Chapter 264
Chapter 264
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: Naming
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It was a time when winter seemed to have ended, yet it was a bit too early to call it spring. Something joyful had happened in the Dang family estate.
Dang Mujin had acquired two children within a few days of each other.
Dang Jesun asked the midwife who had delivered the child.
"Is the third one a girl too?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, I see."
The midwife took Dang Jesun's words to mean disappointment that it wasn't a boy. People usually preferred sons to carry on the family line.
However, that was entirely the midwife's misunderstanding.
Dang Jesun was quietly satisfied at the fact that he now had two more granddaughters.
Having compared his neighbor's grandson to his firstborn granddaughter Dang Yeong, he found Dang Yeong's charms and cuteness far more endearing and approachable.
Moreover, in Dang Jesun's view, carrying on the family line wasn't a big issue.
Dang Mujin, Dan Seol-yeong, and Mok Wan-ah were all still young. In time, a way would present itself.
In any case, it was a great blessing, but Dang Mujin had been given an important duty. He had to name his two daughters.
Dang Mujin wasn't particularly talented in such matters, so he gathered his three friends and asked for their help.
"What would be good names for my daughters? It took me nearly ten days of agonizing last time for Yeong, and now there are two."
Dang Mujin and his three friends fell into quiet contemplation.
Naming. It was easy if you thought of it simply, but endlessly difficult if you overthought it.
And among the four, the one who thought naming was the easiest broke the silence. It was Namgung Myeong.
"Let's recall Elder Jang Il-nam's teachings at a time like this."
"What teachings?"
"Since the first is Dang Yeong, the second should be Dang Il, and the third Dang. That follows the order."
Instead of replying, Dang Mujin pointed outside. A gesture telling him to stop talking nonsense and just leave.
Namgung Myeong cheerfully acknowledged his limits and withdrew.
In truth, with couples often having seven or eight children, it was common for people to give lazy names like Il-nam, I-nyeo, Sam-nam, and so on. Quite a few of Dang Mujin's childhood friends from the neighborhood had similar names.
However, Dang Mujin had no intention of giving his daughters such names. If he planned to, he wouldn't have asked for help in the first place.
After pondering a bit longer than Namgung Myeong, Hong Geolgae spoke up.
"Yeong's name uses the character for 'eternal' to mean long life, right?"
"That's right."
"Then how about Dang Yeong-yeong?"
Dang Mujin paused.
At first, curses nearly rose to his throat, but upon second thought, it wasn't a suggestion without merit.
In fact, Yeong-yeong was one of the more popular names around.
'Dang Yeong-yeong.'
Dang Mujin repeated it in his mind a few times: Dang Yeong-yeong, Dang Yeong-yeong. The sound wasn't bad at all.
And clearly, the name Dang Yeong-yeong carried far more thought than nonsense like Dang Il or Dang.
Dang Mujin quickly regained his composure and asked Hong Geolgae.
"Then what about the third one's name?"
Hong Geolgae pondered for a moment, then replied in an uncertain voice.
". . . Dang Yeong-yeong-yeong?"
The moment he heard it, strength automatically entered his fist. To think he'd tried discussing such a weighty matter with Hong Geolgae. It had been foolish from the start.
Dang Mujin pointed outside again.
"Go play with Namgung Myeong."
"Hmm."
Hong Geolgae executed Drunken Eight Immortals Step quite skillfully and vanished outside. A faint smell of alcohol lingered in the spot where he had been.
Now, the only one left to rely on was Hyeon-gong.
Dang Mujin asked Hyeon-gong.
"Any good ideas? Feel free to throw out whatever comes to mind. I'll collect decent ones, and then Seol-yeong and Wan-ah can make the final decision."
Rather than giving a suitable answer and getting scolded, Hyeon-gong decided to drag others into the situation to escape the crisis.
"I'm no good at naming, so it's hard for me to advise. Better to discuss it with more experienced people."
"More experienced people? Who?"
"Elder Samanbul and Brother Il-nam are around."
"Ah, right."
Unlike his friends, Elder Samanbul and Elder Jang were extremely reliable people. Not just in martial prowess, but in wisdom as well.
Dang Mujin went to the residences of Elder Samanbul and Jang Il-nam.
*
"It's Dang Mujin. May I come in?"
"Yes."
Dang Mujin entered the residence.
Jang Il-nam wasn't there, but there was an unexpected guest instead. Hwa Yeon Sinni was there with Elder Samanbul.
Dang Mujin felt as though a flicker of displeasure crossed Hwa Yeon Sinni's face.
'Hm?'
But the displeased expression vanished in an instant.
Instead, as always, Hwa Yeon Sinni spoke in an old-mannish tone that didn't suit her appearance.
"You've come? I heard you've been immersed in some strange training lately. Biryeon, was it?"
"Yes. But that's not why I'm here today."
"Then why have you come?"
"I've had two daughters, so I came seeking help with naming them."
"Ah, I heard about that too. It's a fortunate and auspicious event."
Dang Mujin first looked to Elder Samanbul.
However, Elder Samanbul seemed utterly lacking in confidence.
"I'd offer advice on other matters, but naming isn't my forte. Ask Hwa Yeon Sinni instead."
When Dang Mujin looked to Hwa Yeon Sinni again, she wore a satisfied expression.
"Leave the naming to me. I'll recite whatever comes to mind, and you pick the good ones."
"Understood."
"Jina, Iryeong, Ogrin, So-ok, Sang-a . . . ."
Hwa Yeon Sinni rattled off names without pause, like flowing water.
Dang Mujin could roughly guess their origins. Most likely characters from romantic novels.
But they were all quite decent names, so Dang Mujin was greatly pleased.
"The ones I like are Seonrang and Gayul."
However, Hwa Yeon Sinni's reaction was less than enthusiastic.
"Hmm. Well. Why not pick different ones?"
"Is there a reason?"
"Seonrang became a young widow when her husband was dragged off to war, and Gayul took far too long to be with her beloved."
His guess had been right after all. Dang Mujin didn't bother arguing and picked different names.
"Danha and Hwayul sound good."
"Those aren't suitable either."
"Why not?"
"Danha died young in tragedy, and Hwayul suffered much because her husband was a worthless loafer."
". . . Could you just give me good names? From people who lived ordinary, uneventful, happy lives."
"Where's a story that's happy from start to finish without trials?"
". . . ."
Dang Mujin gave Hwa Yeon Sinni a slight glare, but on reflection, she wasn't wrong. Just as there are no stories that are only happy in this world, there are no lives lived only in happiness.
"Then Iryeong and Haewon it is."
"Hmm . . . !"
Dang Mujin cut her off before she could spin another tale.
"Just two questions. Does the story end tragically?"
"No. She ends up happy."
"Does she live to a ripe old age?"
"Yes."
Dang Mujin nodded.
"That'll do. Isn't life just living without knowing how it'll turn out?"
Hwa Yeon Sinni's eyes widened, and then she smiled as if impressed.
"Indeed. In a life where you know nothing, having a happy ending predetermined is more than enough. When we first met, you were just a green kid ignorant of the world. Now you've grown quite mature."
"I have three daughters now. I have to grow up."
"Good thinking. Go back and tell Seol-yeong and Wan-ah the names, and see if they like them."
"Understood."
Dang Mujin rose from his seat and looked at Hwa Yeon Sinni for a moment.
Hwa Yeon Sinni remained seated, gazing back at him.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
Dang Mujin left Elder Samanbul's residence alone.
*
Following Dang Yeong came Dang Iryeong and Dang Haewon.
One day, while Dang Mujin was endlessly busy caring for his three children and training in Biryeon without a moment's rest.
A guest arrived at the Dang family estate. The sect leader of the Zhongnan Sect, Ilseonja, had come in person.
Ilseonja's appearance was strangely disheveled.
He seemed to have diligently brushed off the dirt, but patches of it still clung here and there, and his face bore the exhaustion unique to someone who had traveled a long distance. He had likely moved urgently without proper sleep.
Ilseonja watched the warriors moving about inside the Dang estate with a tense expression.
The one who caught his eye the most was undoubtedly Jang Il-nam, who was completely absorbed in playing with Dang Yeong.
Dang Mujin approached Ilseonja with a light cough, and Ilseonja's face immediately brightened.
"Young Hero Dang! It's been a while."
"I didn't expect you to come all this way in person."
Dang Mujin had previously promised to help if problems arose with the Zhongnan or Huashan Sects. However, he hadn't anticipated the sect leader himself coming.
And this was no light matter for Dang Mujin either.
For the sect leader to come here personally meant the need for help was dire.
'No. It's a bit odd to assume that.'
If it weren't urgent, Ilseonja wouldn't come himself, and if it were truly urgent, the sect leader wouldn't leave the Zhongnan Sect. No matter how he thought about it, it was subtle.
Dang Mujin asked Ilseonja.
"Surely the unorthodox warriors haven't already come swarming in?"
"Not yet. Or no, perhaps half of them have . . . ."
"What do you mean?"
"There's trouble with the Kongtong Sect again. Superior Konggwal Doin gathered all the remaining Kongtong Daoists and brought them into the Zhongnan Sect."
An expression hinting at the destruction and absorption of the Kongtong Sect.
Dang Mujin asked in surprise.
". . . Pardon? Is that true?"
Ilseonja waved his hand.
"No, not in the sense you're thinking. The Kongtong Sect's lineage hasn't been severed. They've just taken refuge in the Zhongnan Sect for now. They'll return to Kongtong Mountain once things stabilize. If they stabilize, that is."
"Something must have happened at the Kongtong Sect."
Ilseonja nodded at Dang Mujin's words.
"Right. After the previous incident, they said they'd sent people north to monitor when the unorthodox martial world might rise. They noticed something suspicious."
"Suspicious . . . ."
"What else could it be? Unorthodox warriors moving toward the Kongtong Sect. They couldn't see clearly from afar, but they appeared no ordinary folk."
By now, Hyeon-gong had approached and was listening beside Dang Mujin.
Among his friends, the one most anxious would undoubtedly be Hyeon-gong. If unorthodox warriors rose from the Kongtong direction and broke through the Zhongnan Sect, then the Huashan and Wudang Sects would have to hold them back next.
"The Kongtong Daoists probably aren't back to normal yet, so it was wise not to stand on pride and retreat in time. Good thing it wasn't too late."
"I think so too."
"Could it be that the unorthodox warriors who took the Kongtong Sect attacked the Zhongnan Sect?"
Even as Dang Mujin asked, he thought it unlikely. If the Zhongnan Sect had been attacked, the sect leader Ilseonja wouldn't be here.
"They hadn't by the time I left. From what I know, they've set up base on Kongtong Mountain and haven't left it yet. It took three days for the Zhongnan Sect to learn of the second incident at Kongtong, and even after that, there's been no movement for days."
"So the Zhongnan Sect's defenses are solid now?"
"Seon Wooja brought Huashan Sect warriors and joined near Zhongnan Mountain. Thanks to that, I could come here."
Dang Mujin half-closed his eyes and stroked his chin. The situation was delicate.
"It's strange in many ways. Unorthodox warriors usually strike like a storm once they move."
Ilseonja nodded slightly, agreeing with Dang Mujin.
"In my view, the unorthodox warriors are sitting tight, waiting for something."
"Waiting for what?"
"Not all unorthodox warriors would move through the Kongtong Sect. I suspect they're planning to infiltrate via multiple routes at once."
Ilseonja steadied his breath and said to Dang Mujin.
"Help us. The Zhongnan and Huashan Sects desperately need aid from the Qingcheng and Emei Sects, and the Dang family estate."