Chapter 76: Mad Rooster (1)
The backyard had become a bit cramped due to the newly built quarters.
Within fifteen steps, they could easily reach each other.
Seo Yu-gyeom asked Sima Hwi with his characteristically calm, almost indifferent expression.
“What’s got you so pissed off you’re going nuts?”
Sima Hwi responded as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard.
“Do you even know who I am?”
“Does an inn’s cook need to know that?”
A faint smirk crept up the corner of Sima Hwi’s mouth.
This inn was indeed peculiar. Not just the inn boy, even the cook seemed to have trained in martial arts properly.
At this point, it didn’t feel like just an inn—it felt like a Murim faction in disguise.
Sima Hwi decided it was time to show these insolent punks exactly who he was.
Why he was called one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, even among the countless prodigies of the world.
The moment Sima Hwi’s mighty internal energy—tempered by a life in a renowned clan—began to surge and coil around his body...
Thwip—!
A sharp sound tore through the air.
Sima Hwi blanked out for a moment.
Right in front of his nose, a cold dagger was pressed against his throat.
He hadn’t even registered the movement.
“Hey.”
A low voice followed shortly after.
Seo Yu-gyeom’s jet-black eyes, impossible to read, stared at him in silence.
“You haven’t died before, have you?”
That light jest didn’t sound like a joke to Sima Hwi.
He knew instinctively.
Those eyes.
That chill—something he had never experienced before in his life.
The guy in front of him could easily kill him right here and now if he wanted to.
Sima Hwi’s specialty wasn’t sharp swordplay or hand-to-hand techniques, but the ever-shifting formations.
But in a situation where a dagger was already at his throat, no formation was of any use.
He hid his tension.
Revealing it would do him no favors here.
Instead, he looked down at Seo Yu-gyeom with deliberately calm eyes and asked,
“This inn... what the hell is it?”
“A foodie spot.”
“......”
“Or maybe your gravesite.”
Seo Yu-gyeom kept mentioning death.
And truthfully, he was feeling the urge to kill this cocky bastard.
But it wasn’t the same uncontrollable bloodlust as before.
Perhaps that’s why Jin Seong-un hadn’t tried to stop him and just let him come here.
Seo Yu-gyeom subtly channeled his inner cold energy to cool his emotions and continued.
“If you’re going to mess with someone else’s livelihood, you’d better be ready to bet your life. I don’t care if you’re some kind of Rising Dragon or just a dirt worm.”
“......”
“Want to keep going? Or are you going to piss off already?”
Sima Hwi said nothing.
That silence was an answer.
Seo Yu-gyeom chuckled softly, gave Sima Hwi a pat on the shoulder, and walked back into the inn like nothing happened.
Inside, Jin Seong-un didn’t seem the least bit bothered, as if he already knew everything that had happened.
Only Seomun Ak was glancing nervously at Seo Yu-gyeom with a tense face.
As Seo Yu-gyeom passed him on his way to the kitchen, he casually remarked,
“He’s tamer than I expected.”
“......”
Seomun Ak was utterly dumbfounded.
In this entire world, only that lunatic Seo Yu-gyeom would describe Sima Hwi as “tame.”
‘You’re so freaking crazy that everyone else looks tame in comparison...’
Seo Yu-gyeom narrowed his eyes at him and said,
“I can hear you, you know.”
Startled, Seomun Ak quickly looked away, pretending to be innocent.
Seo Yu-gyeom burst into a fit of laughter and walked back into the kitchen.
“This damn inn just keeps attracting weirdoes.”
Right at that moment, Han Seong-chun, who was stir-frying sweet and sour pork, silently nodded in agreement.
“But you’re the weirdest one here.”
“Hey, what did I do now?”
Han Seong-chun just shrugged his shoulders in silence instead of answering.
.
.
.
Sima Hwi stood frozen for a moment as he entered the inn. Everyone was staring at him.
Without a word, he gathered his belongings and headed out.
It was hard to say whether it was anger or embarrassment, but something was boiling inside him.
But he knew—causing more trouble in this inn now would be sheer stupidity.
Just as he was about to step outside, he suddenly stopped and turned around.
Namgung Rin was still sitting calmly at her seat.
When Sima Hwi stared at her, she nonchalantly asked,
“What?”
“Aren’t you coming?”
“The food just got here.”
“......”
Sima Hwi let out a long sigh.
In the end, he had no choice but to leave the inn alone.
Back at Wuhanzhuang Bank, Sima Hwi completely ignored the bowing Vice Branch Leader and went straight to his quarters.
The best and most luxurious room had been set aside for the eldest son of the Sima Clan.
‘That arrogant bastard...’
The Vice Branch Leader kept cursing Sima Hwi internally.
Sima Hwi paced inside the room for a long while, deep in thought.
“No matter how I look at it, it’s too strange.”
Just as he muttered to himself for some time—
A subordinate knocked and entered.
“Young Master, is it really okay to leave things like this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard that disciples from Wudang Sect and the Luoyang Sword Clan have arrived in Yichang. Apparently, there are even several vagabonds chasing after the bounty on the Saber Thief’s head.”
“So?”
“They’re already combing through every corner of Yichang with bloodshot eyes, searching for the thief, and yet we’re just...”
“Pointless.”
Sima Hwi spoke firmly.
“That bastard—he’ll definitely come back here to this bank.”
Just like an assassin sharpening their blade after a failed job, a bold thief would undoubtedly return to Wuhanzhuang Bank once more.
“So, that inn boy was right, and the thief really did come that day?”
At the subordinate’s cautious question, Sima Hwi’s glare turned sharp.
Admitting that would mean acknowledging Jin Seong-un’s words.
The subordinate awkwardly cleared his throat and lowered his head.
No matter how much he thought about it, that part confused Sima Hwi the most.
‘How the hell did he notice?’
That day, the entire bank had been surrounded by the Sima Clan’s pride—the Celestial Eight-Star Formation.
Within that formation, all flows of qi become twisted and chaotic.
Even seasoned masters would lose their sense of direction, let alone control over their internal energy.
Even those who cast the formation couldn’t sense the thief’s presence.
But that damn inn boy noticed.
He even pointed it out, as if it were nothing.
The same question kept hammering at Sima Hwi’s mind.
“How?”
“Pardon?”
The subordinate looked confused.
Sima Hwi realized this wasn’t something he should stew over alone anymore.
“Find out everything you can about those people.”
“Are you talking about Seong-un Inn?”
Without a word, Sima Hwi pulled out a heavy money pouch from beneath the table and handed it to his subordinate.
It was heavy, clearly filled with gold.
“If needed, use both the Beggars’ Union and Hao Sect without hesitation. I don’t care how much money it takes.”
“Understood.”
The subordinate took the pouch, bowed properly, and left the room.
Left alone, Sima Hwi calmly recalled the strange events that had taken place today.
The argument with that inn boy at the bank.
The change in that punk Seomun Ak.
And even that bizarre cook.
There was definitely something.
There was no way they were just ordinary inn staff who happened to know some martial arts.
No—they absolutely could not be.
As he poured himself tea, Sima Hwi’s face flushed slightly.
That feeling he got when facing the cook.
It had been unmistakable fear.
The eldest son of the Sima Clan, no less—feeling fear toward an unknown cook tucked away in a remote little inn. The humiliation was unbearable.
Sima Hwi let out a long, heated breath.
Not even two shichen had passed when the subordinate came rushing back to his quarters.
In his hands was a stack of documents, carefully sealed.
“We acquired this from the Hao Sect. Since the man is just an inn boy, I figured they’d be more useful than the Beggars’ Union.”
“Got it. Leave me.”
After dismissing his subordinate, Sima Hwi immediately tore open the sealed envelope.
Inside were several sheets densely filled with tiny writing.
As he calmly read through each page, his eyes began to widen in disbelief.
His heart dropped as if it had fallen to his feet.
“...Food Butcher?”
Wasn’t that a martial demon designated as a first-class public enemy of the Murim?
Rumor had it that not long ago, the Food Butcher’s movements overlapped with those of a few young martial artists from the orthodox faction, causing a major commotion.
Back then, it was said that Tang So-yeon of the Tang Clan, two juniors from the Wudang Sect, Seok Tae-shin of the House of Seok, and...
“Seomun Ak.”
It seemed that incident was what led him to work as an inn boy at Seong-un Inn.
No doubt the influence of the Seomun Clan Leader had been involved.
The Clan Head of Seomun was a master—politically savvy and no fool.
For such a man to plant his son in a small inn—it carried more weight than it appeared.
Sima Hwi’s eyes widened even further as he continued reading.
“Sa, Sa Ryeong-geuk?”
He even stuttered—a rare thing.
Wasn’t he the second-in-command of the Sichuan Unorthodox Faction?
And he was listed as dead.
Killed by none other than Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom of Seong-un Inn.
Granted, the Tang Clan had aided them, but still...
“I knew it.”
Now it all made sense to Sima Hwi.
That cook, even if he’d borrowed the Tang Clan’s strength, had fought on par with the Vice Leader of the Heavenly Poison Alliance.
The feeling Sima Hwi had experienced facing him—it had been warranted.
A strange sense of relief washed over him.
After reading all the major information, he carefully skimmed the rest—minor incidents, rumors, everything.
The most astonishing thing was how those two, despite their level of martial prowess, seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
There was no record whatsoever before they began running the inn.
Especially for someone like the cook—a master of that caliber—to have no past records? Impossible.
Which could only mean one thing.
“They’re hiding something. The more I learn, the more suspicious they become.”
Just then—
A subordinate burst into the room, shouting urgently.
“Y-Young Master! Elder Byeok of the Beggars’ Union is here!”
His face had gone pale.
Sima Hwi’s expression hardened in an instant.
It was understandable.
Elder Byeokcheon-gae of the Beggars’ Union.
Her nickname was none other than the Mad Rooster.
Not a Mad Dog—a Mad Rooster.
Her temper was so vile and volatile that even fellow beggars avoided her, and when she snapped, she’d even cause a ruckus in the Alliance Leader’s hall.
She had, however, attained her position as Elder at a relatively young age due to her exceptional martial prowess and capability...
‘But thanks to her insane temperament, she has zero base of support and practically no chance of becoming the Sect Leader.’
There were even rumors that she’d been completely excluded from any positions related to intelligence within the Beggars’ Union.
A beggar with strength but no information?
In short, a nuisance who brought only trouble and suffering, with no practical help or rewards.
Before Sima Hwi could even say a word—
A middle-aged woman with a dark, grimy face strode into the room, reeking of a foul stench.
She plopped herself into a chair like it was her own home and immediately propped her feet up on the table.
“Hey, Dragon-boy, long time no see. Still got that slick little face, I see.”
“...It’s good to see you, Senior.”
Sima Hwi stood reluctantly and bowed slightly.
“How’s the thief hunt going?”
“...It’s, well, proceeding decently.”
“Got any leads?”
She spoke as if she had entrusted him with the case.
Sima Hwi sighed inwardly.
This case involved the pride of several clans and sects.
There was absolutely no reason to share information with such an outsider.
But the problem was—she was the Mad Rooster.
If she took offense, there was no telling how persistently and viciously she’d make his life miserable.
If he tried to hide information now, he might end up getting pecked to death by this mad hen before even catching the thief.
At that moment—
His eyes landed on the letter containing information about Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“Well, I don’t have solid proof just yet... but there are a few suspicious individuals I can’t just ignore.”
“That so?”
Elder Byeok, who had been lying down, sat halfway up. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Sima Hwi deliberately put on a troubled expression.
“Just as I said, I don’t have any real evidence or basis yet...”
“We can verify the facts ourselves. Don’t stall—just tell me! I’ll go check personally.”
Sima Hwi hesitated a little longer on purpose, teasing her into a frenzy.
Soon, she couldn’t bear it and began pressing him hard. Only then did Sima Hwi open his mouth, as if he had no choice.
“There’s a place called Seong-un Inn…”