Chapter 84. Because I'm a Man 2

During my days as a waiter, I thought that martial artists in the jianghu only fought one-on-one, honorably. I believed that only those who hadn't properly learned martial arts would rush in and fight in a chaotic mess.

However, once I entered the jianghu, I realized that both the black and white paths, as well as the demonic path, would use every trick, strategy, and scheme to win, often engaging in group battles.

The chivalrous martial artists I had imagined were surprisingly few.

In the midst of this, the lone high-level practitioners who tried to act noble without any backing were often overwhelmed by numbers and met their end in vain.

I never liked that.

One-on-one is the best way to fight.

It's the cleanest, most decisive, and the most primal and fundamental form of combat.

As we moved from the hall to a wide open space, Nan Lianfeng limited the spectators to only the officers. With a single command, everyone who was wandering around the area disappeared.

Nan Jialuo, who had taken up a position in the open space, crossed his arms and asked me, "Pavilion Master, what will it be?"

I replied as if I were ordering food at a tavern, "Anything."

"Choose."

I crossed my arms like Nan Jialuo and responded, "You choose. I've learned a variety of skills, so pick something you're confident in."

Nan Jialuo seemed to be deep in thought, so I helped him make a decision.

"Looking at your mask, I feel like giving you a beating. As the leader of the Southern Brightness Society, you haven't been hit, right? Let's go with bare hands first. Beating that unlucky face of yours would make your subordinates happy, wouldn't it? What do you think?"

Nan Jialuo laughed bitterly, looking bewildered.

"Crazy kid. You're not in your right mind."

"If you're scared, use weapons. If you're confident, come at me with bare hands."

While Nan Jialuo was thinking, I threw Hei Miao'er, which was at my waist, to the ground. Nan Jialuo uncrossed his arms and silently approached me.

We were about the same height.

As Nan Jialuo closed the distance, he asked, "Ready to get hit?"

I chuckled, and Nan Jialuo threw a punch.

Whoosh!

As I tried to grab his wrist with the Golden Finger Technique, Nan Jialuo retracted his hand and swept the ground with his left foot.

I dodged the low kick by taking a step back.

Nan Jialuo then threw a palm strike at my face.

I supported my legs with my inner strength to gauge Nan Jialuo's palm power and countered with a punch.

A loud thud echoed, and Nan Jialuo's shoulder was pushed back. This time, a double palm strike came at me.

I instantly recognized it as a feint and, to confirm Nan Jialuo's technique, I pushed off the ground and created a distance of about three zhang (about 9 meters) to observe him.

Nan Jialuo's expression became serious.

If I had beaten Nan Jialuo right away, everyone would have been unhappy. But now, the situation is different.

I need to gain the entire Southern Brightness Society, not just recruit Nan Jialuo as a talent. I intended to fight him properly.

I suddenly thought:

If I don't give it my all, Nan Jialuo might realize it later and feel offended. I changed my mind about going easy on him and glared at him.

I channeled the power of the Fighting Rooster into my body, wrapping my hands in the aura of the Flame Rooster. The officers watching finally realized something was off and murmured.

"Huh?"

"Hmm."

I felt my body heat up from the Fighting Rooster's power and warned Nan Jialuo, "President Nan, be careful."

I stomped the ground and closed the distance in an instant, extending a double palm strike.

Nan Jialuo, whose eyes widened, countered with a double palm strike.

I wrapped my hands in the aura of the Flame Rooster.

Boom!

Nan Jialuo's body flew back like a straight corpse. I simultaneously leaped into the air, raised my right hand, and prepared to cut him in half without a sword, wrapping it in the aura of the Flame Fragrance.

As I performed the downward strike, a red blade fell onto Nan Jialuo's head as he suddenly stood up.

Nan Jialuo's face contorted, and he wrapped his hands in defensive palm power.

Suddenly, a loud boom like a drum exploding echoed, and Nan Jialuo's body was pushed back about three zhang (about 9 meters). Rolling on the ground, Nan Jialuo tore off his torn robe with one hand and stood up.

Nan Jialuo's expression had turned into that of a beast. But to me, he looked like a nasty tavern cat.

'Good expression.'

I intended to overwhelm him with my best effort and then deal with the situation. Without giving him a break, I closed the distance and attacked him with a mix of Flame Fragrance, Water Element's palm strike, kicks, and the techniques of the Flame Rooster, pummeling him one-sidedly.

Nan Jialuo retreated with each block, his face trembling, and he darted around like a startled cat while maintaining his fighting spirit. During this time, I used the Absorption Technique with my left palm and poured the Fighting Rooster's palm strike into Nan Jialuo's body.

Nan Jialuo, with his chin raised, was pulled in and countered with a double palm strike.

Boom!

As soon as Nan Jialuo blocked the Fighting Rooster's palm strike, he spat out a mouthful of blood and rolled on the ground several times. If I maintained the power of the Flame Rooster, it would look good enough for the subordinates to see, but the Fighting Rooster is different.

It's normal for him to spit blood or roll on the ground each time he blocks my attack.

Initially, my level in the Fighting Rooster is higher than Nan Jialuo's.

To snap him out of it, I floated in the air and kicked his face.

Crack!

Nan Jialuo barely rolled to avoid it and stood up by striking the ground with his right hand. While I was in the air, I considered his reaction speed and performed a flying kick.

Thud!

I attacked with this strange movement to give him time to block.

Nan Jialuo crossed his arms to block the kick, frowned, and took a step back. I moved quickly, like hiding my figure, and slashed his neck with a sword technique, using my right arm like a whip.

Nan Jialuo, seeing an opportunity, blocked my arm with his left hand and threw a palm strike with his right hand. I forcibly injected power to change the trajectory, grabbed his collar, and pulled his extended wrist with my left hand, throwing him into the air.

Whoosh!

Nan Jialuo flew into the air like a scarecrow, spinning.

During this time, I quickly moved to the point where he would land.

Nan Jialuo shouted in the air.

"Draw your sword!"

Nan Jialuo declared his challenge and drew his sword in the air, swinging it wildly to buy time.

When Nan Jialuo safely landed, his whole body was trembling. He extended his trembling sword towards me and said, "Pavilion Master, bring your sword."

Nan Jialuo's breathing was heavy, his eyes bloodshot, and his face was completely red. Pride dominated him more than any other emotion.

"Bring your sword!"

I smiled at Nan Jialuo's anger. Thinking of giving him a break, I said calmly, "Let's do it."

I extended my left hand and used the Absorption Technique to pull Hei Miao'er, which was quite far away. Hei Miao'er, which had been slightly moving, suddenly rushed to my hand like it was caught in a whirlwind.

Thud!

Without saying anything, I drew Hei Miao'er and infused it with the power of the Flame Rooster. The sword glowed red. After making a circle near my head, I held it vertically and infused it with the aura of the Flame Fragrance.

Whoosh!

Red mist began to flutter around the blade.

As I poured external and internal power into my right hand and switched to the Fighting Rooster, the red mist aligned, and the blade calmed down. Instead, the blade of Hei Miao'er turned purple, as if it had soaked in a lot of blood.

I moved the vertically held blade slightly to the right and met Nan Jialuo's eyes.

"Pavilion Master, are you ready to die?"

"..."

The officers watching together said to Nan Jialuo, "President?"

Their tone seemed to suggest, "Let's stop."

Nan Jialuo, staring at my purple blade, knew that continuing the fight would result in a greater defeat than the bare-handed match.

In this situation, Nan Jialuo needed to be calm rather than proud.

Nan Jialuo moved his lips and said calmly, "There's no need to check your sword technique. I lost."

Nan Jialuo, who had instantly calmed down, took a deep breath and sheathed his sword.

I glared at Nan Jialuo and gradually reduced the power I had infused into Hei Miao'er. The blade, which had glowed purple, gradually turned white, as if it was calming down. I sheathed Hei Miao'er and said to Nan Jialuo, "A calm mindset is also a skill. You ended it appropriately."

I understand the hearts of proud men. Nan Jialuo needs time. At such times, comfort from subordinates is also necessary. Just leaving him alone is the best course of action. Although he is a proud man, he is also a man with a strong sense of responsibility, so he will return to his original self.

I looked around the Southern Brightness Society as if I had no lingering thoughts and said to Nan Jialuo and his subordinates, "See you again."

I didn't make any demands, didn't mock the entire Southern Brightness Society, and just turned around.

After I had taken a few steps, Nan Jialuo asked in a low tone, "Pavilion Master, how about a cup of tea?"

"Next time."

I suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky. It had rained a few days ago, but today the weather was very sunny.

"Clouds..."

Nan Jialuo, seemingly concerned, asked from behind, "What will happen in the future?"

I looked at the passing clouds and replied, "It will work out somehow. Huaomen is Huaomen, and the Southern Brightness Society is the Southern Brightness Society. If there's a chance, let's fight again. If the officers of the Southern Brightness Society want to fight me, they can tell me later. If they are as confident as their president, I welcome them anytime."

I finally turned to look at the Southern Brightness Society. Everyone was looking at me. After choosing my words, I said to them, "If the Sword Society or the Southern Heaven Alliance harass you, contact Huaomen."

Nan Jialuo replied, "If we contact you?"

I held Hei Miao'er slightly with my left hand and replied, "It will be war."

I could have added more, but I didn't.

The choice is Nan Jialuo's.

Whether to stay with the Southern Brightness Society and die like in my previous life or to change his fate with Huaomen. I don't want to force the fate of a person and a sect.

But if Nan Jialuo's heart changes, his fate will also change.

'Heaven will forgive the changed fate, I suppose.'

After parting with the Southern Brightness Society, I had various thoughts on my way back to the Black Cat Manor.

One thing is clear:

To change fate, one must first change their heart.

Not just Nan Jialuo, but me as well.

For both of us, as men, it's really not easy to change our hearts. But how could changing fate be easy?

It's a difficult task from the start.

Nan Jialuo is probably nursing his wounded pride and trying to calm his heart, but it's the same for me. Acting like a normal jianghu person instead of a madman left my head somewhat confused.

But didn't I handle it well enough?

Muyang Bai's voice echoed in my ear throughout the fight.

'What if we try to make the madness appear only when it meets a strong opponent?'

Every time I thought about grabbing Nan Jialuo's collar and smashing his mask with my fist, I pondered Muyang Bai's words.

I needed to train and cultivate my heart to transform from a raging madness to a cold, clear madness. Like how the surface of a river remains calm even as large and small fish bite and tear at each other beneath.

I need a river-like peace. As I walked, I hummed like the tavern waiters sweeping the streets.

"Give me a river-like peace, give me a river-like peace, give me a sea-like madness, give me a springing madness..."

...

...

...

It's overflowing.