Glug, Glug.

Alcohol was poured into the glass.

“Now, now. Let’s cool down with drinks.”

Hong Dae-Kwang spoke with a friendly face and smile as he filled Chung Myung’s cup.

And Chung Myung drank it down with a look of displeasure,

“Right. You drink a lot! Hahaha!”

Hong Dae-Kwang smiled cheerfully, but he constantly glanced at Chung Myung and then looked to the corner.

‘I should hang that beggar upside down!’

Hong Dae-Kwang had bet his everything on Mount Hua and Chung Myung1.

He firmly believed that Mount Hua would become the sect that, in the future, would rule the world. So he abandoned Luoyang and went to Hua-Um, but one of his beggars had almost ruined all of this.

When Hong Dae-Kwang looked at him like that, Jong Pal flinched. Either way, Hong Dae-Kwang kept cursing Jong Pal inside.

‘That crazy bastard!’

Not someone else, but Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon?

Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon was someone who was bound to be the best. His existence alone was terrifying but wasn’t Mount Hua now showing tremendous growth too?

And because of one beggar, almost the entirety of Mount Hua ended up having a grudge against the Beggars Union!

Still, as Hong Dae-Kwang was good, he handled it fine. If word had gone over to one of the other leaders, they would have ordered the other beggars to give up that beggar like an offering to Mount Hua.

“Hahaha. Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon. Isn’t that something an ignorant young beggar did? So you…”

“I was younger too, though?”

“Uh, damn it!”

Hong Dae-Kwang threw the glass in his hand at Jong Pal, who just barely managed to avoid it.

“I told you so many times that you are supposed to approach only after knowing everything about the other person! You!”

Jong Pal trembled at the angry words and eyes of this man.

‘No, when did he even…?’

Was that really something a beggar would do everywhere? Of course, that day, he did beat the guy a little harshly…

‘No! To be honest, I don’t even remember.’

He remembered the name Cho Sam and his face, too, but he couldn’t remember much after that. There were more than five beggars of the same age in that hut. How could he remember all of them?

But apparently, one got hit too hard by Jong Pal, and that one ended up being Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon. There had to be a limit to how unlucky one could be2.

But no matter how unfair it was, this could not be spoken out about.

Because Hong Dae-Kwang was a seven-knotted leader, one of the candidates to become the next Beggars Union sect leader, and that man had just stopped glaring at him.

Hong Dae-Kwang continued to grind his teeth, but then suddenly stopped and sighed. Looking at Chung Myung, he smiled,

“Haha. Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon. Isn’t it common courtesy for gentlemen34 not to dwell on the past?”

“But I am a Taoist?”

“… a Taoist also.”

“I was a beggar when I was hit.”

“…”

Such a varying identity.

Hong Dae-Kwang’s lips trembled,

“That… if we think about it, aren’t we family?”

“Uh?”

“If you were in the Beggars Union before, it means you were once with us, and therefore you can say that we are one family.”

Chung Myung looked at Hong Dae-Kwang with wide eyes.

Of course, even Hong Dae-Kwang knew what he said was absurd, so he avoided the gazes on him.

“Hmm. Anyway, this is a thing of the past, and he will reflect a lot today, so let’s drink and cool off.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung looked at Jong Pal as if he didn’t like this,

“I am so enraged, for real.”

Jong Pal flinched at his words.

“As I left the hut there, I promised myself that I would kill all the beggars later.”

This made Hong Dae-Kwang flinch.

He sounded so serious that even Hong Dae-Kwang believed it, as he knew the vicious side Chung Myung had. Chung Myung looked at Gu Chil, making the guy turn stiff.

“Know that I abandoned this thought because of him.”

“Uh?”

“Well, he helped me. Thanks to him, I was able to reach Mount Hua.”

At the unexpected good news, Hong Dae-Kwang looked at Gu Chil With a smiling face.

“What is your name?”

“Gu, Gu Chil.”

“Righ! Gu Chil! You did a good job!”

And in this unexpected situation, Gu Chil felt like his soul was leaving his body.

In the first place, Hong Dae-Kwang wasn’t someone he could make eye contact with on any normal day. And right now was the first time he spoke with such a man.

Even Jong Pal, or Wang Cho, also had to lay flat on the floor in front of Hong Dae-Kwang.

But Hong Dae-Kwang and Cho Sam, who was called the best…. Ah, Chung Myung. And even the Five Swords of Mount Hua were all complimenting him.

‘I feel like my heart will stop.’

He was so nervous that he couldn’t speak at all or even breathe.

Hong Dae-Kwang patted Gu Chil on the back.

“I will not forget what you did! You saved the Beggars Union!”

It was all half-sincere words.

Hong Dae-Kwang was the only person in the world who would smile even if he had a grudge against the entire world. But he didn’t want to have Chung Myung hate his sect. Never.

Chung Myung looked at Gu Chil and smiled,

“Let’s eat.”

“Uh?”

“You must be hungry. Let’s eat.”

Gu Chil looked around.

The Beggars Union members, who had already realized that things were out of hand in here, had just sat down at the other tables.

And the other spectators who all came to watch sat at other tables and ate. Everything happened too fast for anyone to know what happened.

Beggars did not shy away from food under any circumstances.

But…Gu Chil couldn’t do it,

“… I think I might faint.”

“Why?”

“Well…”

He looked at Chung Myung.

‘Is he really the Cho Sam I used to know?’

Before Cho Sam had left the hut, Gu Chil thought he was fine, but now he had turned out to be even more important. Breaking him out of his reverie, Chung Myung grabbed a bottle and poured a glass for Gu Chil.

“But you…”

“Uh?”

He smiled and spoke in a calm voice,

“Have no plans to come to Mount Hua?”

“Uh?”

Gu Chil was truly puzzled by this question,

“You meant to visit Mount Hua?”

“No, do you have plans to enter Mount Hua after walking away from the Beggars Union?”

“…”

At Chung Myung’s words, Gu Chil went stiff.

‘Is he crazy!’

Was he asking this in the presence of Hong Dae-Kwang?

Wasn’t moving from one sect to another a serious matter which could also cause problems?

When Gu Chil looked at Hong Dae-Kwang with shocked eyes, Chung Myung smiled,

“Don’t be so cautious. There is no way Beggars Union would move just because one of them might leave, right?”

“Huh! Right. We might even get closer. Hahaha!”

Hong Dae-Kwang smiled broadly and nodded his head as Chung Myung added,

“I have been thinking about it, but there is not much I can do to help you if you remain within the Beggars Union. So if you are thinking about coming here, I can definitely bring you a nice master.”

The word ‘master’ pierced Gu Chil’s ears.

It was a sensible proposal, but he saw in that moment…

What the disciples of Mount Hua next to Chung Myung were saying with their eyes.

‘Do not come! Don’t come, you bastard!’

‘It is hell in here!’

‘Beggars are a lot better! Trust me on this!’

‘Is your head strong?’

At their earnest gazes, Gu Chil recalled the words of Baek Cheon…

-You dog! Because of you! Huh! All because of you, Mount Hua turned into a victim! You bastard!

“…”

He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but he could guess that Mount Hua wasn’t a happy place. And Gu Chil waved his hand,

“Ah, no, I will stay in the Beggars Union.”

“Why?”

Chung Myung couldn’t understand his reason for not coming.

“Do you like living as a beggar?”

“… it isn’t bad,” said Gu Chil, continuing, “It sounds good to have a master, but… I am proud of the Beggars Union…. Right, I am proud of it. I want to live with integrity in here.”

Hong Dae-Kwang happily nodded his head at this,

“Hahaha. Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, unfortunately, your friend likes the Beggars Union more.”

“I don’t understand. What is good about being a beggar?”

At that, Chung Myung voiced his doubts, but the sahyungs next to him spoke up,

“But I understand.”

“Me too.”

“Beggars are better.”

Chung Myung looked at them, making them all avert their eyes.

“Let’s do this.”

Hong Dae-Kwang, who couldn’t see this issue drag on, spoke up,

“So, this means that Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon owes something to Gu Chil, right?”

“Yes.”

“So you want to help but cannot since he wants to stay within the Beggars Union. So you want to take him to Mount Hua?”

“Right.”

“Then it won’t be a problem if I bring him to the Hua-Um branch.”

Hong Dae-Kwang smiled,

“Then, you can look for him when you want, and the problem is solved even if he isn’t a disciple of Mount Hua.”

“Umm.”

“I can accept him as my disciple if you want.”

“…”

Chung Myung, who listened to this, shook his head.

‘What good will being your disciple do?’

Hong Dae-Kwang, who read his mind, changed,

“T-then would it be easier for you if this guy was in Mount Hua?”

“Ah, right.”

You bastard, do you really think so?

If he had asked a little later, he would have gotten humiliated in front of all the others. Hong Dae-Kwang smiled,

“Hahaha. Right. Then let’s do this.”

He patted Gu Chil on the shoulder, but Gu Chil was too confused.

He wanted to meet his old friend, but the guy beat up Wang Cho, and now he was being taken to the Hua-Um branch?

For him, all he intended to do was meet an old acquaintance.

“Is this really fine?”

“Of course, considering all that you did, this is nothing.”

“T-thank…”

But Chung Myung frowned,

“What do you mean? This cannot be his reward. If it is a merit like you said, you should give him something worthwhile.”

“…. R-right.”

“Feed the reward properly. Maybe give him meat.”

“Don’t worry, I will make him say that he is sick of meat.”

Hong Dae-Kwang smiled warmly.

‘Things have gotten better due to him.’

The Beggars Union was keeping a close eye on Mount Hua.

Those who deal with information tend to be sensitive. Because information is needed in order to read the game faster than others.

Analyzing the information they had obtained, and now suddenly Mount Hua wasn’t a simple gust of wind to them.

If only a few members of that sect were strong, they would consider it a momentary explosion, but all the disciples of Mount Hua were visibly strong, and this couldn’t be overlooked.

‘Mount Hua is sure to become a sect which shakes the world.’

He had to maintain some kind of relationship with them.

It seems like Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, the core of Mount Hua, cared about Gu Chil, so if he could use that, he would have made a great benefit to his sect.

With that thought in mind, he decided to feed the guy meat, but Chung Myung wasn’t finished,

“And.”

“Uh?”

“Bring him too.”

“Uh?”

“Him.”

Jong Pal.

Jong Pal, who was relieved that the attention was diverted from him, went back to going stiff, and Hong Dae-Kwang asked,

“… why him?”

“Eh, don’t worry. After hitting him like that, would I do it again?”

Uh.

Right.

Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders,

“Well, I just want to see him often. Just looking at him, it seems like he is fine, and I think he will able to handle a few things quickly in the future.”

“…”

“So, please! Please bring him!”

Hong Dae-Kwang looked into Chung Myung’s eyes and smiled.

‘I need to make sure that I don’t get on his bad side.’

It is amazing how tenacious this guy could be.

“Then the two will come to Hua-Um after this competition, right?”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung smiled, looking at Gu Chil.

“See you there often.”

“Yes.”

“And.”

He looked to the side,

“Wang Cho, let’s meet often there.”

“…”

“Very often.”

“…”

A clear path unfolded for Gu Chil. And at the same time, the path to hell opened up for Jong Pal.