Chapter 27

Chapter 27. Pretending to Be a Chivalrous Hero

After Jaha finished explaining and fell silent, Ha Seonbaek looked at him with warm eyes.

It was the gaze of a master wondering when his immature disciple had grown up so much.

Ha Seonbaek had spent so long unconscious that it felt as if his disciples had suddenly grown up overnight.

“It seems this master didn’t raise you wrongly after all.”

There was pride in Ha Seonbaek’s voice.

Jaha, however, grumbled inwardly.

Good grief. I might end up dying, so what exactly is he so proud of?

Having lived in the Demonic Cult, Jaha could never understand these Orthodox Faction people.

Instead of stopping a disciple who said he was going somewhere he might die in the name of chivalry, they actually praised him.

Of course, Jaha himself was taking advantage of that very nature to persuade Ha Seonbaek.

Even so, he hadn’t expected his master to give permission this easily.

“Even though you didn’t know who that girl was when you brought her here, she is an important person being sought by the Mount Hua Sect and the Murim Alliance. Even if you handed her over without knowing the truth, once you realize that what happened was unjust, pretending not to know would go against the way of a chivalrous martial artist. Byeokho may have unknowingly delivered that girl into the tiger’s mouth, but now that he knows the truth, he must bring her back even if the place is dangerous.”

It sounded exactly like something one might hear from an old village teacher.

Yet Jaha enthusiastically agreed with Ha Seonbaek.

“I couldn’t simply pretend I knew nothing and leave either. After hearing Elder Goeui’s words, I felt that the only way to ease the burden on my heart was to make sure the girl reached somewhere safe.”

“Yes, yes. I truly didn’t raise you wrongly.”

Ha Seonbaek and Jaha were creating quite a touching scene.

Hanseol, however, clearly wasn’t pleased.

So she quietly spoke.

“Master, I understand the circumstances, but he might have to face the leader of Seohyeop Gang and Hwancheonma. How is Senior Brother supposed to fight against people like them? It’s impossible.”

Hanseol had also been raised by Ha Seonbaek almost like a daughter.

Because of that, even when speaking to her master, she rarely held back what she wanted to say.

“Seol-ah, there are three things a martial artist must fear above all else. What are they?”

At Ha Seonbaek’s question, Hanseol answered gloomily.

“Abandoning your pride, ignoring injustice when you see it, and refusing to correct a mistake even after realizing it.”

“Exactly. If your senior brother ignores a girl who has fallen into danger, he will be violating all three of those principles. If we abandon those three things, then what meaning is there in founding Cheongun Martial Hall and training in martial arts?”

“Master! Even so, we aren’t the Murim Alliance. We’re just some countryside martial arts school! Let the Murim Alliance deal with things like that. If Senior Brother Byeok goes there, he really might die!”

Hanseol practically pleaded like a spoiled child.

Ha Seonbaek smiled gently at her.

“If Byeokho dies because of this, this master will not be sad.”

Hanseol’s eyes widened.

Ha Seonbaek continued.

“But if Byeokho survives by pretending not to see someone he is responsible for and choosing only to save himself, then this master will be saddened for the rest of my life.”

Jaha decided it was time to end the argument.

He looked at Hanseol.

“Junior Sister, I won’t die. I’m not going there to die. So don’t worry too much.”

Jo Unryong also tried to reassure her.

“Senior Sister, you know what Senior Brother Byeok is capable of. So stop worrying. Senior Brother Byeok isn’t like Eldest Senior Brother...”

Jo Unryong suddenly stopped talking and quickly shut his mouth.

“What about Cheongryong?”

Ha Seonbaek had been listening to his youngest disciple when Cheongryong’s name suddenly came up.

“Ah, Unryong just meant that Senior Brother Byeok isn’t as stubborn as Eldest Senior Brother, so nothing serious will happen.”

Trying to distract Ha Seonbaek, Hanseol forced a smile and quickly made up an unrelated excuse.

As Jaha drove the carriage away, he asked inwardly,

Byeokho, judging by how you aren’t reacting at all, did you also feel indebted to Deung Hwahong?

Byeokho couldn’t answer even if Jaha asked him.

But the complete lack of resistance was enough for Jaha to understand his feelings.

Jaha shook his head.

In truth, he still hadn’t spent enough time in this life to fully understand the behavior of these Orthodox Faction people.

“Those damn mongrels.”

Goeui had lost count of how many times he had said those words.

He had visited people he considered acquaintances, yet almost every single one of them had practically slammed the door in his face.

“Whenever their children or fathers were sick, they treated me like their own lord. But now that no one is ill, they treat me like this? They say people act differently before and after using the latrine, but how can they change this much? Ptooey! What a bunch of treacherous bastards.”

Still furious, Goeui even spat at one of the closed doors.

Goeui was infamous for his eccentric behavior and terrible personality, so his acquaintances had refused his request.

Whenever they needed treatment, they bowed and scraped before him because of his medical skills.

But now they had no reason to do so.

In the end, looking for help among Goeui’s acquaintances ended in failure.

With no other choice, Jaha turned the carriage around, intending to look for an inn where they could stay.

Then they encountered a man riding a horse along the road.

The man recognized Jaha first.

“Oh? Aren’t you Young Hero Byeok?”

Hearing someone call him, Jaha looked toward the man.

He vaguely remembered seeing him somewhere before, but couldn’t recall exactly where.

Back when Jaha had been the leader of the Demonic Cult, he had developed a habit of remembering only important people.

People around them who offered no particular value were easily forgotten.

“You don’t remember me? I was one of the men accompanying the Chief Manager.”

“Chief Manager? Ah, Chief Manager Jeo Geumsan.”

“Yes. I was one of the managers who accompanied him.”

“I see. My attention was elsewhere, so I failed to recognize you. I apologize.”

Jaha hadn’t wanted to say he was sorry.

The words had simply come out naturally.

Hey, Byeokho! I understand that servant-like nature of yours, but can’t you stop apologizing all the time? It makes a man look cheap.

Jaha had practically never said he was sorry or apologized to anyone throughout his entire previous life.

He could tolerate most things about Byeokho’s habits, but this particular one was difficult.

For some reason, apologizing made it feel as though his pride was crumbling.

“The Chief Manager often spoke about Young Hero Byeok. He was worried about how your injuries were healing.”

“Thanks to everyone’s help, I recovered well. But what brings you here?”

“Ah, I had business with the merchant group, so I escorted the Chief Manager as far as Jewun Mountain before returning. Then I’ll be on my way.”

The Daewon Merchant Association manager bowed and was about to ride past Jaha.

“Manager, please wait a moment.”

The man turned back.

“Is there something you need?”

“If it isn’t too much to ask, would it be possible for us to stay at one of the Daewon Merchant Association’s shops for a few days? There are circumstances that make it difficult for us to stay at an inn.”

The manager looked between Jaha and the carriage for a moment, then fell into thought.

Jaha hadn’t asked with much expectation.

His connection with Jeo Geumsan had only been brief.

He doubted that one of the managers serving him would agree to such an inconvenient request.

“Very well. I’m heading to the shop right now. Would you like to come with me?”

“Would that really be all right?”

Surprised by the answer, Jaha asked again.

The manager replied,

“Ever since parting with Young Hero Byeok, the Chief Manager has continued to show interest in you. After learning that you once worked as an escort for the Taiyuan Escort Agency, he even considered recruiting you. He said Young Hero Byeok was trustworthy. How could I possibly treat you carelessly when the Chief Manager thinks so highly of you? The Chief Manager always says that people are the greatest wealth, so he never treats people lightly.”

“I’m not sure what the Chief Manager saw in me to think so highly of me.”

The manager smiled.

“More than anything, the Chief Manager values loyalty. He thought very highly of Young Hero Byeok because you refused to flee and willingly fought alongside merchants and guards who had no connection to you, even though you might have died.”

Jaha had only asked one simple question.

He hadn’t expected such a long explanation.

Before the manager could continue talking, Jaha quickly cut him off.

“I’m truly grateful that he thinks of me that way. Let’s get going.”

The manager smacked his lips regretfully, clearly disappointed that he hadn’t gotten to say everything he wanted.

Then he turned his horse around.

“Please follow me.”

Jaha entrusted his master and fellow disciples to one of the Daewon Merchant Association’s shops.

Then he set out with Goeui to find members of the Beggars’ Union.

Seeing more beggars scattered everywhere than ever before, Goeui muttered,

“What a mess. A complete mess. There are two things that tell you the world is falling into chaos. Do you know what they are?”

Jaha played along with Goeui’s mood.

“I’m certain one of them is beggars. But I don’t know the other. Government soldiers, perhaps?”

“No. When the world becomes unstable, people who normally never appear on the streets begin showing themselves. Powerful officials and wealthy magnates. If you suddenly start seeing many of them out on the streets, it’s a sign that the world is about to descend into disorder.”

Goeui continued,

“If things ever begin unfolding the way this old man says, be especially careful. People like them normally live in places ordinary commoners like us could never even see. If people of that status suddenly start appearing before our eyes, something strange is happening.”

Thinking about it now, Goeui was right.

About a month before Jaha had been betrayed, commanders and elders of the Demonic Cult—people whose faces he rarely saw under normal circumstances—had started appearing everywhere he went.

They had already sensed that something strange was happening within the cult.

For the sake of their own safety, they had been rushing around preparing themselves.

If I had noticed it back then, I wouldn’t have been betrayed.

Instead, I would have stabbed those bastards in the back first.

Jaha sighed and lifted his head.

The more members of the Beggars’ Union they saw, the more dangerous the situation probably was.

Goeui passed by them and continued somewhere else.

He seemed to know exactly where the local Beggars’ Union branch leader was located.

Without hesitation, he used his lightness technique.

Jaha followed behind him while complaining inwardly about Byeokho’s lightness skill, Unhaengbi.

The name sounds impressive, but when you send true qi from the lower dantian toward the Yongcheon acupoints, not even half of it properly reaches the ground. How can anyone call this a lightness technique?

In truth, Unhaengbi was a movement technique Ha Seonbaek himself had created.

After learning the Cheongun Sword, he had lacked a proper movement art, so he developed one based on the martial arts knowledge he already possessed.

Naturally, compared to superior movement techniques, its efficiency was painfully low.

It’s amazing you managed to survive this long using such a low-level movement technique.

Byeokho, watch carefully.

I’ll show you what a truly supreme movement technique looks like.

Filled with confidence, Jaha tried to use Cheonmahaeng, the Heavenly Demon Movement.

I’ll teach you what a true superior movement technique is.

The lower dantian sends true qi toward both Yongcheon acupoints to create propulsion.

The middle dantian makes the body light.

And the upper dantian controls the body’s balance.

Only when all three operate properly can something truly be called a superior movement technique.

However, Jaha didn’t get very far before his feet tangled.

Damn it.

This primitive body hasn’t even opened the middle or upper dantian yet. I can’t even properly use Cheonmahaeng.

Once again, Jaha realized just how inadequate Byeokho’s body still was.

With no other choice, he switched to the best movement technique that could be used with only the lower dantian.

Hyeollinbi.

Unlike other movement arts that expelled true qi through the Yongcheon acupoints, Hyeollinbi released it through the Daedon acupoints located around the big toes.

It was a movement technique where the toes struck the ground while running.

It allowed someone to run faster while consuming less true qi.

Fortunately, movement techniques weren’t as easy to distinguish as other martial arts.

People usually couldn’t tell whether they came from the Orthodox or Demonic Path.

So Jaha freely used Hyeollinbi without worrying about being recognized.

Goeui had deliberately been moving slowly so Jaha could keep up.

At first, Jaha had fallen slightly behind.

But little by little, he caught up.

Goeui found that rather impressive.

So he sped up.

Well, look at this.

Even at the increased speed, Jaha somehow managed to keep pace.

What an appealing little bastard.

The speed was far beyond what one would expect from a disciple of some countryside martial arts school.

The fact that Jaha could follow without struggling meant his natural talent was exceptionally high.

Well, that explains how he learned my Yugwanjeol and Hoejeolgyeol so quickly.

If Jaha had been an ordinary person, Goeui had no idea how long it would have taken him to learn those techniques.

A true master could judge someone’s talent from a single detail.

That was exactly what Goeui was doing now.

From everything he had observed so far, Jaha was far too talented to rot away in some countryside martial arts school.

The only disappointing thing was that he had become the disciple of a chivalrous fool like Ha Seonbaek and reeked of the outdated values of the Orthodox Faction.

Goeui had known it the moment Ha Seonbaek allowed Jaha, who clearly lacked the necessary strength, to go rescue Deung Hwahong.

In truth, Goeui had no particular reason to accompany Jaha and help save Deung Hwahong.

However, he wanted to see how Jaha would behave and what choices he would make.

That curiosity was why he was happily traveling with him.

More than half of that curiosity came from wanting to see how Jaha would use the techniques Goeui had taught him.

“This is the place.”

Goeui stopped beside a crude shack beneath a bridge.

“Ma Gae! Come out.”

Hearing Goeui’s voice, a middle-aged beggar crawled out from inside the shack.

“What brings Goeui all the way here?”

Goeui snorted.

“Look at this bastard. With the situation this bad, you’re lying around sleeping inside a shack?”

“I can’t leave this place if I’m going to gather information from our brothers. You already know that.”

The man had once operated within the Demonic Path before joining the Beggars’ Union.

Because of that, he was called Ma Gae—the Demonic Beggar.

Long ago, Goeui had saved Ma Gae’s life.

For that reason, Ma Gae couldn’t treat him carelessly.

“Where is the person being chased by Seohyeop Gang and Hwancheonma right now?”

Ma Gae looked troubled.

“Elder, as you already know, that information is top secret.”

“There should be injured people among them, shouldn’t there?”

Goeui finally spoke as though beginning a negotiation.

Ma Gae gave him a sideways glance and murmured,

“Then will Elder help them? You stand between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions, so I never know how you’ll behave if the situation changes. That puts me in a difficult position.”

That was also why Ma Gae hadn’t actively asked a master like Goeui for help.

Goeui wasn’t someone who would automatically side with the Orthodox Faction strongly enough to oppose Seohyeop Gang.

If something matched his own beliefs and values, he wouldn’t care even if it came from the Demonic Path.

Because of that, Goeui was quietly rejected by many people in the martial world.

His twisted personality certainly contributed to it.

But the main reason he was never fully accepted in the murim was his refusal to stand firmly with one side.

“You don’t understand something. This friend here is an expert in formations.”

Goeui gestured toward Jaha.

“And this young brother is the one who originally brought the girl here. He’s also the one who shook off the Demonic Cult’s relentless pursuit on the way. In truth, you probably need this fellow more than you need me.”

“Ah!”

Ma Gae had heard some information about the matter, so he looked at Jaha again.

Until now, he had assumed Jaha was merely some medical apprentice serving Goeui.

Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

A formation expert...

If that’s true, he might be able to hold back Seohyeop Gang or Hwancheonma until the experts dispatched by the Murim Alliance arrive.

Hope began growing in Ma Gae’s heart.

If he handled this situation well, perhaps he could finally escape his position as the branch leader of a remote region and receive an important post at headquarters.

Deung Hwahong had become the hottest issue in the martial world.

If Ma Gae managed to protect her from Seohyeop Gang and Hwancheonma and safely hand her over to the Murim Alliance, his standing would rise tremendously.

People might look down on Goeui because he stood between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions, but his actual ability was more than enough for him to be counted among the respected senior masters of the murim.

At a time when Ma Gae desperately needed a supreme first-rate expert, gaining Goeui’s help would be like receiving an army of thousands.

And if an expert in formations also joined them, protecting Deung Hwahong would become much easier.

“All right. If Elder says so, then I’ll trust you. The girl is staying—”

Just as Ma Gae was about to reveal Deung Hwahong’s location—

Several figures dropped down from the bridge above.