Chae-hyang’s eyes welled with tears as she saw the streak of blood running down Cha Seong-tae’s face.

Aside from the owner of the brothel, Cha Seong-tae was the most feared man here.

And now, he was kneeling on the ground, blood dripping from his eye. Of course, she was terrified.

When I held out my empty cup, Chae-hyang poured two-bottle liquor into it with trembling hands.

“Chae-hyang.”

“Yes.”

I deliberately smiled warmly.

“Even a tavern worker has a heart.”

Seong-tae shot her a look, as if warning her to respond properly.

Convinced that everything would be resolved once Lord Ruju arrived, Chae-hyang hesitated before nodding.

“Yes.”

I wiped the smile off my face.

“But that heart was never for you. That’s clear now, isn’t it? You’re ruining the taste of my drink. Get out.”

Chae-hyang’s eyes widened in shock. She glanced at Seong-tae, unsure if she was really supposed to leave.

Seong-tae nodded toward the door, signaling her to go.

Still, she hesitated.

I repeated my order.

“Get out.”

Only then did Chae-hyang scramble to her feet and rush out into the hallway.

She had never been spoken to this crudely in her life, and it took everything in her to hold back her tears.

But the moment she stepped into the hallway, she broke down, sobbing.

I turned back to Seong-tae.

“These pretty-faced girls—there’s always the same problem. They think crying will solve everything. Am I wrong?”

Seong-tae sighed.

“No, you’re right.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You should stop speaking informally to me.”

“……”

“Your slit-like eyes piss me off, so I don’t want to hear casual speech from you.”

Seong-tae stammered.

“A-Ah, yes. Understood.”

“When Lord Ruju arrives, do you think this will all be resolved? Or will he end up kneeling beside you?”

“Lord Ruju is skilled, and so are his two brothers. Honestly, I can’t say for sure. But since the incident happened at Plum Blossom Pavilion, only Jo Ik-yeol will come. The Ruju brothers have been busy entertaining the Black Cat Gang these past few days.”

“Well, aren’t you good at speaking formally.”

“Thank you.”

“You said they were entertaining the Black Cat Gang?”

“Yes. A new gang will soon be established in Ilyang County under the approval of the Black Cat Gang. But if bad news spreads as soon as the gang is formed, they might not be too happy about it.”

“They won’t be happy?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that won’t do.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“So, what you’re saying is that even if I beat Lord Ruju, the problem will still end up in the hands of the Black Cat Gang?”

Seong-tae nodded honestly.

“That’s right. The Black Cat Gang is a force that even all of Ilyang County’s rough men combined wouldn’t be able to handle.”

“So, what do you want me to do, you bastard? Have a friendly drink with Ruju and call it even? You think that’ll solve anything?”

“No, it won’t. So what do you plan to do?”

“They can just work under me.”

“…That’s a bit… impossible, isn’t it? That would definitely upset them.”

“I’ll establish my own sect here in Ilyang County. All of you can join me. The ones from the brothel can be part of it too. I’ll name it the Rebirth Sect—shortened to Rebirth Gate. A place for all the crazy bastards of Ilyang County to be reborn, just like me.”

Seong-tae nodded in agreement.

“That’s a fine name. A rebirth is necessary, after all. Congratulations on your own rebirth, by the way.”

“Seong-tae.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Ruju’s taking a while, isn’t he?”

“Yes. Like I said, if he’s entertaining the masters of the Black Cat Gang at Ihwaru, he won’t be able to leave right away. They’re important guests.”

I took another sip of my drink and stood up, looking down at Seong-tae.

“Tell the Ruju brothers that if they kneel before me, I’ll let them live. Not that they’ll believe it, but I’m giving them a chance. If they ever feel like meeting me, tell them to come to the Zaha Tavern.”

And then…

I looked at Seong-tae.

“Think carefully. If you think the Black Cat Gang will win, then stand with Ruju and fight me again. But if not, do as I said—be reborn.”

I raised my cup.

“The premium two-bottle liquor was good. I’ll put it on my tab.”

“…Why don’t you stay and wait a little longer?”

“You think I’m trying to run?”

Seong-tae nodded.

“Yes.”

I kicked him in the face, sending him flying into the corner of the room.

“You sure have a knack for pissing people off.”

Pointing at him with my finger, I said,

“A man should know when he’s asking for a beating. See you around.”

Seong-tae wiped the blood from his face and responded,

“Safe travels. I’ll add it to your tab.”

“Do as you please.”

After all, the entire Ilyang County would soon be under me. Whether my name was in the ledger or not didn’t matter.

As I walked through the hallway, people stepped aside.

Even though they had already moved, I felt like saying it just once.

“Move, you wretches.”

When I reached the first floor, the gatekeeper, who had been knocked out earlier, must not have fully grasped the situation. The moment he saw me, he cursed.

“Hey, you son of a bitch!”

I slapped him across the face as I walked past.

With a loud thud, he hit the wall and collapsed.

Turning to the others, I muttered,

“At least explain things to him. Otherwise, he’ll just get beaten again. Poor bastard got knocked out once already.”

I stopped at the entrance and scanned the workers of Plum Blossom Pavilion.

The entire place had fallen silent.

I casually waved my hand and spoke in an indifferent tone.

“Tavern worker, I had a good time.”

As I turned to leave, the air behind me filled with whispered insults and obscene hand gestures.

If they curse, they should expect to be cursed back. That’s just how it works.

Ignoring them, I stepped out of Plum Blossom Pavilion and stretched my arms.

I wasn’t in a bad mood.

An insult is an insult, a joke is a joke, and the truth is the truth.

Just like how a mountain is a mountain and water is water.

Misunderstandings only arise when people fail to distinguish between these things.

Of course, the three Jo brothers—who controlled Plum Blossom Pavilion, Ihwaru, and Shihwaru—had yet to grasp reality.

Running a brothel was never their original trade.

Ilyang County was a chaotic place, and they had seized control of the brothels by force.

That’s why they were always wary of challengers.

So, when their subordinates reported today’s incident, the brothers would probably dismiss it as a joke.

“There was an incident at Plum Blossom Pavilion. The tavern worker caused a huge ruckus.”

“Who?”

“The tavern worker from Zaha Tavern.”

“Zaha Tavern? Are you joking right now?”

That’s probably how the conversation would go.

As I walked, I pulled out the sickle tucked into my waistband and examined it.

The Jo brothers—I could probably handle them with this.

But the Black Cat Gang?

Facing them with a simple sickle would be inefficient.

I needed to visit Dragon Head Forge.

A forge that focused more on crafting dragon-shaped handles than on making quality weapons.

A place obsessed with flashy names rather than practicality.

Their weapons always had names like White Dragon Sword, Blue Dragon Blade, Black Dragon Whip, and Twin Dragon Scythe.

As if only the ten greatest martial artists in Jianghu should wield them.

That’s why, whenever fights broke out in Ilyang County, dragons were flying everywhere.

A White Dragon Sword cut through the wind.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

A Blue Dragon Blade reflected the moonlight.

A Black Dragon Whip tore through flesh and bone.

But in reality, they were all just idiots.

On my way to Dragon Head Forge, I stopped by Zaha Tavern’s stove and retrieved the money I had stashed away.

Even if I was strong, I believed in paying properly for my weapons.

That’s just the kind of upstanding man I am.

***

“Welcome… wait, the Zaha Tavern?”

“Are you here to collect a debt? Did we owe you anything?”

The workers of Dragon Head Forge all turned to me with questioning looks, wondering why a tavern worker had come to a weaponsmith.

I glanced around and stated plainly, “I’m here to buy weapons.”

“For what reason? Ah, are you looking for a sickle? Our sickles are a bit expensive.”

I crossed my arms, thinking of the shortest answer that would make sense to them.

“I need to buy some weapons because I plan to deal with the Jo brothers.”

“…All of a sudden?”

The workers exchanged puzzled looks before Dragon Head Forge’s second-in-command, Gwak Yong-gae, spoke up.

“Hey, young man. It’s your choice if you want to start a war, but can you handle it alone? I heard you got beaten up recently. Don’t go throwing away your life just because you’re angry. I used to love the chicken noodle soup your grandfather made. I haven’t been back since, though, because your cooking was terrible.”

“This isn’t the time to be discussing chicken noodle soup.”

Gwak Yong-gae smirked.

“If not with a tavern worker, then who else am I supposed to discuss it with?”

I pulled out my coin pouch.

“Enough nonsense. I’ve got money, so show me some weapons.”

“What exactly are you looking for?”

I counted on my fingers as I answered.

“A light sword, a durable whip, and a decently sharp dagger should do. Do you happen to have a Green Dragon Crescent Blade?”

Since I couldn’t get my ideal weapon right away, I was looking for temporary alternatives.

Gwak Yong-gae scratched his head.

“You’re going to use all of those?”

“It’s my preference. Respect it.”

He snapped his fingers at his subordinates and gave his orders.

“Bring out the Black Dragon Sword, White Dragon Whip, and Cloud Dragon Dagger. Don’t bother looking for a Green Dragon Crescent Blade—we don’t have one.”

“Yes, sir.”

The workers headed inside to retrieve the weapons.

Gwak Yong-gae turned back to me.

“No one in this backwater town can handle a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, so we never made one. Hope you understand.”

That was disappointing.

“Ah, but that’s such a fine weapon. What about the Zhangba Serpent Spear?”

“Nope.”

“The Fangtian Halberd?”

“We don’t have those kinds of weapons, so stop asking. Be reasonable.”

Gwak Yong-gae stroked his beard as he looked me up and down.

“By the way, how old are you now?”

“I’m over twenty.”

“I’m well over thirty, yet you keep talking to me like you’re my equal.”

I rolled up my sleeves.

“If you don’t like it, let’s settle it with a fight.”

Gwak Yong-gae waved a hand dismissively.

“No thanks. I’d rather not beat up a tavern worker.”

“A true gentleman.”

Just then, the workers returned, lining up with the weapons in hand.

Gwak Yong-gae gestured at them.

“Take a look.”

“I’m in a hurry. I’ll take them all.”

“Alright, ninety taels.”

“Are you insane? That’s too expensive.”

“I already gave you a big discount since you’re a local.”

I crossed my arms and countered, “Then let’s do this. Lend them to me. Fifty taels for the lot.”

“Lend? What do you mean?”

“I’ll use them and return them afterward.”

“Ha! If that’s not daylight robbery, I don’t know what is.”

“I’ll return them after the war. How is that robbery?”

Just then, a sharp voice interrupted from outside, cutting through the chatter.

The Master of Dragon Head Forge, Geum Cheol-yong, had arrived.

He was a man whose sharp gaze and stern demeanor made it clear he was the true master of the forge. His name, Geum Cheol-yong, was the very source of the forge’s name—Dragon (Yong) and Iron (Cheol).

“What’s all this noise?”

Even arrogance, when seasoned with age, carries a certain weight. He had presence.

All the workers, including Gwak Yong-gae, bowed their heads slightly toward him.

“Big Brother, this young man here says he’s going to war with the Jo brothers.”

Geum Cheol-yong’s piercing eyes locked onto me.

“War?”

“Yes. He wants to take all these weapons, but he doesn’t have enough money, so he’s asking to rent them. What should we do?”

It seemed that only now did Geum Cheol-yong recognize me.

“…Wait. Aren’t you the grandson of the Zaha Tavern?”

“It’s been a while, Uncle Geum.”

Geum Cheol-yong let out a deep sigh before speaking in a solemn tone.

“I always loved the chicken noodle soup your grandfather made. But your cooking? Utterly awful. What exactly did you learn from him? You lack skill, and you lack heart. That’s why the Zaha Tavern is failing. That’s my conclusion.”

I sighed, crossing my arms.

“My grandfather’s chicken noodle soup was indeed delicious. I’ll admit that. But I didn’t come here to talk about noodles today, so let’s move on.”

Gwak Yong-gae interjected, “Brother, I already brought up the chicken noodle soup earlier.”

Geum Cheol-yong nodded approvingly.

“Well done.”

Then, his expression shifted as he focused on me.

“By the way… I smell blood on you. Have you already been in a fight?”

I narrowed my eyes.

This old man… did he have the nose of a damn hound?