Chapter 2 : This Life, I Should Live It While Enjoying It

Chapter 2: This Life, I Should Live It While Enjoying It. -02

At Ban Hojin’s words that struck right at the mark, Jeong Hyeon scratched his smooth head.

Perhaps it had not been long since he had shaved his head, because not only his cheeks but even the crown of his head turned red in an instant.

“Even if it’s puberty, liking women, you say. You’re not planning to become a fallen monk, are you?”

“That can’t be! I merely want to see a beauty who shakes the world! I’m just purely curious about how beautiful she is!”

“Hm. They say strong denial is strong affirmation. If you keep that up, won’t you become a fallen monk?”

“My body and heart are with the main temple!”

Jeong Hyeon hurriedly continued speaking.

Then he glanced around.

It was because he wondered if anyone might have overheard this conversation.

“Tsk tsk! So you do know that you slipped up.”

“Why are you being like this? What did I do wrong…….”

At the sight of Jeong Hyeon looking as if he might cry rather than merely sulk, Ban Hojin sprang up.

He had come down from the tree branch where he had been lying sprawled out.

Yet even though it seemed like a rough movement, there was not the slightest sound when he landed.

Like a feather drifting down, he descended far too softly in front of Jeong Hyeon.

“If you’re going to break precepts anyway, do it quickly. Wouldn’t there be less to lose now rather than later?”

“……You’re too much.”

“I’m just telling you that there’s also this kind of option. I’m not saying you have to do it. But did you really come just to tell me that the Four Dragons and Three Phoenixes arrived? With no other intention?”

“Uh…….”

At Ban Hojin’s deeply composed gaze, Jeong Hyeon trailed off.

It was because those deep eyes, unfitting for his current age, felt as though they were seeing straight through his inner thoughts.

At the same time, it was strange.

It felt as though Ban Hojin’s gaze resembled that of the elders who were like grandmasters to him.

“Let’s be honest. Who is it?”

“Well, that is…….”

“It can’t be the senior disciple. Master isn’t someone who would step in over matters involving mere rising juniors.”

Though they were called prestigious families, the arrival of the Four Dragons and Three Phoenixes meant that the children of the Five Great Families had come.

If that were the case, the senior disciple would have gone out to receive them.

That meant the senior disciple was highly unlikely.

“I understand it was at Hu Gae’s request.”

“Hu Gae of the Beggars’ Sect?”

“Yes.”

Jeong Hyeon answered in an ant-like voice.

It was because he knew all too well that he should have mentioned this part first, yet had spoken far too late.

However, Ban Hojin did not blame Jeong Hyeon.

As far as he knew, Hu Gae of the Beggars’ Sect was around the same age as the senior disciple, so handling Jeong Hyeon would have been easy.

“But how does he know about me?”

“Since he’s Hu Gae of the Beggars’ Sect, wouldn’t he know? Since he’s the next Beggars’ Sect Leader.”

“That’s not exactly wrong.”

Ban Hojin stroked his chin.

Though he was called the next Beggars’ Sect Leader, Hu Gae’s rank within the Beggars’ Sect was not particularly high.

Of course, in terms of status alone, he was on par with the elders, but that did not mean he could be called the second-in-command of the Beggars’ Sect.

Moreover, Ban Hojin’s existence at present was strictly confidential.

“Could it be that the Abbot told the Beggars’ Sect Leader?”

“Well, that could be. It’s not like I’m some remarkable figure. They call me an Unregistered Disciple, but strictly speaking, I’m just a Lay Disciple of Shaolin.”

“Hey, that’s not true.”

“I still haven’t forgiven them. I merely let it slide while pretending not to know.”

“Eek!”

Jeong Hyeon hunched his shoulders as much as he could.

Then he carefully gauged Ban Hojin’s mood.

“What do you think? Did it seem like the rising juniors knew about me too?”

“Um. I don’t think so. When Hu Gae was talking, there weren’t many people who paid attention.”

“I see.”

Listening to Jeong Hyeon’s reply, given after carefully recalling his memories, Ban Hojin nodded.

According to Jeong Hyeon’s words, it seemed that Hu Gae alone knew about him for now.

“What are you going to do?”

“How many came? Since the Four Dragons and Three Phoenixes came, it seems like not only the Five Great Families but the children of most prestigious families would have come.”

“Excluding the escort warriors, it seems to be around thirty people.”

“Then if you include the escort warriors, it’ll easily exceed a hundred, won’t it?”

“It seems to be about that much.”

Since he did not belong to the Guest Reception Hall, he had not grasped the exact number, but it seemed to be roughly that much, so Jeong Hyeon answered right away.

As he did, he subtly checked Ban Hojin’s expression.

“Even if I don’t go, you’ll go anyway, won’t you? To see the Three Phoenixes.”

“Hehe. Aren’t you curious, Senior Uncle?”

“Not particularly. They’re extremely pretty, but that’s about it.”

“Huh? Have you seen the Three Phoenixes before?”

For a moment, Ban Hojin wore a startled expression.

What he had seen were the Three Phoenixes of the future.

At present, he had neither seen them nor even encountered them.

“I’ve seen my fair share of beauties too. Among the Incense Flower Guests, there are many beautiful women as well.”

“But they say it’s on a different level. They say that the moment you see them, you can only admire them.”

“You really will become a fallen monk soon.”

“Ugh!”

“Let’s go. I am curious about Hu Gae as well.”

Ban Hojin staggered forward.

In his previous life, he had met Hu Gae before.

To be precise, not Hu Gae but the Sect Leader.

Perhaps because they were beggars, but in general, the members of the Beggars’ Sect and their Sect Leaders were lazy, and so they tended to take in disciples at a late age.

‘I recall the current Beggars’ Sect Leader being in his eighties.’

Though his age exceeded eighty, Hu Gae himself was only about ten-some years older than Ban Hojin.

Recalling that, Ban Hojin moved his steps.

Kaang! Kang!

As he walked while thinking about the current Beggars’ Sect Leader and Hu Gae, he soon arrived at the Guest Reception Hall.

Perhaps because the children of prestigious families had come, they had been given a separate annex, and sharp metallic sounds were already ringing out.

“They’re certainly full of vigor. It hasn’t been long since they arrived, yet they’re already sparring.”

“People who do nothing but eat and train—of course that’s natural. Camaraderie is important, but raising one’s own name and the honor of one’s family is important too. If one has strength, it’s not impossible to enter the Five Great Families.”

“The Peng Family of Hebei, the Hwangbo Family, and the Murong Family did come and go often.”

Jeong Hyeon, who had been following half a step behind as if attending Ban Hojin, nodded.

Unlike the Nine Great Sects that had firmly established their positions, the Five Great Families sometimes changed according to the prosperity of the era.

In reality, there were many families that built up their strength while aiming for that.

Some connoisseurs even called them the Ten Great Families rather than the Five Great Families.

“Have you arrived, junior brother?”

As he entered the front courtyard, still heated from active sparring, Beopmu turned his head with a gentle smile.

Beopmu, the future Abbot of Shaolin and a fellow disciple under the same master, looked at Ban Hojin as if he were gazing at his youngest brother.

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

“Jeong Hyeon came with you as well.”

“Yes!”

At Beopmu’s benevolent gaze, Jeong Hyeon smiled brightly.

But the expression was brief.

Soon, Jeong Hyeon stole a glance at the middle-aged beggar standing beside Beopmu.

“Nice to meet you. I am Oh Jung-geon of the Beggars’ Sect.”

“It is an honor to meet the Hu Gae.”

“Haha. Even if you call me Hu Gae, I’m nothing special. I’m just the same beggar, so please treat me comfortably.”

At Ban Hojin’s greeting—polite yet subtly drawing a line—Oh Jung-geon laughed awkwardly.

Beopmu noticed it as well, but he did not particularly reprimand him.

Beopmu, too, felt the same unease.

Part of him even wished that Ban Hojin had not come.

‘Hmm?’

Perhaps because they had studied under the same school, Oh Jung-geon inwardly chuckled at how both Ban Hojin and Beopmu showed identical discomfort despite their calm expressions.

But that thought was brief.

Soon, he began to observe Ban Hojin closely.

‘He doesn’t feel that special, more than I expected?’

There was only one reason Oh Jung-geon had come to Shaolin.

He was curious about the genius whom the Abbot of Shaolin had praised so highly.

That was why, upon hearing that immature rising juniors were visiting Shaolin, he had quietly joined them.

Yet perhaps because his expectations had been high, his disappointment was just as great.

‘His bones and tendons are certainly outstanding, but the aura he gives off, his gaze—they’re lacking.’

As the Hu Gae of the Beggars’ Sect, Oh Jung-geon had met countless martial experts, rising juniors, and even masters of the previous generation.

Among them were quite a few powerful figures strong enough to shock him.

But from the Ban Hojin standing before him now, he felt none of that.

He was certainly talented, but only to that extent.

‘About on par with the Four Dragons, or maybe slightly better. But a difference like this can be overturned anytime.’

Oh Jung-geon tilted his head.

There was no doubt that Ban Hojin was an outstanding talent.

However, he was not someone worthy of such high praise from the Abbot of Shaolin.

Moreover, was he not the successor of the Three Dharma Swords, which were said to be taught only to those who were qualified?

‘Were my expectations too high? Or did the Abbot see something that I failed to see?’

Oh Jung-geon narrowed his brows.

As the Hu Gae of the Beggars’ Sect, he was confident that his discernment surpassed most, but he did not believe it exceeded that of his master, the Beggars’ Sect Leader, or the Abbot of Shaolin.

That was why Oh Jung-geon reserved judgment.

He did not make a hasty conclusion.

‘……Wait.’

At that moment, Oh Jung-geon felt a strange sense of dissonance.

He sensed something odd from Ban Hojin as he watched the sparring between the rising juniors.

‘He’s seeing too clearly, isn’t he?’

In an instant, Oh Jung-geon realized something he had overlooked.

He belatedly recognized that he had evaluated Ban Hojin far too easily.

Of course, his own age was similar to Beopmu’s, the great disciple of Shaolin and future Abbot.

In other words, there was quite an age gap between him and Ban Hojin.

But that did not mean he was qualified to see straight through Ban Hojin’s martial attainment, nor that he necessarily had the capacity to do so.

A martial artist’s realm did not always correspond directly to age.

‘Could it be that he’s deliberately only showing this much?’

Oh Jung-geon’s pupils trembled faintly.

Yet he soon shook his head.

He wondered if he might be getting ahead of himself.

Swish.

At that moment, Ban Hojin’s gaze turned toward him.

At an exquisitely precise instant, the two pairs of eyes met.

At the same time, a strange smile formed on Ban Hojin’s lips.

Flinch!

That brief exchange felt strangely chilling to Oh Jung-geon.

It felt as though Ban Hojin were seeing straight through him.

But the moment was short.

Ban Hojin turned his head again, leaving behind a peculiar aftertaste.

‘If he really was only showing this much on purpose…….’

Oh Jung-geon swallowed his dry saliva without realizing it.

It might have been a misunderstanding, but his instincts were telling him—

what he had felt just now was absolutely not an illusion.

‘Just like before.’

At the sight of Oh Jung-geon, whose expression looked complicated no matter who saw it, Ban Hojin let out a quiet chuckle.

True to his nature of harboring several crafty snakes within, he looked clearly deep in thought.

He probably thought he was managing his expression fairly well, but unfortunately, to Ban Hojin’s eyes, everything was perfectly visible.

Exactly what he was thinking, that was.

‘He’s still not fully matured yet.’

Though his age could hardly not be called middle-aged, compared to ten years later, his experience was inevitably still lacking.

Even if his physical age was twenty, Ban Hojin’s mental age exceeded thirty.

In truth, the sense of dissonance from that was considerable.

His mind was not the problem, but it was as if his body still needed time to adapt.

“W, wow……!”

At that moment, a deep exclamation of admiration came from beside him.

As if he had no regard for his dignity as a Shaolin monk, Jeong Hyeon stared at a certain spot with his mouth wide open.

At the sight of Jeong Hyeon standing there unable to close his mouth—as if he would not even notice a bug flying in—Beopmu cleared his throat.

“Ahem!”

“Gasp! I, I’m sorry.”

“I understand, but I would like you not to forget that you are a disciple of Shaolin.”

“I’m sorry!”

At Beopmu’s quiet words, Jeong Hyeon bowed his head deeply.

Not only his face but even the crown of his head was dyed bright red.

True to his young age, he was unable to hide his embarrassment.

“Hehehe, aren’t monks people too? And it’s a time when one’s blood runs hot. Besides, the women over there are hardly ordinary beauties.”

At the sight of Jeong Hyeon’s embarrassment, Oh Jung-geon let out a hearty laugh.

To his eyes, it did not look strange at all.

Rather, the strange one was Ban Hojin.