Chapter 1523
Now that I think about it, we did do wrong. (3)
“……What did you say?”
This was not simply a question of surprise.
It was so absurd that Beop Jong couldn’t comprehend the words he had just clearly heard, so he asked again.
Even the Abbot of Shaolin, who had reached a level of understanding the deeper meanings behind a few words, could not grasp the straightforward information he had just been given.
It was a rare occurrence, but understandable. Even the person delivering the news had doubted his own ears multiple times.
“Th-The rebellion of the Beggars Sect… Shaolin has intervened…”
“Shaolin?”
Beop Jong couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“What kind of nonsense is that! We’re clearly here, so how could Shaolin have intervened in something happening in Kaifeng?”
“Well…”
Beop Gye stuttered, hesitating as if finding it hard to speak. Finally, Beop Jong, who was burning with frustration, lost his temper.
“If you have a mouth, then speak! What on earth are you talking about!”
“Abbot… It seems that those who were on Mount Song have made a move.”
At that moment, Beop Jong’s movements came to an abrupt halt. It was as if he had been suddenly doused with ice water.
“Hye Bang?”
“…Yes.”
“Are you saying that child has involved himself in the affairs of the Beggars Sect?”
“From what we can see, it seems there’s no other explanation…”
“How?”
“…Abbot.”
Beop Jong’s face twisted, and then he exploded in fury. His face, and even his head, turned bright red as he shouted.
“A mere first-generation disciple! He led others within the sect to intervene in another sect’s matters! Without my orders! He moved Shaolin on his own? That brat?!”
In the face of Beop Jong’s overwhelming wrath, Beop Gye stood pale and speechless.
“How! How could such a thing happen! The strict laws of Thousand-Year-Old Shaolin are still alive and well! What was he thinking, committing such an outrageous act!”
This was an unprecedented event in the long history of Shaolin.
When Hye Bang first disobeyed orders and left the Yangtze River, Beop Jong did not bother to punish him. Although initially infuriated, he believed Hye Bang must have had his reasons.
Even when other monks followed Hye Bang and refused to comply with Beop Jong’s will, he understood. He thought they might not see his path as the way of a Buddhist.
But this was different.
Every matter in the world has its boundaries and rules that must be followed.
This incident was a blatant disregard for all those boundaries and rules.
“…Is it true?”
“…”
“I asked if it was certain!”
When Beop Jong slammed his hand on the table, Beop Gye sighed and spoke.
“…A message just came from Mount Song.”
“What did it say?”
With a hardened expression, Beop Jong asked stiffly, and Beop Gye reluctantly answered in a hesitant voice.
“Hye Bang has decided to take responsibility for all of this by entering the Repentance Cave on his own. He said he would request punishment from you when you arrive…”
A chilling sound of teeth grinding reverberated as Beop Jong clenched his jaw.
Normally, Beop Gye would have tried to calm him, but this time he couldn’t dare speak.
From Beop Jong’s perspective, this incident was akin to treason. Knowing this, how could he even suggest calming down?
“Abbot… What will you do about Hye Bang…?”
“Do you even have to ask?!”
Beop Jong shouted, his eyes bloodshot.
“I will destroy his dantian, sever his tendons and expel him from Shaolin!”
“A-Abbot!”
Startled, Beop Gye raised his voice without realizing it.
“What? Do you think that’s too harsh?”
But Beop Jong glared at him with fierce eyes.
“Answer me. As the head of Shaolin’s disciplinary committee, do you think the punishment l’ve decided is excessive?”
“How could it be excessive? For such a grievous offense, the only fitting punishment is severing his tendons.”
“Then!”
“But, Abbot… In Shaolin’s history, no one who entered the Repentance Cave on their own has ever been dragged out. Moreover, the expulsion and tendon-severing must be witnessed by the current Abbot.”
Beop Jong bit his lip hard.
This meant that in order to excommunicate Hye Bang, Beop Jong would have to go to Mount Song. However, he could not leave Hubei at the moment.
Beop Gye cautiously spoke again.
“And… Abbot.”
“I know.”
Beop Jong cut him off, not wanting to hear more, and bit his lip. His anger continued to simmer, but his thoroughly trained rationality reminded him of reality before his emotions could take over.
“If we do it that way, it would ultimately reveal to the world that there are those within Shaolin who defy my orders.”
“Yes, Abbot. I’m sorry, but… that’s correct.”
Beop Jong struggled to calm himself, biting his lip harder. It wasn’t his reputation that mattered, but if it were damaged, Shaolin’s prestige would also suffer. And now, more than ever, they could not afford to let that prestige falter.
“That brat, to go this far…”
“Th-That might not be the case. Hye Bang isn’t the type to be so calculating.”
“No!”
“Pardon?”
“You’re right. Hye Bang isn’t the type to be calculating. Do you think a child like that would act on his own and go to Kaifeng?”
Beop Gye sighed softly, finally understanding.
Beop Jong spoke harshly, as if spitting out his words.
“Exactly! It means someone was inciting him!”
There was no need to say who that person might be.
This had truly become a headache. From Shaolin’s perspective, even though they were faced with such an absurd situation, they had to quietly cover it up to prevent the news from leaking.
They might even have to lie and say that everything was done under Beop Jong’s orders if someone asked about the incident.
It was truly distressing. How on earth could they resolve this?
“Send someone to the main temple. From now on, anyone who leaves the temple without my permission will be excommunicated.”
“Yes, I will do that.”
Taking a rough breath to forcibly calm himself, Beop Jong asked in a slightly more composed voice.
“What happened with the Beggars Sect?”
“It seems the Sect Leader has suppressed the rebellion.”
Of course, that would be the outcome. Not only Hwasan, but Hye Bang leading Shaolin monks into the battle would naturally result in such a conclusion.
But Beop Jong wasn’t asking for such an obvious answer.
“And then?”
Cold sweat dripped down Beop Gye’s face.
“Well… Sect Leader Pung Yeong Shin Gae seems to be planning to step down, taking responsibility for this incident.”
“Step down? In this situation? Do they intend to change their leader when we are on the brink of war with Sapaeryeon?”
“Yes, that’s what they’ve communicated…”
“…Huh.”
Beop Jong felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.
What did everyone think of the current situation? His head throbbed with pain.
“So… who will be the next leader?”
“For now, Hong Daekwang is being mentioned.”
“…Hong Daekwang?”
“Yes. He was once the head of the Luoyang branch, known as the ‘Eccentric Beggar of Luoyang [낙양괴걸(洛陽怪乞) – nakyang-goegeol].’ At one time, he was considered a candidate for the Sect Leader’s…”
As Beop Jong listened to Beop Gye’s report, his face hardened.
He repeated the name to himself several times. Hong Daekwang. Hong Daekwang. It was a name he definitely remembered hearing.
“Could it be that person?”
“Yes. That…”
This was why Beop Gye was sweating. Hesitating, he finally answered with difficulty.
“He is currently the head of the Hwaeum branch and is a prominent pro-Hwasan faction member within the Beggars Sect.”
Beop Jong closed his eyes tightly as a dizzy spell overtook him.
“In the end…”
It was almost laughable.
When Hye Bang committed his outrageous act, Beop Jong’s fury had soared to the heavens, but now that the Beggars Sect seemed poised to turn to Cheonumaeng, he felt no particular anger.
He had expected it.
‘That person’
Such a person would never miss this opportunity.
No, it doesn’t make sense that such an event would occur right after Hwasan visited Kaifeng and that they would just conveniently seize the chance. This must have been their intention from the beginning. Otherwise, there’s no explaining why those who were busy reorganizing Hwaeum would suddenly show up in Kaifeng.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
“Heh.”
“Abbot…”
“Send someone to the Beggars Sect. No, you go there yourself.”
“What?”
“We must prevent the Beggars Sect from turning to Cheonumaeng. Without them, we’ll be blind.”
“Abbot, but realistically…”
“Realistically?”
Beop Jong’s eyes shot open, his briefly calmed fury surging back instantly.
“Do you think it’s realistic for Hwasan to meddle in the Beggars Sect’s affairs and install their puppet as the Sect Leader?”
Beop Gye had no choice but to close his mouth tightly.
Who could have imagined such a situation would unfold? Especially when Sapaeryeon was holding a sword right at Gangbuk’s neck.
“Stop it by any means necessary. Beg, threaten, do whatever it takes! If that’s not possible, at least secure a promise from the new Sect Leader that they won’t cut off support to Gupailbang!”
With a darkened expression, Beop Gye bowed his head deeply.
“…Amitabha.”
Beop Jong took a few deep breaths to calm himself before continuing.
“The Beggars Sect cannot sever ties with us all at once. The new Sect Leader, being young and inexperienced, even if he wishes to do so, the elders will not allow it.”
“Indeed…”
“Even if it is inevitable in the future, now is not the time. While we cannot prevent Cheonumaeng from gaining anything, we must minimize our losses. Do you understand?”
“…I will do my best.”
The more he thought about it, the more helpless Beop Jong felt, as he let out a hollow laugh, almost like a madman.
He never imagined they would target the Beggars Sect at a time like this. He was genuinely curious about what was going on in that person’s mind.
If this was to be seen as a declaration of war from Cheonumaeng, it wasn’t quite that. There was no need to discuss the worsening of relations now – the relationship between Cheonumaeng and Gupailbang had already crossed an irreparable line long ago.
While their relations had been poor, it wasn’t due to Beop Jong’s negligence.
If Shaolin had not participated in this matter, no matter how much Cheonumaeng schemed, things would not have gone this far. But who could have predicted that those stationed on Mount Song would move without the Abbot’s permission at that critical moment?
Ultimately, it came down to Shaolin. Yes, Shaolin.
Beop Jong’s failure to address the internal strife within Shaolin had now escalated into an avalanche. While he couldn’t be accused of negligence, he couldn’t escape the label of incompetence.
“…We’ve become a laughingstock.”
“Abbot…”
“By now, he must be receiving a hero’s welcome at Hwaeum.”
Beop Jong squeezed his eyes shut, envisioning the scene of Chung Myunf laughing triumphantly.
‘Hwasan Geomhyeop…’
The veins stood out starkly on the back of Beop Jong’s hand as he clutched his prayer beads tightly.
❀ ❀ ❀
However, contrary to Beop Jong’s expectations, Chung Myung received neither a warm welcome nor praise.
“Hold your hands up properly!”
Instead, he stood there, one eye bruised, being punished. In front of him, three people who had become the embodiment of wrath were gritting their teeth.
“A disciple of Hwasan wearing Jongnam’s robes?”
Hyun Sang’s eyes blazed with fury.
“Pretending to be from Jongnam? Jongnam of all places?”
In Gangho, even killing someone warrants an explanation, and destroying a building requires a justification. But wearing the uniform of another sect, especially one from a neighboring mountain, is an unforgivable offense that could get you beaten to death.
What can you do? Such is the logic of Gangho.
“Wearing Jongnam’s robes could be forgivable.”
But Hyun Jong was different. He wasn’t one to care about such trivial matters. Despite his immense pride in Hwasan, he valued his disciples’ safety above all else.
“But sneaking into Kaifeng wearing those uniforms? And fighting with elders?”
Fire spewed from Hyun Jong’s mouth.
With Hyun Sang’s rebuke combined with Hyun Jong’s words, the disciples of Hwasan were now seen as reckless troublemakers who, instead of avoiding conflict, had escalated it by donning Jongnam’s robes and causing a ruckus.
And… only one remained.
“Did you destroy all the reports?”
The anger of Hyun Yeong, who stood last, was the most intense.
As if possessed by a demon, Hyun Yeong screamed from the depths of hell.
“If you’re going to a place like the Beggars Sect, you should collect the information and receipts first! What? Because the headquarters fell apart, the physical vouchers, receipts and reports all vanished, and now we’re really beggars?”
“…”
“As if I’m not already dying from being broke, now you bring in another ten thousand beggars? Where’s the money? Did you earn any money yourselves?”
“Hyun Yeong. That’s a bit harsh right now….”
“Alliance Leader, please stay still! Is there anything more serious than this?”
“Uh… y-yes. Anyway, you scoundrels!”
“This scoundrel!”
“Damn bastard!”
Amidst the torrent of scolding from all directions, the soul gradually escaped from Chung Myung’s mouth. Voices heard in Kaifeng echoed warmly and faintly in his ears.
– Geomjon.
Ah, if only I hadn’t come to Hwasan or continued to be a beggar…
Ugh.
Comments