Episode 283: Unveiling

After Elder Seop of the Beggars’ Sect left Hyuncheon Hall, Youngbo Jin called Hyungong for a brief conversation.

“Hyungong, do you plan to assist the Shaolin Temple and the Beggars’ Sect?”

“My friend Hong Jusan is a member of the Beggars’ Sect. It’s only natural for me to risk danger to help a friend.”

“I see. I understand your intentions.”

Hyungong expressed his willingness to help the Beggars’ Sect to Youngbo Jin. It was what was expected of him, and truthfully, he felt a slight desire to do so.

Thus, Dang Mujin and his companions set off for Kaifeng, where the Beggars’ Sect headquarters was located, to aid both the Beggars’ Sect and the Shaolin Temple.

On their way to Kaifeng after leaving the Wudang Sect, Dang Mujin noticed something peculiar about Hong Geolgae.

‘What’s up with him?’

As martial artists advance in their skills, subtle changes often follow. For instance, unnecessary movements decrease, breathing becomes more refined, and their gaze sharpens. Some even have their temples bulge slightly.

Martial artists can often gauge each other’s skills through these subtle differences without needing to clash weapons.

However, Hong Geolgae seemed to be regressing rather than progressing. He appeared clumsier than before.

It would have been fine if he had been like this since becoming a top-tier master, but the problem was that he had been perfectly fine just a day or two ago.

‘Is something seriously wrong with him?’

Dang Mujin couldn’t help but worry about Hong Geolgae.

Hong Geolgae had rushed into the next realm for the sake of his friends. If something were to happen to him, Dang Mujin, Namgung Myung, and Hyungong would bear some responsibility.

Unable to suppress his concern, Dang Mujin approached Hong Geolgae.

“Jusan, is everything alright?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well… you seem a bit off in your movements.”

“Oh, that?”

Surprisingly, Hong Geolgae’s voice was brighter and more cheerful than usual, almost as if he was pleased about something.

Dang Mujin asked again.

“So you know what I’m talking about?”

“Of course. I’ve been practicing.”

“Practicing? Practicing what?”

“What else? Practicing my movements.”

Practicing clumsy movements on purpose? Dang Mujin couldn’t make sense of it.

Hong Geolgae began to explain with a satisfied expression.

“Here’s what happened…”

Two days ago, on the day they left Wudang Mountain.

As always, Hyungong was habitually observing the state of his friends.

‘Namgung Myung seems normal. Dang Mujin looks restless. Even though he sent a message home, he can’t be completely at ease. After all, it’s not unusual for him to get scolded by Dan Seol-young.’

So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But one thing stood out—Hong Geolgae appeared strangely gloomy.

‘What’s going on?’

However, Hyungong didn’t approach Hong Geolgae immediately. He waited until nightfall.

As expected, Hyungong’s intuition was correct. Hong Geolgae, seemingly troubled, sat quietly by the fire even after Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung had fallen asleep.

Hyungong approached him subtly.

“Hong Geolgae, is something bothering you?”

Hyungong didn’t use the title “Leader Hong.” If Geolseon were still alive, he might have used it jokingly, but after Geolseon’s death, the title felt awkward.

It almost felt like calling Hong Geolgae “Leader” was acknowledging Geolseon’s death.

Hong Geolgae hesitated before responding.

“Well… it’s nothing.”

It wasn’t a complete denial.

In such cases, a little coaxing usually brings out the truth.

Moreover, people tend to be more honest at night.

“It’s okay. You can talk to me. If you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to.”

Silence lingered.

After a while, Hong Geolgae began to speak, albeit reluctantly.

“You know, Namgung Myung and Dang Mujin have teased me for quite a while. Almost three years? Namgung Myung for about four.”

“I know.”

Of course, Hyungong had also joined in teasing Hong Geolgae.

But he hadn’t been as relentless as Namgung Myung and Dang Mujin. He believed Hong Geolgae would be of great help someday. Networking was a basic skill for the future leader of the Wudang Sect.

Hong Geolgae muttered.

“Every time they teased me, I thought, ‘When I become a top-tier master, I’ll tease them back.’”

“That makes sense. Haven’t you been doing that recently?”

After becoming a top-tier master, Hong Geolgae often flaunted his skills to tease his friends.

Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung took it in stride. They knew Hong Geolgae had sacrificed for them, so it was only fair to let him have his fun.

The problem was that this wasn’t enough to shake off Hong Geolgae’s resentment.

Knowing that his friends were playing along on purpose, he couldn’t truly enjoy teasing them.

“This isn’t what I imagined. I wanted something more satisfying, something thrilling.”

“You mean their reactions are underwhelming?”

“Exactly.”

What Hong Geolgae longed for was an experience akin to the most exhilarating parts of old tales.

Like the stories of a secret inspector who quietly appears to punish corrupt officials or an emperor who reveals his identity after observing his people in disguise, Hong Geolgae wanted to surprise his friends with his top-tier skills.

But Dang Mujin and his friends were merely humoring him.

This was because they knew Hong Geolgae too well, but Hyungong saw a bigger issue.

“Hong Geolgae, you’re misunderstanding something.”

“What is it?”

“Anyone can deceive, but true deception is a skill. You’re still too clumsy. You’re not ready to deceive others.”

Hong Geolgae’s interest was piqued. In a way, this might be Hyungong’s area of expertise.

“In what way am I clumsy?”

Hyungong explained his theory without hesitation.

“The key to deception is to strike when least expected.”

“I get it.”

“But you’re not naturally cunning or sharp enough. If you suddenly flaunt your skills, you’ll end up with the same underwhelming results.”

”…I know.”

A brutally honest assessment.

Hong Geolgae decided to let go of his regrets. It might be disappointing now, but in the future, it would seem like a trivial prank.

Unexpectedly, Hyungong offered a solution.

“I’m not saying you should give up. It might be hard to use on those guys, but you can certainly deceive others.”

“What do you mean?”

“You want to surprise and tease others, right? Then you need to make them let their guard down. Once they’re off guard, it’s easy to catch them off balance. The important part is making them let their guard down.”

“Just because I want them to doesn’t mean they will.”

People who can’t recognize Hong Geolgae’s skills wouldn’t be satisfying to tease, and those who can recognize them wouldn’t underestimate him.

“There is a way. Mimic the movements and behavior of someone with lesser skills.”

A radical shift in perspective.

Many martial artists pretend to have greater skills than they actually do.

But Hong Geolgae had never met a martial artist who hid their true abilities. Martial artists usually want to showcase their skills. Moreover, hiding one’s true abilities isn’t easy; it’s a habit.

However, Hong Geolgae now had the skills to hide his true abilities. If he carefully observed and mimicked the movements of someone with lesser skills, who would notice?

Still, something bothered him.

”…Isn’t that a bit petty?”

Hyungong replied immediately.

“It’s not like you’re asking to be underestimated, so don’t worry. You’re simply being modest and not flaunting your abilities. Besides, those who judge others based on their skills need a lesson.”

A convenient rationalization.

Of course, Hyungong wasn’t in a position to criticize those who judged others by their skills, but the argument was quite convincing.

Finally, Hong Geolgae nodded with a satisfied expression.

”…And that’s how it happened.”

When the story ended, Dang Mujin looked at Hong Geolgae and Hyungong with a hint of disdain.

Hyungong’s meticulous pettiness was beyond the average person’s level, and Hong Geolgae, who went along with such an idea, wasn’t much different.

Of course, Hong Geolgae’s skill was quite convincing. Even to Dang Mujin, Hong Geolgae didn’t seem like a top-tier martial artist at the moment.

He seemed more like someone at the first or second tier. With more practice, he might even seem like someone who hadn’t learned martial arts at all.

Except for a handful of masters who surpassed Hong Geolgae’s skills, no one would notice his trickery.

But the fact that a top-tier martial artist was honing such a ridiculous skill just to tease others felt utterly bizarre.

‘Did his rapid advancement in skills lead to a regression in character to balance things out?’

However, unlike Dang Mujin, Namgung Myung looked at Hong Geolgae with a somewhat serious expression.

He thought it was a skill with many potential uses.

Namgung Myung asked, “What should we call this skill?”

Hong Geolgae looked at Hyungong. He wasn’t particularly good at naming things.

Hyungong rested his chin on his hand, pondering.

He recalled stories of the martial prowess of Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Sect, from long ago.

The aura of Master Jang Sam-bong was so serene that even the most untrained martial artists mistook him for an ordinary man with no martial skills. Of course, it wasn’t as if Master Jang Sam-bong had practiced some subtle art like Hong Geol-gae. Rather, it was likely the natural state of a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle of mastery.

Yet, there was no precise term to describe such a state.

“What would be a good name for it?”

Suddenly, a Taoist term came to mind, one that meant returning to one’s true nature.

“How about ‘Returning to the True Essence’?”

As is often the case with profound concepts, the name sounded quite impressive.

A few days later, the group arrived in Kaifeng without any trouble. Like many areas near the Yellow River, Kaifeng was vast and flat, with fertile soil that allowed peach trees to bear abundant fruit. Naturally, the people of Kaifeng looked well-fed and content.

‘Of course, the Beggars’ Sect wouldn’t set up their base in a poor area.’

The faces of the townspeople were free of worry. In times of conflict, small villages or those closely tied to martial artists often suffered. But in large cities like Kaifeng, Luoyang, or Chang’an, the situation was different.

Unless all the rogue martial artists went mad, they wouldn’t dare to harm the ordinary people of Kaifeng. Doing so would turn the local officials and even the imperial family against them.

However, as they turned into a side alley off the main market street, the scene changed.

‘As expected.’

The alley was filled with beggars wearing gloomy expressions, some of them injured. Among them were people dressed in clean clothes, looking somewhat out of place.

Hyun Gong lowered his voice and asked, “Are those people in clean clothes also part of the Beggars’ Sect?”

“Yes, they are. They’re from the Clean Clothes Faction. You can tell by the knots they wear.”

Not all members of the Beggars’ Sect were beggars. Many martial artists, inspired by the sect’s mission to help the downtrodden, joined without becoming beggars themselves. These members, who wore clean clothes, formed the Clean Clothes Faction, often running taverns in the city.

On the other hand, there were true beggars, known as the Dirty Clothes Faction, who adhered to tradition by living off alms and leading the stereotypical life of a beggar.

However, not all members of the Dirty Clothes Faction started as beggars. For instance, Hong Geol-gae’s master, Daepunggae Paeng Cheon, was once a Taoist of the Kunlun Sect before joining the Beggars’ Sect and choosing the life of a Dirty Clothes Faction member.

Similarly, Geol-seon and Hong Geol-gae could be considered part of the Dirty Clothes Faction.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Tang Mu-jin felt a subtle sense of discord.

‘Wait, is Hong Geol-gae really part of the Dirty Clothes Faction?’

When they first met, Hong Geol-gae was the epitome of a Dirty Clothes Faction member—filthy, smelly, and living off alms. But now, he had changed in many ways.

His clothes, though somewhat shabby, were relatively clean compared to other beggars. He seemed to take good care of his worn-out clothes. He also bathed regularly, so he didn’t smell, and he no longer ate only alms like the Dirty Clothes Faction members.

At some point, Hong Geol-gae had started dining with Tang Mu-jin’s group at inns.

‘When was the last time Hong Geol-gae begged for food?’

Even the members of the Beggars’ Sect looked at Hong Geol-gae with curious expressions. He was too shabby to be part of the Clean Clothes Faction, yet too clean to be part of the Dirty Clothes Faction. He was a gray area, a bat between the two factions.

Sensing the unusual aura of Tang Mu-jin’s group, a particularly filthy member of the Beggars’ Sect approached them.

Tang Mu-jin’s group instinctively checked the newcomer’s waist.

Four knots. A protector, or a high-ranking member of the Beggars’ Sect. Not as high as Hong Geol-gae, but still significant.

The Dirty Clothes Faction member asked Tang Mu-jin, “Who might you be?”

“I am Tang Mu-jin from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. These are my friends: Namgung Myung, Hyun Gong, and Hong Ju-san.”

“Tang Mu-jin… The Righteous Dragon? The eldest of the Namgung family, the Rising Dragon Sword, and the Nine-Headed Beggar… Hmm! The rumors match perfectly.”

“What rumors are you referring to?”

“They say the four most promising young talents in the martial world are traveling together. There were even descriptions of your appearances.”

The Dirty Clothes Faction member admired Tang Mu-jin’s group but couldn’t hide his disappointment when he looked at Hong Geol-gae.

‘The friends are so accomplished, so why is the Beggars’ Sect member lagging behind?’ his thoughts were transparent.

Seeing this reaction, a dark thrill surged in Hong Geol-gae’s chest. His first deception had succeeded flawlessly.

Of course, the Dirty Clothes Faction member didn’t openly criticize Hong Geol-gae in front of Tang Mu-jin’s group. After all, Hong Geol-gae was technically his superior.

“Meeting such young heroes is a stroke of luck. What brings you to the Beggars’ Sect?”

“We met Elder Seop on Mount Wudang. He said we could be of help, so we came straight here.”

Elder Seop, Seop-gu, had decided to visit other sects to seek assistance instead of returning directly to Kaifeng. This meant that no one in Kaifeng knew of Hong Geol-gae’s achievements.

Hong Geol-gae suppressed his excitement.

“Hmm… I see. The sect leader is currently away, so it would be best to visit the inn over there. Oh, by the way, Elder Heo has become the new sect leader.”

“Elder Seop informed us. Thank you.”

Tang Mu-jin gave a brief bow and headed towards the inn.

Hong Geol-gae relished the subtle envy in the gazes following him. ‘I’m only at four knots, and that guy has five?’ they seemed to say.

Hong Geol-gae thought his time in Kaifeng was going to be quite enjoyable.

Hyun Gong asked, “Why did they tell us to go to the inn?”

“We’ll find out when we get there.”

As expected, the reason became clear as soon as they entered the inn.

Inside, several monks from the Shaolin Temple, dressed in their robes, were gathered.

“Isn’t that Benefactor Tang! I thought we might meet someday, and here we are in the midst of this chaos!”

“It’s been a while.”

The monks greeted Tang Mu-jin warmly. They were monks like Cheongbok, the successor of the Arhat Fist, and Cheonghwan, the head of the Dharma Hall, with whom Tang Mu-jin had formed ties at Shaolin years ago.

It had been seven years since then, and the passage of time was evident on the monks’ faces.

However, the relatively small number of monks was concerning, even excluding famous figures like the abbot or the renowned monk Cheonguk.

“Where are the others?”

Tang Mu-jin asked Cheongbok, who had been one of the most difficult monks to deal with when they were repairing the Wooden Man Alley but had become one of Tang Mu-jin’s staunchest supporters afterward.

“There have been some unfortunate incidents, but most are just temporarily away, so there’s no need to worry. Please sit and have a meal. Since this inn is run by the Beggars’ Sect, there’s no need to pay for your food. Your friends should eat as well.”

“Thank you.”

Tang Mu-jin’s group sat in a corner of the inn, ordered some simple food, and waited.

As they chatted idly, Tang Mu-jin and Hyun Gong felt a peculiar gaze upon them.

‘Who could it be?’

They looked around and then up to the second floor of the inn.

The inn was uniquely designed with an open center, allowing a view of the upper floor, much like a grand tavern.

There, they spotted the source of the gaze—a woman with bright yellow hair and striking blue eyes, a foreigner, staring intently at them. She was a complete stranger.

’…Is something going on?’

There was no need to ponder for long. As soon as their eyes met, the foreign woman turned away with a stoic expression.

Hong Geol-gae asked, “What’s up?”

“Nothing, really.”

While it wasn’t common to see foreigners, it wasn’t unheard of either. Tang Mu-jin decided not to dwell on it and focused on his meal.

However, unlike Tang Mu-jin, Hyun Gong’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.