Chapter 1498
How could I dare not to follow? (3)
“Please, have a seat.”
After some time had passed, Luju, who had somewhat composed himself, offered them to seat.
“Would you like some tea?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“There’s no need to refuse.”
Luju signaled outside, and soon attendants came in to serve tea to the seated disciples of Hwasan. Baek Cheon was deeply impressed.
‘Amazing.’
Just a moment ago, someone of great importance had passed away, and yet Luju had already regained his composure. Internally, it was hard to say, but at least on the surface, he seemed collected.
Baek Cheon’s gaze discreetly shifted to Chung Myung. Normally, he would have thrown a fit about why they were serving tea instead of alcohol, but now he quietly accepted the tea. Baek Cheon cautiously thought that Chung Myung might be taking the current situation much more seriously.
At that moment, Luju cleared his throat softly and began to speak.
“Since my Master asked to assist you, as the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect, I will do my best to help Hwasan Geomhyeop.”
Baek Cheon’s eyes slightly darkened.
‘Hwasan Geomhyeop.’
Not Hwasan or Cheonumaeng, but Hwasan Geomhyeop. This could be interpreted in various ways. Depending on how one thinks about it…
“Uh, by the way.”
“Hmm?”
As Baek Cheon’s mind started to get a bit confused, Jo Geol abruptly spoke up.
“How should we address you, Sect Leader?”
For a moment, everyone’s attention turned to Jo Geol. He flinched under their stares and hurriedly waved his hands.
“…No, no, I didn’t mean it like that! That’s not it, I’m not talking about what should we call the Sect Leader, that’s…”
“If you’re asking about my titles, there are several. The most commonly used one is Muheun Gae [무흔개(無痕丐) – Traceless Beggar]. Sometimes I was called Nangu Pung [난구풍(難拘風) – Unyielding Wind].”
“Ah…”
It seemed like an obvious but fitting title. It perfectly matched the enigmatic nature of the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect.
“But if you don’t mind, call me Pung Yeong Gae [풍영개(風影丐) – Wind’s Shadow Beggar]. I prefer that one. Pung Yeong Gae Lee Gwa [이과(李果) ]. That’s my name.”
“Pung Yeong Shin Gae, the Shadow of the Wind.”
Chung Myung, who had been silent, chuckled as he spoke.
“That’s a title that reminds me of someone.”
Luju, or rather, Pung Yeong Shin Gae, smiled slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Everyone has their own preferences, don’t they?”
“Must be nice to be so carefree about preferences. Some of us carry around unfitting titles. The Beggars Sect members have it good. They can just create their own titles and spread them around.”
“I think it’s a fitting title for you, Geomhyeop.”
Chung Myung subtly furrowed his brows. But before he could say anything, Jo Geol interrupted again.
“And, uh, I have another question.”
“What is it?”
Jo Geol scrunched up his face as if he genuinely didn’t understand.
“Well, this might sound a bit strange to ask, but why do you speak so respectfully to him?”
This time, everyone’s eyes turned to Chung Myung. Come to think of it, Pung Yeong Shin Gae had been speaking respectfully to him.
Jo Geol continued.
“No, I mean, it’s understandable to speak respectfully to Sasuk, he is the Vice Sect Leader, but… I mean, thinking about it, this guy is also the General of Cheonumaeng, so it makes sense, but…”
It felt like there was more to it than just that, even though Jo Geol couldn’t articulate it well. Pung Yeong Shin Gae answered the question as if it were nothing.
“It’s not a particularly grand reason. It’s simply because it’s not right for a disciple to treat with disrespect someone whom their Master respected.”
“But still, there should be some distinction…”
“That distinction is precisely the reason. Could you treat someone your Master respected with disrespect?”
“Uh…”
Jo Geol was at a loss for words. Indeed, he couldn’t. It would be like a grandson speaking informally to someone his great-grandfather respected. Unable to argue further, Jo Geol quietly shrank back.
“Any more questions?”
“…No. There aren’t any.”
“Hmm… Then we need to discuss internal matters of the Beggars Sect.”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s gaze shifted slightly to Lee Songbaek.
“Ah…”
Lee Songbaek, quickly sensing the discomfort, nodded.
“I will take my leave.”
“Hmm. That would be…”
“Let him stay.”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae and Lee Songbaek simultaneously turned to look at Chung Myung.
“It would be strange to ignore him after he’s come all this way.”
“Hmm. If Geomhyeop insists.”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae still seemed reluctant, but eventually nodded. After all, he knew Lee Songbaek was a man of few words and serious nature, so he wouldn’t cause any trouble.
Pung Yeong Shin Gae fixed his gaze on Chung Myung and was about to speak. But unexpectedly, Chung Myung slightly withdrew.
Seeing this, Pung Yeong Shin Gae perceptively turned to Baek Cheon and spoke.
“As you, Vice Sect Leader, know…”
“Speak freely. The content is more important than the formality right now.”
“…Is that alright?”
“Yes.”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae looked at Baek Cheon as if assessing him, then nodded. He internally noted that Baek Cheon seemed more pragmatic than he’d heard.
“As you know, the Beggars Sect currently has no leader.”
“…I’ve heard that. With the Sect Leader absent, it’s inevitable. But what I don’t understand is, was it really necessary to go that far? Did you have to hide your whereabouts?”
“It wasn’t just that.”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae shook his head.
“Feigning illness wasn’t only to avoid meeting outsiders. The bigger reason lies within the sect itself.”
“What exactly do you mean by that…?”
“The Beggars Sect members are so free-spirited that if they find something unacceptable, they wouldn’t hesitate to challenge even the Sect Leader. If I had stayed there, the sect would have been in chaos.”
“…So, they can’t hold a non-existent Sect Leader accountable.”
“Exactly.”
Baek Cheon nodded. Pung Yeong Shin Gae continued quickly.
“Since the establishment of this place by my Master, the past Sect Leaders have all taken similar approaches. When dissatisfaction grew unbearable, they would find a suitable successor who shared their vision and pass on their position, thereby suppressing the discontent.”
Everyone nodded. Whether or not it was a good method, it was certainly effective.
“Was that the plan this time as well?”
“Yes.”
“Then, may I ask who you originally had in mind as a successor?”
At those words, Pung Yeong Shin Gae chuckled.
“Don’t worry. It was not Hong Daekwang.”
“Indeed.”
“That’s right.”
“Sect Leader is quite reasonable.”
“…Poor Hong Buntaju.”
A sigh naturally escaped from the mouths of the disciples of Hwasan. They had grown quite fond of him, but it seemed that Hong Daekwang was never even a candidate for the Sect Leader’s position from the start.
“Come to think of it, he wouldn’t have been able to handle this situation anyway.”
“True. It’s not a matter of ability. It’s just that his temperament doesn’t match.”
This was something everyone could agree on. The hot-tempered Hong Daekwang living as the Luju just didn’t make sense.
“So that’s how it is. I roughly understand now.”
“Huh?”
At that moment, Yoon Jong flinched and turned to Baek Cheon.
“What do you mean, you understand, Sasuk?”
“I mean, I can guess what Sect Leader plans to do next. There must already be quite a bit of dissatisfaction within the sect regarding the Sect Leader. Even if he reappears now, there will be limits to regaining control.”
“…Certainly, that’s true.”
“Probably, Sect Leader intends to use this opportunity to pass the position to a successor and reclaim the lost authority.”
“Ah.”
Yoon Jong nodded, now understanding. Pung Yeong Shin Gae stared at Baek Cheon in renewed surprise.
“…You’re sharper than I heard.”
“You flatter me.”
Baek Cheon bowed his head slightly, and the disciples of Hwasan exchanged glances.
“Then it’s simple. Announce a new Sect Leader, and have that Sect Leader help us.”
Tang Soso chimed in.
“It would be even better if it were an order rather than a request, right, Sago?”
“…If it’s a command from the predecessor, it’s only right to follow it.”
Thinking the matter was being resolved smoothly, Tang Soso smiled brightly. Pung Yeong Shin Gae exhaled deeply and spoke.
“Indeed. Vice Sect Leader’s words are correct. That’s the method I was considering. That should solve most of the problems.”
“It’s simple.”
“Yes, simple. However, there is one small… trivial issue.”
“An issue…?”
A fleeting unease crossed the faces of Hwasan’s disciples. This felt strangely familiar…
“No need to worry with those faces. It’s not a major issue. It’s something that can be easily resolved.”
“Oh… That’s a relief.”
“May I ask what that issue is?”
Baek Cheon inquired. Pung Yeong Shin Gae frowned slightly before answering.
“Well, due to the unexpected recent state of Gangho, there have been many changes within the sect.”
“What kind…?”
“Using the pretext that the Sect Leader couldn’t remain absent during such an urgent time, the elders have banded together to form a faction. That’s merely a superficial excuse – in reality, their goal is to seize power within the sect.”
“Y-You couldn’t prevent such movements?”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae shook his head.
“There was no need to stop it in the first place. It’s something that’s happened often over the past hundred years. Whenever a faction grew too powerful, we would pass the position to a successor and dismantle the faction. It’s something we’ve done repeatedly, so there was no need to act.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I knew it. So this time too…”
“However…”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s hesitant tone indicated the conversation wasn’t over, and Baek Cheon’s face grew increasingly more serious.
“Actually, this time is a bit different. No one anticipated that Sapaeryeon would suddenly cause such turmoil.”
“That’s true…”
“So the problem has grown a bit, just a bit. Those feeling a sense of crisis banded together faster than my Master and I expected, causing us to miss the right time for intervention.”
“…”
“Moreover, in such a critical time, we couldn’t pass the Sect Leader’s position to the still inexperienced candidates, so they’re insisting on taking the Sect Leader’s position themselves…”
“Rebellion.”
“Impudence.”
“If this were Hwasan, they’d be hanging upside down on Lotus Peak.”
The disciples of Hwasan snorted.
“Hmm.”
Baek Cheon nodded heavily, letting out a deep sigh.
“I understand the situation. To summarize, there is a faction within the sect opposing the Sect Leader. Since they are formidable, we’ll have to endure some degree of discord. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
Baek Cheon nodded slowly. It wasn’t a problem without solution. In any sect, issues like these frequently arose when determining successors. Compared to what they had feared, it was a trivial issue.
“We will do our best to assist the Sect Leader.”
“Will you?”
“Yes. First, we need to assess the scale of the faction. How significant is it within the sect?”
“Hmm. It’s about twenty percent.”
“Twenty.”
That was a considerable faction, but not overly threatening. If they could quell the discontent among the rest, crushing a faction of that size wouldn’t be a problem.
“Understood. Then we will keep that twenty percent in check…”
“No, that’s not…”
“Yes?”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.
“…We are that twenty percent.”
“What?”
“Possibly even a bit less…”
“…What?”
“But it’s a minor issue. The scale of the faction isn’t that important, is it? If they come back, we’ll just deal with them again.”
“…Wait a minute? The Sect Leader’s side is the twenty percent? And you have to fight the eighty percent with that twenty?”
“Ah, it’s not exactly eighty. There are some neutrals as well.”
“Then how much is it?”
“About sixty?”
Baek Cheon’s eyes, who had remained calm throughout, shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“N-no, Sect Leader. With the situation like this, what exactly are we supposed to do to help? You seemed extremely confident.”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae shrugged and looked at someone.
“Well, isn’t it because Master had faith in someone’s abilities?”
“…”
“Even if it’s the same task, the difficulty changes depending on who does it.”
Defeating sixty percent with twenty as no easy feat. But if the one leading those twenty was the legendary ‘Hwasan Geomhyeop,’ it wasn’t such an extraordinary task.
That’s why Hyeon Pung Shin Gae could rest peacefully.
“I’m merely following the faith of my Master.”
With Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s soft yet resolute words, everyone turned to look at Chung Myung.
Sure enough, despite hearing all this, Chung Myung had a clear smile forming on his lips.
“Hm. I see.
Mumbling, Chung Myung stood up abruptly and approached Pung Yeong Shin Gae. Pung Yeong Shin Gae looked at him with expectant eyes.
Chung Myung spoke.
“So, what you’re saying is, we should use the faction loyal to the Sect Leader, which is about twenty percent, to smash the alliance of elders who have almost taken over the sect, and confidently place our ally in the Sect Leader’s position.”
“Yes.”
“And I’ll figure out the method?”
“Yes.”
“Got it. Haha. Hold on a second.”
“Yes?”
Click.
Chung Myung reached under the desk where Pung Yeong Shin Gae was sitting. The mechanism that Pung Yeong Shin Gae had activated earlier started working again.
“Huh?”
Creaking sounds echoed as the mechanism started working again.
With a heavy noise, the door to the upper floor, which they thought would never open again, creaked open. The stairs slowly descended.
“Why the mechanism?”
“Chung Myung?”
“What are you trying to…?”
At that moment, Chung Myung’s eyes rolled back and turned white. His body shot straight towards the stairs like a beam of light.
“That senile old man! All talk and no action!”
“Stop him!”
“Block him!”
Sensing an inexplicable dread since the stairs began to descend, the disciples of Hwasan quickly sprang into action, leaping to tackle Chung Myung as he dashed up the stairs.
“Let go! Won’t you let go?!”
“What do you think you’re doing, you bastard?!”
“Get that old geezer down here! Faith? Faith, my foot! He’s crazy!”
Chung Myung’s feet kicked furiously in the air, the gusts from his kicks pounding the innocent ceiling.
“Not getting up? Huh?”
“Chung Myung! He’s dead, I tell you!”
“He could still be alive! Are you sure? Did you check?”
“Talk some sense!”
Chung Myung’s eyes glared fiercely, simmering with intensity.
“If he’s dead? So what? Is it over if he dies?”
“Then it is over!”
“It’s not over! It’s not over! I thought so too! Let go of me!”
“What are you saying, you crazy fool!”
Chung Myung was now foaming at the mouth.
“Something felt off about this whole situation! Hey, you crazy old man! Come out! Aaargh!”
Chung Myung’s desperate scream echoed through Cheonsangru.
There wasn’t a single decent person from that era. Chung Myung was paying the price for momentarily forgetting that fact in the most agonizing way possible.
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