Righteousness and Chivalry, the Two Pillars of the Jianghu
If I had to name the two things that absolutely exist in the jianghu, it'd be righteousness and chivalry. As a narrative device, the chivalry of the martial world is incredibly convenient. It gives the protagonist or those around him a perfectly plausible excuse to meddle in someone else's affairs. In simple terms, chivalry is a kind of deus ex machina to move the story along.
Bang Geukcheon looked like a man thirty thousand leagues away from any sense of chivalry, with his rough, intimidating face. But as a righteous sect martial artist, he seemed to harbor some ideals in his heart. Was he the type with a warm soul? He flung open the door to the dilapidated shack and strode in boldly. Inside, a sly-looking bastard was bullying a woman. I quickly scanned her face.
Looks: E-rank. Figure: E-rank. Just as expected.
Finding a pearl in the mud is no easy task. The moment I saw her face, my interest evaporated.
"Wh-who are you? What business do you have barging in here?"
The sly prick acted like he owned the place. Comparing him to Bang Geukcheon, that fucker would drop dead from one punch.
Our chivalrous hero, Bang Geukcheon, thumped his chest and bellowed, "I overheard something unrighteous going on in here, so I came to check it out. I'm no scholar, but I know what chivalry means. Bullying an orphan girl ain't it!"
"Um... my parents are still alive. They just ran off..."
"ANYWAY! I won't stand for some powerless woman being toyed with!"
Bang Geukcheon puffed out his chest and declared it thunderously. With his massive build, the intimidation was no joke. When a giant like that lays down the law, you can't help but cower. Who was bullying whom here?
The sly bastard eyed Bang Geukcheon's appearance and instantly clocked him as a martial artist. Only a lunatic or a jianghu man would carry a spear that huge on his back. Either way, dangerous as hell—so anyone who values their life knows to back off quietly without making a fuss.
"Th-this is about a debt! Even a martial artist can't interfere with an honest citizen's rightful claim! What kind of chivalry is this!?"
"From what I hear, the debt was run up by her parents. If you're so sure of yourself, go to the magistrate and get it validated! Come on, let's head there right now!"
Bang Geukcheon came on so strong that the guy balked and tucked tail. He glared at the ugly woman (average?), tossed the crumpled IOU on the floor, spat, and snarled, "Tch! You're lucky!"
He slunk away without a fight. Guess he didn't have the guts to stand tall against a martial artist. Even without that, his cause lacked both moral high ground and legal backing, so he couldn't push it.
Once the shady prick was gone, the ugly woman bowed deeply to Bang Geukcheon. "Great hero! Thank you! To consider our pitiful plight like this! Thanks to you, great hero, I've realized the jianghu's righteousness hasn't died yet!"
From her perspective, Bang Geukcheon was a lifeline from the heavens. He waved it off with a hearty laugh. "Just doing what any jianghu man would. Don't make a big deal of it."
He said that, but his face betrayed a subtle glow of pride. It was righteous and good, after all, so feeling self-satisfied was natural. Even if it didn't yield much gain.
"Sis. Is he gone?"
Suddenly, the sliding door inside cracked open, and a cute voice piped up from within. My ears perked up like an elf's. You can gauge a speaker's beauty from their voice alone—though it's not super accurate, just a helpful indicator. Still, a voice that good probably belonged to a stunner.
My gaze shifted to the woman behind the door. She didn't look much younger than the ugly one, but her looks were worlds apart. From the vibe, she was the ugly one's little sister.
"Sobak! Stay inside!"
"Yeah... but I'm hungry. We didn't even have breakfast."
The girl called Sobak was quite the beauty. Her emaciated frame put her figure at D- to C-rank, but her face was solid B to B+. Feed her up right, and she could hit A-rank easy.
"Brother Bang here showed some fine jianghu chivalry. How could I just stand by? Let me treat you two ladies to a meal—sound good?"
"Oh ho! Brother Jong's got some serious chivalrous spirit himself."
The moment I offered to buy food, Sobak's eyes locked onto me. Her face bloomed like a flower. In this harsh world, you should suspect anyone offering a free meal—but she was still naive to the ways of the world.
"Really!? Wow! Sis, this young master is buying us food!"
"S-Sobak. We can't impose like that. Great hero, you've already done us a huge favor—we can't accept more."
The ugly bitch was cockblocking my play. Fucking hell, just take the damn food without the etiquette bullshit. She hadn't just missed breakfast; she'd missed out on life lessons too. Honestly, wasting money on her wasn't worth it. But to bag that Sobak girl, this investment was necessary.
"No worries. I'm doing this because Brother Bang's chivalry moved me—you ladies don't need to feel burdened. I spotted some nice inns on the way here. It's a festive day like today; when else would we go?"
"Sis! We haven't eaten since breakfast~"
Sobak wheedled her sister. Sis was starving too, pretending otherwise but ultimately tagging along. Even a mighty warrior can't beat an empty stomach. These girls stood no chance.
Bang Geukcheon and I led the way, the sisters walking side by side behind us. I whispered to him, "Brother Bang, this is a golden opportunity. I was gonna show off my skills at a brothel, but looks like I won't need to."
"Golden opportunity? What do you mean?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to learn how to handle women? I'll teach you using that girl back there."
I subtly pointed at Sobak. Bang Geukcheon's eyes went wide.
"You plan to bed her? Th-that's not proper jianghu conduct!"
He raised his voice too much, so I shushed him with a finger to my lips. Luckily, the sisters were chatting away about food and missed it.
I continued softly, "No plans to force her. If it's consensual, it doesn't violate any jianghu code."
"True, but... how do you build intimacy with a girl you just met? Relationships have stages..."
"That's part of the skill in handling women. Seems like you're clueless in this area, Brother Bang. Learn from me, and you'll handle women like I do."
We arrived at the inn—the fanciest in the area. Even the errand boys wore silk.
"Welcome to Honggiru. We have seats on the first and second floors. Which suits you?"
"Somewhere quiet on the second floor."
"Right this way."
The Sobak sisters gawked, mouths agape—this was their first time in such luxury. Bang Geukcheon was overwhelmed too, walking stiffly and gawking like a country bumpkin.
"This place charges a silver tael per cup of tea, I'd bet."
We sat on the second floor. Honggiru didn't serve cheap rotgut; it was the real deal, high-class. Even the intricately carved wooden menu set it apart.
I ordered pricey liquors like Geumjoncheong and Honggiju, plus their priciest dishes. Awe and respect lit up Bang Geukcheon and the sisters' eyes.
"Brother Jong, you must be the son of some huge merchant caravan or escort agency, right? The way you throw money around is on another level."
"Haha, just got lucky and came into a fortune young. Today, no worrying about costs—let's drink!"
Once they realized I had deep pockets, the ugly woman's gaze shifted. Everyone's a little materialistic; it didn't bother me. But my target was her sister, not her.
"Oh my, great hero, you're from Henan?"
"Haha, yes. Everyone thinks Henan means Shaolin first, but us locals talk about something else: Bamboo Spear Sect."
Bamboo Spear Sect appeared in the original novel. A major sect in Henan, famed for good deeds rivaling Shaolin. They ran relief for beggars and widows, formed militias against bandits—huge rep among commoners. Closer to the people than distant Shaolin, so even more prestige locally. Their martial arts were mid-tier small sect level; no characters from there, just name-dropped by side roles as "that righteous Henan sect."
Sobak seemed smitten with Bang Geukcheon, chattering away about herself. Strong guys her type? In this brutal world, it made sense. Bang Geukcheon liked her looks too, opening up in return.
"I'm here to see the Nangong family. About that matter."
"You mean the Emperor's Sword?"
"Famous even in Anhui, huh."
"Of course! Zanshan County is in total chaos over it. Martial artists everywhere. It was busy before, but now it's doubled. Fights and disturbances non-stop."
"As a fellow martial artist... embarrassing."
"Ah! No need to apologize, Great Hero Bang. You saved us!"
The vibe between Bang Geukcheon and Sobak was electric. And between me and the ugly one? Charged too.
"Where are you from, great hero?"
She put on a falsetto coquettishness that made me want to smack her. Cuteness is for pretty girls. An ugly one acting coy is just pathetic.
"Ahem! From Hubei."
"All the way from afar. Sharing a meal with a great hero who's come so far... must be fate~"
I brushed off the ugly bitch vaguely while eyeing Bang Geukcheon and Sobak. Honestly, Bang Geukcheon led the convo masterfully for someone supposedly weak with women. His bold, humorous tales had her hooked.
The meal at Honggiru was satisfying. The silver-tael-a-cup booze was delicious, and the heavily spiced sides hit the spot. Bang Geukcheon devoured five times a normal man's share. His appetite matched his size.
We left pleasantly buzzed. "Mmm~ Booze hits nice. Well, Brother Jong, time to find lodgings."
Sobak eyed him coyly. Her fidgety look screamed her intentions. She wanted to invite him home. When man and woman click, inviting to one's nest is natural. But her shack held her back.
One drink and she's calling a guy home? Sobak's a slut too. Heh! Bet her pussy's tight.
I seized the chance. A little nudge, and she'd bend to my will.
"Ahem. Head's spinning. Miss, mind if I rest at your place a bit? Just till the pounding stops."
The ugly one beamed. "Of course, great hero!"
Wasn't talking to you... whatever. Bang Geukcheon and I followed the sisters home. On the way, his eyes glued to Sobak's nape. He was into her too.
Back off, punk. She's not for you.
Heading to their place, I pulled an item from my inventory.
←Item→
●Common Sense Alteration Sticker (A-rank)
↳A special item enchanted with a common sense alteration talisman. Can be used on an individual or an area. Wide-area use on a region may reduce effectiveness. Targets affected by the sticker accept the talisman owner's words as normal common sense and can receive special suggestions. Effect halved if target's mental strength is extremely high.
※Possesses extremely powerful ability to alter cognition.