Tangmunjeon - Chapter 309



Only Noblemtl

Episode 309 Namgung Hyeon

I ate dinner, but it was too early to go to bed.

Dang Mu-jin was sitting in the guest room and wasting time chatting. He didn’t want to go into his room and spend time alone.

Other people had similar circumstances.

Hyun-gong was lost in thought, Yang and Yeom were having a heated discussion about medicine, and Seol-hwa was eavesdropping on the other guests talking in the guest house. It seems that the effort was not in vain, as Seol-hwa’s ears were opening up quite a bit these days.

As time passed like that, the inn door opened with a loud noise.

Suddenly-

“Dangmujin!”

It was Namgung Myung’s voice. Dang Mujin turned his head with a cold expression and looked at Namgung Myung.

“Why again?”

But before the answer could come back, Dang Mu-jin jumped up from his seat.

This is because he noticed that someone was being carried on Hong Geol-gae’s back. An adult man being carried by another person only happens when his life is in danger.

The guests in the guest house were in an uproar.

“What is it? Is it a corpse?”

“No way. You wouldn’t have brought a corpse…”

Hong Geol-gae put Namgung Hyeon down on the table, and Namgung Myeong briefly explained the situation.

“It feels like I swallowed poison.”

“You don’t know what kind of poison it is?”

Namgung Myung nodded.

Of course, Dang Mu-jin wasn’t disappointed at all. If he had known, it would have been strange.

Dang Mu-jin immediately spread out his right index and middle fingers and inserted them deep into Namgung Hyeon’s throat. Even though he was unconscious, Namgung Hyeon’s throat began to shake and he began to vomit out what was in his stomach. Fortunately, there was no food, and only a thin liquid poured out.

Dang Mu-jin laid Namgung Hyeon on his side to allow the vomit to drain out easily, then pulled out a small knife and made shallow wounds on Namgung Hyeon’s nape and chest.

“What, what? All of a sudden?”

The guests at the inn were greatly shocked by the unexpected bloodshed.

Some people tried to sneak out of the inn for fear of being in trouble, but Hyun-gong calmed them down by explaining the whole story to them.

Dang Mu-jin put his finger on Namgung Hyeon’s wound without paying attention to the reactions of those around him.

And as he gradually gathered the poisonous energy that had spread throughout Namgung Hyun’s body, he sniffed around to catch a glimpse of the surrounding smell. There was a familiar smell mixed in with the sour smell of gastric juice.

‘It seems like it’s been a while since I ate the poison.’

‘It’s not mineral poison. It seems to be a mixture of plant poison and biological poison. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the poison has penetrated into the head.’

As time passed, a significant portion of the poison that had spread throughout Namgung Hyeon’s body was absorbed by Dang Mujin.

Dang Mujin took his hands off Namgung Hyeon’s wounds. Namgung Hyeon was a warrior who had been training for quite some time, so his body would be able to detoxify any remaining poison on its own.

But the work wasn’t over yet.

Removing the toxin does not mean that the body will immediately return to normal. Since toxins tend to invade the body and damage it, proper treatment must continue even after the toxin is removed.

Rep. Yeom said to the party executives.

“The pulse is shallow and uneven. The body temperature is slightly low, and red spots the size of red beans appear on the lower body.”

“How are your arms and legs?”

“My feet are especially cold, my limbs are stiff, and my knees are as stiff as rocks.”

As expected of a capable lawmaker, Rep. Yeom had identified all the symptoms that needed to be identified.

Meanwhile, Rep. Yang didn’t stay still either. He opened Namgung Hyun’s mouth and gently inserted his little finger into his nostril, then removed it. There was no blood coming out of his mouth or nose.

Rep. Yang put his ear to Namgung Hyeon’s neck and listened. His breathing was shallow, but there was no gurgling sound due to blood in his airway.

“There is no coughing up blood. The breathing is shallow but regular.”

After synthesizing the information gathered, the party secretary gave a prescription.

“Assemblyman Yang, please massage the patient’s arms and legs for a while, and Assemblyman Yeom, please boil some Daebangpungtang (大防風湯). I think it would be good to add 30-50% more of Duzhong and Baekchul. After observing the progress, I will also use Jeonggiboheotang, Bokryeongtang, or Daejingusan.”

“All right.”

The guests in the inn opened their mouths and watched Dang Mu-jin and his party treat Namgung Hyeon. It was the first time they had seen the doctors systematically proceed with treatment while exchanging opinions with each other.

As far as they knew, the members of the National Assembly were writers who were afraid to let people into their clinics for fear that their true colors would be revealed.

In places where there are other people besides the patient, it is common to not even try to check the symptoms, but what about joint treatment?

The two lawmakers who caught people’s attention, including Dang Mu-jin, were clearly either not afraid of revealing their true colors or were so capable that they rarely revealed their true colors. It could be both.

In any case, most of the treatment that can be done right now is finished.

Namgung Myung asked Dang Mujin.

“What happened?”

“It’s not me who should know that. Do you see anything?”

“It’s not like there isn’t any.”

The Honggeolgae next to him seemed unusually restless. If someone who didn’t know the situation had seen it, they would have thought that the Honggeolgae had been poisoned.

Dang Mu-jin asked Namgung Myeong again.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a bit difficult to talk about this here… Let’s go to the room for now.”

“okay.”

Except for Representative Yeom, who went to make a herbal medicine, the rest of the group headed to the guest room. The guest room that Hyeon-gong and Hong-geol-gae shared together.

The room was half neat and half seriously messy, with the center at the center.

“···.”

When Seolhwa hesitated and couldn’t easily enter the room, Hyungong explained.

“The well-organized area is my area.”

Hong Geol-gae made an excuse hesitantly.

“No, I didn’t know people would barge in…”

Dang Mu-jin and his party laid Namgung-hyeon down on the clean side, covered him with a blanket, and then kicked Hong Geol-gae’s belongings away with their feet before sitting down. It was hard to understand why a beggar had belongings in the first place.

It was very crowded, with seven people, including Namgung Hyeon, entering a space that could accommodate two or three people.

Hong Geol-gae looked around and spoke first.

“Who the hell poisoned you?”

The story went like this, but people could easily figure out Hong Geol-gae’s true intentions.

Hong Geol-gae wasn’t curious about ‘who’ had poisoned him. He just wanted to hear that Namgung Hyeon didn’t poison himself.

But Dang Mu-jin shook his head.

“It’s unlikely that someone else fed you the poison. The poison you swallowed definitely contained ginseng, perilla, and aster. All three are ingredients with color, fragrance, and smell. It’s not suitable for secretly feeding it to someone else. On the other hand, it probably wouldn’t have been too painful if you ate it.”

Namgung Myung also agreed.

“There was no trace of an outsider intruding into Namgung Hyeon’s room.”

Hong Geol-gae’s face was distorted with guilt.

Then Seolhwa comforted Hong Geol-gae.

“It was just a joke. It’s okay.”

The story is that since Namgung Hyeon threw a knife during the competition, Hong Geol-gae has no need to feel sorry.

However, since the consolation was slightly off-focus, it was not of much comfort to Hong Geol-gae.

But Namgung Myung told a slightly different story.

“Not winning the martial arts competition may have been the trigger for the poisoning. But it’s not entirely your fault.”

Namgung Myung’s expression was subtle, as if he couldn’t give up the desire to tease Hong Geol-gae while comforting him.

Anyway, since Namgung Myung seemed to have guessed something, people listened to Namgung Myung’s next story.

Dang Mu-jin asked.

“Then what else is there?”

“Do you remember what I said last time that Namgung Se-ga doesn’t participate in martial arts competitions?”

“okay.”

It was a simple story. If you win, you break even, if you don’t win, you lose.

“There is an atmosphere in the Namgung Sega clan that discourages participation in non-competitions. They say not to participate in non-competitions unless you are sure you can win. And as far as I know, among the young warriors of the Namgung Sega clan, there are at least one or two who are more talented than Namgung Hyeon. Even if the Namgung Sega clan decided to participate in the non-competition, Namgung Hyeon is in no position to participate in it.”

“Then why did you come to the competition?”

“You must have wanted even such a small achievement. To understand this, you need to know about Namgung Hyun’s father.”

Namgung Myung once said that Namgung Hyeon was like a cousin to him, so if Namgung Hyeon’s father is like Namgung Jincheon’s brother, then he must be Namgung Jincheon’s brother.

“Namgung Hyeon’s father, Namgung Jinsan… what should I say? Yes, he is the scapegoat of the family. He has a gentle personality and is a kind person, but he has no talent at all.”

“There is no Mujae?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if it’s first-class level now.”

Namgung Myung’s father, the swordsman Namgung Jincheon, is a master of the highest order, and his uncle, the poisonous brain swordsman Namgung Jinya, is a famous figure who is considered one of the best masters. Among these brothers, he is the only one who is first-class.

No, it probably wouldn’t be first-class. Namgung Myung’s story implied an achievement below first-class.

He was a second-rate or third-rate warrior of the Namgung family. He would not have been treated well within the Namgung family, which placed extreme importance on martial arts achievements.

But at the same time, Dang Mu-jin could not understand Namgung Myeong’s story.

“There are many people in Namgung Segae, so there must be some who are inferior to Namgung Jinsan in martial arts. There must also be some who have not learned martial arts at all.”

“Of course. It’s normal to not be promoted to an important position and to be secretly ignored, but you’ll be able to live without being greedy. It was the same with my uncle.”

Judging from the fact that he was his uncle, it seems that Namgung Jinsan was the eldest son.

A brother who is ignored by his younger siblings.

“I remember that my uncle was never persecuted by his father or uncles. He was just someone who lived quietly and focused on his cultivation. However, after Namgung Hyun was born a little later, my uncle ran into trouble.”

“problem?”

“He loved Namgung Hyeon too much. He thought that Namgung Hyeon’s misfortune was not as miserable as his own, and he didn’t want his son to experience the same sorrow. That’s why he stole an elixir from the family treasury and fed it to Namgung Hyeon. For his son’s future.”

The atmosphere became tense.

It is common for the household or the long-term people to not be able to handle the elixir as they wish. Even Shin Seung-man coveted the Daehwandan, but was unable to take it himself. Instead, he gave it to Dang Mu-jin, who had fixed the Mok-in-hang.

In such a situation, stealing an elixir is a serious crime with no excuses. Even if it is a private matter, the punishment is severed to the extent of losing one’s limbs or life.

“···So what happened?”

“He is the head of the household, so he cannot be sentenced to extreme punishment. He has been locked up in a brain prison for three years.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“And three years later, as soon as I was released from the brain prison, I stole the elixir again and fed it to Namgung Hyeon. This time, I was locked up in the brain prison for three years again. Oh, both elixirs that my uncle stole were elixirs that I was supposed to take.”

Namgung Myung smiled bitterly.

It didn’t seem like it was because she hadn’t taken the elixir. It didn’t seem like she had any ill feelings toward Namgung Hyun.

“Three years passed and I was released from the prison, but my uncle was no longer able to approach the Namgung family’s secret archives. So I took a different path.”

“also?”

“Yes. I stole from Namgung Se-ga’s property to buy an elixir and gave it to him, and was imprisoned for three years. When I couldn’t get any money, I borrowed money secretly from the merchants under Namgung Se-ga’s name to buy an elixir, and was imprisoned for another three years. He was a man who was busy being imprisoned as soon as he was released from the brain prison, so I don’t remember my uncle’s face very well.”

At this point, I was worried about the condition of Namgung Myung’s uncle. Namgung Jincheon definitely didn’t look like a person who would be easygoing.

“···Are you still alive?”

“As far as I know, he was only imprisoned in a brain prison for three years, and no other punishment followed. He was not beaten, nor was his veins cut off.”

“Surprisingly. It’s a much milder punishment than I expected.”

“I thought the same thing, so I asked my father. Then my father said, ‘What the father did for his son, how can he be punished more severely?’”

Was Namgung Jincheon really such a soft-hearted person? It was a very surprising story.

Namgung Myung continued the story.

“I don’t know what happened after that. I was also kicked out of Namgung Segae. But I can guess why Namgung Hyeon participated in the non-competition competition.”

Dang Mu-jin could also guess Namgung Hyeon’s thoughts.

Namgung Hyeon would have wanted to repay his father’s devotion and sacrifice.

I guess I wanted to give my father a small sense of accomplishment.

So that I can receive some compensation for the dozen or twenty years I spent in the brain prison.

“The participants in this non-competition were generally of low standard. Most of the later leaders of the prestigious political factions did not participate due to the aftermath of the Jeongsa Daejeon. Namgung Hyun must have judged this situation as an opportunity. He must have participated in the non-competition despite opposition, or secretly. He must have been confident, so the shock after losing must have been great.”

Hong Geol-gae made an expression as if he was going to die from guilt. Hong Geol-gae has an unusually gentle personality.

Hong Geol-gae spoke.

“Why don’t you just tell me to lose in the finals?”

“I didn’t know you could swallow poison.”

“but-”

Just as Hong Geol-gae was about to say something, Namgung Myung cut him off.

“If you hold a sword, there will come a time when it will break. Even if it is not now, it will break at some point. What is important is not not to break, but to get back up. And those who have been broken early can get back up more easily later. It is better to be broken now.”

Namgung Myung has a secretly cold side in this regard. It is not known whether it is the Namgung family tradition or his personal nature.

“The father committed a crime for the sake of his son. The son wanted to achieve something and lessen the father’s crime. That’s just the father-son relationship. There’s no need for those around him to protect him. This is especially true since both of them are wielding swords.”

Namgung Myung concluded the story like this.

There was a brief silence.

And before long, people realized that Namgung Hyun was opening his eyes.

Namgung Hyeon was staring blankly at the ceiling.

Finally, Namgung Hyeon spoke to Namgung Myeong.

“older brother.”

“Speak.”

“I’m finished.”

“Are you thinking of putting down your sword?”

“No. I can’t let it go.”

“Then it’s not over. It’s over when the unmanned person puts down their sword or loses their head.”

“I sneaked out of the family and participated in the martial arts competition without permission, bringing shame to the family name. There is no way the lord of the family will forgive me. I will have to pay for my father’s sins.”

Namgung Myung felt the deep fear in Namgung Hyun’s voice. A fear that went beyond worry and reached the realm of terror.

Namgung Myung’s heart felt heavy. When he left the family, his father was a strict man, but he was not a cruel man.

He was respected and admired by his peers, but was not feared.

Is the father of today any different from the father of the past?

Namgung Myung placed his hand on Namgung Hyeon’s forehead and said.

“No. You don’t have to be so scared.”

“Are you trying to defend me?”

“Defense? No. I don’t need that.”

Namgung Myung laughed.

“The new head of the household will forgive his devoted cousin at least once.”