Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Fifteen Divine Dragons and the Heretical Young Master (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Annoying bastards.”
Seomun Juncheok, who had just cut Gu Jahong's back, turned his head.
He saw Yang Jeon fighting with Peng Dogun.
“Ugh!”
Yang Jeon also saw Gu Jahong fall, but he was tied up with Peng Dogun and couldn't go to help him.
A moment ago, Yang Jeon had been the one keeping him occupied, but now the roles were completely reversed.
Moreover, Dang Gi, seemingly having found some leeway, began throwing hidden weapons at Yang Jeon from a distance.
“Ugh!”
Grazed by the poisoned weapons, Yang Jeon's movements grew sluggish, and his face began to turn deathly pale.
*Thwack!*
Seizing the opportunity as Yang Jeon slowed, Peng Dogun swung his saber and struck him.
Although it wasn't the blade's edge and he wasn't cut, Yang Jeon couldn't help but feel the immense impact.
“Uweck!”
Struck by Peng Dogun, Yang Jeon rolled across the floor several times and spat out blood.
“For mere waiters in a brothel, you were quite impressive. But let's end this now.”
Peng Dogun, Dang Gi, and Seomun Juncheok approached the fallen Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong.
“…Shouldn't you stop?”
Namgung Jin, who had been watching quietly, tried to stop the three.
“I'm sorry, but we can't listen to you this time, Brother Namgung.”
“These bastards must pay the price for disrespecting the Five Great Families.”
It was unclear when exactly Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong had disrespected the Five Great Families, but Namgung Jin quietly stepped back.
“Kekeke.”
Watching this, Sama Geuk burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Isn't it hilarious? When you were stopping those two, you were so proactive. But now, you just say a few words and only pretend to stop them. That's why I call it hypocrisy.”
As Sama Geuk mocked his actions, Namgung Jin's face flushed, and he fell silent.
He knew it was true, so he couldn't think of a rebuttal.
“Unlike them, we're on the same side, after all…”
Even Jegal Jihwan, the famously intelligent heir of the Jegal Family, was at a loss for words and could only offer a lame excuse.
“Hmph! What does that matter? It's their fault for swinging their swords without knowing who they were up against.”
“Are you really going to swing that saber? You'll regret it.”
“What's so great about these guys from a mere brothel? I was a little surprised by their strength, but that's all!”
Peng Dogun scoffed at Sama Geuk's warning and swung his saber.
As he watched Peng Dogun's saber swing towards the necks of Gu Jahong and Yang Jeon, Sama Geuk's smile deepened.
“Ugh!”
Peng Dogun, who was swinging his saber to behead the two, stopped and retreated.
“…Who's there?”
No one had attacked him. But he had no choice but to stop, as he felt as if his entire body was being sliced to pieces.
He felt that if he hadn't stopped his saber and retreated, that was exactly what would have happened.
“Don't cause any more trouble.”
The person who had come up the stairs was Shin Yehyang.
The killing intent she exuded froze everyone present.
“…It would be better to just kill you all.”
Shin Yehyang drew her saber.
Seeing Shin Yehyang wield a saber as massive as his own, a strange light glinted in Peng Dogun's eyes.
“First…”
Shin Yehyang immediately charged at Peng Dogun.
“Hah! A woman like you swinging a saber, how unfitting!”
Peng Dogun swung his saber at the charging Shin Yehyang.
*Clang!*
The two sabers clashed in mid-air.
“Huh?”
But it was Peng Dogun who was pushed back.
Unable to withstand Shin Yehyang's strength, his saber was knocked back, and Peng Dogun staggered.
Shin Yehyang didn't miss the opening and swung her saber at Peng Dogun's neck.
“Ugh!”
If Namgung Jin hadn't jumped between them and blocked Shin Yehyang's attack, Peng Dogun's head would have been severed.
But having hastily intervened to block her attack, Namgung Jin's sword hand was trembling.
“Well now, this is a sudden turn of events. Unlike before, this is a real crisis.”
Sama Geuk grinned, mocking Namgung Jin's group.
This was different from when they were fighting Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong.
Even alone, Shin Yehyang was handling Namgung Jin's group with incredible ease.
“Keuk!”
After kicking Namgung Jin in the stomach, Shin Yehyang quickly approached Dang Gi and swung her saber.
Struck in the head by Shin Yehyang's saber, Dang Gi collapsed without any resistance.
“Brother Dang!”
A startled Seomun Juncheok rushed at Shin Yehyang, but she stepped aside, dodging his attack.
*Thud!*
Then, she raised her knee and kicked Seomun Juncheok in the jaw.
“Ugh…”
Feeling the world spin, Seomun Juncheok collapsed right next to Dang Gi.
“Keock!”
Seomun Juncheok and Dang Gi were defeated with astonishing speed.
As Namgung Jin stared blankly at the two fallen men, he heard another groan and a thud.
He hastily turned his head to see Peng Dogun lying on the floor, the whites of his eyes showing.
Shin Yehyang had somehow moved behind him and knocked him unconscious with a palm strike.
“Well, well, are the heirs of the Five Great Families going to lose their lives here?”
“…The heir of the Heretical Alliance as well, I presume.”
“……”
Shin Yehyang had no intention of stopping with just them.
“I'm being wronged here. I didn't do anything.”
Beside the smiling Sama Geuk, the Blood Ghost Lord had appeared.
Shin Yehyang and the Blood Ghost Lord glared at each other, their auras flaring.
*Clap!*
At that moment, the sound of two hands clapping echoed.
“That's enough.”
The sound completely dissipated the auras of Shin Yehyang and the Blood Ghost Lord, who had been about to lunge at each other.
“Don't make a mess in here. This building is new.”
Jinmyeong, who had come up at some point, sighed and looked around.
“My friend, you've come?”
At Sama Geuk's use of the word "friend," Namgung Jin looked at Jinmyeong with suspicion.
“Since when was I your friend?”
Jinmyeong frowned and looked at Namgung Jin's group.
“You've made quite a mess. You know the things here are quite expensive, right?”
“That is…”
“This isn't something that can be settled with a mere one or two hundred silver taels. Of course, you'll have to pay for it.”
Even though Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong had also contributed to destroying the decorations, it seemed Jinmyeong intended to collect the full amount from Namgung Jin's group.
“If you don't pay, you can die here.”
“Keuk!”
It felt as if their bodies were sinking heavily.
Jinmyeong's aura pressed down not only on Namgung Jin and Jegal Jihwan, but also on Sama Geuk and the Blood Ghost Lord.
The thought that the slightest movement could mean death kept them from even lifting a finger.
It was enough to make them envy the unconscious Peng Dogun, Dang Gi, and Seomun Juncheok.
“I-I'll pay.”
“Isn't that obvious? I'm not even curious why you caused this scene. Just pay and leave.”
At Jinmyeong's words, Jegal Jihwan and Namgung Jin fumbled in their robes and took out money.
“Is that all?”
“W-Wait.”
He then searched the pockets of his unconscious companions for all their money and offered it to Jinmyeong.
“It's a little short, but I'll let it slide.”
After checking the amount of money Jegal Jihwan handed him, Jinmyeong immediately waved his hand at them.
“Now get out. If you cause a disturbance, you have to leave.”
“…May I ask just one thing?”
Namgung Jin asked Jinmyeong as he hoisted his fallen companion over his shoulder.
“What is it?”
“Is this place, by any chance, related to the Heretical Alliance?”
“If it were, would those two have fought?”
Jinmyeong's words reminded Namgung Jin of the moment Shin Yehyang and the Blood Ghost Lord were about to fight.
Because Sama Geuk had called Jinmyeong 'friend', that scene had apparently slipped his mind.
“…Is this really alright? You've made an enemy of the Five Great Families, haven't you?”
“That's not your concern.”
Jinmyeong showed no fear even at the name of the Five Great Families.
“If the Five Great Families don't mind getting a reputation for being that petty, then they can come for revenge.”
Naturally, the Five Great Families, who valued honor and reputation, would never come to the Grand Blossom Pavilion for revenge.
On the contrary, they would try their best to hide the fact that they were defeated in a brothel.
“Whether I wage war with the Five Great Families here or close up shop and run, I'll handle it myself. So just go.”
Faced with Jinmyeong's repeated demands to leave, Namgung Jin and Jegal Jihwan finally took the three unconscious men and went downstairs.
“You get out too.”
“What? Why me?”
“You were the cause of all this in the end. No refunds.”
Sama Geuk looked aggrieved at Jinmyeong, who was trying to kick him out.
“I told you, I had no intention of fighting. All I did was quietly drink while listening to that courtesan's performance.”
In fact, Sama Geuk hadn't fought with Namgung Jin's group at all.
He had merely engaged in a bit of a verbal spar.
“Do I really have to go too?”
“Of course. You were noisy.”
“That was because those guys showed up.”
He was just having a drink when Namgung Jin's group—or more precisely, Seomun Juncheok, Peng Dogun, and Dang Gi—had started the fight. So, for Sama Geuk, being kicked out felt incredibly unfair.
“Our courtesan is terrified today, so I don't think it's possible anymore.”
“…Then it can't be helped.”
Sama Geuk sighed and looked at Yuran inside the room.
She was trembling, hugging her seven-stringed zither tightly with a frightened expression.
“I'll come back later.”
“We don't usually turn away customers.”
Sama Geuk nodded and was about to leave with the Blood Ghost Lord.
“Wait.”
“Oh? Can I stay?”
“You pay for the damages too before you go.”
“…I really had nothing to do with it.”
At Jinmyeong's words, Sama Geuk grumbled but took out money from his robes, tossed it to Jinmyeong, and left the pavilion.
‘He gave quite a lot.’
As if to embarrass the Five Great Families, the amount of money Sama Geuk gave him was substantial.
“Uhm.”
The waiters were cleaning up the fifth and fourth floors.
Finally, the unconscious Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong woke up.
“Young Master, did you kick all of them out?”
“Something like that.”
Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong looked bewildered to find that their opponents were gone and the situation was over.
But that lasted only a moment; both of them looked incredibly resentful.
“…Damn bastards. Ganging up on us because they lack the skill.”
Gu Jahong recalled Namgung Jin's group attacking together and swore coarsely.
He couldn't contain his anger, not because he was outmatched in skill, but because he had fallen for a cowardly trick.
Yang Jeon also bit his lip, looking quite frustrated, but he didn't curse like Gu Jahong.
“Next time, I want to win even against their combined attack.”
Both were frustrated, but they showed it in subtly different ways.
Jinmyeong quietly watched the two of them.
“Is this alright?”
“Why? Worried they'll retaliate?”
“Yes.”
Having come to his senses, Yang Jeon asked Jinmyeong with a worried expression.
The people Jinmyeong had kicked out were the heirs of the Five Great Families and the heir of the Leader of the Heretical Alliance.
“And since you threw out people like that, I'm worried that customers might stop coming.”
“Really? I think it's the opposite.”
Seeing the faint smile on Jinmyeong's lips, Yang Jeon could only look confused.
And just as Yang Jeon worried, rumors that the Grand Blossom Pavilion had kicked out the scions of the Five Great Families and the heir of the Heretical Alliance began to spread rapidly.
It was as if someone was deliberately spreading those rumors.
But contrary to Yang Jeon's worries, the number of customers at the Grand Blossom Pavilion grew day by day.
People began to flock to the pavilion, as if to see for themselves just how incredible the place was to have thrown out such powerful martial artists.
“Don't tell me you predicted this too, Young Master?”
“Who knows.”
Jinmyeong answered ambiguously, but seeing his smile, it seemed as if he had intended for this to happen.
But as if to prove that good things don't last forever, a problem finally erupted at the Grand Blossom Pavilion.