If it were my usual personality, I would've already lashed out in disbelief and threatened him with force or even beaten him up. That's because, at first glance, the monk Mangnyang looked like a weak scholar who either had no martial skills or very little of it.
However, his attitude strangely gave me a sense of conviction.
A typical con artist wouldn't say things like that. They'd just pretend not to know, act clueless, or scold you for bringing something strange, or, if they did know, demand a fee before saying more. That's the kind of scam I'd experienced from so-called masters before.
But Mangnyang Seonsa didn't feel like he was trying to scam me — he seemed more like someone laying bait to make a deal. That's the strong feeling I got, and my instincts — honed by years of dealing with people — told me so. I calmed myself and spoke.
"I found it in a cave somewhere, and I've been carrying it around since."
"… Is that all?"
"I answered. Now it's your turn."
"Hm…"
Mangnyang Seonsa sighed deeply after a moment, then said:
"Phew… I've only seen that character once in my entire life."
"What does that mean?"
He stared at me silently for a moment and then asked,
"Before I go on… just what kind of person are you? From here on out, I may have to risk my life, and I want to know more about who you are."
"I already told you — Baek-ung."
"That can't be… You're definitely a master. And not just any master — one with incredible internal energy. There's no way someone like you is some nameless low-rank wanderer."
I tilted my head slightly. So Mangnyang Seonsa had martial arts skills, too, but had hidden them? I was amazed he could tell I was a master.
"And what makes you think I'm a master?"
"You climbed the stairs."
"Everyone climbs stairs."
Mangnyang Seonsa smiled weakly.
"No, I set up a Mangwoonjin — a formation that splits the stairs into multiple illusory paths along the way. Either you broke through the formation, or your internal energy is so deep that the illusion simply didn't affect you… Either way, you possess extraordinary inner power."
Now that Mangnyang Seonsa was speaking with such confidence, I finally realized that he was, in fact, a kind of formation master. Apparently, he had installed formations along the path to his home to keep wandering vagabonds from getting close. And today, of all days, he had invited a woman over for some play, and my arrival had unfortunately caught him in the act.
Mangnyang Seonsa continued rambling.
"I'm not bragging, but my Mangwoonjin (Net Cloud Formation) is considered unmatched in the martial world. If you passed through it without issue, then you're at least the level of an elder or head of one of the Nine Great Sects. Maybe even higher. That's why I want to know your true identity."
"And what do you plan to do with that knowledge?"
Mangnyang Seonsa frowned.
"I'm about to risk my life to tell you something, and you can't even share that much?"
Given how often he'd mentioned risking his life, it seemed clear he genuinely believed I might kill him. Fair enough — his formation had been broken through, leaving him completely defenseless. He might've been pretending to stay calm, but beads of sweat were visibly forming on his forehead.
I decided he wasn't a con artist and finally opened my mouth.
"Once again — my name is Baekmong. I trained in the military and am currently on a journey. I have no ties whatsoever to the Nine Great Sects. The only reason I came looking for you was to uncover the secret behind this Cheonam Secret Book."
"Can you swear that to Heaven and Earth?"
"Of course."
Only then did Mangnyang Seonsa seem to breathe a bit easier. He looked around cautiously and spoke.
"The first time I saw the strange character from the Cheonam Secret Book… was in the Naehwanggak."
"What's the Naehwanggak?"
"It's a restricted archive only the Emperor and court astronomers are allowed to access."
When I looked at him with surprise, he said in a resigned tone,
"I used to be a royal court astronomer. Now, I've left the imperial household and live the life of a monk."
A court astronomer!!
That meant he was someone who foretold the fortune or misfortune of the year, prayed for the royal family's prosperity, and at times presided over national Taoist rituals. I didn't know all the details, but I knew they were treated as a special position even among imperial officials. It wasn't a job obtained through a civil exam, but a hereditary one. The only reason I even knew that much was because my old friend Geummanjae, while cramming for exams, once joked that if he were born into an astronomer's family, he'd be living the good life instead of studying.
"You mean that position can be inherited?"
"I lacked talent. My older brother was far more gifted, so I was kicked out of the capital and ended up living as a wanderer."
"Hmm… well, lucky you didn't end up dead."
"I've been through a lot…"
Mangnyang Seonsa trailed off bitterly.
"Anyway… I saw those characters in the Naehwanggak. If my memory serves me correctly, the book's title was Unnamed Ritual Text (Mumyeong Jesaseo). Like the Cheonam Secret Book, it was also written in a bizarre script with no identifiable origin."
"You studied to be a court astronomer — you couldn't interpret it at all?"
"It was impossible."
At those words, I felt a chill crawl down my spine.
"The Unnamed Ritual Text and the Cheonam Secret Book… those two books weren't written by humans."
"…What did you say?"
Not written by humans?
What on earth was he talking about?
If not humans, then what kind of beings could possibly write such grotesque, cryptic texts?
Mangnyang Seonsa continued.
"For your reference… I passed the imperial exam with the rank of Jinsa, and even became a Tamhwa."
"What?! Seriously?"
"I speak the truth."
A Jinsa and a Tamhwa.
Those were not minor titles by any means.
Jinsa referred to one of the top passers of the national civil service examination — a test that drew millions of scholars from across the Central Plains. Most people were only familiar with the first-place title, Jangwon, but second and third place existed as well. The third place was called Tamhwa, and even that signified tremendous scholarly prowess.
In other words, the man standing before me was one of the most brilliant scholars across the entire continent.
Mangnyang Seonsa said,
"I was expelled from the capital for violating the secrecy of the hereditary astronomer's post, but I still dare say — among all the literati across this land, there are few, if any, more learned than I. I have studied 16 different languages, including those of the Western Regions and of Tianzhu (India), and I am fully fluent in several. Yet even I could not find the slightest clue to decipher the script in either the Unnamed Ritual Text or the Cheonam Secret Book. It was, without a doubt… a perfect foreign language — completely alien."
***
[9. Study of Letters]
I couldn't help but feel skeptical about Mangnyang Seonsa's claim. Sure, if his background was accurate, then his inability to interpret the bizarre text did lend some credibility to his theory. But the problem was… I still couldn't fully trust his ability. For all I knew, he could just be stringing together impressive-sounding nonsense.
Noticing the doubtful look lingering on my face, Mangnyang Seonsa frowned.
"I think I know what you're thinking… but what I said is true."
"I want to believe that, too."
"What do you have to lose by believing me? At the end of the day, you still have no clue how to interpret that strange script, do you?"
"Hmm…"
What he said was true. It's not like he had claimed he could interpret the script. All he had done was carefully explain why it couldn't be interpreted. Doubting him right now wouldn't get me any closer to the truth. So instead, I decided to ask what had been bothering me most.
"Then why are you telling me all of this — at the risk of your life, no less? We only just met today. We know almost nothing about each other. You don't even know if I plan to use the Cheonam Secret Book for good or evil."
"That's because I believe our meeting is fate — a rare and extraordinary chance."
He thinks it's fate?
I blinked in confusion, but Mangnyang Seonsa's eyes sparkled as he went on.
"Right now, I may be reduced to telling fortunes for fools… but I once lived with the pride of being the greatest court astronomer on the continent. That same man has now, once again, encountered a strange script he could never identify — one that burned in his memory. Even if it means breaking my vow to protect imperial secrets, the desire to understand it burns stronger. That is the scholar's nature."
"A scholar, huh…? I thought you called yourself a monk."
"Hahaha, sounds like you don't know much about Gimundungap."
Mangnyang Seonsa gave a wry smile and began to explain.
"Gimundungap isn't superstition. It's a system — a formula based on fixed principles. If you grasp the essence of 'Gap' , it yields predictable results. You could think of it as a branch of mathematics or physics. The formation I laid out in the mountains — the Mangwoonjin — is the same. It's not because I have some mysterious supernatural power. I simply constructed it based on a set of rules. Gimundungap is just one scholarly field among many. And formations… they're a kind of self-defense mechanism, if you will."
"I see… that makes sense."
It felt like I had just heard something truly rare and valuable.
So Gimundungap, then, wasn't about mystic energy or innate powers like inner strength — it was something anyone could produce with the right intellect and understanding. It was a concept totally foreign to my mercenary life, and it sparked my curiosity. While I had the chance, I decided to dig a little deeper.
"Then what about Fushin Art — using talismans — or exorcism techniques? Do those not require supernatural power either?"
"Those require a special kind of ability… but it's not quite divine power. It's the power of the Upper Dantian."
"The Upper Dantian?"
"Haha, I suppose I should explain more to such a distinguished guest."
Mangnyang Seonsa chuckled gleefully, clearly excited to have someone genuinely interested in his knowledge.
"Baekmong, the naegong (inner energy) you've cultivated is the power accumulated in the Lower Dantian. That energy spreads from the Dantian throughout the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and the hundred vessels of the body, pushing the physical form toward superhuman levels. And as your Lower Dantian strengthens, you begin to reach the realm of the Middle Dantian — but it's not located in a specific spot like the usual Dantian."
"Then where exactly is the Middle Dantian?"
"It's often thought to be the heart, but that's not quite right. When the power of the Lower Dantian reaches an overwhelming level, there's a phase of integration — at that point, all energy converges at the heart. So you could say that the ultimate realm of martial cultivation lies in the Middle Dantian."
I was a bit taken aback and asked,
"Then… does the Upper Dantian refer to the brain?"
"Exactly."
Mangnyang Seonsa, perhaps parched from all his explaining, went to pour himself another cup of water. After taking a sip, he continued.
"But don't get confused — while the Middle Dantian is an evolved form of the Lower Dantian, the Upper Dantian has nothing to do with either. It refers to a latent, innate ability hidden within the human brain, which, when developed, allows interference with another dimension. It's an ability one must be born with — and only those who are naturally gifted can make use of it."
Isn't that just another way of saying supernatural power?
"Hmph… if it's such a rare innate ability, I don't see the point in distinguishing it from mystical power."
"Well, maybe so. I don't know all the details myself, but the Left Path sorcerers — the Jwado practitioners — insist there's a clear difference between the Upper Dantian and mystical power. Those who use the abilities of the Upper Dantian must find some deep meaning in that distinction."
"I see…"
I felt like I'd just gained access to some truly rare knowledge — the distinctions among the Lower, Middle, and Upper Dantian, the deeper truths of Gimundungap theory.
These were things no amount of money could buy, secrets you'd never hear during a wandering mercenary's life. Intrigued, I listened as Mangnyang Seonsa offered me a drink.
"Would you like some?"
"Sure."
"Anyway, I got a bit sidetracked — but my request is simple."
Tap.
Mangnyang Seonsa slapped his palm on a wooden board that looked like a small tabletop. His eyes gleamed with desire he could no longer hide.
"I don't care who you are — just let me interpret the Cheonam Secret Book."
So that was the reason for all the rambling.
I crossed my arms and fell into thought. I had already suspected as much, but hearing it aloud gave me a fresh feeling of clarity. I looked at him and asked,
"Mangnyang Seonsa. What would you have done… if I'd decided to torture you or use force to get what I wanted?"
"So then… are you saying you told me everything just because you knew I wouldn't hurt you?"
"There are people in this world who don't ask questions — they just beat you up first and ask later."
"But you didn't think I was one of them?"
"If you were that kind of person, I'd have been dead the moment you broke through the Mangwoonjin. I figured you were someone I could actually have a conversation with — so I tried to talk."
Mangnyang Seonsa's words were calm, even eloquent. His manner of speech was composed and persuasive. It was clear by now that he was a man of considerable knowledge and learning — I had little doubt of that.
I realized then that I stood at a crossroads.
Should I give him the Cheonam Secret Book and let him try to interpret it, as he asked?
Or should I simply leave, having confirmed that even he couldn't make sense of the strange language?
"But… you said you couldn't interpret the script even after searching all of Naehwanggak. Doesn't that mean you can't interpret the Cheonam Secret Book either?"
"Hm… that's…"
Mangnyang Seonsa hesitated, clearly feeling a bit exposed. He had no solid basis to claim that he could now interpret the mysterious characters he couldn't decipher even back when he worked in the imperial archive as a court astronomer.
After a pause, he finally said,
"Maybe… I might be able to interpret it now."
"How?"