Beastly and Fearlessly - Chapter 36
Only Noblemtl
Episode 36
“Ah, no, I, what about Jeokun Gap… …”
Jin Cheol-seung’s trembling voice.
The words left behind by the Beast King.
When it meets a new owner, it will vomit out red fog on its own.
“Apart from that item, what Changcheonjindongju did today cannot be overlooked. I may even have to step down from my position as Paldong.”
It means that the vibration of the heavens will be pulled down from the armpit.
A dire warning to the Beast King’s family.
“Wh, what are you talking about? Even if you are taking on the role of your father, you have no right to do so! How dare you go to the Beast King’s family, Changcheonjindong… … .”
“Dare?”
“Ah, no, there is a law called the law of the palace. Shouldn’t you disregard personal relationships and handle matters publicly? And yet, can you call yourself the leader of the Iron Bear Sect, who follows the law of the Beast Palace?”
His speech became longer as if he was anxious.
After quietly listening to Jin Cheol-seung’s words, Dammu-gun bowed his head and approached him.
The right hand is still held.
“You want me to handle it publicly? Hey, Jin Cheol-seung!”
“What, what is this… … .”
Dammu-gun whispered quietly in his ear.
“I mean… … . It’s extremely personal right now.”
There is no way that one can withstand the killing power poured out by the strongest warrior in the Beast Palace.
Jin Cheol-seung’s two legs began to tremble like aspen trees, and his face turned pale.
Dammu-gun whispered again to Jin Cheol-seung, who looked like he was going to pee his pants.
“Did you think I could get away with putting my only nephew, the owner of Namcheon Damdong, in this situation? The reason I’m letting you live is because you’re his son.”
“Are you threatening me right now? Me, the lord of Changcheonjindong? Me, the son of the Beast King?”
“Ha. Try this dirty trick on my nephew one more time. The next morning, you’ll hear the sound of the 100 great warriors of the Iron Troops smashing down the gates of Changcheonjindong from under the covers. And in half a day, the eight-dong of the Beast Palace will have turned into seven-dong. Do you understand?”
After finishing speaking, he put strength into his left hand that was holding Jin Cheol-seung’s fist.
Crunch.
The sound of bones breaking.
“Ahhh! Oh!”
Jin Cheol-seung rolled on the floor, clutching his right fist where the bone was protruding.
But no one watching moved.
* * *
Beast Palace Iron Bear Group.
When I opened my eyes, I was in the small house where I had met my uncle the other day.
I even remember him asking if I could walk.
“Are you awake?”
The officer asked, his head buried in the mountain of documents.
I looked around and saw that it was just lying in a corner of the house.
On the bare floor with nothing on it.
At this point, it feels like it’s just been abandoned.
“It’s just temporary exhaustion, so don’t worry too much.”
Even though it was an unavoidable situation, the Gyeongha Shinkong must always be used with caution.
Or, you can quickly raise your level and increase the number of treasures.
“If you come to your senses, follow me.”
The place he arrived at after following him was the training ground of the Iron Troops.
“Come on! Come on!”
A magnificent spectacle where one hundred great warriors are each absorbed in their training.
At that moment, they stopped all their training and stood facing me and my uncle.
The tips of the weapons held are all pointed downwards.
Is it a courtesy to the followers they follow?
Or is it a reverence for the dragon’s imprint?
A space where one hundred great warriors are stopped.
It’s as if time has stopped and not even a breath can be heard.
I walked slowly between them, following my uncle.
“If enemy footprints are engraved on the Beast Palace, it means that everyone here is dead. Including me, of course.”
A tremendous sense of responsibility to protect the Beast Palace with one’s life.
In other words, it is an enormous confidence that they cannot take even one step here without killing themselves.
Truly the best combat unit in the Beast Palace.
Among the numerous swordsmen belonging to the various schools and families of the Central Plains, is there one that has the skills and qualifications to stand up to them?
“I heard that you received the imprint of the black dragon.”
“I don’t think it means much.”
It’s true.
My will is ten thousand times more important than the hundreds of dragon seals.
But after the dragon’s mark was engraved, something inside my body began to change.
It feels like the thing that was coiled inside me is giving me strength.
You can tell by looking at the red fog that the red cloud cap was releasing.
This obviously has to do with the dragon’s power.
“There is much talk that it is not the red color that was expected, but every dragon’s mark signifies the fate of a king. We just don’t know what kind of king he will become, with what power, and where.”
“If you have the strength to protect someone, it is enough.”
If I may add, I would also need the strength to take revenge on someone.
The man turned his head for a moment to listen to my answer and met my eyes.
“… … You will be a good king.”
His gaze, of course still calm, was filled with pride.
The place we arrived at was the farthest corner of the wide training ground.
“Have you chosen your weapon?”
“I chose the sword.”
“You made a good choice. Take it.”
He picked up two iron swords that were standing on one side of the training ground and threw one of them at me.
chin.
“You must have been taught by the old man, right?”
“yes.”
My uncle continued speaking while quietly stroking his sword.
“As you know, the Jingcheon Sword created by the first Beast King consists of eight simple techniques. If the people of the Central Plains saw that the sword path changes countless times and flowers bloom at the tip of the sword, they would laugh.”
That’s right.
Because that’s what it looked like to me at first.
A simple trajectory without any change.
A crude swordsmanship that simply follows the sword path.
Dammu-gun spoke to me, holding an old but well-maintained iron sword in his hand.
“Only once.”
A chance to learn from the strongest warrior in the Beast Palace.
The labor union said.
They say that each person who learns the Gyeongcheon Sword will stand on the top of a different mountain.
Among them, there will be high mountains and low mountains.
Now is the moment when the peak of the mountain that Dammu-gun climbed is unfolding before my eyes.
The highest mountain in the Beast Palace.
What did he see there?
thud!
Dammu-gun stepped onto the ground and took a stance to perform the first attack of the Gyeongcheon Sword.
I am familiar with it.
A posture that has been repeated thousands of times after being taught by the master.
But now, Dammu-gun’s appearance is the same as mine, but different.
A perfect form that only someone who has repeated the same posture tens of thousands of times can achieve.
Shh. Shh.
Splitting the sky and piercing the earth.
The ten thousand changes contained in the unchangeable.
The ultimate sword that nothing in the world can dare to stop, and nothing it cannot cut.
I held my breath and took in the path of the sword he unfolded with my eyes, no, in my heart.
To know, or not to know.
The sword path I have followed thousands of times feels new to me as if I am seeing it for the first time.
In the beautiful trajectory, fast and slow, light and heavy had no meaning.
Only his sword exists in this space.
Kuung.
The tip of his sword, which he had struck for the last time, was pointed at the world.
His sword, which seemed like it would last forever, has ended.
Leaving me alone on top of a very high mountain.
“Did you see it well?”
My heart is still beating like crazy.
I was captivated by the sight he showed me.
“… … I saw it well.”
Both palms are sweaty.
“This is the castle I have built throughout my life.”
It’s not pride.
“On the one hand… … . it’s also a wall I can’t overcome.”
The castle built over a lifetime… … .
And the wall that couldn’t be overcome… … .
Dammu-gun did not see the end of the Gyeongcheon Sword.
However, just achieving ten of the twelve constellations would earn him the title of best warrior in the Beast Palace.
“How much you take is up to you. The mountain you will climb someday will be higher than this… … .”
After saying his last words, he returned to his small cell.
Now it is time for him to return to his position as the eldest son of Namcheon Damdong, who passed the throne to his younger brother, and to his position as the Iron Bear Danju, who protects the Beast Palace.
After giving such a short but great teaching, he returned.
It was late at night, and all the warriors of the Iron Troops who had been training had returned.
I was still standing alone in a corner of the training ground.
I didn’t dare to pick up a sword and follow the path he showed me.
I just kept engraving and engraving with my eyes closed.
All night long.
* * *
The next morning.
I stayed up until dawn, guarding the empty training grounds to sort out my messy mind.
It’s a huge coincidence for me.
I wasn’t the only one at the training ground yesterday.
All the warriors of the Iron Troops watched the swordsmanship of his uncle.
But I was the only one who achieved enlightenment.
It will still take a lot of time to make it completely mine.
“Where have you been? You’ve been keeping people worried all night.”
“I was taught by my uncle.”
“That kid teaches?”
I can’t believe the man and woman are so surprised.
The only person who can call the strongest warrior in the Beast Palace ‘that kid’.
“So, did you get anything out of it?”
“I saw a lot, and I left a little behind.”
Nosa nodded to my answer, which was like a wise question.
“Excellent.”
What he showed me was not a form.
My uncle led me to the top of the mountain he had climbed.
And showed it.
The sky that he looked down on.
Enlightenment is like the wind, it is so fleeting that it seems impossible to grasp, but I have already seen it.
What you see and feel will never disappear.
Now I have to climb my own mountain.
“By the way, I’m not the only one who’s been waiting for you.”
“What is Deoksam… … .”
“That guy was sleeping soundly without any worries. He was even snoring.”
Our Deoksam, who is a servant, sleeps soundly even when his master does not come into the house all night.
This guy has no worries in the world, so he will definitely live a long and healthy life.
“Then who?”
As I followed the old man’s gaze, I saw something small and white crouching in the corner, glaring at me.
Even if the face is as small as a walnut, an angry expression is clearly visible.
His small ears rolled back, his big eyes grew bigger, and he began to grumble as if he was throwing a tantrum.
Revealing fangs as small as fingernails.
Grrrrr.
It’s a dark cloud sign.
Bang Yak-ran must be wandering around the palace again looking for this guy.
“Why is he doing that?”
“How could you know? He was doing that all night. Just before you came in. Usually, guys like that make noises like that when they’re scared or anxious.”
It is a spirit that can bite and kill a tiger the size of a house.
There was no way I felt afraid.
Does that mean you were anxious all night?
Could it be that you can’t see me?
“You, who can’t speak, are better than Deoksam. Come here.”
When I reach out my hand, he quickly comes over and wag his tail to hug me.
The guy who was just yapping a little while ago is now talking without a backbone.
As I stroke its snow-white fur, it closes its eyes and snuggles into me, seeming to enjoy the feeling.
Well, it’s not a bad feeling.
Actually, this guy is really cute.
They say that even when I grow up, I’m still as big as the palm of my hand, so I’ll probably spend my whole life hearing that I’m cute.
It may not be a pleasant thing to hear from the perspective of Amhyangunpyo, the strongest spirit in the South.
“I think this guy is you… … .”
The old man who had been watching spoke up.
“yes?”
“No. It will be decided by fate.”
* * *
When I returned the Amhyangunpyo to Bang Yak-ran, someone was waiting for me.
“The priestess would like to see you for a moment.”
Now that I’m leaving the palace, I should pay my respects since I won’t be able to come back until next year when the reunion is held.
It’s a bit concerning to come all the way to the Beast Palace without meeting the Beast King.
The priestess was waiting for me outside her quarters.
“They say that the boy Changcheonjin Dongju had an argument with that kid.”
“Who told you that story?”
“That kid told me, Dammu.”
To the priestess, even the leader of Paldong and the leader of Cheolwoongdan are just ‘children’.
Well, I guess I’m at an age where I’m looking at a jobless person.
We all must have watched those ‘kids’ grow up.
Her white hair catches my eye again.
“The guy who cut ties with Namcheon Damdong a long time ago was worried about you a lot. Of course, he also has high expectations.”
My uncle, Dammugun… … .
I knew even though he didn’t show it.
From the moment he took my hand and led me to the mountain he had built.
“What happened with Changcheonjindong… … I can’t ask you to understand, but don’t take it to heart. He grew up being compared to his father since he was little. It must have been a big shock for your son to be imprinted with that this time. I’ve explained it to you so that you understand, so there won’t be any troubles in the future.”
“I already forgot.”
People with low self-esteem are more likely to experience jealousy that turns into hatred.
Weak gauge.
Rather than being jealous of someone else’s fate, it would be better to swing your sword one more time.
“By the way, I was just going to say hello, but why are you out here?”
“I have a place to go with you.”
“Where are you talking about?”
“The Beast King wishes to meet you. Perhaps he wishes to see for himself the destiny of the new king.”
The ruler of the South.
Beast King Jin Jung-ak.
I was just about to meet you.
* * *
Beast Palace Audience Hall.
“The master of Namcheon Damdong, Dammyeong, has arrived. I would like to meet you.”
There was no response from inside the audience room to the priestess’s words.
After waiting for a moment, she opened the door.
Squeak.
The door creaked open even though it hadn’t been used for years.
“Go in alone.”
A ceiling so high that its height is unknown.
Giant pillars.
And the still air.
Time stands still.
There was a king there.
A huge throne placed on top of steps made of stacked stones.
It is carved from an old tree and has detailed carvings in every corner.
In that place where he alone shows off his splendor in the rough beast palace.
The king of this land sat down.
White hair hanging carelessly below the shoulders.
His fists, which once belched red flames, are now covered in wrinkles.
The two legs that had been standing tall like stone pillars were shaking slightly.
Only the gaze that looked down on the south, no, the world, was still vivid and staring at me.
The pinnacle of Namman.
Jin Jung-ak, the Beast King and ruler and guardian.
An immense presence that cannot be expressed in words.
This cannot be explained by the difference between inaction and inaction.
A feeling of awe that can only be felt by those who stand at the top.
I knelt on one knee under his indifferent gaze.
And he opened his mouth to pay respect to the king who had protected this land for decades.
“The name of the Namcheon Damdong. I meet the king of Namman.”
Only after a long silence did a low voice emerge from his mouth.
A small but mighty voice that fills the space.
“I’ve been waiting for you. For a very long time… … .”