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chapter 55
The moment Danyeop finished asking, “What will you do about that crime?” Kangrim, the patrol, buried his head into the ground of the main hall.
“Master Dahn! Grandmaster Dahn! Please spare my life! I may be naturally cruel, but I am not so evil as to deserve death! I have even done acts of charity! From now on, I swear I will not even step on your shadows! I swear!”
Danyeop turned his gaze to Baekchogong, the sect master of Baekchogong.
Since the person beaten by Kangrim was Baekchogong’s disciple, he intended to handle it according to the master’s wishes.
“Master, what shall we do?”
“I hope you can forgive him, seeing such sincere repentance.”
Although he wished for revenge, Baekchogong could not bring himself to do so.
The masters of Heukru might target him in the future.
Unlike Danyeop or Danbulwi, he could not fend off the masters of Heukru.
“If I perfect the True Three Supreme Dao… then—clack!”
Baekchogong swore to himself, “When that time comes, I won’t just stand there like now.”
A short while later, the three who had left Heukru walked toward Jipdanhyang.
Since their work at Heukru had finished early, parting ways so soon felt unsatisfying.
Jipdanhyang, Simhyang Pavilion
From morning, the three of them sat across from each other with tea and snacks before them.
Baekchogong began first.
“Danbulwi, Grandmaster, and Danyeop, Master, I must thank you again. Without you two, I would have bitten out my tongue in shame and died.”
Of course, that was just words.
Living in Haomun, he had been beaten like a dog more than once before.
Danbulwi and Danyeop silently listened.
“I have brought you here because I have something to inform you about.”
Baekchogong paused, taking a sip of tea to collect his thoughts.
When he was ready, he spoke.
“Currently, Haomun is divided into three factions.”
Danyeop and Danbulwi were momentarily stunned.
They could not believe that Haomun, of all things, had split so completely.
“There is the faction that follows Master Gium of Hasoran, Master Amun’s faction, and a third faction that belongs to neither. In fact, until recently, I myself was in that neutral faction.”
Danbulwi asked quietly,
“So you’ve now taken a side?”
“Yes. By appointing you, Danyeop, as Master, I unintentionally aligned with Amun.”
Danbulwi and Danyeop nodded.
Master Hasoran is the type to have convulsions just hearing the word “Master.”
And now that Danyeop was appointed Master, naturally he was on the same side as Amun.
“The Tea Sect and the Each Sect always side with Gium. The Seon Sect is neutral. Master Go Wonbang of the Seon Sect is a calculating man, so he will waver toward whichever side benefits him.”
Danyeop looked puzzled.
“Master, why do the Tea and Each Sects always side with Gium? Is there a reason?”
“Master Hasoran’s daughter, Ha Yongwol, and Tea Sect Master Ma Youngdal’s son, Ma Eunrok, are to be married soon. Master Ha’s adopted daughter, Ryu Seolli, will be betrothed to Each Sect Master Lee Jangwon’s son, Lee Gwang.”
“Whoa! Really?”
“Yes. Marriage will seal a blood alliance. And Gium and Seon Sects receive free alcohol and women. Of course, because of you, Master Danyeop, I’ve managed to escape that ant’s nest…”
Even he found it embarrassing to describe it as an “ant’s nest,” Baekchogong admitted.
Danbulwi shook his head in disbelief.
“I didn’t expect Master Ha to use even his children.”
“Master Ha will argue over the appointment of Grandmaster and Master at the New Year gathering. But it will be a waste of time, anyway.”
“It will be noisy, though.”
“I felt relieved today seeing the martial prowess of Grandmaster Danbulwi and Master Danyeop.”
In fact, Baekchogong had worried when Danyeop was appointed Master.
If Danyeop had lost to the teachers, Baekchogong himself would have been marked as a troublemaker.
But today, Danbulwi and Danyeop were on par with the Five Mountains Sword Sect.
Even Heukru’s Luju bowed his head without fighting.
After a while, Danbulwi and Danyeop bid farewell to Baekchogong and rose to leave.
Crossing the yard, Danyeop suddenly called to Danbulwi.
“Father.”
“Huh?”
“You said you found me in Nakan-hyeon, right?”
“That’s right. Why?”
“I need to be certain about something.”
“About what?”
“There’s… something.”
Danyeop did not answer.
As the dull-witted Danyeop became more attuned to his genius self, changes came to him.
Recently, the voices of women had become vividly clear to him.
—Aaah! Don’t look at me with those eyes! It’s disgusting! Don’t even breathe! You are the seed of a devil! I will kill you, and him too, one day!
Recalling the enraged woman’s voice quickly dampened his mood.
Danbulwi glanced at Danyeop.
Lately, the atmosphere between the dull-witted Danyeop and the genius Danyeop had shifted strangely.
The dull-witted Danyeop, who burrowed underground, had brightened slightly.
In contrast, the always cheerful genius Danyeop had fallen into this state.
Have they influenced each other?
If not, the shadow on the genius Danyeop’s face cannot be explained.
He never forgets a face, is a boyish beauty admired by women, and his martial prowess is already at the level of the elders of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.
Since meeting the genius Danyeop, he had never been seen troubled—until recently, when a shadow appeared on his face.
And now, today, he asks about his hometown.
Perhaps even an immortal longs for his parents.
“Tch! Seeing the scar on his neck, maybe it’s better not to look…”
Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Danbulwi thought Danyeop’s parents were such a case.
“Yeop-ah.”
“Yes?”
“…Never mind.”
Danbulwi could not bring himself to say not to search.
Longing for one’s parents is the law of nature.
Soon after, Danbulwi exited Jipdanhyang through the back gate.
Danyeop strolled through the garden for a while.
At the right moment, as he approached the back gate, a young lady entered the garden.
Seeing her, Danyeop spoke casually.
“Baek Yuhwa? So you’re alive?”
The dull-witted Danyeop had deliberately hidden Baek Yuhwa, causing this minor incident.
Baek Yuhwa, who had been staring at him with a shocked expression, responded emotionally.
“Tch! That’s my line! What happened at Heukru? Any news?”
“Heukru? I went there this morning. That’s it.”
Seeing that Danyeop entered Jipdanhyang without another word, Baek Yuhwa stared at his retreating figure in disbelief.
“What’s with that?”
She thought she had gotten close to Danyeop at last night’s gathering, yet he was so cold!
Feeling frustrated, but knowing he was the Grandmaster of Cheolpae, she could do nothing.
“I’m not playing with him…”
Muttering, she pushed open the doors of Simhyang Pavilion.
Inside, Baekchogong stared at his niece in surprise.
Baek Yuhwa quickly bowed, offering a feeble excuse.
“A sudden gust of wind…”
“What is it?”
“I just met Senior Dan. Did you go to Heukru?”
Baekchogong pointed to his bruised face.
“As you can see, I did.”
“Gasp! Senior Dan looks fine, but why does uncle’s face look like that?”
“Hmph! Outside, you call me Master. And it’s Master Danyeop, not Senior Dan.”
“Ah, yes. But did only Master go through that at Heukru? Strange. They’re not such nice people…”
Baekchogong sneered.
“Hmph! You think it ended like that?”
“I knew it. What did they demand? Money? Or shops?”
“Grandmaster Danbulwi cut off Muyeongsal Jangmok’s head.”
“Gasp! Really?”
“Master Danyeop cut off both hands of Soesimjang No Jingeon.”
“Impossible…”
Baek Yuhwa’s mouth dropped.
Muyeongsal Jangmok is the sect leader; Soesimjang No Jingeon is the chief protector.
Danbulwi and Danyeop defeated such masters?
“Master, you’re not exaggerating in front of your niece?”
“Hah! Do you think I’d lie? Kangrim and No Jingeon challenged Master Danyeop and were destroyed. Seeing that, Yu Gwanghyun immediately backed down.”
“Luju really backed down?”
“Hehe, he praised Master Danyeop endlessly, even though my cherished subordinates were crushed before his eyes. My face burned just hearing it. I didn’t know Yu Gwanghyun had such a thick face.”
“Wow, sounds like a dream.”
“It’s reality. So learn the True Three Supreme Dao well. You should have seen the lightning strike Kangrim and No Jingeon’s heads. That was not an earthly martial technique.”
“Senior Dan used the True Heavenly Dao method?”
“Yes. Kangrim’s sword broke in one strike, and No Jingeon lost both hands.”
“Ah…”
Baek Yuhwa could only exclaim.
Defeating the outsiders with Haomun martial arts!
Even imagining it made her heart race.
“So don’t get distracted—hold on tight to Master Danyeop. Weren’t you two close yesterday?”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
“Why not? I asked Imsong, and he said you two seemed to be getting along.”
“No. Today I realized. Senior Dan is not interested in me.”
“And you are interested?”
“…I’m not sure either. Interested or not.”
“What kind of answer is that? Kids these days can’t do anything properly. Don’t regret it later—try your best. There’s no one like Master Danyeop. Capable, kind, handsome. One day, get him drunk and…”
“Uncle! Stop! You’ve gone too far.”
“Fine, fine. I just think he’s too good to let slip away.”
“Plenty of people liked him, too, you know?”
“Who?”
“Ah, it’s already this late. I should get to work.”
Without looking back, Baek Yuhwa left.
Danyeop, leaving Jipdanhyang, headed to Gosan Hall.
Before departing for Nakan-hyeon, he intended to borrow words from Master Seolgyeongmun.
It was time to uncover the identity of the woman who had cursed him and tried to kill him.
Although he felt it was crucial, he did not wish to swing between joy and despair speculating her identity.
The dull-witted Danyeop had one advantage over him: knowledge of the past.
If he learned the past that Danyeop concealed, could he reclaim control of his body?
Maybe. Maybe not. But it didn’t matter.
“You may be content as you are, but I must know whose dream this really is.”
Afternoon (1 PM)
The gates of Gosan Hall opened, and a man on horseback rode out.
It was Danyeop.
The horse gradually increased its pace.
Once outside Jang’an City, it shot eastward like an arrow.
After four hours of travel, Danyeop arrived at Nakan-hyeon.
At dusk, the town was silent and eerie.
Danyeop guided his horse to a nearby inn.
Soon after, he sat by the window in the inn’s restaurant, having an early dinner.
Thinking this might be my hometown… gave him a strange feeling.
After his meal, as he drank tea and looked outside, he noticed an old woman.
Her mismatched clothes and strange behavior made her look mad.
At that moment, a young inn servant explained,
“She’s been like that since she lost her mind a few years ago.”
“Oh my, tsk tsk!”
Danyeop clicked his tongue sympathetically, and the young servant continued,
“I plan to live only until fifty. That’s no life—it’s a wandering corpse.”
“And after fifty?”
“Then she dies, of course.”
“Pfft.”
After mocking the child’s nonsense, Danyeop went outside.
He handed a few coins to the old woman and turned away.
“Oh, what’s this for…”
The old woman slowly put the coins into her pocket as if remembering them.
Back in the inn, Danyeop spent the night reading the Book of Songs he had brought from Gosan Hall.
