Tangmunjeon - Chapter 286



Only Noblemtl

Episode 286: Hwa Hwa No Gae

The Ark of Openness Hwahwanogae was not a particularly greedy person. However, there was one thing he had longed for throughout his life, and that was the seventh knot.

Because Hwa Hwa No Gae possessed such outstanding talent, he was able to easily reach the pinnacle of skill that others would find difficult to reach even after training their entire lives.

This happened when he was only thirty-six years old.

Although the number of open-minded people is large, the majority are in the middle of nowhere. The number of experts is not as large as the number of open-minded people.

Therefore, once the degree of openness passes the peak wall, it is considered to be on the same level as the five knots, and most people can quickly obtain the sixth knot and become a Dharmakaya.

Hwahwanogae, who had reached the peak of his power at the age of thirty-six, became Yukgyeolgae at the age of only thirty-nine.

If it were any other person, it would have been a situation where they would have looked beyond the elders and even to the ark, but Hwahwanogae knew exactly his limits.

This is because Hwa Hwa No Gae was around the same age as the outstanding figure Geol Seon Jeong Su Yu.

Before Jeong Su-yu got the nickname Geol-seon, Hwa-hwa-no-gae was sure of him the moment she saw him.

‘That guy can’t be defeated. That guy will be the ark of opening.’

Even if by some chance Hwa Hwa No Gae lives a little longer than Geul Seon, an old man who lives today and tomorrow cannot become an ark. It is virtually impossible to tie nine knots in one lifetime.

It is impossible to become a disciple of someone of similar age, and it is equally impossible to occupy the position of the successor of the eight knots.

In that case, the highest position one could rise to was that of a Seven-Knot Elder, but fortunately, Hwahwanogae was someone who could be satisfied with just seven knots.

In reality, the position of Chilgyeolgae was a great one. As an elder of the Open Church, you would be treated with respect even in the largest sects.

But here an unexpected problem arose.

One of the six existing elders would have to die or step down for Hwahwanogae to become an elder, but the line of elders was very long.

‘···When on earth are those people going to die?’

When people are just one step away from their goal, they can become swept up in a burning passion and run toward their goal.

However, if that period becomes long, impatience will arise, and after about ten years, people will start to act a little strange. And Hwahwanogae has not been able to obtain the seventh knot for over twenty years.

Due to the deprivation that continued for over twenty years, Hwahwanogae became a person who only had the seventh knot in his head whether he closed his eyes or opened them. But regardless, the elders were very healthy.

One day, when Hwa Hwa No Gae was rotting away from the inside, a stranger came to see him.

He was a man with a neat appearance, like a man of letters from a noble family, and he carried a huge sword that even a butcher wouldn’t use.

Even his skills were outstanding. Much better than Hwa Hwa No Gae, who was confident in his skills.

‘He’s a true master!’

The man who resembled a man of letters introduced himself as Gwangyeomra.

Judging by his unfamiliar nickname, it was clear that he was not a member of the Jeongpa faction, but his affiliation was not known for sure. I just assumed he was a member of the Sapa faction.

Gwangyeomra made a tempting offer to the very nervous Hwahwanogae.

“Listen, Hwahwanogae. The Jeongsa Daejeon will break out soon. If you promise to listen to my instructions once or twice then I will give you the seat of the elder.”

“Elder? Ha! If you just hold on a little longer, you’ll get a seat on your own!”

“You, didn’t you endure with that kind of thinking for over twenty years?”

“···.”

Suddenly the faces of the elders came to mind.

Elders who are in their seventies and approaching eighties, yet still remain upright. Elders who seem to have no intention of giving up their positions until they die of old age.

But Hwa Hwa No Gae did not give in to that temptation even once.

“Do you think I would betray the openness I have devoted my entire life to? That is nonsense! Get out of here!”

When Hwahwanogae shouted as if he was angry, Gwangyeomra spoke again in a calm voice.

“Betrayal? I don’t expect that. Just act clumsily once or twice, that’s enough. Just hesitate or waver for a moment when necessary. Then you can become an elder.”

“I can become an elder with my abilities! The youngest of the elders is over seventy years old!”

“Look, lifespan isn’t the only issue. When the Great War is over, are you sure you’ll still be alive?”

“···.”

It was a story that Hwahwanogae could not refute. If the Jeongsa Daejeon really happened, not only the top-class but also the best masters would die easily. Hwahwanogae also had an experience where he almost lost his life in the last Jeongsa Daejeon.

Kwangyeomra whispered again.

“I’m not asking you to hit the back of the head of another open-minded person. I’m not asking you to stab them in the back with a dagger. Just fumble around once or twice. I won’t ask for anything else. If you accept my offer, you will survive the Jeongsa War. You will not die even if you fight the Sapha warriors in the bloody battlefield, and the Sapha masters’ swords will pass you by.”

If you didn’t fall for the temptation the first time, it implies that you did fall for it the second time.

Hwahwanogae’s heart wavered.

My mind is filled with the thought that I want to become an elder before I die.

What would the life of a Chilgyeolgae be like? What would it feel like to become a Chilgyeolgae?

It will be as refreshing and blissful as the first time you scratch the itchy soles of your feet that have been bitten by bedbugs for twenty years without being able to do so.

“My… how can I believe your story?”

“We also want to leave a connection to the open world. It’s beneficial for us if you survive, isn’t it?”

The expression “we” bothered me, but the story of Gwangyeomra made sense.

Even the proposal of Gwangyeomra includes the premise of maintaining openness.

“Hmm···!”

When Hwahwanogae nodded at the end of the janggo, Gwangyeomra smiled happily.

“Okay. Stamp your palm here.”

Gwangyeomra handed me a piece of paper covered in black letters.

Hwahwanogae was blind, but he could guess what was written on the paper. It would probably be very embarrassing for the other Gae-gyo members to find out.

‘You can become an elder. As long as you don’t get caught, that’s fine.’

When Hwahwanogae dipped his palm in ink and stamped his hand, Gwangyeomra smiled in satisfaction.

“You chose well. By the time the Jeongsa War is over… no, before the Jeongsa War is even halfway over, you will have become an elder.”

“Okay, keep your promise.”

Hwahwanogae and Gwangyeomra quietly parted ways, leaving behind only a small secret agreement.

There were no problems until then.

But it was what happened after that that made things subtly twisted.

Less than a month after meeting Guangyeomra, one of the elders retired after injuring his hip joint while practicing. There was still no sign of a major war.

The other elders came and spoke to Hwahwanogae.

“Hwahwanogae. You will fill the empty spot of the King Elder.”

“Uh… Okay, I understand.”

As if that had opened the floodgates, other elders began to step down from their positions one after another. Some had to step down due to chronic illness, and others said they would take a break and stepped down from their positions.

Although Gwangyeomra had never intervened, four of the six elders had been replaced in less than half a year.

‘I’ve become an elder, but for some reason… I’m not happy.’

The fruit ripened too late, and the hwahwanogae picked the fruit too early.

Now, the only thing left in Hwa Hwa No Gae’s mind is a black handprint.

Hwahwanogae realized too late that twenty years of impatience had blinded his eyes.

If only I had endured just one more month, I could have fully enjoyed this joy.

No matter how much you regret it, once you stamp it, it will never disappear.

Even Hwahwanogae took the position of senior elder.

Then, a real war broke out, and before Hwahwanogae could intervene, Geulseon died.

So, Hwahwanogae, who was the senior elder, suddenly became an ark that was not in his fortune.

‘···life.’

Although the goal was exceeded, Hwahwanogae could not be completely happy because the process was not honest.

*

Dang Mu-jin checked on the physical condition of the Shaolin monks and Gae-bong-do who had returned to Gae-bong.

However, unlike the monks of Shaolin Temple, the Gaepodo did not easily listen to Tang Wujin’s story.

This is because they often lived lives far from the members of parliament.

“Starting from the central point to the Jiyang point and the Amun point. The acupuncture points seem to have shaken greatly. Please rest for the time being.”

Dang Mu-jin spoke to the middle-aged Gae-bok-do, but Gae-bok-do, as expected, showed no intention of easily accepting the doctor’s prescription. Gae-bok-do shook his shoulder and spoke.

“It’s okay. Thanks to living a rough life, rolling around on the streets, my body is as strong as a rock. I won’t be affected by this much. The next fight will come soon.”

“If you really want to fight, tell my story to ten people around you from now on.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can say that the party leader told you to stay calm, but you boldly ignored him and decided to go to the battlefield.”

“Why do you want me to tell you that story?”

“You should tell me that so that even if I suddenly collapse and die, people won’t think it’s my fault.”

I stared at Dang Mu-jin, wondering if the openness was a joke, but Dang Mu-jin just had an indifferent expression.

“I’m falling down?”

“Yes. You won’t fall down after being hit by a sword, but your blood and energy will mix together and you’ll fall down holding the back of your neck. There’s a good chance you’ll die on the spot after being roughly stabbed.”

“Still, about three-tenths of the population survives. I haven’t lived a good life up until now. To that extent…”

“Well, it may be a life where you can’t even tell if you’re going to shit or piss, but it’s better than death. Life is precious.”

“···How much rest do I need?”

As a doctor gains experience, it is not only his medical skills that improve. Rather, the decisive difference between a rookie doctor and an experienced doctor lies in the way he deals with patients who do not listen to him.

When necessary, Dang Mu-jin would scold or console people and check on their conditions.

Even though I checked all the people who looked fine on the outside, it took three whole days just to check their condition and prescribe a medication.

*

By the time the prescription was finished, the monks and practitioners of Shaolin Temple were ready to head north.

Of course, Dang Mu-jin and his friends, as well as Seol-hwa, mingled among the monks.

Just as the crowd began to move, Manryeokseung approached Dangmujin and Namgungmyeong.

Unlike usual, Hyun-gong stayed away for a while to teach Seol-hwa the Central Plains language.

Manryukseung said.

“Dragon. You’ve been examining patients for three days without resting and then you’re following me. Can you hold out?”

“I know my condition. I can hold out until today. I can sleep well tonight.”

“Well, you know how to see other people’s bodies so well, so you wouldn’t know your own condition.”

“By the way, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“I’ve heard that the Jeongsa War often focuses on defense rather than offense. I thought that the Gaepoong and Shaolin Temple would be the same.”

Manryeokseung nodded at Dangmujin’s story.

“That’s not a wrong idea. Until recently, Gaebong and Shaolin were quietly defending Gaebong and Sungsan.”

“Then, what made you leave Gaebong and head north?”

“Do you know that Geulseon is angry?”

“Yes.”

“The process is not clear. I decided that waiting silently was not the right answer.”

Since Manryeokseung was a rather quick-witted person, he continued his explanation without waiting for Dangmujin’s reaction.

“Not long ago, there was a big fight outside of Gaebong. We were clearly at a disadvantage, but Shaolin Temple’s support arrived in time, and we were able to drive out the Sapa warriors. Our monks at Shaolin Temple thought that the Sapa warriors would target Gaebong rather than Shaolin Temple, so they had deployed personnel around Gaebong.”

“That’s a wise decision.”

When Namgung Myung gave a positive evaluation, Manryeok Seung smiled brightly.

“Yes. It was good up to that point. However, when Geolseon, who judged that he had seized the opportunity, pursued the remnants of Sapa with two of his subordinates, the incident occurred.”

“···It seems like you followed too far.”

Namgung Myung’s voice lowered. But Manryeok Seung waved his large hand.

“That’s not true. It was only about ten or fifteen li at most. Not even an hour had passed before the rearguard followed Geol-seon and his men, but by that time Geol-seon and his two men were already dead.”

In other words, it means that someone killed Geulseon within a single meal. Namgung Myung and Dang Mujin’s expressions became serious.

Even if someone as extreme as Yoo Jin-kwang can decide the outcome in one or two breaths, the fights of other unmanned people don’t end that quickly. Also, fights of unmanned people who don’t use blades like Geul-seon tend to last even longer.

Among the martial artists in the world, how many people can kill someone as tall as Geulseon in one meal? I don’t know if there is one, but even if there is, it must be someone with incredible skills.

Namgung Myeong asked.

“By any chance, was there a formidable master among the Sapa warriors?”

“They say that the only top-notch fighter who stormed into Gaebong that day was Bloody Face Mad Wolf. Do you know Bloody Face Mad Wolf?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve heard of it.”

Dang Mu-jin and Nam Gung-myeong’s answers were different.

Namgung Myung smirked at Dang Mujin with a subtle expression, but when Dang Mujin fiddled with the ring in his sleeve, Namgung Myung quickly wiped the smile off his face.

Namgung Myung explained on behalf of Manryeok Seung.

“Actually, it’s not strange that you, Dang Mu-jin, don’t know about Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang. That author only operates in the eastern part of the Central Plains. He’s been involved in several bad incidents with Namgung Se-ga.”

“What kind of person are you?”

“He uses all kinds of magical weapons, and he’ll do anything he can to win. He once bit off an opponent’s neck and left his face covered in blood, so he was given the nickname “Blood-faced Wolf.”

It was a nickname that was difficult to understand even after hearing the explanation.

How on earth do they fight so that a master can bite off his opponent’s neck?

Dang Mu-jin asked Man-ryeok Seung.

“If he can kill Elder Geulseon in one meal, then I guess Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang’s skills are incredible.”

This time Namgung Myung answered again.

“He’s said to be a master of the highest order, so he’s not someone you can take down in an instant. However, he’s not someone who can take down a Geulsun in an instant. He’s known to be one of the lower-ranked masters.”

“Then, did you do a joint attack?”

This answer came back from Wanli Seung.

“I think so too. It must have been a plan for Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang to pretend to lose the fight and run away. He must have pretended to run away and trained with the person who was waiting for him to eliminate Geulseon.”

“Hmm.”

Of course, there was a Ssanggeukhyeolong and a Gwiwang in the northwest. There should be two super-high-level masters in the northeast to maintain balance.

When the story got to that point, other Shaolin monks called Wanli Sheng.

After lightly patting the backs of Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong, Manryeok Seung returned to the group of monks.

At that moment, the people passing by the outskirts of Gaebong were seen paying their respects to the grave covered with bare dirt.

Judging from the fact that there was no grass growing on top, it was clearly a newly built grave. It must be Geolseon’s grave. As if to confirm Dang Mujin’s prediction, Geolseon’s walking stick, shiny from the hands of his hands, was placed on top of the grave.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that if I checked Geulseon’s body, I might be able to find out a lot of things.

However, Dang Mu-jin had no intention of digging up the grave. That was something that could not be easily done even against a mortal enemy.

However, Namgung Myung was staring at Geulseon’s grave in a strange way.

Even though it was a trivial action, it sent shivers down Dangmujin’s spine. A thief and a grave.

‘Surely not, this kid···?’

However, Namgung Myung shook his head after a while. This was because even though it was just a little bit, Namgung Myung still had a human heart left.

*

On the way to the destination, Hong Geol-gae was learning Hangryong Sipaljang from Hwa Hwa No-gae.

Hong Geol-gae is not a follower, but he is one of the people who received the Hangryong Shippaljang from Geol-seon. This means that he is qualified to ask Hwa-hwa-no-gae for teachings.

Hwahwanogae thought to herself as she obediently taught Honggeolgae how to cook.

‘His movements are awkward. Is his martial arts first-class? Or is he just barely at his peak? This is the first time I’ve seen someone this awkward.’

‘Compared to my friends, it’s a bit lacking, but if you look at it objectively, it’s a pretty great achievement. It’ll be hard to get to the ark, but maybe I can become an elder in the future.’

Hwahwanogae taught Honggeolgae strictly. Hwahwanogae could only teach three of the eighteen techniques of Hangryongjang.

However, Hong Geol-gae struggled and could not even learn three basic foods.

Since he was pouring all the time he could have spent leisurely alone into Hong Geol-gae, Hwa Hwa No-gae eventually couldn’t control his irritation and scolded Hong Geol-gae.

“How can you forget in an instant what I just taught you?”

“I’m sorry. It’s still not enough…”

“It’s not a problem if you have low achievements! If you make five mistakes in a row on the same part, it means one of two things. Either your intelligence is stupid or you are not willing to accept my teachings! Which one is it?”

“Neither.”

“So are you saying that you’re deliberately pretending to be an idiot?”

Hwahwanogae harshly scolded Honggeolgae. Honggeolgae was at a loss for words even if he had ten mouths, so he clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and was at a loss.

However, Hwahwanogae thought that at first glance, he saw a faint smile on Honggeolgae’s lowered face.

‘···He’s a guy who gives off bad vibes. I need to teach him quickly and get rid of him.’