Episode 77. It’s time to take a break.
Namgungcheon of Cheongung Sword suffered large and small wounds on his shoulder and both arms during his fight with Yeonjeokha.
Namgung Jin, the swordsman who was stamping his feet while watching him faint, said, “I am in charge of guarding the upper class in the name of Changcheon-dae, so I must take responsibility for it until Luoyang,” and left alone.
Of course, I believed in Oh Bong-san-chae’s sincerity towards Namgung-cheon.
Namgungcheon didn’t wake up until evening.
The Hagachon council member said that it was because he had lost a lot of energy and blood.
After dinner, Yeon-jeok Namgung-cheon squatted down in front of the room where he was sleeping.
He was clutching his head in guilt for hurting Namgungcheon.
Sim Yang-gak, who was passing by, saw him and quietly approached him.
“Master, don’t blame yourself too much. Both of them were in a state of selflessness.”
“I’m crazy. I’m going crazy because I’m not fighting.”
“It is unfortunate that Prince Namgung was injured, but it is a blessing for everyone.”
“Oh my, if I receive the blessing twice, I’ll die right away.”
“Hehehe, do you think there are a few people who dream of reaching a state of no-self? I don’t know for sure, but I’m sure both of you have achieved quite a bit.”
“Achievement is a piece of cake. I still can’t win.”
“But how can we cross the line between herbivorous and non-herbivorous? Isn’t everyone who holds a sword aiming to be liberated from herbivorousness?”
“Crossed the border? Me?”
“Yes, your swordsmanship has changed a lot. Even though you swing it lightly, it contains the essence of a beginner’s sword. Did you really not feel anything?”
“Well, if I had to say, the pressure of ‘having to spread the word’ has disappeared.”
“Hehehe, have you ever felt pressured?”
“You have to use what you have learned well. But in the end, swordsmanship is simple. Is there anything more to it than stabbing and cutting? Should I call it a perverted swordsmanship? Once you realize that even herbivorous swordsmanship is all about stabbing and cutting, your sense of duty disappears.”
“I see. Try using your sword tomorrow. It will be much different than before. Only those who have tasted the marrow of vegetarianism can go beyond vegetarianism, but I didn’t know that Your Majesty had already reached that level.”
“Pfft! Bone marrow? Were you close with Mr. Shim before? What kind of bone marrow did you taste? Anyway, it’s funny.”
“I helped out in the kitchen when I was young.”
“Did you do anything?”
“Hehehe, I had to do whatever it took to make a living.”
Yeonjeokha’s gaze towards Simyanggak softened.
When I heard stories about his past, he seemed like a slightly more human Madu.
“So, I’m vacillating between being a herbivore and a non-herbivore?”
“Yes. I can’t believe the master’s level. At that age, it’s really impossible for him to have surpassed the level of a herbivore. Even if he had learned swordsmanship while still in his mother’s womb, it wouldn’t have been possible. Could it be that he learned it directly from the Nine Heavenly Women?”
“Maybe so.”
“Then what about that immense internal energy? Even if you had synthesized all nine hundred characters, isn’t it not at a level that can be achieved with just Jin Gi To Nap?”
“I got a lot of food from Gucheonhyeonnyeo.”
“Is it an elixir?”
“No, dry powder and water.”
“You tried it and it was sweet?”
“huh.”
Sim Yang-gak’s eyebrows furrowed.
I don’t know how much to believe, but Yeonjeokha’s expression was serious.
“Confucius.”
“huh?”
“I think it would be better not to say that to other people.”
“why?”
“Because they might think I’m lying or that Confucius is crazy.”
“I guess so?”
“Wow! Are you saying that even though you knew?”
“Then do you think I’m stupid?”
“Okay. Where did you meet Gucheonhyeonnyeo?”
“In the mirror.”
“Phehhehhe. Hehhehhe.”
Sim Yang-gak laughed for a long time, his shoulders shaking, wondering what was so funny.
Namgungcheon finally came to his senses late at night.
He wasn’t particularly surprised when he heard from Yeonjeokha that ‘Namgung Jin left first.’
Namgungcheon, who had been hesitating for a while, carefully opened his mouth.
“Yeon So-hyeop, can I ask you something?”
“yes.”
“I am so familiar with the martial arts of Yeon So-hyeop. Could it be that it is Waryongjang’s Nine Heavenly Sword?”
Namgungcheon thought that Yeon A-u was related to Waryongjang.
I spent ten years with Yeonmu Baek.
I don’t know the secret to the Nine Heaven Sword, but I can imitate it.
That is also why he was able to wrestle with Yeon Jeok-ha, who was a top-class master, for a long time.
After practicing martial arts for ten years, I became familiar with the style of the Nine Heavenly Sword. That’s why I was able to immerse myself more, and eventually I reached a state of no-self.
“yes.”
He did not deny that he was in love.
Wasn’t he the son of the True Moon Swordsman and the rightful successor to the Nine Heavenly Laws?
“Excuse me, but what is your relationship with Waryongjang? Oh, there’s nothing else to it. I’ve been with Yeonmu Baek, the head of Waryongjang’s household, for ten years, but I think you’re more proficient in the Nine Heaven Sword than him.”
Namgungcheon had no intention of connecting the young man in front of him with Yeonjeokha. His martial arts were too outstanding for that. It was impossible for a child locked in a warehouse to achieve something that was difficult to achieve even if he poured everything into his family.
“Do you remember me? I think I saw you at Waryongjang about thirteen years ago. I’m Yeon-jeok-ha.”
“to?”
Namgungcheon looked at Yeonjeokha with surprised eyes.
Is this the kid who was locked in the warehouse and then ran away?
“Are you really saying that Yeon So-hyeop is Yeon Uncle Yeon’s youngest son, Jeok-ha? That little boy who never spoke?”
“yes.”
When Namgungcheon stared at her, Yeonjeok smiled shyly.
“The youngest one who was locked in the warehouse?”
“Huh? How did you know that?”
“oh my god…….”
Namgungcheon told me about the time he and his younger brother went to Waryongjang to look for him three years ago.
“How did you come to Mt. Obong?”
After finding out that he was Yeon’s uncle’s son, Namgungcheon spoke more freely.
He told the story of how he escaped from the warehouse where he had been living and settled in Mt. Obong.
“… … At that time, I was sick and almost dying, but Chae Ju-nim saved me. After that, I just sat there.”
“Tch! I see. Your parents and Yeon-i were really worried about you. Your father especially wanted to find you, even if it was late… … .”
Namgungcheon trailed off.
Suddenly, the tragedy at my family home came to mind.
“I heard the news about the Namgung family. Have you heard from your uncle yet?”
“Oh. But I’m sure he’s alive. There was a lot of noise at the famous church for a while about them looking for my father. He must be receiving treatment somewhere. He’s not the type of person to go like that.”
“I hope you come back.”
“Thank you. By the way, where did you learn the Nine Heaven Sword? It’s so much better than Mu Baek’s.”
“While I was in the warehouse… … I discovered something left behind by the Yeon clan’s ancestors.”
I didn’t say anything about the Nine Heavenly Women’s Sutra.
As Sim Yang-gak said, it is clear that I will be treated like a crazy person.
“Ah! That’s a real blessing in disguise. You found a vision in the warehouse. I bet your aunt will have a huge stomachache when she finds out later.”
Namgungcheon glanced at Yeonjeokha’s expression.
It is already widely known that O Bong San Chae has hostility towards Waryong Jang. There have been many speculations as to why, but it is impossible to guess the truth behind this.
“I’m sure Yeon-i would be happy to hear from you. When would you like to meet up?”
“yes.”
“I guess it would be better not to contact Waryongjang?”
“I cut ties with those people.”
From Yeonjeokha’s calm voice, Namgungcheon felt that mediation was impossible.
“Yes. I will respect your wishes as well. I will not associate you with Waryongjang. If I had found you in the warehouse three years ago, Namgung Sega would have cut ties with Waryongjang. It is clear that a relationship is formed and broken… … .”
“Sister… … are you doing well?”
“Yeon-i is the same now as she was before. She’s quiet, unlike me. Haha. Oh my, it hurts.”
Namgungcheon, who was laughing and shaking his upper body, lightly touched my arm.
It seems that he moved inadvertently and irritated the wound.
“I’m sorry, brother. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I told you I was careful, but I lost my mind for a moment.”
“No, it’s okay. Thanks to you, I also gained a chance. I got the same effect as if I had trained for ten years, so is this little injury a big deal? I finally feel a little more confident.”
In fact, Namgungcheon had been dispirited since his family fell. He was even more frustrated because he couldn’t even think of taking revenge. But now, things are different. As his power grew, his broken pride was restored a little.
“By the way, do you plan to continue living as a mountain herder?”
“I don’t know. Of the five peaks and ten valleys, seven have already descended. I don’t really have anywhere to go… … .”
Namgungcheon looked at Yeonjeokha with pitiful eyes.
If Namgung Se-ga had been in good health, he would have asked me to go with him.
But now, since he himself was living off of the mutual aid association, he had nothing to say.
“Isn’t that right? A petty thief gets beaten and branded on the face, but a great thief is called a hero. Can’t you tell just by looking at the Pacheonma Army? From now on, no matter what you do, no one will dare call you a thief.”
“really?”
“Of course. Who would call you a thief in front of you? Maybe not behind your back. Heh!”
Namgungcheon burst into laughter while speaking.
If it was Yeonjeokha’s inaction, it was clear that even the Justice Alliance would just watch out for it.
There is no benefit in messing with the master of the Nokrim when you have a strong opponent like Yumingyo in front of you.
“Actually, I don’t really care about that. I think life in the green forest is fine. If you treat me like a thief, I’ll act like a thief, and if you treat me like a hero, I’ll become a hero.”
“That’s a wise idea. The sages also said, ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated.’ If you plant beans, you will get beans, and if you plant red beans, you will get red beans.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
It seemed a little strange, but I could definitely feel Namgungcheon’s warm heart.
***
The next day, Namgungcheon went down the mountain.
He left in a hurry because he was afraid that Namgung Yeon, who was waiting for him in Luoyang, would be worried.
After parting ways with Namgungcheon, Yeonjeok couldn’t seem to get his mind together.
The time I spend sitting blankly has increased.
One day, Sim Yang-gak, who could no longer stand to watch, climbed up to the highest peak of Mt. Obong.
Yeonjeok-ha, who was sitting blankly on the rock, muttered with a dull expression.
“Old Man Shim, why are you hanging around like this these days? Did you bury a honey pot here?”
“Hehe, that’s possible. By the way, it seems like you’ve stopped practicing the Igi Sword recently?”
“That’s not something that can be learned in a day or two. And if a nineteen-year-old uses swordsmanship, people will call him arrogant.”
“Oh my! No way. You wouldn’t even dare make eye contact.”
“You don’t even make eye contact? That won’t do. I don’t want to be that heartless.”
“Phehe. So are you resting these days?”
“You’ve been training hard without taking your eyes off it. It’s time to take a break.”
“Then, while you’re resting, rest meaningfully.”
“What’s the point of resting?”
“I told you about swordsmanship, but I know it’s nonsense.”
“Yeah, I knew it. I feel like a fool for believing only in empty promises.”
“So what I’m saying is, how about taking a trip while you’re at it?”
“picnic?”
“Yes, I’ll go to Mudeungsan and meet Cheonjisangin. He’ll be able to teach me the secrets of swordsmanship. And while I’m at it, I’ll go to Luoyang and see the famous Luoyang Samjeol.”
“Luoyangsamjeol?”
“The soup called Su-seok (水席), peonies, and Longmen Grottoes are called the Three Seasons of Luoyang. If you are going to rest, shouldn’t you rest properly?”
Yeonjeokha’s eyes lit up.
If it was Luoyang, it would be a pretty good suggestion since I could naturally meet people from Namgung Se-ga.
Wuxia,
