Chapter 27
I’m generally a calm person.
If I had grown up like others in a typical family, I think I would have grown up to be lively, fun, and quirky……
Anyway, that’s just hypothetical. In the end, I was a orphaned beggar kidnapped by the Demonic Cult and became an assassin, so the very essence of my soul has become cold and indifferent, like an assassin, you could say?
That’s why I don’t get excited easily.
Usually, when it comes to killing, excitement can sometimes be the driving force behind a successful kill, but in the case of an assassin who has to kill a target stealthily, it becomes poison.
Therefore, even at the moment of my death, I only felt a mental shock, I didn’t run wild with excitement.
If I had been excited and unable to control my emotions at that time, I wouldn’t have been able to succeed in twisting the Blue Demon King’s neck.
But……
But at this moment, I couldn’t hide my excitement.
Honestly, this is the first time I’ve felt such intense emotions.
Beyond simply being angry or enraged, my emotions were soaked in anxiety, unease, and fear.
‘I don’t know who those bastards are, but……’
I know the nature of the Black Path.
Among those who follow the Black Path, there are plenty who are worse than beasts, and some bastards commit acts far more cruel than the Demonic Cult.
At least the Demonic Cult worships power and martial arts, so there’s at least some logic behind their evil deeds. But Black Path bastards can do really shitty things for no reason.
Of course, not all Black Path members are like that.
There are also those who are superficially affiliated with the Black Path due to tradition, but whose colors have faded over time and are now closer to the Neutral Path, like the ‘Greenwood Strongholds’ or the ‘Yangtze River Waterway Company.’ And there are also factions that, while following the Black Path, have their own lines they don’t cross, like not harming the elderly, women, or children.
However, the ‘Black Society’ is different.
No, they must be different.
Although I only saw five masked members of the Black Society, just by looking at them, their stench was disgusting, and my intuition is usually right, so it’s obvious that they’re vile scum.
Because of that, I have no choice.
Of course, I don’t know if they’ve accurately grasped my true identity, or if they’re aware that I have So-yun with me, but……
Nevertheless, I have no choice but to stir up the hornet’s nest and make a mountain out of a molehill.
If the opponent is a despicable bunch like the ‘Black Society’……
So-yun could be in danger.
“Brother…… As I said, our Seokga Estate is closely monitoring their movements. And it’s not just us. Many of the righteous sects in Shaanxi are already keeping an eye on the Black Society, so we’ll wait for the right time to wipe them out in one fell swoop……”
“Yeon-u.”
“Brother……”
“I heard what you said and I understand.”
“Brother……”
“I also know how crazy I must sound, saying I’m going to take down the Black Society right now.”
“……”
“But I have to do it.”
“Brother, I know what you’re worried about. It’s because of So-yun, isn’t it? But the fact that they’re targeting you means that the rumors about you eradicating the villains in Chang’an over the past few months have spread, and they’ve caught wind of it and are trying to make a move. It doesn’t mean they’re going to launch an immediate attack, considering your circumstances.”
“I know.”
“Then you also understand that it’s better to exercise restraint.”
“No.”
“……”
“I’m going to step forward, even though I know that.”
“Brother!”
“You never know what might happen. I’m acting based on the possibility, however slim, however remote, that something could go wrong.”
“Ah……”
“So-yun is that kind of existence to me.”
I calmed my boiling insides and spoke calmly.
Then, Yeon-u’s expression changed slightly from before.
“I understand. I understand. And I understand your feelings, Brother. So I won’t stop you. However! Let’s attack together when the day breaks, along with the warriors of the Seokga Estate. No matter how strong you are, Brother, the Black Society is not a place you can crush with the power of a single person.”
“Is the Black Society that strong?”
“Yes. Of course, they’ve just started to rise, so you can’t say they’re a huge force yet, but based on several clashes and the information we’ve gathered, their strength is at least equivalent to a single Greenwood stronghold. Moreover, they have a rather organized structure, making their headquarters unclear and the whereabouts of their leader unknown. All we’ve managed to find out is the location of three of their branches.”
That’s enough.
With this, my course of action became even clearer.
‘Their strength is about equal to a single Greenwood stronghold……’
A single Greenwood stronghold is actually on par with a decent-sized small sect in the martial world.
So, in Yeon-u’s eyes, I must look like a crazy bastard for trying to take them down alone.
But I actually destroyed a Greenwood stronghold in my past life.
At that time, while crossing Mount Muwi in Qinghai Province to carry out a mission, I was threatened by the stronghold leader to pay a toll, and I got so pissed that I crippled all 70 bandits there……
Of course, I don’t have that kind of power now.
I haven’t even recovered 30% of my past life’s strength yet, so I can’t pull off such an unparalleled feat.
However, life can’t be judged solely on such quantitative assessments, and you can’t live that way either.
I decided to go my own way.
“Yeon-u, if you really want to help me, there’s something you can do.”
“What is it?”
“The Kang brothers will come looking for me when the day breaks. Inform them about this and let Master Dongbyeok know as well so he can take precautions. Of course, it would be great if you could protect So-yun with the warriors of the Seokga Estate, but I don’t expect that much.”
“Brother! That’s not possible!”
“Please.”
“No, really! Brother, listen to me. The information about the Black Society that the righteous sects in Shaanxi, including the main family, have gathered is only about three of their branches. I’m saying, they don’t even have a headquarters in Chang’an!”
“Where are the three locations?”
“Xi’an, Xingping, and Haman. They’re not too far, but it’ll take half a day to a full day even if we leave right now on good horses. So, let’s go together when the day breaks, okay?”
“That’s all I need.”
It would be a lie if I said I didn’t hesitate……
I know it would be more efficient to listen to Yeon-u than to attack the Black Society alone right now.
But there are things you can’t do even if you know, and things you can do even if you don’t know. My current situation was one where I had to blindly charge forward, even though I knew better.
“I’m going.”
“Br, Brother!”
◈ ◈ ◈
Yeon-u tried to stop me from leaving until the very end.
He even threw a tantrum, saying he would follow me alone, but while I appreciate the sentiment, with Yeon-u’s current skill, it would be a blessing if he didn’t become a burden. So I dissuaded him and instead asked him in detail about the specific locations of the Black Society and information about them.
‘Sigh……’
Afterward, I immediately used Fast Whale Steps at full speed.
I feel it again, but my movement technique is unparalleled.
For example, there might be movement techniques faster than Fast Whale Steps in short bursts like the Cult Leader’s Heavenly Demon Flight Technique, Kunlun’s Cloud Dragon Eight Steps, or Wudang Sect’s Cloud Soaring Movement, but considering the internal energy used when performing them and the stamina consumed, Fast Whale Steps was worthy of being called the ‘Best Movement Technique Under Heaven.’
As I used Fast Whale Steps at full speed, my body became as light as a feather, like a bird flying in the sky, cutting horizontally through the moonlight of the night sky.
Sigh……
The feeling of having a nice drink and then running out in the pitch-black dawn to smash someone’s head in……
What can I say, and who would understand?
But come to think of it, there’s no need for anyone else to understand, so it doesn’t matter.
This is something I’m doing because my heart, my very being, is telling me to do it, and I believe that when I confront those bastards, my intuition will help me resolve the situation.
◈ ◈ ◈
The Black Society’s branches that Yeon-u told me about were located in Xi’an, Xingping, and Haman, and I decided to head for Xi’an first.
The reason is that Xi’an is a major city and the center of Shaanxi, so it’s highly likely that the leader’s hideout is there.
After running for an hour, I arrived at the Black Society’s Xi’an branch, the ‘Longevity Merchant Guild.’
If it were my past life, I would have arrived in half an hour, but this is the best I can do now, and even this made me pant and gasp for breath because I ran without resting even once in the middle.
But……
‘That bastard…… Just by looking at his eyes, he’s a total son of a b*tch, a son of a b*tch.’
A bearded man standing guard in front of the ‘Longevity Merchant Guild’s’ gate was glaring at me with sharp eyes.
“Excuse me.”
After catching my breath, I stealthily approached the bearded man and spoke.
Then, the bearded man furrowed his brows and said curtly.
“Get lost.”
???
As expected of a villain, even their customer service is shitty.
“Look here. Isn’t this a merchant guild? I have some good items, and I wanted to negotiate with the guild leader, but telling me to get lost right off the bat is too much.”
“This isn’t a merchant guild, so just get lost. Before I rip out your intestines and wrap them around your neck.”
“Oh……”
Lowering his voice and glaring like that, he must have done some threatening, some violence, and maybe even snapped a few necks in his day.
Unfortunately, it just looked cute to me.
“Are you really not going to get lost? Are you going to beg for your life in front of King Yama after you die?”
“Whoa…… Calm down.”
“What?”
“If you get excited, the pain can lessen momentarily. That would be a waste. It’s better to die slowly, very slowly, savoring the pain. It suits a bastard like you.”
“You son of a b*tch!”
The bearded man, with his eyes wide open, tried to thrust the spear he was holding into my abdomen.
I grabbed the spear as it was and lifted it with my strength, causing the bearded man’s chin to hit the spear’s handle.
Thud━.
In an instant, the bearded man lost his balance and landed on his butt.
I didn’t miss the opportunity and swung my fist at the top of his head. It was infused with the Force attribute of the ‘Nature Meridian,’ so from the bearded man’s perspective, it must have felt like getting his head smashed with an iron hammer.
Bang━.
“Ugh.”
But……
It doesn’t seem like it felt like getting his head smashed with an iron hammer……
Before he could even savor the pain, the bearded man collapsed, his body trembling as he foamed at the mouth.
This is clearly a mistake.
I wanted to see this ill-mannered bearded man begging for his life while covered in blood, but in my haste, I ended up hitting his head with a fist that even generated a fist wind.
“Ugh……”
A low groan escaped the bearded man’s lips.
He probably messed up his brain when his skull shattered, but well, even if he doesn’t die, he’s definitely going to be a vegetable, so leaving his sprawled body behind, I,
Crash!
‘Longevity Merchant Guild.’
No, I kicked the Black Society’s signboard and gate, shattering them into pieces.
“Come out here!”
The current time is the Yin Hour of the early morning.
What would I look like in their eyes, barging in at this late hour, smashing the gate, and yelling,”Come out here!”?
Honestly, I’m curious, but to ask, I’d first have to break a few of their limbs, so I’ll refrain for now.
“Wh, who is it?”
“What’s going on?”
“Which crazy bastard is this?!”
In less than a moment, the Black Society bastards surrounded me, each armed with weapons. Just from this, I could deduce that they hadn’t neglected their training.
“Where’s your leader?”
I said dryly to them.
Then, the rat-like bastard among the group, who looked the most skinny and hardened, asked.
“Are you…… by any chance, a crazy bastard?”
“Not exactly crazy.”
“What?”
“Hmm…… Let’s just say I’m not exactly normal.”
“This, crazy bastard!”
“I’ve read quite a few martial arts novels. Bastards like you who act up in the beginning always end up dying or becoming vegetables. Which one do you want to be?”