Tangmunjeon - Chapter 343



Only Noblemtl

When he heard the story of the monster thief in Chapter 343 of Tangmunjeon, Tang Mujin thought for a moment about what it was and then clapped his hands.

“Thief? Baekhyang-ah?”

“huh.”

In fact, Dang Mu-jin had half forgotten why Seol-hwa had joined the group.

For over half a year, Seolhwa had never brought up the topic of Baekhyang-ah again.

However, Seolhwa had originally been searching for Baek Hyang-ah’s whereabouts and had joined the group. To be exact, it was not that she had joined voluntarily, but rather that Hyeon-gong had coaxed her, but anyway.

“Baekhyang-ah said that… the secret! She stole the secret?”

“I stole the emergency kit, and I stole the Eternal Ice Crystal.”

I don’t know exactly what Mannyeonbingjeong is. However, judging from the name, I can easily guess that it is a elixir that contains yin energy.

Dang Mu-jin asked as if he had been interested in Mannyeon Bingjeong for a long time.

“I’ve been curious about this for a long time. If it’s the Eternal Ice Crystal, how good is the elixir? If it’s enough to make you leave your hometown to search for Baek Hyang-ah, it must be a considerable elixir, right?”

“Considerable level? No.”

As Seolhwa fluttered, her long, yellow hair fluttered left and right.

“So it’s about halfway there?”

To Dang Mu-jin’s question, Seol-hwa answered firmly.

“No. It is the best elixir in the world that contains yin energy.”

“Hey, that was too much…”

Dang Mu-jin answered with a smile, but Seol-hwa’s expression was very serious.

Hyun-gong quickly intervened and shouted at Dang Mu-jin.

“Dang Mu-jin. Seol-hwa is not some random person, but the successor of the Northern Hegemon, Bukhae Ice Palace. If Seol-hwa is personally involved, it is no ordinary matter. Take it seriously.”

Hyun-gong’s attitude toward Seol-hwa was almost polite.

This was a change that occurred while he was training with Sulwha in Chongqing. In the past, Hyun-gong had heard Sulwha’s hometown stories in great detail.

Seolhwa was not an ordinary Saekmok person from the North, but the successor of a large sect called Bukhae Ice Palace. To be exact, she was the eldest daughter of the Bukhae Ice Palace Lord.

Since there is no gender restriction for the position of Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace, the chances of taking the position of the next princess are high.

It doesn’t matter how many competitors there are, if you solve these problems, you’ll be guaranteed the next Ice Palace Lord position.

The day he heard the story about the Bukhae Ice Palace, Hyeon-gong’s evaluation of Seol-hwa soared to the sky.

Even when Hyungong didn’t know the background, the story captured Hyungong’s heart. Now that such a story has a splendid background, it was only natural that Hyungong would be even more captivated.

Of course, there was a possibility that Seolhwa’s score would exceed Hyungong’s and that Hyungong would lose control in their relationship, but Hyungong was not concerned about that possibility at all.

It was only natural for Hyun-gong to bow down in front of someone with high scores, and it was no exception when that person was his wife (of course, they hadn’t even discussed marriage yet).

Unlike Hyun-gong, Dang Mu-jin didn’t know much about the Bukhae Ice Palace, but he thought that the story about the Everlasting Ice Palace being an incredible elixir was somewhat true.

It is common sense that just as yang-energy-bearing elixirs grow in abundance in the warm south, yin-energy-bearing elixirs grow in abundance in the cold north.

It’s cold even if you only go to Cheonghae Castle, so how cold must it be in the north, where you have to go several months to get there? And how many elixirs containing yin energy must there be?

If it is a medicinal elixir that is considered the best in the world in the far north, it must contain tremendous negative energy.

Dang Mu-jin asked Seol-hwa.

“Where did you hear the story that Baekhyang-ah appeared?”

“A carriage driver who followed the Westerners said so. He said that frozen corpses keep appearing in the North.”

The carriage driver must have been Haomen. As far as Dang Mujin knew, Haomen, who were the second most numerous after Jeomso-yi and Gisaeng, were carriage drivers or porters.

It was only natural that the story going around among the carriage drivers reached the ears of Baek Hyang-ah, who was next to Hwayeon Shin-ni.

“It’s cold up north, so there are always people who freeze to death. And who knows if they froze to death or if they died and then froze again?”

“They say the people who froze to death were martial artists. They say they weren’t killed by a sword.”

People of the martial arts world are more resistant to heat and cold than ordinary people, so it is rare for them to freeze to death. However, that fact does not support the story of the story.

“He must have died in some other way and then his body froze. Just because you’ve learned the Yin-Han Qigong doesn’t mean a person will actually freeze to death.”

It is difficult to meet someone who has learned Yin-Han Qigong, but it is possible to occasionally meet someone who has learned Yeol-Yang Gong.

And as far as Dang Mu-jin knows, no one has ever been burned to death by someone who has mastered the Yeol-Yang-Gong.

It is just a martial art with an extremely high amount of yang energy, so it is difficult to defend against, and every time you cross swords, you feel a great deal of heat and thirst because of the yang energy that builds up in your body, and you tire quickly.

Dang Mu-jin thought that the Yin Han Qigong would not be much different.

Seolhwa’s thoughts were similar, as her voice lost some of its confidence.

“But, if you’ve taken the Eternal Ice Crystal, then it’s not completely impossible…”

Hyun-gong was looking at Dang Mu-jin with a slightly displeased look.

However, since there was nothing in particular to point out, I couldn’t get involved in the conversation.

Dang Mu-jin again pointed out the questionable part.

“And, I know the state of Baek Hyang-ah’s body. She was in danger of losing her life because of the yin energy she had absorbed into her veins, so she used a yang-containing elixir to forcibly suppress the yin energy. Do you know what would happen if she took an extreme elixir like Mannyeon Bingjeong in that state?”

“···well.”

“It’s different from an ordinary martial artist taking an elixir. The yin energy in your veins that you’ve been forcibly suppressing will awaken and run wild. No, it won’t be to that extent. The enormous yin energy contained in the elixir will also shake, and your entire body’s blood vessels will be torn to pieces and you’ll die. Nine out of ten? No. More than ninety-nine out of a hundred will die.”

Seol-hwa’s eyes sparkled as she listened to Dang Mu-jin’s story.

“So that means one in a hundred will survive? If we’re lucky-”

“I didn’t say that because I thought there would be lucky survivors. I said ninety-nine out of a hundred because someone might know how to solve such a problem. If you try to rely on luck, you’ll die out of the hundred. It’s not something that people can control.”

Seol-hwa felt the confidence in Dang Mu-jin’s voice, and her face became gloomy. It seemed that she was disappointed that the clues she had worked so hard to find had gone down the drain.

But now, doubts began to arise in Dang Mu-jin’s mind.

What if, by some chance, Baek Hyang-ah really found a way? What if the enormous yin energy she held in her veins was added to the immense yin energy of the Mannyeon Bingjeong? What if she even performed martial arts using yin energy in that state?

Could it really be possible to freeze someone to death with martial arts?

A thought came to Dang Mu-jin’s mind.

There is a story in the world about a martial artist who was lucky enough to be cured of a stroke and became a master.

For example, there was a story about a great master of the past, Waryong, who became the best in the world after treating many women with insufficient blood flow through Chaeumboyang.

However, Dang Mu-jin was not interested in the story’s main character, Waryong, but rather in the stories of the women who were cured by Waryong.

Among the women who suffered from pulse loss and were cured by Waryong, one who learned martial arts is said to have achieved considerable success.

Even if they were not women who had been cured by Waryong, it was said that the few martial artists who had had their veins cured became great masters.

But that’s a story from the past.

As far as Dang Mujin knew, there were only two people in the current generation who could cure pulse and also learn martial arts.

One is Baek Hyang-ah, and the other is Hong Jie-gae’s disciple Wang Jin-cheong. A child who almost lost his life in Sima Segae, but was saved by Dang Mu-jin.

Dang Mu-jin asked Hong Geol-gae.

“Hong Geol-gae. How’s Jin-cheong’s performance these days?”

Hong Geol-gae answered proudly.

“It’s amazing. I guarantee that even if you diligently train your disciples from now on, you won’t be able to catch up to Jincheong.”

“Can you check the condition for me?”

“You’ll have to ask Jincheong about that. But Jincheong considers you a benefactor, so he won’t refuse. Just wait a moment.”

After a while, Hong Geol-gae appeared with Wang Jin-cheong.

When Tang Mujin first met Wang Jinqing, Wang Jinqing was a small boy. However, as time passed, Wang Jinqing grew in stature beyond recognition. Although his face was young, he was only a little taller than Hong Jie.

As soon as Wang Jinqing saw Tang Wujin, he bowed and paid tribute to him. Wang Jinqing was Hong Jiekai’s disciple, but he was also a guest of Tang Jia Jang. Furthermore, Tang Wujin was Wang Jinqing’s savior.

“Your Majesty, have you called?”

“You used to call me ‘hyung’ and follow me around, but now you’re being polite to me. Just treat me comfortably.”

“Yes. By the way, why did you call me…”

“I’d like to check your physical condition and internal energy. Is that okay?”

Wang Jinqing nodded without hesitation.

As the weather was nice, Dang Mu-jin laid Wang Jin-cheong on the floor and took his pulse.

And then I realized.

‘This is···.’

As Dang Mu-jin’s expression changed, people approached and asked Wang Jin-cheong secretly.

“Jincheong-ah. Is it okay if I check in for a moment?”

“yes.”

Hyun-gong-do, Hong-geol-gae-do, and even Sam-an-bul and Jang-il-nam poured their energy into Wang Jin-cheon’s body. Seol-hwa also lightly grabbed Wang Jin-cheong’s wrist.

It wasn’t a very pleasant sight, with several people approaching and fondling the grown man’s body.

But that didn’t matter. Everyone who saw Wang Jinqing’s accomplishments became serious.

After a long time had passed since the treatment, Wang Jinqing’s yang energy was slowly rising and suppressing the yin energy. However, the imbalance was not severe enough to cause a major problem.

The problem was not the imbalance of yin and yang. The problem was the amount of internal energy that Wang Jinqing possessed.

The internal energy that Wang Jinqing possessed was not something that an ordinary person could accumulate through training.

‘Is this what it means for someone with cerebral palsy to survive and learn martial arts?’

Dang Mu-jin recalled a story the ghost had once told.

They say that grass with great energy is called a spirit herb, an animal with great energy is called a spirit creature, and a person with great energy is called a patient with arrhythmia.

Sam-an-bul’s expression also became serious.

Sam-an-bul was a man who had endlessly refined the basic martial arts of Shaolin Temple and reached the pinnacle of perfection. The only martial arts he knew were a few beginner’s techniques that he had secretly stolen.

That is why Sam-an-bul did not place much importance on the amount of ascending martial arts and internal energy.

The most important thing in martial arts is constant effort, arduous training, and enlightenment that blossoms through repetition, which was the philosophy of Sam-an-bul.

However, the amount of internal energy contained within Wang Jinqing’s body was so great that it shook Sananbul’s confidence a little.

Of course, even if you have a lot of internal energy, enlightenment won’t come easily.

But I thought that with that much internal energy, wouldn’t it be possible to stand up to a warrior who had achieved a higher level of enlightenment?

Furthermore, what would happen if a person with such great internal energy attained enlightenment?

Dang Mu-jin asked Sam-an-bul.

“Elder. What would happen if Wang Jinqing took the inner body of a spirit like the Sun Fire Carp?”

“I’m going to die.”

I had the same opinion as Dang Mu-jin.

Dang Mu-jin added one more clue.

“What would happen if I could survive without losing my inner strength through some method?”

Sam-an-bul thought for a moment, then gave a vague but simple answer.

“I’m going to become a monster.”

*

Dang Mujin still thought that there was no connection between the body found in the north and Baek Hyang-ah. It would take too much of a leap to connect the body of the Murim man and Baek Hyang-ah.

What’s the problem with the fact that there are no sword wounds on the body of a martial artist? Could it be that he was subjected to a martial arts technique?

There are many people who have mastered the recommended method. Furthermore, there may be warriors like Geulseon or Manryeokseung who are skilled in the internal method.

Of course, it is a bit of a coincidence that Baek Hyang-ah learned the martial arts of the Bukhae Ice Palace and stole the Eternal Ice Crystal.

But the fact that Baek Hyang-ah, who had taken the Eternal Ice Crystal, survived and killed a martial artist was a story with very low probability.

However, Seolhwa’s situation was different from Dangmujin’s.

Seolhwa was not in a position to just ignore it like Dangmujin. Seolhwa had come to the Central Plains to kill Baekhyang-ah and retrieve the secret and the Mannyeon Bingjeong. She had to hang on to the low probability.

It was clear that Hyun-gong’s heart was also inclined towards Seol-hwa.

Dang Mu-jin looked at the relationship between Seol-hwa and Hyeon-gong from the perspective of someone who was well-versed in relationships between men and women. It was clear that there had been a lot of progress in the relationship between Hyeon-gong and Seol-hwa last winter.

Previously, their relationship was one in which Hyun-gong only steadfastly expressed his favor towards Seol-hwa.

It was the same even now. Hyun-gong consistently showed affection towards Seol-hwa.

However, Seol-hwa’s attitude changed. Seol-hwa went beyond accepting Hyeon-gong’s kindness like before and occasionally showed her kindness.

Actions such as looking at the back of Hyun-gong and smiling to yourself, or walking at an appropriate distance from Hyun-gong and then secretly reaching out your hand.

Anyone can see that Hyun-gong and Seol-hwa are lovers. No, maybe they are more than that. They might be getting closer to being a couple rather than lovers.

Hyun-gong came to see Dang Mu-jin and talked to him.

“Dangmujin.”

“why?”

“I’m going to the North with Seolhwa. Do you want to come with me?”

Dang Mu-jin thought about it for a moment.

It wasn’t long before he returned to Danggajang after wandering around the Central Plains.

I didn’t want to waste my time by going north knowing it would be a waste of time. The children were young and cute,

“···no.”

“Okay? Got it.”

Hyungong was not greatly disappointed. In fact, Hyungong did not think that the corpse in the north was a clue to Baek Hyang-ah. He simply followed Seolhwa because she said she would go.

He was also not afraid. Not only Hyun-gong, but also Seol-hwa was not so foolish or weak that she could be defeated by a fool.

The North is wide, so there may be a few formidable masters, but unlike other martial artists, Hyungong is not the type to cause trouble recklessly. Even if they meet, the probability of them becoming enemies is low.

Dang Mu-jin asked Hyun-gong.

“Are you going today?”

Hyun-gong shook his head.

“No. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“okay?”

“It’ll take a while to get there and back. So, could you give me some travel expenses?”

Dang Mu-jin burst into laughter. It seemed that the main topic was travel expenses.

“Okay. I’ll pack a pouch for you tomorrow morning, so come see me before I leave.”

“I get it.”

*

That night, Dang Mu-jin fell asleep with Dan Seol-yeong in his arms.

Danseolyeong was already asleep, breathing softly and regularly.

Dang Mu-jin’s whole body felt tired. He was feeling sleepy.

But just before falling asleep, I heard Sam-an-bul’s words in my ears.

‘I’m going to become a monster.’

Dang Mu-jin thought in his sleep.

Is a monster a monster because it doesn’t exist? It’s a monster because it doesn’t exist.

Anything that actually exists always has a name.

Dang Mu-jin fell asleep slowly and had a dream.

I saw a familiar face. It was a dream from the day when Wei Huan, the pinnacle of the Jeomchangpa, came to visit Danggajang.

The party leader in the dream asked.

“What brings you here?”

“I came here because I urgently need your help. Would you like to go north with me? We need to find the missing Yu Jin-kwang.”

It was a realistic dream. However, Dang Mu-jin knew that it was a dream, and he also knew what would happen to Wei Huan in the future.

Wi-Hwan leaves for the north with Hong-Geol-Gae and dies while wandering around in search of Yu Jin-Gwang.

In the dream, Dangmujin and Wihwan continued their conversation, not much different from that day in the past.

“I will follow you.”

Looking back, Dang Mu-jin had said that he would follow me that day too.

Aaaaah- But this time, the sound of Dang-yeong crying was heard again. Wi-hwan thought for a moment and then answered.

“No, pretend you didn’t hear that. Stay with your family.”

The current Dang Wujin was different from the Dang Wujin of the past. He knew the future, and he was much stronger than back then. He was confident that if he followed, Wei Huan would return without dying.

However, Wei Huan disappeared like smoke before Dang Mujin could catch him.

Hong Geol-gae was seen smiling brightly as he left for the north with Wei Huan.

As expected, Hong Geol-gae returned alone.

Just as Dang Mu-jin remembered the day he did not follow Wei Huan, he also remembered the day Hong Geol-gae returned alone.

Hong Geol-gae in the dream did not wait for Dang Mu-jin’s question.

“The Great Hero is dead.”

“I see.”

“You knew that, right?”

“okay.”

Dang Mu-jin nodded. The past Dang Mu-jin didn’t know, but the current Dang Mu-jin knew that would happen.

That was the end of the dream.

Hooooo – Dangmujin woke up with a deep breath and sat down.

Hyun-gong and Seol-hwa are leaving. Who will become the Wei-hwan this time?

Who will be the one who will be turned to skeletons and buried under the northern winds and snow?

I couldn’t tell. Hyun-gong could be Wei-hwan, or Seol-hwa could be Wei-hwan.

There may be no one who dies, but there may be both who die.

That’s why Dang Mu-jin carefully got out of bed so as not to wake Dan Seol-yeong.

And I wiped the wheel with a rag. Not in a hurry, but slowly and thoroughly.

Finally, Dang Mu-jin took the pouch and put it in the pocket of his coat.