Chapter 234. Are You Going to Betray Him?
I suddenly looked to either side of the bridge.
“…….”
For some reason, it seemed there were fewer people coming and going across it. Was it because the men who had fallen from the bridge had gone to fetch their swordsman comrade? Or had ordinary folk instinctively taken shelter, sensing another fight to come?
The bridge was growing more and more deserted.
In any case, whether No Sin was a traitor or not, I intended to protect Singae, the leader of the Beggars’ Sect.
Life was absurd like that.
Because I, who had once been a waiter, had just resolved to protect the strongest man in the jianghu.
A laugh escaped me on its own.
I was saying I would protect a man stronger than the Sword Demon, eldest of the Four Great Villains, stronger than Murim Alliance Leader Im Sobaek, and a man even the Cult Leader had failed to kill.
A man who would protect the most powerful master in the jianghu—that was me.
My life was ridiculous, and I was ridiculous too, so I laughed by myself.
When I suddenly laughed, No Sin must have found it absurd as well, because he laughed along with me.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader, realizing there was an edge to my words, also smiled. For a moment, the three of us burst into laughter atop the bridge, each laugh carrying a different meaning.
“Hahahahahaha!”
There are times when sadness can be felt even in laughter, and the Sect Leader’s laughter was like that.
I climbed down from the railing, then went between master and disciple and flopped down again.
With my right hand, I grasped the rough hand of the old Sect Leader, the commander-in-chief of beggars.
With my left, I casually took No Sin’s hand.
“Senior, and Brother No Sin.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader looked at me, and No Sin answered.
“What?”
“Our senior Sect Leader has already saved the jianghu once. I don’t know whether anyone ever thanked you for it, Sect Leader, but this junior will say it in their stead. You went through much hardship.”
No Sin slipped his hand free and said,
“You really are a strange man. How can you say something so skin-crawling without batting an eye? Isn’t that right, Master?”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader instead patted the back of my hand with his other hand.
“Sect Leader, that is the first time I’ve heard such words. But I was not the only one who suffered hardship. And right now, Alliance Leader Im is suffering more than I did. If one has the strength to fight, it is only right to use it to help the weak. Thinking back on it, it was not such a remarkable thing. After all, I was fighting alongside the very people who saved me from qi deviation.”
“That is why it was all the more remarkable. What sect could have done such a thing? It was an opportunity gained because you were beggars, unbound by wealth, and because you were not even attached to your own martial arts.”
No matter how insane I was, continuing to hold the hands of beggars was burdensome even for me.
I patted the back of the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s hand as well, then withdrew mine.
Sitting like a beggar with these great beggars, I found I did not envy the riches and glory of the world.
Only, what was I to do about No Sin from here on?
How was I to uncover his connection to the Scholar’s side?
And when a major problem or danger arrived, how was I to protect the Beggars’ Sect Leader? Such thoughts and imaginings ran through my head in no particular order.
By the way, No Sin’s hand and the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s hand felt completely different.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader’s hand was rough, with thick knuckles. No Sin’s hand, on the other hand, was in better shape than mine. If you wrung rags in cold water, threw punches, carried all sorts of loads, and even cut yourself using a kitchen knife, your hands were bound to grow rough like mine.
Why on earth were No Sin’s hands cleaner than mine, despite him being a beggar?
I pondered it, but could not find a satisfactory answer.
Should I borrow the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s strength, seize No Sin first, then torture him to find out more about the bastards he was in league with?
Or should I leave No Sin be, then when powerful enemies came swarming in to strike the Beggars’ Sect Leader, bring the Four Great Villains and clash with the Scholars?
There were no correct answers in life, and I had no correct answer now either.
While I was agonizing over the right answer, No Sin spoke to the Beggars’ Sect Leader.
“Master.”
“Speak.”
“In my opinion, if one were to look for masters of the Sect Leader’s age in the current jianghu, there are the successors of the great clans or the disciples of sovereigns. But even among them, the Sect Leader is unquestionably a crane among chickens.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader nodded.
“At such a young age, he was contending with the Jecheon Alliance Leader alone, so you are right. Not only his ability, but his personality is unusual as well.”
No Sin said in an indifferent tone,
“What would you think of passing your divine art on to the Sect Leader, Master? You have long been searching for a successor, have you not?”
“…….”
With my arms crossed, I glanced sideways at No Sin, wondering what sort of nonsense this was.
‘Martial arts? He’s suddenly talking about martial arts?’
Naturally, the Scholar in White came to mind.
I was in the middle of suspecting that in my previous life, the Scholar in White had gone to the Murim Alliance to obtain Im Sobaek’s Six Battles Great Sword.
From that point of view, what mattered even more than the Six Battles Great Sword was the martial art of the Beggars’ Sect Leader. It was the martial art of the supreme master of the orthodox faction, one superior even to Im Sobaek. Thinking about it, unless one was his disciple, it would be impossible to learn the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s martial arts. After all, even in the past, there had been no man or force capable of killing the Beggars’ Sect Leader.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader answered with a calm expression.
“What the Sect Leader needs is merely time.”
I nodded.
“That is correct.”
“Not a new martial art. I always say this, but learning too many different martial arts is not good either. It is better to perfect a single martial art completely and achieve great mastery in it. Zaha, listen well too.”
“Yes.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader said in a serious tone,
“My very notion of great mastery differs from that of others. One may even step outside the framework the creator of a martial art originally envisioned. One may also delve deeper than the depth of the martial art its creator made and raise its realm even higher. That is what it means to see the end. No matter what one practices, cultivation is the pursuit of depth and perfection, so does achieving great mastery mean you stop training? I do not think that learning all manner of miscellaneous martial arts throughout the world necessarily makes one strong. There have been people who grew strong that way, but it is not my path.”
I suddenly noticed No Sin smiling bitterly in the edge of my vision on the left, but I did not show it.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader said to me,
“As for martial arts, what you have learned now is already enough. Sect Leader, what do you think?”
I stated my own thoughts as well.
“Strangely enough, as far as I know, the men who have been called the greatest under heaven in the jianghu all learned different martial arts. There has never been a particular sect that continuously produced the foremost master, nor was it always only those who learned tremendous divine arts who became the greatest under heaven. Once one reaches a certain level, everyone becomes somewhat similar, so the next realm must be climbed by comprehension or individual ability. Or perhaps… opportunity or circumstance must be added. The type of martial art is secondary.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader nodded.
“My thoughts are similar. Perfectly learning a profound martial art, then further refining what one thought was already completed according to one’s own capacity—that is what matters.”
I asked No Sin,
“Does Brother No Sin think differently?”
No Sin answered,
“If superior martial arts truly do not differ so much, why would people of the jianghu be so obsessed with divine arts and peerless techniques? It must be because the starting point is different, the speed of learning is different, and the efficiency is different.”
From my point of view, the Beggars’ Sect Leader was right, and Nosin was right as well. Perhaps the reason the distance between master and disciple suddenly seemed so vast to me was because of this difference in their thinking.
I think I understand the difference between the two of them, too.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader truly possessed the kind of lofty mindset only those who were the finest under heaven would have. Nosin, on the other hand, had the mindset of martial artists a level below that. If Nosin had been my disciple, I would not have taught him any divine arts or peerless techniques.
There was no particular reason.
I simply disliked the very attitude of thinking that way.
On the other hand, even if the Beggars’ Sect Leader had not belonged to the Beggars’ Sect, he would have become the disciple of another sect or of someone else and still risen to the level of the finest under heaven.
A person’s thoughts do not change easily, and differences in mindset eventually meet the passage of time called life and produce different results.
In the end, that gap in mindset is the very difference between becoming a man who stands above the world or not.
I was not the type to speak in circles, so I asked Nosin outright.
“Brother Nosin, have you still not learned all of the Sect Leader’s martial arts?”
Nosin replied with a smile.
“I am still lacking in many ways to inherit Master’s true transmission.”
Since I was the sort to ask whatever I was curious about right away, I looked at Singae.
“What martial arts do you practice, Sect Leader?”
“I originally learned palm techniques from many experts of the Beggars’ Sect. I merely assigned them an order, refined them, and practiced them that way. If anything, they were completed when I fought the Three Calamities. When I faced the Cult Leader, I used the Demon-Subduing Palm (降魔掌), and when I faced Cheonak, I used the Dragon-Subduing Palm (降龍掌). When I faced the two of them at the same time, I had no choice but to execute each with a different hand. In the end, if one traces the foundation of my martial arts back, it reaches the assorted palm techniques taught to me by the elders of the old Beggars’ Sect. I am familiar with them because I have used them for a long time. They are not martial arts that another person could learn and use well.”
The Sect Leader said it as if it were nothing, but...
First, one had to master the Divided Mind Art (分心功), and even while unleashing different martial arts at the same time, one’s hands and feet could not become confused. The operation of one’s internal energy also had to be as free as one willed it. Hearing it, I realized it was not a martial art just anyone could perform. I did not know how outstanding Nosin’s comprehension was, but if someone with ordinary comprehension learned it, it was the sort of martial art that would quickly tangle up their limbs and make them cough blood.
Moreover, the most important point was that one had to possess internal energy so profound that one would not tire even while using two palm techniques simultaneously. And so I privately guessed that this was why the Beggars’ Sect Leader had not transmitted the two palm techniques to Nosin.
‘You pathetic bastard, you don’t even understand your master’s heart.’
I lightly dusted off my backside, stood up, moved to the center of the bridge, and asked Nosin.
“Brother Nosin.”
“Hm?”
“Are you thinking of betraying the Sect Leader?”
Perhaps because the question was so unexpected, Nosin answered with a laugh.
“...What the hell kind of bullshit is that?”
“It is bullshit, but I’m asking because I’m curious.”
“You’re asking seriously?”
Nosin looked at me with a lingering smile still on his face. I nodded.
“Seriously.”
“Do you not think that is an extremely rude question?”
“No. Let’s not turn the conversation in such a grave direction. This is about something that has not happened yet. Brother Nosin has never betrayed his master.”
“And?”
I spoke with a serious expression.
“I know the essence of the White-Clad Scholar. I also know the scholars’ objective.”
Nosin tilted his head.
“You know something even I do not?”
“Perhaps because they are people who were persecuted, their goal is bizarre. They collect martial arts, and they are likely compiling what they have collected into a grand synthesis. Why? Scholars are originally like that. Moreover, since they were hiding to avoid persecution, they probably had nothing to do but stare at books. And when the emotion called revenge set a fire under them, they would have delved even deeper into martial arts. They cannot help but take an interest in the martial arts of the Beggars’ Sect Leader.”
The master and disciple of the Beggars’ Sect listened to me without saying a word.
I continued.
“They would have no choice but to treat Brother Nosin with utmost care, acknowledge him, and praise him. Why would that be?”
Nosin answered.
“Because there would be no one other than me who could extract Master’s martial arts.”
“Exactly. In truth, those bastards have no interest in Brother Nosin. What they are interested in is solely the martial learning of the Beggars’ Sect Leader. Money and fame, the position of the next Sect Leader, all that crap would not be their concern. What does that mean?”
Nosin closed his mouth and glared at me.
I said whatever I felt like to Nosin.
“If your master falls, you’re dead too. Nosin, you bastard, can’t you understand that? You stupid son of a bitch.”
Even when I spoke informally and cursed at him, Nosin made no reply.
I glared at Nosin and continued.
“Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that the scholars’ side is the greatest force in the gangho, comparable to the Demonic Cult or the Murim Alliance. Did you think you had become someone because they respected you? If your master falls, did they say the Beggars’ Sect would be entrusted entirely to you? The scholars are bastards accustomed to working slaves.”
I naturally left out the words, I was treated that way too...
Nosin replied with a hardened expression.
“Listen, Hao Clan Master. Those are truly insulting words. How can you look someone straight in the eye and brand him a traitor? And in front of his master, no less. If Master were not beside me, I would challenge you to a life-and-death duel right now. Know when to stop.”
I nodded.
“That is how you should come at me. But I risk my life every single day as well. If I didn’t, why would I have charged into the Jecheon Alliance alone? Because I’m stronger than the Jecheon Alliance Leader? No. I charged in simply because I lost my temper. I don’t know what comes after. What that means is, threats about life-and-death duels and the like don’t work on me to begin with.”
“You are a man who has lost all sense of fear.”
Nosin looked at the Beggars’ Sect Leader.
“Master.”
“Hm?”
“Do you think I have joined the scholars’ side?”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader stared silently at his disciple, then shook his head.
“I do not.”
“Yet a Clan Master who has barely seen me a few times is suspecting me.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader answered in an even tone.
“So he is.”
“Pardon?”
“He is not saying that you have betrayed me, but pointing out that you should be wary of the thoughts sprouting in your heart.”
A strange, unbearable silence flowed between them, and then truly absurd words came out of Nosin’s mouth.
“...Master, why on earth will you not transmit the Dragon-Subduing Palm and the Demon-Subduing Palm to me?”
I had been standing perfectly fine, but suddenly the strength left my legs and I collapsed to the ground.
‘Ah, that stupid bastard...’
The Beggars’ Sect Leader’s complexion rapidly turned pale.
“....”
I confirmed that even the man who had blocked the joint attack of the Cult Leader and Cheonak could not easily deal with a shock to the heart.
In truth, anyone would be the same.
It seemed he had been struck mentally by the overlapping shock and sorrow of, So this was truly the reason? But would Nosin ever know that the meaning of that shock was a wound to the heart that came because the Sect Leader cherished his disciple that much?
The Beggar Gang Leader started to say something, then closed his mouth with an exhausted look.
“…….”
I sat down and glared at master and disciple. If things were left like this, the master’s heart would head toward qi deviation, and the disciple’s heart would sink into hatred.
Both had to be stopped.
“Brother Nosin.”
Nosin glared at me with eyes full of killing intent.
“You shut up for a while. I’m talking with Master.”
Since it had come to this, I made up my mind to turn the whole thing into a complete mess to the very end, then answered.
“I can’t do that. You damn idiot. You stupid beggar bastard. It’s still too much for someone like you. Your internal energy is lacking, and so is your mindset. And as the elder already said, you must have already learned the martial arts suited to you. If you had waited with the proper heart, your master would have poured even all the internal energy he possessed into you, just as the elders of old did. You pathetic bastard…… You lack the capacity, yet you desire so much. Do you not understand that the elder cherished you, treated you well, and was waiting for you?”
Nosin clenched his teeth so hard that the line of his jaw bulged, then pointed at me.
“You…….”
I shouted with my eyes wide open.
“Shut up! You beggar bastard!”