Episode 264: Naming
It was that time of year when winter seemed to be fading, yet spring hadn’t fully arrived. A joyous event had occurred in the Tang household.
Tang Mujin had been blessed with not one, but two children in quick succession.
Tang Jeseon asked the midwife who had delivered the babies, “The third one’s a girl too?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Hmm, I see.”
The midwife interpreted Tang Jeseon’s words as disappointment over not having a boy, as people often preferred sons to carry on the family line.
But she was entirely mistaken.
Tang Jeseon was secretly pleased to have two more granddaughters. After all, when he compared his eldest granddaughter, Tang Yeong, to the neighbor’s grandson, Tang Yeong’s charm and cuteness were unmatched.
Moreover, Tang Jeseon didn’t see the continuation of the family line as a pressing issue. Tang Mujin, Dan Seolyeong, and Mok Wana were all still young. In time, a solution would present itself.
Despite the great celebration, Tang Mujin faced an important task: naming his two daughters.
Naming wasn’t exactly Tang Mujin’s forte, so he gathered his three friends for help.
“What do you think would be good names for my daughters? It took me nearly ten days to come up with Yeong’s name last time, and now I have two to name.”
Tang Mujin and his friends fell into a contemplative silence.
Naming a child can be simple if you don’t overthink it, but it can also be endlessly complex if you do.
Breaking the silence was Namgung Myeong, who always approached things with a straightforward mindset.
“Let’s recall Elder Jang Il-nam’s wisdom.”
“What wisdom?”
“Since the first is Tang Yeong, the second should be Tang Il, and the third Tang Yi. It’s the logical order.”
Instead of responding, Tang Mujin pointed to the door, a clear gesture for Namgung Myeong to leave with his nonsense.
Namgung Myeong acknowledged his limits and stepped back.
In truth, it was common for couples with many children to give them simple, uninspired names like Il-nam or Yi-nyeo. Many of Tang Mujin’s neighborhood friends had similar names.
But Tang Mujin had no intention of giving his daughters such names. If he had, he wouldn’t have asked for help in the first place.
After pondering a bit longer than Namgung Myeong, Hong Geolgae spoke up.
“Yeong’s name uses the character for ‘eternal’ (永), right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then how about Tang Yeongyeong?”
Tang Mujin paused.
At first, he almost blurted out a curse, but upon reflection, it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable suggestion. The name Yeongyeong was quite popular, after all.
‘Tang Yeongyeong,’ he thought to himself, repeating it a few times. The sound wasn’t bad at all.
And clearly, the name Tang Yeongyeong showed much more thought than the likes of Tang Il or Tang Yi.
Regaining his composure, Tang Mujin asked Hong Geolgae, “Then what about the third child’s name?”
Hong Geolgae hesitated before answering in a tentative voice, “Uh… Tang Yeongyeongyeong?”
The moment he heard it, Tang Mujin’s fists clenched involuntarily. Discussing such an important matter with Hong Geolgae had been a foolish idea from the start.
Once again, Tang Mujin pointed to the door. “Go play with Namgung Myeong.”
“Alright.”
Hong Geolgae gracefully performed a martial arts move as he exited, leaving a faint scent of alcohol in his wake.
Now, Tang Mujin had only one person left to rely on: Hyeon Gong.
He turned to Hyeon Gong. “Do you have any good ideas? Feel free to share whatever comes to mind. I’ll gather the best suggestions, and Seolyeong and Wana will make the final decision.”
Hyeon Gong, rather than risk giving a poor suggestion, decided to involve others in the situation to avoid blame.
“I’m not great at naming, so it might be better to consult someone with more experience.”
“Someone with more experience? Who?”
“There’s Elder Sam An-bul and Brother Il-nam.”
“Ah, right.”
Unlike his friends, Elder Sam An-bul and Jang Il-nam were highly reliable, both in strength and wisdom.
Tang Mujin decided to visit Sam An-bul and Jang Il-nam.
“Tang Mujin here. May I come in?”
“Yes.”
Tang Mujin entered the room.
Jang Il-nam wasn’t there, but an unexpected guest was: Hwa Yeon-sin and Sam An-bul were together.
Tang Mujin thought he saw a flicker of discontent on Hwa Yeon-sin’s face.
‘Hmm?’
But the expression vanished quickly.
As always, Hwa Yeon-sin spoke in a voice that belied her youthful appearance, sounding like an old sage.
“You’re here? I heard you’ve been engrossed in some unusual training lately. Was it called Birun?”
“Yes, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Then what brings you?”
“I’ve been blessed with two daughters, and I’ve come seeking help with their names.”
“Ah, I heard about that too. It’s a joyous and auspicious occasion.”
Tang Mujin first looked at Sam An-bul.
But Sam An-bul seemed unsure.
“I could offer advice on other matters, but I’m not familiar with naming. You should ask Hwa Yeon-sin.”
When Tang Mujin turned to Hwa Yeon-sin, she looked pleased.
“Leave the naming to me. I’ll recite some names, and you can choose the ones you like.”
“Understood.”
“Jina, Iryeong, Ok-rin, So-ok, Sang-a…”
Hwa Yeon-sin listed names fluidly, without pause.
The source of the names was obvious. They were likely from romantic novels.
But each name was quite nice, and Tang Mujin was very satisfied.
“I think Seon-rang and Ga-yul sound good.”
However, Hwa Yeon-sin’s reaction was less than enthusiastic.
“Hmm. I’m not sure. Why not choose different names?”
“Is there a reason?”
“Seon-rang became a widow at a young age when her husband was taken to war, and Ga-yul took too long to unite with her true love.”
It seemed his guess was correct. Tang Mujin didn’t argue and chose different names.
“Then I like Dan-ha and Hwa-yul.”
“Those aren’t suitable either.”
“Why not?”
“Dan-ha died tragically young, and Hwa-yul suffered because her husband was a good-for-nothing.”
“Can’t you just suggest names of people who lived ordinary, happy lives?”
“Where in the world is a story that is happy from start to finish?”
”…”
Tang Mujin gave Hwa Yeon-sin a sidelong glance, but upon reflection, she wasn’t wrong. Just as there are no purely happy stories, there are no lives that are only happy.
“Then I’ll go with Iryeong and Haewon.”
“Hmm…!”
Before Hwa Yeon-sin could say anything unnecessary, Tang Mujin interrupted.
“Just two questions. Do their stories end tragically?”
“No. They end up happy.”
“Do they live long lives?”
“Yes.”
Tang Mujin nodded.
“That’s enough for me. Isn’t life about not knowing how things will turn out?”
Hwa Yeon-sin widened her eyes, then smiled approvingly.
“Indeed. In a life where nothing is certain, having a happy ending is more than enough. When we first met, you were just a naive youngster. Now you’ve grown quite mature.”
“With three daughters, I have to grow up.”
“Yes, you’ve thought well. Go back and tell Seolyeong and Wana the names, and see if they like them.”
“Understood.”
Tang Mujin stood up and looked at Hwa Yeon-sin for a moment.
Hwa Yeon-sin remained seated, watching him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
Tang Mujin left Sam An-bul’s place alone.
Following Tang Yeong, there were now Tang Iryeong and Tang Haewon.
One day, while Tang Mujin was busy training in Birun and taking care of his three children, a visitor arrived at the Tang household. It was Ilseonja, the head of the Jongnam Sect, who had come personally.
Ilseonja’s appearance was somewhat disheveled.
Though he had tried to brush off the dust, traces remained here and there, and his face bore the weariness of someone who had traveled a long distance. It seemed he hadn’t had proper rest and had moved in haste.
Ilseonja watched the martial artists moving about the Tang household with a tense expression.
The person who caught his attention the most was undoubtedly Jang Il-nam, who was busy playing with Tang Yeong.
When Tang Mujin cleared his throat and approached Ilseonja, the latter’s face brightened immediately.
“Tang Daehyeop! It’s been a while.”
“I didn’t expect you to come all this way.”
Tang Mujin had previously promised to help the Jongnam and Hwasan Sects if they ever faced trouble. But for Ilseonja, the head of the sect, to come personally was unexpected.
And it was not something Tang Mujin could take lightly.
For the head of the sect to come himself meant the need for help was urgent.
‘No, it’s strange to think of it that way.’
If it weren’t an urgent situation, Ilseonja wouldn’t have come personally, and if it were urgent, he wouldn’t have left the Jongnam Sect unattended. It was puzzling.
Tang Mujin asked Ilseonja, “Surely, the demonic sects haven’t already attacked?”
“Not yet. Or maybe they have, in a way…”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s trouble again with the Gongdong Sect. Sang-gwal Do-in has led the remaining members of the Gongdong Sect to join the Jongnam Sect.”
The words hinted at the destruction and absorption of the Gongdong Sect.
Tang Mujin was taken aback and asked, “Is that true?”
Ilseonja waved his hand dismissively.
“No, that’s not quite what I meant. The lineage of the Gongdong Sect hasn’t been broken. They’ve just temporarily taken refuge with the Jongnam Sect. Once things settle down, they’ll return to Gongdong Mountain. If things settle down, that is.”
“It sounds like something’s happened with the Gongdong Sect.”
Ilsunja nodded in agreement with Dang Mujin’s observation.
“Exactly. After the recent incident, the Gongdong Sect sent people north to keep an eye on when the Sapa warriors might make a move. They sensed something unusual.”
“Something unusual, you say…”
“What else could it be? The Sapa warriors were heading toward the Gongdong Sect. They couldn’t see clearly from a distance, but they seemed like formidable figures.”
By now, Hyeongong had joined them, listening intently to the conversation beside Dang Mujin.
Among their friends, Hyeongong was undoubtedly the most anxious. If the Sapa warriors broke through the Jongnam Sect from the direction of the Gongdong Sect, the Hwasan and Wudang Sects would be next in line to fend them off.
“The Gongdong Sect’s members aren’t in a normal state right now, so it was wise not to let pride get in the way and to retreat in time. It’s a relief they weren’t too late.”
“I agree with you.”
“Did the Sapa warriors attack the Jongnam Sect after taking over the Gongdong Sect?”
Even as he asked, Dang Mujin doubted it. If the Jongnam Sect had been attacked, Ilsunja, the head of the sect, wouldn’t be here.
“Not by the time I left. As far as I know, they’ve settled on Gongdong Mountain and haven’t moved from there. It took three days for the Jongnam Sect to even learn of the trouble at the Gongdong Sect, and there hasn’t been any movement since.”
“So, is the Jongnam Sect’s defense secure for now?”
“Sunwooja has joined forces with the Hwasan warriors near Jongnam Mountain. Thanks to that, I was able to come here.”
Dang Mujin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes half-closed. The situation was delicate.
“Things are strange. The Sapa warriors usually strike swiftly once they start moving.”
Ilsunja nodded slightly, acknowledging Dang Mujin’s point.
“I think the Sapa warriors are waiting for something.”
“What could they be waiting for?”
“Not all the Sapa warriors need to move through the Gongdong Sect. I suspect they’re planning to enter through multiple routes simultaneously.”
Ilsunja took a deep breath and spoke to Dang Mujin.
“We need your help. The Jongnam and Hwasan Sects desperately need the support of the Cheongseong Sect, the Ami Sect, and the Tang family.”