The moment Yu Sacheong opened his mouth, I felt a wave of disgust.
And who could blame me?

Just moments ago, I felt like the general leading an army—
Now, thanks to Yu Sacheong, I’d been demoted to a mere pawn on someone else’s board.

If someone tells me not to fight, I fight.
If someone tells me to fight, I don’t.

That’s the one consistent thing about me.

I echoed Yu Sacheong’s words aloud:

“‘Keep fighting until it’s settled’… Are you giving me orders now?”

I casually raised one hand and said,

“Ceasefire.”

“...!”

“Senior Brother?”

“Pavilion Lord?”

Both enemy and ally turned to look at me.

I began to lower my voice gradually.

“Alright. So we’ve officially confirmed that Yu Sacheong is the one behind all of this.
Are you telling me you’ve all been played by that bastard?
I can tolerate the gambler.
But I don’t forgive the owner of the gambling den.
Because in the end, it’s always the house that profits the most.
We don’t even know how much that bastard is making.
My proposal is simple—temporary ceasefire.”

Yu Sacheong responded with a laugh.

“You’re raving like a mad dog.”

“A fair point. But if we keep fighting like this, the ones who suffer the most will be Iryong Nogun and Master Su.”

Iryong Nogun asked with a pale face,

“Why’s that?”

Master Su added bluntly,

“I’ve never lived my life taking losses.”

I looked at the two of them and nodded.

“Dividing up Namhwa might prevent a loss.
You’ve probably already calculated everything from your own positions—but I see it differently.
The most important detail is that Yu Sacheong didn’t bring any of his own forces.
That’s the core issue.
I guarantee this—if we keep fighting, more than half of your people will die by my hands.
Sure, some of mine will die too.
But the only one who suffers no loss from beginning to end…
is Yu Sacheong, who started this whole mess.”

Yu Sacheong cut in.

“So what’s your point?”

“You probably took his deal because he promised profit from taking over Namhwa now that the Great Rakshasa is dead.
But in that process, most of your men die at my hands.
And I don’t die.
In the end, the ones who die are your subordinates—the ones involved in this fight.”

Yu Sacheong interjected again.

“Say what you’re trying to say. Get to the point.”

“The key point is that no one should take a loss from this temporary ceasefire.
You still have the money Yu Sacheong gave you, don’t you?”

Hongshin raised her hand.

“Senior Brother, sorry, but what do you mean the money from Yu Sacheong is still there?”

“This is a deception based on loss-aversion psychology.
Iryong Nogun and Master Su were given large sums by Yu Sacheong—
those funds are still intact within your forces.
The plan was to pay him back using the loot from conquering Namhwa.
Returning the money as-is would feel like a waste,
but stealing someone else’s and using it to pay the debt—that doesn’t feel like a loss, does it?
Understand?”

“I understand.”

“Yu Sacheong used that against you.
He gave you a large sum, then told you to raid Namhwa to repay it.
Two birds, one stone.
But again—the important part is that Yu Sacheong takes no loss.
He didn’t bring troops.
He’s not fighting.
He didn’t even bring fellow masters.
What’s the value of your men’s lives, in gold?
The mistake Iryong Nogun and Master Su made is that you never even tried to calculate it.
Alright, that wraps up the analysis.”

I looked around as I spoke.

“The one I want right now isn’t Iryong Nogun or Master Su.
If you, friend and foe alike, would just stand still and let me…”

I grinned behind the mask.

“I’ll go after Yu Sacheong first.
I’m a man of my word.
If you accept my offer, I’ll remove this mask right here.
It’s a loss for me, sure.
But it’s worth it to catch Yu Sacheong.
And for the record, Yu Sacheong is going to keep urging you to fight.
Let’s hear what he says next.”

“…”

Yu Sacheong was just about to rile up Iryong Nogun and Master Su again with more threats and manipulation—
but then he shut his mouth.

Even Iryong Nogun and Master Su looked at him with awkward expressions.
Yu Sacheong frowned and finally spoke.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“You’re really going to fall for this bastard’s bullshit?”

I immediately burst out laughing.

“Hahahahahahahaha…”

I snorted for a good while, then pointed my finger straight at Yu Sacheong.

“Told you.”

Then I wiped the smile from my face and addressed everyone clearly.

“Both sides—let me capture Yu Sacheong.
You can all go back to killing each other afterward.”

As soon as I said that, I removed the Black Cat mask and handed it to Hongshin.
She put it on and replied,

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Now with my face exposed, I asked,

“Anyone recognize me?”

Would there really be someone here who could recognize the errand boy from Ilyang County?

Of course not.

“I’m the one who took the first loss.
But know this—if I’d kept my face hidden and moved around freely,
I could’ve taken out half your forces through assassination alone.
Iryong Nogun, Master Su. The decision is yours.”

Yu Sacheong turned to Iryong Nogun.

“Senior Nogun, can you handle this?”

Iryong Nogun answered.

“Yu Sacheong… Did you really think I was a pawn on your board?”

“Of course not.”

Iryong Nogun looked around and then said,

“Here’s my counteroffer.
I won’t accept a ceasefire immediately.
Instead, the forces of Namhwa Black Path, Ihwa Black Path, and my entire army will surround this place.
Then that loudmouth and Yu Sacheong will fight to the death, one-on-one.”

He looked directly at me.

“Whichever one of you dies, I’ll withdraw my troops.
That way, if Yu Sacheong dies, you’ll take the blame—
and a proper temporary ceasefire can be established.
Master Su, what do you think?”

Master Su, holding back a laugh, replied,

“I agree with the senior.”

If Yu Sacheong wins, they’ll press the assault and wipe out Namhwa.
If I win, they’ll pull back their forces.
Simple math.

These guys never move unless they’re sure they won’t take a loss.

But they’re mistaken about one thing.

I’ve never been a pawn on anyone’s board.
Even if Iryong Nogun plays it like this, I’ve already got a plan.

“Fine by me.
I always welcome one-on-one duels.”

Baek-in stepped in, trying to hold me back.

“Senior Brother, they just want to observe the duel and gauge your strength.”

I met Baek-in’s gaze.

“Yeah? Smart bastards.”

When I smiled faintly, Baek-in stepped back again.

Iryong Nogun gave the order to his forces.

“Widen the formation. Seal off any escape routes and encircle the area.
If your lines meet the enemy’s, do not engage recklessly.
Begin the death match.”

Master Su added,

“Spread out wider. Anyone who tries to flee {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} will be killed.”

Yu Sacheong turned his back for a moment, looking at the officers of the Woonwoo Society and Lady Iron Fan blocking his way.
Iryong Nogun also approached from the side, standing as if to cut off any route of escape.

Yu Sacheong gave a crooked smile.

“You’re all insane.”

Iryong Nogun responded.

“What? Just win, then. Nothing’s changed. The only difference is whether you fight openly or hide like a coward. If your power is truly as great as you claim, then prove it—not with words, but with skill.”

Whether these bastards argued or not, I moved like a cat, slipping behind Yu Sacheong.

He scratched his chin once, then drew the sword at his waist and turned to face me.

I lowered my stance. The ends of my hair fluttered in the air—some strands sliced clean by his blade. I struck forward with the Fang of the Black Rabbit, a straight and honest thrust.

Clang!

Yu Sacheong parried it, then charged forward, unleashing a rapid sword technique.

Silent, lips tight, he flicked the moonlight off his blade as he thrust with incredible speed, then unleashed the Phantom Blade technique—splitting his sword into three mirrored images.

He was using afterimages generated from sword energy.

His footwork was steady, the blade fast, his movement fluid—yet his waist remained planted, his posture strong.

As I deflected each strike with the Fang of the Black Rabbit, I thought to myself:

“White Path background.”

That was no street-learned swordsmanship.
The marks of at least a decade of dedicated training in a single sword form were etched into every motion.

He’d acted like a money-obsessed bystander, but the skill he’d hidden away wasn’t bad at all.

Even I couldn’t recklessly counterattack until I’d watched his entire sword form, from start to finish.
Moments like this always make me respect the Grand Masters of the White Path, who built these martial systems.

Of course, I can be impressed by his martial art…

But there’s no way in hell he’ll recognize mine.

Because my martial art has no origin.

Third-rate saber techniques, third-rate sword techniques, gravekeeper’s scythe work, real fights, underground gambling duels, skills stolen over shoulders, low-level secret manuals, mid-level secret manuals, techniques from the Golden Nine Wandering Method, and Gwangseung’s style—all jumbled together. There’s even martial arts I created myself, learned while running for my life, or realized while getting my limbs slashed apart. Even the methods I discovered while fighting off my heart demon after internal deviation—those are mine.

Because I had no foundation, the entirety of my struggle to survive became my foundation.

I parried every one of Yu Sacheong’s strikes and observed how his sword form flowed smoothly from first to last technique. After that, the earlier forms began blending with the later ones, changing, combining, attacking me in new ways.

I deliberately stepped back, letting myself get pushed to our formation’s front line, then planted my feet and blocked everything from there.

The man who holds the line against the fierce assault of a White Path swordsman using perfect defense—that’s me.

If the guy isn’t a total idiot, he should start realizing something…

As I continued blocking without counterattacking, I let out a grin and said,

“Faster, faster, faster—swing faster. Too slow, faster! That move? That’s the third time.”

Sometimes, a guy gets so caught up in his own momentum that he can’t back out—even when he should. That’s Yu Sacheong right now.

Suddenly, I created a wave of force with a left-palm Blazing Chicken Grand Palm.

Yu Sacheong, swinging with blistering speed, sliced the wave clean into three sections.

When releasing energy like that, you can:

Of course, forming a fake shape with real energy isn’t easy either.

Just as Yu Sacheong had created Phantom Blades, I could also create illusions using internal force. And when he cut through those three large, false projections…

I shot forward like a storm wind, tossed the Fang of the Black Rabbit, and launched myself at an angle to match the exact moment he swung his blade.

Ching!

Left hand: Absorption Art.
Right hand: Wooden Rooster Pressure Technique.

I yanked his off-balance body with Absorption Art, forced an opening in his stance, then struck his shoulder with the Wooden Rooster Pressure Technique.

When the arm holding his sword stiffened from the shock, I stepped in and tapped the pressure points along his upper body using only my thumb and forefinger.

His shoulder locked up. His neck stiffened. His mouth clamped shut.
His lower body froze like it had been cemented in place.

I injected energy from the Wooden Rooster technique into each point, one after the other.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap!

I looked at Yu Sacheong, now frozen like a statue, and spoke toward Iryong Nogun’s side.

“This bastard is now my prisoner. My servant, my slave, and at the same time, the captive of my subordinates. Whether I torture him, kill him, or do whatever the hell I want—it’s my choice. So don’t tell me what to do anymore.”

I summoned the Fang of the Black Rabbit back from the ground using Absorption Art and added:

“You arrogant fucks.”

Saying that made me want to taunt them more, so I let my tongue loose.

“Heh. Got some pride left in him, doesn’t he? Just handed over his commander like it was nothing.
This is Iryong Nogun’s blunder.
An old fool’s mistake.
An old man’s stubbornness.
A prideful old bastard screwing everything up in the name of honor.
A senile old man’s deluded decision.”

I puffed like a madman onto the blade of the Fang of the Black Rabbit, pretending to breathe fire like some executioner, then danced around Yu Sacheong’s stiff body, swinging my sword.

As I spun the blade and danced, Hongshin asked,

“Senior Brother, are you going to kill him?”

“I don’t know.
I just felt like playing the madman once.
Sword dance under moonlight.
Executioner beneath the moon.
The errand boy from Ilyang County.
The liberator of Black Line Fort.
The Pavilion Lord of the Black Cat Gang…
That’s who I am.”

I danced my executioner’s blade in all seriousness before the frozen Yu Sacheong, whose eyes were the only part still moving.

The moonlight, pushing through the drifting clouds, now shone down solely on me.