Chapter 42. Waiter Wins!

Jang Deoksu looked at the unconscious Hongshin on the table and asked,

"Did she faint at just one word from the senior sister? She’s not dead, is she?"

I glanced at Hongshin’s neck and shook my head.

"By the way, was there a senior sister?"

"There wasn’t, but now there is. I’m the Black Cat Gang leader now."

"Huh?"

Jang Deoksu looked at me with wide eyes, and I confirmed it again.

"I’m the Black Cat Gang leader."

Jang Deoksu recalled my recent actions and immediately understood.

"Oh, congratulations."

"Don’t mention it. This girl is also one of the Twelve Constellations, Hongshin."

"Ah, so that’s why she’s the senior sister?"

"We’re both disciples of the Great Temple now. This fight is about whether the Great Temple is more terrifying or if I am."

Jang Deoksu, who had grasped the situation, clicked his tongue.

"Look at how she fainted right away. It’s obvious that you’re more terrifying. Since you’ve got a senior sister you never had before, treat her well. She’s quite pretty."

I quickly turned my head to check Jang Deoksu’s eyes and expression.

"Surely not…"

"What? Why?"

"Did you fall for her? At first sight? Was it a fated encounter? An escape?"

Jang Deoksu avoided my gaze and replied.

"I’m barking like a dog."

"Hey, Jang Deoksu. Can’t you stand there? Is it hard to manage your expression?"

"I’m going to do the dishes."

As Jang Deoksu entered the kitchen, Hongshin’s breathing became even clearer. The deeper one’s inner strength, the more sensitive one becomes to sounds. Hongshin was still lying on the table, as still as a mouse.

I glared at Hongshin and muttered,

"Did you faint because the taste of the pork rib was so good that you wouldn’t notice if one of us died while eating it?"

Jang Deoksu, who was doing the dishes in the kitchen, chuckled.

"…So, you’ve completely taken over the Black Cat Gang?"

"I have. There are a few smart ones, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Xiao Junping is quite meticulous."

"Oh, the guy who lost to the kitchen knife?"

"Yeah, that guy."

"How long do you plan to keep your identity hidden?"

"Until I kill the Great Temple."

"Mountains beyond mountains, huh?"

I spoke to Hongshin, who was lying on the table, in a casual tone.

"There are ten days left. Are you sleepy?"

Hongshin, who had risen like a ghost, replied.

"No, I will complete it ten days from now."

Jang Deoksu, who poked his head out of the kitchen, looked at Hongshin in surprise. Despite being one of the Twelve Constellations, Hongshin bowed her head to Jang Deoksu, who was talking to me casually, showing that she would be cautious about anything related to me.

"I enjoyed the pork rib very much."

"Don’t mention it. Come again."

"Sure. I’ll be on my way."

Hongshin made a fist salute and fled from Chunyang Restaurant as if she were escaping.

As she ran, she turned her head unconsciously to look back at the restaurant.

The fake senior brother was glaring at her.

"…"

Then, the fake senior brother slowly raised his hands.

Upon checking, it was clearly the sign language indicating that there were ten days left. Then, the fake senior brother made a gesture of cutting his throat, and Hongshin, feeling terrified, quickly turned her head away.

Hongshin ran quickly, looking back and flinching like someone in a trance at every sound.

"Ah! It’s nothing. It was just a leaf."

When a rustling sound came from the bushes a moment later, Hongshin said in a startled tone,

"Senior brother? Is that you, senior brother?"

Seeing a wildcat dart away, she let out a sigh of relief.

"No, it was a wildcat senior brother."

Hongshin, who was trying to return carefully, started running desperately towards the safe house she had prepared in advance.

‘Scary, too scary.’

A successful thief usually sets up safe houses in various places, and Hongshin was no exception.

Today, she planned to return to the nearest safe house and first find some peace of mind. She felt as if the demonic qi was rising from her stomach to her chin.

Running at the fastest speed of her life, Hongshin passed through the bustling market, zigzagged through alleys, and entered an ordinary house calmly, suddenly realizing the wisdom of the world.

"Indeed, home is the best. Home is the best."

It was a cozy safe house surrounded by a small pond, a courtyard, and a high wall, with a main house and a side house.

It was a house she had bought with the money she had ruthlessly accumulated through reckless thievery. However, Hongshin, who quickly became suspicious, quickly checked every corner of the house.

She was afraid that someone might be hiding somewhere.

Even after confirming that no one was there, she sat on the floor and muttered to herself.

"Senior brother? Did you come? If you did, come in and have some tea. Ha ha, ha…"

"…"

After confirming that everything was quiet, Hongshin finally wiped away her fake smile and looked at her state calmly.

‘I’m going crazy. This isn’t right. I need to pull myself together.’

At that moment, someone knocked on the ordinary-looking front door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Hongshin, startled, asked,

"Who is it?"

Knock, knock, knock.

"Who is it! I’m not buying anything!"

Suddenly, Hongshin took a deep breath to calm herself. She got up with a look of finally adapting and headed for the front door.

"Oh, senior brother? I’m leaving."

Hongshin thought it wouldn’t be difficult for the fake senior brother, whose lightness was superior to hers, to follow her.

When she opened the door, a young man she had never seen before stared at her intently.

Hongshin frowned and said,

"What are you? Why are you knocking on the door without saying anything? Do you want to die?"

The young man, who was tightly holding something in both hands, opened his dry lips.

"There are ten days left… I don’t know!"

The man made a loud noise and ran away. It was a clumsy movement, not trained in martial arts.

Hongshin looked at the fleeing man with a dazed expression.

"That beggar’s son…"

The young man, who seemed to be running well, suddenly bumped into someone and dropped what he was holding. He quickly picked up the silver ingot from the ground and fled.

‘Ah, my money…’

Hongshin suddenly heard a buzzing sound in her head and grabbed her forehead.

People are creatures of adaptation, they say.

Hongshin pressed her heaving chest and took a deep breath.

"It’s money I lost in a fight. Forget it. Forget it. It’s not my money. Inner peace, hoooo…"

Hongshin, closing the door and entering, said,

"I can earn it back."

At that moment, a long laugh echoed from a very distant place. It sounded like someone was laughing while using lightness to move on a roof, the sound gradually fading.

It was a strange skill to stretch the laughter like a thread using lightness.

With that level of skill, it could only be the fake senior brother.

Suddenly, Hongshin, with a serious expression, ran her hand through her hair.

Then, her eyes narrowed, and her expression turned cold and ruthless.

How should this change be described?

To put it as close as possible, it was the eyes and expression of a madwoman.

Hongshin, with a crazed look in her eyes, said in a cold tone,

"…I will definitely kill you."

Was she finally awakened? Or was it a declaration of war against the fake senior brother?

Her next words were:

"Baizi, Huang O, Luksul, you are all dead men in my hands. Ho ho ho ho ho."

Hongshin’s laughter also echoed for a long time, just like the fake senior brother’s.

How far can a person go crazy?

It’s unknown.

In any case, Hongshin had taken a step into that world.

Madness is contagious.

Although Hongshin was not an ordinary woman, the invisible hierarchy of madness was now clear.

Waiter Wins!

* * *

After practicing lightness for a long time, my body felt even more refreshed.

I traveled at full speed from the Black Candy Street, where the Black Cat Gang is located, to Rilang County, and then from Rilang County to the magnolia market where Hongshin’s safe house was hidden.

Helping the uncomfortable senior sister and following her to the bathroom on the way back were all part of the practice.

Practice must never stop.

Especially, lightness needed to be brought to the top level as quickly as possible.

There were many advantages.

Most importantly, it was essential for survival and could also help someone in a crisis, such as diarrhea.

When lightness reached the top level, one could join the mysterious force, the Fast Gang, which most martial artists didn’t even know existed.

Since ancient times, there have been crazy people in the martial world who focused solely on lightness, and they secretly gathered regardless of their sects to compete in lightness.

The unique title given to the one who achieved the fastest lightness in the world was:

The Fastest in the World.

Or, they called themselves the Fast Lord or the Fast Gang Leader.

No one knew when this gathering started, as it was initially a small, irregular meeting.

However, over time, this crazy gathering transcended the boundaries of good, evil, and demons.

It became a mysterious force that even the Martial World Alliance couldn’t fully grasp. In my previous life, I became a member of the Fast Gang with my excellent lightness skills but never reached the position of Fast Lord.

The world is vast, and there are many experts.

Especially, it’s not easy to surpass the speed of those crazy people who despise killing techniques and practice only to run fast.

Through the Fast Gang, I met many experts.

They couldn’t leave their camps due to their origins and blood ties but dreamed of rebellion through the Fast Gang.

Thinking about reuniting with the Fast Gang experts, I sprinted to Rilang County again.

Nothing in the world is free.

The ability to step into a world whose existence I didn’t even know about after becoming stronger and faster is the charm of life.

Therefore, I run.

Even helping the senior sister who needed to go to the bathroom has a hidden meaning, I mean.

* * *

I stepped out of the rough and cunning underworld world for a moment and stood with my hands behind my back, smiling contentedly.

This was because the construction of Zixia Guesthouse was progressing smoothly.

As I stood there with a contented smile, watching the construction site, Yan Zicheng, wearing a white headband, came to me after receiving a report from the workers.

"Master, you’re here."

I nodded.

"You’ve worked hard."

"Worked hard? You can just call me brother here, right?"

"Of course."

"Where have you been? Brother Seongtai said you stormed the Black Cat Gang."

I replied in a calm tone.

"The Black Cat Gang leader had some business in heaven, so I took over the heavy responsibility. I’ll have to travel between Rilang County and the Black Cat Gang for a while, so it might be hard to see me often."

"Ah, I see."

"Have there been any troublemakers? I’m a bit worried about the Black Fox Gang."

"Isn’t there that horse-tailed man, Commander Sima? He often patrols Rilang County with his subordinates. The atmosphere is tense, and they carry weapons, so no one dares to cause trouble."

"Oh, it’s Sima Bi."

I often forget people’s existence.

"Where’s Chae Seongtai?"

As soon as I asked, Yan Zicheng smiled and told me what had happened.

"He challenged Commander Sima with a wooden sword and got a thorough beating. He’s been training ever since. He’s lost all ten of his challenges. It’s become a famous spectacle, and quite a crowd gathers when Brother Seongtai and Commander Sima fight."

"Where do they fight?"

Yan Zicheng pointed to the wide open space in front of the construction site.

"Since the place is spacious, they always fight here."

I chuckled and replied.

"Idiot, it’s embarrassing to be the master of a martial arts school who always loses."

In summary, it was good news that Sima Bi and his group had integrated well into Rilang County. With their skills, they could handle the Black Fox Gang if they attacked.

It’s not nice to keep a busy person for too long, so I took out my money pouch. Yan Zicheng grabbed my arm.

"Ah, brother, no need. What’s this money for? You’re already paying us well."

I made a sound and pushed his arm away.

"Tsk, tsk."

I took out five gold ingots from Hongshin’s money pouch and gave them to Yan Zicheng.

"Keep them and buy drinks when you think it’s appropriate. This is work to make a living, but if you only work, your body will wear out. You need to have some fun. Keep it."

"But isn’t this too much? These are rare gold ingots."

"Zhumeng has many people."

Yan Zicheng clutched the gold ingots and said apologetically.

"Brother, this is hard-earned money. I’m really sorry. I’ll buy snacks for the people and drinks. I’ll use it well."

"It’s not that hard-earned. Use it freely. I’m leaving."

"Take care."

I waved and walked away.

Money is meant to be earned and spent.

So, for the time being, my actions would involve beating up the underworld and making money. After all, the underworld preys on ordinary people.

The world sometimes needs to work this way to be interesting.

I smiled as the workers’ cheers suddenly erupted from the construction site.