Chapter 282: The Iron Snake Gang (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 282: The Iron Snake Gang (2)
The sun set, and a new moon rose beyond the clouds.
As darkness fell, the streets naturally grew quiet, and those who remained began to gather in a certain place.
“...Um, brother?”
The street, lit as if by countless small suns, echoed with the loud shouts of the drunk. Here and there, scantily clad women cast seductive glances from their windows, and occasional brawls broke out.
This place, where the thick scent of powder tickled the nose, was the gisaeng house district, the center of Seoyu County's pleasure.
“No matter how I think about it, I really don't think I should be here...”
As soon as we entered the gisaeng district, Mujin grew restless, unable to stand still for a moment, his anxiety plain to see.
“Before you're a Daoist, aren't you a man? What's so strange about a man walking through a gisaeng district? Besides, you took off your Daoist robes at the inn. No one will recognize you, so stop looking around like it's your first time. You'll only draw more attention.”
“I-Is that so...?”
For the record, at Mujin's earnest request, we had agreed to act as brothers.
One moment he wants us to drop the formalities, the next he's changing his mind.
Of course, it didn't matter to me. We probably wouldn't see each other again after this was over anyway. And even if we did, I'd just consider it making a new connection.
“We're here, so please stop pulling on my clothes.”
“This place is...?”
Mujin's gaze fell upon a five-story building adorned with magnificent lanterns.
Monghyeonru.
It was Seoyu County's number one gisaeng house, the same place I had come to drink with Cheon Yeo-hwa last night.
Of course, we didn't entertain any gisaengs; we just rented a private room and drank together. If I had called for a gisaeng, I probably wouldn't be able to walk on my own two feet right now.
“Whoa... It's so extravagant. And so many people, even in the middle of the night.”
Just as Mujin said, the area around Monghyeonru was bustling with people.
However, only a small fraction of them were actual customers.
The prices at Monghyeonru were so high that only wealthy outsiders could afford them. So, contrary to its reputation as the top gisaeng house, it was surprisingly quiet inside.
In short, most of the people gathered here were mere onlookers.
They would watch the gisaengs from a distance before eventually heading to another establishment.
I ignored them and headed inside Monghyeonru.
The martial artists guarding the entrance eyed me warily for a moment, but someone soon rushed out from inside.
“My goodness, Great Hero!”
It was the server with a mole the size of a fingertip on his left cheek. The moment he saw me, he bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched his knees.
He was the one who'd gotten a tip from me last night.
“Thank you so much for visiting our Monghyeonru again! Tonight, I will work myself to the bone to serve you with the utmost care...”
“Enough with the pleasantries. Is there a room on the third floor?”
“Yes! I will guide you to the very best one!”
Following the server, we entered a place that was like another world. Beautiful lanterns glowed, and gisaengs plucked at lutes and zithers, enhancing the atmosphere.
However, perhaps because it was the first floor, the quality of the gisaengs wasn't very high. Their looks were average, and their musical skills were mediocre.
“Wow...”
But for a Daoist who had spent his entire life cultivating on a mountain, it was quite a shock. Mujin couldn't seem to close his mouth.
He's going to start drooling.
Seeing him as an easy target, the gisaengs sent him bewitching smiles and made blatant advances.
Objectively speaking, Mujin was quite handsome. His skin was fair for a martial artist, and as befitting the Wudang Sect's top rising star, his clothes were of high quality.
To others, he probably looked like the second son of a wealthy family.
On top of that, he radiated the air of someone visiting a gisaeng house for the first time with a friend. What gisaeng wouldn't drool at such a sight?
If I hadn't been there, they would have swarmed him for sure.
But as we headed straight for the second floor, the gisaengs, despite their lingering gazes, seemed to quickly give up.
It goes without saying, but not all gisaengs are the same.
They are ranked based not only on their looks but also on their accomplishments in arts like music, dance, chess, and Go.
From the second floor up, there were no gisaengs who stared so openly.
Instead, their attire was much more modest, and their makeup was lighter.
An uninformed observer might have mistaken them for the daughters of a rich household rather than gisaengs.
We passed through them and went up to the third floor.
From this floor on, it was a place where the men had to appeal to the gisaengs. Their pride was sky-high.
Of course, that had nothing to do with me.
Gisaengs, whether they were entertainers or prostitutes, were not my type to begin with.
Besides, none of the gisaengs here could even hold a candle to Cheon Yeo-hwa.
I'd much rather spend time alone with Cheon Yeo-hwa than with a dozen of these women.
Afterward, the server led us to a private room. The view was nice, as expected of an expensive place.
Though, compared to Earth, it was nothing more than a rural landscape.
“Um, Great Hero?”
“Hm?”
“It's just that... news of your visit—the great hero who struck down the villainous Ghost Hand Twin Swords—has spread, and many of our girls are eager to serve you. Would you perhaps care to see them? I guarantee you won't be disappointed!”
“Gisaengs...”
For reference, Monghyeonru is a cheongru [a high-class gisaeng house].
Meaning, there are no prostitutes who sell their bodies.
Of course, that was just the official story. It was possible if you paid a secret price. Depending on the situation, touching their breasts or buttocks was also permitted.
After a moment of thought, I looked at Mujin.
“Do you need one?”
“W-What?! Brother! Surely you don't think I would!”
Mujin's face turned beet red, looking like it was about to explode.
Just as you'd expect from a Daoist, it was obvious he was a virgin.
“I'm joking. We don't need any gisaengs. Just bring us a table of drinks.”
Ting. I tossed a silver coin to the server.
The drinks would be paid for later, so this was purely a tip.
“My goodness, right away!”
The server snatched the coin like a dog catching a frisbee, bowed deeply, and left the room.
Once the three of us were alone in the room, I placed my hand on the floor and focused my mind.
Vwoom—
[Detection]
The magic spreading from my hand began to reveal the entire structure of Monghyeonru, centered on my position on the third floor.
The first through fourth floors were for customers, but the top floor, the fifth, was for the proprietor.
‘...The proprietor is a martial artist?’
I could feel a rather extraordinary energy. They had clearly surpassed the wall of the Peak Realm.
But I quickly lost interest.
That wasn't what was important right now.
I had already figured out that the ones tailing me weren't assassins. They were probably from the Iron Snake Gang.
But there was one strange thing.
A few of them had entered Monghyeonru.
It would be one thing if it were the Ghost Hand Twin Swords, but there was no way low-level grunts on a tailing mission would have the money to drink at Monghyeonru.
Furthermore, the Iron Snake Gang was on bad terms with Monghyeonru. Rumor had it that Monghyeonru had repeatedly refused the gang's demands for tribute.
The only reason Monghyeonru remained unscathed was because several of Seoyu County's officials were regular patrons.
Under those circumstances, low-level members of the Iron Snake Gang were spending a long time inside Monghyeonru?
‘Just as I thought. There's a basement.’
I'd had a faint suspicion back at the inn, but now that I checked, there was a complex network of tunnel-like spaces in Monghyeonru's basement.
And the men who were tailing me were in that basement.
‘It's not that deep... Hm? What's that?’
Just as I was about to focus on the energy I felt deeper inside the tunnels.
“Brother?”
Mujin's voice cut in.
My concentration broken, I glanced over at him. It was clear at a glance that he was tense.
“The latrine is down the hall—”
“No, no. It's not that...”
Mujin glanced around as if wary of being overheard.
“...I believe one of the gisaengs has taken a liking to me.”
“...?”
What kind of fresh bullshit is this?
As I just blinked at him, Mujin cleared his throat and blushed.
“A-Ahem... When we were coming up from the first floor, a certain woman couldn't take her eyes off me. Although I don't know much about a woman's heart, I'm not so dense that I couldn't perceive the sincerity and emotion in her eyes. But, alas... as a Daoist who has already committed to the path, I don't know what to do. How can I refuse her without hurting her feelings...?”
“Stop talking nonsense and grab your sword.”
I lightly smacked him on the head and stood up.
“Hm? Why the sword...?”
“Did you really think we came here just to drink?”
Creeak.
As I opened the door, I came face-to-face with a gisaeng carrying a tray of drinks.
“Sir? Is there anything you need?”
“No, just leave the drinks and go. And don't let anyone else into this room.”
The gisaeng nodded quietly, entered the room, and set down the tray.
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“N-Not at all.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa gave the gisaeng a gentle smile as she exited the room.
As if mesmerized by the beauty glimpsed through her veil, the gisaeng's eyes glazed over.
“You still haven't fully recovered. Wouldn't it be better to wait here?”
“I agree. There's no need for you to get involved in this dangerous business, sister-in-law.”
By now, Mujin seemed to have a rough idea of what we were about to do and tried to stop Cheon Yeo-hwa.
But Cheon Yeo-hwa shook her head.
“I, too, wish to stretch my limbs after so long.”
In that instant, Cheon Yeo-hwa's aura sharpened.
Thanks to her considerable recovery, she seemed stronger than Mujin even in her current state.
Mujin must have felt her aura as well, as he said nothing more.
“Still, don't overdo it.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa nodded lightly and hugged my arm.
[Hallucination]
While Mujin was distracted for a moment, I created illusions of the three of us inside the room.
[Perception Inhibition]
[Illusion Field]
Then, I combined the two spells to subtly distort how others perceived us. This should be enough to avoid any interruptions on our way to the basement.
-Hmm... Magic, was it? I have seen it a few times before, but it is certainly different from formations.
Cheon Yeo-hwa seemed to immediately notice the change in her surroundings.
Mujin, on the other hand, was busy catching his breath while looking out the window.
“Hoo, haa... Hoo, haa...”
It seemed he was especially nervous, as this was his first real battle. I shook my head as I watched his back.
‘That's not what he should be worried about right now.’
Mujin didn't know it, but ever since he'd entered the gisaeng house, I could feel an intense anger from far away.
Unsurprisingly, it was the fury of the Wudang Daoist who had come along as his guardian.
He's probably going to have a hard time explaining himself after this is over.
I silently prayed for his soul as I went down to the first floor, opened a cleverly hidden door, and stepped inside.
There was a staircase leading down to the basement.