The Matchup is Wrong.
As I ate my meal, I occasionally glanced at Hongshin and Geumhae.
I was curious if they were enjoying their food and whether they were able to swallow it well while eating with me.
Hongshin and Geumhae shoveled their rice as if they were digging the ground.
Some people work all day just to have this one meal, and I wondered what thoughts were in the minds of these two who had thrown themselves into the Jianghu.
However, I didn’t bother to ask.
It could just end up being a meaningless meal that we have every day.
I didn’t eat as much as Geumhae, who was devouring his food, but I praised the cooking skills of the chefs and ate aggressively like a soldier on the battlefield.
“This is delicious, and that is delicious, everything is tasty.”
“Indeed.”
Hongshin’s appetite was no less impressive.
He had resolved his stomach issues.
I didn’t know what each of us was thinking, but in any case, we three finished the meal prepared by the chefs very neatly.
After a while, it felt like a brief lull had come after a fierce battle, and we all exhaled.
‘Foolish ones…’
Hongshin asked, as if he was curious. “What are your plans now, Senior?”
“I have to fight Baekyu, but it doesn’t mean much to me.”
I was thinking of killing the Daenachal, but what would I do after becoming a Death God?
“Recite the evil deeds of Daenachal that you know. Somehow, I feel like hearing that will improve my martial arts skills.”
Hongshin replied, “Hearing evil deeds will improve your martial arts skills? Why is that?”
I glanced at Hongshin and retorted, “To fight well, you need to put your emotions into it. You have to get so angry that you’re on the verge of losing your mind.”
“But you might make mistakes in that state.”
“You consciously splash cold water on yourself in that state. If you get too excited, you’ll lose. Calm your mind. Keep the emotion of anger at the bottom of your heart and cover it with a frozen blanket for a while. Let ice and fire coexist in your heart, just like the harmony of extreme yin and extreme yang.”
Geumhae asked with a puzzled expression, “Have you also learned the martial arts of extreme yin?”
I didn’t understand why I felt uneasy every time this rich young master asked a question.
He was the son of a powerful family, so he had to have a broader network than anyone else.
I replied cautiously, “No? I really want to learn, but I haven’t had the chance yet. Do you know any good methods?”
Geumhae said, “Martial arts of the extreme yin type are rare. What I know is…”
I listened attentively as I looked at Geumhae.
“There was a woman who was a saint of the Heavenly Demon Cult who established the Jade Transformation Palace independently. It was made up entirely of women, and all of them practiced ice techniques, with the palace lord being particularly outstanding, making their power quite strong.
As soon as the Heavenly Demon Cult sorted out the complicated power struggles, they set out to destroy the independent Jade Transformation Palace. The Jade Transformation Palace sought help from Baekdo, and the responding forces advanced to Jade Transformation Mountain, forming the Jade Transformation and Baekdo alliance. This alliance faced off against the Heavenly Demon Cult about twenty years ago.”
Oh? Coincidentally, this was a story from around the time I was born, so naturally, I didn’t know about it.
No one kindly explained such Jianghu history to me.
“But?”
“Both sides suffered severe losses, but the Heavenly Demon Cult won. The Jade Transformation Palace was engulfed in flames, and Baekdo retreated. There were survivors, but they feared being taken as saints and married into various forces that participated in the Jade Transformation and Baekdo alliance. The lineage of the Jade Transformation Ice Techniques did not end. It’s not a beautiful story. Some disciples even entered into second marriages to lose their qualifications as saints.”
As far as I knew, Gwangmyeong was a figure from the collateral line.
I asked the most important question, “Is there anyone famous among them?”
“Not yet. They will thoroughly hide their ice techniques. They inflicted severe damage on Baekdo, and they would be the children of apostates in the Heavenly Demon Cult.”
So Gwangmyeong is the child of an apostate and has plunged into the Demon Cult? From the perspective of the Demon Cult, it would not have been surprising to welcome back the descendant of a saint along with ice techniques.
Gwangmyeong would then be a bastard born of a concubine, a child of an apostate, and a descendant of the Jade Transformation Palace that caused immense damage to Baekdo.
He would have been scorned by Baekdo, treated as an apostate by the Demon Cult, and regarded as a bastard at home, so it was no wonder he grew up in a twisted environment.
He was a problematic figure placed in a very isolated environment.
However, whether he was twisted or not, I had no intention of letting him act perverted this time either.
He was in his mid to late twenties, so he probably hadn’t engaged in perverted acts yet.
I had to kill the Daenachal, stop the perverted acts, and avoid the former Demon Lord.
It felt like I was in for some thrilling and busy days.
This is why one must become strong in the Jianghu.
If I were weak, I wouldn’t be able to kill the Daenachal, the pervert would harass the women, and the former Demon Lord would drag me to watch the fish in Zhejiang.
Damn fish, turtles, sea fishing.
Watching a monk go sea fishing makes me ponder what the source of all things is.
When I hear someone say they are curious about the fish in Zhejiang or want to smell the flowers of Mount Hua, or even want to find the Great Peng, I feel like asking them to recite scriptures instead.
Every time, the former Demon Lord would repeat that he was a fallen monk and had forgotten the scriptures.
“Junior, Senior Brother.”
“Yes, Senior.”
“You must become strong. There’s nothing more miserable than being weak in the Jianghu. Do you two know what kind of fish live in the front sea of Zhejiang?”
“I don’t know.”
“What difference does it make?”
As I was about to bring up something unbelievable, the main door opened, and So Gunpyeong appeared.
“Lord, the Hwang-o, Baekja, Hyeonchuk, and Jumi deities have come outside.”
“Out of the blue? Have I been discovered?”
“Not yet.”
“What about the troops?”
“Only the deities have come.”
I asked Geumhae for his opinion on what was happening. “Why have they gathered?”
Geumhae replied, “Perhaps Baekyu deity is coming too. The others seem to have come to watch the Death God’s martial arts competition.”
“Let’s go.”
I told Geumhae and Hongshin, who were getting up, “You don’t have masks, so mix in with my subordinates and watch for a while.”
“Understood.”
The sight of the yellow horse, black cow, white rat, and red sheep gathered together and chatting felt like watching a masked play.
When I appeared wearing the black cat mask, the four of them simultaneously took their stances.
“Cat Senior.”
“It’s been a while.”
There was no tension in their voices.
Then it seemed that Baekyu was indeed coming.
Suddenly, one of them sneered, “Will a position in the Death God’s ranks finally change today? I look forward to it.”
I didn’t respond to the nonsense and spoke to So Gunpyeong. “You all stay back and wait like a mountain.”
“Aren’t you stronger than Baekyu deity?”
That was a response suggesting there might be an opportunity to step in.
I looked at the relaxed deities and replied, “It doesn’t seem like that kind of atmosphere. In any case, just know that.”
“Yes.”
Everyone was wearing masks, so I couldn’t read their expressions.
A moment later, a deity with a white mask adorned with a chicken comb fell onto the wall.
The ones who were casually greeting me showed great respect to Baekyu.
“Greetings, Baekyu Senior.”
Baekyu waved his hand and then commanded the four of them, “Clear the center.”
As people dispersed, a martial arts space was naturally created.
Baekyu sat on the wall and spoke to me, “Cat Junior, how have you been?”
I replied briefly, “Same as always. How about you, Chicken Senior?”
“Nothing much.”
Seeing Baekyu sitting on the wall, I was convinced that there were more visitors.
The executives of the Black Cat Hall settled behind me, and the deities of the outer hall gathered around the wall.
Then someone must have occupied the position on the wall in another direction.
So Gunpyeong seemed to have noticed as well.
“It seems all the Death Gods are coming.”
“Indeed.”
Soon after, Baekin, Cheongjin, and Jeoksaga arrived almost simultaneously, occupying the wall.
It looked like they were securing a good spot to watch and also keeping an eye on those trying to escape.
In any case, all twelve deities who were still alive had gathered.
The lesser deities were busy bowing to the Death Gods whenever they appeared.
However, the Death Gods didn’t return the greetings or merely nodded their heads.
I kept my gaze forward without greeting the Death Gods.
The front door of the Black Cat Hall swung open, followed by the outer hall door opening wide.
When the inner door opened as well, my line of sight was cleared straight down the central path.
Perhaps, the practitioners had come first and opened the doors.
A skinny man with black hair suddenly appeared at the main door.
His hair was long and flowing, and the sleeve of his right arm fluttered in the wind.
It looked like his right arm was cut off midway.
His face was full of small contours.
His lips were thick, his cheekbones protruded, and he had bulging eyes with a prominent forehead.
Overall, he looked like a greasy beetle walking in.
Finally, when the Daenachal entered the inner hall, all twelve deities paid their respects. “We greet our Master.” I, too, being someone who knew etiquette, took my stance and then relaxed.
When the attendant behind him offered a chair, the Daenachal sat down without even looking.
The Daenachal stared directly at me and said, “I came because I was bored. Fight.”
“Yes.”
After answering, I descended the steps of the platform.
At that moment, Baekyu deity, who was scheduled to fight, stood up from the wall.
The Daenachal spoke to Baekyu.
“Fourth.”
“Yes, Master.”
The Daenachal shook his head and said, “You’re not a match for him. Sit down.”
Baekyu cleared his throat and then sat back on the wall.
In the meantime, I stood in the center of the inner hall, gazing at the Daenachal.
The Daenachal pointed at me and said, “The matchup is wrong. Baekin.”
“Yes.”
“Cheongjin.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Jeoksaga too… the three of you will face him at the same time. That should be more interesting.”
The three who received the Daenachal’s command stepped down to the center of the inner hall without showing any doubts.
The Daenachal said in a hoarse voice, “Today, the fifth, whose martial arts skills have improved, will face three Death Gods at the same time. The format of the martial arts competition is life and death, so either die or kill. Other disciples, do not interfere in the competition.”
Hearing the Daenachal’s words, I couldn’t help but admire him.
This cunning old Jianghu master.
I don’t know how he noticed the trouble and appeared, but he took the form of coming to sort out internal issues.
He swiftly arrived and surrounded us, and even that wasn’t enough, so the master himself moved, which was quite appropriate.
It was a coincidence, but the fact that I mentioned improvement and the Daenachal did as well was quite impressive.
I raised my hand to object. “Master?”
The Daenachal didn’t ignore my words. “Yes, our fifth. What could you possibly have to say without shame?”
I replied with my hands respectfully together, “The matchup is a bit wrong.”
“Really? Should I reduce one? Or should I add Baekyu? Do as you please.”
I raised my voice. “Oh, come on. Tsk.”
“……”
This time, he spoke in a scolding tone. “That’s not it. If it’s life and death, you should come out yourself, Master. You old fool, you’re not making sense. It’s frustrating.”
Silence fell.
The atmosphere became so quiet that I looked around while wearing the black cat mask.
Not a single person opened their mouth.
I shrugged my shoulders and laughed alone.
It felt awkward not having anyone to laugh with, but I thought I should laugh when it’s funny, so I laughed as long as I could.
Eventually, I casually laughed and then said to the Daenachal, “I got caught. It was fun.”
I gave the Daenachal a wink.