26. When the Hidden Path suddenly emerges as the most fearsome force in the martial world, there is one commonality: they consider each other as brothers.
Such a Hidden Path is difficult to gauge in strength by mere numbers.
They fight fiercely when they lose a brother.
In my opinion, this is the essence of the Hidden Path.
The power possessed by martial artists can be broadly classified into internal and external martial arts, but the strength that arises from human anger cannot be understood by common sense.
Naturally, these fellows were not a strong Hidden Path force that regarded each other as brothers.
No one stepped forward even after the leader was dead.
Suddenly, I looked at the table, and the food was gradually cooling down.
"Let's fill our stomachs first and then talk. Wow, this is a feast."
I watched the kneeling fellows as I tasted various dishes with my chopsticks.
One of them cautiously asked me, "Will you spare us?" I replied while tearing off a piece of the whole roasted chicken, "That is a difficult matter. Why should I?"
As soon as I said it was difficult, several of them exchanged glances.
I warned them, observing their expressions.
"I said that even a dog won't be touched while eating. If you turn me into a dog during the meal, I will kill you in a way more brutal than your leader. Stay calm if you don't want to die."
Those who were about to flee or resist held their breath again upon hearing my strange threat.
The one who had spoken earlier asked again, "Is there something you desire? If you intend to kill us all, we will have no choice but to fight until we die. Please give us some way out."
I looked at the one who mixed suggestion and threat in his words.
"Are you a negotiator? How about revealing your identity before making a proposal?"
In response to my question, a rather plain-looking man with a crew cut replied, "I am Sima Bi."
"Sima Bi..."
I momentarily recalled memories from my past life.
Most of these fellows were supposed to die together due to their involvement with the leader of the Golden Peak, so there was little information available.
While I could see most of the future clearly, the less famous ones were less likely to be in my knowledge.
"What do you think is happening right now, crew cut?" Sima Bi answered honestly to survive, "It seems something completely unexpected has occurred."
"So you didn't think I would win?" "That's right. To be more honest, if we had been on par with the leader, we would have joined forces to turn the tide."
"But?" "It seems you haven't shown all your strength, so I restrained a few who were getting excited."
"Not bad. To hide your martial arts and see through my techniques."
"Hmm..."
I had done the same in my past life.
Concealing one's full strength is always an effective and interesting tactic.
I scrutinized Sima Bi's eyes and face again before saying, "So you are Sima? You have the makings of a strategist."
Despite receiving praise, Sima Bi's expression remained serious.
"You can read faces too?" I pointed at him with a chicken bone stripped of meat.
"You will be a strategist, so I will spare you. If you are quick-witted, it is only natural to survive. Pass."
Sima Bi replied with a shocked expression, "Really? What about the others?" "Who knows if they will report to the Hidden Cat Sect?" "I will never report."
"That’s unlikely. If a full-scale war breaks out with the Hidden Cat Sect right now, my movements will become troublesome. The others can come at me all at once. I don’t mind if you all attack together."
I threw the chicken bone anywhere as if I was ready to fight again.
"Wait!" Sima Bi shouted urgently, then calmed his excited companions before speaking to me.
"As long as we don't report to the room, isn't that enough?" I pretended to have a cold expression and replied, "How can I trust that? It's impossible."
"Then do you trust me?" I glared at Sima Bi.
"You? With your words and face, you seem like the next person in charge..."
"That's right."
"Do you think you can report to the higher-ups and survive? Even if you do, you will be treated like a fool. You stood by while the leader of the Golden Peak was killed without a scratch. You will die when you return to the Hidden Cat Sect anyway. Well, the others are also doomed to fail in the Hidden Cat Sect, but they are half traitors."
Only then did Sima Bi realize the harsh reality.
The atmosphere of the Hidden Cat Sect was indeed like that.
Moreover, despite being an inspector, Sima Bi had turned a blind eye to the leader's embezzlement, so his crimes were not light compared to those of the leader of the Golden Peak.
As I reached for my sword, Sima Bi spoke in a desperate tone, "I have thought of a way! Please listen to me just once before you decide. I beg you."
I smiled slyly and replied, "Wow, already? I thought Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi would need to be reincarnated to come up with a plan."
"We can embezzle the money in the mountain lodge ourselves. We will commit the crime openly. All together."
As soon as Sima Bi finished speaking, a chilly wind blew through.
Sima Bi continued earnestly, "In fact, the money embezzled by the leader is piled up in this mountain lodge. If it becomes known to the higher-ups, the entire Golden Peak will have to die. Because we cooperated."
"How will you let them know about the embezzlement?" "Of course, we will all transport the money to Yiyang County. Since we openly moved the embezzled money ourselves, we will become accomplices who cannot escape."
"If the news gets out, the Hidden Cat Sect will flood into Yiyang County."
Sima Bi replied, "This is a point of no return. And since you have prepared for it to some extent, you killed the leader of the Golden Peak, didn't you? We will join you at this point of no return. And if we keep our mouths shut to survive, we should be able to buy some time. This is better than dying here right away."
It seemed this fellow was under some misunderstanding.
Even if the entire Hidden Cat Sect came, they could not capture me.
Compared to the Heavenly Net of the Martial Alliance, they would be like aspiring martial artists messing around in the martial world, and compared to the Heavenly Net of the Demon Sect, they would be nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
I had eaten three meals a day under the Heavenly Nets of the Martial Alliance and the Demon Sect.
There was no need for me to boast with words.
"That is also true. Since the leader of the Golden Peak is dead, it will happen anyway. Then I will monitor the procession, and you all transport the money. Crimes should be committed together."
Anyway, thinking he had saved his companions, Sima Bi spoke cheerfully like a strategist.
"There are several ways to deal with the disappearance of the leader. Recently, relations with the Black Sail Sect have soured, and there are the Twelve Divine Generals as well."
"Sima, do not mention the Twelve Divine Generals right now. It's tiring."
"Strategist, you say?" I looked at Sima Bi with a serious expression.
"Aren't you Sima?" "That's right."
"Then you are a strategist. Not a great strategist yet, but still a strategist."
"Hmm."
When a martial group in the world recruits a strategist, Sima and Zhuge are the best.
I do not know why that is.
How could I know everything about the world? Regardless of whether Sima Bi was flustered or not, I recruited him as a strategist.
"We must reach Yiyang County within a shichen. Strategist Sima will supervise the procession with me. You lead, I will follow. If any bandits try to interfere, kill them without asking questions. Let's go."
Sima Bi replied, "Yes, understood."
Sima Bi suddenly gathered his companions as if to organize the chaotic atmosphere and said, "We have no choice but to do this to survive. It has been precarious lately. If an inspector from another organization were to attach themselves, the mountain lodge would be looted and more. If the leader dies, we would also be thrown away. What does everyone think?" Sima Bi was originally a man who had no way out after receiving a bribe mixed with threats from the leader of the Golden Peak.
"Let's do that."
I entrusted the operation of transporting the slush funds to Sima Bi and resumed picking at the food with my chopsticks.
Then I called over the pale-faced messenger, Hyuk Ryeon Hong.
"Our messenger Hyuk Ryeon Hong, it's good to see you alive again. Come here."
"Ah, yes."
The messenger, who had come as a messenger, approached timidly.
He was quite intimidated since he had witnessed the leader of the Golden Peak die without putting up any resistance.
I asked, "Are you waiting for an opportunity to flee? Your eyes are seriously wandering."
"No, I have no such thoughts."
"Right? Don't do that. I am much faster than you. The only place you can flee to is hell. But today, since the weather is clear, I plan to finish it after killing the leader of the Golden Peak. Don't flaunt your nimble steps in front of me. Don't make me kill more people."
"Yes."
"You know, seeing blood right after a meal makes me feel uneasy."
Hyuk Ryeon Hong's expression turned pale.
"Anyway, this is the best option. If things go wrong, there will be no choice but to kill all of you. If it were someone who had some experience with sword fighting like the leader of the Golden Peak, it would be different, but if I keep killing useless fellows, I will also feel unpleasant. Don't make me feel that way. Got it?" "Understood."
I was not particularly interested in money, so I was not very pleased.
Therefore, I planned to pour this money into building costs for martial arts factions like inns, and if there was any left, I thought of buying some useless elixirs to nibble on as a snack.
I intended to scatter the money as soon as I earned it, like petals in the world.
In the life of a martial artist, where one could fall off a cliff at any moment, money is not that important.
Remember, money is meant to be earned and scattered.
I would be satisfied as long as I could catch a crazy monkey while eating my three meals of soup rice.
This is what it means to be content with a simple life.
I returned like a triumphant general with the wealth embezzled by the leader of the Golden Peak and his subordinates.
All the merchants came out to watch the procession I brought back.
While the slush funds safely entered the Plum Blossom Pavilion, I spoke to Sima Bi.
"Anyway, the embezzlement was successful."
Sima Bi replied, "That's right. Since we moved the embezzled money together, there is now no reason to return. Thank you for your generosity."
I replied in a calm tone, "There is no need to thank me. I have no intention of sparing those who cause trouble here."
"I will ensure that no troublemakers are left."
"You should also think about what to do with the remaining ones."
"What kind of things are there?" "This is a place with a developed commercial district, so we cannot just stay here practicing martial arts like the Hidden Path. There are restaurants, iron shops, inns, and construction work. We cannot place them in a brothel. There will be problems since there are many women. You discuss it with the riffraff."
"Yes."
"I have many detailed organizations. If the number of Hidden Path members I will be collecting increases, I will temporarily create the Black Gate, so keep that in mind. Until then, just do ordinary work. Useless fellows who have never done ordinary work..."
After saying that, I felt a bit guilty.
It reminded me of the noodle shop.
"Understood. But you mentioned there are many detailed organizations, what is the main organization?" I watched Sima Bi's expression as I said, "We are the Heavenly First Hao Sect."
"Hao Sect... I've never heard of it before."
I replied, narrowing my brows.
"Is that true? You've never heard of it before?" "Ah, yes. I'm sorry. My knowledge is not broad..."
"It's okay. It was just recently made up. But the key is not in the roughness, but in the fact that it was made."
Sima Bi, who did not understand what I meant, hurriedly managed his expression and replied, "Ah, understood."
Sima Bi thought the term "Hao" meant lowly and dirty, making it a very unsuitable combination for a sect name, but he could not voice that.
Seeing Sima Bi with a dazed expression, I asked, "What are you thinking so hard about?" "Ah, yes. I was thinking about that since you said it was the Heavenly First."
"They are the bottom of the world."
Sima Bi immediately understood.
"Ah..."
"Why? You don't seem like one?" "No, I was one too. I have been from the beginning. I was at the bottom."
I nodded seriously.
"Then it's settled."
After a moment, I added, "Pass."
Only then did Sima Bi finally show a smile, quickly managing his expression as he replied, "Thank you."