15. The weakest organization in the Jianghu.
When I challenged Jo Sam-pyeong to a duel, a man in a black robe looked around and said, "All spectators, step back and do not interfere with the fight. Jo Sam-pyeong from the Jahak Inn and Jo Sam-pyeong from the Shihwa Tower will engage in a life-and-death duel. I, Neung Ji-seok of the Black Fan Fortress, will be the witness."
The Black Fan Fortress was a dark force that mainly made money through gambling and auctions, so they were quite a rare guest in Il Yang County.
As the spectators, including Jo Sam-pyeong's subordinates, stepped back, a circular duel area was formed in front of the burning Jahak Inn.
While Jo Sam-pyeong pulled out his sword with a reluctant expression, I observed Neung Ji-seok.
He spoke as if he was giving a fair opportunity for a life-and-death duel, but his true intentions were likely different.
He would assess my abilities during the fight with Jo Sam-pyeong and decide whether to intervene or retreat.
Such cunning behavior was basic in the Jianghu.
I may not have talent in the basic skill of making noodles, but I was well aware of these fundamental tactics.
I glanced at the Jahak Inn engulfed in flames for a moment before loosening the whip at my waist.
Seeing the look of surprise on Jo Sam-pyeong's face, I asked, "Why?"
"Why a whip? Draw your sword."
"This is perfect for a dog like you."
Ignoring Jo Sam-pyeong's barking, I swung the whip.
Swish...
Crack! As the whip flew quickly towards Jo Sam-pyeong's feet, he began to jump around like a mad dog.
I swung the whip with a cold expression but deliberately avoided hitting his body.
With the power I infused, if he were to be struck properly, flesh would fly.
However, I needed to conceal my strength from Neung Ji-seok, who was watching.
I swung the whip carelessly, infusing only my internal energy without any intent to harm.
The whip was convenient like this.
As long as my internal energy supported it, even a careless swing could be threatening.
If Neung Ji-seok decided to join in, I planned to draw my sword then.
Meanwhile, Jo Sam-pyeong was jumping around, trying to close the distance, but his swordsmanship was poor, and his internal energy was far inferior to mine.
Both Jo Il-seom and Jo Sam-pyeong were just mediocre in skill.
I swung the whip as if I were catching a crazy monkey running amok in the neighborhood.
'You should just disappear from this town forever.' From the moment I thought Neung Ji-seok would not intervene, I began to mercilessly whip Jo Sam-pyeong.
Crack! Snap! Snap! Snap! As the noise of the spectators quieted down, only Jo Sam-pyeong's screams echoed after being struck by the whip.
His face and clothes had already turned into rags.
After knocking Jo Sam-pyeong's sword away with the whip, I exchanged glances with Neung Ji-seok for a moment.
As I overwhelmed Jo Sam-pyeong with my superior strength, Neung Ji-seok chuckled and gestured as if to say I could do as I pleased.
It looked like a gesture asking if I could kill Jo Sam-pyeong in front of him, or perhaps it held another meaning.
Regardless of what it meant, I had no intention of sparing Jo Sam-pyeong.
Grabbing Jo Sam-pyeong's neck with the whip, I pulled him in and struck his forehead with my palm.
Thud! As Jo Sam-pyeong's body crumpled to the ground, he died instantly.
Neung Ji-seok, confirming Jo Sam-pyeong's death, spoke with an indifferent attitude, "I certify that this was a problem-free life-and-death duel. We will meet again if there is a need."
Just as Neung Ji-seok was about to step back, I swung the whip.
Swoosh! As the whip curved and aimed for Neung Ji-seok's neck, he hurriedly drew his sword to block it.
The whip wrapped around the sword, and soon it became taut horizontally.
Neung Ji-seok looked at me with a shocked expression.
"What? You dare to...?"
As my internal energy poured through the whip, Neung Ji-seok quickly shut his mouth.
I looked at Neung Ji-seok and said, "Black Fan Fortress or whatever..."
I was not someone who would let a coward slip away after just observing.
Moreover, he was someone who stood by while my house burned down.
This meant he would have stood by even if Jo Sam-pyeong had raped or killed a woman.
He was a sneaky opportunist, which made him even more detestable.
Of course, even without all that, I already knew the deeds of the Black Fan Fortress, so I had no desire to spare him.
In that moment, the energy of the Golden Valley Sojourn's Yin Realm was transmitted through the whip to Neung Ji-seok's sword.
The surface of the whip glowed a reddish hue, and Neung Ji-seok's sword began to heat up, changing color.
My gaze also became similar to the flames engulfing the Jahak Inn.
As Neung Ji-seok realized his internal energy was inferior, his face trembled in fear.
'This won't do.' Neung Ji-seok dropped his sword without hesitation and fled using his lightness skill.
His life was more important than his sword.
Neung Ji-seok, having plenty of practical experience, clashed his internal energy with the whip for a brief moment to find an opening.
I immediately leaped into the air.
Neung Ji-seok seemed to be trying to hide among the spectators to escape, but that was a wrong choice.
I moved by stepping on the shoulders of the spectators.
After stepping on shoulders five or six times, I overtook the fleeing Neung Ji-seok.
I pushed the last man I stepped on behind and landed in front of Neung Ji-seok.
Neung Ji-seok gathered his palms and unleashed all his internal energy in a single strike.
I raised my sword diagonally and poured the energy of the Yin Realm into the sword body.
It transformed into a hot sword wind.
As Neung Ji-seok's strike obscured my entire view, it was split in half by the sword wind.
We both locked eyes for the last time.
Just as Neung Ji-seok was preparing to counterattack, I advanced and drew my sword diagonally down again.
With a splat! Blood gushed forth as Neung Ji-seok's body fell to the ground in two pieces.
I stared at Neung Ji-seok's split body for a moment.
The spectators were all silent, alternating their gazes between me and Neung Ji-seok's corpse.
As I wiped the blood off my sword, I spoke to the spectators, "The show is over, so everyone should return."
At that moment, I did not forget Jo Sam-pyeong's subordinates.
"Jo Sam-pyeong's subordinates, stay. I will chase down anyone trying to escape and send them to Jo Sam-pyeong first."
Those engaged in their livelihoods had to sleep early and rise early.
The ordinary people, who had been frozen in fear, hurriedly scattered, leaving only Jo Sam-pyeong's lackeys behind.
There were seven of them in total.
I sat on a chair outside the inn and glared at Jo Sam-pyeong's lackeys.
They were trembling all over, having witnessed me brutally beat Jo Sam-pyeong and Neung Ji-seok to death.
Suddenly, I had this thought.
Just like Jo Sam-pyeong, these bastards were a problem too.
They were the kind of fools who would kill someone just because their superior was scary and would accept orders to burn down someone else's house.
Naturally, the words from the era of the Mad Demon slipped out.
"Don't just stand there, kneel, you bastards. If you don't want to follow Jo Sam-pyeong."
All seven of them knelt simultaneously.
"Why do you burn down someone else's house so easily? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Do you want to feel the flames too?"
"Please spare us."
"Answer me. Why did you set fire to someone else's house?"
"It was an order. We are sorry."
"We had no particular feelings about it."
Similar responses flowed out.
"You shouldn't burn down someone else's house without any feelings. Should I kill you without any feelings?"
"We are sorry."
"If I hadn't killed Jo Sam-pyeong, you would have lived your lives licking his boots."
These men had never been responsible for anything in their lives.
They were so fearful that they followed Jo Sam-pyeong's orders, allowing him to commit evil deeds without restraint.
I felt it was pointless and worthless to kill each of them one by one.
However, there was something I needed them to do.
"You will completely restore my Jahak Inn from now on. The survivors who clung to Chi Seong-tae will all join in to help restore it."
At the mention of restoration, they all looked puzzled, but it was as it was said.
The Jahak Inn was my home, a place good for watching the dawn break or the sunset.
Although I couldn't make delicious noodles, there was no need for the inn to disappear like this.
Since it had burned down completely, I planned to make it an even better inn this time.
If someone set fire to it again, I would catch them and make them restore it once more.
If the Jahak Inn burned down ten times, I would restore it all ten times.
That was the difference between my past and present.
While they may have set the fire at their own will, if they fell into my hands, they would have to clean up the ashes and restore it just the same.
The seven lackeys fell into deep thought.
"How should we restore it?"
"What do you mean? You will carry the stones, build the walls, and plaster the earth. The necessary expenses will be covered by Chi Seong-tae. If there aren't enough hands, those in the inn will be mobilized."
Just then, Chi Seong-tae, who had come after hearing the news, arrived and responded to my words.
"... Did Jo Sam-pyeong die?"
I gestured towards Jo Sam-pyeong's corpse.
As Chi Seong-tae looked at Jo Sam-pyeong's body, he finally noticed the ruins of the Jahak Inn.
"It burned down completely."
Chi Seong-tae, who usually had a mischievous expression, momentarily became serious.
This was the end of the matter that had been lingering in uncertainty for a while.
'Jo Sam-pyeong really lost.
I can't believe it even though I saw it with my own eyes.'
I called out to Chi Seong-tae, who was staring blankly at the Jahak Inn.
"Seong-tae."
Chi Seong-tae turned around with a smiling face.
"Yes, what is it?"
I pointed at the seven men.
"Do you know them?"
"I know them well. They are my subordinates, subordinates, and subordinates."
"Mobilize them for the restoration of the Jahak Inn. And you should also bring your subordinates to help restore my Jahak Inn. Perfectly."
"Why me?"
At Chi Seong-tae's words, I smiled slightly.
"Jokes are jokes, but what I just said is not a joke."
As Chi Seong-tae looked into my serious eyes, he slightly lowered his head.
"I will restore it. I will make it even better than before. The area is quite spacious, so should we restore it in the style of an inn or as a place where anyone can come and go comfortably like before? Previously, it was a single story, but this time I will make it a two-story building."
"Build the surrounding walls a bit wider so that the inside space is spacious."
"I will do that."
"Make a training ground and a garden."
"Are you asking me to create a martial arts family instead of an inn?"
"Have you never made a martial arts family that resembles an inn? What exactly can you do?"
"Can it really be done like that? Then I will try to create a martial arts family-like Jahak Inn."
Chi Seong-tae suddenly looked at the state of the seven men.
They were all trembling in fear, looking utterly pitiful.
I felt the need to clarify things now that Chi Seong-tae and the lackeys were gathered.
"The ones remaining in the inn will go to the Rehabilitation Gate. Again, I say, there is no need to catch anyone who wants to leave. After they finish restoring the inn, let them go. If they run away, I will chase them to the ends of the earth."
"I understand."
The first principle of the bottom organization I envisioned was like this.
A place where people who had reached rock bottom, with nowhere to go back to, gathered.
It wasn't that their behavior was at rock bottom, but I intended to gather those who truly had nowhere to go and let them live within the fence I created.
That was the image I had of the Hao Gate.
A group of the weak who had no place to lean on.
If I built an organization like this, perhaps the Hao Gate could become the weakest organization in the Jianghu.
But that was fine.
I just needed to grow stronger.
I would embrace all the trash of life and those who had reached rock bottom, and the blood would only stain my hands.
I believed that was the role of the Hao Gate.