Hongshin couldn't move an inch. Her pressure points had been struck, and her entire body was tightly bound with rope.

On top of that, the place she was in was nothing more than a shabby shed.

Rather than feeling scared, she let out a sigh. If she'd properly figured out her opponent's personality from the start, she would have run away a long time ago.

Even now, she kept thinking about how to coax the unidentified man pretending to be the Black Cat Pavilion Lord if he were to show up. But she couldn’t come up with anything clever. That was because when she looked closely into his unfamiliar eyes, she felt something strange.

‘He doesn't seem like your average lunatic.’

Even Hongshin had never before felt such overwhelming madness just from someone’s eyes. And it didn’t feel like simple madness either.

There was a sense of arrogance, steeped in confidence and pride.

A stubbornness that refused to listen to others.

And that wasn’t all. His tone and gaze were laced with an ambiguity that made it impossible to tell whether he was joking or serious.

In short, Hongshin had concluded that he wasn’t your average madman. It wasn’t a decision made from just a glance—she had sparred with him and exchanged words.

But a moment later, the one who abruptly appeared in the shed wasn’t the fake Black Cat Pavilion Lord—it was Chief Byeok, whom she'd seen a few times before.

Sensing something ominous, Hongshin opened her mouth.

“Chief Byeok, why are you here?”

Chief Byeok entered and replied,

“I’m here on the Lord’s orders. Please forgive the intrusion.”

“If you know it’s an intrusion, shouldn’t you get lost?”

“How could someone following orders do that? Orders are meant to be followed.”

Soon after, some people came in, set down a small desk and chair, and left. Chief Byeok settled in, then pulled out a fine brush and some paper.

Startled, Hongshin asked,

“What the hell are you doing?”

Chief Byeok grinned as he held the brush.

“The Lord asked me to draw the face of Divine General Hongshin in detail. What strength does an old man like me have? If he says to draw, I draw. He’s a scarier man than you might think. So please don’t hate me too much—I'm just following orders.”

Hongshin shouted,

“Why my face?!”

Suddenly, to her, Chief Byeok looked like an old pervert.

Holding up his brush, Chief Byeok started measuring her as if gauging the composition.

“He said if you suddenly try to escape or refuse to cooperate with the Black Cat Pavilion’s plans, he’ll take this portrait I’m about to finish and submit it to the Martial Alliance. Have you heard of the tip-off system they use? That’s where it’s going. They say you’ve made quite a name for yourself in theft, yes? Just stay still. I’ll draw you nicely. By the way, I don’t know if I should say this, but…”

“What?”

“Your figure is quite magnificent.”

“Shut up!”

Still holding the brush, Chief Byeok laughed like a maniac.

“Hehehe, I meant that in the artistic sense. Don’t misunderstand. Let’s begin.”

“Where are you looking?!”

“How can I draw without looking? Just as I draw a mountain when I see a mountain, and draw water when I see water, I’ll draw you exactly as I see you.”

Hongshin felt a chill run down her spine at his nonsense.

“Chief Byeok, can you call my senior brother?”

“He was napping, but he’ll be along shortly. Don’t be impatient.”

“Hey!”

“No matter if you are a Divine General on the same level as the Lord, it doesn’t feel pleasant being spoken to informally by someone who could be my granddaughter. Very disrespectful.”

“What are you gonna do if you don’t like it?”

Hongshin barked back with her usual temper, but immediately regretted it. Chief Byeok looked at her pitifully and threatened,

“Shall I draw your portrait naked?”

“……”

Only then did Hongshin shut her mouth. Chief Byeok smirked.

“Good. That was a joke. I’ll be done quickly, so please don’t hate me too much. I also need to survive, you know.”

Chief Byeok resumed holding the brush and looked her over carefully, as if taking measurements again.

“As someone who’s lived a long life, let me give you one piece of advice.”

“Don’t need it.”

Even though she said she didn’t need it, Chief Byeok chuckled and leaned in to whisper softly.

“As you may have guessed, the previous Pavilion Lord is dead.”

Hongshin swallowed hard as she listened. Chief Byeok’s continued words felt eerie, like those of a strange old man haunting a ruined temple.

“He died with all his limbs shattered after being flung into a wall before he could even put up a decent resistance. There was no time for mourning. I wasn’t particularly fond of him either. Anyway, from what I saw earlier, you only got slapped once… So let me tell you while the man’s still smiling—he’s not someone I’ve figured out yet. Frankly, I thought you’d die with all your limbs torn off too. Be good while he’s still smiling.”

Chief Byeok took his eyes off the drawing and stared blankly at Hongshin.

“Do you understand?”

Hongshin barely managed a small nod. Chief Byeok began estimating proportions again with his thin brush and returned to his usual tone.

“Good. Your pose is perfect. Just stay still.”

***

After a short nap, I woke up to the sound of loud wailing echoing from the training ground. I gave an order to So Gunpyeong, then casually strolled over to the shed.

Hongshin was sitting there in the black martial robe I had given her, looking half out of her mind.

I looked at her and Chief Byeok and said,

“What’s this? Why does she look like that? Did she steal something again?”

Hongshin replied,

“I didn’t steal anything. Senior brother, you’re here.”

“Yeah.”

When I peeked at Chief Byeok’s drawing, he looked quite pleased as he asked,

“My Lord, how is it?”

I nodded enthusiastically.

“You’ve captured Sister Hong just right on paper. Hahaha.”

“Thank you.”

“If Sister Hong acts up, make several copies of that drawing and send them not only to the Martial Alliance but also to any sect or clan known for catching thieves. I’m sure a bounty will follow.”

“Of course. I’ll do so.”

“Good. Go back to work.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

I crouched down to meet Hongshin’s gaze.

“Want me to untie you?”

“Yes.”

“Your pressure point’s about to release on its own, so I can’t do that just yet.”

In a resigned tone, Hongshin said,

“By the way, who are you? Your martial rhythm is different, your movement is distinct, your voice and personality are different. Most of all, your gaze, the shape of your pupils, even your eyes themselves—they’re all different from Brother Myo.”

“Is that a thief’s observational skill? Impressive.”

“You can’t really hide your identity with just a mask. Who are you to be so disrespectful to the Great Rakshasa’s disciples? Can you handle Master’s wrath?”

“If I were afraid of the Great Rakshasa, I wouldn’t have done any of this in the first place, Sister Hong.”

“Don’t call me sister.”

“Thieving bitch.”

“Please call me sister. Anyway, fake senior brother, you must have something you want from me if you’ve kept me alive, right? Money is the most important thing to me in life. As long as the price is right, I’m more than willing to cooperate with your business.”

With that, Hongshin gave a sly smile, fluttering her eyes like a wagging tail. I wasn’t one to beat around the bush, so I got straight to the point.

“I plan to kill the Great Rakshasa.”

“……”

Hongshin’s expression instantly darkened.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Master Great Rakshasa is strong. Much stronger than what the Jianghu knows. He hides his true strength beneath the rumors. I think your power alone is insufficient.”

“I’ll take that kind of trivial information into account. I’m a straightforward man. I just want to know whether you intend to betray the Great Rakshasa or not. Even if you say you will now, I won’t believe it.”

“Then what do you expect me to do? If you won’t believe me either way?”

“What do you mean? I either kill all the Twelve Divine Generals or lock them all up in a shed like this before going after the Great Rakshasa. It makes sense to cut off his limbs before going for the kill, right?”

“Just like Brother Myo?”

I stood up and replied.

“Want me to send you to join the rabbit too?”

“No, thank you. By the way… how long are you planning to keep me locked up like this?”

“Pavilion Lord So will be bringing a poison pill he just concocted. Now, who do you think that poison’s for? Of course, it’s for our dear Sister Hong.”

Hongshin’s face turned pale, and she spoke in a placating tone.

“Please, senior brother, don’t do this. Just give me an order instead. I’ll carry it out thoroughly without betraying you. You’ve already had my portrait drawn, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. Still don’t trust you.”

You can’t trust black-clad bastards anyway. And I knew that women with a habit of thieving like her, every word out of their mouths was a lie.

Right then, So Gunpyeong entered carrying a dark, round pill placed atop a white cloth.

“My Lord, this is the Zihwa Gu Poison, just as you requested.”

“Make her take it.”

Without a word, So Gunpyeong approached and opened Hongshin’s mouth by hand, shoving the Zihwa Gu Poison inside. He looked at her, then turned to me and asked,

“She won’t swallow it. What shall I do?”

“Keep hitting her until she does.”

As soon as I said that, Hongshin gulped the poison down. With a resigned expression, she asked me,

“Tell me. What do you want from me?”

Basing my order on the Twelve Divine Generals strategy manual and the knowledge from my past life, I gave her the command.

“I’ll give you ten days. Come back within that time to take the antidote. Kill Baekja, Hwang-o, and Nok-sul. Why do you think I picked only those three?”

Hongshin, of course, knew what those three Divine Generals had in common.

“They’re infamous for cruelty, murder, and robbery.”

“But killing three of them in ten days is impossible. Just kill me now.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean. With your skills, taking down one is more than possible.”

“One of them?”

“Bring me the head of even just one of the three within ten days, and I’ll give you the antidote. We’ll continue our talk then. Untie her.”

So Gunpyeong came over and began untying the tightly bound ropes. I approached Hongshin, who was still frozen from the pressure points, and said,

“You’re a thief. You’ve learned the basics of assassination. Honestly, if you set your mind to it, ten days is more than enough. Besides, even if the Twelve Divine Generals fight to the death amongst themselves, it’s not considered a crime punishable by death to the Great Rakshasa.”

“If your strength is enough, why don’t you kill them yourself?”

“It’s inefficient for the commander-in-chief to do what the foot soldiers can. Obviously, that’s your job, Sister.”

Only then did I release her pressure point. Hongshin moved her neck side to side and replied,

“By the way, could you at least tell me who you are? I seriously can’t figure it out. Are you from the Martial Alliance, by any chance?”

“I’m just a servant boy from the neighborhood.”

So Gunpyeong glanced at me, as if thinking I’d revealed my identity too easily.

“……!”

Hongshin responded,

“So you’re not going to tell me. Fine. I’ll kill at least one of them and come back. Let’s talk then.”

At her unexpected answer, So Gunpyeong now turned to Hongshin with startled eyes.

“……!”

As she made her way quickly toward the exit of the shed, I called out to her.

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“You like gambling, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“When’s the most thrilling moment in gambling?”

“When you win against the odds.”

I tied Hongshin’s interests and way of life to the concept of an underdog bet.

“Even though you took the Zihwa Gu Poison, the decision is still yours. You could always run to the Great Rakshasa, get the antidote, expose me, and start a war. But the reward for winning that bet won’t be all that great.”

Hongshin turned to look at me.

“What do I get if the fake senior brother wins?”

“Not much.”

“Then why should I take your side?”

“That old master of yours—always ordering his disciples to bring back young girls, fetch money, kill someone, steal something. You won’t have to see that kind of pathetic nonsense anymore.”

“But the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Bodyguards and Executioners will make it hard to kill him.”

I poked her forehead with my finger and said,

“That’s why… it’s an underdog bet. Think hard over the next ten days.”

“I’m off.”

After taking just a few steps out of the shed, Hongshin suddenly activated her light footwork, vaulted over the wall, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

So Gunpyeong asked with a displeased expression,

“The Zihwa Gu Poison… I kind of just made it up on the spot. Will that be okay?”

“What’d you make it from?”

“I just mixed some laxative and digestive pills and rolled it by hand. She might lose control while running.”

“As expected of our meticulous Pavilion Lord So.”

“What if she figures out it’s not real poison?”

I lifted my mask and grinned.

“It’s fine. For a gambler, a bet against the odds… is the real poison.”