The Return of the Crazy Demon-Chapter 281: There’s Nothing Scarier Than Matching Words and Actions

The Black Cat Pavilion was too important of a stronghold to just abandon coldly. So I decided to stay at least until So Gunpyeong finished his energy circulation training and stepped outside the main hall to watch the monkeys train.

While watching, I was startled to spot Seventh Bug—the Seven Insects—who used to be Gui Ma’s underlings.

“Hey, bug.”

The youngest of the Silver and Gold Seven Insects, Seventh Bug, turned to look at me.

“Yes?”

“Come over here.”

Seventh Bug walked over and stood in front of me. After examining his expression and energy flow, I asked,

“Why are you here?”

Seventh Bug answered with a puzzled face.

“I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“I’ve got nowhere to go. And Master Yukhap said if we didn’t behave, he’d beat us to death. So we’re just staying quiet.”

“What about the rest of the Silver and Gold Seven Insects?”

As Seventh Bug turned around, the rest of them subtly emerged from among the training monkeys. Originally, they feared Gui Ma the most, and since I was the one who beat Gui Ma to near death, that made me the man they feared above all.

“How have you been?”

Seventh Bug hesitated before replying.

“Got scolded a lot by Sub-Pavilion Lord So.”

“For slacking off?”

“How’d you know?”

“It’s written all over your face. Silver and Gold Seven Insects—come over.”

All seven gathered and stood in a row. What could I even call this feeling? These seven were the ones I beat to death in my previous life. Especially when I looked at First Bug and Fourth Bug, I realized why I felt so uneasy.

Those two were the ones who blatantly picked fights when they first showed up in the Black Cat Pavilion. In other words, they had a thing for women.

Luckily, even combined, all seven weren’t strong enough to match So Gunpyeong or the Black Cat Pavilion’s officers.

“Do you want to stay here, or go to Master Yukhap in Ilyang County?”

First Bug, who’d been quiet, asked,

“Is Master Yukhap currently in training?”

“He is.”

“Then we won’t go. We’d just get in the way.”

“Then you’ll remain in the Black Cat Pavilion.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ask Chief Byeok to give you proper names.”

“Names?”

“I can’t keep calling you bugs forever. You’re not bugs, are you?”

“No, sir.”

“You’re the eldest, right, First Bug?”

“Yes.”

“Keep your brothers in line. If I hear about trouble starting again, someone’s going to beat them to death—whether it’s me or So Gunpyeong. Got it?”

First Bug looked at his brothers and then nodded.

“Understood.”

I looked over the men I had once beaten to death in my past life. For them to still be alive like this—these were truly men whose fates had changed.

I asked First Bug,

“How is it, being in the Black Cat Pavilion?”

He gave an answer I didn’t expect.

“It’s great. The food’s really good.”

“You like it because of the food?”

“Yes. Lady Son’s cooking is amazing. Everyone takes good care of us.”

Now that I thought about it, if they tried to harass Lady Son, they’d be beaten to death by Ho Yeoncheong again. There were plenty of men in the Black Cat Pavilion who could keep these guys in check.

“Good. Unexpected as it is, I’m glad you’re doing well. Though not anymore, the Black Cat Pavilion was once a dark-path force. Someday, a blade may be drawn without warning, so when that day comes, make sure to support So Gunpyeong well. You’ve been through plenty of fights following Master Yukhap.”

“Understood.”

I glanced at the seven of them and said,

“If you have real names, use them. If not, ask Chief Byeok to give you proper ones. Looking back, both you and Master Yukhap were once people I meant to kill, yet fate changed, and you survived. Find your own reason why.”

First Bug asked curiously,

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Should we call you Pavilion Lord from now on? Or Sect Leader?”

I nodded.

“Call me Sect Leader from now on. So Gunpyeong will be the Pavilion Lord.”

“Understood. Thank you for your consideration, Sect Leader.”

“Oh, and I have something special I want from you seven.”

“Please tell us.”

Looking over the Silver and Gold Seven Insects, I said,

“Treat Chief Byeok as your direct superior, the same way you did Master Yukhap. If you're assigned courier duties, handle them. Greet him every morning. He may be weaker than you in martial arts, but there’s much to learn from him. Think of him as the General of the Black Cat Pavilion and aide to Haomun’s strategist. This is a special assignment. Can you do it?”

First Bug looked me in the eyes and replied,

“We’ll do it.”

“I’ll make sure Chief Byeok gives you monthly or bonus stipends for every mission you complete. Live your lives figuring out what you want to do with your earnings. And if someday you find a dream, you may leave and live freely as your own man.”

First Bug’s eyes widened as he asked again,

“Leave?”

I nodded.

“You should. You might learn painting from Chief Byeok. Or he might entrust one of you with managing a guesthouse. If martial arts still appeal to you, then keep improving. Live while thinking about how you want to live.”

The Seven Insects exchanged glances, then responded.

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

They had once been nothing but worms, but now I treated them like men.

As everyone trained here and there, I took off my robe, joined the monkeys, and began doing pull-ups. Today, I planned to train with the underlings, eat with them, tease them, and spend the day babbling nonsense.

***

After dinner, I met with some newly recruited attendants in the main hall.

“The reason I called you—”

“Yes, Pavilion Lord.”

“Call me Sect Leader now. The Pavilion Lord position belongs to So Gunpyeong.”

“Understood.”

“That’s not what matters right now.”

I looked over the three young female attendants and asked,

“Do any of you want to become a female physician?”

“What does a female physician do?”

“Primarily takes care of patients. Assists doctors. Sometimes treats them directly. You study. You learn a lot. And most of your colleagues are women. It’s the opposite of here.”

“But Lady Son selected us. Can we just switch to being physicians?”

“If you want to, and I approve, then you can. If I order it, Lady Son herself would have to become a physician.”

One of them was exceptionally beautiful. With so many men in the Black Cat Pavilion, I planned to extract her.

“If you’re curious, ask.”

“What kind of person is the doctor?”

“Next.”

“If we leave, won’t they be short on hands here?”

“Next.”

“I just hope the doctor isn’t scary.”

I answered their questions one by one.

“Moyong Baek. An outstanding physician. You’ll learn a lot. He’s a kind man. Every time I visit, I see ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) how the female physicians are improving, so he’s good at teaching too. If we’re short-staffed here, I’ll recruit more. Men, though. Moyong Baek isn’t scary. Just busy.”

“I want to go.”

The pretty one I’d marked raised her hand.

“Next?”

“I want to go too.”

“I like it here. My home is nearby, so it’s convenient. Lady Son treats me well too.”

“Two to the physicians, one stays?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“Alright. Do as you like. I’ll call you two when I leave. Rest up.”

“Understood.”

After sending them out, I put my feet on the table and dozed off. Training with the monkeys all afternoon had made me drowsy.

Soon after, So Gunpyeong came out and called to me.

“Sect Leader.”

“Mm.”

“I’ve finished my energy circulation.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him as he sat beside me.

“Whoa, who are you?”

He looked radiant, as if he’d undergone a purification ritual.

So Gunpyeong said,

“I sweated out all the impurities. Sect Leader, was that really centennial fo-ti root?”

“Why?”

He looked at his hands.

“My internal energy has increased drastically.”

“Hmm... honestly, I’m not sure. It’s not like I’ve watched it for a hundred years. If it worked well, maybe it’s aged longer than we thought.”

But even I could see his meridian flow had clearly changed.

“Gunpyeong, it’s because your body has been consistently trained. Even with the best elixir, if your body was poor, the effect wouldn’t be this great.”

“That’s true.”

“From now on, you’re in charge of the Black Cat Pavilion. No gifts or anything.”

“Understood.”

He didn’t show joy—he understood it was a responsibility.

“Keep an eye on the Seven Insects. First Bug and Fourth Bug are woman-chasers by nature. I’ll move some of the attendants to Moyong Baek. Any replacements must be men.”

“Understood.”

“Sect Leader, no word from the Demonic Cult?”

“Not yet.”

“Hmm...”

“What is it?”

“There’s a merchant group called Taechung Merchant Company based between Unsan and Cheongwon. But they’re no better than dark-path thugs. I’ve discussed with the Commanders whether we could crush them ourselves.”

As expected of a man from the dark path—his solution was always to crush.

“What are they doing?”

“Lord Yeon Ja-seong bought a ton of building materials from them, all recommended by Chief Byeok for pavilion restoration. They delivered half, then doubled the price for the rest. I investigated—they do this often. If anyone protests, they check to see if the customer has a powerful backer or strong warriors. There are also martial experts within their group.”

“But Yeon Ja-seong’s got me behind him. Why did Taechung Merchant Company act like that?”

“I mentioned you. They didn’t flinch.”

“Why?”

So Gunpyeong looked at me.

“Maybe your name doesn’t carry enough weight.”

“You kidding? How much more famous do I need to be?”

“Half-joking. They’re backed by the Baekri Family.”

“Oh, so they’re not dark-path scum after all.”

“No.”

“White-path lunatics obsessed with money are just as dangerous. Ah—Baekri Family has one of the Southern Six Dragons, huh. Maybe they see themselves as my equal, or look down on me for joining late.”

So Gunpyeong blinked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Eh, long story.”

“All this Dragon talk is childish.”

“Why snap at me? That nickname was given by the Alliance Leader.”

“Then just live with it.”

“But still—despite Baekri backing them, you and the Commanders were going to attack Taechung Merchant Company?”

“Yes. Since Lord Yeon Ja-seong got wronged, we figured a proper shitstorm was in order.”

“Haha...”

So it’s that time again—when my underlings start stirring up shit.

“This kind of shitstorm? I like it.”

“Agreed.”

“But let’s start with a letter. Demand the materials at the originally agreed price. Summon the Taechung merchant lord to Ilyang County in my name. If he doesn’t come, fine. But send word. Also, tell them not to act tough just because Baekri is behind them.”

“So a declaration of war?”

“More like a mocking, irritating, scathing letter. Send it. I’ll decide next steps after their response. Rich bastards always mess up business worse.”

“Understood.”

“Now that I think about it, maybe all this spending without income is because of stuff like this?”

“Yes, funds are still okay now, but we may have to invest in the Beggars’ Union if things continue. Our inns and taverns need to start generating revenue soon.”

“This all happened because I haven’t been shitstorming hard enough.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s strange. To survive, I now have to keep crushing dark-path forces. And stabilizing people’s livelihoods directly affects my wallet. Didn’t realize that until now.”

So Gunpyeong said,

“Once our network is running, income won’t be a problem.”

Go into Jianghu, and Jianghu’s mess finds you. Return to Haomun, and the internal mess finds you. Whether I stay in or go out, chaos from the martial world swirls around me.

“Anyway, back to the point.”

“Yes.”

I looked at So Gunpyeong.

“You got stronger thanks to the elixir—but you’re stronger nonetheless. That’s worth congratulating.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Sect Leader. Still... I’m baffled how you keep getting stronger too. You’re always busy, yet your power keeps rising. Is there a reason?”

“I wouldn’t recommend my way.”

“Why not?”

I let out a deep sigh.

“I risk my life. There’ve been two, maybe three times where I almost died. Especially with Senior Cheonak... I thought we’d both die. But it didn’t happen.”

“How did you survive against Cheonak?”

I looked at So Gunpyeong and advised him like a teacher.

“You’ve got to talk well. Don’t forget—when your martial strength falls short, you have to fight with words. You’ve experienced it, haven’t you?”

“I have. But how do you train that?”

I grabbed his shoulder.

“Mocking is the foundation. Start with the ones who don’t listen. Grind them until their ears bleed. Then, observe their minds and switch your tone. Look for openings, then strike with words. It’s the same as a martial clash. You’ve got lots of subordinates in the Pavilion—so polish your skills.”

“Understood.”

“If you can subdue someone with words, your martial skill also grows.”

“That’s new to me.”

“It’s true. The Cult Leader, Cheonak, even the Beggars’ Leader—all had unique ways with words. Cheonak wasn’t eloquent, but his tone was terrifying. You know why?”

“No.”

“Because he always kept his word. There’s nothing scarier than someone who matches words with action. You should develop that too—now that you’re leading the Black Cat Pavilion.”

I met his eyes and smirked.

“You’re Pavilion Lord So Gunpyeong now.”

So Gunpyeong chuckled faintly.

“Looks like I am.”

I recalled that time outside Chunyang Restaurant when I’d mocked him.

“You’re thinking about that brawl in front of the restaurant, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

Seems So Gunpyeong had the same thought—he rolled his shoulder and laughed.