I am a person who doesn’t like a lot of things.
Among them, the thing I hate the most is reward money taken and used by those of the Unorthodox Sects.
Probably because that is what I did for a bit in my past life.
Cleaning up a table, picking up side dishes that fell, mopping the floor, cleaning the dishes, preparing ingredients, cooking, and then collecting your money. You’ll have money if you repeat the same thing for 10 days.
I do the work, and other people earn money.
Once you get used to this, you can get used to anything. But things like these are also what cause my anger to rise. Then you get asked to work for 15 days to get paid the next time.
The moment you feel that you are living in vain, your anger increases further.
The source of anger is the delay in payment. There is a way to solve this, however.
In my previous life, many people who withheld payment with no intention of giving it had died at my hands.
There was simply no other way to solve it.
Just by killing, you can become notorious.
After some time, I decided to search for the brotherhood’s headquarters by asking around among the beggars.
Large and small houses connect for a long distance along the lake shore. My guide then points towards the center.
“The place with five red lanterns in the center is where the leader lives.”
“I understand.”
Many people are outside the house, so they are all looking at me. Someone from the Yunhae Brotherhood then says.
“Why did you bring a service agent?”
I turn to the ones who are with me and say.
“Go and take away the body if you want. If you stay here, you will die.”
The beggars think for a second before turning around without a word. As I walk down the stone path, I tell the people in front of me.
“Guide me to your leader.”
I can hear laughter from around me which is followed by simple replies.
“Get lost.”
“Who are you? The one who said get lost?”
The person who spoke is sitting on a chair while eating something.
“This guy must have gone crazy.”
As I approach the man who spits out his food, I can hear knives being pulled by the people around us.
I look at the oil around his mouth and ask.
“Tasty?”
“You look like you are from a service organization. Are you out of your mind? Insane or something?”
I grab the guy by his neck and lift him up with one hand.
“Kuak.”
This time the door swings open from the inside, and a skinny man looks around from within.
“What is it?”
“I am a service agent and would like to meet with the leader.”
“Huh? A simple agent and not even the agency head?”
After I loosen the grip on the man’s throat, I slap him with the back of my hand.
I then speak to the skinny man.
“I am from the assassin squad, so please guide me.”
The skinny man’s expression changes as soon as I say those words.
“Why come here if the mission is done?”
“I have a task to do.”
“Wait. I will pass the message on.”
I look to my left and right and note that the faces around look slightly calmer. After a while, the door opens again, and the skinny man says.
“Come in.”
I am guided through the main hall and a back door leading to a place that overlooks the lake. There is a place that looks like a sitting area at the end of a bridge. On it, there are people fishing.
As I walk across the bridge and pass by five people, I enter the pier and approach the one who looks like the leader. He then turns his head.
“I am Byeok Sa-un. Sit down.”
There is a small chair next to the window. I elect to not sit, despite him telling me to.
But this man, who looks like a catfish, continues to eye me up and down. His lips are strangely thick, and he has a thin mustache, making him look like a catfish monster.
“You are the leader? You look like a catfish.”
“…”
The man sighs and then looks at me.
“You must have come here to die. What? You’re not from the assassin organization. The sword on your waist isn’t one used by those who kill people secretly. Where are you from?”
Contrary to his appearance, he has good observation skills, so I feel a bit at ease.
“I am the leader of the Low Down Sect. Have you heard of it?”
“The Low Down Sect? This is my first time hearing this name.”
“I am looking for the Reed Crossing the River assassin organization.”
“If you are looking for them, you must have been a target.”
“Why would you say that?”
“That’s simple. It’s because you couldn’t have gotten that information from their men. They are hard to discover because not a single man would speak, even under torture. It is an organization held by its people alone. It is a structure where you would feel despair by talking to one of their leaders. In the end, you will need to kill them all one after another to get to the top. Can you do that? You seem to have limited time. Even if you do try to find a way, I bet you wouldn’t be able to see it to the end. Their requests are expensive, and dealing with them is difficult.”
Who explains in such a kind manner?
He must be seeing the Low Down Sect as just another Unorthodox sect. Suddenly, I can feel the energy from the men on the bridge.
The man then asks me.
“Then is your work done?”
I shake my head.
“Not yet.”
“Say it.”
“The business here seems pretty good.”
“It is good.”
“Do you get paid?’
“We charge protection fees.”
“Who are you protecting the people from?”
“It isn’t about protecting the people from anyone specific. Even if it isn’t me, there are many Unorthodox sects around. I was born and raised here, which left me in charge of this business. Some people do normal things to live, and others don’t. If I invest in people to protect the commercial area, I also spend money on it. I don’t think it’s strange to get rewarded for it, don’t you?”
“Oh…”
I haven’t heard such a speech in a long time.
It is much easier to deal with martial artists, but I will not be pushed around by words.
“You did a great job. The people who died by my hands must have also thought the same. The only difference is our methods. I was almost pickpocketed as soon as I arrived. When I caught them, I was told I was supposed to pay them.”
“Ah, I see.”
“They were ready to rob someone on official duty like me, an outsider who traveled here. You need to pay; meanwhile, the food tastes like trash, and the tea is like water. You talk as if everything is normal when it’s not. Acting like a sage with that face…”
Byeok Sa-un answers me with a smile.
“I don’t know how proud I am that you killed so many great people.”
As I turn around, the fishing people stand up and look at me while blocking the entrance.
They will probably be afraid if they know I had killed the Baijian Society’s leader, but I don’t mention that. I am giving them a chance to live.
“I didn’t come here to ask nicely. Let the catfish come to his senses and disband the brotherhood.”
Byeok Sa-un then stands up and shouts.
“Yah, you bastard!”
It seems like his anger has taken over his senses. I’m not surprised since I know he will act like this.
The man looks at me with his fearsome face.
“What are you, you bastard?”
Byeok Sa-un grabs a dagger from his sleeve and draws it toward my neck. I then grab his wrist and shock him by turning him around.
‘This pathetic bastard.’
As I hold him, I smash his wrist using my internal qi. The sound of a break is clearly heard by everyone. The moment he is about to scream, I kick him away and pull out my dagger.
After my kick sends him into the air, I immediately slash him.
His body is cut into two pieces, falls into the lake, and turns the water red.
I hear footsteps and turn to see his minions approaching with swords, but then they stop.
“…”
I then say to them.
“Are you crazy and still want to do this? Come on.”
I stand still and wait for them to move or to realize the difference between us. I know that despite this place being an Unorthodox sect, there is a variance in each region’s power.
Well, I am strong anyway.
As they continue to hesitate, I sit in a chair and grab a fishing rod.
In this situation where everyone can only stare at me, I say to them.
“Kids… find a way to live.”
Behind me, those minions are feeling troubled. However, unless they are stupid, they won’t be able to act in haste since they have seen the difference in our skills.
I continue speaking, not caring what these people are thinking. Byeok Sa-un must be fish food by now, but let us pretend that he is alive. I have a job, so contact the assassins and bring them here.“
Then, an answer.
“Who am I talking to?”
I get up and look at them.
“Kids…”
Actually, I am not old enough to call them kids. Yet, for the moment, I am using such respectful words. It is to the extent that I begin to wonder if I should be this respectful.
“Come and try to take revenge for this guy’s death anytime. I will welcome any of you with that kind of thought in your head.”
One of the men then asks me.
“But who are you?”
“The one who killed your leader.”
I let them have a bit of extra information to be a bit generous.
“But I also killed the Baijian Society’s leader. The truth is, you would be insane if you wanted to take revenge.”
I then see them start to tremble.
Well, at least they look strong. Among those who are looking at me, there is one who looks lean and tall.
“We will find out and let you know.”
“What is your name?”
“Woo Cheol-jin.”
“Are you the first head?”
“Yes.”
“You will be taking over once I leave. Do the task well if you do not want to lose it.”
Woo Cheol-jin nods his head.
“Yes.”
Without worrying about the details, I turn around and grab the fishing rod. I somehow killed the leader here, but I have no regrets. I think I’ve grown up a lot, considering this ended with just one death instead of a massacre.
Well, people do change.
As I look along the lake’s surface, I see the moon glinting faintly in the dark sky. It seems like the sun is leaving work early too.
As I look at the lake, the moon, and the sunset, I feel a bit lonely after a long while. Originally, I was not a person who was sensitive to such things. I can’t help it, though, when everyone wants to leave.
That doesn’t mean I’m all alone.
It is because I am a person who is used to many things.
The truth is, it is difficult for me to meet women.
I had thought of wanting to be with a beauty in my previous life, but…
The fear of having a family is still rooted in my present self.
First of all, I have eyes that can see the peak of things. Any woman, for me, needs to have both pretty eyes and strong martial arts.
Few are both strong and beautiful.
And those few don’t have any reason to like me.
I checked it in the past.
The fishing rod moves, making me pull on it…
Perhaps I was holding it too tightly, but I caught a catfish. I am shocked and slap it back into the lake.
“Shit.”
I cannot kill two catfishes in a day.
The man who is gradually becoming kinder that’s me.
Suddenly, I think of the words of the ancestors who speak of ruthlessly slaughtering strong men.
Amitabha.
Asura.
I am Mahavairocana.
The Descendant of the King of Infinite Faith.
Die.
.
.
.
I smile while looking at the water.
“Die.”
