Episode 52: The Great Beggar

Hong Geolgae and Wang Bong’s meal was the cheapest dumplings the inn had to offer.

Unless they were made with some extraordinary ingredients, dumplings were cheap, plentiful, and incredibly filling. What could be a more perfect food in this world?

“See you tomorrow!”

Wang Bong waved goodbye to Hong Geolgae and left. Not long after, a voice called out from behind him.

“Hey there, young man.”

“Yes?”

Hong Geolgae turned around.

In the moonlight stood a beggar, not particularly tall but unusually plump. It was the first time Hong Geolgae had seen a fat beggar.

The man seemed quite old, yet his face was remarkably smooth, giving him a unique appearance.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Paeng Cheon. People call me the Great Beggar.”

Of course, Hong Geolgae had never heard of the nickname “Great Beggar” before. He just thought it suited the man well.

The Great Beggar smiled warmly as he spoke.

“You have an interesting face. Want me to read your fortune?”

“I don’t have any money to pay you, though.”

“That’s alright. I didn’t learn to read fortunes to make a living. In fact, I’ve been told I’m quite good at it.”

The Great Beggar spoke with confidence.

Unlike ordinary beggars, the Great Beggar hadn’t always been one. In his youth, he was a promising Taoist of the Kunlun sect. Unable to endure the stifling life, he left the Kunlun Mountains and eventually became a beggar.

He had no regrets. The life of a beggar made him happier than that of a Taoist.

But as the saying goes, a talented person cannot remain hidden. The Great Beggar had too many skills to be just an ordinary beggar.

Not only was he highly skilled in martial arts, but he was also knowledgeable enough to converse with scholars. He could even read the heavens to some extent, so reading a person’s fortune was no difficult task.

The Beggar Clan had many members, but few with special talents. As a result, the Great Beggar, without seeking high positions, became a Law Beggar with six knots. Hong Geolgae, of course, knew nothing of this background.

Hong Geolgae shrugged and said, “Well, go ahead. If you can tell me what I’ll have for breakfast tomorrow, that’d be great.”

“I’m not sure if my skills can predict that far ahead.”

The Great Beggar casually examined Hong Geolgae’s face.

‘It’s not a mistake. This one’s peculiar.’

His eyes were large but lacked strength in the eyelids. His ears were thin and short, and a small, distinct scar crossed his philtrum.

‘He should have died young, either from illness or misfortune. His face says he shouldn’t have survived past infancy.’

Yet Hong Geolgae was alive and seemed quite robust.

The Great Beggar tilted his head, continuing to read the fortune. Originally, it was a face that should have meant nothing due to an early death, but having survived, it found new meaning.

‘His forehead is broad and clear. He’s destined to achieve something. And those eyes, are they the “Ink-Dot Eyes”?’

Ink-Dot Eyes refer to eyes with small, jet-black pupils.

Most people have black pupils and brownish irises, but those with Ink-Dot Eyes have irises so dark they blend with the pupils.

The problem is that Ink-Dot Eyes signify wealth and fortune—a rare and auspicious sign.

With any other face, one might think, “Not bad for a beggar,” but Ink-Dot Eyes are not something a beggar should have. A beggar with wealth and fortune?

‘His eyebrows are thick, but his nose is slightly crooked. The corners of his mouth curl upwards. He’s someone who won’t miss his fortune.’

He’s not particularly handsome, but his fortune is exceptionally good.

It’s as if he’s gathered all the luck to overcome a short lifespan. The Great Beggar shrugged and said, “Your fortune is wide open. I don’t know what you’ll have for breakfast tomorrow, but at least you won’t go hungry.”

“Haha, that’s a relief.”

“By the way, you look young, but you have three knots. Are you a branch leader somewhere?”

“Yes, I’m Hong Geolgae, the branch leader of Jueul Village.”

The Great Beggar’s brow twitched.

A Law Beggar must know everything about the Beggar Clan. Understanding the clan’s rules and structure is fundamental.

In other words, the Great Beggar knows where all the branches of the Beggar Clan are located across the land.

But he’s never heard of a place called Jueul Village. It seems absurd for a branch to be in a place small enough to be called a village.

The Great Beggar thought, ‘He must be pretending to be a branch leader after learning some martial arts.’

Falsifying one’s position is a serious crime anywhere, and the Beggar Clan is no exception.

If someone with martial skills falsifies their position, their energy center is destroyed. If someone without martial skills does so, their leg tendons are severed.

But the Great Beggar didn’t want to destroy Hong Geolgae’s energy center.

He wasn’t boasting about being a Three-Knot Beggar, nor was he greedy for wealth.

In fact, he shared his money with the hungriest and poorest as soon as he got it. With this much, he could overlook it once.

However, that didn’t mean he could continue to falsify his position. If other Law Beggars or elders found Hong Geolgae, they wouldn’t hesitate to destroy his energy center.

The Great Beggar smiled kindly.

“You said your name is Hong Geolgae? How about a little wager?”

“A wager?”

“If I win, I’ll take something of yours. But if you win… well, I’ll teach you martial arts.”

For Hong Geolgae, it was a risk-free offer. He had nothing to lose.

But there wasn’t much to gain either. To Hong Geolgae, the Great Beggar didn’t seem particularly strong.

“I may not look it, but I’ve learned a bit of martial arts. I don’t know about divine skills, but it’s better than the average street martial arts.”

“Is that so?”

At that moment, the Great Beggar’s figure blurred. The distance between them vanished, and Hong Geolgae felt a presence behind him.

Startled, Hong Geolgae swung his staff.

“Reverse Dog’s Tail!”

The Great Beggar sensed something off about Hong Geolgae’s technique. But he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.

As the Great Beggar dodged the staff and moved behind Hong Geolgae again, Hong Geolgae swung his staff in panic.

“Double Shoulder Strike! Fierce Dog’s Path!”

After observing a few more moves, the Great Beggar finally identified Hong Geolgae’s problem.

‘The names of the techniques and the movements resemble the Beggar’s Staff Technique. But it’s not the real thing. It’s a poor imitation by beggars. On top of that, he’s learned multiple incompatible martial arts.’

Having made his assessment, the Great Beggar decided to show his true skill for the first time.

One step, one gesture.

Hong Geolgae’s vision darkened as a powerful gust of wind hit his face.

He realized what had happened in the next moment. The Great Beggar’s broad palm was covering his face.

The Great Beggar’s elbow wasn’t even fully extended. If it had been, this strike could have been fatal.

Death had brushed past him. But instead of fear, Hong Geolgae felt a sense of allure.

When he had lost to the man in black not long ago, he had watched Tang Mujin subdue the man with ease. What had he felt then? Perhaps this martial art could help him catch up to Tang Mujin.

As Hong Geolgae’s eyes sparkled with determination, the Great Beggar burst into laughter and withdrew his hand.

“Is this level of martial arts enough for a wager?”

“More than enough. What kind of wager are we talking about?”

“Let’s roll some dice. The one with the higher number wins.”

The Great Beggar pulled out two dice from his pocket. They were ordinary wooden dice, with no room for trickery.

Hong Geolgae nodded. Dice were his specialty, after all.

“Do you want to roll first, or should I?”

“Why don’t you go first, sir? They say even cold water has a hierarchy.”

“Alright, then.”

The Great Beggar, despite his size, focused intently as he rolled the dice.

But the result was 1-3. Not enough to win, barely enough to tie.

Hong Geolgae confidently picked up the dice.

“If I roll a total of 5 or more, I win, right?”

“That’s right.”

Hong Geolgae threw the dice. The result was 5-4, more than double the Great Beggar’s roll.

Hong Geolgae looked at the Great Beggar with confidence. But the Great Beggar did something unexpected. He casually nudged the dice, changing both to show 1.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I have 4, you have 2. You lost.”

“That’s ridiculous… How can you change the dice after the roll?”

“If you don’t like it, you can change the dice too, can’t you?”

The Great Beggar was incredibly skilled but seemed a bit eccentric. Hong Geolgae thought as much and reached for the dice.

But at that moment, his mind went blank, and his heart raced wildly. A fear of imminent death washed over him.

Without understanding the situation, Hong Geolgae looked around with bloodshot eyes.

The only person in sight was the Great Beggar, sitting comfortably and watching him.

Yet his instincts screamed at him to retreat immediately. That reaching for the dice would mean death.

Only then did Hong Geolgae understand.

‘It’s killing intent.’

The overwhelming killing intent of a master.

It felt less like an aura and more like a declaration or a tangible wall.

Daepunggae spoke with a menacing edge, warning that if Honggeolgae dared to reach any further, he’d break his arm and snap his neck.

But Honggeolgae wasn’t one to back down easily. He closed his eyes tightly and reached for the dice. He didn’t even need to grab them; just a light tap to roll them would be enough to win with a 1-3.

Yet, his hand never made it to the dice.

To be precise, it didn’t even get within half a foot of them. Such is the power of the survival instinct.

Breathing heavily, Honggeolgae stepped back, the fear that had gripped him moments ago dissipating as if it had been a lie. The atmosphere suddenly felt calm.

Daepunggae chuckled shamelessly. “Well, looks like luck’s on my side, wouldn’t you say?”

Honggeolgae was at a loss for words, his expression one of defeat. “Impressive. What do you want? Should I take off my shoes for you?”

“No need. I’ve already got what I wanted.”

In Daepunggae’s hand was a rope with three knots. Honggeolgae quickly checked his waist, but the rope was gone.

Daepunggae’s act of taking Honggeolgae’s rope was a warning, a demonstration of the overwhelming difference in their strength. It was a message that if Honggeolgae continued to deceive others about his rank, someone like Daepunggae could come along and punish him.

Any other beggar would have understood and backed down.

The problem was, Daepunggae didn’t know the significance of that rope to Honggeolgae.

“Give it back!”

“If you lose a bet, you should know how to accept it.”

Daepunggae laughed and started to walk away. But Honggeolgae couldn’t bring himself to stop him.

Just as Daepunggae was about to disappear into the night, he sensed something flying towards the back of his head. He tilted his head slightly, and a stone the size of a fist whizzed past his ear.

Daepunggae was naturally gentle, but he wasn’t the kind to laugh off a stone thrown at him from behind.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I can’t… I can’t let you have it!”

“Consider yourself lucky that you’re getting off with just this for impersonating a nonexistent branch leader. If it had been another law enforcer, your energy center would be shattered by now.”

“Law enforcer…!”

The rank of Yukgyeolgae was as high as the sky.

But right now, the number of knots didn’t matter much.

“Law enforcer or not, even if it costs me my life, I can’t let you take that. Leave it.”

“Is that so? Then how about we roll the dice one more time?”

Daepunggae tossed the dice to Honggeolgae.

“This time, the stakes are your energy center and your right arm. I’ll wager this rope.”

Daepunggae fully expected Honggeolgae to back down.

But without hesitation, Honggeolgae threw the dice.

The outcome of the dice didn’t matter. Daepunggae had already decided to change the result to 1-1.

“Looks like I’ve won again, don’t you think?”

Honggeolgae took a deep breath and moved towards Daepunggae.

The killing intent returned, thicker and more oppressive than before. This time, it wasn’t just a threat. Daepunggae intended to collect on the wager.

Honggeolgae bit his lower lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in his mouth. It cleared his mind a bit. He took half a step forward.

But the dice were still far away. His legs wanted to move forward, but his knees wanted to retreat. His shoulders reached out, but his elbows bent. His whole body felt out of sync.

Daepunggae watched Honggeolgae’s struggle with a relaxed demeanor.

He had given him a chance, and it was Honggeolgae who had squandered it.

Breaking a young man’s energy center was regrettable, but it was unavoidable. Even if he lost his right arm, he’d still have his left to beg for food.

At that moment, Honggeolgae, his face flushed red, let out a wild scream.

“Aaaargh!”

Daepunggae wondered what he was up to, but then Honggeolgae stuffed his left forearm into his mouth. Without hesitation, he bit down hard, tearing into his own flesh.

Blood poured out, revealing the red muscle beneath.

Daepunggae was taken aback by the madness of it all.

In that brief moment, the searing pain allowed Honggeolgae to forget the killing intent.

He staggered forward two steps.

But there was no time to crouch down and reach for the dice.

Instead, Honggeolgae kicked the dice with all his might.

The two shabby dice rolled and tumbled into a corner of the alley.

Without even checking the result, Honggeolgae smiled in satisfaction and collapsed, unconscious.

Tsk.

Daepunggae clicked his tongue.

’…He’s not your average lunatic.’

Daepunggae pondered. Should he turn a blind eye and let this guy pretend to be a branch leader?

That wasn’t a good choice. Sooner or later, he’d run into another law enforcer or elder, and his energy center would be destroyed.

Daepunggae recalled the sight of Honggeolgae biting into his own arm.

Honggeolgae had a determination that Daepunggae himself lacked. He had never taken on a disciple before, but perhaps this one was worth teaching.

As a disciple of a law enforcer, no one would question him having three knots.

‘My instincts weren’t wrong. This one has great fortune.’

Daepunggae glanced at the limp Honggeolgae, then retrieved the two dice from the corner. The dice showed 1-2.

Daepunggae changed the dice to show 6-6 and smiled with satisfaction.

‘My ability to read people is truly remarkable.’

He stopped the bleeding on Honggeolgae’s arm with a pressure point and hoisted him over his shoulder.

For his first disciple, he thought, he might as well provide breakfast the next morning.