Tangmunjeon - Chapter 281



Only Noblemtl

Episode 281: The Sixth Heavenly King

After moving along the ridge of Mt. Gyeran for quite some time, Dang Mu-jin and his party were able to meet the herbalist and the Yelul siblings again.

The herbalist asked with a voice that contained subtle tension.

“Did that… work go well?”

“It’s been resolved somehow. Some people survived and escaped, but they will never set foot on Mount Qilian again.”

Only then did the herbalist breathe a sigh of relief.

If Dang Mu-jin and his party had fled, the Sapa warriors would have come again and ravaged Mt. Giryeon.

The herbalist and the Yalul siblings were lucky enough to survive. There is no guarantee that luck will come twice.

The group returned to the village where the fight had taken place and recovered the body of an unknown old woman.

The reason he had no choice but to refer to her as an unknown old woman, even though there was a herbalist next to her, was because the herbalist, who claimed to be his disciple, did not know the old woman’s real name.

It was a bit of a shame to just collect the body and leave, so Dang Mu-jin searched the old woman’s residence thoroughly and took several unidentified pills.

‘It would be better to take care of the country rather than throw it away. It’s not like other people can gain anything from this elixir.’

I didn’t feel guilty. I thought I had taken revenge on the old woman by killing the twin blood demon, so I was worthy of taking the elixir.

Of course, it was Hong Geol-gae, not Dang Mu-jin, who took the life of the Ssanggeukhyeol-ong, but it was not a particularly important matter.

Dang Mu-jin asked the herbalist.

“What are you going to do from now on?”

The herbalist answered immediately.

“I plan to stay in Mt. Giryeon.”

“There probably aren’t many people left in Mt. Giryeon. Are you okay?”

“There were not many people in Mt. Giryeon from the beginning. Besides, you said that there would be commotion in the outside world in the future, such as the Jeongsa War and the Jeongma War?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, it would be even better to stay in Gyerim Mountain. This time, the situation has become so strange that the martial artists have flocked to Gyerim Mountain, but outsiders rarely enter Gyerim Mountain. The martial artists even less so. After all, Gyerim Mountain is the safest place in the world.”

The story of staying deep in the mountains to avoid fire.

In normal times, I would have said that there was no connection between the Jeongsa Daejeon and the lives of ordinary people, but I couldn’t say that now. Hadn’t the herbalist already suffered once?

“···Okay, I understand. Take care of yourself.”

“I owe you a lot. Come back again anytime.”

Dang Mu-jin and his party left the herbalist behind and headed out of Gyeran Mountain with the Yelul siblings.

*

Naturally, the village where the Ssanggeukhyeolong and the Ghost King were located was not the last village where the Sapha warriors stayed. The Tang Mujin party had to go through two more small fights to escape from Giryeon Mountain.

However, what bothered Dang Mu-jin and his party the most was not the fight with the Sapa warriors.

Rather, what caused the group the most pain was Hong Geol-gae’s attitude.

Hong Geol-gae was constantly fussing with every move.

“I must eat like a master. Since what I eat makes me a person, I should be able to gain enlightenment through my meals.”

“Rest is also a part of training. Let’s close our eyes like a master and observe our inner selves.”

Of course, the master that Hong Geol-gae was talking about was a master at the pinnacle. According to Hong Geol-gae’s standards, a master at the pinnacle was a lowly achievement that could not even be called a master.

Dang Mu-jin sighed silently.

‘···Finally, Hong Geul-gae is ruined.’

Unlike Hyun-gong and Nam-gung-myeong, who had serious flaws, Hong-geol-gae was a guy who didn’t have any human problems.

But now that I look at it, Hong Geol-gae wasn’t normal either.

‘Nana Namgung Myung didn’t make as much noise as I did.’

Dang Mu-jin and Namgung Myeong would only make a fuss and tease Hong Geol-gae when they had the chance.

But Hong Geol-gae was a man who would make a fuss even if it meant creating an opportunity.

‘It’s not that he was a humble person, but he just couldn’t find a chance to make a fuss?’

I couldn’t tell if it was because he had a natural tendency to meddle, or if his personality was warped by his friends’ long deception. But either way, the result was the same.

Dang Mu-jin covered the ears of the Yal-yul siblings and calmed his mind.

‘I’m the only sane person now. I need to come to my senses too.’

*

It was only two days after the last battle that Dang Mu-jin and his party were able to escape from Mt. Giryeon.

Outside of Mt. Giryeon, three warriors from the Jeomchangpa and other sects were waiting.

However, there were slightly fewer people than when I entered Mt. Giryeon. It seems that there were sacrifices.

When Dang Mu-jin and his party appeared, Seon Woo-ja of the Hwasan faction greeted them happily.

“You arrived just in time. We were planning on going in if you didn’t come out by today.”

Although Dang Mu-jin was quite tired, he answered politely and gave a winning answer.

“I’m glad it’s not too late.”

“Let’s see… Fortunately, it seems like no one lost their lives. I was worried that there might have been a Ghost King or a Ssanggeuk Blood King on that route.”

“There was.”

“Hmm?”

“There was a ghost king and a twin-eyed blood prince.”

A look of doubt appeared on Seonwooja’s face.

Although the party led by Dang Mu-jin was a bit more shabby and dressed in tatters than those who had taken other routes, no one had sustained serious injuries that could have hindered their movement.

If I had encountered the Twin Blood King and the Ghost King, I wouldn’t have been able to escape in such good health.

Seonwooja looked around, wondering what was going on.

“What the heck is going on… Hmm!”

And the moment she discovered Hong Geol-gae, who was pretending to be humble but secretly straightening his shoulders, Seon Woo-ja’s eyes widened. This was because she felt that Hong Geol-gae’s atmosphere had changed a little.

It doesn’t feel as mature as when you see a young master or a young bojin. However, there is something that clearly sets it apart from an ordinary peak master.

“Gyuchogae. No way… Did you achieve anything?”

Seonwooja’s voice trembled.

It may have been different if the other three members of Dang Mu-jin’s party had advanced to the next level, but it was because they didn’t think that Hong Geol-gae, whose presence was lacking, would reach the realm of transcendence first.

Hong Geol-gae bowed his head slightly, still keeping his shoulders straight, and took the prize.

“I’ve only just begun to grasp the thread of ignorance.”

At first glance, it was a very humble story, but Dang Mu-jin and his party noticed the subtle meaning contained in the story.

‘Only by reaching the realm of the super-peak can you grasp the thread of ignorance, so you peak-level idiots…’ is the sinister intention.

If someone with moderate ability humbles himself, it is humility, but if someone with moderate ability humbles himself more than necessary, it becomes deception.

Hong Geol-gae was secretly deceiving almost everyone in this place.

The only exception was Yoo Jin-kwang.

However, other unmanned personnel, including Seonwooja, did not notice such intentions.

I just accepted that this young man named Gyu-Cho-Gae had achieved so much at such a young age, yet he was consistently humble.

*

The Jongnam faction and Cheongseong faction lost Jangmun-in in this Jeongsa Daejeon, and suffered great losses in other forces. They were not even able to stop the Gwiwang. The result was not enough to be called a complete victory.

However, since they inflicted more damage on the Sapa warriors and defeated the Ssanggeukhyeolong, it can be said that overall, it was closer to a victory than a defeat.

In other words, it can be said that the sects in the northwestern part of the Central Plains played their roles to some extent in this Jeongsa War. Those who played a major role in this Jeongsa War will become widely known throughout the Central Plains.

“That’s it. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Perhaps judging that the situation was settled, the three unmanned members of the Jeomchang faction, including Yoo Jin-kwang, returned straight to the Jeomchang faction without even giving a speech.

The masters of Cheongseongpa also headed to Cheongseongpa.

Jinhae revealed to the Taoist monks of Cheongseongpa his intention to take the Yalul siblings to Cheongseongpa, and the Taoist monks of Cheongseongpa respected Jinhae’s opinion.

This was a satisfactory result for the party leader. I wonder if I will be able to meet the two little ones I have grown attached to in Sacheon.

Two little kids were seen waving their hands while being loved by the masters of Cheongseongpa. Dangmujin also waved his hand at the two little kids.

Now what’s left are the Jongnam faction, the Hwasan faction, and the Mudang faction.

In fact, Dang Mu-jin wanted to head to Sacheonseong with the Taoists of Cheongseongpa.

However, since they had come this far, Hyun-gong’s strong insistence on returning to Mudangpa and meeting Yeongbo Jin-in distorted the destination of Dang Mu-jin and his party.

‘It seems like he wants to brag to Yeongbo Jin about his performance in this Jeongsa Daejeon.’

Even the party leader can take that into account. The route may be a bit longer, but it will only last for a few days.

*

After passing through Jongnampa and Hwasanpa, we finally headed to Mt. Mudang.

Hyun-gong approached Hong-geol-gae and whispered in a low voice.

“Brother Hong.”

“Hyung? What a title… Ahem!”

From the exact moment that the twin blood lord died, Hyeon-gong became extremely polite in front of Hong-geol-gae. It was also from that time that his title changed to Hong-hyung.

Hong Geol-gae was two years younger than Hyeon-gong, but that didn’t matter to Hyeon-gong at all.

Even if you are young, you can become a king and lead your subjects, and even if you are young, you can become a head of a clan or a chieftain and lead a family or a school.

In the same vein, Hyun-gong’s guiding principle was that no matter how old you are, if you have the ability, you can be called a big brother and be respected.

Hong Geul-gae waved his hand awkwardly.

“Don’t call me hyung. It makes me feel weird. Besides, you’ve been speaking to me in a strangely formal way lately, and that’s also a bit strange.”

“Then I’ll speak comfortably. If you feel uncomfortable calling me Hong-hyung… Should I call you Hong Bang-ju?”

Hong Geol-gae was startled.

“An ark!”

However, Hyun-gong spoke to Hong-geol-gae with a calm expression.

“The current Lord of the Open Ark, Geulseon, has not yet chosen a successor, but since he is old, he will likely step down from his position in a few years at the most. And Geulseon will not designate someone else as his successor or successor. You are the next Lord of the Ark.”

“That’s true. But I’ve already heard the term ‘ark’…”

“You’re the Seventh-Generation. It’s okay to have that much confidence. Just don’t say that in front of other people.”

“Hmm.”

The history of the Six Heavenly Kings is a complex one. As far as Dang Mujin knows, there have been many masters born and died, but the Six Heavenly Kings have maintained their numbers for quite some time.

Although the Six Lords of the Gongdongpa, the Infinite One, died, Yoo Jin-gwang rose to the peak and became the Six Lords again.

Wanli Sheng was about to reach the pinnacle of his power and become the Seven Lords, but Yeonghuz died and he became the Six Lords again.

And this time, Hong Geul-gae reached his peak without any casualties.

The era of the Seven Heavenly Kings has finally begun.

Dang Mu-jin and Nam Gung-myeong stood a little distance away, arms linked, thinking deeply.

It was a story with no sense of reality whatsoever.

‘···Is it true that he’s called Chiljon? He might become an open ark someday? Does that make sense?’

On the other hand, Hong Geol-gae was moved by Hyeon-gong’s story and imagined himself as the ark.

Not even ten years had passed since the day I left Juulchon with Dangmujin and Goeui.

If you become an ark of openness and return to Juulchon with openness like a cloud, how will people view you?

Hong Geol-gae looked at the rope around his waist.

‘If it’s an ark, it has nine knots, right?’

A situation where a beggar with three knots that no one acknowledges might turn into a real nine knots.

Beyond regaining control of the Chongqing Buntaju, he may now rule over the entire Gaepo area.

Hong Geol-gae seriously thought about what good liquor to offer at Ma Jeon-gae’s grave.

Hyun-gong added one more word in a serious voice.

“Hong Bang-ju. When do you plan on going to Gaebong?”

Gaebong is the place where the opening of the universe takes place. It is the home of opening.

“It’s opening… There’s no need to rush.”

“We should hurry. If it were me, I would go to Gaebong and show Geolseon the true nature of Hangryong Shippaljang. If Geolseon gains enlightenment after seeing your Hangryong Shippaljang, it will be of great help in overcoming the coming tribulation.”

Dang Mu-jin, who was listening to the story, shuddered. This was because he felt that Hyun-gong’s flattery transcended the realm of humanity.

Even Hyun-gong’s flattery is different from that of other flatterers.

Unlike flatterers who laugh inwardly and sweetly talk, Hyeon-gong’s flattery is filled with considerable sincerity.

Hong Geol-gae has no tolerance for this kind of flattery. The corners of Hong Geol-gae’s mouth twitched.

But Hong Geol-gae desperately regained his composure.

“···No. Since Geulseon is always wandering around, it would be difficult to meet Geulseon even if you go to Gaebong. Besides, Geulseon is the one who taught me Hangryong Shippaljang, so it makes no sense for him to gain enlightenment after seeing my Hangryong Shippaljang.”

“There’s a reason why they say, ‘the blue bird follows the red bird’.”

The moment he heard those four letters, Namgung Myung, who was calming down next to Dang Mujin, also trembled.

*

Finally, the group arrived at Mt. Wudang. The accompanying Wudang sect members also brightened up.

‘The atmosphere is different than before.’

Dang Mu-jin and his party had been to Mt. Mudang quite a few times, so they were familiar with the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of Mt. Mudang.

But now, it’s a little different from back then.

To make matters worse, instead of just the usual shamans wandering around, there were a few people I had never seen before from the shaman sect, like beggars.

They weren’t even ordinary beggars. They were open-minded people who had mastered martial arts.

Among them, Dang Mu-jin found Gae-bok-do with a special atmosphere. He had a large mole next to his nose, but he also had a long and handsome beard like that of a Taoist.

However, their clothing and behavior were more shabby than those of other open countries.

Dang Mu-jin looked at him and found a rope around his waist.

‘One, two, three… seven knots?’

Among the people who had seen the opening of Dangmujin, the highest-ranking person, excluding Geulseon, was Daepunggae Pangcheon. He was the Dharmakaya of the six knots.

Dang Mu-jin whispered to Hong Geol-gae.

“If there are seven knots, what is the rank?”

“elder.”

The eighth position of the successor is vacant, so the elders should be considered as the joint second-in-command of the opening. If Hong Geol-gae receives the successor position, he will become the joint third-in-command.

Hyun-gong muttered in a discontented voice.

“You treacherous people! It looks like the next ark is coming, so they’ve already come to line up. Hong Bangju. You shouldn’t be swayed by such treacherous people in the future. Do you understand?”

“Oh, of course.”

Hong Geol-gae’s nose rose high into the sky.

However, Dang Mu-jin thought that Hyun-gong’s story was nonsense.

Dang Mu-jin and his party moved from Mt. Giryeon to Mt. Mudang without delay.

It is said that the schedule was delayed due to the Jongnam faction and the Hwasan faction, but it was only for two or three days.

It’s not like the people who heard the rumor are already flocking in.

Dang Mu-jin approached the open elder and asked.

“Hello. May I, a junior in the martial arts world, ask you a question?”

The beggar looked at Dang Mu-jin and asked.

“Your junior. Who are you?”

“My name is Dang Mu-jin.”

“If it’s Dang Mu-jin… Ah! It’s the head of the Dang family in Sacheon-seong!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The elder stood up from his seat and looked at Dang Mu-jin’s eye level. This meant that he did not consider Dang Mu-jin to be his inferior.

“You come to Mt. Mudang and get to see a celebrity. You’re lucky, I guess. Oh, by the way, what was it you wanted to ask?”

“By any chance, what brings you to Mt. Mudang? It seems like you didn’t come here for no reason…”

“Because something big happened in the opening.”

As soon as he heard that story, Hong Geol-gae’s pride rose even higher.

How many things in the world can a person who is neither a slacker nor a wise man, or even an elder of openness, say are of great importance?

Dang Mu-jin also shook his head slightly.

“As expected, it’s open. They say news is fast, but I didn’t know it would be this fast.”

“It was something I couldn’t not know.”

And the open elder brought up a story that the party leader had not expected.

“Who would have thought that Geulseon would be murdered?”