Chapter 1500: How Dare I Not Follow? (Part 5)

"Sahyung. A report has come from Shaolin."

An old man, sitting behind a worn-out and faded large desk, raised his head silently.

In front of him was a letter held out by a middle-aged beggar.

Written clearly on the red paper was the message, 'Dragon Head Sect Leader Friendly Dispatch.' [not sure lol] It was a letter sent to the sect leader of the Beggar's Union. In other words, it was a letter that only the sect leader of the Beggar's Union could open.

However, neither the one holding out the letter nor the old man looking at it showed any sign of discomfort. It was clear that the old man was not the sect leader of the Beggar's Union.

"Leave it there."

"It's urgent..."

"It's probably something obvious. Probably telling us to make our stance clear."

The middle-aged beggar silently placed the letter on one side of the desk. It was neither too hidden nor too central, an awkward position.

The dark gaze of the old man looking at the letter sank.

'Beopjeong....'

There was no way he wasn't aware of the situation with the Beggar's Union. Still, the reason for sending a letter with the phrase 'Dragon Head Sect Leader Friendly Dispatch' was obvious.

'Doing something petty.'

An expression of displeasure flickered on the old man's face. What truly bothered him was not Beopjeong' audacious provocation. It was his subtle irritation at his own reaction to such a petty provocation.

With a short sigh, he asked.

"Any news about the sacred artifact?" [the stamp(?) thing]

"Not yet..."

The old man's face twisted subtly.

"It's late. The Beggar's Union is becoming increasingly incompetent."

"Sahyung. You must understand. Due to the nature of the item we're looking for... we can't just mobilize beggars at will."

It was a natural statement. Once the word spread that the Beggar's Union was frantically searching for the Beggar's Union sacred artifact, it would surely become a source of mockery among the martial artists.

The sacred artifact was something that should never be lost or taken away.

"Moreover, that..."

"Enough. I know."

There was no need to hear more. The tone of the old man, abruptly cutting off the conversation, was slightly raised. If the fact that the one hiding the sacred artifact was the Beggar's Union's sect leader became known, it wouldn't end as a mere laughing matter.

As the old man remained silent with a displeased expression, the middle-aged beggar glanced at the letter on the desk.

"Will you not respond this time as well?"

"..."

"Sahyung, Shaolin is pressing us urgently. The Beggar's Union is in a situation where they can no longer retreat. Of course, Shaolin and Beopjeong are no different from wolves... but at least they are powerful wolves, aren't they?"

"..."

"While you hesitate like this, if the sect leader makes a foolish move while the Beggar's Union is unable to respond..."

"Since when did you become so talkative?"

"Sorry, Sahyung."

The middle-aged beggar, momentarily startled by the old man's sudden outburst, quickly lowered his head.

A short sigh escaped from the old man's lips.

The desk was piled with documents.

The office that only the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader could use, and the orders that only the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader could approve. Currently, the one in control of all this was not the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader but the old man, Ilho Shin Gae.

However, even though he had obtained unparalleled power, Ilho Shin Gae's expression did not brighten.

"Hoo."

The Beggar's Union was already almost in his hands. The disciples followed him without exception, and even the branch leaders were more accustomed to following him than the mysterious Beggar's Union's Sect Leader.

Now, only one thing remained.

He silently traced the indentation on the desk with his fingertip. The place where the symbol of the sacred artifact of the Beggar's Union, the Shinmool, should be.

"It's not that I don't want to take the position of the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader right away. But without finding the Shinmool and the whereabouts of the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader, I can't stop the plan."

"Already, the Beggar's Union is following Sahyung's orders. No one will oppose."

"Not that they won't oppose, but they can't oppose. Just like when he ascended to the position of the sect leader, I couldn't oppose him."

"..."

"Power that does not go through a just process and procedure will inevitably cause problems. You can't repeat the same thing."

"But, Sahyung. Time is running out. If we don't secure the command structure before the Evil Tyrant Alliance moves again..."

"I understand."

Ilho Shin Gae slowly rubbed his eyelids with his fingertips.

What he wanted was one of two things. The current sect leader position, which could be handed to him. Or the Shinmool with the same authority as the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader.

The reason the Ilho Shin Gae was fixated on the Shinmool was too simple.

There was no way to find the Beggar Union's Sect Leader.

"...Traceless Beggar."

The Beggar's Union's sect leader Pungyeong Shingae was always engaging in reconnaissance. [not sure, could be 'in hiding' or the breath technique thing] That, in itself, was not a problem. Pungyeong Shingae's reconnaissance skills were not particularly outstanding. If someone had high martial skills and keen perception, they could easily recognize when he engaged in reconnaissance.

While knowing this fact, Pungyeong Shin Gae always engaged in reconnaissance. Even if it meant facing ridicule, he did so resolutely.

And one day, Ilho Shin Gae realized an absurd fact. He didn't know Pungyeong Shin Gae's real face.

It sounded unreasonable, but it was true. The last time he saw Pungyeong Shin Gae's real face was forty years ago. No, perhaps that itself wasn't a fact. He couldn't even be sure if the face he saw back then was indeed his real face.

Yet now, how could he possibly recognize Pungyeong Shin Gae's face?

That wasn't the only issue. A more shocking fact awaited Ilho Shin Gae. Within the Beggar's Union, no one knew the true face of Pungyeong Shin Gae.

For decades, the latter thoroughly concealed his identity, even from the Beggar's Union, where he held the position of the sect leader.

How could one hide themselves from others for ten, not to mention forty, years? Especially when he lacked experience and skills when he ascended to the position of the sect leader.

"It's deplorable...."

The Beggar's Union could find anyone in the world. However, there was no way to find someone unknown. Even if Pungyeong Shin Gae... No, even if the Traceless Beggar roamed through the sect with his real face, and no one in the Beggar's Union would recognize him as the sect leader.

So practically, the only thing that could be found was the Shinmool. The Traceless Beggar was, as the name suggested, a figure without traces.

"The fate of both people and objects are unknown... I have to find them."

"..."

"We don't even know what kind of person he is, and there are only a handful of people who have seen the Shinmool with their own eyes."

"...Sahyung."

Ilho Shin Gae chuckled.

"It's as if he was prepared for such a situation from the beginning. From the time that young Traceless Beggar ascended to the position of the sect leader... No, perhaps even before that..."

Ilho Shin Gae, sighing for a long time, showed signs of fatigue. The leadership ability to lead numerous people, the analytical skills to sharply grasp enemies, and even the formidable force that could be considered the best in the Beggar's Union were of no help in solving this problem.

"Catching a ghost without substance with my own hands... A ghost that can't be caught... Wait!"

But at that moment, Ilho Shin Gae suddenly raised his head, as if struck by lightning.

"Sahyung?"

With wide-open eyes, Ilho Shin Gae murmured as if possessed by something.

"...Sahyung?"

"Heh... Hahaha. Hahaha!"

Ilho Shin Gae burst into laughter as if suddenly possessed.

"Sahyung, why are you suddenly like this?"

"There's no substance. Haha. That's right, there's no substance!"

He slumped in the chair, continuously laughing as if losing strength.

"I didn't want to admit it, but it seems my teacher didn't pass on the position of the sect leader to me for a reason. I was so foolish...!"

"What in the..."

"Gather the elders."

Ilho Shin Gae, who gave a firm command, smiled. It was an overwhelmingly self-assured smile.

"I wandered around looking for the difficult path when an easy path was right in front of me. Now, everything will be resolved swiftly."

The middle-aged beggar looked at Ilho Shin Gae with questioning eyes.

* * *

"...Are you really in your right mind?"

Hong Daekwang looked at Chung Myung with a bewildered expression, as if he couldn't be surprised anymore. Then, others also looked around. More precisely, at Baek Cheon.

"Dojang is the same. No...the whole world that guy is out of his mind, but Dojang's the same? Shouldn't you have stopped him from doing something like this?" [not sure]

"...Will he listen if I try to dissuade him?"

"Then at least don't agree! What is that appearance, really!"

Baek Cheon, momentarily speechless, looked into the distance as if gazing at a distant mountain. Although it wasn't visible because it was a small room.

"Even if you're crazy, there should be a limit... Hey, monk. Your wig is crooked. Seriously."

"Ah, Amitabha."

Hye Yeon fiddled with the troublesome wig, pulling it all the way to his neck. Chung Myung, seemingly annoyed by the chatter, interjected sharply.

"Ah! Enough with the nagging."

Then he raised his chin towards Hong Daekwang.

"What are you going to do? Answer me."

Hong Daekwang looked at Chung Myung, chewing his lips.

"Is everything I heard true?"

"I'm not a person who has so much time to catch a beggar and talk nonsense, you know?"

Hong Daekwang sighed deeply, then rubbed his face with his grimy hands. 

"So, the beggar I knew was actually the Sect Leader, but rather than a real Sect Leader, he was more of a puppet. That puppetmaster, while working in the shadows, was shady, but he wasn't an evil shadow, but a legendary predecessor Sect Leader. The reason that the Sect Leader caused such trouble was a bad thing, but it turned out to be a good thing. The Sect Leader I saw might be an imposter, but that imposter might be bad..."

"Enough, Buntaju."

"...Well, even if I were like that."

"Amitabha. It's destiny, they say."

Hong Daekwang looked up at the ceiling with a vacant expression.

"...What kind of nonsense is this?"

It felt as if the world he knew had collapsed in an instant.

In the midst of this, what made him even more upset was that he knew Chung Myung was the kind of person who would talk nonsense but would never lie.

"No, let's think about that later."

"...How can you think about it later, you crazy bastard."

"What's past is past. What's important is the future. So, for now, follow me. We can think about it after you become the Sect Leader..."

"Why are you deciding that, you crazy bastard..."

"No, how many times do I have to say it? There's no one else to do it, right?"

Hong Daekwang's eyes welled up with tears. How should he accept this situation?

"Anyway, we don't have time, so just follow me for now. We can think about it after becoming the Sect Leader."

"...What should I think about?"

"Well, what can you do? Anyway, those guys have power but no authority, so they can't do anything. At times like this, we just need to..."

At that moment,

"Dojang!"

The hidden secret chamber door opened with a bang!

"What's this!"

"Is it the enemy!"

The disciples of Mount Hua drew their swords and aimed at the door.

But the one who opened the door was none other than Lee Songbaek.

"What, what is it, Sohyeop! You startled us!"

"No, please open the door gently...!"

"Ugh, we're in big trouble!"

"Huh?"

Everyone finally looked at Lee Songbaek. They were so busy being surprised that they didn't notice, but Lee Songbaek, usually calm, had an extremely pale face that caught their attention.

Baek Cheon asked quickly.

"What's going on, Sohyeop?"

"Baek Cheon Do---no... Deputy Sect Leader! It's a big problem. The rumors have spread outside now."

"What rumor?"

"The... the Sect Leader! The Sect Leader of the Beggar's Union!"

"Yes, the Sect Leader? What happened to the Sect Leader?"

"He... he has passed away!"

The disciples of Mount Hua were shocked.

"What? He's dead?"

"No, what are you talking about? He was alive and well until a little while ago. Did something happen to him?"

"Is that even possible!"

"Then what's going on?"

Everyone was bewildered and muttered in confusion. Baek Cheon calmly asked again.

"Is it true?"

"Yes! It's the news that just came out from the headquarters. It's the only talk outside now."

"...What the hell is this..."

Everyone, dumbfounded and unable to comprehend the situation, instinctively turned around. When something was hard to understand, one naturally looked in that direction.

However, the Chung Myung they faced looked as if he had just received a blow to the back of his head, staring stupidly into the empty space.

"Chung Myung?"

"Uh..."

Chung Myung, who had been slack-jawed, let out an awkward laugh.

"Well... He's not an ordinary elder, is he? Going about it like this?"

"What's going on?"

"Well, it's not about the situation... If we don't resolve this by today, we're doomed."

"Huh? Haha. Is this guy exaggerating again to scare us? Chung Myung?"

Baek Cheon's eyes narrowed. He had seen drops of sweat pouring down Chung Myung forehead.

"Chung Myung..."

"...Maybe. Perhaps it's already over."

No, this was really serious...