As I stepped out of my assigned room in Sanghwa Pavilion, I noticed everyone, Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates and the newcomers who were chattering amongst themselves while glancing at me, suddenly fell silent.
I could feel all eyes on me.
How do these guys see me?
A wandering gambler with nearly divine dice skills?
Or a crazy guy who barged into Dark Dragon Sect just to crush Dokgo I-seol and her subordinates?
Probably both.
And that’s why this awkward and tense atmosphere had formed.
“That crazy guy…”
“A guy who wants to join as a subordinate is actually crazy enough to beat Lady I-seol…”
I overheard the whispers of Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates. From their perspective, I must look insane.
An idiot who humiliated the one who’s about to become a higher-up while also making the subordinates, whom he could call colleagues, taste defeat?
If I were in their shoes, I would’ve thought the same.
And I definitely needed to act even crazier.
Of course, if I’m going to be the crazy guy, I should be the friendly kind for the newbies.
“Can I sit?”
When I asked the newcomers if I could join them, they exchanged nervous glances for a moment before standing up to make room.
It seems they found it tough to gauge the distance between us.
Well, that’s to be expected.
After all, my realm is entirely different from theirs. In an Outcast Faction, it’s impossible for a Peak Expert like me to be treated like an Expert.
Plus, the newcomers were there when bets were placed yesterday, so that context can’t be ignored.
The reason they cleared some space was likely more about not wanting to provoke a strong crazy guy than actually wanting to include me in their circle.
“Hmph, at least they know their place.”
“He’s a crazy guy, but it seems he knows his boundaries?”
The snickering among Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates grew louder.
In the Outcast Faction, the rules are as wild as it gets.
Seeing me, a Peak Martial Artist, mingling with newbies at the Expert level made them braver.
Regardless of their confidence boost, I started my breakfast. I knew I needed a solid meal before the real chaos began.
As I chewed on dumplings, I thought of Dokgo I-seol.
I’m Ho Cheon-an.
A Peak Expert everyone would envy.
This is a fact clearly recorded even if it’s not in the historical records of Goguryeo, as evident as one could imagine.
Dokgo I-seol also coveted me.
Well, any true Peak Expert capable of releasing sword energy would be welcomed in any sect.
So, it’s really not surprising that she was drawn to me.
The issue was that Dokgo I-seol seemed to take a particular liking to the character I was playing, Yongji Maeng.
Originally, I intended to play Yongji Maeng to be seen as unlikable.
A short talker, who acts all high and mighty while launching factual attacks at anyone without understanding the mood!
Yet he also has decent skills and follows orders, making it a bit awkward to criticize him!
Not someone you’d want to use but too good to discard!
I wanted Yongji Maeng to come off that way.
Because the higher the chance of being involved in the mission to attack Sokryeong Sect.
Even if you collect disposable cards to attack Sokryeong Sect, if there’s a usable card, you’d want to keep it.
Wouldn’t it be a waste to treat this guy as a mere pawn when we could properly train him to become a valuable asset for Dark Dragon Sect?
As a Peak Expert, I, Ho Cheon-an, was someone the higher-ups of Dark Dragon Sect might consider for such thoughts.
So, I crafted the character of Yongji Maeng to have the current persona, remarks, and actions.
He’s not bad enough to be thrown away, but he’s also an arrogant jerk!
“This kind of guy should be thrown into missions against Sokryeong Sect to face serious hardship.”
“Since there are issues with his personality, we need to test him first.”
While thinking those very thoughts, I portrayed a character who was just the right level to be thrown into the Sokryeong Sect mission, the unlikable ‘Yongji Maeng.’
While I was constructing this characterization to find an opportunity to join Dark Dragon Sect, I unexpectedly ended up in this Sanghwa Pavilion, engaged in a dice game.
Honestly, I never intended to even beat Dokgo I-seol in the dice game.
Would the “Yongji Maeng” with incredible dice skills lose to Dokgo I-seol, who had little difference in skills compared to her subordinates?
Even the most oblivious person could recognize when they had been given leeway.
In that scenario, would Dokgo I-seol actually beat me saying, “You lost, so now you become a subordinate!”?
I bowed down since I had won, so Dokgo I-seol would have settled down, naturally leading to a friendly atmosphere, providing me an opportunity to ask for entry into Dark Dragon Sect.
With one less vacant slot, they’d have accepted me without much fuss.
After that, following the original plan, I would act like a rude Yongji Maeng and be pulled into the mission against Sokryeong Sect!
After laying that plan out in my mind, I rolled the dice, but… suddenly, Dokgo I-seol, appearing last, expressed a strong desire to have me as a subordinate!
What a shocking turn of events.
Who would have thought Dokgo I-seol had a unique preference for subordinates with attitudes like Yongji Maeng?
I have no idea what she found attractive about the short, rude remarks of “Yongji Maeng,” but her eyes were gleaming with desire, and I felt that if I continued with the plan, I might find myself guarding her side instead of being used as a pawn to attack Sokryeong Sect.
At this rate, instead of taking part in the mission, all I could envision was a future of fooling around with the most beautiful woman in Yunnan!
So, I had no choice but to twist the plan on the spot.
Not the cocky Yongji Maeng.
I had to act as a downright crazy Yongji Maeng.
Even if Dokgo I-seol liked subordinates who had a tough demeanor, I had to become a crazy subordinate she couldn’t help but throw away.
Hmm. I, Ho Cheon-an.
After seven years of living as a Sacheon Outcast, I’ve gone through plenty of performances, but I’ve never played the role of a crazy guy.
After all, an Outcast is someone who pretends to cross the line but must never actually do so. You can set the mood that you’re about to beat up old folks, yet you can’t even harm a hair on them.
However, in the Outcast Faction, I had to prove myself through actions rather than words.
So, I had to do more than just put on a show.
It was unclear how to act to become the twisted Yokhaen Yongji Maeng.
What does it mean to be a naturally crazy person, and what is a deranged martial artist?
How should I go about acting this out?
Lost in thought while chewing on dumplings, I heard a commotion from outside.
“Honestly speaking! Although it seems like he’s into gambling, a martial artist should always speak with their sword!”
“Isn’t he just hiding because he lacks the skill to mingle with the Experts?”
“Ha ha ha ha! You! Remove that thing!”
“Who knows, if you peel back the skin, it might just be a woman!”
In an instant, the level of provocation escalated significantly. It seems that Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates wanted to sort out the hierarchy among themselves.
But when I didn’t respond to their provocations and maintained complete silence, perhaps due to frustration they unleashed a barrage of taunts.
Well… I guess they want to sort out the hierarchy quickly.
They probably think my skills aren’t that impressive.
I came here without putting up any fight and kept my head down since stepping into Julu. Today, I’m just silently blending among Elite Experts.
In a situation where they think I’m weak?
Wouldn’t it make sense for them to think, “This guy must be really weak”?
Of course, the only reason they might think that is that none of Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates could sense the Qi I’m hiding.
Considering that none of them can see through my level, it’s safe to assume there are none among Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates who are stronger or even my equal.
As I looked around at Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates, I suddenly felt unfairness wash over me.
Every one of them had poor perceptions and lacked decent control of their Qi.
Their bodies? Training level? There’s probably some with drunk noses and those with fat bellies who seem to drink every day.
With such half-hearted training, they’ve reached the Peak—why in the world do I have to go through all this suffering while consuming countless Spiritual Medicines and grinding through martial arts training only to be stuck at their level?
The more I pondered, the more furious I became.
As those thoughts swirled in my mind, my mouth naturally opened.
“What are you staring at?”
The laughter of Dokgo I-seol’s subordinates, who had been mockingly exaggerating, came to an immediate halt.
Observing their stiffened expressions as they stared at me, I thought:
I’m not the type to be insane or crazy, but…
Isn’t it just about not holding back?
“Lower your gaze.”
Yes, let’s begin with organizing this hierarchy for a more pleasant living environment.
“Worried? If you’re worried, then come at me.”
Step in, you punks!
