Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 138



Only Noblemtl

138. Fate (2)

Cheongsu used a bit of a trick. He also felt a bit stung by breaking the rules so directly.

That’s why the one who suffered was Cheonghwa, who was Cheongsu’s closest disciple. Whenever Cheonghwa went on a trip to the world of martial arts, he would visit the Jang family and hand them money. Of course, he didn’t give it out in the open, but rather went to their house in the middle of the night and put it in the crack of the door.

Of course, the amount of money given was not a large sum. Even if Cheonghwa and Cheongsu tried to save money on their activities, it was still nothing.

Cheonghwa also felt sorry that nothing had changed even though she had been sending money to Cheongsu’s house for several months. The drought of poverty that had fallen on Cheongsu’s house was not something that could be relieved with a few drops of water.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Cheongsu didn’t ask how his family was living. He seemed content to just hand over the money.

It seemed to Cheonghwa that Cheongsu wanted to keep asking questions, but was deliberately not asking. It seemed that he thought he could no longer break the rules for the shamans.

Whenever he returned after delivering the money, Cheongsu would express the conflict with a calm look in his eyes. Cheongsu became more and more haggard as he went through the conflict. Only then did Cheonghwa understand why the shaman had made it a rule not to contact the family that had cut ties with her again.

“Death penalty. I think it’s time to stop now.”

After about a year of meaningless support, Cheonghwa finally spoke.

Cheongsu surprisingly easily agreed. This was because Cheongsu realized that she too was unable to focus on her work and training as a shaman because she was concerned about her family, whom she had lost contact with.

“Okay. Then let’s do this last time. I won’t ask you for anything more.”

“This is truly the last.”

Cheonghwa headed to Hanam, thinking it would be his last stop. Hanam and Hubei were close together, so Cheonghwa could make the round trip in about a day with his light-weight skills.

Cheonghwa always arrived at Cheongsu’s house around the third hour of the night. This time was no different.

The main gate was, of course, always closed during the third watch. But this time, for some reason, it was open, and a faint light was streaming in from inside.

That wasn’t all. In front of the gate, on a rotten and rotten table, there were three bowls of rice with chopsticks stuck in them, three bowls of water, and three coins. It was clear what they meant.

‘It’s a messenger’s bed… … .’

A chill passed through Cheonghwa’s mind.

Lion statue. It was a table set up during a funeral to ask the grim reaper to take good care of the deceased.

The presence of this lion statue in front of the main gate meant that there was a dead person in the house.

Who on earth could they be? Cheonghwa had seen Cheongsu’s father and mother as she passed by. They were both so skinny and haggard that it wouldn’t be strange if they died at any moment.

Feeling bitter, Cheonghwa loitered outside for a while, then bit her lip and went inside the front door. As expected, inside the house, a mourning flag was fluttering in the night breeze.

“Are you here?”

At that moment, in a place where the lights did not shine, the voices of people dying were heard.

Cheonghwa almost pulled out her sword because her spine was chilled for a moment. She had no energy at all.

A person crawled out from the direction where the voice was heard.

When Qinghua saw the man’s behavior, she realized that she had misunderstood. It was not that the man was hiding his presence, but that the man himself had no life, so she could not sense it.

“I finally get to see my benefactor’s face. It’s nice to see you. Thanks to you, I was able to put a coin in my daughter’s mouth.”

Cheongsu, no, Jang Haewon’s father’s voice was extremely hoarse. It wasn’t a rhetorical expression, it was a voice created by crying out loud.

Just now, the father said that he was his daughter. The coffin with the small light shining on it, the one lying inside was none other than Jang Hae-rin, Cheong-su’s younger sister.

“Looking at your benefactor’s attire, you must be a Taoist priest. How is Haewon?”

Cheonghwa couldn’t even open her mouth in the face of that overwhelming despair.

It seemed that the father had guessed that Cheongsu would give him money.

“… … I’m fine. You were very worried.”

“Thank goodness. Thinking back now, it was a good thing. At least Haewon got out of this corner of the house.”

“What, what happened?”

Cheonghwa asked, stammering. Her father smiled bitterly.

“Before you listen, promise me one thing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Please don’t tell Haewon this story. Please.”

There was no desperation or earnestness in Abi’s voice. It seemed as if all the emotions he could express in his voice had been lost in tears.

“All right.”

Cheonghwa nodded without realizing it.

Slowly, very slowly, Abi’s voice began to flow out.

* * *

I changed my mind. It would be faster to use Hyunwol than to break through it myself.

Looking at the realm of becoming one with nature, at least it wasn’t trapped in a formula like mine.

“Your Majesty, I want to get out of here. How can I not do that?”

“Why am I your follower?”

“If he is the teacher’s teacher, then he is a disciple.”

“Aren’t you a lay disciple?”

I let out a very shallow sigh. It seemed obvious that it would be difficult to persuade this old man. But who am I? I was a merchant of reverse trajectory.

“What does it matter whether a disciple is a regular or a layman? What matters is that the shamanist faction took me as their disciple, and I also consider myself a shamanist.”

“His tongue is covered with oil, like a cunning merchant.”

“As expected of you, my lord! How did you know that I am a merchant? I am amazed by your insight.”

“Are you a real merchant?”

“yes.”

“I’m starting to dislike you even more. I basically hate merchants.”

Hyunwol walked slowly, carrying a backpack on his back, and I followed him, chasing after him.

I have overcome countless prejudices against merchants. But it wasn’t easy for the old man named Hyeonwol. After all, old people are usually stubborn and stubborn.

As I was internally pouring out a bucket of insults and ridicule at Hyunwol, Hyunwol suddenly turned to look at me.

“You have such an impudent look in your eyes. You seem to think I’m an old, annoying old man.”

Old people are usually very insightful like this. At times like this, you shouldn’t be serious or excited. You should just go with the flow.

“Haha. What are you talking about? I guess you are a very suspicious person.”

“You seem to be good at hiding things, like a businessman. But you can’t avoid my eyes.”

Hyunwol looked straight ahead again and started walking slowly.

I was able to experience a strange sensation as I followed behind. Even though I was watching with my own eyes, I kept missing Hyunwol’s new form. It was as if I was halfway through the spiritual world. As I continued to watch, I became greedy for this technique.

“Your Majesty, could you please tell me how to hide myself in nature?”

“Arthur. It is not yet a level you can surpass.”

“You’ll have to see that to know. Even so, I’m the most promising genius in the non-partisan faction right now.”

“Seeing you say that with your own mouth, I guess you have quite a thick complexion.”

“Because I’m the type of person who tells the truth even if I die soon.”

“It’s noisy. Now be quiet. I want to enjoy my thoughts.”

Hyunwol continued to walk around the hermitage without even looking at me. I followed her words and did not speak to her any further. But I continued to follow her.

There was no place to go around this hermitage. The rest was surrounded by a siege. I don’t think Hyeonwol was here because he couldn’t escape the siege, but in any case, Hyeonwol just kept lingering around the hermitage.

Hermitage, bush, spring, hermitage, bush, spring, hermitage, bush, spring.

Until the sun set in the middle of the sky and the moon took its place, all I could see was a hermitage, a bush, and a spring.

And only when the moon was going down again, and the blue dawn had driven away the night, did the waning moon finally stop.

“Are you a pseudonym?”

“yes?”

“Are you a disciple of the famous monk?”

I was a little surprised. The term ‘named disciple’ was now vague even to me.

Even if I said that I was a disciple of a famous person right away, other people wouldn’t know, and there was no need to explain it, so I just left it as a word. But I didn’t know that word would come up here.

“How did you know?”

“How would you know? I knew it when I saw you immersing yourself in the formation earlier. The Yuunshin method isn’t a martial art that just a lay disciple can learn.”

“You were watching.”

“I came here because it was so noisy. I had to yell a lot.”

I felt a little heat rise to my face. I thought I was alone when I said that, but there was someone listening.

“But you know about the system of named disciples, right? Even the current non-partisan faction members don’t seem to know about it.”

“The kids who are here now are living in a time of peace, so they don’t need to know. I think that’s good.”

“Oh, that’s right. I think the system of giving names to disciples was originally created to more effectively block the rise of the Demonic Cult.”

“That’s right. To be exact, I received a lot of money to rebuild the martial arts world even after the Balho incident.”

There was a deep regret in Hyunwol’s voice. The last Jeongma War had been over a hundred years ago.

But Master Cheonghwa was just past her 40s, so how old was Hyeonwol? At face value, she seemed to be in her 90s.

“Wasn’t it a time of peace when Your Majesty was in Gangho? Wasn’t it after the Great Battle of Jeongma?”

“The war and the aftermath were incredibly chaotic. Many martial arts were lost in battle, and the middle generation that taught martial arts were all killed.”

“Ah. So that’s why you received a discipleship under the name of a monk.”

The worst thing for a sect is for those who have learned martial arts to disappear completely. Since the danger of martial arts extinction is approaching, they must have spread the word to those who seem to have talent.

“That’s why I’m a little worried. It seems like the famous disciple is saying that a time of chaos is coming.”

“When you say it like that, doesn’t it make me sound like I’m the source of confusion?”

“That might not be entirely wrong.”

I was about to refute, but I stopped myself. In fact, it is the source of the current confusion.

As a result of my regression, the shaman faction came out on top, and my relationship with the Zhuge family deteriorated.

Although it wasn’t a level of chaos that would engulf the entire martial arts world, I was at the center of the chaos in Hubei’s martial arts world.

I eventually admitted it obediently.

“You have good insight.”

“At this age, you can see things even with your eyes closed.”

“Then you can see how to proceed with this formation?”

“All methods have a method of creating a living being.”

“Could you please tell me? I have to go out urgently.”

I finally got to the main point. But Hyunwol looked at me and smiled.

“Why should I do that?”

“yes?”

“I guess Cheonghwa has something in mind, so she put you here. What would be the point if I let her go?”

“Master, you made the wrong choice.”

“You have no manners toward your teacher. In my time, I treated you like heaven.”

“Doesn’t the sky sometimes have holes in it so that it rains?”

Hyunwol looked at me and shook her head. Her expression was one of extreme displeasure.

“How could I have taken such a talkative person as my disciple?”

“Let me correct that. You don’t really have much insight.”

“What?”

Hyunwol’s eyebrows rose slightly. It was a change of strategy. Since it was no longer possible to serve her obediently, she was going to act provocatively. In fact, this suited me better.

“I’m not a person who only talks.”

“Haha. How rude.”

Hyunwol, who had been walking forward, finally turned around completely. For the first time, I stood face to face with Hyunwol.

Hyunwol’s body was much smaller than mine due to her hunched back, but she didn’t feel small at all.

“Then do you want to make a bet?”

“Okay. What do you want to bet on?”

“I’ll give you one day and one night, so come and see me. I won’t deviate from the rules.”

“No, that’s… … .”

Hyunwol disappeared into the air without even listening to my answer.

I stared blankly at the place where Hyunwol had disappeared. Silence immediately fell around me.

It was an untimely game of tag with the old man.