Chapter 1519
This isn’t my fault, right? (4)
“Then, is everything mostly finished now?”
“It seems… that way?”
“…I feel drained.”
After Shaolin left, a sense of exhaustion washed over them more heavily. Although the situation wasn’t entirely resolved yet, at least there wouldn’t be any more life-threatening battles. At that moment, Yoon Jong tilted his head as if something was bothering him.
“But… doesn’t it feel like we forgot something, Sasuk?”
“Forgot something? What do you mean?”
“No, I mean… there’s nothing we forgot, but strangely it feels like we did…”
Muttering awkwardly, Yoon Jong thought deeply before suddenly lifting his head. His usually thin eyes became as wide as saucers.
“Huh?”
Everyone turned to look at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“S-Sohyeop? Lee Sohyeop?”
“Huh?”
“Where is Lee Sohyeop? Lee Songbaek Sohyeop!”
“What?”
Baek Cheon also widened his eyes in surprise.
“Wasn’t he fighting with us?”
“He was! We fought together until the main hall collapsed!”
“Then when did he disappear?”
“Well, he must have disappeared when the main hall collapsed…”
The disciples of Hwasan, who were speaking with perplexed faces, simultaneously looked at the ground.
Amidst the wreckage of the collapsed main hall, a scene that defied the term “devastation,” those who were staring blankly raised their heads and looked at each other. Warm smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.
“Oh my god! Sohyeop!”
“Dig! Dig quickly! Someone’s going to die!”
“…Honestly, it’s like he’s already dead…”
“Stop saying unlucky things and dig quickly, you bastard! Oh my god, Lee Sohyeop!”
The disciples of Hwasan started frantically overturning the debris.
A moment later, Lee Songbaek, covered in white dust, sat blankly staring ahead with a vacant look in his eyes, as if something had drained out of him.
Everyone couldn’t meet his gaze honestly and turned their eyes away. Lee Songbaek’s mouth opened.
“…Even so.”
“…”
“We risked our lives fighting together.”
“…”
“And you forgot me completely.”
“Th-that…”
Baek Cheon, sweating profusely, stammered an excuse.
“It’s strange… I really felt like we were together…”
“Maybe it was just that you were with us in spirit?”
“Y-yeah? Maybe it was such a strong inner connection…”
Lee Songbaek, silently watching Hwasan’s disciples make excuses that didn’t even sound like excuses, looked up at the perfectly clear blue sky.
‘I wish all Hwasan’s guys would just disappear…’
It was starting to make sense where and how the deep-seated hatred of Hwasan by Jongnam originated.
“Ahem. Anyway, are you… alright?”
“Yoon Jong Dojang.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Covered in dust to the point of looking like a white ghost, Lee Songbaek still managed to bow respectfully. Yoon Jong, a bit taken aback, asked,
“What? Suddenly, what’s this about…?”
“I should thank you. If you hadn’t thought of me, Yoon Jong Dojang, I would probably have died down there without a chance to move.”
“…”
“I don’t know how to repay the grace of saving my life.”
The disciples of Hwasan bowed their heads solemnly, stealing desperate glances at each other.
‘Doesn’t he seem a bit different from before?’
‘Actually, that’s normal.’
‘But he’s really twisted now.’
‘Wouldn’t you be the same?’
However, they couldn’t say a word.
As Lee Songbaek said, if they had left him, buried under the heavy central pillar, he would have died there. He might have turned into a vengeful spirit and cursed Hwasan until the end of his… ghost life.
“Originally…”
“Oh! Enough talk! You’re alive, that’s what matters!”
“…”
“In the end, as long as you’re not dead, it’s fine! These days, all you youngsters do is whine as soon as something happens, huh? Back in my day, if we lost a limb in a fight, we just brushed it off and went to eat. Tsk tsk.”
At that moment, something surged in Lee Songbaek’s eyes as he stared at Chung Myung.
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Sohyeop. Let’s start by taking your hand off that sword.”
“See, I told you not to expect too much from that guy.”
“Amitabha. Honestly, this is karma.”
A deep sigh escaped from Lee Songbaek.
When he thought of the touching brotherly reunion while standing on the rubble that covered him, it was not enough to throw a sword right now. But what could he do? They didn’t know.
As he sighed and tried to calm his mind, Baek Cheon spoke with a serious expression.
“Anyway, Sohyeop, thank you very much.”
“Yes?”
His bow was impeccable.
“Thanks to your help, no one died or was seriously injured. Hwasan will remember the spirit you showed us today.”
Lee Songbaek looked at Baek Cheon for a moment before speaking.
“Don’t try to gloss over things so easily.”
“Aha, you caught us.”
“See? I told you it wouldn’t work.”
“Strange, it usually does.”
Lee Songbaek bit his lip hard. He realized deeply that Hwasan’s disciples were all out of their minds.
At that moment, Jo Geol raised his hand abruptly.
“But, Sohyeop!”
“Yes?”
“Is that true?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard that Sasuk’s elder brother is going to become the next Sect Leader of Jongnam.”
“…Just call him Jin Geumryong, Geol.”
“Hey, but he’s our respected Sasuk’s brother. I should be respectful, right?”
“Just call him Jin Geumryong if you don’t want to die.”
“…Yes.”
Lee Songbaek responded with an incredulous expression.
“Are you talking about Daesahyeong? That rumor is going around?”
“Yes! I’m sure I heard it.”
Lee Songbaek’s face turned serious for a moment.
“That’s nonsense. Daesahyeong is a second-generation disciple. How can a second-generation disciple become the Sect Leader? There are clear ranks and traditions to follow!”
Thunk.
A dagger of words pierced the hearts of Hwasan’s disciples.
“Even if Sect Leader steps down, the next Sect Leader should come from the first-generation disciples. Isn’t that common sense in any respectable sect?”
Thunk.
Another dagger struck.
“…Looks like we almost had neither ranks nor traditions nor common sense.”
“Honestly, when you think about it, we have more things we don’t have than things we do.”
“Exactly.”
The faces of Hwasan’s disciples turned somber. The fact that there was no malice in those words made it even sadder.
“Anyway, what are you going to do now?”
“Yes?”
“We’re planning to leave tomorrow after finishing up here. And you?”
At Chung Myung’s question, Lee Songbaek glanced sideways. The Sect Leader and the elders were busy moving around. There were certainly more things to be done to sort out their relationship with them. However, he…
“I don’t think there’s anything more for me to do.”
“Hmm?”
“Ugh.”
Lee Songbaek staggered to his feet, lightly brushed the dust off his clothes, and calmly addressed Hwasan’s disciples.
“My fellow disciples must be worried, so I’ll be on my way.”
“Y-you’re leaving?”
“Yes. Unless there’s something more I need to do?”
“It’s not that, but…”
As Lee Songbaek shrugged and Chung Myung suddenly spoke up.
“Wasn’t the reason Jongnam came here to establish a good relationship with the Beggars Sect?”
Lee Songbaek turned his head towards Chung Myung.
“Of course, the main purpose is the information the Beggars Sect provides. You’re not an idiot, so you must know that if you stay here, Sect Leader will have no choice but to compensate you for what you’ve done, right?”
At those words, Lee Songbaek scratched his head.
“Well…”
“Hmm?”
“The order I received from Sect Leader was to inform the Beggars Sect’s headquarters that Jongnam has resumed its activities and to pay our respects.”
“…”
“I can’t presume to know what more Sect Leader might have wanted. I’m just faithfully following his orders.”
“After helping us out?”
Lee Songbaek gave a small smile.
“The one who helped you is me as a swordsman. But as a disciple of Jongnam, what’s important is merely to follow Sect Leader’s will and execute it precisely.”
“Ha…”
“So, I plan to return and wait until the Beggars Sect is settled, then pay my respects to the new Sect Leader. I might have returned without meeting the Sect Leader at all, so I consider this a significant accomplishment.”
“…”
“However, I have one request.”
“What is it?”
“Please keep it a secret that I helped you.”
“…”
“There’s no benefit to having that revealed…”
Throughout his speech, Lee Songbaek glanced at Baek Cheon. He was likely seeing someone else in Baek Cheon’s face.
Everyone nodded with regretful expressions.
“We’ll… we’ll do that.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll be off.”
Lee Songbaek turned as if reassured.
“Oh, wait.”
But soon, as if he had remembered something, he turned back to everyone and said.
“My group is staying at the Jin Young Inn. If you need my help again, you can find me there. But!”
Lee Songbaek brought his finger to his lips and smiled a bit playfully.
“Please make sure not to let my seniors know.”
“…”
“Then, Hwasan Geomhyeop.”
“Huh?”
“It was a pleasure fighting alongside you. Let’s meet again.”
Lee Songbaek smiled brightly and turned away.
Watching his figure quickly disappear, the disciples of Hwasan sighed.
“So basically, he wants us to keep his deeds here a secret.”
“…..If this got out, it would really boost his reputation, wouldn’t it?”
“For sure.”
“But to keep it secret means…”
“Maybe the fear of being caught by a ghost outweighs the good things that come from fame?”
“…Maybe so.”
Although they said this, the disciples of Hwasan already knew well enough.
They understood how difficult and extraordinary it was to not boast about one’s own deeds.
And yet, Lee Songbaek had left cleanly without showing even a moment’s regret.
“Really…”
It was the image of a true hero they had always envisioned. Finding it in none other than a swordsman of Jongnam made their feelings complicated and strange.
“It feels a bit scratchy, Sasuk.”
“You feel that too?”
“It would have been better if he weren’t from Jongnam.”
“Well, it’s not impossible.”
“What?”
“Our Sasuk was from Jongnam but eventually came to Hwasan. Maybe if we persuade him…”
“Tsk, tsk…”
“Sasuk, you’ll hurt your teeth. You might break a molar.”
The peculiar impression lingered for a long time.
After a prolonged silence, Baek Cheon exhaled deeply and said,
“If chivalry were abundant in the world, there would be no need to emphasize it.”
“…Yes.”
“The fact that righteousness still exists in the world… is because there are people everywhere who uphold that path without expecting anything in return.”
A light of reflection shone in Baek Cheon’s eyes.
For a brief moment, he had been gripped by the arrogance of thinking that only they were protecting the righteousness in the Central Plains.
But today, the actions of the monks from Shaolin and Lee Songbaek had made him profoundly ashamed.
“In this world, there are still those who practice righteousness. We must not fall behind.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
The disciples of Hwasan nodded firmly.
One part of the sky, which had been a deep blue, was slowly being tinged with the warm hues of the sunset.
❀ ❀ ❀
Several hours later, in Cheonsangru, Pung Yeong Shin Gae slumped down with exhaustion evident on his face. In front of him stood the disciples of Hwasan, now neatly cleaned up. Pung Yeong Shin Gae spoke with a voice halfway between breaths.
“Headquarters… has fallen.”
“…”
“Among the elders of the Beggars Sect, there are numerous injured…”
“…”
“Ilho Shin Gae, the greatest master of the Beggars Sect, has been imprisoned after being subdued in combat. There’s likely no chance of his release, so we must consider it a permanent loss to our forces.”
“…”
“The disciples are still demanding explanations. With the collapse of the headquarters, numerous documents and artifacts have been lost. With the top-level members being punished for their crimes, the entire system is in chaos!”
As Pung Yeong Shin Gae spoke, his voice grew louder and louder, as if his anger was boiling over. Cold sweat ran down the faces of the disciples of Hwasan.
“Above all, the reports! The reports! Countless reports that were piled up in the headquarters have been torn to shreds and scattered everywhere! The disciples of the Beggars Sect are out there picking up every piece of paper in Kaifeng like scavengers, unable to even get a decent night’s sleep!”
Especially Baek Cheon, who was responsible, was drenched in sweat from head to toe. The amount of reports piled up in the Beggars Sect’s headquarters… just how much was it?
“Anyway…”
He twitched.
Addressing Hwasan’s disciples, Pung Yeong Shin Gae spat out his words with an expressionless face and tone.
“Thank. You. Very. Much. Hwa. San. Disciples.”
…That gentleman’s demeanor… is quite fierce, isn’t it?
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