Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Return in Glory
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"It's a relief that you woke up safely."
Han Ibi turned toward the direction of the voice.
It was a middle-aged man dressed in the usual beggar's rags, with a gaunt build that perfectly embodied the stereotypical image of a Beggars' Sect member.
'Whoa. Finally, I get to meet a beggar who actually looks like one.'
The middle-aged man grinned slyly and spoke to Sa U-yeon.
"No matter what anyone said, she wouldn't listen... but the moment she pulled out clothes she hadn't worn in days, I knew it was..."
Sa U-yeon widened her eyes and waved her hands frantically as she shouted.
"Uncle! What are you talking about? I just put on the birthday gift you gave me because I didn't want it to go to waste..."
The middle-aged man continued with a sly expression.
"Sure, sure. Who said otherwise? That's exactly what I was getting at."
Sa U-yeon snapped irritably at his words.
"Ugh, forget it. I'm busy, so I'm leaving."
With that, she bolted out the door before anyone could stop her.
The middle-aged man watched her go with a fond smile before turning to Han Ibi.
"Isn't she just adorable?"
"Pardon? Ah... yes..."
Han Ibi gave a bewildered response, unsure of the situation.
The middle-aged man said,
"U-yeon is my niece. Oh, right—I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm Sa Pyeong-cheon, branch leader of the Beggars' Sect's Anpyeong Sub-branch."
Han Ibi awkwardly returned the greeting.
"I'm Jong Ri-mae of the Qingcheng Sect."
Sa Pyeong-cheon nodded.
"Of course, I know."
At that moment, Han Ibi seemed to remember something and asked,
"Ah! Where is Elder Seon Mu-jae?"
Sa Pyeong-cheon replied,
"The elder is a very busy man... Oh, goodness me. Old habits die hard... We must show proper respect to Elder Seon. Ahem. Anyway... Elder Seon has been given all sorts of tasks by the gang leader. For instance, pairing up with young hero Jong Ri-mae was also the gang leader's direct order."
Han Ibi was somewhat surprised.
'So, he teamed up with me not out of coincidence, but because it was planned from the start?'
Han Ibi said,
"Come to think of it, Elder Seon mentioned before that the gang leader wanted to take me somewhere."
Sa Pyeong-cheon chuckled.
"Don't worry about that. The gang leader has already given the order."
Sa Pyeong-cheon cupped his hands near his mouth as if whispering.
"The Beggars' Sect's information network is second to none."
Then Han Ibi, as if realizing something, remarked,
"Ah, come to think of it, the gang leader also has the surname Sa. There must be a lot of people with that surname in the Beggars' Sect."
Sa Pyeong-cheon burst into laughter at that.
"Not really. Truth be told... Gang Leader Sa Eung-cheon is my cousin."
Han Ibi's face showed genuine surprise.
But Sa Pyeong-cheon continued nonchalantly.
"And... U-yeon is..."
Hold on.
Sa U-yeon is his niece, and he's cousins with the Beggars' Sect gang leader... which means!
"She's the gang leader's daughter!"
Sa Pyeong-cheon confirmed,
"Exactly. My cousin sent her to this Anpyeong Sub-branch, where I've been leader for years, to gain some training. And I..."
His expression darkened slightly.
"...entrusted her to Lower Protector Ha. Ah... He was truly an outstanding man."
"Yes, he was."
The conversation was starting to drag on.
Han Ibi decided to cut to the chase.
"By the way, Branch Leader."
"Yes."
"Why does the gang leader want to see me?"
Sa Pyeong-cheon straightened his expression.
"First, the gang leader expressed his regrets regarding the recent plague incident. We've heard all about young hero Jong Ri-mae's exploits."
It was then.
'Huh? The quest resolved itself. Reward 1 makes sense, but what about Rewards 2 and 3?'
Sa Pyeong-cheon continued,
"The gang leader has been investigating a series of recent incidents in the martial world. First, regarding the tragedy that befell the Zhongli Clan... please accept our deepest condolences."
Han Ibi nodded calmly in acknowledgment.
Sa Pyeong-cheon went on,
"Though the culprits behind the Zhongli Clan tragedy remain hidden... the gang leader has uncovered that it is by no means unrelated to the Heavenly Star Palace."
"The Heavenly Star Palace... Isn't that a faction classified among the unorthodox paths in the martial world?"
"Indeed. And behind them..."
Sa Pyeong-cheon lowered his voice.
"...lurks what is suspected to be a mysterious figure—or organization—known as the 'Evil Spirit Lord.'"
Han Ibi shot to his feet.
"Ah!"
"Do you know something about the Evil Spirit Lord?"
"No, not really. I've just... heard the name before."
Sa Pyeong-cheon nodded.
"In any case, the Heavenly Star Palace has been stirring up all sorts of sordid affairs in the martial world while hiding their identity. The gang leader is pursuing those leads."
Han Ibi said,
"I see. If they truly harmed my clan, I will hold the Heavenly Star Palace accountable, no matter what."
Of course, through Jong Ri-hyeok.
"That's why..."
Sa Pyeong-cheon reached into his bosom and pulled out a flat, small bowl, continuing,
"...take this with you."
Huh?
"Isn't this... a beggar's alms bowl?"
Sa Pyeong-cheon smiled.
"Not just any bowl. It's the mark that proves your status as an officially recognized guest informant."
"How unique. Of all things, a bowl..."
Typical beggars.
"Hahaha. It will be accepted at any Beggars' Sect branch, so young hero Jong Ri-mae can exchange information freely. Of course, if you come across good intel, it would be best to share it with us."
Han Ibi thought,
'Hmm. Access to the Beggars' Sect information network is a huge advantage.'
Sa Pyeong-cheon added,
"In any event, the gang leader said he wishes to meet young hero Jong Ri-mae soon."
"Me... now?"
"Yes."
Han Ibi tilted his head quizzically.
"Why would someone like me..."
Sa Pyeong-cheon gave a meaningful smile.
"He has some urgent questions regarding the Demonic Taoist."
When Sa Pyeong-cheon handed him travel money, it felt odd, like receiving alms from beggars.
But that money proved useful on his solo journey back to Qingcheng.
'Well, no need to feel bad. They may look like beggars, but they're a massive martial faction and a powerful interest group...'
Still, he felt a twinge of regret for not properly saying goodbye to Sa U-yeon.
In any case, despite being directionally challenged, Han Ibi had managed to ask his way to Qingcheng Mountain.
The familiar scenery warmed his heart...
'Whoa! No, that's not it. This isn't my real home. I need to make a proper return to my true home.'
And so, Han Ibi finally arrived at the gates of the Qingcheng Sect.
Just then, a third-generation disciple of Qingcheng Sect named Han Suk, who was a couple of years younger than Han Ibi, happened to pass by.
Of course, they had never even exchanged words before.
He widened his eyes and exclaimed,
"Ah! Junior Uncle Jong Ri-mae!"
Eung? J-Junior Uncle!
Han Suk scurried over excitedly.
"Wow! I heard everything."
"What?"
"Come on, don't 'what' me. Speak casually."
Han Ibi wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve amid the awkward atmosphere.
"Uh... okay. So, what did you hear?"
"The rumors are all over the martial world right now. A dragon risen from the gutters."
"Huh?"
"The Lesser Five Dragons of the Murim Alliance."
"Ah... that."
"What do you mean 'that'? The title of Lesser Five Dragons is the dream of every aspiring young martial artist breaking a sweat out there! And... the Azure Dragon, no less! They say you smashed everything in sight, earning the nickname 'Destroyer King'?"
"W-Well, not quite that much..."
"Anyway, Junior Uncle Jong Ri-mae, you did great. I'll go report your arrival, so take your time coming in. Got it?"
"Uh... sure..."
'These opportunistic punks... The moment I achieve something, they flip their attitudes like this?'
That's what he thought, but...
On the other hand, Han Ibi couldn't hide his puffed-up pride.
It wasn't just Han Suk and the other third-generation disciples fawning over him.
Most of the elders welcomed Han Ibi warmly.
But the highlight was the insufferably sycophantic elder Yi Sin-song, who charged at Han Ibi like he was about to embrace him.
He lavished Han Ibi with oily flattery, as if ready to hand over his own gall bladder.
And who could blame him? All the heroes of the martial world kept a close eye on the Murim Alliance's every move.
Moreover, the title of Lesser Five Dragons greatly elevated the prestige of one's sect.
Winning the latecomer division as a special participant was a massive boon for the Qingcheng Sect.
After enduring these tedious formalities, Han Ibi finally had a private audience with Bok Yeon-hwa in the sect leader's quarters.
It had been a very long time.
Han Ibi bowed properly in greeting.
"Master. I'm back."
Unlike the others, Bok Yeon-hwa simply nodded curtly.
"No issues?"
Issues? Countless...
But reciting them all wasn't feasible.
"Yes. I returned safely."
Bok Yeon-hwa said,
"Good work."
Ooo... Good work!
This was about the highest praise one could expect from this cold-as-ice grandmother.
At times like this, it was better to season his response with some humility.
"It was thanks to the help of my fellow disciples who came along. Oh, right—I haven't greeted them yet. Everyone made it back safe?"
Bok Yeon-hwa shook her head.
"Eun-ri and Nan-ju returned, but... Jong Ri-hyeok hasn't yet."
Han Ibi asked in surprise,
"Pardon? Still?"
"Yes. Word came through Eun-ri. Since he's already out in the world, he has some things to look into."
Han Ibi thought,
'I see. Probably digging into the enemies of the Zhongli Clan.'
And in the original story, this journey grants him a few fortuitous encounters.
Looking back now, they weren't all that impressive...
'The early encounters aren't much compared to what I have. Dream of the Ant Snake was all about slow growth and pacing that doesn't match modern trends...'
Han Ibi said,
"If you wish, Master, I can go out again and look for Jong Ri-hyeok."
Bok Yeon-hwa shook her head.
"No. He'll return when the time comes... You..."
"Yes."
"...have other duties."
Huh? Other duties? For me?
"What might those duties be?"
Bok Yeon-hwa said,
"An official notice came from the Murim Alliance."
"A notice?"
"Yes. The current Alliance Leader is Jeon-gal Yu-hyeon of the Jeon-gal Clan. You know that much, right?"
"Ah! I actually met him in person."
"Good. The current Alliance Leader's term has six months remaining."
(To be continued)