Chapter 103: Everyone Has a Story
Chapter 103: Everyone Has a Story
The carriage pulled up to the Heavenly Flower Pavilion, the most renowned gisaeng house in Guizhou.
Its fame didn't stem from actually housing a thousand gisaeng, but rather from its exorbitant prices.
True to its reputation, dozens of luxurious carriages were parked in the pavilion’s massive courtyard. The joke that one could meet every wealthy person in Guizhou just by coming here didn't seem like much of an exaggeration.
Our carriage continued deep into the estate. Being such a large establishment, martial artists of considerable skill were stationed everywhere. Those guarding the innermost courtyard—the Inner Court—were clearly masters in their own right.
"Are we here to play? Or are we here to work?" I asked.
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon answered as if the answer were obvious. "Doesn't one come to a gisaeng house to play?"
"Is it alright to play at one of Villain Valley's vital strongholds?"
The Smiling Demon looked genuinely startled by my remark. "Whatever do you mean by that?"
"The skill of the martial artists lying in ambush is no joke."
A strange light flickered in the Smiling Demon's eyes behind his mask. He looked like a man who thought he was beyond surprise, yet the shocks just kept piling up.
Eventually, he admitted the truth. "People's tongues tend to loosen once the wine starts flowing."
Through the Heavenly Flower Pavilion, the Smiling Demon was gathering intelligence from across the Central Plains. This place was essentially an external branch of Villain Valley.
"Doesn't the quality of information scale with the amount of gold involved?"
The Smiling Demon merely gave his habitual laugh, offering no further details.
Since wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials of the Murim frequented this place, a wealth of critical information was collected here. That made this location invaluable to him. Instead of explaining further, he offered a comparison.
"Shall I tell you something surprising? The revenue earned here exceeds the income of the Daeho Merchant Group we saw the other day."
"I didn't realize it was to that extent."
While we talked, the carriage stopped in front of the innermost building. Judging by the lack of other carriages, this area wasn't meant for ordinary guests.
The Smiling Demon stepped out, and I followed, donning my mask.
After waiting for a moment in a lavishly decorated room, a slender woman entered. Her heavy makeup made it difficult to discern her exact age, but she possessed a mysterious, alluring aura.
"Welcome, Brother."
The moment I heard those words, I burst out laughing.
"Why are you laughing?" the Smiling Demon asked.
"Because I’m present for the historic moment where the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon is called 'Brother.'"
The woman looked at me cautiously. "I don't believe we've met."
Being quick-witted, she likely guessed from my casual attitude toward the Smiling Demon that my status was anything but ordinary. I might have been the first person she'd ever seen treat him so familiarly.
She introduced herself first with a polite bow. "I am Yeo-jeong, the one responsible for the Heavenly Flower Pavilion."
Yeo-jeong, the Pavilion Master.
I knew of her well.
She secretly operated dozens of gisaeng houses across the Central Plains, not just this one. Her dream was to become the Empress of the Night, ruling over every man in the land. The fact that she could handle a man as dangerous as the Smiling Demon was proof enough of the scale of her ambition.
I pushed my mask up onto my forehead and greeted her. "I am Geom Mu-geuk."
The Pavilion Master gasped. She recognized the name instantly. Having the Smiling Demon by my side only served to confirm it.
"A truly precious guest has graced us with his presence."
She bowed deeply on the spot. Recognizing me was one thing, but bowing the moment she did was a display of incredibly sharp social grace.
"I might be someone who disappears forever after today," I joked, hinting at the succession struggle.
She replied with a smooth smile. "On the contrary, you might rule this Murim for a hundred years."
The Smiling Demon spoke up cheerfully. "Now then, prepare a fine spread. And today, I intend to show our Second Young Master what true beauty looks like, so bring them in."
"Understood. Please, enjoy your conversation for a moment."
Once she left, the Smiling Demon asked with a grin, "Just looking at the Pavilion Master, aren't you excited to see the beauties she's gathered?"
"I'm very much looking forward to it."
"Really? You don't strike me as a man who indulges in carnal pleasures, Second Young Master."
"Not at all. I like women. What man doesn't?"
"Well, let's see about that."
As he spoke, the Smiling Demon glanced at Lee An, who was standing by the door with Blue Face. I could feel his intent. He desperately wanted to hear me admit that Lee An wasn't beautiful. It was a wicked sort of persistence.
It won't be that easy for you.
The food arrived first. Since it was a spread for a top-tier guest at the finest establishment, it was filled with expensive and rare delicacies.
I said to the Smiling Demon, "May I have my 'Heart' come and eat as well? Since you two won't be eating anyway."
"Go ahead."
Lee An, standing by the door, made a face as if to say I didn't need to go that far, but I was already gesturing for her to come over. As she sat down beside me, she sent a message via Voice Transmission.
— Young Master! How am I supposed to swallow food while sitting at the same table as the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon?
— There are too many things you like here to give up just because of him.
— Well, that's true, but...
— Even if you die, it's better to die with a full stomach.
I picked up my chopsticks and spoke to the Smiling Demon. "Well then, we'll start eating."
Lee An, deciding to just go with it since things had already turned out this way, began to dig into the dishes. She did not regret the choice.
"It's delicious. How can everything taste this good?"
"Let's kidnap the cook here," I suggested. "Cook Im has been getting older lately; his seasoning hasn't been quite right."
"Cook Im would be heartbroken if he heard you say that."
"My tongue is already heartbroken."
"Just bear with it! Besides, you eat at the Pungryu Tavern every day lately. When are you going to ditch that owner?"
"When the food starts getting too salty?"
"Young Master!"
The Smiling Demon and Blue Face watched our informal conversation in silence. Though we were also leader and subordinate, we must have looked vastly different from them. I didn't necessarily think our relationship was 'better' than theirs, though. Some people prefer a bond where trust is exchanged in silence.
I paused my chopsticks for a moment and looked at the Smiling Demon. Before I could even speak, he beat me to it.
"I am fine, so please, continue eating."
"I just feel bad. We'd get closer if we shared something delicious."
"Sharing delicious food only makes me angry," he replied. "Our relationship would likely get worse."
I laughed, but the Smiling Demon didn't, as if he weren't joking.
Just then, the Pavilion Master returned. Four gisaeng followed behind her. The women were truly stunning—likely the Four Beauties of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
"Take your time and choose the lady who catches your eye," the Pavilion Master said.
I answered immediately. "They are all so beautiful, so please, have them all sit. Is there any need to choose?"
The Pavilion Master looked at the Smiling Demon. When he nodded, she had all the women take a seat.
"That was an excellent choice," she noted.
"It's the way for everyone to win."
The Pavilion Master smiled at my response. The woman sitting next to me poured a drink.
"With such beautiful ladies pouring for me, I'll have to overindulge a bit today."
I accepted and drank a cup from each of the women.
"Lee An, you have a drink too."
"I'm alright."
"No. An opportunity to receive a drink from the beauties of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion won't come again in your lifetime."
"Fine, then I'll have just one."
The gisaeng closest to her poured a cup. Lee An took a small sip and set the cup back down. Because Lee An and I treated them with courtesy, the way the women looked at us naturally softened.
The Smiling Demon leaned against the Pavilion Master, watching me. He had hoped I would lose myself in debauchery, so he found this refined atmosphere unsatisfactory.
"I thought you said you knew how to play?"
"I am playing. This lady here is named Ju-hwa, and I hear she's a talented singer. I'm planning to listen to a song later."
"Is it right to act like a scholar at a drinking party? Shall I have them bring out some ink and brushes for you?"
When I continued to act like a refined gentleman, the Smiling Demon pointlessly dragged Lee An into it. He spoke to the Pavilion Master.
"The Second Young Master claimed that guard over there is the greatest beauty of all. What does our Pavilion Master think?"
The answer came immediately, as if no thought were required. "I believe he's right."
"Right?" The Smiling Demon, who had been leaning back, bolted upright.
"Yes. I've thought so since the moment I first saw her." The Pavilion Master stared intently at Lee An. "She is a truly beautiful woman. If only she lost some weight."
As expected of someone who had seen countless women throughout her life, she recognized Lee An's beauty hidden beneath the weight and swelling at a single glance.
The Smiling Demon, on the other hand, was stunned. He had been about to prove that Lee An wasn't pretty to imply I lacked an eye for beauty. But with the Pavilion Master taking this stance, he was momentarily speechless.
The Pavilion Master asked Lee An with a look of genuine pity, "You are such a beautiful person; why have you let yourself gain so much weight?"
Lee An replied, "I have a great appetite and a lazy nature, so it couldn't be helped."
However, the Pavilion Master clearly felt there was more to it. "I suppose everyone has at least one story they can't tell, don't they?"
The Pavilion Master smiled as she spoke. Lee An gave a faint smile in return. She seemed comforted, as if the woman's words acknowledged her hidden pain.
"Thank you for seeing me in a kind light."
"Don't mention it."
The Pavilion Master was certainly no ordinary woman. I suppose that's how she became close enough to call the Smiling Demon 'Brother' and grew her ambition to become the Empress of the Night.
"Now then, let's all have a drink together!"
I raised my glass high, and Lee An and the gisaeng joined in the toast.
*
After drinking and playing for a while, I stepped out into the courtyard of the Inner Court to get some fresh air. I suppose I'm not cut out to be a legendary hero; my head was already aching from nothing more than the scent of perfume.
Just then, someone called out to me from behind. "Young Master."
I turned to see the Pavilion Master.
"If the ladies aren't to your liking, please say the word. This pavilion has many gisaeng."
"They're fine."
"You are quite the gentleman, Young Master."
"I have to be a gentleman when the Smiling Demon is around," I joked. "If I go out to play on my own, I'm a total wreck. You wouldn't be able to stand the sight of me."
The Pavilion Master gave a meaningful smile. "Is it not because of your guard?"
"Do you think it's because of my guard?"
"You seem to cherish her quite a lot."
"Does it show?"
"Yes, very much so."
"When you go back inside, please be sure to tell her that."
We looked at each other and laughed.
"Honestly, I was surprised," I said. "That you recognized my guard was originally beautiful at a single glance."
"I've been good at reading people since I was young. Is it called having good intuition? I especially get a feeling when looking at women. That woman would be beautiful if she did her makeup like this. She'd be pretty if she wore clothes like that. That woman looks like she has a nasty temper. That woman looks like she'd be fond of men. Strangely, I was always right. To the point where people said I was possessed."
"What about my guard?"
"Beyond just being beautiful, she seemed like someone destined for great things. Someone who would become noble."
Her eye for people was indeed accurate.
"What about me?"
"I only know how to read women." She gave a slight smile. Perhaps her intuition applied to men as well, but knowing that recklessly using such intuition could endanger her life, she likely limited that talent to women to carve out her own destiny.
"Shall we head back in?"
"Let's go."
The very moment she stepped forward to lead the way—
Shhh.
A masked man deactivated his stealth and lunged, thrusting a dagger toward the Pavilion Master. She didn't even have time to scream.
In that desperate instant, I unleashed the fastest move I could. Executing the Underworld King Step, I surged forward as the Black Demonic Sword cleared its scabbard.
Flying Heaven Sword Technique, Fifth Form: Fast Sword Form, Azure Heaven Form.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed violently across her face. When the Pavilion Master opened her eyes, the masked man who had tried to kill her was collapsed on the ground, his face pierced through.
As she turned in shock, covered in the assassin's blood, my sword was hovering in mid-air. Her eyes widened. Before her eyes, the sword was multiplying.
Clang-clang-clang!
Four swords. They weren't physical blades, but sword qi I had manifested. Because they took the shape of the Black Demonic Sword, it looked as if the blade had split into four.
Flying Heaven Sword Technique, Seventh Form: Flowing Heaven Form.
The Pavilion Master’s mouth fell open at the magnificent sight. The moment the energy radiating from my body like a spiderweb detected all the hidden enemies—
Whoosh!
The four streaks of sword qi shot out like bolts of light in different directions. A gasp of admiration escaped the Pavilion Master's lips at the brilliant display. That gasp was immediately followed by the sound of tearing flesh and dying screams.
Silence followed. Then, blood erupted from the empty spaces where the swords had pierced.
Spurt!
Four more masked men, who had been hidden, revealed themselves. They collapsed simultaneously, blood geysering from the holes carved by the sword qi.
Thud!
A moment later, a figure landed heavily on the spot. It was the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon.
"What happened?"
"An assassination attempt targeting the Pavilion Master."
At my words, the Smiling Demon looked at Yeo-jeong, who stood there drenched in blood. The fact that they had targeted her instead of him made the Smiling Demon let out a cold laugh. It was a low, growling sound, like a predator.
I could feel his rage. Because he had been laughing and drinking just moments ago, his fury felt even more immense. It was always like this. The most cowardly and base methods were often the most effective.
The Smiling Demon spoke to me in a voice that was eerily calm.
"Second Young Master, since I couldn't prove that your 'Heart' is ugly, would you like to see what my world is truly like?"
Yes, this was how a bloodbath began.