Chapter 97
However, Chwi Dugae’s outburst was nothing more than a figment of imagination.
He had held himself back precisely because he recognized that Kwak Yeon was not the kind of person who could be pressured into anything.
‘Right. The reason I’m enduring this isn’t because he cut down the Hidden Dragon Divine Sword.’
Reassuring himself once more, Chwi Dugae calmed his furious heart and continued speaking.
“Their schemes are so covert that we only ever realize what’s going on after something has already happened. And because there’s no evidence, we can’t interrogate them about it either. On top of that, the moment we so much as glance their way, they start yelling that the Beggars’ Guild, the so-called greatest orthodox sect under Heaven, is oppressing their pitiful little Hao Clan. It’s enough to drive a man mad, I tell you.”
Kwak Yeon ignored Chwi Dugae’s grumbling and asked,
“I’ve heard the Hao Clan isn’t a full-fledged heretical faction. Then why are they doing such lawless things?”
“Ever since their Clan Leader changed a few years ago, their entire disposition has shifted. You could say they’ve gotten rabid. They declared that they’d no longer serve as the gutter of the martial world. Oh, don’t get me wrong—I have no intention of disparaging the Hao Clan. They’re the ones proudly calling themselves the Filthy Door* instead of Hao Clan, after all.”
(*Note: The original pun contrasts 下午門 [Hao Clan] with 下汚門 [Filthy Door], both pronounced 'Ha-o-mun'.)
Chwi Dugae shook his head at Kwak Yeon, then continued.
“Anyway, lately they’ve completely lost their sense of place. Their numbers no longer fall short of the Beggars’ Guild, and now they’re claiming it’s not impossible for them to become the greatest great sect under Heaven. Utter madness. They don’t even have a proper signature martial art. The so-called greatest great sect under Heaven? Then they should start by changing their name from Hao Clan to Upper Water Clan instead.”
When Chwi Dugae said the Hao Clan lacked a proprietary martial art, Kwak Yeon couldn’t help but wonder whether the rumors about Suhmyeon Horui gathering incomplete martial arts techniques to develop a new one were true after all.