Tangmunjeon - Chapter 275



Only Noblemtl

Episode 275 Bloody

Dang Mu-jin and his party headed into Mt. Giryeon following the path shown by the old man.

Jinhae walked at the very back, muttering over the story Namgung Myung had told him before entering the mountain.

‘Shall we go down the bloody road?’

I felt like I knew something, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t quite figure out what it meant.

In the end, Jinhae approached Namgung Myung and asked.

“Namgung Daehyeop. What on earth did you mean by what you were talking about earlier?”

However, Namgung Myung did not answer Jin Hae’s question, but instead asked Jin Hae a question.

“Jinhae. Do you think you’re a martial artist?”

It was a topic that Jinhae had never really thought about. It wasn’t because it was difficult or because Jinhae’s thoughts were short, but because it was a topic that he didn’t really need to think about.

“Of course.”

“Really? Then since when have you been a martial artist? Since the day you were born?”

If you are asking if someone has talent as a martial artist, then it would be right to say from birth.

But I thought that wasn’t the right answer. Even if you have talent, if you haven’t learned martial arts, you can’t be called a martial artist.

That’s why Jinhae answered in a slightly different direction.

“No. I have been a martial artist since the day I set foot in Cheongseongpa.”

“Why do you think you became a martial artist from then? If you had joined Cheongseongpa, wouldn’t you have become a Taoist monk rather than a martial artist?”

“He is a Taoist, but at the same time he is a martial artist. That’s because he has started learning martial arts.”

Jinhae thought his answer was logical. However, Namgung Myung thought differently.

“Just because you learn martial arts doesn’t mean you become a martial artist. Martial arts is just one of the arts, like medicine or cooking. In schools like Cheongseongpa, it’s also a way to train and become an immortal.”

Jinhae nodded without even trying to refute.

Since this issue is a matter of personal opinion, it is not strange for Namgung Myung to think that way.

“Then, Grand Master Namgung, when do you think I became a martial artist?”

“Let’s change your mind. You don’t know since when you became a martial artist, right?”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t know yourself, then you are not yet a martial artist.”

A strange pun.

Namgung Myung and Jin Hae are not that different in age.

Jinhae thought it was a bit arrogant for Namgung Myung to say something like that to him.

This time, Jinhae asked back.

“Then, Namgung Daehyeop, do you think of yourself as a martial artist?”

“He is definitely a martial artist.”

“Since when have you been a martial artist? Since you were born?”

“That’s impossible. I’ve been learning swordsmanship for twenty years, but I only became a martial artist about five or six years ago.”

Five or six years. Jinhae thought about what had happened around that time.

A thought just occurred to me. I think it was around that time that Namgung Myung crossed the line. It was around the time when Namgung Myung was about twenty-two years old.

‘Does one have to overcome the wall of climax to become a martial artist?’

Jinhae laughed inwardly because it felt like an extremely childish attitude.

Until now, Jinhae had been looking at Dang Mujin and his party, including Namgung Myung, with admiration.

But I thought that Namgung Myung might be a bit of a pathetic person.

“Namgung Daehyeop. As you know, I also crossed the climax wall a while ago.”

Namgung Myung, who heard that story, lightly waved his hand.

“The peak wall? That’s not what it’s about. Passing the peak wall just means you’ve gotten a little better at swordsmanship, and your skills at killing people have gotten a little better. Being a martial artist and being inactive aren’t that important. The peak isn’t something special or great.”

The moment Namgung Myung spoke like that, Hong Geol-gae, who was walking in front, turned his head and glared at Namgung Myung.

First of all, how can you say that reaching the peak isn’t that great when you’ve been teased for four whole years for crossing the peak barrier?

Hong Geol-gae still couldn’t forget the humiliation he felt at that time.

Even Namgung Myung didn’t seem to be proud of himself as if he could climb the mountain if he crossed the climax.

Of course, Jinhae didn’t know the details.

“Then, Namgung Daehyeop, when do you think a person becomes a martial artist?”

“It’s not something that can be explained simply in words. But you will realize it someday.”

When Namgung Myung had finished talking, Hyeon Gong, who was walking in front, shouted.

“There is a village!”

Dang Mu-jin and Hong Geol-gae breathed a sigh of relief.

Unlike the story of the old man I met at the entrance of Mt. Giryeon, finding my way inside Mt. Giryeon was not an easy task.

The saying, ‘If you look for food and water, you will naturally be able to find your way’ also means, ‘You have to wander the road while constantly checking to see if there is food and water to eat.’

Anyway, now that I’ve found the village, I can rest easy.

People would not have settled down in a place without food and water. It was clear evidence that the group was on the right track.

Dang Mu-jin and his party approached the village to see where the Sapa warriors had gone.

The village was very small. There were only four houses. It was so small that it was a little embarrassing to even call it a village.

“Are you there?”

The party of Dang Mu-jin walked around the village talking like that, but not a single person was in sight.

“Has everyone gone out to work?”

As Hong Geol-gae muttered, Dang Mu-jin shook his head.

“Even if the men went out to work, the women should have stayed behind.”

In these mountain villages, there is a lot of work to do outside, but the work that needs to be done at home is also not easy. This is because all the small items that can be bought outside have to be made at home.

“It’s a little ominous.”

The ominous feeling I had been feeling for some time is slowly creeping up on me.

Dang Mu-jin went into a house and looked inside.

After a while of twisting ropes, the person disappeared, and there are vines scattered all over the house.

And there’s a faint chill. It doesn’t seem like anyone stayed there last night.

The other houses were similar. It was as if people had just disappeared from everyday life.

“There’s no one here.”

“There’s nothing to eat.”

Even Jinhae, who didn’t have much experience in the world, could guess what was going on.

Food is available on Mt. Giryeon, but it is not abundant.

There is no reason why the passing Sapa drones would not generously take away food from the people’s homes.

The question is whether the Sapha warriors killed the people living in this village.

If this had been an ordinary village near Sichuan Province or Luoyang, the Sapa warriors would not have harmed anyone.

The unspoken rule of non-interference in official duties only applies when no harm is done to ordinary people.

But Mt. Gyerim is different.

It is so remote that it is difficult to find even a single government office, and Seri cannot even come to visit.

If a small village disappears, there is no way for the authorities to notice, and there is no way to know who did it.

Not all Sapha Mujin are bloodthirsty maniacs, but it would be overly optimistic to think that among the dozens of Sapha Mujin, there wouldn’t be one who enjoys killing.

Just as Dang Mu-jin was about to leave the village, Namgung Myeong began to search the village thoroughly.

“What are you doing?”

“If you’re lucky, you might get some leftover food.”

At that time, Dang Mu-jin and his party did not have enough to eat. They could only survive for three days at most. After that, they had to survive on the food they had obtained from Mt. Giryeon.

But after a short search, what Namgung Myung found was not food.

Namgung Myung found two children hiding under the dusty floor.

A pair of siblings who look to be at most five or six years old.

Even though Hyun-gong put his hand under the floor and pulled it out, the two children did not offer much resistance.

It didn’t seem to be because they were tired or hungry, because the two children were holding dried fruit and nuts in their hands.

Children of this age grow very quickly, but the two children’s physiques were not much different. They must have been twins.

Hyun-gong spoke while holding the two children in his arms.

“You’re not even crying. What are your names?”

The girl answered in a tone that was clearly broken.

“I am Yalullan, and this is Yalulhuan.”

Dang Mujin and his party thought of Yelul Dal-eum. However, the probability of Yelul Dal-eum being related to these children was low. The surname Yelul was quite common in the North.

“Where did your parents go?”

“I don’t know. I told you to wait quietly under the floor until I took you out.”

“How many days ago was that?”

“Maybe three days?”

Hyun-gong paused for a moment, but then smiled playfully.

“Hmm. You waited under the floor for three days? You’re quite patient. You’ll become a great person later.”

“I’ve heard stories like that a lot.”

“You’re being too arrogant. I can endure it for five days.”

“Aren’t you an adult, sir?”

Yulran listened to Hyeon-gong’s story in a rather interesting way.

A confident smile appeared on Yalullan’s lips, perhaps because she thought she had won the argument.

However, Yalullan did not seem to understand what it meant for her parents to hide their young child under the floor and not return for four days.

The same thing happened to the boy named Yalulhwan. That was fortunate.

Jinhae stood a little distance away and watched how Dang Mujin and his party behaved.

It wasn’t because he thought of himself as an observer. When one person is late to join a group of four, that kind of atmosphere naturally develops.

The party exchanged glances without saying a word, then sat down on the floor in a leisurely manner.

Hyun-gong said to the two children.

“Rana. Hwan. We need a place to stay for a night. Can we stay at your house for a night?”

Jinhae raised his head to check the position of the sun. It was probably around midnight or early in the morning. It was too early to find a place to stay.

Yul-Hwan was a timid person, so he just observed things without saying anything.

Then, Yelul Lan spoke on behalf of Yelul Huan.

“You should ask Dad, not us.”

“I’m asking you because your father isn’t home. When your father isn’t home, you’re the head of the house, right?”

Yalullan hesitated for a moment, then gave permission.

“It’s okay to sleep over, but I can’t give you anything to eat.”

“Food? Don’t worry about that. We’ll take care of your food too.”

As Hyun-gong spoke like that and unpacked his backpack, the two little children’s eyes lit up.

A variety of foods popped out of Hyun-gong’s backpack. Sweet dried persimmons, fried and dried noodles, steamed and dried rice cakes, etc. These are foods that can be preserved for a long time, and are hard to find in the mountains.

“How is it? Is this enough?”

As Hyun-gong spoke, he fed dried persimmons to each child. The expressions on their faces instantly became ecstatic.

Living in the mountains, how often would they have had the opportunity to eat sweet foods? The two children did not feel the absence of their parents thanks to the overwhelming sweetness of dried persimmons.

Starting with dried persimmons, Hyungong fed the children a variety of foods. However, since most of the food was completely dried, the two children soon began to look for water.

“Umm, there’s no water left…”

An attitude as if he was going to find a stream. This time, Hong Geol-gae stepped forward and held out a bottle.

“Would you like to drink this instead of water?”

The two children put their lips to the gourd, thinking that this would be delicious food, and then made subtle expressions.

“It tastes strange.”

“It’s called grain tea. It tastes strange, but doesn’t it smell good?”

“Hmm.”

The two children swallowed the grains that Hong Geol-gae had shared. A burning sensation, like swallowing fire, spread through the children’s throats and into their stomachs.

The taste and aroma were unfamiliar yet strong. The two children felt a little nauseous.

But apart from that, the two children were interested in the cereal.

All children are attracted to stimulation. The children bravely took a sip or two.

Before long, the children’s eyes became a little cloudy.

That wasn’t the end of it. Finally, Dangmujin started playing with the two children.

Dang Mu-jin threw a spinning top to attract the children’s attention, then quickly carved a piece of wood and made a disc for the two children.

The children played busily, throwing and catching the disc. They staggered about due to a strange dizziness, but they did not stop. As if they were trying to make up for the three days of hiding quietly.

Jinhae felt a little frustrated as he looked at the sight. They didn’t have much time or food.

“Namgung Daehyeop. Don’t you have time to be leisurely like this right now?”

“There is an order to things. Just wait a moment.”

The sun sets early in the mountain village.

As the surroundings grew dark, Yalullan and Yalulhuan fell into a deep sleep without saying a word. They couldn’t even lie down, they just sat up.

Dang Mu-jin waved his palm in front of the two children to check if they had fallen asleep properly.

“Fell asleep.”

With those words, the expressions of the party members hardened. It was as if they had never smiled or played with the children before.

The party leader said.

“Jinhae. Get ready.”

“There’s no need to prepare a separate sleeping place. It seems like the Sapa bastards have taken away even the bedding.”

“I’m not telling you to get ready for bed. I’m telling you to get ready for movement.”

Dang Mu-jin looked in the direction he was walking and said.

“Before the children wake up, we must collect the villagers’ bodies and catch up with the Sapha’s unmanned men to punish them.”

Only then did Jinhae realize why Dang Mujin and his group had been playing so diligently with the children.

There are things in life that are better accomplished while children are asleep.

For example, a situation where you have to recover the body of a parent who died miserably, or a bloody fight.

Jinhae asked Dangmujin.

“Can you catch up with us today? You said the Sapa group passed by three days ago.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll run until I catch up.”

Jinhae was speechless. Dang Mujin’s plan was too bold and had no follow-up.

Could they move in one night the distance that others would take three days to move? And even while collecting the bodies of dead villagers?

And that wasn’t the end. After running like that to death, you meet and fight the Sapa drones. Most likely, you won’t have time to rest.

“This is a very bad choice. Wouldn’t it be better to take a good rest today, build up your stamina, and fight slowly?”

Jinhae looked around while talking like that. Hong Geol-gae, Namgung Myeong, and Hyeon-gong. He thought that the three people would definitely agree with his opinion.

But Jinhae’s predictions were spectacularly wrong.

Namgung Myeong was already carrying Yelul Lan on his back, and Hyeon Gong was already carrying Yelul Huan on his back.

Jinhae let out a hollow laugh.

Dang Mu-jin spoke softly.

“let’s go.”

Dang Mu-jin and his party began to run at full speed along the night road of Mt. Giryeon. Jinhae also followed behind them diligently.

Of course, it wasn’t easy. Jinhae had to stop running and throw up what he had eaten. Twice.

And before the sun rose, Dang Mu-jin and his party discovered eight Sapha warriors.

The party leader said.

“Jinhae. Take the kids and wait for a moment. It would be better to stay a little bit away so that the kids don’t wake up.”

“Are you planning to fight right now? Take a breather for a moment.”

However, Dang Mu-jin immediately answered by blasting away two flying wheels that protruded from his sleeves.