Chapter 367
Chapter 367
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 367
>Chapter Title: Truth (7)
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A short while after Il-mok left.
“For now, let’s each return and sort out our thoughts.”
The Beggar King was the first to speak, breaking the heavy silence.
“That seems best.”
The Tai Chi Sword Immortal agreed with him, and Hwangbo Ak nodded as well.
“Hmph! What’s there to agonize over? They’re the Demonic Cult! That Demonic Cult!”
Only the Qingcheng Sect Leader, whose acupoints had been sealed by the Demonic Blood, shouted out in fury.
“How could we force Qingcheng to make a judgment? Isn’t it better to cool our heads first and decide later?”
With that, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal released the acupoints of the Qingcheng Sect Leader and True Person Qingmu.
“We’ll head out first, Senior Tai Chi Sword Immortal, Senior Beggar King.”
Hwangbo Ak gave them a brief bow and left the hall with his two daughters.
The Beggar King and Little Beggar Gai followed suit, and the Qingcheng Sect Leader stormed out snorting through his nose.
As True Person Qingmu followed his sect leader out of the hall, a peaceful scene came into view.
Common folk with serene faces and faint smiles moved to and fro through the scriptures of the Maitreya Illuminating Cult.
‘…Even those who care for children repenting their sins—are they sinners too?’
The faces of the common folk passing through the scriptures were peaceful, yet the face of the Daoist, who had cultivated the Way for decades, was clouded with worry.
* * *
Meanwhile.
Il-mok, who had left the hall first, headed to a branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Upon arriving, Jin Ha-yeon spoke to him.
“Young Master, that last example was a bit dangerous.”
“You mean the story of the man who was an assassin?”
“Yes. Doesn’t it sound like our Divine Cult committed sins in the past?”
Il-mok nodded at Jin Ha-yeon’s words.
The chain of enmity spanning decades, even centuries, was truly complex and subtle.
From the perspective of the righteous faction of the Central Plains, they harbored grudges against their ancestors killed by the Demonic Cultists, but from the Demonic Cult’s side, it was the same—they saw themselves as just, and the others as the ones who massacred their forebears.
“Everything I said applies equally to our Divine Cult. Try thinking of those stories with the positions reversed.”
During the meeting with the righteous faction leaders, Il-mok had thrown out several koans.
Amusingly, they all applied equally even if the positions of the righteous and demonic were swapped.
“What about you all? Will you dismiss the righteous faction as enemies simply because of our ancestors’ affairs? Even if they’re striving to help the common folk just like us?”
The maids who had accompanied him showed complicated expressions for a moment at Il-mok’s question. Then Jin Ha-yeon stepped forward to answer.
“We are merely maids serving the Young Master. If you command it, we will obey. Moreover, the Divine Cult’s doctrines are set by the Heavenly Demon, so if the new Heavenly Demon commands it, we will simply follow.”
Hearing her response, Il-mok thought, ‘That’s truly a Jin Ha-yeon-like answer.’
At that moment, a warrior of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult came looking for Il-mok.
“Young Master, the Hwangbo Family Head is looking for you.”
Il-mok tilted his head once and replied.
“Guide the Hwangbo Family Head here.”
It must mean he had made a decision. Il-mok found it odd how quick it was.
A short while later, Hwangbo Ak and the two women arrived, guided by the warrior.
Il-mok sent the maids away and greeted them with his mask off.
“Have you made your decision?”
At Il-mok’s question, Hwangbo Ak burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha. I’m no good at using my head, you see. Honestly, I couldn’t find answers to the koans you threw at us.”
“???”
As Il-mok struggled to hide his bewilderment, Hwangbo Ak continued.
“So, I decided to think simply. We’re not Daoists or beggars. We’re just a family that values righteousness and chivalry a bit more. To be frank, the most important thing to me as family head is the survival of our house.”
“Then, from the family head’s perspective, how did it look?”
“It was simple. If you think about our Hwangbo family’s base…”
Il-mok caught on to what Hwangbo Ak was getting at.
“Indeed… Shandong and Beijing are too close.”
“That’s right. If, as you say, the imperial court plans to exterminate the martial world, our Hwangbo family would clearly be the first to be wiped out.”
In truth, when it came to proximity to the imperial court, the Hebei Peng family and the Beggars’ Gang were even closer than the Hwangbo family.
But the Peng family wasn’t here, and the Beggars’ Gang was a different case.
Though the Beggars’ Gang headquarters was in Tianjin right below Beijing, that was just the headquarters.
Since the Beggars’ Gang was composed of beggars from the start, losing one headquarters wouldn’t be a big deal.
As Il-mok nodded in understanding, Hwangbo Ak grinned and added.
“But that doesn’t mean I fully trust you all. For now, we’ll prepare to relocate our base and look into the Eastern Depot together with the Beggars’ Gang. As I said before, my top priority is the survival of the family.”
“That’s a perfectly reasonable judgment. But has the Beggars’ Gang agreed to join us?”
“Hahaha. If the Beggars’ Gang doesn’t believe you, I’ll pay them to get the information. If they refuse that too, I’ll find another way. It’s a matter of our family’s survival.”
With his explanation finished, Hwangbo Ak bid farewell.
“Then, it seems we have much to do ahead, so I’ll take my leave. Since this might be the last time, if you two have anything to say, speak now.”
At Hwangbo Ak’s words, Hwangbo Yeon wore a pensive expression. Unlike her father, she was still mulling over the koans Il-mok had posed.
At that moment, Hwangbo Se-hee looked at Il-mok and spoke.
“I have one thing I’d like to ask as well.”
“Please do.”
With Il-mok’s permission, Hwangbo Se-hee smiled faintly and asked.
“May I know your age, by chance?”
It was an utterly out-of-left-field question, unrelated to the imperial conspiracy or alliance. Il-mok tilted his head and answered.
“I’m twenty-four this year.”
Hwangbo Ak and Hwangbo Yeon, who had been half-disbelieving, stared at Il-mok in shock.
He looked young, but they had thought it was due to shedding the mortal coil and rebirth.
On the other hand, only Hwangbo Se-hee smiled in satisfaction.
* * *
Half a shichen after the Hwangbo family left.
The Beggar King and Little Beggar Gai came to see Il-mok.
“Our Beggars’ Gang will find answers in our own way.”
At the Beggar King’s words, Il-mok pondered briefly before asking back.
“You mean you’ll verify if the information we provided is true?”
“That’s right.”
It wasn’t a declaration of maintaining the alliance immediately, but it was a sufficiently welcome response.
At least regarding the imperial conspiracy, they had never lied.
If they investigated the information and confirmed it as fact, they could form an alliance again from then on.
“Then, I’ll send someone to share all the information we gathered while investigating the Eastern Depot. Please look into it at the Beggars’ Gang and confirm its authenticity.”
“We will. Besides, that Hwangbo Family Head seemed quite urgent.”
It seemed Hwangbo Ak had visited the Beggar King before leaving and done some persuading.
At that moment, Little Beggar Gai cautiously raised his hand and spoke.
“Ahem. Sorry, but may I ask one thing?”
“Ask freely.”
At Il-mok’s response, Little Beggar Gai asked with a troubled expression.
“Are you truly the Eighth Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?”
“With my master having ascended, calling me ‘Young Master’ now seems a bit off.”
It meant he was no longer a young master, but he was still the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.
At that answer, Little Beggar Gai looked even more dissatisfied and pressed.
“Then what about that ‘Heavenly Demon’s Dog’ remark back then?”
“…….”
As Il-mok was momentarily speechless at the resurfaced memory he had forgotten, the Beggar King jumped in shock and scolded Little Beggar Gai.
“You fool! If you remembered that, you should have brought it up back in the hall!”
“No, Master. How could I bring up something like ‘dog’ in that serious atmosphere?”
“Since when do beggars care about the mood!”
“We’re beggars, so we have to read the room! The Elder always said alms come to those who read the room well!”
As the two beggars bickered heatedly, Il-mok quickly organized his thoughts and spoke with a serious expression.
“First, I apologize for lying. And back then, I answered that way because of my master’s secret order.”
“Secret order? You don’t mean… the previous Heavenly Demon permitted you to say that?”
At the Beggar King’s shocked question, Il-mok nodded.
“Yes. My master said that if it was to help the common folk, he didn’t mind if his name was sullied, and he gladly permitted it.”
Il-mok lied naturally without a change in expression.
‘I’ll report it later and get permission, so it’s not entirely a lie, right?’
As Il-mok rationalized it in his mind, the Beggar King asked again.
“How did the previous Heavenly Demon know our dim-witted Little Gai would ask that and permit it?”
“I find that amazing too. It seems my ascended master had great foresight. Hahaha.”
* * *
There was a minor commotion, but negotiations with the Beggars’ Gang were wrapping up satisfactorily.
Then, the Qingcheng Sect Leader and True Person Qingmu arrived.
“We absolutely have no intention of joining hands with those Demonic scum, so know that!”
Whether his anger hadn’t subsided, or he ultimately believed Qingcheng and the Demonic Cult could never stand together.
The Qingcheng Sect Leader declared this outright and turned to leave the hall, his attitude like an envoy delivering a declaration of war.
True Person Qingmu, who had followed the sect leader, gave Il-mok and the Beggar King a complicated look before turning to chase after him.
‘Tch. Can’t be helped.’
Il-mok inwardly sighed in regret. Still, he was relieved he could maintain some relations with the Hwangbo family and Beggars’ Gang.
‘Now, all that’s left is Wudang.’
With that thought in mind, Il-mok finished up his discussion with the Beggar King.
He handed over pre-prepared letters and information related to the Eastern Depot, and the Beggar King took them and left the hall.
Then, another shichen passed. Finally, the last remaining Wudang members, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal and Daoist Yunbaek, came to see Il-mok.
“Throwing such vicious koans and then leaving us to stew. You’re truly a wicked one.”
At the Tai Chi Sword Immortal’s words, Il-mok gave a bitter smile.
Perhaps only the Tai Chi Sword Immortal had truly pondered the koans and found his own answers.
“Senior Tai Chi Sword Immortal, what do you plan to do?”
“This old Daoist may be one, but a human is a human. How could I easily trust someone who sinned in the past? Even if they care for orphans, I’d think they have some ulterior motive and dig into their background.”
At Il-mok’s question, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal began to share his personal answers to the koans.
“I’d suspect and suspect again. But if even after all that suspicion, nothing turns up… I suppose I’d end up forgiving that man in the end.”
“…Even though he’s a criminal who killed his parents?”
“Didn’t he repent his past sins? Our Wudang may not compare to Shaolin, but we equally value non-killing and reflection.”
Having answered thus, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal chanted a Daoist invocation and added.
“Immeasurable blessings to the Buddha. That’s why I called you wicked. A Wudang Daoist should rightly forgive that man, but enduring resentment toward him is truly like enduring hell.”
“…I’m sorry for troubling your mind.”
Il-mok bowed with clasped hands, inwardly sighing in relief.
‘At least three are staying.’