I woke up to the smell of food.

At least it wasn’t poison—good for these Escort Bureau bastards. I rubbed the gunk out of my eyes, stared for a moment at the sunlight trickling through the window, then got up and headed toward the source of the delicious scent.

When I reached the main hall, the head escort chief and the other escort warriors I saw yesterday were already seated and eating. The moment they saw me, they all froze mid-bite and stared.

I dropped into an empty seat and said in a low voice,

“Food.”

“…”

I took the chopsticks handed to me by the escort next to me and started eating the side dishes. The meal resumed quietly after that.

While I was eating, the head escort chief spoke to me.

“The cargo departed last night.”

I nodded and kept poking at the bland vegetables before starting on some kind of fried dish I didn’t recognize.

When I stayed silent and just kept eating, the head escort chief asked,
“Do you think the Sword-Breaking Society and Nam Cheon-yeong’s side will clash soon?”

“Probably.”

“We’re worried even if Nam Cheon-yeong wins.”

“Why?”

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors about Sa Do-haeng. If he demands higher tributes, how could we possibly refuse? The rumor is that he kills anyone who gets on his nerves without hesitation.”

I snorted.

“Hey, chief escort.”

“Yes.”

“Was the Sword-Breaking Society leader any better? He was the same. And do we really need to talk about money first thing in the morning while eating? The food’s good, the side dishes are clearly high quality. Was the Sword-Breaking Society or your Blue-Eyed Escort Bureau ever poor, while taking all those tributes from everywhere? Don’t whine.”

The escort warriors looked nervous, and the chief, Gong Du-chan, shut his mouth.

I took a drink of water and said,

“You’ve been sucking up to the Black Cat Gang and living pretty well, haven’t you? And now you don’t want to lose anything. My subordinates are going to track down every place that used to be affiliated with the Sword-Breaking Society. If I get reports of you abusing people or treating them like slaves in the name of business, it won’t just end with a friendly breakfast like this. You don’t need to worry about Sa Do-haeng—you should be worried about me coming back.”

“…”

“If the Sword-Breaking Society wins, I’ll clean up the remnants. If Nam Cheon-yeong wins, I’ll beat or kill Sa Do-haeng myself. There’ll be no more tributes. But unlike them, I don’t need money. If you cross the line, though, you’ll be paying tribute in the afterlife—right back to the Sword-Breaking Society’s dead leader.”

I stared down the escort warriors, whose faces had gone pale from sleep to alert.

“Just do your damn job as escort warriors. And don’t let my men catch you doing anything shady.”

After thoroughly grilling them from the moment I woke up, I let my thoughts wander out loud.

“By the way, who’s the cook? This food’s excellent.”

“…”

As the mood shifted awkwardly, the room grew even colder.

A nameless escort warrior in his thirties asked me,

“So, where are you from? You don’t seem like someone from the Martial Alliance.”

“Why not? Do I look like I’m beneath them?”

“Oh, so you are from the Martial Alliance?”

“No. I’d never come from such a shitty place.”

“…”

“I’m from near Namhwa.”

“Ah, I see. Namhwa is famous for that expert called the Great Rakshasa.”

I nodded while sipping my soup.

“He’s famous, all right. His disciples—the Twelve Divine Generals—are well-known too.”

One escort decided to speak without thinking.

“So you’re one of them?”

“I’m not one of them—the Great Rakshasa is dead. I killed him. And half the Twelve Divine Generals are dead too. Lovely breakfast conversation, isn’t it? Don’t you want to hear how I killed them?”

“I don’t.”

“Shame.”

I emptied my rice bowl clean and put down my chopsticks.

“That was great. How much for the escort service?”

As I pulled out my coin pouch, the chief escort said,

“How could we accept payment? Thanks to your warning last night, we’re still alive.”

“Life is life. Escort work is business. How much?”

“Then… we’ll take two standard silver pieces.”

I glared at the chief escort, dead serious.

“Why so expensive? Do I look like some country bumpkin to you?”

“Then… just one.”

I took out two standard silver pieces from the pouch and set them beside the bowl.

“That covers the room, the poison-free meal, and some generosity.”

“Thank you.”

I stood up from the table and looked at the chief escort.

“Chief escort.”

“Yes.”

“Tell all the merchants who’ve been clinging to the Sword-Breaking Society to go back to the way things were. The Society’s going down soon. No more tribute payments. Tell them to act like proper merchants again.”

“Understood.”

“If anyone plays games with stockpiling and price-fixing, tell them I’ll come kill them.”

“Yes.”

“If they keep making shady deals and cutting off people’s livelihoods, I’ll send my subordinates to assassinate them.”

“Yes, I’ll relay the message. But… whose message should I say it is?”

“Tell them it’s from the man who killed the Sword-Breaking Society leader. The expert who stayed one night, ate breakfast, and left. The Black-Clad One.”

“Understood.”

“And listen closely, chief escort.”

“Yes.”

“Anyone caught contacting Ilwido River Crossing will be hunted down and killed. But if they confess and give my men information on Ilwido River Crossing, I’ll let them live. There is no other option.”

“I’ll make that clear too.”

“Before that, you choose one place. Someone you think is in contact with Ilwido River Crossing…”

“Actually, we don’t really—”

“No, just pick based on gut feeling. Where. If you don’t answer, I’ll just stick around until you do. Maybe I’ll use the time to learn the escort trade.”

“…”

I stood at the entrance of the main hall and looked up at the clear sky. The day was bright and cloudless, and my pitch-black clothes didn’t suit it at all.

Still staring at the clear sky, I spoke to the chief escort.

“First, get me a set of escort clothes. This outfit’s way too dark.”

“Yes.”

“Make sure it fits me perfectly.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I briefly compared the value of two silver coins to the cost of the meal, the lodging, and now clothes. The coins still seemed worth more, so I took the leather strap used to wrap around valuable cargo like Black Rabbit Fang and added,

“Nothing else comes to mind?”

After some hesitation, the chief escort finally offered,

“It’s not a merchant, but… I’ve heard a rumor that a Black Cat Gang called the Woonwol Brothers hired assassins to wipe out a rival faction. It’s a place escort warriors visit often…”

“Where?”

“They’ve taken over all the trade around Jeongpyeong Lake.”

“Got it.”

I changed into the escort uniform and left the Blue-Eyed Escort Bureau.

***

Nam Garak decided to stay behind with his subordinates to keep an eye on the movement of both Nam Cheon-yeong’s forces and the Sword-Breaking Society.

Since I’d already laid the groundwork, it was time to sit back and watch the two sides tear each other apart.

I didn’t rush back, figuring I’d just join Nam Cheon-yeong’s forces mid-march if I happened to run into them heading toward the Sword-Breaking Society.

I had gone from the Black-Clad One to a young escort warrior overnight.

With Black Rabbit Fang strapped across my back in a leather harness and my outfit looking sharp, I probably looked like a dashing young escort to most people.

Or not. Whatever.

Anyway, yesterday I was the Black-Clad One. Today, I’m a young escort.

In my past life I was a sword-wielding vagabond. In this one, I’m just an aspiring swordsman. Since the weather was nice, I didn’t bother using light footwork.

Like a lazy young escort, I strolled leisurely, setting off on a solo escort mission only I knew about.

Client: Master of Haomun.
Escort: Escort Yi Zaha.
Cargo: Black Rabbit Fang, slung over my shoulder.
Destination: Jeongpyeong Lake, where the Woonwol Brothers are holed up.

Like an escort who didn’t feel like going back, I slowly made my way south, even took a nap by the lake and spent some time skipping stones across the water.

As I followed the shoreline southeast, stalls and shops gradually became more frequent.

There were a lot of stores I’d never seen before.

One of them was unusually named “Escort Restaurant.” I got curious, wondering if fellow escorts were inside having a meal, but didn’t bother going in.

I kept looking for a quiet spot with fewer people, and that’s when someone behind me suddenly grabbed the leather strap holding Black Rabbit Fang on my shoulder.

…

I yanked the bastard forward by the strap and slapped him across the face without a word.

Smack—a sound you’d hear often in a bustling district. A petty thief was glaring at me.

I didn’t like the look in his eyes, so I slapped him again.

This guy must’ve thought Blue-Eyed Escort Bureau’s men were easy prey.

After the third, fourth, and fifth slap, he finally avoided my gaze. Since he still didn’t apologize or beg, I slapped him a sixth time, and a few of his teeth flew out.

He clearly had no idea he could die here. His eyes were still full of fight.

I stared at him in silence, then gave a slow grin and nodded.

Good. See you later, asshole.

I dropped the thought, walked into a nearby tavern, and sat where I could keep an eye on the entrance before ordering food.

His eyes had been too hostile—he’d definitely come back with friends. I filled my stomach with a bland bowl of noodles and sipped some bitter tea, keeping an eye on the entrance. I asked the jomsoi,

“There’s a black group around here, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What do they do?”

“There’s a gang called the Woonwol Brotherhood. They collect tribute from every shop around Jeongpyeong Lake.”

“So that’s their name?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like a fruit store.”

The jomsoi suddenly clammed up and rushed into the kitchen.

At the entrance, I saw the slapped bastard’s buddies gathering. One of them stepped in as their representative and said to me,

“Brother, if you’re done eating, come outside.”

I motioned him closer like I had something to say, then slapped him too. Smack—he clutched his face and fell flat on his ass.

“Don’t talk down to me.”

This spot was halfway between the Sword-Breaking Society and the Namyeonghui. Most of the lake’s trade was controlled by local black groups, so these idiots probably didn’t know what was happening in the outside world. It was possible they’d accepted the Sword-Breaking Society’s offer and were planning to serve as cannon fodder in the coming turf war.

Technically, I was on my way back. But since I was just waiting for Nam Cheon-yeong to advance anyway, I had time to spare.

Besides, if these thugs were extorting tribute and hiring assassins, it was only right for a man of Jianghu to pay them a visit. That’s what being a true wanderer is about.

I tossed some coins to the jomsoi. He swallowed nervously and said,

“Escort, please be careful.”

“I will.”

When I stepped outside, the two I slapped were standing there, joined by several more in full getup.

Too many for just a petty thief gang.

If someone asked me whether black groups had petty thieves, I wouldn’t know. Bad guys tend to dabble in everything. They might have grave robbers too.

The guys surrounding me spoke in falsely polite tones.

“Brother, let’s not make a scene here. Let’s move somewhere else.”

I nodded.

“Sure, brother.”

Seems like “brother” is the local trend. I blended in and walked with them a bit, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) then said,

“If you’re with the Woonwol Brotherhood, take me straight to your boss.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

The one beside me scowled, so I slapped him.

“Lead the way, you sons of bitches. And stop glaring.”

Suddenly, a blade lunged toward my left flank. I caught it barehanded and used Neck Snap Technique to break the blade in half. Crack—the sword split cleanly.

There was a beat of silence.

One guy reached out and shouted,

“No, wait!”

I flicked the broken blade with Neck Flick Finger Technique, sending it straight into the attacker’s throat.

Thwack!

He couldn’t even scream before collapsing forward, blood gushing from his neck. I sidestepped casually.

Thud…!

One of the thugs quickly blurted out,

“We’re not with the Woonwol Brotherhood!”

“Then what?”

“We’re just a lower group that pays them tribute!”

“Oh yeah? What’s the difference? Lead the way.”

Technically, these guys were wannabes trying to earn their way into the Woonwol Brotherhood.

How much tribute do you have to cough up to start pickpocketing people in broad daylight and show up in full force just because your buddy got slapped? A few of them stood there, stunned, staring at the corpse.

“Hey, ‘brothers,’ if you pull a sword on an escort, you should expect to die. You thought I’d let you live?”

After glancing around at all of them, I continued.

“I’ll start by killing anyone who runs. The rest of you, take me to the Woonwol Brotherhood. Let’s go.”

I unstrapped Black Rabbit Fang from my back and fastened it to my waist.