<-- Episode 335: Chapter 4 Sleeping in winter to wake up in spring (1) -->
At the eastern end of the Western Plateau, where the Bukcheonmun Gate is located, there was a large, nameless mountain. It was one of the worst mountains that people never even set foot on because of its enormous height and rough terrain that overwhelms other mountains.
It was a mountain of death completely deserted by people due to the sharp rocky peak that pierced the sky like an upside-down sword, the harsh cold weather, and a huge amount of snow piled up several times higher than a person’s height.
The mountain peaks were not even visible as they were obscured by clouds. Because of that, I couldn’t even properly estimate how high it was.
There was a man standing in front of such a huge mountain. The man looking up at the high peak with no end in sight was none other than Jin Mu-won.
“Whoa!”
Jin Mu-won took a deep breath.
After returning to Bukcheonmun, Jin Mu-won almost secluded himself here. This is because he wanted to quietly organize the enlightenment he had gained while healing the internal wounds suffered by Dam Cheon.
Although it was not a very long time, his activities in Gangho gave Jin Mu-won a lot of enlightenment. However, just because you attain enlightenment does not mean that everything becomes yours right away.
Enlightenment must be clearly organized and learned physically. Only then can it become completely yours. Knowing that fact, Jin Mu-won swung his sword every day in this place where no one could visit.
Although he digested the realization as his own, there was a thirst that could never be quenched even as time passed.
It was a huge mountain towering right in front of me. It may be a funny thing to say, but the mountain planted a sima in his heart. In order to solve the problem, I had to climb the mountain in front of me.
Once the decision was made, Jin Mu-won had no hesitation. Jin Mu-won walked towards the mountain where a snowstorm raged.
I was buried up to my knees in the snow. It consumed several times more stamina than walking on flat ground. Jin Mu-won’s breath quickly froze in the harsh cold weather.
In no time, white frost formed around my nose and mouth. A layer of snow had piled up on top of her head. The beads of sweat running down my spine quickly froze and shattered.
Winter mountains were dangerous even for those skilled in the mountains. Moreover, the mountain that Jin Mu-won was currently challenging was incomparably more rugged than an ordinary mountain, and its height was enormous. No matter how great Jin Mu-won was, it was extremely dangerous to climb a mountain like this without any preparation.
Jin Mu-won also knew that fact. Nevertheless, Jin Mu-won was climbing the mountain without hesitation.
Jinmuwon saw Moyongyulcheon Stream and Damsucheon Stream from the shape of the huge mountain. I thought that if I couldn’t climb a mountain like this, I wasn’t qualified to challenge them.
Whiiing!
A bitter wind blew and beat Jin Mu-won non-stop. My whole body tingled as if I had been hit with a sledgehammer.
Because I was not using my inner energy, my skin became red, and tears continued to flow from my eyes. Still, Jin Mu-won did not stop walking.
Although Jin Mu-won was proud of having trained his body to the limit, climbing an unknown mountain caused him extreme pain. When he reached the halfway point, Jin Mu-won thought about giving up. However, Jin Mu-won struggled to resist the temptation and climbed the mountain.
Now I’m covered in snow up to my waist. Just taking a single step was an arduous task. A rough breath came out of her mouth. Her heart was on the verge of exploding as it pumped blood to her entire body.
My whole body was literally reaching its limit and I was complaining of pain. But Jin Mu-won ignored the pain. No, I tried to enjoy it.
‘The path I am about to take will be even more painful and difficult than this. If you’re going to get down to this level of difficulty, it would be better to break your sword and retire.’
Jin Mu-won gritted his teeth.
This too was a fight with myself.
Jin Mu-won opened his eyes wide and faced the bitter cold wind. He gritted his teeth and took one step at a time. As I walked in silence, I soon reached the halfway point of the mountain. But the situation did not improve at all.
The mountains became more rugged, and the snow piled up higher. What’s more dangerous is that you don’t know what empty space exists under the snow piled up under your feet. If you make a mistake, you could fall down a cliff that has no end.
There were more than one situation where I would have felt dizzy if I had not had an omnidirectional sense. The only thing Jin Muwon could rely on now was his omnidirectional sense.
At some point, Jin Mu-won started using his hands and feet together. His fingertips had long since turned black, as if frostbitten, and his palms had long since been torn and burst.
“Hook!”
Jin Mu-won endured it all and climbed upward. As I climbed up like that, a thick fog suddenly engulfed everything. When I saw it from below, I thought it was a cloud.
The fog clung to my body and I instantly froze. Every time he moved his body, the frozen clothes broke apart with a ‘popping’ sound. In an instant, my entire top shattered like a piece of cookie and my naked body was exposed.
When the body was exposed to danger, Manyeonggyeol naturally activated and the shadow power moved.
‘no.’
However, Jin Mu-won suppressed the shadow power with superhuman willpower. If I had used my internal strength, I would have already reached the top of the mountain. He would never have experienced such extreme exhaustion of mental strength or to the limit of his physical body. But that wasn’t what Jin Mu-won wanted.
Jin Mu-won’s lip was torn and blood flowed. In no time, the area around the mouth turned red with fresh blood. It was such a painful moment.
It was a time when the pain was eating away at my entire body. Jin Mu-won saw a faint ray of light seeping through the fog, which he could not see even an inch in front of him.
Jin Mu-won’s pupils dilated greatly. He felt like he had found a light in the thick darkness where he couldn’t see an inch in front of him. He moved his body, forgetting his pain.
How far did it go like that? Suddenly the thick fog cleared and a freezing blue sky appeared. And the top of the mountain was visible in the distance. Although there were still hundreds more steps to go, Jin Mu-won was able to gain courage just because the goal was clearly visible.
Jin Mu-won was able to stand at the top of the mountain only after overcoming several more crises. The air is incomparably colder than when you are halfway up the mountain. My throat was so sore that even breathing was painful. His body was already covered in white frost.
“Aaaah!”
Suddenly, Jin Mu-won roared. Then the frost covering his body fell off. There was a haze as heat rose throughout my body.
Although there were many difficulties and hardships, he eventually reached the top of the mountain. Climbing the mountain did not give him any special reward or attain enlightenment. However, an even stronger resolve grew in Jin Mu-won’s heart. That one was enough.
“Feel so good.”
Jin Mu-won enjoyed the wind that penetrated his bones for a moment and then began to dance a sword dance.
Jin Mu-won stretched out his hand. To other people’s eyes, nothing would be visible, but to Jin Mu-won’s eyes, it was clearly visible. A jet-black sword that scatters sword light.
“It’s a snowflake.”
A smile appeared on Jin Mu-won’s lips.
That day, Jinmuwon danced the sword dance at the top of the mountain for a long time and then came down.
Key figures were gathered in the main conference room of the Northern Heavenly Gate.
Starting with soldier Ha Jin-wol and elder Gyeongmu-saeng, all the main figures of Bukcheonmun, including Bonggong Hwang Cheol, Geomju So Musang, Muju Ma Do-gwang, and the active Dokdang leader Dang Gi-mun, were all gathered together and chatting.
Beukcheonmun Gate has a unique, free atmosphere. From military personnel at the lowest level to those in high positions, everyone spoke freely and expressed opinions, regardless of the level of command. Because of this, the rigid atmosphere characteristic of the prestigious political faction did not exist here.
“The weather is quite cold now. “My hands are starting to shrivel up, and I don’t think I’ll be able to go out in just a few days.”
“That’s right. “I’ve already spent several years here, but I can’t get used to this cold at all.”
“What are you doing with that much? This level of cold is nothing compared to the north. Winter in the north lasts for a whopping five months, and everything is covered with snow, so you have to stay locked in your room, unable to do anything.”
Ha Jin-wol smiled calmly while listening to their story.
Suddenly he looked out the window. It was snowing. Children were running around and playing in the snow, and many martial artists were practicing martial arts.
Free but not loose. No one forces you to learn martial arts. However, the majority of warriors risked their lives to learn martial arts.
The warriors of the Northern Heavenly Gate instinctively knew. There isn’t much time left to spend this peacefully. So they concentrated more on martial arts.
The chat continued for quite a while. There were all kinds of trivial stories, including life stories.
I heard someone at Hwaldokdang had a cold.
I heard that someone somewhere confessed to a woman and got scolded.
“That guy, I knew he would do that.”
“Hehehe!”
The moment the identity of the man who was scolded by the woman was revealed, everyone laughed. The leisurely time passed like that.
How much time has passed like that? Suddenly, I felt someone’s presence outside the door. The people inside stopped chatting and stared at the door.
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At that moment, the door opened and someone came inside.
“Lord Moon.”
The people inside stood up all at once. This is because the person who opened the door and came in was none other than Jin Mu-won.
Jin Mu-won’s appearance was beyond words. The clothes were all torn and broken, barely maintaining their shape, and the flesh was all charred and blackened, so it didn’t look that good. We have not yet completely escaped the aftermath of frostbite. Still, Jin Mu-won was smiling.
Gyeongmu-saeng’s eyes sparkled.
“I guess something good happened?”
“I climbed the mountain. “The air was nice.”
“Does your martial arts skills increase that much when you climb a mountain? “Then I guess I should go up the mountain right now.”
Everyone looked surprised at Gyeongmu-saeng’s words.
Those present here knew that Jin Mu-won’s achievements were already at the level of Baekcheok Gandu. I couldn’t help but be surprised that he had gone one step further at a level that was no longer easy to climb.
“There is no greater achievement. “It just strengthened what was unstable.”
“Still, it’s surprising. “Now I can’t even imagine the extent of your accomplishments.”
The police officer shook his head as if he was fed up. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but laugh.
The stronger the clan lord, the higher the status of the clan. It was clear that the stronger Jin Mu-won’s military power, the higher the fame of Northern Heavenly Gate.
Jin Mu-won was already gaining a fiery reputation. A super strong person who defeated three of the nine heavens. There was no one in the world who could surpass his reputation.
Only Damsoo Bay had a reputation comparable to him, and he could not guarantee that he would surpass Jin Muwon. Nevertheless, Jin Mu-won continued to practice martial arts without resting even for a moment. No one in Northern Heavenly Gate dared to say that they spent more time on martial arts than Jin Wuwon.
Everyone looked at Jin Muwon with awe. However, Jin Mu-won blushed slightly, as if he felt burdened by those people’s gaze.
At that time, Ha Jin-wol opened his mouth.
“Now that Master Moon is here, let’s start the meeting.”
“hmm!”
Only then did people stop chatting and straighten their posture.
If up to this point had been private time, from now on it was public time. Of course, my mindset and behavior had to change.
When Jin Mu-won sat down, Ha Jin-wol stood up. Everyone’s eyes were focused on him.
“As everyone knows, Northern Heavenly Gate now has a sect system. “First of all, I would like to thank you for your hard work.”
“What are we? The military worked the hardest. “If it weren’t for the military, we wouldn’t have been able to build a proper shrine, let alone a system of clans.”
Everyone smiled at the magician’s blunt answer. Ha Jin-wol blushed as she suddenly found herself bragging about her own achievements. But he stopped talking after a while.
“Anyway, thanks to you all, our Northern Heavenly Gate has now been reborn as a complete sect. “The Western Highlands have become a strong home for us.”
Everyone held their breath.
This is because I instinctively guessed what Ha Jin-wol wanted to say. And Ha Jin-wol did not betray their expectations.
“But as everyone knows, we can’t just hunker down here in the Western Highlands forever. This is the optimal location to increase the power of the sect, but it is not a place to spread its wings. So now I’m going to go out into the world.”
“Mmm!”
When the story that everyone wanted to hear came out of Ha Jin-wol’s mouth, a sigh came out of everyone’s mouth. Ma Do-gwang and Su Mu-sang were unable to hide their turbulent expressions, and Hwang Cheol and Dang-mun’s eyes also shook greatly.
Among those here, there was not a single person who did not know the meaning of the Northern Heavenly Gate going out into the world.
For now, the Western Highlands provide a strong protection, but from the moment you enter the world, you will have to face the waves with your bare body. Many disciples will die for the banner of the Northern Heavenly Gate. Most of them were people who were on friendly terms with the people here.
So Musang carefully raised a counterargument.
“Isn’t it still too early? “If we go out hastily, many people will die.”
“I think it would be very scary. However, I cannot stay here forever in the name of increasing my strength. “If we don’t go out into the world, we will end up here.”
“In the end, it’s not a matter of choice.”
“That’s right. “Now is the best time, as the war between Unjungcheon and Milya is in a lull.”
It was now winter in Jungwon. As the bitter cold arrived, it was difficult to move to each castle and supply supplies. There would be a lull in the war until spring.
“We have three months. “You have to go out into the world in it.”
“Isn’t the time too short? “It would be difficult to find a proper manor within three months, but it took two weeks to complete.”
“I haven’t told you, but I have already prepared a manor with Lord Mun’s permission. Our manor is large enough for our entire family to move to. Therefore, I would like to ask Master Moon’s permission again.”
Ha Jin-wol’s eyes turned to Jin Mu-won. At the same time, the others also looked at Jin Mu-won.
Jin Mu-won closed his eyes for a moment.
It was a moment of agony. But it was also the moment I had wanted for so long. Now he must walk not only the path of a warrior named Bukgeom, but also the path of Munju, who must take care of the lives of countless people.
Many people will live or die based on his word or decision. The moment has come when we must carry the weight of all of life on our shoulders and move forward.
Countless people’s faces passed through my mind. The warriors who fought since coming to the central plains, the Northern Heavens Pillar, the Nine Heavens, and even the smiling face of his father Jin Gwan-ho.
Jin Mu-won opened his eyes. I saw Hwang Cheol smiling in front. No matter which path you take, Hwang Cheol will always be smiling next to you.
“North Heaven Gate goes out into the world.”
martial arts,
