"So…"
Hong Dae-Kwang swallowed hard. Of course, Chung Myung was sitting right in front of him now.
Why did it feel so obvious?
Tsk tsk. What kind of obvious talk was that! Just as a thread naturally followed the path of a needle, shouldn't Hong Dae-Kwang be wherever Chung Myung went?
This time, Mount Hua had been a bit late joining them, but his job was to gather information from Mount Hua in the first place!
So now, Mount Hua's Sword Saint, who needed to assess the situation of the Kangho, had to wait anxiously for him.
Right. It should have been that way…
"Are you sure?"
"What are you asking"?
"Hmm. Can I really believe it…?"
"Oh my. Would I really be giving false information to the world's Mount Hua? I am not a beggar with two lives."
"Hmm."
"Hehe. You can believe me."
"Well, if you say so."
"…"
Hong Dae-Kwang looked at the person sitting next to him with a trembling face.
Gentle Crow Beggar.
The elder of the Beggars Union… no, the former elder was sitting just a half step ahead of Hong Dae-Kwang, passing information to Mount Hua's Sword Saint.
Information that even Hong Dae-Kwang didn't know.
"A proclamation. He is using such a classic trick."
Chung Myung muttered with a snicker.
"It isn't like that'll make any difference, but it's the best they can do."
"Yes. The letter is probably being sent to all the Nine Great Sects in the world right now."
"It isn't just flying then; it will probably be carried by the Beggars Union."
"A-ahem."
Gentle Crow Beggar coughed, redness rising on his face.
"The… Beggars Union, too, has a position."
"Who said that?"
Chung Myung glared at him with narrowed eyes, and Gentle Crow Beggar averted his gaze.
"If you keep acting like a bat, your wings will get torn off."
"Then why don't we just crawl on our two legs? We can easily handle the fact that we are beggars rolling around on the ground."
Hong Dae-Kwang stared blankly at Gentle Crow Beggar.
'Yah, doesn't this guy have any pride?'
Who was the Gentle Crow Beggar?
He unofficially acted as a proxy leader in the Beggars Union, where the leader was often absent due to illness.
To summarize, except for a sickbed, it was no exaggeration to say he was the current leader of the Beggars Union. Seeing Gentle Crow Beggar schmoozing up to Mount Hua's Sword Saint, who was barely in his twenties, even Hong Dae-Kwang's mouth fell open.
"Trust is a must."
"Wouldn't lost trust be something that can be recovered in the future?"
"Tsk."
Chung Myung nodded while looking at Gentle Crow Beggar with a trembling face.
"Understood. If you have any other information, please let me know right away."
"Of course we will. Isn't that why I am here?"
"Such no-value words."
Chung Myung waved his hand. Then Gentle Crow Beggar quickly nodded and got up from his seat.
"Then I will come to see you again."
"Yes."
"… and please speak to the Alliance leader too…"
"Ah, okay."
"Yes, then."
Gentle Crow Beggar, who had been bowing deeply as if he had no knees, suddenly turned around. Then, he kicked Hong Dae-Kwang in a completely different manner than before.
"What are you doing?"
"Uh?"
"Get out."
"…"
Hong Dae-Kwang, dragged out in a daze, looked at Gentle Crow Beggar in confusion.
"N-No. Why is the elder here?"
"Why would he not be?"
"… N-no. That…"
A look of confusion crossed Hong Dae-Kwang's face.
"Did the Beggars' Union decide to completely tie their rope with Mount Hua?"
"Why would that happen?"
"Right. It cannot be…"
"The rope is supposed to be held with both hands."
When Hong Dae-Kwang opened his mouth wide, Gentle Crow Beggar shrugged his shoulders.
"It seems that the Beggars Union leader doesn't want to let go of the rope of the Heavenly Friends Alliance either."
"Hehehe."
Hong Dae-Kwang burst into laughter as if it were absurd.
Of course, it was no exaggeration to say this was something the Beggars' Union had always done.
The Beggars' Union had almost a monopoly on information from the Northern Lands and had secured a fair amount from the Southern lands, too. At least on the Justice faction side, the Beggars Union was irreplaceable.
So, unlike other sects, the Nine Great Sects was a faction that could moderately sway powerful groups without much trouble.
'This is meaningful.'
Less repercussions did not mean no repercussions.
In other words, in the eyes of the Beggars Union, the Heavenly Friends Alliance had now become a force for which it could risk playing both sides.
So didn't this mean that Hong Dae-Kwang's choice to stake everything on Mount Hua was proven right, and his position has risen by leaps and bounds?
That would be good to think about… very good…
"No, but why are you dealing with that guy? Elder? That is what I want! Weren't you supposed to leave matters related to Mount Hua to me?"
At that moment, Gentle Crow Beggar suddenly turned his head and glared at Hong Dae-Kwang with menacing eyes.
"Leave it to you?"
Hong Dae-Kwang flinched, overwhelmed by the force.
"Leave it to you? Right. You said it well. You beggar!"
"… Uh?"
"What on earth have you been doing all this time to make Mount Hua's Sword Saint look at the Beggars Union with such disdain?"
"What kind of eyes? They are his eyes!"
"What on earth have you been doing all this time to make Mount Hua's Sword Saint think of the Beggars Union as a bunch of idiots who do nothing but beg?"
Hong Dae-Kwang blinked.
"Isn't that what we are?"
"What?"
"… Isn't that what beggars are like? Begging without doing anything. Why would busy people even try to become beggars?"
"…"
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"
Gentle Crow Beggar looked up at the distant sky in silence.
'What have I done?'
Why did he put this guy next to the Mount Hua sect? It was amazing how his ties with Mount Hua had remained intact until now.
"… Anyway, I will be managing this area myself for a while, just so you know."
"Uh? Where is that kind of nonsense coming from? Even though you are an elder, you are just stepping into someone else's work that has been ongoing for years!"
"Look at this incompetent bastard! Is this something to be concerned about?"
"A-anyway, I cannot acknowledge it! How much effort have I put into Mount Hua? Why have I endured such cruel persecution? Even if you are an elder, if you touch my territory, I will break your head!"
"Do you wish to die?"
"Do whatever you want! I am a beggar with nothing to lose anyway! If I die, I will just die!"
Looking at Hong Dae-Kwang, who was glaring, Gentle Crow Beggar grabbed his head.
"Ugh. This insane bastard…"
He was originally a guy with a weird side, but he wasn't this insane. How did he end up being so incompetent?
'Does the Hwa-Um water have anything in it?'
Even if it did, this man was turning dark. After being close to Mount Hua's Sword Saint for several years, he had become like a young man without realizing it. Of course, if he were told about this face, Hong Dae-Kwang would have jumped up and down, saying it was ridiculous.
"Anyway, this is the Beggars Union leader's orders, so don't do anything!"
"Elder, you aren't even part of the Beggars Union anymore!"
"So what? You want to get beaten up by someone who doesn't even belong to the clan?"
"Ughhh."
Hong Dae-Kwang groaned.
No matter how much he declared himself to be out of the Beggars Union, no one would think that Gentle Crow Beggar wasn't part of it. Even if he got angry at someone who secretly returned when the time came, the only one who would suffer would be Hong Dae-Kwang.
'Even so, it is true!'
Hong Dae-Kwang had been hanging on to Mount Hua since it was a third-rate sect no one paid attention to, and had suffered greatly. Who wouldn't frown when their superior sneakily stepped into the place others have worked hard to build?
'I won't give it to you even if I die!'
Hong Dae-Kwang's eyes turned red. Knowing his feelings, Gentle Crow Beggar gently coaxed him this time.
"Don't worry. I am in charge of the part related to the Heavenly Friends Alliance. You can focus on Mount Hua like you always do."
"… Are you sure?"
"This brat!"
"Ugh. If that's true, then well."
Gentle Crow Beggar shook his head. Actually, the Beggars Union leader seemed to want him to take charge of Mount Hua himself…
'Then I won't be able to die in peace.'
Gentle Crow Beggar was someone who would say whatever he wanted, even in front of the Shaolin abbot. However, the disciple named Chung Myung was difficult even for him to handle. Whenever he faced the young man, he felt like he was standing in front of a bomb that could explode at any moment.
'So strange.'
He looked at the room where Chung Myung was with a strange gaze.
'Of course, it could be burdensome because of the hasty temperament… but that isn't everything.'
He felt a sense of intimidation greater than what he felt when dealing with the leader of the Beggars Union or the abbot of Shaolin. Considering Chung Myung's experience and status in the Kangho, it was definitely not possible.
'I think I understand why those who met Mount Hua's Sword Saint had difficulty dealing with him.'
This was something that could not be expressed through words alone. That was why those who handled information should not blindly believe or be swayed by it.
The best way to confirm how great a force was to see who led it.
'I think I understand why the Nine Great Sects are lost and the Heavenly Friends Alliance is rising.'
Hyun Jong and Chung Myung.
As long as these two led Mount Hua, the center of the Heavenly Friends Alliance, their force would grow stronger every day.
"But, is this alright?"
"Hmm? About what?"
Hong Dae-Kwang asked with a slightly concerned look.
"I mean, the Beggars Union leader decided to side with the Heavenly Friends Alliance."
They surely provided information to Mount Hua and the Heavenly Friends Alliance. However, that was the only information entrusted to Hong Dae-Kwang. Sensitive information, such as internal facts and trends of the Nine Great Sects, was not relayed to him.
But the fact that Gentle Crow Beggar had decided to move meant the Beggars' Union was providing sensitive information to the Heavenly Friends Alliance.
That meant…
"… Doesn't that mean the Beggars Union leader has decided that the Heavenly Friends Alliance will be the force opposing the Nine Sects?"
"There's no point in finding meaning in it. It already is that way."
Gentle Crow Beggar shook his head. However, Hong Dae-Kwang couldn't shake off his worries.
"… To be honest, I'm a bit worried. The Evil Sect is growing stronger day by day, threatening the Northern Lands, and the faction is splitting into two."
"The world doesn't always go as planned."
"But…"
"That isn't for us to worry about."
"Uh?"
Gentle Crow Beggar made a slight gesture toward the room where Chung Myung was.
"Doesn't that man know what we know?"
"…"
"Perhaps Mount Hua's Sword Saint has been planning this situation for quite some time. So it is his job to discuss countermeasures."
"Eh. He's not as planned as you think, elder."
"Well. What do you think?"
"I am right."
Gentle Crow Beggar completed Hong Dae-Kwang's words.
With this incident, the world was clearly divided into three.
South: Four Precepts Alliance; East: Nine Great Sects; and West: Heavenly Friends Alliance.
The boundaries were not yet set. However, the fact that the western part of the Central Plains had been swallowed by the Heavenly Friends Alliance was undeniable.
Gentle Crow Beggar didn't believe in coincidence. In something like this, human will must be involved.
"It must be hard."
"Uh?"
"N-no."
When Hong Dae-Kwang asked, Gentle Crow Beggar shook his head.
But his gaze did not leave the pavilion where Chung Myung was.
Even though it may have taken several years to achieve, or the thought came after much reflection, it's easy to guess how intense and complicated the mind of the person who achieved all this with his own hands must be.
"Just like a swan may look elegant when seen from above the water, but desperately flaps its legs underwater to stay afloat, Mount Hua's Sword Saint is also secretly trying to maintain a frivolous appearance."
"That's a lie. Swans don't flap their legs underwater; they simply float."
"… For real?"
"…"
"…"
Gentle Crow Beggar coughed loudly.
"Anyway, he is an amazing person…"
Clack!
At that moment, the door of Chung Myung's room swung open.
"Ah. Lately, the alcohol bottles have gotten smaller. I didn't even take a couple of sips and they're already empty…"
Chung Myung, walking with both hands full of pure white alcohol bottles, flinched when he saw the two people still standing in front of his room.
"…"
"…"
A strange silence filled the air for a moment. Chung Myung awkwardly held up one of the bottles.
"… Would you like some? There's a little left."
"…"
No, maybe it was just a mistake.