Chapter 73: The Gambler's Apocalypse - Ijaha

For 108 days, I spent my time sitting cross-legged in various corners of the Black Cat Hall. My back stiffened, my knees often froze, and due to infrequent bathing, my body gradually began to emit the smell of a beggar.

But it was necessary.

Inside the hall, Horyeong-cheong taught Chae-sung-tae, while outside, the subordinates of the Black Cat Hall continued their training. I practiced qigong on the rooftops of the Black Cat Hall, in the bathhouse, by the wall, under the plum tree, in the inner and outer courtyards, and even in the bedroom, regardless of the location.

Occasionally, Dukgo-saeng, Sasin-jang, Bok Jongsan, Jin-hae, and Hong-shin would visit, but I responded like someone who had entered a closed retreat, giving no special attention.

My answer was always the same: "Do as you see fit."

I did not interfere in matters that my subordinates could decide and judge on their own. The reason I set 108 days to focus on qigong was because the realm of the Golden Sparrow Technique was ambiguous. I felt that with a little more concentration, I could advance to the Rooster Realm, so it was a time when I had to focus.

My subordinates realized that I was facing some critical point in my martial arts training and handled matters among themselves as much as possible.

108 days is a strange period, both short and long.

One day, I spent the whole day under the plum tree, watching the petals fall, practicing qigong. I only got up to drink water and eat when I could no longer bear it. As a result, I lost even more weight.

Whenever I needed rest, I would go to the inner courtyard and watch Chae-sung-tae's training silently. Despite his whining, I did not interfere.

About 30 to 40 days had passed.

The deaths of Dae-nachal, Suseong, and Iryong-nojun were known to all the nearby black path forces. Bok Jongsan informed me that the news of the Black Cat Hall's dominance over the Nan-hwa and I-hwa regions had spread.

Bok Jongsan asked me, "Shouldn't the rumor be corrected to say 'the leader of Haowu' instead of 'the leader of the Black Cat Hall'?"

I replied after a long time, "There's no need to do so."

I plan to wear the mask of the black path for a while. The main base of Haowu, which is being built in Yilang County, is not yet complete.

Moreover, controlling the black path in just two small regions does not affect the overall landscape of the Central Plains or the power map of the black path. This place is still a frontier.

None of my rivals from my previous life have appeared, and there have been no experts who have caused me trouble since my return.

In the grand scheme of things, I have gained a significant amount of time by dealing with Dae-nachal and Suseong and focusing on my training. The subordinates of the Black Cat Hall, including Sojun-pyeong, are training fiercely.

Chae-sung-tae, too, is training hard every day, almost to the point of madness.

But I can confidently say that I am the one training the hardest.

I believe this is what a leader should do, so I poured myself into qigong.

Burning all the trivialities of daily life with concentration...

When I opened my eyes, sometimes it was dawn, sometimes it was night.

The moon and the sun, the wind and the rain, the reports from my subordinates, and the occasional hunger could not interfere with my training.

When I focus on training, I forget everything. That's me.

After a few days, the inner energy I had drawn from the Heavenly Jade had perfectly conquered the realm of the Golden Sparrow. I now repeated the Grand Circulation in the Rooster Realm.

From this point on, I started to listen to my subordinates a little more.

The meals I had once eaten every two days increased to three times a day. I reduced the number of Grand Circulations and started external training with the subordinates of the Black Cat Hall.

I joined the subordinates, following Sojun-pyeong's instructions, and trained to build my strength without complaint, alongside the riffraff.

At first, the atmosphere was very serious when I trained with the subordinates like a madman, but later, everyone got used to it. They became so familiar with me that they didn't know if I was originally the leader of the Black Cat Hall or just one of the riffraff.

During the first half of the 108-day training period, my body was thin.

After entering the Rooster Realm, my limbs started to gain muscle, and I gradually recovered to my previous physical condition.

One day, while I was calmly maintaining my breathing under the plum tree, I heard Chae-sung-tae's voice.

"Master, today marks the 108th day."

I opened my eyes and replied, "Already?"

"Yes."

Chae-sung-tae had become a hairy brute, holding a sword. In fact, his eyes and posture had already changed, so there was no need to confirm. Still, it's only natural to give a compliment.

"Do you feel stronger?"

Chae-sung-tae smiled. "I am incomparably stronger than before the 108 days."

For a moment, I almost told him to train for another 108 days but managed to hold back. While I am good at using the whip, it's not right to overuse it.

I then looked at Horyeong-cheong.

"Sung-tae, are you really stronger?"

Horyeong-cheong replied, "Master, he has become a swordsman. Although the time was short, he has mastered the basics, principles, and forms of the Swift Light Sword Technique. I also taught him the mental techniques, and after the evening, we mainly focused on building his inner energy. Although the time to build inner energy was not sufficient, he has formed a dantian and learned how to draw inner energy from it."

I stroked my chin. "You've worked hard. How was teaching him?"

Horyeong-cheong, after a moment of hesitation, gave a somewhat surprising answer. "If Master allows, I would like to continue teaching him."

I looked at Horyeong-cheong with a puzzled expression. "Really?"

"Yes."

I realized that Horyeong-cheong, who had been captured as a prisoner, had completely changed.

Perhaps he had gained some insight while teaching Chae-sung-tae.

He was quite different from the first impression I had of him.

"Sung-tae, what about you?"

Chae-sung-tae replied, "I also want to continue learning."

I told both of them, "Since we have kept our promise, you can do as you please from now on."

Horyeong-cheong and Chae-sung-tae replied calmly, "Thank you."

"Yes."

I asked Chae-sung-tae, "Sung-tae, how do you feel about entering the martial world?"

Chae-sung-tae replied briefly, "Not bad."

"If you had just lived a life of drinking and eating at a brothel, you wouldn't have died from weak martial arts. But now, your survival is more difficult because of the martial arts you have learned."

This is what I think of the martial world.

Chae-sung-tae looked at me and replied, "I am just beginning. I don't regret it. I didn't know that getting stronger day by day would feel like this. It's just good."

I had expected this answer from Chae-sung-tae.

Most martial artists are like this.

They don't regret their lives unless they are stabbed in the heart. They understand the incredibly powerful charm of getting stronger.

"Horyeong-cheong, you've also done well."

"Yes."

I don't have any particular thoughts about Horyeong-cheong. If he disappears one day, it means he has left to find a way to survive. If he occasionally visits the Black Cat Hall like Sasin-jang or Dukgo-saeng, it means there is still a connection.

I plan to let things flow as they will.

* * *

It was a cool, sunny day.

I washed my body and changed my clothes, then put the gold and silver coins given to me by the leader of Wuak in my money pouch.

As I passed through the inner courtyard, Chae-sung-tae asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to do some gambling and sparring. I'll also take a look at the I-hwa region on the way."

I heard Chae-sung-tae and Horyeong-cheong talking behind me.

"What is sparring gambling?"

"It's a fight with money on the line. What else?"

"Why would Master suddenly...?"

"I don't know."

I had planned to visit the sparring gambling arena once.

The reason my face became fierce in my previous life was because of the sparring gambling arena. I got hit a lot. A person's face changes when they get hit a lot.

Sparring gambling is divided into two types: fights with weapons and bare-handed fights. I learned a lot here. I realized that there is much to learn from defeat. I learned how to counterattack after being hit and how to gauge an opponent's strength from their appearance, aura, and eyes.

The reason people who had reached the end of their lives often visited sparring gambling arenas was that they could earn some money even if they lost.

I am younger now than when I actually visited the sparring gambling arena. But the people who stay there for a long time are still the same.

The level of the sparring gambling arena is, in a word, a mess.

Sometimes hidden black path experts come to earn some pocket money.

Sometimes hidden black path experts fight each other, leading to absurdly large battles.

The sparring gambling arena in Shilun County is the most famous in the area. What's unique is that the surrounding business is entirely tailored to sparring gambling. There are places that sell alcohol and food to spectators and participants, brothels are popular, and other gambling places line up.

Although it had been a while since I visited, the surroundings brought back perfect memories.

I knew everyone here, but they didn't know me at all.

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

'What a dog's place, still the same.'

I entered a tavern I often visited and had a drink first.

I planned to shed some of the old grime in my heart here, and the alcohol went down smoothly.

The people in the tavern were all fighters who participated in sparring gambling, so the atmosphere was truly ominous.

In contrast to my previous life, I looked softer here, like a gentleman.

While chewing on some snacks and looking around, a big guy came over and drank my alcohol without permission.

I chuckled, and the big guy laughed along.

The big guy sat opposite me and said, "I've never seen you before. Buy me a drink, and I'll explain it well."

I drank the remaining alcohol, then grabbed the bottle and hit the big guy's head.

With a "thud," the big guy bowed his head.

I grabbed his head and continued to hit it on the table.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

I lifted his head to check his face. His nose was broken, and a few front teeth were knocked out. I pushed his head away and looked for the waiter. Since the noise was loud, it was easy to make eye contact with the waiter.

"Give me two more jugs of alcohol."

The waiter replied simply, "Yes."

I told the bloodied guy looking at me, "Get lost."

The guy got up and pushed people as he moved somewhere.

Guys like him always come back when told to leave.

Laughter erupted from the surroundings. The waiter, who had rushed over with a "whoosh," quickly wiped the table and placed new snacks and two jugs of alcohol, saying, "That guy is the owner of a brothel. He might bring his colleagues. Is that okay?"

"How many does he usually bring?"

"About ten."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

I snapped my fingers at the waiter and said, "Can he make some money?"

The waiter looked at me and said, "Have you been here before? I've never seen you."

"I've been here before."

"I see."

The waiter hurriedly ran around, carrying a large basket and shaking the bell hanging from the ceiling.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Everyone in the tavern looked at the waiter.

The waiter said, "Is anyone interested in participating in the tavern sparring? The unfamiliar guest here will fight the Black Jing brothel owner who just left. The Black Jing brothel owner has at least ten subordinates. We will only bet on the outcome without an entry fee. The young guest is on the left, and the Black Jing is on the right. Our shop will add 500 taels to the winner's side. Let's go!"

The waiter carried the basket around the tavern, and money started to fill the basket, which was separated by a screen.

Money was placed on both the left and right sides.

Meanwhile, all the sparring gamblers in the tavern were looking at me.

Someone shamelessly asked me where I was from, and I briefly replied, "Pay to ask."

Out of old habit, I added a curse.

"...You bastards."