Chapter 74: You, Become My Comrade (2)

One of the Ten Wings had to be brought on board before Lee Taebaek could truly move freely in the upper districts. It didn’t have to be a perfect alliance, but at minimum, a cordial relationship was absolutely essential.

“What brings a fine young gentleman like you to a beggar like me? You’re not here to make a donation, I take it.”

Lee Taebaek had pegged this slyly smiling old man as the perfect candidate.

The Great Existence Hong Geolgae.

There were two main reasons for selecting him…

“Starting off by intimidating the other party from the get-go. Not exactly pleasant for the one on the receiving end.”

“This subway station’s my home base to begin with. I’ve got my own security system set up in my own house, so don’t look at me like that.”

“Your security system’s a bit too brutal, don’t you think?”

“Can it compare to the megacorps? These are just puppets. But those bastards turn living humans into things worse than puppets. You’d know that better than anyone as a Resistance fighter. Isn’t that right?”

First off, the Great Existence was the one and only puppeteer.

He drew out his internal energy in tangible form to manipulate puppets. It was his signature specialty, a unique supreme technique that only he wielded.

His gift was the ability to materialize internal energy. Combined with his innately overwhelming reserves of qi, the result was this puppetry.

And the scale was, as one could see…

Its radius was too vast to even guess by eye.

True enough, Hong Geolgae’s puppets were deployed all throughout Lake City. That was the foundation of the Beggar Clan’s street-level intelligence network.

‘Puppetry is straight-up broken. I want it.’

This subway station was filled to the brim, and it still wasn’t even half his forces. The Sword Master was the same— these supposed world’s strongest were always hiding their true power.

Lake City drove people’s paranoia into overdrive. He wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Anyway, the key point here wasn’t the Beggar Clan’s intelligence network spearheaded by the Great Existence. The Lilith Order was already serving as his eyes and ears. What Lee Taebaek was after were the combat resources Hong Geolgae could deploy.

“No beating around the bush since we’re both busy. I’m Hong Geolgae, and I want you to cooperate with the Resistance.”

In other words, raw numbers.

“Hmm. Aren’t you already friends with Jin Sobang? It was that friend of yours who passed along that you wanted to see me. So as far as I know, the Beggar Clan is already on good terms with you, Lee Taebaek.”

That was why the Blue-Robed Faction’s branch leaders worked in banking. It would be a mistake to think their vaults only held money. The Blue-Robes had secured their independence from Hong Geolgae by dangling that carrot.

“Thanks to these Lilith Order folks, rooting out the subversive elements went much faster. Even the ones in hiding turned out to be Beggar Clan members. No one knows the clan’s ins and outs like we do. But from a third party’s perspective, it was obvious. I can’t say it’s all thanks to you, but at least half of it is. I’m grateful.”

Hong Geolgae’s expression was kindly as he spoke, but he didn’t give Lee Taebaek a chance to respond. He might as well have glared at him.

He must have read that thought.

Gooooo…

His grandfatherly gaze sharpened into a fierce glare in an instant. The air grew heavy, and the fallen puppets began to rattle. They were poised to snap to attention and charge at a single command.

“But from what I know, you’ve already received plenty from the Beggar Clan. Wanting more at this point sounds like greed to me… What do you think, Lee Taebaek? Different from this old master’s view?”

“…”.

A few well-placed words packed with barbs. Decoding it: More? You wanna die? All said with utmost politeness.

“…Listen to my Korean properly…”

But he couldn’t afford to act meek.

“I’m not trying to squeeze the Beggar Clan. Hong Geolgae, this is a personal request to you.”

“Hah, such impudence.”

The Great Existence? Ten Wings? In the end, they were all his creations.

“The impudent one here is you.”

He lowered his voice heavily. Shamelessness is your specialty, Lee Taebaek. Just like you did with Kang Hyeonseong back in the Brain Prison.

“You told me to say what I want, then staged this whole horror movie scene on purpose. ‘I met you once because of the Hyeopjeon. Now scram.’ Worst send-off I’ve ever gotten in my life.”

Hong Geolgae looked stunned by Lee Taebaek’s crude word choice. His lips just hung open.

“And…”

Lee Taebaek timed his breath here, activating his restriction to buff his mental stats before continuing.

“Forming a friendly relationship with me… benefits you, no, the entire Beggar Clan. How could the Dragon Head Chief know only one side and not the other…?”

“Just like Jin Sobang said. You’ve got balls of steel, alright.”

Jin Sobang, that bastard, badmouthing him behind his back. Time for a little chat after this.

“Still, not a bad feeling. Back in the old Central Plains days, the guy who joined me and the Beggar Clan had the exact same personality as you.”

Hong Geolgae chuckled to himself, amused, when a mechanical chime announced an incoming train.

“Tch.”

His good mood shattered, he clicked his tongue. Then he gestured at the announcement board. What happened next was absurd beyond belief.

This was it. The second reason after the first.

This was why Lee Taebaek was risking it all to negotiate with the Dragon Head Chief.

“There, five minutes.”

Because the subway connecting the upper and lower layers was woven into the Great Existence’s web. He controlled the entire underground transit network in the area.

“Convince me within that time.”

Tick-tock.

A timer started blaring in his head.

“…That guy’s exit was art too.”

“Art indeed.”

The two Resistance members idly chatted while staring at their cooling malatang.

The steam had faded to the point where it was barely visible. Even that was impressive given the spiciness level of 11—it hadn’t cooled much until now.

When the malatang first arrived, it looked like lava poured into a bowl.

“That guy earlier was Hero Seo Punggae, right?”

The group nodded at the words.

“Yeah. Bumped into him once before. The stench was as unforgettable as ever. Beggar Clan folks use smell as their ID. They identify each other by stink.”

“If he’s definitely Seo Punggae… then that rumor must be true. About Lee Taebaek, the rookie, getting chummy with the Beggar Clan.”

Word often circulated that Lee Taebaek was mingling with beggars. The fact that the Beggar Clan funded and provided labor for the Hundred-Fold Sect’s branch was a half-open secret among those in the know.

The 3rd Battalion was relatively quick on the gossip uptake. Their leader Tang Jihye had been frequenting the Hundred-Fold Sect outside their base lately, so the members assumed it tied back to Lee Taebaek.

“…So that rumor too?”

“The one where the leader and the rookie threw down?”

“Shhh-“

The man pressed a finger to his lips.

“Don’t say that in front of the deputy commander!”

“What are you imagining, you perv? I was just gonna say the leader wanted to straighten out the cocky rookie. Teach him some manners.”

Laughter erupted loudly.

“Anyway, why’d Seo Punggae take the rookie?”

“Recruiting him into the Beggar Clan? The rookie’s popular in the battalion.”

“Nah, doesn’t seem like recruitment. They’re building that Hundred-Fold Sect Branch 2 now, right? Probably burning through cash, so a beggar elder steps in to rein it in. ‘Don’t suck us dry, fleecing the Beggar Clan?! Get lost!’ Like that.”

“Blue-Robes got money though.”

“Just a figure of speech, you stiff.”

While they bantered, Jang Chwiyen stared fixedly at his malatang bowl, ears closed off.

His eyes held something solid—trust, faith—like crusty sleep in the corners.

“Deputy Commander, you don’t actually think the rookie’s coming back, do you?”

“He will.”

The firm reply made the member flinch and ask back.

“On what basis?”

“He gets the romance of this era.”

“Ugh… Deputy Commander.”

The member groaned just as everyone’s eyes—including the deputy’s—locked onto one spot.

The entrance flap parted, and someone burst in. They all recognized him.

“You guys!”

And rightly so—it was Battalion Commander Tang Jihye.

She’d rushed over, breathing raggedly. Unthinkingly, Deputy Commander Jang Chwiyen offered her a glass of water.

Everyone watched as she gulped it down. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she exploded.

“Have you seen Lee Taebaek?!”

“Uh, yeah… He came by earlier.”

“Where to? With who?!”

“With a beggar…”

“Beggar?! What beggar?!”

The member’s tongue-tied under Tang Jihye’s glare.

They’d just joked about her, but she was a terrifying commander.

Her cute looks and youth belied her ruthless brutality. Naturally, she handled assassinations and torture.

“Seo Punggae came to pick him up thirty minutes ago. But what’s going on? Why’s the commander so worked up?”

Jang Chwiyen asked as he took back the cup.

Her heart still racing, Tang Jihye calmed at his steady tone and spoke amid the stares.

“The Beggar Clan.”

She shook her head and continued.

“No, the Great Existence is meeting the Commander-in-Chief.”

“…!!”

Silent screams filled the shop. Everyone expressed shock through gestures and faces.

Jang Chwiyen finally stammered,

“Wh-why?”

“Just heard. That’s why I’m looking for ‘him’.”

“What does that have to do with the rook—”

He trailed off with a low sigh.

Seo Punggae took Lee Taebaek somewhere. Soon after, the Great Existence contacted the Commander-in-Chief. The connection was impossible to ignore.

– Before the malatang gets cold.

Didn’t that mean he’d return by then…?

Even amid the tension, faint steam still rose from the bowls.

Commander-in-Chief’s office. Even the perpetually laid-back commander showed clear signs of fluster. His helmet was crooked, hastily donned.

“…You’re saying you want to form an alliance with our Resistance.”

“That’s right.”

“This is… quite bewildering.”

The visitor just sipped his green tea.

“Mind sharing the reason?”

Not even the cutting-edge lenses blanketing the walls could pierce the intent of the man seated opposite.

He set down his teacup audibly, then grinned while tapping his thumbs together.

“Hear it from the man himself.”

No sooner had the Great Existence spoken than the door opened.

The next moment, the man strode in majestically. No need to name the obvious.

Step, step.

Lee Taebaek entered.