The Open Faction's Vow of Alliance
From the start, the Yi Gajang brothers had planned to seek out the Open Faction first and hand over the corpse. But with various sects rushing to depart from the Dongbeonhoe amid the chaos, it was faster for the beggars to stumble upon No Gae's body than for the brothers to track them down.
A wrinkled old beggar lay in Yi Jingang's arms, looking as if he had simply fallen asleep. They had covered his gutted belly and the arm blown clean off with his ragged clothes, but there was no hiding the fact that he was a cold, stiff corpse. Not that they had any intention of hiding it in the first place.
"Ah... ahh!"
A young beggar's face drained of color as he thrust out his hand without warning, as if to snatch No Gae's body from Yi Jingang.
Yi Jingang reflexively unleashed Pungsin Jigyeol. The young beggar lunged repeatedly, but Yi Jingang held the corpse tight, evading his grasp with ease even while cradling it.
In that moment, Yi Jinpyeong seized the beggar by the scruff of the neck.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Le-let this go!"
"Can't do that. What's with the habit of reaching out first thing—"
"You bastards! What the hell have you done?! How dare you lay hands on our elder!"
The young beggar was twice Yi Jinpyeong's size, but no matter how he thrashed, he couldn't shake free. Failing that, he bellowed at the top of his lungs, his words cut short before he could finish.
His furious cry drew the other beggars rushing in like a swarm. It was the perfect recipe for misunderstanding.
Yi Jingang held the old beggar's corpse, while the young one flailed helplessly in Yi Jinpyeong's grip. The disorganized beggars, who had been milling about lost in the chaos, united in an instant—faster than any other faction.
Before they knew it, Yi Jinpyeong and his brothers were surrounded by dozens of them, eyes fierce and clubs gripped tight.
"What's going on here?!"
"Those bastards killed our elder!"
"It's the Yi Gajang scum again!"
"They drove our Bang Elder to his death too!"
"What grudge do they have against our Open Faction?!"
Yi Jingang cried out desperately.
"Everyone, please calm down! We didn't kill Elder No Gae! Why would we, and with what power could we even—?"
But his voice was drowned out by the uproar of the gathering Open Faction members. They looked ready to charge and tear the brothers apart on the spot, held back only by the young beggar still pinned by Yi Jinpyeong.
Yi Jinpyeong swept a cold gaze over the encircling beggars and snorted derisively.
"Beggars and their damn tempers. Guess we'll have to beat some sense into 'em first."
Yi Jinun glanced at him in panic. Starting a brawl with the Open Faction here seemed like the worst of bad ideas, yet his youngest brother's words rang utterly sincere—especially coming from someone covered in wounds himself.
The excited mob of beggars was closing in step by step when—
"Enough!"
A booming shout rang out as a middle-aged beggar leaped between the standoff—the Yi Gajang brothers on one side, the fired-up Open Faction on the other. A rope with five knots hung at his waist.
"All of you, stand down! What is this nonsense without hearing the full story?"
"But Branch Master! That guy's holding Wang Dani by force—!"
"Quiet! I saw it from afar. Wang Dani reached out first."
The Open Faction members fell silent at the Branch Master's sharp command, though deep anger and resentment lingered on some faces.
The middle-aged beggar turned and said, "You lot should release him first."
"Fine."
Yi Jinpyeong casually let go of the young beggar's scruff. The man, who had been straining to break free, tumbled unceremoniously to the ground.
"Urgh...! Branch Master! Look at what's in that bastard's arms! It's definitely Elder No Gae's remains!"
"I saw."
"Then why take their side—?!"
"Who said I'm taking sides? Look closely. See how he's holding Elder No Gae."
The beggars' eyes turned to Yi Jingang. Though he'd gained some flesh and muscle, he was still rail-thin. He cradled No Gae's corpse in both arms like a precious child—despite the old man's bulk dwarfing his own.
Had he harmed No Gae or borne him ill will, he wouldn't carry the body so tenderly in such an awkward hold. Nor would he parade it openly for all to see.
Finally grasping what the five-knot beggar meant, the Open Faction members flushed with shame. But dissenters remained.
"But Branch Master, these are Yi Gajang scum—the ones who drove our Bang Elder to his end!"
"Get your heads straight! Want to be the laughingstock of the Central Plains?!"
The Branch Master barked again.
"Hard to believe, I know, but face facts. Bang Elder tried to flee after his murder of his own disciple came to light, then took his own life. He wasn't killed by Yi Gajang. If anything, they uncovered the truth behind Dan-bi-no's wrongful death."
"......"
Silence fell. The beggars' faces were etched with devastation. These were Open Faction members brimming with pride in their sect. The horror of such betrayal within their ranks—and by Bang Cheonpyo, the elder they trusted—was still too much to swallow.
The Branch Master ordered his disciples back, finally dissolving the encirclement. He approached Yi Jingang, who held the corpse, and silently cupped his fists in respect.
Understanding, Yi Jingang carefully handed No Gae over. The old beggar's remains were already cold and rigid.
The Branch Master examined him closely. No knots to prove his rank, but the identity was unmistakable: the gaping belly wound, the arm vanished from the shoulder. A look of profound grief crossed his face.
"How could this happen... Elder No Gae, truly..."
Impatient beggars rushed forward without waiting. Seeing No Gae's eternal slumber, they beat the ground and wailed in anguish. More Open Faction members poured in from all sides. Soon, the air around them filled with sobs.
In a hollow voice, the Branch Master asked, "It's been a brutal day for our faction. Might I hear what happened?"
Yi Jinpyeong recalled the face—it wasn't unfamiliar. He had stood with Bang Cheonpyo at Agyangnu that day. Yet he had grieved Dan-bi-no's death the most deeply and been the most shocked when Bang Cheonpyo bolted.
The reason Yi Jinpyeong hadn't recognized him at once was simple: the man looked a decade older overnight. No wonder—hell itself couldn't have been worse than his last day.
Yi Jinpyeong recounted the night's events: whose bidding Bang Cheonpyo had followed, whom No Gae had pursued, and who had ultimately slain him.
He doubted they'd buy the Demonic Cult angle outright, but surprisingly, the Branch Master didn't seem shocked.
"Remnants of the Demonic Cult, hm. As I suspected."
"You knew?"
"...To some extent."
Yi Jinpyeong frowned.
"Then did you inform the rest of the Open Faction or other sects?"
"In a way, yes—and no."
"What does that mean?"
"Bang Cheonpyo Elder was my direct superior."
"......"
"Lately, there were oddities in his actions. He'd hoard suspicious reports alone, suddenly reassign healthy branch members elsewhere. This martial conference too..."
"You noticed the irregularities but did nothing?" Yi Jinpyeong pressed sharply.
The Branch Master gave a wistful smile.
"Couldn't bring myself to back then. Figured the elder had his reasons, was biding his time. Never dreamed he'd been turned by the Demonic Cult."
He stared at No Gae's corpse. As the remaining leader, he fought to stay composed. But as he spoke, his emotions welled up uncontrollably—jaw trembling, voice thick with tears.
"It's all my fault. As his subordinate, I prioritized duty, procedure, hierarchy. Shameful beyond words. While you strangers fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Elder No Gae, risking your lives, I chased other sects' heels, bowing and scraping. Ah—what a pathetic wretch I am! Elder No Gae! Are we even worthy to call ourselves Open Faction? Your juniors?!"
Overcome, the Branch Master collapsed to his knees and wept like a child, pounding the earth alongside the others—face be damned, lost to raw grief.
Surrounded by hundreds of sobbing beggars, the three Yi brothers and Yunseol could only watch. Leaping away felt wrong; joining in even more so.
In a way, the Open Faction were the biggest victims here. They'd lost their branch's past, present, and future pillars, their reputation in tatters. What point in blaming them now for not stopping Bang Cheonpyo?
After crying like a babe for ages, the Branch Master wiped his tears and rose.
"I saw the elder's wounds. Neatly healed—looks like you used your family's wood qi to tend him as best you could. My thanks. For fighting beside him, for not abandoning his body and returning it to us Open Faction."
The Branch Master cupped his fists toward Yi Jinpyeong and the Yi Gajang brothers, bowing deeply.
"Young master, we beggars may own nothing, but we never take bonds or favors lightly. Should Yi Gajang ever need anything, speak freely. Honoring Elder No Gae's will, we'll stand as your strength this time."
Hundreds of beggars rose with their Branch Master, cupping fists and bowing deeply to Yi Jinpyeong and his brothers.