Strategy Guide for the Twelve Divine Generals
During my time in the Black Cat Hall, I trained my subordinates rigorously every single day without fail.
I did not expect their skills to improve immediately.
I merely hoped that their mental state would transform into that of a fierce warrior, a demon, a true elite, or a relentless fighter.
What they were mistaken about was the belief that I would show them some leniency at a certain point.
I had no intention of being lenient from the start.
Gaining the name of the Black Dao meant that I had committed acts that were far from normal.
In the spirit of atonement, I trained myself, the executives trained, and my subordinates repeated training that felt as if their bodies would shatter.
I too was no exception.
Cultivating external energy was inherently painful, just as life itself is filled with suffering.
I often trained my body hard alongside my subordinates.
With the leader personally honing his strength, which subordinate would dare to voice their discontent?
In this way, I thoroughly immersed myself in the Black Dao.
I became so absorbed in training that I could hardly remember whether my true identity was that of the Lord of the Hao Sect, the Lord of the Black Cat Hall, or a training instructor.
We were nothing but trash, wasting food and excreting waste while training martial arts to kill the mad monkeys of the Great Demon and the forces of the Great Chieftain.
After finishing the morning training, while I was resting in the great hall, the wall commander, who had been absent for a while, approached me with a stack of documents in hand.
“Lord, I have something to report,” he said.
I looked at the pile of documents in his hands and replied, “What’s with all this?”
“I will explain,” he said as he sat down and began to elaborate on the documents.
In summary, they were neatly organized records of financial transactions, manpower status, and business conditions, but honestly, I had little interest in them.
When would I even have time to look at this?
However, to comfort the wall commander for his hard work, I showered him with praise. “Truly impressive. Our wall commander is such an outstanding talent that he could handle logistics in the Black Cat Hall as a general or an administrator. We should even add another position for him as a supply officer. Such talent is too precious to waste as a mere commander.”
I rambled on, throwing out a few compliments, and the wall commander’s expression blossomed with a smile.
I was taken aback by my own words.
“Thank you. Lord, I was able to organize this with joy because you spared me from physical training,” he said, nodding.
‘Ah, so that’s why…’
But the wall commander had something else to report. “Please take a look at this as well. I have summarized it with utmost sincerity into one volume.”
I opened the book that the wall commander handed me and was genuinely surprised.
The title alone was extraordinary: “Strategy Guide for the Twelve Divine Generals.”
“…!”
The term “guide” usually refers to a collection of poetry or prose.
Thus, the title implied that it contained useful information, methods, and recommended strategies for dealing with the Twelve Divine Generals.
I gazed at the guide with a serious expression, repeatedly expressing my admiration.
It wasn’t just written text; it was also accompanied by illustrations, completed to a level that rivaled the secret texts of prestigious sects.
“Wall commander, your drawing skills are truly remarkable,” I remarked.
With a pleased expression, the wall commander briefly explained the guide. “I thought you might be curious about the physiques, masks, martial arts, and weapon characteristics of the Twelve Divine Generals, so I organized everything I knew along with illustrations. If I had only written it down, it would have taken a long time, but since my hobby is drawing, I had no difficulty in organizing it.”
Listening to the wall commander, I delved into the guide.
The appearances of the Twelve Divine Generals were depicted like the warriors from “Water Margin” or “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” and their weapons, martial arts, and personalities were all described.
I had a wealth of information, but since the Twelve Divine Generals were not individuals I had been closely associated with in my past life, there was much I did not know.
In particular, I was unaware that Hongxin, the Red Monkey, was a woman.
“Hongxin was a woman?”
“Yes, as summarized, she has not been able to overcome her thieving habits and is likely still stealing somewhere. Hongxin is a rather special disciple who stole items commissioned by the Great Chieftain and learned martial arts in exchange for the commission fee. She is particularly focused on cultivating lightness skill, so you must be cautious, Lord. Although she ranks lower than you, no Divine General dares to underestimate her due to her lightness skill.”
“I see. Is she very fast?”
“There are often natural geniuses in certain fields, and it seems Hongxin possesses a natural talent for lightness skill.”
At that moment, as soon as So Gunpyeong peeked into the great hall, I spoke. “So, you take charge of the afternoon training. I will listen to the wails from here.”
So Gunpyeong replied, “Understood.”
As So Gunpyeong closed the door and left, the wall commander spoke. “Lord, if I may be so bold, I would like to say something.”
“Speak.”
“I feel like I am finally seeing a Black Dao that resembles the true essence of the Black Dao. I have been working with a joyful heart lately.”
I chuckled inwardly and replied, “By the way, our wall commander is also excellent. Today, I will thoroughly memorize this strategy guide. Is there similar information about the Great Chieftain as well?”
The wall commander, with a proud expression, replied, “The general is usually summarized at the end. It’s at the back.”
“Indeed, the general is at the end, that’s what you mean. Good. I shall bestow a monetary reward upon you today. It will be double the amount that So Gunpyeong received.”
“Thank you, Lord. I did not organize this expecting such money, but I will use it to support my living expenses.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the wall commander and I burst into loud laughter.
“Hahaha…”
Who would have thought there would be such talent in the Black Cat Hall? Such talent must be actively utilized.
After finishing the document organization, I gave the wall commander, who would surely be grinning from ear to ear if left alone, the next assignment.
Of course, since it was a very important matter, my voice naturally became serious. “Wall commander, I have a task for you.”
“I am listening.”
“I am a man with great ambitions. You are like Zhuge Liang beside Liu Bei, Guo Jia beside Cao Cao, or Lu Su of the Wu Kingdom—truly outstanding.”
The wall commander, taking on a serious demeanor, replied, “You flatter me.”
“Don’t worry about expenses. Hire more people to gather information, then organize the current status of the forces surrounding our Black Cat Hall, a map of the forces, a list of key masters, and their characteristics. Furthermore, compile a grand strategy for me to become the overlord of this region.
The key here is to organize it freely. There’s no need to adhere to any rigid format or structure; draw and write as you please. I will make the judgment.
I am not a man who blindly trusts numerous pieces of information. However, with your skills, I believe it will be of great help.”
Even after I finished speaking, the wall commander did not immediately respond, wearing a proud smile.
“Why are you grinning?”
At my question, the wall commander finally replied with a beaming expression, “I am already preparing.”
I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of surprise, as if I had just had a drink, and then clapped my hands. “Good. That’s enough for today. Oh, when hiring people…”
“Yes?”
“Bring them from Yiyang County. There are many idle folks there.”
This is why connections are always a problem.
“I have that much flexibility as well. I will do just that. I will report back soon.”
After the wall commander left, Lady Son, who had been waiting nearby, spoke in a tense tone. “Lord, it’s Lady Son.”
“Ah, yes. Our Son Soso, the maid captain, what is it? Why does Lady Son always speak so beautifully?”
“A person wearing a mask has come outside. They are looking for you, Lord.”
“What kind of mask?”
At that moment, the door to the great hall opened, and So Gunpyeong, who had come to report, said, “Lord, Hongxin has come to see you.”
“Understood. I will go out shortly.”
Before leaving the great hall, I quickly skimmed through the section about Hongxin in the strategy guide.
- Obsessed with lightness skill
- Known to have a pathological thieving habit.
Estimated wealth is considerable.
- Became a disciple last and rapidly rose in rank by defeating some Divine Generals.
- Has the audacity to escape using lightness skill and claim a draw when at a disadvantage.
- Rumored to have stolen elixirs to quickly accumulate internal energy.
- Has a contractual relationship established by receiving the desired martial arts secrets from the Great Chieftain in exchange for stolen items.
- Her lightness skill is presumed not to lag behind that of the Divine Generals.
I slowly closed the strategy guide with a smirk. “Strategy learned.”
Indeed, there was no element that could lead to my defeat.
I stood on the platform, gazing at Hongxin, who had come boldly on her own.
Hongxin was dressed in a red outfit with a thin outer garment, and of course, she wore a monkey-shaped mask, so I could not confirm whether her real face was as unattractive as a monkey’s.
However, due to the curves of her body and her hips, it was impossible to hide that she was a woman.
Hongxin spoke in a stiff tone from behind the mask. “Sister Miao, shall we dance?”
Without much thought, I replied as written in the strategy guide. “Thieving girl, it’s been a while.”
“What? Thieving girl? That’s quite unpleasant.”
It seemed I had misspoken.
I momentarily scratched my chin inside the mask. “I must have misspoken due to fatigue from training lately. Please understand.”
Regardless, just from her sharp voice, it was easy to discern that she was a woman with great ambition, a strong competitive spirit, and a closed heart.
“By the way, have you come to challenge me?”
“I came to greet you as well. Why? Are you afraid I might challenge you?”
I tilted my head. “Afraid?”
Hongxin rambled on. “You must be scared since you will soon have to face the hot-tempered Bai Yu. If you give me a generous allowance like last time, I will just leave today.”
I realized that Hongxin’s method of extorting money was quite strategic.
She probably knew that this was not the right time for me to overexert myself before my battle with Bai Yu.
“…”
It was absurd that a younger sister would extort money from her elder brother.
This was how chaotic the Black Dao truly was.
Hongxin crossed her arms and said, “From the beginning, aren’t my skills similar to those of Sister Miao? Since you will soon have to settle things with Bai Yu, if you get injured fighting me, the Divine General will be in vain, right?”
“Are you a beggar? Why are you always talking about money?”
“You are being excessive today. Ha, I must have a proper match with you today.”
Hongxin arrogantly clasped her hands together, cracking her knuckles with a sound. “Are you ready?”
“Sister, how much have you investigated?”
At my question, Hongxin’s tone changed instantly. “Well, it seems Sister Miao has earned quite a bit of money…”
“Is this how you extort money from your elder siblings?”
Hongxin tilted her head and said, “Sister Miao, your tone is quite unpleasant today. Your voice also sounds strange.”
I replied casually, “I’ve been learning a martial art from the Extreme Yang lineage lately, and I couldn’t manage my vital energy, so my throat got damaged and I’ve been suffering from a high fever, which is why my voice sounds like this.”
“Is that so?”
Indeed, this woman had a remarkable side to her.
Although only her eyes were visible behind the mask, they were smiling with delight.
It seemed she was pleased to hear that I had sustained internal injuries.
Suddenly, Hongxin shifted her stance. “But since I’ve come all this way, I must challenge you. If you don’t want to, I will only take thirty silver coins. I won’t come near for a while. After all, even if you give orders to my incompetent subordinates, they won’t be able to catch me. You know that.”
I scoffed and slowly relaxed the muscles around my mouth. “Monkey sister, how did you understand my words? That I learned the martial arts of the Extreme Yang?”
“What does that matter? The master must have told you to use any means necessary to grow stronger. Congratulations on learning a new martial art.”
“The martial art I learned from the Extreme Yang lineage is literally fire. Everything I touch will be engulfed in flames. That thin outer garment of yours, of course, and that clingy red outfit will burn as well. If it catches fire, your body will be exposed, and it will become a feast for my subordinates’ eyes. You dare to challenge me? Is that right?”
After threatening to burn all her clothes if she challenged me, Hongxin glared at me for a while before saying, “What do you want me to do?”
The subordinates nearby also looked at me with expectant eyes. ‘What will you do? I will support you.’