The Name Thief (3)
I asked the Name Thief.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"We don't have time to dawdle. If we get held up here, we'll waste time. Let's go."
"Ah, got it."
And so we left those disappointed folks behind and slipped away from the place.
Once we'd put some distance between us, the Name Thief spoke up.
"Did you really have to turn them down so coldly? They looked pretty bummed out…."
"What does it matter? We're not doing it for a reward anyway. Right now, they're probably swamped cleaning up the mess. Making them worry about repaying us on top of that would just make things harder for them."
"Uh…."
I continued, watching his flustered expression.
"By the way, if you start blabbing without any sense of priority like you did earlier, I might just smack you myself."
"That was my mistake. Sorry."
"Watch yourself from now on."
"I will."
We traveled a few more days like that, and finally reached the river.
Normally, I'd take the ferry horse across, but with a companion this time, we had to board a boat.
Luckily, it was a busy shipping route, so we crossed without any trouble.
After fording the river, we soon arrived in Kaifeng.
"Kaifeng it is, as expected."
"Sure is, sir."
It truly lived up to its reputation as one of the empire's top cities.
I said to the Name Thief,
"Let's rest here for a day and head out again tomorrow."
"Sounds good."
We started looking for a suitable inn.
"How about that one?"
"Food's no good there."
"That place looks decent enough?"
"Soundproofing's terrible."
I shot down every inn he suggested.
For me, a proper inn had to meet standards for facilities and food quality—but above all, it had to protect privacy.
It wasn't Luoyang, home of the Murim Alliance, but Kaifeng was the headquarters of the Beggars' Sect, their main intelligence network.
Better not to draw too much attention.
"That one's good."
It was the same inn I'd stayed at two years ago, when I'd come to the Beggars' Sect to shake off pursuers while delivering a letter to Grandmaster Bang Hyo-myeong on the Emperor's orders.
Hard to believe it had been nearly two years already.
Time flies.
Though this place was on the pricey side.
"If you can't afford it, I can cover…."
"I told you before. I've got plenty of money, so no worries."
True, he had that relaxed air of someone who'd never known want.
Curiosity struck me all of a sudden.
"What did you do to make that much money?"
He answered my question.
"My master left me a decent inheritance. Businesses and land passed down from my grandmaster's time—it's all been handed down continuously."
Whew.
I let out a sigh.
That wasn't meant to be squandered on whims. It was given so the sole successor wouldn't starve and could properly carry on the martial legacy.
"Did your master leave any words about that inheritance?"
"Nothing specific. He vanished one day without a trace. I only learned about the assets thanks to the steward managing them."
"So you're wandering the empire to find him?"
"Something like that."
He nodded.
"Then one day, I ran into a warrior, and we got into a scrap. Some guy called the Three-Benevolent Sword Lang—though he wasn't benevolent enough to live up to those three 'ren' characters. That's how I stole his title, and my life as the Name Thief began."
And just like that, I heard the accidental origin of the Name Thief.
"It started with some righteous intent, at least."
Though now he was earning resentment and infamy from all sides.
"……."
He had no response to my words.
After settling into the inn, we headed out.
No matter how watchful the Beggars' Sect might be, it would be a shame to hole up inside when we'd finally reached Kaifeng after so long. Even Palgap was fidgeting like he had ants in his pants.
On the way out, I spotted the Name Thief sipping tea downstairs.
"I'm going to browse the markets. Want to come along?"
He nodded readily at my offer.
"Sure."
We stepped out and wandered Kaifeng's streets, taking in the sights.
We focused on shops and markets—checking shelves tells you what's popular and what catches people's interest.
While we were at it, I picked up some of Kaifeng's famous jerky.
I glanced back over my shoulder.
"Best to take a break at a teahouse for now."
"……Yeah, good idea."
Kaifeng wasn't just a commercial hub; its teahouses were legendary.
Probably because so many folks had the leisure to kill time there.
As one of the empire's major cities near Beijing, it was home to plenty of wealthy clans.
That was why so many poets from Kaifeng had entered the Poetry Contest last time—and done quite well.
We ducked into a nearby teahouse.
"Welcome!"
The server greeted us and showed us to a table.
"Ready to order?"
"Byeokhae tea for me."
Byeokhae was a blend our Eunhae Merchant Group created—a mix of teas that evoked the cool refreshment of gazing at a vast blue sea.
We'd made it to commemorate our first trade expedition, and it sold well, from what I'd heard.
It'd probably fly off the shelves once summer heat hit.
I liked it quite a bit myself.
My group ordered the same, while the Name Thief went for Wuyi Rock Tea.
From Fujian Province's Mount Wuyi—clear with a sweet undertone.
Come to think of it, the Name Thief hailed from Fujian.
Our teas arrived soon enough, along with some snacks. As I sipped, I murmured softly,
"We've got a tail."
"I know. Waiting outside the teahouse right now."
"Seems like they're after you…."
He sighed and bowed his head slightly.
"Sigh. Sorry for the trouble."
"On the run, huh?"
"Truth be told, more than a few are after me."
Yeah, figures.
He'd stolen titles from both righteous and unorthodox alike. The ones waiting outside for the Name Thief were from the unorthodox side.
They'd probably been tailing us, waiting for an opening since my escorts' auras weren't pushovers.
The righteous folk would've approached more stealthily, not so brazenly.
Speaking of which… hadn't it been said that no one saw the Name Thief's death coming—not even his killer?
The strike was meant to be easily dodged, yet for some reason, he couldn't avoid it and died on the blade.
Maybe someone with a grudge got him.
Who knows what method they used.
With that level of infamy, it was bound to happen eventually.
What a mess.
I sighed.
"Can't be helped."
Inviting him along was my call, so this was on me too.
"What do they want from you?"
"To take back their names and salvage their pride, I suppose?"
"Why not just hand them over?"
"How can you say that? Do you know how I collected them?!"
He shook his head defiantly.
True, to him, they were a lifetime's worth of honor.
"Doesn't matter if you're dead."
"……."
"So how do you plan to settle this? You can't want to run forever."
"Kill them off. No more pursuers then."
No.
That would just breed more hatred and vengeance.
"You'd regret that."
"Think I'd lose to trash like them?"
"Let me share an ancient battle proverb passed down through the ages."
"What's that?"
"No warrior, no matter how skilled, can withstand a beatdown."
You know, a good ol' group thrashing.
And this was Kaifeng, a major city.
Causing trouble meant headaches with the authorities and delays to our schedule.
Couldn't have that.
As I stood, he asked,
"Where are you going?"
"To handle it for you."
"Why you?"
"I don't want the hassle of your pursuers."
Plus, putting him in my debt might prove useful.
"Sigh. Watching you deal with them for me would make a mockery of my Name Thief title. Forget it—I'll handle it."
"With that sword?"
"Yes."
I chuckled.
"I know my way around a sword too, but that's not always the answer."
He laughed in disbelief at my absurdity, and I pressed on.
"What if I send them packing without drawing steel?"
"Impossible."
"It's possible."
I smirked.
"Want to bet on it?"
"A little wager to spice up the journey? Like a bet within a bet."
He thought for a moment before replying.
"No loss for me. If you fail, I'll count it as gaining a Seonhyeopmirang title."
"Deal. If I succeed, you call me 'hyungnim' until we reach the Jegal Clan."
"……Fine."
The bet was on.
I stood and headed downstairs with my group, approaching the unorthodox crew waiting outside.
They tensed as I neared.
They'd been watching me travel with the Name Thief, so it was natural.
I cut straight to it.
"Looking for the Name Thief, by any chance?"
"……!"
They looked stunned—I guess they hadn't expected me to be so direct.
"Oh, and I'd advise against drawing swords. As you know, Kaifeng has imperial kin around, so Gold Guard patrol constantly. Getting caught would be a pain, right?"
"D-Doesn't matter!"
"If we can reclaim hyungnim's stolen title…."
"Tsk tsk."
I clicked my tongue.
"You think hyungnim would rest easy if you lot ended up in jail? You might drag him down with the same charges."
"Th-That's…."
"Plus, this is a place even the Murim Alliance watches closely. Getting on their bad side won't end well."
"……."
Speechless, huh.
"So, what title did your hyungnim lose?"
"Shansi Mad Dog."
Shansi's Mad Dog, eh….
Couldn't fathom obsessing over a nickname like that.
But I didn't need to understand it right now.
The world was full of baffling things; best for your sanity to just shrug and move on.
"Must look pretty cool to you guys."
"Of course!"
"Me? I'd make an even cooler one instead of chasing that."
"Even… cooler?"
"Yeah. Shansi Mad Dog, so you're from Shansi, right?"
"Right."
"How about Shansi Bandit Lord or Shansi Fierce Tiger?"
"Ooooh!"
They lit up.
"That's a way!"
"Better than Shansi Mad Dog!"
I nodded sympathetically.
"I get it. You chased the Name Thief to vent your frustration, right? Excuse or not."
"……."
Averting their eyes confirmed it.
Hyungnim was the pretext; payback was the goal.
"Truth is, I'm in a title tug-of-war with the Name Thief right now."
"R-Really?"
"Yep. He's after my Seonhyeopmirang title."
"Whoa! You're that famous Seonhyeopmirang from the rumors!"
"Knew he was too handsome!"
They nodded vigorously.
"Giving advice like that even to scum like us? Touching."
"That bastard really deserves to rot! Targeting Seonhyeopmirang 'cause he ran out of others?"
"Right?!"
I smiled at their candid reactions.
"Get this: if I send you all off without drawing my sword, he has to call me hyungnim. Wouldn't that be hilarious?"
"Ooooh!"
"That prideful jerk calling a younger guy hyungnim!"
"Gonna be a show!"
"So lend me a hand?"
They nodded.
"For that? Happy to! Vents our grudge too!"
"You bet!"
"Thanks for cooperating."
"No prob…."
They were thrilled, picturing the Name Thief calling me hyungnim.
"Looking forward to those cooler titles then."
"Hahaha! You bet!"
They left peacefully, and I looked up at the teahouse.
There was the Name Thief, face twisted like he'd bitten a rotten cucumber.
Heh! Guess that makes me hyungnim now?
.
.
.
A little later.
We returned to the inn.
"To celebrate me becoming hyungnim today, dinner's on me."
The Name Thief grumbled reluctantly.
"I-I'm not really hungry…."
Palgap chimed in.
"Skipping meals will make you fall ill on the road, sir."
"……."
Finally, he sighed and replied.
"Fine, hyungnim."
"Doesn't 'hyungnim' mean you gotta speak properly too, sir?"
Crunch.
Was that the sound of grinding teeth?
Heh heh heh. Palgap, you get me.
How does he read my mind so well?
"Un…derstood. Hyungnim."
I grinned inwardly at his response.
Felt like ten years of heartburn melting away.