Episode 25: Chongqing

Hunger was a foreign concept to him now. Hong Geolgae spent his days in solitude, away from the other beggars under the bridge, with no appetite to speak of.

He would lie on his back, staring blankly at the sky, or bury his head between his knees, lost in thought.

Today was no different. He sat with his head between his knees, drifting in and out of awareness, when he felt a gentle tap on his back. Startled, he looked up to find a young girl standing before him.

She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine, with a gap-toothed smile that suggested she was in the midst of losing her baby teeth.

“What are you doing here, mister?” she asked.

“Oh, just… sitting,” he replied.

“You were just sitting here yesterday too. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m fine. Go on, now.”

He waved her away, then lay back down, closing his eyes as the rain began to patter against his skin.

A little while later, he felt another nudge at his side. Opening his eyes, he saw the same girl standing there.

“I told you to go.”

“Here, take this. You look hungry.”

She held out a small hand, offering him a ball of barley rice, clumsily shaped into a fist-sized lump.

Hong Geolgae was about to send her away in irritation but stopped himself. He didn’t want to be the kind of person who took out his frustrations on a child.

He reached out and accepted the rice ball. It was cold and damp from the rain, but he ate it anyway. It had been two, maybe three days since he last ate.

As if his stomach had been lying to him all along, it growled hungrily, demanding more. The food only seemed to make him hungrier.

The girl watched him with a toothless grin, as if expecting praise.

“What’s your name?” he asked, sitting up.

“Soseon.”

“Well, Soseon, thank you. That was good.”

His mind felt clearer now.

Though he was in despair, he realized he didn’t truly want to die. There was no reason for him to. The sins belonged to his master, not him.

Following Soseon, he returned to the bridge and spent the rest of the day in a daze.

That evening, Hong Geolgae overheard the beggars talking.

“Did you hear? A descendant of Ou Yezi has appeared.”

“Ou Yezi? The legendary blacksmith?”

“Yeah, that’s right. A young blacksmith showed up, and all the smiths in Chongqing are flocking to see him work.”

“Come on, how different can his hammering be?”

“I’m no blacksmith, but it’s true they’re gathering. I saw it myself.”

A memory surfaced in Hong Geolgae’s mind.

Watching Tang Mujin carve a wooden sword, Gwiui had once said, “It won’t take long. Just sit and watch. That guy’s better at hammering metal and carving wood than acupuncture.”

He remembered Tang Mujin skillfully carving a wooden sword as if it were hidden within the block of wood.

Yes, the young blacksmith they were talking about was likely Tang Mujin.

Hong Geolgae jumped up and approached the beggars.

Since he had sent the straw rope down the river, the beggars no longer cowered at his presence.

To join the Beggars’ Sect, one needed a silver tael, but to be recognized as a true beggar, all it took was a tattered straw rope. It was a ridiculous notion.

“Do you know if there’s a middle-aged man, about fifty, with that young blacksmith?”

“Yeah, I heard there’s a money-crazed guy with him. Why?”

The beggar who answered was Soseon’s father, So Samgu.

“Do you know where their forge is?”

“Planning to beg there?”

“Well, we’ll see.”

So Samgu looked at him approvingly.

“Good, a young man should earn his keep. It’s at the Pung’s Forge. There’ll be a crowd, so it won’t be hard to find.”

“Thank you.”

“Go and get yourself a good meal.”

Worried Hong Geolgae might get lost, So Samgu repeated the directions to Pung’s Forge several times.

Hong Geolgae ran towards the forge, calling back over his shoulder, “Thank you! I’ll share if I get a lot!”

“Don’t worry about it! Just eat your fill!”

He ran through the rain-drenched streets of Chongqing, a small knot of anxiety in his chest. Would Tang Mujin and Gwiui welcome him, now that he was neither a Beggars’ Sect member nor a companion?

He didn’t know. But he pushed the worry aside.

Soon, he arrived at Pung’s Forge.

Gwiui was nowhere to be seen, but Tang Mujin was there.

When Tang Mujin finished his work and stepped outside, he was surprised to see Hong Geolgae.

“What’s up?” he asked casually, but Hong Geolgae suddenly burst into tears, recounting everything that had happened—about the wealthy Beggars’ Sect members in Chongqing, and his master, Ma Jeonga. He left nothing out.

In just a few days, Hong Geolgae seemed to have aged, his shoulders slumped.

Tang Mujin didn’t like seeing him like this, so he gave him a hearty slap on the back.

“Idiot.”

Gwiui had left the night before, and Tang Mujin had been feeling a bit lonely.

An idea popped into his head.

“Hey, Hong Geolgae.”

“What?”

“So you’re not a Beggars’ Sect member anymore, right?”

“Well… technically, no. Why?”

“Have you ever heard of ‘living the good life’?”

The sky was still overcast, but the rain had stopped for the first time in days, and the streets were bustling with people.

Tang Mujin led Hong Geolgae to a fabric shop he had noticed while going back and forth between the inn and the forge.

“Hey, what’s a beggar doing here… Oh, a Beggars’ Sect hero graces us with his presence!”

The shopkeeper’s face twisted in disdain at the sight of a beggar, but it lit up when he recognized Tang Mujin.

Tang Mujin and Gwiui’s antics were well-known not just among blacksmiths but also among the merchants near Pung’s Forge.

The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together like a fly.

“What can I do for you, gentlemen?”

“I want to buy this friend a nice set of clothes. Do you have anything suitable?”

“Oh, you’ve come to the right place. With his natural good looks, a sharp outfit will make him look like a new man.”

The shop specialized in fabric, but in a city as large as Chongqing, it also sold ready-made clothes.

“What’s your budget?”

Tang Mujin opened his purse, showing the silver he had.

Most of the silver they had earned had gone with Gwiui, but there was enough left for a decent outfit.

“Only the best for you!”

The shopkeeper’s grin widened as he began to search for clothes. Hong Geolgae whispered to Tang Mujin, looking uncomfortable.

“This feels weird… I can just wear what I have.”

“You’re not a Beggars’ Sect member anymore, so why act like one? Just go with it.”

The shopkeeper bustled about, holding up various garments and nodding to himself, before finally presenting a fine set of clothes to Hong Geolgae.

They seemed to fit him well.

“Would you like to try them on?”

“No, that’s fine. Hey, Hong Geolgae! Take the clothes and let’s go!”

Tang Mujin led him to a stream. It wasn’t the Yangtze, but the recent rains had swollen it considerably.

“Wash up.”

“Okay.”

At Tang Mujin’s urging, Hong Geolgae stripped and waded into the stream, scrubbing himself clean.

Once he emerged, Tang Mujin helped him into the new clothes and tied back his unruly hair. The transformation was remarkable; he looked like a young gentleman, save for his awkward expression.

“Not bad.”

Hong Geolgae looked at his reflection in the still water.

He looked more polished than the village chief’s son. A strange feeling welled up in his chest.

But Tang Mujin wasn’t done. This was just the beginning. Now that he had the clothes, it was time for a good meal.

“Let’s go!”

Tang Mujin led him to a street lined with inns and taverns.

Somewhere, the sound of string instruments and a woman’s singing drifted through the air.

At first, Hong Geolgae walked hesitantly.

Tang Mujin wasn’t much different. Though slightly more confident, he too was new to the tavern district.

For Tang Mujin, alcohol was something he had only ever sipped in secret with the herbalist Jong Gwak.

They didn’t rush into a tavern. Instead, they strolled through the lively night streets of Chongqing, getting accustomed to the atmosphere.

As time passed, their steps grew more confident, their shoulders less hunched.

Before long, they were two young men who fit right in with the vibrant tavern district.

And when they were sufficiently in high spirits, Tang Mujin led Hong Geolgae into a nearby tavern.

“Welcome!”

By sheer coincidence, the tavern the two men entered was the very same one, Deungseonru, that Hong Geolgae had visited just a few days prior.

However, the server failed to recognize the now well-dressed Hong Geolgae. The transformation from the beggar he was then to the present polished version was so drastic that it created an unbridgeable gap.

“Please, have a seat. What can I get for you?”

Tang Mujin was unfamiliar with the tavern. He had no idea which dishes were good. Yet, he feigned a natural demeanor as he made his request.

“Some decent baijiu and a few rich appetizers.”

“Certainly, I’ll bring out something suitable!”

The quick-witted server disappeared without further questions.

Moments later, two plates of appetizing meat dishes and a bottle of baijiu were laid out before them.

Tang Mujin wasn’t familiar with the dishes. He could only guess that they were pork and duck.

The baijiu was also new to him. Until now, the only alcohol he had tasted was cheap huangjiu, the only kind he could afford with the money he secretly saved from his father’s watchful eyes.

“Let’s dig in!”

Tang Mujin filled Hong Geolgae’s glass and then poured the baijiu generously into his own.

They downed their drinks simultaneously.

The unfamiliar baijiu, far stronger than the cheap huangjiu, burned its way down his throat and into his stomach.

It felt like his throat was on fire.

Tang Mujin forced his eyes open to endure it, while Hong Geolgae openly coughed and spluttered. At least, being a beggar, he didn’t spit it out.

Hong Geolgae shivered.

“Wow! That’s intense.”

“It’s always like that the first time.”

Their chopsticks moved to the meat, bringing it to their mouths.

The rich, oily flavor washed away the bitter taste of the alcohol.

They drank and ate again. Though the tavern was unfamiliar to both, it didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy its atmosphere.

The noise of other patrons finally reached their ears. The lavish interior of the tavern came into view.

Somewhere, the sound of string instruments and a woman’s singing could be heard. Whether it came from upstairs or a neighboring building was unclear. Not that it mattered.

For the first time, they were completely free from anyone’s control. The young men reveled in the unfamiliar sense of liberation.

How long had they been eating and drinking? Tang Mujin’s speech began to slur slightly.

Only then did a hint of worry cross Hong Geolgae’s face.

“Hey, Mujin. Do you have any money? Didn’t we spend almost everything at the fabric shop earlier?”

“Money? It’s fine. We don’t need any.”

“You idiot, do you think the drinks and food are free?”

“I said it’s fine.”

Tang Mujin staggered to his feet and headed toward a small platform in the corner of the tavern. It was a space slightly raised for when the courtesans performed.

As Tang Mujin stepped onto the platform, the eyes of the tavern’s patrons turned to him.

In the past, he might have shrunk under their gaze, but since arriving in Junggyeong, he had grown accustomed to being watched. He had hammered away under the eyes of blacksmiths every day.

Tang Mujin knocked on the wall with his hand.

Thud, thud. It was a fairly thick wall.

Looking around, he saw pillars supporting the building here and there. Even if something happened to the wall, the building wouldn’t collapse.

‘This should do.’

Tang Mujin pulled a small dagger from his pocket and drove it into the wooden wall of the tavern. The server, who was carrying food, saw this.

“Sir! What are you doing?”

The server shouted in alarm, but Tang Mujin didn’t stop and drove the dagger into the wall again.

The server, lacking the courage to confront a drunken man with a blade, dashed out of the tavern. He intended to fetch the two burly men who had escorted Hong Geolgae to the tavern owner a few days ago.

“Ha ha ha!”

“What on earth is he doing?”

The tavern’s patrons laughed uproariously.

Watching someone make a drunken spectacle was quite the entertainment.

If they could also witness the server’s shock and the drunkard being dragged out, all the better.

The two burly men, led by the server, entered. Just as they were about to drag Tang Mujin away, he splashed water onto the wall he had been diligently stabbing.

At that moment, the tavern fell silent.

As the water soaked into the wall, a benevolent face emerged. It was a carving so intricate that it was hard to believe it had been made by randomly stabbing with a knife.

Tang Mujin gestured to the server and the two burly men, pointing to an empty spot. As if entranced, they sat down. Three more spectators joined the audience.

Tang Mujin continued to drive the dagger into the wall, one thrust after another.

Large wood chips piled up at the base of the wall. Every patron on the first floor of Deungseonru watched the scene as if spellbound.

The first floor, usually the noisiest, grew quiet, prompting the wealthy patrons on the second and third floors to descend, sensing something was amiss.

Unaware of what was happening, they quietly observed Tang Mujin’s work.

How much time had passed? Tang Mujin, having sheathed his dagger, fetched a bucket of water and splashed it onto the wall.

Swoosh—

In an instant, a magnificent figure appeared on the once plain wall.

A figure adorned in splendid attire, with dozens of arms gracefully extended, sat cross-legged, gazing at the tavern’s patrons.

Someone murmured.

“Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara…”

The intricate depiction of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara appeared on the tavern wall.

Among all those present in Deungseonru, none had ever seen a more exquisite and detailed representation of the deity.

And everyone instinctively knew. They would never see a more perfect depiction of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara in their lifetime.

People stared at the figure in a daze. No one picked up their chopsticks or raised their glasses.

Tang Mujin gestured to the tavern owner, who had been watching from the stairs.

“I’ll settle today’s bill with this. Is that acceptable?”

The tavern owner nodded, almost involuntarily.