Do You Know This Beggar?
Do you know this beggar? Cheong, visiting Jangwon City for the first time, was surprised.
It was perfectly natural for the gender ratio to collapse with the Jade Qilin making an appearance. The numbers had decreased somewhat—after the ridiculous spectacle he put on yesterday, the fact that it had only gone down a little made one wonder where on earth that obsession even came from. And what was this? Why were they all like that?
Cheong tilted her head in confusion. It was an especially bizarre sight that stood out. For some reason, two out of every three women were dressed in dirty, grimy clothes with their hair completely disheveled, looking like beggars. Their clothes were those of beggars, yet their faces were heavily made up with powder and bright lipstick. It was to the point where one might think some apocalyptic strange fashion trend had finally reached the Central Plains.
It was the beggar fashion born yesterday when the Jade Qilin declared that he had a taste for dirty beggar women. In the Central Plains, trends are referred to as “~feng” or “~wind.” The common expression “a gale is blowing” originated from this very thing.
“Perfectly healthy people pretending to be beggars? Just to look good in front of a guy? Geez.”
This was Cheong (the beggar)’s cold assessment.
After seeing this pack of fake beggars, she could somewhat understand why Paeng Daesan shuddered with woman-hatred.
In fact, given the era, even when women behaved like this it was packaged nicely as pure love born from deep affection or some such, which only made the phenomenon more extreme.
Cheong had only heard that the Hebei Paeng Clan had settled at Jangwon Domun, but she hadn’t been told where Jangwon Domun actually was. She didn’t need directions, though. She simply walked gracefully toward the area where she saw the most female beggar solicitors, and gradually the surroundings became packed with them.
Finally, one alley was completely filled with female beggars, swirling in a large circle as if cursed by a whirlpool. In the middle of that beggar frenzy, a grand gate rose tall, bearing a signboard with the heavy, imposing characters Jangwon Domun.
As Cheong headed for the gate, hostile glares from the women stabbed into her like daggers. But Cheong was already a veteran of the Jade Qilin. She was used to this terrifying hostility. Instead, she thrust her already prominently protruding chest forward even more and squared her shoulders. Wait, why? Why does this feel good? What is this pride? Get rid of it.
Cheong fell into momentary confusion.
The gate guard of Jangwon Domun also seemed confused. He simply stood there with his mouth open like an idiot hoping a fly would fly in as he stared at Cheong.
“……”
“Warrior?”
“Ah! Does the young lady have business at Jangwon Domun? If it is a visit, please kindly write your honorable name in the visitor log here and I will inform those inside.”
“I am Seomun Cheong, an outer disciple of the Sinnyeo Sect. Wasn’t a message sent ahead?”
“Ah, so it is Lady Seomun! I was told you would be visiting today!”
As Cheong entered Jangwon Domun, she spotted a familiar figure in the distance. She had never seen anyone that tall in the Central Plains, so it could only be Paeng Cho-ryo.
“Hey, isn’t that Cheong! Wow, from far away it suddenly shone so brightly I looked closer and sure enough, it’s Cheong. Quite the beneficial beauty. I heard in advance that you were coming today.”
“Have you been well, Lady Paeng?”
“Oh my, you’ve become a complete heavenly woman?”
At that, Cheong broke her beauty act and flashed a mischievous grin.
“Hehe. Doesn’t suit me, right?”
“No. Even as a fellow woman I almost lost my mind. I thought you were the carefree type like me, but that’s not it?”
“That’s right. But my master is strict.”
“Ah, the godmother! By the way, Cheong? Lady Paeng? Are you planning to be so stiff and formal? There’s a word called ‘sister.’”
“Uh. That feels really awkward. It doesn’t roll off the tongue.”
Calling her sister was truly impossible. When her sworn sister got too upset she had called her that once, but the moment the word left her mouth goosebumps had risen all over her body. There was some fundamental, physiological horror to it.
Cheong’s expression was more effective than a hundred words, so Paeng Cho-ryo—who had read (or rather, plainly seen) the reluctance—changed her approach.
“If it doesn’t suit your mouth, just call me Cho-ryo. ‘Lady Paeng’ is too stiff between us. Come on, try it. Cho-ryo.”
“Yes, Cho-ryo. Got it.”
“By the way, where did you put the great saber I gave you and pick up that thin, long blade instead?”
“Well, it’s too heavy and big so I left it behind. And the sworn sister who’s supposed to attend me this time is frail, so I felt bad leaving it with her.”
“The great saber is good in every way, but it does have that minor issue.”
Paeng Cho-ryo herself was wearing a thin cooper saber at her waist, so the portability problem of the great saber was indeed too minor a matter.
“Ah, Cheong, I heard the story. Aigoo, our good Cheong has gone through so much.”
“What, did San spill everything?”
“What could I do when he asked for my help?”
Paeng Cho-ryo added an explanation. Perhaps bothered by the rumors, today she would imitate a flower beggar and walk around with her brother, and had suggested Cheong join them for a stroll.
“Father doesn’t know, so please pretend not to know anything. He’s a bit angry at my little brother, but after a few days he’ll act like it never happened. Ah, but then—weren’t the two of you alone yesterday?”
Paeng Cho-ryo’s eyes sparkled.
It seems Cho-ryo misunderstood the relationship between me and San. Cheong chuckled and answered.
“Cho-ryo, San and I are just friends. If I had any feelings from the start, would San have just watched? He would’ve lowered his voice, gone ‘Get lost,’ and chased me away. Because we’re purely friends, I’m his only female friend.”
“Hmm.”
“So I’ve been thinking—how about throwing a virginity-loss celebration party for San? Doesn’t his expression look like it’ll completely rot away?”
Seeing the eyes sparkling with pure desire to tease, Paeng Cho-ryo muttered.
“Ha, this guy. His road of hardship is wide open……”
“I won’t tease him that much……”
“No. With someone this pretty? Stupid bastard. That party would be one thing if it was at the clan, but at someone else’s house it’s a bit much. Come visit the Paeng Clan next year. Let’s tease him grandly for the one-year anniversary. How about it?”
“Hmm. Since a day has already passed anyway, promising for next year is fine.”
“Right? It’s a promise? You have to come, okay? It’s April twenty-first, so come a week before—yeah, by the fifteenth of April at the latest.”
“Yes, Cho-ryo. The fifteenth of April.”
Paeng Cho-ryo had skillfully locked in the appointment. Cheong nodded happily, unaware she had fallen into a scheme.
Then, to greet the head of the Paeng Clan, Paeng Heon? Wait, wasn’t the head of Jangwon Domun first? When Cheong got confused, Paeng Cho-ryo explained that since she had come as a guest of the Paeng Clan, it was proper to greet the clan head first.
The Sword Gentleman Paeng Heon was a very magnanimous person.
“Girl!! Yes, come in quickly! I’ve heard so much about you from our little bird. Seeing your face like this is truly wonderful!”
“Father, how old am I that you’re still calling me little bird? And in front of a guest, no less.”
“Haha, in your father’s eyes you’re always as small and cute as a little bird—no, even cuter than a little bird. Isn’t that good!”
Cheong fell into confusion. Was the little bird that little bird? Could the little bird of the Central Plains be a raptor the size of an eagle? Not knowing about Paeng Cho-ryo’s childhood when she fit in her father’s palm, Cheong could only wonder if it was a different kind of little bird.
“Sigh, my son caused an accident and now I have no face to show you. He usually doesn’t listen, but I really don’t know what he’s thinking. A man always being so sullen.”
“Ah. I think I know what you mean. By the way, do you have a nickname you call San by?”
Cheong’s eyes sparkled at the chance to gather more teasing material. But it was a miss.
“San! That’s good! But does that guy have any cute points to give him a nickname? If I say something he just twitches his eyebrows. Tsk.”
“Hehe. I understand what you mean.”
“You are truly full of grace. Our clan style is free so it’s rare, but seeing you like this—yes, it’s good! Good!”
She didn’t know what exactly was so continuously good, but she understood that he was welcoming her heartily.
After that, after a brief chat with the head of Jangwon Domun, they immediately prepared for the stroll.
Paeng Cho-ryo stuffed cotton padding into her chest to create a large shape and wore a face veil. To Cheong it simply looked like she was that massive, but Paeng Daesan nodded in great satisfaction.
“What, San. Was my figure like that……?”
“My sister is about an inch taller. But since we’re standing and walking around anyway, if the chest is big the figure doesn’t show below. Sister, could you shrink your shoulders a bit? Hmm, perfect.”
Indeed, when she shrunk her massive shoulders she looked almost exactly like the flower beggar. Since her defining characteristics were the face veil, height, and chest anyway, it was only natural.
“After going around a couple times we’ll separate and sister will leave the city. Then the nasty rumors will end. We need plenty of spectators following us, though.”
“Huh? San. You haven’t been outside? The whole city is full of beggars. The women set up camp in beggar outfits hoping to catch your eye.”
“……? They saw that sight yesterday and still didn’t leave? Just how much more disgrace do I need to show before they lose interest?”
It was natural for Paeng Daesan to be shocked. With nothing else to say, Cheong simply comforted him.
“Hang in there. I didn’t know they were that persistent.”
“Damn it. I’m going to go crazy.”
Then Cheong snapped her middle finger.
“Then let’s see how far they’ll follow. Let’s try it with these dogs.”
The moment the three of them left Jangwon Domun, pitiful exclamations burst out all at once.
The Jade Qilin had emerged with women on both sides. One side was the peerless beauty who had entered about an hour ago, yet she was walking with some distance between them. The one clinging tightly, linking arms intimately like lovers, was yesterday’s female beggar.
While it was relieving that the peerless beauty seemed to have been rejected, what on earth was with that beggar bitch? The sounds of grinding teeth—in short, the teeth-chilling noise—followed right after the sighs.
And then, as if to show off, they strolled around the city sticking closely together.
The women whose eyes had become like axe blades followed behind them in droves like an angry, resentful mob.
It was about when they had gone around once like that.
“Lord Paeng! How—how can you do this! How……”
A woman blocked their path, tears welling in her eyes as she poured out her resentment.
But her beauty was extraordinary. With a face the size of a fist and perfectly placed eyes, nose, and mouth, it was amazing how she could be such a beauty. Slender in height with a thin frame, huffing with tear-filled eyes, she was the epitome of a delicate, sad beauty.
“Lady Moyong. You speak as if I’ve done you some wrong. We’re just lovers taking a stroll, so could you make way?”
Cheong reflexively checked Lady Moyong’s chest area. What, she actually has some presence? Ah-jun had said he had only one sister. With that level of beauty, she seemed to fit as one of the Five Flowers of Murim.
“Ah, no! I can’t! How can you leave me behind and walk with women on both sides! It’s too much! Just where do I fall short!”
“I’m worried others might misunderstand if they hear. Don’t you and I have no other connection?”
“How, how can you say such things……! Even the beauty next to you would be better, but how can it be that dirty beggar bitch—and she’s even an ugly wench!”
“No, this girl. No matter what, pointing fingers in someone’s face and speaking rudely. I didn’t see her that way.”
It was Paeng Cho-ryo’s muttering.
Unaware that her reputation was taking a huge hit with everyone’s big sister Paeng Cho-ryo, Moyong Juhee threw a tantrum.
At that moment Cheong cleared her throat with a loud hem-hem, and Paeng Daesan, whose voice had been gradually lowering in pitch, flashed his eyes.
“Hmm. Come to think of it, Lady Moyong’s words seem right. I do like the dirty part, but she’s tall like a pole. Other than nighttime activities, there’s nothing that satisfies me. Ha!”
With that, Paeng Daesan shook off his arm, and Paeng Cho-ryo dramatically collapsed to the floor with a thud, pitifully.
“G-Gongja? Didn’t you promise to cherish me for life?”
“Know your place. Did a lowly wench think she could step into the great Hebei Paeng Clan?”
“How can you—hic—now that you’ve had your fun, you don’t need me anymore? After treating my body like a beast last night, how can you?”
“Aren’t men originally like that? Thinking about it, if I like the beggar look, I can just dress a pretty girl that way. There’s no reason to associate with a real beggar bitch. Besides, with that ugly face—thanks to it I skipped breakfast—so cover that disgusting face and get lost.”
“That! As expected! I understand! These sleeves—here! I’ve torn them all off!”
As Paeng Cho-ryo grabbed her own shoulder and ripped the sleeve off, her massive arm muscles—clearly defined by section—were revealed.
“You said sleeveless clothes were pretty but this girl was too shy to follow! But if it’s for Gongja, as much as—”
“Ha, half the people in the world are women. What would it matter if someone like you dressed up? Enough, get lost. Quickly.”
Then Paeng Cho-ryo, acting out a crying performance, suddenly stood up and ran off. The women in her path were hit by her solid muscle shoulder check and practically flew away.
It was a retreat like a cavalry charge from the flower beggar.