Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Veer South-Southwest (4)
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“Shh. Don’t shout. Let’s talk like gentlemen.”
What kind of lunatic sneaks up in the dead of night with a sword to my throat and then prattles on about being gentlemanly?
In this extreme situation that threatened to drive him mad, the Black Tiger Sect Leader somehow managed to stay calm and muttered softly.
“Please... spare my life.”
He wished he could at least put up a fight.
But up to this point, there hadn’t been the slightest hint of presence.
Not even noticing until the blade was pressed to his throat meant he was as good as dead already.
And even in this situation.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader couldn’t sense his assailant’s energy at all.
The most logical conclusion he could draw.
A supreme expert who had surpassed the Return to Truth Realm.
He had no choice but to adopt a submissive posture.
“You’re reasonable.”
A satisfied chuckle rumbled softly from behind him, and the sword that could have sent him to the afterlife was withdrawn.
Moments later.
Ping-grrr—Kwachik!
The sword spun once in the air before slamming straight into the center of his prized expensive table.
At the same time, a shadowy figure materialized in the opposite chair like an illusion—the very same one who had just held the blade to his throat.
The instant he took in the sight.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader completely lost any will to resist.
The black outfit was far too ornate for an assassin, adorned with intricate embellishments, and the mask delicately covering his mouth was clearly made of fine kesi silk at a glance.
Judging by the contours of his exposed face and sharp eyes, he couldn’t be older than his mid-twenties, even being generous.
‘Surpassing Return to Truth... a rejuvenated elder expert!’
The Black Tiger Sect Leader could only judge based on his own common sense.
“Hm, the hospitality here is lacking. You drink alone?”
“I-I’ll get some!”
“No need! Actually, bring it anyway.”
Chewing on the irreverent thought that truly long-lived people weren’t right in the head.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader controlled his trembling legs as best he could, fetched a cup, set it down, and poured the liquor.
“So, what brings the esteemed senior...”
“Righteous Thief Hong Gildong.”
“...Righteous Thief Hong Gildong here in the dead of night...?”
Hong Gildong pulled his mask down slightly, savored a sip of liquor, then spoke plainly.
“Three years ago, I borrowed 10 taels of silver from you.”
“Yes.”
“Of course, credit is paramount, but I had urgent business and left the capital briefly. I only returned recently.”
“I see.”
“But then you demand 45 taels from me. Four times the amount in three years? Doesn’t that seem off?”
Of course it does, you bastard. Then pay it back on time...
His honest sentiment welled up to his throat, but thankfully didn’t spill out.
“Tell me. Why the exorbitant interest? If your reasons are valid, I’ll let you live today.”
It was a mad line implying he held the power of life and death, but the Black Tiger Sect Leader couldn’t muster the courage to retort.
Judging from the casual tone, ingrained arrogance, and the depth of his concealed energy.
He didn’t seem like a righteous faction expert. Likely a covert inspector dispatched from the Evil Alliance.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader decided to be a bit more honest.
“We originally...”
Listening to the Black Tiger Sect Leader’s long-winded explanation.
I cross-verified it against the information Ryu Hayoung had given me.
Surprisingly, for a vile unorthodox scum, there were no signs of outright lies.
Moreover.
“Will you continue usury in the future, yes or no?”
“No! Never again!”
He was far more compliant than expected.
Seeing a man old enough to be my father groveling with utmost courtesy was making me dizzy.
I’d initially thought he was irredeemable trash worth killing, but with this level of cooperation, maybe it wasn’t necessary.
“If you’ve committed any other crimes in the past, confess them now. I’ll decide your punishment based on that.”
“Haah...”
The Black Tiger Sect Leader sighed with a dejected expression.
“Living as an unorthodox swordsman, I’ve inevitably committed sins, but lately I’ve been trying to live upright. My name even ended up on the Martial World Wiki, complete with a controversy section. Now that I have a family, I can’t afford to drag more filth onto them...”
“Hm?”
A big shot registered on the Martial World Wiki, huh.
Let’s take a look.
[Jo Sokwang (Black Tiger Sect Leader)/Criticism & Controversy]
[3. Controversies During Tenure as Sect Leader]
[3.1. Scented Inn Bullying Incident]
[3.2. Moon Shadow Pavilion Fee Dodge Incident]
[……]
[3.5. Naked Rampage in Central Capital After Drunken Binge]
“...”
He must have read the pity in my eyes.
“I-I’ve turned over a new leaf now...!”
Pathetic or impressive? Hard to say.
Unorthodox humanity seemed a cut above rock bottom after all.
That explained how he’d reached Peak Realm in his fifties, lorded over his sect, and survived in the capital.
If his crimes were truly heinous, nearby Orthodox sects like Jeongsong or Ami would’ve swarmed him for a lynching, severed his head, and hung it in the square.
Even by my standards, it wasn’t a capital offense.
...Though getting pinned on the Martial World Wiki was pretty brutal.
I’d better watch my step too...
Anyway.
“So, if I resolve your money troubles, you’ll stop fleecing the people with usury?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Yes, sir!”
Sensing the killing intent fade away.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader bowed deeply to me again and again with a deeply moved expression.
“Tomorrow morning, someone from Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress will come. Treat them with the same respect you showed me. Cooperate fully.”
“Of course...!”
Good.
I’d gotten blood on my hands a lot lately.
Peaceful resolutions like this weren’t bad sometimes.
I melted into the darkness with a satisfied smile.
“...Gone? Fuck, I thought I was dead... Popping out of nowhere like that, damn...”
What?
Backtalk the second I’m gone?
This was unorthodox average humanity?
Smack!
“I’m still here, punk.”
“Sorry! I’m sorry!”
Wrapping my hand in the illicit thrill of smacking a fifty-year-old elder’s head, I finally left the Black Tiger Sect Leader’s quarters for real.
In the end, the Black Tiger Sect Leader ended up pulling an all-nighter with eyes wide open.
“Sect Leader! Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress demands to see you right away...”
“It’s here... Treat them with utmost courtesy!”
He’d taken a few smacks to the head, but by general standards—not unorthodox ones—it wasn’t unwarranted.
Deepening ties with Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress would surely aid Black Tiger Sect’s growth.
Rubbing his bloodshot eyes, the Black Tiger Sect Leader prepared to receive the guest.
And shortly after.
He came face-to-face with a young man from Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, lounging leisurely in the reception hall with a fan fluttering.
“Oh, Black Tiger Sect Leader. First time meeting?”
The moment he heard that voice, the Black Tiger Sect Leader’s body stiffened as if struck by lightning.
The face and voice were subtly different.
But his instincts told him.
It was unmistakably the same black-clad man who had visited unannounced last night.
He just wasn’t concealing his energy today.
He wasn’t a rejuvenated Profound Realm elder...!
His level was roughly the same as his own...!
Staring blankly at the damn youth’s irritating smile.
“Th-this... fuck...! Gah—”
The Black Tiger Sect Leader clutched his neck and collapsed.
“S-Sect Leader! Sect Leader!”
“The Sect Leader’s entered Qi Deviation! Get the spirit pills...!”
“...! ..........!”
“────.”
A horrific pain twisted through his meridians from the surging rage, his senses fading one by one.
Was this how he’d die?
Just as the Black Tiger Sect Leader’s life flashed before his eyes in agony.
: : I went through all the trouble of convincing you, and you croak here? What does that make me? Ting, annoying, tsk. : :
The words only fueled his rage further, nearly sending him to the afterlife right then.
However.
An extraordinarily pure true energy he’d never felt before in his life burrowed into his body, soothing his meridians.
And in the process, even the accumulated impurities were cleanly purged, allowing him to gradually calm down.
How much time passed?
“────!”
“...Sect Leader! Sect Leader!”
“You bastard, what did you do to the Sect Leader?!”
“Hey, come on, so impatient. I treated him, didn’t I?”
As his senses returned.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader felt something off.
His vision, restored—no, sharper than before.
Vitality overflowing his body like he’d been rejuvenated.
He’d reached Peak Realm late in life.
But afterward, his true energy had stagnated, even regressed.
Now it surged like youth reclaimed.
At this rate.
With diligent training, he might even touch the brink of supreme Peak before death.
As a martial artist.
It felt like stumbling upon a fateful opportunity.
After deeply exhaling and ending his introspection.
“Enough, enough!”
The moment he saw the gigolo—no, the noble guest tussling with his subordinates, the Black Tiger Sect Leader bellowed.
“Gasp! Sect Leader!”
Ignoring his subordinates rushing over.
Thud!
The Black Tiger Sect Leader threw himself into his eighty-seventh sincere full prostration of his life, since getting caught pickpocketing at fifteen.
Gazing at the Black Tiger Sect Leader who’d even smashed his forehead properly.
Righteous Thief Golden Hong Gildong smiled in satisfaction.
The tongue-lashing operation was a resounding success.
In the spot after sending away all the subordinates.
— That Black Tiger Sect Leader Jo Sokwang will serve Great Hero Geum Sihyeon as his benefactor for life!
Securing the loyalty pledge from a useless fifty-something uncle wasn’t a big deal.
On top of the original demands—
halting all usury and devoting himself to the people’s welfare.
He even agreed to provide unlimited conveniences for Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress operations around the capital.
A groundbreaking treaty.
And personally, I exploited my benefactor status to loot a bit from his secret vault for private gain.
— It’s valuable, sure... But is that really enough?
One was the Eight Poisons Pill.
A pill combining eight poisons, as the name implied.
They’d only use it to kill anyway, so I decided to consume it as a spirit pill.
And the other.
An unexpected jackpot even for me.
“Heh heh heh.”
“Kyau?”
“Nothing. Let’s keep going.”
Since raising martial artists was RPG-like, equipment items existed too.
Among them, some boasted cheat-level performance.
Prime example: the Four Divine Beasts series.
Azure Dragon Armor, White Tiger Ring, Vermilion Bird Crown, Black Tortoise Boots.
Armor, ring, hat, shoes.
Not the absolute best among them.
But I snagged the Vermilion Bird Feather, trigger for acquiring the solid-performing Vermilion Bird Crown.
The Black Tiger Sect Leader didn’t seem to grasp its true value.
Which let me take it without guilt.
Resolved the debt (via near-massacre), helped the people, contributed to Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, and pocketed personal gains.
A pretty satisfying trip to the capital.
Now.
“Shall we pick up the pace a bit?”
“Kyau!”
It was time to head to Yunnan without further delay.
After that, we hustled along at full speed for quite a while.
When the wolf pup showed signs of fatigue, I’d scoop her into my arms and run, hurrying our steps relentlessly.
— Halt! This is a toll road... H-heok! No anomalies on patrol!
In the process, I even felt the dignity of Master’s grace and Green Forest = High Pass bandit plaque.
— Hiaaa! Heavens above!
I saw a Taoist mistake the giant running wolf pup for a mountain spirit and kowtow in terror.
We swiftly passed Guizhou and headed to Yunnan.
Guizhou was solid unorthodox territory, and Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress hadn’t expanded there, making it tricky.
No major cities, so sometimes camping overnight.
Stopping at inns when spotted to recharge, we raced day and night until reaching the Guizhou-Yunnan border.
“Oh, shit.”
I ran into something I never wanted to see again.
“Kee-eek!”
“Kui, kui!”
Beings that took human form but were grotesquely twisted, their flesh nailed to the earth like undead.
Blood River Corpses.