Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 219
>Chapter Title: Dog Child (2)
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The one and only Seven-Knot Beggar of the Beggar Clan, and the term used to refer to the disciple of the Beggar Clan Leader—Huga.
Upon hearing that this Huga had come calling, Il-mok furrowed his brow and asked,
“Is that fellow at the branch right now?”
“Not here, Young Master. Since yesterday, he’s been sniffing around the Maitreya Cult’s compound.”
Il-mok let out a light sigh at the Branch Leader’s explanation.
“For now, I suppose I’ll have to meet him.”
Seeing Il-mok’s half-hearted reaction, Jin Ha-yeon, who was at his side, asked,
“Do you really need to meet Huga, Young Master?”
“We’ll handle him without leaving any evidence behind, Brother.”
Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a chimed in with a smile.
It was a smile brimming with murderous intent.
“Ahem. I appreciate the sentiment, but there’s no need for that.”
It wasn’t because killing Huga would be impossible for Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a.
Worst case, if Dam-bin and the Silver Shadow Pavilion members joined in the ambush, they could manage it somehow.
The problem was that there was no need to dispose of him at all. No—properly handled, it would actually be more beneficial to keep him alive.
“If we let him know about the events at Joint Peak Mountain this time, won’t the Beggar Clan investigate on their own?”
“You mean the Blood Cult?”
At Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a’s question, Jin Ha-yeon answered in his place.
“The Beggar Clan is renowned even in the Central Plains as an intelligence network. If it’s about digging up information in the Central Plains, they’re surely faster than our Divine Cult.”
Il-mok nodded in agreement, and Dam-bin spoke up.
“Their wicked deeds were undoubtedly an outrage against heaven and earth. I fully support Young Master’s desire to root them out and slaughter them all. However, we cannot confirm whether they are truly connected to the Blood Cult, Young Master.”
Il-mok shrugged nonchalantly at her words.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re connected to the Blood Cult or not. The goal is to set the Beggar Clan on the trail of the Blood Cult.”
For a moment, the others looked puzzled, as if wondering if it wasn’t the same thing. But as expected, the experienced Dam-bin was the first to grasp Il-mok’s true intent.
“The main purpose was to divert the Beggar Clan’s attention from us to the Blood Cult.”
Only then did the others realize Il-mok’s real aim, gazing at him with varied expressions.
Blank stares. Devotion. Surprise. Admiration, and so on. Subtly different depending on their personal hang-ups or feelings toward Il-mok.
“No matter that we’re operating under a false name, drawing too much attention would be troublesome.”
Il-mok nodded moderately, while inwardly considering another thought.
‘Cleanup is an issue too.’
Recalling the events in Pyeongryang County, Il-mok glanced down at the demonic sword hanging at his waist.
Already short on manpower as it was. If things went well with the Blood Cult, he might be able to command some decent forces.
While Il-mok was lost in thoughts of Pyeongryang County,
Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a, sensing something off, asked,
“Brother. Then why were you reluctant to meet Huga?”
At the young girl’s question, Il-mok shuddered and replied.
“Because he’s a beggar, dear. The thought of conversing up close with one makes my skin crawl even now.”
Il-mok had yet to free himself from his hygiene obsession.
“So, could you bring some water for me to wash up, Branch Leader? Flying at full speed with lightness skill for half a day has left me feeling grimy.”
* * *
Nanju’s marketplace.
Today, as usual, Byeok-ga was humming a hymn alongside his father as they tended their fruit stall.
Suddenly, Byeok-ga exclaimed “Ah!” as if struck by a thought, and shouted to his father.
“Father! It’s time for class! I’ll head to the Maitreya Cult’s compound then!”
His attitude made it seem like he was overflowing with passion for learning. He’d been fidgeting to leave the stall for quite some time.
But Byeok-ga’s father knew the truth.
“You rascal! If you’re just chasing after some girl’s skirts again, stay here and mind the shop! I’ll go take the class myself.”
Byeok-ga laughed awkwardly, having been caught red-handed.
“Ahahaha. It’s not like that, Father. Of course I’m going to learn my letters!”
His father inwardly clicked his tongue at his son’s pathetic acting.
‘Tch. All grown up on the outside, but still just a kid!’
They say a child’s hair may turn white with age, but to a parent’s eyes, they’re forever a child. Though this case was a bit different.
Still, it was a rare chance for his son to learn to read, even belatedly. He couldn’t let it slip away.
When Byeok-ga was young, his father hadn’t yet established himself and lacked the means to send him to a schoolhouse.
Both father and son had only learned basic numbers needed for business and a handful of simple characters at most.
“You have to come home tonight and teach me what you learned today! If you forget and come back empty-headed, I’ll go take the classes next time. Remember that!”
At his father’s stern warning, Byeok-ga beamed and replied.
“Of course, Father!”
Doubting his son’s reliability, the father quickly wrapped some fruit in a cloth bundle.
Untrustworthy as he was, the father decided to at least send a modest gift to the teacher, hoping they’d look after his boy.
“Take this too! You must give it to the teachers. If word gets back that you gave it to some girls while chasing skirts, you’ll get the scolding of your life!”
“Yes, Father!”
Knowing he’d only hear more nagging if he lingered, Byeok-ga snatched the fruit bundle and hurried out of the fruit shop.
Similar scenes were unfolding throughout Nanju.
In a brothel nestled in one corner of the red-light district,
A few courtesans, having finished business at dawn and slept, were now rising and preparing to head out.
“Yawwwn.”
One courtesan, woken by their movements, peered at them blearily through fatigued eyes and said,
“You’re all so diligent. As if learning a few letters is going to change our lives.”
“Didn’t you hear? Some girls who learned to read are even working at the clinic there now. What’s stopping us?”
“So, you’re aiming to become a healer girl?”
“Why not~?”
The young courtesan replied with a nasal hum, stepping out of the red-light district with bright eyes that didn’t suit the brothel.
The footsteps gathering from all corners of Nanju converged at the compound bearing the sign [Maitreya Cult].
Some, illiterate their whole lives, were simply thrilled at the chance to learn letters.
Others envisioned a brighter future through literacy.
And some came with light hearts, just happy to see the opposite sex in class.
Light-hearted or grave, all brimmed with vibrant energy all the same.
That lively atmosphere wasn’t limited to those heading to the hall marked [Schoolhouse].
“Oh, Healer.”
Those gathered at the [Clinic] should have been downcast with illness, yet their eyes held hope, thanks to the free care from the healers.
It wasn’t just the patients.
“I won’t have time to teach you twice, so watch closely.”
As Seo Jae-pil the healer tended to patients, the women at his side diligently wielded brushes on their papers, meticulously recording his treatment process.
All were former courtesans from the red-light district, come to train as healer girls.
Amid the Maitreya Cult compound buzzing with vitality everywhere,
There, a beggar with seven knots and one with three lay sprawled.
The Three-Knot Beggar was the one who’d traveled from Nanju to the Beggar Clan headquarters.
The Seven-Knot Beggar was none other than Huga, the disciple of the Beggar Clan Leader—Little Tiger Beggar.
“Whew. As a beggar myself, I’ve never been to the capital since they won’t let my kind in. But in all my travels, I’ve never seen a place so full of hope.”
“I was shocked too, Huga. I never imagined they’d prepare something like this while I was away to headquarters.”
“Indeed. And look over there—they’re even doing construction inside.”
“Most of the workers there were originally beggars we used to look after.”
“That’s why I’m saying. Plus, they’re teaching sick and infirm beggars at that schoolhouse too.”
Even Huga, who as the Beggar Clan’s disciple had access to all sorts of information, found this place otherworldly.
He spent a while longer touring the Maitreya Cult compound with an intrigued expression.
Then, the bustling crowd in the compound parted left and right, and a man wearing an angry Four Heavenly Kings statue mask appeared in the gap.
The masked man approached straight toward Little Tiger Beggar.
‘According to Hong-gae the Division Chief, he’s supposed to be a shaman…?’
It was a subtle sensation.
True to his status as the next Clan Leader, Little Tiger Beggar had surpassed the peak and sensed the opponent was no ordinary expert.
The issue was how vague it felt. He couldn’t pinpoint the level—whether he was truly a shaman, or trained in martial arts. No read at all.
‘They say the Nancheon Association Leader who originally controlled this place was at the entry to transcendent level, so this must be the one who killed him.’
As Little Tiger Beggar roughly assessed the man, the approaching figure halted about a zhang away.
“You seem to have business with our Maitreya Cult, so follow me.”
With that, the masked man turned and headed to an empty hall.
“Hoo.”
Intrigued, Little Tiger Beggar scratched his grimy beard and rose.
“You wait here.”
Leaving the Three-Knot Beggar behind, Little Tiger Beggar followed the masked man into the hall and sat facing him.
“No intention of removing the mask?”
“None.”
“Hmm. Folks who hide their faces are never up to any good.”
“We’re the same, hiding among beggars, aren’t we?”
“Hahaha. An amusing tale. But we do it to protect the beggars.”
“We do it to protect the common folk too. If no one knows who the incarnation of Maitreya is, they can’t harass the people recklessly, right?”
“Hmm.”
Sensing he couldn’t shake the man on this topic, Little Tiger Beggar changed subjects.
“From what I’ve seen these past couple days, your care for the common folk here is truly admirable. Pouring out money like this. But most folks don’t give away wealth without some aim.”
“And the Beggar Clan protects beggars out of pure altruism? Ah, you help them to gather information from all corners of the world.”
“Are you insulting our Beggar Clan right now?”
Little Tiger Beggar scowled, but the masked man just shrugged with indifferent eyes.
“I meant it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other. Just as the Beggar Clan aids beggars, we simply wish to help the common folk.”
He’d probed deliberately for a reaction, but Little Tiger Beggar gained nothing.
No flicker in the eyes peeking through the mask.
‘The gaze of a worldly old fox who’s weathered every storm.’
Kindly put, seasoned. Harshly put, the rotten, lifeless eyes of one jaded by life.
Realizing this petty contest of wills yielded nothing, Little Tiger Beggar cut straight to it.
“Our aims seem similar—splendid. But our Beggar Clan helps beggars yet lacks funds, so we trade info too. Where does your money come from to lavish on the folk like this?”
“From eliminating black道 groups like Nanju’s Nancheon Association or Golang County’s Red Silk House and seizing their assets.”
“Then what when that money runs dry? You planning to rob innocent folk then?”
“If the money runs out, that’s it. Why would we?”
When the man countered as if baffled, Little Tiger Beggar pressed.
“What, so you’ll stop helping when the money’s gone?”
“Naturally.”
The masked man replied flatly, and Little Tiger Beggar started to argue, but the man spoke faster.
“That’s why we start with letters, then teach clinic work, carpentry, and such. Never heard of ‘teach the child to gather firewood’?”
“Teach the child to gather firewood” was an idiom about teaching a child to chop wood instead of just giving them fuel.
Only then did Little Tiger Beggar grasp the man’s true intent, recalling Nanju’s sights from the past days.
‘Whew… To think they’d planned this far ahead.’
He felt ashamed of their own ways—selling info now and then to buy beggars food.
At this rate, they looked every bit the righteous faction, but he couldn’t let it go.
As the Beggar Clan’s Huga, one thing remained to check.
Nanju was the capital of Gansu Province, and nearby lurked an utterly vile pack of fanatics.
“Just one last thing. Repeat exactly what I say. If you do, I’ll apologize for all my rudeness so far.”
And in the Beggar Clan, key beggars from Six-Knot upward knew a potent incantation that would make those fanatic scum foam at the mouth.
“Say ‘Heavenly Demon Dog Child.’”
At Little Tiger Beggar’s outrageous words, the masked man’s lips twitched.