Chapter 108
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Difference Between You and Me
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“It’s because of the caps Daoists wear on their heads.”
Un Jung-san explained, demonstrating as he spoke.
“To wear a Daoist’s cap, you have to tie your hair up and pull it back like this. That way, it doesn’t slip off. But doing so pulls up your eyes and exposes your forehead, which can make your head look long like a horse’s from the side.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“I see.”
“Still, it’s best not to say such things in front of others.”
Depending on the person, it could be taken as an insult, and a sword fight breaking out wouldn't be surprising.
That was how much of a tiresome and painstaking process it was to properly arrange one's attire.
“This is the one thing I envy about So-bang.”
A beggar who spent his entire life in rags had no reason to be concerned with his clothing.
As Un Jung-san’s explanation grew lengthy, Bang So-bang quickly changed the subject.
“Alright, alright, listen up. What good is being incredibly strong in martial arts? The martial world is a place where you can die screaming from a stray blade to the back if you let your guard down.”
“Then you just have to train until you can block your back too.”
Bang So-bang clicked his tongue at Dan Ak-seon’s words.
“Tsk. That’s not what I mean.”
Bang So-bang pointed his finger at Dan Ak-seon and Un Jung-san.
“You two are too naive! Too gullible! That’s the real problem.”
“I suppose so.”
Dan Ak-seon readily admitted it.
“The uncles told me the same thing.”
“Uncles? You mean the masters who taught you martial arts?”
“They’re not my masters, but they did say that.”
Un Jung-san, however, shook his head firmly.
“I cannot accept that. Righteousness and fairness are the fundamental spirit of our Wudang Sect.”
“Ugh, you blockhead.”
Bang So-bang pounded his chest in frustration, then nodded with a resolute expression.
“Fine. I’ll show you myself. Just how defenseless you two are right now.”
Bang So-bang held out his hand to the two of them.
“Give me three coins.”
Dan Ak-seon, whose pockets were well-lined, took out the coins and handed them to Bang So-bang.
Bang So-bang then gave one coin back to each of them and pointed to a spot.
“See that dumpling shop over there? Each of you will go and buy dumplings.”
The three boys went to the dumpling shop one by one, with a time lag between them.
“Alright, let’s see them.”
At Bang So-bang’s words, Dan Ak-seon held out his dumplings.
“Huh?”
Un Jung-san let out a bewildered sound.
It was no wonder, as Dan Ak-seon had presented two dumplings.
He, on the other hand, had only received one.
“Tsk, tsk, I knew it.”
Bang So-bang held out his hand.
Dan Ak-seon and Un Jung-san’s eyes widened. In Bang So-bang’s hand were three dumplings.
Bang So-bang puffed out his chest and spoke.
“See? This is the difference between you and me.”
“What on earth happened?”
At Un Jung-san’s question, Bang So-bang explained the situation in detail.
“The shop owner still makes a profit even if he gives you three. He can’t rip off someone who knows that. On the other hand, if you’re clueless about the world like you two, you get taken for a ride with your eyes wide open.”
Un Jung-san nodded with an embarrassed look.
“I see.”
Dan Ak-seon looked at Bang So-bang with wonder.
“How do you know all this?”
“Believe it or not, I’ve been a beggar on the streets for ten years. If you want to get technical, I’ve built up as much experience as a beggar as you have as a physician.”
“And?”
“What do you mean, ‘and’? You think beggars know a lot for no reason? There’s only one thing you need to survive while rolling around in the dirt. And that’s being sharp.”
“Wow! That’s amazing.”
“This is nothing. It’s the most basic of basics.”
Bang So-bang let out a satisfied laugh, his shoulders squared with pride.
Just then.
“Little Beggar!”
Hearing his name called, Bang So-bang turned his head.
He saw a beggar in the distance, waving at him.
It was a young beggar who looked three or four years younger than Bang So-bang.
“The Branch Leader is looking for you.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know. He just told me to find you.”
Bang So-bang let out a deep sigh and bid farewell to Dan Ak-seon and Un Jung-san.
“I’m heading out first. See you tomorrow.”
Then he dashed off like the wind and disappeared around a corner.
“I should be getting back as well.”
At Un Jung-san's words, Dan Ak-seon looked disappointed.
“You’ll be back tomorrow, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow, then.”
As they were saying their goodbyes.
“Huh?”
Dan Ak-seon, realizing something belatedly, looked around.
“But where are our dumplings?”
“So-bang took them all.”
“Ah…!”
No wonder he had rushed off in such a hurry.
Just as Bang So-bang had said, this was the price of being defenseless.
***
Walking into the village shoulder-to-shoulder with Hong Jeok-mun, I Rip frowned at the beggars who had come out to greet him.
“Why don’t you just shout it from the rooftops? Beggars should be like beggars, seen but not heard. How many times do I have to tell you?”
As I Rip clicked his tongue in displeasure, a figure came running toward him.
It was Bang So-bang.
“Welcome, Master!”
I Rip looked down at Bang So-bang, dumbfounded.
He was quite taken aback by this young beggar he’d never seen before calling him Master. And yet, the boy was grinning shamelessly.
Still, one can’t spit on a smiling face, so I Rip let out a disbelieving laugh.
“When did you take on a disciple without my knowledge?”
When they were alone, they spoke informally, but with others listening, Hong Jeok-mun used honorifics with I Rip.
Bang So-bang brazenly replied to Hong Jeok-mun’s joke.
“Because you’ll be my master one day.”
As I Rip and Hong Jeok-mun were chuckling at Bang So-bang’s audacity, it happened.
Ha Un, the Dog Hunter, who served as the Branch Leader in Gyunhyeon and commanded the local beggars, smacked Bang So-bang on the head.
“How dare a brat who’s barely shed his white rags and has only a single knot!”
Typically, members of the Beggar’s Sect wore a short rope tied around their waist.
The number of knots on it indicated their rank within the sect.
Apprentice members with no knots were called White-Clad Beggars, and only upon becoming official disciples were they permitted to have a knot.
A common member of the Beggar's Sect would have between one and four knots, depending on their years of service.
The Branch Leader, the Dog Hunter, had five knots.
Above him, the Sub-branch Chief who oversaw the entire region had six knots, the Hall Master who commanded the Sub-branch Chiefs had seven, and an Elder like Hong Jeok-mun had eight knots.
Finally, the Sect Leader had nine knots.
He was the sole possessor of the nine knots, known as the Dragon Head Sect Leader.
Despite this, Bang So-bang, as if he had eaten a tiger’s gall, didn’t even blink when facing the Sect Leader.
He wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Ha Un’s glare, which was worthy of his title, the Dog Hunter.
“I heard you went to Qingcheng. Did things go well?”
I Rip looked aghast at Bang So-bang’s question.
Ha Un sighed and bowed his head.
“My apologies. This one has sharp ears and is good at eavesdropping…”
At those words, Hong Jeok-mun burst into laughter.
“Aha! I heard there was quite a character called the Little Beggar here. That must be you, I take it?”
Bang So-bang nodded as if he had been waiting for it.
“Of course. When it comes to being a beggar, I’m the real deal.”
Even in this situation, Bang So-bang responded with a witty quip.
As I Rip observed Bang So-bang closely, a peculiar light flickered in his eyes.
‘This kid… he’s really something.’
His eyes were full of bright spirit.
The energy flowing through his entire body was also quite extraordinary.
Hong Jeok-mun seemed to have noticed as well, approaching Bang So-bang with a surprised expression.
“Hee hee. That tickles.”
“Stay still, you little rascal.”
After feeling various parts of the squirming Bang So-bang’s body, Hong Jeok-mun asked in bewilderment.
“What is this kid?”
“What’s wrong?”
At I Rip’s question, Hong Jeok-mun sent a telepathic message with a dumbfounded look.
—The balance of his ki and muscles is unbelievably perfect. His internal energy is also solid for his age.
“Is that so?”
Surprised, I Rip grabbed Bang So-bang’s wrist and channeled his energy into it.
“…!”
A subtle look of astonishment appeared in I Rip’s eyes.
Indeed, just as Hong Jeok-mun had said, he had achieved a remarkable level for his age.
“Master?”
Coming back to his senses, I Rip let out a wry smile at the sight of Bang So-bang staring up at him.
“What were we talking about?”
“I asked if your business at the Qingcheng Sect went well.”
I Rip sighed.
“Went well? It was a complete mess.”
“Oh, dear.”
Hong Jeok-mun chuckled.
As if the kid knew anything, to be sighing along with them.
Just then, I Rip turned to the Branch Leader, Ha Un, and asked.
“What became of the favor I asked of you?”
“You mean the order to search for the whereabouts of the Divine Physician’s son?”
When I Rip nodded, Ha Un gave a bitter smile and pointed at Bang So-bang.
“It would be faster to ask him about that.”
“…?”
Ha Un sent a telepathic message to the puzzled I Rip.
—They’ve already become friends. I didn’t mention it, in case it caused any problems.
“Well, well.”
I Rip gazed at Bang So-bang with a curious look in his eyes.
The more he looked, the more he liked the boy.
“I hear you’ve made a new friend recently?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
I Rip burst into a hearty laugh at Bang So-bang’s surprised expression.
“You little rascal. I am the Sect Leader of the Beggar’s Sect.”
I Rip spoke to Bang So-bang, who was nodding in admiration.
“Would you be willing to guide me to that friend of yours?”
After a moment of thought, Bang So-bang nodded.
“Of course. Follow me.”
As he followed Bang So-bang, who was walking ahead, I Rip suddenly frowned.
“Come to think of it, this is pissing me off.”
I Rip grumbled to a bewildered Hong Jeok-mun.
“I mean, come on. He’s going around to all the sects to get signatures for a petition, right? Then he obviously should have gotten mine first, shouldn’t he? He met me in Wuwei before he started his journey.”
“Maybe he just doesn’t like you.”
In public gatherings with many people, Hong Jeok-mun had used polite speech, but now that they were alone, he had reverted to his usual casual tone.
“Don’t tell me our Beggar’s Sect isn’t on that petition, right? Isn’t this an insult to our sect?”
Hong Jeok-mun smirked.
“That’s not the Beggar’s Sect being insulted, that’s you being insulted.”
Just as I Rip was about to retort indignantly.
“Huh?”
Hong Jeok-mun pointed in surprise.
“That kid… isn’t he the boy we’re looking for?”
Following Hong Jeok-mun’s finger, I Rip spotted Dan Ak-seon walking toward them in the distance.
“Perfect. I should ask him myself while I have the chance.”
It was then that Dan Ak-seon’s gaze fell upon them.
After a brief look of surprise, Dan Ak-seon broke into a bright smile and waved.
At that sight, I Rip let out a hearty laugh.
“Haha. It seems I misunderstood. To greet me so warmly, an insult? Ridiculous.”
At the same moment, Bang So-bang, who had been walking ahead, dashed forward.
“Ak-seon!”
“So-bang!”
The two were already laughing joyfully, as if it hadn’t been long since they parted.
Hong Jeok-mun smirked at I Rip, who had started to take a step but stopped awkwardly.
“Somehow, I don’t think that greeting was for you, Sect Leader.”