Late at night.

Every lower-class beggars are asleep soundly at the camp. Yeong-jeon and Dong-rae managed to slip out of their beds and hid in the bushes.

The trip to Chengdu will be long. For that reason, Dong-rae and Yeong-jeon took some food from the kitchen. Now, they're hiding and sneaking nimbly.

'I can't lose time. The sect is waiting for me. I've tried cultivating my inner qi earlier but... it is still a minor increase in strength.'

Yeong-jeon thought that the trip to Chengdu would be smooth sailing, where he and Dong-rae would not encounter any barricades.

He could not have been more wrong.

"What the hell is this?"

Yeong-jeon whispered as he hid in the bushes along with Dong-rae. Several men wandered in the forest, holding a stick in their hand with a tired expression. They looked to be guarding the camp, but Yeong-jeon thought otherwise.

Dong-rae spoke from the back, tying the sack that the food had been stashed in.

"They're the guards. Sometimes, bandits will attack small beggar camps. Bandits or thugs inhabit the border between the two towns as the forest is outside the towns' authority, and if one even attempts to claim the forest, the other one would retaliate."

"...I see."

Yeong-jeon was amazed. He knew that the beggars had access to an endless amount of knowledge. But to see a mere child understand this matter amazed him like a father being proud of his son.

He also knew of this matter in his previous life very well like something engraved on his heart. The sects or even the officials, although united under one roof, have their strict traditions and beliefs. So, instead of fighting to expand their land that had been cultivated by their previous ancestors, they just stayed within their land.

Thinking about it made Yeong-jeon angry.

If the sects hadn't been too focused on their power and banded with the others earlier, they could've wiped those bandits off the map.

But the alliance was formed too late.

Bandits also wanted to hold onto their little power as much as the officials. Even when the demonic war is happening, the bandits will just hide in their camps deep in the woods and ambush anyone, may it be a demonic cultivator or a righteous man, they will ambush it.

This caused the trip between lands difficult and demanding. The bandits didn't care about the world. Even though the bandits were nowhere near Yeong-jeon's previous strength, what they lacked was numbers. If they wanted to escape the demonic forces through the forest, they would have to deal with the countless bandits lurking in it.

Many and countless brothers died due to the ceaseless battles they faced.

This was no time for regrets. Yeong-jeon must live in the future not in the past.

"For that reason, the main sect implemented that the 'upper-class' beggars guard the place at night."

The word 'upper-class beggar' made Yeong-jeon raise his brow involuntarily.

"What's the use of hierarchy if all members beg for scraps?"

"Just because it's named 'The Beggar Sect' doesn't mean all members beg!"

"Uh?"

The guards turned their gaze to the bushes.

"Aarghh... Let me go!..."

"Shut your mouth..."

After Dong-rae let out a shout, Yeong-jeon immediately grabbed Dong-rae and shut the beggar's mouth with his hands. For a moment, he wanted to scream at Dong-rae for shouting and alerting the guards, but he also knew that doing that would blow their cover.

He peeked outside the bushes. If he saw the guards walking towards their location, Yeong-jeon would've run and left Dong-rae. Fortunately, the guards only let out a hefty sigh as if no one wanted to deal with the trouble.

"They looked sleep-deprived."

"Mmmfffghhhh!"

A muffled sound came out of Yeong-jeon's hands.

Yeong-jeon quickly released his grip on Dong-rae's mouth, glaring at him with frustration.

"Do you want to get us killed?" Yeong-jeon hissed quietly.

Dong-rae gasped for air, rubbing his face. "I wasn't trying to shout, you idiot!" he whispered back, trying to keep his voice down. "But seriously, these guys aren't to be messed with. They might be tired, but if they catch us sneaking out with food, we're done for!"

"Then why did you take food!"

At this, Dong-rae's brows furrowed.

"We're gonna starve, you idiot!"

Yeong-jeon clenched his teeth, glaring at Dong-rae. "We won't starve if we reach Chengdu quickly. You're the one making noise and drawing attention to us!"

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Dong-rae shot back, "And you're the one dragging me along on this insane plan! What do you expect? To march to Chengdu on an empty stomach?"

At their banter, the guards' curiosity grew, specifically, one man who had beaten Yeong-jeon.

"Who's there?!"

A tired shout from the guards can be heard.

"I will check it."

Joo, who had beaten Yeong-jeon senselessly earlier stepped out and slowly approached the bush the two beggars were hiding in.

Yeong-jeon sensed this and quickly peeked outside. Joo was nearing them and was just a few steps away.

Immediately and without warning, he grabbed Dong-rae by the collar and sprung out of the bushes. He initially planned to leave Dong-rae, but he couldn't force himself to do it.

So far, Dong-rae has only shown kindness to him. It would be dishonorable to abandon him now, no matter how tempting the thought was.

Yeong-jeon pulled Dong-rae with all his might, launching them both out of the bushes and into a mad dash. Dong-rae held the sack, and it floated in the air like a flag.

Joo's eyes widened as the two figures burst from their hiding spot, but his exhaustion slowed his reaction. He saw something from Dong-rae's hands. It was the food stashed in the kitchen.

'Wait... That's stealing...'

"Thief!!!"

"Stop! You two-!" Joo bellowed, but his voice was more frustration than command.

"Sound the bell, you slowpokes!"

As soon as Joo's shout echoed through the forest, the other guards snapped to attention. The sound of a bell clanging in the distance followed a harsh, metallic rhythm that jolted the entire camp awake.

"Run faster!" Yeong-jeon growled, pulling Dong-rae along as the sack of stolen food flopped wildly in his grip.

The sleeping lower-class beggars all were wakened by the ring of the bell. They all rubbed their eyes as they stood up.

Soon, their energy will also be heightened.

"Thief!!!"

"We have a thief in the camp!!!"

Yeong-jeon sighed internally. He wondered why they were causing all this ruckus.

Dong-rae had the opposite reaction. He was screaming internally.

"Why are they doing this much for a few breads?"

"Stealing is stealing, dumbass!"

"Then why'd you steal then? Hypocrite."

"I'm not preaching that stealing is bad, you!... I'm merely stating facts!"

Dong-are wanted to curse Yeong-jeon more but he also brought this to himself. Yeong-jeon never provoked him to steal but he did it to his own accord.

The camp was now fully awake, with beggars scrambling around in confusion. The guards, albeit exhausted, were rallying to find the two culprits. The clanging bell echoed through the trees, signaling that the entire area was on high alert.

Yeong-jeon glanced behind.

'Why are they waking up the children? They're not going to use them aren't they?'

He feared that the children would be used to catch them. But what he feared the most was if it had been a thug in his past life. Definitely, blood would spill.

Instead, he just kept running, slowly letting Dong-rae go as he gained momentum.

The farther they ran, the more distant the sound of the bell became, but the shouts from the camp still echoed faintly behind them.

"They won't give up," Yeong-jeon muttered under his breath, glancing back to see if they were being followed. "These beggars are more organized than I thought."

Dong-rae, struggling to keep pace, gasped out, "You think... we lost them?"

"Of course not!"

"Great... Just great."

"So great!"

"Don't complain as if you didn't bring this to yourself!"

"You used your martial arts to fool me!"

"Your fault!"

Yeong-jeon sighed. Bantering about mindless things will only slow them down.

"Anyways, how far is the river you talked about earlier?"

Dong-rae grabbed his chin, pondering as he ran.

"I think it's a few minutes away from now. It belongs to the Nine Rivers Sect and next to that is Chengdu! Roughly, half a day."

"Nine Rivers Sect? That means that we're dealing with a strong river, right?"

Thinking about it, Dong-rae let out a weak nod. He had never considered it but the river ahead of them was strong. Well, there's no use in regretting. If he turns his back now, he'll only receive a lifetime of punishment.

Instead of thinking too much, he used his energy on his legs and kept on running.

The night air was cool, but the tension between Yeong-jeon and Dong-rae made it feel heavy. The trees around them seemed to loom larger, their shadows stretching like hands trying to grasp them as they dashed through the forest.

As the two pressed on, the sound of rushing water began to fill the air. The river. Dong-rae had mentioned it earlier, but Yeong-jeon's focus on escape had made it feel distant.

"There it is!" Dong-rae pointed ahead, his voice perking up with hope.

Sure enough, through the gaps between the trees, the glimmer of moonlight reflected off the water's surface. The Nine Rivers Sect's river was wide, with a strong current that could sweep away anyone foolish enough to underestimate it.

Yeong-jeon halted his movements, eyes narrowing. He slowly turned back and walked toward the forest.

Dong-rae saw this and tilted his head in confusion.

"Uh?"

He didn't know what Yeong-jeon was up to. Maybe Yeong-jeon wanted to give up as he observed the raging currents. But this thought was dismissed immediately when Yeong-jeon spoke.

"Stay there! I will distract the beggars!"

Dong-rae's eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you insane? You can't take them all on by yourself!"

Yeong-jeon didn't turn back, his gaze fixed on the dark forest from where they had come. His voice was calm but resolute. "I'm not trying to fight them. I will distract them to give us time to cross the river!"

He continued toward the forest and never spoke more about it.

The Nine Rivers Sect owns this as one of their rivers, if that's true, then bandits wouldn't be a problem. The only problem is the beggars. If they caught on while they were halfway through the river, the Nine Rivers Sect would be alerted and arrest them both.

Yeong-jeon needed a distraction and the one he's gonna take inspiration from is Dong-rae.

Even with his weak body, he was confident that he could take on most of the guards. But if he was utterly surrounded by the guards and children, he would suffer.

'If Dong-rae was mesmerized by a mere party trick, then surely it would work on those children no better than him.'

Yeong-jeon took a deep breath as he prepared himself to confront the approaching beggars. His mind raced, but his instincts honed over a lifetime in his previous form, guided him. Though he was now in a weak body, he knew how to outsmart them. His new plan was simple: mislead and confuse.

He crouched low, pressing his back against a tree as he waited for the sound of footsteps to draw closer. The guards were following the trail, getting nearer with every passing second.

The guards were clearly exhausted, their movements sluggish. Yeong-jeon's sharp eyes caught how they dragged their feet, their spirits dimmed from days without rest. But that was to his advantage.

Yeong-jeon took his chance and stood up, walking forward with a loud step, ensuring he was heard but not seen. The sound startled the guards.

"There!" one of them shouted, brandishing his stick and charging toward the noise.

Yeong-jeon swiftly ducked behind another tree, moving nimbly in the opposite direction. He made another noise, kicking up leaves to create a rustling sound.

He smirked, clasping his palms as he moved. He almost let out a laugh at how easy this all was to him. It was like an adult toying with his children.

"Kuk!"

With a grunt, he forced his qi to expel onto his hands, gathering it into a small ball. He didn't grant it a real physical form only an illusion to fool the beggars, the same one he used on Dong-rae.

If he had used real lightning with a real physical form and electrical properties, his arms would have been fried. His body was far too weak to handle the knowledge he had accumulated.

Yeong-jeon concentrated, channeling his remaining qi into an illusion of flickering sparks. He let the energy pulse around his hands, creating a visual effect that danced like real lightning. With a quick motion, he threw the illusion into the distance, making it appear as if a bolt of energy had struck a nearby tree.

The guards froze, eyes widening in shock.

"What was that?" one of them shouted, glancing nervously at his companions.

Yeong-jeon seized the moment. He sprinted deeper into the forest, moving silently through the shadows. The guards, distracted and confused, hesitated before splitting up to investigate the source of the sound.

"Stay close!" Joo barked, trying to rally his fellow guards. "We can't let them get away!"

"It came from that side! The thieves must be heading in that direction!"

Yeong-jeon seized the moment and rushed into the river where he had last left Dong-rae. Soon enough, he reached it, panting.

"Let's go, don't waste time."

Dong-rae, who saw Yeong-jeon's exhaustion, wondered.

"What did you do?"

"I distracted them, let's go!"

Yeong-jeon urged Dong-rae forward, glancing nervously back toward the forest. The sound of shouting guards was growing faint, but they had to keep moving.

"Wait! I can't swim!" Dong-rae protested, eyes wide with fear as he stared at the rushing water.

"You don't need to swim-just follow my lead!" Yeong-jeon replied, stepping cautiously into the river. The cold water bit at his legs, but he pushed through the discomfort.

He took a deep breath, feeling the current tug at him. "Just keep your feet steady! If you feel like you're going to fall, grab onto me!"

Together, they moved in sync, planting their feet firmly against the current as they made their way across. Yeong-jeon's heart raced-not just from exertion but from the adrenaline coursing through him. He had to get them to safety.

As they neared the center of the river, the current grew stronger, threatening to drag them under. The water surged around them, and Yeong-jeon's focus narrowed to the distant shore, the light of dawn beginning to break on the horizon. He could almost taste freedom.

With each step, they fought against the water, and the distance to the shore seemed to stretch endlessly. Just as Yeong-jeon felt his legs begin to give way, a sudden surge of adrenaline propelled him forward.

"We can make it!" he urged, and with one final push, they surged ahead, breaking through the water and stumbling onto the muddy bank.

Yeong-jeon collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, his body trembling from the cold and exertion. Dong-rae flopped beside him, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with relief.

Dong-rae held the sack on his head with his hand as not to wet it. He let out a heavy sigh, staring at the stars.

"I want to sleep..."

Yeong-jeon stood up without even letting Dong-rae catch his breath. If they were caught on the other side of the river, they would be chased and apprehended.

"Let's hurry."

"Huh?!"

At that, Yeong-jeon dragged Dong-rae by his hand and headed to Chengdu; well, at least where he thought Chengdu was, he didn't know what direction he was heading in.

Time passed, and the time for the two fastened like a fleeting bird.

"Sect leader, I encountered these two outside our gates."

The two beggars, Yeong-jeon and Dong-are, were irritated, their eyes twitching as they forced their smiles, bowing. They're both angry by the same thing but the reasons differ.

In order to find out why, we'll have to go back a few moments prior...