Chapter 7 : Different, Different. -03

Chapter 7: Different, Different. -03

At a level of eloquence that was hard to believe came from someone only twenty years old, Oh Jung-geon found himself smiling without realizing it.

But at the same time, he also felt admiration.

It was not only the martial arts—his mental fortitude also seemed remarkable.

At the same time, it felt strange that a Shaolin disciple possessed such a personality.

‘I did feel yesterday that he was different, but to think he’d be this much of an oddball.’

It was intriguing, but he did not think it was a bad thing.

Just because someone was a Shaolin disciple did not mean they all had to be dull and boring.

Moreover, since Ban Hojin was a Lay Disciple, there was no need for him to conform to the typical image of a Shaolin disciple.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I heard it from my Master. While speaking with the Abbot, my Master heard about Young Master Ban.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Ban Hojin nodded slowly and took a sip of his tea.

It was exactly as he had expected.

And if the source was Damhyeon, it was awkward for Ban Hojin to press the matter any further.

“I think it’s only natural for Young Master Ban to feel sufficiently taken aback.”

“That’s true. It was practically the same as being dragged out without warning.”

“I sincerely apologize once again for that. I have a personality that can’t restrain its curiosity.”

“I would appreciate it if you were more careful next time. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.”

“Cough! Understood.”

At the polite yet barbed remark, Oh Jung-geon let out an involuntary cough.

However, since he was the one at fault, he had no grounds to argue even if he wanted to.

“Ah, there is one more thing I’d like to ask. To be honest, this is why I was planning to seek out Great Hero Oh.”

“Please ask anything.”

Since he felt guilty, Oh Jung-geon replied as if telling him to say whatever he wished.

If he could settle this debt—not quite a debt, but close enough—it would be good for him as well.

“I would like to know about the situation in the Neo-Outer Murim.”

“Pardon? The Neo-Outer Murim?”

Perhaps because it was completely unexpected, Oh Jung-geon wore a puzzled expression.

He had assumed the question would be about the Rising Juniors, Prestigious Families, or the Nine Great Sects, so when he was faced with an unforeseen inquiry, Oh Jung-geon blinked in surprise.

“It seems that even the Beggars’ Sect doesn’t pay much attention to the Neo-Outer Murim.”

“By its very name, it is the Neo-Outer Murim. Our sect’s disciples do operate there, but we don’t separately gather intelligence or closely monitor their movements.”

“I see.”

Ban Hojin half-lidded his eyes.

He wondered if such complacency might have been what led to the downfall of the Central Plains’ martial world.

The Four Tyrants of the World had not suddenly united on a whim.

They were undoubtedly preparing from this very moment.

‘At the very least, they must be exchanging opinions. Each of them strengthening their own power.’

The Neo-Outer Murim had always coveted the fertile lands of the Central Plains.

Because their own lands were barren, they had always desired rich and abundant territory.

And the Central Plains’ martial world had always repelled those invasions.

It was just that, in his previous life, they had failed.

‘They might have pushed them back eventually, but the fact remains that they were almost conquered.’

Since he had died, even Ban Hojin had no knowledge of what came after that.

Still, he could predict things to a certain extent.

Just because the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace died did not mean the war would have ended.

Although key figures had fallen, the Four Tyrants of the World overwhelmingly surpassed the Central Plains’ martial world in strength, making it highly likely that a prolonged age of darkness had followed.

‘But there’s no need to think about that right now. It’s a future that hasn’t come yet.’

The moment he died, the future no longer had anything to do with Ban Hojin.

Moreover, it was still a future that had yet to arrive.

And Ban Hojin had no intention whatsoever of repeating his past life.

Suffering to the point of breaking his bones and sacrificing his life—once was more than enough.

‘This time, I absolutely won’t die. I should live a little more joyfully, actually enjoying life.’

Ban Hojin reaffirmed his resolve once more.

One sacrifice was enough.

In this life, he wanted to live leisurely and happily.

And while he was at it, he would also achieve the goals he had failed to accomplish in his past life.

“Do you perhaps know something?”

“No. What could someone like me, who has only lived on Songshan, possibly know? I wasn’t even born into a martial family, just an ordinary household. I only heard rumors, so I was curious and decided to ask.”

“I see.”

Oh Jung-geon wore a dubious expression.

From what he had observed, Ban Hojin was not the type to speak unnecessarily.

But it was also true that Ban Hojin had been born into an ordinary family.

According to what Oh Jung-geon had investigated, he had never even left Songshan.

“It also seems like people aren’t paying much attention to it.”

“There’s a reason it’s called the Neo-Outer Murim. Even if you want to know more, it’s not something you can easily find out.”

“That’s true.”

Monitoring the movements of the Neo-Outer Murim was by no means an easy task.

Not only did it take time, but the costs involved were also substantial.

Since it required a steady investment of funds, manpower, and time, it was understandable that the Beggars’ Sect lacked detailed knowledge of the Neo-Outer Murim’s situation.

‘Still, we can’t just sit on our hands. It would be best to understand it in detail, but if that’s too much, at least we should know the general flow of their movements.’

Ban Hojin smacked his lips.

Since he already knew the future, if someone asked why it was necessary to go that far, he had no answer he could give.

No— even if he told the truth, no one would believe him.

They would surely treat him like a madman instead.

‘This will require some thought.’

Although the Beggars’ Sect’s intelligence network was considered the best under heaven, it wasn’t without rivals.

The great sects and Prestigious Families also maintained their own intelligence organizations.

And there was no need to limit the search strictly to the Orthodox Martial World.

“Ah, there’s something I forgot to mention earlier. I was not the one who told the Namgung Family about Young Master Ban. I really wanted to make this clear. I told Great Master Beopmu about this yesterday as well, though he didn’t seem to believe me. I swear to heaven, it absolutely wasn’t me.”

“I understand.”

“You believe me?”

“The Beggars’ Sect knew, so it’s not strange that the Namgung Family would know as well. And now, everyone knows anyway.”

“Hahaha.”

Oh Jung-geon laughed awkwardly.

He knew very well that he had been the starting point.

If he hadn’t coaxed Jeong Hyeon and summoned Ban Hojin, things would not have escalated this far.

Knowing that, all Oh Jung-geon could do was laugh awkwardly and watch Ban Hojin’s reaction.

‘My thinking was too shallow. I should have met him quietly on my own.’

Oh Jung-geon smacked his lips inwardly.

He regretted it belatedly, but no matter how fast regret came, it was bound to be too late, so Oh Jung-geon thought only about what would come after today.

He set aside his overdue regret for later and focused solely on how to build a good relationship with Ban Hojin going forward.

Judging by how things were now, Ban Hojin was certain to become a giant of the Central Plains’ martial world in the future, so forging ties with him was a must.

‘The first button was fastened wrong, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. I definitely made an impression.’

Everything depended on how one chose to see it.

And Oh Jung-geon had, in the past, obtained what he needed even under conditions worse than this.

It was true that Ban Hojin was no easy person to deal with, but that did not mean there was no room to dig in.

Thus, with a kindly expression, Oh Jung-geon began speaking engagingly about the state of the martial world.

With things on his mind, Ban Hojin took a leisurely walk by himself.

Shaolin was vast, but Songshan was also vast, so there were plenty of places suitable for a stroll.

For a while, he also needed somewhere without people.

Then, in a completely unexpected place, Ban Hojin spotted Jeong Hyeon.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, Senior Uncle!”

“Why are you sitting here looking so miserable?”

“Uh, I was training?”

At a time when the sun was gradually sinking, Ban Hojin spoke after finding Jeong Hyeon squatting alone in an open area.

He could have passed by pretending not to notice, but he did not.

If it had been another Second-Generation Disciple, he might have, but since he had grown somewhat fond of Jeong Hyeon, Ban Hojin asked casually.

“If you were training, why are your eyes red?”

“Dust got into them. There was a gust of wind just before you arrived, Senior Uncle.”

“Is that so?”

Ban Hojin drew out the end of his words with an expression that showed not a shred of trust.

However, Jeong Hyeon remained confident.

If he insisted on it, Ban Hojin had no choice but to believe him.

No matter how ghostly Ban Hojin’s instincts were, without knowing the full context, there was no way for him to know Jeong Hyeon’s current state of mind.

“Yes. A true man doesn’t cry easily.”

“You’re not a true man. You’re just a warrior monk. One who’ll soon turn into a useless monk at that.”

“A useless monk?!”

“That’s better than being a fallen monk, isn’t it?”

“Grrr!”

At Ban Hojin continuing to milk the matter of the Three Phoenixes, Jeong Hyeon put on an indignant expression.

But since what had happened yesterday was an undeniable fact, Jeong Hyeon could not refute it.

He really had lost himself after seeing the Three Phoenixes.

And with beauty of that level, it was only natural for it to be fatal to young monks with no resistance to women.

“I’m joking. What’s got you so upset?”

“Upset?”

“You’re upset about losing?”

“H-how did you know?”

Jeong Hyeon’s eyes widened like lanterns.

There was no ghost quite like this.

So Jeong Hyeon asked back in shock.

“I can tell at a glance. The path you’re walking now is one I’ve walked myself.”

“……But you’ve never lost to someone your age, Senior Uncle.”

Jeong Hyeon said with a pout.

As if Ban Hojin could never possibly understand him.

At that sight, Ban Hojin let out a snort of laughter.

“You’re not wrong. But that doesn’t mean I’ve never lost. I’ve lost more than anyone else, actually. But have you ever seen me get discouraged?”

“Uh…….”

Faced with words that carried a strange sense of persuasion, Jeong Hyeon trailed off.

Thinking about it, Ban Hojin’s words weren’t entirely wrong.

Whether it was against peers, elders, or seniors, a loss was still a loss.

The only difference was whether it stung a little or stung badly.

“Don’t obsess too much over wins and losses. Life isn’t that long, but it’s not that short either. Even the Best Under Heaven has experienced defeat. The difference is simply the speed at which they grow.”

“Senior Uncle, you seem mentally very strong.”

“That’s right. Everyone says my talent is the greatest, but if you ask me, my biggest strength is my mental fortitude. No matter what happens, I don’t waver much.”

“I envy that. That solid confidence.”

“You can have it too. Some people are born with it like me, but others develop it later. So you can do it as well.”

Pat, pat.

At Ban Hojin’s warm hand patting his shoulder, Jeong Hyeon wore a strange expression.

He knew all too well that Ban Hojin wasn’t the type to comfort others like this.

Seeing a side of Ban Hojin he had never seen before, Jeong Hyeon subtly stepped backward.

“Who are you?”

“So this is how you react even when I give you advice?”

“You’re not like yourself, Senior Uncle. Could you be a ghost? The sun hasn’t even set yet.”

The sun had passed halfway beyond the western mountains, but the surroundings were still bright.

That was why Jeong Hyeon tilted his head in confusion.

“I go out of my way to comfort you and you spout nonsense? Looks like you only come to your senses after getting hit.”

“Eek!”

As Ban Hojin raised his hand, Jeong Hyeon recoiled and hunched his shoulders in terror.

From experience, he knew just how vicious those hands were, so his body shrank back reflexively.

“If you’ve got the desire to catch up no matter what, make time for about half a shijin each day and come find me. I can’t teach you martial arts, but I can watch over you.”

“R-really?”

Jeong Hyeon’s eyes widened in shock.

That was how impactful Ban Hojin’s words were.

Since he had never once said something like this before, Jeong Hyeon looked utterly unable to believe it.

“Have you ever seen me speak empty words? Of course, it’s a hassle, but it’s something necessary for the future. And just because I watch over your martial arts doesn’t guarantee your skills will improve dramatically either.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll come every day!”