'This brat doesn't know the Thunderous Sky Sect? The Sect that is a part of the Ten Great Sects?'

'Impossible.'

The Thunderous Sky Sect, even a single mention of its name is enough to take the attention of everyone. But, this kid, doesn't know jackshit about it?

Yeong-jeon denied it. The Thunderous Sky Sect was a sect that was filled to the brim with disciples, even from the furthest part of the world; hearing about it was enough to make a man travel miles just to join.

If that's the case...

How come this kid...

No, that's impossible. The beggars are lowlife who, most of the time, never had been able to get out of their social class, maybe that's the reason as to why he never knew it.

-Stop making excuses, Yeong-jeon.

A voice from the heavens. A call from his father resounded to him.

The Beggar Sect is famed for being the greatest at gathering information and spreading it, it was even stated to rival the knowledge of the greatest libraries in the world. Even the lowest-class beggars are taught about geography and history.

Yeong-jeon stood up, wiping water off his face. He turned to Dong-rae with a serious expression.

"The Thunderous Sky Sect," Yeong-jeon said, his voice steady and filled with urgency, "you've really never heard of it?"

Dong-rae blinked, shaking his head. "Thunderous what now? Look, I've been around a while, and I've never heard of any sect by that name."

Yeong-jeon's mind raced with possibilities, but each one seemed more impossible than the last. How could someone of the Beggar Sect, with access to endless streams of information, not know the Thunderous Sky Sect?

"Are you sure?" Yeong-jeon asked again, his tone more insistent. "It's one of the Ten Great Sects! People from all corners of the world flock to it."

Dong-rae's eyes narrowed and he grabbed his chin. "Uh... Is that the... Uhh... I think I've heard about it..."

Yeong-jeon's eyes lit up and he scoots over to Dong-rae.

"Come on! Pull the information out of your brain!"

After a while, Dong-rae turned to Yeong-jeon. "It's probably a sect in Chengdu... I don't know," he said, his tone filled with uncertainty.

But this is all Yeong-jeon needed to hear.

"Chengdu... yes, that has to be it!" Yeong-jeon muttered, mostly to himself. He clenched his fists in excitement.

Dong-rae shrugged, looking a bit baffled by Yeong-jeon's excitement. "I mean, maybe? I don't know much about sects outside what we beggar hear in passing."

But Yeong-jeon was already lost in thought, his mind alight with possibilities. The Thunderous Sky Sect could still be out there, alive, waiting.

But why does this beggar not have this information engraved fully on his mind? Has the sect been forgotten by the masses?

'Impossible.'

Under his father's rule, the Thunderous Sky Sect must be famed. But if the sect is barely known... No, he will not.

First, he had to gather information. He cannot jump to conclusions just yet.

"I have a question. No, many questions."

Yeong-jeon started to organize his thoughts to not waste time. As he did, many questions popped into his mind. The war, the demons, the sect, the Heavenly Demon.

"The Heavenly Demon, that's right! Do you know the Heavenly Demon?"

If the Heavenly Demon is gone, then everyone is safe. He hoped.

"The what now?"

Dong-rae's face twisted in confusion at the mention of the Heavenly Demon. He stared at Yeong-jeon as if he'd spoken gibberish.

But before Yeong-jeon's hope crumbled a spark lit up in Dong-rae's head.

"Ah, the Heavenly Demon? He's the one that caused the demonic war 200 years ago."

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"200 hundred... years?"

Yeong-jeon's heart skipped a beat. "Two hundred years ago?" His voice wavered with disbelief.

Dong-rae nodded, though his expression suggested that he found the conversation strange. "Yeah, it's an old story. People say the Heavenly Demon nearly brought the world to ruin before the righteous sects stopped him. But that was ages ago."

Yeong-jeon's mind whirled. Two hundred years? That couldn't be right. It felt like only yesterday that the Heavenly Demon had loomed over the martial world, his presence, a dark cloud threatening destruction. Yet here was Dong-rae, speaking of it like a distant legend.

"I don't know much. But I think the Shaolin head 200 years ago defeated the Heavenly Demon."

'The Shaolins? Those cowards?'

'Those Shaolins cower in fear as I and my brothers fought the demonic forces. And now, they're hailed as the one who defeated the Heavenly Demon? If anyone, the only one capable of beheading that bastard is my father!'

Even if that's true, the only one who can write history is the one who won or the one who survived. If the Shaolin was the one who manipulated the strings, then how about his father? He wanted to find out and learn more about it.

"Do you know who the Reverend Thunder of Chengdu is?"

Dong-rae scratched his head, frowning. "Reverend Thunder? That name doesn't sound familiar either. Chengdu has had its share of strong martial artists over the years, but I've never heard of anyone with that title."

Yeong-jeon's heart sank further. How could his name—Reverend Thunder—be lost to time?

'Those Shaolin scums...'

He turned, his resolve hardening. "Chengdu," he repeated. "That's where I need to go. And you better lead me to it!"

"Why me? Aren't you a beggar too? Why don't you go?"

"..."

Dong-rae's right. A beggar knows the basic map of the world. But Yeong-jeon didn't even bother.

-Yeong-jeon! Go study the world map!

-Why must I learn it, father? Chengdu is my home. I'm inseparable from it. Besides, I'm a martial artist, not a scholar.

-You, dumbass! You're not going to lounge in Chengdu your whole life! You only practice and preach my teachings when it benefits you!

Yeong-jeon almost stammered at the sudden memory. He clenched his fists. This body that he inhabited is a beggar, of course, if should know about the major cities. But since he awoke, he wasn't able to recall the memories of his past life.

"Lead me to Chengdu," he repeated, though his voice had lost some of its earlier confidence. He glanced at Dong-rae, frustration building. "I don't have time to waste. You're a beggar, you know the lay of the land better than anyone."

Dong-rae sighed heavily.

"Why should I? Chengdu is a kinda far, you have to cross the river, and we can't guarantee that we'll have the provisions."

"Plus, if we attempt to escape, Joo will chase us. I also don't know the dangers we will encounter if I ever—"

'Is he scolding me?' Yeong-jeon asked himself. His father always nagged and scolded him for hours in his past life until he fell asleep. And in the present, this Dong-rae seems to represent his father a bit, a small glimpse of his father's image, he saw it.

"Shut up!"

"..."

Dong-rae went silent.

"I said, shut up," Yeong-jeon repeated, his voice lower but no less commanding. His eyes flashed with frustration. "We're going to Chengdu, and that's final. If you refuse to lead me, I'll find my own way."

A bluff. He knew he couldn't go to Chengdu because he didn't even know where he was.

'Oh, come on! Feel a tad bit threatened!'

Dong-rae eyed Yeong-jeon for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then, slowly, a smirk crept onto his lips. "You? Go on your own?" he scoffed. "You don't even know which direction Chengdu is, do you?"

"Give me a reason why I must go with you."

Yeong-jeon was taken aback by this resistance presented by Dong-rae. How dare a lowly beggar refuse a request from him? In his past life, he would always get what he wanted; all he needed was a word, and it'd be brought to him. From the highest class of pills down to a speck of dirt, he will get what he wants. And this kid refused?

At that moment, he realized that his previous authority was no more and he must find a way to convince him.

"A reason?"

What does a beggar always need? No, what does a human need to survive?

The answer is simple.

Food and shelter.

All he had to do was lie and use this beggar as his scout.

-you lying bastard.

"The Thunderous Sky Sect lets everyone in as a disciple and gives free food!"

Dong-rae raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched across his face. "Free food? You really think I'd fall for that?"

Yeong-jeon pressed on, desperation creeping into his tone. "I'm serious! The Thunderous Sky Sect is known for its generosity. You join, and you won't go hungry again. They help those in need, and that includes beggars like you."

Dong-rae crossed his arms, still doubtful. "And how do I know you're not just spinning tales? I've heard plenty of stories, most of them are just that—stories."

"Because I'm a disciple of the sect!" Yeong-jeon declared, feeling a flicker of his old confidence return. "I know how they operate. If we get to Chengdu, I can help you get in."

"A disciple of an unknown sect?"

"Shut your mouth and let me speak!"

Yeong-jeon took a deep breath, recalling the authority he once wielded. "Listen, I may be a beggar now, but I still have the knowledge and skills. I can teach you things and help you survive. You help me get to Chengdu, and I'll ensure you have a place to belong."

"I, Yeong-jeon of the Thunderous Sky Sect will travel to Chengdu with Dong-rae, promising a great life within their walls!"

Dong-rae's expression softens slightly. This beggar in front of him might sound and look like a great warrior if he had clean clothing.

"So what do you say?"

Dong-are considered this; his brows furrowed in thought. The allure of a new life, of food and shelter, tempted him. But he needed more than just words.

"Prove it," Dong-rae finally said, the challenge hanging in the air.

"Prove what?" Yeong-jeon asked, his heart racing.

"Show me you're not just some delusional beggar. Display your skills, then we'll see if this Thunderous Sky Sect is worth the trouble."

Yeong-jeon hesitated, then nodded. He had to convince Dong-rae. He stepped back, took a deep breath, and focused. He was the greatest talent of his generation back then. But now that he has been reborn to a new body, the strength he had cultivated was gone. Although the knowledge is engraved in his heart and mind, his body is far from capable of doing it.

'Let's start simple, just use a party trick to fool this brat.'

"Alright, just a simple demonstration," he said, adopting a confident stance. He focused on the core techniques he'd mastered in his previous life, summoning the remnants of his martial prowess.

The lightning that once vanished from this world will strike once more. This body of Yeong-jeon houses very little qi reserves, so little that it is comparable to a small animal. Also, this body of his is too impure and diluted with dirty qi. In his past, he had one of the purest qi like an ascetic elder who had been living in the mountains. His body was badly beaten, full of bruises and gashes.

But he had to spark it.

If he wishes to face his father as a complete man, he has to push through his limits.

"Watch closely," he said, his voice steady. He brought his hands together, feeling the meager energy flow through him. He could almost hear the echoes of his past—powerful strikes, blinding speed—but they felt distant like a dream slipping away.

Although little, he moved his qi from his dantian and expelled it onto his clasped palms.

'How can I, the Reverend Thunder of Chengdu, not be able to summon lightning as little as this? Watch me!'

Crack!

A faint crackle began to form between his palms, a ghost of the lightning he once commanded.

From doubt, Dong-rae's expression turned to awe. Normally, a beggar must turn 13 before being taught any martial arts. He is certain that he and Yeong-jeon are 9 years old. It amazes him. The lightning was dazzling and mind-boggling.

On the other hand, the small lightning Yeong-jeon conjured took a huge toll on his body.

Shrk!

He extended his arm skyward and expelled the lightning out of his palm and onto the air, spreading like fireworks with a bluish hue almost blending in with the sky.

Dong-rae's eyes widened in admiration.

Crack!

"Kahhh! Arghh!"

His body is untrained and beaten. This was expected by Yeong-jeon. But this pain is too much. His left arm went stiff for a moment and his muscles contorted, relaxing and tensing at an interval that is less than a second.

Dong-rae, sensing the danger,

scooted over to Yeong-jeon with a nervous face. He stretched his arm, trying to grab Yeong-jeon and lay him on the ground.

"Yeong-jeon, are you—"

But before he could touch Yeong-jeon, he staggered back, eyes wide. "Argh! Fuck! This body is far too weak!"

Yeong-jeon struggled to regain his composure, gritting his teeth against the pain radiating from his arm. "That... was just a taste. The true strength of the Thunderous Sky Sect lies in its walls."

Or at least he hoped. Everyone except the weak children of the Thunderous Sky Sect fought the demonic forces. He didn't know if one practitioner survived, but he still hoped for it. What would happen to the hopeless children if they were left alone with no one to guide them?

He didn't know. But he must go to the sect immediately.

"You have your verdict?"

Without hesitation, Dong-rae nodded like a child getting bribed with toys.

"Of course!"

"Then it's set!"

All Yeong-jeon needed to worry about was the travel to Chengdu and into the sect.

Although the stinging pain sometimes made his body twitch, his excitement overshadows it.

What would the sect look like after 200 years?