Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: White Silkworm Single Qi Art
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The owner of Moon Pavilion, Ha Wolhyang, bit her lip once before clearing her throat and opening her mouth.
“Gentlemen. This girl Ha Wolhyang has returned. Is there still nothing more you need?”
An unexpected response came.
“Come in. It seems the urgent business is roughly done now.”
Ha Wolhyang had already visited three times.
It was early morning, not even time to normally rise, yet she had gotten up, applied makeup, dressed properly, and come, only to be turned away at the door. She had come twice more after that, but the response had been the same each time.
The maids on either side opened the door, and Ha Wolhyang entered the room.
The first thing she sensed was the intense aroma of strong liquor and a faint fishy stench.
A young noble sat at the head seat, with an old man seated before him, leaving Ha Wolhyang no choice but to sit beside the old man.
She bowed deeply and took her seat. The old man’s sweaty, musty body odor was nearly unbearable, and the jars placed beside the table with their lids off were filled with some unidentified liquid.
The fishy stench was undoubtedly coming from those jars.
“This girl Wolhyang is late in paying her respects. I should have come right away when you arrived, but your conversation seemed so important…”
“Enough. The talk is more or less done, so now it’s time to properly drink. I’m hungry too.”
“Then I’ll bring up the food that’s been prepared and waiting.”
“Do that. It’d be appreciated if you could bring in a few courtesans as well.”
Ha Wolhyang’s lingering resentment eased a bit.
The young noble, who looked like a pale scholar, had bearing and knew the etiquette of a pleasure house to boot—and he was exceedingly handsome.
“You’ve already had quite a lot to drink. What would you like more of?”
“Hmm. What liquors do you have? Shouldn’t you tell us that first? How’s the young master supposed to know the state of your wine cellar? Insolent girl.”
Suddenly, the old man scolded her in a sharp, rasping voice.
Ha Wolhyang managed her expression and barely took their order before stepping out to relay it.
“Hey, Old Maeng. Why so fierce? How will the pretty girls here stick close to you if you scare them like that? Haha…”
“If they dare commit another discourtesy without knowing who the young master is, this old Maeng won’t let it slide. No matter who it is.”
At those words, Ha Wolhyang asked Maeng Hyeok cautiously.
“Elder, forgive my rudeness, but we don’t know who this young master is. Please give us some hint, so there are no further offenses.”
“I can’t say. Just know he’s the most noble man under heaven.”
Ha Wolhyang snorted inwardly.
“Oh dear, forgive my ignorance. Please look kindly upon me.”
As Ha Wolhyang offered exaggerated respects again, the pale scholar spoke up once more.
“Alright, tell me where that White-Faced Ghost Lord Ha Hongjin is and what he’s up to these days.”
Ha Wolhyang froze for a moment before quickly masking it and countering.
“Who did you say? Ha Hongjin? I have no idea who that…”
The old man then scolded her again in a stern voice.
“This girl won’t take a cup offered in kindness but insists on one given as punishment. Do you really not know Ha Hongjin, master of you all? Hmph.”
Only then did Ha Wolhyang’s demeanor change.
A cold glint crossed her face, and her left hand had already pressed somewhere under the table.
“You two aren’t here just to drink, are you? May I ask your purpose first?”
“What else does one come to a tavern for but liquor, or to a brothel for but women? Though if I add that it’s to meet an old friend, that’d be even better.”
In response to Maeng Hyeok’s answer, Ha Wolhyang countered.
“An old friend, you say? Then shouldn’t you first reveal your names and statuses?”
“Even without such status, he still is who he is. No more nagging—first, go tell that friend Ha Hongjin that Maeng Hyeok is here. I already know he’s staying in this prefecture.”
Just then, the door to the Manhwan Chamber burst open without warning, and four men with stern auras entered.
Each held a longsword, their eyes already sharp as drawn blades.
But upon seeing them, Seonwoyong smiled and lifted his cup to his lips.
“You’re at it again, Old Maeng. Always barking like that—how do you expect to spend a good night with these lovely ladies? Look at them. Heh…”
Only then did Maeng Hyeok turn his head back to glance at the four men.
But he showed no interest in them, turning back to Ha Wolhyang and issuing an order.
“Send those kids out. While I’m asking nicely. You might get a beating from your friend Ha Hongjin later, so this is for your sake.”
At that, Ha Wolhyang rose gracefully and moved to the door, bowing.
“You don’t seem to be here to enjoy the pleasures, so this girl can’t serve you further. Those four are fairly skilled with the blade, so please leave peacefully to avoid trouble.”
“Fine. Be on your way. Don’t worry too much about those fellows. Oh, and take this. Call it payment for the drinks.”
As soon as Seonwoyong finished speaking, he pulled a yellowish lump from his bosom, kneaded it, and tossed it to Ha Wolhyang.
She caught it reflexively and saw it was a hefty gold nugget.
It was at least a hundred taels, heavy and squished into an odd shape.
“Make sure to deliver that to your friend Ha Hongjin. If he still doesn’t show after seeing it, that’s on me. Heh…”
Holding the gold nugget, Ha Wolhyang hurried out with a grave expression.
Once Ha Wolhyang left, Seonwoyong and Maeng Hyeok refilled their cups with utterly relaxed looks.
“Now, you two, finish those cups and stand. We’re out of wine to pour anyway.”
The oldest-looking of the four swordsmen urged them in a heavy voice.
Seonwoyong replied leisurely.
“Hey, send those kids out and get more drinks and snacks.”
“Yes. As you command.”
At Seonwoyong’s words, Maeng Hyeok sprang up and faced the four swordsmen.
“You heard him? Hurry and go tell them to bring more drinks and snacks.”
“The mood’s already ruined, isn’t it? The Pavilion Mistress called us to escort you out. Get up and go before things get ugly.”
“What? Didn’t you see that gold nugget she just took? Even after giving that away, this is the treatment? I’d be mad too.”
“Paying the bill is a given. No more talk—get up.”
“Won’t listen to words, huh. I didn’t want to lift a hand today since it’s been so fun.”
Maeng Hyeok’s expression hardened as he thrust out his right hand toward the man.
At the same instant, the four drew their longswords from their sheaths.
Something astonishing happened.
A heat-haze-like energy gathered in Maeng Hyeok’s right palm, spreading out like white smoke before instantly forming sticky threads that coiled around the sword blade held by the swordsman before him.
It happened in a flash.
And it wasn’t just that one blade.
The white spiderweb-like threads from Maeng Hyeok’s palm split into thousands, tens of thousands of strands, shooting toward all four swordsmen.
Of course, the swordsmen didn’t just stand there watching.
They immediately swung their swords to bat away Maeng Hyeok’s white threads.
But the threads were soft yet tough, having form yet no solid shape.
Their blades sliced futilely through empty air, and before they knew it, the threads had coiled around all their bodies.
“Your White Silkworm Single Qi Art has reached perfect mastery.”
Seonwoyong, who had been watching Maeng Hyeok’s technique, offered a word of praise.
“I’m grateful for the praise of my lacking skill.”
Maeng Hyeok returned the compliment to Seonwoyong while raising his right hand higher.
At that, the four men’s forms floated up into the air.
The white thread strands extending from Maeng Hyeok’s right hand had bound their limbs, torsos, and longswords, hoisting them up.
“Wh-what… is this…”
One of them stammered.
Dangling in midair, they could do nothing.
Like insects wrapped tight in spider silk, all they could do was open their mouths.
“Is this what it takes—dangling you like puppets—for you to recognize your elder?”
As he spoke, the thread mass bobbed up and down, gently shaking their bodies.
“Please… release us. How can a peerless master like an old man…”
“Well, if I let you down now, types like you always force my hand again.”
Of course, Maeng Hyeok had no intention of letting them go just yet.
In truth, more than punishing them, he wanted to show off his skills to his lord, whom he hadn’t seen in ages.
One of the white threads coiled around their bodies slowly crept upward, beginning to wind around each of their necks.
The deliberately slow pace made it all the more chilling.
The men shuddered at the sensation of the thread encircling their necks.
It was cold and sticky, yet sharp as a razor, wrapping around their entire throats.
“What do you plan to do? Please, let us go.”
One swordsman pleaded, thrashing feebly.
But Maeng Hyeok’s response was innocently bright.
“You think I’d kill you? Just bear it a bit longer. Haha…”
The threads around their necks began to dig in deeper.
A little more, and they’d reach the carotid; if he willed it, their heads would come off in an instant.
The terror of death crept agonizingly slowly into their throats.
“Argh… Ack!”
The swordsmen screamed death rattles and writhed before fainting one by one, going limp.
And from the crotches of the unconscious men, yellow liquid trickled out, soaking their pants.
Just then, the door to the Manhwan Chamber opened, and an old man with long white hair tied up atop his head entered.
He glanced around the room, folded his arms, and approached Maeng Hyeok.
“What did those kids do to deserve this? Enough.”
Maeng Hyeok shot the white-haired elder a sidelong glance before shaking out his raised right hand into the air.
In an instant, the white threads vanished like a lie, and the swordsmen dangling in midair crashed to the floor with a thud.
“Indeed… what sin did those fellows commit? It’s that guy who hates showing his face like it’s staking his life that’s the problem.”
Maeng Hyeok too folded his arms and stood facing the white-haired elder.