Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Sowing Discord
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The old man asked again, his eyes sharp.
“I asked, what is your purpose?”
“Purpose? What purpose?”
The man chuckled and said.
“You’re supposed to be beggars, but you put begging aside. You use your large numbers, acting like some prestigious sect, to buy and sell information. The sight of it just turns my stomach…”
His words were cut short.
*Swish!*
The old man—no, Jeong No-sam, the Hobun Branch Head—struck like lightning, aiming for the man’s Cheondol pressure point.
“Hmph.”
The man scoffed, twisting his body to evade the old man’s hand as it shot toward his neck.
But it was a feint. As if waiting for him to dodge, the old man unleashed a dozen fist techniques at once.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
The man ultimately failed to dodge the barrage of fists and was struck multiple times across his body.
“You’re nothing special!”
Jeong No-sam, who had been gleefully pummeling the man, suddenly wore a strange expression.
Though his fists had clearly landed, it felt as if he had struck a bundle of cotton; he felt no impact at all.
“This bastard…”
Only then did he realize the man had merely pretended to be hit while skillfully deflecting the force of the blows. He stood there, mouth agape.
“Looks like your hands have gotten weak in your old age.”
The man grinned and clenched his left fist.
*Whoosh!*
At that moment, a strange sound echoed as if the very air was being sucked in, and then an immense force erupted from his fist.
“Ugh.”
Jeong No-sam’s eyes widened as he let out a cry of alarm.
Not only was the man’s fist technique as fast as lightning, but the range of its power extended an incredible ten *jang*.
‘I can’t dodge it!’
Fortunately, the force merely grazed Jeong No-sam’s cheek, instead striking a large garden rock beside him and splitting it in two.
*Rumble. Crumble.*
Frozen like ice, Jeong No-sam stared down at the shattered rock.
*Gulp.*
He swallowed hard.
If that power had been aimed at him, it would have been his head that had been split open.
“From now on, live honestly and beg. Don’t do anything useless.”
The man smirked and turned away.
Jeong No-sam could only tremble, biting his lip without a word.
***
Staggering outside, the man boarded a carriage waiting in front of the Seolhyang Garden.
*Clatter, clatter.*
As the carriage started moving, the man lay back comfortably, a divine light flashing in his eyes.
*Crack.*
At the same time, the bones in his face shifted like waves, and the shape of his eyes and nose slowly began to change.
Then, a face as handsome as a celestial god’s was gradually revealed. It was Bu Eun-seol.
“Will this be alright, Young Master?”
Heuk-pyo, sitting in the driver’s seat, asked in a worried tone.
“I have a feeling that terrified old man will immediately mobilize the Beggars’ Sect masters.”
“The defining trait of those in information organizations is that they act only after accurately identifying their opponent.”
“He’s the Hobun Branch Head, who reports information to the Beggars’ Sect main headquarters…”
“Exactly.”
Bu Eun-seol, gazing out the window, wore a faint smile.
“Until he gets precise information about me, he will never act recklessly.”
Bu Eun-seol’s ultimate goal was a one-on-one confrontation with Geol-wang.
However, Geol-wang rarely showed himself in the martial world, and his movements were so unpredictable that he was difficult to find.
—If you can’t find him, make him come to you.
If he publicly shook the Beggars’ Sect and brought it shame, Geol-wang would surely seek him out.
The first step was to expose the corruption of the Hobun Branch in the city, humiliating them.
“But it truly is surprising. To think the Beggars’ Sect is actually one of the wealthiest factions among the orthodox sects.”
As Heuk-pyo let out a sigh, Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
“They say the Beggars’ Sect is incorruptible, but that is merely an image created under the shadow of the Nine Sects One Union. In reality, they are as greedy as their numbers are vast.”
Bu Eun-seol’s gaze deepened as he looked out the window.
“And just by revealing that, I’ll be able to identify the factions that hold grievances against the Beggars’ Sect.”
Today’s events were only the beginning.
From now on, he would systematically dismantle the power of the Beggars’ Sect to draw out Geol-wang, who was surely holed up somewhere.
From that day on.
Not only Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo, but also Hyeok So-jin, Myeo Cheon-u, and Yu Un-ryong roamed the city, picking fights with key figures of the Beggars’ Sect.
—You must expose their personal information and humiliate them in a crowded place.
Bu Eun-seol had even set principles for picking these fights.
The targets were the leaders of the Beggars’ Sect’s covert information squads or intelligence organizations.
And their corruption had to be exposed before a large crowd.
—So the Beggars’ Sect is rotten too…
The Beggars’ Sect was known for its lack of greed and simple conduct.
But when Bu Eun-seol’s group exposed the corruption of figures who had not been publicly known, the sect’s reputation plummeted.
Silence filled the Yihwa Estate.
After stirring up the entire Kaifeng area, Bu Eun-seol, along with Hyeok So-jin, Myeo Cheon-u, and Yu Un-ryong, had now secluded themselves in a pavilion, refusing to come out.
“What in the world is the Commander doing?”
Frustrated that they hadn't emerged from the pavilion for days, Won Se-mun asked Heuk-pyo.
“And why are those other gentlemen with him, not just the unit?”
“They are studying martial arts techniques.”
“Martial arts techniques?”
Heuk-pyo replied in a low voice.
“Until now, the three of them, like the Young Master, have been picking fights with masters from the Beggars’ Sect, have they not? That’s why they are all studying the sect’s martial arts together.”
Bu Eun-seol had systematically provoked masters from the Beggars’ Sect to analyze their techniques.
He even deliberately took hits from techniques he didn't recognize.
As a result, while he hadn't grasped the sect's most profound arts, he had managed to discern a significant portion of their various techniques and variations.
And now, he was studying them with Hyeok So-jin, Myeo Cheon-u, and Yu Un-ryong, who had also fought against the sect's masters.
“Is that… even possible?”
“Yes.”
Heuk-pyo said with a proud expression.
“The Young Master can even grasp a martial art to some extent just by observing the wounds on a corpse.”
“Wounds… Ah, so that’s how.”
Won Se-mun finally recalled how Bu Eun-seol had taught the unit members not only the saber arts of the Ma Ban-mun but also the sword arts of the Zhongnan and Huashan sects.
“I thought he was just well-versed in the martial arts of the orthodox sects… but it turns out he was analyzing them on the spot.”
“Heuk-pyo.”
Just then, the door creaked open, and Hyeok So-jin poked his head out.
“The Commander says you should come in too.”
***
Inside the pavilion's secret chamber, candles burned brightly, and a large stack of paper was piled on a table.
The topmost sheet was covered in strange diagrams and lines, which Bu Eun-seol, Hyeok So-jin, Yu Un-ryong, and Myeo Cheon-u were studying with serious expressions.
Heuk-pyo entered and stood carefully to one side, so as not to break their concentration.
“The martial arts of the Beggars’ Sect are so chaotic.”
Myeo Cheon-u clicked his tongue as he looked at the lines and diagrams.
They were all representations of the Beggars’ Sect’s martial arts that Bu Eun-seol had deciphered from fighting their masters or examining corpses.
The martial arts of the Beggars’ Sect were as diverse as their numbers, a mix of various techniques.
Bu Eun-seol had spent a long time wandering the martial world, deeply studying the sect’s arts, aside from their two ultimate skills, the Dog Beating Staff and Dragon Subduing Palm.
“Still, this is truly incredible. To have stolen so many of the Beggars’ Sect’s martial arts in such a short time.”
“I didn’t steal them. I simply observed the traces left behind.”
Gong-sim-tong-ryeong.
Using Gong-sim-tong-ryeong, which could be called the ultimate sense of Ya-su-do, he could perceive all the traces that could never be seen with the naked eye.
“Hmm.”
After studying for over a quarter of an hour, Myeo Cheon-u’s eyes grew hazy.
Fatigue was setting in from examining the complex variations of the Beggars’ Sect’s techniques for so long.
*Scratch, scratch.*
Just then, Bu Eun-seol picked up a brush and ink and began to fill a sheet of paper with a diagram and lines.
He was drawing the variations of the Baek-gyeol Palm Art and the Swae-sim Dagger Art, the two most commonly practiced arts among the sect’s disciples.
“Can you do it?”
At Bu Eun-seol’s question, Myeo Cheon-u nodded gravely.
“About seventy percent.”
Myeo Cheon-u was a master of fist and palm arts who had deeply trained in the Myeol-in-jang.
He intended to perfectly pass on the Beggars’ Sect’s palm and hand techniques, as analyzed by Bu Eun-seol, to the Sa-yeong Unit.
“You need to raise it to over eighty percent. So that anyone who sees it will believe it to be the work of a Beggars’ Sect master.”
Bu Eun-seol could decipher martial arts from wounds and traces.
He had used this ability to bring down the Ma Ban-mun. And now, he intended to use the same method to provoke the Beggars’ Sect.
“Heuk-pyo.”
Bu Eun-seol finally called to Heuk-pyo, who was standing to the side.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“This is the Beggars’ Sect’s movement art, Yeon-ssang-bi.”
This time, Bu Eun-seol drew a manual for a movement technique and handed it to Heuk-pyo.
“It will be difficult alone. Call Forehead and study it together, then teach it to the members of the Second Squad.”
Forehead was the nickname for Wi Cheon-gyeong, the leader of the Second Squad.
“Understood.”
Heuk-pyo carefully accepted the manual.
Then, Bu Eun-seol handed manuals for the Gal-mi Staff Art and the Yong-cheon Long Staff Art to Hyeok So-jin and Yu Un-ryong.
“Teach these to the members of the Third Squad. Make sure no one doubts that the traces were left by a Beggars’ Sect master.”
“Understood.”
As Hyeok So-jin took the manual, Yu Un-ryong hesitated before asking.
“Bu Eun-seol.”
“Speak.”
“How in the world did you acquire such an ability?”
Yu Un-ryong shook his head as if he couldn't believe it.
“Even if it’s just the variations of the techniques… how can you grasp the martial arts of each sect in an instant?”
“…”
“If all the masters of Nang-ya-gak had this ability, the title of the world’s greatest martial artist would have always belonged to Nang-ya-gak.”
“It is not a secret art of my pavilion. However, the martial secrets of my pavilion do allow me to see things in greater detail.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
“I was a corpse examiner.”
Yu Un-ryong couldn’t understand with that single statement. But seeing the look in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, he faintly understood.
It wasn't that he gained the ability because he was a corpse examiner.
It was something achieved through bone-grinding effort and a determination that could melt steel.
‘Then again, this guy would probably find a way to practice even while slicing meat.’
As Yu Un-ryong shook his head, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a solemn voice.
“From now on, you will lead the Sa-yeong Unit and provoke the Black Gangs that hold a grudge against the Beggars’ Sect.”
He looked at his companions with a grave expression and said.
“The Beggars’ Sect originally grew with the support of the common people. If those people turn their backs on them, they will collapse uncontrollably.”
By exposing the Beggars’ Sect’s corruption and humiliating them, they were able to find factions hostile to the sect.
They were the Black Gangs that ruled the back alleys.
Wandering around and begging, the Beggars’ Sect had close ties with the lower classes.
They had been covertly meddling in the interests of the Black Gangs.
“Soon, the Beggars’ Sect will come looking for us on their own.”
At Bu Eun-seol’s words, everyone in the room nodded forcefully.
The battle to draw out Geol-wang was about to begin.
***
A month later, the back alleys of Kaifeng began to stir.
The Beggars’ Sect had a history of suppressing the influence of Black Gangs, especially in areas where legitimate merchants gathered.
This interference was particularly severe in Kaifeng, where the sect’s main headquarters was located.
But this time, it seemed the Beggars’ Sect had made up its mind to uproot them completely, striking down every hidden Black Gang organization.
—What is the meaning of this?
The Black Gangs operating in Kaifeng resisted the Beggars’ Sect’s attacks fiercely.
—What on earth have we done wrong?
—Our sect is merely dealing with the parasites who suck the blood of the common people!
The masters of the Beggars’ Sect attacked the Black Gangs without mercy.
In truth, wherever commerce thrived, the presence of Black Gangs was inevitable.
The gangs had long been dissatisfied with the Beggars’ Sect meddling in the affairs of the underworld, but they had never dared to challenge a major faction of the martial world.
They had always bowed and scraped appropriately, and now the sect was trying to wipe them out?
—You damn beggars!
The Black Gangs fought back fiercely, but they were no match for the skilled masters of the Beggars’ Sect.
In the end, the Black Gangs operating in Kaifeng had no choice but to cease their activities and scatter.
But a short time later, a strange rumor began to circulate within Kaifeng.
The merchants connected to the Beggars’ Sect were publicly exposed.
While maintaining their livelihoods, they would pass on rumors and information they heard to the Beggars’ Sect.
By cooperating with and aligning themselves with the sect, they received various benefits.
—So it was those bastards!
The Black Gangs, their resentment having festered, began to regroup.
They started threatening the tavern servants, porters, and members of the underworld who provided information to the Beggars’ Sect.
Even a faction as powerful as the Beggars’ Sect couldn't control every single incident in the underworld.
Ultimately, as the information network that sustained Kaifeng crumbled, the amount of intelligence flowing into the Beggars’ Sect headquarters naturally plummeted.
***
In a secret underground chamber of the Beggars’ Sect headquarters.
The leaders of the Eight Routes, who managed the sect’s information, and the Vice-Sect Leader, Hae Pung, stood with grim faces.
With the Sect Leader, No Bong, having grown weak and frail, most of the sect's affairs were now handled by Vice-Sect Leader Hae Pung.
“Everything that has happened so far has been the work of a unit from the Martial Hall called the Sa-yeong Unit.”
“The Sa-yeong Unit?”
“That is correct.”
Jeong Sam, the leader of the So-geol Unit, said in a heavy voice.
“I hear it’s a newly formed third-rate unit of the Martial Hall.”
He continued in a grave tone.
“They bought an entire abandoned estate on the outskirts of the city and have been using it as their base of operations.”
“Hmph.”
“And they provoked the Black Gangs who held a grudge against our sect, inciting a fight.”
“I don’t understand.”
Hae Pung shook his head.
“Then who were the masters who attacked the Black Gangs?”
The masters who attacked the Black Gangs at that time were all said to have used the martial arts of the Beggars’ Sect.
That was why the Black Gangs held a grudge and were now disrupting the sect’s information network in the back alleys.
“That has not been clearly identified, but it is likely not unrelated to the Martial Hall.”
Jeong Sam took a deep breath and said.
“Perhaps the Martial Hall has been training individuals capable of imitating our sect’s martial arts in advance.”
“That’s impossible.”
Hae Pung shook his head in disbelief.
“Are you saying the Martial Hall has been planning this for a long time and has been training masters who specialize in our sect’s martial arts? That doesn’t make any sense, does it?”
As he shook his head, the Gae-geol Unit Leader, Yi Sim-hwa, who was standing to one side, spoke up.
“It is possible.”
“What did you say?”
“In the Martial Alliance… wasn’t there a master with the ability to imitate any martial art after seeing it once?”
“Hmph.”
Hae Pung narrowed his eyes.
There had long been a rumor in the Martial Alliance of a mysterious master who was not only an expert in demonic arts but also possessed an outstanding ability to analyze martial arts.
And it was later confirmed that the Righteous Grand Masters had indeed learned martial arts from this person, proving the rumor true.
However, since the person always wore a mask and never revealed their rank, their identity remained unknown.
“Then, could that incident also be the work of the Sa-yeong Unit’s commander?”
Hae Pung shook his head.
“How can you compare that mysterious master with some third-rate unit commander from the Martial Hall?”
He chuckled and continued.
“If he had such an ability, I doubt he would have remained a mere third-rate unit commander in the Martial Hall.”
After a moment of deep thought, Hae Pung spoke in a decisive tone.
“There is no need to think deeply on this. Unit Leader Yi, take the Gae-geol Unit to the Yihwa Estate.”
A stern and sharp light gleamed in Hae Pung’s eyes.
“And wipe them out, leaving not a single one behind. Make sure the Martial Hall never attempts such foolishness again.”
As the solemn command of Vice-Sect Leader Hae Pung was given, Yi Sim-hwa cupped his hands deeply.
“Understood.”