Beastly and Fearlessly - Chapter 59
Only Noblemtl
Episode 59
Zhuge Liang.
A family famous for their intelligence, so much so that they are called the “Divine Weapons of Zhuge Gale”.
A woman who best lived up to her name was reading documents related to the Yongbong branch in one hand.
“What do you think of this Yongbong branch meeting?”
Gaju Jegeuk asked his daughter Jege Sohye.
Jegal So-hye.
A beautiful and intelligent, but always expressionless face.
Her overly cool judgment and coldness can be considered both her strengths and weaknesses.
“It will be an opportunity to see the future direction of the Jeongpa martial arts world. It will also be an opportunity to observe Baekgajang up close.”
“Hmm. Baekgajang… … .”
In fact, Baekgajang was closer to a merchant family than a military family.
A family that has accumulated great wealth over a long period of time.
Suddenly, an incredible master who could be called the best in the world appeared in such a family.
Baek Myeong-gyeong, the current head of the Baek family.
As soon as he appeared, he was named one of the top ten masters in the world.
One of the few masters of the martial arts throughout the Central Plains.
Maybe you’ve reached the next level, the wall of reality.
“The leader is also deeply concerned about Baekgajang. He thinks that it must be related to Eunrim in some way. Of course, there are already many other places that are related to them besides Baekgajang.”
Zhuge Liang muttered to himself.
“The world has become one where no one can be trusted… … .”
Jegal So-hye nodded and looked down at the list in her hand.
Zhuge Liang asked her.
“What are your expectations for the attendees?”
She has powers that are almost miraculous.
Her ability to read the thoughts and actions of others as if she were inside their heads was nothing more than cool insight.
Her judgment has never been wrong.
“First of all, the head of the Tang family, Dang Wi-myeong, may intentionally cause trouble at this Yongbong branch meeting. He is someone who wants to restore the past appearance of the Sacheon Tang family. He may want to use this opportunity to impress upon the other clans’ later generations what kind of place the Tang family is.”
“Hmm. That could be true. It might not be a good choice for the party. Anyway, I hope there won’t be any major incidents. Next… … What are your thoughts on Habukpangga?”
“Habuk Pengga’s Peng Zihou is a simple man. So he must have a strong desire to show off his divine power and martial arts. He must be choosing an easy opponent in his head right now.”
Her analysis continued after that.
“… … So this trip to the Central Plains by the Bukhae Ice Palace has many meanings. For the princess, it must be a much more important goal than the Yongbongjihoe. After all, she is her only daughter. It also has to do with the reason why their schedule is delayed.”
At some point, Zhuge Liang was nodding his head silently.
Even though she is his own daughter, her judgment and insight are so cool that it is scary.
“Lastly… … he is the name of the Beast Palace. Naturally, I expected him to be from the Beast King’s family, Changcheonjindong, but unexpectedly, he is from Namcheondamdong.”
“Namcheon Damdong?”
“As the Beast Palace cannot know the true intention of the invitation to the Yongbongjihoe, we believe they sent an appropriate person. He does not seem like a person worth paying attention to.”
Her voice was firm.
“There’s a rumor that the Seven Blood Demon Sword’s Gilpiljong died at the hands of the Namman people?”
“Ah. I heard that rumor too, but I ignored it. A person who is not even a seasoned warrior cannot kill the 100-year-old Sapha master in a one-on-one fight. It is either someone else or a false rumor.”
“but…….”
“For now, we are focusing more on the background of why such a false rumor is spreading. It could be a rumor intentionally spread by the Gwiummun side.”
Zhuge Liang stood up and said.
“Then, the person who will receive the most attention from the Yongbong branch is… … .”
Knock, knock, knock
Jegal So-hye closed her eyes and tapped the table with her long, white fingers.
A habit that pops up whenever I organize my thoughts.
“Um… … Baek Mu-gyeom will crush the other latecomers with overwhelming force and become the main character. That’s why she’s attending. Bukhae Ice Palace will also receive a lot of attention, but she’s just a guest.”
Her voice was firm.
“But variables always pop up in unexpected places. So… … .”
“I’ll keep that in mind, but this is a decision that takes into account all possible variables. The Yongbong branch will proceed as expected anyway. My decisions have never been wrong.”
Everyone in the world moves according to their own desires.
If you can read that desire, it’s easy to predict the next action.
So there are no variables.
* * *
Sacheon Daryangsan Mountain.
Slurp, slurp.
At my reply to get out, the guys sitting on the horse drew the swords at their waists.
Some of them had their hands in their bosoms.
I’m probably going to take out the poison sac if I have to.
Dang Wi-myeong, sitting on the carriage, also muttered while fiddling with the whip tied to his waist.
“Tell me to get out… … . Sigh.”
It’s always like this.
Those losers who don’t think about the fact that they were the ones who started the conversation with informal language and get hurt by the other person’s identical response.
Nok Seung-seo was already in a sword-drawing stance with his hand on the sword at his waist, and Umochi had already taken a few steps back.
If anything, he’s ready to run away.
Both of them are as I expected.
“… … Do you know who I am when you say this?”
“I don’t know. Do you know who I am?”
“Aren’t you savages from the south?”
“Half right, half wrong.”
“What’s wrong? You’re saying he’s a savage?”
“No. That’s right.”
Dang Wi-myeong tilted his head and asked.
“Then what’s wrong?”
“It’s not the South, it’s the South, you idiot.”
Dangwimyeong couldn’t continue speaking and just stared at my face for a long time.
When did a guy born into a ruling family that practically ruled Sacheon and raised as a nobleman ever hear the word “idiot”?
It seems like he hasn’t come to his senses yet, having been beaten up repeatedly with words like “get lost” and “you’re an idiot.”
This guy is so weak.
I was thinking about whether I should tell him to get out again, when Dangwimyeong suddenly started laughing loudly.
“Hahaha. Haha. It’s funny. It’s really funny. Hehe.”
“I’m glad you had fun. Now put that unlucky face away and go on your way.”
“Huh, I really like it until the end. Anyway, since you are a guest in the Central Plains, let’s stop here for today. Please come to the meeting on time. Just treat me like you did before. Let’s have a showdown there.”
With those words, the Sacheondangga group left first.
In my experience, there are two types of people who get this happy when they’re called an idiot to their face.
Either he’s a total idiot or he has some ulterior motive.
This one is obviously the latter.
“Ah… … . What on earth are you thinking? The other person was Sacheondangga.”
Umochi finally seemed to relax and slumped to the ground.
“The warrior of the Beast Palace doesn’t care who his opponent is.”
“Ha. You guys are so clueless. Sorry, but I guess I’ll have to go back now. I don’t think I’ll be able to die while guiding you guys. I hope you guys can return to Namman safely.”
Perhaps this guy thought of the road to Yongbongjihoe as a tourist attraction.
Umochi turned to face the other side of Mt. Dalyangsan and said.
“Then take care. If we’re meant to be, we’ll meet again.”
“Even if you leave, leave behind the things you brought from the Geumbuhoe.”
“Huh? What kind of stuff? Are you saying that I brought something extra? What do you think of Umochi, the sixth son of Dokgok, as?”
Umochi put both hands on his waist with a serious expression.
“I’m talking about the box that says ‘Yakwang Shindan’. Didn’t you take it in your bosom during the confusion?”
“Hahahaha! Hahaha! The Medicine King’s Corps? What kind of nonsense is that. Hahahaha… … .”
Umochi, who had been laughing awkwardly, asked back in a soft voice.
“… … Did you see it? No, how did you see it? I’m sure it was taken care of at lightning speed… … .”
Nok Seung-seo approached me and answered.
“How clumsy. Your hands are so slow. Tsk tsk.”
“Ah, so that’s why I was trying to find out how the elixir of the Central Plains is made. Oh, right. For research purposes!”
“By the way, thank you for everything. Dokgok’s Umochi. It’s a shame to leave. Well then, goodbye.”
We are not people who forcefully hold on to people who don’t want to.
Nok Seung-seo gave Umochi a quick hug, lightly patted her back, and turned around.
He already had a small box in his hand.
In that short moment, Umochi managed to get his hands on the box that was tightly hidden in his arms… … .
Even I couldn’t see the quick movements of his hands clearly.
It was probably this moment.
This was the first time I discovered Nok Seung-seo’s incredible talent.
It was the moment when he himself realized his own talent.
It was the first movement of Songgol Nokseungseo, who would follow in the footsteps of Mongyeongshintu Dumunrang and become the best shintu in the world.
* * *
Late at night.
I lit a bonfire in a small open space on Mt. Dalyangsan and sat down across from Nokseungseo.
The world is quiet now that Umochi, who was always noisy, is gone.
It’s nice and quiet, but something feels empty.
A loud scream was heard in the forest where silence had been flowing for a moment.
Kwaeeeek. Kwaeeeek.
He grabbed Nok Seung-seo, who was trying to stand up, with his hand on the sword hilt.
“Don’t worry about it. It looks like Tofu is playing with someone again.”
Tofu sometimes takes wild animals out to play for exercise when he feels tired.
Among them are wild boars as big as a house, and wild bears that look more than a hundred times my body size.
Even so, to Tofu, who is a spirit of Namman, it is nothing more than a toy.
Sometimes they come with a bite as prey.
“By the way, it’s time to come.”
Nok Seung-seo looked around and said.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Umochi, that’s right. When I took the box out of my bosom, that guy’s pouch came with it.”
There is no such thing as anterior cervix coming along by chance.
Unless you take it out on purpose.
At this point, it’s more of an instinct than a talent.
When I opened the pouch that Nok Seung-seo handed me, it was full of vouchers from various battlefields.
Perhaps because the money was earned by selling aphrodisiacs, the condition of the voucher was very stiff and straight.
“I just happened to be there.”
A little further away, under the shade of a tree, Umochi stood blankly.
It was too much money to give up.
“You guys… … . Do you have my pouch? You said there was no one you could trust in the world, but did you steal the pouch of your fellow Namman brothers?”
“Oh, I was waiting for you. It was lying down where you left it. Here it is. Take it.”
He quickly came over, snatched the shawl, and sat down without even asking.
And then they started chatting excitedly.
“I came back because I was worried about sending you two away alone, no matter how much I thought about it. It’s like sending a child to the water’s edge. Who else would you trust in this dangerous land of the Central Plains if not someone from your hometown? As promised, I’ll guide you all the way to the Murim Alliance, so don’t worry anymore… … .”
“I get it.”
Umochi looked around and started talking again.
“Where did Tofu go? Actually, I’m more confused because the sight of that guy Tofu is more striking than the two of you.”
“I’m playing with a wild boar the size of a house right now.”
“Aha. I see. But do you know what I heard when I stopped by the inn? I heard that Jegal So-hye and Murong A-gyeong are coming to this Yongbongjihoe. When will I ever see the two most beautiful women in the world gathered in one place? This kind of chance for me… … Hehe. And you’ll be really surprised when you hear the next story.”
“Tell me.”
“Don’t be surprised. The mysterious sect that no one has ever been to before. The Bukhae Ice Palace! The only daughter of the Bukhae Ice Palace Lord is attending. No one has ever seen her before, but she is famous for her beauty that makes your legs tremble the moment you see her. Ahh… … . Such a coincidence in my life… … .”
How can one become famous for one’s beauty if no one has ever seen one?
“Haven’t you heard any rumors about us? The Namman Wild Beast Palace is also doing well in the outside world… .”
“Oh my. Where did you get such an absurd comparison? How dare you compare the Beast Palace, where only dark men swarm, to the North Sea Ice Palace? Listen. The reason why there are so many beauties in the North Sea Ice Palace is because originally, yin energy gathers in cold places… … .”
After that, Umochi’s chatter continued.
The main part of the story was about the women who attended the Yongbong branch meeting.
There was not a word about men.
Listening to the endless stories of women going on all night, I was convinced.
Umochi This guy didn’t come back because of the lost sac.
It’s not that I want to see tofu.
Or, it is even more so that we, who are from the same southern region, are worried and came back.
That’s for sure.
* * *
The story ended with Umochi’s assertion that since the harmony of yin and yang is a natural law of nature, the woman of the Bukhae Ice Palace would definitely be attracted to the man of Nanman.
The logic that it is natural for men and women who grew up in opposite environments to be attracted to each other.
Of course that could be the case.
But somehow, it didn’t seem like the proud woman of Bukhae Ice Palace would be attracted to a talkative man like Umochi.
“Anyway, I’m glad you came back, Umochi.”
“Me too.”
Nok Seung-seo intervened.
Maybe we’ve all gotten used to his commotion already?
“Haha. Of course, Umochi Dokgok can’t be left out of the group representing Namman. Don’t worry. I won’t say anything about leaving again.”
“By the way, this… … .”
At the Geumbuhoe, Umochi took out the box that Nokseungseo had taken again.
The box, made of red maple, was wrapped with high-quality leather belts in the shape of a cross.
Ornate gold lettering embroidered on the belt.
Yakwangsindan.
King of Medicine, Im Gong-ryeong.
A genius who dedicated his life to creating the best elixir that would surpass Daehwandan and Jasodan.
The name of the elixir that is said to have been completed only in his later years was Yakwangshindan.
If this Medicine King’s Tablet is truly something he created, it is priceless.
Umochi opened the box.
The scent of the elixir spread in an instant, enveloping the surroundings.
Inside were two pills the size of a baby’s fingernail.
“What do you think? Is it real?”
A guy like Geumbuhoeju Kwon Pyeong-seo is someone who commits fraud as easily as eating rice.
It’s not a big deal to make fake elixirs and sell them at high prices.
But this object was hidden in his secret safe.
That means there’s a chance it could be real.
Umochi placed the elixir on his hand and examined it for a long time.
I quietly watched him sniffing and rubbing it with his fingertips.
Finally, he took a corner the size of an eye booger, put it on the tip of his tongue, and closed his eyes for a long time.
Has it been a while since then?
Umochi opened his eyes quietly and opened his mouth.
“This is… … .”
indeed…….
“This is real.”