The Black Cat Gang Leader, wearing a black rabbit mask with only the eye holes exposed, sat in the seat of honor and spoke.

“Chief Byeok, any news of the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord?”

“We discovered a hidden safe house he hadn’t disclosed to us. Judging by the circumstances, he was ambushed while resting there and ended up buried underground. There were no other corpses, but the ground was littered with signs of a fierce battle against a skilled opponent. From what we observed, it appears he died with barely any resistance.”

The Black Cat Gang Leader asked, “What about his subordinates?”

“It seems only the Pavilion Lord was killed.”

“If only the Pavilion Lord died, then why haven’t his men returned?”

“The rest were captured by a man named Yi Zaha from Ilyang County.”

The Black Cat Gang Leader glanced around the room.

“Who the hell is Yi Zaha? I’ve never heard of him before.”

The executives hesitated, lowering their heads slightly as if apologizing.

“Speak.”

“He is said to be the innkeeper of Ilyang County.”

A suffocating silence fell over the room.

“…An innkeeper?”

The Black Cat Gang Leader raised his mask slightly as if he found this information frustrating.

The executives lowered their heads further to avoid looking directly at his face.

“Our apologies, Leader.”

Displaying clear displeasure, the Black Cat Gang Leader spoke with a scowl.

“There’s no way an executive of the Black Cat Gang would die at the hands of an innkeeper. Are you certain it wasn’t someone else?”

“No, it must be him. The brothel owner who planned to establish a small sect in Ilyang County was also killed by this innkeeper, along with all of his brothers. They were all beaten to death.”

“Is it a skilled martial artist from another region pretending to be an innkeeper?”

“He is said to be the original innkeeper of that place.”

“What was the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord’s level of skill?”

“He was ranked ninth.”

“That money-grubbing bastard was ranked quite high, wasn’t he? That means even if you all go, there’s a high chance of failure, isn’t there?”

The executives responded in unison.

“Please send me.”

“Leader, I will take care of this personally.”

The Black Cat Gang Leader remained silent, refraining from giving immediate orders.

Meanwhile, one man sitting at the lowest seat—Shao Junping, the Golden Dragon Pavilion Lord—remained completely silent.

The Black Cat Gang Leader observed Shao Junping.

This man never volunteered first for anything. He was an annoyingly cautious subordinate.

The Black Cat Gang itself had originally been absorbed by the Great Rakshasa through sheer power and then handed down to his disciple, so the sense of camaraderie within the ranks wasn’t particularly strong.

When the Black Cat Gang Leader put his mask back on, the executives finally sighed in relief.

Then, a subordinate spoke up belatedly.

“Leader, while investigating the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord’s disappearance, we discovered evidence of embezzlement. It seems he had been skimming funds, and Yi Zaha seized those assets and took them to Ilyang County.”

The Black Cat Gang Leader shot a murderous glare at his subordinates.

“Embezzlement?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, the Black Cat Gang Leader fully realized just how much these subordinates had deceived him. In truth, he had been solely focused on martial arts training, leaving all gang operations to these executives—an oversight that was clearly a mistake. If things continued this way, his master might end up taking back the gang.

The reporting executive spoke in a serious tone.

“Send me to Ilyang County, and I will take care of this innkeeper and retrieve the stolen funds in full.”

However, the Black Cat Gang Leader’s gaze remained fixed on Shao Junping, who had kept his mouth shut the entire time.

“I don’t need you. Shao Pavilion Lord.”

Shao Junping responded in a calm voice.

“Yes, Leader.”

“Why do you always remain silent when things like this happen?”

“Everyone else volunteered, so I stayed quiet.”

“I’ve heard that you’ve been training diligently lately.”

“My training is the same as usual.”

“If you were to fight the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord, whom you didn’t get along with, how many moves would it take to subdue him? As I recall, you are far superior in skill.”

Shao Junping paused for a moment.

The Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord had never been a particularly formidable fighter, but within the Black Cat Gang, they held the same rank.

However, the gap in martial prowess between them was vast.

The Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord was a man obsessed with wealth, while Shao Junping was entirely devoted to martial arts training. Comparing them at all was an insult.

Shao Junping estimated that he could finish off the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord within the time it took to drink a cup of tea. However, he decided it was best to keep his true abilities hidden, so he responded carefully.

“I wouldn’t know without fighting him, but I believe I would have the advantage.”

“If the stolen funds weren’t smuggled elsewhere but were taken to Ilyang County, that means whoever is there is confident they can handle anyone we send. I want to test your skills for this task.”

Shao Junping replied.

“Understood.”

“You know he’s an innkeeper. If you fail…”

“Yes.”

“Then take your own life. But if you succeed, I will entrust you with the Golden Phoenix Pavilion’s affairs as well.”

For a moment, Shao Junping raised his head and locked eyes with the Black Cat Gang Leader behind the mask.

‘Is he serious? He expects me to die?’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The moment he saw the leader’s gaze, he realized he was absolutely serious. It was hard to keep his expression neutral, so he lowered his head and responded.

“If I fail, I will die anyway. I will do as you command, Leader.”

However, despite his words, Shao Junping had no intention of committing suicide.

As he was considering discussing this matter with his subordinates, the Black Cat Gang Leader spoke again.

“Go alone and handle it quietly.”

The order caught Shao Junping off guard.

“…Excuse me?”

“There’s no need for a commotion when dealing with an innkeeper. If you’re not confident, I’ll send someone else.”

Shao Junping responded with an unwilling tone.

“It’s not that I lack confidence. I will handle it alone.”

“If you fail and don’t return, I will personally avenge you. Don’t let your guard down.”

With that, the Black Cat Gang Leader issued the final order. Yet, deep down, he was still fixated on the mystery of this so-called innkeeper.

‘Is one of the Twelve Divine Generals playing tricks? But none of them would act on their own like this…’

From behind his mask, the Black Cat Gang Leader carefully observed the expressions of his subordinates.

Because his master had seized this faction by force, fostering loyalty among his men was proving to be even harder than mastering martial arts.

Waving his hand dismissively, the Black Cat Gang Leader spoke.

“You may leave.”

“Yes, Leader.”

As the others departed, Shao Junping remained alone in the hall, staring at the Black Cat Gang’s headquarters.

‘So this is what they call “disposing of the hunting dog once the hunt is over.”’

He had half a mind to spit on the floor, but he barely held himself back.

***

I remained holed up in the brothel, tirelessly training.

The entire Ilyang County had been quiet for some time, making it feel like something was bound to happen sooner or later.

My daily routine was monotonous.

Training, meditation, a walk, a meal, more training, sleep, meditation again, and another walk.

For most of my meals, I ate at Chunyang Restaurant, so after taking a stroll around Ilyang County, I would inevitably head there.

Since it was still early evening, there was only one unfamiliar man sitting inside.

Jang Deok-soo was placing a bowl of noodles in front of the man when he noticed me and tensed up.

“It’s been a while. What’ll you have?”

“Not soup today. Give me some spicy noodles. Make it extra hot.”

“Spicy, got it.”

I took a seat and glanced at the man dressed in black.

It’s a strange thing to say, but people who like wearing all black tend to have a high probability of getting beaten up by me.

The man, whom I had never seen before in Ilyang County, had a peculiar curved blade resting on the table.

Even in the split second I took to assess him, I could tell his skills were quite impressive.

‘Well, well…’

Only then did I realize what kind of weapon he was carrying.

I didn’t recognize the man’s face, but that uniquely shaped curved blade—I had heard about it many times before.

‘So that’s who it is. The Black Path’s Three Hundred Cycles.’

The name Three Hundred Cycles didn’t refer to his level of internal energy. It was a nickname given to him because of his ridiculous longevity.

The moniker was inspired by Dongfang Shuo, the legendary immortal who was said to have lived for three thousand cycles of the sexagenary calendar. Right now, he was just some insignificant guy, but in the future, he would be recognized as a major figure in the Black Path.

And yet, here he was, randomly eating noodles at Chunyang Restaurant.

Slurping up his noodles, he suddenly called out to the kitchen.

“Hey, restaurant owner.”

Jang Deok-soo responded from inside.

“Yes, do you need anything else?”

“I heard there’s a guy named Yi Zaha in this town. Where can I find him?”

Jang Deok-soo hesitated before replying.

“Oh… That guy? Hmm, I haven’t seen him around lately.”

“Why? Something happen?”

“Oh, you know, that bastard always stirs up trouble. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran off somewhere far away. But why are you looking for Yi Zaha? Should I ask around for you?”

That was classic work from a proper information broker.

Even though I was sitting right across from the man, Jang Deok-soo was boldly pretending I hadn’t been seen in ages.

I locked eyes with the man known as Three Hundred Cycles.

“……”

Then he suddenly smirked.

“I’m looking at Yi Zaha right now, and yet you’re spouting bullshit. Ilyang County really is full of lunatics, just like the rumors say.”

The kitchen went dead silent.

“……”

In the thick tension, Jang Deok-soo reached for the lid of a cooking pot. If throwing weapons started flying, he was ready to use it as a shield.

The man, still eating his noodles, glanced at me.

“Innkeeper, do you know who I am?”

He obviously assumed I wouldn’t recognize him.

Unfortunately for him, I was the Hao Clan’s Information Broker, the Hao Clan’s Prophet, the Hao Clan’s Leader, the Hao Clan’s Architect—and I also happened to have knowledge of the future.

I knew all about the currently famous warriors in Jianghu, and those who would become famous in the years to come. Even back when I was just an innkeeper and a gravekeeper, I had always been deeply interested in the martial world.

I replied in a casual tone.

“You’re Shao Junping of the Black Cat Gang, you bastard. And why the hell do you keep talking down to me?”

“……!”

Shao Junping looked exactly like a man caught stealing red-handed. It wasn’t difficult to guess that he was from the Black Cat Gang, but hearing his own name from my mouth had clearly shocked him.

Having been thrown away like a used rag and sent alone to Ilyang County, Shao Junping stared at me with wide rabbit-like eyes.

“Who the hell are you?”

I gazed at him silently.

I wondered if he realized that today marked the biggest crisis of his so-called Three Hundred Cycles destiny. Judging by the way he was still staring at me with his usual cocky expression, he clearly had no idea.

Shao Junping, still puzzled by my identity, asked again.

“I asked you, who are you?”

“I am Yi Zaha. Yi Zaha is the innkeeper. That’s my identity. You came all this way to find me, and now you’re asking who I am? Is this some kind of Zen riddle? Or are you asking something more profound, like what my true essence is? If it’s the latter, I’m not sure. That’s a deep question. I might have to meditate on it. Who am I?”

“You crazy bastard.”

Despite saying that, Shao Junping slurped up his noodles again.

Even if the world were ending, he was determined to finish his meal.

I turned toward the kitchen and called out.

“Hey, restaurant owner, how long until my spicy noodles are ready? I’m starving.”

Jang Deok-soo, clutching the cooking pot lid like a shield, scowled.

‘That bastard is about to die, and all he cares about is whether the food is spicy.’

After a pause, he replied.

“…We’re out of noodles, sir.”

“You running your business like this, huh?”

Shao Junping chuckled as he chewed.

“This town is hilarious.”

I corrected him.

“This isn’t some funny little town. I plan to make sure no one from the Black Path ever sets foot here again.”

Shao Junping took a sip of water and spat it onto the ground.

“Talk all you want after you take me down. Restaurant owner, check please.”

Jang Deok-soo, realizing he might die just for handling the money, called out from the kitchen.

“Oh, what check? It’s fine, as long as you enjoyed the meal. I didn’t recognize such a distinguished guest earlier, so I hope you’ll be generous and overlook my mistake.”

Shao Junping smiled.

“I insist on paying. Come out here.”

I snorted.

“Stay in the kitchen.”

Jang Deok-soo responded hesitantly.

“…Should I?”

Only then did Shao Junping’s gaze stick to me like glue.

However, unlike the usual behavior of the Black Path scum I was used to, he reached into his robe, pulled out some money, and quietly placed it on the table.

At least he paid for his food.

I wondered if he knew his fate.

Because of that meal payment, his destiny had changed from being beaten to death to being beaten just enough.