Chapter 132

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, may I have just one candied hawthorn skewer?¹”

The unexpected comment caused my brain to freeze for a moment.

What the hell is he talking about?

It wasn’t one of those Do you know the Way? pitches. He was asking if he could have just one candied hawthorn skewer.

I hadn’t planned for a Peak master I’d just met to beg for candied hawthorn in the most polite tone in the world.

Grrrrrrowl.

Now he was even tugging at my pity with his stomach clock. Without thinking, I held out the candied hawthorn skewer I was still holding.

“H-here.”

“Thank you, Benefactor.”

Talk about value for money. Ten seconds after meeting him, I had become a Peak master’s Benefactor.

Hyuk Mujin and I stared blankly at Cheongpung as he ferociously bit and sucked on a sugary snack meant for children.

“Captain, do you know him?”

“No.”

Cheongpung devoured the candied hawthorn skewer as though it had vanished in the blink of an eye. Apparently, it hadn’t been enough, because he turned the eyes of a starving beast on Hyuk Mujin.

More precisely, on the two candied hawthorn skewers in Mujin’s hands.

“…Mujin.”

“Yes?”

“Give them to him.”

Hyuk Mujin quickly hid his hands behind his back.

“No.”

“No?”

“Yes. This is the first time I’ve eaten these in five years. I haven’t even taken a bite yet.”

“I see. Our Mujin wants to die about fifty years ahead of schedule.”

“…”

With a deep sigh, he held out the skewers. Cheongpung’s eyes flashed.

“Thank you, Benefactor!”

The next moment, there was a sharp whoosh, and the skewers were in Cheongpung’s hands.

“Gah!”

That was incredible speed. Hyuk Mujin sucked in a startled breath and whispered to me in a trembling voice.

“H-he’s no ordinary beggar, is he?”

What kind of face would Mujin make if he learned that the filthy young man in front of us was a Peak master?

I studied Cheongpung as he inhaled the candied hawthorn with single-minded focus.

He looks far too young to be a Peak master.

I had heard a few rumors by now. I also knew that even famous, powerful sects with every kind of genius training and support only produced a Peak master once in a blue moon.

That was why Jin Mukyung, who came from Shanxi Province—a remote backwater even by the standards of the Central Plains—had become so famous.

He had reached the Peak realm ten or twenty years ahead of everyone else.

But…

The young man in front of me looked barely my age, yet he was a Peak master whose Level I couldn’t even determine through Qi Sense.

I had never heard of a Peak master this young in Shanxi Province.

Where the hell did this guy come from?

As if on cue, Cheongpung raised his head. He had eaten so hurriedly that sticky sugar covered the corners of his mouth.

“Whew. That was delicious.”

“You must’ve been a little… very hungry.”

“Yes. I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Oh dear. How did that happen?”

“I lost my travel money. Still, it was an interesting experience.”

“…”

Could starving all day because you had no money really count as an interesting experience?

I had sensed it from the moment we met, but this guy definitely had a peculiar way of thinking.

Cheongpung smiled brightly and gave us a respectful fist-and-palm salute.

“Ah, I’m late introducing myself. Cheongpung offers his greetings to his Benefactors.”

“My name is Jin Taekyung.”

“And I’m this man’s right arm and heart, Hyuk Mujin.”

I completely ignored Hyuk Mujin’s nonsense and kept my eyes on Cheongpung.

I might not look it, but I was fairly famous in Shanxi Province.

Until a few months ago, I had been famous for all the wrong reasons. Now, for the exact opposite reason, there wasn’t a soul in Shanxi Province who didn’t know my name.

I wonder if he’ll recognize me.

Just as I was secretly getting my hopes up, Cheongpung’s face went stiff.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps…”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m the very—”

“Would it be all right if I imposed on you a little longer?”

“What?”

“I’ve been hungry for quite a long time.”

Right on cue, a thunderous sound came from Cheongpung’s stomach.

Grrrrrrowl.

“…Then why don’t we have a meal together?”

“Thank you, Benefactor!”

I couldn’t tell whether I was his Benefactor or just a sucker.

Honghwa Inn was packed with people who had come for an early dinner.

A quick-footed waiter led us to one of the few remaining empty tables.

“What’ll it be?”

I handed Cheongpung the wooden Murim-style menu.

“Order whatever you want.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t. I’m not some ungrateful beast who doesn’t know how to repay a kindness. How could I…”

“It’s fine. Order whatever you want.”

“Then I’ll have everything on here.”

“…”

What an ungrateful beast.

The appearance of a colossal sucker kept the kitchen busy. Before long, the dishes we had ordered began pouring out without pause.

“Garlic Pork is here. This dish is made by slicing boiled pork thin and…”

“Oh.”

“Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork is here. It’s pork served with bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, and…”

“Ohhh.”

“Beijing Sauce Shredded Pork.”

“Ohhhh!”

“Beggar’s Chicken.”

“Ohhhhh!”

Unlike the waiter, whose explanations had grown shorter and shorter, Cheongpung’s reactions were becoming more and more elaborate.

Dish after dish continued filling the table. Just as there was barely any room left, the waiter slid out another plate with the expression of a man who had reached enlightenment.

“Maegu.”

“Maegu?”

I’d heard of Megumi from the island country next door, but Maegu was a new one to me. Catching my look, the waiter answered as if explaining it was a chore.

“Maechae Guyuk.”²

“…”

Now he was even abbreviating dish names.

While I stared at him in disbelief, Cheongpung rapidly emptied the plates.

“Nom, nom.”

“Slow down. Eat slowly.”

“Mmph, mmph. Ah hih he ho. Ha hu i heup hi ha.”

“Don’t answer. Just keep eating.”

“Khanks hah!”

Hyuk Mujin whispered with a thoroughly disgusted expression.

“Isn’t he really a beggar?”

“Didn’t you see him snatch the candied hawthorn earlier? No way.”

Chomp, chomp.

“…Probably not.”

“What if he’s a master of the Beggars’ Sect?”

“The Beggars’ Sect, huh?”

I had seen it countless times in martial arts novels. It also existed openly in the actual Murim as one of the Nine Sects and One Gang.

I had yet to meet one of its members, but any of the beggars loitering near the inn’s entrance could be a Beggars’ Sect disciple.

“Should I take a quick look and see if he has any knots?”

The masters of the Beggars’ Sect supposedly distinguished their status by the knots around their waists.

I shook my head.

No. He isn’t with the Beggars’ Sect.

If he were, he would have reacted somehow when he heard my name. We belonged to the same orthodox faction, so he had no reason to pretend he didn’t recognize me.

Then what sect is he from?

There was no way a Peak master this young had simply dropped out of the sky.

He had to be from a famous sect at the very least… The more I thought about it, the more curious I became about this mysterious young man.

“Burp. That was delicious.”

Cheongpung finally finished eating. After patting his tadpole-like belly, he looked at Hyuk Mujin and me, then stopped short.

“It was my first time trying any of these dishes, so I made a spectacle of myself in front of my Benefactors. I hope I didn’t overdo it…”

You already overdid it, you idiot.

Still, it was good that he had at least a little self-awareness.

“It’s fine. I do that sometimes, too.”

“We have something in common. Ha-ha.”

I laughed along with Cheongpung and opened my mouth. It was about time I started a background check on this sucker.

“You said it was your first time trying all of this. I suppose you don’t usually eat rich food.”

Cheongpung shook his head gloomily.

“It’s not that I don’t. I couldn’t. If I’d known food this delicious existed, I would have come down from the mountain sooner.”

“Oh, so you lived in the mountains. That must’ve been difficult.”

“Life in the mountains? It was fun. The scenery was beautiful, and there was plenty to eat all over the place. My grandfather has lived alone in the mountains his entire life, too.”

“Your grandfather?”

“Yes. But, um…”

“Go ahead.”

“May I order some alcohol? I’ve never tried it before.”

“…Order as much as you like.”

This kid had a lot of things he’d never tried.

At least he still had a sliver of conscience left. He ordered the cheapest bottle of fire liquor.

A short while later, Cheongpung downed the fire liquor without hesitation and muttered, his face slightly flushed.

“Ahh, so this is what it means to get drunk. But what were we talking about?”

“Your grandfather living alone in the mountains his entire life.”

“Oh, right. Anyway, I’ve lived with my grandfather since I was little. I was five when we started living together, so it’s already been fifteen years.”

“Really? That’s a long time.”

I did my best not to show my surprise.

A Peak master at barely twenty.

That meant he was a genius at least comparable to Jin Mukyung, if not greater. The more I talked with him, the more curious I became about his identity.

“Where is it? If it’s such a nice place to live, maybe I could visit sometime.”

Cheongpung hesitated just as he was about to say something.

“Um, I don’t think I can tell you that.”

“Come on. You can’t even tell me that much?”

“Because my grandfather hates it so much… He already moves to a different place once or twice a year because of that.”

“He moves?”

“Yes. Strange people keep coming to see him.”

Strange people? Obnoxious hikers?

Well, I suppose it would be annoying for someone living in the mountains.

He continued with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

“When I was ten, dozens of people suddenly came rushing over and started causing trouble. I remember my grandfather shouting at them to get lost before he set the mountain on fire.”

“Oh, so that’s why he keeps moving?”

“Yes. Fortunately, the mountains are huge, so he’s managed to avoid them for ten years.”

“…”

Ten years? His grandfather was quite a man.

Hyuk Mujin, who had been listening to Cheongpung’s story with great interest, asked, “Then why did you come down from the mountain, Young Master?”

Cheongpung, who had been sucking on the mouth of the liquor bottle regretfully, answered,

“Because of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes.”

“The Ten Dragons and Phoenixes? What’s that supposed to be?”

At my question, Hyuk Mujin looked at me as though I were the strangest person he had ever seen.

“Why don’t you know about the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes, Captain?”

“I’m allowed not to know, damn it.”

“Huh? Last year, you got plastered at a pleasure house and made a complete fool of yourself bragging that you were going to become one of them.”

“That wasn’t me… Never mind. What are the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes?”

“Are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

“Can’t I just not know?”

“Of course you can’t. The Second Young Master is one of them, after all.”

Wait, really?

As I blinked at him, Hyuk Mujin launched into an impassioned explanation.

“They’re the greatest young prodigies of the orthodox Murim! The dragons and phoenixes who will lead the Murim of the future! How can you not know about the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes?”

“Hey, hey. Keep your voice down. People are staring.”

I wasn’t exaggerating. Hyuk Mujin’s booming voice had drawn glances from the other customers.

“Who cares if they stare? This is too much even for you, Captain! Are you making fun of me?”

“I don’t know about making fun of people, but I’m good at hitting them.”

“I think I got too worked up. I’m sorry.”

Hyuk Mujin regained his composure in an instant. I turned away from him and gave Cheongpung a friendly smile.

“Please continue.”

“It’s nothing important. I just had a childish thought for a moment.”

Cheongpung gazed at me through slightly unfocused eyes. Apparently, he had no intention of using his internal energy to dispel the drunkenness, because he still looked a little tipsy.

“Who would be stronger, me or them? I wanted to find the answer to that question.”

In the end, it came down to a martial artist’s competitive pride.

The desire to venture into a new world. The desire to defeat the strong and prove his martial arts. I could tell those feelings had led him down the mountain.

He seems to have the skill to justify thinking that way, too.

Jin Mukyung had supposedly reached the Peak realm at barely twenty, causing an uproar throughout the Central Plains. Now he was counted among the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes, the greatest young prodigies of the orthodox faction.

The Cheongpung in front of me possessed martial talent at least comparable to Jin Mukyung’s.

He has every right to think so.

I was nodding inwardly when—

“Puhahaha!”

“Pfft, hahahaha. Ah, holding back my laughter was torture.”

I raised my head toward the source of the sound.

On the second floor, five men and women dressed in silk were looking down at us, their faces full of mockery.