So, you’re all gathered here. (2)
Chung Myung lifted his head slightly, his gaze turning to Pung Yeong Shin Gae.
“First, how is the pursuit of Sapaeryeon’s remaining forces going?”
At that, Pung Yeong Shin Gae calmly shook his head.
“I believe it would be difficult for me to answer.”
“Is there some kind of a problem?”
“Rather than a problem, it’s that you’ve asked the wrong person, General.”
“What?”
“It was an urgent situation, so I came as a temporary representative of the Beggars Sect, but now I think it’s right to let the remaining matters proceed in their proper course.”
Having said so, Pung Yeong Shin Gae cast a glance to the side.
“Affairs of the Beggars Sect ought to be overseen by the Sect Leader.”
“Mm.”
“Mmm.”
Those present looked at the beggar seated beside Pung Yeong Shin Gae. Chung Myung, following their gazes almost absent-mindedly, promptly scowled in dismay.
“What, when did he get here?”
“Heheheh”
Hong Daekwang grinned broadly, his face brimming with confidence.
“I ran my feet raw, just in case you might need me.”
“…You really didn’t have to.”
“Hah! What a joke! Of course you need my help. Isn’t that right, Hwasan Shinryong?”
With a look of pure distaste, Chung Myung turned back to Pung Yeong Shin Gae.
“Retired Sect Leader. I’m sorry, but could you please just keep doing it the way you were?”
“That will not do.”
“It really won’t? Really?”
“Hey, you brat. Hwasan Shinryong! Are you seriously doing this? You’re not saying you don’t trust me, are you?”
Hong Daekwang snorted furiously, blowing air out of his large nostrils. Watching him, Chung Myung nodded reluctantly, as if there were no other choice.
“Ugh, fine, no helping it. So… How is it going?”
“How is it going? The beggar lot are chasing after them as if to tear their tattered undergarments to pieces- Ugh, aaagh!”
Hong Daekwang suddenly jerked. Pung Yeong Shin Gae had stomped on the top of his foot hard enough to nearly break it. Trembling in pain, Hong Daekwang shed a few tears as he cast a resentful glance at him.
Pung Yeong Shin Gae spoke in a low voice.
“It is a formal assembly [공석(公席)], Sect Leader.”
“R-Right.”
Hong Daekwang resumed in a more formal tone.
“The Beggars Sect’s disciples are in pursuit so as not to let the enemy slip away, General. At present, the pursuit and disposal of the remnants is proceeding smoothly.”
“Smoothly…”
Chung Myung nodded.
To speak plainly, the Beggars Sect had been of little help in the all-out war. Knowing this themselves, they would surely try to make amends by showcasing their specialty in the pursuit.
“Your estimate?”
“I do not believe even two in ten will succeed in crossing the Yangtze again.”
“Two out of ten.”
Jongli Gok let out a low exclamation.
An astounding achievement.
Even reducing the enemy’s numbers by half would be hailed as an overwhelming victory, but to speak of leaving only two in ten? That was nothing short of annihilation.
Just then, Chung Myung echoed Jongli Gok’s words.
“Two out of ten?”
But somehow, the meaning behind his words seemed entirely different.
“Why?”
“….Huh?”
“Why are you letting that many slip away? Why?”
Hong Daekwang’s mouth fell slightly open. Chung Myung began to raise his voice.
“How do you do a job and let that many get out alive? Two out of ten? You call it two out of ten – if ten thousand crossed the river, doesn’t that mean two thousand of those bastards get away alive?”
“N-No, Hwasan Sh-”
“Is two thousand a joke to you? If two thousand of those venomous bastards cross to Gangnam, who’s going to handle the aftermath? Huh? Are there no people living in Gangnam? Cut the nonsense and catch them all. Leave not a single one behind!”
“I’ve been patient, but enough is enough! Say something that makes sense! Do you think the whole of Gangbuk is your neighbor’s backyard? How do you expect us to hunt down every single one scattered like grains of sand across such a vast land?”
“You’ve got the Yangtze, the Yangtze!”
“Yeah. Because we have the Yangtze, we can at least handle that much. That includes the ones we catch and kill while holding the line on the river! If there were no Yangtze, most of the bastards who crossed to north would already have slipped away back to the south.”
“That’s what the Beggars Sect is for – to stop that. To stop it!”
“The Beggars Sect… isn’t there just for that.“
“Then what are you for? To beg for your meals?”
At a loss for words, Hong Daekwang stared blankly at Chung Myung. Was it just his imagination, or had even the eyes of those who moments ago looked at him favorably upon hearing ‘two in ten’ now grown sharp and cold?
‘Did I really do something wrong?’
For a moment, even Hong Daekwang began to doubt himself.
“Anyway, you damn beggar punks. All you know is how to beg for a meal. You’re no help in war, no help in pursuit. And do you even bring back proper intelligence? Then again, if the head is incompetent, how can the underlings be any good. Ugh. Isn’t there a single clever beggar among you.”
Beaten up by words, tearing up, Hong Daekwang sent Pung Yeong Shin Gae a pleading look. But Pung Yeong Shin Gae, as if this were no longer his concern, stubbornly kept his gaze fixed elsewhere.
Hong Daekwang was lost in a belated reflection.
‘I have lost my mind. Why did I even come here.’
After being treated like that, what was he thinking, crawling back again.
“Just find a way to do it.”
“…We’ll do it, but realistically…”
“Oh, come on! I’m telling you, it all can be done! This is happening because you’re not putting in the effort! If you work hard, it’ll work out!”
“…A beggar talking about effort, give me a break.”
If they knew how to try that hard, why would they be living by begging in the first place? Say something that makes sense.
“Yeah? Well, if you hate it that much, forget it.”
“Huh?”
Brightening, Hong Daekwang looked at Chung Myung. A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
“Right? No matter what, it’s unreasonable…”
“Then the beggars can cross the river too. Track them down and bring back every last head.”
“…”
“Then instead of panicking now and suffering later, pack your things and cross the river. Don’t come back until you’ve killed every last Sapa bastard. Got it?”
“…Uh, we’ll try somehow, General.”
“Tsk. You should’ve said so from the start. People like you can do it, yet you only listen when I get angry.”
Hong Daekwang wiped the cold sweat with his sleeve. Pity flickered in everyone’s eyes, but only for a moment. They weren’t in any state to worry about others either.
Jongli Gok, who was in comparatively better shape, spoke up.
“But General, in practical terms, it’s difficult to eliminate every last one of them in Gangbuk.”
“Of course.”
“Then why take it out only on m- Argh!”
Hong Daekwang, whose foot was stepped on again by Pung Yeong Shin Gae, clamped his mouth shut. Chung Myung, glaring at him with narrowed eyes, turned back to Jongli Gok.
“Which means, inevitably, thousands of Sapaeryeon’s members will be set loose in Gangnam.”
“Right. What do you think will become of Sapaeryeon next?”
“From here on, allow me to explain!”
Im Sobyeong, who had been holding his breath, sprang to his feet. Clicking his tongue, Chung Myung looked him over.
“A beggar, a bandit… What a reeeal fine state our Alliance is in.”
“Heheheheheh. Bandit, you say? Please, at least call us righteous bandits now… But maybe put that shoe down while we talk. The spot you hit earlier hasn’t even healed yet.”
With a dissatisfied look, Chung Myung lowered the shoe he’d raised. Opening his fan, Im Sobyeong declared.
“Sapaeryeon will collapse.”
“Huh? Even with thousands of members left?”
“Whether it’s thousands or tens of thousands doesn’t matter. Two things matter to the Evil Sects: must they submit, or whether they lose money if they don’t.”
Snap.
Flicking his fingers, Im Sobyeong continued.
“But right now Sapaeryeon has no leader to serve as a focal point. And they’ve got no funds to feed their men.”
“The main headquarters should still have a vast amount of wealth, no?”
“Good grief. Aren’t you looking at the Evil Sects a little too naively? The moment word spread that Jang Ilso had lost his head, the guards at the main headquarters would have cleaned it out and ran.”
“Ahem.”
“Huh……”
Several people let out hollow laughs of disbelief.
“Why is that?”
“Ah, even so…”
“Tsk tsk. After all that fighting, you still understand the Sapas this little – so of course you keep ending up the same way every time. If you don’t get it, don’t give yourself a headache. Entrust it to a professional. For all my looks, I happen to be from the Evil Sects, you know?”
“…What a thing to boast about.”
“Hehe.”
Im Sobyeong chuckled, looking somewhat embarrassed. Jongli Gok, who had been sunk in serious thought, let out a faint groan.
“I fail to understand. Are Cheon Myeon Susa and Haomun not still around? If I were Cheon Myeon Susa, I’d consider this a chance to seize Sapaeryeon in one fell swoop.”
“It’s nothing but a shiny rotten apricot. From the start, the members of Saparyeon never submitted to Saparyeon itself. They submitted to Jang Ilso.”
“…If the figure in question is Cheon Myeon Susa, they won’t feel compelled to pledge their loyalty?”
“Exactly. Cheon Myeon Susa knows that as well, so there’s no way he’d do anything reckless at a time like this.”
“Even so…”
“Of course, under normal circumstances he might well think so. But not now. And the reason, I’m sure you all know.”
Finishing his words, Im Sobyeong gestured slightly with his chin towards Chung Myung.
“Mmm. Indeed, that is convincing.”
“First, one has to live.”
“Aye, of course.”
“Huh? What are they talking about?”
Only Chung Myung seemed not to understand. He tilted his head, looking at the people around him as they nodded.
‘If I were Cheon Myeon Susa, I’d hide somewhere right now. I would never step to the front.’
‘Who knows when that man will cross the Yangtze.’
‘If he wants even a chance to sleep soundly, he’ll have to give up what must be given up.’
From the Evil Sects’ viewpoint, the dreaded evil spirit of Hwasan – someone they’d never want to see even in their dreams – has actually taken their leader’s head. With what nerve would anyone step into that seat? Unless one fancied a gravesite right beside Jang Ilso’s.
“Hmm, then is that for the best?”
“Hardly. We’re screwed.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Ha. Do I really have to explain even this?”
At Im Sobyeong’s words, Jongli Gok’s eyes twitched.
“Insolent bandit…”
“Tsk tsk. When things don’t go your way, you lot always grab for a blade first.”
As if he had expected such a reaction, Im Sobyeong sneered and pressed on with his explanation.
“If they gather at the main headquarters in the form of Sapaeryeon, it actually becomes easier to exterminate them. But if they scatter across all of Gangnam, what you get are numerous bands of Black Path [흑도(黑道) – glossary] outlaws who do nothing but harm the common folk. Think of how much manpower and time it would take to track them down and exterminate them all.”
“Mmm.”
Jongli Gok nodded almost without noticing.
In the past, this is where Gupailbang and the Five Great Families would have pulled out. Sapaeryeon would be gone anyway, so they would have left the remaining cleanup to suitable mid-sized and small sects.
Outwardly, they would claim it was to respect the role of the local sects. But in truth, there was no reason to prolong a grueling fight that cost so much effort and yielded little gain.
‘If it were Beop Jong, he certainly would have done so. But…’
Jongli Gok’s gaze turned to Chung Myung.
“So the Beggars Sect will cross the river…”
“No! Not until there’s a blade at my neck! I will di- no. The sword – the sword can be put away for now, Hwasan Shinryong. It’s a figure of speech. It doesn’t mean you should actually ram a sword into my neck. Right?”
“Ah. No?”
With a faint click of his tongue, Chung Myung reluctantly slid his sword back into its sheath. Hong Daekwang trembled from head to toe.
“Jokes aside. Is pursuit into Gangnam really that difficult?”
“It’s not difficult – it’s impossible.”
Hong Daekwang shook his head firmly.
“Those chasing them are just as exhausted as the ones being chased. No – perhaps even more exhausted than those fleeing. Right now, victory is nothing more than a bandage plastered over a festering wound. The moment we cross the river, the wound will begin to worsen. At the slightest misstep, the sacrifice could be immense.”
“Mm.”
Chung Myung slowly nodded, as if it were hard to deny.
“So in the end, we can’t cross the river.”
“It would seem that way.”
“Ugh.”
Chung Myung let out a sigh as if his head ached.
“The real problem, truthfully, is that the land of Gangnam is too empty.”
“That’s true.”
It’s not that the Evil Sects do not exist in Gangbuk. But in the north, they never grow beyond bands of Black Path outlaws of moderate size.
The reason is simple. If they try to settle in Henan, Shaolin comes running with eyes blazing. If they try Hebei, the Peng Family chases them with blades in their teeth. If they try Hubei, they must avoid the eyes of Wudang and the Namgung Clan.
Shaanxi? As for Shaanxi, it has long been a land where the Evil Sects not only failed to take root, they didn’t even dare cast a shadow.
Thus, where great Just Sects stood watch, the Evil Sects found it hard to flourish. The most fundamental reason Sapaeryeon arose is that there are no great sects or families in Gangnam.
“Hoo. For now, let’s limit the pursuit to the Yangtze. We’ll discuss what comes after separately.”
“Understood, General.”
At that moment, Chung Myung’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“But Cheon Myeon Susa is another matter. He must be dealt with – without delay.”
Jongli Gok, and everyone present, nodded.
All knew Cheon Myeon Susa could not wield influence on the level of Jang Ilso. But after a war of this scale, even a small lingering threat must not be left behind. Chung Myung spoke in an even tone.
“So I…..”
“General.”
But someone cut him off, rising to his feet.
“That is something I believe should fall to me.”
Every gaze, including Chung Myung’s, turned to Pung Yeong Shin Gae, who had just stood up.
________
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