Episode 27: Chongqing
“What do you mean by stealing a person?”
“It’s a long story.”
The old woman, hunched over, tapped her back a couple of times.
Hong Geolgae led her to a nearby tree. Unfortunately, it was a willow, offering little shelter from the rain. Water cascaded down the drooping branches like a waterfall.
Still, it was better than standing in the open, getting drenched.
The old woman began her tale.
“Do you know about the conflict between the Justice Faction and the Five Righteous Faction in Chongqing long ago?”
Hong Geolgae shook his head.
“First I’ve heard of it.”
“Nowadays, when you mention the Chongqing Beggars’ Union, you think of the Justice Faction. But thirty years ago, the city was split between the two. The current deputy chief, Hong Myeon Nogae, is from the Justice Faction, but back then, the deputy chief, Yu Bonggae, was from the Five Righteous Faction.”
The old woman continued, recalling her memories.
“The two factions never got along. The Five Righteous Faction mocked the Justice Faction for forgetting their roots, while the Justice Faction sneered at the Five Righteous Faction for being outdated. With no way to mediate, tensions only grew.”
Hong Geolgae listened with mild disinterest. The story seemed to veer off course.
“Then one day, a major fight broke out between them. No one knows what sparked it, but the important thing is that Yu Bonggae, who oversaw Chongqing, died in the chaos. With no way to stop halfway, the Justice Faction pushed the Five Righteous Faction out completely.”
Hong Geolgae interrupted. “What does this have to do with Master Majonga?”
“It does. Rumor has it that Majonga fled with Yu Bonggae’s son. The Justice Faction searched everywhere for him, but Majonga was never caught.”
Hong Geolgae froze.
In Jueul Village, there were only two beggars: Hong Geolgae and Majonga. The villagers said Majonga had brought a young Hong Geolgae to settle there.
Only Majonga knew more about their past. Even Hong Geolgae himself knew little beyond that.
“Do you know Yu Bonggae’s name?”
“I think it was Hong Jeong.”
Hong Jeong and Hong Jusan. Could the shared surname be a coincidence?
Why did Jonggyeon abandon his name and call himself Honggyeon?
Why did he treat Hong Geolgae like a son but insist on being his master?
The answer was simple. He couldn’t leave Yu Bonggae’s son to die, so he rescued him and fled Chongqing.
Hong Geolgae’s voice trembled slightly.
“Do you know anything else about Master Majonga?”
“Not much. Before he fled, he wasn’t particularly noticeable.”
“Anything at all, even something small…”
The old woman thought for a moment, then recalled a faded memory.
“He once got beaten up for spying on other beggars practicing martial arts in the hemp fields. I guess a thief is a thief.”
“Ah…”
Hong Geolgae couldn’t respond.
The old woman watched him for a while but didn’t press further.
As she stood to leave, she said, “If you meet Majonga, tell him an old woman with the surname Yong sends her regards. If he’s willing, tell him to return to Chongqing.”
“Yes, yes…”
Hong Geolgae barely registered his own response. His mind was blank.
He sat under the willow, watching as the old woman disappeared into the rain.
Only then did he realize the significance of Majonga’s four knots.
In the Beggars’ Union, four knots signify a Guardian—someone who protects the law, the rules, or a specific person.
Did Majonga declare himself a Guardian to protect Yu Bonggae? No, that couldn’t be. Yu Bonggae was already dead by then.
When Majonga became a Guardian, the only person by his side was Hong Geolgae.
He finally understood why Majonga’s martial arts teachings were so crude.
They weren’t formally learned techniques. They were what Majonga had secretly observed from afar, risking beatings to watch.
Majonga taught what he could remember, without knowing the proper methods or techniques.
What must it have been like for Majonga, knowing his understanding was incomplete, yet feeling compelled to teach Hong Geolgae?
Hong Geolgae suddenly stood and ran, not knowing where he was headed. He just followed his feet.
He stopped, breathless, at the banks of the Yangtze River—the place where he had let the knotted rope drift away.
The river surged wildly, raindrops pounding the surface.
He watched as a piece of driftwood was swallowed by the current, leaving only a few white bubbles behind. No sane person would jump into such waters.
But Hong Geolgae did. He was half out of his mind. All he had was the meager swimming skills he learned splashing around the village stream.
The fierce current tossed him like a kite with a broken string. But he fought to keep his limbs moving, eyes wide open, searching the water.
Amidst the bubbles, he glimpsed something. Water plants, small stones, the sandy riverbed. Fish darting between rocks. But none of that was what he sought.
‘The rope.’
He thought he might find the knotted rope Majonga had given him if he swam with the current.
A wiser person might have thought of a better way, but Hong Geolgae wasn’t that smart.
He drifted and swam for a long time, only surfacing when he was out of breath. The current was so strong that even reaching the surface was a struggle.
“Gasp, gasp!”
He took a few deep breaths, then swam desperately back to the riverbank. By the time he reached it, his limbs were trembling.
And then he jumped back into the Yangtze.
He drifted for a long time, then swam back to the bank, coughing up water and massaging his stiff limbs before diving back in.
Each time he jumped in, he feared he might not make it back to the bank.
But all he could think about was retrieving the rope. It was the only thing Majonga had given him, and he had let it drift away.
How long did he search the riverbed? Eventually, he saw something swaying among the water plants.
‘Found it.’
The rope was tangled in the plants, a knot visible. It wasn’t a result of skill, just a miraculous coincidence. But it was a coincidence he could only encounter by risking everything.
Hong Geolgae swam down to the riverbed. The current was weaker in the depths.
He grasped the rope, pulling up a few strands of water plants with it.
As he tried to swim to the surface, he felt a slippery, tickling sensation around his ankle.
He looked down. His ankle was caught in the plants. Panicking, he kicked his leg, but the plants wouldn’t let go.
He held his breath, struggling to free his leg. But the tightly wound plants wouldn’t budge. When he could no longer hold his breath, he exhaled. Trapped at the riverbed, he watched the bubbles rise to the surface, the shimmering water above.
‘I’m going to die.’
At that moment, someone dove into the water. They tore away the plants and grabbed Hong Geolgae by the scruff of his neck. Dazed from swallowing water, he was pulled to the surface and dragged to the riverbank.
He lay on his side, coughing up water, unable to stand. He had nearly died.
He took a deep breath. Inhale, exhale—
More coughing followed. Hong Geolgae coughed, spat out water, and gasped for air repeatedly.
Only after several cycles did he notice his surroundings. Kneeling beside him, also coughing, was Tang Mujin.
Two fools who had jumped into the Yangtze during a storm, hacking up water. The two most foolish people in Chongqing.
Tang Mujin, having coughed up all the water, kicked Hong Geolgae in the side.
“You idiot, why the hell would you jump into the river on a day like this?”
His nose and head throbbed from all the water he had swallowed. Now his side hurt too.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
Hong Geolgae clutched his side where he’d been kicked, holding onto a rope with three knots, still coughing up water but laughing all the same.
“Did you eat something weird and lose your mind?” came Dang Mujin’s grumbling voice. He needed to explain the situation, but where to start? With Sosamgu’s request? The advice from the owner of Deungseonru? Or perhaps the tale of the dragon crone?
Suddenly, he felt the damp texture of the knots in his hand.
Yes. Long-winded explanations weren’t necessary. What would his master have done in this situation?
The answer was clear. The little girl with the toothless grin. His master would have gone to rescue Soseon without hesitation.
Could he save Soseon?
It would be difficult. But doing the right thing doesn’t always mean succeeding. That was the last lesson Majonga imparted as he blocked the path of the twin assassins.
In this vast city of Junggyeong, who could he rely on for help?
No one.
The beggars would refuse, claiming they needed to repair the embankment, and the cowardly ones would choose to hide away, trembling in fear.
But there might be one person who would help.
A fool who would sneak back even after escaping two thugs. Someone dumb enough to jump into the Yangtze River on a stormy day.
That’s why Hong Geolgae spoke, hoping Dang Mujin was just as foolish as he was.
“Mujin, could you help me out just this once?”
“You idiot. I’ve already helped you once, so you should be asking for ‘one more time.’”
Dang Mujin didn’t even ask what the favor was. He simply kicked Hong Geolgae’s side again and said,
“Whatever it is, I’ll help. Let’s go.”
Hong Geolgae chuckled as he got to his feet.
The two fools disappeared into the rain of Junggyeong.