A hunched old man suddenly appeared.

The members of the Dragon Tears Society were startled.

They had been about to engage in their usual training with the youngest member.

But amid their activities, this hunched old man appeared from somewhere and glared at them, leaving the Dragon Tears Society members flustered.

The old man deflected the axe of Yi Do-cheol, the leader of the Dragon Tears Society and its strongest warrior.

Then, he stood before Yi Gyu-jin.

Even the furious Yi Do-cheol froze in shock, and the rest of the ruffians glanced around, unsure of the situation.

Yi Gyu-jin was just as shocked.

He, still on his knees, looked up at Beop Jae with a bewildered expression.

This was someone he had never seen before in his life.

Why would such an old man come to his aid?

“Who are you, elder…?”

Beop Jae gripped Yi Gyu-jin’s shoulders tightly.

Then he tried his best to convey his intentions.

‘Go to Yeong-yeong!’

He mouthed the words.

Leave, take Yeong-yeong, and live a happy life.

He poured out his emotions.

The quiet fervor he expressed created a strange sight.

“What…?”

Yi Gyu-jin couldn’t interpret Beop Jae’s lip movements.

He would never have imagined that the old man who suddenly saved him would know about Yeong-yeong.

Beop Jae felt like he would burst from frustration.

Once again, he grasped Yi Gyu-jin’s shoulders.

For the first time in a very long while, he attempted something he had never done since ages past.

“Ah.”

If there was something he must convey.

“Yeong… nyeong. Yeong.”

Though he could barely speak, and the words surely sounded awkward.

“Yeong-nyeong, Yeong-yeong…!”

“…!”

He wanted to tell him to go to Yeong-yeong, to go to his younger sister and leave together.

It was all he could manage to say.

“Thank you!”

Understanding his message, Yi Gyu-jin leapt up.

Then, without looking back, he ran toward where Yeong-yeong was.

At that moment, the ruffians of the Dragon Tears Society and Yi Do-cheol finally regained their senses.

“Where do you think you’re going! What are you doing? Catch him, you bastards!”

The ruffians tried to block Yi Gyu-jin’s path.

But Beop Jae did not remain idle.

He leapt up like a dragon and knocked down the ruffians one by one.

The ruffians, who had underestimated Beop Jae’s small and unimpressive figure, easily fell to the ground.

“Kill him! Just kill him!”

Finally, Do-cheol’s eyes flashed, and his rage erupted.

As all of the Dragon Tears Society’s ruffians charged toward Beop Jae—

Two figures sprang out in front of him.

Bam!

In an instant, each of them knocked out a ruffian.

Yi-gang looked at the startled Beop Jae.

Then he spoke.

“Go.”

“…”

“You should at least say your final farewell.”

Would it take three people to handle the ruffians of the Dragon Tears Society?

Once they had already begun knocking down the ruffians, there was no need to stay silent any longer.

Like Yi Gyu-jin moments earlier, Beop Jae’s body trembled slightly before he nodded.

Then, he started running in the direction Yi Gyu-jin had gone.

This time, even the ruffians of the Dragon Tears Society didn’t dare pursue him.

It was because Yi-gang and Jeong Myung stood firmly, blocking their way.

Yi Do-cheol ground his teeth and growled, “I don’t know where you scoundrels crawled out from. One of you even has a crippled arm…”

Yi-gang let out a bitter laugh.

“How rude,” Then, he spoke with a hint of regret, “Be grateful you didn’t meet me elsewhere.”

If this encounter hadn’t happened while he was staying at Shaolin, Yi Do-cheol’s offense of loose words would have been dealt with much more severely.

“Kill them!”

With that command, the ruffians of the Dragon Tears Society lunged forward, wielding hand axes and swords.

Yi-gang’s condition wasn’t good. But even so, could these ruffians truly pose a threat to him?

He first stepped on the thigh of the approaching ruffian, leaping up and striking his face with his knee.

Crunch!

A sound like a watermelon splitting resounded ominously.

Yi-gang didn’t stop there.

As the ruffian fell backward, he stepped on his face again and leaped up.

Then, he stomped on the face of the man standing behind him with his other foot.

Without even the use of his arms to balance himself, he moved as if he were crossing flat ground.

Crack!

Unable to bear Yi-gang’s full weight on his neck without using light footwork technique, the ruffian immediately fainted.

He then stomped on the next person’s shoulder and moved forward as if he were climbing a steep valley.

And his destination was clear.

Standing at the back, holding an axe, was Yi Do-cheol.

Only then did the leader of the Dragon Tears Society realize the gravity of the situation, fear creeping in.

“Heh heh.”

The sound of Yi-gang’s laughter as he approached, stepping on people’s heads.

Yi Do-cheol’s legs gave out, trembling uncontrollably.

Yi Gyu-jin ran.

The sudden help from Beop Jae and Yi-gang’s group was like a lifeline sent from the heavens.

He was even prepared to sever ties with his family and hometown.

It was what Yeong-yeong had asked for, and Yi Gyu-jin agreed as well.

To marry a woman with a character like Yeong-yeong’s, one had to be pure-hearted.

For him, the Dragon Tears Society had always felt like a prison he could never escape.

He never imagined that the unimposing old man who saved him could stand against both the Dragon Tears Society and his father.

Yeong-yeong was standing as usual, ready to sell tanghulu.

With her unseeing eyes, she diligently prepared her stall.

And then Yi Gyu-jin shouted at the top of his lungs, “Yeong-yeong—!”

Startled, Yeong-yeong raised her head.

Yi Gyu-jin nearly crashed into her as he embraced her.

Shocked, she trembled in his arms.

“We have to leave, right now!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Father didn’t forgive us. We need to escape from here.”

“Wait, let me just put this down…!”

Yeong-yeong struggled, unaware of Yi Gyu-jin’s intentions.

Due to their scuffle, the tanghulu she had set up for sale spilled onto the ground.

The sugar coating, carefully hardened like jewels, shattered to pieces.

The hawthorn fruits became covered in dirt.

And then…

“What a waste…”

A cold voice echoed.

Startled, Yi Gyu-jin looked up.

About ten people were standing there.

However, to Yi Gyu-jin’s eyes, their auras were anything but ordinary.

They were people accustomed to killing or assault.

With his limited insight, they seemed to be of an even higher caliber than Yi-gang’s group.

“Who are you…?”

“Are you Yi Gyu-jin?” asked the knife wielders from the Zhengzhou branch of the Low Down Sect.

“Yes, I am.”

“Step away from that woman.”

“Who are you to…?”

“There’s no need for you to know.”

The man with a long scar on his face tossed and caught his willow-leaf knife repeatedly.

“I was ordered to separate a ruffian like you from that woman.”

“You misunderstand…!”

Swish!

The scarred man’s willow-leaf knife grazed Yi Gyu-jin’s cheek in an instant.

“Next time, it’ll be between your eyebrows.”

“…”

With that one move, Yi Gyu-jin felt a wave of despair.

It seemed the heavens were indifferent. Just as he thought he’d escaped his father’s grip, he was suddenly attacked by these men.

In contrast, the Low Down Sect members were pleased.

Cheong-ryu, who had given them orders, was more resourceful than Yi-gang and his group had anticipated.

He had quickly found out that Yi Gyu-jin’s lover, Yeong-yeong, sold tanghulu in the village.

Since Yi Gyu-jin came daily to buy tanghulu alone, they figured if they waited here, he would come by himself.

In this way, they could easily threaten Yi Gyu-jin without clashing with the Dragon Tears Society.

This was Cheong-ryu’s strategy, and it had been successful so far.

They hadn’t known their client’s mind had changed, so there was nothing they could do about it.

At that moment, Yeong-yeong stepped in front of Yi Gyu-jin.

“I don’t know who you are, but please stop tormenting us!”

The scarred man clicked his tongue and lowered his voice.

“Miss, it seems you don’t understand the situation because you can’t see. You’re liable to get hurt by a stray blade.”

“Please… step back…”

“Hah, well…”

The scarred man scratched his head and spoke.

“Drag her out too. Try not to hit her face too much.”

“Yes, sir.”

These men were far more ruthless than the members of the Dragon Tears Society.

Without hesitation, they approached Yi Gyu-jin and Yeong-yeong.

Watching this, the scarred man frowned.

Someone was running toward them from behind.

It was an old man with a severely hunched back.

The sight gave him an inexplicable sense of unease. How could someone with such a bent back move so fast?

“Uwaaah!”

Even his shout was strangely awkward, as if he had lived his whole life without ever speaking.

But his skill showed the polish of lifelong training, as the hunched old man dashed forward like lightning, knocking down two of the swordsmen.

Thump! Crunch!

He had never seen someone so adept with their hands and feet in his life.

The scarred man, shocked, immediately flung his willow-leaf knives.

The small knives were launched with a menacing force.

But Beop Jae handled them effortlessly.

Thud!

How could a human’s feet move so fast?

Even as three willow-leaf knives flew toward him almost simultaneously, he kicked each one away with precision.

Thwack!

“Aaagh!”

One of the knives even struck the shoulder of the scarred man who was about to throw it again.

“Aaagh!”

In an instant, the Low Down Sect’s strike force was being neutralized.

One of the men rolled his eyes in confusion and suddenly lifted his head.

It was none other than the man who had been secretly observing from underground and had been knocked out by Jeong Myung.

“Ah, that, that…!”

But Beop Jae wouldn’t allow his identity to be exposed.

‘Keep your mouth shut!’

He mentally shouted and then delivered a powerful blow to the Low Down Sect man’s jaw.

Crack!

The Low Down Sect member lost consciousness and slumped to the ground.

There were no Low Down Sect members left standing.

They seemed terrified of Beop Jae, abandoning their unconscious comrades as they crawled away in retreat.

Beop Jae stood still, catching his breath.

Although he had acted on an emotional impulse, he wasn’t sure what to do next.

Yi Gyu-jin attempted to express his gratitude to Beop Jae.

“Th-thank you…”

‘Shh.’

Beop Jae held up his index finger to his lips.

Even though Gyu-jin didn’t know sign language, he understood the gesture.

Yeong-yeong, unaware of the full situation, clutched the front of Gyu-jin’s shirt, trembling.

Beop Jae handed him a pouch filled with silver coins from his pocket.

It was money he had carefully saved over several years, earned from errands and kept as pocket money.

He hadn’t spent it on anything except Yeong-yeong’s tanghulu.

It was precious money he’d saved, hoping to one day give it to Yeong-yeong. He was glad to have recovered one silver coin from Yi-gang.

Gyu-jin looked at Beop Jae in bewilderment.

But Beop Jae only looked at Yeong-yeong.

His sister.

But a sister who didn’t know him, and whom he couldn’t reveal himself to.

Also, even if he wanted to reveal himself, this cruel divine punishment prevented any communication.

She remained in her fiancé’s arms, seemingly unaware of everything.

Ironically, that made Beop Jae feel at ease.

‘Yes, this is how it should be.’

What did it matter if his younger sister didn’t recognize her own brother?

What did it matter if they parted forever, never to meet again? After all, unless they eradicated all of the Dragon Tears Society and Gyu-jin’s relatives and acquaintances, they would have to leave. ȑÀΝＯ𝐁Èṧ

As long as she could be happy with her betrothed. Surely, that was enough.

Beop Jae gestured for them to leave, to go now.

Gyu-jin hesitated for a moment before bowing deeply.

Then he gently took Yeong-yeong’s wrist and gave it a light tug.

“Let’s go, Yeong-yeong.”

“Wait…”

But Yeong-yeong suddenly stopped.

She didn’t leave, and instead, gazed steadily at Beop Jae.

Her vision could only make out vague gray shapes.

And yet—

“…Sir Monk?”

Beop Jae felt as if his heart had sunk.

How did she recognize him?

“You’re sir monk, right? You are sir monk, aren’t you?”

“…”

“I can tell.”

Perhaps she realized it because Beop Jae had been especially quiet. Because he hadn’t said a word.

After a moment’s hesitation, Beop Jae took out his wooden block and tapped it.

Tap, tap. Twice.

“I thought so. You’ve always watched over me, haven’t you, sir monk?”

…Tap, tap.

A peculiar conversation shared through words and the wooden block.

“Sir Monk, I think I know who you are.”

Beop Jae’s chest pounded wildly.

Could it be, did she really figure it out?

Could his younger sister, whom he had parted from as a child, recognize her brother, now so haggard and unrecognizable?

He felt an overwhelming urge to flee, mixed with an equally overwhelming warmth filling his heart.

However, the words that came out of Yeong-yeong’s mouth were a bit off.

“You were sent by my older brother, weren’t you?”

“…”

“I only heard that my older brother became a monk. But… somehow, I always thought that maybe you might know my older brother.”

There was a hint of uncertainty in Yeong-yeong’s voice.

Perhaps it was because this thought had come to her purely by instinct. She had never mentioned it before.

“My brother’s name is Jayun. Do you know him? Ah… he probably abandoned his childhood name when he left for the temple.”

“…”

Beop Jae forgot to even tap the wooden block and simply nodded.

Seeing this, Yi Gyu-jin spoke up on his behalf, confirming that he had nodded.

Yeong-yeong smiled with joy, and tears began to stream from her cloudy eyes.

Then she bowed deeply.

“Thank you, sir monk. Thank you so much.”

Tap… tap…

“Please tell my older brother thank you as well. Truly, thank you…”

Tap, tap.

Yi Gyu-jin rose to his feet.

He gently patted the sobbing Yeong-yeong and told her it was time to leave.

Yeong-yeong wiped away her tears and gathered the belongings she always kept in the cart.

She, too, had been prepared to leave at any moment.

She bowed deeply one last time toward Beop Jae.

Beside her, Yi Gyu-jin also bowed deeply in a martial salute.

Tap… tap… tap…

Beop Jae simply continued tapping his wooden block.

Even as Yeong-yeong and Gyu-jin walked away, he kept tapping.

They looked back at him several times.

But even after they disappeared from sight, Beop Jae didn’t stop tapping.

If he could have spoken, he would have recited a prayer.

“…Venerable.”

Yi-gang and Jeong Myung, who had arrived moments earlier and witnessed the scene, approached.

Jeong Myung carefully placed a hand on Beop Jae’s back.

A warm surge of emotion was felt.

Since Yi-gang couldn’t pat his shoulder, he gently leaned his body toward Beop Jae.

“You did well.”

“…”

“Don’t cry too much. All your makeup will run.”

“…”

“…You looked amazing.”

Beop Jae held back his tears, continuing to tap the wooden block.

Yi-gang and Jeong Myung stayed by his side until he stopped tapping.

Until the lingering attachments, sorrow, and tenacious ties he had left in the mundane world dissolved away, they waited beside him patiently.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep