< Episode 93: Yeonggeom Lodge (1) >
-match!
Seonghwa Yeongju’s daughter Yesong who was slapped although not hard was startled and came to her senses.
“omg!”
“Are you feeling better?”
At this question Yesongah looked at her neck with her white face.
Then soon she
“Wow.”
He immediately ran behind her and held on to her wooden pole making her vomit.
-Tsk tsk. Couldn’t you have gone a little slower?
Her neck clenched her shoulders as she clicked her tongue.
In order not to waste her time some of her companions told her to follow her and he suddenly held her and made her fly with a sword and flew all the way here.
However because she was flying at such a fast speed she was out of breath and was unable to handle it and fainted.
And as soon as she woke up she was throwing up.
-It’s been a while since I came here.
At Cheongnyeong’s words Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes sparkled.
-It’s been a while?
-okay. This place was also there when this center was active.
-is it so? I didn’t even know it was like that because you didn’t say anything earlier.
-I was just surprised to hear that the master of this place is said to have the best sword skills in the world.
-Wasn’t it like before?
-Even in the past the level was quite high. But I’ve finally seen the results.
-What do you mean you’ve finally seen the results?
-It’s because of their methods.
-Is there any special method?
-It’s not special. The reason their swords are called the best is because they are made to suit the swordsman’s body type habits and swordsmanship.
-Body habits that’s right…Hmm? Sword law?
Mo Kyung-un raised one eyebrow as if something was strange.
Then she snorted and said
-If you want to entrust them with making swords you have to teach them the German sword method. That is one of the conditions for production.
-ah…
Only then did Mok Gyeong-un understand why she said it had paid off.
-If that is the basic condition there will be almost no sword techniques that you don’t know.
-okay. If you know all the sword techniques in the world your opinion on swords is bound to be higher than anyone else’s.
-Did Cheongnyeong also make a sword here?
She nodded her head at that question.
-It’s just as you guessed. They even know the early days of the moon.
-….Interesting. But if you know so many sword techniques I think a lot of interesting things would have happened.
– Well I don’t know what happened while the main throne was sealed but nothing happened before that.
-Why?
-Because I didn’t teach you the fortune-telling techniques or mental techniques that are paired with the sword techniques.
-ah?
-All they know is the path of the sword. Of course you can say that you know a lot from this alone but strictly speaking it’s only half of it.
-So you said you were only skilled in the sword.
-right. Even at that time their knowledge of swords was higher than my own. It must have accumulated over time so I wonder what the level is now.
– Now that you say that I’m curious but I don’t think we’ll ever go in there.
-Well I guess so.
What they came to take was the orb the treasure of Baehwagyo.
I didn’t come to see Yeonggeom Mountain Lodge.
Then Yesong-ah who had been vomiting for a while appeared to have improved somewhat and came to me with a haggard look on her face.
“Are you okay now?”
“Nenet.”
“Do you know where this is?”
She nodded her head in response to Mok Gyeong-un’s question.
She had been here once before so there was no way she didn’t know.
Her neck tiller spoke to her like that.
“But were there originally a lot of people walking around the mountain cabin?”
“yes? “What do you mean by that?”
-Sigh!
“Whoop!”
Mo Kyung-yun suddenly covered Ye Song-ah’s mouth.
Yesongah couldn’t hide her embarrassment at his sudden behavior.
Then her neck picked her up and with her light movements she jumped on top of her and stepped on her branch.
‘How?’
Her eyes widened.
She even hugged herself but instead of breaking this slender branch was intact.
While I was looking at this in amazement I heard footsteps from below.
Soon a group of about four warriors appeared and their jackets had the word righteousness engraved on them.
‘definition?’
The sight of them wearing the same clothes caught Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.
Then they walked around and talked.
“weird. “I definitely heard something like a pig being slaughtered from here.”
“The sound of a pig being slaughtered?”
“There’s that cooing cooing sound.”
Yesongah’s face turned bright red at the sound of their conversation.
The sound of vomiting is called the sound of a pig being cut.
I was so embarrassed.
Then while looking around a warrior said:
“But if you look around here will you be able to find the criminal or his traces?”
“I have to do something.”
“It’s because I have nothing to do.”
“That’s right. “Anyway the only person who has the courage to kill that many people by himself is Gu Zhuangzhu.”
“okay. “This is a waste of time.”
“But it’s also strange to conclude that the culprit is Gu Jangju.”
“why?”
“Gu Jangju was still working when the incident occurred. Moreover Gu Zhuang was a swordsman and all the wounds of those who died were Taoheun.”
“That’s what makes it even weirder. Everything is saying that it is not Jangju. Then if Jangju is an expert in Taoism the story is different.”
“…Well that’s right but does it really make sense to do something like this in their own territory?”
“It’s just a lie. “Who would think that Zhuang Zhou was the culprit just because it was dark under the lamp?”
“Hmm. difficult. “It’s difficult.”
“That’s what investigation is all about. Once you start to doubt him he seems like a criminal. Anyway the landlords might say something if we keep hanging around here so let’s move.”
“okay.”
Soon after the warriors left Mok Gyeong-un and Yesong-ah came down to earth.
-widely!
As soon as she came down Yesongah spoke to Mokgyeongun.
“Those people just now are justice-minded warriors.”
“Do you believe in justice?”
“yes.”
Because Baehwagyo had many enemies Yesongah also remembered the attire of those targeting them.
“Do people from the Justice League come and go here often?”
-Is that possible?
“no.”
Cheongnyeong and Yesongah answered that question at the same time.
In response Mok Kyung-un stroked his chin.
I don’t know what exactly happened but to sum up the situation based on their conversation it seems like an incident occurred in which many people were killed by just one person.
So the warriors of the Justice League are trying to find the culprit.
However they said that the prime suspect was the old chieftain but no matter how much I heard it seemed like he was referring to the old chieftain of Yeonggeomsan Mountain.
“hmm.”
It was incredibly elaborate.
I just came to look for the orb but something big happened that even involved the Justice Blind.
Then I decided to ignore Mokgyeongun.
It had nothing to do with him anyway so all he had to do was find the orb.
Mok Kyung-un spoke to Yesong-ah.
“Where is that cave?”
“There…”
“First of all don’t say anything just point with your finger. “I think we’ll have to be pretty stealthy from now on.”
“uh? no way?”
“fizzle. “I told him to keep his mouth shut.”
-Pot!
Mo Kyung-un moved while holding her.
He who had reached her level in terms of her divine powers decided that it would be easier to hide her presence if he moved while holding her.
* * *
In front of a building at Yeonggeom Mountain Lodge.
-Chaeang! Chae-ang! Chae-ang!
The cheerful sound of hammering can be heard outside the building.
In front of the heated blacksmith shop accompanied by the sound of metal there was a group of warriors wearing uniforms.
The warriors’ clothes had the word “righteousness” engraved on them.
They were warriors belonging to the Justice League.
There were two people who seemed to be leading these people.
One was a middle-aged nun wearing Taoist attire with her back turned with a kind face and the other was a tall-faced man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
These people were members of the Justice Alliance and the nun was Jeong Myeong-sae an elder of the Hangsan sect.
And the man in his mid-thirties was Mo Yong-hak the eldest son and successor of the Mo Yong family one of the seven major families.
“Huh. Amitabha Buddha.”
Among them the Jeongmyeong incident of the Hangsan faction drew admiration.
That’s because the light and cool sound contained in the constant hammering gave me the feeling that my heart would burst open.
‘That’s amazing.’
I had heard of his reputation but just hitting the hammer left me speechless.
It was so great that it felt like decades of studying were in vain.
Unlike her the interest of Mo Yong-hak successor to the Mo Yong family was focused on something else.
‘Are those the broken swords made by Jangju?’
Outside the building there were swords stuck in what looked like a large incense burner.
The large incense burner was engraved with the word “Pageom (破劍)” and it is said that swords that failed due to not being properly formed are placed in that direction before being destroyed.
However for something called a broken sword each one boasted an unusual appearance.
No those were also almost worthy of being called famous swords.
-Gulp!
Mo Yong-hak swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
Originally according to the rules of Yeonggeomsanjang you had to have an exceptional reputation as a swordsman or pass a test given by the chief to be able to come to the chief’s blacksmith shop.
However due to the circumstances he was able to come in as a special investigator for Justice Maeng.
-Kkiik!
At that time the door to the blacksmith shop opened and someone came out.
Because the sound of hammering still continued they instinctively knew that the person coming out was not Jangju.
-Good!
The person who came out was none other than Gu Woong-hwang the owner of Yeonggeom Mountain Lodge.
He put his hands together and spoke in a polite voice.
“I’m sorry. Jangju asked for your understanding that he cannot meet with you because it is a major juncture for the birth of a new sword.”
‘As expected.’
Mo Yong-hak clicked his tongue inwardly at his words.
I thought about building a friendship with Jangju through the incident but he never shows his face.
However he also forced it.
Gucheonmu the chieftain of Yeonggeomsanjang was a member of the Six Heavens the pinnacle of the current martial arts world and also belonged to Myeongsuk in terms of distribution so he could not treat him carelessly.
“It’s a shame. “Still I wanted to at least say hello to Jangju the eldest person.”
“Ahh. I apologize. “Once my father starts making swords he does not show his face even when the lord comes perhaps because of his unique stubbornness as a craftsman.”
“Amitabha Buddha. I understand. How can a craftsman stop what he is doing? “It’s just a pity that I still haven’t seen Jangju even though it’s been a few days since I came here.”
He spoke in a soft voice as if telling him not to worry about the Jeongmyeong situation.
Gu Xionghuang asked carefully.
“But how is the investigation going?”
“First of all our warriors are blocking all mountain paths in the nearby radius but it seems difficult to find the culprit.”
“…I guess so.”
No one else but Namgung Jin a member of the Eight Stars was killed.
Even though he did not reach six thousand Palseong was also the highest in martial arts.
He and all the elite members of the Namgung family met death.
What was surprising was that the traces appeared to be the work of one person not the actions of many people.
“This is my first time seeing Doheun like this in my life.”
Jeongmyeong Saeng clicked his tongue and said.
As she examined the bodies for the first time she couldn’t help but feel inwardly astonished.
This was because each and every trace left on her body contained trajectories that all existing Taoist methods could not perform.
‘A Taoist movement that escapes the limits of joints… Is this really the Tao developed by humans?’
It was to the point where I even had that question.
However since the bodies were found it was clear that they had died by someone’s hand.
And the most likely suspect is
“…As you may know my father is a person who has only known the sword his entire life. “That’s true for all of our family.”
It was only for a moment but the owner Koo Woong-hwang paused for a moment.
It was such a brief moment that it was hard for anyone to notice.
The reason he paused for a split second after saying he was everyone in the family was because of the youngest member who was called the troublemaker of the family.
[Why does it have to be a sword? Isn’t the reason we’re stagnant because we’re obsessed with just one sword?]
This is something he used to say out of habit before leaving the house.
Even though he was scolded by his father Jangju and himself he did not break his stubbornness.
But it is truly questionable.
Not only did he suddenly return when such a huge accident occurred but he also brought with him a strange bead whose composition was difficult to determine.
Anyway that wasn’t the important thing.
“If all the traces remaining on the body are Daoheun then shouldn’t our family be excluded from the list of suspects even if the dead person was a member of the Eight Stars?”
Jeong Myeong-sae responded by putting his hands together in a voice that was somewhat mixed with emotion.
“Amitabha…I apologize. “As you know it is difficult to do so.”
“…..”
“Although there are a couple of guests at the Yeonggeom Lodge who can deal with Lord Nangong it is absolutely impossible for them to do it on their own.”
“situation. But to my father…”
“I know. There are enough people to prove that he was still here when the incident occurred and he is a swordsman in the first place. He is also the only one who could have made that disaster possible.”
“ha.”
The owner Gu Woong-hwang sighed in frustration.
Of course it is true that if the father or the chieftain decides to do so he has the power to suppress all the people of the Namgung family who came to visit him.
It was not for nothing that he was called one of the Six Heavens.
But crucially my father has never escaped this place and is not a thief.
However there were two reasons why they were still considered suspects.
One was due to inaction as mentioned earlier and the second was
‘It’s great that you refused the request of the Namgoong family.’
Namgung Jin the head of the Namgung family and a member of Palseong came to visit and asked me to make a sword just for him in exchange for Hyeoncheol.
However this was not the first time this request was made but the third time.
Coincidentally my father had been concentrating on making a sword for the past two years and had recently refused and postponed all requests from those who had come to visit him.
however
[No matter how much Yeonggeomsanjang has its own rules not showing your face once even though guests have come three times is not the spirit of craftsmanship but the height of arrogance.]
Even though Namgung Jin the head of the Namgung family was her father-in-law she showed signs of discomfort and left without even meeting her every time she came to visit.
The only thing that happened was that the guests in the guesthouse saw her showing bad feelings toward her father and some of them testified to this.
It was a truly frustrating situation.
Mo Yong-hak spoke as if to appease his feelings.
“We also don’t believe that the former chieftain would have done that. However since I am here as an investigator I have to be sure so I have to see Mr. Jang. “I know you may be frustrated but please understand.”
There was one thing they wanted to check.
The sword and the sword are completely different.
Therefore depending on the gripping method the shape of the calluses on the palm was bound to be formed differently.
Moreover what I learned through Tao Heun was that the joints and muscles of a person who practiced this Tao method would be in a completely different shape from that of ordinary people.
In conclusion they could not conclude their investigation until they met the head of the Yeonggeom Mountain Lodge.
* * *
A cliff cave not far from the mountainside where Yeonggeomsanjang’s manor is located.
“This can’t be happening.”
Yesongah was embarrassed.
As soon as she arrived she quickly searched inside her cave to find the orb.
But she wasn’t there.
Or rather something must have happened here as the walls inside the cave were broken and the floor was cracked.
Mok Kyung-un looked at this carefully.
‘Sword marks.’
Some of the messed up traces were definitely sword marks.
It seems that two swordsmen who were quite good at using swords fought here.
However one side had overwhelmingly higher swordsmanship skills.
Thanks to that it seemed like he was subdued in just a few seconds.
‘The one who was suppressed had his back to the inside of the cave and tried to move forward despite being clearly inferior in swordsmanship skills. That means…’
This is the side that is trying to protect something.
I desperately tried to stop the other person from entering.
Mok Kyung-un said this.
“Did you hide the orb in the deepest part of the cave?”
“yes. It was definitely like that…”
“It looks like someone fought in here. “But one side was desperately trying to keep them from getting inside and the other side was trying to get in.”
“It’s Yeonwoo!”
“I don’t know if it’s Yeonwoo or what but what’s interesting is that even though he was pushed back due to his skills he didn’t lose a single step and desperately tried to stop his opponent.”
Yesongah’s eyes filled with tears when he heard those words.
From Mo Kyung-un’s words she was convinced that the person who desperately tried to stop her was Gu Yeon-woo.
But Mok Gyeong-un who was examining the traces spoke as if he knew something.
“It looks like the people fighting know each other well.”
“yes?”
“They both use very similar sword techniques. And whoever wants to enter the cave…..”
-Ugh!
With his right eye open to the power of his three eyes Mok Gyeong-un’s vision showed the traces of the sword swing more clearly.
It was Jinki’s residual resignation that remained while he was eating herbivorous food.
Seeing this it became even more clear.
A person trying to enter the cave would use his swordsmanship as much as possible to avoid fatal moves in order to subdue the opponent rather than kill him.
“It would be more likely that they are classmates brothers or blood relatives rather than enemies. Did you say that Gu Yeon-woo is the third son of Yeonggeom Mountain Lodge? “Then you have the answer.”
‘!!!!!!’
Yesongah was dumbfounded by Mo Qingyun’s guess.
Was it possible to achieve this level of insight with just such a mess of traces?
< Episode 93: Yeonggeom Lodge (1) > end
ⓒ Hanzhongwolya
