Chapter 241. I Am Living Virtuously.
“If things flow in this direction, the Orthodox Path will keep getting pushed back. It feels as though the scholars and the Demonic Cult need to clash first before we can breathe a little easier, but the atmosphere is not like that either. Strangely enough, if the White-Clad Scholar had not subtly held things back, either Cheonak or I would have died today.”
“Hmm.”
Now that I thought about it, if the White-Clad Scholar and I had not been there, Cheonak and the Beggars’ Sect Leader would have fought for three days and nights like before.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader was aware that the Orthodox Path was being pushed back. Had he forgotten that he himself was the Orthodox Path’s greatest fighting force? Since he had weathered this crisis, he would not be pushed back as badly as in my past life. It would not be easy for the scholar’s side to try to get rid of the Beggars’ Sect Leader again.
I advised the Beggars’ Sect Leader.
“If you stay in touch with Alliance Leader Im or me from time to time, nothing major should happen from now on.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader nodded.
“I did not want to burden you. But I shall. In any case, though Cheonak is superior in martial arts, it seems the White-Clad Scholar serves as their strategist. He is a man whose mind cannot be read.”
I nodded.
“He is probably their strategist.”
Suddenly, the Beggars’ Sect Leader said to me with a perfectly casual expression.
“Jaha, why don’t I simply give you all my internal energy, and you handle the next battle?”
I answered immediately.
“Is there really any need for that? I refuse.”
“Why? With my internal energy, you would not be pushed back even against the Three Calamities.”
“The body has its own caliber too. The vessel would burst.”
“You really do burst in all sorts of ways.”
“Indeed. In any case, I have to start with expansion work through repeated training. If I grow stronger quickly, that means the number of masters increases, so that is more beneficial. Is there any need to reduce two people into one?”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader asked me in a serious tone.
“Does that way of thinking also have something to do with martial learning?”
I nodded.
“I suppose it does. I am climbing up from the very bottom. I did not begin with some extraordinary martial art. I started by getting into fights at inns, in alleys, and on the streets. Since I started this way, I will climb properly without skipping the middle.”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader smiled as if satisfied.
“Good. That is a good thought. I, too, actually climbed up from the bottom, but I skipped a great deal in the middle. Is that why the next realm is so difficult? I do not know.”
Honestly, how could I not envy the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s internal energy?
But it was not mine.
If the Sect Leader grew weak, what were the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect supposed to do?
I was not even managing to take care of Haomun.
We returned to the bridge and looked for Noh Shin. There were still no people to be seen on the bridge, but traces of someone’s fight remained. Bloodstains, fallen weapons, and shattered stones were visible.
After crossing the bridge and searching, we were able to find Noh Shin. Perhaps he had fought the remnants of the scholar’s faction, for he was sitting like a beggar, covered in blood.
“……”
If Noh Shin was bloodied to that extent, he had probably clashed with one of the White-Clad Scholar’s top disciples. Looking closer, however, it was not Noh Shin’s blood. His face was covered in blood that had splattered while he beat the scholar’s group to death.
I asked the Sect Leader.
“Senior, would you like to speak with him?”
There were times to step in and times not to, and right now it was right to avoid it.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader looked at me.
“You are leaving?”
“I will look around.”
The Divine Beggar patted my back and nodded. I watched for a moment as the Sect Leader walked toward his disciple. My eyes met Noh Shin’s, but I said nothing to him.
Since the Sect Leader and I were already spiritually bound anyway, parting like this would not stir much feeling.
From now on, I intended to regard any group that attacked the Beggars’ Sect as a group attacking me. Since Cheonak had gone back, and the Murim Alliance might join in as well, there was no longer any need to worry too greatly.
Something I suddenly wanted to eat alone came to mind, so I walked aimlessly and entered a restaurant with no signboard.
I ordered rice, stir-fried offal, and liquor, then organized my thoughts as I waited. Since the Beggars’ Sect had made a branch near Ilyang County, I also needed to create a Haomun branch near the Beggars’ Sect.
Come to think of it, the Beggars’ Sect’s discipline was a mess too.
But the Haomun I created was honestly a mess as well. Perhaps that was because I was a mess. However, I intended to continue including people with their own livelihoods in Haomun, so I had no thought of running it as tightly as a sect.
I know my own personality.
I am not meticulous.
I would leave a proper sect to a disciple later. As for Haomun, I intended to leave it a mess according to my own personality. Above all, it was something I could not do because it was too bothersome.
Just as I was finishing off a bowl of rice while eating stir-fried offal…
Someone appeared at the entrance of the restaurant and looked at me.
“Sect Leader, so you were here.”
As soon as I saw the Murim Alliance member, I nodded.
“Have you eaten?”
The Murim Alliance member answered with a smile.
“Not yet. Please finish your meal and come out. The Alliance Leader is at the bridge.”
I nodded and continued eating the stir-fried offal, but the fact that the Murim Alliance Leader had personally rushed here made me feel as if my food was not digesting well. At this rate, it meant he had advanced at tremendous speed and reached the Divine Beggar. Of course, the situation was already over, but it was still remarkable that the Alliance Leader himself had come all the way here.
Before reuniting with the Alliance Leader, I finished my drink.
I deliberately dawdled because I thought it would be good for the Divine Beggar to speak with his disciple, and then to spend some time with the Alliance Leader as well.
Just as I was about to rise, laughter came from outside, and Alliance Leader Im Sobaek and the Divine Beggar entered the restaurant.
Since I had been caught eating alone, I wiped my mouth with my hand.
Im Sobaek asked me.
“Sect Leader, did you eat alone while leaving Senior behind?”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader looked at me.
“You could not wait for that and ate alone? I believe I said earlier that I was hungry too. Sit back down.”
I gave Im Sobaek a light fist salute, then sat back down. Now that I looked, there was a little more gray hair at Im Sobaek’s temples.
I placed an order toward the kitchen.
“Three bowls of rice. A large stir-fried offal. One more bottle of liquor too.”
“Understood.”
After ordering and looking back anew, the Three Calamities and the Murim Alliance Leader were sitting in the restaurant before my eyes.
‘Ah, you startled me.’
For a moment, they felt like masters who had come to catch me, but that was not it. It seemed the mental aftereffects from my past life still remained. Being a public enemy of murim was an old story. Even so, strangely enough, the inherent pressure carried by the name Murim Alliance Leader still remained. Perhaps it was because it was a title that bore many responsibilities.
“Alliance Leader, have you been well?”
Im Sobaek looked at me.
“And you?”
“I have been busy fighting here and there.”
Im Sobaek laughed.
“I have not been idle either. Senior.”
“Hm?”
Im Sobaek asked the Beggars’ Sect Leader.
“How did the two of you come to know each other?”
“I heard many rumors, so I went to see him.”
“You went in person, Senior?”
“I did.”
Im Sobaek looked at me as if he found it fascinating.
“That’s never happened before.”
“So it seems.”
Only then did I set cups before the two of them like a waiter and pour the liquor. My martial arts had become quite strong by now, I was leading Hao Gate, and my fame had spread to some degree, but of all people, I had the Three Calamities and the Murim Alliance Leader before my eyes, so once again I was a waiter.
‘Such is my lot.’
After pouring the liquor, I asked.
“Ah, what happened to Brother Noshin?”
The Divine Beggar answered.
“Since the Alliance Leader came, we couldn’t talk at length… but we decided to send him to the Murim Alliance for a while.”
“Pardon?”
The Divine Beggar spoke with an indifferent expression.
“He doesn’t suit being a beggar. It’s not as if he’s without sin, either. That said, it’s not as if his skill is poor. He’ll have much to learn from the Alliance Leader. Is it a burden?”
Im Sobaek, who had been listening, shook his head.
“If it’s Noshin, he’s welcome. His lightness skill is fast, and his martial arts are strong… I’ll look after him. However, the Alliance has its own laws. I doubt it will happen, but if he commits too grave a crime, I will handle it according to principle without informing you first, Senior. Will that be all right?”
“Do that.”
“Yes.”
As I listened to their conversation, I thought I should definitely never go anywhere near the Murim Alliance. If a guy like me went in, the result was obvious. I’d probably end up spending more time making a name for myself in the prison for crimes like assaulting a superior than roaming the jianghu.
Only then did we welcome the stir-fried entrails that had come out and pick up our chopsticks again.
“I’m buying, so please eat.”
The Alliance Leader and the Beggars’ Sect Leader rubbed their chopsticks together, then began eating the stir-fried entrails. The two men’s eyes went round, and they looked at each other.
They looked as if it was delicious.
I fiddled with my chopsticks as I watched the two of them eat. It wasn’t food I had made, but I felt as though I were hosting them.
The two of them were men who ate their meals with great relish.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader said as he ate.
“Earlier, I briefly crossed hands with Cheonak.”
The Murim Alliance Leader let out a “Hrk,” and pounded his chest. I poured liquor for the Alliance Leader and gestured for him to hurry and drink.
After drinking, Im Sobaek spoke with a flustered expression.
“Ah, is that why you called me?”
“It was something of a crisis, but as we fought, it ended in a rather strange way.”
“Yes.”
Im Sobaek suddenly stared at me.
“…Did you blow something up again?”
I suddenly burst out laughing and choked. The Beggars’ Sect Leader said with a laugh.
“So you knew too.”
“Yes. I know.”
I drank the liquor the Murim Alliance Leader poured for me. How should I describe this taste? A grand flavor, perhaps, with a slight hint of stir-fried entrails mixed in. Since this was a restaurant the greatest master of the Righteous Path and the Murim Alliance Leader had both visited, I felt they could change the signboard to something drastic.
For example, “Famous Stir-Fried Entrails Restaurant Visited by the Murim Alliance Leader,” perhaps?
I got up in advance, paid for the food, then sat back down. It was a little noisy outside, but it was obvious the Alliance members would be standing guard anyway, so I paid it no mind.
Looking at it this way.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader was someone who had suffered a great deal.
And the Murim Alliance Leader was also someone who had suffered, being called here and there, so I kept my mouth shut as much as possible, poured them liquor, poured them water, and simply waited on them.
A moment later, the Beggars’ Sect Leader wiped his mouth and said.
“That was a fine meal.”
“Shall we get up?”
The Sect Leader patted the Alliance Leader on the back as he said.
“You must be busy, so I’m sorry for calling you all the way here.”
Im Sobaek smiled slightly and said.
“It’s fortunate nothing happened. It’s been a while since I marched, so stretching my body felt good.”
I came out of the famous stir-fried entrails restaurant visited by the Murim Alliance Leader and looked outside with the seniors. As expected, Alliance members were waiting some distance away, but three men who did not fit in with them at all stood out at once.
Their expressions were different from the composed Alliance members as well.
At a glance, they looked like wicked bastards who had surely committed crimes and been chased by the Murim Alliance, standing side by side and daring to glare at the greatest master of the Righteous Path and the Murim Alliance Leader.
Im Sobaek said.
“Sword Demon, I’m surprised even you came running.”
When the Sword Demon gave a light nod, the Lust Demon and the Ghost Demon cupped their fists to Im Sobaek.
“Alliance Leader.”
Looking closer, there were experts from the Beggars’ Sect mixed in as well. It seemed the Four Great Villains had received word from the Beggars’ Sect and only now arrived. At any rate, would these villains recognize the Beggars’ Sect Leader? His presence was so faint that everyone was only looking at the Murim Alliance Leader.
The Beggars’ Sect Leader asked Im Sobaek.
“Sword Demon? Is he the Sword Demon I know?”
“He probably is. He is the Sword Demon who left the Demon Cult of his own accord.”
Only then did the Beggars’ Sect Leader speak to the Sword Demon with a surprised expression.
“Are you the former Left Envoy?”
The Sword Demon looked at the Beggars’ Sect Leader with an expression of utmost seriousness.
“Who are you?”
The Beggars’ Sect Leader answered.
“I’m the man who fought that cult leader bastard back in the day.”
The Sword Demon, the Ghost Demon, and the Lust Demon looked at the Beggars’ Sect Leader in shock.
“….”
They clearly did not believe him at all, so I stepped in.
“He is the Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Sect. And one of the Three Calamities.”
Welcome, villains.
In that instant, these three villains, acting as if they were jianghu men despite their sorry state, kept rolling their eyes and examining the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s aura. There was nothing they could discern. It wasn’t a matter of skill; it was because the Sect Leader was a man who had perfectly mastered the aesthetic of letting go.
Now that I saw it, the Beggars’ Sect Leader had deliberately erased his presence and was watching the three men’s expressions.
‘Wow, chills… he’s testing them?’
Because I had suffered it first, only now did I understand the Beggars’ Sect Leader’s intention. The Sword Demon spoke in a composed tone.
“To think you were one of the Three Calamities of the Righteous Path. It is good to meet you.”
As expected, a greeting befitting the Sword Demon flowed out. Next!
The Ghost Demon cupped his fists.
“Sect Leader, this junior is called Yukhap.”
Since he was before one of the Three Calamities, he seemed to have deliberately left out the title “Mister.” Next!
The Lust Demon cupped his fists respectfully.
“Senior, I am Mong Yeon, second son of the Windcloud Mong Clan. It is an honor to meet you in person.”
His hypocritical words of greeting flowed out very naturally. Rotten bastard.
Only then did the Beggars’ Sect Leader smile broadly and look around at the men who had come running.
“Judging by the mood, everyone’s come to help the Haomun Leader. They’re juniors who suit you well, Sect Leader. Acquaintances of yours, aren’t they?”
At the Sect Leader’s words, the Murim Alliance members—including the Alliance Leader—the Beggars’ Sect Leader, the beggars, and the Four Great Villains all looked at me.
“Yes.”
The Sect Leader asked me.
“Are they your sworn brothers?”
“Well, not quite sworn brothers. They’re just drinking friends.”
“For drinking friends, they all look like they’ve got quite the temper. And they’re skilled, too.”
“Is that so?”
I happened to meet the Murim Alliance Leader’s eyes and blurted out something pointless.
“……They’re all living good and honest lives.”
The Murim Alliance Leader blinked, then replied.
“Did anyone say otherwise?”
“Exactly.”
Who would know what was in my heart?
When you’ve caused a lot of trouble, it’s only natural to shrink back in front of the Murim Alliance Leader. Somehow, I had a feeling that even if I became stronger than the Alliance Leader someday, this feeling wouldn’t go away.
Come to think of it, perhaps because the Three Calamities and the Murim Alliance Leader were all gathered in one place, the Four Great Villains were unusually quiet today as well.
I understand the hearts of these villains.
Those with many sins are generally like this.
Just like me.