Episode 268: Opening

The group from Cheongseong, Jongnam, Hwasan, and Wudang sects moved together towards Gongdong Sect, with Dang Mujin and his friends mingling among them.

Traveling was always tedious, and the only way to stave off the boredom was through idle thoughts and stories.

Hyungong approached Hong Geolgae with a curious look. “What were you and Master talking about all night yesterday?”

Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung perked up, subtly inching closer to eavesdrop. There were many Taoists in the world, but those who could wield magic were rare. Such conversations were bound to be interesting.

Namgung Myung sniffed the air theatrically, eyeing Hong Geolgae. “You weren’t talking; you were drinking, weren’t you?”

Hyungong raised an eyebrow. “Drinking? I don’t smell anything. You’ve been drinking regularly these days, haven’t you?”

“No, look closely.” Namgung Myung tapped the gourd hanging from Hong Geolgae’s waist. It swayed heavily, barely making a sound, indicating it was filled to the brim. Clearly, he had visited a tavern or inn.

“Even if you were drinking, you wouldn’t have done it in silence. You must have talked about something with your master after meeting him after so long.”

Hong Geolgae hesitated, pondering how much to reveal. “He said the upcoming battle would be tight. He thinks even the experts might suffer casualties.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

The four of them walked on, each lost in their thoughts. Initially, they walked together, but gradually, the distance between them grew. Unable to bear the monotony, Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae drifted towards the younger members of the Jongnam and Hwasan sects.

Hyungong, however, kept his distance. The younger members of those sects seemed to regard him with a certain reverence, which was exactly what he wanted. A respectful distance was often indistinguishable from admiration.

‘As the future leader of the Wudang Sect, I need to set the tone early.’

As Dang Mujin and Hyungong walked in silence, someone approached them. It was Yeong Heoja.

“Master Dang,” Yeong Heoja addressed him, “are you nervous?”

“A bit,” Dang Mujin admitted.

“Honest, I like that,” Yeong Heoja said with a small smile. “I came here because there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

Yeong Heoja glanced at Hyungong, subtly hinting for him to give them some privacy. But Hyungong continued walking, seemingly unfazed, his attention fully on their conversation.

Yeong Heoja nodded slightly. “If anyone else were listening, it might be awkward, but the Sword of Victory is known for his composure.”

“What is it you wish to discuss that requires such discretion?” Dang Mujin asked.

“First, let me ask you something. Have you ever felt slighted by the Cheongseong Sect?”

“Never,” Dang Mujin replied without hesitation.

Yeong Heoja pressed on, “Think carefully and answer honestly.”

Dang Mujin pondered. He was closest to two members of the Cheongseong Sect: Hwang Ryeongja, the head of the Seongdobun, and Jin Song, the chief instructor. Both were admirable individuals, and he had no reason to harbor any ill will towards the sect.

“No, I haven’t. That’s the truth.”

“Good to hear,” Yeong Heoja visibly relaxed.

Dang Mujin, curious, asked, “Why do you ask?”

“When Taoists train for immortality, they sometimes gain a bit of insight,” Yeong Heoja explained.

Dang Mujin glanced at Hyungong, who certainly had his own insights, albeit in a peculiar direction.

“Are you talking about some kind of supernatural power?”

“Not quite. It’s more like… a heightened perception. Or maybe it’s just age. Either way, I see things more clearly now.”

“I see.”

Yeong Heoja continued with his usual light-hearted smile, “I don’t think this will end easily.”

But the weight of his words was heavy. Dang Mujin recalled the warning from Daepunggae, and a sense of unease settled over him.

“Why do you think that?”

“The martial artists of the unorthodox sects may lack unity, but they’re not fools. They know the orthodox sects are coming. They wouldn’t have gathered at Gongdong Sect just to be easily defeated.”

“But they wouldn’t have expected the Cheongseong Sect to come to our aid.”

“True, but we can’t be sure that’s enough.”

“If you’re so concerned, wouldn’t it be wiser to retreat?”

“No. There won’t be a better opportunity than this. Even the Peng family in Hebei is facing issues.”

Yeong Heoja paused before continuing, “There’s something else I want to discuss.”

“What is it?”

“I hope you maintain a good relationship with the Cheongseong Sect. I’m not asking you to be overly friendly, just avoid conflict.”

“Excuse me?”

Dang Mujin looked at Yeong Heoja, who maintained his usual calm smile, making it impossible to read his true intentions.

Yeong Heoja elaborated, “The rise and fall of martial sects depend on people. You’re the future of the Dang family, and the future of the Cheongseong Sect lies with people like Gong Ryeongja and Hwang Ryeongja. In the next generation, it will be the likes of Jin Hae and the Jinja rank Taoists.”

“That makes sense.”

“They’re not lacking, but there’s room for improvement.”

Yeong Heoja was comparing the next generation of the Cheongseong Sect with Dang Mujin, implying that the future of the Dang family might surpass the Cheongseong Sect. He seemed concerned about a potential conflict between the two.

This was not something a leader of a major sect would easily admit to an outsider.

Dang Mujin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. “Shouldn’t you be telling this to Gong Ryeongja?”

“No,” Yeong Heoja shook his head slightly. “Confidence is the most important trait for a leader. Even if you’re uncertain or anxious, you must always appear confident to your subordinates.”

“Is that possible?”

“Of course, if you fail, you’ll be remembered as a fool. But a leader must never show doubt. In front of Gong Ryeongja or Jin Hae, I must be someone who believes the Cheongseong Sect will become the greatest in the land.”

Dang Mujin finally understood why Yeong Heoja always seemed so relaxed. It wasn’t because he was carefree, but because he wanted to project that image to his subordinates.

Now, Dang Mujin could relate to Yeong Heoja’s perspective. As the head of the Dang family, he too had to lead with confidence.

If Yeong Heoja were to share these thoughts with Gong Ryeongja or Jin Hae, they might develop resentment towards Dang Mujin or lower their stance out of fear. Yeong Heoja believed such outcomes would be undesirable.

With a voice full of trust, Yeong Heoja said, “The Cheongseong Sect will be a good neighbor to the Dang family. I hope the Dang family will be a good neighbor to us.”

”…I will.”

Yeong Heoja smiled a little more deeply.

After two more days of travel, the group finally reached the outskirts of Pyeongnyang County.

Instead of heading straight into the county, they found a suitable spot to rest, massaging their tired legs.

“When do you plan to head to Gongdong Mountain?” Dang Mujin asked.

Yeong Heoja replied, “We should rest and recover from the journey first. Tonight would be best.”

Resting was important, but it was also a convenient excuse. It would be ideal to win a fair fight in broad daylight, but launching a surprise attack at night would give them an advantage.

Yeong Heoja had cleverly provided a reason to minimize casualties. The other orthodox martial artists didn’t object. While they valued honor and integrity, they also knew when to set aside pride for survival.

As night fell, the group ascended Gongdong Mountain.

The low hum of insects masked their footsteps, and the trees and darkness concealed their movements.

They reached a vantage point overlooking Gongdong Sect without being detected.

But their ease of movement ended there.

Unlike before, the area around Gongdong Sect was now heavily guarded.

Even from a distance, they could see pairs of guards patrolling. Their stillness made it hard to gauge their skills, but their vigilance suggested they were expecting an attack.

If there had been only a few guards, they might have slipped over the wall unnoticed. But with nearly a hundred martial artists, stealth was impossible.

Rushing in to take them out wasn’t a good option either. Even a swift attack would leave someone to raise the alarm.

Ilseonja muttered in frustration, “Looks like we’ll have to make some noise. I was hoping for a preemptive strike.”

The warriors of the orthodox sect quietly drew their swords from their sheaths, covering the blades with their hands to prevent the moonlight from reflecting off them.

However, Tang Mujin did not draw his sword.

“Please, just wait a moment.”

“Tang Clan Leader, do you have a plan?”

“There is a way. Even if it fails, we won’t lose anything. Just give me a moment.”

Tang Mujin turned to his friends.

“Hong Geolge, do you think you could block my flying discs?”

“I could probably manage to block them once or twice.”

Namgung Myung interjected.

“That’s not the point. Hong Geolge, you know what the flying discs are, but those guys don’t. Can you block them when they come unexpectedly, at an unexpected place, even in the dead of night?”

Tang Mujin asked Namgung Myung.

“Namgung Myung, do you think it’s difficult to block them?”

“Even if I were in their place, it would be tough. Hong Geolge definitely couldn’t.”

“What’s the big difference between you and me?”

Hong Geolge grumbled, looking displeased. As Namgung Myung and Hong Geolge bickered quietly, Hyun Gong pretended to mediate while subtly stirring the pot.

But aside from Tang Mujin and his friends, no one else understood what they were discussing.

Finally, Tang Mujin asked, “Among those warriors over there, is there anyone better than you?”

The answer was unanimous.

“Not a chance.”

“Someone that skilled wouldn’t be on guard duty.”

“Got it.”

Ilseonja asked, “What exactly are these flying discs?”

“This,” Tang Mujin replied.

As he lowered his arms, two palm-sized discs slipped from his sleeves and hooked onto his index fingers.

Ilseonja could tell they were circular blades, but had no idea how they were meant to be used. He could only guess they were meant to be thrown.

Tang Mujin raised his hands, spinning the discs on his fingers. He took a deep breath. Though he had practiced day and night, this was his first time using the flying discs in a real situation.

“If I fail here, it would be more than just embarrassing.”

Namgung Myung’s playful comment made Tang Mujin chuckle.

“I have to succeed.”

Tang Mujin’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting forward like a predator eyeing its prey. Yet his fingers continued to spin the discs.

Two discs in hand, four targets in sight.

The discs spun off his fingers, caught between his thumb and index finger.

Staying low, Tang Mujin moved from behind a tree to hide behind some bushes, then threw the discs with both hands. They flew low, skimming the ground.

There was no sound, only a brief glint of moonlight as the discs flew.

The unorthodox warriors didn’t notice the flying discs.

As the discs reached the two guards, Tang Mujin’s extended index and middle fingers pointed upward.

Ascend.

At that moment, the two discs shot up like snakes, biting into the necks of the guards.

The guards clutched their throats, not even realizing what had happened.

“Gurgle.”

All that remained was a brief, searing pain and the sensation of blood pouring down their throats like a waterfall.

The discs, having completed their task, returned to Tang Mujin’s hands. Most of the warriors hadn’t even realized what had happened.

Tang Mujin briefly caressed the discs before sending them flying again.

From the moment the first two guards’ throats were cut to when Tang Mujin threw the discs again, only a few breaths had passed.

As the discs left Tang Mujin’s hands once more, the two remaining guards, a little further away, noticed something was wrong with their comrades.

But all they saw were two men clutching their throats, making gurgling noises.

Blood seeped through their fingers, but in the dark of night, it was hard to notice.

‘Did something happen? Or did they choke on something they were eating?’

The two guards looked around.

Still, nothing was visible. No sound, no movement. Only the gentle moonlight and the cool night breeze.

They couldn’t see the discs reflecting the moonlight, as they flew much higher than their line of sight.

Tang Mujin’s fingers pointed to the ground.

Descend.

The two discs, soaring through the air, dove like hawks spotting prey, slicing through the necks of the guards who were scanning their surroundings.

The second pair of guards fell to their knees, clutching their throats just like their comrades.

The four guards knelt, staring ahead. From a distance of about forty or fifty paces, a young man slowly rose to his feet.

‘Is it him? What did he do?’

The situation was so bewildering that curiosity overshadowed the fear of death.

The dying guards looked around, trying to understand what had happened.

Kneeling, their lowered perspective allowed them to finally spot the clue. Metal discs embedded in the ground, so thin and sharp they seemed to lack any thickness.

Tang Mujin quietly dealt with the four guards and stood up.

But the surrounding people couldn’t bring themselves to speak. What they had witnessed was utterly bizarre. Few had truly seen what Tang Mujin had done.

Most had only seen fragments.

Discs appeared from nowhere, left his hands, and with a flick of his fingers, two men died.

The discs returned to Tang Mujin’s hands, and he threw them again, flicked his fingers, and two more men died. That was it.

A chill ran through the crowd.

The technique the young Tang Clan Leader had displayed was on a different level from the crude assassination techniques of hired killers.

Everyone was struck by a chilling question.

‘If I were in their place, could I have stopped those blades?’

No one could say for sure. The atmosphere remained heavy and tense.

Then, Tang Mujin’s words to Ilseonja broke the silence.

“It’s done. Shall we go?”

“Uh… yes, let’s.”

The warriors quietly rose and approached the now silent guards.

It was a death so quiet that, without the blood flowing from their necks, they might have seemed merely asleep.

Tang Mujin retrieved the two discs embedded in the ground, and the orthodox warriors quietly opened the gates of the Gongdong Sect.

Unlike the last time, when they had trained late into the night, the unorthodox warriors of the Gongdong Sect seemed to be quietly asleep.

‘This is just the beginning.’

Under the serene moonlight, the orthodox warriors exchanged glances and dispersed in all directions.