It was a warm day.
Chwi Geol-gae settled into his usual spot beneath the restaurant wall, his favorite place. The reason was simple: it was the perfect spot to bask in the sun's subtly angled rays.
"Aiyo."
Today was no different.
As the sun reached its zenith, his head rested in the shade while his legs stretched into the sunlight.
Brushing aside his grimy beard, Chwi Geol-gae gazed up at the sky.
Against the clear blue canvas, a kite soared effortlessly through the air.
"Fine weather, indeed."
Everything was perfect.
Except for one thing: the gourd lying empty before him.
Should I move to a different spot?
Just as he was pondering this,
Clatter.
A heavy thud shook the gourd.
Looking down, he saw a gold ingot gleaming yellow inside.
"Elder Chwi Geol-gae of the Beggar's Sect. Am I correct?"
Lifting his gaze, he saw a figure silhouetted against the backlight.
The person appeared to be under twenty, not even of marriageable age.
Yet the aura emanating from him was surprisingly heavy, far beyond his years.
Chwi Geol-gae replied, "I think you've got the wrong person..."
"You're exactly who I'm looking for."
Chwi Geol-gae clicked his tongue.
"Judging by your appearance, shouldn't you be seeking a physician rather than a beggar?"
"It's fine. It's not my blood." The blood-soaked man said.
It seems I won't be able to escape easily. As this thought struck him, curiosity flared.
"Why are you looking for me?"
"I want to make a request."
"If you're looking for an assassin, you should go to the Black Market."
"If I wanted someone killed, I wouldn't need to hire anyone else. Doing it myself is the quickest and most certain method."
This man was serious.
Chwi Geol-gae felt a growing sense of unease.
What should I do? He doesn't seem like he'll back down easily.
Should I just unleash my palm techniques and make a run for it?
I don't like the sound of that.
His instincts screamed a warning: Do not engage this man.
He sensed that even the Beggar's Sect's signature move, the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, wouldn't be able to hold this man back for even a moment.
In the end, Chwi Geol-gae decided to hear him out.
"What kind of request do you have?" he asked.
"I want to create a new identity."
"If you just need a fake identity, you don't need the Beggar's Sect for that. There are easier ways."
"An ordinary identity won't do. I need to secure a position as a Martial Arts Instructor at the Murim Alliance's New Martial Arts Academy."
"Are you asking me, an Elder of the Beggar's Sect, to betray the Murim Alliance?"
"It's not betrayal, but a request for you to recommend me."
"I'm so flabbergasted I can't even speak."
"There's another condition," the man continued.
"Your background shouldn't be too conspicuous. Ideally, you should come from an actual existing sect."
"The sect should be somewhere between righteous and demonic. The righteous sects are too rigid, and I despise the demonic ones."
"Your martial arts skill should be about moderately first-rate. I don't want to stand out too much, but I also don't want to be underestimated."
"And most importantly..."
Overwhelmed by the man's chilling aura, Chwi Geol-gae swallowed hard.
"Exactly twenty-five years old."
"..."
"Absolutely. Without exception. Exactly twenty-five years old."
"Why is that so important?"
"Because the person I want to seduce is twenty years old."
"What kind of reason is that?"
"She has a thing for older men. She doesn't even consider one or two years older to be old enough! Even twenty-four is pushing it!"
The suspicious man howled suspiciously.
"Quite a particular young lady."
"My goal is to be called 'Oppa.' I'd rather bite my tongue off than be called 'Dongsaeng' again."
Chwi Geol-gae suddenly felt puzzled.
"But I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Judging by your words, you seem quite close to this lady. Why go through the trouble of creating a fake identity just to meet her?"
The man chuckled.
"She doesn't know me now."
"Didn't you just say you were quite close to her?"
Clang.Clang.
With bloodshot eyes, the man recklessly dropped gold ingots, asserting, "None of your business. Twenty-five. Martial Arts Instructor. That's the identity I want."
Watching this man recklessly shower gold before vanishing, Chwi Geol-gae exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! Hey! You can't just leave like that!"
"What's the problem?"
"What's your name? You need to tell me your name so I can forge an identity or whatever it is you want!"
The man turned back and said, "Cho Un-hwi."
Then added, "A martial artist of marriageable age."
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