Chapter 1487
I didn’t come looking for you? (2)
“Huh? Sect Leader?”
“That guy?”
Five Swords stared blankly at Luju, unable to believe it. Even Hye Yeon, who was usually calm, and Lee Songbaek, who had struggled to adapt to the atmosphere, opened their mouths in shock.
The Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect was widely known to be an old man with white hair, currently bedridden due to old age. That rumor had spread so far and wide that it was practically common knowledge in Gangho.
But the man standing before them was a robust middle-aged man with no signs of illness.
‘No, before that…’
Baek Cheon, dumbfounded, asked.
“Are you saying you’re the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect?”
“Yes.”
“That…”
Everyone cast a glance at Baek Cheon, wondering what he was about to say.
“…You look quite wealthy for that.”
All their heads drooped.
Well, yes. It is indeed strange. It’s hard to imagine the supposed king of beggars wearing fine silk clothes and living in the top floor of such a luxurious pavilion.
So, it wasn’t wrong, but…
“That’s not the important thing right now, Sasuk.”
“But it is strange!”
“Yes, but still…”
Yoon Jong shook his head, finding it awkward and difficult to point out the oddity. At that moment, it was Chung Myung, not Luju, who answered the question.
“I told you, those beggars have a lot of money.”
“…You did.”
“And besides, it’s because they’re beggars that you shouldn’t trust them.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Guys who spend their lives dealing in information aren’t going to give up their assets – information – easily. Even what I see with my own eyes, I have to doubt. And you trust something just because you heard a rumor?”
“…That’s true.”
In hindsight, it was obvious. But none of the people there had thought of it.
“…Why did we believe it so easily?”
“Who would think the Beggars Sect would deceive us? We’re both part of the Just Sects.”
“If there was anything strange, we thought another sect would notice.”
Luju chuckled lightly at Five Swords’ comments.
“The Central Plains are vast, and deceiving people is easier than you think. Just like how almost no one noticed you pretending to be Jin Geumryong.”
“Um, that’s… true.”
Given his position, Baek Cheon couldn’t refute this. However, Jo Geol still seemed puzzled, tilting his head as if his doubts remained unresolved.
“But then, who is this Hong Daekwang guy calling the King of Beggars? It doesn’t seem like he’d be talking about this person. Are they deceiving even their own people?”
Luju didn’t give a clear answer. He just smiled meaningfully.
“…They say there’s no one you can trust in this world.”
Jo Geol looked at him with the gaze of a child who had been betrayed by someone he trusted. Luju gave a bitter smile in response to that look.
However, at that moment, someone who still maintained his rationality took the proper action.
“Lee Songbaek of Jongnam greets the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect.”
Lee Songbaek performed the fist-palm salute. Finally coming to their senses, Five Swords hurriedly followed suit, startled.
“W-We greet the Sect Leader!”
“We apologize for our rudeness.”
“Please forgive us!”
Luju pressed his furrowed brow, as if dealing with a headache.
“No need for such formalities. Here, let’s just…”
His gaze shifted to the emblem of Jongnam on Baek Cheon’s clothes.
“…let’s have a conversation between someone pretending to be from Jongnam and someone pretending to be a pavilion owner.”
“…Understood.”
In any case, this wasn’t a situation where proper manners could be maintained.
“So.”
Luju, as if not wanting to waste any time, spoke to Chung Myung.
“I believe I’ve answered your questions. Now it’s my turn to ask. What did you intend to do by seeking me out?”
Though the conversation had been with Five Swords, the question was, of course, directed at Chung Myung.
While the others seemed quite shocked by the whole situation, Chung Myung shrugged nonchalantly, as if it wasn’t that surprising.
“I didn’t have any particular intentions. I just decided to find you.”
“…Hmm?”
“You can’t do anything against someone hiding with their tail between their legs. I figured I’d pull you out into the open first.”
A low sigh escaped Luju’s lips.
“Many have tried that. There have been countless attempts. But I never thought someone would find me using such a method.”
“Those people were just too complacent.”
“No.”
Luju shook his head.
“Even if others had thought of the same method, they wouldn’t have reached this far. It’s not normal for people to be able to chase birds. Especially this Golden Sparrow [청령금작(聽領金雀) – cheonglyeong-geumjag], which has been trained to fly only over rugged mountains and wide rivers…”
“Golden… what?”
“Golden Sparrow. This bird.”
“Ah, the Ten Thousand Li Dove?”
“Golden Sparrow.”
“Yes. Ten Thousand Li Dove.”
…Luju’s facial muscles twitched. Yoon Jong, noticing this, whispered to Baek Cheon.
“The Sect Leader is being outmatched. Is he really the Sect Leader?”
“Not just the Sect Leader, even the Jade Emperor couldn’t beat that guy…”
“Agreed.”
Five Swords felt conflicted. Should they laugh or cry at Chung Myung, who was saying whatever he wanted even in this situation?
Chung Myung, observing the chirping bird carefully, grabbed Baek Ah, who was still growling.
“The method wasn’t bad, but your side isn’t the only one with spirit beasts.”
“Baek Jeon of the Beast Palace. Indeed, that’s something I didn’t consider.”
“Baek Cheon?”
“Not Baek Cheon, Baek… No, never mind.”
Luju shook his head, looking exhausted from dealing with Chung Myung.
When he had placed the Golden Sparrow around Chung Myung, he never imagined this situation. Who would have thought the one being watched would turn the tables and use it against them?
‘No, they might think of it.’
But finding the right target among countless beggars and inducing the desired actions was not easy.
“How did you know the Golden Sparrow was in Luoyang?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Did you think it would be logical for it to be in Luoyang?”
“No, just… it was close?”
…Luju’s face twisted again. Yoon Jong whispered to Baek Cheon once more.
“Sasuk, that guy looks really pissed. Is he really the Sect Leader?”
“…Even the King of Hell would get angry standing in front of him.”
“Agreed.”
Ignoring their observations, Chung Myung spoke casually.
“Well, if nothing happened in Luoyang, I was going to poke around nearby places too. I figured I’d get caught eventually.”
“…”
“Luckily, I got caught right from the start. It’s fortunate Sect Leader is a reasonable person. Dealing with crazy people lately, I felt like I was losing my sanity too.”
“…Earlier you called me a madman.”
“Well, you are, but your methods are normal.”
Luju sighed deeply and shook his head. Someone who handles information should never reveal their emotions in front of others. Yet, it seemed that rule was meaningless in front of this person.
What could he hide from someone who could predict his movements from so far away?
“So, you found the flaw in my plan and came all the way here.”
“Yes. Well, if you fix it, it should be fine next time.”
“Then you’ll just find another blind spot. Hwasan Geomhyeop, indeed, you are not an ordinary person…”
Luju nodded and looked back at Chung Myung.
“My questions are answered. I also understand why you came. So, what do you want to do now that you’ve met me?”
“I just wanted to ask.”
“What do you mean?”
“What on earth are you doing here?”
Suddenly, Luju’s gaze turned icy cold. It was a strange intensity that could be felt, but Chung Myung casually glanced around.
“It’s not a bad place. Perfect for leisure activities.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I understand that as someone who doesn’t have a fixed abode, you might not understand, but still, shouldn’t you be more cautious? If a wildfire is approaching, enjoying fishing leisurely isn’t leisure – it’s being negligent.”
“Well, you see, that…”
“Why are you neglecting the Beggars Sect?”
Chung Myung interjected, cutting off Luju’s words and getting straight to the point.
This time, it was Chung Myung who stared at him with cold eyes.
“While the world is halfway crumbling, the Sect Leader is still unable to fulfill his role properly and remains indecisive. Of course, I understood initially. If your head is injured, even the strongest ox can’t pull a plow. But… the thing is, he didn’t even try to heal that injured head. That’s odd, isn’t it?”
“…”
“No matter how late it is, there should have been movements at the level of the headquarters when the division occurred at the Yangtze River. Isn’t that right?”
“…I admit it.”
Luju nodded obediently.
The power of the Beggars Sect comes from the numbers. In other words, with fewer heads, the less the sect can exert its power. In that sense, the greatest threat to the Beggars Sect is none other than division.
The moment division is disregarded, the Beggars Sect has essentially revealed to everyone… or at least to someone like Chung Myung, that there is a problem within itself.
“It’s not an excuse to say that you weren’t clear-headed due to illness. Before reaching such a state, it’s the Sect Leader’s responsibility to pass on the position. If Sasuk were to say I’ve lost interest in my duties and want to be friends with Jongnam, he would have been confined in a repentance cave and given only water to drink.”
“Chung Myung, isn’t that more like imprisonment than repentance?”
“No, Sasuk. That’s called torture.”
Luju nodded in agreement.
“You saw that the Beggars Sect was not operating normally, so you thought something must have happened. So, while looking for the cause, you ended up here. Is that correct?”
“No.”
“Hmm? Not so?”
“We must be precise with our words. I didn’t come to confirm the cause.”
“…Then?”
Luju furrowed his brow as if completely puzzled.
At that moment, four unexpected syllables escaped Chung Myung’s lips.
“Uihyeolgaebang – Beggar’s Blood for the Right Cause [의혈개방*].”
It was a phrase that was not easily understood without context.
However, strangely enough, Luju flinched momentarily. He couldn’t hide his agitation.
‘Why?’
Everyone’s eyes were tinged with doubt.
‘Beggar’s Blood for the Right Cause’ is a commonly used term when referring to the spirit of the Beggars Sect. But why the agitation at such an ordinary phrase?’
“The Beggars Sect certainly don’t seem the same as before. I considered it could happen. Not every sect can always be at its peak. Even brilliance and shining skills can fade at any moment.”
“…”
“But after meeting the disciples, my thoughts changed. They are not incompetent. Yet the sect remain ineffective. When something impossible happens, there’s only one reason. Someone has made The Beggars Sect ineffective.”
Baek Cheon swallowed dryly. The story Chung Myung was laying out was truly heavy.
“So, I wanted to know. Who brought the Beggars Sect I knew to such a downfall? Who deliberately obstructed them from fulfilling their role?”
“…You.”
“That’s why I didn’t come to confirm the cause.”
Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
“I came to eliminate it.”
His hand slowly moved towards the sword at his waist.
For a moment, Luju’s face turned pale. A suffocating pressure and intense tension seized him, as if his throat would close with the slightest movement of his fingers.
“Answer me.”
“…”
“I need to find a reason that convinces me. Otherwise, you’ll die. I assure you.”
Luju’s fingertips trembled slightly.
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