Chapter 42. Jeomsoi Wins!

Jang Deoksu looked at Hong Sin, who was slumped face-down over the table, and asked.

“She fainted from a single word from her Martial Sister? She’s not dead, is she?”

I looked at the nape of Hong Sin’s neck and shook my head.

“By the way, you had a Martial Sister?”

“I didn’t, but now I do. I’m the Leader of the Black Cat Sect right now.”

“Huh?”

When Jang Deoksu looked at me with surprised eyes, I confirmed it again.

“I’m the Leader of the Black Cat Sect.”

Jang Deoksu pondered my recent achievements and immediately understood.

“Ah, congratulations.”

“Don’t mention it. This woman is Hong Sin, a member of the Twelve Divine Generals.”

“Aha, so that’s why she’s your Martial Sister?”

“That makes both of us disciples of the Daenachal. This fight, how should I put it… you could say it’s a battle of whether Daenachal is the scarier one, or I am.”

Jang Deoksu clicked his tongue, having roughly grasped the situation.

“Look at her, fainting instantly. Clearly, you’re the scarier one. If you’ve got a Martial Sister you never had in your destiny, treat her well. She’s quite pretty, too.”

I quickly turned my head to check Jang Deoksu’s eyes and expression.

“Don’t tell me……”

“What? Why?”

“Did you fall for her? Love at first sight? A fateful encounter? Is this your escape?”

Jang Deoksu avoided my gaze and replied.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“Hey, Jang Deoksu. Can’t stand your ground there? Is it too hard to manage your expression?”

“I’m going to wash dishes.”

After Jang Deoksu went into the kitchen, Hong Sin’s breathing became even clearer. The deeper one’s internal energy, the more sensitive one becomes to sound. Hong Sin remained deathly still, slumped over the table.

I glared at Hong Sin and muttered.

“Did she faint because the pig bone stew was so good that one of two people eating it could drop dead without the other noticing?”

Jang Deoksu, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, chuckled.

“……So you’ve completely taken over the Black Cat Sect?”

“I have. I can see a few guys scheming, but it won’t be a problem. So Gunpyeong is so thorough, after all.”

“Ah, the guy who lost to the kitchen knife?”

“Yeah, him.”

“How long are you planning to hide his identity?”

“Until I kill Daenachal.”

“One mountain after another, huh.”

I spoke to Hong Sin, who was slumped over the table, in a casual tone.

“You have ten days left. Can you sleep?”

Hong Sin rose like a ghost and answered.

“No. I will finish it before the ten days are up.”

Jang Deoksu poked his head out from the kitchen and looked at Hong Sin with a surprised expression. Though Hong Sin was a member of the Twelve Divine Generals, she bowed her head deeply to Jang Deoksu, who was speaking casually with me. It was an attitude of utmost caution toward anything related to me from now on.

“Thank you for the pig bone stew. It was delicious.”

“Don’t mention it. Come again.”

“Yes. I’ll be going now.”

Hong Sin cupped her fists in salute and escaped from the Chunyang Restaurant as if fleeing.

Hong Sin fled with large strides, then unconsciously turned her head to look inside the shop.

The fake Martial Brother was glaring at her.

“…….”

Then, the fake Martial Brother slowly raised both hands.

Upon checking, it was clearly sign language indicating that ten days remained. Then, when the fake Martial Brother made a slashing motion across his neck with his hand, Hong Sin hurriedly turned her head away out of fear.

Hong Sin fled with quick steps, looking back, and flinched at every sound like a person having a seizure while checking her surroundings.

“Hah! It’s nothing. It was a leaf.”

A moment later, when a rustling sound came from the bushes, Hong Sin spoke in a startled tone.

“Martial Brother? Is that you, Martial Brother?”

Only after seeing a weasel scurry past did she let out a sigh of relief.

“No. It was the weasel Martial Brother.”

Hong Sin, who had been trying to return carefully, eventually started running for her life toward a safe house she had prepared long ago.

‘Scary, so scary.’

A fairly successful thief tended to prepare safe houses here and there, and Hong Sin was no different.

Today, she planned to return to the nearest safe house and calm herself down first. Because she felt the qi deviation surging up from her stomach to her jaw.

Having run at the fastest speed of her life, Hong Sin passed through a bustling commercial district, weaved through alleys, and then calmly entered an ordinary house, realizing the ways of the world anew.

“As expected, home is the best. Home is the best.”

It was a cozy safe house with a small pond and courtyard, a training ground surrounded by high walls, a main house, and detached quarters.

It was a house acquired with money earned through reckless thievery that stopped at nothing. But Hong Sin quickly began to feel suspicious and swiftly checked every corner of the house.

She was afraid that somehow someone might be hiding.

Even after confirming no one was there, she sat pointlessly on the floor and muttered nonsense.

“Martial Brother? Have you come? If you’re here, come in and have some tea. Haha, ha…….”

“…….”

After confirming that everything was quiet, Hong Sin finally erased her fake smile and coldly assessed her own state.

‘At this rate, I’ll go crazy. This isn’t right. Pull yourself together.’

Just then, someone knocked on the front gate, which looked completely ordinary from the outside.

Knock, knock, knock.

Hong Sin asked with a start.

“Who is it?”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Who is it! I’m not buying anything!”

Suddenly, Hong Sin calmed her mind with a deep breath. With an expression that said she was finally getting used to this, she stood up and headed for the gate.

“Ah, is it Martial Brother? I’m coming out.”

Hong Sin thought that since the fake Martial Brother’s lightness skill was superior to hers, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to follow her.

When she opened the gate, a young man she was seeing for the first time stared blankly at her.

Hong Sin frowned and spoke.

“Who the hell are you? Why are you knocking on the door without saying anything? You want to die?”

The young man, gripping something tightly in both hands, opened his parched lips.

“He said ten days left……. I don’t know anything!”

The man fled with a pitter-patter sound. His movements were those of someone who hadn’t learned any martial arts.

Hong Sin stared blankly at the fleeing man.

“That beggar bastard…….”

The young man seemed to be escaping well, but then clumsily bumped into someone and dropped what he was holding onto the ground. He hurriedly picked up the silver coins that had fallen to the floor and fled frantically.

‘Ah, my money…….’

Suddenly, Hong Sin heard a ringing sound in her head and grabbed her forehead.

They say humans are creatures of adaptation.

Hong Sin pressed down on her heaving chest and took a deep breath.

“It’s money I lost. Let’s forget it. Let’s forget it. It’s not my money. Peace of mind, hoooo…….”

Hong Sin said as she closed the door and went inside.

“I can earn it again.”

At that moment, someone’s laughter carried on for a long distance. It seemed someone was laughing while performing lightness skill on a rooftop; the sound stretched out long at first and gradually faded.

It was a bizarre skill of stretching laughter like taffy using lightness skill.

With that level of skill, it could naturally only be the fake Martial Brother.

Suddenly, Hong Sin swept her hair back with a serious expression.

Then, Hong Sin’s eyes narrowed into straight lines, and her expression turned truly cold-blooded.

How could this change possibly be described?

To express it as closely as possible, they were the eyes and expression of a madwoman.

Hong Sin, with madness dwelling in her gaze, spoke in a frigid tone.

“……I’ll definitely kill him.”

Had she finally awakened? Or was it a declaration of war against the fake Martial Brother?

The following words were these:

“Baekja, Hwang-o, Noksul, you’re all dead men by my hand. Ohohohohoho.”

Hong Sin’s laughter stretched out long, just like the fake Martial Brother’s.

How far can a person go mad?

No one knows.

Either way, Hong Sin had already dipped one foot into that world.

Madness is an infectious disease.

Hong Sin was no ordinary woman either, but the invisible hierarchy of madness was thus established.

Jeomsoi wins!

* * *

After training in lightness skill for the first time in a while, my body felt refreshed.

I ran at full speed from Heukdang Street, where the Black Cat Sect was located, to Ilyanghyeon, and then from Ilyanghyeon to the Magnolia Commercial District where Hong Sin’s safe house was hidden.

Helping my Martial Sister with her nervous stomach, and anxiously following her to see if she’d look for a restroom on the way back, were all part of training.

Training must never stop for even a moment.

Especially lightness skill needed to be raised to the highest level quickly.

Because its advantages were more than one or two.

Above all, it was an essential escape technique for survival, and it could also help someone when they faced the crisis of having diarrhea.

Most importantly, when one’s lightness skill reached the highest level, one could join the mysterious faction known as the Kuaidang, whose existence was unknown even to most martial artists.

Since ancient times, there had been crazy bastards in the martial arts world who dug into the field of lightness skill alone; regardless of sect, they secretly gathered and competed in lightness skill.

An alias given to only one person.

To obtain the title of the Fastest Under Heaven.

Or they called each other by revered names such as the Kuaidzun or the Leader of the Kuaidang.

No one knew when the gathering had started. Because at first, it was merely a small, irregular gathering.

But as time passed, this crazy gathering transcended the Righteous, Evil, and Demonic factions.

It became a mysterious force that even the Martial Arts Alliance couldn’t properly grasp. In my previous life, I had become a member of the Kuaidang with my outstanding lightness skill, but I ultimately couldn’t ascend to the position of the Kuaidzun.

Because the world is wide, and there are many experts.

Especially since they regarded lethal martial arts as mere rags, it was no ordinary feat to overpower these crazy bastards who trained solely to run fast in terms of speed.

I came to know many experts in the Kuaidang.

They couldn’t escape the factions they had belonged to since childhood due to origin and bloodline, but they dreamed of deviating while active in the Kuaidang.

Recalling reuniting with the experts of the Kuaidang, I once again sprinted at full power toward Ilyanghyeon.

Nothing in this world is obtained for free.

The fun of life’s profound mysteries is that only after becoming stronger and faster can one set foot in a world whose existence one didn’t even know of.

Therefore, perhaps I am running.

Even helping my Martial Sister who needed to take a dump was all part of this hidden meaning.

* * *

Having temporarily escaped from the rough underworld where schemes constantly churned, I clasped my hands behind my back and put on a satisfied expression.

Because the construction of the Jahagak Inn was proceeding smoothly.

As I had been looking at the construction site with a satisfied smile for some time, Yeon Jaseong, who had received reports from the workers, came to find me with a white cloth wrapped around his head.

“Sect Leader, you’ve come.”

I nodded.

“You’ve been working hard.”

“It’s not hard work. In a place like this, can I just call you Brother?”

“Of course.”

“Where have you been? Seongtae said you had stormed into the Black Cat Sect.”

I answered in a calm tone.

“The Leader of the Black Cat Sect had business in the afterlife and departed, so I’ve inherited that heavy responsibility. For the time being, I’ll have to travel between Ilyanghyeon and the Black Cat Sect, so it will be difficult to see you often.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Were there no troublemakers while I was away? I’m a bit worried about Heuksunbo.”

“You know that straw-haired Military Advisor Sima? He patrols Ilyanghyeon with his subordinates from time to time. Everyone’s on edge and armed with blades, so it’s an atmosphere where no one can cause trouble.”

“Ah, so Sima Bi was there.”

I tend to forget people exist so easily.

“What about Cha Seongtae?”

As soon as I asked, Yeon Jaseong giggled and reported what had happened.

“He rushed at Military Advisor Sima with a wooden sword and got thrashed, so he’s been training lately. He’s already ten battles, ten defeats. It’s become quite a spectacle these days; when Military Advisor Sima and Seongtae face off, quite a crowd gathers to watch.”

“Where do they fight?”

Yeon Jaseong pointed to the wide open area spread out in front of the construction site and said.

“The space is wide, so they always face off here.”

I chuckled and replied.

“That crazy bastard, a sect leader of the Life Gate losing every day—I’m embarrassed for him.”

In short, anyway, it was good news for me that Sima Bi’s group had blended in well with Ilyanghyeon. They were quite skilled, so even if Heuksunbo attacked, Sima Bi’s group would be able to handle it.

It was also unbecoming to hold a busy person for too long, so I took out my money pouch. Yeon Jaseong grabbed my arm.

“Ah, Brother. It’s fine. What money? You’re already paying us generously.”

I clicked my tongue and flicked Yeon Jaseong’s arm away.

“Tsk, tch.”

I took out five gold pieces from Hong Sin’s money pouch and handed them to Yeon Jaseong.

“Keep this and buy everyone drinks whenever you see fit. We work to eat and live; if you only work, your body will wear out. You need to have some fun. Put it away.”

“But aren’t you giving too much? These are rare gold pieces.”

“Chukmun has a lot of people.”

Yeon Jaseong clutched the gold pieces and spoke apologetically.

“Brother, I’m sorry that this is money you earned with such difficulty. I’ll buy people snacks from time to time and drinks as well. I’ll use it well.”

“It’s not money I earned through that much hardship. Use it comfortably. I’m going.”

“Take care.”

I waved my hand and sauntered off.

Money is meant to be earned and spent.

Therefore, for the time being, my steps could only earn money by beating up the underworld. Because the underworld was made of guys who sucked the marrow of ordinary people in the first place.

The world has to spin like this sometimes to taste right.

I curled the corners of my lips upward at the sudden cheers of the workers erupting from the construction site.