Chapter 39
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Three People, Three Colors
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In bustling towns or cities, Beggars' Sect disciples were as common as they come.
They rose and fell with the fortunes of the castle walls, so unless it was a special place like Mount Upper Virtue or the Southern Plains, just counting their numbers told you plenty.
―What should we do?
―What do you think?
Despite appearances, Seo Mun-ha and Ha Eun-ye clicked surprisingly well.
―Ignore them.
―Got it.
Not every beggar was a Beggars' Sect disciple. But every Beggars' Sect disciple was a beggar, and those who practiced martial arts were absolute elites among them.
The clumsy act pretending to be a chance encounter was all too predictable and stale.
There was no malice, but the pair decided to brush them off anyway.
“Halt!”
That is, until a one-eyed man blocked their path.
Clang!
He then dramatically raised both arms to proclaim his innocence.
“......My name is Woo Hak-bong. First things first, how about we put those swords down?”
Something seemed to click for Ha Eun-ye, and she muttered to herself.
Five knots on his waist sash marked him as a Five-Knot Disciple of the Beggars' Sect.
“Might I ask what relation you have to Deputy Leader Fang-hu?”
The Deputy Leader was the one tasked with grooming the next Sect Leader, usually selected from among the Five-Knot Disciples.
“He's my senior brother. Sharp eyes you've got there, Lady Ha.”
With a playful grin, he flicked the flat of the sword aimed at his throat.
“So, care to lower it now?”
The two warriors sought her permission, and she gave a slight nod.
“But what business does Master Woo have with us?”
The Beggars' Sect was one of the murim's premier intelligence networks. She'd seen plenty of their disciples at the Murim Alliance.
“Ahem, no hidden agenda here. Just thought I'd beg a sip of water. Oh, and if you're heading to Cheongju, wouldn't mind some company along the way. They say Ghost Flash and the Seven Charms Little Fox should be passing through around now.”
“Little Fox?”
Seo Mun-ha glanced at Ha Eun-ye in surprise.
He'd heard of Little Phoenix before, but the awkwardly smiling woman beside him was the vixen renowned across the land.
“Didn't know? She's a master of no less than seven arts. Martial prowess, commerce, politics, schemes...”
Ha Eun-ye's face grew increasingly stiff as she suddenly grabbed Seo Mun-ha's wrist and quickened her pace.
As they passed a disciple folding his fingers in the signature gesture, Seo Mun-ha—who hadn't yet listed all seven—leaped up in protest.
“W-Wait up!”
“Don't follow us.”
Seo Mun-ha seemed equally uninterested in personal chit-chat, reining in Woo Hak-bong with a curt dismissal laced with old-fashioned propriety.
“There should be a river or stream nearby.”
Given the distances between villages, they hadn't bothered stocking extra water or rations.
A day between stops was nothing.
With all the animal cries echoing through the mountains, clean water would be easy to find. Besides, they'd cross paths with this spirited Beggar's Sect disciple at the gathering anyway.
“Watch your step—the terrain's treacherous.”
“No, that's not...”
The gathering was now just a week away.
Seo Mun-ha had arrived in Cheongju Prefecture with plenty of time to spare.
Among them, Myeongin County fell squarely under the Seo Mun Clan's domain.
A manor run by a modest merchant group.
The group was enjoying unprecedented prosperity, and the manor was packed tighter than ever before.
“Brother?”
Seo Mun Young-ryeong blinked upon spotting Seo Mun-ha.
“What brings you here...? Don't tell me you're joining the gathering?!”
Her confusion quickly turned to delight, her face lighting up as if all fatigue had vanished.
“Figured I'd spectate.”
“Great decision!”
Her reaction to Ha Eun-ye trailing behind was even bigger.
“You came at the perfect time, Sister Eun-ye!”
“Doing well?”
“Eh, hanging in there... You should've sent word—I'd have come to greet you!”
“Couldn't drag a busy person around like that.”
Seo Mun-ha cut into their endless catching up.
“Just came from seeing the merchant leader. They say no vacancies, so I wanted to show my face before booking an inn.”
“My face?”
“Who else?”
His younger brother was around too, but unlike Young-ryeong who guarded the manor, Seo Mun Jun-sang roamed freely outside.
“Hmph.”
“......?”
“Nothing. But why no vacancies? Sister Eun-ye can share with me.”
Just like sisters, her bold offer came without hesitation.
Size aside, two was always more cramped than one—especially for heirs of great clans.
“Oh, I'm not rooming alone either. The two of them will be thrilled to see you both.”
The two women ignored it and dove into their conversation.
“Perfect timing. Let me show you around the manor. That cool with you, brother?”
“I'm good. Gotta drop off Little Little.”
Seo Mun-ha headed for the outer courtyard stables, leaving the pair behind.
The merchant guards were struggling with the stubborn pony that refused to budge. Moments after taking the reins and gauging the direction...
“Already playing big brother? No wonder they say raising daughters is pointless.”
A gravelly voice called out amiably.
“Never raised one myself, but I wasn't much of a brother anyway.”
“Heh, who knew Ghost Flash was so close to his siblings. Guess you really have to see people for yourself.”
“Not something a Beggar's Sect disciple should say. But yeah, seeing is believing.”
“Rumors and intel are a hair's breadth apart, aren't they?”
“So, Master Woo—how long do you plan on tailing us?”
Woo Hak-bong had stuck to their group like glue, using the shared route as an excuse.
“Finally addressing it? Looks like you've thoroughly gotten on Eun-ye's bad side.”
Beggar's Sect disciple first, warrior second.
“Can't be helped... but you two must be close?”
“Not sure about close, but twenty taels of silver bind us.”
Thick-skinned as they come, his brazen hide let him follow the group right through the manor gates without a second thought.
“Curiosity's still got me hooked, you see.”
“Planning to crash my bedroom too?”
“Whoa, that's a harsh bias against us beggars. Even vagrants have tastes. Never met a woman who fancies swarthy guys like me.”
He puffed out his chest shamelessly.
“Don't worry about sleeping arrangements. Straw pile's my bed, and shelter from rain makes it luxury.”
Seo Mun-ha's concern wasn't for him.
Ignoring the man's half-delusion, Seo Mun-ha got to work as if Woo Hak-bong were invisible.
‘......What an intriguing fellow.’
To Woo Hak-bong, the more he saw, the more he liked Seo Mun-ha.
True, elites from prestigious clans often shunned beggars, and outright disdain wasn't uncommon.
He'd faced his share of dismissal before.
Still, he stayed cautious.
How many trials had he overcome to become a Five-Knot Disciple? Yet he'd gleaned nothing substantial from observing Seo Mun-ha all this time.
‘Good call joining the gathering.’
The Beggars' Sect's base in Henan sat between Shaanxi and Shandong.
They heard plenty about him, but even processed into intel, nothing stood out.
He exceeded the rumors, but that "more" remained elusive.
‘Can't even use Lady Ha as a channel.’
Seo Mun-ha spoke as Woo Hak-bong smacked his lips.
“Waiting for handouts?”
A heavy metallic clink echoed from his wide sleeve.
Jingle.
Woo Hak-bong's face turned solemn.
“You just now... No.”
Then, with utmost deference.
Thud.
His palms shot skyward in prostration, revealing his true roots.
“......Thank you, great hero!”
Without warning, raindrops began to patter down.
As puddles swelled, most townsfolk sought shelter under roofs. For the Beggars' Sect disciple short on luxuries, it was prime time for a bath and laundry.
“......”
“......”
“......”
Myeongin County's manors, great and small, brimmed with people. Even the unremarkable merchant group under the Seo Mun Clan was no exception.
The junior experts' gathering drew interests from across the murim.
Even if it looked like a social mixer for rising stars on the surface.
Myeongin County raked in profits enough to last a decade in this short span.
Cheongju Prefecture might lean neutral, but it couldn't fully escape the influence of those two clans.
In that light, the crowd at the current Ju-eun Merchant Group's manor was expected—yet one situation stood out as surprising.
“See that?”
“You too, huh?”
It was a scene impossible to tear one's eyes from.
The manor's grandest hall.
This open space doubling as dining area and lounge buzzed with serving staff tending to crowds, but even they couldn't easily look away from that captivating tableau.
Regardless of age, gender, or status, everyone strained their necks and racked their brains to steal one more glance.
The gathering of women so stunning they made "peerless beauties" sound inadequate was worth it.
The official gathering hadn't even begun, yet three of the Seven Phoenixes shared one table.
That it was under the Seo Mun Clan's roof—not the Hwang Bo Clan—made it all the more unexpected.
Bang.
A watching warrior could hold back no longer and shot to his feet.
“H-Hey, what're you doing?”
“Gonna go first. The world's small—gotta seize the chance to say hi.”
A noble intent. Boldness wins the beauty, as the saying goes.
“Greetings, ladies. I'm from Henan...”
But sayings were just that.
“E-Excuse me.”
A single piercing glare sent him scurrying back.
The glare's owner brimmed with venom.
‘Dang So-so...... Why's she here?’
Ha Eun-ye scowled at her.
‘Ha, you moldy wretch.’
Dang So-so, ever the man-eater, gnashed her teeth as if boring through the other two.
‘What's their connection?’
Baek Ri-seol simply sat calmly, puzzled yet intrigued.
“Um...”
Only front-row Seo Mun Young-ryeong fidgeted, shifting uncomfortably now and then.
“It's foxberry tea from Dongyoung. They say it calms and soothes. Good for the skin too. My brother...”
She flinched, clamped her mouth shut, and silently refilled the cups.
“Thanks.”
Ha Eun-ye and Baek Ri-seol chimed warmly.
“Lady Dang, care for some? Not a tea fan?”
Seo Mun Young-ryeong was beyond uncomfortable.
“Just So-so's fine. Thanks.”
Her usual cheer had utterly vanished.
“Long time, Sister Ha.”
Dang So-so finally broke the ice.
They'd met a few times—not strangers.
“Yeah, over a year?”
No real grudges between them either.
One-on-one encounters were fine, but the awkward air stemmed squarely from one person.
“Glad to see you both well.”
Baek Ri-seol treated them with utmost courtesy.
She always did, to everyone.
‘This is awkward.’
Dang So-so bit her lip after the greetings.
Silence descended once more on the hard-won conversation.
An impenetrable mood.
Different from how outsiders saw it, the trio's quiet was punctuated only by the clink of teacups.
For Dang So-so, it was simple revenge for past slights—no more.
But inquiring after Seo Mun-ha's whereabouts had sparked needless misunderstanding.
‘Of all people, why his fiancée?’
How to broach it without trouble?
Confess the marriage talks? Or admit she'd half-killed her own fiancé?
Ha Eun-ye had some inkling of her dilemma.
‘Sigh.’
As the elder, she should've mediated—but rumors had her balking too.
“Heard Ghost Flash is traveling with Little Phoenix.”
“Together?”
“Eyewitnesses say so.”
“But isn't Ghost Flash betrothed to White Phoenix?”
It was meant as quiet gossip.
But the words circling the table mirrored their situation, and self-defense would just look guilty.
‘......’
Amid the wordless standoff, only Baek Ri-seol maintained her enigmatic poise, true to her nickname.
And then.
“Rain's pouring buckets.”
Seo Mun-ha stepped in, shaking off the water.
“Huh?”