Chapter 574

Chapter 574 – The Lazy Advances (4)

“Aren’t you going to put your heads properly on the ground?”

“…….”

In life, one experiences countless injustices. If someone has never suffered an injustice, it is because they have lived a truly peaceful and happy life.

But a beggar is not granted such a peaceful life.

Seokpyeong was a beggar, and as such, he had lived a life full of vicissitudes. For a beggar who survived on charity, it was common to be insulted for no reason, and sometimes even beaten under false accusations of theft.

Despite all those injustices, Seokpyeong had maintained his dignity as a beggar, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but feel deeply aggrieved.

“…Uh, Beggar Great Brother.”

“What?”

Seokpyeong, with his head stuck to the ground, protested in a whiny voice.

“I acknowledge that not recognizing you was a mistake. But how could we have known who was inside? Was it something we could have imagined?”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! This is an injustice.”

The beggars murmured in agreement.

Even so, they did not lift their heads from the ground. Although they felt aggrieved, the orders of the Beggar Great Brother were absolute.

“Injustice?”

The voices filled with indignation protested in unison, but Jangil only scratched his ear.

“Injustice, you say?”

“Yes!”

“What?”

“F-For not recognizing the Beggar Great Brother…”

“What if it hadn’t been me?”

“Huh…?”

Jangil spat on the ground with a dry sound.

“What? Not paying taxes and begging around? Did these damn beggars choke on rotten rice and get indigestion? What kind of beggars collect taxes from other beggars?”

Ah, that was it.

Seokpyeong closed his eyes tightly.

He had thought that Jangil was angry because they hadn’t received him properly when abruptly gathering them to bother someone. But now Jangil was furious about something completely different.

And on that, Seokpyeong had nothing to say.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than extort other beggars? Is that how you are taught in your sect? The orders are to help other beggars, not squeeze them dry! Taxes? Tax-es?”

Jangil struck the ground with his club, making a dull noise.

“Anyone who saw it would think you are government tax collectors. Hey, damn beggars. With what authority do you collect taxes? If you want to do that, take the imperial exams and become officials. Are you crazy, dedicating yourselves to begging here?”

“T-That’s…”

Seokpyeong tried to explain in a trembling voice.

“Luoyang is such a large city that if we don’t control it like this, all kinds of undesirables would come. We didn’t either at first…”

“What?”

Jangil’s voice dropped a tone.

Seokpyeong closed his mouth like a clam. The most important skill for a beggar is not begging, nor the patience to endure hunger.

It’s instinct.

A beggar without instinct dies beaten. In this world, even normal people are killed for offending someone. If an insignificant beggar acts carelessly, people do not hesitate to beat him.

Seokpyeong’s instinct, trained like that, told him it was time to shut up.

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“Were you a beggar of the Beggar Sect from the beginning? Were you born a beggar?”

“…No.”

“Idiots. A beggar is someone who has nothing. You have nothing in your hands, that’s why you are a beggar! And now that you have a little bit of power, you look down on other beggars?”

When Jangil shouted, the beggars closed their eyes tightly.

‘No, why is this guy talking nonsense?’

‘Don’t they know that those who make excuses end up worse?’

Jangil looked at them with burning eyes and spoke.

“Everyone, stand up.”

“Yes!”

The beggars jumped up.

Jangil looked at them and continued.

“Under normal circumstances, I would give you a good lesson for despising other beggars, and even report your branch leader for not teaching you properly!”

At his words, everyone closed their mouths like clams.

In hierarchical terms, a Beggar Great Brother like Jangil should not be able to threaten branch leaders. But that is only in theory. Jangil had the authority to report directly to the sect leader what he had seen and ask for punishment.

If Jangil decided to act, the Luoyang branch of the Beggar Sect would be shattered.

And then, who do you think the branch leader would blame?

It’s obvious.

The terrified beggars clung to Jangil.

“P-Please, forgive us.”

“We’re sorry! We won’t do it again!”

“If not, we’ll die! The branch leader will fry us!”

Jangil clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, in other circumstances I wouldn’t forgive you, but as the situation is urgent, I’ll let it pass this time.”

They sighed in relief.

“But…”

Jangil smiled maliciously.

“There will be one thing you will have to do for me.”

“…Yes?”

The faces of the beggars were filled with unease.

“Informing.”

“Hmm.”

The Master of Divine Abilities, sitting in a temporary office after the collapse of the main building, received the report with a bewildered expression.

“Hey, if you’re doing what I asked you to do, you shouldn’t have time to come and report, right?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve entrusted it to reliable people.”

“…It’s not something that normal people can do.”

“I gave it to the right ones.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case.”

At Jangil’s words, the Master of Divine Abilities nodded, satisfied, without asking further questions.

Although Jangil was a complainer who undermined his own credibility, he was not bad at doing his job. That the Master of Divine Abilities considered him “not bad” meant that, for others, he was impeccable.

If Jangil said that he had left it in the right hands, there was no need to worry about the progress.

“It’s a very delicate matter, so be careful.”

“Yes. Don’t worry about that. I’m not as Lazy as that guy.”

“…Right.”

It was a strange situation: a beggar boasting of his diligence, and the listener accepting it.

“And the rumors?”

“They are spreading well.”

“Hmm.”

When the Master of Divine Abilities was about to say something, Jangil stepped forward.

“They are discreet. Besides, few people pay attention to what a beggar says, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I suppose.”

That’s why he had entrusted this to Jangil.

“Ugh, do we really have to do this?”

Right now, they were spreading rumors about Wei Yanho. Managing the consequences was important, but the Master of Divine Abilities believed that the first thing was to spread rumors about him.

“We need a symbol.”

They didn’t know how the situation would evolve. Perhaps they would win easily, or suffer an unimaginable defeat. In this uncertainty, they needed a beacon that would keep morale high.

The Master of Divine Abilities looked up at the cracked ceiling, feeling dejected.

“That it has to be Wei Yanho is a disgrace to the martial world.”

He wasn’t asking for much.

Perfect superhumans do not exist. Be strong enough to be the hope of the martial world and also have a perfect personality? That doesn’t exist.

The Supreme Sovereign was the closest, but his power was not enough to be everyone’s hero.

Instead, Wei Yanho had it all.

The power to be the hope of the world, the potential to be a role model, and…

“He’s decently handsome.”

A fairly important factor. Appearance counts.

“Only his personality… his personality!”

No one is perfect.

The Master of Divine Abilities did not expect perfection from Wei Yanho. A little rudeness or arrogance would be fine.

Even if Wei Yanho was an assassin who killed like insects, the Master was sure that he could embellish it.

“But why did it have to be him?! Why?!”

“C-Calm down, Great Strategist.”

“Ugh.”

The Master of Divine Abilities shook his head forcefully.

However cruel the world may be, this was too much.

“That it has to be me who embellishes him…”

He couldn’t spread the truth about Wei Yanho. He would have to omit details, add others, and turn him into the perfect hope of the martial world.

“It’s inevitable.”

He nodded.

Literally.

It was inevitable. Even if Wei Yanho was even more detestable, the Master of Divine Abilities would have to embellish him at the cost of his life.

“It has to be spread well.”

“I’ll do my best.”

In desperate situations, people look for something to lean on. Whoever has hope does not collapse. People do not fall from suffering, but from lack of support. No matter how hard it is, whoever has hope does not give up.

“And hope is not given away.”

Hope is created.

Common people find it around them, but people like the Master of Divine Abilities must create it for others. In the last war, the Supreme Sovereign and others fulfilled that role. Now, Wei Yanho had to do it.

“Well…”

The Master of Divine Abilities smiled slightly.

“Although I say this, I am also placing my hopes on him.”

Those who hate Wei Yanho the most are those who know him superficially. Those who do not know him well or know him too much, on the other hand, trust him.

The former only see his achievements; the latter, despite knowing his flaws, know that in the end he acts. That is why they trust him. Vaguely, but fervently.

Like the Master of Divine Abilities now.

“Let’s leave that aside…”

He composed himself. It was not a time for digressions.

“Yeongjon.”

“Yes, Great Strategist.”

“Still no news? What about those we sent?”

“No message has arrived.”

“Hmm.”

He frowned.

“Still?”

It was like carrying a stone in his chest. It was time for news to arrive.

“I don’t understand.”

The Supreme Sovereign was not one to not report. Even if he died, he would have left a communication system. And there were the envoys of the Master of Divine Abilities.

How was it possible that none had sent news?

“A day would be enough for a message. That it hasn’t arrived means…”

There were only two options.

Either all the messengers had died, or something so urgent had occurred that they had not been able to send news. Neither option was good.

“Send another message.”

“But, Great Strategist…”

“Do it.”

“Understood.”

Just when Yeongjon was nodding…

A shout came from outside.

“Great Strategist! A message! A message has arrived! Now!”

The Master of Divine Abilities jumped up.

“Bring it to me! Quickly!”

He took the message urgently and opened it without delay.

And then…

His eyes trembled as if he had seen an earthquake.