Building the Bridge
The only one who entered the emptied inn was a single middle-aged beggar.
Yacho, leader of the rebel faction.
His subordinates were no doubt lurking all around the inn, waiting for the right moment to close in.
Yacho looked genuinely startled that Mun-Hyeon had already known he was coming. He clearly had not expected to be found out.
But after being caught once, was he really going to let it happen a second time?
How much had it stung Mun-Hyeon’s pride to realize that the enemy leader had tracked him without him noticing? Failing to sense even a wounded man’s presence—for someone who had once been the Heavenly Demon, it was a shameful lapse.
"I thank you for the grace of saving our disciples first," Yacho said, offering a respectful clasped-fist salute from a careful distance.
A cautious man. He already knew Mun-Hyeon must have learned his identity from Jeokju, yet he still kept to a position that favored a quick escape while he watched how things developed.
Probably because of Mujin.
I told him to tone down the killing intent…
But what kind of conversation could they have with that much space between them?
Mun-Hyeon smiled faintly, stretched out a hand toward a nearby chair, and released his inner energy.
Rrrrk—
The chair slid toward him as if drawn by a string.
"Hup!"
Yacho’s eyes went round. Of course they did.
"H-heavens… Grasping Objects Through Empty Space?"
…As if.
It was only a technique made to look like Grasping Objects Through Empty Space. Pure vanity, a wasteful expenditure of energy for the sake of empty formality. But for swagger, nothing beat it. Was it not an eternal truth that at a first meeting, you revealed just enough strength to cow the other party?
"W-was that Aura?"
Even Mujin, startled, blinked his wide eyes as he asked.
Kid, do you look up to me that much?
But it was not Aura.
More of a flashy application for show, if anything.
True Grasping Objects Through Empty Space could only be used smoothly once one had reached the realm of Aura—but if you understood the principle, moving a chair was well within the reach of someone at the Peak stage. In the end it was simply a method of circulating energy.
Reveal the energy. Project it. Affix it to the object. Pull.
Combined: Reveal-Project-Adhere-Pull.
Of course, knowing the principle did not mean just anyone could do it. You had to have already glimpsed the realm of Aura and be able to handle your own energy with exquisite care—a lofty threshold, in short. Among those who had not yet reached that level of skill, Mun-Hyeon could proudly claim to be the only one capable of it.
And when the man across from you had come ready to join forces yet still bristled with wariness, a little display like this made conversation much easier.
"What are you waiting for? I’m not going to eat you. Come sit. The food’s gone cold, but I still have liquor to offer."
At the invitation, Yacho hesitated a moment, then approached.
Not far. Only a few steps.
But that alone was enough to take the measure of his skill.
Given his build, he had to weigh a fair amount—yet the old floorboards never creaked. That meant his light-footwork was exceptional. His stride was even, his posture steady; he had not neglected his training.
"Here. Since you arrived late, start with a drink."
Once Yacho was seated, Mun-Hyeon smiled, handed over his own cup, and poured.
The wine rose with a soft gurgle until it trembled at the brim. Watching it, Yacho finally let his wariness ease and allowed a smile of his own.
"The rumor that you felled a Namgoong elder in a single exchange seems to have been an understatement."
"Pardon?"
"From what I can see, even that was you holding back."
At Yacho’s assessment, Mun-Hyeon crooked the corner of his mouth.
"Isn’t there a saying among martial houses? Always hide three-tenths of your strength."
"Is that so? To my eyes, what you showed looked like the three-tenths."
Mun-Hyeon only smiled and did not deny it.
Good posture—and a decent eye for people as well. A guess, maybe, but right now the stronger I seem, the better. For Yacho, this may decide the fate of the rebels who follow him.
"I hear you offered to take us under the Jegal family’s shade?"
"The Jegal family’s shade? Hmm. It seems Lord Jeokju twisted my words when he passed them on."
"Pardon?"
"The Jegal family is not yet a vessel large enough for that."
"What do you mean?"
"How could something like the Beggars’ Union be placed under the small shade of the Jegal name?"
"…"
"The Beggars’ Union is the Beggars’ Union. The Jegal family is the Jegal family. For a time our interests align, so you would stay at Yungjung Mountain—nothing more. Living under someone’s roof for a while does not make you their subordinate, does it?"
He spoke with a faint smile, but from Yacho’s side the meaning landed differently.
He had framed the relationship between the Jegal family and the Beggars’ Union as one of equals, not of superior and subordinate.
That mattered a great deal.
Why had they rebelled in the first place? Because they had been ordered to take the name of the Black Cat Faction and swear loyalty to Hukgangmun.
And Mun-Hyeon had stressed the difference. He had also restored the Beggars’ Union’s pride.
Yacho’s expression changed at once. He asked in a serious voice:
"Is that the will of the Jegal family? Or a thought you yourself hold, Young Master?"
"Lord Yacho."
"Yes."
"Does the Jegal family look so soft that the private notions of a single descendant who happens to be somewhat skilled in martial arts could dictate the will of the house?"
"…!"
The clear displeasure on Mun-Hyeon’s face made Yacho flinch and look awkward.
It had been an obvious breach of etiquette. He might speak for the family, but equating one descendant’s wishes with the will of the clan was no different from slighting the Jegal house itself.
"I am only a son of the Jegal family. I do not presume to carve the family’s will however I please. I simply follow it."
"…I apologize. I have committed a grave discourtesy."
"I accept the apology."
Silence settled for a moment.
Having made the mistake, Yacho fretted over what to say next.
Then of course I have to open the way for him.
"When I urged you to come to Yungjung Mountain, Lord Yacho, it was a request—not a command. The choice is yours alone. And the one who will make the decision is neither I nor the head of the Jegal family, but the Branch Leader of Yungjung Mountain. He is the one who was betrayed, and accepting you back will also be his will."
"Mmm…"
Yacho’s face twisted.
"However—I can try to lay a bridge."
"Pardon?"
"If you make your wish to return clear, I can ask the Branch Leader of Yungjung Mountain to look favorably on the matter."
"Ah…"
"Though that, too, depends on your choice, Lord Yacho."
He added the last lightly. Yacho’s face filled with open conflict.
I must not force him. Living as a son of the Jegal family taught me that—and looking back, I understand it now. Force alone works only while the power is right in front of someone’s face. You have to move the heart. Only then can you work them to the bone… no—only then can you win loyalty that rises from within.
"…I do not know whether my senior brother will take us back."
After long deliberation and several emptied cups, Yacho finally sighed, face heavy with regret, and laid his true feelings bare.
"Why not?"
"Old grudges do not vanish so easily."
"…"
"Even if I regret it, even if I want to go back—that is only my heart. My senior brother’s may be different."
The words came out slack and defeated. Mun-Hyeon, who had been watching him quietly, asked:
"So you mean to give up without even trying?"
"Pardon?"
"How long do you think a tree without roots can stand against the wind?"
"What do you mean?"
"This rebellion of yours? This effort to make up for a mistake?"
"…"
"You are merely caught in the middle, Lord Yacho. In a place that is neither the orthodox path nor the unorthodox."
At those quiet words, Yacho’s head slowly drooped.
He would have thought about the future. He led a band of men, after all.
"Suppose you do bring down the Black Cat Faction. What then? Will you disband because your purpose is fulfilled? No—will you even still be alive? From that moment on you will be enemies of Hukgangmun."
"Th-that is…"
"Trying to topple the Black Cat Faction may itself be nothing more than striking stone with an egg."
"…"
"I imagine the situation elsewhere is no different from those we found trapped in Akju. You banded together under the name of rebellion, yet you must still skulk about, avoiding the eyes of the Black Cat Faction and the eyes of Hukgangmun alike."
"Mmm."
Yacho’s groan deepened. Mun-Hyeon’s words had driven straight into his lungs.
"A ship with nowhere to return is no different from a rootless waterweed. Once the stores aboard run out, division will rise and it will destroy itself."
Needles made of speech. Every sentence Mun-Hyeon spoke pricked Yacho’s vital points until his breath grew tight.
"If I were you, Lord Yacho, even if I were refused I would still make the effort. Beg for forgiveness. Ask that the mistake be overlooked just once."
"…"
"And the Branch Leader of Yungjung Mountain, as I have seen him, is a man who can value such effort. He is also a man who cherishes the Beggars’ Union more than anyone."
Yacho fell silent again for a long while.
Had he decided in an instant and simply asked for help, Mun-Hyeon might well have been the first to refuse. Anyone who changed his judgment with every shift of the times and every rise and fall of power was not to be trusted.
At least this man knew how to feel shame—for what he himself had done in the past. And he cared for his subordinates. The way he kept turning the problem over showed he had already thought about the hardships his people would one day face.
"Think of it as having taken a wrong path for a time. Is there any reason to give up? You need only find the right direction and walk it again."
"…Would it truly, truly be so?"
"As I said, that is not for me to decide. It is for the Branch Leader of Yungjung Mountain to decide."
"Mm…"
"For the disciples who follow you, I hope you make the right choice."
With that, Mun-Hyeon closed his mouth. Yacho no longer struggled with the decision.
What had been the ultimate purpose of the rebellion?
To remain the Beggars’ Union.
Even if that road ended in death.
But who would remember? Who would acknowledge that men like them had even existed? They would only be traitors. Even if they had fought those who turned coat out of regret, nothing would remain but their own private pride—trampled roadside weeds, nothing more.
They had to be remembered, at least. As the Beggars’ Union…
When Yacho finished deliberating and looked at Mun-Hyeon again, his eyes were different from before.
They were full of life.
"Will you… lay a bridge to my senior brother for us?"
"That is why we met."
"Thank you. I will not forget the grace of this awakening."
Looking at Yacho’s brightly lit face, Mun-Hyeon wore a satisfied expression.
Of course he must not forget. Someone who forgets a favor is a beast, not a man.
And now it was time to get to the real point.
This is what I worked my mouth so hard for.
"Speaking of which…"
"Yes?"
"Since we’ve met like this, let’s handle a job together."
"A job?"
"Yes."
"What sort of…?"
"Why? Planning to hear it first and then refuse if you don’t like it?"
"H-how could I? Saving my men’s lives alone makes any request of yours something I am bound to grant."
Yacho’s words left Mun-Hyeon thoroughly pleased.
How fortunate he thinks so. If he had said no, I would have grabbed him by the collar and taught him the end that waits for a beast who spurns a favor.
Cooperate diligently. I will lead you back to the Beggars’ Union of Yungjung Mountain.
The Branch Leader’s choice? That was just something I said for effect. If I say it will be done, what decision is left for him to make? My will is the will of the Jegal family—and the will of the Beggars’ Union.
"Lord Yacho."
"Yes."
"How many did you bring with you?"
"Pardon?"
"I’d prefer the numbers to be on the high side."
From this moment on, they would comb every inch of the Dongho region and find that immortal—or at least his traces.
Just as the Beggars’ Union had done sixty years ago.
Without fail.