Chapter 23: Red Moon Pavilion (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Red Moon Pavilion (3)
"Ughhhhh...!!"
Thwack! Thwack! The blanket looked like it was going to tear to shreds at any moment.
"Now, now, Geum Chun-bong. Kick gently. Gently."
"Gyaaaaaah...!!!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat! Under a barrage of kicks firing off like a machine gun, the blanket finally gave way and flew into the air.
Seo-jun nodded as he watched Chun-bong.
"Just endure it, kiddo. Eighth-grader syndrome passes quickly."
"Stop spouting bullsh—!"
Geum Chun-bong sprang up and launched herself at him like a missile, slamming headfirst into his stomach.
"Oof...!"
"If—if you weren't here, no one would have known about that...!"
"Parricide is a crime against the heavens, kiddo!"
"Die, Lee Seo-jun...!"
Pitter-patter-patter! A flurry of Meow-Meow Punches exploded against his chest. It didn't hurt in the slightest.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah—"
His voice vibrated and broke, like he was speaking into a spinning electric fan.
Having screamed enough to show off her lung capacity, an exhausted Chun-bong collapsed against his chest, panting heavily.
"Ugh..."
The poor kid was dying of embarrassment.
Well, she was at an age where everything felt humiliating.
"Up we go, our little Chun-bong. Shall we go for a stroll with your big brother?"
"...Where?"
"The Red Light District?"
"Are you actually insane...?"
Even so, looking at me like I'm trash really hurts my feelings...
Smacking his lips, Seo-jun stood up, tucking Chun-bong securely under his arm.
"Let’s go get some food first. We’ll head to the Red Light District around sunset."
"No, why do you keep bringing up the Red Light District...?"
I knew she’d follow along, even while grumbling.
Seo-jun strolled out with a leisurely gait.
* * *
The Black Tiger Sect had a lot of money.
And Seo-jun, having thoroughly cleaned out their vault, naturally had quite a bit of money as well.
Now, they could afford to eat luxuriously at an inn every single day without a care in the world.
"Now then, Master Chun-bong. Have a drink."
"Mmm. The aroma is quite exquisite."
"To sense such an aroma from plain water! You truly are a peerless master!"
"...Let’s stop. We look like idiots."
"Okay."
Sliced Pork with Garlic Sauce, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce, and... Sunflower Chicken?
The dishes they had ordered with Chun-bong’s help covered the entire table. They were all meat dishes.
A bottle of liquor would have been the perfect finishing touch.
Why not just order it? Obviously, I couldn't.
Our Chun-bong was just a baby. I had to protect her innocence.
Seo-jun glanced around the room as he ate.
"What are you doing now?"
Chun-bong was chewing away, her cheeks stuffed full like a chipmunk. At her question, Seo-jun leaned in.
As Chun-bong leaned forward and offered her ear, Seo-jun whispered.
"You have to be careful in inns. One of the Three Great Demonic Realms of Murim is the inn."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Just look at last time. We ran into those Azure River Sect people at an inn, too."
"That’s because you beat up the fabric shop owner."
"No, anyway. I’m telling you the truth."
In Wuxia novels, about half of all incidents happened in inns.
If you counted the entire Central Plains, wouldn't hundreds of inns get wiped off the map in a single day?
After all, when martial artists started a riot, the innkeeper had no choice but to close down. It was better than getting stabbed, at least.
If the innkeeper were someone like the Heavenly Demon, it might be a different story, but I highly doubted a bored Heavenly Demon was out here running an inn.
"Mmm, I’m stuffed."
Having finished her meal, Chun-bong patted her bulging belly.
Seo-jun, who hadn't let his guard down this entire time, scratched his head.
"Nothing happened."
"Stop acting stupid, man."
"Hmph."
"Ew..."
Leaving behind a horrified Chun-bong, who was utterly repulsed by a grown man acting cute, Seo-jun paid the bill with a silver tael.
When they stepped out of the inn, the sun was still high in the sky.
No matter how you looked at it, a Red Pavilion wouldn't be open during the day.
"Hey, Geum Chun-bong."
"What."
"So, do you know how to have fun?"
"I don't. When I was young, I only practiced martial arts, and when I grew up, I lost my home and my family."
"What..."
This kid. How am I supposed to react when you drop something so heavy like that?
Scratching his chin, Seo-jun suddenly scooped Chun-bong up and hoisted her onto his shoulders.
"Whoa...!"
"Let’s go, Geum Chun-bong...!"
Today, let’s play until we’re sick of it!
* * *
I had come to a stark realization.
There was absolutely nothing to do in Murim.
I used to wonder why martial artists lived so obsessed with their training. It turned out that in a world like this, martial arts was literally the only thing to do...
"Ugh... I feel like I’m going to puke."
In the end, since there was nothing else for entertainment, we just shoved whatever street food we saw into our mouths as we walked.
We had eaten so much of Chun-bong’s top pick, Tanghulu, that my teeth felt tingly.
"Hehe..."
Still, it seemed Chun-bong had quite a bit of fun.
The way she beamed was undeniably cute. But that was one thing, and this was another.
How cheeky.
Because of this Geum Chun-bong, I had eaten five Tanghulu myself.
Suddenly grabbing Chun-bong by the waist, Seo-jun hoisted her high into the air.
Chun-bong’s eyes widened in surprise, but it was already too late.
"Everyone...! Look at our Chun-bong!"
"Wh-wh-what...! You crazy bastard! Put me down right now?!"
"The Cutest in the World! Our Chun-bong is so cute!"
"You—you son of a...! I told you to stop...!"
People passing by chuckled in amusement. Chun-bong’s face turned completely beet-red, looking like it might burst if someone poked it.
"Phew, I feel refreshed."
"You jerk!"
As soon as he set her on the ground, her tiny fists came flying at him.
"Ouch...!"
It actually hurt like hell. These weren't her usual Meow-Meow Punches; they made a heavy thud every time they landed.
She kept swinging until she was exhausted, then huffed and stomped away on her own. Her retreating figure, walking with tiny, angry steps, looked quite spirited.
Is she feeling better now?
She certainly looked fine. Seo-jun grinned and ran over, playfully grabbing the top of her head.
"Hey, Geum Chun-bong. Wait for me."
"Get lost!"
"Pretty please?"
"Ugh...!"
"Aka."
"You’re going to say Murasaki next, aren't you, you bastard! Stop doing that!"
"You saw right through me...! You truly are a master!"
"Bullshit."
Anyway, I had fun too.
* * *
As the sun began to set, Seo-jun made his way toward the Red Light District.
"Aren't you sick of those?"
"Nope. They’re delicious."
Beside him walked Geum Chun-bong, practically suffering from a sugar overdose as she insisted on consuming yet another Tanghulu.
"Hmm."
The courtesan houses were lined up in a row.
There were massive establishments like the Red Moon Pavilion, and then there were buildings that were courtesan houses in name only, looking more like shabby little shacks.
Of course, most belonged to the latter. That was just how back alleys worked.
"What should I do?"
"About what?"
"I’ve decided."
"No, what are you going to do?! Tell me before you do it!"
Answering with a smirk, Seo-jun kicked open the door of the courtesan house at the entrance of the Red Light District and stepped inside.
"Hey, friends!"
All eyes turned toward him.
Courtesans, customers, and the thugs of the Black Path.
A young-looking boy scurried over and asked, "Are you a customer?"
"No?"
"Uh... huh?"
The boy froze, as if that answer wasn't in his manual.
Seo-jun patted the boy on the shoulder and approached a nearby thug.
"Hello?"
"...Killing Ghost. What business do you have here?"
"Where’s your boss?"
"Do you think I’d tell you?"
"Fair point."
Seo-jun scratched his chin. Come to think of it, there was no way they’d just hand over that information.
After a moment of thought, Seo-jun slammed his foot down hard on the floor.
Boom—!
Crack—! Starting from where his foot struck, the entire surrounding area instantly froze over.
The thug, whose feet were now frozen to the floorboards, stiffened his expression.
"Are you looking for a fight?"
"The sun’s already set, so why look for a fight? The moon’s about to rise, man."
Behind him, Chun-bong looked horrified.
"That was really not funny."
"Oops."
Anyway. That wasn't the important part.
"So, where’s your boss?"
"...I’ll lead the way."
"You were going to do it anyway, why play hard to get?"
* * *
He met with the head of a nameless Black Path gang and made an announcement.
He told them he’d be taking the courtesans for a while in about a week, so they’d better cooperate.
Naturally, there was pushback.
"You’re taking the courtesans? By whose authority?!"
"Well... by the authority of a Murim master?"
"Do you think even you can survive after making enemies of every Black Path sect?!"
"Of course!"
When Seo-jun casually fired a finger pellet at a nearby tree, the man snorted.
"Do you think your internal energy is infinite?"
Seo-jun silently fired another finger pellet.
KABOOM──────────!!!
The man, now covered in wood splinters, nodded vigorously.
"Yes, sir! Take as many as you like!"
Leaving behind the man who was repeatedly bowing at a ninety-degree angle, Seo-jun spoke as he walked.
"What should I call this? Yin-Yang Flick? Yin-Yang Finger? Hmm... No. How about Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Finger?"
"That’s lame."
"Then Yellow Dragon Divine Finger? No, that’s a bit lame too. Yellow Dragon Divine Bullet?"
"...That one actually sounds okay."
You’re so transparent, Geum Chun-bong!
As he chuckled and considered just calling it Yellow Dragon Divine Bullet, Chun-bong spoke up, perhaps feeling a bit guilty.
"...Actually, now that I think about it, Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Finger is better."
"Is it?"
"Martial arts names should be intuitive. It’ll affect your mental imagery to some extent."
"Aw, you cute little thing!"
"Wh-what, all of a sudden...?"
And so it was decided.
* * *
After thinking things over, Seo-jun headed toward the Red Moon Pavilion instead of entering another courtesan house.
After visiting just one place, he realized that barging into every single establishment to 'persuade' people physically would be too much of a hassle.
"So let’s just do it two days from now. If you can just gather the courtesans who used to belong to the Black Tiger Sect, I’ll make the rounds then and collect them."
Mae-wol, who had come out to greet Seo-jun, smiled brightly and nodded.
"I shall do so. More importantly, Young Hero, there is no need to use formal speech with me. Please speak comfortably, as you did before."
"I don’t want to."
"Fufu, I understand."
He didn't know what exactly she understood, but as he simply nodded, he felt a sharp gaze piercing him from the side.
"What is it now, Chun-bong?"
"Before? Was this the place you stopped by yesterday?"
"Oops."
Seo-jun covered his mouth. Seeing this, Mae-wol spoke up in his defense.
"It is a good thing for a young man to be healthy. If you try to cage a man too tightly, he will eventually escape the birdcage and fly far away."
"Why don't you mind your own business?"
Chun-bong bared her teeth and growled.
What’s gotten into her?
"Our Chun-bong doesn't bite."
"Yes, Young Hero. More importantly, how about tonight?"
Mae-wol wasn't intimidated in the slightest and boldly made a pass at him.
Seo-jun flinched back and shook his head.
"Uh... no. I’m a bit worried I’ll catch an STD, so..."
"Fu... fufu.... Is that so...?"
The corners of Mae-wol’s eyes twitched.
"Well then, goodbye!"
Grabbing Chun-bong, Seo-jun quickly said his farewells and fled from the Red Moon Pavilion.
"Phew, this popularity of mine is a real burden."
"...You lunatic."
However, the look in Chun-bong’s eyes was a bit strange.
It was exactly the kind of expression one would have when looking at a madman they absolutely shouldn't associate with.
"Hey! I took your side, so why are you looking at me like that?!"
"Sigh, never mind."
Still, the expression on Chun-bong’s face as she shook her head didn't look all that bad.
"Oh, right. By the way, do you know anything about the Hao Sect?"