Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 211
>Chapter Title: Cave (2)
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It had been some time since the Three-Pouch Beggar began glancing anxiously toward the Beggars' Sect Leader's hut with a complicated expression.
The Five-Pouch Beggar, who had taken the tree bark to the hut, emerged and beckoned the Three-Pouch Beggar over.
The Three-Pouch Beggar approached with a puzzled look on his face.
The Five-Pouch Beggar spoke.
"The Leader has summoned you. Let's go in together."
Amid his bewilderment, the Three-Pouch Beggar followed the Five-Pouch Beggar into the Leader's hut.
The Three-Pouch Beggar's first impression upon meeting the Beggars' Sect Leader up close for the first time was this.
'...He truly looks like a beggar.'
It might sound like an insult at first glance, but since the man was the head of the beggars, it wasn't really an insult.
As the Three-Pouch Beggar observed, the Beggars' Sect Leader was an old beggar with sweat streaming down his face.
Usually, a high-ranking Beggars' Sect expert would exude some indescribable aura even in beggar's rags, but the Leader carried a utterly feeble, listless air, like a powerless old man.
The Three-Pouch Beggar lost himself for a moment in that listless atmosphere before belatedly offering his respects.
"This subordinate of the Lanzhou Branch, Three-Pouch Beggar, pays his respects to the Leader."
"Heh heh heh. What need is there for formalities among beggars? So you're the one who brought this tree bark?"
"Yes, Leader."
"Then you must have looked into that Maitreya Illuminating Cult or whatever they call themselves."
With that, the Beggars' Sect Leader muttered the words written on the tree bark as if talking to himself.
"Providing jobs and wages, or blocking them and forcing them to beg. Which of these is truly the path for beggars? Right. What do you think? Do their words ring true?"
When the Three-Pouch Beggar hesitated to answer, the Leader chuckled softly and said,
"Heh heh heh. No need to worry. What power does this old beggar have to devour you?"
Thanks to that gentle atmosphere, the Three-Pouch Beggar took a deep breath and spoke.
"Honestly, their words seem right to me, Leader."
The young beggar squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the Leader's reprimand, but the response was unexpected.
"You saw it well. Heh heh heh. Of course, helping beggars escape beggary is the true way to help, isn't it?"
"???"
"Why so surprised? Isn't that why our Beggars' Sect deals in information? We gather and organize intel from beggars across the Central Plains, sell it, and use the money to feed our own. How is that different from providing jobs and wages?"
"Ah.... Now that you say it, you're absolutely right, Leader!"
As the Three-Pouch Beggar marveled, the Leader smiled faintly and added,
"But that's barely enough to keep them from starving. To truly help, we'd have to do as that Maitreya Illuminating Cult does. So, do you know why we can't?"
Having grasped the thread of the conversation, the Three-Pouch Beggar pondered briefly before answering.
"Because we don't have enough money to feed all the countless beggars across the Central Plains, right?"
"Heh heh heh. Exactly right. In that sense, the Maitreya Illuminating Cult must have seized the Rogue Heaven Society's assets after driving them out. We can assume they're using that money to provide jobs and wages to people now."
"Then, can we consider them good people?"
True to his youth, the Three-Pouch Beggar—somewhat swayed by the Maitreya Illuminating Cult's radical logic and actions—asked.
And true to his age, the Beggars' Sect Leader drew on his experience and wisdom to give a cautious reply.
"It seems so at first glance, but the problem comes after the Rogue Heaven Society's money runs out. We don't know how they'll act then, nor if they're truly helping the pitiful without any ulterior motives. That's why I called you here."
"???"
"To determine if they're truly good, I'm sending one person as Lanzhou Branch Leader. Escort him to Lanzhou and tell him everything about the branch and the Maitreya Illuminating Cult."
With that, the Leader turned to the Five-Pouch Beggar standing by his side and issued an order.
"Summon Little Tiger Beggar."
"...Not the elders, but entrusting this to a Seven-Pouch Beggar?"
Seven-Pouch referred to the Beggars' Sect beggars of the seventh rank, second only to the Eight-Pouch elders and personal disciples of the Leader.
"Gansu is in the west, so it should go to Pursuing Beggar Elder, but isn't he busy with matters in Sichuan right now?"
The Beggars' Sect currently had four Eight-Pouch elders, each handling major affairs by dividing the Central Plains into east, west, south, and north.
Western affairs were mainly under Pursuing Beggar Elder, northern ones under Never-Drunk Beggar Elder, and so on.
"It's time my disciple learned to judge people properly. He thinks being Sect Leader means just having the best martial arts—like some naive kid."
At the Leader's words, the Five-Pouch Beggar left the hut to fetch the Seven-Pouch Little Tiger Beggar.
* * *
Various events were unfolding simultaneously across Gansu Province.
The White Tiger Squad and Red Tiger Squad warriors, who had received orders from Il-mok, left Lanzhou with a few courtesans and headed to another county in Gansu.
"Do you know the way?"
There, they conducted proselytizing through honey traps for two or three days.
Once they had gathered a suitable number of people, they held assemblies and demonstrated their prowess to the attendees.
By eliminating the black path gangs that had been committing evil deeds in each county.
It was a repetition of what Il-mok and his group had done in Gorang County.
However, for assemblies and proselytizing, they prioritized counties with Heavenly Demon Divine Cult branches.
As black path groups rampant across Gansu were swept away one by one,
Lanzhou, the provincial capital, was also buzzing with unusual activity.
Specifically, at the former Rogue Heaven Society compound.
The signboard reading [Rogue Heaven Society] at the main gate had been replaced with [Maitreya Illuminating Cult].
In the center of the compound, former beggars and laborers continued construction under the direction of Master Craftsman Deok-gwang.
Near the entrance, crowds thronged two large halls.
One hall bore a [Schoolroom] signboard, where education proceeded nonstop.
"Today's characters are Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow, Universe, Vast Wastelands. We'll start by learning the character for 'heaven'."
Deputy Propaganda Leader Won-sul recited from the Thousand Character Classic from the head seat, drawing large hanja on wall paper, and the attendees began copying the characters.
But they weren't writing on paper.
With no telling how many they'd teach, buying paper for all would be a massive waste.
Instead, sand-filled trays sat before each seated learner, and they traced the characters in the sand with wooden sticks.
Across from the schoolroom, the [Clinic] hall had Physician Seo Jae-pil treating patients.
The Rogue Heaven Society compound, once a symbol of terror that everyone shunned as filthy, now brimmed with vitality.
That night.
"Young Master. I really feel like I'm going to die like this."
Won-sul, who had spent the day teaching the Thousand Character Classic and returned to the branch hall, begged Il-mok for mercy with a deathly pale face.
Physician Seo Jae-pil stood beside him.
"The physician feels the same?"
"Too many patients come. With lines that never end, there's no time for consultations or research, Young Master."
As Seo replied glumly, Won-sul chimed in emphatically.
"It's the same for us! Teaching the Thousand Character Classic is one thing, but we lack time to prepare Maitreya Illuminating Cult doctrine and sermons because of it."
Il-mok folded his arms and pondered briefly.
His master the Heavenly Demon or senior brother Wi Jin-hak would have shouted "For the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!" and burned through fanatic followers' zeal.
But Il-mok considered himself rational, so he didn't believe blindly grinding people would solve everything.
Precisely, short-term tasks could use that, but this was ongoing.
As always, drawing from modern memories, Il-mok soon thought of a viable solution.
"Hm. For the clinic, I'll select courtesans from the pleasure district who can read and write and send them over."
What he envisioned was nurses—or in local terms, medical maidens.
"Teach them basic medicine, Physician Seo. It'll take some time at first, but eventually they'll handle minor patients, right?"
It solved two problems at once.
'Some stayed courtesans because they couldn't start anything else.'
He couldn't force them, but some surely wanted out.
This would give them a chance, with proper pay of course.
Meanwhile, overhearing, Won-sul seized the moment.
"Then send some courtesans to us too, Young Master!"
A request ripe for misunderstanding.
"Impossible."
Not that he refused out of perverse misunderstanding.
"There aren't many literate courtesans. Not enough for the schoolroom too. And plenty need light work besides courtesans, right? Hire elderly unable to labor or the infirm who can read."
Il-mok was outsourcing the outsourcing again.
As Won-sul rejoiced at offloading Thousand Character teaching, Il-mok added something he'd recalled.
"By the way, I heard some beggars remain who can't work as laborers due to disability. Hiring them as schoolroom instructors would be good."
He planned to clear out the last remaining beggars this time.
At Il-mok's order, Won-sul asked worriedly,
"Even if disabled, beggars who stayed beggars likely can't read, right?"
"No problem there."
As expected of the Eighth Young Master famed in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Won-sul marveled briefly at the prepared solution.
"Have your deputy and Doctrine Hall people teach them. Done."
"......"
Won-sul's admiring expression froze.
"Hm. On second thought, it's not just them. Other counties will need education services later too. Prepare a plan to train instructors."
No sooner had one task lessened than a new one arose.
"You two, go now."
Having swiftly resolved their complaints, Il-mok dismissed them.
Right after Physician Seo and Won-sul left the hall, Il-mok yawned and stretched.
"Yaaawn."
The sun had fully set.
Having trained Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword all day, Il-mok felt pleasantly drowsy and wanted to lie down, but an uninvited guest arrived.
"Young Master. White Dragon Squad Third Squad Leader Kang-yul reporting. Mission complete."
"No special matters? Then rest."
"One anomaly, so I'll report first."
At Kang-yul's voice beyond the door, Il-mok sighed inwardly.
"Come in."
Kang-yul entered, paid respects.
"Any issues in Jeongseo County?"
"No problems eliminating Iron Heart Hall tormenting the locals. But the next day, men claiming to be Cave Sect Taoists appeared."
"...Cave Sect Taoists?"
Il-mok asked incredulously.
He hadn't even considered the name of the Cave Sect—destroyed centuries ago—would surface.
"Has the Cave Sect revived?"
"Can't say, but they claimed to be Cave Sect Taoists and offered to help Jeongseo County folk."
Il-mok pondered at Kang-yul's reply.
'Why pop up now, of all times, Cave Sect.'
Cave Mountain, the Cave Sect's seat, was geographically close to Lanzhou—by vast Central Plains standards.
With proximity, even if active only in Jeongseo now, entanglements would increase soon.
Entanglement itself wasn't bad, but they were a righteous sect. A famed one.
Even after destruction, descendants spread, founding new sects, some joining the Nine Great Righteous Clans.
Worst, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—Il-mok's own—had wiped them out.
'One misstep, and Gansu branches could all be swept away.'
In the worst case, allied descendant sects might attack.
Of course, just worst-case thinking. Best case: they weren't real Cave Sect.
It had been centuries since destruction.
'...No solid intel, too many possibilities.'
Realizing no immediate solution from mulling, Il-mok sighed lightly.
'Peaceful few days, and now this.'
Delegating? Already outsourcing multiple layers.
And the issue's gravity made trusting others uneasy.
"Guess I have to check Jeongseo County and Cave Mountain myself."