Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Hong Geolgae
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Sensing the odd atmosphere, Hwayeon Divine Nun said nothing. Instead, the Red-Faced Old Beggar turned to Hong Geolgae and asked.
"What's your name?"
"Hong Jusam."
"And your nickname?"
"I'm not someone worthy of a nickname. But those who know me usually call me Hong Geolgae."
"Hong Geolgae. A beggar with the Hong family name. I've seen at least ten others with the same nickname."
The Red-Faced Old Beggar said this, then continued.
"But you're no ordinary drifter. You're the Hong boy that Great Wind Beggar Paeng Cheon took as a disciple, aren't you?"
"That's right. It seems you know my master."
"Yes. We've known each other for quite some time."
Paeng Cheon had six knots, while the Red-Faced Old Beggar had five. In terms of rank, Paeng Cheon held the edge.
But with their ages and skills being similar, plus a bit of camaraderie, Paeng Cheon and the Red-Faced Old Beggar treated each other as equals.
This time, Hong Geolgae asked.
"Elder, you're the Central Region Vice Division Leader of the Beggars' Sect, Red-Faced Old Beggar, correct?"
"Indeed."
Hong Geolgae paused in thought, then asked in a subdued voice.
"Red-Faced Old Beggar Elder. Do you remember the name of the previous Central Region Vice Division Leader?"
"Yes. It was Yu Bong-gae Hong Jeong."
Eavesdropping on the conversation, the Dengseon Pavilion Master gasped.
Hong Geolgae and Hong Jeong. It was no mere coincidence that both bore the Hong surname.
The Zhang Shang Branch Leader and Hwayeon Divine Nun also intuited the connection between Hong Geolgae, Hong Jeong, and the Red-Faced Old Beggar.
Hong Geolgae gazed at the Red-Faced Old Beggar with a calm expression.
His eyes seemed devoid of any darkness, yet at times appeared filled with cold fury.
Unconsciously, the Zhang Shang Branch Leader's hand drifted to the hilt of the sword at his waist.
'...The son come to avenge his father's death.'
In contrast, Hwayeon Divine Nun showed no reaction whatsoever. It was the composure of an absolute master.
Whether weapons were drawn or not, if a fight broke out here, the outcome would rest entirely in Hwayeon Divine Nun's hands.
Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong knew this as well. Thus, they each took a step forward and gripped Hong Geolgae's shoulders.
*Calm down. If a fight starts now, it'll be a serious problem.*
Namgung Myeong's transmission pierced Hong Geolgae's ear.
Dang Mujin's transmission followed, though not as deft as Namgung Myeong's.
*This isn't the time. Revenge only has meaning if there's at least some chance of success.*
The suddenly tense atmosphere left Hong Geolgae flustered.
Contrary to what others thought, the grudge he harbored toward the Red-Faced Old Beggar was hardly significant.
He knew the Red-Faced Old Beggar was his birth father's killer.
But Hong Geolgae had never even seen his birth father's face.
Even after learning of his connection to Ma Jeon-gae, the man he saw as father and master was Ma Jeon-gae, not Hong Jeong.
Of course, he wasn't entirely without feelings toward the Red-Faced Old Beggar.
Yet without him, Hong Geolgae's life would never have crossed paths with Ma Jeon-gae or Dang Mujin.
Moreover, content as he was with his current lot, his emotions toward the Red-Faced Old Beggar weren't deep-seated hatred or resentment, but something more like vague discomfort or mild awkwardness.
Hong Geolgae glanced around at the others.
*Why is the situation veering off like this?*
Asking about the previous Vice Division Leader's name wasn't to rekindle any grudge.
He simply couldn't quite recall his birth father's name and was asking someone who would know.
Hong Geolgae had heard his birth father's name only once before. About two summers ago, from some old woman under a bridge—that was it.
Though called his birth father, it was just a name without a face, so it was about time to forget it. It wasn't particularly unique or memorable.
But contrary to Hong Geolgae's thoughts, the mood was flowing in a strange direction.
If he could send transmissions, he might have cautiously explained himself, but Hong Geolgae didn't know how. He was only first-rate.
Hong Geolgae hesitated, neither stepping forward nor retreating.
Yet everyone's eyes were fixed on his every move.
Their expectations for his reaction varied, but none doubted he was burning with vengeance. Even the Red-Faced Old Beggar thought so. Hong Geolgae was the only exception.
The heavy atmosphere pressed down on him, and his indecisiveness failed to defy their expectations.
Just as everyone anticipated, he widened his eyes and glared at the Red-Faced Old Beggar.
*I can explain to Mujin and Namgung later.*
The onlookers tensed at Hong Geolgae's expression.
Yet at the same time, they seemed slightly relieved by his predictable response.
As Hong Geolgae pondered how to defuse the situation, Hwayeon Divine Nun stepped forward.
"Enough. Stand down."
She alternated her gaze between Hong Geolgae and the Red-Faced Old Beggar, then continued.
"This doesn't concern me directly, but I've only just learned the backstory. Still, I won't allow strife between you two."
With Hwayeon Divine Nun mediating, the Dengseon Pavilion Master let out a sigh of relief.
If the masters on the third floor started fighting, the Dengseon Pavilion wouldn't stand a chance.
"I know it's selfish. But I won't permit discord here. Both of you, withdraw."
Her authority as mediator was overwhelming, so everyone backed off at once.
Hong Geolgae also breathed a sigh of relief.
The brief encounter at the Dengseon Pavilion ended on an anticlimactic note.
*
Dang Mujin's group took rooms at a nearby inn and turned in for the night.
Hong Geolgae dozed off briefly, then woke. He debated whether to spill everything to Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong.
It wasn't a huge dilemma. Would they look at him strangely if he said he had no intention of avenging his birth father? That was the extent of it.
As he tossed and turned trying to sleep again, he sensed footsteps approaching from outside the room.
He felt Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong naturally awaken and sharpen their senses. As expected of those who had crossed the peak threshold.
Creak.
The door opened, revealing the Red-Faced Old Beggar.
He carried a greenish bamboo staff and, unusually for a swordless Beggars' Sect member, wore a blade at his side. Dang Mujin's group jolted upright in alarm.
But their group's strength was no pushover.
Namgung Myeong and Dang Mujin were confident they wouldn't lose to the Red-Faced Old Beggar one-on-one. Thus, the three calmly observed his actions.
As if having no intent to fight, the Red-Faced Old Beggar set his brought sword aside and sat.
"I'm sorry to visit so late."
"State your business."
Namgung Myeong's voice was edged like a blade on the verge of swinging.
Hearing it, Hong Geolgae sensed instantly: a peaceful resolution seemed unlikely.
The Red-Faced Old Beggar replied.
"I've come to speak with Hong Geolgae."
"Dang Mujin and I have no intention of leaving."
"I know."
All eyes turned to Hong Geolgae. The decision to hear him out or not rested with him.
Hong Geolgae drew a deep breath and, feigning a sharp expression, said.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"A story from the old days."
The Red-Faced Old Beggar sighed deeply, his voice thick with regret as he began.
"You know I was with the Righteous Faction, while Hong Jeong was Filthy Clothes Faction."
"Yes."
"Back then, I thought the situation was incredibly complex. But looking back after time passed, it was simple. I believed beggars could enjoy prosperity if they tried. But Hong Jeong thought the Beggars' Sect had to uphold its traditions."
A familiar tale. As Hong Geolgae nodded, Dang Mujin interjected with a harsh rebuttal.
"You come in the dead of night to say the Filthy Clothes Faction were stodgy fools bound by outdated traditions?"
The Red-Faced Old Beggar shook his head.
"No. The Filthy Clothes Faction had a compelling argument. With everyone outside the Beggars' Sect living like the Righteous Faction, only we should remain at the bottom, embracing the poor and suffering. Shamefully, I thought the Righteous Faction right and Filthy Clothes wrong back then. But time showed it wasn't about right or wrong."
The Red-Faced Old Beggar knelt properly, knees together. Not a posture for someone facing a youth like a son.
But its meaning was clear: atonement.
"Later, my views shifted the other way. The Beggars' Sect exists for the lowest, for those too weary to look up. Rather than breaking tradition, we should pursue our dreams as Hao Clan disciples. Even Hwayeon Divine Nun came to regret it belatedly."
The Red-Faced Old Beggar picked up the sword he'd set aside, offering the hilt to Hong Geolgae. He said.
"Over time, I realized my sins."
Hong Geolgae unconsciously took the sword. The mood demanded it.
"I also failed to stop my subordinates and merely watched my friend die. I've never forgotten that sin. It warrants my life, but I have duties yet. I'll offer this arm first; defer the rest. That's why I've come."
With that, the Red-Faced Old Beggar raised his left arm sideways and closed his eyes.
Amid his confusion, Hong Geolgae desperately pieced it together.
*To atone for what he did to my father, he'll give up his arm first?*
But Hong Geolgae had no desire to cut it off.
Chopping off an arm wouldn't feel good, and he didn't know which side—Filthy Clothes or Righteous—was right.
Plus, the Red-Faced Old Beggar was Hwayeon Divine Nun's most loyal right hand.
Hong Geolgae had no intention of incurring her wrath to vent such ambiguous feelings.
Composing his expression, he returned the sword.
"...Go back."
The Red-Faced Old Beggar stared at him, uncomprehending.
"Is one arm not enough?"
"No. I need neither arm nor head. Just leave."
But Dang Mujin, Namgung Myeong, and the Red-Faced Old Beggar all gaped at Hong Geolgae in shock.
Their faces said it all: they were imagining losing their own fathers or dearest kin.
*You lost someone that precious, yet forgive the foe?*
The Red-Faced Old Beggar stared long at Hong Geolgae.
At the end of that prolonged gaze, he sighed, laden with regret.
"...Hong Jeong. What a son you raised."
"My master's merit outweighs my father's."
"...Yes. That friend Ma Jeon-gae was no ordinary man either."
The Red-Faced Old Beggar's face grew complicated.
Being forgiven by Hong Geolgae couldn't instantly wash away a lifetime of guilt.
He pondered deeply for a long time.
"Then, this is all I can offer."
He started to hand over his five-knotted hemp rope to Hong Geolgae, then changed his mind and untied all five knots instead.
Taking Hong Geolgae's rope in exchange, he tied two more knots on it. Now Hong Geolgae's rope bore five knots. The Red-Faced Old Beggar muttered.
"Only after seizing the seat did I realize. Unlike that friend Hong Jeong, I wasn't fit for heavy responsibility. But you might be different."
He returned the rope as he spoke.
"Now I return to being a mere Unknotted Beggar. From here on, take the Zhongjing Branch Leader seat and the Central Region Vice Division Leader position."
Hong Geolgae panicked at the abrupt declaration. But it wasn't over.
The Red-Faced Old Beggar extended his greenish bamboo staff.
It looked like an ordinary bamboo cane, but its feel was no ordinary bamboo—more like metal or gemstone, though shaped like wood.
"It's something even the Sect Leader coveted, but I never yielded. Treat it dearly."
"...What is this?"
"A treasure from an old master I met in my youth. He called it the Azure Bamboo Staff. Too grand for me, but it suits you."
Unlike its grandiose name Azure Bamboo Staff, tiny characters inside read "Dog-Beating Staff."
Unclear if it related to the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, but its grip felt extraordinary.
The Red-Faced Old Beggar rose and offered a fist salute to Hong Geolgae.
"Red-Faced Old Beggar Gu Wol-un withdraws here. Vice Division Leader. I entrust the rest to you."
With that, he backed away and left the inn. Soon, his presence faded.
Only then did Namgung Myeong and Dang Mujin erupt in excitement.
"What? Do we call you Vice Division Leader now?"
"Between peak master and Vice Division Leader, which is higher?"
"Peak master, obviously."
"What's that staff made of? Never seen material like it."
"How should I know?"
"If you don't, who does?"
As Namgung Myeong and Dang Mujin chattered, Hong Geolgae sat blankly, saying nothing.
Just a few hours ago, entering Zhongjing, he had no thoughts at all.
Yet overnight, he'd become Zhongjing Branch Leader and Central Region Vice Division Leader, with an extraordinary weapon to boot.
Hong Geolgae thought.
*Lucky me.*