Chapter 789: Live Like a Dog, or Die Like a Wolf (Part 4)

Thud!

As the Black Dragon King climbed the final step, his gaze burned with the fury of a raging beast, locking onto Jang Ilso.

"You arrogant brat... What an easy life you're living, lounging in Hangzhou."

To any ordinary person, the sight of that gaze alone would have been enough to stop their heart. But Jang Ilso wasn’t just anyone.

Clink.

Even as he met the Black Dragon King's fearsome stare, Jang Ilso calmly poured himself another drink, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Take a seat."

"......"

"You came all this way to talk, didn’t you?"

"Or maybe I came to take your head."

"Hahaha!"

Jang Ilso laughed openly as he slowly ran his hand over his neck, the trinket on his wrist jingling softly.

"I didn’t know my head was valuable enough to bring the great Black Dragon King all the way out here. I suppose I haven’t lived in vain after all."

The smooth, sarcastic way in which Jang Ilso spoke caused the Black Dragon King's eyes to narrow slightly.

'A snake, through and through.'

Living as part of the unorthodox sects meant surviving through countless schemes and plots. Unlike the righteous sects, which maintained a façade of honor and fairness, the unorthodox sects held no such pretenses. They used any method necessary to bring down their enemies.

The leaders of the Five Lords of the Divine Path, like Jang Ilso, had climbed to their positions by navigating through a web of schemes and machinations that ordinary people could never imagine.

But...

The Black Dragon King's cold gaze swept over Jang Ilso.

This man was different from the others.

The Eighteen Waterway Factions of the Yangtze, the Seventy-Two Green Forest Bandits, and Hao Gate—these were all sects with histories behind them. Most of the current leaders had inherited or seized power from their predecessors, following established paths. It wasn’t easy, but it was still a different path from starting from nothing.

Jang Ilso, however, was not like them.

He had crawled up from the very bottom, establishing the Maninbang from scratch and eventually being recognized as one of the Five Lords. Despite his young age and relative inexperience compared to the others, no one dared mock him or his faction for bearing the title of the Five Lords.

The thought of what might be hidden behind that smooth smile made the Black Dragon King’s stomach churn.

"So you know the value of your neck. That should make it easier to part with."

"Losing my head wouldn’t be that difficult."

"......"

Jang Ilso chuckled softly as he continued.

"But if you return with my head, how do you plan to stop those righteous sects currently tearing apart the Yangtze?"

"You…!"

A flash of killing intent burst from the Black Dragon King's eyes, but before it could explode fully, a voice from the side interrupted.

"He's got a point."

Startled, the Black Dragon King quickly turned to the source of the voice.

'When did he...?'

A middle-aged man of entirely unremarkable appearance had suddenly appeared, as if out of thin air.

Though his goatee stood out, his face was so plain that no one would have remembered him even if they passed him ten times a day on the street. Yet, there he was, seated comfortably at an empty table.

"Anyone can raise their voice. But solving problems is a different matter entirely."

"…Thousand Faces Gentleman (Cheonmyeon Susa)."

The Black Dragon King bit his lip.

No one knew this man’s true name.

No one even knew his real face.

The face he was wearing now was merely one he had crafted for the occasion. He could change his appearance at will, even his voice and body shape, all depending on his desires.

The reason was simple.

He was the leader of Hao Gate, known as the Thousand Faces Gentleman.

"Could I get a drink?"

Without a word, Jang Ilso reached for an empty cup beside him and placed it in front of him.

Trickle.

He filled the cup and gently tossed it toward the Thousand Faces Gentleman. Despite the cup flying through the air, not a single drop of wine spilled.

The Thousand Faces Gentleman caught it, downed the drink in one go, and slammed the cup back onto the table with a sharp thud.

"Good. It’s Shao Xing wine, I see."

The Black Dragon King let out a low snicker.

"Normally, you hide away like a mouse in a hole, acting all cautious. But now you readily drink the wine someone else offers?"

"If it were a drink from you, Black Dragon King, I might have tossed it aside."

"...What did you say?"

The Thousand Faces Gentleman smiled warmly.

"But a drink from the Patriarch? That I can trust. He’s not the type to lose something big over something small."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Not at all."

"You...!"

The Black Dragon King clenched his teeth in frustration, his beard trembling with anger.

Still smiling, the Thousand Faces Gentleman looked at him calmly.

"You need to temper that anger, Black Dragon King. After all, you're the one in the most urgent situation right now, aren’t you?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Not at all."

The Thousand Faces Gentleman shook his head slightly.

His expression suddenly changed, becoming sharp and focused. The warm, gentle demeanor from a moment ago vanished, replaced by eyes as sharp as blades.

"What I mean is, the situation is dire. If you’re going to act recklessly, then stay out of the way. Otherwise, get lost."

"You damned rat!"

Just as the Black Dragon King was about to explode again, the Thousand Faces Gentleman turned to Jang Ilso and asked, "The Green Forest Bandits won’t come, I take it? Or have you called for them?"

"It would be a waste of time."

"Of course."

The Thousand Faces Gentleman nodded, unsurprised.

As the leader of Hao Gate, one of the two major information networks in the world, he was well aware that the Green Forest Bandits had already aligned themselves with the Heavenly Alliance.

"Still, I didn’t expect them to roll over so easily and walk into a trap like dogs. Did you push them too hard, Patriarch?"

He was referring to the past conflict between the Maninbang and the Green Forest Bandits.

"If that’s all they were capable of, then there’s no helping it."

Jang Ilso smiled faintly.

"And it wasn’t solely my fault. If you hadn’t held a dagger to their back, I would have absorbed the Green Forest Bandits long ago."

"And if that had happened, you’d be coming for us next. Or perhaps the Waterway Factions would have made a move south."

The Thousand Faces Gentleman chuckled.

Such was the world of the unorthodox sects.

A world where it was every man for himself.

Yesterday’s enemy could be today’s ally, and yesterday’s ally could be today’s enemy. In truth, there were no true allies in the unorthodox sects. Even when fighting together, each person was looking for their next opportunity to strike.

It was for this reason that the Five Lords maintained their boundaries and only engaged in sporadic skirmishes. A full-scale war would inevitably invite someone to strike from the shadows.

"So, what about the others?"

"I’ve sent letters, but…."

"Hmm."

The Thousand Faces Gentleman shook his head.

"There’s no point in waiting any longer. So, Patriarch, why did you summon us?"

The Black Dragon King ground his teeth.

"I never agreed to listen to this nonsense."

"Then leave, Black Dragon King. We won’t stop you."

The Thousand Faces Gentleman clicked his tongue.

"There’s no point in fighting for control here. Everyone’s got a knife at their throat, and we’re all feeling the heat. No one more than the Waterway Factions, right?"

"......"

The Black Dragon King bit his lip, barely containing his fury.

"So, what is it? Do you want us all to gather and count our spoils?"

"That would be quite the event."

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice, the Black Dragon King turned around.

A figure slowly ascended the stairs.

The man who came into view wore an expression devoid of emotion.

There wasn’t a trace of feeling on his face, nor was there any color in his skin. His pallor only heightened the sense of dread that surrounded him.

Dressed in blue robes, the man spoke in a cold, detached voice as he reached the top floor.

"The only thing that matters is what we gain from this. If there’s nothing to gain, then none of this matters."

"...Damn you."

The Black Dragon King spat in disgust, but the Thousand Faces Gentleman nodded in agreement.

Of course, what he considered valuable was different from what this new arrival valued. This man saw everything in terms of gains and losses, dividing the world in black and white.

Not all those in the unorthodox sects were driven by selfish desire.

Sometimes, they held back for the greater good, or they hid their ambitions behind elaborate traps. But this man was different. To him, there was nothing but the present and immediate gain.

The world was filled with those who worshipped wealth, but true money fanatics were few and far between. The one before them was one such person—someone who didn’t chase after mere gold, but instead pursued the true treasures of the world.

This man was the leader of the Black Ghost Fortress, Gong Ya-wol, also known as the Ten-Thousand-Gold Duke.

Maninbang, Hao Gate, the Eighteen Waterway Factions, and the Black Ghost Fortress.

The leaders of four of the Five Lords were now gathered in the highest floor of Chuihyang Pavilion.

Anyone who had the slightest knowledge of the martial world would have frozen in terror at the sight.

"Money fanatic…."

The Black Dragon King began to speak, but Gong Ya-wol cut him off with a short wave of his hand.

"Spare me your useless chatter, Black Dragon King. I’m a busy man. Let’s get to the point."

"......"

"Patriarch, why did you summon us here? If you’re wasting my time, you’ll pay dearly for it. I don’t take lightly to having my time wasted."

Jang Ilso responded with a peculiar smile.

"If you lack anything, Duke, it would be the ability to appreciate the finer things in life."

"Anything that doesn’t make money is useless to me."

"Then have a seat."

Gong Ya-wol gave Jang Ilso a brief glance before silently sitting across from him.

The Thousand Faces Gentleman also approached and took his seat, and finally, the Black Dragon King stomped over, noisily pulling out a chair and growling before sitting down.

"Say anything pointless, and I won’t forgive you, Jang Ilso!"

"Pointless, you say…."

Jang Ilso gently brushed his fingers over his cup, smiling faintly.

"Pride is important."

His gaze fell on the Black Dragon King.

"And of course, money is indispensable."

He looked toward Gong Ya-wol.

"And information is everything."

Finally, his eyes met the Thousand Faces Gentleman’s as he filled his cup.

Trickle.

In the stillness of the top floor, the sound of wine being poured seemed almost eerie.

"But all of that…"

Jang Ilso lifted his cup, a twisted smile spreading across his lips, different from his earlier politeness. His eyes gleamed coldly, like pale moonlight.

"…means nothing if you lose your head, wouldn’t you say?"

In an instant, the atmosphere on the top floor froze over, becoming as cold as ice.