Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Seventeen-Year-Old Spring (2)
The press loves this sort of thing.
Mysterious old man crashes Heavenly Demon Cult Main Headquarters completion ceremony.
The article was already writing itself.
Tak.
I caught the flying gourd.
The gourd, carved from a calabash, had only a small amount of internal energy imbued in it, so it wasn't threatening.
"Gu Ak-chi."
"Kkeul-kkeul, you recognize me right away."
"What brings you here?"
I gestured for the Hundred White Blood Corps to stand down.
"There's only one reason a beggar comes to a feast! Isn't that right?"
He had many expressions even in my past life.
He was someone who cracked jokes until the moment of death.
The fight with him had been fierce, and it was the most dangerous moment during my training journey.
"Please give me some food."
Gu Ak-chi raised both hands palms up. I answered his question simply.
"As much as you want."
I led Gu Ak-chi to the still-empty dining hall and instructed a Hundred White Blood Corps member to bring food.
I sat facing Gu Ak-chi in the dining hall.
"Kkeul-kkeul, to have the Cult Leader personally sit with me for a meal is an honor."
"If you know that, eat well."
Gu Ak-chi poured all the rice and side dishes from the plates and bowls into his gourd. Then he grabbed it with his fingers, roughly mixed it, and shoved a large mouthful in.
He ate so deliciously that my mouth watered too.
"Bring mine too."
I still ate with the plates and bowls as they were.
He and I ate our meals as if engaged in a battle of nerves.
A contest of who could eat without being conscious of the other.
We were so close that a moment of carelessness meant death. That was true for both of us.
Yet until we emptied our bowls, neither of us launched any attack.
Only the Hundred White Blood Corps members watching from afar broke out in cold sweat at the sight.
Gu Ak-chi, who scraped up every last grain stuck to his gourd, drank water greedily and then said:
"A bit salty."
I was annoyed but held it in well. I almost threw a punch.
"That's why you should have controlled the side dishes. Anything in excess turns out that way. Like your behavior right now."
"Isn't it a beggar's way to eat when you can eat? Whether it's salty or bland, you eat first and see."
I hate mind games. I asked the main point directly.
"What's the real reason you came?"
"Would you believe it if I said revenge?"
"That would be the most believable."
"Kkeul-kkeul, unfortunately, it's not revenge."
Even with his wrinkled and grimy face, he managed to make a sly expression. That's a talent too.
"You didn't really come all this way because you were hungry."
He used the language of my past life. But judging by his attire, he didn't seem to be Korean.
"Which country are you from?"
"I was born in Mongolia. I've begged my way through probably a hundred countries, and now I'm here in Korea."
"Well then, tell me the reason you were born in Mongolia, wandered the entire world, and came all the way to Korea."
Gu Ak-chi didn't get to the point to a frustrating degree. At that sight, something suddenly occurred to me and I asked:
"Are you acting like this because you're embarrassed right now?"
"Hmm-hmm!"
He gave a noticeably awkward cough.
"Did you come to ask for something?"
When I spoke first, Gu Ak-chi glanced at me and nodded very slightly.
Even he, who begged and bowed his waist, seemed to find it difficult to directly state his request.
'Well, it would hurt his pride.'
He never makes requests other than begging. The position of Beggar Sect Leader wasn't earned just by begging well.
'But asking for a favor when revenge wouldn't even be satisfying enough.'
I became curious about his circumstances.
"Speak."
"Well, since you're telling me to speak, I'll graciously satisfy your curiosity..."
"Just go back. I can't listen because I'm bored."
I stood up from my seat. Then Gu Ak-chi shouted:
"Because of my disciple!"
"Disciple?"
"Yes. It seems my disciple has infiltrated here. So let me take him out."
"Infiltrated?"
"I must have gone senile in my old age—I ended up telling him about my past life. It was already three years ago, so I had completely forgotten, but the boy disappeared saying he'd get revenge for me."
There are 900 workers here right now. If he's mixed in among them, I might not have noticed.
"Your disciple learned about your past life three years ago?"
Anyone in the martial arts world knows about the Beggar Sect Leader's death.
Before I appeared at that time, the greatest master in the martial arts world was Beggar Sect Leader Gu Ak-chi.
It was even stranger that he didn't know such a person had died.
"He's not a reincarnator."
Gu Ak-chi simply said those words. He didn't speak any further about his disciple.
"Go for now."
I gave instructions to a Hundred White Blood Corps member and headed to the gymnasium.
When I arrived at the gymnasium, I felt an unusual atmosphere.
The party where everyone had been cheering seemed to have ended, and So Iryeon and a man in his late twenties were facing each other in the center of the gymnasium.
It seemed they hadn't started fighting yet.
Seeing that, Gu Ak-chi stepped forward before me.
"You brat!"
At Gu Ak-chi's shout, the young man turned around.
The modest-looking young man had an ordinary appearance, wearing jeans and a shirt. At about 175 cm tall, he gave off a sincere and kind feeling.
Ttak!
Gu Ak-chi rushed to the young man's side and swung his staff.
The staff struck precisely on the young man's crown.
Meanwhile, I asked a Hundred White Blood Corps member beside me about the situation.
"What happened?"
"That young man suddenly shouted that he wanted to duel with Protector So. Since it was a voice imbued with internal energy, Guardian So reacted immediately."
They had been just before fighting.
"I should have come a little later."
So Iryeon looked like she had high expectations that were disappointed.
—Cult Leader, I want to fight. This guy's internal energy is deep.
So Iryeon said through voice transmission.
—But he's not a reincarnator.
—Really? Then how does he have such internal energy at this age...
—How deep is it that you're saying that?
—His internal energy is deeper than mine.
Shocking words.
No matter how much So Iryeon is a master of external martial arts, the depth of her internal energy is also considerable. If he surpasses such a So Iryeon but isn't a reincarnator, there's only one conclusion.
'A genius.'
I think I understand why Gu Ak-chi is overprotective.
Ttak!
Meanwhile, Gu Ak-chi continued to audibly strike the young man's head. The young man tried to block it, but Gu Ak-chi's staff moved mysteriously and inevitably hit the target spot.
'Strike Ball Staff Technique.'
The martial art that gave me a hard time. It was also the only martial art with set moves that I acknowledged.
To the point where not knowing the moves was helpful, the Strike Ball Staff Technique was a flashy martial art with many variables.
'His body is definitely solid.'
Even after being hit on the head more than ten times, the young man still stood in the same posture.
"It's natural for a disciple to get revenge for his master!"
"Anyone would think I'm dead, you brat!"
"You died in your past life!"
"That was my past life! Why are you avenging your master who's living just fine in this life!"
They engaged in a verbal fight, forgetting there were people around them.
The young man, unable to bear his grievance, dragged out all his inner thoughts.
"I followed you for 40 years, Master! Begging every day and sleeping on the streets! You should at least allow me this revenge!"
"Talk coherently! A beggar who can't talk properly starves! What does begging have to do with revenge!"
An oddly entertaining conversation. So I watched.
"You said Beggar Sect martial arts were the best! You conned me saying there was no one in the martial arts world to match them!"
"A con? Conned your master? You brat! Let's settle this today. I picked up an abandoned kid, clothed him, fed him, and even taught him martial arts, and now you say I conned you?"
"I'm grateful you raised me, so I'm trying to get revenge out of thanks!"
"Why does it go back to revenge again! Is revenge all you have in your head?"
"My life is at stake! I need to prove I'm the strongest to make my life of begging worthwhile! If I had just done martial arts tournaments, I wouldn't have lived like this!"
"Then go, you brat!"
"I'll earn money and let Master live comfortably!"
It's like a conversation between father and son.
Of course, the father and son in my family don't act like that.
'Well, if he raised an abandoned child, he's no different from a parent. But 40 years?'
When internal energy deepens, aging slows down.
It's slightly different from rejuvenation. Rejuvenation literally means an old person's body transforms into a young person's.
'If he looks like that despite being over forty, his internal energy must be tremendous.'
This statement means one more thing.
'Gu Ak-chi's skills are also formidable.'
Creating such a talent in 40 years isn't possible just by individual effort. It means Gu Ak-chi thoroughly guided him.
It's possible with theory alone, but judging from the master-disciple relationship I'm seeing now, that wasn't the case.
After arguing for quite a while, Gu Ak-chi finally succeeded in grabbing the young man's ear.
During that process, dozens of Golden Bird Claws were deployed, but ultimately it was Gu Ak-chi's victory.
"You're still far off, you brat!"
"Ah, Master! There are so many people! You should at least save my face!"
"A beggar's face can freeze to death!"
Fortunately, their words were in a foreign language, so many people couldn't understand.
"All done?"
Gu Ak-chi eventually dragged his disciple before me.
"Can I just leave?"
I turned my body diagonally to clear a path.
"I owe you."
"What debt to a beggar. Ahem!"
He passed by me. No one stopped him.
The moment Gu Ak-chi passed by me, he spoke through voice transmission.
—Rafina, Greece. I saw a strange woodcutter there. He was cutting trees with a tree branch.
My ears perked up.
—The debt is certainly paid.
Gu Ak-chi left those words and exited the gymnasium.
'Cutting trees with a tree branch.'
These words circled in my mind as if alive.
Those words lead directly to one person's name.
'Sword God.'
Another Protector.
I finally heard news of him.
The Main Headquarters event wrapped up without any further incident after that. Everyone left smiling, and Hundred Tiger Ghost was left with several women's contact information.
It was an event that satisfied everyone, but I was serious.
"Cult Leader, what's the matter?"
I was lost in thought near the Main Headquarters lake when Jimun Seo-saeng approached. It seemed he had just sent off all the high-ranking officials.
"I heard news of Sword God."
Even at my answer, Jimun Seo-saeng asked without showing any sign of surprise:
"What kind of news?"
"Gu Ak-chi seems to have seen him in Rafina, Greece."
Jimun Seo-saeng's expression became as serious as mine.
During the long silence that followed, I raised my head to look at the sky. The full moon was clearly visible in the clear sky.
The color that usually felt warm now felt cold.
"If it's Greece, he couldn't not know about the Heavenly Demon Cult, right?"
"That's right."
This is why I'm serious.
"Even after hearing the news, he didn't come looking for us."
Jimun Seo-saeng was also silent. Heavy silence descended again.
"Does he not want me? Or does he not want the Heavenly Demon Cult?"
"We can't jump to conclusions about anything yet."
A bitter smile came at Jimun Seo-saeng's words.
In my past life, Sword God staked his remaining life and fought a duel with me. Until the moment of his death, he swore to follow me, and he kept that promise.
"Jimun Seo-saeng."
"Yes."
"Have you ever wanted to see someone in your past life?"
"Not since the moment I met the Cult Leader."
"In this life?"
This time Jimun Seo-saeng smiled bitterly.
"I wanted to see everyone."
"That's a relief. I thought I had become weak."
"I think it's natural. We were family in our past life."
"Family."
I thought more deeply about those words.
"If we're family, there's no need to hesitate."
I don't want to spend frustrating time with just questions. He must have his circumstances, and I just need to hear them.
"I need to meet Sword God."
The trip to Greece was decided.