Tangmunjeon - Chapter 415



Only Krnovel

Jang Il-nam

Not long after leaving the castle, the rain stopped as if it were a lie.

Dang Mu-jin took off his damp bamboo hat and straw hat, shook off the moisture, and said.

“Why is the weather in Sacheon so unpredictable?”

When he was young, Dang Mu-jin thought that the weather all over the world was this unpredictable.

But that was a mistake. In my experience traveling around the Central Plains, there were few places with weather as unpredictable as Sichuan Province.

Hong Geol-gae took off his soaking wet top, then carefully squeezed out the water so as not to tear the clothes and answered.

“But Sacheon is not particularly hot or cold. It’s okay if it snows and rains intermittently and there isn’t much sunlight.”

“Snow is fine, but it’s uncomfortable when it rains like this.”

As Dang Mu-jin spoke, he roughly shook off the water from the dorongi and handed the bamboo stick to Hong Geol-gae. Hong Geol-gae unconsciously took the dorongi and spoke.

“···Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s wet. You’re wet too.”

Even though the rain had stopped, the party was still clean.

However, Hong Geol-gae did not like to carry too much luggage, so he did not use a straw hat or a bamboo straw hat. When it rained, he got rained on, and when it snowed, he got snowed on.

“What does that mean?”

“Since it’s come to this, it’s better for at least one person to leave comfortably.”

“I’m glad your daughters aren’t growing up in your hands.”

Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae laughed heartily.

Hong Geol-gae looked back.

Above the heads of the two men was a clear blue sky, but above the castle, dark clouds still lingered and rain fell.

Of course, Dang Mu-jin did not really think that Hong Geol-gae would take care of Juk-lip and Dorong-i.

Hong Geol-gae hung wet bamboo sticks and straw hats on tree branches along the road. Among those entering the castle, there might be one lucky person who won’t get his clothes wet.

The two men again performed light-hearted dances. They talked in calm voices while running much faster than most people could run at full speed.

“You’re not planning on going by boat, are you?”

“Of course not.”

If someone who has not learned martial arts wants to go from Seongdo to Dongting Lake, they usually take a boat to the vicinity of Dongting Lake and then move a little to the south. It costs money to get on a boat, but it is faster and more convenient than walking.

However, for martial artists like Hong Geol-gae and Dang Mu-jin who are confident in their lightness, the story is different. It is much faster to use lightness.

“Maybe I’ll meet a friendly person on the way?”

“well.”

After the friendly law of Gwangyeom left, I waited for more than two days before meeting Dangmujin.

That means that the Friendship Act departed two days ahead of the Dangmujin. It is not easy to catch up with them after two days.

“The law of friendship might not know that we’re following them, so they might move leisurely. If we’re lucky, we might even catch up.”

It was more of a wish than a guess. Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae quickened their pace.

*

Dang Mu-jin’s eldest daughter, Dang Yeong, sat on Jang Il-nam’s shoulders and opened her eyes wide.

“Wow···.”

The endless expanse of clear blue water filled Dangyeong’s field of vision.

Dang Yeong went to the vicinity of Cheongseongsan Mountain with Jang Il-nam and saw the Min River, and on the way to Dongting Lake, he also saw the Yangtze River many times.

However, there was one crucial difference between the scenery of the Minjiang or Yangtze River and that of Dongting Lake: there was no land visible beyond the water of Dongting Lake.

Dang-yeong recalled a story he had once heard and asked Jang Il-nam.

“Is this the sea?”

“No. This is Dongjeongho. It looks like the sea, but it’s not the sea.”

Jang Il-nam looked to the side as he spoke. Dang Yi-ryeong and Dang Hae-won were playing with the water in Dongjeongho with their small hands, splashing water over and over again.

It wasn’t just the children who were excited. The rest of the family were also excited, which was unusual for the situation.

It feels like they’ve come to play rather than take refuge.

As the atmosphere became more gloomy, it was not safer, so neither Dangjeseon nor Danseolyeong paid attention to the people.

“I happened to come all the way to Dongjeongho. Is that the famous Akyangru?”

“First, we need to decide where to stay. I heard there are a lot of inns and restaurants on the north side of Dongjeongho Lake. Should we go there?”

“Okay. Okay, I know you’re tired, but let’s move a little more.”

While the people of the Tang family were deciding on a destination, Jang Il-nam, unlike usual, gave his opinion.

“I think it would be better to go south.”

“South?”

“To the north of Dongjeongho Lake, there are accommodations for those who stay for a few days and then leave. The prices are high, and fights often break out because so many people pass by. However, to the south of Dongjeongho Lake, it is a little quieter than the north, and there are places where many people can stay for a long time.”

Danseolyoung laughed as she listened to the story.

“They say it’s a legend in the Sapha martial arts world south of the Yangtze River. You know everything. I guess you’ve been to Dongting Lake a lot?”

“No. Actually, it’s been a long time since I’ve been around Dongjeongho. I think it’s been about twenty years since I last came…”

“Really? You sound like you know a lot about it, so I thought you came here often.”

“I know it pretty well. The southern shore of Dongjeongho Lake is my hometown.”

Jang Il-nam spoke like that, smiling shyly, which didn’t match his appearance.

This time, Mokwan-ah asked.

“You haven’t been home for over twenty years. Did something bad happen?”

“No, it’s not like that. I just couldn’t come because I was afraid that people would recognize me.”

In the past, Jang Il-nam always lived with his face covered with bamboo straw.

This is because, in a situation where there are countless people who recognize you and come to fight you even if you cover your face, he knew that if he revealed his bare face, he would never be able to put down his sword for the rest of his life.

Given the circumstances, Jang Il-nam could not visit his hometown where many people knew his bare face.

But now it’s different. I’ve shaken off the past and even gotten rid of all the remaining grudges.

Even moving among so many people, it seemed unlikely that people would recognize him.

“Okay, let’s get moving.”

Jang Il-nam led the people with steps that seemed light as if he could fly.

*

The Tang family, following Jang Il-nam’s guidance, arrived at a fairly large village south of Dongjeong Lake.

Although not as crowded as the north or west sides of Dongjeongho Lake, the south side was also quite crowded and had a lively atmosphere.

Nam-woong disappeared somewhere with Chu-sam, and soon after, they found a place for the Dang family to stay.

It’s a high-ranking official’s villa, and it’s expected to be empty until winter.

Although renting a villa was quite expensive, the Tang family did not have to worry about the cost.

“Wan-ah. I’m going out for a bit. It might take two or three days.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

While people were unpacking their luggage in their new accommodation, Jang Il-nam went outside without his hat.

Even though it was his hometown, he didn’t think there would be many people who would recognize him now that he was old. Furthermore, he didn’t think the martial artists would come to fight him.

Thanks to Dang Mu-jin’s active assistance, wasn’t the news that he had laid down his sword spread throughout the Central Plains?

Jang Il-nam bought some cheap alcohol at a nearby inn and headed to the place of his memories.

Some people looked at Jang Il-nam with a slightly puzzled expression, but most people did not recognize him.

Jang Il-nam left his hometown before he turned twenty, and whenever he visited his hometown after that, he always covered his face. Even those who remembered Jang Il-nam’s past have a hard time recognizing his face now.

Jang Il-nam walked leisurely, reminiscing about old memories.

However, as Jang Il-nam continued his journey down memory lane, his steps gradually slowed down and he soon stopped in an empty place.

Jang Il-nam, who was looking around, discovered an old woman.

Jang Il-nam could see traces of his youth from decades ago on the old woman’s face. However, the old woman did not seem to recognize Jang Il-nam.

Jang Il-nam asked the old woman without showing his feelings.

“Sir, wasn’t there a house here?”

Old people always want someone to talk to.

However, the old woman did not answer right away, but first observed Jang Il-nam’s behavior. After confirming that Jang Il-nam was not carrying a weapon, the old woman answered in a relaxed tone.

“Because so many rough strangers came, the villagers tore it down. It’s been about fifteen or twenty years… Have you come to see the bloodthirsty visitors, too?”

“No. Just···.”

“No.”

Instead of answering, Jang Il-nam just smiled awkwardly and headed toward Dongjeong Lake, dangling a gourd filled with alcohol.

And then, searching through my memory, I found a flat rock.

Jang Il-nam sat on a rock and slowly swept the rock warmed by the sun with his rough hands.

Whenever we came to Dongjeongho together, this was the seat where Jang Il-nam’s teacher always sat.

‘One more man.’

It felt like I could hear my teacher’s voice.

Almost fifty years had passed, but Jang Il-nam could still clearly recall not only his teacher’s voice but also his face. His slightly slanted eyes, and his thin, unattractive beard.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a handsome face.

On sunny days, Jang Il-nam’s teacher would sit on a warm rock and sip alcohol. Both Jang Il-nam and his teacher were weak to alcohol.

The slightly drunk master always told similar stories.

‘One more man.’

‘Yes, Master.’

‘sorry.’

‘What else are you sorry for?’

‘I didn’t know you were so good with a sword.’

‘lol.’

Jang Il-nam’s teacher always apologized for his shortcomings.

You should have learned from a real teacher, a really skilled teacher, not from a second-rate fool like me. You should have found a real martial artist and learned from a first-rate master. That was the story.

But at the same time, Jang Il-nam’s master could not easily let go of his beloved disciple. He had little martial arts achievements, but his determination was even more lacking.

Likewise, Jang Il-nam was not resolute enough to leave his teacher behind.

‘I’m living well now because I met you, Master. I eat breakfast and dinner regularly.’

‘I’m glad you think so.’

‘Besides, I don’t live off of knife-cut rice.’

When Jang Il-nam said that, the teacher shook his head.

‘A person who is good at fishing becomes a fisherman, and a person who is good at farming becomes a farmer. Since you are good at using a sword, you will definitely become a martial artist.’

‘A person from the martial arts world···.’

In his early teens, Jang Il-nam, like most boys, secretly admired the martial arts world. Thinking back now, it’s funny.

But at the same time, Jang Il-nam couldn’t easily imagine a future where he became a martial artist.

In fact, Jang Il-nam’s dream was not to be a martial artist, but to be a maid. A maid who works in the kitchen of an expensive restaurant north of Dongjeong Lake.

They were also paid well. In addition to being provided with food and lodging, they were also given two nyangs of silver per month. It was said that skilled servants were given up to five nyangs.

Jang Il-nam answered playfully.

‘If you didn’t learn martial arts properly from a great master, isn’t that why you can’t become a martial artist?’

‘No. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have said sorry. People’s fates aren’t that easy.’

‘is it so?’

‘If you had never learned the sword, I wouldn’t know, but since you learned it, you will eventually become a martial artist. Since you learned it from a fool, you will just become a lesser martial artist.’

Young Jang Il-nam let his teacher’s story go in one ear and out the other.

But the story turned out to be surprisingly accurate.

Jang Il-nam didn’t want to become a martial artist, but he really became one.

I couldn’t even quit being a martial artist at will.

‘I guess that’s what fate means to a person.’

Knowing that he could not win by fighting against his fate, Jang Il-nam ran away for decades to avoid his fate.

He ran away, ran away, and ran away. Then, in the end, even Falza got tired of it and let Jang Il-nam go. Now, no one called Jang Il-nam a hemorrhagic fanatic.

Jang Il-nam poured a bottle of cheap liquor onto the seat where his teacher often sat and thought.

‘Master. It took a while, but I have escaped the fate of a martial artist. You don’t have to feel sorry anymore.’

Jang Il-nam poured out all his alcohol, then stood up and looked south.

‘I said that Samguchon is over there.’

Jang Il-nam recalled the story of Wi Jinan-hyang.

It is said that if you go down a little to the south from Dongjeongho Lake, there is Samgu Village, where Wijinanhyang stayed for a long time.

A village with a disgusting cave. And a village with Kang Ji-so, whom Wi Jin-an-hyang regarded as a daughter, or a younger sister to Turul.

From the moment that the refuge was decided to be Dongjeongho, Jang Il-nam planned to go to Samgu Village to meet Kang Ji-so and deliver news of Wijinanhyang.

Jang Il-nam walked towards the south.

*

It took two days for Jang Il-nam to visit Samgu Village, finish his business, and return.

As planned, I met Kang Ji-so and told her about Wi Jin-an-hyang’s recent situation.

He even gave Kang Ji-so a portrait of Wei Jinan-hyang that he had drawn himself.

Jang Il-nam was good at drawing. He had been living without a friend for a long time, so whenever he felt lonely, he would spend his time drawing pictures on the dirt with sticks.

The portrait of Wi Jinanxiang that he painted himself was so exquisite that others admired it, but it did not impress Jang Il-nam.

‘As expected, Nanhyang looks much better in person. I should have practiced drawing harder···.’

However, since Kang Ji-so decided to visit Dang Ga-jang after the end of the Jeongma War, the portrait I drew with my limited skills should be more than enough.

Jang Il-nam thought so and returned to the vicinity of Dongjeongho Lake.

But the moment he entered the village, Jang Il-nam sensed an unusual atmosphere.

A gloomy, low-lying atmosphere, as if shrouded in mist.

The weather was nice and it wasn’t too late, but there was no one walking around the streets. There was no sign of neighborhood kids running around, screaming.

“···!”

Jang Il-nam kicked open the front door and entered the villa.

Several people were sitting there with half-stunned expressions on their faces.

On one wall, Nam-woong was leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, with a wound. A member of the National Assembly could also be seen checking on Nam-woong’s condition.

Nam Woong and Jang Il Nam’s eyes met.

No complicated explanation was needed.

“ah···.”

Jang Il-nam realized it too late.

The fact that his damned fate didn’t give up on him.