Chapter 94

After receiving some rough treatment, Mantian was dragged to the Martial Alliance meeting hall.

He slowly scanned the elders of the Righteous Faction, who were glaring at him with fierce intensity.

Their gazes were fixed on the remnants of an intolerable rebel faction.

He didn’t mind the attention, but this might be a bit too much.

Well, he had prepared himself for this when he caused the trouble.

A true star is someone who drives both fans and haters crazy at the same time.

This isn’t so bad.

…And, whether it’s fortunate or not, there was someone he knew.

It seemed they weren’t pleased with the current situation.

“Hmph… what a ridiculous spectacle.”

Jiegal Yang, with a displeased expression.

“…Since you’re here, let’s begin.”

Jaro, his senior, sat at the head of the round table with a tired face, leading the meeting.

Considering the position of the Martial Alliance leader, he couldn’t openly help, but it was still better than nothing.

As Mantian gathered information and pondered his situation.

The first to speak was a large middle-aged man, Elder Peng of the Hebei Peng family.

“Kid, speak up while I’m being nice. Who taught you the Dog Chasing Stick Technique?”

Peng Ohun interrogated Mantian, ready to pounce.

‘Ah, here it comes.’

Of all the martial arts, they had to specifically mention the Dog Chasing Stick Technique. Mantian’s eyebrow twitched.

If they had just asked who taught him his martial arts, he could have shown the Jeonjin Sect certification (Wang Miaoyang).

…But the Dog Chasing Stick Technique is a unique martial art of the Beggar Sect, so that wouldn’t work.

Since he couldn’t tell the truth, he decided to hide part of it.

“Well, a long time ago, a passing beggar elder noticed my bravery and chivalry, comparable to Zhang Fei of Changban Slope, and decided to teach me.”

These elders had climbed their way up, eating scraps along the way.

It’s better to tell a partial truth than a blatant lie.

What are they going to do if I say I learned it from a beggar? Bring the Beggar Sect leader here?

“The Beggar Sect Leader, Golden Beggar Immortal Noh Yushim, has arrived.”

Damn… they actually called him.

As soon as the words were spoken, the meeting hall doors opened, and in walked a man with black hair, wearing pure white silk robes, his face both youthful and aged.

“What’s the matter? You couldn’t let an old man sleep…”

Noh Yushim, who had been taking a nap, entered the meeting hall with leisurely steps.

“Oh… you are…?”

“Ah?! Your name is…?”

…And somehow, the two recognized each other.

Mantian and Noh Yushim, who had met by chance through the Dog Chasing Stick Technique, recognized each other.

Mantian’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘I thought that old man was someone important, but I never imagined he was the Beggar Sect Leader.’

As the realization hit him, his mouth went dry, and questions flooded his mind.

…Then why didn’t he interrogate me about the Dog Chasing Stick Technique when we first met? Instead, he even gave me advice?

Regardless of Mantian’s confusion.

Jiegal Yang, who had a personal relationship with Noh Yushim, secretly sent a message.

[Old man, please spare this young man for now. He’s my Go friend.]

Forget about the Eight-Foot Monster. It would be a waste for him to die as a scapegoat for the elders’ anger.

[Old man, he’s Master’s friend. Help him out.]

Jaro also secretly sent a message to save his foolish disciple.

Yes, the other elders didn’t know, but they had called him.

The Beggar Sect Leader, Noh Yushim, was also one of the remnants of the Eight-Foot Monster faction who had infiltrated the martial world.

“……”

And Noh Yushim didn’t like the atmosphere of trying to kill someone like this.

“Sect Leader, this young man has learned the Dog Chasing Stick Technique, which only the Sect Leader can teach. Do you know anything about this?”

…Without hesitation, Noh Yushim nodded at Peng Ohun’s question.

“Hmm~ of course. I taught him.”

“…What?”

“When he was young, I taught martial arts to that boy, Mantian.”

With a calm face and a gentle smile, he defended Mantian.

“That violates the Beggar Sect’s rules! The Dog Chasing Stick Technique is a martial art only the Sect Leader can learn!!”

An elder with a long beard shouted, but Noh Yushim just laughed it off.

“Is that young man holding a stick or a staff?”

“I taught him how to fight with a staff, except for a few techniques. It’s the Dog Chasing Staff Technique.”

The atmosphere, which was not going as expected, made Peng Ohun’s face twist.

“This is nonsense. Why are you defending this brat, even breaking the Beggar Sect’s rules? Are you siding with the Eight-Foot Monster now?”

“Huh…?!”

Along with the Tiger-Striking Monk of Shaolin.

Even the unruly Jiegal Yang used honorifics when addressing Noh Yushim, a great elder of the Righteous Faction. The other elders’ expressions hardened at such direct words.

“I didn’t know you were so interested in the Beggar Sect’s affairs. Are you planning to become a Beggar Sect disciple?”

At Peng Ohun’s attitude, Noh Yushim’s voice, which had been gentle, now carried strength.

“…But the Beggar Sect has a rule that if you slander or falsely accuse someone, you must be stabbed.”

“If you try to harm someone with words, you must be prepared to be stabbed yourself.”

Noh Yushim’s ageless eyes turned to Peng Ohun.

“Are you prepared to be stabbed? Why are you trying to kill this child?”

“……!!”

If you have a grudge against the Eight-Foot Monster, take it out on them.

Don’t pick on someone obviously weaker…

At the mention of not dragging out suspicions about the Eight-Foot Monster’s disciple, Peng Ohun’s face turned red with shame.

Noh Yushim didn’t stop there and slammed the Dog Chasing Stick into the ground.

Boom-!!

The entire meeting hall shook, and a shockwave brushed past the elders’ faces.

“I, Noh Yushim, the Golden Beggar Immortal, one of the Ten Great Masters of the World, swear on my honor.”

With a voice filled with power, he warned the elders.

“I am the one who taught the Dog Chasing Stick Technique. Do not involve this child in the martial world’s public enemies anymore.”

The honor of one of the Ten Great Masters and the Beggar Sect Leader.

At those heavy words, the elders’ mouths shut on their own.

Regardless of the actual facts, when one of the greatest elders of the Righteous Faction speaks like this.

Given the Righteous Faction’s emphasis on hierarchy and honor, it was proper to step back.

“……”

As Peng Ohun and the other elders silently agreed.

“Then I’ll catch up with my long-lost disciple and be on my way.”

Noh Yushim, with his gentle voice again, took Mantian and left the stifling meeting hall.

“Let’s go, Mantian.”

“Ah… yes! Master!!”

In the martial world, a master is like a parent. Along with the name given by his real parents, he received the surnames of four masters.

[Sima Mantian, Gong Mantian, Mok Mantian, Wang Mantian, Noh Mantian]

In an instant, he became a servant with five surnames, surpassing even Lü Bu.

‘Wow… I really almost died.’

…But relieved to have survived the snake’s den, he followed Noh Yushim out of the meeting hall.

“Later, thank Yang and Jaro. They were very worried about you.”

“Of course, I’ll thank them. But Yang…?”

“Jiegal Yang, I met him when he was about your age. I felt sorry for the boy with world-weary eyes, so I taught him Go.”

At my question, Noh Yushim smiled softly, as if remembering the past.

“It was to fix his temper and teach him patience.”

“Looking at his personality now, it doesn’t seem to have worked.”

“Haha~ true. Before I knew it, he became better at Go than me and even learned the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms through Go bets.”

During the conversation, Mantian cautiously observed Noh Yushim’s face.

He treats Jiegal Yang, who looks over sixty, like a child. Just how old is he?

He looks young, but sometimes his demeanor makes it impossible to guess his age.

Regardless, since he was his life’s savior, Mantian expressed his gratitude.

“Sir, thank you so much for helping me this time. But was it really okay to stake your honor?”

“Smart friend asking a foolish question.”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

At my confused question, Noh Yushim suddenly smiled like a mischievous child.

“Where does a beggar have honor? They were fooled by me!”

At such a light, bold statement, my mind went blank.

“No… honor is something that doesn’t depend on that…”

As I rambled, the old man smiled faintly, as if freed from something or simply tired.

“A few words saved a precious life. That’s enough.”

That face, strangely resembling the master who abandoned fame, honor, and name to wander the world, left me speechless.

“…And if you think about it, it’s not entirely a lie.”

“…Huh?”

But the感动 didn’t last long.

“Your master, the Eight-Foot Monster, learned the Dog Chasing Stick Technique from me, who learned it from Confucius.”

He laughed mischievously again, casually dropping an incredible fact.

“So, in a roundabout way, you learned the Dog Chasing Stick Technique from me.”