Tangmunjeon - Chapter 352



Only Noblemtl

Defense

The next morning, the mood among the group was no different from usual, at least on the surface.

However, the information that Namgung Myung confirmed last night had already been shared among Dang Mujin and his group.

As they finished their meal and began to move around, So Sang-gak took out a small flute from his sleeve and played it.

This time, no sound was heard, but as expected, the white moss appeared and circled around the group.

But today, Baekmocho’s behavior was a little different than usual. He was looking southwest with the fur on his tail puffed up.

The little prince shouted.

“Fluffing the fur on its tail is a behavior that is only shown when a target has been found! Is there a white fragrant tree to the southwest?”

But Baekmocho’s actions did not end there.

This time he changed direction and faced southeast, crouching low like a cat stalking its prey and hiding among the bushes.

So Sang-gak-ju spoke as if he was surprised again.

“Lowering your posture and hiding your body is also a behavior that is shown when you have found your target! Hmm. The situation is a bit strange. However, it looks certain that Baekhyang-ah is in one of the two places: southwest or southeast.”

That can’t be. Didn’t Namgung Myung come back the night before after checking Baek Hyang Ah’s location?

The location of Baekhyang-ah was not in the southwest or southeast, but in the south. It was clear that Sosang-gak-ju had done something to Baekmo-cho.

However, So Sang-gak-ju did not know that the group had figured out Baek Hyang-ah’s location, so he secretly revealed his true intentions.

“We need to check both the southwest and the southeast, so you and the young lady should go to the south…”

Dang Mu-jin’s judgment is faster than Namgung Myeong or Hong Geol-gae.

That is why Dang Mu-jin figured out So Sang-gak-ju’s intentions even before So Sang-gak-ju finished speaking.

‘Are they planning to move southwest and southeast to avoid Baekhyang-ah, and send us south to confront Baekhyang-ah?’

Although Dang Mu-jin did not know it, Hyun-gong had also come to the same conclusion as Dang Mu-jin.

However, Hyun-gong’s judgment was a little faster than Dang Mu-jin’s.

The moment Dang Mu-jin understood the situation, Hyeon-gong had already stopped talking about So Sang-gak-ju.

“Then I guess you two should move south.”

“···Huh?”

“My party and I have many people and are fast on our feet. We will search the southwest and southeast, and if we find Baekhyang-ah, we will return to you and report the situation.”

“No, we···.”

“There’s no need to overdo it. Didn’t you say you weren’t feeling well yesterday? It’s been a night, but symptoms tend to show up again even after they seem to get better. It’s better to avoid dangerous situations in advance.”

So Sang-gak-ju looked at Hyun-gong with a trembling expression and thought.

‘···What is this kid?’

Hyun-gong’s reaction is common sense and not against reason. It is the reaction that a person of the Jeongpa faction would show when he is considerate of others.

However, I was suspicious that Hyun-gong was reading the pulse too accurately.

But if you force yourself and change direction here, you will only arouse suspicion.

So Sang-gak nodded reluctantly.

“···That would be good. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Okay, see you later.”

The small and large pavilions began to slowly move south.

The party of Dang Mu-jin split up and seemed to disperse to the southwest and southeast, but then gathered again a short distance away.

Even when they met again, Hong Geol-gae didn’t seem to fully understand the situation.

“I know that Sosang-gak-ju has some ulterior motive. But why does he have to do this?”

Hyun-gong answered Hong-geol-gae’s question.

“It’s a priority to confirm what kind of relationship Sosang-gakju and Daebyeok-gakju have with Baek Hyang-ah. If Baek Hyang-ah and the two lords are truly hostile, then it doesn’t matter, but if by any chance they’re colluding, Sosang-gakju and Daebyeok-gakju might plot something evil in a situation where we clash with Baek Hyang-ah.”

The best way to avoid getting hit in the back of the head is to create a situation where the other person cannot hit you in the back of the head.

Right now, the party led by Dang Mu-jin is out of the reach of the two leaders.

Dang Mu-jin and his party stood at a distance from So Sang-gak-ju and Dae Byeok-gak-ju, quietly watching what the two were doing.

*

After a while.

The small and large statues moved a little and then sat down comfortably. They made excuses that they were not feeling well, so even if they moved slowly, no one would be greatly suspicious.

The small and medium-sized merchant asked the large and medium-sized merchant.

“Hey, do you think those kids figured out our plan?”

“I don’t know, but it’s suspicious.”

Tsk. So Sang-gak-ju clicked his tongue. He was not happy that things were not going his way.

“Yes. It’s not certain yet. But if they say they’ll split the roles equally tomorrow, it’s likely they’ve figured out our plan, so it’d be better to wait and see how things go and retreat. We can just come back in a few days and get our hands on Baek Hyang-ah’s body, right?”

“That’s right… But there’s one thing that bothers me.”

“What?”

“If we just back off, won’t those guys just back off too? It’ll be a problem if Baek Hyang-ah and those guys pass by without clashing. Who knows when an opportunity like this will come again.”

It was a very clever idea, considering that it was a great idea.

But So Sang-gak-ju lightly waved his hand.

“You don’t have to worry too much about that. The young lady and Hyungong’s gang won’t ignore Baek Hyang-ah and leave. They’ll clash to retrieve the Mannyeon Bingjeong and the secret recipe. Of course, Baek Hyang-ah swallowed the Mannyeon Bingjeong.”

“What if the children see Baek Hyang-ah’s inaction and run away in fear?”

“No way. Those guys are young and outnumbered, so they’ll probably try to fight. Besides, that guy named Hyun-gong seemed to be head over heels in love with you. I’ve never seen a young man flinch in front of a woman he’s interested in.”

Daebyeokgakju nodded. Sosanggakju’s predictions were never wrong.

The story was interrupted.

Daebyeokgakju sharpened his senses and checked his surroundings to see if he could sense any signs of life. He could not feel anything except a thin breeze.

The small and medium-sized merchant asked the large and medium-sized merchant.

“What are you doing?”

“I was wondering if there were any ears listening in.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been feeling anxious since a while ago. There’s no one here.”

The guy called Hyun-gong and his gang were said to be unmanned by the Jeongpa.

It would be better if they were the unmanned people of Sapa or the Demonic Cult, but the idiots of the Jeongpa martial arts world would not have learned the Silver Sleep Art, so they would not have deceived the senses of the two experienced lords and overheard this conversation.

Sosanggakju and Daebyeokgakju spent a little more time and then got up from their seats.

“If you don’t move for too long, you’ll arouse suspicion. Let’s start moving slowly.”

*

Another day passed without much happening.

Neither Sosanggakju nor Daebyeokgakju, nor Dangmujin and his party clashed with Baek Hyang-ah.

Another night passed, and a new year rose.

After finishing a simple meal, So Sang-gak watched as Dang Mu-jin and his party busily cleaned up.

It was nice to have the young guys with me so I didn’t have to do the annoying stuff myself.

‘Let’s get started.’

So Sang-gak-ju put his hand into his sleeve. He wanted to play the flute to call the white moth to check Baek Hyang-ah’s location and check the reactions of Seol-hwa and Dang Mu-jin.

But there was nothing in hand.

‘huh?’

The flute that sang the white chrysanthemum has disappeared.

So Sang-gak-ju got up from his seat, shook out his sleeves, and looked around carefully. The flute was nowhere to be found.

Even if you lose everything else, you must not lose the flute.

If by any chance you miss Baek Hyang-ah’s whereabouts, all your hard work up to now will be in vain.

As Sosanggakju was very flustered, Daebyeokgakju approached and asked.

“What’s going on?”

“The flute is gone!”

“A flute that sings the white chrysanthemum?”

“okay!”

“Wasn’t it already divided?”

“What nonsense…”

“Hey, the white moss is here?”

In the place that Daebyeokgakju pointed to, there was a white-furred raccoon and a white raccoon.

Baekmocho was looking at Daebyeokgakju and Sosanggakju with her tail puffed out and her posture low.

The moment I thought, “Why is that guy acting like that?” a familiar face appeared from behind Baekmocho.

He was just a familiar face, not someone I wanted to meet here.

It was Baekhyang-ah.

Baek Hyang-ah was glaring at Daebyeok-gak-ju and Sosang-gak-ju with blazing eyes. Baek Hyang-ah even had a small flute in her left hand.

‘Why is that there···?’

A feeling of heart sinking.

But at the same time, a fortunate thought crossed So Sang-gak-ju’s mind. Aren’t there people by their side right now who can help them?

“Look here···!”

So Sang-gak-ju looked around while shouting like this.

However, the party led by Dang Mu-jin, who had been cleaning up after breakfast, had already disappeared somewhere.

The only people he could see were Daebyeokgakju and Baek Hyang-ah.

So Sang-gak felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head with an iron club.

‘What is this situation···?’

It felt unrealistic. There were so many questions that came to mind.

Why is the flute, which should be in her sleeve, in Baek Hyang-ah’s hand?

Why is Baekmocho looking this way as if she found a person with a scent of Chujonghyang?

I couldn’t figure out anything.

The worries of the small merchant did not last long.

“I’ll kill you!”

This is because Baek Hyang-ah ran towards So Sang-gak-ju and Dae Byeok-gak-ju.

‘There is no chance of winning.’

The judgment of the small and medium-sized business owner was faster than that of the large and medium-sized business owner.

Sosang-gakju used the most excellent technique he had learned, the Geuk-ya-bo, to take a position behind Daebyeok-gakju, and then pushed Daebyeok-gakju with all his might toward Baek Hyang-ah. Shock filled Daebyeok-gakju’s eyes as she lost her balance.

“You-!”

Daebyeokgakju tried to shout something at Sosanggakju, but he didn’t have enough time.

Sosanggakju fled without looking back, deploying all his might in his light attack.

It didn’t matter at all how the Great Wall Master viewed himself. Even though the Great Wall Master was exceptionally skilled among the best masters, he wouldn’t be able to withstand Baek Hyang-ah’s attacks for long.

“Eww, aaaah!”

The angry roar that Daebyeokgakju had been shouting turned into a scream. Soon even that scream died down.

There was a very faint sound of a person being ‘torn’. Baek Hyang-ah’s resentment towards Daebyeok-gakju was that deep. Of course, it was clear that her resentment towards Sosang-gakju was no less.

It’s spine-chilling. I can’t possibly smell blood from this far away, but I feel like I can smell it.

‘Please don’t follow me!’

The little sprinter ran at full speed, avoiding small obstacles.

Because he ran at full speed without worrying about the distribution of his internal energy and stamina, So Sang-gak-ju was out of breath. It was the first time in his life that he had run like this to the point of death.

My legs are so sore that it’s hard to walk.

Sosanggakju staggered a few more steps, sat down on a fairly thick tree trunk, and took a deep breath.

Phew, phew.

But before So Sang-gak-ju could even catch his breath, a strong arm shot out from somewhere and grabbed the back of So Sang-gak-ju’s neck.

“···!”

Kkudangtang.

The small statue that had been sitting on the tree stump rolled around on the floor in an unsightly manner.

At the same time, a thought occurred to me.

‘Could it be that Baek Hyang-ah followed me here? There was no sound!’

Sosang-gak-ju fell to the ground, and stretched out both arms to cover his head. I knew it didn’t mean anything. It was just an action out of instinctive fear.

Sosanggakju looked up between his arms. The face he saw was not Baek Hyang-ah’s. The four members of Dang Mu-jin’s party and Seol-hwa were looking down at Sosanggakju.

The little prince shouted in great confusion.

“What… What! Why are you guys here?”

Hyun-gong chuckled.

“Why are you here? I knew you’d come here, so I was waiting.”

“···You knew I’d come here? How?”

“I buried the scent of Chujonghyang on the back of Daebyeokgakju’s head and placed a flute on the path Baek Hyang-ah would pass by. I thought you would definitely run away since you wouldn’t die with Daebyeokgakju. And if you run away to the opposite side of Baek Hyang-ah, we will meet here.”

“That’s nonsense!”

The remaining incense and the flute were still in Sosangakju’s sleeve until yesterday morning.

Even if those guys were lucky enough to pick up a flute and a censer, there was no chance of the censer being buried in the Great Wall.

Since yesterday morning, Daebyeokgakju and Sosanggakju have been suspicious of Dangmujin and his party. They even stayed up all night without sleeping.

However, contrary to the thoughts of the two footnotes, the night’s stay was clearly in vain.

Namgung Myeong stole the incense and the flute from Sosang Gakju before the sun set, and before evening, he put the incense on the back of Daebyeok Gakju’s head.

It is impossible to read Namgung Myung’s presence with the sense of two feet.

Dang Mu-jin sat down on the tree trunk where So Sang-gak-ju had been sitting, crossed his legs, and looked down at So Sang-gak-ju with an indifferent expression as he spoke.

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. You. Yesterday, you told Daebyeokgakju that you needed Baek Hyang-ah’s body.”

Dang Mu-jin’s story was solid evidence.

There is evidence that someone from the party of Dang Mu-jin stayed next to Daebyeok-gak-ju and Sosang-gak-ju, but the two lords did not notice anything.

So Sang-gak-ju couldn’t answer and just opened his mouth. Dang Mu-jin didn’t ask for an answer right away.

Dang Mu-jin continued the story.

“I don’t know why you need Baek Hyang-ah’s body, but I have a vague idea.”

Dang Mu-jin thought of Mok Wan-ah.

To be exact, it was a memory of the night I spent with Mokwan-ah the day before I left Danggajang.

Nature was not made for humans.

Neither powerful elixirs nor strong herbs exist for human use.

Therefore, in order to use herbs on the human body, they go through a process called preparation.

It is made by steaming, boiling, frying, and drying so that people can accept it.

However, since the elixir was so precious, the method of making it was not well known. Wouldn’t it be a great disaster if the precious elixir lost all its effectiveness while being roasted?

That is why martial artists often consumed elixirs without processing them.

The human body is amazingly mysterious and intricate.

When a skilled warrior overcomes the elixir, the elixir of nature will change into a quality suitable for human use.

That was the reason why Mokwan-ah withstood the poison of the Inmyeonjiju first and then passed the poison on to Dangmujin.

Dangmujin couldn’t withstand the poison taken from the poison pouch of the Inmyeonjiju. However, he was able to handle the poison of the Inmyeonjiju that had been adapted to humans.

That’s why Dang Mu-jin thought.

Could it be that Baek Hyang-ah took on the role of Mok Wan-ah against her will?

Could it be that Sosanggakju and Daebyeokgakju wanted to receive the power of the Mannyeon Bingjeong through Baekhyang-ah’s body?

Dang Mu-jin said to So Sang-gak-ju.

“I’ll give you one last chance to defend yourself.”

“To be honest, are you going to spare my life?”

Dang Mu-jin shook his head.

“no.”

“Then, what is the defense for?”

The small merchant asked a question.

Dang Mu-jin stared intently into So Sang-gak-ju’s eyes and said.

“Of course it’s a defense for death. You have to convince me to die.”