Tangmunjeon - Chapter 274



Only Noblemtl

Episode 274 Bloody

Of course, no matter what Jinhae decides, it is only Jinhae’s state of mind.

Dang Mu-jin could not easily accept Jin Hae’s extreme actions.

“You killed them because they were Sapha’s unmanned troops? Jinhae. Do you even know what kind of people those guys are?”

“Do you need to know more?”

I was speechless for a moment.

But Dang Mu-jin spoke with a louder voice.

“What do you think the unmanned Sapa is?”

“They’re a bunch of people who point their swords at the unarmed people.”

It wasn’t a completely wrong story. There is always hostility between the political and non-political factions.

However, Dang Mu-jin thought of the hemophiliac Jang Il-nam.

A man who was forced to live a life he did not want for his entire life simply because he was born south of the Yangtze River and had a talent for swordsmanship.

Jang Il-nam spent most of his life as a Sapa martial artist, but he was more suited to being a Jeongpa martial artist than anyone else in this place.

If Jinhae had just exchanged a word with him, wouldn’t his attitude toward Danghangssangwang have changed a little?

Dang Mu-jin let out a deep sigh.

“Jinhae. Just as not all Jeongpa warriors are the same, not all Sapa warriors are the same. Don’t think of the world as two separate entities. Those guys may be a little ugly, but they are accepted as members of the village in Pyeongri Village. They are not devils created with all kinds of evil as you imagine.”

“I don’t think that’s wrong. But we’re in the middle of a war right now. We don’t have time to look into each and every one of those things.”

“you!”

A completely blocked reaction. Just as Dang Mu-jin was about to say another word, Gong Ling-ja of the Cheongseong faction intervened between Dang Mu-jin and Jin Hae.

“Jinhae. Step back immediately! Party leader. I will punish Jinhae sternly, so please calm down for now.”

When the prince, who was almost as old as his father, showed a respectful attitude, Dang Mujin couldn’t raise his voice any further.

Also, Dang Mu-jin read the deep embarrassment on Gong Ling-ja’s face. It was an emotion that he could not hide even if he tried to.

It wasn’t just Gong Ling Zi. The Qingcheng Sect masters who were visible over Gong Ling Zi’s shoulder were equally bewildered.

The Taoists of Cheongseongpa had no intention of antagonizing Dangmujin.

There is no one who does not know how friendly Yeongheoja was to Dangmujin and Danggajang. Likewise, Danggajang was a good neighbor to Cheongseongpa.

But at the same time, the masters of Cheongseongpa could understand Jinhae’s actions. Wasn’t it just a few days ago that they had witnessed Yeongheoja’s death?

It wasn’t just Yeonghusa who died.

Even excluding the Young Heo-ja, there are more than ten Cheongseong-pa masters who met their deaths at the hands of Sa-pa-muin in the Gongdong-pa a few days ago or were unable to hold a sword again.

It was too short a period to shed so many sacrifices.

The situation was not much different for the martial artists of other sects. The situation was not much different for the Taoists of Jongnam who witnessed the death of Ilseonja.

Hyun-gong approached and stood next to Dang Mu-jin. Hyun-gong frowned slightly and looked at Jin-hae, then spoke to Dang Mu-jin.

“This isn’t a situation where we can keep fighting, is it? Let’s just cool our heads for a bit.”

Dang Mu-jin scratched his head. Then, led by Hyun-gong’s hand, he sat down next to his friends and Yu Jin-gwang.

It’s late.

As if mourning the death of Dang Hang-ssang-gwang, the sound of crickets became louder and louder.

The sun has already set, so we should probably stay overnight near Pyeongri Village.

Dang Mu-jin simply took a nap and lay down. However, even when he closed his eyes, the corpse of Dang Hang-ssang-gwang was still visible.

Even if I just lay there like this, it didn’t seem like I would be able to have a comfortable night.

Eventually, Dang Mu-jin got up from his seat and shook off the sleepiness.

The next morning, the group left Pyeongri Village.

Two short graves remained in the place, watching the departing group.

*

As the group moved toward Mt. Giryeon, Gongryeongja approached Dangmujin and spoke.

“I was very rude yesterday.”

“It’s okay. Your Majesty, there’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

Dang Mu-jin’s voice was calm.

Thanks to the overnight stay, Dang Mu-jin was able to gather his emotions and organize his thoughts.

What filled Dang Mu-jin’s heart right now was not anger or frustration, but doubt.

“Can I ask you something?”

“I’ll tell you anything I can answer.”

Dang Mu-jin thought for a moment and then asked.

“Were the people of Jinhae originally rough-tempered?”

“Not at all.”

This is not the first time Dang Mu-jin and Jin Hae have met.

Last year, on the way to Mt. Mudang, didn’t Dang Mujin and his party have quite a conversation with Jinhae?

At that time, Dang Mu-jin received several impressions from Jin Hae.

The first thing that comes to mind is Jinhae’s upright personality. Unlike Dangmujin and his friends who are slightly crooked or misguided, Jinhae’s personality is upright.

But what is even more memorable is Jinhae’s personality. Jinhae’s personality is somewhat timid for a martial artist. It’s to the point where I worry whether he will ever be able to calmly swing his sword at someone.

The prince thought for a moment and then added.

“I think Jinhae feels pressured.”

“Does this mean you are trying to fill the empty spot left by the late Yeongheoja?”

“It’s similar. Jinhae won’t be the next long-term leader, but it’s true that he has a high chance of becoming the next long-term leader.”

“But I don’t think Young-Heo-Ja would have thrown a weed at Dang-Hang-Ssang-Gwang’s back.”

Dang Mu-jin’s attitude was a little more prickly than usual.

However, Gong Ling Zi was glad that Dang Mu Jin’s attitude was like that. If he had been a quick-tempered martial artist, it wouldn’t have been strange if they had just split up.

“Of course, if the King were alive, he wouldn’t have done that. But Jinhae must have thought he had to do it.”

“For what reason?”

“A leader needs ability and a firm attitude. But Jinhae lacks ability right now.”

Of course, Jinhae is not lagging behind in terms of the number of followers. In fact, excluding Dang Mujin and his friends, he may be quite ahead.

However, Jinhae is far from the best among the Cheongseongpa Taoists present here.

Just a promising latecomer who has barely reached his peak in the last fight.

The prince said.

“If you have overwhelming ability, you don’t have to be resolute in everything. You can solve most problems with your own ability, so there’s no need to be nervous all the time. However, if someone who lacks ability shows a lenient attitude, problems are bound to arise.”

“Is that so?”

It was a fairly cold assessment for a story about a master of the four gates. Wasn’t it that he lacked ability and had to raise his spines like a hedgehog?

“And he must have a grudge. Jinhae trained under Jang Moon-in for ten years. He must feel like he lost his father.”

Dang Mu-jin recalled the memory of carrying the body of the strange man on his back and walking all winter, and the memory of what happened after burying the body.

A time when I hated the world and wanted to burn it down.

If a man in black had appeared in front of the party leaders at that time, would they have discussed the price of punishment and brought up this and that?

That was not the case at all. At that time, Dang Mujin did not know who the black-clad people he had killed were, and he had no interest in them. Even now.

Namgung Myung, who was walking next to me, said.

“Jinhae is trying to change his appearance by force. He is trying to fit himself into the image he imagines himself to be, the future leader of the Cheongseongpa.”

It was even more convincing because it was Namgung Myeong’s story.

Of all the people here, the one who most closely resembles the burden that Jinhae feels right now is Namgung Myung.

The prince nodded slowly, keeping pace with his steps.

“That may be the case. I am worried that Jinhae may cause trouble to you all in the future. If something like that happens, I ask that you be lenient.”

The prince thought that Dang Mu-jin or Nam Gung-myeong would answer with something like, ‘It’s okay. Everyone goes through times like that, so don’t worry.’

However, Namgung Myung gave an answer that was a bit unexpected.

“It’s okay. It’ll be resolved if we cause more trouble to Jinhae than Jinhae causes to us.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Your Majesty, are you aware that Your Majesty the Youngheo asked us to take good care of Jinhae?”

“Yes.”

The prince was always by the prince’s side and was also the prince’s most trusted confidant.

It would be natural if Gongryeongja also knew most of the stories that Yeongheoja told Dangmujin.

“I may ask you a favor about Jinhae soon. Please remember this story for that time.”

Not only Gongryeongja, but also Dang Mujin and Hyeon Gong did not properly understand what Namgung Myeong meant.

*

The time that Namgung Myung had spoken of arrived quickly.

The group arrived at the entrance of Mt. Gyerim after traveling for several days, but unlike other mountains, there were very few people around.

However, the group barely managed to find a house and asked the old man living alone about various things.

However, the old man in the village told a perplexing story.

“They must have scattered?”

“Yeah. You said there were dozens of people running away? There’s no place in Mt. Gyeran where that many people can stay.”

Dang Mu-jin raised his head and looked at Mt. Giryeon. The mountains surrounding Sacheonseong were famous for being tall and rugged, and Mt. Giryeon was no different.

Tall mountain peaks stretched on endlessly, and each mountain had its peaks covered in white snow. It was still like that even though it had been quite some time since winter ended.

Those eyes probably won’t melt even in summer.

Contrary to what people who live on flat land or only come into contact with low mountains think, such high mountains cannot be climbed just by having strong legs.

The physical strain and the biting cold are problems, but the fact that there are numerous cliffs and crevices covered in snow is a bigger problem. If you step foot in one of those places and fall, even a martial artist will die without a fight.

Even if we avoid all of nature’s traps, the problem is not over. People need food and water to survive.

On such high mountains, places where you can get water and food are very limited.

Even if they were available, the quantity would not be large, so it would be impossible for many people to gather in one place and live there, as the old man said.

Dang Mu-jin asked the old man.

“Can you guess where the people who went ahead hid?”

“There are a few things to consider.”

“Where are you?”

The old man did not continue the story and just looked at Dang Mu-jin’s expression.

When Hyun-gong, who had sensed the mood, took out a thin piece of gold the size of a fingernail and handed it to the old man, he laughed heartily and continued talking.

“There is a path inside Mt. Giryeon. It is not a specifically marked path, but whether you want to or not, you have no choice but to follow it. However, it will not be easy to catch the people hiding in Mt. Giryeon.”

Hyun-gong asked, wondering if he should return the gold piece.

“Why is that?”

“There are more than one or two ways out of Mt. Giryeon. How can we block all of those roads?”

The moment Hyun-gong was about to reach out to get the gold piece back, the old man looked around at the group and muttered in a strange voice.

“Isn’t that right…? Is this enough? By any chance, how many people are you planning on blocking the way out?”

“We’ll need three or four people.”

Of course, it is impossible for just three or four people to stop dozens of Sapa warriors from rushing out.

However, if you think about it from a different perspective, the answer appears. It is possible to track the trail of the fleeing Sapa drones while maintaining a reasonable distance with just three or four people.

“Let’s see… Please wait a moment.”

The old man muttered and counted the number of people. After a while, the old man nodded.

“It’s possible, I guess. But eight out of ten will have to stay outside the mountain. Is that okay?”

“it’s okay.”

It wasn’t a situation where I had a choice. Even if it was difficult, I had to face it first.

Among the unmanned political parties, those who could be called the leaders gathered and selected all the members.

If we leave 18 out of 10 people outside, then about 15 people can enter Mt. Gyerim.

The Sapha warriors will be scattered here and there, so if we pick out fifteen of the most elite ones, we should be able to fight them somehow.

It’s a simple operation.

Fifteen people enter Qilian Mountain and chase away the Sapha warriors. If by any chance the Sapha warriors escape, the people waiting outside Qilian Mountain will track their movements.

But the restrictions didn’t end there, the old man said.

“There are three major paths inside Mt. Gyeran.”

“Do you want three?”

“There are three ways to get food and water. If we give up all of that, there will be an infinite number of ways… But I don’t think that’s what you want. Do you?”

“you’re right.”

The situation has gotten even worse. In any case, the fifteen people entering the Kirin Mountains have to be divided into three groups.

“Are you okay?”

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Thinking about it won’t give you a new answer. If you feel like it won’t work, you can come back and ask for help, but it’s better to go in first.

What we need to do now is to select the fifteen people who will enter the Gyeran Mountain, and divide those fifteen people into three groups.

It wasn’t difficult to narrow down the fifteen.

Three people from the Jeomchangpa and four people from Dangmujin’s party.

Finally, eight people were selected from Cheongseong, Hwasan, Jongnam, and Mudangpa.

A situation where these fifteen people have to be divided into three again.

Eugene Kwang spoke first.

“Just three people moving the dot shop is enough.”

There was no one to refute. Wasn’t the only expert in this place Yoo Jin-kwang?

In addition, the two people who came from the Jeomchangpa with Yoo Jin-kwang also had an extraordinary momentum.

Next, the party leader spoke.

“The four of us will move together.”

Gong Ling Zi and Seon Woo Zi nodded. It was only natural that people who had been working together for a long time would move together.

Moreover, the martial arts of Dang Mu-jin and his party were not at an ordinary level even among the best martial artists.

Hong Geol-gae is somewhat behind, but that is only a conversation between friends.

Hong Geol-gae’s martial arts skills are not inferior at all to those of an ordinary master.

However, this did not mean that the four members of Dangmujin’s party were as trustworthy as the three members of Jeomchangpa.

Seonwooja said.

“There are still eight people left, so two of them should follow you to balance things out. Six each. How about that?”

Then Namgung Myung, who had been quiet until then, stepped forward and shook his head.

“No, just one is enough.”

“One person… Who will you be with?”

Seonwooja thought that Namgung Myeong would request the most skilled warrior among the Hwasanpa, Cheongseongpa, and Jongnampa to join.

‘I guess I’ll ask for help from the Duke of Cheongseong.’

However, Namgung Myung pointed to someone else.

“We will move together with Jinhae.”

“Jinhae Island? Is that okay?”

Jinhae’s Muwi is in the lower ranks of the best Muin.

Of course, the amount of internal energy has increased through the training of martial arts, but the strength of martial arts is not determined by the amount of internal energy alone.

Seonwooja advised.

“It’s good that the Jinhae people are following. But please take one or two more people with you.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Since Namgung Myung spoke quite strongly, Seonwoo Ja didn’t speak again. She just thought that he had something in mind.

However, the prince looked a little uneasy. The prince secretly sent a message to Namgung Myeong.

– I hope nothing goes wrong with Jinhae.

The prince was secretly worried. Could it be that Dang Mu-jin and his party harbored a grudge from the previous conflict with the Jinhae people and were trying to harm Jinhae?

Namgung Myung answered by phone.

– Don’t worry. That won’t happen.

– But it seems like we don’t have enough people, so wouldn’t it be better to take one or two more people like Seonwooja said?

– No, I’d rather it be a little difficult.

– Who is it better for?

– To Jinhae-do people.

Namgung Myung only gave a vague answer.

*

Dang Mu-jin and Jin Hae followed the path the old man showed them and headed into the interior of Mt. Giryeon.

Unlike the snow-covered upper part of the mountain, the weather at the bottom of the mountain was not particularly cold, just a little damp. It was a good day for activities.

After walking for a while like that, Jinhae got lucky.

“Why did you decide to move with me?”

The party leader answered.

“There’s no need to be so stiff. The road to Mt. Mudang wasn’t that formal back then.”

Jinhae didn’t feel any resentment or ill will in Dangmujin’s voice.

Dang Mu-jin felt sorry for the death of Dang Hang-ssang-gwang, but he was not particularly close with them. Furthermore, the people of the martial arts world were a race for whom it would not be strange for them to die at any time.

Only then did Jinhae’s voice relax a little.

“Okay, but I don’t know why you singled me out. There must have been many people who could have helped you more than me.”

Perhaps because there are no Cheongseongpa masters around, Jinhae’s attitude has become a bit more docile than when he is among people. His docile nature is naturally revealed.

Dang Mu-jin answered indifferently.

“Why, why? Because the Lord Young-Heo asked me to take care of you.”

Did you just point it out to keep your promise?

But it seemed strange to think that it was for the sake of keeping a promise. It would be easier to move with other Taoists than to mix in with the party of Dang Mu-jin.

However, the party led by Dang Mu-jin did not choose Jinhae for such a simple reason.

Namgung Myung said.

“Jinhae. Is this your first time fighting for your life?”

“We fought in the joint faction last time, so this isn’t the first time.”

“I’m talking about including that.”

“Then it’s the first time.”

“also.”

Hyun-gong, who was listening to the story, said.

“Jinhae. Are you feeling a lot of pressure these days?”

“What kind of pressure is it…”

“I know why you were so stiff last time. Didn’t you want to show a more determined attitude in front of the Cheongseongpa masters and show that you hadn’t forgotten Yeongheoja’s sacrifice?”

Hyun-gong’s story was correct.

Jinhae thought that he had to collect blood money from the Sapa warriors. He thought that was his role as he inherited Yeongheoja’s legacy.

It didn’t matter whether it was a path that suited you or a path you liked.

Jinhae asked back.

“Are you trying to tell me not to do that? To shake off all resentment and live a life of detachment like a Taoist? I can’t do that.”

This time, Namgung Myung answered.

“No. Who told you to do that?”

Namgung Myung made a playful expression.

As expected, it was clear that Jinhae did not properly understand Yeongheoja’s last teaching.

It seems that Young-Heo-Ja considers the last insight he conveyed to be nothing more than a powerful martial art.

However, Namgung Myung thought that the insight that Yeongheoja wanted to convey to Jinhae was not just martial arts.

‘It may take a long time before you realize it on your own. But if you can bring that time forward, that would be great.’

All theft is a question of how to steal.

But a true master sometimes returns more than he stole.

And Namgung Myung thought of himself as the greatest swordsman in the world.

Namgung Myung approached Jinhae, placed his right arm on Jinhae’s shoulder, and spoke.

“If you’re going to go down a rough road, you might as well go down a bloody one.”