Chapter 55. Where Will I Fall?

The Yellow Ox Magistrate, who had suddenly emerged from the house where the grandmother who wove mats lived, walked straight to the inn. When I was pouring wine for the waiter, the Yellow Ox suddenly grabbed the waiter's hair and asked, "Didn't you see the guy who just came out from over there?"

The waiter, startled, replied, "Ah, no, no one came out. I didn't see him."

The Yellow Ox looked at me. "You?"

I pointed behind the Yellow Ox with my left hand. "Not that side, the other side."

As the Yellow Ox slightly turned his head, I used the Suction Technique to pull him in and grabbed his neck. "Gag!"

The Yellow Ox was a magistrate who had been so cruel that he had ordered Hongxin to kill him. To grab the waiter's hair right in front of me.

I gripped the Yellow Ox's neck with the strength in my left hand and punched his mask with my right fist. "Punch!"

The mask shattered instantly, revealing his real face. As I looked into his eyes, I continued to punch his face. With each "Crack! Crack!" sound, the bones in his face shattered. I glanced around the street, smashing the Yellow Ox's face and then threw him into the middle of the street.

The Yellow Ox's body rolled a few times with a "Punch" sound. The waiter, who had been watching, was trembling.

"Don't be scared. This is how things go in the martial world."

I wiped the blood off my fist with a cloth and poured the remaining wine into my cup, then handed it back to the waiter. "Let's drink."

"Yes."

The waiter, who had been offering the cup with one hand, now offered it with both hands. I didn't say anything, as this was also a form of social etiquette. Still, he seemed too frightened, so I needed to calm him down.

"Luqiu is already dead, and that's the Yellow Ox."

"Ah, yes, that's right."

If we had properly engaged in martial arts, the Yellow Ox would have resisted fiercely with his movements. But from the beginning, he didn't guard against me, who was drinking with the waiter.

I drank the wine with the waiter. Despite this, the waiter's face gradually turned pale.

I said to the waiter, "Oh, go inside and rest. I'll send someone to settle the bill later. I need to finish my drink here."

"Ah, I understand. I'll go then."

As the waiter rushed into the inn, two more magistrates, the Black Ox and the Red Sheep, ran over to check the Yellow Ox's body. "He's still around here."

I chewed on some dry snacks and looked at the Black Ox and the Red Sheep. The Black Ox, who was the Xianzhu Magistrate, glared at me and shouted, "What are you looking at, brat?"

I turned my gaze and pulled out a chopstick from the container. I infused it with the energy of the Muji technique using my thumb and index finger, then threw it at Xianzhu's face.

As soon as I threw it, it embedded itself in his forehead with a "Thud" sound.

The Red Sheep, who chose to flee, used his lightness technique and shouted, "Senior Brother! Over here...!"

"Punch!"

The long, narrow wine jar, which still had some wine left, hit the back of his head. As the Zhumei Magistrate fell forward, I pulled out another chopstick and threw it at his head.

The chopstick embedded itself again.

With the bodies of the Twelve Magistrates lying on the main street, the Yellow Ox had died carelessly, and Xianzhu and Zhumei, being the least skilled among the Twelve Magistrates, were not strong enough.

Hongxin and Jinhai were lucky enough to eat, ride in a carriage, and visit a doctor, but war is inherently ruthless.

I chewed on some dry snacks, stood up, and walked down the main street. I saw the White Horse Magistrate running towards me.

I briefly made eye contact with the White Horse and then turned into a side alley, leaning against the wall for a moment.

Crossing my arms, I waited. The White Horse, who found me suspicious, turned back and appeared in the alley.

But when he saw me near the entrance, he was startled and unleashed a palm strike with his right hand. His body reacted instinctively, indicating he had practiced palm techniques.

"Punch!"

I countered with my left palm, then twisted my wrist and locked his fingers. Instantly, I used the Suction Technique to draw out the White Horse's internal energy and ran madly down the alley.

As the White Horse, who was struggling to resist, weakened, I pulled him in and punched his throat.

"Gag!"

I broke his neck with another punch between my thumb and index finger, then walked down the alley with the White Horse's body.

Listening to the surrounding sounds, I stopped, took the White Horse's mask, and put it on. I also took off his white robe and put it on myself.

I stared at the dead White Horse's face, then laid him in a corner of the alley and covered him with a rag used by a beggar.

"Don't meet someone like me in your next life."

I straightened the white robe and adjusted the mask's position.

If anyone noticed that my lower garment was different from the White Horse's, they would be observant. The important thing was to increase the chaos, not to be meticulous. After all, during wartime, people are usually distracted.

Counting the dead, only the Four Deputies and the Great Monk remained.

I briefly reviewed the lineup.

The lineup was still unpleasant. Based on the Black Cat's skills, I could estimate the Four Deputies' abilities, but the Great Monk's skills were not clearly revealed, so I needed to be patient.

'I need to kill one more.'

On the other hand, my heart was boiling, so I calmed myself down for a moment.

Instantly, I cleared my mind of all distractions using the Muji technique.

When I returned to the alley, the Four Deputies were examining the dead disciples and discussing.

As I approached, I heard Baiyu's voice. "We can't catch him. He was faster than us from the start. He's probably trying to lure us one by one. What do you plan to do? If we continue like this, we'll be at his mercy."

Qingjin nodded. "Let's stick together. If we four stay together, he won't be able to do anything."

I silently joined the Red Ox Magistrate and looked at the dead disciples. I muttered to myself, "To die so carelessly."

The Red Ox suggested, "Let's return to our master."

I glanced at the Red Ox.

This guy had attacked me first earlier and was still thinking of the Great Monk in such a moment. Was he deeply loyal, or was he filled with a slave mentality? I couldn't tell.

Qingjin opposed. "If we return now, our master will be even more displeased."

I listened silently as the animal kingdom members gave their opinions.

The White Tiger, Baiyu Magistrate, remained silent. The others looked at Baiyin, as if asking him to make a decision.

"Senior Brother, please decide."

Baiyin, the eldest of the Twelve Magistrates, spoke. "Let's continue the pursuit. As Qingjin said, we four should stick together. Baiya, inform our master about the disciples' deaths. Tell him the Four Deputies are following the target."

I replied briefly, "Yes."

Qingjin asked, "Does this mean we'll be separated from our master for a while?"

Baiyin lowered his tone. "The target's goal is our master. He wouldn't go to such lengths just to kill us all. I thought he was just making nonsense earlier, but often, the nonsense of crazy people is sincere."

"Do you mean we should really endure?"

"It seems so."

"But why did he kill the disciples?"

Baiyin saw through the essence. "Because he's crazy."

I nodded at Baiyin's words, and the other disciples seemed to agree.

'Still, he's worthy of being the eldest.'

These incompetent guys were seriously discussing survival plans in front of the dead disciples. Baiyin continued, "If we four stick together, it won't be easy for him to attack. But from his talk of one-on-one, there's a possibility he'll appear where our master is alone. Do you understand what I mean? Our master dislikes using lightness techniques and will likely stay at the Black Cat Manor."

I thought, 'Does he have a bad back?'

Given his severed arm, he must have suffered many injuries to survive this long.

The disciples glanced at Baiyin.

If the Great Monk died, he would inherit everything, so he was likely saying this.

Surprisingly, Baiyin even tried to persuade me.

"…Promote Baiya to the Four Deputies. We can start anew. How long will we continue to be slaves? It's time to stop treating the young ones cruelly."

I nodded in agreement, but I opened my mouth without realizing it.

"Then what if I just kill our master? Wouldn't that solve everything?"

Baiyin, Qingjin, the Red Ox, and Baiyu turned to look at me simultaneously.

"…"

I suddenly sighed. The identities of Yizha and Baiya Magistrate were mixed.

The mask does indeed worsen madness.

Looking at me, you can see it.

The Red Ox was right next to me.

I used the Muji technique with my left hand to ambush the Red Ox and simultaneously unleashed the Flame Chicken Palm Force with my right palm.

A palm force, as large as a Buddha's hand, poured out from my red palm.

Baiyin, Qingjin, and Baiyu responded simultaneously with their double palms.

Boom!

The impact varied based on their internal energy.

First, Baiyu was thrown straight and rolled on the ground.

Baiyin and Qingjin staggered back a few steps.

The Red Ox, struck by the pressure points, was immobilized.

I removed the Red Ox's mask and placed it over the White Horse's mask I was wearing.

I said to the Four Deputies, "I have the masks of the Black Cat, Luqiu, Baiya, and the Red Ox. Do you think you're any different?"

Holding the Red Ox as a hostage, the other Four Deputies didn't move.

"I prefer one-on-one. Don't provoke me further. It's disgraceful for those in the black path to fight like this. If the Great Monk and I fight, and one of us dies, everything will be resolved. Things were originally simple, but you're complicating them. Baiyin, what will you do?"

Baiyin replied immediately, "We won't go near the Black Cat Manor today. Let the Red Ox live."

I stroked the Red Ox's head and replied, "I can't let the Red Ox live."

"Why not?"

"He kidnapped innocent women and offered them to the Great Monk. While the lower-ranked ones might have done it too, he was the main culprit."

As Baiyin lost his words, I grabbed the back of the Red Ox's neck, who was immobilized by the pressure points, and threw him against the wall. The Red Ox, headfirst, fell to the ground with a "Punch" sound.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason I killed him.

He had attacked me first earlier, and the Twelve Magistrates' strategy guide described him as the most loyal to the Great Monk. Just the fact that he had recently brought a beauty with wall-piercing eyes to the Great Monk was enough reason to kill him.

I looked at the three standing stiffly and said, "The Four Deputies are now the Three Deputies."

I pointed at Baiyin, Qingjin, and Baiyu. "If you have no attachment to life, let's fight at the Black Cat Manor. If you die, so be it. If you survive by luck, continue being the Great Monk's slaves. I'm leaving."

I walked towards the Black Cat Manor, still wearing the Red Ox's mask.

They could have ambushed me from behind, but I just kept walking.

I wanted to retrieve the weapons from the Red Ox's body, but it would have been a waste of time, so I didn't.

A man can't turn his back in such a moment.

My back felt slightly warm, but I continued walking steadily towards the Black Cat Manor.

If they attacked me again after all this, they would be beyond redemption.

When I arrived at the Black Cat Manor, the door was still wide open.

I muttered as I approached the Great Monk.

"A disciple has arrived. The Red Ox is here. Baiya is here. Xianzhu and Zhumei have left, and Zha is alive. The Yellow Ox is in the Scorching Hell, the Red Ox is in the Avici Hell, and where will I fall... Master? Where is our dog-like master?"

Entering the inner courtyard, the positions had changed.

The Great Monk was sitting on the dais, and all the subordinates of the Black Cat Manor were kneeling on my side.

It seemed they had played the king and slave game again in that short time.

Wearing the Red Ox's mask, I stared at the Great Monk and called out to him in a pitiful tone.

"Master..."