Episode 242
A trial was imposed on Choyul, the grand duke of the Manjang Dynasty.
It is an ordeal to secure legitimacy that must be passed in order to ascend to the top of the family in the future.
The details of the ordeal imposed were as follows.
Relocating the tomb of the founder.
Originally, it was a task so simple that it would be embarrassing to call it an ordeal, as all it involved was collecting remains and belongings buried on Somaksan Mountain in Namnyeong and moving them to Haji Pond.
“Except for having to step into the territory of an evil sect for a while, there was nothing particularly dangerous about it, and it was literally just a formal test. It was like that not long ago…”
However, as the Great War of True Demons broke out and Sangsalmun began to expand its territory, the difficulty of the trials increased significantly.
The martial arts union of Guangxi, led by the Hongyuan family and the branch of Meng, was constantly in conflict with the martial arts faction of Sapa.
As the Grand Duke, it was like being struck by lightning out of a dry sky.
In order to pass the ordeal, you have to step foot in the middle of enemy territory, but is that easier said than done?
“While I was worried, the Sacheon branch manager came forward and offered to help.”
The Archduke finished his explanation by pointing at me with his eyes.
Sangsalmunju quietly put down the teacup and narrowed his eyes and asked.
“So, are you saying that you are the one who actually has business in Namnyeong, not the Sacheon branch manager?”
“That’s right.”
“It’s an unbelievable story.”
“But it’s true.”
A furrow was carved between Sangsalmunju’s eyebrows.
There were many things that would make it difficult to believe the story literally.
Although it sounded plausible, there were many loopholes in the Archduke’s explanation.
‘Well, it’s all made up.’
Is there any reason for Choyul to pass the ordeal in such a hurry in the first place?
There are no other competitors aiming for the position of head of the family, nor is the current head of the family, Chocheon-gun, sick.
Sangsalmunju probably didn’t know that either.
It’s just that I don’t bother to ask.
“I have no intention of causing trouble. “After collecting my grandfather’s remains and belongings, I will leave quietly.”
“······.”
“I will not do anything that could cause harm to Sangsalmun. “I promise you this on my name.”
“Good. “If you say that, let’s believe it.”
“thank you.”
“I will only place one condition.”
“What do you mean by condition…?”
“While you stay in Namnyeong, please accompany my disciple here.”
“yes?”
“If we’re just moving the tomb of the chief priest, the level of surveillance won’t really matter.”
“that······.”
“If you don’t accept the conditions, it probably means there’s something hidden. From my perspective, I have no choice but to accept it that way. “You will understand this much, right?”
“······.”
The Archduke asked my opinion with a wink.
I nodded slightly without any significant change in expression.
The Archduke regained his composure by taking a deep breath and bowed his head.
“All right. “It may have been a rude request, but thank you for your consideration.”
Sangsalmunju stood up from his seat with a nonchalant expression, exchanged a few words with his disciple, and then left the guesthouse.
As he walked through the entrance gate and looked back at me, his eyes were full of caution.
It seems that he was taken aback because the conditions were accepted more easily than he expected.
‘Somehow it worked out well.’
I laughed inwardly.
The Archduke performed his role better than expected.
Since I had succeeded in attracting Sangsalmun’s attention, I thought I could now move on to the next strategy.
* * *
“Are you here?”
“yes. My grandfather’s remains are buried here. “Maybe it’s because it hasn’t been maintained for a long time, but weeds have grown thick.”
The next afternoon.
The Grand Duke and I stood in front of the tomb located on the slope of Somak Mountain.
Sangsalmun’s disciples, including Ho Gok-yeon, were watching this area from afar.
I took out two scythes from my pocket and handed one of them to the Archduke.
“Why is this…”
“Before we start work in earnest, shouldn’t we honor his soul first? “No matter how much it is said to be for relocation purposes, if the tomb is dug up, even the deceased monk will feel uncomfortable.”
“Well, that’s true too.”
The Archduke responded with a grin, squatting down in front of the tomb and starting to remove weeds.
When I looked back from the corner of my eye, I saw Hogok-yeon, who was sitting on a tree branch watching me, frowning.
They looked like they didn’t understand why they were taking care of a grave that was going to be dug up anyway.
‘You’d think this was wasting time.’
With a chuckle, he helped the Archduke remove the weeds.
After completing the weeding work, we poured the alcohol we had brought into the grave and buried our bodies side by side.
“thank you. Originally, I should have prepared it…”
“no.”
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Only after completing the act of honoring the soul of the deceased did the actual work begin.
The grave was dug up and the coffin and belongings buried inside were taken out.
By the time I finished the work, covered in dirt, the sun was setting in the evening.
After loading our belongings into the cart we had brought with us, the Archduke and I descended the mountain while chatting lightly.
“······.”
Ho Gok-yeon glared at me with a suspicious gaze.
* * *
After returning to the guesthouse.
After washing and changing my clothes, I entered the restaurant on the first floor.
Ho Gok-yeon, who was sitting at the entire large table, called to me with a wave of his hand as if he had been waiting.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“no. “I just called the branch manager because I wanted to buy him something to eat.”
“I will not decline.”
I called Jeomsoy and ordered a large amount of food and alcohol.
Ho Gok-yeon looked dumbfounded at the enormous number of orders.
Jeomsoy runs into the kitchen.
‘greatness!’ Hogok Yeon cleared her throat and opened her mouth, staring straight at me.
“Now that the remains have been secured, are you returning to Gyerim?”
“That’s right. “Once I hand over the coffin and relics to Manjangse, my role will be over.”
“okay.”
Ho Gok-yeon’s eyes became somber.
He seemed surprised to hear that he would go back more obediently than he had expected.
He had been watching my every move for the past two days, so he should have known.
That I did not do anything suspicious during my stay in Namnyeong.
‘No unexpected action was taken other than what was discussed in advance. Of course there are bound to be questions.’
Are you probably thinking these thoughts right now?
It seemed like the sound of my head bouncing around could be heard all the way up here.
“This is the food you ordered.”
As Jeomsoi ate the food that was being brought in, he looked at Hogokyeon’s expression out of the corner of his eye.
The fact that I couldn’t concentrate on eating made me feel like there was something I wanted to say.
I spoke softly with a smile on my face.
“Go ahead and eat it. “If this continues, the food will get cold.”
“······All right.”
Hogok-yeon sighed heavily and picked up the piece of meat and brought it to his mouth.
As I watched him unable to say what he wanted to say, I felt somewhat sorry.
Even if you watch me for a hundred days, nothing will come out.
‘It’s about time.’
After finishing the meal, it was time to cleanse the mouth with light rice wine.
One of Sangsalmun’s disciples ran into the guesthouse and sang Hogokyeon.
“Master Small Gate!”
“What’s going on!”
“An urgent report has arrived from the monks!”
“Urgent? “What happened?”
“It is said that the Blue Blood Sword Gate is making disturbing movements! “Currently, the entire Namnyeong area is under lockdown!”
“what?!”
Ho Gok-yeon jumped up from his seat, asked for my understanding, and left the guesthouse.
Staring at the back with narrowed eyes, I stretched out in a good mood and headed to the accommodation on this floor.
‘Now we can leave the rest to Palace Changmyeong.’
* * *
“What on earth does that mean! Why Cheonghyeoldomun? “What are you aiming for?”
“Well, I don’t know that either.”
“…Now that I think about it, I heard that the Cheonghyeoldomun signed an agreement with the Sacheon branch leader.”
“yes?”
“The Cheonghyeoldomun, which could no longer seek to expand its power within Guizhou, turned its attention to the outside world. “It would be natural to think that way.”
“······!”
“So, what specifically did they do?”
“Disciples of the Qinghyeol Daomun are flocking to the border between Guizhou and Guangxi. And it is said that Gwiju Samjeol (貴州三切) appeared in Baek (百色).”
“Gwijusamjeol! How dare they…!”
Ho Gok-yeon gritted his teeth making a ‘cough’ sound.
Gwiju Samjeol was the main force of Cheonghyeoldomun.
They appeared in White, the territory of the clan.
It occurred to me that the reason the lockdown was imposed had something to do with it.
“What did Lord Mun say you would do?”
“He said he would gather his disciples and fight back.”
“Well, it’s natural. “This side is determined to fight, so we can’t just sit still.”
“But there are a few strange things.”
“strange thing?”
“Obviously, it was the Cheonghyeoldomun side that started the dispute first, but for some reason, they don’t seem to be actively moving.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know either. “I think it would be quicker to go there in person and hear the detailed story.”
“······i get it.”
* * *
When I found out that Shinmul was hidden in the middle of Namnyeong.
I stayed up all night, lost in thought.
Finding a new object in itself was not a task.
The problem was the attention that would be drawn during the process of finding it.
Now I was a celebrity in Moorim.
It was not that difficult to predict what would happen if Cheonryong, a Murim leader, set foot in Namnyeong, the sphere of influence of the Sapa.
‘wait. There’s no need for me to find the sacred object myself, right?’
After much thought, I came up with a reverse idea.
If you can’t avoid the gaze of those around you, just focus their attention on you.
At just the right time, I was able to reunite with Wang Chonggwan of the Manchurian family and secure a cause.
After making a plan, I immediately put it into action.
I deliberately announced that I would be visiting Namnyeong and drew Sangsalmun’s attention to me.
He then contacted the Cheonghyeoldomun and induced them to stimulate the Sangsalmun.
As expected, Sangsalmun was startled by the sudden movement of Cheonghyeoldomun and entered emergency mode.
‘They said a blockade order had been issued. With this, I have secured the justification to stay in Namnyeong for a long time.’
From the perspective of Sangsalmun, it would have been hectic to have to take care of Cheonghyeoldomun in addition to the Heavenly Dragon that suddenly visited the sect’s territory.
‘This is it.’
An environment was created where Bangcheoksam, who came to Namnyeong dressed as a coachman, could move freely.
I had arranged for him to hand over Zhang Baodo and receive help from Hao Wen in advance, so it wouldn’t take long for him to find the sacred item and deliver it to me.
‘Now all I have to do is wait.’
I hummed and buried myself in bed.
martial arts,
