Tangmunjeon - Chapter 399



Only Krnovel

Tangmunjeon Episode 399

preparation

Winter has come to Sacheon as well.

Unlike the biting cold of the north or the Qinghai Province, the winters of Sacheon Province are not harsh. Because it is such a warm region, it does not snow often, and even when it does, it rarely piles up.

However, this winter, it snowed a lot. It had been snowing nonstop for three days straight. Thanks to this, the yard and buildings of the Danggajang were covered with snow.

While Dang Mu-jin was sitting blankly on the veranda, Dan Seol-yeong brought two lidded teacups and handed one to Dang Mu-jin.

“What are you doing?”

Dang Mu-jin answered while accepting the teacup.

“I think a lot has changed.”

Dang Mu-jin’s gaze was fixed on the place where the Tang family’s herbal medicine warehouse used to be.

Even after the warehouse disappeared, Dang Mu-jin often looked at it. And Dan Seol-yeong knew what meaning was contained in that gaze.

Dang Mu-jin met the strange man, Lee Chung, while boiling medicine in front of the herbal medicine warehouse and behind the medical office. And from that day on, Dang Mu-jin’s life changed completely.

The young man who should have become a member of the National Assembly became a martial artist, and the small-time member of the National Assembly who depended on the Seongdo branch of the Cheongseongpa to make a living became the head of a party.

Danseolyeong tilted her upper body diagonally and rested her head on Dangmujin’s shoulder.

“Do you feel excited when you turn thirty?”

“I guess so.”

It was in the spring of his twenties that Dang Mu-jin met the ghost, and all these changes took place in less than ten years.

And this spring, it will be exactly ten years.

He couldn’t remember the exact date when he met the monster. But one thing was certain. Ten years after he met the monster, Dang Mu-jin would be on the battlefield.

‘There’s just over a month left until the full moon of Chuseok…’

Dang Mu-jin raised his head and looked around, holding the warm teacup with both hands. Dan Seol-yeong also followed Dang Mu-jin’s gaze.

Except for the royal palace, all the buildings of the Tang family were once torn down and rebuilt according to the formation, and there were hidden institutions in various places. These were institutions that Dan Seol-yeong had planned and built one by one for many years.

Thinking anew about how much Danseolyeong had suffered, Dangmujin grabbed Danseolyeong’s hand.

Dan Seol-yeong tried to pull her hand away in embarrassment, but Dang Mu-jin did not let go of Dan Seol-yeong’s hand.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“just.”

Dang Mu-jin ran his fingers through every nook and cranny of Dan Seol-yeong’s hand. It was a bit rough for a woman’s hand, and there were a few calluses here and there. But Dang Mu-jin liked even those calluses.

At that moment, a loud voice was heard from the training ground.

Mokwan-ah and her three children were rolling around in the snow at the training ground like excited puppies. It hadn’t been long since they had breakfast, but there was black soot on the corners of their mouths and on their fingertips, as if they had eaten something grilled in the meantime.

Dang Mu-jin asked Dan Seol-yeong.

“How’s Young-i doing these days?”

“I taught writing last summer, and I think the learning rate is pretty fast.”

“Isn’t it a little early?”

“I think so too. Besides, Yeong-i doesn’t seem to enjoy studying, so I’m thinking of teaching her again next year or the year after.”

Dang-yeong resembled Dan-seol-yeong very much, and liked to make things with his small hands, using things like dirt and leaves.

Although he wasn’t good enough to handle tools yet, he was still quite good at making things.

Dang Mu-jin did not ask about Lee Ryeong and Hae-won.

The two children are now just four years old. Right now, all they have to do is run around and play.

Dang Mu-jin looked at Jang Il-nam, who was sitting across from the training ground. Jang Il-nam seemed to be watching the children as usual, but his eyes did not move with the children. He was preoccupied with something else.

That is why Dang Mu-jin looked at Wi Jin-nan-hyang.

Wi Jinan-hyang lived far away from Jang Il-nam, but sometimes they would laugh at the same time.

Because she feels burdened by people’s gaze, she cannot stay close to Jang Il-nam, so she whispers to him all day long.

Then, at night, the two of them went into their respective rooms as if nothing had happened.

Of course, they just went into their own rooms, but they didn’t stay in their own rooms.

At first glance, it seemed like only sweet things were happening, but in fact, the atmosphere at the Danggajang has been a bit heavier than usual recently. The problem is that the atmosphere of the most numerous people staying at the Danggajang, the martial artists from the Demonic Cult, is serious.

Dang Mu-jin drank the remaining tea, put the lid on the teacup, and said.

“Thank you for the drink. I’ll go and meet Elder Samanbul for a bit.”

“Yeah.”

Dang Mu-jin headed straight to the residence of Sam-an-bul.

Since Hwa Yeon-shin-ni was temporarily away from Dangga-jang and staying in Chongqing, there was no need to worry about accidentally encountering an embarrassing sight.

Sam-an-bul, who was wandering around the yard, discovered Dang Mu-jin.

“From the look on your face, I can tell what brought you here.”

Dang Mu-jin nodded and asked Sam-an-bul.

“How many people are participating in the Jeongma War?”

“everyone.”

“···No one is missing?”

“okay.”

The ‘power source’ that Sam-an-bul spoke of refers to the unmanned power source from the Demonic Cult.

The martial artists from the Demonic Cult who stayed in the Tang family respected the Tang family’s leader, Dang Mujin, and treated him with respect as if he were their superior.

But at the same time, they could not be seen as completely subordinates to Dang Mu-jin. They regarded Sam-an-bul as their representative and leader rather than Dang Mu-jin.

That is why, instead of going to them directly and asking if they would like to participate in the Jeongma Battle, Dangmujin went to find Samanbul.

But Sam-an-bul’s answer was unexpected. All of them were participating in the Jeongma Battle.

“You’re not going to force me to go, are you?”

“No way. These guys are the ones who have been waiting for this situation the most.”

“Have you conveyed the realm of the cult leader and the power of the Demonic Cult? I don’t know how many of you will be able to return in good health.”

“If they were afraid of that kind of thing, they wouldn’t have been thrown in the brain prison.”

The demonic cult members who stay in the Tanggajang are those who were locked up in the brain prison for opposing the actions of the Great Guardian Law when the Great Guardian Law rebelled against the cult leader in the past.

Not those who were moderately silent and worried about their own safety, but rebels who actively tried to protect their leader and the Manichaeism of the past.

People like that would never leave the fight against the current leader. I didn’t know that their minds would remain the same even after more than seven years.

Dang Mu-jin asked Sam-an-bul.

“What are you going to do, sir?”

“Of course I should go.”

“I’m sure Hwayeonshinni would hate it.”

When Dang Mu-jin said that, Sam-an-bul burst into laughter.

“Ha-ryeong was already angry about that and left for Chongqing.”

Who in the world would enjoy seeing their lover head to the battlefield? Even the experienced Hwa Yeon Shin Ni seemed to agree.

“It will be a bed of thorns. People will come from Shaolin Temple and the Jeomchangpa.”

The relationship between Sam-an-bul and Shaolin Temple was not very good. In the past, Sam-an-bul was an apostate monk who killed a monk of Shaolin Temple and ran away.

If the place where the Three-Eyed Buddha resided was not Tanggajang, and if the relationship between Tanggajang and Shaolin Temple was not special, it would not have been strange if the monks of Shaolin Temple had formed an assassination squad to capture and kill the Three-Eyed Buddha.

The relationship with the Jeomchangpa was not much different. The number of Jeomchangpa soldiers that Samanbul had caught and killed was too many to count even with both fingers on one hand.

This time, Sam-an-bul spoke in his usual tone.

“It’s my karma, so what can I do?”

“···Is that so?”

While Dangmujin and Samanbul were talking, the surroundings became a little noisy.

Two groups of people were approaching the market.

They found Dangmujin and Samanbul and stopped walking as if they had made a promise. One group was made up of the monks of Cheongseongpa, and the other group was made up of nuns of Amipa.

Among the Taoists of the Cheongseongpa, the one standing at the very front approached Dang Mujin.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

“I should have come to see you earlier, but circumstances did not allow for me to greet you.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

The person who led the disciples of Cheongseongpa was Gongryeongja, who succeeded Yeongheo as the head of Cheongseongpa.

Behind Gong Lingzi were Hwang Lingzi, the former head of the Cheongseongpa Seongdo Branch, and Jin Song, the former chief criminal. Dang Mujin assessed the other Taoists’ abilities. There were many familiar faces.

‘The power of Cheongseongpa is… There are four peak masters.’

There were quite a few Taoists who seemed to be above first-class, so it would be safe to say that about half of the Cheongseongpa’s power was in this place.

However, the most accomplished of the Jinja-bae Taoists, Jinhae Taoist, was not seen. Since the current Jangmun-in, Gongryeongja, has come, it would not be a good choice to bring Jinhae, the next powerful Jangmun-in.

Following this, the eldest member of the Amipa, Hyangbaeksaetae, approached Dangmujin and put his hands together. This time, Dangmujin was the first to offer his greetings.

“Thank you for coming forward.”

“You’ve always taken great care of our circumstances, so this time I’ll definitely do my part.”

Dang Mujin also looked over the Amipa’s strength. The number of members was slightly smaller than that of Cheongseongpa, but there were four top-level masters, just like Cheongseongpa. As far as Dang Mujin knew, Amipa had six or seven top-level masters, so Amipa had brought more than half of its core masters.

Likewise, Eun Seon-rim, who could become the next long-term leader, was not seen.

The reason why people from the Cheongseongpa and Amipa gathered at Danggajang is simple.

If we set off together before the end of winter, we will be able to reach the commonwealth around spring, so we will stay together in the Tang family for a while, practice against each other, and work together to polish each other’s achievements.

As the thought of the Great Battle of Jeongma drew near, Dang Mu-jin’s heart became a little heavy.

‘How much power do you have now?’

Dang Mu-jin estimated the power of the party that would start from the party hall.

‘Me. Hyungong. The Demonic Cult’s unmanned forces. Elder Samanbul. But Hwayeonshinni will not participate.’

Hwa Yeon-shin-ni is the only real force that Hao-mun in Chongqing has, so he cannot rashly get involved in the Battle of Jeong-ma.

‘Elder Jang Il-nam and Lady Wiji also did not attend.’

Jang Il-nam put down his sword, and Wi Jinan-hyang also decided, after much thought, not to participate in the Jeongma Battle.

Dang Mu-jin thought it was fortunate that Wi Jin-nan-hyang did not participate in the Jeongma War. After suffering for a long time, he finally found a peaceful life, so wouldn’t it be too harsh to head to the battlefield soon after?

Dang Mu-jin tried to take the lead in guiding the monks of the Cheongseongpa and the nuns of the Amipa to the Danggajang.

“Please come inside first. Thank you for your hard work coming this far.”

Then, Gongryeongja and Hyangbaeksaetae smiled lightly and waved their hands.

“It’s only a day’s journey, so what’s the trouble… Your Majesty, please finish your conversation and come in. There’s no reason for the owner of the house to stop talking just because a guest has arrived, right?”

“The story was just ending.”

“But please wait a little longer. We are not the last customers.”

Dang Mujin looked at Gong Ling Zi and Hyang Baek Sae in bewilderment. The only people who would come to visit Dang Jang were the Taoists of Cheongseongpa and the nuns of Amipa. Who else would come to visit?

However, Gong Ling Zi and Xiang Baek Satae did not respond, but disappeared into the Dang Ga Jang with playful expressions on their faces. The Dang Ga Jang will be bustling until they leave for the Gong Gong Pa.

And before long, Dang Mu-jin realized who the ‘last guests’ that Gong Ling-ja and Hyang Baek-sa-tae had been talking about were. A dozen or so Taoist priests, both men and women, were approaching the Dang family.

Their gazes were different from those of the somewhat leisurely Cheongseongpa monks or the calm Amipa nuns. Their gazes and atmosphere were so cold that even people on the street hesitated to avoid them.

There was no need to examine their faces or clothes. Just by looking at their eyes, Dangmujin could tell where they came from. They were the masters of the Jeomchangpa.

The one who took the lead was naturally Yoo Jin-kwang, and behind him were six top-class masters. Behind the six top-class masters were about ten people who appeared to be first-class.

It was such a large force that even the party leadership was a little taken aback.

‘···Why are there so many?’

The number of members of the Jeomchangpa is small compared to other sects. However, compared to other sects, the average martial arts level is very high. This is the spirit of the Jeomchangpa that does not spare one’s life.

But even taking that into account, one super master and six peak masters felt like too many.

The Taoists of the Jeomchangpa stopped walking in front of Dangmujin and stared intently at the Sam-an-bul.

As the atmosphere seemed to be becoming tense, Dang Mu-jin spoke to Yoo Jin-kwang.

“I didn’t know that the Jeomchangpa would come to see the Danggajang.”

Only then did the masters of the Jeomchangpa look at Dangmujin instead of Samanbul. And Yu Jin-gwang, who was in the lead, smiled.

“Since I’m on my way to Gongdongpa anyway, I decided to stop by for a bit. Do you have a place to stay?”

“Of course. But… there are a lot more people than I expected.”

“I see.”

“···How many people are left in the Jeomchangpa?”

“Women who have not learned martial arts. Children who are not yet twenty years old. And people who cannot do the work of a single person.”

“And?”

“does not exist.”

Dang Mu-jin felt faintly dizzy.

No matter how you looked at it, it was clear that all the first-class or higher members of the Jeomchangpa were present.

“···At the very least, shouldn’t there be someone to pass down the martial arts of the Jeomchangpa to future generations?”

When Dang Mu-jin said that, Yoo Jin-kwang laughed.

“The emergency remains in the Jeomchangpa. I have also engraved the Jeomchangpa’s cutting edge in my eyes.”

“Is that all you can do? Leave a few more people behind.”

“are you okay.”

“Yoo Daehyeop. This Jeongma Grand Battle will be different from other Jeongma Grand Battles. The last Jeongsa Grand Battle will probably seem like nothing special. The leader has already reached a state beyond the pinnacle, and is advancing to a state beyond that. I don’t even know how many pinnacle masters there are.”

Although Dang Mu-jin spoke, Yoo Jin-kwang only nodded slightly.

“I see.”

Because he couldn’t understand the reaction at all, Dang Mu-jin risked being rude and spoke firmly.

“If we continue like this, the lineage of the Jeomchangpa may be cut off. You should act sensibly.”

Then Yoo Jin-kwang burst into laughter. The other members of the Jeomchangpa clan did the same.

Dang Mu-jin was bewildered by the unexpected reaction.

“Why is that? I don’t think it was a fun story.”

“Listen, Master of the Party. Do you know how long an archer can shoot his bow?”

“···What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

When Dang Mu-jin asked again, Yoo Jin-kwang approached Dang Mu-jin and whispered in his ear.

“Shoot until all enemies are dead or your quiver is empty.”

Yoo Jin-kwang smiled brightly and patted Dang Mu-jin on the shoulder before disappearing into the Danggajang with the masters of the Jeomchangpa.

Dangmujin and Samanbul watched their backs for a long time, then burst into laughter.