The Task
“Master Tang! Leaving already?” “Yes, yes, I have a family to attend to. I’ll be back soon.”
Tang Mujin had been practically shoved out of the Tang Manor by Dan Seol-young, but he hadn’t stayed away for long—barely an hour, in fact. During that time, all he did was leisurely stroll around, asking the townsfolk how they were doing.
When Tang Mujin returned to the manor, Hong Geol-gae sidled up to him with a question.
“Are you sure it’s okay to be back so soon?”
Hong Geol-gae, the most powerful figure in the Tang Manor, seemed wary of Dan Seol-young’s wrath. But Tang Mujin just chuckled.
“Well, what would you know about a woman’s heart?” “What?”
Hong Geol-gae looked as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have. But Tang Mujin continued, unfazed.
“Seol-young didn’t really want to find me. She just wanted me to understand the sleepless nights she spent waiting for me. Going out willingly was my way of acknowledging that.”
Hong Geol-gae was left speechless by Tang Mujin’s eloquence. Seeing this, Tang Mujin grew even more smug.
“See? It doesn’t matter how long you were gone. Just making a show of it is enough.”
Though it was infuriating, Hong Geol-gae found himself somewhat convinced by Tang Mujin’s words. Could it be that Tang Mujin really understood the intricacies of a woman’s heart?
Just then, Dan Seol-young appeared, looking slightly annoyed. But Tang Mujin, unafraid, walked right up to her.
Hong Geol-gae thought to himself, ‘Dan Seol-young, please, just kick him out again.’
But Dan Seol-young showed no intention of doing so. She simply stood there, watching Tang Mujin without saying a word.
And that wasn’t the end of it. Tang Mujin and Dan Seol-young exchanged glances and then burst into laughter, linking arms as they disappeared together.
’…Unbelievable.’
For the first time, Hong Geol-gae felt a deep sense of defeat.
Even Tang Mujin had managed to understand a woman’s heart and build a family, while he remained stuck in place, alone and without progress. He hadn’t even had the fleeting sweet dreams that others like Hyun-gong had experienced.
What was he lacking?
‘I have great martial skills, a high position. My appearance might be a bit worn, but I clean up well enough…’
Finally, Hong Geol-gae came to his own conclusion.
“The professor is coming to the Tang Manor to cure his madness, right?” “Seems that way.”
Of course, Tang Mujin wasn’t certain he could cure the professor’s madness. Illnesses might look similar at a glance, but each has its own symptoms, causes, and treatments. Madness, in particular, is one of the most complex conditions.
Yet, precisely because of that, Tang Mujin was confident. The professor wouldn’t find a better solution than the Tang Manor.
Mok Wan moved a bit closer to Tang Mujin and asked, “Then why didn’t the professor ask you for treatment when you met in Junggyeong? You’re the best healer in the Tang Manor.”
“That’s one way to look at it. But the professor wouldn’t want to ask me for help.” “Why not?” “Because it could be dangerous for him.”
The first thing that must exist between a patient and a healer is trust. The patient must trust the healer’s instructions, and the healer must trust that they will do everything in their power to treat the patient. Skill comes after that.
But the professor couldn’t trust Tang Mujin. The professor’s actions in the Great Demon War had led to countless deaths, including Tang Mujin’s close friend, Gyu Cho-gae Hong Ju-san. Naturally, the professor would assume Tang Mujin harbored deep resentment.
And to a large extent, that was true. Although Hong Gyeong-rae survived, too many others had died. If you think about it, the previous war was also the professor’s doing.
Of course, if it were Lee Hong-su of the Sect, he might have tried to heal the professor. But unlike his predecessor, Tang Mujin was closer to wanting to kill the professor than to heal him. Just as Lee Hong-su of the Stone Immortal had different values, Tang Mujin’s values were not entirely the same.
Moreover, Tang Mujin was one of the few who could kill the professor. The professor’s cautious behavior during their encounter in Junggyeong confirmed that.
“The bottom line is, it’s not going to be easy. To be precise, it seems like we might be at a disadvantage.” “Even with help from others?” “Yes.”
Namgung Myung continued, “In the upcoming battle with the professor, you’ll have a significant role to play. Maybe not as much as me, but still…”
Tang Mujin let half of Namgung Myung’s words drift past him.
“A significant role, huh. Poison techniques might not work on the professor, so… you need poison, right?” “Exactly. While Hyun-gong, Elder Jang, and I create an opening, you need to poison the professor. That might be the key to victory.” “Ugh.”
It was a daunting and burdensome task, but at the same time, Tang Mujin felt a bit pleased. After all, isn’t it a man’s nature to enjoy being needed?
Namgung Myung got straight to the point.
“So, I’m asking, Tang Mujin, do you have a way to poison the professor?” “We have the Mancheonhayeo, don’t we?”
Namgung Myung scolded him with a voice full of exasperation.
“Come on, you think the professor is a fool who’d fall for that again?” “It was a close call last time. This time, it’ll work.” “You think he’ll fall for the same trick twice?” “Of course.”
“Just like before, we can use the Gyeonhonsu to poison him.” “You think the professor, who countered the Mancheonhayeo, won’t be able to counter the Gyeonhonsu? And you can only make a few drops of it. It’s not like you’ll have multiple chances.” ”…So, what do you suggest?”
Namgung Myung spoke a bit irresponsibly.
“We need a surefire way to poison the professor with the Gyeonhonsu.” “In theory?” “Can’t you just get close and stab him with a poisoned needle? You learned the Baekryeonsingwon and the Mokinhyang from the monk, right? And Elder Go taught you some of the secret techniques.”
Tang Mujin closed his eyes and let his imagination run wild.
In his mind, Namgung Myung, Hyun-gong, and Jang Il-bang were locked in a fierce battle with the professor. At the climax of the fight, the three would clear a path and shout.
‘Tang Mujin, now!’
Hearing their call, Tang Mujin would charge at the professor, executing a flawless Baekryeonsingwon…
But in his imagination, the attempt failed spectacularly. The professor swung a sword imbued with immense power, slicing off Tang Mujin’s arm.
Tang Mujin muttered to himself, ”…This won’t be easy.”
He thought about it. No matter how he looked at it, his techniques wouldn’t reach the professor.
Namgung Myung watched Tang Mujin quietly.
Normally, he would have teased him with something like, “What, are you scared?” to provoke him. But now, he couldn’t afford to say such things. If Tang Mujin tried to prove himself and lost his life, it would be on Namgung Myung’s conscience. He couldn’t be that reckless.
In the end, Namgung Myung stood up and said to Tang Mujin, “I don’t know how much time we have, but think carefully. Whether you can poison the professor might decide the outcome…”
With that, Namgung Myung returned to his place and resumed his training.
Tang Mujin sat quietly, looking at the rebuilding Tang Manor, its people, his father, Dan Seol-young, Mok Wan-ah, and his three daughters.
It wasn’t just his life on the line in the battle with the professor. The lives of everyone in the Tang Manor might depend on him.
Tang Mujin stood up, visualizing the movements of the Mokinhyang in his mind, and practiced the Baekryeonsingwon for the first time in a while.
No matter how he thought about it, the Baekryeonsingwon didn’t seem like it would reach the professor.
‘I need a more realistic approach.’
Tang Mujin fell into deep contemplation.