Chapter 329: The Return of Tang Mujin
Tang Mujin and Hwayeon Shinni arrived at the outskirts of the village.
”…I’m going to die at this rate.”
When he left Samgu Village for Zhongjing, it took him nearly half a month despite his best efforts. Yet, surprisingly, the return journey only took ten days, shaving off a full five days.
Sure, he cut down on sleep, but that wasn’t the only reason for the shorter trip. He had done the same on his way to Zhongjing. The real reason was simpler: Tang Mujin had simply gotten faster.
Traveling with someone who could be considered the best in the world, he received constant instruction on light-footed martial arts, practicing from before dawn until after dusk. Naturally, his skills improved.
But there was a downside—he was so exhausted he felt like he might drop dead at any moment. He was so tired he barely knew how he was moving.
Yet, a thought kept nagging at the back of his mind.
“How long would it take to get back to Zhongjing now?”
If he really pushed himself, he might make it in seven or eight days. Cutting down another two or three days would be quite an achievement.
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
“I must be losing it. Thinking about martial arts even now. I need a good long rest as soon as we get to the village.”
Still, he felt a sense of pride. His friends would surely be amazed at his progress. The thought of showing off his skills made him a little excited.
Just then, Hwayeon Shinni pointed ahead.
“Is that the village on the hill?”
Her finger pointed to a hill that jutted out like a pimple on the flat plain. Tang Mujin nodded.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Let’s hurry.”
Despite her words, Hwayeon Shinni seemed to relax now that their destination was in sight. She felt a bit guilty for pushing Tang Mujin so hard over the past ten days.
They walked leisurely, the dry winter grass brushing against their ankles.
As they approached the village, two figures emerged to greet them—Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae.
They bowed respectfully to Hwayeon Shinni.
“Master, we didn’t expect you to come all this way.”
“We apologize for the trouble caused by our friend. Please don’t hesitate to scold Tang Mujin.”
Their tone was playful, familiar with Hwayeon Shinni. Tang Mujin grumbled inwardly, but Hwayeon Shinni took it in stride.
“I’ve met Wiji Nanhyang before. Given the circumstances, it’s only right to help.”
“Your generosity knows no bounds. You seem to be in good spirits, Master. Did something pleasant happen?”
“Do I look that way?”
“Yes, you even seem a bit taller.”
“Indeed, I’m finally getting back to my old self. I might grow another few inches.”
Pleased by the comment, Hwayeon Shinni smiled contentedly.
In truth, she had grown noticeably since Tang Mujin and Namgung Myung first met her. She looked a year older, though it had been six or seven years since their first meeting.
Hwayeon Shinni continued, “You two have made progress as well. It’s been about a year since I last saw you.”
“Yes, we’ve been fortunate to step into the next realm.”
“No need for modesty. It’s a remarkable achievement.”
Tang Mujin was taken aback.
”…Has it really been a year since I last saw Master Hwayeon Shinni?”
The last time he saw her was when he was heading north with the Taoists. He had been away from home for a year, a fruitful time as a martial artist and healer, but a failure as a family man.
While Tang Mujin was lost in thought, Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae approached him stealthily. The poor, exhausted Tang Mujin didn’t notice the two masters closing in.
Like hawks snatching prey, they grabbed his shoulders.
Tang Mujin was startled, and so was Hwayeon Shinni.
“What’s going on?”
“We need to make sure he doesn’t run away!”
Tang Mujin protested, “Run away? Why would I do that?”
“Let’s see if you say the same thing in a moment!”
A sense of unease crept into his heart.
“What is this about?”
Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem like anything had happened to Wiji Nanhyang or anyone else.
”…Why are they doing this?”
He concluded it was just a prank, a way to celebrate their reunion. Playing along, he trudged along like a prisoner being escorted.
Tang Mujin asked, “Where’s Hyun Gong?”
“Hyun Gong? Oh, he’s doing well. Don’t worry.”
“You’ll see him soon. Ah, there he is.”
Hong Geolgae pointed ahead. There was a tree stump, and Hyun Gong was sitting on it.
Hyun Gong stood and greeted Hwayeon Shinni, then drew his sword. He wasn’t attacking, just demonstrating.
Tang Mujin and Hwayeon Shinni watched as Hyun Gong performed a fluid, graceful sword dance. Hwayeon Shinni seemed indifferent, but Tang Mujin wanted to flee.
But with his shoulders firmly held, he couldn’t escape.
“Let go!”
“Ha ha, where do you think you’re going?”
No matter how Tang Mujin reacted, Hyun Gong’s sword dance continued serenely.
Unable to bear the sight, Tang Mujin turned his head away.
Pleased by his reaction, Hong Geolgae and Namgung Myung teased him further.
“Hey, where are you looking? Watch closely!”
As if rehearsed, Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae restrained Tang Mujin’s hands, preventing any resistance.
Hong Geolgae tucked Tang Mujin’s head under his arm, forcing him to face forward.
“Look! Etch it into your memory!”
Tang Mujin squeezed his eyes shut.
Hong Geolgae pried them open, making him watch.
Hyun Gong’s sword dance was reaching its climax. As he finished, he lowered his stance and slashed the air with a fierce strike.
The air vibrated with the force, a strike Hyun Gong couldn’t have performed before.
Hyun Gong looked at Tang Mujin with a smug expression.
Hwayeon Shinni praised him, “Hyun Gong, you’ve made progress. Well done.”
Hyun Gong remained humble before her.
“I’ve shown you my humble skills.”
“You should be proud. Even Youngbo Jin would be pleased.”
“Among my peers, this level of skill is expected. It’s not something to boast about.”
Hyun Gong then turned to Tang Mujin.
Unlike when he spoke to Hwayeon Shinni, his shoulders were squared, and his chin jutted forward. He looked down at Tang Mujin with a haughty expression.
When Tang Mujin refused to react, Namgung Myung mimicked his voice mockingly.
“Oh heavens! Why did the heavens create me, Hwayeon Shinni, the Sword Demon Namgung Jincheon, the Invincible Manly Force, the Heroic Yu Jin-gwang, Namgung Myung, Hong Geolgae, and even Hyun Gong!”
Hong Geolgae and Hyun Gong laughed heartily, and even Hwayeon Shinni joined in. But it didn’t end there. Hong Geolgae began a strange skit.
“Once upon a time, in the small village of Samgu, lived a man named Tang Mujin. His dream was to leave the village and become a great martial artist.”
Hyun Gong and Namgung Myung clapped along, adding to the merriment. Tang Mujin felt utterly humiliated.
Hong Geolgae continued the tale.
“But that was simply impossible. To become a martial artist, one had to excel in combat, and Tang Mujin’s fighting skills didn’t even rank in the top five in Samgu Village. In fact, he was sixth! Even the neighbor, Auntie Wi Ji, was stronger than him!”
“Oh dear—what a pitiful situation!”
As absurd as it sounded, there was a grain of truth in the scenario. After all, five top-tier martial artists had gathered in Samgu Village: Hwayeon Shinni, Tuhee Wi Jinanhyang, and three others who were more like hangers-on.
Finally, Hyungong approached Tang Mujin and spoke.
“Don’t worry, Tang Mujin. Even if your martial arts skills are lacking, if you diligently study medicine and focus on being a physician, you’ll manage to make a living. You can still contribute in your own way.”
Tang Mujin felt wronged.
But all he could do was hang his head low, like a criminal being paraded around.
He etched the humiliation of this moment deep into his heart.
His friends, relentless in their teasing, led Tang Mujin and Hwayeon Shinni to the cave entrance.
When Tang Mujin, with a face like he’d bitten into a bug, reached out to touch the rock, Hyungong stopped him.
“Hold on. Let the weak one step back.”
”···.”
Tang Mujin obediently stepped back, allowing Namgung Myung, Hyungong, and Hong Geolgae to push the rock aside together.
As the cave entrance was revealed, Hwayeon Shinni strode confidently inside.
Hyungong cautioned, “Be careful. It’s dangerous.”
But Hwayeon Shinni waved him off lightly.
“Because of Wi Jinanhyang’s madness, right?”
“Yes.”
“If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry.”
Sure enough, there was a presence inside the cave. Tuhee sensed the group and approached. Unfazed, Hwayeon Shinni instructed Tang Mujin and the others.
“Stay back.”
At that moment, Tuhee Wi Jinanhyang charged at Hwayeon Shinni like a wild beast. Hwayeon Shinni responded effortlessly, kicking Tuhee with a swift upward motion.
Though it seemed she hadn’t used much force, Tuhee’s body lifted slightly off the ground. Hwayeon Shinni followed up with another kick to Tuhee’s side.
With a heavy thud, Tuhee Wi Jinanhyang was flung into a corner of the cave, unconscious.
”···.”
“She won’t be hurt.”
Hwayeon Shinni sat cross-legged in front of the unconscious Tuhee and began to recite the Diamond Sutra slowly.
“World-Honored One, it is not difficult for me to hear, believe, and accept this sutra. But if, in the future, two thousand five hundred years from now, a sentient being hears, believes, understands, and accepts this sutra, that person will truly be remarkable…”
Typically, one might associate the recitation of a sutra with the deep voice of an elderly monk. Yet, the high, delicate voice of Hwayeon Shinni reciting the Diamond Sutra was strangely fitting.
In fact, the aura of dispelling evil that accompanied Hwayeon Shinni’s recitation felt even more potent than that of any seasoned monk. Considering that Hwayeon Shinni had long since turned her back on the Buddhist path, it was a curious thing.
As the recitation neared its end, Tuhee began to stir.
Tang Mujin and his friends tensed, fearing Tuhee might attack again, but her movements were neither wild nor aggressive. Thanks to the calming effect of the Diamond Sutra, she had temporarily regained her senses.
However, merely reciting the sutra wasn’t enough to completely dispel the deep-seated madness. Tuhee Wi Jinanhyang’s eyes remained unfocused, and her speech was oddly slurred.
She stammered, “Wh-who are you…?”
In response to Tuhee’s confused question, Hwayeon Shinni answered in a gentle voice.
“I am Hwayeon Shinni. You may call me Haryeong. The name you remember is likely Hwayeon Shinni.”
But the anticipated reunion was not to be. Even in her daze, Tuhee remained wary of Hwayeon Shinni.
“Hwayeon Shinni…? That can’t be. When I met Hwayeon Shinni as a child, she was an old woman with white hair and a touch of senility…”
”···.”
Inadvertently, Tuhee had revealed Hwayeon Shinni’s hidden secret.
Hwayeon Shinni’s once gentle face twisted into a mask of fury. Her right hand shot up, forming a fist.
“What did this little brat just say?”
The serene, compassionate voice that had been reciting the sutra vanished.
Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae were taken aback, but Tang Mujin was unfazed. He had witnessed similar scenes before.
The Buddha’s teachings may be distant, but a fist is close at hand.
Just as a drunken man sobers up instantly upon encountering a tiger, Tuhee snapped back to her senses in the face of a life-threatening situation.
“I-I apologize, the madness clouded my mind, and I spoke nonsense. Please forgive me! My mind was not clear, and I confused you with someone else…”
Tuhee pleaded, her eyes darting nervously as she assessed Hwayeon Shinni, trying to determine if the woman before her was indeed the same person she remembered.
Hwayeon Shinni warned sternly, “Think before you speak next time. It’s unpleasant to be misunderstood. What if others get the wrong idea?”
“Yes, I’m sorry…”
Hwayeon Shinni grumbled as she placed her hand on Tuhee’s head.
She channeled a thin stream of energy to gauge the madness clouding Tuhee’s mind, then nodded.
“This level of madness can be resolved with rejuvenation.”
Tang Mujin and his friends sensed the confidence in Hwayeon Shinni’s words, as if she had experienced something similar before.
However, a greater issue remained. Before discussing the effects of rejuvenation, one had to consider whether it was even possible.
Hyungong asked, “Is rejuvenation achievable? Does it require reaching a distant realm beyond the pinnacle? Even the venerable Sam Anbul couldn’t achieve rejuvenation.”
At the mention of Sam Anbul, Hwayeon Shinni flinched. But even the perceptive Hyungong didn’t catch the reason.
“No, Sam Anbul could have achieved rejuvenation but chose not to. Once you’ve reached the pinnacle, rejuvenation and transformation aren’t as far off as they seem. Not everyone can achieve it, but it’s too soon to give up.”
Hwayeon Shinni continued her explanation.
“Rejuvenation and transformation aren’t processes that come to everyone on the martial path. One can choose to pursue rejuvenation or take a different path. And there isn’t just one way to achieve rejuvenation. But I know the fastest route to it.”
Doubts about Hwayeon Shinni’s past deepened. Why did she know the quickest path to rejuvenation?
In the past, Hwayeon Shinni had claimed she left the Amipa because she was tired of their empty prayers for the poor and suffering.
While that might have been part of the reason, it seemed unlikely to be the whole story. Of course, no one voiced such speculations aloud. Life was precious, after all.
Tuhee Wi Jinanhyang, wide-eyed, seemed to struggle to comprehend what she had just heard.
It was like a dream. The promise of resolving her aged body and clouded mind in one fell swoop.
Tuhee sat in a daze before bursting into tears.
“Thank you, thank you…”
“Yes. Once you’re ready, let’s head to Junggyeong together. With a few years of diligent effort, you can aim for rejuvenation.”
“Please forgive me if I lose my manners due to my clouded mind.”
“Of course. How could I not understand your heart?”
Tang Mujin and his friends nodded at the harmonious scene.
With Tuhee staying with Hwayeon Shinni, it seemed unlikely that any trouble would arise, even if she acted out. In many ways, Tuhee had found the perfect companion. This too was a stroke of fate.
A short while later, Tuhee realized she had a broken rib.