Chapter 1501: Who Am I? (Part 1)
Given the current situation, there was no time to delay any further. As soon as everyone gathered in one place, the Five Swords spoke one by one.
"He didn't die?"
"Is that so?"
"Not a ghost, right?"
"Well, he did look somewhat ghostly from the beginning."
Master Lu, or Pungyeong Shin Gae, had a distorted expression on his face. Information and rumors about this group had been heard enough, but experiencing it in person was vastly different.
And...
"Wow, is that the leader?"
"...."
"Are you really the leader? Seriously?"
Pungyeong Shin Gae sighed. Hong Daekwang kept repeating the same words with his mouth wide open.
"It's not like he's been reborn or anything. Why is this young guy talking like this... Do you expect me to believe this?"
"Daekwang."
"Yeah! ... Huh? What just happened?"
"Do you believe it now?"
Hong Daekwang's face turned pale as if he had seen a ghost. The voice Pungyeong Shin Gae just used indeed sounded like the voice of the Sect Leader he knew.
With this turn of events, there was no more denying. Despite the completely different appearance, this person was indeed Pungyeong Shin Gae of the Beggar's Union.
"Haha...They say there's no one in the world you can trust."
"I don't expect understanding. I just hope you acknowledge that it was necessary."
Hong Daekwang bit his lips and said.
"Leader."
Looking at his eyes, Pungyeong Shin Gae also prepared himself mentally. While the actions were driven by goodwill, those who criticized them for being evil had a point. Harsh words were likely to be poured...
"Is it true that you told those guys that I wasn't the next Sect Leader?"
"...."
"I believed it! I really believed it!"
Pungyeong Shin Gae, momentarily at a loss for words, scratched his face with his hand. How did someone like that end up being a candidate for Sect Leader...
"No, when I offered you my precious drink, you happily accepted it! But behind my back, you're talking nonsense like this? This is fraud... Ack!"
Chung Myung, looking annoyed, grabbed Hong Daekwang's face and shoved him back.
"I'm busy, and these idiots are goofing around."
"Hey, you! This is an important moment in my life!"
"What's so important about a beggar's life? Even if it goes well, it's still a beggar!"
"Huh?"
Listening, it seemed valid...
At that moment, Baek Cheon, with a dry smile, spoke to Pungyeong Shin Gae.
"Have you heard the news?"
"I heard."
Pungyeong Shin Gae raised his head and said.
"I'm considered a person without substance to them. It means a person whose life or death cannot be confirmed. If they publicly announce that I'm dead, I'll truly become a dead person."
Tang Soso asked with a puzzled look.
"Even though you're living so openly here?"
"...Who would prove that? There's no substance."
"What?"
Everyone who knew the truth was right here.
"If you declare that I'm the Sect Leader, who would believe you?"
"...No one."
"Exactly. Frankly, some of those Mount Hua people wouldn't even believe it."
"...Gol-ah. Are you really saying that?"
Baek Cheon, with a serious expression, touched his chin and said.
"So even though they used this method, Sect Leader has no way to resist?"
"There's, of course, a way to resist. The best way is for me to appear among them with the sacred artifact."
"Oh, that's right. People can deny a person, but they can't deny the sacred artifact."
"But that's probably what they're aiming for."
"...What?"
"If they kill me and take the sacred artifact, they can go through the proper procedure to become the Sect Leader using the authority of the sacred artifact. No one can object."
Baek Cheon's face became even more serious.
"You're saying it's possible to attack someone who possesses the sacred artifact? Isn't the sacred artifact the symbol of the authority of the martial arts sect?"
Upon hearing this, Pungyeong Shin Gae chuckled.
"Then, would you bow down to the Demonic Cult if they held Mount Hua's sacred artifact?"
"That's...!"
Given the current situation, there was no time to delay any further. As soon as everyone gathered in one place, the Five Swords spoke one by one.
"He didn't die?"
"Is that so?"
"Not a ghost, right?"
"Well, he did look somewhat ghostly from the beginning."
Master Lu, or Pungyeong Shin Gae, had a distorted expression on his face. Information and rumors about this group had been heard enough, but experiencing it in person was vastly different.
And...
"Wow, is that the leader?"
"...."
"Are you really the leader? Seriously?"
Pungyeong Shin Gae sighed. Hong Daekwang kept repeating the same words with his mouth wide open.
"It's not like he's been reborn or anything. Why is this young guy talking like this... Do you expect me to believe this?"
"Daekwang."
"Yeah! ... Huh? What just happened?"
"Do you believe it now?"
Hong Daekwang's face turned pale as if he had seen a ghost. The voice Pungyeong Shin Gae just used indeed sounded like the voice of the Sect Leader he knew.
With this turn of events, there was no more denying. Despite the completely different appearance, this person was indeed Pungyeong Shin Gae of the Beggar's Union.
"Haha...They say there's no one in the world you can trust."
"I don't expect understanding. I just hope you acknowledge that it was necessary."
Hong Daekwang bit his lips and said.
"Leader."
Looking at his eyes, Pungyeong Shin Gae also prepared himself mentally. While the actions were driven by goodwill, those who criticized them for being evil had a point. Harsh words were likely to be poured...
"Is it true that you told those guys that I wasn't the next Sect Leader?"
"...."
"I believed it! I really believed it!"
Pungyeong Shin Gae, momentarily at a loss for words, scratched his face with his hand. How did someone like that end up being a candidate for Sect Leader...
"No, when I offered you my precious drink, you happily accepted it! But behind my back, you're talking nonsense like this? This is fraud... Ack!"
Chung Myung, looking annoyed, grabbed Hong Daekwang's face and shoved him back.
"I'm busy, and these idiots are goofing around."
"Hey, you! This is an important moment in my life!"
"What's so important about a beggar's life? Even if it goes well, it's still a beggar!"
"Huh?"
Listening, it seemed valid...
At that moment, Baek Cheon, with a dry smile, spoke to Pungyeong Shin Gae.
"Have you heard the news?"
"I heard."
Pungyeong Shin Gae raised his head and said.
"I'm considered a person without substance to them. It means a person whose life or death cannot be confirmed. If they publicly announce that I'm dead, I'll truly become a dead person."
Tang Soso asked with a puzzled look.
"Even though you're living so openly here?"
"...Who would prove that? There's no substance."
"What?"
Everyone who knew the truth was right here.
"If you declare that I'm the Sect Leader, who would believe you?"
"...No one."
"Exactly. Frankly, some of those Mount Hua people wouldn't even believe it."
"...Gol-ah. Are you really saying that?"
Baek Cheon, with a serious expression, touched his chin and said.
"So even though they used this method, Sect Leader has no way to resist?"
"There's, of course, a way to resist. The best way is for me to appear among them with the sacred artifact."
"Oh, that's right. People can deny a person, but they can't deny the sacred artifact."
"But that's probably what they're aiming for."
"...What?"
"If they kill me and take the sacred artifact, they can go through the proper procedure to become the Sect Leader using the authority of the sacred artifact. No one can object."
Baek Cheon's face became even more serious.
"You're saying it's possible to attack someone who possesses the sacred artifact? Isn't the sacred artifact the symbol of the authority of the martial arts sect?"
Upon hearing this, Pungyeong Shin Gae chuckled.
"Then, would you bow down to the Demonic Cult if they held Mount Hua's sacred artifact?"
"That's...!"
Certainly, they wouldn't let that happen. They will try to destroy the Demonic Cult somehow and recover the sacred artifact.
"The sacred artifact is just that. It's a symbol created to be conveniently used. It has no effect in times of real emergencies."
"Hmm."
"The moment I appear with the sacred artifact, they will label me as the one who killed the Sect Leader and seized the sacred artifact."
"N-No, what if you disguise yourself again as an old man?"
"It'll work against me. When they see my bare face, they won't think it's the Sect Leader. That would be the conclusion."
"...There's no way to escape."
The situation now reversed all the actions Pungyeong Shin Gae had taken so far, blocking his path.
"Actually, I hadn't thought of such a move. I knew Sahyung's skills were impressive, but..."
His voice was bitter. Jo Gol, confused by Pungyeong Shin Gae's murmur, asked.
"But, why didn't he use such a move earlier if it was possible? Why now?"
"Maybe he didn't think of it. Well, even if he did, it's only now that he can use it. If something like this happened in regular times, people would want to know in detail how and why I died. But now..."
"...It's not a situation worth paying attention to."
"Exactly."
Amid the uncertainty of when the Evil Tyrant Alliance might attack, discussing how the Beggar's Union's Sect Leader died was not something anyone would bother with.
"So, what happens now?"
"With both the sacred artifact and the Sect Leader absent... they'll probably try to elect the next Sect Leader through a general meeting. It's likely to happen tomorrow."
"Then..."
Pungyeong Shin Gae replied calmly.
"That's right. The elders are already like the limbs of the Ilho Shin Gae, so he'll probably become the next Sect Leader."
"No..."
Yoon Jong, who had been silent, asked as if he couldn't understand.
"Is it realistically possible for the deceased Sect Leader's Sahyung to become the next Sect Leader?"
"It's not unheard of. When the situation is precarious, and there's no time to wait for the next Sect Leader to familiarize themselves and grow, it's common for a prominent figure within the sect to temporarily take over and pass on the position to the next generation after the situation is resolved."
"..."
"Now, we are exactly in that precarious situation."
Baek Cheon let out a bitter laugh. How could this be so clever?
From Pungyeong Shin Gae's perspective, it must've felt like heaven was trying to take away his position as the Sect Leader.
Baek Cheon slightly bit his lip and asked.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
He knew there was no particular solution for him. Yet, he couldn't help but ask. Despite everything, Pungyeong Shin Gae looked up towards the ceiling and lowered his head again.
"Well... Honestly, I don't know. If Shifu were alive, I would've asked for advice, but since Shifu is gone, there's no one to consult now. I'm in a situation where I have to discuss this matter with you, outsiders."
"And for you..."
Pungyeong Shin Gae sighed deeply and then looked at them, specifically at Chung Myung.
"I apologize. I tried to follow the teachings of the predecessors as much as possible, but even I didn't expect the situation to escalate like this. If only they had moved a day earlier, we might have found a way to deal with it..."
"Hey, why is the Sect Leader apologizing?"
Unexpectedly, a gentle answer came back. Everyone was surprised and turned their gaze towards the one who spoke.
Chung Myung's eyes were not even a little amused. As expected, the temper tantrums began.
"That senile geezer is the problem! Drag him down right away! We need to dispose of the body...!"
"...Don't do that, please."
"Yeah, well, okay... Just stop it...."
The now lifeless Five Swords didn't even flinch and firmly held onto Chung Myung. Chung Myung clicked his tongue with a displeased face and bit his lips tightly.
"When is that meeting?"
"According to the law of the Beggar's Union, the Elder Council's meeting will be held in the morning when more than half of the elders are present. Already, more than half of the elders are present from the main hall..."
"It will be tomorrow morning."
Although the words said tomorrow morning, it was already past midnight.
It meant that the decision for the new Sect Leader of the Beggar's Union would be made within a few hours.
Pungyeong Shin Gae, glancing at Chung Myung discreetly, opened his mouth again.
"Considering the current situation, we can't preserve the position of the Sect Leader, but my influence won't completely disappear. I can help as much as possible with what I've planted regarding the Beggar's Union. So, please..."
Chung Myung chuckled.
"Does that mean you can help?"
It was a voice full of disdain. But Pungyeong Shin Gae didn't seem bothered. He didn't dare to when he knew Chung Myung's true identity. [wait he knows???...???]
"It won't be as much as you want, but sharing information and controlling the movements of the Beggar's Union to some extent is possible."
"..."
"From the beginning, wasn't the reason for the Chivalrous Sword's arrival here to gain control to that extent? It may be disappointing that your expectations weren't met, but I will strive to achieve more than you desired. So please be satisfied by now."
A faint smile appeared on Chung Myung's lips.
Pungyeong Shin Gae's words were not entirely wrong. He came here to remove the dark force twisting the movements of the Beggar's Union. The dark force had already disappeared, so if someone else took the lead in the Beggar's Union, the purpose of the mission was achieved. However...
"Here?"
"What do you mean?"
Out of the blue, Chung Myung's words made Pungyeong Shin Gae cautiously ask with a puzzled voice. Chung Myung's face had turned cold.
"Now, are you saying that you are going to die in this secret room where the old man has died, observing the Beggar's Union for the rest of your life?"
"..."
"Nobody knows who you are, and there's no one to share a proper conversation with here. You want to live and die here like a living dead, planning some grand scheme?"
"What do you mean...?"
Pungyeong Shin Gae looked utterly puzzled. Ironically, others understood Chung Myung's words better than he did.
"It's a prison."
"Yes, Sahyung."
"...This is not right."
To keep the promise he made, Pungyeong Shin Gae would have to remain bound here forever. At the top of this luxurious secret chamber, a space where he could never escape.
Confined in such a place, he would eventually die in loneliness. A strange existence of someone who died a long time ago, without anyone to care for him.
For what purpose?
Why should he live such a life after losing everything?
"That senile geezer asked me for one favor before he died."
"A favor?"
"Yes. He asked me to free you."
Pungyeong Shin Gae was momentarily taken aback. The shock was evident on his face.
"But..."
He seemed to want to say something several times but ultimately couldn't utter any words. Chung Myung's intense gaze seemed to seal his lips.
Chung Myung spoke.
"He said he locked up his disciple here. Listening to what Sect Leader said, I now clearly understand what that meant."
"Shifu…"
Pungyeong Shingae gently bit his lower lip.
His situation was dire, with not much time to breath left. If it were the Shifu he knew, he would've undoubtedly left a request for the Beggar's Union, he thought. However...
"But I don't like that either."
"...Huh?"
"You were the Sect Leader of the Beggar's Union, but you've never been a proper Sect Leader. You had to follow the will of others and hide your true self."
Pungyeong Shin Gae listened silently. Even though the others in the room might not know, he did. He understood from which position Chung Myung was delivering these words.
"So, before you obtain the freedom you desire, I'll let you stand once in the rightful position you were supposed to be."
Pungyeong Shin Gae's fingertips trembled. He never expected it. No, he couldn't dare to hope for it. He was never allowed because he had lived his entire life in darkness.
But now, Chung Myung was talking about that freedom.
"Are you prepared for that?"
Pungyeong Shin Gae looked at Chung Myung with a serious expression, and his trembling voice opened.
"It might be possible...? How dare I...?"
"Can you?"
Chung Myung twisted his mouth, smiling.
"Who am I?"
For a moment, Pungyeong Shin Gae felt a dizzying sensation in his head and closed his eyes.
Yes. This person...
His answer was decided.
"I... I hope so. I hope for it. Chivalrous Sword."
Chung Myung nodded.
"Well, the plan went a bit awry."
His gaze shifted beyond the window towards the headquarters of the Beggar's Union.
"The result will be the same anyway. Since it has come to this, let's overturn everything properly."
A sinister smile passed over Chung Myung's lips.
And so, some time passed.
In a silent Kaifeng, the fateful morning arrived.