I Became the Hidden Chapter 46

Hong Yungae quickly scanned the men coming out of the entrance, avoiding their eyes.

They were figures he hadn't seen in the village.

On top of that, they were all carrying swords.

Although it was common to carry a sword in a chaotic era.

'Something is different.'

A sense of incongruity felt from their movements.

It felt as if they were not people, but well-refined weapons.

'Is this the so-called grasping of a realm through movement that I've only heard about? Then are they martial artists?!'

Although Hong Yungae couldn't grasp the realm of the men, he had grasped that they were martial artists.

'M-martial artists?! What should I do? What should I do?'

Real martial artists, different from himself.

And it wasn't just one or two.

Hong Yungae's whole body trembled like an aspen tree.

A man with a neat impression among the men in front of the tavern chuckled at such a Hong Yungae.

"Our business is with that waiter, so get lost quickly, beggar."

Hong Yungae was relieved at those words.

But at the same time, he was disgusted.

'Why am I relieved?'

As Hong Yungae was engulfed in self-loathing, he recalled the past.

The martial artists who had pressured Hong Yungae's group in the past.

The first one to block them was an old beggar.

-I'm telling you, in my heyday, I used to fly around in the military!

-Oh, old man, stop with the nonsense.

-Hey, you brat! You dare not recognize a first-rate master?!

The old man who always boasted that he was a competent martial artist of the military.

When that old man had blocked the martial artists, Hong Yungae had thought, 'Could it be?'.

But the world, as always, betrayed his expectations.

The old man, unable to block even one sword of the martial artist, had collapsed on the spot, covered in blood.

The old man was indeed a braggart.

But nevertheless, he had stood in front of them with dignity.

There was no time to mourn the old man's death.

It was a situation where his life could be taken at any moment.

It was then that the man in white appeared.

Hong Yungae had not expected anything at that time either.

But after that, the martial artists were swept away by the single sword of the man in white.

Both the man in white and the old beggar had stood in front of the martial artists with dignity.

But one had won overwhelmingly, and the other had died one-sidedly.

What was the difference?

The answer was simple.

Overwhelming martial power.

From then on, Hong Yungae had admired martial arts.

In addition, he had tried not to become like the old beggar who had died shabbily.

A situation just like the present.

'Right. Let's go when they tell me to go.'

He was different from the old beggar.

The waiter with pitiful eyes was a person unrelated to him.

Just a one-sided business relationship.

If he had received food as charity, it would be a different story, but in an equal relationship called a business relationship, there was no need for him to do something that would cause him a loss.

Hong Yungae trembled and carefully raised his body.

Then he carefully moved his feet.

In his head, the old beggar who had only boasted and had been shabbily killed by a sword kept coming to mind.

'If he was a braggart, he should have just saved his own skin like a braggart, so why did he step up and get killed by a sword, what the hell was that?'

The old beggar and Hong Yungae were not particularly close.

No, the thing called a beggar was like that.

They were just busy taking care of their own rice bowls day by day, and since they would die if they were bored, was there a need to make friends?

The only point of contact with that old beggar was that because Hong Yungae was a young beggar, perhaps because he was easy, he had always come to him and boasted.

Although he had shared a little of what he had begged for behind that boasting, it was just that kind of relationship.

Even when the old beggar had died, he hadn't felt much emotion.

But now.

'Why am I doing this?'

Hong Yungae's feet stopped.

Then he straightened his back and stood in front of the waiter.

It was an action that was reminiscent of the old beggar who had died shabbily at that time.

Hong Yungae straightened his back with dignity and held the Dog Beating Jade Staff.

'I can't become like the martial artist in white from that time, so what kind of foolish act is this?'

The current action was just like that of the old beggar who had died shabbily at that time.

And so, in the head of Hong Yungae, who was standing in front of the men, the martial artists, with dignity, a question about the old beggar came to mind.

'What on earth was that old man thinking when he stood in front of the martial artists?'

It was an action that was completely incomprehensible.

'What was that old man thinking as he was being killed by a sword? Did he not know that it would happen?'

But now, it seemed he could understand a little.

'No, he had a satisfied look on his face as he was dying. He must have known, so why on earth did he make a foolish choice?'

Hong Yungae had only extended his life a little because of the old beggar.

He had only prolonged his life for a little time, not even an hour.

Hong Yungae had no way of knowing if there was a meaning to that action.

However.

'The back of the shabby old man looked broad at that time.'

The back of the old beggar when he had stood in front of them had looked like that of a dignified martial artist, albeit for a very short time.

Thinking of that time, Hong Yungae felt something stuffy in his chest.

The body that was about to run away at any moment was firmly rooted in that spot.

'Old man. If you're watching from the sky, lend me that mouth of yours.'

Hong Yungae held out the Dog Beating Jade Staff with dignity towards the martial artist.

"Do you know what the name of this staff is?"

"How would I know that? You beggar brat!"

As if he didn't like Hong Yungae's dignified appearance, a martial artist frowned and rushed at Hong Yungae.

Seeing that, Hong Yungae took a ready stance as he had learned from Baek Yoonjun.

"This staff is a staff that breaks the heads of dog-like bastards like you!"

The martial artist who had rushed in, as if he were greatly underestimating Hong Yungae, was bare-handed and full of openings.

The bare-handed martial artist was about to grab Hong Yungae's collar, but.

"It is called the Dog Beating Jade Staff!"

The speed at which Hong Yungae struck the martial artist's head with the Dog Beating Jade Staff was faster.

Thwack!

"Keoheok!"

The martial artist, who had been properly hit on the head, let out a groan and fell to the ground.

Blood was flowing freely, and it seemed his head had been properly broken.

Although Hong Yungae flinched inwardly, he pretended as if nothing had happened and shook off the blood on the Dog Beating Jade Staff.

"There are still many dogs whose heads need to be broken."

Shaking off the blood, Hong Yungae approached the martial artists with dignity.

Although he approached, he only walked up to a distance where a sword would not reach.

At that, from the martial artist's side, a man with a neat impression walked out towards Hong Yungae.

"You weren't just a beggar."

"No, I am just a beggar brat."

"Phew."

At the neat martial artist's words, although Hong Yungae had voiced the truth, it seemed he didn't believe it.

Although he had received martial arts training from Baek Yoonjun for a few days, Hong Yungae still thought of himself as an ordinary beggar.

The neat man who had heard Hong Yungae's words quietly drew the sword at his waist.

"I am Shin Gu-jeon of Kunlun."

At the words of the martial artist, Shin Gu-jeon, Hong Yungae briefly pondered what he should say in response, but.

'Is there a need to think about anything?'

The pondering ended quickly.

"I am the beggar, Hong Yungae."

Since Hong Yungae was a current beggar, it was the truth.

"I thought there were no beggars who properly knew martial arts, but if you say so, young hero, I will know it as such."

But the opponent did not believe Hong Yungae's words at all.

'His attire is shabby, and the energy felt is also weak, no different from an ordinary person, but his skill in handling the staff is exquisite.'

Shin Gu-jeon looked at Hong Yungae and inferred his identity.

'It is by no means a staff technique that can come from training alone.

He is either the child of a famous martial family who has hidden his identity with a shabby appearance, or he has happened to have a connection and has been taught martial arts by a master. It must be one of the two.'

The inference that he had been taught martial arts was correct.

But Shin Gu-jeon had no way of confirming the truth.

'Either way, it's not good to touch him for no reason. After showing him the gap appropriately, I can just achieve what I have to do.'

Shin Gu-jeon finished his thoughts.

"I will give you three moves, so come in."

"To think you would give a beggar brat three moves of pity, you have a big heart."

Although Hong Yungae shouted with displeasure, he was inwardly shouting with joy.

'Giving me three moves means he'll just block while I hit him three times, right?'

Hong Yungae, harboring the hope that he might be able to win if he did well, observed the opponent.

The aura and appearance felt were on a different level from the opponent whose head he had broken earlier.

A master on a different level from before, without a doubt.

At the unknown pressure, Hong Yungae flinched his body.

But he was able to regain his composure by recalling the words that Baek Yoonjun had said during training.

-Whether it's a master or whatever, if they get hit by a sword, they die all the same.

Hong Yungae replaced 'if they get hit by a sword' with 'if their head is broken' and applied it to his own situation.

'No matter how strong that guy is, if his head is broken, I win!'

Thinking so, although he still felt the pressure, his heart became much more at ease.

"Then I'm coming."

"Come."

Hong Yungae raised the Dog Beating Jade Staff.

Normally, he would have swung it at the head like this, but.

-I can just swing it. But with your skills, it's impossible.

-Then what should I do?

-In that case, you have to mix in a feint, no, a false move.

Recalling Baek Yoonjun's words, Hong Yungae thrust the Dog Beating Jade Staff straight at the opponent's chest.

At that, the opponent lowered his sword towards his chest and tried to block the Dog Beating Jade Staff.

'Now!'

Intuiting that the false move, which he had practiced countless times with Baek Yoonjun but was using for the first time in a real battle, had gone in properly, Hong Yungae inwardly shouted with joy.

Kaang!

But the Dog Beating Jade Staff was blocked not by a head, but by a sword.

'In a flash?!'

Hong Yungae, who had not seen the opponent's sword move, was flustered.

-The moment the flow is broken because it's blocked, you're done for.

But at the master's words that came to his mind, he immediately moved his body.

Hong Yungae quickly grabbed the blocked Dog Beating Jade Staff and changed its direction using only the strength of his wrist.

The place he aimed for was the opponent's shoulder.

Since he had received a crash course from Baek Yoonjun on where to strike for the opponent to be knocked out quickly, Hong Yungae's action was fast.

But the opponent's sword was faster.

Before Hong Yungae's staff could reach, the opponent's sword was already blocking the part that Hong Yungae was about to strike.

Noticing that, Hong Yungae quickly moved his hand and changed the direction of the staff.

But the opponent blocked a step faster than such a Hong Yungae.

Kaang!!

Hong Yungae's staff was blocked by the sword surface in succession.

Hong Yungae was sweating profusely inwardly.

'Come to think of it, I never hit him even once when I was sparring with Master.'

Although there was the difference of a branch and a sword in hand.

Although there was the difference of blocking without moving and blocking while moving violently.

'Huh? Come to think of it, isn't this guy no big deal?'

Gauging the difference between his master and the opponent, the opponent looked very shabby.

And so, as a little bit of confidence welled up in Hong Yungae's heart.

"Three moves have passed."

The opponent stretched his sword towards Hong Yungae.

A thrust that honestly aimed for Hong Yungae's face, with no false moves.

"Ugh!"

At the fast thrust, which was on a different level from his own, Hong Yungae rolled on the floor.

Seeing such a Hong Yungae, Shin Gu-jeon frowned.

"In the past, the White-Robed Sword Immortal did not roll on the floor even when a sword entered his body. That is the pride of a martial artist, so why are you rolling on the floor so frivolously!"

Although the person called the White-Robed Sword Immortal in the past had not rolled on the floor because it was burdensome for his white clothes to get dirty, since Shin Gu-jeon, who had no point of contact, had no way of knowing the truth, it was a misunderstanding he was having.

"When my life is on the line, is there time to worry about such things!"

Hong Yungae shouted, rolling on the floor continuously, dodging the sword.

He was faithfully carrying out Baek Yoonjun's teaching to get out by doing whatever it takes if it seems he's about to be killed by a sword.

Hong Yungae, who was continuously rolling on the floor, grabbed a handful of dirt from the floor and threw it at the opponent.

"Keuk! Cowardly!"

"In a life-and-death situation, where is there such a thing as cowardly!"

This was also Baek Yoonjun's teaching.

It was the teaching to grab whatever was in his hand when he was rolling on the floor and swing it at the opponent to create an opening.

The dirt was properly scattered, and the opponent, who had not thought he would do such a thing, was properly covered in dirt.

Because of that, the dirt went into his eyes.

'An opening!'

A very small opening was created.

Aiming for that gap, Hong Yungae struck the opponent's solar plexus with the Dog Beating Jade Staff.

Thwack!

Feeling the sensation of striking living flesh, not a sword surface, Hong Yungae inwardly shouted with joy.

The attack had gone in properly.

Hong Yungae did not let his guard down and swung the Dog Beating Jade Staff continuously.

"Keuk."

But the opponent, while groaning, immediately stepped back and dodged Hong Yungae's next attack.

Since he was covered in dirt and his expression was contorted, his neat impression from before was gone, and he looked like a beggar of the same kind as Hong Yungae.

"Now you've become dog-like to match your dog-like nature!"

Seeing that, Hong Yungae sneered.

This was also Baek Yoonjun's teaching.

-If your skills are lacking, at least run your mouth without rest.

In any case, Hong Yungae faithfully kept Baek Yoonjun's teachings and created a valid hit.

'I can win!'

In Hong Yungae's heart, the hope that he could win grew and grew.

"You brat!! I was going to go easy on you because you're young, but you're making me open the killing gate!"

Until the opponent's atmosphere changed completely and he began to emit a ferocious aura.

'Huh? Is this a failure?'

The hope in Hong Yungae's heart rapidly dwindled.

(End of Chapter)