episode_0074

Actually, it’s not that strange.

Hwagyeong is not a level that can be treated like a stone rolling on the street, and is a level that can only be seen by the head of a major sect or the head of a major family.

As can be seen from the fact that although the world is vast, there are no more than five masters who can deal with the realm of the Demonic Cult.

Hwagyeong is also a level that only someone with the grand nickname of Namhae Shingum, the head of the Haenam faction, can attain.

And when someone becomes a Hwagyeong master, even if they don’t know the origins of the martial arts they have learned, it is easy to guess to what level they have reached.

Since it was a path she had already been through, it was similar to Yeonjin roughly understanding the actions of her subordinates better than her.

“Ugh!”

A look of admiration appeared in Namhae Shingum’s wrinkled eyes.

“Now that I think about it, it’s true. At that age, you’ve already entered the realm of the mind? Your qualities are truly second to none!”

The Seven-Day Admiral also shouted with pride.

It was a face half mixed with astonishment and admiration.

I am now seventeen years old. I entered the world of ideology at an age when my future is still bright and seemingly indefinite. What does that mean?

The latter half of this generation.

It meant that perhaps in ten or twenty years, they would be able to reach the same level of talent as themselves.

Naturally, the two old men’s gazes toward the promising latecomer of the political faction became even warmer.

“You haven’t reached the point where you use it consciously yet, but you’ve unconsciously stepped into the state of mindlessness. Isn’t that right?”

“It is as the old man of Namhae Shingum said.”

“Yes, that’s how everyone starts out. Now, if you step into the world of thought once or twice like that, you will naturally be able to mix thought with the first step as you are conscious. Since you have already passed through the gates of life and death, if you do that, it is no exaggeration to call it the climax.”

“Even if that’s your intention, you’re at that age and you can’t handle life and death. Which is it? Are you naturally gifted and able to control your energy, or did you take some kind of elixir?”

“That’s obvious, Chiljeoldoje. Since you got the Bokma Yeorae Sword back from Shaolin, you must have given me the Daehwandan. Even if you ate the Daehwandan, it wouldn’t have been easy to break through the gate of life and death and open the Imdokyang vein.”

In an instant, the two old men, Namhae Shingum and Chiljeoldoje, started talking about this and that.

His attitude towards his grandchild, who he had recently acquired, is so detailed that he is certainly worthy of the nickname “Black Giraffe.”

Just as Kang Baek-yak, the successor to Gongmyeong, was called Kirin-ah in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the corners of the two old men’s lips relaxed as they felt that his talent was no less than Kang Baek-yak’s.

Of course, what the two elders had in front of them was not a promising latecomer of the Jeongpa sect, but a disciple of the leader of the Cheonmasin sect, the so-called sprout of the growing devil.

The growing sprout of Madu scratched its head with an awkward face.

“I didn’t eat the Daehwandan. I returned it to Shaolin because I had a connection with it, but what I received was not a divine object but a martial art… ”

“Martial arts? What kind of martial arts did you receive from Shaolin?”

“That’s it, the power of the half-night… … ”

“The power of the half-night!”

The two old men shouted.

“Oh, it seems that Master Hyunheo really likes you. Who would have thought he would come up with such a supreme magical power technique. Since it has the mutually beneficial properties of the Bokma Yorae Sword, it is the perfect martial art for you.”

Yeonjin barely swallowed the words that were rising to her throat, ‘No, I didn’t mean to be nice, my head almost got crushed by the Baekboshin Kwon.’

Even though you’ve mastered a special magic skill, you don’t seem to be a bad person by nature, so eat this and get out. At least learn this and don’t go around doing useless things with your magic skills.

Although Master Hyunheo had intended it that way (Yeonjin’s subjectivity was involved), isn’t the misunderstanding of the Namhae Shingum and the Chiljeoldoje a case where the interpretation is better than the actual dream?

The two old men, who had been nodding their heads for a long time, met each other’s eyes without saying a word.

“Huh? But if you didn’t eat the Daehwandan, how did you break through the Imdokyang vein? If you didn’t absorb that much energy from the outside, it would have been difficult to break through the gate of life and death.”

The amount of accumulated energy itself is an area unrelated to quality.

Yeonjin answered the question posed by Chiljeoldoje, who was trying to resolve a belated doubt, with an embarrassed expression.

“I was lucky enough to absorb the inner energy of the Inmyeonjiju. Originally, it was a monster that had difficulty handling poison with my achievements, but there was a twin-legged temple nearby, so I was able to take its blood. When I took the pure energy accumulated in the poison, the Life and Death Gate… … .”

“It’s a good one!”

The amazed Namhae Shingum clapped his hands.

A magical elixir obtained through chance and a talent bestowed by heaven.

In addition, there is the symbolism of having inherited the Shaolin martial arts.

Chiljeoldoje asked with a serious face, “What are the conditions that are missing?”

“My granddaughter is turning 12 this year, so why don’t we have a cup of tea together? I raised her like a slut, but she’s not in her right mind. She’s being mean to men, but if it were you, she’d nod her head and say yes right away. Of course, you’d be a shame, but if I talk to her and persuade her, she’s not the type of girl who wouldn’t come to her senses… … ”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I have a lover in mind… … .”

“That’s too bad. Of course, if there weren’t only blind women in the Central Plains, I wouldn’t have left you alone. If you were to line up suitors, they’d be lined up from here all the way to the main gate of Haenampa.”

Chiljeoldoje, who had been secretly trying to arrange a match, licked his lips as if he was disappointed when Yeonjin immediately and firmly cut him off.

“So, what’s the big deal? Have you seen kids these days marrying someone they’ve been matched with like they used to? These days, everyone has to meet someone they like, and they have a lover and get engaged.”

Namhae Shingum chuckled and gave a reprimand that wasn’t really a reprimand.

They were all older and past the age to look for a son-in-law, but if they wanted to take their granddaughter as their son-in-law, he was the top candidate.

He is polite to adults, outgoing, skilled in martial arts, has a good personality, and has no flaws whatsoever, making him the perfect grandson-in-law.

“If I had a granddaughter, I would have matched her up a long time ago.”

Jin Seong-yeon, who had been silently watching as if it were praise from his disciple, spoke up.

It was a face with a very subtle change in expression that not only the Namhae Shingum and the Chiljeoldoje, but even Yeonjin, who had been with him for quite some time, could not recognize.

The corners of the mouth were raised by about half an inch more than usual, which is similar to the level where, for an average person, the corners of the mouth almost hang over the ears.

When Jin Seong-yeon, who had a pleased expression, closed her mouth again, Chiljeol Doje, who could not let go of his regret, muttered.

“It’s not easy to find a grandson-in-law as good as this one… … .”

From Jin Seong-yeon and Yeo Il-gyu to Kwak Hwi-ryang and Lee Hak-un.

This was the moment when Yeonjin was branded as the best grandson-in-law, specializing in the elderly.

What was certain was that it was a title that Yu Ye-hyang would not be particularly fond of.

* * *

It was a full hour before Yeonjin was released from the two talkative old men.

Although he always had a businesslike smile and was always there to chat with the old ladies, it wasn’t just an exchange of empty words.

The head of the Haenam faction.

Vice-leader of the Murim Alliance.

It was a time when I was able to meet two giants who were peerless masters who had reached the level of Hwagyeong and were leading the martial arts world of this era.

In fact, that was part of the reason why Jin Seong-yeon brought Yeon-jin along, saying that he had someone to introduce.

About half.

The other half was because I wanted to brag about how great the qualities of my new disciple, who was not really my disciple but a pseudo-disciple, were.

In any case, it seems like we’ve definitely got one stamp on our eyes.

“I guess what’s good is good?”

Somehow, he has come to the point where his identity as a demon cult has become vague, and he is now treated as a young swordsman and a supernova who appeared like a comet in the martial arts world.

Yeonjin returned to her lodgings with a trembling expression.

Since Yeonjin and Jasong’s secret battle was the last in the first round and there was still quite a bit of time left, I took out my bamboo stick to take a look around outside for a bit.

“If you write it down and leave, it won’t attract attention.”

Yeonjin muttered and pressed down on her bamboo stick.

After the bet between Jin Seong-yeon and Cheon Yang-jin, the biggest topic of conversation in Haenam was the secret fight between Yeon Jin and Ja Song.

It is not a duel between two influential figures, but a proxy war between the two prestigious factions of Hwasan and Jongnam.

It goes without saying that the gamblers are already gathered together and gambling on the winner of the match between Black Kirin and the youngest plum blossom swordsman.

Thanks to this, people’s interest in the already famous black giraffe has grown more than ever.

There was no point in drawing people’s attention, so Yeonjin, with her face covered by a deep hat, went out to Haenam-pa.

Haegu (海口), where Haenampa is located, is a port city that serves as the gateway to Haenam Island, and is bustling with martial artists to welcome the Yongbongjihoe.

“I’ll bet two silver coins that the black giraffe will win.”

“Ha! You underestimate the power of the plum blossoms blooming on the barren rocky mountain of the volcano! Then I will bet five silver coins that Jasong Dojo will win!”

“I’ll take that challenge. Then take it and add seven more silver pieces to the black giraffe. Since ancient times, the best swordsmanship in Shaanxi was Jongnam Pail. No matter how beautifully the plum blossoms bloom, they are powerless against the 36 swords of the world that mark the six directions.”

“Black giraffe is not a disciple of Jongnampa… … .”

The first thing Yeonjin saw when she went out onto the street was a gambling table open on the street.

The huge festival called Yongbongjihoe and gambling are elements that cannot be separated no matter how hard you try.

From those who knew nothing about martial arts to those who claimed to have learned martial arts, everyone was busy spending their own pocket money to determine the winner of the martial arts competition.

“If I win, will you give me a raise?”

Yeonjin, who was standing near the gambling table and watching the scene blankly, tilted her head for a moment.

Someone placed a hand on Yeonjin’s shoulder from behind.

“… … Who are you?”

Although the street was crowded with people, they allowed us to approach before we could even sense any movement.

When Yeonjin, whose face naturally hardened, turned around, a beautiful woman with ebony-black hair opened her eyes wide and apologized.

“Oh my. I’m sorry.”

A red gleam flashed across his black eyes for a moment.

“Since you were watching with interest, I was going to ask which side you were living on. Since you were wearing a hat, I didn’t expect you to be a man. I sincerely apologize for touching your body without permission.”

“… … No, it’s okay. If it were a gamble, I would have bet on the black giraffe.”

“You think the same as me. The odds are similar, but I also thought that the Black Giraffe would win.”

The woman smiled brightly and added in a soft voice.

“I’m also participating in the Yongbongjihoe this time, but sadly, my secret weapon isn’t being dealt with in the game board. So instead, I was thinking about betting on the most intense Jongnam vs. Hwasan match, and seeing what other people think… … At that moment, Confucius was watching intently, so I ended up making a rude mistake.”

Yeonjin asked back without letting her guard down at the woman’s words.

“… … Are you participating in this Yongbong branch meeting?”

“Yes.”

The woman nodded.

“Excuse me. I’m late in introducing myself. My name is Chuil, and I’m known by the nickname Hohyeop-kwon.”

Chuil smiled again and took the lottery ticket.