Lust Demon: Jongchil-15
"That's a fair point. For now, we should keep a close eye on those two."
"I've contacted the Beggar Clan sub-branch to monitor their movements. Every beggar in Jamsan County will be our eyes and ears, watching their every step. That said, they're staying at the Honggirou brothel... As you know, beggars can't just waltz into high-end spots like that unless they're at least Third Conclusion disciples. There will be limits to our surveillance."
This was an unspoken agreement between the Beggar Clan's beggars and the merchants. They had divided places into those beggars could enter and those they couldn't, to avoid encroaching on each other's interests. Stinky beggars traipsing in and out of fancy brothels or inns would naturally tarnish their reputation.
"Can't be helped. Don't worry about the costs. Personally, I'm not all that invested in hunting down these lust demons, but since Namgung Hyeok of the Namgung family has jumped into this mess, strengthening ties with him isn't a bad idea."
Na Okryeong said this with a sly smile. Everyone in the Eunrin Seo family—except Wei Sa-hu—knew that Namgung Hyeok had feelings for her. Na Okryeong and the rest of the household deliberately kept it from Wei Sa-hu. Watching the innocent budding romance while guessing when she'd catch on was one of her rare guilty pleasures.
"Exactly. Oh, and Vice Leader, I have a question for you. Are there any artifacts that can hide a person's identity?"
"You're asking about the artifact the Twin Black Lechers are supposedly using, right? There are countless items that conceal identities. But one that fits this case... At least none that I know of. Most require a time limit or special conditions to activate. From their behavior, though, it seems like something entirely different from what I'm familiar with."
It was a nutritionally void answer. Even a master like the Wall Mountain Immortal couldn't know everything in the world, so it couldn't be helped.
"I see. Understood."
Wei Sa-hu bowed her head and left the vice leader's quarters. Her remaining schedule was to head to the training grounds and oversee the escorts' practice. The Twin Black Lechers case had worn her out, but she couldn't slack on her duties.
Wei Sa-hu quickened her pace toward the training grounds. That's when she spotted a girl in a blue maid's uniform. It was Cheong-ah. Dressed in sky-blue robes that matched her name perfectly, Cheong-ah approached with a beaming smile.
"Chief Officer! There you are."
"Cheong-ah. Feeling better?"
"Yes, I'm all good now. Thanks to your care, I recovered quickly."
Cheong-ah said brightly. She was a girl with a beautiful smile. Wei Sa-hu felt rage toward the Twin Black Lechers who had mercilessly raped such an innocent child. No matter what hardships lay ahead, she vowed to capture those brutal rapists and throw them into the brain prison.
"Thank you again, truly."
With that, Cheong-ah kissed Wei Sa-hu's cheek. Startled, Wei Sa-hu stumbled back. It was her first time being this close to a woman's face. Her cheeks flushed red as a beet.
"W-what was that?!"
"It's the latest trendy way to say thanks. Hehe, disappointed it wasn't Young Master Hyeok?"
Cheong-ah teased like a haughty child before scampering off. Wei Sa-hu stood there dumbly, watching her go. Come to think of it, she'd heard this greeting was trending in Jamsan County lately. But she never imagined it'd happen to her.
"Well... that's fine, I guess?"
Wei Sa-hu touched her cheek, recalling the soft sensation. It felt like a butterfly had landed there.
*-*-*
It had been a while since the Twin Black Lechers struck again. The crime scene was the shantytown south of Jamsan County, and the victims were sisters. An old peddler woman nearby had discovered them.
Wei Sa-hu's head throbbed from a poor night's sleep. But with a potential key clue from this incident, she moved swiftly.
Her first move was to track Bang Geukcheon and Jongchil's whereabouts. Jeong-bung, the Fang Sa-gae—king of all beggars in Jamsan and a Third Conclusion disciple of the Beggar Clan—reported their movements from the night before.
"Surveillance on Honggirou guests is tough, as expected. We had a few beggars tailing them, but they slipped away midway. Last sighted near the inn street with the brothel. I sent others to check nearby inns, but no one saw them check in."
"So... no one can vouch for where they were last night."
"That's the gist."
"This crime... could it be a copycat?"
"There've been copycats since the Twin Black Lechers started up, but their cases are easy to distinguish. The victims always cover for the perps. This one matches their MO perfectly. Oh, but that Cheong-ah girl reacted differently, right? Wait, is that rude to ask?"
Typical uneducated beggar—knowing it's impolite but asking anyway. Still, she'd gotten the info she needed. Her suspicions solidified.
Wei Sa-hu pictured the two men. Bang Geukcheon, the spear-toting giant, and Jongchil, who seemed ordinary but exuded an eerie aura. They called each other brother like Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. Circumstantially, they fit the Twin Black Lechers profile.
"I need to confront them. If they just committed the crime, they might slip up."
As she set out to find them, Namgung Hyeok appeared, looking as exhausted as she felt.
"Finally, a break in the case. Sounds bad, but I'm glad it happened. If they'd vanished clean, it'd be a cold case for sure."
"It's still unsolved."
"Fair. Any suspects?"
"Yes. Just suspicion for now."
"Those two. Bang Geukcheon and Jongchil."
"Correct."
Finding Bang Geukcheon and Jongchil was easy. Wei Sa-hu and Namgung Hyeok headed to the Honggirou, where the pair were gorging on the priciest food and drink.
"Young Master Bang. Young Master Jong. Could I have a word?"
Wei Sa-hu approached the diners, with Namgung Hyeok following.
Bang Geukcheon and Jongchil glanced between her and Namgung Hyeok. The latter crossed his arms silently.
"Hey there. You're... Miss Wei, right?"
Bang Geukcheon wiped his mouth roughly and spoke, plates already stacked over five deep. His meal wasn't over yet.
"Yes. Could you come with me for a moment?"
This place was too public for questioning. Namgung Hyeok agreed a quieter spot would pressure them better.
"About the lust demons? Your stare's scary. Heard there was another hit last night. That it?"
Bang Geukcheon said playfully. Wei Sa-hu replied gravely.
"If you're innocent, this'll clear things up fast. The White Lily Escort Agency will compensate you for your time."
"Fine by us. We wanna shake off the suspicion too. Right, brother?"
Jongchil nodded and stood at Bang Geukcheon's words. Wei Sa-hu was relieved they'd comply without fuss.
*-*-*
The White Lily Escort Agency had a small interrogation room—technically a space for salary negotiations with senior escorts. It featured a special Western Regions artifact: a massive mirror. One side looked like a mirror; the other, transparent glass.
Installed in the room's center, it divided the space into two. To reach the opposite side, you had to exit and enter through the other door—two doors on either side of one room.
It wasn't for practical use but the vice leader's hobby of collecting oddities from across the Central Plains. The Eunrin Seo family had several such quirky rooms thanks to her. Wei Sa-hu never dreamed it'd serve as an interrogation spot.
Wei Sa-hu sat at the desk. Opposite her, through the mirror, was Jongchil. Bang Geukcheon was being questioned separately by Namgung Hyeok. Splitting gangs was interrogation basics.
"The lust demon struck again at dawn today, from early morning hours. Straight to the point: Young Master Jong, where were you and what were you doing then?"
"Drank like a fish at the Honggirou last night... Only remember wandering the streets with my little brother. Passed out on the pavement when sleepy, got up when cold, roamed around."
Lies. Beggars would've spotted them. He'd moved meticulously last night. Wei Sa-hu felt close to the truth, ready to unmask the Twin Black Lechers. But no hard evidence yet. The Central Plains were too vast, people too many, for hunches alone.
"Any witnesses to alibi you?"
"Too wasted to remember..."
Wei Sa-hu nodded. He was calm, unflappable—not like a perp under the grill. But a serial rapist would be pros at lying.
For now, she'd pull back.
"Wait here a moment. I'll be right back."
She left and entered the opposite room, where Cheong-ah had been observing.
"Cheong-ah. Anything about him ring a bell? Does his face match the man who asked for directions? Or his vibe feel like the lust demon?"
"My memory's fuzzy... Hard to tell just watching like this. Sorry."
Cheong-ah bowed. Observing through the mirror wasn't enough. Trauma had muddled her recall. She'd done well sharing what she could so far.
"What if you got close to him?"
"No, more like..."
Cheong-ah trailed off, glancing at Wei Sa-hu before speaking.
"If I saw his penis... I'd know."
"His penis?"
"Yes. I saw the lust demon's clearly. Felt it in my body. Seeing it again... I'd recognize it for sure."
Cheong-ah's eyes sparkled, a strange anticipation on her face.
His penis? Not his face, but that?
The thought crossed Wei Sa-hu's mind, but Cheong-ah was their only shot at identifying the demon. She glanced between Cheong-ah and Jongchil, then nodded resolutely.
To catch the lust demon, this was doable.
"Alright. I'll make him show it. Confirm for sure."
"Got it."
Cheong-ah nodded happily.
Yeah. For the lust demon... Huh? Something feels off...?
A ticklish unease, like feathers on her back. Why this nagging dissonance? It wasn't new today.
Stop overthinking! Focus on the lust demon.
Her priority was catching him. She returned to Jongchil's room, swallowing hard. She'd boasted to Cheong-ah, but how to expose his dick? Utterly clueless in such matters, no ideas came.