Chapter 9: Shrine taste)
Chapter 9: Shrine taste)
Joo Seocheon carried the netting flag that had been left nearby and spoke to Dan Ha-seong and his party, who were still dumbfounded..
“Juseocheon of the volcanic wave..”
Joo Seocheon briefly introduced.
“I call it the monotony of the Jeomchang school.……”
“ah! Jumchang Chil-gongja!”
Joo Seocheon widened his eyes as if he was surprised..
‘No, rather than that, why is he a man who is like a fortune teller?……?’
No matter how advanced the Jeomchang faction's martial arts skills are, they do not use poison..
There was no reason to come to Dokhyeolgok..
“I would appreciate it if you could tell me what you didn't hear just now. I didn't know your identity so I was rude..”
“Isn’t Zhou Dahyeop a benefactor? Don't worry.”
Even though Dan Ha-seong is the youngest of the Jeomchang Chil-gongs, he is not the same age as Ju Seo-cheon..
At first glance, he was in his early thirties..
He is a worthy senior of Kangho, and although they are not of the same school, he is still a disciple of Jang Munin, so his rank is considerable..
“And I'm sorry to my benefactor, but if it's okay, can you escort me to a safe place??”
I was so shocked that I lost my mind, but things are not that relaxed right now..
The number of people who reached 30 is half that number, or only 15 remain..
And half of them were injured..
Everyone was in a terrible state as they couldn't eat or sleep properly..
“All right. While walking around earlier, I found a cave where I could rest. Please follow me.”
The cave was not very deep.
At least I could rest assured that I didn't have to worry about poison coming out from inside..
Only then was Dan Ha-seong and his party able to rest with peace of mind..
“I owe you my life, Zhou Daehyeop..”
As soon as Dan Ha-seong finished stopping the bleeding, he expressed his gratitude..
“no. I just did the obvious thing..”
Joo Seocheon waved his hand as if it was okay..
“Helping someone may be a natural thing for a politician to do, but it is not easy to put it into action..
Above all, isn't this a place where it's difficult to take care of one's own life? Once again, I express my deepest gratitude..”
Dan Ha-seong put favor and respect in his arms..
‘He's like a character from a hero magazine.!’
Joo Seocheon clicked his tongue in admiration..
There was not a single lie in Dan Ha-seong’s gestures or facial expressions..
It wasn't just a simple greeting..
Above all, it is not easy to bow your head this much to yourself, who is young and junior to you..
“Thank you, Daehyeop!”
The warriors who were resting in the back also quickly stood up and expressed their gratitude..
‘Umm. It's strange.’
For some reason, I felt itchy..
It was my first time receiving a thank you from more than 10 people, including the same dancer..
‘There were many cases of the opposite, but……’
When the light of life goes out on the battlefield, someone comes like the wind and saves the day..
Before that back figure disappeared, I remembered him bowing down and saying thank you..
“By the way, is it possible that you were the only one who came to Dokhyeolgok??”
Dan Ha-seong's eyes were filled with strange anticipation..
“Ah, yes. That's right. I'm alone.”
“Huh... … In the poisonous blood song... … Did you really come alone??”
Dan Ha-seong let out an exclamation and looked at Joo Seo-cheon as if he couldn't understand..
It's like, 'Why did you do such a crazy thing?' It seemed like he was asking.
“Hey, what's wrong with being alone?.”
I got so emotional for a moment that I even stuttered..
Even before my return, I always ate alone, trained, studied, and fought, and the life of dying passed by..
“Certainly, seeing the inaction of the State Council, you may say that it is a needless worry, but don't you know that Dokhyeolgok is a place so scary that it is banned even in martial arts?.
If you are even the slightest bit arrogant, your life is at risk, so let go of that mindset..”
Dan Ha-seong showed concern with a serious face..
“……”
Joo Seocheon kept his mouth shut, feeling ashamed of himself for crying over painful and lonely memories..
I feel like it would be lame if I told you what happened just now here..
“Hehehe! thank you.”
“From the looks of it, it looks like it's a good luck... … How can I even talk about poisonous blood?……?”
“I came here because I wanted to prove my strength by surviving against the poisons..”
Among the visitors to Dokhyeolgok, there are sometimes this type..
Half of them die, and half return from the beginning..
It cannot be said that we have come to take the inner altar of Chilgaksa Temple..
A fight could have been caused by unnecessary greed..
Fortunately, Dan Ha-seong agreed without any doubts..
“Lord Dahyeop, if you don’t plan on leaving Tokhyeol Valley… … It may be shameful for someone who owes you their life, but is it okay if I ask for a favor??”
“Please do me a favor……?”
“We would like you to join us in hunting down the spirit creature known as the Seven-legged Temple..”
‘……’
I almost gasped out of my mouth..
‘It's Chilgaksa Temple?’
As far as he knew, the only individual or organization that knew about Chilgaksa Temple was Amcheonhoe..
However, I couldn't help but be surprised when I heard from Dan Ha-seong, a martial artist of the Jeomchang faction..
In a corner of my mind, the possibility that these people might actually be the Amcheonhoe, not the Jeomchang faction, passed through my mind..
However, as expected, everyone was weak or weak, so that possibility was quickly buried..
Above all, if someone who was Jang Mun-in's disciple was a member of the Amcheonhoe, there was no way he wouldn't have been mentioned in his past life..
“I'm sure there are more than one or two things that are puzzling. I'll tell you the details.”
Dot said that Dan Ha-seong had expected it..
“First, how much does the State Council know about me??”
“hmm……”
Joo Seocheon couldn't answer and looked troubled..
Then Dan Ha-seong smiled bitterly..
“It's okay. You probably don't know anything about him except that he is the youngest of the fortune tellers. that's normal.”
It is the same in the past life and in the present life..
I don't know much about Dan Ha-seong..
I heard that he died at some point, but I don't remember the exact time..
“I, Dan Ha-seong, am a disciple of Jang Mun-in of the fortune-telling sect, and at the same time, I am also the son of Master Jang..”
He told me shocking news with a casual expression..
“Huh……”
I didn't expect it at all.
“I think this will be a bit of a long story, but is it okay??”
“I'm fine, but... … Sir, do you mind if I tell you??”
“Aren't you the savior of my life? More than anything, I think the person asking for help needs to talk about the circumstances..”
If the Party is the Five Generations, which is not like a political faction, the Jeomchang faction is an old faction, which is not like a political faction..
The Jeomchang faction, along with the Jongnam faction, was also a Daoist faction with a notable secular tendency..
This was because practical martial arts was added to the development and repetition due to the nature of Yunnan as a disputed area surrounding Xijiang, Nanman, Guizhou, and Guangxi..
In any case, it is no exaggeration to say that the Jeomchang faction had a history with these conflicts, but this was the problem..
Conflicts and wars cost a lot of money..
Even after the fighting is over, the money spent on repairing the damage is not a joke..
As a result, the finances of the Jeomchang faction became a problem early on..
“When Jeong Chang-pa was struggling with his financial situation, Seong Ha-jang approached him and imposed some restrictions..”
It was roughly what I expected..
“Please make me a disciple of Jang Mun-in, who is of Jang Ju's blood. In other words, he wanted the martial arts and protection of the Jeomchang faction..”
No matter how much Seong Ha-jang runs the Bihopyo Bureau at the same time and monopolizes the commercial area in Yunnan, he is still a merchant..
They needed the strength to protect the Holy Father and his property..
There was a feeling that the power of the country was not enough..
There were only a few masters among the priests, and even they were hired from outside like ronin..
A more certain and trustworthy master and strength was needed..
The point-singing group of the old file room!
What a sure guarantee this is.!
“Instead of accepting this, Zheng Changpa put in three provisions..
Firstly, only one person could become Jangmunin's disciple, and secondly, a ban was placed on him so that he could not freely reveal his martial arts skills to anyone other than himself..
Thirdly, I would like to ask you to keep this fact as secret as possible. And you know why.”
The first and second cases are natural, without a doubt, and the third case is due to fear of criticism from the powerful martial arts group..
If we were to add a bit of harsh language to the relationship between the Jeomchang faction and Seong Ha-jang, it would be like selling martial arts, which is a special season, for money..
Even though the Jeomchang faction's way of thinking is unusually flexible for a political faction due to the development of practical martial arts, if they do something like this, they will be looked at with contempt by the martial arts faction..
Buying martial arts with gold is an act that is detested even by political factions..
There were restrictions, but even so, it never got a good look..
Even in Sapa, 'Has the prestige of Jeomchang declined so much that he has to sell the season?' I get laughed at saying.
Therefore, the Jeomchang faction issued a silence order to prevent the rumor from spreading..
“Do you really mind if you teach me this important thing??”
“……And this fact is well known to my brothers-in-law who are fortune tellers..”
Dan Ha-seong did not answer Joo Seo-cheon's question..
“Can you guess what the brothers think of me??”
“Huh…”
Joo Seocheon fell silent instead of answering..
Looking at Dan Ha-seong's dark expression, I had a rough guess..
“A young man from a rich family who happened to be lucky enough to become Jang Mun-in's disciple, and a fortune teller. That's it.”
Dan Ha-seong smiled bitterly..
“I wish I had a family who would warmly embrace me and support me, but since I don't have that, it's hard to hold on..”
It seemed like there was a more complicated situation..
“Anyway, I wanted to be recognized by my brothers as a warrior of the fortune-telling group. So, I came here, to the poisonous valley called hell, to hunt down the Chilgaksa Temple..”
“What is Chilgaksa Temple?……”
“Gee, look at my mind… … I asked you to help me hunt the Chilgaksa Temple, but I haven't told you yet..”
Dan Ha-seong smiled apologetically and scratched the back of his head..
“This was before Dokhyeolgok was banned yet, but there was a time when warriors from the main faction went on a subjugation trip using Dokhyeolgok..
It is said that at that time, he encountered a serpent with seven horns, and according to legend, even a strong sword could not cut it down..”
‘Indeed, did the fortune-telling group also know?.’
It's not strange.
Jeomchangsan Mountain and Aenosan Mountain are close..
If Shim Mani and others come in and out and have numerous accidents and problems arise, the Jian Chang faction will naturally have no choice but to react..
If you help someone and solve a problem with force, your reputation will naturally increase..
Above all, if we dispose of the poisonous substances and hand them over to the Sacheondang family in the north, we can make up for the lack of finances..
“They say that if you make a weapon out of that horn, you might be able to create one of the most treasured swords or famous swords in the world..
If I confirm the legend and hunt down the Chilgaksa, even my brothers will definitely recognize me as the true Jeomchang Chilgong..”
‘It's not wrong, but……’
I was thinking of getting the horns as a side note too..
Chilgaksa Temple was not only famous for its swords, but its horns were also valuable as a weapon material..
‘Dan Ha-seong. His personality wasn't bad, and at first glance, his martial arts skills were quite high. The background goes without saying.
However, the reason it is not that famous is because the fortune-telling group considered it a trivial matter and hid it..’
His situation came to mind like a picture in my head..
‘And the name is not known even in the future……’
He must have been destined to die there earlier..
“It's like asking me to hand over a bundle after saving a drowning person, but I'm asking despite the shame of it..
I swear that I will never forget this favor and repay you.!”
Dan Ha-seong said in a earnest voice..
“Okay, let me help you..”
Joo Seocheon answered immediately without hesitation..
“Is it true??”
Dan Ha-seong was surprised by the immediate answer..
It was an expression of disbelief..
The same was true for other warriors..
“I'm saying it again... … It's probably even more hell inside here..
It's full of poisonous substances that can't even be compared to poisonous insects, and the Chilgaksa Temple is also a great spiritual creature..”
“Didn't they say that only horns don't communicate with strong energy??
If so, that's okay. And since we have this many people, we can probably do something..”
‘……Okay!’
Dan Ha-seong's conscience was pricked..
I honestly wanted to say that I didn't think the samurai who came with me would be of much help..
But if that happens, this young volcano expert may return..
Now even just one person needed power..
In the end, the scales tipped towards the desire to be recognized rather than conscience..
‘I'm sorry.’
Dan Ha-seong wanted to take responsibility for the fifteen remaining warriors and return together..
To do that, I needed the help of the young man in front of me..
I surrendered my conscience to the unavoidable situation called reality..
The guilt that arose over causing death to his benefactor was also buried in a corner..
“Then please take care of me.”
* * *
Everyone was short on sleep, so they decided to take turns sleeping..
In the meantime, we briefly introduced each other and had a conversation..
Thanks to this, I was able to find out that Dan Ha-seong is 31 years old this year and is a peak expert..
“By the way, it seemed like you used up a lot of your energy earlier, but you don't seem to be tired at all..”
“Even though I am like this, I was once called Ju Seo-cheon of inner strength..”
I've never been called that..
“I'm sorry. Since I only focus on training, I'm not very knowledgeable about Kangho's situation, so I don't know much about it..”
Dan Ha-seong was persecuted by his brothers as soon as he entered the fortune-telling sect..
The period of desire and effort to be recognized has been quite long..
So it’s not strange that you don’t know Joo Seocheon..
Above all, wasn't the name that once shined quickly buried due to the remarks of the Three Eyes God?.
It was normal not to be able to think of it..
In the case of the recent bet with Dang-hye, I had no choice but to not know because I was distracted by the poisonous blood song..
“it's okay. By the way, how much of the Seven Horns should I take??”
“It would be nice if I could take even one. To be honest, I said I was hunting, but it would be difficult to kill the Seven-legged Temple..”
“If you come here……?”
“Horns cannot be cut with a strong sword, but scales and flesh cannot be cut. So, tear off the whole flesh, along with the horns, and run away with all your might..”
“Then can I have the rest of the horns??”
Originally, I had planned to keep the horns of the Chilgaksa Temple for both personal and other purposes..
“If you can, try it. If possible, you can take everything but mine..”
Dan Ha-seong laughed..
‘There really is a lot to do.’
As well as dealing with the horns of the Chilgaksa Temple, there was a mountain of work to do after the Seven Swords War due to the Tomb of the Demon Demon..
Joo Seocheon put the plans he had made over the past few years back in a corner of his mind and then took a step forward..
“It's a poisonous insect.”
Joo Seocheon swung his sword horizontally..
Pa-aang!
A long, drawn-out sound erupted, and a sword wind swept the surroundings..
Nearby poisonous insects exploded under the pressure of the sword..
Kyarrrrrr.!
Through the bushes, poisonous substances that looked like teratomas were sticking out..
There are many types of centipedes, moths, spiders, etc..
“Chil-gongja, please pay attention to defense..”
“However, Confucius will suffice. Are you really okay with that??”
Dan Ha-seong bit the poison centipede in two..
“Yes, save your energy. The same goes for Seong Ha-jang’s warriors. Please do not come forward if possible..”
Second-class to first-class warriors were not disciples of the Jeomchang sect..
It was the warrior of Seong Ha-jang who was taken away by Dan Ha-seong..
“Please take care of nettlefish for me..”
I threw myself away while muttering poisonous plants..
I didn't breathe hard and I didn't exhale..
I just swung my sword in silence..
The poisonous substances that had terrified Dan Ha-seong and his companions were not able to exert much strength and were knocked down by Ju Seo-cheon's sword..
The number had already exceeded three digits, and the warriors of Seong Ha-jang were astonished by the amazing martial arts..
‘That level of martial arts skills at an age when you haven't even entered a contract.!’
I also heard about Joo Seo-cheon when we introduced ourselves earlier..
I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard that age..
Dan Ha-seong, who appears to be an expert of equal or greater skill, gaped at the fact that he had not even reached an agreement..
Even if you search not only in the old group but also in the entire martial arts world, there is no 18-year-old with that level of skill..
“Hey there, Zhou Daehyeop. If you don't mind me asking, would you know my teacher's name??”
Looking at Joo Seo-cheon's strength, I thought he was not an ordinary disciple..
In Dan Ha-seong's mind, Elder Hwasan, Maehwa Geomsu, and Sangcheon Tenjwa Geomson Woo Il-mun passed by..
“yes. Master's titles are Yuja, Jeongja, and Mokja..”
“Oh, you mean the possessed sword?……”
Dan Ha-seong pretended to know.
However, that expression was subtle..
‘It's not like I don't know how to use a sword.……’
He was originally an almost unknown name, but he appeared a few years ago and suddenly became active in many ways..
Even Dan Ha-seong, who is blind to Kang-ho, heard it well, but someone different from what he expected jumped out..
To put it bluntly, he was not that great of a person to produce great disciples like Ju Seo-cheon..
“You will become the best person in the world. I recommend that you remember the name well now and say hello later..”
Joo Seocheon turned his nose upright..
It was a face full of pride..
‘ah! What was I thinking?! How could a benefactor disparage a teacher he respected so much by saying he wasn't great? !’
Dan Ha-seong is a person of conscience..
Among political figures, he was the most honest person..
Normally, if you come from a good family or are a disciple of the Great Moon Sect, you are bound to grow up as a nobleman, but there was nothing like that..
Despite being ostracized and looked at with contempt by the monks at the monastery, he grew up properly..
It's not for nothing that the warriors who followed him risked their lives..
“I'm sorry, Lord Daehyeop. For a while I thought your teacher was not that great..
There is no way that the teacher of someone who saved us and was even great at martial arts would be unremarkable. Please don't forgive me for disparaging my benefactor's teacher..”
Instead of fighting, Dan Ha-seong bowed down and apologized..
“Go, Confucius!”
A warrior nearby was frightened and tried to block the poisonous water coming towards him..
Joo Seo-cheon clicked his tongue when he saw that..
‘Isn't that just crazy? That's why you die early.’
I recognized him from the moment he joined Dokhyeol Song and said he was recognized..
“it's okay. If you're really sorry, please help me later..
All you have to do is forget it like the ungrateful devils and apostolic bastards. haha.”
He subtly took advantage of the political faction’s reputation..
This is the politics I learned by observing during my time as Elder Hwasan Oh.!
“Then I will focus on the future again..”
It would be okay to chat a little more, but this is not the time or place for it..
Joo Seo-cheon was the exception, but others did not..
‘Fighting while protecting someone is harder than you think..’
In my past life, it was the opposite..
Received help and support from a certain hero or expert.
Although I have fought alongside my fellow disciples several times, I have never once watched over anyone..
But through this experience, I realized that it takes greater strength and spirit to protect someone..
“Phew, then the number has decreased a bit.……”
As time passed, the poisons disappeared noticeably..
There were some who fell like fallen leaves from Ju Seo-cheon's sword, but there were also many poisonous creatures who got tired of his strength and ran away..
Originally, living things, especially animals, rely on instinct..
I intuitively realized that Joo Seocheon was strong, so I didn’t approach him..
Once I had some free time, I was able to use a bow instead of a sword..
I took out the bow and arrows that were in the net and put them on..
“Hey there, Zhou Daehyeop. Are you really planning on using that??”
“yes. It's a hobby.”
Joo Seocheon responded by shooting an arrow at the protest..
“No, no matter how much the poisonous substances have decreased, there is no room for such pranks.……”
Paat!
As soon as Dan Ha-seong finished speaking, an arrow was shot..
It is not an ordinary arrow, but an arrow filled with energy..
The pointed arrowheads created a large hole in the atmosphere and targeted a tarantula the size of a child..
Kwazijic!
“Squeak!”
The tarantula let out a single scream..
Starting from the torso with the legs connected, a large hole appeared in the head..
…… joke?
Dan Ha-seong kept his mouth shut..
The other warriors were also speechless..
‘Hwa, was there Gung Gong in the Hwasan faction?……?’
Cold sweat formed on my forehead..
Any warrior can put energy into an arrow..
But even so, it only slightly increases the speed and destructive power..
It was impossible to show such talent, or rather ability..
“It's just a hobby. It's a hobby.”
It's important so I said it twice.
He used the sword and bow alternately, picking at the poisonous blood..
I asked the holy warrior to collect poisonous plants..
“Are the Taoists of the Hwasan Sect even chewing poisonous plants these days??”
“As far as I know, I heard that none of the poisonous plants in Tokhyeolgok are weak... … Is it really not a poisonous plant??”
“Look at those colorful patterns carved into the leaves. If that's not a poisonous weed, I'll pick it up in my hand..”
“If you don't want to die, you'd better not touch it. My grandfather was a simman, so when I was young, I often followed him and tried to distinguish between poisonous plants and medicinal herbs. … No, there isn't even anything that can be used for food..”
The warriors of Seonghajang whispered about Ju Seocheon’s eccentricities..
Dan Ha-seong couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked..
“Hey, Lord Daehyup. Why on earth do you chew poisonous plants??”
“Don't they say that people who are poisonous are deliberately poisoned to increase their resistance to poison? So I'm doing it.”
“……No, that's... … what… … Is it possible??”
Dan Ha-seong was so embarrassed that he could not continue speaking..
I've definitely heard that the German training method is like that..
But that's only for those who have practiced poison..
However, a disciple of the Huashan sect, which is orthodox among Taoist martial arts, naturally cannot do this..
But looking at the color of his face, it's not like that..
I think it's true that it's resistant to poison.……
The more I thought about it, the more complicated it became..
Something outside of common sense is happening right in front of my eyes, so my brain can't keep up..
“Only Confucius. Have you tried solo training??”
“no… … Never been like that... … There is none……”
“Don't say it if you haven't tried it.”
“……”
I'm speechless.
“Rather, now is not the time. The atmosphere around here is unusual..”
It was definitely as he said..
No matter where I go, there is not a single poisonous insect that appears constantly..
“Usually in times like this, around here……”
Rumbling!
The ground shook so loudly that a loud roar was heard..
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