Chapter 59. First of all, he looked like a lecher.

Was it because the weather was so fine?

My subordinates’ petal-cutting went on for four whole days, so I had no choice but to call So Gunpyeong.

“Pavilion Master So.”

“Yes.”

“You and Junior Sister Hong may gain something by playing with flower petals, but the subordinates aren’t at that stage yet. As Junior Brother Geum said, this is nothing but them acting like madmen. They should have gotten a sense of the direction by now, so you stop them.”

So Gunpyeong nodded as well.

“I was thinking the same thing, but they were so absorbed in it that I was wondering how to handle it.”

“You’re the Chief Instructor. If the subordinates don’t listen, doesn’t that make things easier for you?”

“In what way?”

“You work them even harder. Those bastards drunk on the scent of plum blossoms—you can beat them a little with a wooden sword. They seem to think they’ve gained some sort of enlightenment, but as you know, not a chance. Show them the difference in skill.”

“I was worrying over nothing. I’ll let you hear some wailing today.”

Just then, Chief Steward Byeok approached.

“Gang Leader, it is Chief Steward Byeok.”

“Have you tracked them down already?”

Chief Steward Byeok replied.

“Old Lord Two Dragons originally had a fixed residence. However, I do not know whether he spent money or is gathering acquaintances, but yesterday and the day before, people who appeared to be ronin and various jianghu figures were seen going in and out of Huahua Manor (花花山莊). For now, I will call all the executives and explain everything at once.”

A short while later, the executives entered the main hall.

In the meantime, Chief Steward Byeok had pinned a blank sheet of paper to a board like a situation map and taken up a brush. He looked just like an old strategist who had never been promoted in his life, excited to explain a wartime situation for the first time in ages.

Once the executives had gathered, Chief Steward Byeok wrote Mao (卯) in the very center and wrote aliases such as Old Lord Two Dragons to the right as he continued speaking.

“They say Silver Ghost (銀鬼子) Liu Siqing (柳思靑) was seen. In addition, besides the Meteor Ronin (流星浪人), who will cause trouble in someone’s stead as long as they are paid, there are also many jianghu figures whose identities are presently unknown. The reason they are gathering like this is simple. We are the only ones in the area who have recently undergone an upheaval. I suspect those who wish to strike while Nanhua has weakened are joining hands. News that some of the Twelve Divine Generals and the Great Rakshasa died must have spread widely.”

I replied.

“That means there’s someone who killed the Great Rakshasa, so why would they think Nanhua has weakened? Are they idiots?”

Chief Steward Byeok said with a smile.

“Greed often ranks higher than cool-headed judgment.”

Chief Steward Byeok drew a large circle, wrote Master Su inside it, then drew a line connecting it to Old Lord Two Dragons.

“This is how I see it.”

“Master Su too?”

“Yes. Old Lord Two Dragons was close to the Great Rakshasa, while Master Su was on bad terms with him. Master Su wanted to strike the Great Rakshasa but failed to win Old Lord Two Dragons over. Old Lord Two Dragons had received many favors from the Great Rakshasa, but lost him. For those two to join hands is as natural as a man and woman meeting. If they gather as many people as possible, make their move, and then split Nanhua between them, it will be a great gain for both. For now, I do not know who the overall commander is.”

I looked at the names written on the situation board.

Some names I knew, and some I did not.

First of all, the Meteor Ronin were men who whirled around a weapon called the meteor hammer. They were a ronin force whose numbers fluctuated wildly, from as many as a hundred to as few as fifty, and they often stuck their noses into disputes over the interests of the black path—men who lived only for today.

Silver Ghost Liu Siqing was a name I had never heard before, but his presence caught my eye more than Master Su or Old Lord Two Dragons.

“Who is Liu Siqing?”

Chief Steward Byeok replied.

“On the surface, he is a mediation expert. In reality, he is a gambler who seeks out only the biggest games. You might call him an expert at escalating problems. He travels alone without any faction, but he inserts himself into disputes of the black path and makes quite a lot of money. He has the skill for it as well.”

The fact that I did not know him meant he had gotten involved in some black path dispute and died an untimely death somewhere.

At that moment, two subordinates dressed as peddlers appeared in the main hall and reported what they had each discovered.

“Master Su personally led his subordinates into Huahua Manor, and afterward, disciples of the Maoyue Sect (茂嶽門) also entered Huahua Manor.”

“I saw Madam Iron Toad (鐵蟾夫人) heading toward Huahua Manor with her disciples.”

I judged that continuing to listen to such reports was pointless.

“You two go rest.”

“Yes.”

Somehow, it felt as though I was being made to pay the price for the Great Rakshasa’s evil deeds. Chief Steward Byeok drew a circle slightly smaller than Master Su’s and wrote Maoyue Sect and Madam Iron Toad in it.

“I expected Master Su, but even I did not expect the Maoyue Sect and Madam Iron Toad.”

“The Maoyue Sect might do something like this.”

The Maoyue Sect were fellows somewhere between the orthodox and unorthodox factions. In the jianghu, people used the phrase ‘between righteous and evil’ for people like them, but you could simply think of them as bat-like bastards. Madam Iron Toad was a middle-aged female expert of the black path who threw hidden weapons called Iron Toads (鐵蟾蜍).

Chief Steward Byeok said.

“First, I will contact the Twelve Divine Generals. If Old Lord Two Dragons’ strategy is to divide up the Nanhua region and share it out, the Twelve Divine Generals will not be safe either.”

I looked at the circles on the situation board and said.

“Count the forces of the Four Divine Generals and all the Black Cat Gang members. Then roughly add up Old Lord Two Dragons’ side as well and compare them.”

“Yes.”

Chief Steward Byeok took up the brush and continued adding numbers on the situation board.

Hong Sin and Geum Hae had no direct subordinates, so there was nothing to count. Hong Sin originally moved alone, and this was not the sort of matter that would mobilize the forces of a merchant group.

Even after adding the forces of the Four Divine Generals that Chief Steward Byeok had grasped, along with the Black Cat Gang, the total did not exceed two hundred and fifty.

But once Old Lord Two Dragons’ side was counted, it easily surpassed four hundred.

“If I go raise hell by myself, we can somehow handle it. But since we’re badly outnumbered, the subordinates’ morale will fall. We shouldn’t be outmatched in numbers either, at least.”

I looked around at the executives of the Black Cat Gang and said.

“One of you go to Ilyang County and tell Sima Bi’s group and Cha Seongtae. Gather only the bastards so bored they feel like they’re going to die and have them join us. Another executive go to Black Ship Fortress.”

So Gunpyeong replied.

“Black Ship Fortress?”

“Tell a man named Dokgo Saeng to select about a hundred elites and bring them.”

“Then will Black Ship Fortress come?”

“Tell him the Haomun Sect Master is calling. He’ll come. If we do this, the numbers should be roughly similar. Even if an all-out war breaks out, the subordinates won’t lose heart. For reference, the men of Black Ship Fortress are complete madmen, so you all be careful not to get into quarrels with them either. They’re lunatics.”

So Gunpyeong answered on behalf of everyone.

“Understood.”

“Executives……”

“Yes, Gang Leader.”

“Is there anyone on Old Lord Two Dragons’ side whom I should not kill? It could happen that, unfortunately, some relative of yours is mixed in, or an old friend is among them. Tell me in advance.”

While the executives looked at one another’s faces, I added.

“Don’t resent me after I kill them all.”

So Gunpyeong observed the executives’ mood, then answered.

“There is no one.”

I ended the meeting.

“Everyone, get to work. Bring the Twelve Divine Generals, my junior brothers, first. I’ll start by going after and beating to death the bastards who don’t answer the summons.”

Only when the strong run rampant do the weak die less.

After sending the officers away, I put both feet up on the table and dozed off for a while.

Lately, since I had been clinging to qi circulation and breathing exercises, sleep kept washing over me at all hours. It felt as if I were rapidly burning through my stamina and mental strength.

Every now and then, just before I fall asleep, a thought like this comes to me.

Ah, for some reason I feel like I’m going to have a dogshit dream if I fall asleep.

That feeling where you’re too tired to come to your senses, yet continuing to sleep feels vaguely unpleasant.

That was exactly how I felt now.

I had a dogshit dream.

* * *

I saw the Mad Monk running toward me with a smile. Innocent people were crashing into his shoulders and flying off to either side, yet the Mad Monk kept laughing.

“Hahahahaha……”

I swiftly grabbed a rag and wiped the table.

‘Damn it.’

Inwardly, I prayed that he would just pass by, but the Mad Monk stopped his lightness skill and asked me.

“Hey, waiter.”

My insides boiled at the word waiter.

“Yes?”

“Which way is Zhejiang?”

Even amid my bewilderment, I answered calmly.

“Wouldn’t you just keep going east?”

The Mad Monk blinked his enormous eyes and replied.

“Are you telling me to go east no matter what?”

“For now, yes.”

“If I keep going east no matter what and Zhejiang doesn’t appear, will you take responsibility?”

For a moment, I felt as though no matter what answer I gave, there would be no way out, and my breathing grew uncomfortable.

If I answered, “I’ll take responsibility,” it felt like he would say, “Good, then take responsibility,” and drag me away.

If I answered, “Why should I take responsibility?” it felt like he would get offended and drag me away anyway.

What answer in the world was supposed to be correct? Suppressing the heat that was slowly beginning to rise in me, I replied.

“What business do you have in Zhejiang?”

“They say there’s a fish as large as a great roc in the sea off Zhejiang. My dead junior brother wasn’t a man who lied, so it must be true.”

“I think it’s true too.”

“Did you see it?”

I tossed the rag onto the table and replied.

“I didn’t. Why?”

“This bastard’s tone……”

Was it because this was a dream? I went wild as usual. I rolled up my sleeves and said to the Mad Monk.

“Looks like you’re trying to pick a fight. Let’s have a go.”

At my words, the Mad Monk burst into hearty laughter. That laughter soon turned into a Lion’s Roar. After spending quite some time using his Lion’s Roar to gauge my internal energy, the Mad Monk snorted and said.

“You’re quite the amusing waiter. Since you made me laugh, I’ll let you off. Train hard. We’ll meet again.”

The Mad Monk receded into the distance, kicking up a cloud of dust. Only after he disappeared did I grin.

“He chickened out……”

I thought it was fortunate that I had trained hard in martial arts all this time. Just then, a familiar yet unpleasant voice came from the inn.

“Waiter, don’t just stand there like an idiot. Bring the wine already.”

“What?”

When I turned my head, the Left Envoy of Light of the Demonic Cult was sitting at a table with some beautiful woman.

“You crazy son of a bitch. Do you even know where this is?”

Spitting curses, I drove my right foot into the Left Envoy of Light’s chest. Naturally, with the Left Envoy of Light’s skill, he should have counterattacked, but he screamed loudly and rolled across the ground several times.

The atmosphere turned icy.

“What are you doing!”

As the woman, startled, tried to pull me back, my body suddenly rose into the air.

When I turned my head, the Mad Monk, who was a head taller than me, was holding me by the scruff of the neck.

The Mad Monk grinned and said.

“You were a very wicked fellow, weren’t you?”

“What bullshit are you spouting? That bastard is a lecher. He’s the one who becomes the Left Envoy of Light later. Let go of me, will you?”

“You kicked him first and now you’re talking nonsense. First, take a beating.”

“A beating, my ass…… Damn it. I’m not who I used to be.”

The scenery around us changed rapidly, and I exchanged hundreds of moves with the Mad Monk. When I used the Golden Turtle Carefree Art, the Absorbing Star Great Art, and even the Plum Blossom Sword Art on the foundation of the Heavenly Jade’s power, the Mad Monk seemed very surprised as well. However, as though releasing all the strength he had accumulated in an instant, the Mad Monk erupted with waves of qi, and his aura was gradually changing into that of the Immovable Wisdom King.

‘Ah, damn it.’

At that moment, I spotted a man at the mouth of an alley watching the fight with a sly grin. The Left Envoy of Light, who had deliberately taken my kick and gone flying, was watching with a smirk.

In that instant, I gave a brief convulsion as if I had been flicked on the forehead.

Only then did I snap fully awake.

As soon as I opened my eyes, the situation made a sigh come out on its own.

To think he dared torment me even in my dreams.

I steadied my breathing, then shouted abruptly.

“Chief Steward Byeok!”

Before long, Chief Steward Byeok came running in a fluster and replied.

“Ah, yes. Leader. Do you have an order?”

Because I was agitated, I waved my hands this way and that before gathering my thoughts and speaking.

“So, this is a bit difficult, but if I explain only in words, can you draw a facial sketch?”

Chief Steward Byeok nodded.

“I’ll try.”

“He’s a bastard we absolutely have to find.”

“Ah, there’s someone like that? I’ll find him for you no matter what it takes.”

If I knew his name, it would have been easier. But he was simply the Left Envoy of Light, and I was the Mad Demon. Neither of us had any interest whatsoever in the other’s real name.

I recited whatever came to mind to Chief Steward Byeok.

“First of all, he looks like a lecher.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m talking about the feeling. That lecherous feeling. Do you know what I mean? Good-looking, pale skin—you know, that kind of feeling. Always giving those fluttery smiles with his eyes.”

One corner of Chief Steward Byeok’s mouth rose.

“I’ve got it.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Don’t worry and keep explaining. My drawing will be what catches that lecher.”

Chief Steward Byeok smiled with a confident expression.