With just the card of light threats accompanied by violence, I easily figured out the position of the Gang Leader.
These damn beggars! They ignored me when I was about to give them money, but just a little blood made them all submissive. In the Martial Arts World, violence was clearly the answer. It’s just how it is; if you try to be nice, you just get ignored.
Honestly, I don’t like beating up beggars either.
But now that this situation has been resolved peacefully without any bloodshed, I do feel somewhat good about it. Maybe I’m just so used to violence? This peaceful approach feels incredibly fresh and valuable.
“Whoa! That’s!”
“Head, head!”
“It’s the head of the Gang Leader!”
As I waved the head around, the gang members recoiled in fear.
In the midst of this, one guy was crossing his arms, trying to act tough, and it looked like he was the Gang Leader.
“…Nachalsal.”
Oh, does this punk know me?
That makes things easier.
“Gang Leader. Let’s cut to the chase. I initially wanted to negotiate peacefully. But this guy demanded an outrageous price for information and threatened to sell my info back to me when I refused.”
“…”
“So I killed him immediately! Since he used my life to threaten me, he’s my mortal enemy! There’s no way I can coexist under the same sky with someone like this!”
I shouted, filled with rage, to gain the upper hand, and I could see the other gang members flinching in fear.
The Gang Leader, while trying to maintain his bravado, also seemed a bit intimidated.
“But you can’t evade responsibility through death!”
“What the hell are you talking about…?”
“Before I slaughter every last one of you bugs, take responsibility for this situation, Gang Leader!”
“Wh-What nonsense!”
Naturally, I had killed someone due to this unfortunate circumstance, and in this Martial Arts World, causing someone’s death means I have to be compensated for it.
In other words, the gang had robbed me of that compensation, so the leader, the Gang Leader, had to take responsibility.
“That’s nonsense! Did you just call it nonsense!”
I immediately drew the Heavenly Thunder Sword, and Jaemi Son let out a chuckle while sticking close to me.
“Whoa!”
“Hey, hey!”
The panicked gang members drew their weapons, but they looked scared. There’s no need to fear those who are already overwhelmed. It’s the moment they show their fear that they’ve lost. Just like how I’m already destined to win against these pests.
“Because you managed your underlings so poorly, I had to commit unnecessary murder! As the Gang Leader, it’s only right that you take responsibility, you son of a bitch! Right or wrong! You’d all want to die by my hand!”
“Nachalsal! Calm down!”
I yelled forcefully, and the guy tried to stop me.
“How do you want me to take responsibility!”
Now we’re finally getting somewhere.
Luckily, I gained some renown as Nachalsal, which made the situation tilt in my favor. Just hearing that name evokes the image of a crazy killer.
And, by embodying that image, you could say I was able to dominate the atmosphere.
“It’s simple. Hand over what I initially wanted to trade for. I want information about the Assassin’s Room base, Gang Leader. I’m making a logical and just statement, and also, you need to bear the responsibility for your underling trying to toy with my life.”
The Gang Leader briefly assessed my expression.
“I understand. I will provide information about the Assassin’s Room. But I’d prefer if we never meet over such matters again. This time our gang was in the wrong, but we both have a mutual desire not to die, right?”
What?
“You bastard!”
“What…?”
“Stop talking nonsense! If your underlings managed properly, this wouldn’t have happened!”
Tears of injustice streamed down my face.
Killing that bastard was nothing, but just the fact that I had taken a life made me feel like I was drifting far from something significant.
I was already anxious enough over that, and now these beggars are making a fuss!
“I killed a person because of you today! I’m being very patient about this, and you’re still making noise until the end! Do you want to die?!”
I channeled the Cold Mind Technique and, while crying, took a big step forward.
“Ugh! Hwaaaack!”
“AAAGH!”
Two of the gang members screamed and fled.
The Gang Leader cursed as he stepped back.
“Those damn bastards…!”
“Gang Leader! Answer me! Whose fault is this!”
“It’s entirely our fault! We were in the wrong, so I’ll apologize, Nachalsal!”
“Now give me the information about the Assassin’s Room!”
“I understand, I understand!”
Finally, I could stop crying.
Once I released my boiling emotions, it felt like my rationality was returning. Still, that doesn’t mean this was done out of emotion.
In this Martial Arts World, when related to violence or murder, there’s no way this can end nicely. I killed a gang member and earned their hatred. But if I show weakness here? I’ll just become their prey.
Instead, I need to push hard, instill fear, crush the enmity, and turn the situation in my favor.
“Gang Leader! If any unfortunate incidents arise from this situation caused by your gang, I will slaughter all of you! Understand?!”
“Y-Yes, I understand! Quickly! Bring the Assassin’s Room information!”
Thus, we acquired information on the Assassin’s Room from the Gang in a very peaceful and humane manner.
“Haah.”
Damn it.
Repeated killings had pushed my mental damage to its limit. But it was something necessary to survive in this Martial Arts World.
With lives on the line, there’s no way I’d go easy…!
—
“Hehe! That was truly fantastic acting, Kim Geunhyeop! You truly are the crazy guy I recognize! Haha!”
Jaemi Son laughed heartily, delighted.
“To go from acting like you’d kill someone to bursting into tears… Haha! Even in the midst of that, there was that fierce killer aura! Even the greatest leaders of the Blood Sect couldn’t act as crazy as you do!”
He was amazed by my overwhelming acting skills and praised me.
Receiving such compliments made me feel embarrassed.
What are friends saying silly things for?
“Hey. Was I really that amazing?”
“Need I say more? Even the demons of the Blood Sect wouldn’t act that crazily!”
“Haha!”
Ah!
“I knew I should have been an actor!”
Well, I did stand out when I got my role as an Extra on the historical drama set. If it weren’t for that conniving director being jealous of my talent and ruining the shoot, I might have become a star.
I had that much potential.
But this right now wasn’t acting.
No, wait. Is this what they call method acting?
Anyway.
As I chatted with Jaemi Son, we reached an area close to the Assassin’s Room base. From here on, we kept our mouths shut and moved cautiously.
“There it is.”
A shabby warehouse-like building.
This was undoubtedly the base of the Assassin’s Room.
“Jaemi Son. Since the gang’s information might be inaccurate, we need to gather information ourselves here.”
“Ah… I was already thinking the same.”
“Good thinking.”
We searched the warehouse while hiding our bodies.
To my observation, there were definitely some thugs who looked like murderers entering and leaving the warehouse. However, not a single one was seen carrying any cargo.
It seemed clear that this was a place where the Black Death Sect was staying.
“They seem like they’re from the Black Death Sect, but whether it’s the Assassin’s Room or not is still uncertain.”
“Isn’t that one… familiar face?”
“I don’t see him.”
I definitely remember Oh Su-man’s face.
If he were here, it would confirm this as the Assassin’s Room headquarters, but unfortunately, he wasn’t visible. Moreover, based on my deduction, that bastard likely returned after losing two older brothers and would probably have faced a gang initiation.
Could he have been killed already?
“Hey… let’s follow that guy.”
“That guy?”
Noticing a man who exited the building and began to move somewhere, I saw that he was all alone.
Does this bunch not care about their comrades?
That’s a good target.
“Let’s go.”
Immediately, Jaemi Son and I moved stealthily to pursue him. Of course, we didn’t possess any specialized skills in this, just followed from a distance.
As he entered a slightly secluded area, we acted.
“Now!”
“Ah!”
Together with Jaemi Son, I dashed and tackled him from behind!
—BAM!
Sure, it caused a loud noise, but it was still unclear if this guy was an enemy or just an unrelated person. We didn’t use any weapons, just a body slam to pin him down.
“What the… Who are you!”
At that, just as Jaemi Son was about to respond, I covered the guy’s mouth.
“Black Death Sect. You’re one of their minions, right?”
I just threw out the name of the Black Death Sect, which I had only recently thought of. I decided to deliberately misname them to gauge his reaction.
“What, what’s that! I just came from the Assassin’s Room!”
Bingo.
“Hey. This guy says he’s from the Assassin’s Room.”
“Haha… You intentionally misnamed it to get info, right? You surely have a sharp mind.”
“If you and I combined our wits, we could easily outsmart the likes of Lu Bu and Sima Yi.”
“What…? They’d both be idiots if we’re talking brains…”
Sure, I get what you mean.
“Uh, great heroes?”
“Unfortunately, the Black Death Sect is just a group, and what we’re looking for is the Assassin’s Room. Looks like you’ve stepped into a trap.”
“What!?”
“Let’s start with a beating. Jaemi Son. Step on him!”
— Smack!
We started to beat the pests from the Assassin’s Room.
“AAAAAH!”
Big time.
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