This isn’t my fault, right? (1)

The main hall of the Beggars Sect’s headquarters was steeped in a deathly silence. No one dared to speak up first. The shock was too great. Even Shaolin monks who had come to assist the Sect Leader stood there, staring blankly at Hong Daekwang, as if to say, ‘What did I just hear?’

And no wonder…

“Wow… The Beggars Sect isn’t joking around.”

“I thought there couldn’t be a place more extreme than Hwasan.”

“Exactly. At this rate, Hwasan is almost at the level of strict Confucianists, isn’t it?”

“After seeing today, Chung Myung is a righteous Taoist who greatly respects his elders. Amitabha.”

In the world of Gangho, even murder could be considered justifiable depending on the circumstances, and robbery was so commonplace that it was considered a regular profession. To an ordinary person, it would undoubtedly seem like a world filled with demons. Even in such a lawless world, there were certain crimes considered utterly unforgivable.

“…It’s really like a scene from a painting. Deception and Disgrace of the Teacher and Ancestors.”

Deception and Disgrace of the Teacher and Ancestors [기사멸조(欺師滅祖) chapter 1183 also]. The crime of scorning one’s teacher and ancestors.

Martial arts sects would first investigate who was killed and whether there was a justifiable reason for the killing, even if a member killed several people. However, if someone committed the crime of betraying their master, they would be immediately and ruthlessly punished without any questions or investigation, sealed away in the prison cells.

Even then, the sect would still be criticized by the entire Gangho for keeping such a criminal alive. Such is the gravity of this crime.

Yet, Hong Daekwang had just labeled his Sect Leader and elders as shameless trash, not even worth the dirt on a beggar’s shoes.

This situation drained even the slightest bit of color even from Jo Geol’s face.

“Sa, Sasuk. Why on earth is he acting like that?”

“…His blood must have rushed to his head.”

“No matter how much blood rushes to his head…”

“Geol-ah.”

Startled, Jo Geol turned around at the sound of his name. Yoon Jong, with a gentle smile, spoke.

“When a madman does something crazy, it’s pointless to seek a reason. It’s because he’s insane. Why bother questioning it?”

“…Sometimes, Sahyeong, you can be really heartless.”

Everyone was looking at Hong Daekwang in shock, but he, standing tall and confident under all those stares…

“Hi-hiiiik?”

…could not maintain it. As if he suddenly realized what he had just said, he turned pale.

“No, no. That’s not… that’s not what I meant…”

He stuttered, cold sweat streaming down his face as he struggled to find his words.

“I, I didn’t mean it like… Yes, not in that way.”

“…What exactly did you mean by that?”

“Wait a minute, Hwasan Shinryong. This isn’t the time to be joking!”

Hong Daekwang looked around with a frightened expression.

When you make enemies, you have to be clear about which side you are on, so you can stand with the other. But now, Hong Daekwang had effectively splashed filth on both the Sect Leader and the elders, who were in opposition.

No matter who wins…

“Uh… haha… ha. I didn’t mean it that way. What I was trying to say is…”

As he stammered in an attempt to make excuses, he suddenly turned to Chung Myung and shouted angrily.

“It’s all your fault! You wretched bastard!”

“…Huh? I was quiet this time.”

Chung Myung blinked, surprised at the sudden outburst.

“I got used to you constantly rambling nonsense, and now I’ve done the same!”

“Why blame me for your mistake?”

Normally, Chung Myung would have been up in arms, ready to pummel the beggar right then and there. But this time, he didn’t get angry. There was no need to. Instead, he rummaged through his robe.

“Let’s see… not squished, is it? Oh…! It’s fine!”

Chung Myung pulled something out and threw it to Hong Daekwang.

“What, what is this?”

Caught off guard, Hong Daekwang quickly unwrapped the long, white paper in his hand, half-hoping it might be a secret martial arts manual.

“This is…!”

It was long and somewhat round. In other words…

“T-Tanghulu?”

Why on earth was there a snack? And why would he give it to him?

“Eat it.”

“Huh?”

“It looks like you’ll soon be left in a dark cave, eating stale rice with your limbs cut off. So, consider this your last chance to enjoy something sweet…”

“You damn bastard!”

Hong Daekwang threw the sweets he was holding. Chung Myung pursed his lips.

“Ah… such a waste.”

“Is this really the time for jokes?”

“I’m not joking…”

Hong Daekwang clamped his mouth shut. He realized Chung Myung wasn’t joking. If the situation weren’t so chaotic, the elders and the Sect Leader would have already been arguing about which limb of Hong Daekwang’s to cut off first.

“That…”

At that moment, as Hong Daekwang desperately racked his brains about his grim future, Ilho Shin Gae mumbled something in a drained voice.

“Not beggars…”

All the attention previously on Hong Daekwang shifted towards Ilho Shin Gae.

“…I am not a beggar.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

“Yeah. That’s right… Yeah.”

Old memories flashed through Ilho Shin Gae’s mind. The icy winter, the hand that saved him from freezing to death. The shelter that, despite not being warm, felt infinitely warm.

“That’s right…”

Ilho Shin Gae became a beggar in this way. In the darkest corners of the world, where the gaze of the wealthy did not reach, those who found and extended a hand to him were all as destitute as one could be, struggling to find food for each day.

“And so… I wanted the Beggars Sect to become great.”

Ilho Shin Gae wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Most of the members of the Beggars Sect had joined in similar circumstances. It was a place that willingly accepted those whom no one else would, making the sect an immeasurably gracious place to them.

Because of this, he wanted to make the Beggars Sect great with his own hands. But the world took that opportunity away from him. After a long time of grinding his teeth in bitterness, he finally thought the opportunity had come again…

Ilho Shin Gae closed his eyes. In retrospect, it made sense. What he wanted was a great and powerful Beggars Sect. But in that vision of greatness, there was no place for the ragged beggar who extended a hand to the young Ilho Shin Gae.

The greatness he envisioned was what his now powerful self desired, not the greatness that the powerless, miserable child once dreamed of.

Ilho Shin Gae opened his eyes and looked quietly at Chung Myung.

“So that’s what you meant, Hwasan Geomhyeop.”

“Huh?”

“That’s why you said I couldn’t do it. Now I understand what you meant.”

Chung Myung tilted his head, looking displeased.

“…Even after coughing up blood to explain, you didn’t get it.”

It seemed that beggars had a way of understanding each other. Ilho Shin Gae’s gaze left Chung Myung and turned to another person.

“Leader. No… Muheun.”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae also looked back at him.

“Speak, Sahyeong.”

“What are you planning to do? Will you continue to hold that position?”

It was an abrupt question, but Pung Yeong Shin Gae immediately shook his head as if there was no need to reconsider.

“I am a person with some sense of shame. Naturally, I want a chance to make up for the mistakes I have made, but I also understand that this is my own greed. Even without a position or authority, I can still atone for my sins.”

“Then?”

“I intend to step down from the position of Sect Leader and withdraw.”

Ilho Shin Gae laughed helplessly.

“Then there was no reason to fight in the first place. The Beggars Sect that I despised so much will come to an end.”

“Yes, Sahyeong. But…”

“I understand. You couldn’t accept my vision of the Beggars Sect either.”

“…That’s right.”

Ilho Shin Gae closed his eyes again in silent contemplation. When he opened them again, his eyes were significantly more serene. His tone also changed at that moment.

“Then let it be so. Both you and I… It’s time for those of us who have been consumed and altered by the past era to step down.”

“E-Elder!”

“What are you saying?”

The elders all cried out in unison, shocked.

“What do you mean by this now?”

As the elders reacted vehemently, Ilho Shin Gae’s face turned cold, and he scolded them sharply.

“And then what? Will you fight to the end against Shaolin and Hwasan?”

One of the elders, veins bulging in his neck, shouted.

“If we resist to the death, the common beggars won’t just stand by and watch. Aren’t we all part of the Beggars Sect? If they join us in the fight…”

“There will be a tremendous bloodbath.”

Ilho Shin Gae cut him off, showing he had heard enough.

“Do you propose to use the lives of the common beggars to gain power?”

“That, that’s…”

Ilho Shin Gae laughed bitterly.

A sect where lives could be thrown away like useless grass. This was indeed the Beggars Sect he had envisioned. But this was not what he had meant.

“Calm down, Great Elder!”

One of the elders, refusing to give up, shouted.

“Even if they are from Shaolin, the Abbot won’t side with them. If we hold out for a few days, the Abbot will sort things out and return the Beggars Sect to us!”

Hye Bang, who had been listening quietly, showed a slight change in expression. There was some truth to the elder’s words.

“This is a fight we’ve already won! Just endure a bit longer and…”

“Enough.”

However, Ilho Shin Gae shook his head, showing no remaining attachment.

“If that happens, the Beggars Sect will fall into chaos again. Rumors will spread that the new Sect Leader ousted the previous one with the help of Shaolin. The beggars won’t follow me.”

“What can they do about it? In the end, they will have no choice but to follow. They must follow!”

That statement from another elder made Ilho Shin Gae feel even more despondent than any other protest.

Those words precisely confirmed Hong Daekwang’s claim that the Beggars Sect they wanted to create would only serve to fill their own bellies.

“We’re already riding a tiger. If we fail, we lose everything. What are you hesitating for?”

He felt sadness and despair.

Despite this, he couldn’t even get angry because he knew he was no different from them.

“Sect Leader.”

“Yes.”

“The reason they…”

Ilho Shin Gae took a short breath, calmed his mind, and spoke again.

“The reason they are rebelling so strongly is because they are afraid.”

“….”

“Can you ease their fears? My words alone may not suffice, but now is the time for you to show them acceptance as well.”

“I intended to do so from the beginning.”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae spoke firmly.

“I will make a clear promise to the elders.”

“…”

“If you step back now, I will not hold anyone responsible for what happened today. Be it the assassination attempt on the Sect Leader, disobedience, or any other mistake. Today will disappear from the history of the Beggars Sect!”

“Ah…”

The elders’ eyes widened. This was practically a promise to guarantee their rights in the future. For those who had no outcome but to be stripped of their martial arts and thrown into a dungeon upon defeat, this was a chance to live as they had before.

Of course, it wouldn’t be exactly the same, but considering the circumstances, it was more than they could have hoped for.

“But I am different. I will take full responsibility for all of this and step down from the position of Sect Leader.”

“Are you really… serious, Sect Leader?”

One of the elders asked with a face full of disbelief. Pung Yeong Shin Gae glanced briefly at Ilho Shin Gae before responding.

“…We were all wrong from the beginning. We should have realized that we couldn’t lead the Beggars Sect down the right path with these methods.”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae closed his eyes, as if trying to suppress something.

‘Master.’

He didn’t want to say that his master was wrong. But at least he hadn’t been right. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Hong Daekwang, still frozen in place.

Inadequate and unreliable. But…

“The future of the Beggars Sect should be entrusted to those who will live that future. That’s what a true leader should do.”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae declared. The elders swallowed hard and looked around.

“Amitabha.”

Hye Bang uttered a short Buddhist chant, and Baek Cheon raised his sword slightly.

Sect Leader had laid everything on the table. Despite having the potential support of Shaolin and Hwasan, capable of overwhelming everyone present, he chose not to.

In that case, did they, the elders, have any other choice?

All eyes turned to the last person who could bring closure to this situation. Ilho Shin Gae spoke, his voice unwavering.

“We, the elders, including myself…”

His resolute voice resonated.

“…will follow the Sect Leader’s words. We only hope for a merciful resolution.”

Finally, Ilho Shin Gae’s last words brought an end to the situation.

“We surrender.”

The Beggars Sect surrendered.

It might have been the end of a momentous, albeit small, war.

Mixed emotions crossed Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s face as he nodded.

“Today’s events are sorrowful… but as my Master said, whenever a person is wounded…”

“Excuse me…”

“…they can move forward. I understand the feelings, but the children we raised…”

“That… um, Sect Leader?”

“Never shall the Beggars Sect…”

“Oh, no! Sect Leader!”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae’s face twisted. Why did someone keep interrupting at such a crucial moment? He turned to Baek Cheon.

“What’s going on?”

“I…that…um…”

“Hmm?”

Pung Yeong Shin Gae furrowed his brows as Baek Cheon pointed to something. What was he pointing at?

Creak…creak…

“Huh?”

Creak…creak…creak…creak!

From that direction came the sound of something old and worn, splitting apart. No, it wasn’t just a sound. It was actually breaking.

“What…is that?”

“Is, is it okay? Most of the ceiling has already collapsed, so the remaining half should be…”

Crack!

Before the sentence finished, the place they were standing on began to sway violently. The significance of this sway was clear to everyone. They all froze in contemplation.

Creak…creak…

Large cracks began to spread across the floor. Shaolin monks were the first to cautiously step back.

“C-collapsing…”

“No way…”

Hong Daekwang’s timely and desperate scream pierced through the hall.

“It’s collapsing! Run away!”

“Run! We’ll get buried alive!”

“Ah! Why now!”

“Damn it! Can’t anything end cleanly!”

“No time to talk, let’s get out!”

“Eek!”

“What…is that? Huh…”

The beggars, who had been lingering outside unable to enter, blinked in confusion as they watched the absurd scene.

“It’s collapsing…”

Creak…creak…crash!

The decrepit pavilion, standing crookedly moments ago, collapsed neatly and unexpectedly.

“Heh…hehehe.”

It wasn’t just the end of the war. The symbol of the Beggars Sect for centuries, the old pavilion, met its end in an absturd and abrupt way.