Chapter 362 ·Epilogue – The Beggars' Sect's Greatest Master
Chapter 362: Epilogue – The Beggars' Sect's Greatest Master
Beggar God, Heaven-Devouring Beggar Fighter, Hwang An.
One of the Three Sovereigns, who were said to be the strongest in the current martial world, and a martial artist regarded as the strongest in the history of the Beggars' Sect.
Because he could never tolerate injustice and had fought at the forefront during the rise of the Demonic Cult, he was respected by both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions.
Yet, at some point, Hwang An began to change.
Just as his title "Heaven-Devouring" suggested, he had always been a greedy man.
However, that greed gradually crossed the line.
Despite already being one of the strongest martial artists in the martial world, Hwang An gathered every Spiritual Herb, Spirit Beast Core, medicinal pill created through alchemy, and even rare elixirs imported from the Western Regions.
Greedy Old Monster.
The hero who once represented the Orthodox Faction eventually came to be known by that title.
Some claimed Hwang An dreamed of immortality.
Others speculated that he sought to unite the martial world.
'Unite the martial world? What nonsense.'
However, the world's speculation was wrong.
Hwang An had something entirely different in mind.
'I need to become even stronger.'
He wanted to overcome the wall before him.
When he had parted ways with his sworn younger brother long ago, he had spoken as though he had given up.
But Hwang An had never abandoned that goal.
That was why, whenever a great battle broke out, he fought at the very front, just like the close friend he had always wanted to emulate.
'I can do it.'
With the talent he had originally possessed, he would never have reached this level.
His connection with Jang Woo-hyun had allowed him to break through his limits, and he believed that power had not yet reached its end.
'Whatever I'm lacking, I'll make up for it somehow.'
That was why he had obsessively collected Spiritual Medicines and rare elixirs.
He obtained an Elixir of Longevity from a western alchemist to extend his lifespan.
Whenever he helped a sect, he boldly demanded their secret Spiritual Medicines or medicinal pills as payment.
He did not care what people said behind his back.
Whether they called him the Greedy Old Monster or an Old Demon, Hwang An had a goal he absolutely had to achieve.
And in the end—
The mysterious assistance he had received from Jang Woo-hyun.
Hwang An's relentless effort and hard-fought life.
Combined with countless Spiritual Medicines.
Together, they allowed him to surpass the wall that had blocked his path.
“Ahahahahaha!”
Looking at his now semi-transparent hand, Hwang An realized what would happen next.
And how his life was about to change.
Three days after noticing his transparent hand—
His body became enveloped in light.
A pillar of light shot into the heavens from where he stood.
The greatest master of the Beggars' Sect, the Heaven-Devouring Beggar Fighter, disappeared from the Central Plains.
After flying through a space filled with white light for what felt like an eternity, he finally arrived at a vast open field.
A massive Formation was engraved across the ground.
Several people stood at the edge of the Formation.
“Hmm.”
A low murmur escaped Hwang An's lips as he looked around.
'They're all strong.'
He could not accurately gauge any of their strength.
Moreover, every one of them possessed a distinct aura.
'Orthodox... Demonic... Unorthodox... Spellcaster...'
Simply from the faint energy they emitted, he could tell what path each of them walked.
'Though I can't quite figure those people over there out.'
Some radiated powerful energy from their middle dantian like spellcasters.
Yet they did not seem to use spells.
The two who had arrived later possessed such distinct auras that they reminded him of fire and ice.
After briefly examining Hwang An, they quickly looked away.
After discussing something among themselves, a man wearing robes with a Taiji symbol embroidered on the left side of his chest approached him.
His aura felt both heavy and gentle.
He was one of the martial artists Hwang An had identified as someone who cultivated Orthodox martial arts.
“Welcome. I am Cheongpung of the Three Pure Ones Taiji Sect, and I oversee the Ascension Platform.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hwang An.”
“Would it be alright if I addressed you as Warrior Hwang?”
“Call me whatever is most comfortable. May I ask you a few questions?”
Cheongpung smiled warmly and nodded.
“Did I really undergo the Ascension that Immortals speak of? And should I think of this place as where the Immortals reside?”
“From the perspective of the Lower Realm, that would be correct. More precisely, this world is known as the Middle Heaven Realm.”
Cheongpung briefly explained the Lower Realm, Ascension, the Middle Realm, and the Central Heavens Martial World.
“How fascinating. Even this place has its own factions and martial world.”
“You can think of it as being similar to the martial world of the Lower Realm. My role here is to guide those who have Ascended.”
Although it differed greatly from the world Hwang An had imagined before Ascending, he now had a rough understanding of where he was.
After hearing several more explanations, Hwang An finally asked the question that interested him the most.
“By any chance, among those who have come here... do you know someone named Jin Ha-... I mean, Jin Ha-woon?”
He hurriedly corrected the name before finishing.
Jang Woo-hyun would undoubtedly be the more famous one.
'But who knows what kind of trouble Brother Jang has caused.'
Even if the two were together, mentioning the relatively sensible Jin Ha-woon would be safer.
“You know Junior Brother Jin? Ah, perhaps I should not assume. Is the Jin Ha-woon you speak of someone from the Qingcheng Sect?”
“Yes! If you call him Junior Brother Jin, then Ha-woon must belong to the same sect as you.”
“Yes. Junior Brother Jin is a disciple of the Three Pure Ones Taiji Sect. He joined not long ago. But... was the name you almost mentioned just now Jang Woo-hyun?”
At Cheongpung's words, Hwang An's eyes and mouth widened.
He nodded enthusiastically.
“You know Brother Jang too?”
“Yes. Warrior Jang is also staying with the Three Pure Ones Taiji Sect.”
“H-Haha... Wahahahaha!”
Upon hearing both Jang Woo-hyun's and Jin Ha-woon's names, Hwang An burst into laughter.
It seemed he would be able to meet them much sooner than expected.
There was no longer any need for further conversation.
Afterward, Hwang An followed Cheongpung to the main headquarters of the Three Pure Ones Taiji Sect.
“You may wait here.”
After being led into a small building—
Hwang An could not sit still.
He simply paced back and forth restlessly.
Perhaps the two people he wished to meet felt the same way.
Before even half an hour had passed, he sensed two presences rapidly approaching.
Unable to wait any longer, Hwang An flung the door open so forcefully it nearly broke.
“Hwang An!”
“Brother!”
Two men flew toward him through the air.
They looked exactly as they had when they first vowed to stand together at the Shangguan Clan long ago.
His vision blurred with rising tears.
Smiling broadly, Hwang An shouted,
“You bastards!”
Jang Woo-hyun.
Jin Ha-woon.
Hwang An.
An old bond was reunited in the Middle Heaven Realm.
“You're unbelievably untalented.”
“I know. It's honestly terrible. How did you even manage to Ascend?”
Two months after Ascending—
Hwang An was learning Void Step and the Transcendent Perception Domain, both of which allowed one to move freely through empty space.
“Hey! It's because you two are freaks! I heard it normally takes years just to learn Void Step!”
“Years? You just do it.”
“I can walk through the air too!”
Using his tremendous Internal Energy, Hwang An walked across empty space.
The other two merely sighed and shook their heads.
“If you can't learn Void Step, then at least you should be good at handling Dharma Treasures. But you can't even do that.”
Hwang An was equally poor at controlling Dharma Treasures.
Even when using a flying Dharma Treasure, he could barely keep it airborne before wobbling and crashing back to the ground.
“He's about as bad as you used to be.”
“I had a reason.”
“Well, after the Dragon King's Scale disappeared, even Master Craftsman was shocked.”
“He really isn't good at anything.”
“Seriously. He's completely useless.”
It was almost as though the two of them had practiced beforehand.
Their teasing flowed naturally.
“Can you two stop worrying about me and go somewhere far away?”
After enduring it all day, Hwang An felt as though his insides were about to explode.
The heartfelt joy and excitement of reuniting had disappeared long ago.
With those two constantly nagging him, that outcome had been inevitable.
“At this rate he'll never learn it.”
“Shouldn't we ask Master Craftsman to make him a puppet instead of a Dharma Treasure? The puppet could just carry him around.”
Despite Hwang An's complaints, the two continued talking without pause.
The only reason they finally stopped teasing him was because a communication Dharma Treasure suddenly activated.
Jin Ha-woon operated the Dharma Treasure attached to his arm.
【Junior Brother Jin! Are you with Warrior Jang right now?】
Yang Ju-seung of the Demon Extermination Squad was looking for Jang Woo-hyun.
“Yes, we're together.”
【Tell him that he's here again!】
“Ah... We'll head over immediately.”
Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-woon immediately understood what Yang Ju-seung meant.
Without another word, they naturally took out their flying Dharma Treasures.
“Where are you two going?”
“You told us to go somewhere.”
“You're actually leaving? What's going on? Is it urgent?”
“Well, it's the Wind—”
Jang Woo-hyun reached out and stopped Jin Ha-woon.
The corner of his mouth curled upward.
“I made a new friend here, but he's a real nuisance. He's always causing trouble, bothering everyone, and you can't reason with him.”
“What? Brother Jang made a new friend? Who is it? Don't tell me... it's that person you said had settled down after taking care of some business last time?”
“Yes, that's right. He's close with Brother Jang, but he's completely impossible to control. If we compared him to someone from the Central Plains, he'd be like an utterly hopeless martial artist from the Demonic Cult.”
Jin Ha-woon immediately caught on to what Jang Woo-hyun was planning and played along.
“Ahem. If that's the situation, you should've told me sooner.”
“Why? What would've changed?”
“I'm your first close friend and your right-hand man. I'll go give him a proper talking-to. No... while we're at it, I'll straighten him out completely.”
“Brother... are you sure?”
“Ahem. I'm no ordinary person either. I just don't talk about it much, but back when the Demonic Cult gathered in force... Well, never mind. I'll show you personally. I'll come too. Just let me ride your flying Dharma Treasure.”
“Then... shall we see what Hwang An can really do?”
“What do you mean 'just Hwang An'? That was ages ago. The Beggars' Sect's greatest master, one of the Orthodox Faction's pillars, the true Heaven-Devouring Beggar Fighter, Hwang An, is about to reveal himself.”
Hwang An threw several punches into empty space.
The moment he turned around, the two exchanged glances and smiled.
“Let's go! I'll show you how hard I've worked!”
The flying Dharma Treasure carrying all three sped rapidly through the sky.
A short while later—
Hwang An found himself standing before a white-furred monkey monster.
“What's this?”
“......”
Seeing such a Great Monster for the first time, Hwang An merely blinked repeatedly.
Then he turned toward Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-woon.
The two were smiling so broadly it almost looked as though their mouths reached their ears.
“W-What... is this?”
“It's Lord Wind-Passing Great Sage, the Monkey King.”
One of the legendary Seven Great Saints.
The moment Hwang An found himself face-to-face with one of them, his mind went completely blank.
“What is this ugly human?”
“He says he wants to fight you.”
“Really? I admire his courage.”
A powerful wind erupted from the Wind-Passing Great Sage's body.
Frightened by that overwhelming pressure, Hwang An shouted,
“Wait! Wait, wait! Hold on! Jang Woo-hyun! Jin Ha-woon!”
He desperately called out to his close friend and sworn younger brother.
The two simply laughed while watching Hwang An get thoroughly beaten by the Wind-Passing Great Sage.
“Hey! What the hell is this!? Wait a second, you damn monkey!”
After all—
Three people together were much more fun than two.
“Brother, this is how I've been treated ever since coming to the Middle Heaven Realm. Do you know how much hardship I went through just to reunite with those two?”
Hwang An repeatedly gulped down liquor from the bottle in front of him.
“I've given up so many things. Ah... why did I have to give up everything?”
Even without receiving any response, Hwang An continued lamenting his misfortunes.
Eventually, perhaps because he had grown annoyed, the other person finally asked a brief question.
“What exactly did you give up?”
“The position of the strongest under heaven. And all the young ladies who admired me. It feels awkward saying it myself, but there were enough women who liked me to fill Dongting Lake.”
At those words, Master Craftsman, who had been making something across from him, quietly looked up.
“I don't really know the beauty standards of the Lower Realm, but... no matter how I look at it, I don't think you were that popular.”
“Ahem. Brother, a man's charm isn't judged solely by his face. Besides, I don't want to hear that from someone with three eyes.”
“What are you talking about? My clan naturally has three eyes. Why are you looking at me like that? And this arm wasn't cut off either. I was born with only one.”
“That's a relief. I thought you might've suffered some terrible accident.”
“What accident? More importantly, I've been wondering this for a while. Why are you calling me Brother?”
“Calling you Master Craftsman sounds too stiff. I'll just call you Brother.”
“...Fine.”
They had not even known each other very long.
Yet Hwang An was remarkably easygoing.
As expected of Jang Woo-hyun's friend, he was unusual in an entirely different way.
“If you're done talking, just leave. Can't you see I'm busy?”
“Go ahead and work, Brother. I'll just keep talking to myself until I leave.”
Hwang An lifted another bottle and took several more large gulps.
Ignoring him, Master Craftsman resumed his work.
Hwang An once again began lamenting his life by himself.
His endless complaints continued for nearly two hours.
Just as Master Craftsman was beginning to lose his patience—
Jang Woo-hyun arrived together with his companions.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was talking with Brother Master Craftsman. What's going on? Did another monster invade again?”
“No. We're heading out now. We came to say goodbye to Master Craftsman.”
Jang Woo-hyun.
Jin Ha-woon.
Yong Seo-hee.
Gun Yu-hye.
The four of them were preparing to travel throughout the martial world.
“Ah, I see. Then have a safe trip.”
“Aren't you coming, Brother?”
“I'm just a lowly fool who hasn't even mastered Void Step yet. Where would I go? You all go wherever you want.”
“You're really not coming?”
“Oh, since when have you cared so much about me? I'll stay here with Brother Master Craftsman. Whether you travel or wander around the Central Heavens Martial World, do as you please.”
“You're really not coming? We're planning to stop by the Northern Heavenly Ice Palace this time, but I guess it can't be helped.”
The moment Jin Ha-woon said that, Hwang An whipped his head around so fast it looked as though it might snap.
“What? Where did you say you're going?”
“We're thinking of visiting the Ice Palace's territory. None of us have been there before.”
“Uh... Brother Jang. D-Does that mean... we'll be able to meet the Young Palace Mistress of the Ice Palace?”
As a former member of the Beggars' Sect, Hwang An had remained true to his old habits.
Even after Ascending, he had stuffed his head full of information about the Middle Heaven Realm.
Unlike the Lower Realm, the Middle Heaven Realm possessed countless Dharma Treasures capable of recording all kinds of things.
Saving a person's appearance or scenery from a particular region was no difficult task.
While examining one such recording Dharma Treasure, Hwang An had seen the Young Palace Mistress of the Ice Palace, Seol Ha-rin.
He had fallen in love at first sight.
“I don't know whether we'll actually meet her or not, but we are stopping by the Ice Palace. Why?”
Unlike moments ago, Hwang An suddenly became extremely busy.
“What do you mean why? If Brother Jang is going somewhere, how could I possibly stay behind? We're one body, after all. Haha, this really brings back old memories.”
After hurriedly packing all of his belongings, Hwang An smiled awkwardly.
His intentions were painfully obvious.
Still, Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-woon did not dislike seeing him like that.
“Master Craftsman, we'll be going now.”
“Alright. Don't cause trouble. And don't go around bothering everyone.”
“Yes. Don't worry.”
“That's exactly why I'm worried.”
“Brother, don't worry! As long as I'm here, things will be different this time.”
“You... never mind. Seo-hee, I'm counting on you.”
“Yes. I'll make sure to keep everyone under control.”
Leaving Master Craftsman's concerns behind, the group departed from the territory of the Taiji Sect.
Although Yong Seo-hee and Gun Yu-hye had newly joined them, the three old companions were finally traveling together once again, just as they had back in the Central Plains.
The journey through the martial world that had been cut short by Jang Woo-hyun's sudden Ascension now began anew in the Middle Heaven Realm.
RelatedRelatedRelated