The table was filled with snacks that had been delivered, and I spoke.

"Eat up. You paid for this with your hard-earned money. Or rather, was it money /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ you made by working young girls to the bone? No? Ah, right, you made it by scamming people—selling third-grade Du Kang Liquor as first-grade. Our esteemed manager of Maehwaru, enjoy your meal."

"Yeah, yeah, I’m already eating plenty."

"There’s no poison in the food, right?"

"We’re eating the same thing, aren’t we? Are you paranoid?"

"Fair point."

Cha Seong-tae had already emptied two jars of liquor along with the food he had bought. I could drink a lot, but he was no lightweight either.

We ate with such reckless abandon that it seemed like we were assaulting the food and liquor rather than consuming it. Cha Seong-tae, frustrated by his wounded pride, kept drinking. As for me, I ate excessively because I had grown too thin.

If I gained weight, I could just train my external martial arts. A perfect solution. With that in mind, I devoured the food like a pig. Once I was done taking care of urgent matters, I planned to focus entirely on martial arts training.

As he picked at his food, Cha Seong-tae said,

"I'm worried about what the Black Cat Gang will do once Jo Ik-yeol is dead and Jo Il-seom follows him."

"If you’re so worried, go train. All you ever do is flap your mouth about concerns and worries. 'What do we do about this? What do we do about that?' Stop whining. Are you storing your worries in your dantian or something? Why the hell do you have so many useless concerns?"

Cha Seong-tae was a man with a temper. As I kept getting on his nerves, his expression twisted, and like a rebellious youth, he snapped back.

"Who the hell are you, huh? You’re not really Zaha, are you? Take off that disguise!"

As I raised a hand, he quickly changed his tone.

"Fine, fine. If those Black Cat bastards get in our way, we’ll just kill them all. I’ll train harder too."

"You think your skills are up to the task?"

"And are yours?"

Hearing him call me 'Mr. Zaha' made me chuckle.

Was it because I was still in my errand boy phase?

Cha Seong-tae’s attitude reminded me of my current position.

Being underestimated as an errand boy was certainly an advantage, but I needed to raise my mastery of Golden Ninefold Roaming Art quickly.

That way, the benefits of being underestimated would be even more pronounced.

As I drank, I told him,

"Once I finish this drink, I’m going to kill Jo Il-seom. If a bastard needs to die, best to get it over with."

"…Are you Guan Yu or something? Drinking and then suddenly deciding to kill someone?"

Even after drinking so much, Cha Seong-tae looked at me in shock.

"The real problem is the youngest, Jo Sam-pyeong, who’s wandering around outside. Where do we even find him?"

"He should be returning soon."

"If he comes back, can you handle him? You’re pretty much worthless in a fight."

Cha Seong-tae’s face darkened.

"I'm Cha Seong-tae."

"So what?"

"I can handle the youngest one myself. Though, with my injured eye, it might be a bit tricky."

"Make up your damn mind. Can you handle him or not? Stop being so vague."

"I’ll wait for the right moment and go for a surprise attack. Haven’t you heard? My nickname is Ambush Commander."

"Ambush Commander."

That was the dumbest title I had ever heard.

Cha Seong-tae was clearly joking to make me laugh, but I didn’t humor him.

"I need time to train before taking on the Black Cat Gang. If I kill Jo Il-seom, I want to know if you can take control of what’s left. You think you can manage those three brothels?"

"What do you mean by 'manage'?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Properly."

"And by 'properly'?"

"People make their living there, so shutting them down isn’t an option. Pay the workers what they’re owed, stop scamming customers by selling cheap liquor at premium prices, and take care of any sick workers. If someone wants to go back home, let them. That would be proper management."

I was such a righteous person.

But Cha Seong-tae's reaction was less than enthusiastic.

"That sounds like a real pain in the ass."

"Too bad. It has to be done."

"Why?"

"Because if you don’t, I’ll ambush our Ambush Commander and send you to join the Jo bastards."

I pointed at his eyepatch.

"If I put you in charge and you still run things like a mess, I’ll ambush you first and send you off."

Cha Seong-tae put down his chopsticks.

"Screw this. I can't take it anymore. The moment something happens, it's 'kill him.' Might as well retire and go live in the mountains."

"Go ahead."

"Ugh."

I threw him a bait.

"Well, if you manage things properly, you’ll get to run all three brothels. But if you’re not ambitious enough, you might as well go meditate in a cave somewhere, living off wild herbs. Just make sure you stay inside and don’t crawl out."

"Why not?"

"Because if you come out looking for some miracle elixir and run into me, I’ll kill you. Got it? If you’re going to run away, find a nice deep forest and drink from a damn spring."

I finished my drink, stood up, and started taking off my clothes.

Cha Seong-tae looked at me in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Take off your clothes, idiot. I need a change."

"What kind of thug—"

Even as he grumbled, he started taking off his clothes.

"Speaking of thugs, Jo Il-seom is a real bastard. Wear my clothes and go kill him. He’s at Ihwaru. No way you can walk into that place dressed like a beggar. A change of clothes is the best plan."

As I put on his clothes, I said,

"Hand over that long robe too."

"This is expensive. It’s my prized outfit for going out."

When I reached for the whip on the table, Cha Seong-tae quickly handed over the robe.

"Here, wear it nicely."

After changing into Cha Seong-tae’s well-kept outfit, I wrapped my Dragon Coil Belt around my waist. I wrapped it three times, making it function like a belt, and the robe covered it well enough that it didn’t give off the impression of carrying a weapon.

I spread my arms and asked,

"How do I look?"

"Oh wow, you look great. An errand boy who doesn’t look like an errand boy anymore. Turns out you’re actually good-looking—you just dressed like a homeless bastard before. Damn, it’s like putting wings on a—"

I smacked him on the head.

"Keep it reasonable."

"Yes, sir."

"You loosen up a little, and sarcasm just comes pouring out of you. Did you develop a habit of getting beaten?"

"Can we stop with the hitting?"

Hearing that only made me want to hit him again.

So I did.

Finally, with a tone of genuine reflection, Cha Seong-tae said,

"I’ll be careful. But can you really take out Jo Il-seom alone? He’s got a lot of subordinates."

"Why would I kill his men? I only need to kill Jo Il-seom. They're just locals. If a fight breaks out and they die, well, that’s that."

As I left the inn for Ihwaru, Cha Seong-tae called after me in disbelief.

"Aren’t you at least going to sober up first?"

"My breath reeks of liquor, I’m dressed well, and I’m broke. Perfect day to visit a brothel."

‘Why the hell would you go to a brothel when you’re broke, you crazy bastard?’

Cha Seong-tae swallowed the words, afraid the errand boy would come back and hit him again.

As I disappeared into the dark streets, he muttered under his breath.

"Good luck, Yi Zaha, you crazy bastard."

Cha Seong-tae sat alone in the now-empty Zaha Inn, sipping his drink as he glanced around.

A strange, unsettling feeling crept over him—he had somehow become the errand boy.

Getting smacked for running his mouth, wearing an errand boy’s clothes—it all added up.

"Another lesson learned today."

He got up to return to Maehwaru but immediately sat back down.

There was no way he could walk back like this. It was too humiliating.

Suddenly, he grabbed his forehead.

Only now did he remember—his hidden stash of money was in the inner pocket of the robe he had just handed over.

"Son of a bitch."

***

I arrived at the front gate of Ihwaru and glared at the gatekeeper. His eyes scanned me from head to toe before our gazes met. As I narrowed my brows on purpose and stared him down, he averted his eyes and spoke.

"Welcome."

It was only natural for him to be intimidated—I was dressed well enough, and there was a sword hanging from my waist.

Rather than entering Ihwaru immediately, I spoke in a sharp tone.

"Is Jo Il-seom inside?"

The gatekeeper, now visibly startled, lowered his head and replied.

"He is. May I ask where you’re coming from?"

"I am Yi Zaha, a messenger from the Black Cat Gang. Lead me to Jo Il-seom."

"Yi Zaha?"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The moment he lifted his head to meet my gaze, my hand struck his cheek.

"Just take me in, bastard. I’m busy. Stop wasting time."

"My apologies."

The gatekeeper, now holding his cheek, turned around and opened the door. He then grabbed an attendant and whispered,

"A guest from the Black Cat Gang. Take him to the Master."

I deliberately glared at everyone I encountered as if I could kill them at any moment. Combined with the fact that they thought I was from the Black Cat Gang, most people avoided making eye contact.

From their perspective, they could only see my chest and below, where my expensive-looking long robe and the dragon-head-adorned longsword at my waist were prominently displayed.

Once again, the dragon-head design on the Dragon Coil Blade’s hilt was excessive. But excessive meant expensive-looking, and that worked to my advantage.

"I will inform Master Jo. Please wait here a moment."

"Tell him to come quickly before I set this place on fire."

"Understood."

Following the attendant, I ascended to the highest floor of Ihwaru, where a spacious banquet hall unfolded before me.

Beyond that, there was an excessively ornate throne-like chair—something you’d expect from the head of a major martial sect or the leader of a powerful family.

‘He’s desperate to build his own faction.’

While looking around the hall, I turned to the maids standing nearby.

"I need to speak with your master alone. Get out."

"Understood."

As soon as the maids disappeared, I sat down in the oversized chair and waited for Jo Il-seom.

Back when I was just an errand boy, I had never spoken to him alone. In fact, whenever I passed him by, I barely even got a proper look at his face.

Now, I was sitting in his chair, waiting for him to arrive. It felt strangely satisfying.

‘I remember him being a big bastard.’

Some men are just naturally massive, with thick bones and overwhelming frames. Jo Il-seom was one of them.

Soon, I heard approaching footsteps. Jo Il-seom entered, adjusting his robe with an annoyed expression.

Somehow, he looked much smaller than I remembered.

He scrutinized me as he spoke.

"This is my first time meeting you."

Everything about this situation—being visited unannounced at this late hour, seeing me seated in his chair, and the way I glared at him without standing up—completely threw him off.

My first words to him were simple.

"Jo Il-seom."

"Yes?"

"You ugly, greasy pig of a bastard. It’s been a while."

"Ho… Hohohoho…"

Jo Il-seom tilted his head and casually walked toward the wall.

"Would you at least introduce yourself first? That was quite the insult. Ah, pardon me, I was called in a hurry."

Even as he spoke, his hand reached for the longsword hanging on the wall. A cautious man, through and through.

"As you may know, I am Jo Il-seom. Apologies for the delayed introduction."

He looked at me, expecting my name in return. Curious about his reaction, I introduced myself in a peculiar way.

"I am Baek-yu."

"Baek-yu? Pardon my asking, but what is your position within the Black Cat Gang?"

I smirked.

"Who said I was from the Black Cat Gang?"

"But that’s what I was told…"

I wanted to see how Jo Il-seom would react to the Twelve Divine Generals, so I introduced myself like this.

"Listen carefully. I am Baek-yu of the Twelve Divine Generals."

"Huh?"

Jo Il-seom’s eyes widened. A moment later, he hesitated before dropping to one knee.

"Jo Il-seom greets Baek-yu of the Twelve Divine Generals."

…Wait, that actually worked?

I just threw that out there, and he immediately kneeled?

Looks like the Twelve Divine Generals really are terrifying figures in this region.