Actions Guided by Righteousness

Every human covets wealth and glory. The only difference lies in the scale of their greed. Unless one is a transcendent being who has severed all five desires and seven emotions to shed their mortal coil, it is impossible not to desire wealth, fame, status, and glory. It is a matter of human instinct, the drive for self-improvement. To want something better than what one has now. To want more than others. And those who embody this greed most clearly are merchants.

"So, the heroines of the Phoenix Squad are all gathered here."

They say that when a wick was placed in the navel of Dong Zhuo of the Late Han and set ablaze, the fire burned for days. A man whose very name sounded similar, Seok Tak, was someone who expressed a merchant's greed with his entire body. Seok Tak had wrapped his bloated frame in layers of the most expensive silk. As his double chin trembled with every word he spoke, Paeng So-eun openly grimaced.

"Hey, fat pig. We rented this place out for today."

"So-eun."

"Hah. Just a little mutt acting smug because of his family."

"Hmph. Look who's talking."

Paeng So-eun shot back without yielding an inch. Her words must have hit a sore spot, as Seok Tak's button-hole eyes widened to twice their size. But only for a moment. Quickly regaining his composure, he spoke with a sly smirk.

"Sure, have it your way. But considering how much money my family pours into the Alliance, does it make any sense that I can't use the Alliance's facilities?"

Of course it made sense. This wasn't the only dining hall in the Alliance, and the Phoenix Squad had reserved the venue through proper procedures. Since the official dining hours had already passed, he hadn't come to eat either. He probably rushed over the moment he heard the girls were gathering. Yet, despite his glaringly obvious intentions, no one could kick him out. It was all because of the family he kept bringing up.

Long ago, there was a fabulously wealthy man named Shi Chong. He had amassed so much wealth that he was said to have competed with and defeated the Emperor's maternal relatives in riches, though his final years were miserable and his clan fell to ruin. However, as the saying goes, a rich family's ruin still leaves enough to last three years. One of his descendants successfully rebuilt their fortune using hidden assets, rising to prominence as a giant in the merchant world. This was the origin of Seokgajang.

"Isn't this very building standing thanks to my family? Hmm?"

Seok Tak's martial arts were pathetic; he couldn't hold a candle to any warrior in the Phoenix Squad. Yet, the reason he could act so arrogant was entirely due to his family. Gold can make even ghosts do your bidding. Seok Tak relished the looks the women cast his way. Contempt, disgust. The fact that they looked at him like a bug but couldn't say a word was thrilling. He felt a sense of conquest, especially knowing that these proud, powerful female masters could easily defeat him in a single move if they wished.

"It's not like I'm asking you to leave entirely."

Strutting across the dining hall as if he owned the place, Seok Tak claimed the table laden with the most lavish and carefully prepared dishes.

"I'm just asking to quietly join you. Surely, fellow members of the Murim Alliance wouldn't kick me out?"

A middle-aged warrior stood guard behind the swaggering Seok Tak. He was a master once famous under the name Palgeom Pyopyo. He had been the chief escort of a renowned escort agency, but when Seokgajang acquired the agency, he caught the eye of the Lord of Seokgajang and was appointed as a bodyguard. Though originally an escort warrior, he was highly experienced, seasoned, and a master on the verge of reaching the Super-Peak realm. With the Commander of the Phoenix Squad absent, there was no one here who could match him. He was a major reason why Seok Tak could act so recklessly without worrying about the consequences.

"There's so much food laid out, why isn't anyone eating?"

He ripped off a roasted duck leg and stuffed it greedily into his mouth. The sound of his wet smacking echoed through the silent dining hall.

"Pah. Tastes terrible."

Splat.

The half-chewed food hit the floor. The already tense atmosphere instantly turned ice-cold.

"You go too far. One of our squad members prepared this meal herself."

"Oh dear. I didn't realize it was prepared by Lady Jongli. My apologies."

He wasn't sorry at all. The only reason he apologized was to enjoy her reaction. Seok Tak knew very well that a half-hearted apology only fueled anger. Sure enough, seeing the girl called Lady Jongli bite her lip in frustration, his fat jiggled with delight.

"But Lady Yang, you know why professional chefs exist. Was the reason for today's gathering bridal training rather than a banquet?"

"Young Master Seok."

"In that case, it seems we arrived at the perfect time. Isn't that right, Escort Lee? After all, one of these ladies might become the future mistress of our Seokgajang."

As he spoke slyly, the atmosphere shifted from mere contempt to a faint, murderous intent. Sensing this, the warrior called Escort Lee—Palgeom Pyopyo—placed his hand on his sword hilt.

"Young Master Seok. Today is a gathering to welcome an important guest of our Phoenix Squad."

Yang Se-hwi stepped forward to defuse the escalating tension. Looking at her slender body, which resembled a single orchid, Seok Tak licked his lips. His mouth glistened with grease from the meat he had just eaten.

"A guest? Someone I don't know?"

"Yes. They are a personal acquaintance of our Vice Commander, so please..."

"Please grace us with your presence?"

"Young Master Seok."

Even on Se-hwi's habitually calm face, irritation was now clearly visible.

"If they're Sua's acquaintance, there's no way I can miss out. Forming a connection with Seokgajang would surely benefit this guest, wouldn't it?"

"Sigh. That person is an incredibly powerful master."

"A master? Even better. A banquet is incomplete without a wager."

Shifting his heavy bulk, Seok Tak reached into his robes and placed an object on the table with a thud. A soft glow leaked through the seams of the leather pouch.

"A Night Luminous Pearl."

Surprise flickered in Yang Se-hwi's eyes, which had been filled with irritation and contempt. But it was short-lived. Her face contorted even more at the terms of the wager that followed.

"The guest and my Escort Lee will spar. Just ten exchanges. If the guest can withstand ten moves, I will give them this Night Luminous ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Pearl. If they lose before that, they will drink a penalty cup for every move they failed to endure."

It was reminiscent of the Golden Valley Penalty Cups, the ancient anecdote where Shi Chong held ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠banquets and forced guests to drink three measures of wine as a penalty if they failed to compose poetry. Unable to tolerate Seok Tak using martial arts as entertainment for a wager, Yang Se-hwi bolted upright.

"Young Master Seok! Martial arts are not for your amusement, and martial artists are not courtesans!"

"Now, when did I ever treat anyone like a courtesan? Besides, whether to accept the wager is up to the guest..."

Suddenly, Seok Tak's words cut off, and his jiggling flesh went still. His button-hole eyes dilated to the size of actual buttons as they locked onto the woman who had just entered the dining hall. A girl dressed in sky-blue silk, her shoulders and neckline delicately exposed. Her deep blue ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyes were accentuated by subtle makeup. That jewel-like radiance was so breathtakingly beautiful that Seok Tak rose from his seat as if possessed.

"My lady. May I ask your honorable name?"

The man who had always treated women like toys had fallen genuinely in love.

Is he a master from Tianzhu?

Yoo Jeong marveled as he looked at the man. The fat on his body jiggled naturally with every breath he took. It seemed like it would be difficult to inflict any damage unless one used an internal strike like the Cow-Striking Mountain-Splitting Palm. Yoo Jeong had read about similar martial arts in heroic tales. They say those who master the Yoga Esoteric Arts of Tianzhu can use their bodies in bizarre ways. They could dislocate their joints at will to instantly extend their limbs, or make their skin and muscles as elastic as rubber. Because they could expand and contract their flesh freely, it was said to be the origin of the Bone-Shrinking Art. The man's physique was so bizarre that Yoo Jeong actually wondered if he had mastered such a technique.

But he quickly realized the truth. His breathing is unstable. The man was no master. Since he was a man, he wasn't a member of the Phoenix Squad either, and the atmosphere in the dining hall was terrible.

"My lady. May I ask your honorable name?"

The man spoke in a deeply forced, low voice, trying to sound suave. Combined with his unpleasant gaze, it gave Yoo Jeong goosebumps. Should I strike? Yoo Jeong clenched and unclenched his fists. Based on what he had heard on the way here, he had a rough grasp of the situation. If this had been the old Yoo Jeong back in Hangzhou, he would have struck immediately.

However...

Yoo Jeong had learned from experience that one shouldn't judge a situation from a single angle. It was always ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠necessary to hear from the parties involved first. With that thought, Yoo Jeong scanned the members of the Phoenix Squad, only to be taken aback.

"Lady Yang?"

They say martial artists get to know each other through combat. She was a woman whose real strikes thrust forward with stubborn directness amidst dizzying feints. Yet, that very Yang Se-hwi was now staring blankly at Yoo Jeong. Beside her, even Paeng So-eun, who usually never shut her mouth, was silently gazing at him. They weren't the only ones. The fat man's gaze felt intense enough to pierce through his clothes, and the other Phoenix Squad members were equally frozen in astonishment.

"Ah..."

Yoo Jeong felt a sudden wave of embarrassment. He was still not fully accustomed to this female body. Every time he bathed, the skin felt so soft and tender that he would find himself dazed by the sensation before snapping out of it in surprise. It was a body that even he found beautiful. He had only revealed a tiny fraction of it—merely the line connecting his neck to his shoulder. Yet, it made him feel completely naked, causing him to shrink back slightly. What on earth was I thinking? He had ended up wearing this outfit after being swept along by the smooth talking of the two women. Back in the room, all three of them had been entirely focused on applying makeup. Consequently, the shame and embarrassment he had temporarily forgotten rushed back all at once like a burst dam.

"Well? What do you think of the masterpiece of our Flower-Seeking Twin Butterflies?"

"Isn't she gorgeous?"

Dang So-hye and Eon Mi-ryeong, who had followed closely behind, stood on either side of Yoo Jeong as if presenting a work of art. Yoo Jeong shot them a sharp, resentful glare. The two women flinched.

"What? Why are you looking at us like that?"

"You said it was pretty earlier too!"

They hurriedly tried to defend themselves, but Yoo Jeong had already swallowed the bitter pill of reality. He wasn't going to let them off so easily this time.

"My lady."

The greasy voice of the man rescued the two women from the silent wrath of the "girl." Thud. Thud. The man marched forward with heavy steps that made one worry for his knees. As his silk-wrapped flesh jiggled, the faces of the Twin Butterflies instantly contorted in disgust.

"Ugh."

"The Stone Pig."

"Stone Pig?"

At Yoo Jeong's quiet murmur, Eon Mi-ryeong sent a Sound Transmission.

Eon Mi-ryeong formed a circle with her fingers to represent a coin.

Hearing that answer, Yoo Jeong fell into deep thought. A piece of advice from Namgung Sua flashed through his mind. Think realistically. If you want to seek revenge or perform righteous deeds, you must also consider the consequences, she had said with utmost seriousness. If I teach this guy a lesson here, will it cause too much trouble? He hesitated. If it were just his own problem, he wouldn't care, but he was a guest here. He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for his hosts. Such worries made Yoo Jeong unclench his fists.

However...

"My lady. I will give you enough gold to fill this entire dining hall. Marry me."

Hearing those words spill from those greasy lips, Yoo Jeong almost threw a punch instinctively. A marriage proposal to a man... Setting aside the matter of looks, it was utterly horrifying. Yet, because the expression on the face buried in fat looked dead serious, Yoo Jeong replied flatly,

"No."

The man was not deterred by the rejection. He continued to babble to persuade Yoo Jeong. Just as Yoo Jeong frowned and tried to tune him out, a low mutter reached his ears.

"Is this fucking pig out of his mind?"

At first, he thought Eon Mi-ryeong had said it. Even though the voice came from his right rather than his left, the sheer vulgarity of the words was shocking. Startled, Yoo Jeong turned his head toward Dang So-hye, only to catch a glint of light at her fingertips. It was a fine needle.

No way.

In an instant, the needle flew, piercing through the fat man's clothes with a soft *pfft*. Perhaps due to his thick layers of fat, he didn't seem to feel much pain. But Dang So-hye remained calm. With a flick of her wrist, the fine needle, connected to a thin thread, naturally retracted back into her sleeve.

I think they'll know... Yoo Jeong thought. It was obvious. The man, who had been spouting all kinds of flowery words and poetry, suddenly began to shake like a stroke victim. His complexion turned pasty before taking on a purplish hue. To anyone watching, it was a textbook symptom of poisoning.

"What have you done?!"

The sword-bearing warrior must have reached the same conclusion. Having watched from a distance, he drew his sword and lunged forward ferociously.

"Oh, my."

His momentum was formidable, and Yoo Jeong judged that Dang So-hye wouldn't be able to handle him alone. With that thought, Yoo Jeong lifted his leg. Through the high slit of his dress, his pale leg swept upward. The moment the warrior reached point-blank range, his eyes widened in shock. Boom! The leg, which had extended gracefully like a crane, slammed down like a heavy iron mace. The blow struck the crown of the warrior's head, sending him collapsing to the floor, his eyes rolling back.

Standing on one leg in a crane stance, Yoo Jeong looked down at him and asked, "This won't be a problem, right? Since he attacked first."

At his calm question, Yang Se-hwi stammered, "...P-Probably?"

While the Twin Butterflies stood in awe of Yoo Jeong's martial prowess, Paeng So-eun suddenly gasped as if remembering something and dashed forward. She ran past the groaning fat man and the unconscious warrior.

"Here."

She held out a pouch to Yoo Jeong. Slowly lowering his leg, Yoo Jeong took it and asked, "What is this?"

"That," she replied with a mischievous grin, "is the prize for the wager."

Only then did the rest of the Phoenix Squad, excluding Yoo Jeong and the Twin Butterflies, burst into laughter.

And the following morning...

"The Alliance Leader is summoning you."

"...I thought you said it wouldn't be a problem."

"..."