Chapter 34. I Have Decided.

The presence of the Black Cat Sect's leader, whom the underlings fear, and my presence, who suddenly proposed a life-or-death duel, are in a situation where it's impossible to determine superiority. No, rather, the more I cast my gaze upon the miserable corpses, the more my presence grew.

Now, those who wish to live will restrain themselves.

The Black Cat Sect's leader realized through the atmosphere that it was a moment he had to resolve himself.

"Waiter, your attack is quite noisy."

Suddenly, the Black Cat Sect's leader's gaze turned to the wall.

A delayed crack sounded, and the wall, which had caught the axe, was cracking like lightning.

Xiao Junping, who approached me, asked in a polite tone,

"Master, do you use a sword as well?"

"Why? I have learned many things besides palm techniques, finger techniques, leg techniques, saber techniques, sword techniques, spear techniques, and scythe techniques."

Xiao Junping extended his beloved Yalai saber.

"Hmm, use my Yalai saber first. The leader's sword is also very sharp."

Surprised by the unexpected offer, I glanced at Xiao Junping's expression. A guy who couldn't sit still just to see a sword was now offering his weapon first...

I could have simply said thank you, but I deliberately replied in a twisted manner.

"Better than a kitchen knife. Give it to me."

Xiao Junping, who handed over the Yalai saber, subtly glared at me.

"Why?"

"No, it's better than a kitchen knife, so use it well."

While I was drawing the Yalai saber, I heard a conversation between Xiao Junping and his subordinates from behind.

"Better than a kitchen knife? What does that mean?"

"Shut up."

"Why are you angry... I was just curious."

"There are such things."

"Got it."

I said to the Black Cat Sect's leader, who seemed to be thinking deeply.

"The new sword has arrived, so let's start."

Before the Black Cat Sect's leader could think too much, I unleashed a wave of sword wind at him.

* * *

Sword wind is more suitable for disrupting the opponent's balance or hindering their movement during a fight rather than delivering a final blow. Therefore, it's best to deal with such sword wind appropriately. If not, you'll keep losing the initiative.

The subordinates instinctively dodged to the sides to avoid being caught in the sword wind, and the Black Cat Sect's leader, who faced the sword wind head-on, drew a dark straight sword from his waist and split the sword wind.

In the meantime, I quickly closed the distance from the chair to the dais in one leap and thrust the sword at the Black Cat Sect's leader's abdomen.

Clang!

The Black Cat Sect's leader struck the incoming Yalai saber straight and we began to clash.

For a moment, the leader and I exchanged glances.

Eyes can convey various emotions, but the only commonality between the leader and me was the absence of fear in our eyes.

This is generally the look of someone who has killed many opponents.

The fight between the Black Cat Sect's leader and me, which began on the stairs, continued as we moved to the center of the spacious outer courtyard.

The straight sword and the Yalai saber had already clashed over thirty times, and I organized the information I gained during this time in my head.

The Black Cat Sect's leader had a precise sword technique, a defensive mindset that emphasized counterattacks, and a tendency to deliberately make minor mistakes to set traps.

In contrast, I did not set a fixed style for the flow of the fight. After understanding the opponent's psychology and the strengths of their martial arts, I would adapt accordingly. This is the core of the next level of the Yan technique, known as the Fighting Rooster (Tou Ji). Even if I hadn't yet reached the realm of the mind technique, the insights I had already gained were a separate matter.

After engaging in the fight...

Compared to the leader, my sword technique was faster and more precise, and my internal energy, built on the foundation of the Heavenly Jade, was much deeper. In summary, this is a fight where I cannot lose.

However, for various reasons, I memorized the Black Cat Sect's leader's sword technique.

I needed to glimpse the martial arts of the great monk who taught this technique.

Additionally, I had a separate reason to fully learn the Black Cat Sect's leader's sword technique.

This is all part of the plan.

* * *

When the leader's sword technique was fully imprinted in my mind, I gradually increased the internal energy I was channeling into the sword.

As a result, the Black Cat Sect's leader, who had been holding up quite well until now, gradually turned pale.

It seems he only now realized that I hadn't even used half of my internal energy in the fight.

I can understand his panic.

There is a certain limit to the internal energy that martial artists can accumulate before the age of twenty-five.

Those who reach the limit are mostly top disciples of famous sects, successors of noble families, or young martial artists who have encountered rare opportunities. Otherwise, one can roughly estimate the depth of internal energy based on age and background.

The Black Cat Sect's leader, who had been looking at me with such a perspective...

...could only panic as the internal energy he felt from the clashing swords gradually increased.

How could this guy have anticipated and dealt with the opportunity of the Heavenly Jade?

I relaxed my stern expression and sneered.

"...Leader, it's too late."

It's too late to run.

It's too late to realize my true strength.

The Black Cat Sect's leader, facing death, immediately understood the meaning of my words. However, due to the mask, I couldn't see the change in his expression.

The mask's advantage was clearly evident.

In the meantime, the leader's movements became more intense, like a wild animal trying to escape from a hunter. Whether a martial artist or a wild animal, when psychologically cornered, they tend to struggle in this way. I watched this ugly spectacle and repeated the words the leader had said.

"Can you lick when I tell you to lick, attack when I tell you to attack, and bark when I tell you to bark? Of course, under me."

The Black Cat Sect's leader, using all the internal energy he could scrape together from the ground, had no energy left to respond.

"..."

"There's no answer. It must be tough, right? That's the Black Path, isn't it?"

While mocking the leader, I blocked his escape route and swung my sword. The leader's footwork subtly shifted, revealing a clear intention to make a fierce escape.

Since I was familiar with the leader's footwork and sword technique, it was not difficult to understand his psychology.

When I swung my sword to block the leader's movements, Xiao Junping, who had a keen eye, interjected.

"Leader, you told me that losing means death, so what is this despicable behavior? Are you running...?"

The Black Cat Sect's leader's composure crumbled at Xiao Junping's words. He swung his straight sword in a large motion, continuously unleashing sword energy, and with a rough voice, ordered his subordinates.

"Attack!"

At the leader's command, the subordinates were momentarily shaken, but Xiao Junping quickly interjected.

"Everyone, restrain yourselves. It was clearly a one-on-one fight. If you interfere, I will have to step in. If you ignore the order and stay still, I will mediate to save your lives. If you're still uneasy, look at the bodies split by the axe. As the leader said, these bodies are the result of a surprise attack."

The subordinates, hearing Xiao Junping's warning, turned their gaze to the gruesomely split bodies.

"..."

The bodies were newly terrifying.

These bodies seemed to warn the still living, as if telling them not to die.

When people are cornered, it's natural to grasp at straws. The Black Cat Sect's leader, while retreating in a hurry after deflecting the Yalai saber, said to me,

"Master... just a moment..."

In my eyes, the leader's several weaknesses were visible due to his disordered breathing. It was also a funny phenomenon that the title had changed from waiter to master.

'This brat...'

I followed without giving him a break, wrapping the Yalai saber in the Yan technique and striking the leader's sword. A deafening sound echoed, and the leader's face contorted. Blood was already flowing from his hand, which had torn at some point.

The leader, now in a panic, gripped the straight sword with both hands and poured all his internal energy into a single strike, unleashing sword energy.

Swoosh!

The intention was clearly obvious.

If I dodged, the sword energy would hit Xiao Junping and his group behind me. This final blow was either to kill me or to tear apart Xiao Junping and his group.

I had no intention of dodging. I raised the Yalai saber towards the incoming sword energy and drew a vertical line, wrapping it in the Yan technique.

The bizarrely shaped sword energy and the blazing flame collided.

If the forces were equal, the shockwave from the collision of sword energies would have spread in a circular pattern. However...

The Yan technique I released tore through the leader's sword energy and, with the remaining force, sent the leader flying into the wall.

The leader, enveloped in the scorching sword energy, hit the wall in a large '大' shape and spat out blood.

"Kuh..."

The leader's body was half-buried in the wall, and the blood he spat out dripped from under the mask.

It seemed that his bones were shattered in various places when he hit the wall with internal injuries. The leader, like a character in a painting on the wall, could not escape.

This result would please Xiao Junping and his group.

The subordinates, who had restrained themselves at Xiao Junping's words, would have sighed in relief. However...

To me, this was a natural result, so the joy of victory was not great.

I looked around the Black Cat Sect's martial artists who had watched the duel and announced the result.

"The waiter wins."

From the perspective of the Black Path, this was a rather lowly victory announcement.

However, victory or not, the things I intended to do after arriving at the Black Cat Sect had not even begun.

"Xiao Junping."

Xiao Junping, looking into my eyes, used honorifics for the first time.

"Yes, Master."

"You're a guy who can earn your keep with your mouth. You saved many with your silver tongue."

"Thanks to your advance warning, I could save my comrades. Thank you, Master."

I waved my sword at the Black Cat Sect's subordinates, who had suddenly become silent, and said,

"I left some strength in reserve, considering you might attack. What will you do? I respect a man's desire for revenge. If anyone is deeply saddened by the leader's defeat, step forward now. I will open the path to ascend with the leader with a reverent heart. However, this time, I will use my full strength. Your sword techniques are surely not worth watching."

The keen-eyed ones would have noticed through the result that I did not use my full strength in the process of killing the leader.

"..."

I scratched my chin and said,

"Is there no one who wants to ascend with the leader, saying it's a good day to die? You can't challenge a talented waiter every day, so gather your courage."

Even after subtly provoking their pride, no one stepped forward. I laughed, seeing some subordinates' faces turn bright red.

"This was your last chance to challenge the waiter. What a pity."

While everyone was still trying to understand my words, I approached the dying Black Cat Sect's leader and looked at him. He was still breathing faintly.

I reached out and grabbed the leader's mask, tearing it off. The face of a man who was about to die was revealed. Only then did he manage to convey his meaning through his mouth.

"Save me..."

"Save you? That's unexpected. If you're willing to live the rest of your life as a waiter in Yiyang Town, I'll save you. In exchange, I will disable your martial arts. You might die unexpectedly from a martial artist while cooking noodles, cleaning tables, or mopping, but the martial world is inherently such a place. You need to be mentally prepared. I won't allow any other life. Do you have the courage to live as a waiter..."

The Black Cat Sect's leader's breath stopped while listening to my words.

"...You don't."

In fact, I had no intention of letting him live. As I mentioned earlier, I have no sympathy for monkeys who fight and die after learning martial arts.

"It's hard to be a waiter when you're dead. Do you think anyone can be a waiter? Anyway..."

I turned around, holding the Black Cat Sect's leader's mask, and glared at the group who had collectively fallen silent. The foundation was well laid since the number of dead was small. I brought the rabbit mask, stained with the leader's blood, to my face and said,

"From now on, I am the Black Cat Sect's leader."

I declared, wearing the Black Cat Sect's leader's mask.

"Whether you want it or not. I have decided."