Episode 8
Chapter 3: Muryeonggwan (2)
"We are from the Paeng clan."
The clerk rifled through the documents and checked the number of Muryeong badges.
"One badge is missing, yet four have come."
"Yes, here it is."
Seonu drew the Muryeong badge from within his robes and placed it on the table. The clerk scrutinized Seonu and his companions one by one before asking their names.
"My name is Jang Seonu. I serve as the Martial Arts Instructor of the Paeng clan."
Perhaps the clerk found Seonu displeasing as he answered with a grin, for he turned his head toward Yugwang.
"I am Paeng Yugwang."
"I am Paeng Mijin."
"I am Paeng Doyeong."
After they revealed their names in turn, the clerk wrote them down one by one and handed them to a martial artist.
"You may enter."
The clerk pointed inward, and Seonu and his party went inside. One martial artist took the lead and guided them.
The martial artist crossed the training ground and entered a large door on the left.
Above the door hung a signboard that read "Muryeonggwan."
Inside, another spacious training ground appeared, and several halls came into view.
The martial artist moved toward the large hall located at the center of them.
Outside the hall, over ten martial artists were waiting for them.
The guide finished his duty and left, and one of the waiting martial artists announced inside.
"They are from the Paeng clan."
"Let them in."
When a reply came from within, Seonu's group entered under the martial artist's guidance.
In the room sat a man with refined features who appeared to be past fifty, behind a desk.
And behind him stood two martial artists emanating a sharp aura, as if one were facing keen swords.
When Seonu and his party entered and stood, the man who had received the documents read them and then looked up at Seonu.
"I am Muk Jigong, the Strategist of the Bukjeongmaeng. However, this is the first I have heard that the Paeng clan has a Martial Arts Instructor. And one with a different surname at that."
"The world changes quickly, you see. The Paeng clan has been too shut-in all this time, so it couldn't develop. That's why they've brought me in as an instructor this time."
Muk Jigong, who had been staring intently at Seonu, asked another question.
"What is the level of your martial arts?"
"Enough that I won't die if someone hits me."
The answer was so brazen that a slight twitch ran across Muk Jigong's refined face.
"Are you saying you're at the level where you won't die even if a third-rate hits you?"
"If I let my guard down, I'll die even to a third-rate."
Because it was a valid point, Muk Jigong quickly changed the subject.
"You must have heard countless stories about this place before coming. Which group do you believe you belong in?"
"Yes, the Thirtieth Group."
Seonu answered with a grin as if there were nothing to think about, causing Muk Jigong to completely forget the next question he had.
Generally, any young prodigy brimming with spirit would say they should enter the First Group.
Yet here he was saying the Thirtieth Group—the place where stragglers went.
"Are you a fool?"
"I'm not."
That grinning face did not look like that of a fool.
Still, the reason he had asked such a question was because the next question wouldn't come to mind quickly enough.
"Do you have the confidence not to kill yourself?"
Unable to think of the next question, he kept asking absurd ones.
"You appeared so dignified, sir, that I hadn't thought so, but you seem to quite enjoy jesting."
At Seonu's reply, Muk Jigong forgot yet another question that had been on the verge of coming to him.
"You truly fluster a man."
Muk Jigong, who had been trying to read something from Seonu, gave up and his face relaxed.
"I'd like these lads here to enter the Thirtieth Group as well. They are students I taught."
"If you wish to teach martial arts, couldn't you simply shut yourself away at home and teach them there?"
"Come now, Strategist. You know full well the current situation of the Paeng clan; how can you say such things?"
Heh heh heh...
Muk Jigong couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
To think his first encounter would be with such a brazen fellow.
It seemed he would have to steel himself considerably today.
Muk Jigong asked one last question.
"But what is the reason you must enter the Thirtieth Group? I could assign you all to the First Group."
"It's a headache if other fellows butt in. Besides, I heard the Thirtieth Group uses a separate building. They say it's in a very secluded place. I like such spots."
"Quite something. Understood."
Finally finished with the questions, Muk Jigong shouted toward the outside.
"Guide them to the Thirtieth Group! They are all members of the Thirtieth Group!"
As Seonu came out after meeting the Strategist, his face was beaming with delight.
He kept grinning from ear to ear, as if something pleased him immensely.
The martial artist guiding them shook his head at Seonu's laughter.
It was the expression of one dealing with a complete madman.
The guide explained each time a building came into sight.
This place was the dining hall where meals were taken; this place had physicians; this place was the library stocked with various lesser martial arts manuals—feel free to peruse them, and so on.
Going round and round the buildings and passing several training grounds, they entered a forest, where a run-down building with a small training ground attached came into view.
That seemed to be where the Thirtieth Group would reside.
"Here it is. Then I shall take my leave."
The martial artist left with an expression that suggested he never wanted to see their faces again. Seonu entered the building and inspected the rooms.
"Excellent. There are three rooms. I'll take one as the teacher. Mijin will take another. The rest of you two can use the last one."
At Seonu's instruction, Yugwang, Mijin, and Doyeong entered their respective rooms and unpacked.
Their luggage amounted to nothing more than a few changes of clothes.
They would need to purchase the remaining necessities in time.
"Now then, shall we resume training with renewed spirits?"
Those were the words they had been wondering when they would finally hear.
Yugwang, Mijin, and Doyeong picked up their great daos and began training in the small training ground.
* * *
Perhaps it was only the first one who had been strange, for the others mostly did not defy his expectations.
Muk Jigong welcomed the prodigies with a slightly more comfortable expression.
"We are from the Moyong clan!"
As the martial artist's shout came from outside and the documents were brought in, Muk Jigong composed his relaxed demeanor.
The Moyong clan had an extraordinary prodigy named Moyong Gyeong.
Rumors were already rampant among the younger generation, and Muk Jigong had heard he was such an extraordinary youth that the rumors had even spread within the Bukjeongmaeng.
"Let them in."
After Muk Jigong's reply, five figures soon entered the room.
Four men and one woman.
Muk Jigong focused his gaze on the young man standing at the front.
Judging by the aura emanating from him, this young man was likely Moyong Gyeong.
He felt like a prodigy every bit as great as the rumors.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Muk Jigong, Strategist of the Bukjeongmaeng."
When Muk Jigong introduced himself, the young man at the front clasped his fists in salute.
"Moyong Gyeong pays his respects to the Strategist."
"Moyong Se pays his respects to the Strategist."
"Moyong Ho pays his respects to the Strategist."
"Moyong Hwa pays her respects to the Strategist."
"Moyong Chun pays his respects to the Strategist."
Looking over the Moyong clan's prodigies as they greeted him in turn, Muk Jigong asked Moyong Gyeong.
"Do you wish to join the First Group?"
To Muk Jigong's question, Moyong Gyeong instead asked an absurd question.
"Has a man named Jang Seonu not yet come here?"
At Moyong Gyeong's question, Muk Jigong recalled Jang Seonu, who had grinned broadly while spewing brazen remarks.
And soon forgot his next question.
"He has... but why do you ask?"
"Which group did he join?"
Answering nothing, he only asked questions.
It felt completely like the guest was taking over the host.
"Hmm... He went to the Thirtieth Group."
Oooooh!
Moyong Gyeong exclaimed in great admiration.
"As expected, Hyung-nim is no ordinary man. Then I shall also go to the Thirtieth Group."
'These brats...'
At Moyong Gyeong's answer, which seemed to mock him, hot curses welled up inside Muk Jigong.
"Brother, please be reasonable."
"That's right. Why would Brother go to a place for stragglers?"
Ah, indeed, there were certainly some properly sensible ones in the Moyong clan.
However, Moyong Gyeong's response was no ordinary matter.
Even killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Quiet! You lot go wherever you want. I will follow Hyung-nim and enter the Thirtieth Group."
Since Moyong Gyeong spoke so adamantly, the Moyong clan's prodigies could not make a proper reply and turned their heads.
"Is the Thirtieth Group smeared with honey?"
It was an undignified question that the Strategist of the Bukjeongmaeng ought not ask, so Muk Jigong himself was flustered at having asked it.
But Moyong Gyeong answered Muk Jigong's question silently.
"There is something even sweeter than honey in the Thirtieth Group."
Moyong Gyeong arrived at the building where the Thirtieth Group resided under a martial artist's guidance.
But Jang Seonu was nowhere to be seen, and instead some ragamuffin-like fellows were training with large great daos.
"Hey! Who are you lot?"
At Moyong Gyeong's question, Yugwang, Mijin, and Doyeong, who had been training, stopped their daos and looked.
"And who are you?"
"I am Moyong Gyeong, who has joined the Thirtieth Group."
When Moyong Gyeong introduced himself, Yugwang and Mijin quickly lowered their daos and clasped their fists.
"I am Paeng Yugwang."
"I am Paeng Mijin."
Doyeong also followed the two and offered his greetings.
"I am Paeng Doyeong."
"Ah, where are my manners. A pleasure to meet you."
Moyong Gyeong belatedly clasped his fists in greeting and then asked Yugwang.
"But where has Seonu Hyung-nim gone?"
"The teacher said he had things to buy and went outside."
"Ah, is that so? But what kind of training is it that you wield such great daos?"
Moyong Gyeong showed great interest in the daos they were training with and asked curiously; Yugwang answered honestly.
"It is a training method the teacher ordered. It certainly has good effects."
Oooooh...
Moyong Gyeong exclaimed and asked in an expectant voice.
"But how many geun does it weigh?"
"I heard it is thirty geun."
Hearing Yugwang's answer, Moyong Gyeong dashed out of the Bukjeongmaeng without a word of where he was going and headed toward the smithy.
"At last, opportunity has come to me as well. Hurrah! Wonderful, wonderful."
He had first met Jang Seonu on the Yodong plains.
Overconfident in his own martial arts, he had set out to beat bandits alone, only to be swarmed by a group and beaten.
Having lost consciousness, he woke to find someone treating him.
Thinking the person a bandit, he had thrust the sword beside him at them, only to be beaten terribly.
While being beaten, he saw.
The corpses overflowing around them.
Seeing that, he knew.
That this person was an incredibly great master.
So he tried somehow to become stronger, yet his family called him a genius.
Damn it all.
Words that only made him sigh, so he gave up and trained solely with Jang Seonu as his goal.
In the midst of that, Jang Seonu came to find him and said he would enter the Muryeonggwan.
Money was no object.
At Jang Seonu's request for travel expenses, he had entered his father's room and taken out whatever promissory notes he could lay his hands on and given them to him.
And that night, he was beaten half to death by his father.
Even so, he had held his head high.
He had wanted to grant whatever Jang Seonu wished, even if it meant selling the house.
But now that his wish had come true and he was in the same group, how happy he was.
"Thirty geun, you said? Thirty geun. Should I make it heavier? No. Since Hyung-nim said thirty geun, there must be another meaning in that weight. I should have it made as a sword rather than a dao."
Moyong Gyeong ran excitedly to the smithy, ordered a greatsword, and then crouched down beside it.
It was a silent protest demanding it be made quickly.
The blacksmith was flabbergasted by Moyong Gyeong's behavior.
What sort of young noble was this?
Setting aside all other orders, he asked to have his made first.
With him standing guard there, there was no way to refuse.
Judging by his appearance, he was surely a martial artist.
And at that, the scion of a prestigious family of high standing.
One never knew what might befall them if they happened to draw his ire.