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< Martial Arts Tournament (3) - Moderately Defeated >
“Hey. Did you hear that rumor?”
“I wonder if anyone has heard such strange rumors. At that time, I should practice my first meal once more. I have to pass the preliminaries so that I can hang around when I fight the Demonic Cult.”
At the first mention of Gaebongdo, who was reprimanded by his friend, his eyes widened as if he was hurt.
“Damn it. I came here to tell you as soon as I heard you were that guy’s friend… If you don’t want to hear it, then don’t! I’m going to go practice my cooking!”
“Where else are you going? Come sit down here. Have a drink and tell me about that great rumor.”
“Oh, that’s okay!”
“Oh, really. I guess I should buy you a drink.”
“Jeomsoi! Here, a bottle of plum wine!”
“This guy is a robber…! Just think of it as a trivial story.”
Gaebongdo filled the dirty bowl he usually carried with him with plum wine and drank it all in one gulp.
“Ugh! This is killing me. Can I order another bottle?”
“If something great doesn’t come out of your mouth right now, I’ll assume you’ve asked me for a life or death deal today.”
Gaebongdo grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. Then he lowered his voice and spoke.
“It seems like something happened in Xinjiang.”
Then the expression on the man sitting across from me also changed to a serious one.
“If it’s Xinjiang, isn’t that where the Demonic Cult’s base is? What’s going on?”
“A few days ago, a huge beacon fire was lit.”
“···Bonghwa?”
“Did you know that the warriors of Meng these days are watching you day and night? Oh well, in the middle of the night, a huge fire rose into the sky and transformed into the shape of a giant monster bird.”
“A monster?”
They were talking in low voices, but now the people in Gaebong were all martial artists and masters.
Everyone around them was listening to the conversation between the two. There was no martial artist who wasn’t interested in the recent movements of the Demonic Cult.
Kaepungdo, whose face was red from alcohol, used gestures to describe the monster.
“They say it was a monster made of flames that were at least a hundred jang long. It had a saw-toothed crest on its head, a sharp beak, a thick body like a pig rather than a bird, and short wings. Its appearance was so strange that it was truly a monster!”
“indeed···.”
Gaebongdo expressed the rumors he had heard as terrifyingly as possible. The martial artists who heard the story also nodded seriously.
A timid claim like “Is that chicken…” came out from somewhere, but it was quickly buried in the serious atmosphere around them.
“In addition, it is said that what appeared to be letters appeared above the monster’s head.”
“A text? Did the demonic bastards declare war!”
“That’s not it…. They said it was a text that no one could read.”
The open drawing was done by picking up fallen branches and drawing pictures on the dirt floor.
“They say it looks like this.”
Hey, what’s up with that?
“The main room suspects that this is a phrase from the demonic cult’s scriptures. They may have used it as a secret language.”
“Hmm···.”
Before they knew it, martial artists had gathered around the two of them.
They looked at the crookedly written ‘ㅇ ㅏ ㅈㅓ ㅅㅅㅣ!’ and had a serious discussion.
“What a truly strange character···.”
“Isn’t there anyone who can read?”
“I think my friend knows how to write pretty well.”
“Then please hurry and bring him!”
“These cult bastards must be up to something!”
“I have seen their scriptures while fighting against the Demonic Cultists in the past… This is a signal to the Demonic Cultists hiding in various places.”
Groan, groan.
Dozens of martial artists gathered and chattered noisily. All sorts of speculations, suspicions, and rumors were rampant.
‘this···.’
I regretted my light-hearted openness a little, but since so many people had seen the monster in Xinjiang, rumors would spread like wildfire in a few days.
‘The headquarters of the Murim Alliance and the major sects already know everything.’
It’s a rumor that’s going to get out anyway. What would happen if it spread a little faster?
Jubal decided to think optimistically, like a beggar.
“Jeomsoi! Bring me another bottle of plum wine!”
At that time, Daein was heading towards Namgung Se-ga as if he knew nothing.
***
The atmosphere of the group heading to Namgung Se-ga was strangely cold.
The reason was because of Namgung Hyeon and Jin Noin, who were radiating cold air from either side of the man.
‘Why did it have to be Namgung Se-ga?’
The five great generations.
Among them, Namgung Se-ga and Mo Yong Se-ga were very likely directly involved in the Geomhwangmun bloodshed 15 years ago.
In other words, the two are like mortal enemies.
‘So I tried to refuse···.’
There was a reason why they ended up following the middle-aged woman to Namgung Se-ga.
[Sing. Namgung Se-ga.]
Because it was Namgung Hyun, and not anyone else, who insisted that he should go.
The man asked Namgung Hyeon over the phone, feeling he couldn’t believe it.
[You’re not suggesting that we invade Namgung Se-ga, are you?]
If you come now and start acting like you want to get revenge on your parents, you’ll be in a very difficult position.
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Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
[Brother. I’m not that kind of child who can’t tell right from wrong.]
‘Are you young enough?’
The man did not say anything about his thoughts. Instead, he looked at him intently, and Namgung Hyun added more to the tone.
[You need to get a letter of recommendation to participate in the martial arts competition anyway. If you see the lady who did us a favor being escorted by Namgung Se-ga’s warriors, she might be friendly with the head of the household or the elders. I can’t miss this opportunity because of my feelings.]
[Is that all?]
Namgung Hyun hesitated for a moment and then answered honestly.
[I want to see it once. What kind of place is the Emperor Sword born in? What kind of people are my enemies?]
Namgung Hyeon’s feelings towards Namgung Se-ga must be quite complicated.
‘Geom Hwang was born as an illegitimate child of the Namgung family.’
He was not even the son of a nobleman, but the son of a concubine taken in by an ordinary man.
However, from a young age, he displayed a genius talent for martial arts, which aroused the envy and jealousy of his direct descendants of the same age.
The Great Man recalled a passage written in the Records of the Emperor.
“They discriminated against me and beat me in places I couldn’t see. They even gave me poisonous herbs, claiming they were elixirs. If I hadn’t run away and continued to hold out in Sega, I would have been eliminated before I reached the age of 20.”
After his mother passed away, Geomhwang ran away from Sega without any regrets, and later returned as the best person in the world and founded Geomhwangmun.
It’s right across from Namgung Se-ga.
From then on, the relationship between Namgung Se-ga and Geom Hwang-mun could not have been good. Until that day 15 years ago.
[I promise, Brother. I won’t do anything that will cause trouble···.]
[Okay, I guess I’ll have to go somewhere to get a letter of recommendation anyway.]
So, the three of them followed the middle-aged woman to Namgung Se-ga.
On the way, the man witnessed a noisy scene.
Dozens of martial artists were looking at the floor and chatting as if they were at a market, centered around a table outside the inn.
Words like “demon cult,” “beacon fire,” and “monster” were often heard.
The middle-aged woman looked back at the man with a worried expression.
“Daehyeop. I guess something happened.”
The man smiled a righteous smile, ‘as befitting a great hero.’ He needed to look good because he needed to receive a letter of recommendation.
“Come next to me. There are many martial artists gathered here, so a fight might break out. But don’t worry. I will protect you…”
Even though I thought I was being a bit excessive after saying that, the middle-aged woman looked as if she couldn’t contain her emotion.
“How affectionate… As expected, he is someone who is worthy of the nickname of Sword of Righteousness.”
“···Ahem. Yes. Thank you. It’ll pass quickly.”
The great man paid no attention to the gathered martial artists.
No matter what happened to the Demonic Cult, I had no intention of participating in the Demonic Cult War anyway.
After a while, they arrived at the main gate of Namgung Se-ga.
“and···.”
“Huh. It’s still all flashy.”
Namgung Hyeon sighed in admiration at the palace-like appearance of the house, and old man Jin frowned as if in displeasure.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t come in or out of here. Would you please come this way?”
The middle-aged woman guided the group to a small door through which Sega’s workers passed through.
It was large enough for a typical house. The middle-aged woman guided the group to her residence.
The moment he entered the Sega, Jin, who had been tense, sent a message to the elder.
[The escorts who were following behind have fallen. It looks like they went to the main building.]
[I guess we went to report to our superiors that we were here. But sir, wouldn’t there be anyone in the Namgung family who would recognize us?]
[···You ask so quickly. I’ve been using the bone grafting machine for a long time and my face has changed little by little. No one will recognize my face now.]
After a while, they were guided to the annex.
As soon as the message was put inside, the woman’s two daughters hurriedly came out to greet the man.
“Great Hero!”
“How did my benefactor come here!”
They welcomed the man as much as their mother did.
If the great man had not saved him from the bandits, he would have suffered a terrible fate.
As it was lunchtime, the group had a meal and tea with the three mothers and daughters. The hospitality was so extravagant that it was almost burdensome.
While drinking tea, the old man carefully asked what he had been curious about.
“But, Madam, what kind of relationship do you have with the Namgung family···”
The woman said with a pretty smile.
“I used to be the nanny for this lady and the master. The lady passed away early, so I raised them as if they were my own children.”
She was said to be a nanny who raised the children of Namgung Jeongcheon, the current head of the Namgung family, in place of their mother.
When the children grew up to the point where they no longer needed a nanny, Namgung Jeongcheon sent her and her husband away with a small fortune.
“But I came back in such a pitiful state and am now in your debt again… I can only apologize and be grateful.”
“Nobody would think that way.”
The man answered thusly and exchanged messages with his party.
[Seeing that she lives in a separate building like this with her daughters, it seems that she is quite trusted by the head of the household.]
[Could I ask you to write a letter of recommendation?]
Daein also agreed with the opinions of both people.
When the tea in the cup was reduced to half, the master carefully brought up the main topic.
“Actually, we ran into a bit of a difficult situation while trying to participate in the Yongbongbimu today.”
“Yes? If you’re in a difficult situation···.”
The man smiled awkwardly and said.
“I heard that you need a letter of recommendation to participate in the Yongbongbimu. How could you come here without knowing that? I only know how to subdue bandits, and I’m ignorant of the ways of the world…”
The man slyly brought up the topic of ‘suppressing bandits’. Of course, he didn’t say anything outright like he was asking for a favor.
“I didn’t know that I wouldn’t be able to even enter the competition without connections. So I was wondering if I should just go back to my hometown.”
“Oh my… someone like Daehyeop definitely needs to leave….”
Okay, here I give a bitter smile,
“Who would write a letter of recommendation for an unknown person like me? If I had known that the world of martial arts was a place where reputation was more important than chivalry and connections were more important than skills, I would not have left the mountain···.”
“ah···.”
There was a look of concern in the woman’s eyes. She realized the meaning of what the old man said.
The man took another sip of his tea quietly and continued speaking.
“I’ll be honest with you. Could you please let me meet with the lord or the elders? If it’s burdensome, you can decline. I don’t intend to cause trouble…”
“Oh my! The Great Swordsman saved our lives, so of course we should repay that favor.”
The woman stood up from her seat with a determined expression on her face.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
***
As a result, the Daein party was unable to meet Namgung Jeongcheon, the head of the Namgung family. Unfortunately, he was out of town.
Instead, I was able to meet the children of the Namgung family.
“This is Namgung Yerin.”
She was a beautiful woman with an elegant appearance.
Nickname: Haeohwa (解語花)
As the eldest daughter of the head of the household, Namgung Jangcheon, she was famous for her outstanding martial arts skills and beauty.
“I’m Namgung Hwi.”
The handsome boy next to him was Namgung Hwi, the only son of Namgung Jeongcheon and the head of a small household.
But unlike his sister, the boy’s expression looked somewhat displeased.
The group of people also took turns introducing themselves to each other while exchanging raffle tickets.
“I am the landlord.”
“Is it true?”
“Im···Hyeon.”
Namgung Hyeon lied about his last name when introducing himself.
I couldn’t tell my real name when I came to Namgung Se-ga.
Moreover, it was because the man introduced her as his ‘sister’ first.
Five people sat across from each other. Namgung Yerin spoke with a gentle smile.
“I heard that you were the benefactors who saved my nanny. I should have come to see you first, but I am very late in greeting you.”
Namgung Yerin’s posture was upright the whole time she spoke, and her voice was calm but her pronunciation was clear.
‘You have the image of a total model student.’
Thinking about it, the man smiled back ‘grandly’.
“No. Thank you for meeting me here.”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but my nanny raised me like her own daughter. She and my sisters were like real sisters since we were little. I was so shocked when I heard that you almost met with trouble on the way home… I’m so grateful.”
“I was just doing what I had to do as an unmanned person.”
The man desperately suppressed the goosebumps on his arms and continued his awkward conversation, befitting a knight.
‘Just hold on a little longer. Just until I write that damn letter of recommendation.’
Namgung Yerin had favor with those who helped her find a nanny. You could tell just by looking at her eyes.
“I heard from my nanny. You’re competing in the Dragon and Phoenix Competition?”
“Yes, but it’s a bit tricky because I just found out that I need a letter of recommendation.”
“I see. I’ll write it for you.”
“···yes?”
The answer came so quickly that not only the person himself but also everyone else’s eyes widened.
Namgung Yerin smiled broadly and said, seeming pleased that everyone’s expectations were wrong.
“You saved my family, so a letter of recommendation is all I can ask for? Fortunately, I have the same authority as an elder. I will write a letter of recommendation in my name.”
It seemed like things would be resolved more easily than I thought.
“Sister.”
If it weren’t for her younger brother, who still has boyish manners and makes a displeased expression next to Namgung Yerin, that is.
“How can I trust these people and write them a letter of recommendation?”
“Whew.”
Namgung Yerin warned him with a stern look. It meant to tell him to watch his mouth in front of the guests.
But Namgung Hwi had no intention of being careful.
“Am I wrong?”
“They are the ones who saved my nanny and older sisters. It is only right that I repay their kindness.”
“Then I would rather give you some money.”
“Whew!”
Namgung Yerin glared at her younger sister for her rude attitude. Namgung Hwi flinched, but did not back down.
“A letter of recommendation is like lending Sega’s name. Even for you, it’s not an easy decision to make.”
The reason was splendid, but Namgung Hwi’s true intentions were actually a little different.
‘How can you send such filthy people to the Yongbongbimu in the name of Sega?’
Namgung Hwi glanced at the group of people.
The uniform he was wearing was of low quality, and the iron sword he carried as a weapon was also cheap.
The girl was dressed properly, but her face was half-as-half, and her prayers were barely noticeable.
‘Those third-rate people are using the Namgung family’s name to compete? A competition that even I can’t compete in!’
Namgung Hwi was sixteen this year. He was unable to participate in the Yongbongbimu due to the age limit.
So, in a word, I was furious.
They say they found a nanny for him, but he wasn’t as attached to her as he was to his sister.
Once I started looking at it with a negative attitude, I started to become suspicious.
“Sister. These people might be spies of the Demonic Cult.”
Even if I had such doubts, I shouldn’t have said it in front of the guests.
That meant that Namgung Hwi was looking down on Daein and his group.
“···I don’t know how much I should scold you, Hwiya. Would a spy from the Demonic Cult conduct things this sloppily? With only three days left until the competition? They must have already attended the competition with a forged letter of recommendation.”
“Even if you’re not a spy···.”
Namgung Hwi somehow came up with a reason to oppose. It wasn’t difficult.
“It’s obvious that we’ll only end up embarrassed because our skills are so poor. Imagine if we were to lose in the preliminaries while putting the Namgung family’s name on the line. What would people think of us?”
“At least they won’t think of me as a beast that doesn’t know grace.”
“···Still, I disagree. If you insist on writing a letter of recommendation, I will send a letter to the Murim Alliance. Tell them not to participate.”
“Whoa! Why on earth are you doing that···.”
Namgung Yerin couldn’t understand her stubborn younger sister.
However, he could not ignore Namgung Hwi’s opposition. Even though she was his older sister, Namgung Hwi was ultimately the son of Sogaju.
Namgung Hwi also knew that fact and confidently raised the corners of his mouth.
“Only qualified people can receive the Namgung Se-ga’s letter of recommendation. So please give me some money and send it.”
‘He’s my younger brother, but he’s becoming more and more arrogant as he grows up…’
It was then that a sharp voice came between the two of them.
“What if we prove our skills?”
The siblings turned their heads at the same time. Namgung Hyeon was glaring at Namgung Hwi.
“Confucius is worried that our skills are so low that we might tarnish the reputation of the Namgung family?”
“···To be honest, yes.”
“Are you, a Confucius who speaks like that, capable of going to the Yongbongbimu?”
Namgung Hwi said with a laugh.
“Although I cannot participate in this competition due to the age limit, I am confident that I will be in the top eight if I participate.”
“Oh. Is that so?”
This time, a sneer appeared on Namgung Hyeon’s lips. Namgung Hwi’s eyebrows twitched.
‘That girl?’
The two were of similar age. So, sparks flew with every word they said.
“So if I beat Confucius, I’m qualified to compete?”
“Pfft. Your brother, are you talking about?”
Namgung Hwi looked at the man, thinking that it was natural.
At best, he looked like a second-rate opponent. He was not an opponent who had mastered the new techniques of the Namgung family.
But Namgung Hyeon laughed.
“No way. Brother, you don’t have to come forward.”
“what?”
Chae-Ang!
Namgung Hyeon drew his sword and provoked Namgung Hwi by shaking the end of the sword.
“Come outside. I’ll make you roll around on the floor.”
“what?”
“If you’re scared, stay there.”
And then he just went out.
“···Ha, good! Don’t regret it!”
Namgung Hwi followed behind Namgung Hyeon like a wild boar with its tail on fire.
“Hyun-ah!”
“Whew!”
Late, Jin No-in and Namgung Ye-rin followed them. However, the fight had already begun.
Chaechaechaechae!
The sword tips clashed sharply, unusual for their young age. Feeling like one of them would get hurt if they got involved, Namgung Yerin stood still and stamped her feet.
She spoke to the man who was walking out after a while.
“Great Hero! Stop your little brother. If he keeps doing that and gets hurt….”
“It’s okay. I did it of my own free will.”
And the gentleman wanted to make one thing clear.
“If my brother wins in the martial arts competition, I would like a letter of recommendation from him as well.”
“···yes?”
‘There’s no need for me to fight.’
Leaving Namgung Yerin’s bewildered face behind, the king sent a message to Namgung Hyeon.
[Not too hard, just beat him up moderately.]
Instead of answering, Namgung Hyeon stabbed his sword in with a cheerful attitude.
‘Okay. Then I···.’
While the people’s eyes were focused on the two, Daein had other things to do.
< Martial Arts Tournament (3) - Moderate Defeat > End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
