Chapter 310: To Wuhan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 310: To Wuhan
Around the time the sun began its slow descent from its zenith.
The Jegal family’s boat carrying us left Xiangyang and headed for Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.
I sat at the stern, where the view was best, and opened the wooden box.
[Information on newly acquired items is being collected.]
[Yieumdan (Two Yin Pill)
Grade: Rare
An elixir made from two spirit herbs containing pure yin energy. When consumed by a woman, she gains 15 years of internal energy and a large amount of impurities are purged from her body.]
[Silver Immortal Elixir
Grade: Rare
An elixir made from Silver Flower Grass that has absorbed moonlight. When consumed by a woman, she gains 15 years of internal energy and her muscles and bones are strengthened.]
[Jade Face Pill
Grade: Rare
Known since ancient times as the elixir of celestial maidens. When consumed by a woman, she gains 5 years of internal energy and it aids her beauty.]
There were a total of three elixirs in the wooden box.
They were of such high quality that they could have been considered near-epic grade if not for the condition that they must be “consumed by a woman.”
Honestly, I would have been grateful for just two, but I never expected to receive three.
That old man, Jegal Hyeon. He didn't show it, but it seems he felt indebted to me.
Well, it makes sense. Otherwise, there’s no way he would have so readily handed over his precious daughter to an outside man.
‘The Yieumdan can go to Noel, and the Silver Immortal Elixir to Seoha.’
Both of them were beast-kin, but I figured it would be more efficient for Jeon Seoha, a member of the Silver Wolf Tribe, to consume the Silver Immortal Elixir.
Once I decided that, another problem arose.
‘Who should I give the Jade Face Pill to?’
Compared to the other two elixirs, the Jade Face Pill was a bit of a dilemma.
Taking it only granted a mere five years’ worth of internal energy.
Still, since it was said to aid one’s beauty, it was the perfect gift for a woman.
‘It might be okay to give it to Hyena...’
As I pondered for a moment, I thought of another woman.
Shin Yuna. The world star and next head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan, one of South Korea’s three great prestigious magic families, alongside the Seongbuk Choi and Jinryu Han families.
Her face, the target of my Sex Expert skill’s evolution mission, flashed through my mind.
To be honest, I had half-forgotten about her.
To evolve the skill, I needed to have sex with Shin Yuna, but that was so far-fetched that I figured it was better for me to just forget about it.
But what if it wasn't about evolving the skill, but simply about building a connection?
The prestigious magic families held influence in South Korea comparable to that of the president.
If I could build a connection with Shin Yuna, the next head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan, it would be a great source of strength if I ever needed help in the future.
Besides, I had a convenient excuse to arrange a meeting.
-Hyun-woo, I hope we can meet alone next time.
I recalled what Shin Yuna had said before we parted ways at the Magic Tower.
Of course, it was probably just a polite pleasantry, like saying ‘let’s grab a meal sometime’ or ‘let’s see each other again.’
But it felt like too good of an opportunity to miss.
When we met at the Magic Tower, I couldn't show it because of Han Lael, but I had been a long-time fan of Shin Yuna since I was twelve.
Even during my poor college days, I made sure to watch every movie she was in.
In truth, wanting to build a connection with her might have just been an excuse.
‘I want to get her autograph. I wonder if that’s possible?’
If I had the chance, I wanted to take a picture with her too.
I didn't know if it would be possible, but now that I had a decent gift in the form of the Jade Face Pill, it was worth a try.
“Hyun-woo.”
Just as I was putting the wooden box away, Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had been sipping Baekhyangokroju and enjoying the scenery, spoke to me.
The moment I saw her expression, a chill ran down my spine.
There was a smile on her lips, but her eyes weren't smiling at all.
“Did you enjoy last night?”
“...”
“I waited for you all night, but I never imagined you would be mixing bodies with that Jegal wench until morning.”
Putting down her cup, Cheon Yeo-hwa slowly approached me.
She buried her face in the crook of my neck, close enough for our breaths to mingle.
It wasn't a sweet, affectionate gesture.
Sniff, sniff.
It felt like coming home after playing with another cat, only to have my own cat sniff me with an unusually tense air.
“And to think, you were with her right up until we departed...”
A glint appeared in Cheon Yeo-hwa’s eyes.
A murderous Ki wave flowed from her.
I had been in such a rush that I hadn't washed properly, but I never imagined I’d be caught by the scent.
“...Sorry?”
“...”
Cheon Yeo-hwa glared at me without a word, then shot out her hand and grabbed my wrist.
I was helplessly caught in a flawless Chin Na grip.
Of course, given the atmosphere, I hadn't tried to avoid it either.
Crack-
A sound that shouldn't have come from a wrist echoed out.
It felt like the blood was slowly being cut off from my hand, but I didn't let it show.
Cheon Yeo-hwa quietly rose to her feet and dragged me toward the cabin. The eyes of the sailors who watched us were filled with envy.
SLAM!
The door was violently shut, and I was thrown onto the bed.
Having a good idea of what was about to happen, I cast a silence spell in the room.
Rustle-
Meanwhile, Cheon Yeo-hwa looked at me and began to untie her sash.
My eyes were momentarily captivated by the sudden strip show, but then her hair began to turn pure white.
The temperature in the room plummeted instantly.
Along with the slightly chilled air, the clothes hiding her skin slid to the floor.
A beautiful curve ran from her jade-like skin and voluptuous breasts down to her picture-perfect slender waist.
I unknowingly swallowed dryly at the sight of her sensuous figure, now fully revealed.
As if pleased by my reaction, the corners of Cheon Yeo-hwa’s eyes curved beautifully.
Climbing onto the bed, Cheon Yeo-hwa got on top of me and began to take off my clothes.
“Don’t you worry. It will all be over by the time you’re done counting the stains on the ceiling.”
It felt like our roles had been reversed, but I quietly began to count the stains on the ceiling.
Being pounced on like this once in a while didn't seem so bad.
Before long, the room was filled with a woman’s moans and lewd, wet sounds. And I came to realize just how much Cheon Yeo-hwa hated the Jegal family.
Was it because a deal worth hundreds of gold ingots fell through due to the Jegal family’s schemes when she was the Second Young Lady of the Heavenly Demonic Cult?
Cheon Yeo-hwa bit, sucked, and licked me as if trying to erase every trace of Jegal Hyang from my body. As time passed, my body became covered in hickeys.
‘...She’s like a cat.’
For the record, our estimated time of arrival in Wuhan was tomorrow, during the Hour of the Tiger (3 AM - 5 AM).
*
Needless to say, Cheon Yeo-hwa was the first to pass out.
In just one hour, the tables had turned, and she was fucked by me until dusk.
“Hoo...”
I calmly regulated my breathing and opened my eyes.
After making Cheon Yeo-hwa pass out five times, I was focusing on circulating my Qi.
Thanks to that, I had reached the second star of the Ghost Divine Art.
For reference, my Soul-Snatching Heavenly Killing Darts had already reached the third star. Since it was an assassination technique and not an internal art, my proficiency with the Lightning Flash Flying Dagger had carried over to some extent.
Imbuing my daggers with energy had become much easier.
Of course, imbuing them with Aura was still impossible, but at this rate, I felt I could pierce a 2nd Circle Mage’s barrier with just my assassination techniques.
For reference, the Ghost Valley Master’s level in his lifetime was the seventh star in Ghost Divine Art and the eighth star in Soul-Snatching Heavenly Killing Darts.
I wondered what would happen when I mastered both martial arts.
Furthermore, my Blood Flame Asura Demonic Art had reached the sixth star, and the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art had reached the seventh.
As expected of a demonic art, the Blood Flame Asura Demonic Art progressed quickly. The price was enduring an excruciating pain, as if my insides were rotting.
In contrast, the progress of the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art was slowing down.
Indeed, it was a martial art worthy of being created by the Heavenly Killing Star of his era.
Crackle-
Red lightning sparked at my fingertips.
Thanks to reaching the seventh star of the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art, I could now coat the lightning element with Red Lightning.
Once I mastered it, I would probably be able to wreath myself in Rolling Thunder.
Using Red Lightning greatly increased its power, but the problem was that it became much harder to control.
‘...If I try to handle this carelessly, I’ll be the one getting burned.’
Pzzzt-
Just as I dismissed the Red Lightning and was about to get up.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded, and I sensed a presence on the other side of the door.
Judging by the stride I heard in the hallway and the amount of energy in the fist that knocked, it seemed to be the man who had introduced himself as the person in charge of this trip.
“Sir?”
I put on the long robe that was strewn on the floor.
I thought about opening the door, but the state of the room made that difficult.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing, sir, but we will be arriving in Wuhan soon.”
“What? I thought you said we would arrive around the Hour of the Tiger tomorrow.”
The current time was the Hour of the Pig (9 PM - 11 PM).
“Yes, that was the plan, but the weather has been exceptionally good today, so it seems we will arrive earlier than scheduled.”
“Then how much longer until we reach Wuhan, exactly?”
“We expect to reach the pier in about an hour.”
“I understand.”
After finishing his explanation, the man quietly departed.
Only after confirming his presence had faded did I approach the bed and gently lift the blanket.
“Yeo-hwa, we’re almost there.”
“Nngh... I want to rest a little longer...”
Under the blanket lay Cheon Yeo-hwa, not wearing a single scrap of cloth.
I grabbed her butt and lay down on the bed with her.
“Then you have to get up in fifteen minutes, okay?”
“Mmm...”
Perhaps because she had been tormented by me for over half a day, Cheon Yeo-hwa acted uncharacteristically cute and snuggled into my arms.
At this rate, I worried if I’d be able to wake her up so heartlessly after fifteen minutes had passed.
*
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.
As a major commercial hub, Wuhan was situated on the route along the Yangtze River that connected Nanjing in Jiangsu, Hefei in Anhui, Yichang in Hubei, and even Chongqing and Sichuan, making it one of the most prominent metropolises in the entire Central Plains.
Moreover, Wuhan, known since ancient times as a transportation nexus and the great road of the Central Plains, was a city so developed that it couldn't even be compared to the towns and cities I had passed through so far.
“Come on over! The finest silk from Gangnam! You’ll feel the difference with just a touch of your fingertips!”
“Herbs, get your herbs! From eighty-year-old wild ginseng to tonics that are good for the body, we have it all!”
“Freshly baked pancakes! Just out of the furnace! Have a taste, you won’t be able to just walk by!”
“Come see our famous blades! The swords sought by the masters of Murim, half price for today only!”
After disembarking, Cheon Yeo-hwa and I headed to the bustling streets of Wuhan.
Even though it was nearly midnight, the streets, overflowing with pedestrians and merchants, were incredibly vibrant.
The entire city glowed brightly, like a city that never sleeps.
“There certainly seems to be a lot to see...”
The problem was that I had no idea where to even begin searching for the arrangement Vajra Divine Monk had left behind in this vast city.
‘Would it kill him to give me a precise location?’
What a cranky, depraved monk.
“Hyun-woo, how about we check that place out first?”
“Hm?”
I turned my head in the direction Cheon Yeo-hwa was pointing, and among the numerous buildings, a massive gisaeng house revealed its majesty.
Like Monghyeonru, it was a five-story structure, but its scale was incomparably overwhelming.
It seemed to stand unrivaled within Wuhan.
“So, we need to purchase a large quantity of the medicinal herbs that just came in from Yunnan...”
“Excuse me.”
“Whoa?!”
Wanting to ask a quick question, I stopped a passerby.
“Hey, who do you think you are, grabbing a stranger like that... haha! No harm done, right? What can I do for you, Great Hero?”
When I subtly revealed my aura, the passerby became very cooperative.
“That gisaeng house over there, do you know its name?”
“Hm?”
The man’s expression turned strange as he looked where my finger was pointing.
He looked at me as if I were some country bumpkin.
“What, did you just come down from the mountains after a lifetime of training? This is the first time in my life I’ve met someone in Gangnam who doesn’t know of the Yellow Crane Tower.”
“Yellow Crane Tower?”
I looked at Cheon Yeo-hwa.
-It’s the most famous gisaeng house in Gangnam. This is the first time I’ve seen it in person as well.
“I see.”
My curiosity satisfied, I let the passerby go.
Of course, I didn't ask for free. Noticing he had a slight limp, I used acupoint striking to release the blocked energy in his leg.
He might not feel it right away, but he would feel much better after a night’s sleep.
“How about we have dinner there tonight and gather some information?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa nodded and linked her arm with mine.
Her face was hidden by her veil, but judging by her reaction, she seemed quite pleased.