The owner of the Dengseon Tavern responded lightly.
“It’s nothing special. The Chongqing branch of the Beggars’ Sect is led by the Jeongui faction.”
Jeongui faction. Hong Geolgae recalled hearing about the Jeongui and Oe factions from Ma Jeonga.
The Beggars’ Sect is divided into two factions.
The Jeongui faction believes that being a beggar is just the starting point. They argue that there’s no problem with wearing clean clothes and operating like a regular martial arts sect.
On the other hand, the Oe faction insists on maintaining the identity of a beggars’ sect by wearing dirty clothes and living like ordinary beggars.
Ma Jeonga never said which side was right.
In hindsight, perhaps he never had a choice. Ma Jeonga wasn’t the type to be cunning or strategic.
He quietly upheld the traditions of the Oe faction and taught Hong Geolgae to live the same way.
”…I see. Are there many members of the Beggars’ Sect running businesses like you in Chongqing?”
“The taverns along the Yangtze River are almost entirely run by the Beggars’ Sect. There aren’t any mid-level sects in Chongqing that can challenge us. There are some water bandits, but we rarely clash.”
The tavern owner’s words hinted at a certain truth.
The Beggars’ Sect had seized control of the vast city of Chongqing with overwhelming force.
It seemed unbelievable, yet plausible at the same time. These conflicting thoughts filled Hong Geolgae’s mind.
He changed the subject.
“I heard the beggars under the bridge aren’t part of the Beggars’ Sect. Why is that?”
“They haven’t paid the entrance fee.”
“Entrance fee? You have to pay to join the Beggars’ Sect?”
“Yes, but it’s not a large sum. Just one silver coin, which can be earned with some effort.”
One silver coin. Not a fortune for the wealthy, but a significant amount for a beggar.
Few would give a beggar a silver coin, let alone a hundred copper coins to make one.
For beggars struggling to survive, gathering a hundred copper coins to make a silver coin is a daunting task.
Hong Geolgae’s voice sharpened.
“Does the Jeongui faction accept everyone who pays?”
“Not exactly. It’s the policy of Hongmyeon Nogae. The Jeongui faction outside Chongqing might be different.”
“Hongmyeon Nogae?”
“He’s the deputy leader overseeing the central region. He believes there’s no reason a beggar can’t strive for more. The silver coin represents discipline, effort, and ambition. Those who can’t show such determination aren’t allowed to join.”
”…Does that make sense? The Beggars’ Sect is supposed to be for beggars.”
“Just because someone started at the bottom doesn’t mean they have to stay there forever. It’s not strange for the Beggars’ Sect to respect those who strive. You, as a disciple of Samgyeolgae, should understand.”
Hong Geolgae stared blankly at the tavern owner.
There’s no reason a beggar can’t strive. It’s true. Even Hong Geolgae had endured hardships to learn martial arts from Gwaeui.
Yet, he felt a strange sensation. What was this feeling?
The answer was simple: a sense of alienation.
The Beggars’ Sect he had learned about from Ma Jeonga and experienced in Jueul Village felt worlds apart from the one in Chongqing.
What was truly right? Or was it even a matter of right and wrong?
The tavern owner shrugged.
“It might be hard to understand. Some members from other regions get angry when they hear this.”
“Hmm.”
“Let’s set aside the complicated talk and have a meal. The cooks aren’t busy yet, so I’ll have a table set.”
“No, that’s alright.”
Hong Geolgae waved his hand.
He wasn’t ready to adapt to this new way of life, regardless of whether the tavern owner’s words were right or wrong.
The tavern owner didn’t insist.
“Understood. Do you have any other questions?”
Now, it was time for the real question. Hong Geolgae asked what had been on his mind.
“Have you ever heard of someone named Ma Jeonga?”
The tavern owner scratched his chin thoughtfully but seemed unable to recall.
“Ma Jeonga… It sounds familiar, but I can’t quite place it. Was he in Chongqing?”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
“How long ago?”
“About twenty years, I believe.”
“Then you should ask someone older than me. I run a tavern now and hear a lot, but I wasn’t always in the loop back then.”
”…I see.”
Hong Geolgae gave a slight bow of thanks to the tavern owner.
There were no particularly old people working at the Dengseon Tavern. Most of the people in the tavern alley were young, in their prime working years.
Hong Geolgae soon returned to the area under the bridge. It felt more comfortable than the tavern alley.
There, he spotted a beggar who seemed to be in his fifties.
He hoped the man might know something about Ma Jeonga.
As Hong Geolgae approached, the middle-aged beggar instinctively recoiled.
“Wait, I’m not here to harm you. I just have a question.”
“I’m illiterate. I can’t help you…”
“It’s not that. I want to ask if you know someone.”
“Someone? Who…?”
“Do you know the name Ma Jeonga? A four-knot beggar.”
The middle-aged beggar thought for a moment before clapping his hands.
“Ma Jeonga! Isn’t he about ten or fifteen years older than me? He didn’t look much like a beggar, and he often stayed by the hemp fields outside the village.”
“Yes, that’s him.”
Hong Geolgae had found someone who knew Ma Jeonga right away.
His mind, which had been in turmoil, suddenly felt clear.
Hearing a familiar name brought a smile to the middle-aged beggar’s face, and his tone became more relaxed.
“I knew him when I was young. But you’re mistaken about something.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ma Jeonga wasn’t a four-knot beggar. He was a one-knot.”
“What?”
Hong Geolgae’s eyes widened.
“That can’t be. He definitely had four knots.”
“No, he was a one-knot. Maybe two, but definitely not three or more. To rise above three knots, you need to know martial arts.”
Hong Geolgae hesitated.
“As far as I know, Ma Jeonga knew martial arts…”
“No, he never learned martial arts. He was too slow to find a teacher. Heartbroken, he spent his time in the secluded hemp fields, earning the nickname Ma Jeonga.”
The vague doubts in Hong Geolgae’s mind began to solidify.
A four-knot beggar is a guardian, tasked with protecting high-ranking members like the chief or deputy chief.
Naturally, a guardian must have a high level of martial arts.
But when Ma Jeonga fought against the Ziyang Twins, his martial arts were unimpressive. Even from Hong Geolgae’s perspective, it was lacking.
Yes, Ma Jeonga and Hong Geolgae. They were an unremarkable master and disciple.
That’s why they were easily overpowered by the Ziyang Twins, who were at best second-rate fighters.
Hong Geolgae’s doubts became clearer as he learned martial arts from Gwaeui.
Unlike Gwaeui, Ma Jeonga never taught Hong Geolgae any internal energy techniques or footwork.
He only had him practice swinging a stick and taught him a clumsy form of boxing.
Hong Geolgae’s expression darkened.
‘Master…’
The middle-aged beggar, oblivious to Hong Geolgae’s inner turmoil, continued to chatter excitedly.
“Now that I think about it, there were beggars looking for him when I was young. They said he stole something valuable and ran away.”
It was a story Hong Geolgae didn’t want to hear.
Even among beggars, theft is a sin. It might be forgivable if he stole from the rich, but stealing from fellow beggars, who often go hungry, is inexcusable.
This wasn’t the situation Hong Geolgae had hoped for.
He wanted to tell someone who knew his master about his master’s brave end. He wanted those who only knew his master’s youth to remember him fondly.
In return, he hoped to hear stories of his master’s past that he didn’t know. He wanted to share memories with someone who knew his master.
He thought it might fill the void left by his master’s absence.
Even though Hong Geolgae said nothing, the oblivious middle-aged beggar kept talking.
“I don’t know exactly what Ma Jeonga stole, but the old woman living downstream, Granny Yong, would know. She knows every rumor and never forgets. Shall we go now?”
”…No, that’s alright.”
The situation was clear.
Hong Geolgae habitually fiddled with his waist. He felt the three-knot rope.
Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming sense of shame about that rope. What meaning did a three-knot rope tied by a one-knot beggar have?
Looking back, Ma Jeonga had tied knots in Hong Geolgae’s rope without any special reason.
When he was too weak from hunger to stand, someone tied the first knot for him, urging him to find strength.
When he barely recovered from a fever, they tied the second knot, relieved that he had survived.
And on his fifteenth birthday, they tied the third knot, declaring him the leader of Jueul Village.
It was almost laughable. Even Deng Sunlu, the renowned master, had only received his second knot recently.
”…But Brother Majon was a good man! He never lied or hit anyone. Sure, he was a thief, but he never stole from me.”
The middle-aged beggar was lost in nostalgia, recounting tales of the past. Hong Geolge felt the other beggars under the bridge were mocking him and his mentor. Slowly, he backed away from the middle-aged beggar and the others.
The heavy rain soon obscured the beggar from view.
The rain poured down as if the sky itself had burst open. Hong Geolge collapsed by the swollen banks of the Yangtze River, tears streaming down his face.
He had thought life in Chongqing would be fulfilling.
He had become a Samgyeolge at a young age. He had come to his mentor’s hometown. He had arrived in a place teeming with other beggars.
But it was all an illusion.
He wasn’t truly a Samgyeolge. He wasn’t even recognized by the Beggars’ Guild. He didn’t have a single coin to pay the entrance fee.
And his mentor, whom he had regarded as a parent, was nothing more than a thief who had fled his hometown.
Suddenly, a surge of emotion welled up inside him. Hong Geolge sprang to his feet.
“Damn it! Damn it all!”
He screamed profanities into the storm, but neither the shouting nor the rain could ease the turmoil in his heart.
He tore at the rope tied around his waist, the knots he had cherished now meaningless.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
He gripped the rope tightly, ready to hurl it away, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he hung his head low.
He approached the riverbank. The Yangtze’s waters roared, threatening to overflow at any moment.
Sniffling, he plunged his fist, still clutching the rope, into the swollen river.
Slowly, he let go.
The long rope, with its three knots, drifted away on the current.
Before long, it vanished from sight.
Hong Geolge wept until dawn.