Chapter 28

28. A Fate to Be Beaten Appropriately

Black Cat Gang.

The leader of the Black Cat Gang, wearing a black rabbit mask with only the eyes visible, sat in the seat of honor and said,

"Chief Wall, any news on the Golden Phoenix Hall leader?"

"There is an undisclosed hideout we didn't know about. From the situation, it seems he was resting there when he was ambushed and buried. There were no other bodies, only chaotic traces of a fight with a high-level expert on the ground. It appears he barely put up any resistance before dying."

The Black Cat Gang leader asked,

"What about the other subordinates?"

"It seems only the Golden Phoenix Hall leader died."

"Why are there no survivors returning if only the leader died?"

"The rest were captured by a man named Li Zha in Yiliang County."

The Black Cat Gang leader looked around and said,

"Who is this Li Zha? I've never heard of him."

The subordinates couldn't immediately respond and slightly bowed their heads in apology.

"Speak up."

"He is a waiter in Yiliang County."

A suffocating silence fell.

"…A waiter?"

The Black Cat Gang leader lifted his mask, looking frustrated.

The subordinates bowed their heads to avoid looking directly at the leader's face.

"I'm sorry, Leader."

The Black Cat Gang leader, showing his displeasure, said,

"There's no way a leader of the Black Cat Gang would be beaten by a waiter. Could it be someone else?"

"It's unlikely. The owner of a brothel who planned to establish a small sect in Yiliang County and his brothers were all killed by this waiter."

"Is this waiter a high-level expert from another region?"

"He is originally a waiter from there."

"What was the Golden Phoenix Hall leader's skill level?"

"He is ranked ninth."

"A man who only handled money was quite high. If that's the case, it means you will likely fail if you go as well?"

The subordinates answered in unison,

"Please send me."

"Leader, I will handle it properly."

The Black Cat Gang leader remained silent, not giving an immediate order.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Golden Dragon Hall, Shao Junping, who was seated at the end, remained silent.

The Black Cat Gang leader focused on Shao Junping.

This man was a troublesome subordinate who never took the lead.

The Black Cat Gang's power was originally given to a disciple by a powerful monk, so there was little emotional bond between the ranks.

When the Black Cat Gang leader put his mask back on, the subordinates finally breathed a sigh of relief.

One subordinate reported late,

"Leader, while investigating the Golden Phoenix Hall leader's disappearance, we found evidence of embezzlement. The funds were also taken by Li Zha and brought to Yiliang County."

The Black Cat Gang leader glared at the subordinates with a fierce look.

"Embezzlement?"

"Yes."

The Black Cat Gang leader seemed to realize how much these subordinates had deceived him. He had focused on martial arts training and left the management of the gang to these subordinates, which was a mistake. This way of running things would eventually lead to the power being taken back by his master.

The subordinate who reported spoke solemnly,

"If you send me to Yiliang County, I will deal with the waiter and recover the funds completely."

However, the Black Cat Gang leader's eyes were fixed on Shao Junping, who had been silent.

"You are dismissed. Shao leader."

Shao Junping replied calmly,

"Yes, Leader."

"Why are you always silent when such things happen?"

"Everyone volunteered to go, so I remained silent."

"I heard you have been training very hard recently."

"My training is as usual."

"If you fought with the Golden Phoenix Hall leader, how many moves would it take to subdue him? I assume your skills are superior."

Shao Junping thought for a moment.

The Golden Phoenix Hall leader was not a formidable opponent, but they held the same position within the Black Cat Gang.

However, there was a significant gap in their martial arts skills.

The Golden Phoenix Hall leader was only interested in money, while Shao Junping focused solely on martial arts training, making any comparison unpleasant.

Shao Junping estimated that it would take about the time to drink a cup of tea to subdue the Golden Phoenix Hall leader. However, he decided it was better to keep his true strength hidden and replied,

"I can't be sure without a fight, but I think I am clearly superior."

"If the funds were taken to Yiliang County, it means he is confident against anyone from the Black Cat Gang. I want to test your skills this time."

Shao Junping replied,

"Understood."

"Your opponent is a waiter. If you fail…"

"Yes."

"Take your own life. In return, if you succeed, I will entrust you with the Golden Phoenix Hall's affairs."

Shao Junping raised his head and glared at the Black Cat Gang leader's eyes through the mask.

'Is he serious? Telling me to die?'

Shao Junping immediately knew the leader was serious from his eyes. Since he found it difficult to control his expression, he bowed and replied,

"I will die if I fail. I will do as you say, Leader."

Despite his words, Shao Junping had no intention of killing himself.

Just as Shao Junping decided to consult with his subordinates, the Black Cat Gang leader continued,

"Don't go in a noisy group. Go alone and handle it."

This order surprised Shao Junping.

"Excuse me?"

"Is there a need to go noisily to deal with a waiter? If you lack confidence, I will send someone else."

Shao Junping replied hesitantly,

"I am confident. I will go alone."

"If you fail and are captured by the waiter, I will go myself to avenge you. Don't be complacent."

The Black Cat Gang leader gave this order but was still curious about the waiter's identity.

'Is it one of the Twelve Heroes playing a trick? But there's no one who would do that right now.'

The Black Cat Gang leader carefully observed the subordinates' expressions through his mask.

Since the power was taken by force from a monk, building a bond with these subordinates was more difficult than training in martial arts.

The Black Cat Gang leader waved his hand and said,

"You may leave."

"Yes, Leader."

As everyone left, Shao Junping remained in the hall, looking around the Black Cat Gang.

'This is what they call being kicked out after being used.'

He wanted to spit on the floor but managed to suppress his anger.

* * *

I continued to stay in the brothel, repeatedly training.

Since Yiliang County had been quiet recently, it wasn't strange for something to happen soon.

My daily routine was monotonous.

Training, meditation, walking, eating, training, sleeping, meditation, and then walking again.

Most of my meals were taken at Chunyang Restaurant, so after my usual walk around Yiliang County, I would head there.

It was early evening, and the only customer was a strange man.

Zhang Deshui, placing a bowl of noodles in front of the man, looked at me with a tense expression.

"It's been a while. What would you like?"

"Instead of the usual soup, I want some spicy noodles today. Make them very spicy."

"Spicy, got it."

I sat down and looked at the man in black.

Strangely, men who like black clothes have a higher chance of being beaten by me.

This man, whom I saw for the first time in Yiliang County, had a peculiar curved sword on the table.

From a brief observation, his skills seemed quite good.

'Wow…'

Only then did I recognize the man's curved sword.

I didn't know his face, but I had heard about this unique curved sword multiple times.

'So, it's the Three Hundred Jiazi of the Black Path.'

Three Hundred Jiazi refers not to the amount of internal energy but to his long lifespan, a nickname inspired by the Three Thousand Jiazi, a very long-lived man.

Now, he is a nobody, but he will eventually become a significant figure in the Black Path. He was unexpectedly eating noodles at Chunyang Restaurant.

The man slurped his noodles and called out to Zhang Deshui in the kitchen.

"Hey, owner."

From the kitchen, Zhang Deshui replied,

"Yes, do you need anything else?"

"Is there a man named Li Zha in this town? Where can I find him?"

Zhang Deshui hesitated before answering,

"Ah… that guy? I haven't seen him around lately."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Well, he causes a lot of trouble. He might have run away to some distant place. Why are you looking for Li Zha? Should I look into it for you?"

Indeed, this was the way a leader of a point should handle the situation.

Even though I was sitting across from the man, Zhang Deshui very naturally said that he hadn't seen me lately.

I met the man's eyes steadily.

"…"

The man suddenly laughed and said,

"You're standing right in front of me, Li Zha, and you're lying outright. They say Yiliang County is full of crazy people, and it's true."

There was no sound from the kitchen.

"…"

In the tense silence, Zhang Deshui reached for the pot lid, ready to use it as a shield if any hidden weapons were thrown.

The man, known as Three Hundred Jiazi, asked me while eating his noodles,

"Waiter, do you know who I am?"

He clearly thought I wouldn't recognize him.

Unfortunately, I am the information source, the prophet, the leader, and the planner of Xiaohao Sect, and I know the future clearly.

Especially, I know the identities of those who are currently famous or will become famous in the martial world. I have always been interested in martial artists, even when I was a waiter or a gravekeeper.

I replied in a casual tone,

"You're Shao Junping from the Black Cat Gang. Bastard. Why do you keep talking to me informally?"

"…!"

Shao Junping looked shocked, as if he had been caught stealing. While it wasn't difficult to guess the Black Cat Gang, being recognized by name was surprising.

Shao Junping, who had been sent to Yiliang County alone after being betrayed, asked with wide eyes,

"Who are you?"

I looked at Shao Junping steadily.

He probably doesn't know that today he faces the biggest crisis of his life, the one that will change his fate from being beaten to death to being beaten appropriately. His disrespectful gaze suggests he still doesn't realize it.

Shao Junping, curious about my identity, asked again,

"What is your true identity?"

"I am Li Zha. I am a waiter. That's my identity. You found me, and now you're asking about my identity? Is this a riddle? Or are you asking about my essence? If so, I don't know. It's too profound a question. Who am I?"

"Insane bastard."

In the midst of this, Shao Junping continued to slurp his noodles, determined to finish them even if the world were to end.

I spoke to the kitchen in the tense silence,

"Owner, is the spicy noodles still far off? I'm hungry."

Zhang Deshui, holding the pot lid like a shield, frowned.

'This guy is about to die and is still looking for spicy food.'

Zhang Deshui hesitated before replying,

"…The noodles are all gone, sir."

"Owner, are you going to run your business like this?"

Shao Junping, still eating his noodles, chuckled,

"This is a funny town."

I corrected Shao Junping,

"This is not a funny town. I plan to make it a place where the Black Path can't set foot."

Shao Junping rinsed his mouth with water and spat it out.

"You can say that after you beat me. Owner, the bill."

Zhang Deshui, thinking he might die while collecting the money, replied from the kitchen,

"Oh, what bill? I'm glad you enjoyed your meal. I didn't recognize you earlier and made a few jokes, so please be lenient, sir."

Shao Junping smiled,

"I need to pay. It's fine, come out here."

I snorted,

"I'm in the kitchen."

Zhang Deshui replied hesitantly,

"Should I…?"

Shao Junping's gaze then fixed on me.

However, unlike the typical behavior of the Black Path, Shao Junping took out money and placed it neatly on the table.

At least he paid for his meal.

I wonder if he knows his fate.

Because of this meal, his fate of being beaten to death has changed to being beaten appropriately.