Chapter 54. Shh.

Even the Great Inspector laughed in the end.

"Those are certainly not words your disciple should say. Show me your face. The mask has no meaning now."

Hearing such words, one would only be more reluctant to take it off.

I am the type of person who never complies with such demands.

"I am not your slave. I won't take it off just because you tell me to. Why do you insist on stripping in front of a stranger? You pervert, old man."

"Pervert" was a feint, and "old man" was my trump card.

"Your way of thinking is as sick as a dead man or a master."

"Shudder..."

The Great Inspector's laugh was quite repulsive, so I let out a short remark.

"Ugh, creepy."

In my past life, I had met many rogue knights, so I had seen many who had become bizarre while practicing martial arts. Yet, the Great Inspector's laugh was among the most unpleasant to hear, probably because he often issued orders to kill people after such laughter.

He wasn't called the Great Inspector for nothing. He was a man with a sufficiently threatening appearance and aura.

Sure enough, a death sentence was handed down to me.

"Let all the Four Death Deputies come forward."

Before the Four Death Deputies could rise to follow the order, I retorted.

"Great Inspector, do you really have to live so disgustingly?"

"..."

"If the Four Death Deputies attack me simultaneously, I will run away from this spot. By the way, my lightness skill is better than my martial arts. Let's play a game of 'Heavenly Net.' But if you challenge me directly, I will accept a one-on-one duel like a man."

In short, if his subordinates attack, I will run.

If the enemy's leader attacks, I will fight.

Even I thought this strategy was completely illogical.

However, I was confident I could break through the encirclement of the Twelve Deputies, thanks to the mask, which they still didn't know my face behind.

Midway, I would change my clothes, throw away the mask, and perhaps do some cleaning at an inn. At least the Four Death Deputies and the Great Inspector wouldn't recognize me.

A secret technique, you might say, for a waiter to disguise as a waiter.

"If I escape successfully, I won't show up for a long time. I'll reappear in front of you after obtaining some great fortune from a cliff. 'Heavenly Net' or one-on-one? Choose. By the way, if you avoid a one-on-one duel, the rumor will spread throughout the Nanhua region. I'm quite talkative, you know."

I chuckled and observed the atmosphere of the Twelve Deputies.

One must never be complacent in the martial world.

The Four Death Deputies might not have been able to prevent their master's death, as they had survived for a long time under an abnormal master.

Unexpectedly, the Great Inspector didn't make an immediate decision and seemed to be thinking deeply.

If so, I wouldn't miss this opportunity.

"Listen well, Twelve Deputies. Why would a lousy master order you to attack first? To assess whether I use palm techniques, handle a sword well, what level my internal energy is, how I fight, and what my weaknesses are. Of course, if I fight you, those strengths and weaknesses will be revealed. In return, I'll kill you like a black cat. The old master must have sent his disciples to hell first, thinking of how much luxury he would enjoy afterward."

Suddenly, I noticed something as I glanced at the junior deputies at the back.

"All your disciples are young, while your master is so old. Did you have disciples before? Do you just pass on the mask and fill the ranks when they go to the netherworld? How old is that black ox over there?"

People's gazes turned to Xianzhu, the junior deputy at the back of the Twelve Deputies.

Though his face was hidden, his physique clearly showed he hadn't practiced martial arts for long.

"Of course, our master doesn't care about the death of his disciples. If you think I'm wrong, raise your hand and stand up."

I subtly raised my hand to fish for reactions. It was a trick to raise a hand without speaking, but no one fell for it.

"Anyway..."

The Great Inspector smiled as if watching a grandchild's performance.

"A mentally unstable person is pretending to be my disciple."

I replied in a serious tone.

"I agree. The mask exacerbates madness, so other disciples should be cautious."

The Great Inspector stood up from his chair.

"Let's do it that way. I will face him."

While speaking, he glanced at the Four Death Deputies, either by chance or intentionally.

It might have been a meaningless gesture.

However, there are no meaningless actions in such moments.

If the Great Inspector fights me directly and the Four Death Deputies ambush me during the fight, it would be a difficult situation.

Therefore, a static confrontation like an internal energy duel would be dangerous.

Now, I understood a bit of the Great Inspector's true nature. He was a cunning person with a sharp mind.

This made the match-up even more chaotic.

I would have to face the Great Inspector, Bai Ren, Qing Jin, Hong Sha, and Bai You alone.

I scratched the back of my head and leaped toward the wall where Bai You was.

In mid-air, I drew Heimiao from my waist.

Swinging the sword at Bai You with a terrifying momentum, Bai You was startled and took a defensive stance with his iron fan.

I only made the motion to release sword energy, using a feint.

While Bai You was in a defensive stance, I sheathed Heimiao and used my lightness skill to dash like a gust of wind.

Bai Ren, Qing Jin, and Bai Sha leaped over the wall from behind.

Then, Bai You and the other Twelve Deputies, who had been tricked, also jumped over the wall and followed me.

Here, a psychological battle.

If I run too far, the Great Inspector's gang might give up the chase.

I slowly turned around and looked at the Twelve Deputies charging fiercely.

Suddenly, I stood with my hands behind my back...

Bai Ren, Qing Jin, and Hong Sha, who had been running side by side as if in a lightness skill contest, stopped simultaneously.

I asked in a serious tone.

"Disciples, where is the master? Ah, he's coming now."

The Great Inspector stood on the wall.

I looked at him and whispered to the Four Death Deputies in a low voice.

"Disciples, there's no need to worry. I will kill the master. Just give appropriate responses."

To the Great Inspector, with his sharp hearing, it sounded very low, as if the Four Death Deputies and I had been plotting from the beginning. In fact, it was quite amusing that the Four Death Deputies were just staring at me.

Sure enough, the Great Inspector raised his voice.

"What are you staring at so blankly for!"

"Old man, you're really something."

Suddenly, Hong Sha attacked first. Then, the other Four Death Deputies drew their weapons and charged.

I ran swiftly into a side alley I had scouted earlier.

The reason for my excellent lightness skill is simple.

From Central Plains to Western Regions, and back to Zhejiang, I was dragged around for no reason.

Originally, those with excellent martial arts skills often use lightness skills when moving because they find it suffocating. Since my skills were far inferior to Guang Sheng, I had to run for my life.

If you travel the world to see fish, your lightness skill can't help but improve.

Running like a turtle, running while intoxicated by the scent of flowers, even spinning a fishing rod in the air out of boredom, and running while striking a wooden fish. I followed him because I couldn't escape from Guang Sheng.

To assess the lightness skills of the disciples and avoid harming ordinary people, I leaped from the narrow alley walls into the air.

Once on the roof, I could see the entire Nanhua area at a glance.

I put my hand on my forehead and looked for Yiliang County.

From a high vantage point, it seemed even closer than I thought.

I whistled again and ran across the rooftops.

Thinking it was foolish to follow me in a straight line, masked disciples suddenly appeared from various rooftops after a while.

I briefly chatted with the disciples.

"You all have worked hard. Just a little more patience."

It seemed difficult to endure, as various throwing weapons flew from all directions.

Sharp throwing weapons, round throwing weapons, ugly throwing weapons, and tiny needle-like throwing weapons glinted in the sunlight.

I am a man who often faces such persecution.

That's why more than eighty percent of my dreams are about being chased.

The remaining twenty percent feature a beautiful woman...

Dreams are not a sin.

In any case, I am always a man being chased, a pitiful man, a man who eats and dodges throwing weapons, a man chased by disciples, and a man chased by a monk with a fishing rod in his dream... a pitiful man, me.

While leaping between rooftops with considerable gaps, a dagger suddenly flew at me.

I deflected the dagger with Heimiao, which I had drawn while spinning, and landed.

It was a bright day with white clouds floating beautifully. A day when laundry dries crisp and fresh.

"Wow, the clouds..."

I took in the positions of the disciples throwing weapons, the buildings, and the laundry, then leaped over the roofs again, pretending to slip and fall.

In mid-air, I grabbed the laundry, kicked the wall, and entered through an open window on the opposite side. Twisting my body to avoid getting stuck between the windows is a basic escape technique.

I hid the black robe and the Heimiao mask under the bed in an empty small room, then changed into crisp, fresh, and confident clothes.

While doing so, I noticed the room wasn't a man's.

I opened the drawer and placed Heimiao among the woman's undergarments.

This doesn't mean I'm a pervert.

Sometimes, you have to do it in a hurry.

Hong Samae will take care of the recovery later. Thieves learn to use their skills at such times.

I left the room and wandered like a thief, then heard someone's voice.

"Why aren't you studying at this hour? Where are you going again?"

I saw an old woman weaving cloth, hoping there was a useless man loafing around in this house.

"I'll come back early, Grandma."

The old woman said with a worried tone.

"Drink less alcohol."

I replied calmly before leaving the house.

"Okay, Grandma."

After checking the street situation, I slowly walked to the inn across the street. The waiter's eyes were quickly scanning the rooftops, sensing a fight was happening somewhere.

I tapped the waiter's shoulder and took a seat. It was an outdoor spot where I could watch people passing by.

"Is there any rice wine?"

"Ah, yes. Just a moment."

The waiter, impressed by the masked experts flying on the rooftops, said.

"Wow... I'll bring it right away."

The impudent waiter managed to take orders while watching the fight. After a while, the waiter placed the rice wine and some dried snacks on the table indifferently and looked around again.

I poured the rice wine into an empty glass and said.

"Is there a fight?"

The waiter nodded.

"It seems there's a big fight. Many of the Twelve Deputies are gathered."

After drinking the rice wine and chewing on the dried snacks, I said to the waiter, who was watching the fight intently.

"Have a drink."

"Ah, yes."

The waiter naturally sat opposite me and held out an empty glass. I poured the wine for the waiter and said.

"The neighborhood is noisy."

"That's true."

We drank the rice wine and chewed on the dried snacks, leaning back and watching the street.

The waiter, while chewing, also chewed on the black path.

"Look at them. The disciples are so scared. Pathetic brats, always causing trouble."

Suddenly, as masked figures appeared in front, the waiter, who was chewing, naturally lowered his eyes.

"..."

I looked at the waiter, a fellow professional in survival and social skills.

Meanwhile, the junior deputies glared at me and the waiter before passing by. I muttered, watching the scared disciples.

"People should live with ease."

"You're right."

The waiter, while chewing, naturally held out an empty glass to me with no awkwardness. The waiter was a master at naturally getting a drink from a customer. Understanding the waiter's mind, I had no choice but to pour the wine.

After drinking, the waiter whispered.

"If the Great Inspector gets angry, the whole neighborhood becomes quiet. Look, it's already quiet. Ah, don't say anything. Just mind the customers. It seems Huang O was assassinated."

I also whispered back.

"Wasn't it Lu Kui?"

"Ah, right. It was Lu Kui. How did you know?"

"Didn't I see Huang O passing by earlier?"

"Ah, that's right?"

Suddenly, the waiter looked at me, his expression growing tense, and swallowed, straightening his posture. He had a ghostly quick sense.

I looked at the waiter and put a finger to my lips.

"Shh."

The waiter and I exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.