Episode 100

Both legs of Hwaun Gae were resting on the shoulders of Yu Jinsan.

While he was running frantically, he heard the laughter of his granddaughter behind him.

“Hehehe. Interesting.”

Behind them, Yu Seol was sprinting, having hoisted Hwaun Gae’s shoulders, her face bursting with a delighted smile.

“Are you saying this situation is fun?”

The child didn’t realize the gravity of what she was doing; they had kidnapped the Beggars Union troop leader right in front of 500 people.

The leader of the troops, one level below the elder, was still an important person in the sect.

But such things did not concern Yu Seol.

“Let’s run a bit slower. We are getting too far away~”

Contrary to the excited Yu Seol, the Beggars Union members chasing them were in despair.

“They took away our leader!”

“Do not let them go!”

The beggars, clutching their sticks and gritting their teeth, ran to rescue their leader.

It was driving them insane that they couldn’t narrow the distance, so much so that they might lose sight of him.

Little did they know that the Yi Yang Twin Monsters were constantly controlling the speed to mock them.

Before long, people began to gasp and turn exhausted, one after another.

The entrance to the drinking house.

Newcomers were approaching the place from which the beggars had vanished.

Seven swordsmen dressed in pitch-black robes.

The one in the center tilted his head.

“It seems worse than the rumors. I cannot believe the Yin Monster’s skills are this strong.”

“I never imagined that they could dismantle the circle without blinking. Moreover, the leader of the troops was taken down in one hit…”

“Well, thanks to that, we don’t have anything to do.”

After the entire situation was resolved, the ones in black robes finally revealed themselves.

Their true identity was that of the Sun Moon Clan warriors who supported this place.

However, when they saw hundreds of Beggars Union members, they couldn’t help but hide.

“But why did they have to kidnap the leader of the Beggars Union?”

“I don’t know either. I’ve heard the Yang Monster’s cunning reaches the skies, but who can fathom his intentions?”

“All of this is a mystery, including their reason for helping us. Could it be that the Black Night Clan found them as a new trade partner instead of us?”

“There’s no way you can do it without being insane. If one gets involved with notorious people, you will be branded as a Justice Faction enemy.”

“But the Yin Yang Twin Monsters are popular for their Evil Faction martial arts, right?”

The leader looked lost in thought and then nodded.

“They’ve been scratching where it itches. How can it be that the Evil Way Alliance even gave their plaque to them?”

“You’re saying they have the Evil Emperor Plaque?”

“Certainly. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Anyway, we should also start moving. We need to assist in the safe relocation of our branch.”

He and the Yin Yang Twin Monsters were in constant ties.

It was because Yu Jinsan was the one whom he met on the ferry to make contact with the Black Night Clan.

As the swordsmen of the Sun Moon Clan disappeared into the drinking house, only silence lingered at the entrance.

In a densely dark forest.

Someone lying on the cold ground slowly opened their eyes.

“Ugh…”

A skull-breaking headache.

It was Hwaun Gae groaning at the stiffness behind his neck.

Soon, he realized where he was lying down.

‘Just what happened?’

The last memory he had in his mind.

It was the appearance of the two monsters rushing at him, and the more he thought of the kid with rabbit ears, the colder he got. This was one thing he wouldn’t forget until he died.

First, understanding the situation was the priority.

Hwaun Gae began to slowly turn his head, not caring about the pain.

Suddenly, his heart sank.

The Yin Yang Twin Monsters.

They were seated near the bonfire next to him.

In their hands, they each held an unidentified skewer.

At that time, Yu Seol, who was chewing something, looked at him and asked.

“Are you up?”

“Ummmm….”

Hwaun Gae’s face turned pale at the sight of the kid smiling brightly.

Yu Seol gulped down her food and brought the remaining skewer to his mouth.

“Have it. It’s delicious.”

Though a member of the Beggars Union who wouldn’t refuse free food, this moment was an exception.

He was neither in a state to taste nor to swallow anything.

“What is this…?”

“They say one needs to eat when they have a long journey ahead.”

Hwaun Gae’s face went dark as he misunderstood the meaning of those words.

‘They really intend to kill me.’

His eyes, filled with fear, slowly searched for the Yang Monster.

He was holding a small dagger, heating it over the fire.

Was he planning to torture him? At that moment, his anxiety peaked.

“I have some questions for you. I suppose you won’t answer them willingly?”

He couldn’t help but get creeped out by the sight of him turning the dagger without even looking at him, but he was a leader of the Beggars Union.

His pride would not allow him to step down from this.

“…You will know nothing from me.”

“Is that so?”

After receiving the signal from her grandpa, Yu Seol stretched out her hand, and at that moment, this intangible qi moved from her hand, wrapped around Hwaun Gae’s form, who was lying down, and lifted him into the air.

“Ughh…”

The pressure felt as if it was constricting his entire body.

Dangling in the air, he was utterly powerless, like a mouse in the grip of a python, facing death.

“You’re already putting on airs, and we haven’t even started. Let him down for now.”

Hwaun Gae, free from Yu Seol’s grasp, flopped down and sat on the other side of Yu Jinsan.

“Don’t play around and just kill me.”

“Your mouth says one thing, but your eyes are pleading for life.”

“…”

“I have seen many people like you who gave up their lives for honor and pride. What use is all that? Once you die, everything is the same.”

Hwaun Gae clenched his hand as he said,

“The Beggars Union is me, and I am the Beggars Union. My life has been about them from the start.”

Yu Jinsan smiled at those words.

“When a disciple enters a sect, the first thing done to them is brainwashing. So that they can abandon their lives like a moth to a flame. But even if such things get planted in their heads, human nature isn’t one to change easily.”

After finishing speaking, Yu Jinsan held the red-hot dagger.

“What are you attempting to do?”

“It will be better if you don’t move. Because if you do, you will regret it.”

“W-wait…”

Hwaun Gae tried to say something urgently, but the Yang Monster wasn’t stopping.

“Catch.”

With a soft command, the Yin Monster moved from behind.

The grip was tiny, but it felt as if it contained the infinite strength of Buddha, leaving him completely immobile.

“Stay still!”

His eyes were visibly shaking.

His fear-stricken face was filled with a desire to live.

“S-spare me, please…”

“Do not turn your head so much and be still.”

Yu Jinsan held his head with his left hand and then slowly moved the dagger to his face.

Could he be starting by piercing his eyes?

He was horrified by the slowly approaching heated dagger.

“Please…”

Yu Jinsan silently stared right below his eyes.

Deep scars and unhealed blood wounds on his face.

These were injuries he sustained when he fell after being struck by Yu Seol.

““The scar might remain, but if we don’t treat it now, you might die from infection. Unless you have a body like our Seol.”

“…no way.”

Hwaun Gae was realizing it now; the Twin Monsters were not trying to torture him.

Indeed, he had felt a burning sensation on his face since waking up but hadn’t had the mind to pay attention to it.

“What do you mean, could it be?”

Yu Jinsan pressed the dagger into his wound.

Chiiikk!

“Kuaaaak!!”

A desperate scream erupted, one that should have surely echoed. At that moment, Yu Seol abruptly pressed a piece of unidentified, ground-up grass to his face.

Slam!

“Press down on it.”

Hwaun Gae, pressing one hand on his face, could only blink.

At that moment, Yu Jinsan, who had returned to his original place, mumbled.

“How did someone so cowardly and whiny climb up to be the leader? Are you related to the head of your sect or something?”

“…”

“Looking at your face, it seems like you are fine now. Well, since you received food from us and your wounds are healing, it would be right for you to give us something in return.”

“W-what do you mean? When did I ever ask for this…?”

Yu Jinsan smiled slightly at those words.

Though it was a child’s laughter, it seemed as gentle as an elderly man’s pleased expression.

“Then what do you want?”

“Let go of me. We don’t have any grudges against the Yin Yang Twin Monsters, right?”

“Hmm. That was true until recently. And what does that matter? We’re already beyond redemption with the Murim Alliance.”

Hwaun Gae couldn’t even begin to guess the true intentions of the Yang Monster.

Having already tasted the fear of death once, he yearned to live again.

“Then tell me what you want first.”

“The only thing you can offer me is information. Let’s make a deal. I won’t ask anything that directly harms Beggars Union. In exchange, answer my questions truthfully, and I’ll let you go.”

As a leader of the Beggars Union, he likely held many high-level secrets unknown even to the Black Night Clan.

He couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

“How can I believe that…?”

“If we wanted to kill you, why would we bother treating your wound? Besides, I have no reason to kill you. Not until now, at least.”

Did that mean not speaking would give him a reason?

Hwaun Gae didn’t need much time to think. How could he pass up the opportunity presented to him? Moreover, if the question didn’t directly harm the Beggars Union, there was no reason to refuse.

“Fine. I’ll tell you everything truthfully, so please keep your word.”

His granddaughter came and sat next to Yu Jinsan, who was nodding his head. She seemed curious as well.

“First question. How well does the Murim Alliance understand us now?”

This question likely pertained to the identity of the Yin Yang Twin Monsters.

New warriors from the Evil Faction had suddenly appeared.

Their identity had caused turmoil in Kangho.

“About 6 years ago, there was this treacherous old man who instigated a conflict between Mount Hua and Wudang from the shadows. They suspect that man might be the Yang Monster, but the sects haven’t identified him yet. And there’s no information on the Ying Monster.”

“But here’s the thing.”

“…?”

“I am just the Yang Monster, and she is the Yin Monster.”

“Th-that…”

Yu Jinsan waved his hand, signaling not to worry.

Despite his calm expression, his feelings were becoming complicated.

‘Has the Murim Alliance figured it out? If so, we would also be enemies of Mount Hua and Wudang. But what does it matter? Our relationship couldn’t get worse anyway.’

Not just Mount Hua and Wudang.

There was the Southern Edge, whose elders he struck, and Shaolin, whose demon was released and treasure stolen.

And now, they had irreversibly antagonized the Beggars Union as well.

He was curious about how far he would go with the Justice Faction in the future.

“Second question, then.”