The Return of the Crazy Demon-Chapter 234: Are You Going to Betray Him?

I suddenly looked to both sides of the bridge.

“......”

The number of people crossing had clearly decreased. Was it because the thugs who fell off the bridge had gone to fetch their sword-wielding comrades? Or had ordinary people instinctively sensed another fight brewing and backed off?

The bridge was growing more and more deserted.

In any case, whether Noshin turned out to be a traitor or not—I was determined to protect Beggars’ Sect Leader Shin Gae.

Life is ridiculous that way.

Here I was, once just a mere Jomsoi, now deciding to protect the strongest man in all of Jianghu.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Stronger than Geomma, the eldest of the Four Great Villains. Stronger than Im Sobaek, the Martial Alliance Leader. Stronger than even the Cult Leader, who couldn’t kill him.

The man who now declared he would protect the strongest martial artist in the world—that was me.

My life was ridiculous, and I was absurd. So I laughed alone.

When I suddenly burst into laughter, Noshin laughed too, probably bewildered. Realizing there was a deeper meaning to my words, the Sect Leader smiled as well. For a brief moment, the three of us laughed on the bridge, each for our own reasons.

“Hahahahaha!”

Sometimes there is sorrow in laughter—and the Sect Leader’s had that quality.

I stepped down from the railing and sat between master and disciple.

With my right hand, I grabbed the rough hand of the elderly Sect Leader of the beggars.

With my left, I casually took Noshin’s hand.

“Senior. And Noshin.”

The Sect Leader looked at me. Noshin replied.

“What?”

“Our Sect Leader has already saved Jianghu once. I don’t know if anyone ever thanked you, but I’ll do it in their place. Thank you. You’ve suffered greatly.”

Noshin pulled his hand away and muttered,

“You really are a strange one. How can you say such cheesy things with a straight face? Isn’t that right, Master?”

The Sect Leader instead patted the back of my hand with his other. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“Munju, that’s the first time I’ve heard anything like that. But I wasn’t the only one who struggled. Right now, Alliance Leader Im is going through even more. If you have the strength to fight, you ought to use it to help the weak. Thinking back, it wasn’t such a great thing. I just fought alongside those who saved me from internal deviation.”

“That’s precisely why it was great. What other sect could have done it? Because you were beggars, you had no attachment to wealth. You even let go of your martial arts obsessions. That’s why you found fortune.”

Even I was getting uncomfortable still holding their hands like this, despite how crazy I might be.

I gently patted the Sect Leader’s hand and let go.

Sitting here like a beggar among beggars, I felt no envy for the riches of the world.

But the real questions remained—what should I do about Noshin?

How would I confirm his connection to the Scholar’s side?

How would I protect the Sect Leader if serious danger approached?

My thoughts jumped all over the place, aimless and chaotic.

By the way, the hands of Noshin and the Sect Leader felt completely different.

The Sect Leader’s hands were thick-boned and rough. In contrast, Noshin’s were smoother than mine. Even soaking rags in cold water, throwing punches, hauling loads, and cutting things with kitchen knives would rough up anyone’s hands—so why were his still smooth?

I thought about it but couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer.

Should I borrow the Sect Leader’s strength to catch Noshin and torture him for names of his collaborators?

Or should I let him be for now, and when powerful enemies arrive to strike down the Sect Leader—I’ll bring the Four Great Villains and clash with the Scholars?

There’s no right answer in life. And I didn’t have one either.

As I struggled for answers, Noshin turned to the Sect Leader.

“Master.”

“Speak.”

“In this generation’s Jianghu, when it comes to martial artists around Munju’s age, there are heirs from noble families and disciples of kings. But among them, Munju stands above them all.”

The Sect Leader nodded.

“He fought the Heavenly Alliance Leader one-on-one at a young age. You’re right. It’s not just his skill—his personality is unusual, too.”

Noshin said in an even tone,

“Master, why not pass down your divine arts to Munju? You've been searching for a successor for a long time.”

“......”

I crossed my arms and gave Noshin a sideways glance.

‘What kind of bullshit is this?’

Martial arts? Out of nowhere?

Naturally, the White-Robed Scholar came to mind.

In my past life, I suspected the Scholar infiltrated the Martial Alliance just to get Im Sobaek’s Six Combat Blade technique.

From that angle, the Sect Leader’s martial arts were even more valuable than the Six Combat Blade. After all, the Sect Leader was a higher-tier master than Im Sobaek. And only a disciple could possibly gain access to his martial arts. No one else had the strength to kill him back then, either.

The Sect Leader replied in a calm voice.

“What Munju needs is time.”

I nodded.

“Exactly.”

“It’s not new martial arts. As I’ve always said, learning too many techniques isn’t good. Perfecting one technique and reaching mastery is better. Zaha, listen carefully.”

“Yes.”

The Sect Leader spoke with seriousness.

“My concept of mastery is different from others’. You might deviate from the creator’s original framework. Or surpass the depth of the creator’s design and reach a higher realm. That’s what it means to reach the end. Regardless of what you learn, cultivating depth and perfection is what martial practice is. And once you reach mastery, it doesn’t mean you stop training. Learning many techniques doesn’t guarantee strength. There are those who became strong that way—but that’s not my path.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Noshin giving a bitter smile—but I pretended not to see it.

The Sect Leader looked at me and said,

“You’ve already learned enough. What are your thoughts, Munju?”

I shared my view.

“Strangely enough, every man who was ever called the strongest in Jianghu learned different martial arts. No single sect consistently produced the number one. Nor did only those who mastered famous techniques become the best. Once you reach a certain level, everyone’s about the same. From there, it’s up to natural talent or personal skill. Or... fate and story. The type of martial art is secondary.”

The Sect Leader nodded.

“I think the same. Master a deep martial art perfectly. Then, depending on your capacity, continue refining what you thought was already complete.”

I turned to Noshin.

“What do you think, Noshin?”

He replied,

“If higher-level martial arts weren’t so different, why do martial artists obsess over divine techniques? It’s because the starting point, speed of learning, and efficiency vary.”

From my perspective, both the Sect Leader and Noshin were right. Perhaps the emotional distance I sensed earlier between them stemmed from this very difference in philosophy.

Now I understood their divide.

The Sect Leader had the mindset of someone worthy of being called the best in the world.

Noshin... had the mindset of a lesser martial artist.

If Noshin were my disciple, I wouldn’t teach him divine arts.

Not because of any specific reason.

I just didn’t like that attitude.

On the other hand, the Sect Leader—if he hadn’t joined the Beggars’ Sect—would have become a top master regardless of which sect or teacher he followed.

People’s thoughts don’t change easily. And their mindset, when combined with time, creates different outcomes.

Ultimately, the difference in mindset is what determines whether one becomes a master of the world or not.

I’m not one to sugarcoat things. So I asked Noshin directly.

“Noshin, have you not learned all of the Sect Leader’s martial arts yet?”

He smiled and said,

“I’m still lacking in many ways to inherit Master’s achievements.”

Curious, I looked at Shin Gae.

“What martial arts do you use, Sect Leader?”

“I originally learned various palm techniques from Beggars’ Sect masters. I put them in order and refined them as I practiced. What truly completed them was when I fought the Three Calamities. When I fought the Cult Leader, I used the Demon-Subduing Palm. When I fought Tian’e, I used the Dragon-Subduing Palm. When I fought them both at once, I used both simultaneously—one in each hand. If you trace my martial arts back, they all stem from the eclectic techniques the old elders of the Beggars’ Sect taught me. I’ve just used them so long they feel natural. They’re not techniques anyone else can use well.”

He said it so casually...

But one would have to master Divided Mind Technique, wield different skills with each limb without confusion, and circulate internal energy freely. It wasn’t something anyone could do. If someone with mediocre talent tried it, they’d likely vomit blood from the sheer imbalance.

And above all, one would need profound internal energy to wield two techniques simultaneously without tiring.

So I assumed the Sect Leader didn’t pass them down to Noshin.

“Ungrateful brat who can’t understand his master’s heart.”

I brushed myself off, stood up, walked to the center of the bridge, and asked Noshin,

“Noshin.”

“Hm?”

“Are you planning to betray your master?”

The question was so sudden that Noshin laughed.

“...What kind of bullshit is that?”

“It is bullshit. But I wanted to ask.”

“You’re seriously asking?”

He still had a smile on his face as he looked at me. I nodded.

“Dead serious.”

“Don’t you think that’s a pretty disrespectful question?”

“No. Let’s not make it so heavy. This is about something that hasn’t even happened. You haven’t betrayed your master yet.”

“And?”

I looked him straight in the eye.

“I know the true nature of the Scholar. I know what their people want.”

Noshin tilted his head.

“You know what I don’t?”

“Those bastards—maybe because they were persecuted—have twisted goals. They collect ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) martial arts. Then they systematize and compile them. Why? Because they’re Scholars. And since they’ve been hiding from persecution, reading books was probably all they had. Their desire for revenge only fueled their deeper dive into martial arts. Of course, they’d be interested in the Sect Leader’s techniques.”

Neither master nor disciple said a word. They just listened.

I continued.

“So they’ll flatter you. Praise you. Treat you like someone special. Why?”

Noshin answered,

“Because no one else can extract Master’s martial arts but me.”

“Exactly. But the truth is—they don’t care about you. What they want is the Sect Leader’s martial arts. They couldn’t care less about money, fame, or inheriting the position of leader. So what does that mean?”

Noshin fell silent and glared at me.

I kept going.

“If your master falls, you’re a dead man. Don’t you get that, Noshin? You stupid bastard.”

Even when I cursed and spoke down to him, he didn’t say anything back.

I stared him down and continued.

“Frankly, the Scholar’s faction might be as powerful as the Demonic Cult or the Martial Alliance. Did you think their respect made you someone important? You thought that if your master died, they’d hand Beggars’ Sect to you? The Scholars are used to treating people like slaves.”

Not that I’d ever say “I was one of those slaves” aloud.

Noshin’s expression hardened.

“You’re being seriously insulting, Haomun Leader. How can you look someone in the eye and accuse them of betrayal like that? In front of my own master? If Master weren’t here right now, I’d challenge you to a duel to the death. Watch your mouth.”

I nodded.

“That’s how you should respond. But I risk my life every single day. If I didn’t, why would I have barged into the Heavenly Alliance alone? Was it because I was stronger than the Alliance Leader? No. I went because I was pissed. I didn’t think about what came next. So death threats and duels don’t scare me.”

“You’re insane.”

Noshin turned to his master.

“Master.”

“Yes?”

“Do you believe I’ve sided with the Scholars?”

The Sect Leader gazed at him for a while, then shook his head.

“No, I don’t.”

“But this Munju here, who’s barely met me, suspects I have.”

The Sect Leader replied in a flat tone.

“Perhaps. But what he’s doing is warning you to be wary of the thoughts growing in your own heart.”

A strange, suffocating silence fell.

Then Noshin said something astonishing.

“...Why, Master... why haven’t you taught me the Dragon-Subduing Palm and the Demon-Subduing Palm?”

I was standing just fine—then suddenly my knees gave out and I collapsed to the ground.

“Ah, you stupid bastard...”

The Sect Leader’s face turned pale.

Even a man who once blocked the combined assault of the Cult Leader and Tian’e was powerless against the shock of that moment.

Everyone is, really.

The pain of “Was it all because of this?” had hit him. I could tell he was mentally wounded. But does Noshin even understand that the pain only hit because his master had cherished him so deeply?

The Sect Leader started to speak—but closed his mouth, looking drained.

“......”

I sat on the ground, glaring at master and disciple.

Left alone like this, the master’s heart would descend into deviation—and the disciple’s into hatred.

It had to stop.

“Noshin.”

He turned to me with murderous eyes.

“Shut your damn mouth. I’m talking to my master.”

Since it had come to this, I figured we might as well let it all burn. So I answered,

“No can do. You dumbass. Stupid beggar bastard. You’re not ready. Your internal energy is lacking, your mindset is lacking. And as Senior said—you’ve already learned what suits you. If you’d just waited with the right heart, your master would’ve given you everything the old elders passed down. You clueless fool... asking for too much with too little ability. Don’t you know your master treated you kindly, waited for you, because he cherished you?”

Noshin clenched his jaw so tightly I thought it might pop.

He pointed at me.

“You—”

I opened my eyes wide and shouted.

“Shut up, you worthless beggar bastard!”