Today, the Man in Black
The term "Man in Black" is simple and clear.
However, in the martial world, the mention of a Man in Black carries a certain mystery.
They don't seem entirely foolish, and there’s a feeling that their martial skills might be somewhat strong.
Yet, once someone removes their mask, their status drops sharply.
The key is to maintain an air of mystery.
Perhaps, no one in the martial world has studied the essence of the Man in Black as I have.
I am the expert on the Man in Black.
First, the basic posture of a Man in Black is to fold their arms.
They often appear in places like walls, rooftops, above main gates, and alleys, and the timing of their entrance is crucial.
Typically, they emerge from the darkness, folding their arms, and it’s essential to let out a low chuckle. “Hehe…” This laughter should be relaxed, about three times.
The important thing is that it shouldn’t be too childish.
It should be a sound somewhere between a low “heh” and a “huh.” Sounds like “hihihihi” or “huhuhuhu” are the laughter of fools or madmen, and I do not recommend them.
In my view, a Man in Black should embody the heaviness of darkness and the mystery of moonlight; these two aspects are key.
However, upon deeper examination, the limitations of a Man in Black become clear.
Based on my experience from frequent encounters with the top masters of the martial world, most Men in Black are rather foolish.
True strong masters reveal themselves as they are.
In other words, if we were to categorize the martial world through the mouths of those who love to argue and classify, a Man in Black would rank somewhere around first-class masters or just above or below that.
However, there are reasons why I, who surpass such fools in skill, choose to act as a Man in Black.
I want attention...
It may seem unlikely, but there is a term in the martial world that precisely refers to such individuals: "Attention Seed."
This term exists in reality.
It refers to those who enjoy drawing attention by deliberately behaving unusually.
In the martial world, this can be shortened to "Attention Type."
That is me.
After a long time, I found a lodging not far from the Sword and Blade Association and transformed into an Attention Type Man in Black while waiting for the moon to rise.
As I took out the black clothing that the Black Cat Gang had carefully prepared for me, even the heroic spirit I held in my heart grew grander.
When did the Men in Black first appear in the martial world? Staring at the black attire filled me with a confidence that I could indulge in my usual misdeeds even more.
Standing under the moonlight with my arms folded, it became hard to tell whether I was a foolish Man in Black, the master of a hidden force, or the leader of a mysterious power that suddenly appeared to shake the martial world.
I stripped off all my ordinary clothes and donned black shoes, dark pants, and a top, tightening a dark belt around my waist.
Finally, I put on a long black robe to emphasize that I was not an easy fool and slightly raised the collar near my neck.
I wondered if there had ever been a Man in Black as perfect as this throughout the history of the martial world.
It’s true that if I stepped into even a slightly bright place, I would be much more visible to others, which suggests that most Men in Black are indeed Attention Types.
If I were to ambush a rural village that had extinguished all its lights to save oil, the darkness would make my black attire effective.
However, in most places, the blackness is illuminated brightly all night long.
Would I visit such a place dressed in black? Let’s not even talk about it...
I tucked my precious Flash Dagger and Fire Capture inside my robe and strapped the black cat, which pairs perfectly with a Man in Black, to my waist.
My target was the main base of the Sword and Blade Association.
From now on, I would move heavily, step lightly, gaze coldly, and hold my heart grandly.
I sat cross-legged, meditating while waiting for Namgarak, who would soon transform into a Man in Black in the next room.
To meditate usually means to clear one’s thoughts, calm the mind, explore the elusive Dao, ponder the meaning of life, and wonder why beautiful women disliked me.
Yet, my mind was filled with thoughts of pig bones, two strong drinks, and curses against those annoying fellows and the likes of Yi Wido.
“Confusing. So confusing.” Is there a man who becomes more confused the deeper he meditates? That would be me.
I focused for a moment, calmed my mind, shook off distractions, and maintained my composure while contemplating the depths of my inner self, only to doze off for a moment.
Deep sleep...
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
I looked at the Man in Black entering through the door and was slightly surprised. “Ah, it’s Namgarak.”
Namgarak looked at my face and said, “Lord, you seem tired.”
“Not at all.” I held back a yawn, my nostrils flaring as I checked Namgarak’s attire.
“Perfect. The Nammyung Association’s preparation is no small feat.”
Namgarak seemed pleased with my compliment, smiling with his arms crossed. “Hehe, the Black Cat Gang is quite something.”
“Well, we are the Black Cat Gang, so we were prepared from the start. Let’s cover our faces and go.” I took out what we had prepared.
Namgarak had a traditional black hood that completely covered his head.
I, on the other hand, held a black mask that dropped in a triangle shape from my chin, tying it at the back of my head.
This way, it wouldn’t mess up my hairstyle and would look much cooler.
Meanwhile, Namgarak’s hood was... let’s not even talk about it.
Namgarak wore a hood that looked like something a lowly assassin would wear, resembling a black egg.
I looked at Namgarak with a smirk. “So tacky…”
“...!” Namgarak asked me, “Do you have another one? If you do, lend it to me.” I pondered for a moment and then took out a mask from my bag. “Thorough Wall Guardian.” Namgarak threw off his hood and tossed it aside, wrapping the mask I handed him around his face. “Lucky me.”
“Let’s go.”
“How? Are we going to climb out the window and walk on the roof?” I shook my head. “We should take the stairs.”
“Won’t people stare too much?” I let out a slight snort and replied, “Enjoy it, endure it, bear it.” That is the life of an Attention Type.
“Hmm.”
“Anyway, if we walk around with our eyes wide open in the Sword and Blade Association’s territory, everyone will think we are Men in Black from the Sword and Blade Association. Wouldn’t they have Men in Black too?”
“That’s true.”
We walked down the stairs, paid for our room, and asked the owner to dispose of the clothes left in the room.
Seeing the owner, who was terrified, repeatedly nod in understanding, it seemed there would be no trace of us left behind.
As I stepped outside, I said to Namgarak, “Did you see that? This is the charm of a Man in Black, the power of a Man in Black, the advantage of a Man in Black. Most folks tremble at the sight of a Man in Black; that’s the way of the martial world.”
“Don’t joke in such a serious tone. It’s confusing.”
As soon as I stepped outside, I admired the moon hanging in the night sky. “Wow, the moonlight…” Namgarak also gazed at the moon, exclaiming in admiration. “Wow, it’s bright.”
“Nice.”
“Indeed.”
“It’s a perfect night. The air is dry. If it had rained, our plan would have been ruined, but the night sky is helping us.”
“Lucky us.”
I deliberately entered a bustling area filled with people, walking slowly with Namgarak.
As soon as people saw us, they parted the way.
We were the very embodiment of grandeur.
I intentionally made cracking sounds with my knuckles as I walked.
“Anyway, the defenses will be tight.”
“Probably.”
“Hey, Black South. It would be nice to set a fire, but it’s fine if we don’t.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“It means just make them angry somehow. Keep an eye on the bustling area. Watch the alleys closely.” It would be best to use the chaos of the bustling area to draw out the forces of the Sword and Blade Association and escape.
After all, Namgarak is also a top master of the Nammyung Association, and in terms of lightness of foot, he is second only to me.
Only someone specialized in lightness like Hongshin would be able to match Namgarak’s speed.
A moment later, I was buried in the darkness, where the main base of the Sword and Blade Association was visible, igniting my fighting spirit with Namgarak. “They dare to send assassins after me. Is the leader of the Sword and Blade Association up there?”
“Probably.”
“I’ll smash it to pieces.”
It was a luxurious mansion led by a great merchant.
The main building rose three stories high, and just the dark roofs visible at a glance seemed to exceed thirty.
Above the large main gate hung a sign that read “Kang Clan Mansion.”
“Was the leader of the association from the Kang Clan?”
“Yeah.”
Seeing that the sign for the Kang Clan Mansion was old, it seemed the Sword and Blade Association was a unique dark faction.
It felt like someone who originally had a lot of money had thrown themselves into the dark faction to earn even more.
I examined the structure of the house and said to Namgarak, “Let’s move freely. But I intend to smash that main building for sure.”
“It’s been a while since my blood has boiled.”
The reason I couldn’t bring many subordinates in the first place was that there weren’t many masters who could smash this place and escape gracefully.
The virtue of a Man in Black is to make others angry, not to get caught and have their mask taken away.
“I’ll go first.” I moved toward the main gate with my arms crossed, but my arms grew tired, so I uncrossed them.
The moment I felt my temper flare, I dashed forward, leaped into the air, and kicked the sign that read “Kang Clan Mansion,” smashing it in one blow.
Boom!
I heard Namgarak’s voice behind me, sounding flustered. “No way…”
I infused my hands with energy and smashed the main gate with a powerful strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Namgarak, who had hurried over, raised his voice. “If you’re going to do this, why wear the black attire?”
“The clothing only adds to the madness. I am who I am.”
“Ha…”
I looked at the inside of the shattered main gate and thought.
I may be an expert on the Man in Black, but my actions don’t reflect that; that is me. “As a man, you should enter through the main gate.”
In an instant, the inside of the Sword and Blade Association became chaotic, with shouts and the sounds of doors opening mixing in, and even the dogs they kept began barking.
In a moment of anger at the barking, I shouted, “Shut up that barking at midnight! You damn dogs!”
Namgarak laughed with a strange sound and then fled somewhere.
I leaped onto the roof and began to use my lightness of foot.
Dark figures were pouring out from inside.
In the midst of it all, I took a moment to admire the moonlight again. “Wow... the moonlight.”
I felt like I might lose myself in the moonlight, so I leaped into the air and drew my Black Cat.
I flicked the moonlight away with the blade of the Black Cat, but finding nothing to cut, I sheathed it again and moved straight ahead.
The roofs around me grew higher and higher.
Repeatedly stepping and leaping, I quickly reached the highest building of the Kang Clan Mansion.
There, I folded my arms and looked down at the scene of the Sword and Blade Association.
It was no joke; my heart was truly swelling with pride.
“Hehe, hehe, hahaha!” I spread my arms wide and declared war on the Sword and Blade Association. “Come at me!”
Just as I expected, the martial artists of the Sword and Blade Association, dressed in black, rushed towards me, stepping on walls and rooftops, as if they were planning an ambush.
How could such foolish people distinguish between friend and foe when they dress like that?
In any case, all attention was on me, and Namgarak just needed to set the fire.
Suddenly, I felt anger at the thought of having lost sleep for several days, looking down at the roof.
I imagined the leader of the Sword and Blade Association down there, eating well, sleeping well, and doing everything well, and my anger surged.
As the fellow Men in Black slowly gathered towards me, I wrapped my hands in flame.
Whoosh!
Since I had been accumulating my power, the flames wrapped around my hands burned more fiercely than ever.
Originally, it would be correct to say I was unleashing the Flame Mastery with both hands.
However, I was now in the form of a Man in Black.
I combined the flames wrapped around my hands above my head and thrust them down as if a Black Flame Dragon were descending with a massive fire beam onto the roof.
Boom!