Chapter 83. Because I'm a Man 1

"Please wait a moment."

I came alone, invited by the Nanming Assembly.

The important thing is not that I came alone, but that I came in person. Many of my subordinates wanted to come with me, but I know more about the Nanming Assembly.

If I were to clash with my forces, I would have to kill every single member of the Nanming Assembly to finish the job, as they are a tightly-knit organization.

While I don't particularly feel moved by the elimination of a black path organization, dozens of my subordinates would also die.

I came alone to meet the Nanming Assembly leader because I didn't want that to happen.

The main hall doors opened, and the Nanming Assembly's officers began to take their seats at the long table where I was sitting.

Among them was Nianfeng.

Perhaps because it's a strictly disciplined organization, Nianfeng and the other officers didn't utter a word in the main hall.

I looked around at the officers' faces and then dozed off in my seat.

"..."

Lately, I've been dozing off frequently because I often practice qi cultivation at night. It feels like peeling off my inner strength, which is stuck to the Heavenly Jade, one by one with my hands. The fatigue from reaching the Fighting Rooster realm too quickly also contributed to this. However, there's no major concern even if I doze off like this, as my body's reaction to ambushes is faster than my awareness.

Perhaps because it's a strictly disciplined organization, no one shouted or clicked their tongues when I dozed off.

So, I managed to have a short, sweet nap.

When I felt saliva gathering at the corner of my mouth, I heard someone's voice.

"Are they all here?"

"Yes."

I opened my eyes and looked at Nan Jialuo, the leader of the Nanming Assembly, who was walking out.

'Ah, it's him.'

Nan Jialuo sat at the head of the table and asked his subordinates.

"Bring the leader of the Black Cat Gang."

Nan Jialuo, who didn't notice me among the officers, gave orders to his subordinates. Then, an officer sitting to Nan Jialuo's left spoke in a quiet tone.

"Leader, he's here."

"What?"

I wiped the saliva from my thumb and met Nan Jialuo's eyes. I deliberately widened my eyes, feeling my double eyelids form.

Nan Jialuo furrowed his brows and asked me.

"Leader of the Black Cat Gang?"

I yawned and replied.

"It's me."

A moment of silence filled the main hall.

Nan Jialuo looked at the officers' expressions and then asked me again.

"Did you come alone?"

"Yes, I did."

I nodded and then said to the attendant.

"Give me some water. Why is the hospitality so poor?"

The attendant bowed and replied.

"Understood."

The attendant realized he had made a mistake as soon as he answered, seeing the officers' expressions. He froze, but Nianfeng stepped in.

"It's fine, bring the water."

"Yes, Leader."

Only then did Nan Jialuo, who was somewhat flabbergasted, say to the officers.

"Stay standing."

The officers stood up simultaneously, moved away from the table, and took positions to surround the main hall.

Nan Jialuo introduced himself to me.

"I am Nan Jialuo of the Nanming Assembly."

I introduced myself appropriately.

"I am Li Zhaohua, the leader of the Black Cat Gang. The innkeeper of Yiyang Town..."

I seemed to be still half-asleep.

The attendant placed the water cup and poured water from the teapot. I glanced at the attendant and asked.

"Is there any poison?"

The attendant bowed and retreated.

"No, there isn't."

I drank the water refreshing and took a deep breath. I was finally more awake.

"Phew..."

While I was rubbing my cheeks with both hands, Nan Jialuo asked.

"Did you fall asleep here?"

I nodded and replied.

"Yes, I did."

"Why did you come alone? I heard you have quite a few subordinates."

"If I receive an invitation, it's only natural to come. I came alone because it was troublesome to bring subordinates."

Nan Jialuo laughed in disbelief.

"Hah."

I finally took a closer look at Nan Jialuo.

He looked quite young, in his late twenties or early thirties. He had a handsome face, but his eyes were too sharp, and his overall demeanor was terrifying, the kind of man women would be quite afraid of.

If Dugu Sheng was a reckless and terrifying type, this man had a sense of responsibility, which was evident from his expression. Men who have been in leadership positions from a young age often have this kind of aura.

Nan Jialuo continued to observe me and asked.

"Why did you kill Ouyang Fu?"

"I went to a martial arts gambling match, but it turned out to be a cheating game. They sent women with aphrodisiacs hidden in their hair decorations, and eventually, it was my turn."

"You, the leader of a gang, went to a martial arts gambling match?"

I nodded.

"I went because I heard Dongfang Yan was quite skilled. He was known as the King of Martial Arts Gambling, but his actual skills didn't live up to his nickname."

Nan Jialuo said.

"Before Ouyang Fu died, he revealed that he would pay tribute to the Nanming Assembly."

"That's right."

"Yet, you still killed him."

I looked at Nan Jialuo with a calm expression.

"Would you have spared him?"

"..."

Nan Jialuo couldn't answer.

He probably intended to scold me harshly and then demand tribute, but his expression changed constantly during our conversation.

Since I hadn't committed any crimes against Nan Jialuo, I was being as polite as possible, even avoiding insults, which surprised me.

Nan Jialuo asked the officers.

"Is it true that the leader came alone?"

This question also seemed to imply whether I was really the leader of the Black Cat Gang.

The officers replied.

"Yes."

The officers were flustered, and so was Nan Jialuo. It was probably because the leader of a faction in conflict had never appeared like this.

Nan Jialuo, seemingly at a loss for words, brought up the money issue.

"I heard you took all of Ouyang Fu's wealth. What do you plan to do with the money the Nalak Assembly used to pay tribute?"

The moment he mentioned money, my mood soured.

"Are you broke? What are you trying to say? You want me to pay tribute? Are you declaring war or what?"

Nan Jialuo's face turned red.

One of the officers, who had been watching, finally exploded and spoke to Nan Jialuo.

"Leader..."

Nan Jialuo cut him off with a finger.

"Shut up."

I asked Nan Jialuo.

"Leader Nan, did your subordinates not report properly?"

"What report?"

"I called the entire Nalak Assembly to the arena and fought them alone. Ouyang Fu agreed to the martial arts gambling match. The winner takes all. It's a matter of combat and gambling. Since I won, Ouyang Fu's wealth is mine. Besides, Ouyang Fu earned most of his wealth through gambling. Even if he were to come back to life, he couldn't argue about the money with me."

I also mentioned the situation when I killed the previous leader of the Black Cat Gang and his master, Dajie.

"I killed the previous leader of the Black Cat Gang and his master, Dajie, alone, which is why I became the leader. Asking me what I plan to do with the tribute is a bit off."

If he still didn't understand after this explanation, I had nothing more to say. I would have to stick a Flashing Dagger on the table...

Nan Jialuo briefly replied.

"Fair enough. Then, why did you come here?"

"Because I was invited."

The officers around us cleared their throats.

I glanced around at the officers and nodded.

Since they all fought to the death for Yi Wei Dao Jiang, they all looked brave. I was willing to tolerate somewhat arrogant behavior from people who could risk their lives. Those who can risk their lives deserve respect.

Nan Jialuo probably called me to either kill me or recruit me, but I came to see his subordinates in person.

"I heard from my subordinates that the Nanming Assembly rejected the joining request from the powerful Baijian Assembly and didn't respond to the invitation from Nantianyang. You maintain your independence well. I came to see what kind of people you are. However, if you keep rejecting the demands of the Baijian Assembly or Nantianyang, you'll eventually see blood. Do you have a plan for that?"

Actually, this was my speculation, not what my subordinates told me.

In any case, Yi Wei Dao Jiang is a mercenary group, and someone must have requested the assassination of the Nanming Assembly leader. Of course, due to this request, Yi Wei Dao Jiang was shaken, and the Nanming Assembly was wiped out. I suspected that the powerful black path organizations like the Baijian Assembly and Nantianyang might have planned to eliminate both.

Nan Jialuo said.

"I have no such plan. I have no intention of bowing to the Baijian Assembly or Nantianyang. If it comes to bloodshed, so be it."

I nodded.

"You're straightforward."

It was an expression I often used, so there was no reaction. In any case, a manly man deserves respect.

I made this proposal to Nan Jialuo.

"Listen, Leader Nan, not everyone in the white path is fair, and not everyone in the black path is scum like Ouyang Fu. I distinguish between the good and the bad. If the Baijian Assembly or Nantianyang harass you, I can help."

"..."

Nan Jialuo, who had a puzzled look, burst into laughter, and the waiting officers chuckled.

After laughing for a while, Nan Jialuo said.

"Then, are you asking me to pay tribute?"

"There's no need for that. I don't take tribute from the Black Cat Gang, Black Ship Gang, Shuixian, Sishen, or the subordinates of Yiyang Town. I've already distributed most of Ouyang Fu's wealth to my subordinates. I gave funds to those who wanted to farm, let those who wanted to do business leave, and supported those who wanted to learn carpentry or blacksmithing. Only those who don't know what to do are still clinging to me. In fact, I didn't kill many of Ouyang Fu's subordinates. I think I only killed about five or six. The rest are probably finding their own ways now that the gambling den is gone."

I conveyed that I wasn't the kind of black path leader he thought I was, but Nan Jialuo, who had never seen someone like me, didn't seem to understand.

"To do such things with someone else's money."

"It's useless money to Ouyang Fu anyway. If even one person finds what they truly want to do, it's a better outcome. I don't sympathize with useless people, but I support those who set their minds to do something. I only asked them one thing: to gather under the name Haomen if I ever need help."

I ended up explaining about Haomen as well.

Nan Jialuo asked.

"Then, were you originally the leader of Haomen?"

"Something like that."

I stood up.

"If you want to wage war with me, go ahead. If you want to join Haomen, that's fine too. Whether you're an enemy or an ally, I'll respect your choice. But don't try to extort tribute from me, threaten me, or harass my subordinates. And don't let me hear that the Nanming Assembly is bullying people who don't practice martial arts or do business. If I do, it will be war. Haomen is that kind of organization. I came to explain this myself because such an organization didn't exist before."

I announced to Nan Jialuo, who was listening with wide eyes.

"Think about it and give me an answer."

I glanced around the officers and walked towards the main hall entrance. Then, Nan Jialuo called me.

"Hey, Leader of Haomen."

"What?"

"Shouldn't I see your skills before making a decision?"

I turned to look at Nan Jialuo and smiled.

"Leader Nan, don't act cocky just because you have subordinates. Can you see my skills?"

"..."

I pointed at the officers and said to Nan Jialuo.

"I can line up the people in this main hall in order of their skills just by looking at them."

After reaching the Fighting Rooster realm, my sensitivity to the opponent's aura (氣度) has become more acute.

Aura refers to the overall energy circulating in the body, but when martial artists talk about aura, they often consider the atmosphere, tendencies, and physical completeness as well. Just as a physiognomist can roughly guess a person's character or fate, martial artists can estimate an opponent's skills by sensing their aura.

Nan Jialuo asked me.

"Who looks the strongest here, excluding you?"

It was a natural question, so I answered simply.

"You."

Nan Jialuo stood up.

"Then, let's have a match and continue the conversation. One-on-one."

Hmm, finally a one-on-one match, which I like.

Nan Jialuo said in a calm tone.

"If you lose, all of Haomen's forces will be under the Nanming Assembly. I thought you were crazy for dozing off, but after talking to you, I see you keep your word. Are you willing to accept a match with conditions?"

"If you lose."

Nan Jialuo looked at his subordinates, his brows furrowed, and replied.

"Will that happen? It's ridiculous."

"Ha ha ha ha."

The subordinates finally burst into laughter. I laughed along with the entire Nanming Assembly.

"It's ridiculous. I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. It's absurd. It's unbelievable."

"..."

"It's outrageous and bewildering, making my hair stand on end."

Nan Jialuo, his laughter gone, spoke with a stern expression.

"Enough."

I mimicked Nan Jialuo's expression, furrowing my brows.

"...It's ridiculous."

A man who must win in a verbal battle, a man who has been a wanderer from his past life to this one, a man who deliberately dozed off to create a strange atmosphere during the meeting, a man who came alone and eventually led to a one-on-one match. It might be ridiculous, but that's me.