Tangmunjeon - Chapter 395



Only Krnovel

Tangmunjeon Episode 395

A man’s story

When Yan Qiu arrived in Luoyang, he heard some shocking news.

“Jeongak Doin… Oh, that old man? He passed away a while ago. Maybe two or three years?”

Because the journey was so long, Jeongak Doin died before Yeonchu arrived.

For an old man who retired and returned to his hometown, eight years was by no means a short period of time.

But now that he had come this far, he couldn’t just turn back. Yeonchu decided to go to the house where Jeongak Doin was staying. It just so happened that a herbalist knew where Jeongak Doin was staying.

The residence of the Jeongak Taoist was not in the city of Luoyang, but in the mountains where there were no people.

And when Yeonchu arrived at the small hut, he met a girl of about the same age.

The girl spoke briskly yet sharply.

“What are you?”

“I heard that I should go see Master Jeongak, so I came here. He said that if I meet the Taoist monk Hwangnyeong, Master Jeongak will recognize me.”

The girl seemed to be in a good mood.

“You asked me to go see someone who’s been dead for three years? That guy named Hwangryeong must have wanted to make things difficult for you.”

“That can’t be true. It’s been eight years since I started out.”

The girl burst into laughter, as if she thought Yeonchu’s story was a joke.

But Yeonchu didn’t laugh.

Before long, the girl realized that Yeonchu’s story was true.

“What the heck… It really took eight years?”

Yeonchu nodded. And this time, Yeonchu asked the girl.

“Who are you?”

“Strictly speaking, she’s the granddaughter of Jeongak Do-in. My grandfather was Jeongak Do-in’s youngest brother.”

“Hmm.”

Yeonchu was now wondering what to do.

It would not be easy to return to the city, so it seemed better to settle down in Luoyang.

The girl tried to shoo the lotus away, but then crossed her arms in a sarcastic manner.

“Do you know anyone around here?”

“No. There’s no one.”

“It would be too harsh to tell you to leave right away after eight years of coming here. Stay in the cabin for a few days and then leave once you’ve decided where to go.”

“okay.”

*

Days turned into months, and eventually three years passed.

Yeonchu, who had been a beggar and then a bandit’s handyman, became a hunter and herbalist.

The shabby lotus pond has become quite clean.

The girl who had been living alone in the cabin became Yeonchu’s wife. They also had twins.

Being a herbalist and a hunter was enough to make a living.

In his spare time, Yeonchu steadily practiced the martial arts he had learned from Hwangryeong, and he also diligently practiced the martial arts left behind by Jeongak Doin.

The martial arts left behind by Jeongak Doin were closer to Jeongak Doin’s traditional martial arts than the Cheongseongpa’s, so there was no reason to feel anxious while learning them.

After suffering, he reached a life without a single worry. Yeonchu became happy.

But at some point, a disturbing atmosphere began to spread around the neighborhood. My wife, who had come back from selling herbs in the lower village, said to Yeonchu.

“Honey, there’s a war going on.”

“Really? The atmosphere feels a bit strange… Something’s not going to happen to us, is it?”

“There are cases where Sapha warriors appear and harm people. They steal property, rape women, and even kill innocent people.”

“···This is a big deal. What should I do?”

After much thought, Yeonchu came up with a plan.

They tore up the floor of their house, dug a hole, and made a hiding place.

By placing a lid over the hiding place and placing a large bedding bed on top of it, a truly magical hiding place was created.

After that, whenever a suspicious person appeared, Yeonchu made his wife and children hide in a hole under the floor.

After a few months, about ten people came to Yeonchu’s cabin.

After hiding his wife and children underground, Yeonchu came out. Judging from their behavior, fortunately, they did not seem to be Sapa warriors.

Yeonchu bowed his head politely and said.

“My name is Yeonchu. Why have you come to this shabby place, sir?”

The man in front calmly said my name.

“My name is Samajiliang. What do you do?”

“I’m a herbalist. I’m also quite good at hunting.”

Then, Sima Zhiliang looked Yan Qiu up and down and snickered.

“Nonsense. A herbalist named Naburang has more accomplishments than a commoner from the Sima family? Do you think you can fool me?”

“yes?”

Sima Zhiliang nodded at the chin.

“Subdue him.”

“No. It’s unfair!”

“We’ll find out if it’s unfair or not after we investigate slowly.”

The Sima family’s warriors rushed in and attacked Yanqiu.

I thought I could handle a couple of people, but I didn’t have the capacity to handle that many people at the same time.

Yeonchu was beaten so badly that he passed out and was dragged away by the Sima family’s warriors.

*

Yeonchu, who had fainted, suddenly got up.

‘Where am I?’

It was an unfamiliar room. As Yeonchu was looking around, the door opened and a man with slightly reddish hair came into the room.

Yeonchu asked.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Sima Yougong of the Sima Family.”

“Where am I? Why did I wake up here?”

“It’s Samasega. There was a misunderstanding.”

“What kind of misunderstanding is this?”

“While searching the surrounding area for the remnants of the Sapa faction, Sima Zhiliang thought you were a Sapa warrior and captured you. He must have been suspicious because a man of considerable skill claimed to be an herbalist.”

“ah···.”

It seems that the misunderstanding has been resolved now, which is fortunate. Yeonchu smiled happily, thinking that it was fortunate.

And at that moment, Yeonchu felt an intense hunger.

Yeonchu had been hungry many times, so he could roughly estimate how hungry someone was just by feeling hungry.

This wasn’t a hunger of one or two days.

Yeonchu asked with a trembling voice.

“···How long was I unconscious?”

“It hasn’t even been ten days. I’ve fed him some gruel now and then, but he’s hungry, so I’ll tell him to eat.”

“Sir. What about my family?”

Yeonchu’s heart was pounding like crazy.

However, Sima Yougong asked back as if he did not know what that meant.

“family?”

Yeonchu jumped up from his seat. Sima Yougong stopped him.

“Wait a minute. You’re not in good shape yet. Go rest for a bit.”

“No, no···.”

Yeonchu shook off Sima Yougong and left Luoyang in one stride. Then he ran hurriedly toward the mountain hut.

I didn’t even feel hungry.

The house was quiet.

And there was still a large bed spread over the hideout.

“Ah, ahh···.”

Yeonchu pushed the bedding with all his might, letting out a strange voice.

My mind is blank and I feel like I’m going crazy at any moment.

The plumb line that finally lifted the floor met the distant eyes.

My wife’s haggard eyes, with tear stains still visible under them.

In his wife’s arms were two quiet children who were not crying.

Yeonchu said, gasping for breath.

“Honey, honey…”

Hehehe. My wife laughed heartily.

The next morning, my wife lost consciousness and died.

*

Yeonchui headed towards Sima Sega with burning hatred in his heart. He wanted to kill Sima Zhiliang right away.

However, Yeonchu stopped walking in front of Sima Se.

It wasn’t because he was afraid of losing his life to the Sima family’s warriors.

Losing his life didn’t matter. What Yan Chu was afraid of was that Sima Zhiliang would get away with it without any punishment.

It would be foolish to go to Sima Sega and ask him to punish Sima Zhiliang.

That is why Yanqiu changed his destination. At that time, there was a person in Luoyang who was famous enough to punish even a member of the Sima family.

The Sword King of Jewonbaekga. The Sword King, famous for his fairness and uprightness, is in Luoyang.

Yeonchu went to see King Geom and asked him to punish Sima Zhiliang.

But the Sword King looked embarrassed.

“Are you asking me to kill Sima Zhi Liang?”

“Yes!”

“···That’s difficult.”

“Why, why is that?”

“It is regrettable that your wife and children died, but Sima Zhiliang did not attack you in order to kill three people. Wasn’t there even a reason for the misunderstanding?”

Yeonchu felt like he would go crazy at any moment. That’s why he overcame his fear and cried out in front of the numerous Jeongpa unmanned people.

“Please let me decide, even if it’s a matter of life or death!”

Strong self-esteem.

Yeonchu wanted that simple discipline.

Yeonchu felt that he could somehow defeat Sima Zhiliang. Even if he lost and lost his life, he felt that he would be able to close his eyes without any regrets.

But the Sword King shook his head.

“No. It is not right to overlook such a mistake with the risk of life and death. I will stake my name on it and make sure that Sima Zhi Liang pays the price.”

*

While the Battle of Jeongsa was in full swing, Sima Zhiliang was trapped in the Shaolin Temple’s Chamhoe-dong.

Yeonchu was not satisfied. But he could not protest any longer. The Sword King died before the end of the Jeongsa War.

But at the same time, Yeonchu was truly grateful to the Sword King.

Which martial artist in the world would cast a promising martial artist from a prestigious family into a prison cell for the rest of his life for a mere herbalist?

‘Still, where is the price to pay like this…’

But sometimes, I would feel a surge of anger that almost drove me crazy.

At times like that, Yeonchu practiced his martial arts alone.

He swung his sword until his hands were swollen and he lost consciousness. Occasionally, he would have moments of enlightenment, but even the joy of enlightenment could not wash away Yeonchu’s anger.

When he could not suppress his anger, Yeonchu went to Sungsan in Hanam and headed to Chamhoedong.

The monks of Shaolin Temple were considerate enough to help Yan Qiu see Sima Zhi Liang and let go of his resentment.

*

After a while, a famine came.

It was a severe famine, with people starving to death.

And Yeon-chu, who had gone to Shaolin Temple, encountered an unexpected situation. Sima Zhiliang, who had been trapped in Chamhoe-dong, had disappeared.

Yeonchu was overcome with joy and asked the monk of Shaolin Temple.

“Did Samajiliang also starve to death?”

But the monk shook his head.

“I got released.”

A story completely opposite to what was expected.

Yeonchu opened his eyes wide and grabbed the skinny monk by the collar.

“Why on earth, why on earth···?”

“We can’t feed the sinners when even the monks are starving to death. Besides, Sima Zhi Liang has been paying the price for his sins for many years.”

“You paid the price?”

“Yes. There are some shortcomings, but… Since Samasega provided food to the starving, I think I have paid some of the price for my sins.”

The lotus sank to the spot.

My head was pounding. All kinds of thoughts were filling my head.

Oh world. Why are you so cruel to me?

When I was weak, I accepted what happened because I was weak.

But when I gain power, why can’t I wield it?

Why can’t we take revenge on those who have sinned?

Didn’t you say that you were suffering because you had no strength?

Even that cruel story was just an excuse.

Shouldn’t even those born lowly be given a chance?

Shouldn’t we at least give the world a chance to resist, a chance to cry out in protest?

*

Yeonchu walked back to the cabin with a limp.

The graves of his wife and two children quietly greeted him.

“honey···.”

Yeonchu looked up at the sky. It was early evening, but faint stars were shining.

The torch lit a single, dry branch. The small flame that bloomed at the tip of the branch was not enough to dispel the darkness.

So he put the burning branches down into the hut.

The sparks grew in size in an instant and enveloped the cabin. In the dark night, memories of the embers burned. The surroundings became brighter as if the night had receded.

As the embers engulfed the cabin, all sorts of emotions engulfed the hut. All sorts of emotions were burning.

Sadness. Anger. Hatred. Despair. Self-loathing toward one’s foolish self.

And then the anger again.

Late at night, Yeonchui quietly hid in Samasega.

Then Samase set fire to a small building in one corner. The fire, which rose up the wooden beams, engulfed the building.

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

“Quick, bring me some water! We have to put it out before the sparks fly!”

The Sima Family was engulfed in chaos. Yeonchui quietly hid in a corner of the Sima Family and waited.

Before long, the person they had been waiting for appeared. Sima Zhiliang.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Yeonchu stole a sword and quietly approached Sima Zhiliang.

“Simajiryang.”

“···You, you?”

Yeonchu drew his sword. Having only wielded wooden swords his entire life, this was the first time in his life he had ever held a real sword, but the feeling was not unfamiliar.

Yeonchu asked.

“Sima Ji Liang. Do you think you have paid the price for your sins?”

Samajiliang couldn’t answer.

If I said yes, I would be angry, and if I said no, I would now have to pay the price.

That is why Sima Zhiliang chose a different path. Sima Zhiliang shouted loudly.

“Intruder···!”

However, before Sima Zhiliang could finish his story, Yan Qiu approached Sima Zhiliang and swung his sword.

His neck fell off and he rolled on the floor. Before he knew it, Yan Chu’s achievements had far surpassed Sima Zhiliang’s.

Amidst the chaos, several of Sima Shi’s warriors heard Sima Zhi Liang’s cries and approached Yan Qiu.

After taking revenge, Yan Qiu ran away like crazy. His life was in danger several times because of his pursuers, but he miraculously managed to shake off the pursuers of Sima Shiga and escape Luoyang.

*

Finally, Yan Qiu stood alone in the fields west of Luoyang. Yan Qiu’s body was soaked with his own blood and the blood of Sima Shi’s men.

Yeonchu wiped his blood-soaked face with his blood-soaked palms.

And then he let out a deep sigh. Phew-

‘Are you relieved?’

I don’t know.

But one thing was certain.

It was much better than not doing it.

It was better than having power but not being able to wield it and just holding it inside.

It was better to live under clear, even if cold and cruel, standards than to live by believing in rules that could be changed here and there at will.

Yeonchu looked back.

Flames were shooting out from two places: a large flame in downtown Luoyang, and a small flame burning on the mountain ridge.

The small fire was barely able to spread to the mountain and was almost dying out.

Yeonchu watched the small flames surrounding the cabin for a long time. Finally, the flames burning the cabin died down.

Only then did Yeonchu start walking, trudging westward.

Towards a distant land that will accept sinners. Towards the land of fugitives.