Chapter 54: Traditional Black Path

On the night when two assassins in black garments had passed through.

Leader of Dark Sun Sect, Gam Tae-deok, gathered his subordinates in the main hall.

Sitting in a chair, his face was deeply flushed as he roughly rubbed his own head.

The row of burly Renegade Monks stood in formation, watching the mood of their leader. Not one of them dared to let out even the smallest breath.

The men who had gone to pursue the assassins had still not returned. Gam Tae-deok was making every effort not to lose his patience.

“Damn it…”

Gam Tae-deok’s face grew redder and redder.

The hall was so silent that everyone could hear his breathing.

It became quicker and harsher, and at times he exhaled in long bursts as if trying to suppress his anger.

“Amitabha…”

Gam Tae-deok chanted a Buddhist prayer.

He had never once in his life crossed the threshold of a temple, yet because he shaved his head, wore a kasaya, and occasionally muttered chants, he often felt as if he truly were a monk.

The reason he had come to pose as a Renegade Monk was simple. First, in his youth, all his hair had been cut off in a fight, and the look suited him well. Second, even in the Black Path, posing as a Renegade Monk carried weight.

Lastly, chanting Buddhist prayers genuinely helped him calm his anger.

“The Buddha once said this.”

“Yes…”

Gam Tae-deok paused, trying to recall something appropriate.

But no passage came to mind.

A brief silence fell.

“When the hell are the men who went out coming back?”

“Did the Buddha say that?”

Gam Tae-deok turned his gaze toward the subordinate who had spoken. The man, realizing his mistake as soon as their eyes met, lowered his head.

“…I apologize.”

Gam Tae-deok crooked a finger at him. Despite his monk-like garb and bald head, the gesture was a typical Black Path mannerism.

The subordinate shuffled forward hesitantly. Gam Tae-deok’s breathing reached its peak.

Smack—!

The palm of his hand, wide as a pot lid, struck the subordinate’s cheek. The man’s neck twisted with a crack and he collapsed to the ground.

“F*cking Amitabha.”

Gam Tae-deok spat out a curse.

He looked down at the limp subordinate and jerked his chin.

Immediately, others came forward and dragged the man away. Luckily, he still seemed to be alive.

Just then—

The men who had gone to chase the assassins returned to the main hall. They looked as though they had run without pause, their breathing heavy.

“What happened?”

“We lost them.”

“And you say that so proudly?”

The one reporting frowned slightly but answered.

“They were too fast for us to ever catch in the first place.”

“I see.”

Gam Tae-deok beckoned for the man to come closer. The subordinate shook his head in refusal.

Gam Tae-deok widened his eyes.

“I said come here, bastard.”

“The Buddha advised against violence.”

“What the hell is wrong with this guy?”

Gam Tae-deok spoke in disbelief.

Not only him, but the others looked equally baffled. Perhaps the man had not seen what had just happened to the one who had been struck down.

But the subordinate remained confident. Of course, he had his reasons—he knew his leader’s nature well.

Though Gam Tae-deok had a fierce temper, he was not someone who ignored results. Holding up a scrap of cloth, he declared proudly.

“When everyone else wanted to give up and return, I kept searching alone and found this.”

“What is it? Just get over here first, bastard.”

Regardless, the man unfurled the cloth. It was the torn black martial arts uniform of an assassin.

“And that is?”

“Yes, this is the clothing that assassin was wearing. Here, you can even see the mark from when Leader struck him last.”

“You were told to bring back the assassin, and instead you bring me clothes?”

Since the subordinate refused to approach, Gam Tae-deok decided he would go to him instead. As he strode forward, the subordinate continued boldly.

“I found it at Mount Shifang.”

Gam Tae-deok halted in his tracks. Mount Shifang—that was where Azure Wild Valley was located.

In that instant, the nonsense the assassins had shouted earlier flashed vividly in his mind.

“A Clear Night!”

Assassin, Mount Shifang, Clear Night…

Gam Tae-deok quickly pieced it together. It felt as though lightning had struck his head.

“Well done. Now go to Azure Wild Valley and ask those rats why they dared to attack Dark Sun Sect. Ask if they’re looking to die.”

The subordinate grinned.

“I already asked. Having gone all the way to Mount Shifang and found this, how could I just come back?”

“Hoh…!”

Gam Tae-deok was truly impressed. Who would have thought a genius like this was hiding among all these blockheads?

The subordinate continued.

“The answer they gave was laughable.”

“What did they say?”

“They said—‘Who do you think you are to come here spewing nonsense? Do you want to die?’ That was their reply.”

Gam Tae-deok’s face flushed even redder, deeper than a ripe autumn apple.

The breath escaping his lips felt hot enough to melt iron.

At last, he spoke to his subordinates like a proclamation.

“This means war. Everyone prepare.”

The fake monks of Dark Sun Sect raised their fists high and let out a thunderous shout. Had anyone from Shaolin seen this sight, they would have surely clutched their forehead.

Twilight Pavilion.

The most bustling pleasure house in Deyang.

Everyone who worked in Twilight Pavilion lived by one supreme principle.

‘Never strike a guest.’

It was a rather unusual rule.

But the reason was simple—every single worker in Twilight Pavilion was a martial artist of the Black Path.

The top floor of Twilight Pavilion.

In a quiet room, a slender middle-aged man sat reading by the light of a lantern.

From outside came the hurried sound of someone running noisily up the stairs.

“Master of the House! Trouble has arisen!”

The middle-aged man, Cha Hui-myeong, Master of Twilight Pavilion, frowned and set his book down on the desk.

“Enter.”

Creak, thud.

The door opened smoothly, as if well maintained, and a pale-faced man entered the room.

“Master of the House, assassins infiltrated Dark Sun Sect.”

“What? And then?”

“Some of their brutes died, but overall the damage was not great. However, the Leader of Dark Sun Sect suddenly declared war on Azure Wild Valley.”

“What?”

The Master of Twilight Pavilion was taken aback.

Something about the flow of the story sounded strange.

“Wait. I know it’s urgent, but don’t skip over it. Tell it again slowly.”

“…That is all. Two assassins wreaked havoc in Dark Sun Sect, and the Leader of Dark Sun Sect declared war on Azure Wild Valley. That’s the end.”

The Master of Twilight Pavilion pressed his forehead.

A wave of dizziness hit him hard.

“Has that bastard gone mad?”

“…He seems about the same as usual.”

“Of course. He was always an idiot. Damn it, at a time when we should be uniting over the Hwa-un Trading Company’s affairs, why the hell are they doing this?”

The Master of Twilight Pavilion felt stifled.

Though they were all called the Four Great Black Path Gangs of Deyang, he and the others were fundamentally of a different level.

Twilight Pavilion was a business of the traditional Black Path—meaning, a black path force built upon the tributes and profits from brothels and taverns.

In other words, like the other famous overlords of the Black Path, he was a “Traditional Black Path.”

But the others were different.

Four Dragons River Gang, which ran Flame King Loans, was more akin to corrupt merchants than true Black Path. Dark Sun Sect, in truth, was a gathering of lunatics—more like a religious cult than a Black Path force.

And the assassin group Azure Wild Valley needed no explanation. From the start, it was baffling that assassins were classified as Black Path at all.

“Still, I associated with them. Why? Because the massive profits of the Hwa-un Trading Company lay before us.”

But then, the Gang Leader of Four Dragons River Gang suddenly died. That was often the fate of those who made their living through loans. They were closer to merchants than martial artists, and in failing to recognize true masters, they ended up in such a state.

It was said the two mysterious masters who had visited Four Dragons River Gang repeated several times that they had come to repay a debt.

“Wait.”

The Master of Twilight Pavilion’s gaze sharpened.

“There were two assassins, you said?”

“Yes.”

“And where is the Leader of Dark Sun Sect now?”

“He has declared that at dawn he will march on Azure Wild Valley.”

“Why not right away? With his temper, it wouldn’t be strange if he went immediately.”

“Well… He lost control of his anger and beat a few of his subordinates to death. There’s been some quarreling inside.”

The Master of Twilight Pavilion shut his eyes tightly.

Good. That was actually for the best.

“I’ll go myself.”

“Yes? Shall I assemble an escort?”

“No. I’m going to see those fake monks. What escort? People would laugh if they heard.”

With that, the Master of Twilight Pavilion threw on the black robe that hung on his chair and left.

The subordinate left behind glanced at the book his master had been reading. Despite living in the Black Path, his master never abandoned study, and for that, he felt genuine respect.

He stepped closer and checked the cover.

Perversions of the Lust Demon.

“…”

The title alone made its contents easy to guess. He decided to act as though he had seen nothing and walked out.

His respect diminished slightly.

When Cha Hui-myeong arrived at Dark Sun Sect, a gatekeeper barred his way. The man exuded a unique air of authority from his imposing frame.

‘They might be lacking in intelligence, but they can certainly be put to good use this way.’

Cha Hui-myeong thought he might recruit a couple of them as gatekeepers for himself if things went well.

Cha Hui-myeong stared at the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper stared back.

“Move aside, man.”

“…The Leader has ordered that no one be allowed in.”

“I’m not just anyone.”

“Even so, I cannot allow it.”

The gatekeeper was taller by two whole heads. Cha Hui-myeong was indeed rather slender, but Dark Sun Sect’s martial artists were all abnormally large in build.

Thus, the gatekeeper looked down at him.

“What’s with your eyes?”

“My apologies. But you still cannot enter.”

The gatekeeper’s tone was stiff. No—beyond stiff, there was even a hint of insolence.

The martial artists of Dark Sun Sect believed they were the strongest in Deyang.

Four Dragons River Gang was beneath them, assassins would be no match in a fair fight, and even the supposedly tough Twilight Pavilion seemed feeble to them, given the thin, wiry build of its members.

“At this rate, he’ll make me strike him.”

“Please return.”

“Heh heh…”

Cha Hui-myeong chuckled low.

The gatekeeper’s eyes hardened. To see such a scrawny man laugh in front of him made him want to beat him bloody.

Cha Hui-myeong briefly scanned his surroundings.

Confirming that no one else was around—

Smack—!

He lightly slapped the gatekeeper’s cheek. The massive man, built like an ancient tree, fell over at once.

Cha Hui-myeong flexed his wrist lightly.

“Bastard, are you looking to die?”

In his mind, Deyang was a place riddled with problems. The fact that idiots like this paraded as members of the Black Path was proof enough.

Cha Hui-myeong opened the gates and strode inside.

Every gaze turned to him.

The Leader of Dark Sun Sect, who had been beating his subordinates, glared at Cha Hui-myeong.

“Cha Master, what brings you here? Where’s the gatekeeper who should be outside?”

“He seemed very tired. I let him sleep and came in quietly.”

“You damn fool! Someone go out and thrash that gatekeeper.”

At his order, three martial artists of Dark Sun Sect went out and began beating the sleeping man.

Cha Hui-myeong laughed heartily as he approached the Leader of Dark Sun Sect.

“My friend, why are you beating your subordinates for no reason?”

“This is an internal matter of our sect. Why have you come?”

“I heard you mean to wage war against Azure Wild Valley.”

The Leader of Dark Sun Sect grinned and nodded.

“That’s right. I’ve long been waiting for this. Since when have assassins belonged to the Black Path? Won’t you join me? Let’s set fire to Azure Wild Valley together.”

“…My friend.”

“What is it?”

“Do you have any proof that Azure Wild Valley was behind this incident?”

The Leader proudly displayed the black martial arts uniform. It was what they had found on Mount Shifang, where Azure Wild Valley resided.

“That’s not what I asked. I asked if that constitutes clear proof.”

Cha Hui-myeong pressed on the essence of the matter.

The Leader’s expression wavered for a moment, then he shook his head.

“It may not be direct proof. But that’s not what’s important.”

“…Then what is?”

“What’s important is that I’ve never liked them.”

Cha Hui-myeong felt a wave of dizziness. Every time he spoke with this bald-headed fool, his head ached.

“Listen. Since when does any assassin reveal his affiliation while slashing about in someone else’s courtyard? You said they shouted ‘Clear Night,’ didn’t you?”

“Yes. That was confidence. It was mockery and scorn directed at us. Do you not know the nature of the Leader of Azure Wild Valley? That man has always looked down on us, treating us with contempt.”

On us, or rather you, Cha Hui-myeong thought, but swallowed the words.

Letting out a long sigh, he said:

“Leader, in my eyes, this was not the work of Azure Wild Valley. I have someone else in mind.”

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