Tangmunjeon - Chapter 353



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Tangmunjeon Episode 353

Gorgeous and quiet

In the far northern lands there is a strange custom called ‘wind-fighting’.

The custom is very simple. About a month after the baby is born, the baby is wrapped tightly in a cloth and placed in a basket on the roof. This is for a whole day.

The North is a cold land.

It’s not the mild cold that southerners usually think can be solved by buttoning up their coat collars.

It’s so cold that your hands and toes turn black and fall off.

If even adults have a hard time enduring the cold, it is unlikely that a newborn baby will be able to endure such bitter cold easily.

Some children survived the cold, but many more were carried away by the northern winds.

When the wind was particularly strong, parents who had lost their children to the wind would feel guilty and cry.

As times changed and time passed, fewer and fewer parents left their babies on the roof.

However, the custom of facing the wind has not completely disappeared.

Even though the Ice Palace Lord, revered by the northern people, had issued several edicts prohibiting the wind gazing, it was still like that.

There were several reasons.

A desperate measure to reduce the number of mouths to feed in the barren northern lands.

A superstition that children who survive the windstorm will live a long life without getting sick.

However, the reason why the practice of facing the wind continues until now is not because of tradition or superstition, but to check the child’s health.

The harsh belief that a baby who can withstand cold air well will have strong yin energy and will be able to learn ice fighting well.

And that belief was largely true.

Of course, it would be nice if we could teach martial arts to all children and check their talents without having to practice wind fighting, but the people of the North were not so affluent.

Even if a fairly wealthy family pooled all their wealth, they could only teach one child martial arts, so they needed to get some windfalls to maximize their chances of success.

Like many ice masters, So Sang-gak-ju was a child who survived the wind.

So Sang-gak-ju lost two fingers on his left hand to frostbite, but survived.

That was enough. He survived, learned martial arts, and with his great talents, he earned a position as a footnote in the Northern Ice Palace.

I guess I could say that I changed my life thanks to somehow overcoming the wind.

So Sang-gak-ju was proud of the hardships he had overcome, so he couldn’t help but laugh when he first saw Baek Hyang-ah.

A woman from the warm southern land where ice does not freeze even in the fall.

A woman from a faraway place where even the tradition of ice skating is not maintained.

It’s cruel and funny that such a woman has such great talent that no one in the Ice Palace has.

However, So Sang-gak-ju’s interest in Baek Hyang-ah ended there. Whether the woman from the south was talented or not, it had nothing to do with So Sang-gak-ju’s life.

It was the same when Baek Hyang-ah became the adopted daughter of the Bukhae Ice Palace Lord, and when she learned martial arts from the Ice Palace Lord and the Great Byeokgak Lord. It was even the same when the Mannyeon Ice Palace could have become Baek Hyang-ah’s.

But on the day when the son he had finally gotten lost in a blizzard and died, So Sang-gak-ju couldn’t help but think of Baek Hyang-ah’s face.

If only my son had been able to withstand the cold a little longer, he would have survived.

I wonder if that girl took something away from my son that should have been his.

I wonder if my son died because that bitch took something.

Even though I knew it was nonsense, the thought wouldn’t leave my head.

As that thought entered my head, the sight of Baek Hyang-ah struggling to learn the northern language and train in martial arts couldn’t have been more hateful.

I could tolerate the fact that people from the North didn’t have such talents, but I couldn’t tolerate the fact that a foreigner who had nothing to do with the North had such talents.

Then one day, So Sang-gak-ju had a terrible yet ingenious idea.

The thought occurred to me that since the talents that the northern people should have had were taken away by outsiders, wouldn’t it be right to return those talents to the northern people?

Sosang-gakju successfully persuaded Daebyeok-gakju to join the plan. This was possible because Daebyeok-gakju was in a similar situation to Sosang-gakju.

And on the day when all the plans were ready, So Sang-gak-ju and Dae Byeok-gak-ju secretly took the Mannyeon Bing-jeong and several of the most important secret books and went to find Baek Hyang-ah.

“Miss Baek.”

“yes?”

“The princess has ordered you to go into deep meditation for the time being, focus on your training, absorb the Eternal Ice Crystal, and then return.”

It was late.

However, when Sosanggakju and Daebyeokgakju showed her the Everlasting Ice and Secret, Baek Hyang-ah believed their stories at face value.

“Uh- Okay, I understand.”

Baek Hyang-ah was awkward with the northern language.

The only people who talk to him are the Ice Palace Lord, his blood relatives, and a few other nobles and clansmen.

Since he didn’t know much and was naturally gentle, he didn’t doubt what people said and followed them well, so deceiving Baek Hyang-ah was a very simple matter.

Daebyeokgakju and Sosanggakju took Baekhyang-ah and secretly escaped out of the ice palace and outside the castle gate.

And then they moved far to the west. Baek Hyang-ah followed along diligently without any suspicion.

So Sang-gak-ju thought while looking at Baek Hyang-ah.

‘With my achievements, I can’t digest the Eternal Ice Crystal myself. However, I can kill Baek Hyang-ah and take the yin energy she digested.’

Compared to taking the Everlasting Ice Crystal directly, its effects did not seem to be lacking. Wasn’t Baekhyang-ah a living and moving elixir in itself? Since it was like adding an unrivaled elixir to an unrivaled elixir, the effects would be enormous.

Now Baek Hyang-ah didn’t seem so hateful.

After traveling for two weeks, Sosang-gak-ju and Daebyeok-gak-ju found an uninhabited cave.

As soon as Sosang-gak-ju settled down in the cave, he offered Baekhyang-ah the Eternal Ice Crystal.

“I and the Great Wall Guardian will protect the law, so take the ice crystal.”

But Baek Hyang-ah wasn’t stupid, so she knew that she shouldn’t do that.

Baek Hyang-ah spoke hesitantly.

“Huh? No. Not yet. It’s dangerous.”

The Eternal Ice Crystal is not an elixir of just any level.

A situation where it is unknown whether one can endure it even after consuming it after raising the achievement of ice to the limit.

If I took the Eternal Ice Crystal right away, I would definitely not be able to absorb it all and serious problems would arise.

But that was also the outcome that Sosang Footnotes most desired.

Wouldn’t it be better for both of us if we digested all or most of the negative energy of the Eternal Ice Crystal and then died ourselves?

So Sang-gak-ju crouched down in front of Baek Hyang-ah and stared at her intently.

And he spoke in a different tone than before.

“Is it dangerous? What does that have to do with me?”

Although Baek Hyang-ah’s martial arts skills are extremely outstanding, the martial arts skills that Baek Hyang-ah has learned from the Gongdongpa are not enough to handle even the Sosang Gakju, let alone the Daebyeok Gakju.

The achievements of the newly learned Ice Sword were lower than those of the Gonggun Sword.

So Sang-gak-ju held out the Everlasting Ice Crystal to Baek Hyang-ah and held it out again.

“Choose. Eat or die.”

Baek Hyang-ah had no choice.

Baek Hyang-ah swallowed the Everlasting Ice Crystal while crying and sat cross-legged to avoid dying.

Soon the cave was filled with an unbearable cold.

Daebyeokgakju and Sosanggakju went outside to avoid the cold air and waited for Baekhyang-ah to die. All plans went smoothly.

The problem arose after that.

Baek Hyang-ah, who swallowed the eternal ice, miraculously escaped with her life.

Up to this point, it wasn’t a big problem. However, that doesn’t mean that Baek Hyang-ah was a master who could subdue So Sang-gak-ju and Dae Byeok-gak-ju.

He had a great amount of yin energy, but he didn’t know how to use it, so he was no different from a child holding a sharp sword. Sosang-gak-ju and Daebyeok-gak-ju didn’t panic and chased after Baek Hyang-ah.

But from that point on, things started to go seriously wrong.

Baek Hyang-ah encountered a top-notch demonic cult master, known as Gwangyeom-line, and then left for the demonic cult with a group of warriors.

It was impossible to invade the Demonic Cult and kill Baek Hyang-ah. So Sang-gak-ju and Dae Byeok-gak-ju gave up everything.

But soon, the possibility arose. Baek Hyang-ah reappeared.

However, Baek Hyang-ah had mastered incredible martial arts in a short period of time, and was in a state where even the Great Wall and Small Walls could not subdue her. However, even at first glance, her state was extremely unstable.

It is difficult for a madman to live out his life, regardless of whether his actions are high or low.

The two men followed Baek Hyang-ah around for several months, waiting for an opportunity.

Baek Hyang-ah also knew that the two men were after her, but they were not naive enough to let themselves be caught by Baek Hyang-ah.

One day, while the subtle chase continued, Sosang-gak-ju and Daebyeok-gak-ju encountered Dang Mu-jin and his party.

*

The story of the small merchant is over.

Unlike usual, there was no one to express their feelings.

Only soft sighs can be heard here and there.

Hyun-gong looked at Seol-hwa. Seol-hwa’s expression was extremely complicated.

Hyun-gong asked Dang-mu-jin.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I have to finish what I started. There’s nothing I can do about the Eternal Ice Crystal, but I’ll get the supplies back.”

Dang Mu-jin dragged So Sang-gak-ju and moved against the path that So Sang-gak-ju had run away from.

Sosang-gakju did not resist even as he was dragged towards death. He had come to know what a great favor it was to be able to die.

And finally, Dang Mu-jin found Baek Hyang-ah.

Baek Hyang-ah sat still between the torn and shattered pieces of flesh.

Although it was clearly a cruel act, Dang Mu-jin could understand Baek Hyang-ah’s anger to some extent.

Dang Mu-jin and Baek Hyang-ah’s eyes met.

A multitude of emotions appeared in Baek Hyang-ah’s eyes.

Grudge. Old memories and longing. A little gratitude. And then it changes direction again to anger.

Baek Hyang-ah’s gaze was fixed on So Sang-gak-ju.

Dang Mu-jin threw a small stone at Baek Hyang-ah.

The little prince did not run away or cry. Instead, he just smiled and spoke.

“You devil bitch.”

So Sang-gak-ju spat at Baek Hyang-ah.

Baek Hyang-ah blocked the spit with her right hand, then began to tear the small statue to pieces with her bare hands that were so white that they looked bluish.

The corpse of the torn small statue gradually froze, and at some point, it became more appropriate to say that it was breaking apart.

The group tried to gauge Baek Hyang-ah’s inaction by looking at her appearance, but they couldn’t figure out the answer.

Baek Hyang-ah seemed like a first-class martial artist, and at the same time, a top-class martial artist.

But if you look closely, some parts have reached the realm of the super climax, and if you look at it again, it seems like you have stepped into a mythical realm that is beyond the super climax.

A state that cannot be judged by the existing methods of measuring unmanned achievements.

However, Dang Mu-jin and his friends thought that if they pooled their strength, they might be able to subdue Baek Hyang-ah.

Finally, the frozen flesh of the Great Wall and the Small Wall were mixed together in a mess.

I couldn’t even tell which body was whose.

Baek Hyang-ah took a deep breath and looked at Dang Mu-jin.

A subtle atmosphere flowed between Dang Mu-jin and Baek Hyang-ah.

Although we had no ill will toward each other, we had a lot of ill feelings towards each other.

Dang Mu-jin spoke first.

“It’s been a while.”

“That’s right.”

Baek Hyang-ah nodded.

Dang Mu-jin thought that Baek Hyang-ah might have lost her senses like Tu-hee, but unexpectedly, Baek Hyang-ah’s senses seemed clear.

This time, Baek Hyang-ah spoke.

“I understand why you came.”

“Yes. I came to get the emergency kit and the eternal ice crystal back. I couldn’t get the eternal ice crystal back, but… I know your circumstances, so I won’t hold you accountable. No one will chase you from now on either.”

“Snow flower…? Ah.”

Baek Hyang-ah quickly understood who Seol-hwa was referring to.

However, Seolhwa could not properly meet Baek Hyang-ah’s eyes. This was because she felt sorry for having misunderstood Baek Hyang-ah up until now.

The party leader spoke.

“Return the emergency kit. And live however you wish, wherever you wish, whether in the North or at home. This is the end of your strange fate. Now go and find a comfortable life.”

After hearing that story, Baek Hyang-ah remained silent for a while and then shook her head.

“No. I don’t think that will work.”

“Why? What’s the problem?”

“Suffering and hardship don’t come to you for a reason. You know that, even if others don’t, right?”

Baek Hyang-ah squatted down in her seat.

“I was born with a terminal illness and was on the verge of death. It happened without my consent.”

“And then one day, I was cured of arrhythmia. Again, it happened without my consent.”

“I followed my father’s advice and went to the Gongdongpa. It was something I had no intention of doing. However, I thought it was a good thing because it meant I had to distance myself from my father. I also wanted to learn martial arts and help build up my family. I wanted to see my father smiling proudly at me.”

“And then I got a call that my father had passed away. It was something that had nothing to do with my will.”

“Still, I made up my mind and practiced. I thought that I should live as Baek Hyang-a, a Taoist of the Gongdong School, not Baek Hyang-a of the Jewon Baekga School. However, Muryangja passed away. It had nothing to do with my will.”

There was a chill in Baek Hyang-ah’s story. However, Dang Mu-jin could not stop Baek Hyang-ah’s story.

“I walked north without a destination and arrived at the Bukhae Ice Palace. I made a precious connection. After a long time, I found peace in my heart and realized that I had no ill intentions toward you. However, this time, I left the Bukhae Ice Palace against my will. Such is life.”

“I thought to myself as I desperately absorbed the eternal ice crystals in the cave. Why is my life like this? Then I suddenly realized. This wasn’t my life.”

“···Not your life?”

“I didn’t make any decisions on my own, and nothing happened the way I wanted it to. Everything happened outside of my control. How could that be my life?”

Baek Hyang-ah got up from her seat and kicked the flesh scattered around her.

“Revenge against Daebyeokgakju and Sosanggakju? This is not something I achieved either. You gave me revenge as a gift, like a butcher throwing a bone with a little meat left to a wild dog. Whenever this happens, I try to think positively. But now, I don’t have the confidence to wag my tail.”

The party leader spoke.

“No. From now on, it’ll be different. Now you have the power not to be swayed by anyone.”

“Strength? Sounds good. But it’s strength that comes with a price.”

“···cost?”

“The coldness that dwells within me is not a coldness that humans can suppress. However, when my life was in danger, the Demon Lord taught me a solution. A way to continue living a miserable life with the yang energy I gained by taking the lives of others. I can survive only by killing people endlessly. Do you want me to survive like that?”

Dang Mu-jin hesitated and couldn’t answer right away. Baek Hyang-ah smiled when she saw that.

“See? The world is so cruel.”

Baek Hyang-ah turned her head and looked at Seol-hwa.

“You said you came to retrieve the emergency supplies and elixir?”

“···huh.”

“Okay. I’ll return the emergency kit as you requested. I’ll return the elixir as well.”

I knew that Baek Hyang-ah had a good personality, but I didn’t know she would be so willing.

A smile appeared on Seolhwa’s face.

But soon, Seol-hwa realized something strange.

“···Elixir? Didn’t you already absorb the Eternal Ice Crystal?”

“Of course I can’t return the Eternal Ice Crystal. But I can return the elixir instead.”

“What kind of elixir…?”

Seolhwa still did not understand the story, but Dangmujin and his party understood the meaning behind the words.

Baek Hyang-ah was laughing innocently. It was not the laughter of a child, but the laughter of someone who was twisted and crazy.

Baek Hyang-ah said.

“Up until now, everything has been decided outside of my control, outside of my hands. But I’ll make one decision myself. This is my life.”

There was no need to hesitate. There was no need to hesitate. You had to move as quickly as possible before someone intervened and took over your life.

That is why Baek Hyang-ah immediately raised her internal energy.

A tremendous amount of negative energy filled my body.

Baek Hyang-ah did not move the yin energy according to the natural order, but led it in the opposite direction. Aggressively, but at the same time meticulously.

A great deal of pain was coming. But in the midst of it all, Baek Hyang-ah felt a vague sense of relief.

Damn.

A thin crack appeared in Baek Hyang-ah’s danjeon and Jinwon Jinki began to flow out.

Any other person would not be able to control the flow of Jinwonjingi.

However, Baek Hyang-ah partially blocked the crack in her danjeon by using her overwhelming yin energy. It may not have been blocked, but rather frozen.

In any case, the result was the same. The amount of Jinwonjinki leaking from the danjeon decreased.

Of course, that didn’t mean that Baek Hyang-ah could use Jinwon Jinki and survive.

But unlike other people who raise their energy and die in half a day, they will be able to survive for about two weeks.

Thanks to the limited amount of Jinwonjinki that had been drawn out, an incredible cold energy that was incomparable to what it was now surged up and enveloped Baek Hyang-ah.

The moisture in the air froze, causing the area around the white sandalwood to twinkle like stars.

The sight was bizarre yet beautiful.

Baek Hyang-ah walked towards the north.

But before I could take even a few steps, my foot caught something. It was the head of the small statue.

The last thing So Sang-gak-ju said came to mind. That devilish bitch.

Baek Hyang-ah said.

“···The elixir with the secret will turn into a devil and return to the north. No one knows what that devil will do. However, it will all depend on the devil’s will. What do you think? Isn’t that enough?”

Baek Hyang-ah smiled as she looked at Dang Mu-jin and Seol-hwa.

It was the most dangerous smile Dang Mu-jin had ever seen.

Baek Hyang-ah said.

“Try to stop it.”

After that story, the pure white devil headed north.

Brilliantly, yet quietly.