Tangmunjeon - Chapter 306



Only Noblemtl

Episode 306: The Heavenly Dog Hong-Gyeon

Namgung Myung answered with a dismissive tone.

“Hong-Gyeon? Oh, umm! I think you’re talking about that opening of the two-way bridge.”

“Yes. I thought you would know about it, since you were the most talked about contestant in this year’s competition.”

“Of course I know. Is your next opponent Hong Gyeon?”

“No, that’s not it. But I’m sure we’ll meet at the tournament, so I’d like to get some advice in advance.”

“Don’t worry too much. Hong Gyeon is developing at a frightening rate… Hmm. Okay. He’s developing, but your martial arts are more advanced.”

Of course, this story was based on the inaction that Hong Geol-gae has shown so far.

Most people would have found some comfort in just a positive outlook, but Namgung Hyun was very cautious. To the point where he seemed a little timid.

“Those who were defeated by Hong Gyeon earlier must have thought the same thing and entered unarmed.”

“···.”

Namgung Hyun’s attitude was very serious. It was not a light consolation, but the attitude of someone who truly needed a way to defeat Hong Gyeon.

Because of this, Namgung Myung was in an awkward position. He had to choose between his cousin and his friend.

However, Namgung Myung’s heart leaned towards Hong Geol-gae.

A cousin that you’ve known for years. Even a cousin that you haven’t seen in years feels closer to Hong Geol-gae, who you’ve been through thick and thin with for the past few years. Sometimes, there are things that are thicker than blood.

While he was thinking about it for a while, Namgung Myung realized something important.

‘···No. There’s no need to worry about it.’

I was overlooking a very important point: the difference in skill between Namgung Hyun and Hong Geol-gae was so great that it was serious.

No matter what advice Namgung Myung gives to Namgung Hyeon, in the end, the winner is Hong Geol-gae.

Even if he were really lucky, Namgung Hyun wouldn’t be able to beat Hong Geol Gae. If he were to land a single hit, it would be considered a miracle.

Also, even if Hong Geol-gae were to get hit by Namgung Hyeon, it was unlikely that Hong Geol-gae would get angry at Namgung Myeong. Hong Geol-gae is a pretty generous guy by nature.

Yes, it was a situation where I could comfortably give advice to my cousin.

Only then did Namgung Myung’s heart feel lighter.

“I don’t know how much time I have, but I will do my best to help you. We are both members of the Namgung family, and we are blood relatives.”

“Thank you. Thank you!”

Namgung Hyeon looked visibly moved, as if he had not expected Namgung Myung to come forward so readily.

Namgung Myung said with a smile.

“But there is something you must keep in mind first. Victory is not the goal, it is just a byproduct of the path you take.”

“yes?”

“It’s great if you win, but even if you lose by any chance, it doesn’t mean your efforts were in vain.”

Of course, I didn’t forget to prepare myself mentally for the coming defeat.

*

Two days later, Hong Geol-gae arrived at Bimujang again after changing his face using the reverse technique.

I didn’t remember who my opponent was this time, because it was completely unimportant information.

As Hong Geol-gae slowly relaxed and sat down to wait, a woman approached him with a quiet step and handed him a small tray. The tray was filled with simple, appetizing snacks and tea.

“Hong Gyeon Daehyeop. I hope you do well in this match.”

“Oh, yes.”

As Hong Geol-gae accepted the tray, the woman gave a brief greeting and then walked away.

Hong Geol-gae smiled happily.

‘It seems like only the best ones are left, so I guess they’re even giving us snacks?’

Hong Geol-gae is not a person who refuses to eat, nor is he a person who questions trivial things.

That’s why Hong Geol-gae ate the snack right away. It was sweet and delicious.

But after drinking the tea, I felt something strange. A faint feeling began to spread in my stomach.

‘poison?’

When I think about it, the very situation of providing food during a non-competition feels strange. Who would provide food right before a fierce fight?

At that moment, the announcer’s voice was heard from afar.

“Okay, players, enter!”

Hong Geol-gae scratched his head for a moment, then put down the tray and entered the stadium.

People enthusiastically called out Hong Gyeon’s name.

“Heavenly dog ​​Hong-gyeon! Heavenly dog ​​Hong-gyeon!”

“I bet everything on you today too!”

Hong Geol-gae’s popularity among gamblers has grown beyond recognition. It was Hong Geol-gae who caused huge losses to gamblers, but wasn’t it also Hong Geol-gae who recovered those losses?

It felt like I had tasted the depths of hell and then returned to earth under Hong Geul-gae’s guidance.

It was only natural that I would root for Hong Geul-gae.

Of course, there were more gamblers who bet on the opposite side of Hong Geol-gae until the end and lost all their money.

However, since these people had already lost all of their money, they did not come to the non-contest venue and could not express their anger towards Hong Geol-gae.

In any case, the majority of gamblers remaining in the non-sports arena can be said to be Hong Geol-gae’s ardent supporters.

What’s unfortunate is that Hong Geul-gae’s odds of winning have dropped significantly.

The host introduced the two participants.

“The contestant who is at the center of attention, Hong Gyeon of Juulchon!”

“The opponent is Oh Joong-heup of the Baekryong Swordsman, a man who also performed well in the last martial arts competition!”

Oh Joong-heup of Baekryong Swordsman stared intently at Hong Geol-gae’s face, then smiled brightly.

Just by looking at that smile, I could tell right away whose trick it was to poison the tea.

‘As expected, it was that guy’s doing.’

The host shouted after introducing the two contestants.

“I’ll do it, Bimoo Shijaaaaaaaah!”

Oh Joong-heup, confident of his victory, ran fiercely toward Hong Geol-gae.

Hong Geol-gae suppressed the poison in his stomach from spreading further and responded by gently pushing Oh Joong-heup’s wrist and arm.

“Ahem, you’re holding up pretty well!”

However, Oh Joong-heup did not care that his attack was blocked and attacked Hong Geol-gae with even more ferocity.

Rather than Oh Joong-heup’s swordsmanship being used to inflict fatal wounds on Hong Geol-gae, it was used to force Hong Geol-gae to move a lot.

The more you move your body, the faster the poison spreads.

Oh Joong-heup whispered.

“You’ll probably feel the strength draining from your limbs. If you abstain quietly now, you won’t get seriously hurt.”

“What kind of poison was it?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a life-threatening poison. Just abstain.”

Hong Geol-gae chuckled.

Any person would have been troubled by the poisonous air spreading from his stomach, but this was not the case for Hong Geol-gae.

Of course, Hong Geol-gae did not learn the poison technique.

However, because he traveled with Dang Mujin, Hong Geol-gae had been poisoned many times. It wasn’t the first or second time that Dang Mujin had leaked poison into the air while fighting the enemy.

It wasn’t just when they were fighting that he was poisoned. There were several times when Dang Mu-jin secretly poured poison in front of Hong Geol-gae’s nose because he snored so loudly.

In other words, it could be said that Hong Geol-gae was skilled at expelling poison.

Moreover, the poison in the tea was child’s play compared to the poison in the Dangmujin.

The way he read the text was also incredibly clumsy.

The poison did not mix with the blood and swirl throughout the body, nor did it release the deep poison into the air and fill the lungs.

The poison that entered my stomach, mixed in with the drink I barely had.

If you look closely, Oh Jung-heup’s mistake was only one.

The fact that Hong Geol-gae judged his ability to resist poison based on his own standards.

Sigh-

Hong Geol-gae shook off Oh Joong-heup and took a deep breath.

The poisonous air that had been spreading out from inside my stomach reversed and gathered inside my stomach again.

Then, the poisonous air that had gathered in his stomach mixed with gastric juice and rose up Hong Geol-gae’s throat.

Kaaak- Phew.

Hong Geul-gae spat on the floor.

The color of the saliva was not transparent but bluish.

Oh Joong-Heup’s face turned pale as he confirmed the color of the saliva. It is not something that an ordinary person with great skills can do to simply gather up the poisonous aura.

However, Hong Geol-gae did not immediately attack Oh Joong-heup, but rather looked around as if he was being pushed back as if he was cornered. He saw a flimsy wooden stick rolling around on the edge of the unarmed area.

‘That would be nice.’

Hong Geol-gae used both hands to spread his sword and pushed Oh Jung-heup away, then picked up a wooden stick and opened his eyes halfway.

What followed were subtly slow and languid gestures and a sudden change in momentum.

The audience jumped to their feet and shouted in excitement.

“Hong Gyeon’s mood suddenly changed!”

“Why did you pick up a stick? Didn’t Hong-Gyeon only learn the recommended method?”

“I guess I’ve reached enlightenment today too! This time it was enlightenment through the Dharma!”

“Well, openness is a sealing method after all!”

A tone of speech that makes it seem like it is natural for a martial artist to gain enlightenment every day.

It’s nonsense no matter who hears it.

However, if the main character is Hong-Gyeon, a heavenly dog, there is something strangely convincing about it.

If a person enters the realm of first-class mastery and surpasses the peak wall in three days, even if he picks up a stick and awakens the magic, he will think, ‘Is that so…? Well, that could be possible.’

Oh Joong-heup trembled in fear. He could see himself and the people who had sacrificed themselves in front of Hong-gyeon.

Hong Geol-gae raised both his hands and showed them to Oh Jung-heup. His right hand was holding a wooden club, and his left hand was bare.

“I’ll give you a choice. Left? Right?”

Oh Joong-heup thought about it for a moment and then chose Hong Geol-gae’s left hand.

“You’re smart.”

After the three herbivores exchanged blows, Hong Geol-gae’s left fist struck Oh Jung-heup’s Cheonnyeong-gae.

“Heavenly dog ​​Hong-gyeon! Heavenly dog ​​Hong-gyeon!”

The crowd’s cheers filled the stadium.

*

Hong Geol-gae’s next opponent was unable to overcome the pressure and gave up. I heard that it was the person who lost to Oh Joong-heup in the last non-competition.

In this way, ‘Hong Gyeon’s’ advancement to the finals was confirmed, and Dang Mu-jin and his party were able to leisurely watch Nam Gung-hyeon’s match.

Namgung Hyun’s opponent was Jinju Eon-ga’s Unbaek-gon. The man who asked Dang Mu-jin and his party if they would participate in the martial arts competition when they first arrived in Muchang.

Unbaek Gon made it to the semifinals with a strong body and a strong fighting style, but his skills were not up to Namgung Hyeon’s.

However, Namgung Hyeon did not become impatient, but very slowly and persistently widened the gap. His swordsmanship felt closer to Hyeon-gong than to Namgung Myeong.

The party leader spoke.

“Namgung Myeong.”

“why?”

“Isn’t Cheonjusan, where Namgung Se-ga is located, not that far from Muchang? Why is only Namgung Hyeon participating in the non-competition?”

The average skill level of Namgung Se-ga’s martial arts is very high.

There was no restriction that only one person from each family could participate, so if they put their mind to it, the Namgung family’s later indices could occupy several of the top positions.

However, Namgung Myung gave an unexpected answer.

“Rather, it is unusual for even one person to participate.”

“huh?”

“It’s rare for a Namgung family member to participate in a martial arts competition. It would be a little happy if they won, but there’s too much to lose if they don’t.”

“What do you have to lose? If you spend some time gaining some experience in martial arts, isn’t it a gain even if you don’t win?”

“No. It means that the Namgung family’s reputation has been diminished.”

Namgung Hyeon was slowly pushing Unbaek Gon and solidifying his victory.

“Namgung Se-ga claims to be the best swordsman in the world. If you go to a martial arts competition like you said, it won’t be hard to win. In fact, that’s the problem.”

“What problem?”

“If they win, it’s a win, but if they don’t, it’s a loss. People will think it’s natural for Namgung Se-ga to win, but if Namgung Se-ga doesn’t win, they’ll think, ‘Namgung Se-ga was defeated.’”

Hong Geol-gae recalled the moment when he found Namgung Hyeon at the reception desk. As soon as Namgung Hyeon appeared at the reception desk, the people split up to make way for him.

The other contestants were a little disappointed and lowered their goal to second place. As if Namgung Se-ga’s review index had been revealed, it was natural for Namgung Se-ga to win.

“Namgung Sega must always stay one level higher than others. Rather, because Namgung Sega did not participate in the non-competitive tournament, outsiders realized that even if they won the non-competitive tournament, they would not be able to reach Namgung Sega’s stronghold.”

Hong Geol-gae asked Namgung Myeong.

“Then why did Namgung Hyun participate in the non-competition?”

“There are some parts that are a bit off-putting, though…”

As Namgung Myung left without finishing his story, Hong Geol-gae grumbled.

“If anything comes to mind, just say it. Don’t just try to ruin the mood.”

“No. It’s not important.”

Hong Geol-gae, as seen by Namgung Myung, was a man with a broad mind and who was good at understanding other people’s circumstances. He even took it for granted that he would take a step back for the sake of others.

It was the same in this non-competition. Hong Geol-gae was the one who thought it was natural for him not to participate in the non-competition for the ridiculous reason that his skills were too excellent.

If Namgung Myung were to explain Namgung Hyun’s situation in detail now, it was obvious as day that the weak-hearted Hong Geol-gae would either abstain or secretly give in to Namgung Hyun.

Dang Mu-jin, Namgung Myeong, and Hyeon-gong hoped that Hong Geol-gae would be able to show off to his heart’s content at least once.

It was in that context that Hong Geol-gae was secretly pushed to participate in the martial arts competition alone.

Actually, Hong Geul-gae has been looking very happy recently, so it can be said that the plan has worked out well in many ways.

Namgung Myung said to Hong Geol-gae.

“Any warrior of the Namgung family who walks the path of the emperor should be happier with a defeat obtained through full force than a victory obtained through pity. I will tell you the rest of the story later, so you just defeat Namgung Hyeon coolly.”

As expected, Hong Geol-gae was at a loss.

“···There won’t be any problems, right?”

“That’s not the case. It’s just a matter of pride. And even if your opponent has his own circumstances, that’s not something you should consider. If you can win just because you want it so badly, even if you don’t have the skills, then would that be a non-competitive event?”

“Is that so?”

Only then did Hong Geol-gae nod his head in relief.