The Return of the Crazy Demon-Chapter 233: Where Did Our Fates Begin to Diverge?

I thought deeply, then resigned myself and spoke to the Beggars’ Sect Leader across from me.

“...I’ll give up.”

“So soon? Why?”

How should I even explain this?

The truth is, I cannot follow the Beggars’ Sect Leader.

To erase one’s presence, you must first empty your heart. But... 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

In my heart, there is already the Zaha Inn, the fire, and the madness. I am a man who cannot empty his heart—and a man who never forgets. Ultimately, it was because of these emotions that I encountered the Zaha Divine Arts. If I were to empty my heart, the Zaha Divine Arts would vanish as well.

That cannot be allowed.

I didn’t use the Zaha Divine Arts when fighting the Leader of the Heavenly Alliance, but if we had fought to the end, I surely would have resolved it with those arts.

I had no intention of emptying my heart and throwing away the final stronghold that is the Zaha Divine Arts.

I tried to convey this honestly.

“I am an emotional person. I don’t forget the past. I hold on, I remember, and I take revenge. That is who I am.”

The Beggars’ Sect Leader across from me let out a quiet laugh and nodded.

“That’s who you are. Each of us must do what we’re best at. That’s fine.”

I glanced around the bridge and suddenly asked the leader,

“By the way... does Noshin often vanish like this?”

“He does. He likes to poke around and meddle.”

I relaxed my previously hunched posture and sat properly, crossing my arms. With the wooden sword at my waist, there was no chance of getting handouts anyway. Something uncomfortable was writhing in my chest, so I pondered deeply.

...Could I have misunderstood?

As I sat with my arms crossed and settled back into my usual energy, passersby immediately began walking in a wider arc around me. These ordinary folks sensed nothing dangerous from the Beggars’ Sect Leader, yet from me—they detected killing intent.

Even the Sect Leader tilted his head curiously and asked,

“What sort of thoughts are brewing that you’re radiating such fierce bloodlust?”

“This is just how I am.”

I held the leader’s gaze for a while before speaking again.

“...Let me think it over some more and I’ll tell you.”

“All right.”

Technically, I was committing blasphemy by doubting one of the top masters of the Three Calamities, so I tried to be cautious. I respected the Sect Leader because he had once saved Jianghu itself.

But I wondered—do men like him also make mistakes?

Does a man like the Sect Leader, despite being human, sometimes fail?

As I kept silent, some people passing by offered coins to the Beggars’ Sect Leader. From my perspective, he seemed to be someone who naturally extended kindness to the weak.

He is not a man who hides behind a facade.

That’s likely why he receives such offerings.

I began to mentally retrace our conversation—between the Sect Leader, Noshin, and myself—in precise order.

“What was that martial technique you used earlier?”

“It was Ilwol Gwangcheon, a fusion of sun and moon energy.”

That was the exchange between the Sect Leader and me at the Heavenly Alliance.

“Why did you arrive only now?”

“You were fast, Master. Is it already over?”

That was the Sect Leader asking, and Noshin answering.

“When your internal and external energy fuse in perfect harmony like your Ilwol, it can unleash explosive power beyond expectations.”

That was what Noshin told me after demonstrating his light footwork.

I also recalled what we’d discussed at Chunyang Restaurant and Ilyang County.

Was I mistaken, or not?

If the Beggars’ Sect Leader asked, “Why did you arrive now?”—that implies Noshin was not standing by nearby.

And the terms “Ilwol” or “Ilwol Gwangcheon” were first mentioned by me to the Sect Leader, who appeared unfamiliar with them at the time.

So how is it that Noshin later advised me using “Ilwol” terminology?

Was I jumping to conclusions?

Was this the paranoia rooted in my madness flaring up again?

The only people who clearly know the name Ilwol Gwangcheon are the Four Great Villains and the White-Robed Scholar. It’s possible Noshin heard of it while mingling with the Swift Party, since they have ties to the Scholar. But if we assume Noshin met with the White-Robed Scholar during the brief interval when I was traveling back to Ilyang County, the timing seems too convenient.

I looked toward the Beggars’ Sect Leader with suspicion in my heart.

...

In my past life, when the Demonic Cult carried out localized extermination campaigns and slaughtered Jianghu’s masters, Alliance Leader Im Sobaek was running himself ragged trying to help.

But where was the Beggars’ Sect Leader during that time?

I never heard of him taking any action.

Was he also in training back then?

Even when I was running rampant as the Crazy Demon, the Three Calamities were already so legendary that I couldn’t even meet them. I suppose I’m the type who excels at imagining the worst-case scenarios. Suddenly, I looked the Sect Leader in the eye and asked bluntly,

“Senior, how does Noshin know I wield Ilwol energy?”

The Sect Leader listened without responding at first. His eyes were on me, but it looked like he was chewing over the meaning.

Then, gathering up the coins he’d received, he sat down beside me and replied,

“Didn’t you tell him yourself?”

“He may have known from our first meeting that I had the Yin-Yang Physique. But as you know, his tone and certainty didn’t come from a guess. It was confirmation. Something he’d learned recently. And at the Heavenly Alliance, he arrived after you. Was he already nearby, waiting?”

“No.”

The Sect Leader turned and looked at me. His expression now showed that he’d caught the gist of what I was saying.

“Are you suggesting he’s aligned with the Scholar? That he joined the Swift Party and has been feeding me information from their side?”

Seeing the Sect Leader’s surprise, I answered honestly.

“You’re welcome to get angry. It might just be a baseless suspicion. But if the Scholar’s side wants to track your movements, the only one they can ask is Noshin. Do you know who the Swift Party Leader is?”

“Noshin says he doesn’t either. Supposedly, the leader only appears when every rival light-footwork master is defeated. Even the White-Robed Scholar never managed it.”

There was something else I was curious about.

Could the Scholar’s side truly muster enough power to assassinate the Beggars’ Sect Leader?

They would have to be stronger than the combined might of the Cult Leader and the Sect Leader himself.

Not likely.

But not impossible.

Let’s say Tian’e and the White-Robed Scholar teamed up, and their subordinates joined forces too. If the Swift Party Leader turned out to be faster than even the White-Robed Scholar, then that figure might be the head of another prison-like structure—a second Book Prison.

That much force might just be enough to take down the Sect Leader.

And if Noshin had detailed insight into the Sect Leader’s martial arts?

The person who understands his martial arts best... is Noshin.

Because he’s his disciple.

And so, I began to wonder—would the Beggars’ Sect Leader be emotionally strong enough to endure betrayal from his own disciple?

Even considering every possible misstep, it still seemed likely that the Sect Leader wouldn’t survive. Even if he surpassed their expectations, it would have been a pyrrhic victory at best.

Was that why the Demonic Cult stepped in directly?

As if the Cult Leader was preparing the Heavenly Pearl to combat a foe even he couldn’t handle.

He’s already powerful—yet he needed the Pearl to fight someone?

Was he planning to kill both the Sect Leader and Tian’e simultaneously?

Or was there someone else, combining their strength, that he feared?

It continued to bother me that the White-Robed Scholar never told me the identity of the Swift Party Leader.

Just as I was consumed by chaotic speculation, I stopped thinking.

Noshin was walking back over the bridge.

“...Ah, that noodle bowl really was huge. I’m finally starting to feel less bloated. What about you, Innkeeper?”

I nodded while looking at him.

“I digest fast.”

“Pfft, youth is enviable. So envious.”

Noshin plopped down beside me. Now that the three of us—Beggar Leader, Noshin, and I—were sitting side by side, amusingly, not a single person came up to offer donations.

It was probably my fault.

Noshin looked at me and said,

“You were never meant to be a beggar. That ominous air you carry—it just doesn’t fit. Even your eyes look unhinged.”

I chuckled, stood up, and looked at the master and disciple.

“...Well then, I should make some money.”

The Beggars’ Sect Leader laughed and replied.

“How do you plan to do that?”

I pointed at him.

“You gave me teachings, so I’ll earn it the Haomun way.”

I walked to the other side of the bridge and sat dangerously on the railing, watching people pass by. Whenever someone with a temper strolled near, I either smirked mockingly or gave them a long, hard stare. Most of them frowned at me, then noticed the wooden sword at my waist and quietly walked on.

I started grinning wider. When a particularly foul-tempered group came into view, I waggled the sword and called out,

“...Beat me in a challenge, and I’ll give you a silver coin. But the entry fee is ten nyang in iron coins.”

A group of thugs I’d been watching stopped and asked,

“What kind of challenge? With swords?”

“Fists are fine too.”

“How much did you say?”

“Ten nyang to enter. If you beat me, you get a silver coin.”

“You got the silver?”

I took out my coin pouch, opened it, and showed them.

“I’ve got plenty.”

The thugs looked at each other, and one stepped forward, handing me ten nyang. I pocketed the coins and asked,

“Who’s challenging me?”

A guy with a sword at his waist smiled, pointed to himself, and said,

“I’ll go first.”

“Good.”

I stepped down from the railing and stretched. Before I was even ready, the guy lunged. I sidestepped his punch and kicked him in the ass, sending him flying under the bridge.

SPLASH!

As he fell into the stream, I burst out laughing and turned to his group—who all immediately drew their swords.

Goosebumps pricked my skin.

The Sect Leader’s words echoed in my mind.

“The cruelty of man is just as present toward the weak.”

He was right.

He probably wasn’t even hurt from the fall, but they all drew blades. Clearly, they were after my coin pouch.

I hardened my expression and spoke.

“I told you. Ten nyang is the entry fee. That’s the rule. If you skip that, you risk dying.”

From beneath the bridge, the guy screamed,

“What the hell are you standing around for?!”

The lunatics all charged me with blades. I dodged the first strike, grabbed the guy’s wrist, and threw him into the stream. Then I broke another’s wrist with a chop, kicked a third in the knee, and struck the last in the chest with Moonlight Cold Heart Technique.

They were all so weak that I grabbed them by the collar and tossed them into the water.

I looked at the soaked losers and shouted,

“Climb back up if you want to die.”

One guy with a broken arm was wailing so loud I doubted they’d return. I turned around, smiling, and looked back at the Sect Leader and Noshin.

Their seats were now empty—and strangely, the distance between them seemed far.

Now that I thought about it, while the master begged for alms...

Where exactly had the beggar disciple of the Beggars’ Sect been wandering?

If you asked me who resembled a beggar more—

It wasn’t Noshin. It was the Beggars’ Sect Leader.

When I smiled, both the Sect Leader and Noshin smiled back at me.

Noshin asked,

“So this is how Haomun earns money? Still, ten nyang isn’t bad.”

I nodded.

“Haomun is like this.”

Same bottom of the barrel—but different from the Beggars’ Sect.

I pointed at the guys I’d tossed into the stream and said to the Sect Leader,

“Did you see that?”

The Beggars’ Sect Leader, Shin Gae, smiled and nodded.

Meeting his gaze, I said calmly,

“...The cruelty of man is present even toward the weak. So don’t let your guard down, Senior.”

At the moment that the smile disappeared from the Sect Leader’s face, Noshin glanced at his master’s expression—then looked at me.

I said to Noshin,

“What are you looking at?”

Noshin suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ha! That’s something Master always used to say. How strange.”

I perched myself on the railing and looked at the master and disciple.

“I find it strange too.”

Noshin, still smiling, asked,

“What’s strange?”

“That what happens in the Beggars’ Sect is like what happens in the world. Meeting you two—this is Heaven’s fate.”

As I kept spouting cryptic nonsense, Noshin’s smile began to fade little by little.

Inside, I thought:

No matter how things unfold, fate changed because the Beggars’ Sect Leader came to meet me. His fate will # Nоvеlight # change. And so will mine.

Then again, why did he come to meet me in this life, unlike the last?

Perhaps it’s because...

My mindset changed from my previous life.

If not that, then I had no other answer.