Tangmunjeon - Chapter 328



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Chapter 328 of Tangmunjeon Even if you step forward bravely, it doesn’t mean you should just swing your sword without thinking. Hyungong looked at Cheonpae Gwak Jidal’s expression with a serious expression.

There was a good reason why Hyeon-gong introduced himself as Hyeon-gong of Mt. Wudang.

Although Cheonpae may not know the nicknames Seungryonggeom or Jeongeon, I thought that as a martial artist, he would know the Mudangpa.

The declaration, “I am the Hyeon-gong of Mt. Wudang,” was also a warning that “if you harm me, you will incur the resentment of the Wudang faction.”

However, Hyun-gong did not expect much of an effect from it. This was because once the martial artists drew their swords, they tended not to think about the aftermath.

It would be even more so if you had a nickname that was as crazy as a thousand defeats···

···I thought so, but unexpectedly, Cheonpae Gwak Jidal hesitated a little.

‘uh?’

A subtle atmosphere flowed between Hyun-gong and Gwak Ji-dal.

Kwak Ji-dal was thinking seriously.

‘Mudangsan? I guess that means belonging to the Mudang faction of Hubei Mountain?’

‘Are you impersonating a Taoist monk? Judging from your attire, you seem to be a Taoist monk.’

‘It’s probably not impersonation. I don’t know what sect they’re from, but if they were going to impersonate, they would’ve impersonated a sect like Cheongseongpa or Jongnampa. There’s no reason to impersonate a mediocre shamanist sect.’

‘No, the non-partisan faction is the closest to here, so maybe that’s why they’re talking about the non-partisan faction.’

‘That’s not true. There’s no reason for someone with that level of skill to impersonate a master from another sect. Right now, it’s right to think of him as a true master from the Shaman sect.’

It took Kwak Ji-dal three breaths to organize his thoughts to this point.

Cheonpae Gwak Jidal looked at Hyeon-gong again.

We haven’t crossed swords yet, but I can feel it just by looking at the atmosphere.

That guy named Hyun-gong is a key figure in the shamanist faction… No, he’s not even that much. At the very least, he’s probably a disciple of Jang Moon-in.

Even though Youngbo Jin, the leader of the non-partisan faction, can’t walk, it’s unlikely that he would just sit back and let that guy die. He’d probably do whatever it takes to get revenge.

‘Things have gotten worse.’

The problem was that even if Kwak Ji-dal stepped down like this, the aftermath would not be good.

When I aimed for Tuhee, a woman with a colored neck jumped out, and when I aimed for the woman with a colored neck, didn’t Hyun-gong jump out? It’s clear that the three of them are a gang.

Even if you just step back, they will definitely find fault and invade the Southern Martial Arts World. Gwak Ji-dal will make excuses and step back, but his subordinates will look at him with questioning eyes.

After a short period of deliberation, Cheonpae came to a conclusion that was the exact opposite of what Hyungong had expected.

‘After all, it’s the cleanest way to kill that brat. If there are no witnesses, how would anyone know who killed him?’

It wasn’t a conclusion reached solely through realistic cost-benefit calculations. The fact that I couldn’t give up my obsession with Toohui was also a big reason.

‘After I kill that guy, I’ll hug Tohui and that Saekmokin once each, then hug Tohui again until I’m tired, and then kill him.’

Without any warning, Kwak Ji-dal kicked a sharp rock on the cave floor.

Shhhhh – The stone flew faster than an arrow and aimed for Hyun-gong’s head.

Hyungong did not take it lightly, but raised his sword and deflected the stones. Because the atmosphere of Cheonpae changed once in the middle, Hyungong guessed that Cheonpae would not move as he intended.

Hyun-gong was purely amazed.

‘He even surprises the lower classes without hesitation… He’s no ordinary guy. There’s something to learn from him.’

Kicking the rocks was just the beginning.

That was just a trick to create an opening, so now it was time for the main topic to follow. Gwak Ji-dal swung his sword fiercely and charged at Hyeon-gong, intending to kill him before he could adjust his posture.

The sound of two swords clashing repeatedly echoed between them. However, contrary to Gwak Ji-dal’s expectations, Hyun-gong was able to block Gwak Ji-dal’s sword with a precarious yet stable stance and deflect it. There was no room for a counterattack.

‘It’s difficult.’

Hyun-gong became anxious. His stomach rumbling with the incalculable amount of internal energy of the Heavenly Swords. If the fight dragged on, it would most likely result in internal injuries.

No matter how strong Hyun-gong’s defense was, he had no confidence that he could withstand Gwak Ji-dal’s offensive while suffering from internal injuries.

It wasn’t just the internal injuries that were the problem.

Hyun-gong’s defense is of a high level, and like a rock nestled between the waters of a river, he can firmly block and repel the attacks of a thousand enemies.

But a rock can only hold its ground and cannot swim against the current, and it cannot step up to the rock next to it to block the current.

Hyun-gong was not in a situation where he could just save himself. He had to figure out a way to defeat Cheon-pae before the water changed direction and targeted Tu-hee, Wi-jin-hyang, and Seol-hwa.

Finally, Hyun-gong shouted loudly.

“Cheonpae! Back off when I give you the chance! If Namgung Myung and Gyu Chogae show up, you’re finished!”

Hyun-gong hoped that Gwak Ji-dal would give up the fight and run away. However, Gwak Ji-dal made the exact opposite decision.

‘If it’s Namgung Myeong, then it’s the name of the eldest son of the Namgung family. And if it’s Gyucho Gae, then it’s the top-class master who has just appeared in Gaebo.’

‘Is this a bluff? This must be a bluff. But I can’t just ignore it.’

Kwak Ji-dal accepted Hyun-gong’s story with a time limit.

‘If I’m going to kill them anyway, I’ll kill them as quickly as possible. That’ll be safer.’

As a result, instead of running away, Gwak Ji-dal began to use the Cheonam Daehonggeom method more aggressively. Hyun-gong’s eyes darkened.

‘···Why aren’t you stepping down? Are you doing this because you think the nonpartisan faction will retaliate?’

‘I can’t promise not to retaliate, though. I don’t think you’ll believe me, and it might just end up unburdening you.’

‘When will Namgung Myung and Hong Geol-gae return?’

Suddenly, it occurred to me that Namgung Myung and Hong Geol Gae’s behavior since Dang Mu Jin left had not been very desirable.

The two guys had been caught by Hyungong several times while pretending to look for herbs and poisons and taking naps in secret. There was no reason for them not to do the same today.

‘···I have to do it somehow.’

Although Hyungong himself did not realize it, his sword revealed his anxious and impatient mind.

Kwak Ji-dal didn’t miss that shaking. Kwak Ji-dal’s sword was fast, and Hyun-gong’s reaction was slow.

However, in the end, Gwak Ji-dal’s sword broke through Hyun-gong’s defense and flew into Hyun-gong’s shoulder. Since he would have become one-armed like Nam-gung-myeong if he had stayed still, Hyun-gong twisted his upper body, albeit belatedly.

Kwak Ji-dal’s sword dug into Hyeon-gong’s left shoulder almost three inches deep.

“Ugh!”

A burning pain. Hyun-gong suppressed the groan that was about to escape.

Blood is gushing from his shoulder. Things are getting worse.

Hyun-gong’s instinct whispered again.

‘It’s better now. At this point, the outcome is decided. Shouldn’t it be okay to step aside?’

‘Your shoulder is cut, and you have internal injuries. If you back off while making a big fuss and spitting up some blood, no one will accuse you of being a coward. Should I bite my tongue?’

As always, the decision was made in an instant. There was no need to think about it at length.

There is only one problem. The real problem is that Hyun-gong’s legs are not ready to step back.

Hyun-gong did not have the courage to fight to the end, risking his life, but he had the tenacity to endure a little longer.

Hyun-gong changed his mind and ate and repeated.

‘Just a little longer, let’s hold out just a little longer. Namgung Myung or Hong Geol Gae might show up the moment we try to run away.’

It was a pitiful optimism. Those two guys would rather hide and kill time than come back to town.

Hyun-gong held the sword with his right arm and held on. Of course, holding on wouldn’t solve the problem.

But all he could do was hold out. Hyun-gong’s defense was nothing short of perfect, but his offense wasn’t sharp enough to reach Cheon-pae.

As Hyun-gong swung his sword, thinking of finding a way out, he heard a voice next to his ear. It was a low voice for a woman.

– First, look into the eyes of the person you are facing. Measure your breathing and the other person’s breathing, and match your breathing to the other person’s.

The voice was not unfamiliar, and there weren’t many people who could transmit the message to Hyun-gong at the moment.

Hyun-gong glanced at Tu-hee. It seemed that the acupuncture point had not yet been resolved, and both arms and legs were limp and unable to move.

However, reason had returned to Tohee’s eyes. It seemed that the madness from the chaos had subsided.

– Once you have read your opponent’s breathing, engrave their body language into your mind. The movement begins at the tip of the feet, so gauge the direction and movement of your opponent’s feet.

Tuhee’s story was not just advice.

It was a knot. A knot that was solved after much thought on the hard and rough secret.

Hyun-gong felt a deep sense of regret in Tu-hee’s voice.

That foolishness was speaking. This was not the martial arts that Tohui had learned from Wijisega.

What kind of martial arts would make Toohee harbor such a fondness for?

The answer came to me immediately.

A martial art that Wei Zhennanxiang attempted once and was frustrated. A martial art that he could not achieve even after dedicating his life to it.

A martial art that turned the most beautiful warrior in the world of martial arts into a madman from the dark realm.

The martial arts that took everything away.

What is Daejong Yeoha?

– Next, engrave in your mind the trajectory of the knee moving forward. Engrave the movement of the upper leg moving backward. Draw in your mind the waist, shoulders, and both arms.

It was a dangerous martial art. But at the same time, it was also the only possibility given to Hyun-gong.

Hyungong emptied his mind and accepted the order. However, it seemed that Wijinanxiang did not think Hyungong would be able to achieve Daejongyeoha.

Putting aside the difficulty of the martial art itself called Daejongyeoha, martial arts are not something that can be perfectly performed just by hearing a little bit of the rules.

Only when you understand the meaning contained in the Gugyeol and complete the long preparation to perform the Gugyeol can you say that you are ready to learn martial arts.

The preparations to learn martial arts were not easy, so accepting the order and immediately demonstrating martial arts in an urgent situation like now was a distant dream.

How can you possibly learn the basics when you’re so busy swinging your sword that you can’t even understand what’s being said?

Even in the desperate situation of Tohui Wijinanhyangdo, he only whispered words of consolation, either to relieve his debt of gratitude or to shake off his regrets.

However, there was something that Wei Zhennanxiang did not know: that Hyeon-gong possessed a strange talent.

Hyun-gong quickly grasped his opponent’s sword path and swung his sword to block his opponent’s sword, but at the same time, he calmly accepted the words that To-hee was telling him.

It was as if there were two Hyun-gongs, one focused on fighting and the other on the finishing touch.

It was possible because, during the previous meeting at Mt. Wudang, I had an epiphany that seemed to be a split consciousness.

The sound continued.

– Once you have your opponent in mind, expand the scope. The opponent’s weapons, the flow of the wind, the position of the sun, the gravel and the curves of the ground, the slippery moss.

Hyun-gong listened to the sound of the battle.

Daejongyeoha was a very unique martial art. It was a martial art without a set sword or set style.

A sword that calculates all the given environments and variables and deploys them according to the situation.

Hyun-gong accepted the oath and understood why Tu-hee was possessed by madness.

Martial arts are difficult to fully display even when you only focus on your own sword and inner self, but Daejong Yeoha was demanding that you simultaneously understand your opponent and everything around you.

The opponent’s weapons, physique, martial arts characteristics, gait, habits, wind flow, temperature, position of the sun, and condition of the land.

After fully understanding all the variables that change little by little at every moment, you must extend your sword for a perfect one-hit kill.

The reason Tuhee couldn’t learn Daejongyeoha wasn’t simply a matter of talent in martial arts. This was a martial art that ordinary people couldn’t learn.

However, Hyun-gong felt a sense of discomfort. It was as if he had been prepared to unfold the Great Bell from the beginning, because Hyun-gong could understand all the knots very easily and without difficulty.

Hyun-gong realized the reason.

Daejongyeoha is a martial art that can only be performed by understanding everything around you. However, Hyungong was used to observing the surroundings.

In some ways, it felt more familiar to me to observe my surroundings than to understand myself. It had been like that ever since I was four years old, when I was abandoned on Mt. Mudeungsan by my mother’s hand.

On the contrary, I felt anxious if I didn’t look around and pay attention to what was going on. How many people are there who are as natural as Hyun-gong in understanding people and the situations around them?

Even the Taegeuk sword of the shamanist faction seemed to have been prepared for Daejong Yeoha.

Unlike other martial arts that focus on extending the sword as quickly and perfectly as possible, Taegeuk Sword is a sword that focuses on defense.

Focusing on defense means, in other words, being good at reading your opponent’s swordplay and figuring out their habits.

The Taegeuk sword has something in common with the Daejong Yeoha in that it reads the opponent and then extends the sword. The only difference is that the Taegeuk sword uses all the information it reads for defense, while the Daejong Yeoha uses it for offense.

Hyun-gong thought that his life might have been arranged to learn the martial arts of Daejong Yeoha.

– Move your left hand and measure everything. If what you see with your eyes closed is no different from what you see with your eyes open, then you are ready to unfold the Great Bell.

There was no need to close his eyes. Half of Hyun-gong’s consciousness imagined the shape of the Heavenly Sword, and the other half perceived the actual movements of the Heavenly Sword.

Because they had been fighting for quite some time, the movements of the Heavenly Sword that Hyun-gong had imagined were almost the same as the actual movements of the Heavenly Sword. Even the subtle errors were gradually decreasing. The two shapes of the Heavenly Sword that had not been exactly aligned gradually came closer and soon overlapped into one.

Before I could even open the Daejongyeoha, blood started flowing from my nose.

Hyun-gong thought he was very intelligent, but his mind was so complicated that he felt like it was burning.

Even if it weren’t for the fact that it was a tug-of-war, more than nine out of ten people who tried to learn Daejongyeoha would have gone mad.

Hyun-gong’s left arm was hanging limp. The fingers at the end of that left arm began to move on their own.

Hyun-gong followed the teachings of Dae-jong-yeo-ha and began to find the best strike and the best sword path using the fingers of his left hand.

‘Okay.’

Preparations are complete. There’s just one thing on my mind.

The moment you unfold the Daejongyeoha, you must ignore defense and devote everything to attack.

Although it seemed as if Hyeon-gong had lived for Daejong Yeoha, this point did not suit Hyeon-gong’s nature.

Hyun-gong chuckled.

‘It suits my aptitude, but it doesn’t suit my nature.’

But Hyun-gong made up his mind. He had no choice anyway.

You must overcome your fearful heart and surrender yourself to the sword. You must throw yourself into it and unfold the Great Bell.

If you have been hiding your weaknesses and pushing your strengths to overcome difficulties so far, this time you must overcome your weaknesses.

Rather, I felt at ease.

‘It is fate that the martial arts you learn for the first time are not unfamiliar, and it is fate that you can overcome your weakness with those martial arts.’

Sueu-Hyeon-gong took a deep breath.

Now all that remains is the final step.

Hyun-gong fell into a state of deep thought. A long road stretched out in pitch-black darkness.

The other friends didn’t realize it, but Hyun-gong had an intuition.

There is no way a person can come back to this image more than once. He could not know whether the next time would be the last chance or whether this would be the last chance.

Hyun-gong took a deep breath and put his legs on the road.

‘There is really no turning back now.’

In an instant, thorns grew and tried to wrap around Hyungong. However, Hyungong had no intention of being caught by the thorns.

I remembered a story that Wanli Seung once told me.

If you’re ready, there’s no need to hesitate. Just run with all your might.

Hyun-gong ran towards the end of the road. He shook off the thorns that tried to entangle him and ran as far as he could.

The thornbush did not stay in place, but followed Hyungong like a wild animal and tried to wrap itself around him. Unable to completely shake off the thornbush, he felt the pain of his entire body being torn apart by the thornbush.

But it can’t be stopped.

At some point, Hyun-gong realized that he had overcome the thorns. His vision turned white, and infinite possibilities opened up before Hyun-gong.

And then comes the moment of joy, rapture, and enlightenment.

Hyun-gong’s left hand, which had been endlessly fidgeting and measuring something, stopped.

At the same time, the defenses of the castle, which had been so strong until now, were released.

Gwak Ji-dal was embarrassed by the huge weakness that Hyeon-gong had exposed.

Looks like he could cut his throat at any moment.

But it was ominous. There was no reason to suddenly reveal a weakness like this. Kwak Ji-dal had far too much skill to ignore the sense of discomfort and the strange situation.

‘We must go further and bear it.’

Hesitating here is the worst decision you can make.

In the end, isn’t it true that the one who can stretch out his sword until the end will be victorious?

Kwak Ji-dal unleashed his own sword, the Dark Incense Willow. Kwak Ji-dal’s sword, like a swaying willow tree, swung and swung at Hyeon-gong. Dozens of people died before this Dark Incense Willow, unable to find a way out.

However, Hyun-gong’s sword approached, precariously swerving through Gwak Ji-dal’s complex sword path. It was precarious and seemed as if it would be blocked at any moment, but he clearly found a narrow path and approached.

On the other hand, Gwak Ji-dal realized that he could not block Hyun-gong’s sword. There was not a single way to block it.

No, let alone blocking it, I couldn’t even follow its strange trajectory and engage it with my blade.

A perfect first move that can only be performed after completely seeing through the opponent.

A sword that spreads everything it has on that dangerous tightrope.

It was a large bell that had been fully spread out.

Phew-

The timid child opened his sword with all his might, and Kwak Ji-dal’s chest was pierced right through.

Hot blood spurted out, wetting Gwak Ji-dal’s clothes and Hyeon-gong’s face.

There were two choices given to Kwak Ji-dal.

Either aim for Donggwijin during the split second when you can move your limbs, or simply accept defeat.

If it was a hundred people, it would be natural to aim for the hundred Donggwijin. Hyungong habitually tried to step back.

Ding-Ding-Ding-But Gwak Ji-Dal opened his right hand and dropped his sword. He accepted defeat.

Hyun-gong asked Gwak Ji-dal.

“···Why?”

“If there’s nothing to gain from it, there’s no reason to kill them, right?”

Now that you’ve accepted the question, it’s Kwak Ji-dal’s turn to ask a question.

“That last one, wasn’t it the sword of the shamans?”

“exactly.”

Kwak Ji-dal smiled contentedly, perhaps pleased that he had guessed the correct answer.

“It seemed like that···”

That was the end of Kwak Ji-dal’s story.

As soon as Hyun-gong drew his sword, Gwak Ji-dal fell down.

Hot blood was still seeping out from under the corpse, steaming up.

Hyun-gong raised his head and looked at Seol-hwa and Tu-hee.

Seolhwa opened her eyes wide and looked at Hyungong.

An expression full of faith, as if he had expected this to happen. However, he did not seem to understand the power of the Great Bell.

On the other hand, Toohee was astonished as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The martial arts that threw him into the abyss were first performed by Hyun-gong, who heard the spell for the first time.

He was so surprised that he felt his heart boil again. Even in Hyun-gong’s eyes, To-hee’s condition seemed a little precarious.

Hyun-gong was inwardly anxious, so he first only relieved Seol-hwa’s acupuncture point. Tu-hee Wi-jin-an-hyang also did not express any complaints.

While Seolhwa stood up and rubbed her arms and legs, Hyungong looked behind her. Before he knew it, snow had piled up outside the cave. It was the first snow of the year.

Hyun-gong came out of the cave and looked up at the sky. A warm, white cotton coat fell from the sky and covered Hyun-gong.

Reaching the pinnacle of excellence had one more meaning for Hyun-gong.

That I was finally able to stand alone without wavering.

A four-year-old boy who entered Mt. Mudang while holding his mother’s hand. A child who counted the endless twenty nights while waiting for his mother to return.

Hyun-gong greeted the twenty-first day with a more relieved heart than ever before.