“You filthy hypocrites! You can’t call the Great Hero of this era a Great Hero! How can those of you who just stand by and watch claim to be doing it for the Great Hero’s sake?”
“What nonsense! I, too, would not hesitate to jump into fire for the Great Hero, but what benefit would that bring to the Great Hero? You hypocrites are the ones who force the Great Hero into a thorny path just because you want to be with him!”
A heated debate continued, as intense as the debate over the Ye Song issue.
“A martial artist must have an indomitable will, unafraid to bleed if it’s for the sake of their agreement!”
“If it could be resolved through mere spirit, we also would have done that! Drawing swords anywhere is mere folly!”
“You brat! Yeo Jin-sang!”
“Jeong Sam! I always thought I’d have to defeat you one day to determine right from wrong, and it seems that day is today!”
“Fine. Draw your sword! If you’re a martial artist, you discuss matters with your sword!”
The two who were once peers moved out to the training hall, while the other outcasts shouted Jeong Sam and Yeo Jin-sang as they proceeded to the training hall. I was washing my face, trying to figure out how to resolve this situation when the Black Cat poked me in the side.
“Senior, we should go watch.”
“Black Cat, pay attention.”
Those two were genuinely of equal skill, so the outcome was determined by luck and conditions of the day.
“Alright. Then could you two go outside and find out what the Tang Clan has been discussing?”
Yu Sa-yeon also approached with a troubled expression, joining Black Cat’s side.
“I don’t think it will be easy to catch Tang Do-gyeong at the Tang Clan.”
“Right? Those so-called heroes of the Jeonwoo Clan are ready to draw their swords at any mention of capturing Tang Do-gyeong.”
Among those causing a ruckus in the match arena, there were quite a few Peak Experts. And most were from the Jeonwoo Clan.
If you ask why these Peak Experts are acting foolishly, the only answer is that they are Peak Experts. Once outcasts reach the peak stage, they leave to seize a position elsewhere, so the Peak Experts of this Outcast Inn have limited opportunities to learn from true Peak Experts.
Most sects don’t even have a Peak Expert, and even in those major sects that do, only a handful have the opportunity to learn from one.
The visit of Tang Do-gyeong and the potential for him to become a Sacheon Outcast was more than a stroke of luck for them.
So when the masters of the Tang Sect appear and try to subdue Tang Do-gyeong, they would be the type to draw their weapons with a sense of going all in.
While the Black Cat chewed on a puffed snack, she said, “Gulp, didn’t you two know? Tang Do-gyeong is completely insane!”
“Of course we know that! But I never expected him to support them to this extent.”
“No, you guys are missing how insane he actually is! Tang Do-gyeong taught his way of Qi to the outcasts!”
What? Is that crazy guy really that nuts?
“Seriously? He revealed his true Qi? For real?”
“No, he didn’t reveal the Tang Clan’s martial arts, but he did share some parts of his consolidated teachings he has put together so far.”
“…Wow.”
No wonder the outcasts were losing their minds. Once they got a taste of the martial arts from a Peak Expert, who wouldn’t go crazy? If my limit wasn’t Iryu, I would have been over there shouting Tang Do-gyeong’s name as well.
Hearing that the Tang Clan’s martial arts had been revealed made Yu Sa-yeon, who had been on high alert, visibly relax. If even a hint of the Tang Clan’s martial arts were released, it would have been a massacre at the Outcast Inn.
“It could be proof that Senior Ho has been working while sleeping.”
“Well, I have no words for that.”
Never did I think Tang Do-gyeong would actually be teaching his own martial arts to the outcasts. I had only been adjusting my movements to avoid notice from Tang Do-gyeong; he clearly wouldn’t benefit from being in my sights.
With my eyes closing for a brief moment, the Black Cat had been moving around overseeing Tang Do-gyeong.
Considering the Black Cat was also Tang Do-gyeong’s sparring partner, perhaps she took a certain risk herself. Was she pushed aside by the heat of our wager and the excitement of the Sacheon Outcasts?
Instead of Yu Sa-yeon, who had turned pale, I shared what I heard from the members of the Tang Clan with the Black Cat. Since the Black Cat had also been working to handle this situation, it was reasonable to seek opinions for its resolution.
“Hmm.”
The Black Cat pondered for a moment before speaking.
“First off, there’s something we need to handle. A request from the Tang Clan, right? We prevent Tang Do-gyeong from entering the Outcast Inn until the Tang Clan arrives. And as much as possible, keep him occupied at the Outcast Inn until the Tang Clan arrives. Right?”
“Right.”
“And then there’s Tang Do-gyeong’s request to join the Sacheon Outcasts. The Tang Clan strongly opposes it, while Tang Do-gyeong is calling for acceptance. Meanwhile, the outcasts are divided and fighting over it?”
“Right.”
Wait a minute. Am I starting to see a way out?
With the chaos of the outcasts and the erratic behavior of Tang Do-gyeong being reported all day, I unwittingly had my head spinning.
After clearly laying down these premises, I could see a glimmer of hope.
“Then let’s call Tang Do-gyeong to this Outcast Inn.”
It seemed the Black Cat was having similar thoughts.
“Yeah, that seems right. As long as people don’t see him coming and going from the Outcast Inn, that’s all that matters.”
“Hmm.”
Yu Sa-yeon, being a reasonably sharp thinker, seemed to grasp what we were getting at.
“So we’re going to secretly summon Tang Do-gyeong late at night and keep him locked in the Outcast Inn? What’s the justification?”
“How about this? We say we’re testing whether he can live as a Sacheon Outcast. We say we’ll let him stay in the Outcast Inn for a few days.”
“Good idea. The outcasts would be overjoyed just to be around Tang Do-gyeong, so there wouldn’t be any complaints. Moreover, the opposing faction of outcasts would hesitate, at least on the grounds of a test.”
“Tang Do-gyeong also won’t have any major complaints, since he’d essentially be staying in the Outcast Inn…”
As long as we kept him from being seen entering and leaving, it would prevent the rumor of Tang Do-gyeong coming to the Outcast Inn from spreading. As long as he entered unnoticed, others would think he hadn’t come to the Outcast Inn at all.
That settles the two requests we were originally given: preventing loss of face for the Tang Clan and keeping Tang Do-gyeong confined.
“Now the biggest problem is when Tang Do-gyeong gets captured by the Tang Clan… it’s likely half of the outcasts might revolt.”
“Hmm. But there’s still half that oppose it. So it might reach a stable deadlock.”
“For this part, while Tang Do-gyeong is at the Outcast Inn, we need to manipulate the public opinion in our favor.”
The result of our meeting was the best we could come up with. For now, it was to confine Tang Do-gyeong under the pretext of a test at the inn, while working to strengthen the opposing faction led by his peers, the Jeonwoo Clan and the Bohwa Clan.
This way, when the masters of the Tang Clan show up to take Tang Do-gyeong, the outcasts wouldn’t confront them.
“Hey you brats, stop fighting! You little punks, I said stop fighting! Jeong Sam!”
Yu Sa-yeon shouted loudly as she shoved herself into the fray at the training hall. I don’t know if it was a teapot or a cup, but she threw something, and a crashing sound was heard.
“You little brats, seriously! Is the innkeeper a joke to you? Are you all trying to empty your rooms? Fighting among outcasts?”
While Yu Sa-yeon was busy wrangling the outcasts in the training hall, I grabbed an intermediary and asked him to relay my message to Tang Do-gyeong that I’d be looking for him tonight. The intermediary, understanding the current situation, nodded and left.
“Alright, so now a new fight is about to begin.”
It was time for me to throw away the mask of a sorcerer wielding the power of hell and instead rise as the lead of the Bohwa Clan at the Outcast Inn.
From today until the masters of the Tang Clan arrive, my goal is to turn all the outcasts of the Outcast Inn into the Bohwa Clan.
The Black Cat chuckled.
“Wow, this really sounds exciting! Got any sweet snacks around?”
“Hey, from this moment on, you’re part of the Bohwa Clan too, alright?”
“I think Jeonwoo Clan has a better ring to it… but I guess I have no choice.”
“Ugh, they can go to hell, the Jeonwoo Clan.”
She keeps poking at my military trauma. The Black Cat is an important resource for this operation, and I plan to use her effectively.
If the Black Cat snags a Jeonwoo outcast on the street and slams them against the wall, then asks, ‘Wanna join the Bohwa Clan…?’ I bet they’d nod right away. Of course, if she charms them with her looks while campaigning for popularity among the Jeonwoo Clan, they’d resist fiercely, so she has to use her skills wisely.
Noticing my expression, the Black Cat hesitated to back away, but I held onto her shoulder.
“It’s work time, kitty.”
