Tangmunjeon - Chapter 289



Only Noblemtl

Episode 289: Sparks

The party believed that Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang had committed a crime that deserved death, but that was not the end of his evil deeds.

A similar situation occurred in the next village.

This time, six corpses were floating among the gently bending willow branches. They were also people who had at least some contact with the Dangmujin party.

“You look like someone who’d break someone’s head with a club.”

“···Amitabha Buddha.”

In the past, when the monks of the Shaolin Temple would swear at the open-minded people, the monks of the Shaolin Temple would at least formally scold them. But now, there is no such thing.

The Shaolin Temple and the Kaifengdo took the body down from the tree and examined its condition.

“It seems like these donors haven’t been dead for long either.”

“At short, it was a day. At long, it was about a day and a half ago···.”

Since the villagers were entangled with the group and died, they could not confidently enter the village to stay overnight or get food.

The party prepared to pass straight through the village without going through it.

But unexpectedly, the villagers approached the group first. This was the first time this had happened during their trip to the north.

“Please wait a moment!”

“···What’s going on?”

He thought that the villagers would probably start cursing at him in anger, so Hwahwanogae came forward and answered the villagers. He thought that if he was going to be cursed at anyway, it would be better for him to be the one to receive the curses.

Hwahwanogae had been a beggar all his life, so he was used to being cursed at by ordinary people. Even if the villagers swung their clubs at him, he was prepared to take a few hits.

These are people who have lost their neighbors and family. If being beaten can help them feel better, then it’s not a bad idea to beat them.

But the story that came back was different from what was expected.

“Would you mind staying in our village?”

“to?”

Hwahwanogae asked back in a dazed manner.

Not only were they telling him to get out or beating him with clubs, but they were also asking him to stay in the village.

It didn’t even seem like a joke. The townspeople’s faces were filled with earnestness.

“Why do you say that?”

“The man who lost his ears killed our villagers and left, saying that he would send his men to kill ten more villagers within a few days.”

“ah···.”

If it were someone else’s story, I would have thought it was just a boast, but since it was something that Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang had already done, I couldn’t just brush it off.

“Please, protect our village so that no more people die.”

The party immediately understood why the Bloodthirsty Man had spoken like that to the villagers.

There are two reasons behind the bloodthirsty behavior.

First, he moved ahead of the group and killed the villagers because he wanted the group to pursue him impatiently.

Second, the reason he later sent his men to kill more villagers was because he wanted to prevent the party from fully conserving their power.

In order to protect the townspeople, we need to leave at least a few people in the town.

Hyun-gong clicked his tongue as he listened to the story.

“He’s ugly, but he’s also very meticulous. He’s truly a beast.”

Shin Seung spoke to his group, his back turned to the villagers.

“I’ll ask just in case. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that the Bloodthirsty Wolf is digging a trap?”

“doesn’t exist.”

“It’s good that I don’t need to explain at length. Our next task has been decided. We will select the best of the best to form a tracking team and move as quickly as possible to cut off the head of the bloodthirsty demon.”

“What about those who are not part of the tracking team?”

“Distribute it to the villages that were harmed by the Bloodthirsty Demon, and prepare for any troubles that may come. Cheongho, Cheongjin, Cheonggyeong! Follow the villagers!”

Hwahwanogae asked Shinsung.

“Leaving people behind and hastily pursuing Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang are both Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang’s tricks. Are you going to fall for both of these schemes?”

“That’s the only way to stop the harm to innocent people, so we have no choice but to tackle it head on. Does anyone have a better idea?”

Shaolin, Gaebongdo, Dangmujin and his party. Even Hwahwanogae himself, who asked Shinsung a question, did not express any objection.

The reason why the people of Jeongpa use the word ‘Jeong’ is because they make the right choice without hesitation even though they know it is a dangerous path.

In this situation, prioritizing one’s own safety and passing the risk to others is something that only a wicked person, a Sapa Muin, would do.

However, Hwahwanogae, who was listening to Shinseung’s story, became lost in thought.

‘···After all, I think it’s better for me to stay in the rear.’

Hwahwanogae was quite confident about the current situation.

When Geulseon died while chasing Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang, Gwangyeomra must have also helped out.

And if you are now part of the pursuit team and are chasing after the Bloody Face Light, there is a very high probability that you will run into the Light Flame. This is not a simple suspicion, but an area of ​​certainty.

Hwa Hwa No Gae found the situation awkward.

He hated the situation where Gwangyeomra revealed the secret pact he had made in front of people even more.

In this situation, the best option is to not encounter the Light Flame at all.

At the same time, this was also an action for the party.

Most likely, Hwahwanogae will play a role in the trap set by Gwangyeomra.

But if the Hwahwanogae isn’t there, the group won’t fall into the trap.

Just as Hwahwanogae was about to hint that he would leave the pursuit team, Shinseung continued talking without hesitation.

“The remaining task is to divide the remaining group and the pursuit group. First, the core forces of Shaolin Temple and Gaebang will be included in the pursuit group. First, me, Wanli Seung Cheonguk, and Hwahwanogae.”

“uh···.”

“Please join us, Siju. He is skilled in both martial arts and has talents that no one can replace, so he will be of great help. Namgung Siju, please come with us. Quick and quiet movements are the key to tracking. Include Gyuchogae as well. Jeongeon will also be included in the tracking team.”

The thought that there was a strange person in the middle crossed Hwahwano’s mind, but there was much more important business at the moment.

Hwahwanogae decided to endure the humiliation and shame, and spoke to Shinseung through a telegram.

– Sir, can I stay in the remaining group?

– I won’t allow it. If you leave out Gyuchogae as well, what will the Gaebongdo think? They will probably think they are being ostracized.

– but···.

– Now that you’ve become the Ark, you shouldn’t act based on your own will. You should realize that you’re now the leader of the Open. Besides, your skills are pretty good.

Suddenly receiving praise, Hwahwanogae’s mind became even more complicated.

‘Should I absolutely refuse to go? Or should I secretly tell Shin Seung what happened between me and Kwangyeomra?’

No matter how much I thought about it, both of them were far from the correct answer. If I was not careful, I might end up being labeled as a traitor and have my head exploded by Shin Seung’s tactics.

There was also a high probability that he would be suspected of colluding with Gwangyeomra and taking Geulseon’s life. If there were a hundred of them, it would be like that.

Even at the moment when Shinsung decided everything, Hwahwanogae was unable to find the correct answer.

*

“Looking at the condition of the body, it is clear that it is getting closer to the bloody face.”

“Keep moving.”

The group ran together in a group, and whenever they came across a village, they left a few people behind and started running again.

Dang Mujin was very concerned about the fact that the number of people who could fight was decreasing. When Dang Mujin expressed his secret concern, Namgungmyeong and Hyeon-gong responded. Unlike Dang Mujin, they did not seem to be worried about anything.

“Do you really need to worry? You’re moving along with Hong Geol-gae.”

“That’s right. There are times when things go wrong here and there, but the results always turn out well. Why are you suddenly so worried?”

Hong Geol-gae is an indispensable friend to Dang Mu-jin’s group, but at the same time, he is also a kind of human talisman.

A source of confidence that if you do your best, even when things seem to be going from bad to worse, good things will eventually come of it.

Hong Geol-gae’s luck was that special. It was closer to a strange phenomenon than a human talent or skill.

If you move with Honggeolgae, you can find the only inn within a hundred li in a remote mountain valley.

After wandering around and somehow reaching your destination, you realize that the path you were wandering along was actually a shortcut.

The day you enter the guest house is the day when fresh ingredients arrive, and the day you enter the bar to drink is the day when the best quality alcohol arrives. A series of big and small fortunes.

The fact that Dang Mu-jin and his party were able to remain brave throughout the fight as if they were desperate to die was partly thanks to Hong Geol-gae. They were convinced that they would not die as long as they were with Hong Geol-gae.

But lately, Dang Mu-jin has been worried. It’s because he thinks Hong Geol-gae’s luck is not what it used to be.

Even Hong Geol-gae himself didn’t seem to believe much in his own luck.

It was not long ago that Dang Mu-jin’s suspicions grew a little deeper. When he heard that Geul-seon had died.

It was a great stroke of luck that Hong Geul-gae quickly entered the realm of the super-climax, but it was also clearly a different kind of luck than in the past.

A state of ultimate bliss reached with a heart full of foolishness.

A bit of lacking luck.

And then, a little later, I heard the news of Geulseon’s death. My luck started to have a strange side effect.

However, since he did not want to dampen the spirits by talking about ominous things before an important battle, Dang Mu-jin expressed his thoughts indirectly.

“I just thought it would be right to rush in just by relying on Hong Geol-gae’s luck.”

Then Hyun-gong snorted.

“There is no need to doubt. If you take away luck from Honggeolgae, what is left?”

At first glance, it sounds like an outrageous rant.

But Hyun-gong only tells such stories when the other person is ready to listen.

As expected, Hong Geol-gae raised his chin and answered arrogantly.

“What is left? The inaction of the ‘expert’ remains.”

“Ugh!”

As Namgung Myung and Hyeon Gong chanted “Hong Hyung, Hong Hyung!” in time with the beat, Hong Geol Gae’s shoulders rose high into the sky.

In a cheerful atmosphere just like usual, Dangmujin was able to shake off his worries.

‘Well, even if there are some extra things, luck is still luck. And there’s no guarantee that Geol-seon’s case is related to Hong-geol-gae. No, how far away was it that it could have been related to Hong-geol-gae? It’s abnormal to think of all those things as being related to Hong-geol-gae.’

*

The number of people in the group slowly dwindled until only the tracking team that Shin Seung had mentioned remained. A total of seven people, including the four members of Dang Mu-jin’s group.

And soon after, the group discovered faint traces of a person and stopped walking.

There were faint footprints visible, not yet completely covered by the dust.

“Is this the footprint of the bloodthirsty madman?”

“The direction is a little strange.”

The direction of the footprints changed.

Up until now, the Bloody Face Light has been moving in the exact opposite direction to the direction that the Jeongpa Unmanned Party was moving in, but the direction of these footprints is heading towards the nearby forest.

Dang Mu-jin looked around and discovered a small lump of dirt to the right of the footprints.

Dang Mu-jin picked up the lump of dirt and examined it.

If you drop a drop or two on fine dirt, the dirt will naturally gather together to form small clumps.

The shape of this lump was exactly like that. It was about half the size of a little fingernail.

Dang Mu-jin picked up a lump of dirt, rubbed it gently with his fingertips, then held it close to his nose and sniffed it.

Since Dang Mu-jin’s sense of smell was more sensitive than that of other people, he could smell a pungent scent even from that small lump of dirt.

“It’s blood.”

Dang Mu-jin then looked at the location of the lump of dirt. It was about eighteen inches from the footsteps. The situation was pictured in Dang Mu-jin’s mind.

A man walking with a swaying gait, holding a sword in his right arm. A drop of blood on the tip of the sword falls, pulling at the surrounding dirt and slowly hardening. That’s how a lump of dirt is created.

If not, it could be blood dripping from the rag or something that covered his right ear. The wound where his ear was cut off probably hasn’t healed yet.

No matter which way you look at it, there is a high probability that it is a bloodbath.

“These footprints and blood seem to be traces of the Bloodthirsty Monk.”

Shin Seung nodded as Dang Mu Jin spoke.

“I see. I’ll follow you right away.”

The group followed the trail into the forest.

Since it was impossible to know where the opponent would pop out, the seven people’s movements were extremely cautious. Even their breathing was barely audible.

Thanks to this, the night grasshoppers were able to continue singing without being startled. The sound of the grasshoppers, so loud it hurts your ears, could be heard without stopping.

It was important that the sound of insects could be heard continuously in the forest. When a person approached the forest, the sound of insects was the first to disappear.

Conversely, if the sound of insects doesn’t stop, it’s hard to notice that someone is approaching.

How long did it take to walk like that?

Suddenly, Namgung Myung stopped the group and whispered.

“Stop.”

“Is there something?”

“There are people.”

Namgung Myung pointed with his finger in the darkness, but there was nothing to see.

A dark night, with a faint crescent moon. There were no campfires, of course, and the surroundings were obscured by numerous trees. If anything could be seen, it would be strange.

I just thought that there must be someone there because Namgung Myung’s voice was full of confidence.

Hwahwanogae asked in a trembling voice.

“···How can you see through this darkness?”

“Anyone who is a member of the Namgung Sega family has this level of vision.”

Of course, it was nonsense, but since the only Namgung Se-ga member present said so, it couldn’t be helped.

Shin Seung asked Nam Gung Myeong.

“Can you tell who is in the dark?”

“I’ll go a little closer and check.”

“Please. You are the best at detecting human presence in the dark…”

Namgung Myung walked more cautiously than before. He could not even hear the sound of his footsteps on tree branches or old fallen leaves.

Looking closely, Namgung Myung’s feet were not crushing the fallen leaves. Namgung Myung was literally walking on fallen leaves.

Shin Seung and Wan Li Seung were amazed.

“···Were Namgung Se-ga’s secret methods that secret and light? I knew that Namgung Se-ga’s infinite methods were fast and solid, but they were not calm and their changes lagged behind.”

“I just found out. It’s like your vision expands at unexpected moments.”

Namgung Myung did not approach the opponent, but stood at a considerable distance and observed him carefully.

A white rag was visible wrapped around the head, including where the right ear had been.

‘It seems like a bloodshot eye.’

Namgung Myung approached closer and was about to swing his sword, but then changed his mind.

It would be best to leave the rest to Dang Mu-jin. Dang Mu-jin could throw a flying wheel through the dense trees and cut off the sleeping Hyeolmyeon Gwangrang’s head.

The sound of cicadas was still loud. Namgung Myung carefully turned around.

He saw the eyes of his companions looking at him in the darkness. There were seven of them. Fourteen eyes.

When he thought about it that way, Namgung Myung felt a deep sense of discomfort.

‘There are seven people in the group, including me?’

While Namgung Myung was a little further away, it was clear that someone had moved secretly and approached the group.

Then, a faint crescent moon appeared, shining brightly on a large blade.

Namgung Myung took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

“Watch out! Behind me!”

With Namgung Myung’s shout, a large blade moved. The sword was aiming for Shin Seung.

In life and death situations, there are many situations where you have to rely on your other senses to avoid a sword that you missed with your eyes. Experienced warriors can avoid it just by hearing the sound of the blade cutting through the wind.

If he was a new monk, he would be able to dodge even if a sword was swung from behind. Namgung Myeong believed so.

But from the huge blade, only a whistling sound, or a sound like the chirping of insects, could be heard.

The sound of the sword cutting through the wind was faint, and to make matters worse, it was hidden beneath the false sounds of insects.

That’s why Shin Seung had no choice but to sense the sword approaching through his skin instead of his hearing. Through the faint pressure of the wind touching his skin, and the sensation of the blade digging into his skin.

A huge blade pierced Shin Seung’s back.