Chapter 286
Chapter 286
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 286
Chapter Title: Blazing Beggar
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The Beggars' Sect Leader, Blazing Beggar, was not a man driven by excessive greed.
But if there was one thing he had desperately desired throughout his entire life, it was the seventh knot.
Blazing Beggar possessed exceptional talent, allowing him to reach the absolute peak realm with relative ease—a height that others struggled to attain even after a lifetime of training.
This happened when he was only thirty-six years old.
Even though the Beggars' Sect had a vast number of members, most were riffraff. The number of true experts did not match their headcount.
Thus, any beggar who broke through the wall to the absolute peak was immediately considered on par with a five-knot elder, and most quickly earned their sixth knot to become law elders.
Blazing Beggar, having reached the absolute peak at thirty-six, became a six-knot elder at just thirty-nine.
For anyone else, this would have positioned them to aim beyond elder all the way to sect leader.
But Blazing Beggar knew his own limits all too well.
That was because he was of similar age to the exceptional figure known as the Wandering Immortal, Jeong Suyu.
Before Jeong Suyu earned the moniker Wandering Immortal, Blazing Beggar had taken one look at him and known.
‘That guy is unbeatable. He’ll become the Beggars' Sect Leader.’
Even if, by some fluke, Blazing Beggar outlived the Wandering Immortal by a little, no one on the verge of death could become sect leader. Achieving nine knots in one's lifetime was practically impossible.
He couldn’t become a disciple of the similarly aged Wandering Immortal, so claiming the eight-knot deputy leader position was equally out of reach.
In that case, the highest he could realistically aim for was seven-knot elder, and fortunately, Blazing Beggar was the type to be fully content with that.
Indeed, a seven-knot elder was an extraordinary position. An elder of the Beggars' Sect commanded respect in even the largest sects without envy.
However, an unexpected problem arose here.
For Blazing Beggar to become an elder, one of the existing six elders had to die or step down—and those elders’ lifespans were far too long.
‘...When the hell are these people going to die?’
When people are just one step away from their goal, they can burn with fervor and charge toward it.
But if that wait drags on, impatience creeps in, and after about a decade, a person starts to change. And Blazing Beggar had gone over twenty years without earning his seventh knot.
Thanks to that two-decade-long deprivation, Blazing Beggar became obsessed, his mind filled with thoughts of the seventh knot whether his eyes were open or closed. Yet the elders remained stubbornly healthy.
Then, on a day when Blazing Beggar was rotting from the inside out, a stranger came to see him.
The man had the neat appearance of a scholar from a noble family and carried a massive sword too large even for a butcher slaughtering cattle.
His skills were extraordinary as well—far superior to those of Blazing Beggar, who had every confidence in his own abilities.
‘A transcendent expert!’
The scholar-like man introduced himself as Radiant Flame Fiend.
His nickname was unfamiliar, confirming he wasn’t from the righteous sects, but his affiliation was unclear. Blazing Beggar simply assumed he was from the evil sects.
Radiant Flame Fiend made a tantalizing offer to the highly tense Blazing Beggar.
“Hey, Blazing Beggar. A righteous-evil great war is coming soon. Promise to follow my instructions once or twice during it, and I’ll ensure you sit in an elder’s seat.”
“Elder? Ha! I’ll get there on my own if I just hold out a bit longer!”
“Didn’t you think the same thing while enduring those twenty-odd years?”
“...”
The faces of the elders suddenly came to mind.
Elders over seventy, racing toward eighty, yet still hale and hearty. Elders with no intention of stepping down until they dropped dead.
Yet Blazing Beggar did not yield to the temptation right away.
“You think I’d betray the Beggars' Sect I’ve devoted my life to? Ridiculous! Get lost!”
When Blazing Beggar shouted as if furious, Radiant Flame Fiend responded calmly once more.
“Betray? I’m not asking for that much. Just act a little clumsily once or twice. Hesitate or falter at key moments. That’s all. Do that, and you’ll become an elder.”
“I can become an elder with my own abilities! The youngest elder is over seventy!”
“Listen, it’s not just about lifespan. When the righteous-evil great war ends, can you be certain you’ll still be alive?”
“...”
It was something Blazing Beggar couldn’t refute. If a true righteous-evil great war broke out, not only first-rate experts but even absolute peak masters would drop like flies. Blazing Beggar himself had nearly died in the previous one.
Radiant Flame Fiend whispered again.
“I’m not telling you to strike your fellow beggars from behind. Or stab them in the back with a dagger. Just muddle through once or twice. Nothing more. Accept my offer, and you’ll survive the righteous-evil great war. Even fighting evil sect warriors on blood-soaked battlefields, you won’t die. Their blades will pass you by.”
Failing to fall for the first temptation implied falling for the second.
Blazing Beggar’s resolve wavered.
He wanted to become an elder and experience it fully before dying, that thought filling his mind.
What would life as a seven-knot elder be like? What would that moment of tying the seventh knot feel like?
It would be as refreshing and joyful as finally scratching an itchy sole tormented by bedbugs for twenty years.
“How... how can I trust your word?”
“We’d like to keep a connection in the Beggars' Sect too. You surviving benefits us as well, doesn’t it?”
The use of “we” was suspicious, but Radiant Flame Fiend’s words made sense.
His proposal even came with the premise of preserving the Beggars' Sect.
“Ugh...!”
After much deliberation, Blazing Beggar nodded, and Radiant Flame Fiend smiled with satisfaction.
“Good. Press your palm print here.”
Radiant Flame Fiend held out a paper covered in dense black characters.
Blazing Beggar was illiterate, but he could guess what was written on it. No doubt, content that would spell disaster if other beggars found out.
‘I can become an elder. As long as it doesn’t get found out.’
Blazing Beggar dipped his palm in ink and pressed his print. Radiant Flame Fiend smiled contentedly.
“You made the right choice. By the time the righteous-evil great war ends... no, before it’s even half over, you’ll be an elder.”
“Got it. Keep your promise.”
Blazing Beggar and Radiant Flame Fiend parted quietly after their little secret pact.
Up to that point, there were no issues.
But things took a subtle turn afterward.
Less than a month after meeting Radiant Flame Fiend, one elder injured his hip during training and retired. The righteous-evil great war showed no signs of starting yet.
The other elders approached Blazing Beggar.
“Blazing Beggar, you’ll fill Elder Wang’s vacancy.”
“Uh... Understood.”
As if that had opened the floodgates, the other elders began stepping down one after another. Some retired due to chronic illnesses, others because it was time to rest.
Radiant Flame Fiend hadn’t intervened at all, yet within half a year, four of the six elder seats had changed hands.
‘I became an elder, but... it doesn’t feel joyful.’
The fruit had ripened too late, and Blazing Beggar had picked it too soon.
Now, all that lingered in his mind was that black palm print.
Blazing Beggar belatedly realized that twenty years of impatience had blinded him.
If he’d just held out one more month, he could have savored this joy purely.
But no amount of regret would erase the palm print he’d made.
On top of that, Blazing Beggar even claimed the chief elder position.
Then the righteous-evil great war truly erupted, and before Blazing Beggar could intervene, the Wandering Immortal died.
Thus, Chief Elder Blazing Beggar unexpectedly became sect leader.
‘...Life.’
He had exceeded his goal, but because the process wasn’t honorable, Blazing Beggar couldn’t be fully happy.
*
Dang Mujin examined the conditions of the Shaolin monks and Beggars' Sect disciples who had returned to Kaifeng.
Unlike the Shaolin monks, however, the beggars were reluctant to heed his words.
They had lived lives far removed from physicians.
“Starting from the Central Pivot acupoint, through the Greater Yang and Gate of Mists acupoints. Your acupoints are greatly disrupted. Rest for the time being.”
Dang Mujin told a middle-aged beggar, but the beggar showed no intention of easily accepting a physician’s prescription. He rolled his shoulders and said,
“I’m fine. Living rough on the streets has made my body hard as stone. This is nothing. The next fight will be soon anyway.”
“If you insist on fighting, then from now on, tell ten people around you my words.”
“What words?”
“That the Dang family head ordered you to rest, but you boldly ignored it and headed to the battlefield.”
“Why spread that?”
“So that when you suddenly collapse and die, no one blames me.”
The beggar stared at Dang Mujin, wondering if it was a joke, but Dang Mujin’s expression was merely calm.
“I’ll collapse?”
“Yes. Not from a sword wound, but from tangled qi and blood—you’ll clutch your neck and keel over. There’s about a seventy percent chance you’ll die right there.”
“So thirty percent chance I survive. I haven’t lived softly so far. That’s...”
“Well, you’d probably shit and piss yourself uncontrollably, but it’s better than dying. Life is precious, after all.”
“...How long do I need to rest?”
As a physician gains experience, it’s not just their medical skills that improve. The key difference between a novice and a veteran is how they handle patients who won’t listen.
Dang Mujin cajoled when needed, soothed others, and checked their conditions.
Even though he only inspected and prescribed for those who appeared fine on the surface, it still took a full three days.
*
By the time he finished his prescriptions, the Shaolin monks and beggars had prepared to head north.
Dang Mujin and his friends were going too, of course, and even Seolhwa had blended in among the monks.
As the group began to move, Abbot Manryeok approached Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong.
Unlike usual, Hyeon-gong was a bit separated, teaching Seolhwa Central Plains speech.
Abbot Manryeok said,
“Divine Dragon of Medicine. Examining patients non-stop for three days without rest and immediately setting out—can you endure it?”
“I know my own condition. I can hold out until today. I’ll sleep deeply tonight.”
“True, someone who can see right through others’ bodies wouldn’t miss his own state.”
“By the way, may I ask something I’m curious about?”
“Anything.”
“I’ve heard that righteous-evil great wars tend to focus more on defense than offense. I assumed the Beggars' Sect and Shaolin would do the same.”
Abbot Manryeok nodded at Dang Mujin’s words.
“Not a wrong assumption. Until recently, the Beggars' Sect was quietly defending Kaifeng, and Shaolin was doing the same at Song Mountain.”
“Then, what reason led to leaving Kaifeng for the north?”
“You know the Wandering Immortal was injured?”
“Yes.”
“The circumstances were suspicious. We judged that staying put wasn’t the answer.”
Abbot Manryeok was quick on the uptake, so he continued without waiting for Dang Mujin’s reaction.
“A few days ago, a major battle erupted outside Kaifeng. They were clearly at a disadvantage, but Shaolin reinforcements arrived just in time, allowing them to barely drive off the evil sect warriors. Our Shaolin monks had anticipated the evil sects targeting the Beggars' Sect over Shaolin and positioned forces around them.”
“Wise judgment.”
When Namgung Myeong praised it, Abbot Manryeok smiled faintly.
“Yes. Up to that point, all was well. But the Wandering Immortal, believing they had seized the momentum, pursued the evil remnants with two subordinates—and that’s when it happened.”
“...He chased too far.”
Namgung Myeong’s voice lowered. But Abbot Manryeok waved his large hand dismissively.
“Not really. At most ten or fifteen li. And less than a full incense burning later, the follow-up forces set out after them—only to find the Wandering Immortal and his two subordinates already dead.”
In other words, someone had killed the Wandering Immortal within a single incense burning. Namgung Myeong and Dang Mujin’s expressions turned grave.
Someone like Yu Jin-gwang might decide a fight in one or two breaths, but most warriors’ battles didn’t end that quickly. Moreover, a weaponless fighter like the Wandering Immortal tended to drag on even longer.
Among the world’s warriors, how many could dispatch someone of the Wandering Immortal’s caliber in under an incense burning? It was questionable if any existed, and if they did, they’d be monstrously skilled.
Namgung Myeong asked,
“Was there some tremendous evil sect expert among them?”
“They say the only transcendent expert who invaded Kaifeng that day was Blood-Face Mad Wolf. Do you know of Blood-Face Mad Wolf?”
“Not really.”
“I’ve heard of him.”
Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong’s answers differed.
Namgung Myeong smirked mockingly at Dang Mujin with a subtle expression, but when Dang Mujin fiddled with something in his sleeve—likely the flying wheel—Namgung Myeong quickly wiped the smile from his face.
Speaking for Abbot Manryeok, Namgung Myeong explained.
“Actually, it’s not strange that you don’t know Blood-Face Mad Wolf, Dang Mujin. The guy only operates in the eastern Central Plains. He’s tangled with Namgung family a few times over bad business.”
“What kind of person is he?”
“He uses all sorts of bizarre weapons and does whatever it takes to win. He once bit out an opponent’s throat and got his face covered in blood, earning the nickname Blood-Face Mad Wolf.”
It was a nickname hard to grasp even after the explanation.
How does a transcendent expert end up biting someone’s throat?
Dang Mujin asked Abbot Manryeok,
“If he could kill the Wandering Immortal elder in under an incense burning, this Blood-Face Mad Wolf must be incredibly skilled.”
This time, Namgung Myeong answered.
“They called him a transcendent expert, so he’s no pushover. But he’s not someone who could dispatch the Wandering Immortal in an instant. Among transcendent experts, he’s known as lower-tier.”
“Then, perhaps a joint attack?”
This answer came from Abbot Manryeok.
“That’s what I think too. Blood-Face Mad Wolf pretending to flee in defeat was all part of the plan. He lured them, then linked up with someone waiting in ambush to eliminate the Wandering Immortal.”
“Hmm.”
Well, there were Twin Blood Elders and Ghost King in the northwest. For balance, the northeast needed a couple of transcendent experts too.
The conversation had reached that point when other Shaolin monks called for Abbot Manryeok.
Abbot Manryeok lightly patted Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong’s backs before returning to the monks.
Just then, Beggars' Sect disciples passing the outskirts of Kaifeng were seen paying respects to a fresh grave covered in red soil.
No grass had grown on it yet, marking it as newly made. It had to be the Wandering Immortal’s tomb. As if confirming Dang Mujin’s guess, the Wandering Immortal’s well-worn staff lay atop it, shiny from handling.
It suddenly occurred to him that examining the Wandering Immortal’s corpse might reveal much.
But Dang Mujin had no intention of digging up the grave. Even against an arch-enemy, that was no easy act.
However, Namgung Myeong was staring at the Wandering Immortal’s grave with unusual intensity.
Such a minor action sent a chill down Dang Mujin’s spine. Thief and grave.
‘No way, this guy...?’
But Namgung Myeong soon shook his head. A tiny shred of humanity remained in him, after all.
*
As they traveled to their destination, Hong Geolgae was receiving instruction in the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms from Blazing Beggar.
Hong Geolgae wasn’t a deputy leader, but he was one of those who had learned the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms from the Wandering Immortal. That qualified him to request teachings from Blazing Beggar.
Blazing Beggar readily taught Hong Geolgae the forms while thinking,
‘His movements are clumsy. First-rate skill? Or barely scraping absolute peak? Never seen someone so borderline before.’
‘Compared to his friends, he’s a bit lacking, but objectively, it’s impressive. He may never reach sect leader, but he could make elder someday.’
Blazing Beggar taught Hong Geolgae strictly. He could only pass on three forms of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms.
Yet even those three forms left Hong Geolgae struggling, unable to master them quickly.
With all his spare time alone poured into Hong Geolgae, Blazing Beggar finally lost his patience and scolded him.
“How can you forget what I just taught you in an instant?”
“I’m sorry. It’s still imperfect...”
“Low attainment isn’t the issue! Making the same mistake five times in a row means one of two things. Either your brain is hopelessly idiotic, or you have no intention of accepting my teachings! Which is it?”
“Neither.”
“Then you’re pretending to be an idiot on purpose?”
Blazing Beggar sternly reprimanded Hong Geolgae. With no defense even if he had ten mouths, Hong Geolgae clasped his hands, bowed his head deeply, and fidgeted.
But for a fleeting moment, Blazing Beggar thought he saw a faint smile on Hong Geolgae’s lowered face.
‘...This guy gives me a bad feeling somehow. Better teach him quick and shake him off.’