When the underworld factions suddenly emerge as the most fearsome forces in Jianghu, there is always one common factor.

It happens when the members regard one another as true brothers.

These kinds of factions make it difficult to gauge their strength based [N O V E L I G H T] on numbers alone. When one of their own dies, they fight with a terrifying ferocity.

In my opinion…

That is the true nature of the underworld.

The power wielded by martial artists can generally be classified into internal energy and external strength, but the power that arises from human rage defies common sense.

Naturally, these men were not a tightly bonded underworld faction that considered each other brothers.

After all, their leader had just died, and yet not a single one of them stepped forward.

I glanced at the table and saw that the food was slowly growing cold.

"Let's eat first while we talk. Look at this feast."

I picked up my chopsticks, sampling various dishes while watching the men kneeling before me.

One of them cautiously asked,

"Will you spare us?"

Tearing off a chunk of roasted chicken with my teeth, I replied,

"That would be difficult. Why should I?"

The moment I uttered the words difficult, several of them exchanged glances.

Seeing this, I warned them.

"They say even a dog isn't disturbed while eating. If you turn me into a dog during my meal, I’ll kill you in a way far crueler than your Pavilion Lord. Stay calm. Unless you want to die."

The ones who had been contemplating escape or resistance immediately went silent again upon hearing my strange threat.

The same man spoke up once more.

"Is there something you want from us? If you plan to kill us all, we have no choice but to fight until the end. Give us a way out."

I looked at the man who had mixed a plea with a veiled threat.

"Are you a negotiator? How about revealing your identity before making offers?"

The man, who looked rather unremarkable for an underworld figure, tied his ponytail back and answered.

"My name is Sa Ma-bi, an undercover inspector."

"Sa Ma-bi…"

I searched my memories of my past life.

Most of these men had been executed alongside Ban Sa-ung due to their involvement with him, so I had little information on them. While I had a strong grasp of the future, unknown figures like him were less likely to be in my records.

"What do you think just happened here?" I asked.

Sa Ma-bi, desperate to survive, answered honestly.

"Something completely unexpected."

"You never imagined I would win, did you?"

"That’s correct. To be even more frank, if your skills had been on par with the Pavilion Lord’s, we would have intervened and turned the tide of battle."

"And yet?"

"But… it didn’t seem like you were using your full strength, so I held back some of the more agitated men."

"Impressive. ‘A pawn conceals his martial arts, yet you saw through my ploy.’"

"Hmm…"

I had done the same in my past life.

Hiding one's strength was always an effective and entertaining strategy.

I observed Sa Ma-bi’s gaze and his facial features carefully before remarking,

"Your surname is Sa Ma…? You have the face of a strategist."

Despite the compliment, Sa Ma-bi remained tense.

"You can read faces as well?"

I pointed at him with a stripped chicken bone.

"You have the face of a military strategist, so I’ll spare you. The quick-witted survive—it's the natural order. You pass."

Sa Ma-bi looked stunned.

"Wait… what about the others?"

"Who’s to say one of them won’t run to the Black Cat Gang?"

"We would never betray you."

"That’s wishful thinking. If a war with the Black Cat Gang breaks out right now, it’ll be a nuisance for me. All of you—except Sa Ma-bi—attack me. Come at me all at once if you want."

I casually tossed the chicken bone aside, as if preparing for another fight.

"Wait!"

Sa Ma-bi urgently shouted, trying to calm his agitated comrades before turning back to me.

"What if we swear never to report this to the gang?"

I gave him a cold smile.

"And how could I possibly believe that? It’s impossible."

"Then do you trust me?"

I stared at him.

"Are you saying you’d report it? Judging by your way with words and your appearance, you seem like the next person in charge."

"That’s correct."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"If you return to the gang and report this, do you really think you'll survive? Even if you do, you’ll be treated like a cripple for the rest of your life. You stood by and watched as Ban Sa-ung died without lifting a finger. Whether you live or die, your reputation is ruined. The same goes for the rest of you—you won’t be rising through the ranks in the Black Cat Gang after this. Half of you are already as good as traitors."

At that moment, Sa Ma-bi realized the brutal truth.

That was the reality of the Black Cat Gang.

Moreover, despite being an inspector, he had turned a blind eye to Ban Sa-ung’s embezzlement, making him just as guilty.

As I reached for my sword, Sa Ma-bi hastily said,

"I have an idea! Please, just listen before you decide. I beg you."

I chuckled.

"Wow, already? Even Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi would have needed to be reincarnated before they could come up with a plan that fast."

"We should embezzle the money from this lodge ourselves. All of us. Openly commit the crime."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold wind swept through the lodge.

Sa Ma-bi spoke in an earnest tone.

"There is a massive sum of stolen money hidden in this lodge. If the higher-ups find out, the entire Golden Phoenix Pavilion will be wiped out, because we all helped Ban Sa-ung steal it."

"And how do you plan to reveal this?"

"Simple. We move the money ourselves, carrying it to Ilyang County in broad daylight. If we personally transport the stolen funds, we become undeniable accomplices. There’s no way out for us."

"If word gets out, won’t the Black Cat Gang flood into Ilyang County?"

Sa Ma-bi nodded.

"This is a scorched-earth strategy. And given that you were willing to kill Ban Sa-ung, you must have already prepared for some level of conflict. We’ll throw in our lot with you. By keeping our mouths shut, we buy you time. And honestly… it’s still a better option than dying right now."

He was mistaken about one thing.

Even if the entire Black Cat Gang came after me, they wouldn’t be able to capture me.

Compared to Tianluo Net of the Martial Alliance, they were nothing more than wannabe martial artists showing off in military academies. Compared to Tianluo Net of the Demonic Cult, they were less than a speck of dust.

I had spent years surviving under both of those nets.

There was no need for empty bravado, so I simply said,

"That’s not a bad plan. Ban Sa-ung is dead—this was bound to happen anyway. I’ll oversee the transport while you move the money. A crime is best committed together."

Believing he had successfully saved his comrades, Sa Ma-bi enthusiastically spoke like a proper strategist.

"There are ways to shift the blame for Ban Sa-ung’s disappearance. The Black Lotus Guard and the Twelve Divine Generals are currently at odds, after all."

I cut him off.

"Sa Ma-strategist, let’s not drag the Twelve Divine Generals into this. That would be a pain."

"Did you just call me strategist?"

I looked at him seriously.

"Your surname is Sa Ma, isn’t it?"

"Yes."

"Then you’re Sa Ma the strategist. Not quite a Grand Strategist yet, but you’re getting there."

"Hmm."

In Jianghu, when a faction seeks a strategist, they always look for someone with the surname Sa Ma or Zhuge.

Why?

I have no idea.

How could I possibly know everything about this world?

Whether Sa Ma-bi was flustered or not, I had already recruited him as my strategist.

"We need to reach Ilyang County within one shichen. Sa Ma-strategist, you'll oversee the front of the convoy, while I’ll cover the rear. If any bandit-like fools try to interfere, kill them without question. Let’s go."

Sa Ma-bi replied promptly.

"Understood."

He then gathered his comrades, speaking to them as if to settle the disorder.

"This is our only way to survive. Things have been shaky for a while now. If another inspector from a different organization had come snooping around, this mountain lodge would have been raided long ago. And if our Pavilion Lord had died, we would have been discarded like used rags anyway. What do you all think?"

Sa Ma-bi had originally been caught in Ban Sa-ung’s corruption scheme, receiving bribes laced with subtle threats. He had no way out.

"We'll do as you say."

I left the black fund transport operation in Sa Ma-bi’s hands and returned to my meal, picking at my food with my chopsticks.

Noticing Hyeok Ryeon-hong wandering around with a pale face, I called out to him.

"Our dear Hyeok Ryeon-hong, it’s good to see you alive again. Come here."

"Ah, yes."

Hyeok Ryeon-hong hesitated as he approached.

Having witnessed Ban Sa-ung’s death, unable to even resist, he was completely intimidated.

I asked,

"You’re not planning to bolt, are you? Your eyes are darting all over the place."

"N-No. I wouldn’t dare."

"Right? Don’t even think about it. I’m much faster than you. The only place you’d be running to is hell. But since today’s weather is so pleasant, I think I’ll settle for just killing Ban Sa-ung. Don’t show off your quick feet in front of me. Don’t make me kill more people."

"Yes."

"As you know, seeing blood right after a meal makes me queasy."

Hyeok Ryeon-hong’s face turned even paler.

"This is the best option. If things go south, my only choice is to kill all of you. If you were skilled swordsmen like Ban Sa-ung, that would be one thing, but cutting down a bunch of weaklings just puts me in a bad mood. Don’t make me do it. Understood?"

"Understood."

I had never cared much for money, so I wasn’t particularly thrilled about acquiring all of this wealth.

I planned to spend it on constructing martial inns or clan halls, and if there was any left over, I’d buy some cheap elixirs to snack on.

As soon as I earned money, I intended to scatter it like petals in the wind.

Because in the life of a martial artist, where you never know when you’ll fall off a cliff, money was never the most important thing.

Remember this.

Money is meant to be earned and spent.

As long as I could eat three bowls of rice soup a day and beat the crap out of crazy monkeys, I would be satisfied.

That… was what true peace and contentment meant to me.

***

I returned like a triumphant general, leading Ban Sa-ung’s stolen wealth and his former subordinates back into town. The merchants all came out to watch as I paraded the convoy through the streets.

While the black fund was safely transported into Maehwaru, I spoke to Sa Ma-bi.

"Regardless, the embezzlement was a success."

Sa Ma-bi nodded.

"Indeed. Since we personally transported the stolen funds, we have erased any justification to return to the Black Cat Gang. Thank you for your generosity."

I replied in a calm tone.

"No need for gratitude. I never planned to spare anyone who caused trouble here anyway."

"I will ensure that no one steps out of line. I’ll keep things in order."

"Also, think about what to do with the remaining men."

"What kind of work do you have in mind?"

"This place is a commercial hub. You can’t just sit around training in martial arts like some underworld gang. There’s innkeeping, blacksmithing, construction, and tavern work. But they can’t be placed in pleasure houses—too many women around, too much potential for trouble. Discuss it with your men."

"Understood."

"I have many sub-organizations. If we end up taking in more underworld folks, I’ll temporarily establish Black Gate as a separate faction. Until then, just do normal work. If any of them are so useless that they can’t even handle regular labor… well…"

I paused mid-sentence, a faint chill running through me.

I had just remembered Gaedu noodles.

"Understood. But you mentioned many sub-organizations. What is the main organization?"

Watching Sa Ma-bi’s expression, I said,

"We are the Greatest Under Heaven Hao Clan."

"Hao Clan…? I’ve never heard of it."

I frowned.

"Seriously? You’ve never heard of it?"

"Ah, no. My apologies. My knowledge is limited…"

"It’s fine. I only just made it up a short while ago. But the important part isn’t that it’s half-assed—it’s that I made it."

Sa Ma-bi, struggling to grasp my reasoning, quickly adjusted his expression and nodded.

"Ah, I understand."

He found it odd.

Hao was a word used to refer to the lowliest and filthiest of people—an unfitting name for a martial clan. But he wisely chose not to voice his opinion.

Seeing his dazed expression, I asked,

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

"Ah, well… Since you said ‘Greatest Under Heaven,’ I was contemplating that part."

I smirked.

"It means we are the greatest bottom-feeders under heaven."

Sa Ma-bi immediately understood.

"Ah…"

"What? You don’t think that fits?"

"No, it fits. I… I was the same. I’ve always been at the bottom."

I nodded seriously.

"Then that’s that."

After a moment, I added,

"You pass."

For the first time, Sa Ma-bi smiled—before quickly correcting his expression and replying,

"Thank you."