Chapter 1515
I’ve seen it all in my lifetime. (4)
Boom!
With a massive explosion, llho Shin Gae was thrown to the ground in a pitiful state.
“Ugh!”
As he tried to open his mouth, black blood gushed out, staining the ground. With trembling hands, llho Shin Gae desperately grabbed onto the floor, slowly turning his head. The sight that met his eyes made him forget his condition, leaving him gaping in shock.
The blue sky.
The once-majestic main hall’s ceiling and the walls that had shielded the interior from the outside were gone. Instead, his vision was filled entirely with the boundless blue sky.
“The… the headquarters…”
It was literally half-destroyed. Stunned, Ilho Shin Gae couldn’t even finish his sentence.
In truth, it was expected. With such powerful martial artists fighting inside this decrepit building, it was bound to collapse. It was a miracle that it had held up this long.
Yes, almost as if…
Step. Step.
At that moment, Chung Myung approached him.
The battle in the hall had ended sometime ago. When Chung Myung’s single sword strike had brought down the upper structure, everyone’s gaze had fixed on him, unable to look away.
“Hwasan… Hwasan Geomhyeop… cough!”
Bloody coughs erupted from Ilho Shin Gae’s mouth.
There was no way out.
Neither the Mysterious Jade Divine Art, which he had mastered with all his might, nor the Eighteen Palms Pursuing Righteousness, the secret technique only the Sect Leader of the Beggars Sect could learn, had any value against that monster.
The fact that he, the Beggars Sect’s top martial artist, had been defeated so squarely by a young swordsman who hadn’t even reached thirty left no room for excuses.
Step.
Chung Myung took another step closer, pressing down on llho Shin Gae, and then slowly stopped. He raised his chin and stared at the sky through the broken ceiling.
“Hmm.”
Gazing at the sky as if something stirred within him, Chung Myung spoke calmly.
“It’s refreshing.”
“…”
“The wind is blowing here too. Isn’t it?”
It was an unexpected remark. Staring blankly at Chung Myung, Ilho Shin Gae clutched his chest and struggled to stand.
The battle was already over. There was no way he could compete with this sword demon.
No, even if he could face Chung Myung, it wouldn’t matter. The moment Shaolin unexpectedly appeared and sided with them, the outcome was already determined.
He understood. Any further resistance would only result in meaningless sacrifices.
Even so, Ilho Shin Gae couldn’t accept defeat.
“…I…”
Coughing up blood, he glared fiercely at Chung Myung.
“I cannot accept this. I will never acknowledge Muheun Gae’s rule!”
“…”
“The Beggars Sect is rotting from within! At this rate, it won’t even be the Beggars Sect anymore! I… I will change the Beggars Sect…”
“Ah, there it is.”
Chung Myung smiled faintly and nodded. Ilho Shin Gae blinked, bewildered by the unexpected remark. Chung Myung pointed out what he said.
“That ‘I’ is the problem. ‘I’.”
“…”
“It doesn’t have to be you. Anyone can change the Beggars Sect. It’s not something that ‘I’ must do.”
Ilho Shin Gae’s face twisted at those words.
“You don’t understand what the Beggars Sect is…”
“Full of idiots, right?”
“…What?”
Chung Myung chuckled as if he had already guessed what Ilho Shin Gae was going to say. Or perhaps he understood Ilho Shin Gae’s feelings.
“Compared to you, everyone seems inadequate, and the ones growing up don’t seem trustworthy at all. You think that if you don’t forcefully change and lead them, they’ll completely fail, right?”
Chung Myung’s gaze drifted slightly to the side.
“People who are thoughtless, foolish, lacking any discernible talent, and even those who seem to have some skill act like they’re out of their minds. Yet, despite everything, they’re overflowing with pointless confidence…”
“Who is he talking about right now?”
“…Chung Myung-ah, make sure you direct your gaze properly.”
“Don’t look this way! It’s not us!”
Shaking his head, Chung Myung focused on Ilho Shin Gae again.
“So, you think ‘I’ must do something, that the procedures and justifications are secondary, and that the minor side effects in the process will be justified by the good results.”
With a smile, Chung Myung asked Ilho Shin Gae.
“Isn’t that right?”
“…”
“That’s why you fail.”
Chung Myung’s eyes glanced briefly at the sky.
“Someone who believes they’re the only one capable and can do everything alone ends up making everyone suffer. Only those who believe that even those who seem less capable can achieve what they themselves cannot are qualified to be leaders.”
Ilho Shin Gae’s fingertips trembled faintly.
“Are you saying I’m inadequate?”
“No, I’m saying you aren’t suitable.”
“…Why?”
“Because you only aim to change the present.”
Ilho Shin Gae seemed to not fully understand. Chung Myung elaborated.
“Your words may not be entirely wrong. If you were to become the Sect Leader, the Beggars Sect might improve for a while compared to now. But ultimately, those changes will make it even harder for the Beggars Sect.”
“Why?”
“Because when you die, no one will be able to replace you.”
Ilho Shin Gae flinched for a moment. Chung Myung drove his point home like a nail.
“What you can do by virtue of your position essentially means that no one else can do it if it’s not me. A sect shouldn’t be like that. It should be able to function even without me, and it should be able to be upheld even without me. But you can’t do that. In your eyes, anyone other than yourself is just foolish and inadequate.”
With a calm tone, yet as if making a declaration, Chung Myung spoke.
“That’s why we must change ourselves. Those who will carry on the future of the Beggars Sect must do it themselves. Not the wandering ghosts with few days left!”
For a moment, Chung Myung sharply turned his head. The elders, under his gaze, flinched before regaining their composure. One elder hesitantly voiced his dissent.
“How dare someone who’s not even a member lecture us…”
“Enough of this now!”
A thunderous voice erupted, cutting through the tension. It wasn’t Chung Myung or any of the elders.
It was Hong Daekwang. He glared at the elders with clenched teeth.
“Do you even feel ashamed?”
“T-This guy!”
“If you’re so confident, why hide? When Shaolin came here, wasn’t it the time to speak boldly and take your place at the helm of the Beggar Sect?”
“What…?”
“The elders are ashamed, that’s why they don’t call their disciples and let this chaos unfold!”
“Shut your mouth! You’re nothing!”
Hong Daekwang glared fiercely in response.
“When did it become necessary to hold a position to speak in the Beggars Sect? From the elder to the youngest beggar, we’re all beggars. We are the lowest of the low. That’s why we have no hierarchy, that’s why anyone can raise their voice and speak! Isn’t that what being a beggar is all about?”
Hong Daekwang clenched his jaws, his tendons visibly strained.
“If you want so desperately to grasp power! If you want to divide and suppress with your authority! If you want to discard this raggs and join another sect, as the Beggar Sect’s elder, you’ll be welcomed with open arms elsewhere. Why bother wearing this filthy rag?”
The elders were on the verge of exploding in outrage.
“Answer.”
A deep voice rumbled from behind them.
“S-Sect Leader?”
“No…”
Confusion etched across the elders’ faces. Standing near the entrance, that has not yet collapsed, alongside other elders, was Sect Leader Pung Yeong Shin Gae, along with those who had left the hall earlier, including Chu Myeon Gae.
In that scene, some elders within the hall closed their eyes as if resigned.
‘We’re done for.’
The presence of Sect Leader Pung Yeong Shin Gae meant that the efforts of the elders who had gone to rally support had failed. It also indicated that the defeat on this side was almost certain.
Pung Yeong Shin Gae spoke again.
“This is where the elders are, and where decisions regarding the fate of the Beggars Sect are made.”
Surprisingly, Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s question was directed towards Hong Daekwang, and it wasn’t friendly.
“Yet, what right do you, who lacks qualification, have to speak out like this?”
Listening to it, it almost sounded like a reprimand not to step forward but to retreat. However, Hong Daekwang stood his ground without flinching and boldly shouted.
“What are you asking such an obvious question for! Because I’m ashamed, that’s why, ashamed!”
“Hmm?”
The response was not what he expected, and the face of Pung Yeong Shin Gae subtly stiffened.
“Is it because you’re ashamed? Is that all?”
“Do I need another reason?”
Pung Yeong Shin Gae licked his dry lips. He had a slightly anxious expression. Hong Daekwang, as if having no intention of sympathizing with him, spoke again, his face flashing with determination.
“We’re just scraping by. We don’t work, we just loaf around, and even if we freeze to death somewhere, no one gives a damn about us.”
“Of course. Isn’t that what beggars are?”
“Yes. Of course! So, even if you don’t know anything else, you shouldn’t do shameful things. If a beggar without anything to his name resorts to such despicable acts, he’ll truly become worthless! Even if we’re looked down upon as filthy beggars, still, we are human beings. At the very least, we aim to act like humans and receive humane treatment. What more reason do we need!”
A look of confusion flickered across Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s face. His mouth twitched a few times.
Though brief, during that time, everyone couldn’t take their eyes off Pung Yeong Shin Gae and Hong Daekwang.
“Huuu.”
Exhaling a short breath, Pung Yeong Shin Gae let go of all the thoughts swirling in his mind. And instead of evading the issue, he laid out exactly what he wanted to ask.
“…What do you think of the current state… of the Beggars Sect?”
“What are you asking? It’s a mess. Is this some kind of beggar’s den? It’s more like the lair of demons of Haomun.”
“…Then why do you think it has become like this?”
“Why do you keep asking such obvious questions?”
Hong Daekwang asked bluntly. Pung Yeong Shin Gae nodded with a bitter expression.
“Right… I asked for no reason. This is all my…”
“That’s not it!”
“Hmm?”
Ignoring Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s intention once again, Hong Daekwang stared fiercely, darting his eyes around the chaotic interior of the half-collapsed headquarters. Then he shouted.
“Here! At this crucial moment that determines the fate of the Beggars Sect!”
The sweeping gaze finally settled on Ilho Shin Gae.
“Where are the beggars?”
Ilho Shin Gae’s eyes shook momentarily.
“Just because they wear rags and pretend to be beggars, does that make them beggars? Are those who hoard money in their treasuries, refusing to lift a finger to help others, but indulging in luxury, only covering themselves in tattered clothes, beggars? Are the elders here truly beggars?”
Some of the elders’ faces turned red involuntarily. But it wasn’t just the elders who felt a sting. Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s face also flushed.
While it was true he had endured hardships, it was also undeniable that he had lived in luxury, feasting on greasy delicacies during prosperous times. If one only saw his way of living without knowing his status, who in the world would call him a beggar?
“The reason Hwasan is in ruins is because someone who doesn’t look like a Taoist is wandering around.”
“What? That guy was doing well until…”
“Chung Myung, stay quiet!”
“Shut your mouth!”
Before Chung Myung could erupt, Hong Daekwang shouted loudly again.
“And the reason Hwasan regains its glory is because they are more like true Taoists than anyone else in the world.”
In Hong Daekwang’s eyes, directed at Ilho Shin Gae, there was a resolute determination and conviction like never before.
“Progress? Reform? Don’t make me laugh. What help does it do for beggars if the people here gather to make the sect stronger? There are no beggars in this place. In the end, only you lot will benefit.”
“Yes, you…”
“Did you ask for my opinion?”
Hong Daekwang turned to Pung Yeong Shin Gae once more and spoke.
“Yes, let me be honest. I’m neither a Sect Leader nor an elder. Just as someone who isn’t a Taoist can’t discuss the future of Hwasan, pretensions bastards who aren’t beggars can’t discuss the future of the Beggars Sect. If you want to make the sect right, you should just leave! Beggars Sect will be…!”
Pausing for a moment, Hong Daekwang clenched his fist tightly. Then, with a grim determination, he thrust his finger.
“Beggars Sect will be handled by the beggars themselves. You fancy idiots are just filling your stomachs on this sinking ship!”
In the almost crumbled center of the main hall, his aggressive and seemingly radical remarks echoed loudly.
Baek Cheon, who had his mouth open dumbfoundedly, suddenly snapped out of it and turned his gaze sharply.
‘Ch-Chung Myung…’
And Baek Cheon saw it. He saw Chung Myung, who looked even more shocked and bewildered than himself. Cold sweat ran down his back. Uh…
This doesn’t seem good at all. Uh…
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