Chapter 38. Strategy Guide to the Twelve Divine Generals

While staying with the Black Cat Gang, I trained my subordinates mercilessly every single day. I did not expect their skills to improve right away. I only hoped that their minds would become those of rakshasas, demons, asuras, elites, and stubborn bastards.

What they were mistaken about was the idea that I might go easy on them to some extent.

From the very beginning, I had no intention of going easy on them at all.

To have earned the name of the black path meant they had committed abnormal deeds to that extent. In the name of atonement, I trained, the officers trained, and the subordinates repeated training that felt as if their whole bodies would shatter.

The same was true for me.

External martial training is painful by nature.

Just as life itself is pain by nature.

I, too, often tempered my body harshly alongside my subordinates. When the gang leader himself was training his stamina, what subordinate would dare complain?

In this way, I thoroughly melted into the black path.

I became so immersed in training that I could no longer remember whether my original identity was the Hao Sect Master, the leader of the Black Cat Gang, a waiter, or a training instructor.

Trash who wasted food and shit every day while doing nothing but training in martial arts to kill the Great Rakshasa’s faction and those mad monkeys of Heukseonbo.

That was us.

When I had finished morning training for once and was resting in the main hall, Chief Steward Byeok, who had not been seen for some time, approached me carrying a thick stack of documents.

“Gang Leader, I have something to report.”

I looked at the pile of papers in Chief Steward Byeok’s hands and replied.

“Why is there so much?”

“I will explain.”

Chief Steward Byeok sat down and explained the documents. In summary, they were papers that neatly organized the cash ledger, manpower status, business status, and the like, but truthfully, I had little interest in them.

When would I ever look through all this?

Still, to comfort Chief Steward Byeok for his hard work, I showered him with praise.

“Truly impressive. Our Chief Steward Byeok was such an outstanding talent—the brain of the Black Cat Gang, the grand strategist of the Black Cat Gang, the administrator of the Black Cat Gang, capable even of handling logistics for an army called the Black Cat Gang. I should add another post for you, perhaps a quartermaster. Your talents are too valuable to let rot away as chief steward.”

I just ran my mouth with whatever came to mind.

I had only thrown out a few words of praise, yet Chief Steward Byeok’s face bloomed into a broad smile.

Even I, the one who had praised him, was taken aback.

“Thank you. Gang Leader, I was able to organize everything with a happy heart because you exempted me from physical training.”

I nodded.

‘Mm, so that was why…….’

However, Chief Steward Byeok had something else to report.

“Please take a look at this as well. I put my heart and soul into summarizing it into one volume.”

I opened the book Chief Steward Byeok handed me, and this time, I was truly startled. Even the title was extraordinary.

“Strategy Guide to the Twelve Divine Generals”

“……!”

A “collection” was usually a book that gathered poems, essays, and the like. In other words, the title meant that useful information, methods, and recommended strategies for taking down the Twelve Divine Generals had been recorded within. I read the strategy guide with a solemn expression and found myself admiring it again and again. It was not merely filled with text; it even had helpful illustrations. Its level of completion was so excellent that it was no less than the secret manuals of prestigious orthodox sects.

“Chief Steward Byeok, your drawing skills are truly outstanding.”

With a pleased expression, Chief Steward Byeok gave a brief explanation of the strategy guide.

“I thought you would likely be curious about the physiques of the Twelve Divine Generals, the appearances of their masks, and the distinguishing features of their martial arts and weapons, so I organized everything I know and wrote it down with illustrations. If I had written only text, it would have taken a long time, but since drawing has always been my hobby, organizing it was not particularly difficult.”

As I listened to Chief Steward Byeok, I devoured the strategy guide.

The Twelve Divine Generals were drawn like generals from Water Margin or Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and not only their weapons, but also their martial arts and personalities were explained.

I had a great deal of information myself, but since the Twelve Divine Generals were not fellows I had been particularly entangled with in my past life, there was quite a bit I did not know. In particular, even I had not known that Hong Shen (紅申), the Red Monkey, was a woman.

“Hong Shen was a woman?”

“Yes. As I have organized here, she has been unable to cure her habit of stealing, so she is probably still thieving somewhere even now. Hong Shen is a somewhat unusual disciple. She is a woman who stole items commissioned by the Great Rakshasa and learned martial arts with the commission fees. Hong Shen is a Divine General who trains only in qinggong to an unusual degree, so you must be careful as well, Gang Leader. Though her rank is lower than yours, none of the Divine Generals look down on Hong Shen because of that qinggong skill.”

“I see. Is she extremely fast?”

“There are occasionally geniuses born for one particular field, and Hong Shen appears to possess an innate talent for qinggong.”

At that moment, as soon as So Gunpyeong poked his head into the main hall, I spoke.

“Pavilion Master So, you run the afternoon training. I’ll listen to their wails from here.”

So Gunpyeong replied.

“Understood.”

After So Gunpyeong closed the door to the main hall and left, Chief Steward Byeok spoke.

“Gang Leader, if I may be so presumptuous, I would like to say something.”

“Speak.”

“Only now does it feel as though I am seeing a black path worthy of the name. Lately, I have been working with a joyful heart.”

I chuckled inwardly and replied.

“In any case, our Chief Steward Byeok is excellent as well. Today, I will memorize this strategy guide perfectly. Have you perhaps organized information on the Great Rakshasa like this too?”

Chief Steward Byeok replied with an expression tinged with pride.

“The leader is usually organized at the very end. It is at the back.”

“So the boss is at the final stage, is that it? Good. I shall bestow a reward upon the chief steward. Twice the amount So Gunpyeong received.”

“Thank you. Gang Leader, I did not organize this to receive such money, but I will use it to help with household expenses.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chief Steward Byeok and I burst into loud laughter.

“Hahahaha…….”

Who would have thought the Black Cat Gang had such a talent? A talent like this had to be used actively. After finishing one round of document organization, I gave the next assignment to Chief Steward Byeok, who would clearly go around grinning to himself if left alone.

Of course, since it was an extremely important matter, my voice naturally turned serious.

“Chief Steward Byeok, I have a task for you.”

“I will listen carefully.”

“I am a man of great ambition. Chief Steward Byeok, you are outstanding, as though I were looking at Zhuge Liang beside Liu Bei, Guo Jia beside Cao Cao, or Lu Su of Wu.”

Chief Steward Byeok cupped his fist and replied.

“You praise me too highly.”

“It does not matter if expenses arise. Hire more people to gather information, then organize the current state of the forces surrounding our Black Cat Gang, a map of their territories, a list of their principal experts, and their distinguishing traits. Furthermore, compile and report to me a grand strategy for how I may become the hegemon of this region. The key here is to organize it freely. There is no need to force it into any stiff format or structure. Draw as you please and write as you please. I will make the judgments. I am not a man who blindly believes countless pieces of information as fact. However, with Chief Steward Byeok’s abilities, I think it will be of great help.”

Even after I finished speaking, Chief Steward Byeok did not answer right away, wearing a broad grin instead.

“Why are you smirking again?”

Only then did Chief Steward Byeok reply to my question with an expression full of pride.

“I am already, and have already been, preparing it.”

I let out an exclamation as though I’d unknowingly downed a glass of liquor, then clapped and said.

“Nice. We’ll stop here for today. Ah, and when hiring people.”

“Yes.”

“Hire them from Ilyang Hall. There are plenty of idlers there.”

This was why having a hometown was always such a problem.

“I have enough flexibility for that. It shall be done. I shall report again before long.”

Only after Chief Manager Byeok withdrew did Lady Son, who had been waiting nearby, open her mouth in a tense tone.

“Pavilion Lord, it is Lady Son.”

“Yes, what is it? Our head maid Son Soso, Lady Son who always speaks so prettily. Why?”

“A masked person has arrived from outside. They seek the Pavilion Lord.”

“What kind of mask?”

Just then, the great hall doors opened, and So Gunpyeong, who had come to make the same report, spoke up.

“Pavilion Lord, Hong Shen has arrived.”

“Understood. I shall go out shortly.”

Before leaving the great hall, I quickly skimmed through the Hong Shen section of the strategy guide.

— Obsessed with qinggong.

— Known to suffer from pathological kleptomania. Estimated to possess considerable assets.

— Became a disciple the latest, defeated some divine generals, and rose rapidly in rank.

— Possesses the shamelessness to flee using qinggong and claim a draw when at a disadvantage.

— Rumors abound that she builds internal energy quickly by stealing and consuming elixirs.

— Has a contractual relationship with Master Daenachal, established on the condition of receiving a desired martial arts secret manual in exchange for stolen goods.

— Her qinggong is estimated to not fall behind even the skill of the Four Divine Generals.

I slowly closed the strategy guide, a sneer curling at my lips.

“Strategy memorization complete.”

As expected, there was no factor whatsoever that could lead to my defeat.

* * *

I climbed onto the platform and looked at Hong Shen, who had fearlessly come alone.

Hong Shen wore a thin outer garment over martial arts robes tinged with red from top to bottom. Of course, she wore a monkey-shaped mask, so it was impossible to tell if her actual face was as ugly as a monkey.

However, the curves of her body and her pelvis made it impossible to hide that she was a woman.

From behind the mask, Hong Shen spoke in a stiff tone.

“Senior Brother Miao, shall we?”

Without a second thought, I replied exactly as written in the strategy guide.

“Thieving wench, long time no see.”

“Huh? Thieving wench, was it? That is most unpleasant.”

So this wasn’t it. I briefly slipped my hand inside my mask and scratched my chin.

“I’ve been exhausted from training lately, so it seems my words ran away from me. Bear with me.”

At any rate, from that sharp voice alone, I could easily tell that Hong Shen was a woman of great greed, fierce competitiveness, and an unwillingness to open her heart.

“By the way, did you come to challenge me?”

“I came to pay my respects. Why? Are you afraid I’m here to challenge you?”

I tilted my head.

“Afraid?”

Hong Shen prattled on as she pleased.

“You’ll soon have to face that foul-tempered Senior Brother Bai Yu, so it’s only natural to be scared. If you give me a generous allowance like last time, I’ll simply step down for today.”

I had just realized that Hong Shen’s method of extorting money was highly strategic. She seemed to know that with the decisive battle against Bai Yu approaching, now was not the time for me to overexert myself.

“…….”

To think there was a martial sister who extorted money from her senior brothers—this was absurd. The unorthodox path truly was such a mess.

Hong Shen crossed her arms and said.

“Aren’t Senior Brother Miao and I roughly equal in skill from the start? You have to settle matters with Senior Brother Bai Yu soon; if you get injured fighting me, the Four Divine Generals will become a pipe dream again, won’t they? Am I wrong?”

“Are you a beggar? Why are you so fixated on money?”

“Your words are excessive today. Ha, I suppose I’ll have to have a proper bout with Senior Brother today.”

Hong Shen audaciously clasped her hands together, and a crunching sound emerged from her knuckles—

“Are you ready?”

“Martial Sister, just how much have you looked into?”

At my question, Hong Shen’s tone changed in an instant.

“Hmm, well, Senior Brother Miao makes quite a lot of money……”

“Is this how you go around extorting money from your senior brothers?”

Hong Shen tilted her head and said.

“Senior Brother Miao, your tone is particularly unpleasant today. Your voice is unfamiliar as well.”

I blabbered whatever came to mind.

“Recently, while learning an extreme yang-type martial art, I failed to control the true energy within my body, injured my throat, and suffered from a high fever, so my voice ended up like this.”

“Is that so?”

Sure enough, this woman was quite remarkable. Since she wore a mask, only her eyes were visible, yet those eyes were smiling. She seemed pleased by the news that I had suffered an internal injury.

Hong Shen suddenly shifted her stance.

“But since I’ve come all this way, I must challenge you. If you’d rather not, I’ll just take thirty pieces of silver and be on my way. I won’t show my face for a while. Even if you order your useless subordinates to catch me, they can’t. You know that.”

I snorted and slowly loosened the muscles around my mouth.

“Monkey Martial Sister, how did you understand my words? I said I learned an extreme yang martial art.”

“What does that matter? Master must have told you not to be particular about means and methods in getting stronger. Congratulations on learning a new martial art.”

“The extreme yang martial art I learned is literally flames. I can engulf everything I touch in fire. That thin outer garment of yours, and that tight red inner robe too, will burn. Once they burn, your naked body will be exposed. That will be eye candy for my subordinates. You dare challenge me? Am I right?”

At the threat that I would burn every piece of clothing off her, Hong Shen glared at me for quite some time before speaking.

“What are you trying to say?”

The nearby subordinates also looked at me with expectant eyes.

‘What are you going to do? We’ll be cheering you on.’