had a hard time understanding Dang Mu-jin’s behavior.

‘If I had that level of skill, I would have made a few swords and used them as bait.’

Dang Mu-jin asked Hyun-gong.

“You’re a long-term member now, right? Can you just leave the shaman faction at will? It’ll take months to go to Kunlun Mountain and back.”

“Since Youngbo Jin-in is still in good spirits, there won’t be any major problems. What happened at Namgung Se-ga was something Seonwoo-ja decided to tell the shaman on his way back to Hwasan-pa.”

Well, at that level, there wouldn’t be any particular problems. Dang Mu-jin stopped worrying and leisurely looked at the rippling Yangtze River.

*

One day, when the sun was still warm, Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong arrived at Dangga-jang.

Danseolyeong and Mokwana’s expressions brightened noticeably, as they were glad to see not only Dangmujin but also Hyeon-gong return.

“Dangmujin! Are you back? Is Hyeon-gong here too?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Welcome! What brings you here this time?”

“I plan to stay a little while before going to Kunlun School and then leave.”

In fact, Hyungong had a fairly good reputation within and around the Tang family.

Firstly, it was because Hyun-gong actively handled many tasks while staying at Danggajang.

For example, before the merchant Wang appeared, Hyungong had done a great job as Danseolyeong’s assistant. He also did all kinds of other dirty work without sparing himself, so it was impossible to hate him.

Secondly, because the comparison target was too clear.

The story of Namgung Myung’s antics was known to everyone in the Tang family, and Hong Geol-gae was lazy and would often stay hidden away instead of helping out.

It is natural that Hyun-gong would get points by being compared to the other two friends even if he just lived an ordinary life.

Of course, there were impure intentions behind Hyun-gong’s reputation management, but it was not a problem that ordinary people would notice.

*

Several days passed like that, but Hyungong showed no signs of leaving the Tang family.

Dang Mu-jin wondered why Hyun-gong was delaying leaving early, but no particular reason came to mind.

In fact, Dang Mu-jin didn’t have any complaints either. If you have friends, you’ll be less bored, and Hyun-gong was quite cheerful and helpful to people.

Even Hyun-gong played well with Dang Mu-jin’s three daughters, so he gained Jang Il-nam’s trust in particular.

After about two weeks, Hyun-gong came to see Dang Mu-jin.

“Dangmujin.”

Because the atmosphere in Hyun-gong was a little different than usual, Dang Mu-jin was able to guess what kind of story would follow.

“Uh huh. Are you about to leave?”

“Yes. I think we should leave tomorrow so that we can return before winter. No, actually, it may already be a little late. But it will avoid the situation of staying in Cheonghae Castle during the coldest time of the year.”

Hyun-gong looked at Dang Mu-jin with eyes that seemed to be expecting something, but Dang Mu-jin did not understand Hyun-gong’s gaze.

Instead, Dang Mu-jin interpreted the meaning contained in that gaze in his own way.

“You should go diligently. If possible, come back before it gets cold. On the way back, instead of going straight to Mt. Mudang, it would be better to stop by Danggajang and spend some time there before going back. Yeong-i follows you around a lot. She’ll be very sad if you disappear.”

Hyun-gong looked at Dang Mu-jin with a gaze filled with resentment for a moment.

But before Dang Mujin could realize that, Hyungong instantly changed his attitude and spoke in a very solemn voice.

“Dang Mu-jin. I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“If I don’t return by the end of winter, you must tell the Youngbojin well.”

“···.”

A story that hints at death.

In normal times, it would have been a story that would have been passed over as nonsense. However, now, Dang Mu-jin felt a rather distinct sense of unease.

The problem was the location of the statue, and the destination of the statue was also a problem.

After Seolhwa died, Dangmujin thought that Hyungong was a little unstable.

Although even Hyungong himself didn’t seem to know this, Dangmujin clearly felt that Hyungong’s behavior and mood had changed significantly. And most of these changes were not good signs.

It is not strange for these people to commit any act out of the blue.

Another problem was that the destination of the expedition was Kunlun Mountain in Qinghai Province.

Although Tang Wujin was busy traveling all over the Central Plains, the only place he had no good memories of was Cheonghae Castle.

The first time I went to Cheonghae Castle, I had to walk through a blizzard while carrying the body of a strange man on my back, and the second time I passed Cheonghae Castle, I had to run away from the demonic cult’s soldiers.

Even now, it was obvious that the situation in the Kunlun Mountain area was not good. Whether or not the Kunlun Sect was taken over by the Demonic Cult, it was certain that they were in a precarious situation.

Dang Mu-jin spoke, stammering a little.

“Yeah… Okay. Got it.”

Hyun-gong stood up after showing a very complex and meaningful smile.

Dang Mu-jin sat in a dark room, quietly watching the flame flickering on the lamp.

I had a feeling that Hyun-gong might have stayed at Danggajang because he had some kind of ulterior motive, but at the same time, I couldn’t suppress my anxiety.

‘What if I really have to go see Yeongbo Jin and tell him the news of Hyeon-gong’s death?’

It’s a terrible thing.

How much time had passed? While Dang Mu-jin was still sitting there, lost in thought, the door opened slowly and a person came in.

It was a girl wearing slightly thin clothes.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Yeah.”

As she always did, Mokwan-ah sat close to Dangmujin. They were close enough that their knees touched and they could hear each other’s breathing.

And Mokwan-ah noticed Dangmujin’s troubled expression.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.”

“No way. Lie down here and talk.”

Mok Wan-ah lay down on the soft bed and tapped the spot next to her with the palm of her hand. Dang Mu-jin obediently lay down next to Mok Wan-ah.

If Danseolyeong was a wise adviser and a trustworthy colleague, Mokwanah was someone who knew how to embrace Dangmujin.

Dang Mu-jin spoke a story that was filling his head, somewhat disorganized. Mok Wan-ah occasionally asked questions or chimed in, waiting quietly until Dang Mu-jin finished his story.

“···That’s what happened.”

When Dang Mu-jin finished telling the story, Mok Wan-ah smiled.

“Isn’t that the problem with the conclusion?”

“What conclusion?”

“Have a nice trip.”

“I didn’t mean to say that.”

As Dang Mu-jin spoke like that, Mok Wan-ah reached out and lightly stroked the side of Dang Mu-jin’s face.

“It’s good to stay in a comfortable place with loved ones, but it’s also important not to leave behind any regrets. And I think now is that moment.”

“It might end without incident. Yeah. It probably will.”

“But you care? You did before. A man of few words doesn’t ignore his intuition.”

“That’s what it’s like when you’re fighting for your life.”

“well.”

Mokwan-ah got up from her seat and blew out the flickering flame on the lamp.

As the room grew dark, the faint sound of skin and clothes brushing against each other could be heard.

Finally, Mokwan-ah lay down next to Dangmujin and said.

“There’s no need to rush into a decision. Think it over carefully.”

“now?”

“Um- no. Just a little bit later.”

Mokwan-ah laughed bashfully in the darkness and dug into Dangmujin’s arms.

It took quite a while before Dang Mu-jin started to worry again.

*

The next morning, Hyun-gong was sitting around Dang Mu-jin’s quarters, waiting for Dang Mu-jin to appear.

After a while, the door to Dang Mujin’s quarters opened. Hyungong felt secretly delighted when he realized that Dang Mujin’s face was filled with fatigue.

‘Did my last plan work? As expected, if you set the mood and talk to Dang Mu-jin, it works well…’

It is clear that Dang Mu-jin had trouble sleeping at night due to worry.

What were you thinking about as you lay awake at night? There must have been many thoughts, but one of them must have been the thought of making a precious sword for a friend who was leaving for a faraway land.

Hyun-gong hid the sword that Dang Mu-jin had made for him in the past behind his back.

Dang Mu-jin approached Hyeon-gong straight away, as if to say that Hyeon-gong’s thoughts were not wrong.

However, Dang Mu-jin’s story was different from what Hyun-gong had expected.

“Hyungong. I will go to Kunlun Mountain with you.”

“···You’re going together?”

“okay.”

The plan went a little awry.

Instead of saying that he would go with them, Dang Mu-jin had to say that he would make a famous sword that would rival Song Moon-go-geom.

Hyun-gong hurriedly waved his hand.

“How could I take my father, who has just returned home after such a long time, and go on a trip to a foreign land? If I have concerns, I might as well take a sword or something…”

Dang Mu-jin looked at Hyun-gong and said.

“A sword? Is that all you need?”

Hyun-gong almost stood up and applauded.

At that time, Hyun-gong had already decided what to name the new sword that Dang Mu-jin had made for him.

But Hyun-gong said, hiding his excitement.

“That’s enough.”

“If that’s what you want… I understand. Give me the sword.”

Dang Mu-jin extended his hand toward Hyun-gong. Hyun-gong was a little embarrassed.

“You want a sword?”

“Aren’t you asking me to sharpen the sword’s edge?”

Only then did Hyun-gong realize that Songmun Sword was not the only famous sword.

The sword that Hyun-gong carried was also a sword made by Dang Mu-jin. In fact, in terms of sharpness, it was not much inferior to the Songmun sword.

Hyun-gong thought desperately.

‘···I didn’t waste two weeks at the Danggajang to ask for a sword sharpening. But I had no reason to ask Dangmujin to make me a new sword.’

‘What should I do?’

‘First of all, I have to keep teasing Dang Mu-jin. But I can’t stay in the Dang family. I already said I’m leaving today…’

‘If you head to Kunlun Mountain with Dang Mujin, you can stay with him for at least two months. They say Dang Mujin has gotten a bit quicker lately, but if you keep flattering him for a couple months, you might be able to get a sword or two. It would be best if you could capture Banyeop as well.’

It only took a breath or so for Hyun-gong to gather all his thoughts.

Hyun-gong sighed deeply and spoke.

“···sorry.”

“what?”

“It seems like simply sharpening the blade isn’t enough. I need someone I can trust with my back. A supreme master who can subdue other supreme masters with just one technique would be perfect.”

Dang Mu-jin let out a deep sigh and smiled faintly.