Chapter 309: Namgung Hyun

It was too early to sleep, even though dinner had been eaten.

Dang Mujin sat idly in the inn, passing the time. He didn’t want to retreat to his room and be alone.

Others were in a similar situation.

Hyeon Gong was lost in thought, while Doctors Yang and Yeom were engaged in a heated debate about medicine. Seolhwa was eavesdropping on the conversations of other guests in the inn. Her efforts hadn’t been in vain; lately, she had become quite adept at picking up on things.

As time passed, the inn’s door swung open with a loud noise.

Thud—

“Dang Mujin!”

It was Namgung Myung’s voice. Dang Mujin turned his head with a nonchalant expression to look at Namgung Myung.

“What now?”

But before he could get an answer, Dang Mujin sprang to his feet.

He had noticed someone slung over Hong Geolgae’s back. An adult man being carried by another usually meant his life was hanging by a thread.

The inn’s patrons began to murmur.

“What’s going on? Is it a corpse?”

“Can’t be. Surely they wouldn’t bring a corpse here…”

Hong Geolgae laid Namgung Hyun on a table, and Namgung Myung quickly explained the situation.

“He seems to have ingested poison.”

“Do you know what kind?”

Namgung Myung shook his head.

Dang Mujin wasn’t surprised. It would have been odd if they did know.

Without hesitation, Dang Mujin extended his right hand, inserting his index and middle fingers deep into Namgung Hyun’s throat. Even in his unconscious state, Namgung Hyun’s throat convulsed, and he began to vomit. Fortunately, there was no food, just a pale liquid.

Dang Mujin turned Namgung Hyun on his side to let the vomit drain out, then drew a small knife and made shallow cuts on Namgung Hyun’s neck and chest.

“What… what’s happening?”

The sudden sight of blood startled the inn’s patrons.

Some, fearing they might get caught up in the chaos, tried to sneak out, but Hyeon Gong calmed them by explaining the situation.

Ignoring the commotion around him, Dang Mujin placed his fingers on Namgung Hyun’s wounds.

He began to draw out the poison spreading through Namgung Hyun’s body, sniffing the air for any familiar scent. Amidst the sour smell of stomach acid, there was a scent he recognized.

‘It’s been a while since he ingested the poison.’

‘It’s not a mineral poison. It seems to be a mix of plant and animal toxins. Thankfully, it hasn’t reached his brain.’

After some time, Dang Mujin had absorbed a significant portion of the poison from Namgung Hyun’s body.

He removed his hand from Namgung Hyun’s wounds. Namgung Hyun, being a seasoned martial artist, should be able to handle the remaining poison on his own.

But the work wasn’t over.

Removing the poison doesn’t immediately restore the body to normal. The poison wreaks havoc inside, so proper treatment must follow its removal.

Doctor Yeom spoke to Dang Mujin.

“His pulse is weak and irregular. His body temperature is slightly low, and there are small red spots on his lower body.”

“What about his limbs?”

“His feet are particularly cold, and his limbs are cramped, with his knees stiff as stone.”

As expected of a skilled doctor, Doctor Yeom had identified all the symptoms.

Meanwhile, Doctor Yang wasn’t idle. He opened Namgung Hyun’s mouth, gently inserted a pinky into his nostril, and withdrew it. There was no blood from either.

Doctor Yang listened to Namgung Hyun’s neck. His breathing was shallow, but there was no gurgling sound from blood in the airway.

“There’s no sign of vomiting blood or nosebleeds. His breathing is shallow but regular.”

With the gathered information, Dang Mujin prescribed a treatment.

“Doctor Yang, please massage the patient’s limbs. Doctor Yeom, prepare a decoction of Daebangpung-tang. Add three to five parts more of Duzhong and Baizhu. Depending on the progress, we might use Jeonggiboheotang, Bokryeong-tang, or Daejingu-san.”

“Understood.”

The inn’s patrons watched in awe as Dang Mujin and the doctors treated Namgung Hyun. They had never seen doctors collaborate so systematically.

In their experience, doctors were often secretive, fearing exposure of their skills, and avoided diagnosing patients in front of others. A joint consultation was unheard of.

To the onlookers, Dang Mujin and the two doctors seemed either unafraid of revealing their skills or so competent that they had nothing to hide. Perhaps both.

For now, the immediate treatment was nearly complete.

Namgung Myung asked Dang Mujin.

“What happened?”

“That’s something you should know, not me. Do you have any idea?”

“Well… I do.”

Hong Geolgae, standing nearby, looked particularly uneasy. To an outsider, it might seem like he had poisoned Namgung Hyun.

Dang Mujin asked Namgung Myung again.

“What do you suspect?”

“It’s a bit complicated to discuss here… Let’s move to a room.”

“Alright.”

Leaving Doctor Yeom to prepare the medicine, the rest headed to the room shared by Hyeon Gong and Hong Geolgae.

The room was divided in half, one side neat and the other in disarray.

”…”

Seolhwa hesitated at the door, and Hyeon Gong explained.

“The tidy side is mine.”

Hong Geolgae sheepishly defended himself.

“I didn’t expect visitors…”

Dang Mujin’s group laid Namgung Hyun on the clean side, covered him with a blanket, and pushed Hong Geolgae’s belongings aside with their feet. It was puzzling why a beggar even had belongings.

With seven people crammed into a space meant for two, it was quite crowded.

Hong Geolgae, sensing the tension, spoke first.

“Who could have poisoned him?”

Though he asked, it was clear he wanted reassurance that Namgung Hyun hadn’t been poisoned by someone else.

Dang Mujin shook his head.

“It wasn’t someone else. The poison contained Samchoo-oh, Gamsu, and Cheonnamseong. All have distinct colors and smells, making them unsuitable for secret poisoning. But the pain wouldn’t have been severe.”

Namgung Myung agreed.

“There were no signs of an intruder in Namgung Hyun’s room.”

Hong Geolgae’s face twisted with guilt.

Seolhwa tried to comfort him.

“It was a competition. It’s okay.”

She meant that since Namgung Hyun had collapsed during the martial arts tournament, Hong Geolgae shouldn’t feel guilty.

But her words missed the mark, offering little comfort to Hong Geolgae.

Namgung Myung, however, brought up a different point.

“Not winning the tournament might have been the trigger for the poisoning. But it’s not entirely your fault.”

Even while comforting, Namgung Myung couldn’t resist teasing Hong Geolgae.

Since Namgung Myung seemed to have some insight, everyone listened intently to his next words.

Dang Mujin asked.

“So, what else is there?”

“Remember when I mentioned that the Namgung family rarely participates in tournaments?”

“Yes.”

It was simple: winning was expected, losing was a setback.

“There’s a sentiment in the Namgung family to avoid tournaments unless victory is certain. And as far as I know, there are at least one or two younger martial artists in the family more talented than Namgung Hyun. Even if the family decided to participate, Namgung Hyun wasn’t the ideal candidate.”

“Then why did he enter?”

“He probably wanted some achievement, no matter how small. To understand this, you need to know about Namgung Hyun’s father.”

Namgung Myung had once mentioned Namgung Hyun as a cousin, so his father must be a brother of Namgung Jincheon.

“Namgung Hyun’s father, Namgung Jinsan, is… how should I put it? Yes, the black sheep of the family. He’s kind-hearted and gentle but lacks martial talent.”

“Lacks martial talent?”

“Yes. He might be at a first-rate level now, if that.”

Namgung Myung’s father, the Sword Demon Namgung Jincheon, was a supreme master, and his uncle, the Poisonous Sword Namgung Jinya, was a renowned top-tier master. Among such siblings, being merely first-rate was…

No, he probably wasn’t even first-rate. Namgung Myung’s words hinted at less than that.

A second-rate or even third-rate martial artist in the Namgung family, where martial prowess is highly valued, wouldn’t have been well-regarded.

Yet, Dang Mujin couldn’t quite grasp Namgung Myung’s point.

“The Namgung family is large. Surely there are those less skilled than Namgung Jinsan? Some might not practice martial arts at all.”

“Of course. They might not hold important positions and are subtly looked down upon, but they can live without ambition. My uncle was the same.”

Judging by the term “uncle,” Namgung Jinsan was likely the eldest.

A brother looked down upon by his younger siblings.

“I don’t recall Uncle ever being mistreated by Father or my other uncles. He was a quiet man, dedicated to his training. But things changed after Namgung Hyun was born.”

“Changed how?”

“Uncle doted on Namgung Hyun. He believed his son’s martial talents weren’t as dismal as his own and hoped Hyun wouldn’t suffer the same fate. So, he stole a rare elixir from the family vault and gave it to Hyun, hoping to secure a better future for him.”

The atmosphere grew tense.

Even the head of the family or the sect leader couldn’t freely use such elixirs. Just look at how Shin Seung coveted the Great Elixir but couldn’t take it himself, instead giving it to Tang Mujin to heal Mok In-hang.

Stealing an elixir was a grave crime with no room for excuses. Even a family member could face severe punishment, like having their limbs crippled or worse.

“So, what happened?”

“Being the head’s brother, he wasn’t given the harshest punishment. He was imprisoned for three years.”

“That’s somewhat fortunate.”

“And when he was released, he stole another elixir for Hyun. Again, he was imprisoned for three years. Both elixirs he took were meant for me,” Namgung Myung said with a bitter smile.

It didn’t seem like he was upset about not getting the elixirs. There was no lingering resentment towards Hyun.

“After another three years, he was released but was barred from accessing the family vault. So, he found another way.”

“Again?”

“Yes. He stole family funds to buy an elixir and was imprisoned for three years. When he couldn’t get money, he secretly borrowed funds in the family’s name to buy another elixir and was imprisoned again. He was so often in and out of prison that I barely remember his face.”

By now, one couldn’t help but worry about the state of Namgung Myung’s uncle. Namgung Jincheon didn’t seem like someone who would be lenient.

“Is he still alive?”

“As far as I know, he only faced imprisonment, no other punishments. He wasn’t beaten, nor were his tendons severed.”

“Surprisingly lenient.”

“I thought so too and asked Father. He said, ‘How can you punish a father more for what he did for his son?’”

Was Namgung Jincheon really that soft-hearted? It was unexpected.

Namgung Myung continued, “I don’t know what happened after that. I was expelled from the family. But I can guess why Namgung Hyun entered the martial arts tournament.”

Tang Mujin could also guess Namgung Hyun’s thoughts.

Hyun wanted to repay his father’s dedication and sacrifice.

He wanted to give his father a sense of accomplishment, however small.

To make up for the years, perhaps decades, his father spent in prison.

“This tournament had a lower overall level. Many of the top disciples from prestigious sects didn’t participate due to the aftermath of the Great War. Namgung Hyun probably saw this as an opportunity. He likely entered the tournament against opposition or in secret, confident in his chances. The defeat must have been a huge shock.”

Hong Geolgae looked as if he was drowning in guilt. He was known for his soft-hearted nature.

“Why didn’t you just hint for me to lose in the finals?” Hong Geolgae suggested.

“I didn’t expect him to take poison.”

“But—”

Before Hong Geolgae could continue, Namgung Myung interrupted.

“Once you pick up a sword, there will come a time when you’re defeated. If not now, then later. What’s important is not avoiding defeat but rising again. Those who experience defeat early can rise more easily later. It’s better to be defeated now.”

Namgung Myung had a surprisingly cold side to him. Whether it was the family ethos or his nature was unclear.

“A father committed a crime for his son. The son wanted to achieve something to lessen his father’s crime. That’s all there is to their relationship. There’s no need for others to intervene. Especially since both wield swords.”

Namgung Myung concluded his story.

A brief silence followed.

Soon, they realized Namgung Hyun was awake, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Finally, Namgung Hyun spoke to Namgung Myung.

“Brother.”

“Speak.”

“I’m finished.”

“Are you thinking of giving up the sword?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Then it’s not over. For a warrior, it’s over only when you lay down your sword or lose your head.”

“I snuck out and entered the tournament, disgracing the family name. The head won’t forgive me. I’ll have to bear my father’s sins too.”

Namgung Myung sensed the deep fear in Hyun’s voice, a fear that went beyond mere worry.

Namgung Myung felt a tightness in his chest. When he left the family, his father was strict but not cruel.

He commanded respect and admiration, not fear.

Had his father changed since then?

Namgung Myung placed a hand on Hyun’s forehead and said, “There’s no need to be so afraid.”

“Are you defending me?”

“Defend? No, that’s not necessary.”

Namgung Myung smiled.

“The new head will surely forgive a devoted cousin at least once.”