My master and I returned to the inn we were using as our lodging.
The spar with the Hongju Sect leader was really nothing special. Compared to the Mayu Sect leader I had fought just before, he was only at the level of a third-rate martial artist.
When I asked how such a person could beco a sect leader, old man Maeng Gwang-gae clearly resolved my doubts.
"That guy wasn't a guy who fought directly. He was a guy who made his subordinates do the work and skillfully never got blood on his hands. Look at what he does in the first place. He's a guy who lives by cheating won and swindlers, so would he have trained his martial arts properly?"
And he also said that he had gone to see him in a hurry today because that guy was the most cowardly.
He said that if he had heard the news that I had killed the Mayu Sect leader, that guy would have been the first to run away.
The image of that guy smiling slyly when he heard that I had co from the Hwanho Sect is still vivid.
"There will surely be guys among the other Yellow Sea Seven Tyrants who will run away. There's a guy who gathers young people and forms sothing like a vigilante group and extorts money, called the Jin-cheong Guild, and the guild leader there is not that strong in martial arts, but he's quick-witted. He'll surely run away in a day or two."
"Then shouldn't we chase him and catch him?"
"No. We don't necessarily have to."
"Why? You said you went to the Hongju Sect leader in advance because you were afraid he would run away."
"Even if they are the sa Yellow Sea Seven Tyrants, there are guys who deserve to die, and there are guys who are not that bad. The Hongju Sect leader was a guy I would have beaten to death soday if you hadn't killed him. But the Jin-cheong Guild leader is not that vicious. And he's not a guy who has the guts to do sothing on his own when the rest are all taken care of."
Maeng Gwang-gae, with a face quite different from when he was talking about the Jin-cheong Guild leader, frowned slightly and continued, "But there is one guy who will be a problem."
"Who is that?"
"The sect leader of the Heuk-su Sect. A guy nad Maeng-goeng."
"Heuk-su Sect?"
"The Heuk-su Sect is the only assassin sect in Zhejiang Province. Including Maeng-goeng, there are only nine mbers."
"They claim to be a sect with only nine mbers? They've either lost their fear, or they're confident in their skills, it must be one of the two."
Maeng Gwang-gae nodded his head at with a look of 'that's right'.
"The latter. The guy's martial arts are known to be quite strong."
"But if it's an assassin sect, isn't that a good reason for the Nine Sects and One Gang to intervene? I don't understand why they've been left alone until now..."
"Although it's an assassin sect, they are guys who are different from other ordinary assassin sects in many ways."
"What's different?"
"Usually, what cos to mind when you think of an assassin?"
I, after looking at the empty space for a mont and thinking, said what ca to mind.
"Hmm... hidden weapons? Poison?"
"Yes. Usually, that's the case. Those who assassinate their opponents using such petty tricks are assassins. But the Heuk-su Sect is a little different."
"In what way?"
"To be precise, rather than calling them assassins... should I say they are guys who carry out revenge on behalf of others?"
"Revenge on behalf of others?"
"Although it is true that they are trash who kill people for money, their fighting style is a little unique. They say they have been commissioned for revenge and then they boldly enter the house of the guys they are going to kill through the main gate. And they defeat their opponents in a spar, not an ambush."
"Then... it's a little ambiguous to call them assassins, isn't it?"
"That's right. That's why the Nine Sects and One Gang and I haven't been able to deal with those guys until now. The reason to kill the Heuk-su Sect leader is too insufficient. Do you think that's all? The fact that they received money is sothing that only the client who gave the money and they know. But the clients never tell anyone that they gave the money."
"Ah... so the Heuk-su Sect is a grateful existence to the clients. Since they have carried out the revenge that they couldn't do with their own hands..."
Maeng Gwang-gae nodded his head with a firm face.
I think I know why Maeng Gwang-gae chose them as the most troubleso guys.
Usually, it is difficult to deal with enemies if they are either smart or strong in martial arts.
But the Heuk-su Sect is both.
If they weren't smart, they wouldn't have been able to co up with a system like the current one, and if their martial arts were weak, they wouldn't have been able to maintain it until now with only nine mbers.
No, in the first place, the reason they were able to co up with such a system and have been rampant until now is probably because their martial arts were strong.
"And I also said earlier that there would be guys who would co to see you first, right?"
"Yes. You did."
"That's likely to be the Heuk-su Sect. The Heuk-su Sect leader is famous for being belligerent."
"A guy who is belligerent and also good at fighting... this is a little exciting."
"What? You're excited?"
"To be honest, the two I fought today were just guys who weren't of much help to . Still, since I'm also volunteering as a disciple of the Nine Sects and One Gang, wouldn't it be better if I got sothing out of it?"
"Hmph..."
Maeng Gwang-gae looked at with a dumbfounded expression.
"I've lived for quite a long ti, but I've never seen a guy like you. Are you not even twenty yet?"
"Th-That's right. Of course. Don't you know by looking at my appearance?"
"Although you still have a baby face... no matter how I look at it, it seems there are several old foxes hidden inside. It would be more credible to say that you are a master who has achieved rejuvenation."
"If I were a master who had achieved rejuvenation, would I be doing this here? I would have stepped in and wiped them all out."
"I don't know if this is true or false, but I've heard that rejuvenation ans that as the body becos younger, you lose all the internal energy and physical strength you have accumulated. Since you are reliving the things you have learned while living one life, the growth of your internal energy and body is said to be incomparably faster than before."
"Wh-Who said that?"
Although I was very, very surprised, I asked him, pretending to be calm.
Because if we just look at the fact that he is living his life again with the previous enlightennt he ntioned now, he had grasped my situation quite accurately.
"Who said that? Rejuvenation itself is sothing that only appears in legends, so it's a rumor mixed in with that legend."
"Th-That's... ridiculous, isn't it? If I were a master who was outstanding enough to achieve rejuvenation, I wouldn't want to beco younger and do what I had done once more. How precious would the internal energy I had accumulated be?"
"That's right, isn't it? Unless it happens suddenly without my will."
"Th-That's right."
I, barely showing any sign, affird his words.
Maeng Gwang-gae, as if he didn't care much about my awkward reaction, seed to think of my reaction as nothing special.
'From now on, I have to be more careful in front of old man Maeng Gwang-gae.'
Because of that dirty appearance and ssy behavior, I often forget that he is the best information analyst in the Central Plains and an elder of the Beggars' Sect.
It was Maeng Gwang-gae who found clues even in small rumors he heard and solved things that no one else could solve.
I don't know if he's suspecting now, or if he's just saying that in passing, but now I have to refrain from any actions that might give him other clues as much as possible.
"Anyway, rest well today. You've worked hard."
"When are you planning to leave tomorrow?"
"I have sothing to do tomorrow, so rest well in the inn until lunchti. In case you don't know, never show your face outside."
"Yes. I'll just stay inside."
"Then I'm going."
Maeng Gwang-gae disappeared suddenly, and I, now feeling a little relieved, sat at the table.
Then the waiter nad Yeon-rang ca up to and said, "Should I bring you sothing to eat?"
"Shall we? I was just getting hungry."
"Yes, senior. I'll bring you the best things I can bring!"
After waiting for a mont, Yeon-rang reappeared with a tray full of food.
He, after putting down all the food with difficulty, greeted cheerfully.
"Please eat well and cheer up!"
"Wait a minute."
"Yes?"
"Are you telling to eat all this food by myself?"
I, dumbfounded, pointed at the food on the table and said.
Yeon-rang had brought as many as six dishes, including sweet and sour pork, dong-go with fish sauce, stir-fried eggplant, and beef noodles.
No matter how much I like to eat, it's impossible for to eat all this by myself.
Unless there are two people.
"Yes. It's natural to treat soone who has done a great service for our Zhejiang Province today like this! I begged and begged the cook to get it. It's hard to find a place with more delicious food than our inn in this area. Please eat well."
I, without answering Yeon-rang's words, looked around.
There was no one else in the inn besides .
"Is it usually this empty at this ti?"
"No! I told you our inn's food is the most delicious in this area. It's usually packed with people. But now, since Elder Maeng Gwang-gae has rented it out, we're not accepting any other custors."
"I see. Then what about the other martial artists?"
"They haven't co back from their mission yet. Judging by the ti they usually co back, it will be at least an hour before they co."
"Really? Then sit in front of . Let's eat this together."
"Yes? How can I..."
I, shrugging my shoulders, said, "It's still a little before dinner ti, so you haven't eaten dinner yet, right?"
"Yes. It's still before dinner."
"I have plenty of food, and you have nothing to do because there are no custors. What's the problem?"
"But how can I eat at the sa table..."
"You called senior, right? And I taught you what is most important for a martial artist. Then aren't you already half a martial artist?"
"Is... that so?"
Although I said it without much thought, as if it had been a great inspiration to Yeon-rang, he, with tears in his eyes, soon sat in front of .
"Then I won't refuse. Senior!"
"Yes. Let's eat."
I, with a small laugh, sat opposite him and began to eat.
I don't know if old man Maeng Gwang-gae had given him a heads-up, or if he had watched eat carefully when I had eaten last ti, but Yeon-rang didn't seem to care much even though I, a Taoist, was constantly picking up the at dishes.
"Senior! I have sothing to ask you."
"What is it?"
"By any chance, was it you who took care of the Mayu Sect leader, senior?"
"Huh? Has that rumor already spread this far?"
"Of course. I heard it at the market when I went to buy ingredients for the cook earlier. That a martial artist from the destroyed Hwanho Sect had returned to avenge his sect."
"That's right. It was who went to the Mayu Sect with Elder Maeng Gwang-gae. But how did you think it was right away?"
Yeon-rang, as if it were nothing, smiled and answered, "As far as I know, the last survivor of the Hwanho Sect has passed away. But you are wearing the clothes of the Hwanho Sect, senior... and since you went out this morning, and the rumor started to spread in the afternoon, I thought there was a very high possibility that you had done sothing, senior."
I looked at Yeon-rang with a look of genuine admiration.
Yeon-rang is a little boy who is just over ten years old.
Because for a child like that, he had deduced quite accurately.
'He's smarter than I thought. Should I tell old man Maeng Gwang-gae about this child?'
Maeng Gwang-gae has not a single disciple even at that age.
The reason is that, putting aside Maeng Gwang-gae's martial arts, there is no talent who can inherit his information analysis ability.
Of course, it is easy to find soone who is just smart, and you can also find soone who is just strong in martial arts.
But it is very difficult to find soone who is both smart and good at martial arts, and it is also unreasonable to expect a person with such a talent to give up everything he has and beco a beggar.
'If that child only has a talent for martial arts... maybe Maeng Gwang-gae will like him?'
So I, looking at him who was inhaling his own shop's food as if it were a battle, said, "You, do you really want to beco a martial artist?"
"Of course! I really want to."
"Even if you have to beco a beggar?"
Although I said it aningfully, Yeon-rang's eyes widened.
'That's right. There's no way a child that young would want to beco a beggar...'
But the words that ca out of his mouth next were enough to surprise .
"H-By any chance, are you trying to recomnd to the Beggars' Sect?! Of course. I want to learn martial arts even if I have to enter the Beggars' Sect!"
I looked at him with slightly different eyes than before.
It seems Yeon-rang is a smarter child than I thought.
(End of Chapter)
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