Chapter 78: The Uninvited Guest. -03
Ban Hojin countered Oh Jung-geon, who was asking about the source.
He thought that if it were Oh Jung-geon, he would figure it out even without being told explicitly.
And he had no intention of spoon-feeding information for no reason.
Since he could not do everything himself, those with ability needed to cultivate their own capabilities.
“Then it must be one of two places.”
“That is correct.”
“Then there’s no room for doubt.”
Oh Jung-geon’s expression grew grave.
Just as Ban Hojin had expected, he thought of the Hao Sect and the Geum Family Estate.
Because of that, he judged the possibility of it being false information to be slim.
Considering Ban Hojin’s relationship with those two places, there was no way he would pass along false intelligence.
“That’s why I wasn’t surprised.”
“Indeed. If the movents of the Nine Heavens Gate are suspicious, it’s reasonable to think so. Still, the timing is remarkably coincidental. After Iron-Blood Castle, now the Nine Heavens Gate.”
“If we think optimistically, it’s sothing that has always happened. However, I think that’s precisely why we should be wary. There’s no harm in preparing in advance.”
“But even so, we can’t let the world know. If we stir up unnecessary anxiety, various places might rise up in protest.”
Oh Jung-geon spoke with a serious face.
There would be so who grew cautious upon hearing this news, but the important point was that there would be far more who would not.
Moreover, once what they currently held was revealed, Iron-Blood Castle and the Nine Heavens Gate would certainly move even more covertly.
They might even act faster, taking advantage of the present mont when preparations were lacking.
“That’s true. Peace has lasted a long ti.”
“……?”
Oh Jung-geon’s expression beca subtle.
From the Ban Hojin standing before him, he felt the air of a seasoned martial artist.
Yet Ban Hojin was rely a Rising Junior, barely twenty years old.
“There’s still nothing certain. Just because they’re scouting the Central Plains doesn’t an it becos a pretext for war. Still, at least a few people know, don’t they? And if they co out like that, then shouldn’t we respond in kind?”
“In kind.”
Oh Jung-geon narrowed his brow.
In truth, he agreed that they needed to be vigilant.
But he did not think there was a need to cause unnecessary turmoil in the Central Plains because of it.
If he were to spread the word, he would have to bear the responsibility that followed.
No, not only that—responsibility would be placed on the Beggars’ Sect as well.
That was a burden even Oh Jung-geon found heavy.
“Scouting is sothing we can do as well, isn’t it? Without deploying manpower separately. In fact, if we suddenly deploy people, those two places will sense sothing amiss.”
“They will. And then they’ll try to find out the cause.”
“Nothing has been revealed yet. So we can start finding out from now.”
“You won’t move only the main branch, will you?”
Oh Jung-geon deliberately avoided ntioning the nas of the two places.
They both knew, and he felt there was no need to spell them out.
“For certainty, cross-verification is essential. However, Great Hero Oh, there’s one thing you should know. I do receive a certain level of information, but it’s not as though I command those two places.”
“Of course. They’re helping out of goodwill.”
Oh Jung-geon nodded.
He understood what Ban Hojin ant.
That said, Ban Hojin could not make use of Shaolin’s intelligence network either.
Though Ban Hojin had a higher reputation than Beopmu, the next Abbot, he held no authority within Shaolin.
“And when it cos to this sort of intelligence, I think the Beggars’ Sect is the best.”
“Hahaha! Thank you for acknowledging that.”
He knew it was a polite complint, but even so, it was hard not to feel good.
Moreover, it wasn’t just any ordinary martial artist—it was recognition from Ban Hojin.
Oh Jung-geon tried to manage his expression, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
“I’ll inform my Master. Then at least Shaolin and the Beggars’ Sect will know about it in the current Central Plains.”
“Thank you.”
“No, on the contrary, I should be the one thanking you for looking into it. I didn’t even give you a separate reward.”
“A reward? Just dismantling the Green Forest Great Lord and the Taeho Stronghold was more than sufficient compensation. It wasn’t that difficult for , and besides, it was for the sake of the Central Plains Murim.”
Oh Jung-geon waved his hands vigorously.
He had not done it for compensation.
He himself had found it suspicious and looked into it, and in a way, it had been beneficial for both the Beggars’ Sect and the Central Plains.
If things had gone wrong, they might have been blindsided without ever knowing.
“Instead, since I heard that Great Hero Oh was coming, I hurriedly prepared one thing. It’s not expensive, but.”
“Oh?”
Ban Hojin stood up from his seat and revealed what had been covered with a cloth bundle in one corner of the room.
Oh Jung-geon’s eyes widened like oil lamps.
At the sight of bamboo leaf liquor stacked layer upon layer, he soon broke into a broad grin.
“All of it is yours, Great Hero Oh. I thought you’d prefer this over money.”
“Of course. I actually dislike money. It feels awkward to accept it, doesn’t it? No matter how much begging is part of a beggar’s daily life, anything beyond a certain amount becos a bribe. But alcohol is different. Oh yes! Completely different!”
Oh Jung-geon’s voice grew louder and louder as he spoke.
He could not contain his excitent.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Hahaha! Gifts like this are always welco!”
“But this isn’t all.”
“What?”
“I thought there would be others who suffered alongside you, Great Hero Oh. I prepared shares for them as well.”
Oh Jung-geon’s eyes flew open.
This ti, Ban Hojin opened the window.
Outside, bamboo leaf liquor was piled up to Oh Jung-geon’s height.
There was even a cart prepared to make it easy to take away.
“Th-those are all bamboo leaf liquor?”
“Yes. I wanted to prepare side dishes as well, but then it might have been hard for you to take everything by yourself. I also don’t really know people’s food preferences. I’ve heard that each liquor pairs with certain foods, but I don’t know much about that.”
“Side dishes aren’t necessary. If we really need them, we can just catch a pheasant, a rabbit, or a wild dog. What matters is the liquor. Oh yes!”
Oh Jung-geon was beside himself with excitent.
He was already happy just seeing the bamboo leaf liquor inside the room, and when Ban Hojin even took care of his comrades’ portions, Oh Jung-geon looked at him with eyes full of affection.
If it were up to his heart, he wanted to grab Ban Hojin’s hands and thank him, but knowing how dirty his own hands were, he restrained himself.
“I’m happy since you like it.”
“I’ll drink it well!”
Oh Jung-geon did not refuse, even out of politeness.
If he were soone short on funds, it would have been right to decline, but he knew well enough.
He knew that Ban Hojin’s financial situation was quite good.
Knowing that Ban Hojin had earned a considerable amount by selling the Green Forest Great Lord’s martial arts to the Hao Sect, Oh Jung-geon expressed his gratitude and accepted it without hesitation.
“If you ever need more, please tell
anyti.”
“No, this is already more than enough. In fact, drinking too much wouldn’t be good.”
Ban Hojin let out a soft laugh when Oh Jung-geon said that having too much liquor was not good, given how many mbers of the Beggars’ Sect would drink themselves to death for alcohol.
However, he did not nitpick over it.
Seeing him happy was enough.
“Please travel safely.”
“Yes! I’ll see you next ti!”
Ban Hojin silently watched Oh Jung-geon’s back as he pulled the cart away, even taking the bamboo leaf liquor that had been in the room.
He had spent a fair amount of money, but he did not feel it was a waste.
Rather, he thought he had gotten off cheaply.
And since he had obtained the result he wanted, it was a gain if anything, never a loss.
“Since the Beggars’ Sect has beco vigilant, they’ll keep paying attention from now on. Then that leaves two places.”
Ban Hojin murmured while gazing steadily at Oh Jung-geon’s retreating figure, his hips swaying as he walked away.
Though his gaze was fixed on Oh Jung-geon, Ban Hojin’s mind was filled with thoughts of the two places.
With Iron-Blood Castle and the Nine Heavens Gate on the move, the remaining two were surely either moving in secret as well or making preparations.
“Still, the fortunate thing is that this situation is far better than in my previous life.”
He had cleanly excised the rotting parts within Shaolin, and the Beggars’ Sect and the Hao Sect were aware of the movents of the Neo-Outer Murim.
That alone made Ban Hojin think the worst-case scenario had been avoided.
Of course, rotten parts could form again, but since Damhyeon and Beopmu had gone through this incident, it would not be easy for that to happen for a while.
“Now all that’s left is for
and the kids to do well.”
Ban Hojin turned his body around.
Arrangents regarding the Beggars’ Sect were already in place, so now he could focus solely on this place without worrying about other matters.
Especially on himself.
This ti, he had no intention of sacrificing his life.
‘Once was enough. And now, I have the right to live my own life.’
At the mont of death, the one thing Ban Hojin had thought of was just that.
Not regret, not remorse, but injustice.
No matter how he thought about it, he had never truly had a life of his own, so this ti he was determined to live his own life.
But to do that, he first had to win the war.
‘I only need to take down four.’
Each of the forces of the Four Tyrants of the World was powerful enough to face the entire Central Plains on its own.
However, the core was just four individuals.
As the saying went, “Slay the leader to capture the bandits.” If he could take down the tyrant lords of the Four Tyrants of the World, the war could be ended with far less damage than expected.
The problem, of course, was that it would not be easy—but the important thing was that there was a way.
‘Especially if I take them early on, the war itself will end quickly.’
Ban Hojin thought of one of the four.
The Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, who, in a sense, had sent him back into the past.
No matter about the other tyrant lords, the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace was one he could never yield to anyone else.
Even if only for revenge, the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace was his to deal with.
---
Step. Step.
A middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, wearing plain gray martial robes, walked along the main road leading to Shaolin.
He was the sort of middle-aged man one could see anywhere, yet there was sothing unusual about his gaze.
Perhaps because of that, even though no obvious aura was leaking out, the people ahead of him instinctively stepped aside.
‘This has beco rather ridiculous.’
The middle-aged man’s lips twisted.
He disliked the current situation, but there was nothing he could do.
To obtain what he needed, he had no choice but to comply with what the other side wanted.
‘To think I’d beco a chess piece at this age.’
Though it was a legitimate transaction, it left a bad taste in his mouth.
If things went wrong, his relationship with Shaolin would surely sour.
Even so, the middle-aged man had no choice but to proceed this way.
“Huh? That man, maybe…?”
“What is it? Soone you know?”
“Is it not? He looks similar, though.”
“What’s with you? Who is it?”
“But there’s no reason for that person to co to Shaolin.”
Since it was not his first ti at Shaolin, the middle-aged man naturally found his bearings and continued walking.
Seeing this, a few people tilted their heads in confusion.
Both his plain gray martial robes and his face resembled soone they knew.
However, since none of them had ever t the middle-aged man in person, they all wore uncertain expressions.
“So who is he, anyway?”
“Did he co looking for the Abbot?”
As the surroundings grew noisy, the middle-aged man instead smiled.
He had co to Shaolin in broad daylight precisely so that people would recognize him, and so he continued walking toward his destination.
Letting out a faint trace of aura.
But he regulated it so that the Law King would not sense it.
They would et once the work began, but at least now was not the ti.
So the middle-aged man released only the minimum amount of aura necessary.
“What brings you to this place, Elder?”
“Oh? You know who I am?”
“Aren’t you one of the ten most famous figures in Jianghu?”
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