Tangmunjeon - Chapter 384



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Tangmunjeon Episode 384

Which father

Because the situation was so embarrassing, Dang Mu-jin answered Namgung Jin-cheon’s question with a bewildered face.

“···Other people?”

“Unmanned forces of other political parties.”

“No. Only Hyungong and I came.”

Namgung Jincheon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Is this to say that the Jeongpa Murim is not preparing for the Jeongma War?”

Only then did Dang Mu-jin understand Namgung Jin-cheon’s story.

“Oh, of course we are preparing for it. We are planning to meet at the joint party next spring. To be exact, we are planning to meet on the 15th day of the mid-autumn moon.”

“It’s too late… Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do about it. I felt like it came too early.”

Namgung Jincheon muttered in a slightly displeased voice, but he didn’t seem terribly disappointed.

After that story, there was silence. Dang Mu-jin waited for a moment and then started talking again.

“I didn’t know you were alive.”

“That makes sense.”

Dang Mu-jin waited for the explanation that should have followed, but Namgung Jin-cheon’s explanation did not continue.

Namgung Jincheon glanced at Dang Mujin’s face a little later and added a word.

“I’ll tell you the details slowly. For now, let’s move.”

The group began to walk slowly toward the inside of Kunlun Mountain. It was not the direction in which the Demonic Cult warriors had disappeared.

Everyone sat quietly in thought.

However, there was one person who could not calm down. Mr. Lim, who somehow got caught up in a serious situation.

Mr. Im approached Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong slowly, pointed to Namgung Jin-cheon, and asked cautiously.

“Is that person famous?”

“This is the elder swordsman Namgung Jincheon.”

That was the end of Dang Mu-jin’s explanation. Namgung Jin-cheon was a famous person who could afford to do that.

Actually, Mr. Lim knew who Namgung Jincheon was. However, since the name was a bit too famous, Mr. Lim thought Dang Mujin’s story was a joke.

“Haha! Really?”

But after a while, Mr. Lim realized that Dang Mu-jin’s attitude was too indifferent.

“···Really? Is it really Namgung Jincheon?”

“yes.”

How surprised he was, Mr. Lim gasped and made a strange sound.

And he asked the party leader with a confused expression.

“It seems like we are acquainted. How do you know the swordsman Namgung Jincheon?”

“Because he’s my friend’s father.”

“friend?”

“Yes. Namgung Myung, the current head of the Namgung family, is my friend.”

“···Was the Dang family a more famous family than I thought? Surely Gong Ae-woo isn’t a famous person either?”

“That guy is Hyungong, the leader of the non-partisan faction.”

This time, Mr. Lim seemed convinced that Dang Mu-jin’s story was a joke.

“Yeah. I don’t fall for such stories. The leader of the shaman faction is the Sambo Jijon Yeongbo Jinin. I heard that Yeongbo Jinin is not young.”

“I recently inherited a very senior position.”

“He’s so young?”

“It’s more useful than it looks.”

Mr. Im recalled the skill of Hyun-gong who had mercilessly cut down his ideal type.

She looked like a very skilled woman whose name he didn’t even know, but Hyun-gong cut her down without any warning.

With that level of skill, wouldn’t it be possible for even a non-partisan leader to become a leader? That’s what Mr. Lim thought.

“You were hiding your identity too, weren’t you? You’re not the head of the Tang family, but… the head of a more famous Sega family, maybe?”

“I am the head of the party.”

“Oh, I see…”

Hyun-gong, who was listening to the story, seemed to feel that Mr. Im’s reaction was a little indifferent, so he intervened and said.

“You may know what I mean by ‘Yi-ryong’.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of the Yi-ryong. Is that Dang A-woo’s Yi-ryong?”

“Yes. He’s an easy guy you can always meet if you have three coins.”

The story that Hyun-gong told in a teasing tone was not a lie. Three coins were enough to meet the member of parliament at the party hall. Of course, there was no guarantee that the party leader would show up.

Considering that a bowl of noodles at a cheap inn cost about three coins, the threshold to the head of the household was unusually low.

And Dang Mu-jin was secretly proud of that fact.

Mr. Lim laughed hollowly.

“The world is full of famous people, but I’m the only insignificant peddler. No, now I’m a peddler and a thief…”

While walking along, chatting away, Yu Yu-do-in and Namgung Jin-cheon stopped in front of a Taoist temple on the side of a mountain.

The building looked old and deserted, so it was clear that it had been abandoned for a long time.

But it was quite large in scale. There were three large buildings spaced appropriately apart.

Banyeop said to Dangmujin, Hyeon-gong, and Im-ssi.

“Watch carefully what I do.”

Banyeop approached the stone lantern in front of the temple.

And he said, slightly turning the direction of the fire chamber stone at the top of the stone lantern.

“The perforated part of the stone should face north and south. Since there are grooves, it shouldn’t be difficult to align the direction.”

Then, Ban-yeop hugged a crude stone statue placed about twenty steps away from the stone lantern and began to turn around, struggling.

“These stone statues are the Three Treasure Lords who rule over the Three Heavens. Among them, the Heavenly Treasure Lord and the Divine Treasure Lord should turn their backs on each other.”

“Why is the direction of stone lanterns and stone statues important?”

The moment Dang Mu-jin spoke like that, the scene unfolding before the group’s eyes changed as if it were a lie.

The old conduit has become quite clean, and suddenly a large number of people appear. A lot of human presence and bustling sounds can be felt from all directions.

Among them were some Taoists from the Kunlun school, but there were many more who did not seem to be Taoists.

I could hear the sound of children fighting and running around, and the voices of parents calling their children’s names. There was also a savory smell, as if someone was cooking porridge.

“···That was important. What on earth happened?”

“They use the method to hide people behind illusions. There are many Taoist temples in Kunlun Mountain that hide themselves like this. Some Taoists who have mastered the art of the so-called Zuo Dao Bang Mun are working hard.”

“Are you referring to the Taoists of the Suhoe Hall that you mentioned last time?”

Instead of answering, Banyeop smiled. Dangmujin thought that smile contained a positive meaning.

Then Ban-yeop finished his story by lightly clapping his hands.

“I think that’s enough for the explanation. Sir, please follow me.”

As Ban-yeop left with the bewildered Im-ssi, Yu-yu-do-in spoke to Dang-mu-jin and Hyeon-gong.

“You two, come this way.”

Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong followed Yu Yu-do-in and Nam-gung Jin-cheon.

Since Yuyu Doin was the head of the Kunlun School, they thought he would enter the largest Taoist temple, but unexpectedly, he guided them to a warehouse behind the temple.

The gentleman opened the warehouse and said.

“This is the residence of the head of the Kunlun sect. It is shabby, but please understand.”

The warehouse was neatly organized, and there were five or six old, worn-out cushions lying around.

Yu Yu-do-in and Nam-gung Jin-cheon naturally laid out a cushion each and sat down, and also gave cushions to Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong. Although only four people entered, the room felt almost full.

“You are so simple.”

When Dang Mu-jin spoke of his feelings, Yoo Yoo-do-in burst into laughter.

“Actually, the big building next door was originally mine, but so many people gathered that it was taken away. I can’t tell children and women to stay in a place without a roof.”

Since he was curious about those people, Dang Mu-jin asked Yoo Yoo-do-in.

“Where did those people come from? There aren’t many who look like Kunlun sect masters.”

“I guess I should start from a slightly older story. Dangga Jangju, and Seungryonggeom. Do you remember what I said at the meeting at Mt. Wudang?”

“···I remember.”

There were many stories told by Yoo Yoo-do-in at Mt. Mudang.

But it was clear which statement Yoo Yoo Do-in was talking about.

If the sect doesn’t rise up before the Demonic Cult’s warriors raise their voices, they will abandon Kunlun Mountain and flee.

“That wasn’t a joke. I’d rather survive and get cursed at than let the Taoists of Kunlun Mountain, like my family, die senselessly.”

Dang Mujin nodded. As the head of the Dang family, he could fully understand the minds of the people of Yuyu.

“But you didn’t run away, right? Then it’s okay.”

“No. He ran away.”

“···yes?”

“At some point, demonic cult warriors began to appear near Kunlun Mountain. They must have been planning to destroy Kunlun Sect and take control of Qinghai Province.”

The distance between Cheonsan and Jungwon, where the Demonic Cult is located, is very far.

And the Kunlun sect is standing right in the middle of the Tian Shan and the Central Plains. If the Kunlun sect is destroyed, the Demonic Cult can reach the very edge of the Central Plains without any resistance.

Furthermore, in order to leave no enemies behind, the Demonic Cult must first destroy the Kunlun Sect.

“At first, we were able to hold out somehow. The Kunlun Sect had some stamina, and the Demonic Cult guys didn’t attack us too aggressively. However, when the Demonic Cult’s warriors began to form a siege net, problems arose. Eventually, the situation became so serious that we had to hide in a formation like this. However, the Jeongpa martial arts world showed no sign of moving.”

Yoo Yoo Do-in let out a deep sigh.

“Finally, I made a decision. I decided to gather all the Taoists of Kunlun Mountain and move to Gongdongpa. In order to avoid being noticed by the Demonic Cult members, we split into small groups and moved. We also changed into ordinary clothes.”

“Oh, like that.”

As Hyun-gong added some humor, Yoo-Yoo-Do-In continued his story with a faint smile.

“As I was leaving Kunlun Mountain and heading east, I saw a family coming from the direction of Kunlun Mountain. I ignored them and passed by. Not long after, I saw another family coming from the direction of Kunlun Mountain. So I asked them. Didn’t they know that there was chaos to the west?”

“What did they say?”

“The evil deeds of the Demonic Cult’s warriors are getting worse by the day, but if we rely on the Kunlun Sect’s Taoists, we can survive, so let’s go to Kunlun Mountain together.”

After saying that, Yoo Yoo Do-in scratched his head.

There are stories in the world that are frustrating no matter how much you look back on them.

“Do you know that? If you start from Kunlun Mountain and reach the vicinity of Sichuan or Nanzhou, it would take at least a month for an ordinary person to walk.”

“A month… I think it’ll be okay.”

“A healthy person could walk like that. But that family had four children, and two old people with bent backs. It might take two months, or three. If they lost their strength, they would collapse and die. There wouldn’t be enough to eat. If they went east, they would die.”

The problem was not solved by miraculously arriving at Sichuan or Nanju.

The Kunlun School’s Talented Masters have the skills to survive in a foreign land without difficulty. However, those without houses or land are ostracized in a foreign land and have no way to survive. They have no choice.

“So you came back?”

“Yes. It’s obvious that people will continue to gather in the future, so it’s not like we can tell them all to die.”

Yoo Yoo Do-in let out a deep sigh.

Dang Mu-jin thought of his teacher.

When Dang Mu-jin first encountered Janyangssangsal in Jueulchon and ran away, then returned in a hurry, the goblin told Dang Mu-jin.

Even if you run away, you just have to come back on time. You just have to not turn away from your duty.

That was exactly what the Yoo Yoo Do-in was showing now.

The Taoists of Kunlun Mountain were people who gathered to practice and become immortals, but at the same time, they were also guardians of the people around Kunlun Mountain.

The Taoists of Yuyu and Kunlun Mountain could not escape because they could not turn their eyes away from their duty. They were also the undisputed warriors of the Jeongpa.

Hyun-gong said.

“Can’t you escape with sorcery?”

“Even among the Kunlun School’s Taoists, there aren’t many who can use magic. And it’s impossible to move with this many people.”

It was as expected. Didn’t Ban-yeop vomit blood in return for using the magic of shrinking the three people?

I could understand why the Taoists and the Taoists were confined to Kunlun Mountain.

But a more important question remained. Dang Mu-jin asked Namgung Jin-cheon.

“Why are you staying here, Elder Namgung Jincheon?”

“When I left the party, I told you where I was going.”

“You said you were going to meet Elder Hwayeonshinni. After that, you said you would go to the Demonic Cult.”

“Yes. I went to Chongqing and asked Hwa Yeon-shin-ni for teachings.”

Hyun-gong intervened and asked.

“Did you win?”

Namgung Jincheon shook his head.

“No. I gradually narrowed the gap, but I couldn’t catch up. And then I thought, that old bastard is the best in the world after all.”

It’s a dirty word. It doesn’t match the appearance, but it’s not wrong.

“After that, I headed to the Demonic Cult. It was a good time because it was a bit chaotic. I hung around the Demonic Cult and wielded my sword to my heart’s content. Most of the guys who showed up during the peak were fools, so it was easy to use them as sparring partners and then blow their balls off.”

Dang Mu-jin nodded.

Even if you were to say that he was a master of the Demonic Cult who had somehow become a master of the highest level, he would not be able to win against a true master of the highest level on his own. This would be even more so if you were to compare him to Namgung Jincheon, who was particularly good at martial arts among the masters of the highest level.

“Then I met a monk from the Demonic Cult.”

“Monk?”

The demon cult and the monks. Dang Mu-jin thought of the ghost king.

However, since the Ghost King was imprisoned in the Shaolin Temple’s Chamhoe-dong after the last Jeongsa War, the monk who encountered Namgung Jincheon could not have been the Ghost King.

“They said he came from Soreumsa. He was definitely not a fool. So I immediately drew my sword. As expected, his skills were quite impressive…”

Namgung Jincheon frowned slightly as he spoke like that.

“No, just be honest. I lost.”

It was an incredible story. And it wasn’t an easy story to tell.

But Namgung Jincheon didn’t seem too embarrassed by that fact. Namgung Jincheon smiled happily and continued his story.

“But it was just a hair’s breadth. The monk must have liked me too, because we tested each other’s skills several times. It was really fun. It felt like if I just kept trying a little more, I could win!”

“You got what you wanted.”

“Yes. After about two weeks of fighting like that, the monk said to me, if you want to fight someone stronger than you, come with me. I had no reason to refuse.”

Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong held their breath.

It seemed obvious to me without me having to tell who the monk had taken Namgung Jincheon to.

Namgung Jincheon said.

“And then I met the leader.”

Then Namgung Jincheon let out a deep sigh.

“The best person in the world was not Hwayeonshinni, but the religious leader.”

It was an amazing story. There was someone stronger than Hwayeonshinni.

But Namgung Jincheon’s story is not over.

“And then I realized.”

“What?”

“I can’t defeat the leader.”

Namgung Jincheon’s breathing became slow and deep. A gloomy light seemed to burn in his eyes.

When Namgung Jincheon talked about Hwayeon Shinni, he did not say that she was an unbeatable opponent. The same was true when he talked about the monk from Soreumsa.

Dang Mu-jin asked Namgung Jin-cheon.

“Has the cult leader reached a state beyond the pinnacle?”

“clearly.”

It was confusing. But Dang Mu-jin tried to speak with confidence.

“It’s okay. Time will heal the problem.”

“No. If the leader was stronger than me right now, I wouldn’t have said that I couldn’t win. The bigger problem is that the leader is advancing to the next level faster than I am. The gap will only widen, and time will only make the situation worse.”

It was a breathtaking story.

Isn’t it true that the leader is not satisfied with reaching the ‘next level’, but is running towards the ‘level beyond that’?

It’s hard to even guess what’s next after the peak, so what on earth is there beyond that?

Namgung Jincheon opened his mouth again.

“The leader asked me to take on an important role in the Demonic Cult.”

“So how did you answer?”

“I asked for time.”

Namgung Jincheon leaned his back against the wall with his eyes closed.

“That night, I judged not as a swordsman, but as Namgung Jincheon. As the head of the Namgung family, as the father of a child. And as a warrior of the Jeongpa, I made my conclusion.”

“···What is the conclusion?”

“When the leader reaches the next level, the martial arts world will be over.”

Dang Mu-jin thought back to Namgung Jin-cheon in the past.

Namgung Jincheon was a selfish man. He abandoned his family and passed the position of head of the household to his son. He abandoned all his duties.

There is only one goal. To reach the limit of nothingness.

But the fact that he has abandoned all of those duties means that Namgung Jincheon once shouldered those duties.

Namgung Jincheon suppressed his desires and devoted most of his life to Namgung Se-ga. Namgung Jincheon may have been self-willed, but he was not an irresponsible person.

That is why the indulgence that Namgung Jincheon had dreamed of his whole life did not last long.

Just like the party leader who ran away has returned.

Just as the runaway Taoist monk returned to Kunlun Mountain.

The head of the Namgung family, a father who loved his son, could not turn his head away from duty.

“So I secretly left the Demonic Cult.”

Namgung Jincheon finished his story in a calm voice.

“We must kill the cult leader at all costs before he reaches the next level.”