Ju Gwal of Nasanbang arrived at the Jecheon Alliance dressed exactly as he’d been when he left the butcher shop in the middle of his meal. After being guided into the main hall, he found himself under the stares of the Alliance’s officials. They were all neatly dressed, many of them stylish, and their weapons looked impressive too.

Though a bit intimidated, Ju Gwal tried to hide it and remained composed.

“......”

One man asked Ju Gwal,

“Are you waiting for the Alliance Lord himself before you speak?”

Ju Gwal nodded.

“That’s right.”

“He’ll be here shortly. Wait a moment.”

No one offered him a chair or even suggested he sit. So Ju Gwal just sat on the floor.

He crossed his arms and waited for the Alliance Lord.

Some of the officers openly glared at him, but he ignored them and closed his eyes for a moment.

‘No water either... Bastards.’

As soon as he heard footsteps, Ju Gwal sprang to his feet and looked toward the approaching Alliance Lord. The man was far more massive than the rumors suggested. Within the Black Path, he was something of a living legend, so Ju Gwal instinctively felt small compared to when facing the other officials.

The Jecheon Alliance Lord sat down in the seat of honor and asked,

“...I hear the Haomun Master sent a message?”

Ju Gwal answered,

“Yes, sir. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Ju Gwal of Nasanbang.”

The Alliance Lord nodded.

“Same surname, I see. You’ve come a long way. Have you had any water?”

“I’m fine, sir.”

The Alliance Lord raised his hand.

“Give him water.”

“Yes, Alliance Lord.”

After drinking the water a subordinate brought, Ju Gwal looked at him and said,

“I’ll explain in order, sir.”

“Go ahead.”

“Two of my younger brothers from Nasanbang, some people from Daheungbang, and members of Samwonbang—who were rivals of ours—were all killed by a man called Gwangmyeong Usa.”

“Gwangmyeong Usa?”

“Yes, sir. Daheungbang and Samwonbang lie to the north of where we are. I entered Samwonbang and encountered Gwangmyeong Usa. He looked insane, like someone cultivating demonic martial arts. His eyes were red. He claimed to be the Blood Cult Leader and even tried to recruit me. When I refused and swung at him, I lost consciousness. I woke up after getting slapped by the Haomun Master.”

The Alliance Lord nodded.

“Continue.”

“The Haomun Master was traveling with three others and said they were pursuing Gwangmyeong Usa. He told me that the entire Black Path in the Dongcheonwon region could be wiped out at this rate, and that I should inform you.”

The Alliance Lord asked,

“The Haomun Master doesn’t usually speak so plainly. What did he say—exactly?”

Ju Gwal answered again.

“Apologies, sir, but his wording was extremely rude, so I left some of it out.”

“I already know he’s rude. Say it exactly as he said it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ju Gwal took a deep breath and recited,

“...That master and his terrifying group had this conversation. ‘Eldest Brother, who would win in a fight between the Jecheon Alliance Lord and Gwangmyeong Usa?’ ‘I don’t know,’ someone replied. The Haomun Master said, ‘I think I know. I’ve fought both. Gwangmyeong Usa seems stronger to me.’”

The Alliance Lord stared at Ju Gwal in shock.

“......”

Ju Gwal went on.

“But he said the Jecheon Alliance Lord isn’t a man who fights alone. He’s like a pack of wolves. Then he said, ‘Anyway, Ju Gwal, go tell the Jecheon Alliance. At this rate, the entire Black Path is going to die. Gwangmyeong Usa is openly touring the Black Path and committing massacres. And the so-called number one of the Black Path is just going to ignore this? Is he insane? If he hears this and still does nothing, he should give up the title of Number One.’ ...And then, perhaps because he was annoyed again, he slapped me. Sir...”

Ju Gwal turned his left cheek, which still faintly bore the imprint of a hand.

He held up his fingers and said,

“Once when I woke up from fainting, once while telling me to contact the Jecheon Alliance... I think he assumed I was your subordinate. So two slaps total.”

The Alliance Lord looked at him.

“I’ve never had a subordinate like you.”

“Exactly, sir.”

The Alliance Lord glanced at his officers. Upon hearing Ju Gwal’s account, all of their faces turned bright red. Ju Gwal had a habit of scratching his neck when lying—his neck was now bright red. But Ju Gwal himself didn’t know this, and neither did the Alliance Lord.

One man muttered,

“...He’s still as insolent as ever.”

“He’s always been that kind of man,” another added.

The Alliance Lord spoke.

“So Gwangmyeong Usa of the Demonic Cult has gone a bit mad, calls himself the Blood Cult Leader, and is massacring masters of the Black Path.”

“Yes, sir. He was absolutely drenched in blood.”

“I understand the situation. But how are you still alive?”

“That, I’m not sure. I refused to join him in rather harsh terms, and I think he found me amusing. He said I made him laugh, so he’d let me live. It smelled like his blood was burning, maybe because he was doing internal energy circulation. He must have felt accomplished and let me go in a good mood.”

The Alliance Lord stared at him.

For a moment, the Haomun Master’s words echoed in his mind, and he needed time to calm the rising anger.

“You swung first at Gwangmyeong Usa?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you do something so reckless?”

Ju Gwal answered,

“My brothers were killed.”

“I don’t see a blade on you.”

Ju Gwal pulled the butcher’s knife from his back and showed it.

The Alliance Lord asked,

“You work as a butcher?”

“Yes, sir.”

The Alliance Lord let out a brief sigh and said to a subordinate,

“Bring one of the black iron swords from my training hall.”

“Yes, Alliance Lord.”

The Alliance Lord said to Ju Gwal,

“I have a task for you.”

“Command me, sir.”

“Once you leave the front gate of the Alliance and cross Jeonghabsan, you’ll reach Jusanhyeon.”

“I know the way.”

“There’s a place called Hwanggu Bridge there. The people under and around the bridge are beggars of the Beggars’ Sect. Don’t talk to a kid—look for an older beggar and deliver a message.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Just tell them everything you told me. Can you do that?”

Ju Gwal replied,

“Oh, are we forming an alliance with the Beggars’ Sect?”

“That’s for them to decide. But if the path north that you described is followed, their local branch may be in danger too. If something happens to the Beggars’ Sect, some old beggar will come out swinging. If I’m unlucky, I’ll get my head cracked at this age.”

“Oh... surely not. What beggar would dare?”

“Usa probably went mad while cultivating demonic arts, but even if he hadn’t, he was already one of the top experts in the Cult. Like a mad demonic master from some ancient tale. The faster we stop him, the less damage we take.”

“Understood. I’ll head out immediately.”

“Wait.”

The subordinate returned from the training hall, carrying a black iron sword. The Alliance Lord said,

“Give it to Ju Gwal.”

Ju Gwal received the sword, its surface glimmering with a dark sheen, with a puzzled expression.

The Alliance Lord spoke.

“That’s a black iron blade I used during training.”

Ju Gwal asked, still confused,

“Why are you giving it to me?”

The Alliance Lord said,

“Did you swing your butcher’s knife at Gwangmyeong Usa thinking you’d win?”

“No, sir.”

“Then why?”

“Like I said... he killed my brothers.”

The Alliance Lord nodded.

“Then this is a gift for that swing. It’s better than a butcher’s knife, at least.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll use it well.”

The Alliance Lord said,

“I’ll send people to clean up the scenes at Nasanbang, Daheungbang, and Samwonbang. Since you’ve already been acting as a messenger, we’ll need others to monitor Gwangmyeong Usa’s movements or block his path. Are you willing?”

“Yes, Alliance Lord.”

“Then go.”

Ju Gwal lowered the tip of the black iron sword, held it, and bowed with a martial salute.

“I’ll be on my way. I’ll put the sword to good use.”

“Go safely.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once Ju Gwal left, the Alliance Lord looked at his officers.

“Gentlemen...”

“Yes, Alliance Lord.”

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then laughed slightly in disbelief and asked,

“If I were to fight Gwangmyeong Usa, who would win?”

“Hmm...”

“Indeed...”

Surprisingly, none of the officers answered. They didn’t know Gwangmyeong Usa’s full strength, and none dared flatter with a blind guess. Their silence meant: We don’t know.

Seeing their collective silence, the Alliance Lord nodded.

“...Find him. I’m curious myself.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Some of you, find the Haomun Master and ask what Ju Gwal didn’t know.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Alliance Lord rose from the seat of honor.

“I’ll make preparations to head out as well.”

As he moved, one officer cautiously asked,

“Shall we inform the Murim Alliance too?”

“No need. They’re too far. By the time they arrive, this will all be over.”

“Understood.”

***

I pulled out a Muga Dagger from my coat and stabbed it into the table.

I was sitting outside the inn, watching °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the street while waiting for food. When I suddenly stabbed the blade into the table, the Drunk asked,

“What’s wrong?”

I stared at the Muga Dagger.

“Calling Yeo Un-byeok, the Master of Unhyang Sect, would be ideal right now—but I’ve got no way to reach him. Even if I could, he’s too far away.”

The Lecher nodded.

“Right. That guy said he had a grudge against Usa. Wonder what it was. Master, do you know?”

Sword Demon answered,

“Wasn’t it the Unhyang Sect that gifted us those Muga Daggers?”

“Yes.”

Sword Demon thought for a moment, then replied,

“If the Cult Leader goes into closed-door training, he may not come out for a year. Usa could sneak out and commit these massacres without anyone knowing. And once he’s back inside the Cult, even the Murim Alliance can’t approach. Maybe that’s when the grudge formed.”

I looked at Sword Demon.

“....”

There was something strange about the way I felt looking at him today. Because Gwangmyeong Usa was now walking the very path Sword Demon feared and hated most.

Sword Demon pulled out his Muga Dagger and stabbed it into the table.

“Let’s handle this ourselves. No need to call for backup if we can’t even find him. Still, because of his strength, we shouldn’t split up.”

Eventually, the Drunk and the Lecher also stabbed their daggers into the table.

With four blades embedded at the north, south, east, and west corners of the table, we looked completely insane.

Jomsoi, who was bringing food, froze mid-step and stared at us.

“......”

I gestured to Jomsoi.

“Don’t worry about it. Just set it down.”

“Ah... yes.”

Oddly enough, customers in the inn started thinning out. Some left in the middle of their meals; others stood and walked out as soon as they sat down.

I didn’t really mind.

Being around us came with the risk of getting dragged into a fight. As more customers left, Jomsoi looked on the verge of tears.

I locked eyes with him and spoke while eating.

“We’ll eat quickly and go.”

“Okay.”

As Sword Demon ate, he asked me quietly,

“Third, is there a reason we’ve been walking through normal roads and not checking on Black Path factions lately?”

I drank a sip of liquor and nodded.

“Thinking back, the massacres happen every three or four days. The direction is random, but based on when the bodies show up, that’s the interval. After each slaughter, he likely hides somewhere and circulates his internal energy for a day or two.”

I looked around at the quiet street, the lined-up inns, teahouses, and brothels.

“He’s probably doing that in normal places, where there aren’t any experts. Somewhere peaceful.”

As I continued thinking, I said,

“In the end, we may never find him... That’s the thought that came to me.”

“What kind of thought?”

“That he’ll find us first—when he’s ready.”

The Drunk asked,

“No matter how strong he’s gotten, can he really handle the four of us?”

I didn’t answer.

Because there are many ways to do it.

Right now, Gwangmyeong Usa is rampaging like a madman. He’s not choosing means or methods, and deep inside, I was praying the worst-case scenario wouldn’t come to pass.

That worst-case scenario—

I hadn’t shared it with the Four Villains.

Because it’s just a theory. I hoped it would stay that way.

To put it simply—

Gwangmyeong Usa might understand my personality well enough to take a hostage.

And if someone at his level does that, I have no options.

I’d have to do exactly what he wants.

And I know what he wants.

...Me.

That’s the worst-case scenario I can imagine.

Which is why I didn’t want to look like a maniac chasing him endlessly. Instead, I stayed calm, waited for rest when I could, trusted the Four Villains, and kept up my internal energy circulation while pursuing Gwangmyeong Usa.

The Lecher took the tangcho richuk in front of me, split it onto a small plate, and set it in front of Sword Demon.

“Master, have some.”

Sword Demon replied,

“That was for Third. Why did you bring so much?”

“He says he’s not hungry.”

“When did he say that?”

“Look at his face.”

I looked at Sword Demon, the Lecher, and the Drunk, all quietly eating—and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. Like air deflating.

As I drank more, one thought lingered in my head.

If Gwangmyeong Usa still has a shred of conscience left... that would be nice.

Because if that’s the case, I won’t refuse a one-on-one fight with him.

What happens in Jianghu should be settled among Jianghu men.