The plan seemed sound. (5)

In the heart of Kaifeng stands the headquarters of the Beggars Sect.

Those who see this place with their own eyes are astonished for three reasons.

First, the headquarters is unbelievably grand and towering, far beyond what one would expect from a group of beggars called the Beggars Sect. Second, despite its grandeur, the building is dilapidated, looking as if it might collapse at any moment.

The high, massive structure is indeed majestic, but the missing roof tiles, rotten wooden beams, and the thick layers of dust diminish its splendor.

Lastly, the sight of filthy beggars swarming inside the headquarters completes the surprise, unmistakably marking this place as the Beggars Sect’s headquarters.

Those who witness this place are initially astonished, then nod in understanding, and finally click their tongues in disapproval.

At the very top floor of the headquarters, inside a small office where countless carrier pigeons come and go, an old man sat heavily, his face contorted in a frown.

“Who moved?”

The clean office and the old man’s commanding aura were surprising, given that it was a place used by beggars.

Despite wearing rags like any other beggar, his imposing stature, deep voice, and strong presence ensured that no one would dare underestimate him.

“It was Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung. It seems the Five Swords of Hwasan have moved as well.”

“…At a time like this?”

“The report just arrived from Luoyang.”

“Luoyang, you say…”

The old man let out a faint sigh. Though his eyes were wrinkled, his gaze remained sharp, glinting with a blue hue.

‘Why are they moving in this situation?’

As soon as he finished his thought, the old man quickly spoke.

“Could they have come to procure supplies needed for building the main headquarters of Cheonumaeng?”

For an ordinary warrior, it was an unimaginable act, but the bizarre behaviors of Hwasan Sect were so notorious that this possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

“It doesn’t seem to be the case. As soon as they appeared in Luoyang, they immediately moved west.”

“West, west… is it Hubei.”

Many thoughts flooded the old man’s mind simultaneously.

“Shaolin? It can’t be Shaolin. With the Abbot away, there’s nothing to be done there. Then, Wudang? No, not Wudang either. Wudang is in Bongmun, so even if they go there… No, wait. If it’s Hwasan Geomhyeop, he might break down the gate of a secluded sect and enter.”

Muttering quickly in a small voice, the old man immediately issued an order.

“Reinforce the personnel around Wudang. We need to confirm if they’re contacting Wudang!”

“Yes!”

The reply came quickly, but the old man’s face hardened again.

“What are they planning to do by contacting Wudang? No, it can’t be just Wudang. They might pass through Henan and head to Beijing. Then, the government? That’s possible too. The matter with Sapaeryeon isn’t just an issue of Gangho…”

If the government were to suddenly intervene in this situation and join forces with Cheonumaeng, it would cause a massive upheaval in Gangho. While this possibility is slim, it cannot be entirely dismissed.

“Deploy personnel around Beijing as well. We need to check if they’re heading towards the Imperial Palace. No, not the palace. If they moved ahead of time, they’ll likely contact high officials in Beijing first. Issue a warning throughout Beijing!”

“Yes!”

The old man quickly pressed his fingers to his forehead and rubbed his cheeks a few times, a habit he displayed whenever deep in thought.

‘That isn’t all. If they head past Henan towards Zhejiang, they might contact Botaam [보타암(普陀門) – a buddhist sect], or perhaps they intend to go north to meet Moyong clan. Paeng family? The Paeng family…’

“Wait!”

“Yes!”

“Ensure the Paeng family is under strict surveillance!”

“The Paeng family? But the Paeng family…”

“The Peng family also recently changed their head. There’s no guarantee they won’t conspire with the former head’s faction.”

“Understood.”

The old beggar nodded briefly.

Despite issuing orders to prepare for all possible scenarios, he felt uneasy. His face was full of concern.

‘They’re like a bundle of variables.’

Information, in and of itself, means nothing. Its value comes from the ability to predict the next actions based on that information.

And making predictions requires considering numerous factors: inclinations, actions, goals, habits, relationships… even the true desires hidden beneath the surface.

But it is impossible to predict what Hwasan Sect will do next. More precisely, it is impossible to know what Hwasan Geomhyeop will do next.

He is someone capable of doing anything or nothing at all.

‘The problem is not that we don’t know what he will do.’

The real issue is that the outcome of his actions is completely unpredictable.

No one in the world can turn Wudang to the side of Cheonumaeng. It’s as natural as water falling from above.

But if Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung were to enter Wudang, the unimaginable, water flowing upwards, might actually happen.

Is it likely? Of course, it’s improbable. But ‘improbable’ and ‘impossible’ are similar yet fundamentally different terms, aren’t they?

Thus, the Beggars Sect must devote all their efforts to monitoring Hwasan Geomhyeop’s movements.

“…He hasn’t even managed to resolve the current situations, so what is he planning to do now?”

The old man bit his lips and then gestured with his chin.

“In the current situation, we can’t make any definitive judgments. Find out their next actions. At the very least, we need to know their location.”

“Yes!”

“Dismissed.”

“Yes!”

Just as the reporter bowed and quickly tried to leave the office, the old man called out.

“Wait!”

“Yes!”

The man turned back. The old beggar seemed to have thought of something and asked.

“What about this place?”

“What do you mean?”

“Kaifeng. What are the chances they’ll come to Kaifeng? Or are they already here? Right now…”

“Anticipating that possibility, we’ve already issued a warning. We’ve distributed their descriptions to those patrolling the headquarters and instructed them to report immediately if any trace of them is found.”

“Quick thinking. Good. However, they aren’t fools. If their target is Kaifeng, they’ll find a way to avoid being discovered.”

“We’re monitoring any unusual occurrences closely.”

“Has anything strange happened so far?”

“Well, that…”

As the reporter hesitated, the old man’s eyes flashed.

“What is it?”

“…I’m not sure if this is worth reporting, but a short while ago, some disciples of Jongnam were seen at the city gate.”

“Jongnam? Why is that unusual?”

“It’s just that… for Jongnam to suddenly appear at this time seems strange…”

The old man furrowed his brow.

“Since they’ve lifted their Bongmun, it’s not surprising they would move. Are they coming to the headquarters?”

“We haven’t confirmed that yet.”

“What about the Sect Leader?”

“It seems he hasn’t come with them.”

“That’s a relief.”

The one reporting slightly twitched his lips. He understood the hidden meaning behind that word ‘relief.’

“In any case, there’s no need to worry about them. It will naturally sort itself out.”

“…Understood.”

“Maintain strict vigilance.”

“Yes!”

The reporter nodded and left the office. Being alone, the old beggar let out a faint chuckle.

“A world where we must suspect Jongnam’s disciples of being Hwasan’s disciples.”

How did Jongnam come to this point?

The old man’s gaze drifted to the corner of his worn desk. There was a small indentation there, formed over many years by something heavy that had rested there.

“…Because it hasn’t been fulfilled.”

The moment what belongs there finds its place, the world will return to its original course.

The Beggars Sect must ensure that happens.

❀ ❀ ❀

The grand main street of Kaifeng, teeming with beggars and townspeople alike.

In the midst of it all, a group clad in pristine white martial uniforms walked proudly. The edges of their snow-white garments were adorned with a blue edge, reminiscent of the sky. Embroidered on their chests was a cloud pattern.

Anyone seeing this attire would instantly think of the name “Jongnam.”

The Great Jongnam Sect. One of the Ten Great Sects that command respect throughout Gangho. Among these ten, Jongnam is consistently ranked alongside Shaolin and Wudang as one of the top three.

To be fair, it’s hard to compare any sect to the mighty Shaolin or Wudang, the pinnacle of Gangho. But that does not diminish the prestige of Jongnam.

Now, the disciples of this prestigious Jongnam Sect were striding through Kaifeng.

“Impressive. Truly impressive.”

“The presence of Jongnam’s disciples is certainly formidable. They must have honed their skills greatly during their Bongmun.”

“They’re quite eye-catching, aren’t they? Perhaps because they’re all so distinguished-looking?”

Beggars whispered among themselves, quickly gathering and dispersing repeatedly. Observing their reactions closely, someone slowly opened their mouth.

“This is…”

“…”

“Why is this working? Why?”

This statement perfectly reflected the sentiments of those walking down the center of the wide street.

“Are all the Beggars Sect members blind? Do I look like Jongnam’s bastard?”

“Geol… Watch your words. We can block the sound, but we can’t block your mouth movements.”

Jo Geol sighed deeply and repeatedly, looking utterly dejected. How could this be working? Surely, something was wrong with the world for this to be possible.

“…Wearing Jongnam’s robes, carrying a sword with a cloud pattern, and sticking some fake beard scraps on our faces – how can they not recognize us? Does this make any sense?”

“We’re disguised so they can’t recognize us.”

“Sticking on a bit of a beard is a disguise? If we wore masks, our own parents wouldn’t recognize us.”

“…Wouldn’t they really not recognize us if we wore masks?”

“Huh?”

Now that he thought about it, that seemed true…

Jo Geol turned his head to look at one person.

“…Monk, your wig is crooked.”

“Oh, Amita…”

“Don’t say ‘Amitabha.’ Remember, you’re supposed to be a Taoist now.”

“W-Wu Liang Shou Fo!”

“Yes, that’s better…”

Hye Yeon, drenched in cold sweat, kept adjusting his wig. Jo Geol sighed deeply again.

“No, seriously. Doesn’t this look odd? Even a three-year-old would find this suspicious.”

“Geol-ah.”

“Yes?”

“To be honest… even if we walked around with legs on our faces, those people wouldn’t suspect us.”

“…”

“They simply can’t suspect us, really. Isn’t that right?”

At Yoon Jong’s words, everyone’s gaze naturally shifted forward.

The one walking half a step ahead of them. Perfectly dressed in Jongnam’s attire, with Jongnam’s sword proudly strapped to his waist. His tall stature, dignified face, and slightly arrogant lips.

The murmurings from here and there could still be heard clearly at this very moment.

“Isn’t that Jin Geumryong?”

“As impressive as the rumors say. They say he’s a bit arrogant, but he has every right to be.”

“I heard he’s going to be the next Sect Leader?”

“That’s why he came to the headquarters, to establish connections.”

“Indeed. His presence is overwhelming.”

Hearing all these words, the one in front slowly raised his head. To others, it would seem like a young lion of Jongnam was proudly lifting his chin.

‘…Sect leader.’

However, Baek Cheon, disguised as Jin Geumryong – or rather, just roughly changing his hair and wearing Jongnam’s robes – had tears welling up in his eyes.

‘I want to die.’

The tears of Hwasan glistened in the eyes of Jin Geumryong of Jongnam.