Episode 1006 Once again. (6)
A wooden sword filled with bright blue energy fiercely cut through the air.
“Sword!”
Wow!
“Because you swing it like that!”
Wow!
“You go around getting beaten up!”
Wow!
“Your head, you bastard! head! “Your head is empty!”
Cheolpudeok.
White steam rose from the heads of the swordsmen as Namgungse fell helplessly.
“Tsk.”
Cheongmyeong looked at them twitching and convulsing, and his face suddenly contorted.
“These bastards are all cutting, but they only show off! Where did you turn your wrist and fall asleep? “I’m going to throw it away!”
Jogeol, who was watching the scene with admiration, whispered softly to Baekcheon.
“What does that mean, Sasuk?”
Baekcheon shrugs his shoulders and gives a detailed explanation.
“Why do people who cannot properly stabilize themselves with the sword they are supposed to protect themselves try to use flashy tactics? “It means, learn again from the basics…”
Jo Geol nodded, repeatedly impressed by the interpreter’s outstanding abilities.
“When I was there, huh? You bastards! Before swinging the knife, huh? You bastards! uh? Anyway, these days!”
Jo Geol asked again.
“What about that?”
Baekcheon smiled and answered.
“Back in my day, I was more faithful to the practical basics rather than flashy changes, but I am very worried that the trend of strong swordsmen these days seems to be too focused on appearance.”
“⋯⋯.”
Cheongmyeong threw the wooden sword he was holding on the floor.
“You guys have to repeat it starting tomorrow. What happened to these bastards? The more you sell, the more you get! The top guys seem to be doing a little better, but the bottom guys are in really bad shape! Come on, I’ll take care of you from head to toe!”
“⋯⋯What about that?”
“Hmm. “This is a bit long.”
Baekcheon cleared his throat softly and opened his mouth.
“I originally respected the ancestors of the Namgung family and revered the swordsmanship, but it is unfortunate that the younger swordsmen of the Namgung family did not seem to be able to properly follow the teachings of their elders. Even though we are not related by blood, as people who walk together on the path of the sword, I will help you lay the foundation.”
“⋯⋯Sauk.”
“huh?”
Jo Geol opened her mouth with a look on her face as if she was nervous about something.
“⋯⋯At this point, isn’t it more of an interpretation than a dream?”
“That’s really what it means…”
“⋯⋯.”
Jo Geol, who was looking at Cheongmyeong and Baekcheon alternately with distrustful eyes, shrugged his shoulders and said.
“⋯⋯If you just listen to what Sasuk says, it seems like there’s some great education going on, but why does it seem to me that they’re just beating it up because they don’t like it?”
“Why?”
“yes?”
“Because that’s true.”
“⋯⋯.”
Baekcheon and Jo Geol sighed at the same time and looked ahead. Cheongmyeong, standing alone among the Namgung family’s swordsmen scattered about, was screaming loudly, wondering what he didn’t like.
“… My stomach hurts just looking at that.”
“I had a nightmare last night.”
“I thought it would feel good to see others suffer.”
“I’m so nervous.”
Clearly, this scene was not good for my mental health. Every time the swordsmen of the Namgung family were struck by those terrifying wooden swords, I felt a throbbing sensation in the middle of my head.
“Hey, Sasuk.”
“huh?”
Yoonjong scratched his cheek as if he had something to say.
“I’m a little worried… will the Namgung family accept this situation?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No… “We didn’t have much, and we knew that we couldn’t become strong except through this method, so we followed along without any complaints, but they must have pride.”
“Pride?”
Baekcheon’s face was slightly distorted. Then Yoonjong closed his mouth with a sad expression on his face. Jogeol didn’t miss a moment and scoffed.
“Well, are you insulting the death penalty now?”
“Joe, shut up, man!”
“It’s pride…”
Baekcheon looked at the distant mountains.
“Okay… “There was a time when I questioned such things.”
Yunjong quietly comforted Baekcheon’s shoulder.
“Don’t cry.”
“⋯⋯I’m not crying.”
Baekcheon slightly squinted under his eyes, calmed his expression, and continued speaking.
“You might feel some resistance at first. “For someone who believed that they were superior, the despair that comes when that belief is broken is just as great.”
“Is this an experience?”
“experiences.”
“Wow, look at it vividly.”
“⋯⋯Shut up.”
As blood appeared on Baekcheon’s forehead, the five swords all turned their heads and whistled.
He glared at them with a deathly look on his face and then sighed.
“But… they too will accept it in the end.”
“⋯⋯That’s when you know it’s right.”
“no.”
“yes? Then…?”
“If you don’t accept it, you’ll be beaten even more.”
“⋯⋯.”
Everyone looked at Baekcheon with blank eyes. But he shrugged his shoulders as if he was stating the obvious.
“You have to either accept it or leave it. “What can you do?”
Yunjong thought with a happy smile on his face.
‘This guy is the strangest.’
And the other Ogeum’s thoughts would not be much different.
❀ ❀ ❀
The inspectors of the Namgung family who returned to their lodgings flopped down.
“Off…”
I was confident that as long as my head touched the ground, I would fall asleep in the blink of an eye. However, the moment his body hit the floor, an enormous pain rushed through his entire body.
“Eight… Ah… “My arm…”
“Okay… Huh, waist… “I feel like my back is going to break.”
“Uuuuweeh…”
“Hey, don’t throw up here!”
There was no such thing as father-in-law.
Namgoongdan, who was stuck to the floor like a starfish, lifted his head with difficulty.
“Keueuung.”
It felt as if my body had been torn into pieces.
“This is crazy…”
“How on earth do I do this…?”
“My body will get weak before I get stronger.”
Dissatisfied voices came from all over the place. It wasn’t that my voice didn’t get louder because my emotions didn’t get stronger. He didn’t have the energy left to get angry, so he spoke quietly.
“What kind of practice is this? “Just harass me!”
“you’re right.”
“Why do we have to go through this!”
However, as humans are half-dead, they cannot let go of their anger, and as time went by, the voices of the inspectors began to grow louder.
“What difference will this make? “The Namgung family has its own way!”
“If the head of the family had seen this, would he have tolerated it?”
“They are almost treating us like servants. “There is no law in the rivers to treat disciples of other schools like this!”
At that moment, a low voice was heard.
“Everyone calm down.”
Everyone’s eyes were focused on the person who opened his mouth. It was Namgung Do-wi who was struggling to get up at the entrance. Those who saw this forced themselves to stand up and chewed their lips.
“Lord Soga.”
“I know it’s difficult. But this is something we have to overcome.”
Everyone’s faces were grimly distorted.
“⋯⋯Actually, I’m not sure how helpful this practice is.”
“No, training can be helpful. But isn’t the author’s attitude too arrogant?”
“Not even the head of the family treated us like that.”
“Everyone…”
“Lord Soga.”
Nangong Dan stared at Nangong Dowi with dissatisfied eyes.
“Can’t Lord Soga speak on behalf of me?”
“⋯⋯Me?”
“yes. Difficult training can be tolerated. “What I really can’t stand is the feeling of humiliation.”
Instead of answering, Nangung Dowi stared at him.
“You said it’s not something you should look up to as a teacher and learn from. They said that all we could do was learn from volcanoes what we were lacking. But Lord Soga.”
Nangung Dan continued to speak to Nangung Dowi as if he had no intention of backing down.
“No teacher would treat his student like this.”
Gradually, Namgung Dowi’s face hardened. However, the excited Namgoongdan did not notice such signs.
“This is not just our problem. If even a rumor spreads that the Namgung family is being treated like this in Hwasan, Namgung’s reputation will fall to the ground. In times like this, Lord Soga must step forward.”
“you’re right!”
“This cannot happen unless the volcano looks down on our Namgung.”
“If the head of the family had been there, they could have been so wanton…”
“stop! stop!”
At that time, a short but loud roar burst from Namgung Dowi’s mouth.
“No, Lord Soga!”
“⋯⋯So, Lord Soga?”
The embarrassed Namgung swordsmen looked blankly at Namgung Dowi. Those who were about to pour out even more complaints fell silent when they saw his face as hard as ice.
Namgung Dowi, who had been glaring at everyone in silence for a long time, opened his mouth.
“face?”
“⋯⋯.”
“A sense of humiliation?”
Namgung Dowi laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
“I see. “I guess I was the only one who didn’t know.”
The voice was full of bitter ridicule.
“I was the only one who didn’t know that Namgung still had the pride to feel humiliated, and that he had a position high enough to consider his reputation. “Everyone knows it.”
“⋯⋯Lord Soga.”
“I…”
Nangung Dowi looked at everyone and said as if he was chewing.
“I thought I left everything behind at Maehwa Island.”
“⋯⋯.”
“I thought they had all been abandoned along with those who died there.”
The swordsmen of Namgung bowed their heads.
Whether this is right or wrong, who would dare to look Nangong Daoyu in the eye in this situation?
“But… no. I was the only one left behind. “I was the only one who resolved to somehow resurrect Namgung, even if it meant chewing on mud, so that those who died there would not regret it.”
“Lord Soga, that’s…”
“I hope you protect it.”
Before Namgungdan could say anything, Namgungdowi cut him off with a cold voice.
“Your pride and reputation. “If that was really what those who died on Maehwa Island protected with their lives, shouldn’t we protect it somehow?”
Namgung Dowi turned around and left. And without waiting for any answer, he went out.
“⋯⋯.”
There was a moment of silence. Those who remained looked blankly at the door he had kicked out with bewildered eyes.
“⋯⋯So why did you say that⋯⋯.”
“So you’re saying it’s because of me?”
There was shouting, but it lasted only for a moment. Everyone fell into deep silence.
Meanwhile, Namgung Do-wi came out and gazed at the distant sky.
The stars seemed to fall like rain at any moment from the black sky. Normally, he would have admired the scenery, but unfortunately, he couldn’t feel any beauty at all right now.
‘It’s difficult.’
Uneasy. There was a long way to go and a lot of things to do, but it didn’t seem like everyone had the same heart as him.
I thought they would accept me if I was sincere… Was it just a vain wish?
“Father…”
It was at that moment that he once again remembered Emperor Namgung and was about to take a long sigh.
“hmm?”
Namgung Dowi felt something flying behind him and turned around violently. She quickly reached out her hand and caught something flying towards her face.
“⋯⋯Liquor bottle?”
What I held in my hand was a white liquor bottle. Namgung also looked up from her dazed look at what was in her hand.
On the eaves of the pavilion, there was a now familiar person standing.
“Dojo?”
“Uh, it’s me.”
“What are you doing there?”
Cheongmyeong shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, that’s okay. how is it?”
Towards the confused Namgung Dowi, Cheongmyeong lightly shook the liquor bottle in his hand.
“a drink?”
“⋯⋯.”
Nangong Daowi nodded slowly.