Forging My Own Path
Having finished pondering, I steadied my resolve and spoke up.
"Galbi Jong."
"Have you made your decision?"
"I am a righteous hero who pursues justice and chivalry."
"What?"
I, Kim Geun-hyeop, am a hero of justice. And they want to recruit someone like me into the black path? That was enough to piss me off royally.
"You're saying you want to recruit someone like me into a black path faction?"
I let my anger show as I circulated the Cheong-han Sim-gong, slowly releasing a bit of my energy. Serin had told me my inner power reserves were quite substantial. Just leaking it like this would likely make them mistake my level.
"C-calm down!"
As expected, once I let out my energy, he felt the pressure—sweat beaded on Clear-Eyes' forehead. But damn, even under this pressure, those sparkling eyes of his wouldn't dim?
"As I said, our faction is for hunting down the Saseon-nyeo..."
"That's not the whole story, is it?"
I wouldn't be fooled.
"Hunting the Saseon-nyeo is just a side benefit. In the end, uniting the black path in this area would create all sorts of profit streams. You plan to use me for something, don't you? Depending on your answer, you'll be hearing the..."
scream of the Screaming Rakshasa.
I infused my words with that intent.
"Y-you plan to murder me as cruelly as possible! As expected of the sharp Screaming Rakshasa! But there's no need for that. As I said... if we dominate this region, all sorts of profits will follow. We can just enjoy those!"
"But you're just a bunch of black path riffraff from the unorthodox sects. I doubt there's any justice or chivalry there."
"What nonsense! Compared to those despicable orthodox vermin, we unorthodox folk have plenty of justice and chivalry!"
What the hell kind of bullshit was this?
I glared at him suspiciously, and he backpedaled with an explanation.
"It's true, as the Screaming Rakshasa says—I'm from the unorthodox side. Heuk Jeon Mun is a faction under Sado-ryeon. But listen: when we lend money, we always give the loan first and then collect interest!"
That's obvious.
But Galbi Jong didn't see it that way. He clenched his fist, ground his teeth, and spat it out like it was poison. Still with those clear eyes sparkling.
"But those self-proclaimed orthodox bastards...! They barge into our unorthodox territories, smash everything up, and just steal the money! We at least lend it out and collect interest, but they just take it outright!"
An indignant cry. But this was all too natural. The unorthodox were a gathering of trash from the start. Taking money out of a trash bin was just common sense. Hell, it'd be weirder not to take it. Leaving cash in a dumpster? That's just a crazy bastard—no normal person does that.
"Hahaha! Is that so!"
"E-exactly!"
"Fine... I'll think about your proposal. I've been itching to slaughter some black path vermin anyway, bathe in their blood to my heart's content."
"Gasp...!"
Gulp.
At my declaration, Galbi Jong swallowed hard, visibly tense. I stood up, watching him.
"S-Screaming Rakshasa. I'll await your positive reply."
"..."
I left the guesthouse right then. And hurried away from the scene with quick steps.
"Fuck."
Pretending to be a brutally vicious demon lord worked pretty well. A black path guy under Sado-ryeon trying to recruit me? Killing him to shut him up could cause problems, but letting him go would just be a hassle too. I needed to make a decision.
"Screaming Rakshasa..."
As I bolted, a voice called from behind. I turned, thinking someone had followed me.
"No way—it's Jae Mi-son, that bastard!"
"Kuk kuk... You've got a new nickname."
"You saw all that? Hey, let's talk."
I immediately moved to a quiet spot with Jae Mi-son.
"Getting a recruitment offer from a black path faction under Sado-ryeon... kuk kuk. As expected of the man I acknowledge. Kim Geun-hyeop."
The waiter must've relayed my message well—he knew my whole situation. Made things easier.
"Hey, this isn't funny. I'm serious."
I told him about my dilemma from just now. Killing the guy would be trouble, letting him live would be trouble too.
"What do I do in a case like this? Jae Mi-son, I rate your brains highly. Lend me your wisdom."
"..."
Jae Mi-son leaned against the wall, arms crossed, listening.
"Whatever happens... this is just another murim grudge."
Grudge out of nowhere?
"Once you've made a name for yourself like this, there's no guarantee more won't come. Right?"
"Huh, now that you mention it."
He'd come because of my reputation. Meaning he was just the first—second, third could show up anytime.
"You gonna agonize every time one of those guys shows up?"
Whoosh! His eyes, sharp as a warrior who'd dumped all stats into intelligence, fixed on me.
Yeah. He was right.
"No way. I can't keep agonizing forever. Once or twice is fine, but constantly? Nah."
"Exactly."
Good advice.
"What you need to do is simple: set your own standards and stick to them."
Standards.
"You might get tangled with Sado-ryeon more in the future somehow. Or guys from the Murim Alliance might come sniffing around, saying 'that Screaming Rakshasa seems cozy with Sado-ryeon.'"
This was it.
"That's murim for you."
"Yeah... the jianghu is like that. Grudges and fame. Once you have those two, you can't avoid getting dragged in, like it or not."
Jae Mi-son's voice was heavy with truth.
"So don't ask me, Geun-hyeop. The choice is yours."
"You're right, Jae Mi-son. Thanks to you, my perspective's broadened again today."
This guy wasn't just some easy mark. Not on the level of the absolute expert Song-ssi, but he had sharp insight and keen perception. Talking with him made me feel pathetic for agonizing over such a trivial matter moments ago.
Black path invitation? Sado-ryeon? Once you're in murim, this shit happens anytime. So why whine every time? No. I just needed to set my absolute standards and charge ahead.
"You're a man worthy of respect. Jae Mi-son—no, Yi Sang-je-go of the Anhui Twin Heroes."
"Kuk kuk... Took you long enough. You're dense as hell."
Flash.
His eyes gleamed.
"Go, Kim Geun-hyeop... I'll follow. At least I'll witness your decision firsthand."
"Alright! But first, I gotta swing by my ladies!"
"What?"
"Gotta let them know too."
Jae Mi-son's face twisted instantly.
"Jae Mi-son?"
Then he assumed his Yi Sang Je Go stance, hand blade extended, charging like a zealot possessed and stabbing the shit out of me!
Shuu shuu shuk!
Chwa ja jak!
"Aaaack!"
My side!
"Get lost!"
"Nooo! What the fuck, you psycho! Aaaah!"
Hole punched through my side!
* * *
I barely escaped and rushed straight to Sangru Pavilion, pounding on their door.
"I've reflected... Hm? Empty-handed?"
"That's not it!"
"Something happened, I see."
"S-sorry! Huff, huff! I'll explain!"
"What happened?"
I spilled everything to the two women: I'd gone to apologize and buy snacks, but ran into an unorthodox warrior who tried recruiting me.
"Sado-ryeon is on the move. Makes sense. The Saseon-nyeo's stirring isn't just murim business—it's shaking the whole Ming Empire."
That scary, huh.
"The Murim Alliance is moving too. Faster and more precisely than Sado-ryeon. They're not sitting idle."
Was it because her family was with the Alliance? She seemed oddly focused on that.
"Only the orthodox Murim Alliance is the light and hope. Anyway, that Galbi Jong guy tried recruiting me."
"Absolutely not."
Serin replied firmly.
"That Galbi Jong is a usurer under Sado-ryeon. Forming a faction with him to unite the local black path? And you barely even talked to him."
True.
"Forget trust—it's too dangerous. You can't just dive in. Plus, accepting would tilt your affiliation toward the unorthodox, inviting attacks from orthodox murim folk."
Everything Serin said was spot on.
"Yeah. Why the sudden unorthodox crap? Especially a black path faction. Just refuse. Or what, you actually wanna go black path? Are you unorthodox?"
"Nah."
"Then don't. Why risk it... But saying that means you've got something in mind, right?"
"Bingo."
That's what I needed to say. Both women turned to me.
"He came because of my rep. Meaning even if I refuse, more like him could show up."
"That's true."
"That's the jianghu, grudges and all."
I relayed what Jae Mi-son said, and Serin nodded.
"Precisely, Geun-hyeop."
"Yeah. Refusing every time those guys pop up would just breed grudges. Unorthodox bastards hold grudges over rejections alone."
"Yeah, that tracks."
Inevitable once you're a murim man.
"But Serin, Ha-young, killing every one I meet would be a pain too. If word gets out I'm a vicious killer, I'll be hunted."
"Go on."
Serin listened intently as I continued.
"And that Saseon-nyeo."
A spark of interest. Scaring not just orthodox and unorthodox, but even the Ming court? Didn't know details, but my gut said gathering info on her would pay off.
"Might be good to know a bit."
"...Dangerous."
"Think of it as prepping for bigger threats. Anyway, point is: a murim faction is whatever you make of it, right?"
If fate's unavoidable, striking first ain't bad.