My Master's Past and the Closed Pawnshop
The woman took a long, slow drag from her pipe, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke before speaking in a lazy, drawling voice.
"Soso, you again? What kind of worthless junk did you drag in this time? How many times do I have to tell you that I don't deal in garbage?"
The woman tapped the end of her pipe against the table and snorted.
"Oh, come on, Auntie Wolryeong! When have I ever brought you junk!"
When Soso pouted and protested, the woman named Wolryeong lightly tapped the crown of her head with her pipe.
Thwack!
"Ouch!"
"I told you to call me Big Sister, not Auntie, you cheeky brat."
"Ugh, seriously! Why do you always hit my head?!"
Soso clutched her forehead with both hands, hopping up and down in sheer indignation.
Watching her, I chuckled inwardly.
...Whether she's with me or out here, that kid is a universal punching bag. She gets flicked and smacked wherever she goes.
Leaving the crouching, grumbling Soso to her own devices, Wolryeong turned her head and cast her gaze toward me, standing just behind the girl.
Her seductive eyes slowly swept up and down my body, narrowing into sharp, crescent slits that gleamed with a strange, intense curiosity.
"And who might this gorgeous creature be?"
Wolryeong asked in a low, purring voice, her crimson lips curving into a smooth smile.
Her bewitching gaze made me slightly tense. Just as I was about to open my mouth, Soso seized the opportunity to jump in front of me, puffing her chest out proudly.
"Hehe, surprised? She's a massive VIP I brought personally! Once you find out who she is, Auntie, you're going to faint from shock!"
"I wasn't asking you, brat."
"Hmph."
Embarrassed, Soso pouted and took a step back.
I offered a polite smile and tapped the handle of the cart, which was piled high with our plundered loot.
“I am Yeonhwa. I have a rather large quantity of goods to offload, so I came here under Soso's guidance.”
"Yeonhwa, is it...?"
Wolryeong looked back and forth between my face and the cart, then took another deep drag from her pipe.
"Hmm. I don't know. I don't just accept goods from anyone. As you know, our line of work operates strictly on trust."
She was subtly probing for my identity and the origin of the goods, initiating a tense battle of nerves.
Part of me wants to just unleash my inner energy and intimidate her into submission.
The impulse flared up for a second, but I suppressed it.
After all, this was Soso's turf, and throwing a violent tantrum in front of someone she knew would violate basic business etiquette.
"Is Soso's personal guarantee not enough?"
At my question, Wolryeong glanced at Soso and smirked.
"Her? She might act tough, but she's a total softie inside. She's a gullible pushover who gets scammed left and right. How could I trust her guarantee?"
"A-Auntie! When have I ever been scammed!"
Soso jumped up and down, her face flushing red. To prove her innocence, she clung tightly to my arm and yelled.
"This big sister is an incredibly terrifying master! She took down the notorious Blood-Haired Mad Blade, Jeok Mumeong, in a single strike! And all this loot is genuine treasure swept clean straight from those bandits' lair!"
Wolryeong's eyes flashed with interest for a brief second. But she quickly clicked her tongue in disapproval and looked down at Soso.
"Sigh... Soso, don't you ever try to do business anywhere else. What kind of merchant blabs about where their goods came from of their own free will?"
"Ah..."
Only then realizing her blunder, Soso quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.
A headache began to form, and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
This kind of beating around the bush and testing the waters was completely incompatible with my personality.
Ugh, what a pain. I'm just going to be direct.
"I don't care for these tedious mind games. Let me get straight to the point."
I lifted my chin, locking eyes with Wolryeong with absolute confidence.
“I am Yeonhwa, the 32nd Sect Leader of the Divine Maiden Sect. I recently made my debut in the martial world, and while traveling, I received great assistance from Soso, which led me to your establishment.”
The moment the words left my lips, I unleashed a fraction of the energy resting in my dantian for a split second.
Instantly, the air in the room grew heavy. A colossal pressure exploded outward, weighing down on the entire space. The candles flickered violently, and the heavy wooden desk of the pawnshop began to tremble.
"......!!"
Wolryeong, who had been lazily puffing her pipe just a moment ago, turned pale. Before she could be crushed by the weight, I withdrew my aura, leaving no trace behind.
Clutching her pipe with a trembling hand, Wolryeong stared at me in sheer shock.
"The... the Divine Maiden Sect...?"
Just as I was about to smirk, thinking she had been properly cowed by my power, Wolryeong reacted in a way I hadn't anticipated at all.
"...Get out. Right now."
"Excuse me?"
The seductive warmth in Wolryeong's eyes vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by a freezing chill.
"I said get out. I'm not taking those goods."
"Wait, why the sudden eviction? What is the meaning of this...?"
"Auntie Wolryeong! What are you talking about?! You just saw my big sister's martial arts! She really is the Sect Leader of the Divine Maiden Sect!"
Even Soso chimed in, utterly bewildered, but Wolryeong remained unyielding.
"It's because she's from the Divine Maiden Sect that I won't do it."
"What?"
"Our Great Mother has handed down a strict order. No matter what happens in the martial world, we are never to associate with anyone from the Divine Maiden Sect. Hongbi, show our guests out."
Wolryeong turned away coldly.
But just as she was about to step into the back room, she glanced back at Soso's tearful face and paused.
"...If you feel it's that unfair, go see the Great Mother yourself."
Leaving us with only those words, Wolryeong retreated into the back room, slamming the door shut behind her.
"......"
"......"
Soso and I stared at the firmly shut door, then looked at each other in utter bewilderment. What kind of absurd situation was this?
Only little Hongbi, completely oblivious to the tension, stared at us awkwardly from behind the massive desk.
"Hongbi... what on earth just happened? Why is Auntie Wolryeong acting like that?"
Soso asked urgently, but Hongbi only scratched her pigtails and wore a troubled expression.
"I don't know... I've never seen Master get that angry before either..."
Standing on either side of the heavy cart loaded with stolen goods, Soso and I could only gape in disbelief.
I let out a long sigh and rubbed my temples.
"Sigh... Soso. Who is this 'Great Mother' that woman just mentioned? Do you know her?"
At my question, Soso replied in a dejected voice.
"The Great Mother is... the de facto ruler of the entire Kaifeng Red Light District, and like a mother to all the courtesans here."
"The ruler of the Red Light District?"
"Yes. And she's an incredibly kind person who takes in abandoned street orphans like me and my friends so we don't starve. She teaches us how to read and write, gives us work, and helps us survive. She holds absolute power in this underworld."
Soso glanced resentfully at my cart of loot before continuing.
“If the Great Mother really ordered everyone not to trade with the Divine Maiden Sect... then there isn't a single soul in this Red Light District who will buy your goods, Big Sister.”
Soso sniffled, looking as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
“Ugh... and here I thought we were finally going to strike it rich...”
I crossed my arms, sinking into deep thought.
My first encounter with someone who knows of the Divine Maiden Sect since my Master vanished... and it's a damn blacklist.
What kind of absolute menace was that rotten Master of mine in the past to make people slam their doors shut at the mere mention of our sect's name?
Did my Master and this Great Mother have some kind of past romantic history? Or did she owe her a massive debt? Or... did she somehow expose our sect's perverted secret about men transforming into women?
Tens of thousands of trashy soap opera scenarios flashed through my mind.
I scratched my head vigorously and asked Soso.
"Hey, are there really no other fences in Kaifeng besides this neighborhood? We don't have to sell them here."
At my practical suggestion, Soso shook her head violently.
“Oh, Big Sister, no way. If we go to other back-alley thugs, they won't give us anywhere near a fair price. They'll just rob us blind and expect us to be grateful for a few measly silver coins. This kind of business relies entirely on trust and track records. If you don't have an established partner, it's almost impossible to get a decent price!”
To get a fair price for all this cargo, I would ultimately have to meet this high-and-mighty Great Mother in person—whether to clear up any misunderstandings, negotiate, or reach some kind of compromise.
"...I guess we have no choice but to pay her a visit."
I tore my eyes away from the firmly shut door and turned to Hongbi, who was still warily watching us from behind the desk.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Eek!"
Hongbi flinched, her shoulders tensing up at my call. I put on my warmest, most benevolent smile and asked gently.
"This Great Mother you mentioned. We'd like to meet her in person. Could you tell us where we can find her?"
"The... the Great Mother? That's... uh, well..."
Hongbi stammered, trailing off in hesitation.
Right then, Soso stepped forward with an air of grand authority, slapping her hand onto the desk.
"Hongbi! Are we strangers? You're a member of our Heaven-Astonishing Society! This is exactly when we're supposed to help each other out!"
Soso tried to pressure her by throwing around the name of her gang as if it were some legendary secret society, but Hongbi looked entirely unimpressed and pouted.
"That Heaven-Astonishing whatever... you forced me to join last time, Big Sister. I never said I wanted to join."
"......"
I narrowed my eyes, giving Soso a long, hard look.
"Are you... playing syndicate boss with little kids and forcing them into your gang?"
"N-No, of course not! Forced? Never! Everyone joined voluntarily out of, uh... the passionate loyalty of the back alleys!"
Feeling the sting of my icy glare, Soso broke into a cold sweat and scrambled to make excuses.
She then grabbed Hongbi's hands in desperation and began to whine.
"H-Hongbi! I'll buy you ten... no, twenty tanghulu later! Please, just turn a eye and help me out this once, okay?"
Soso whimpered, shrinking her shoulders.
As I clicked my tongue and sighed, Hongbi blinked her large eyes and let out a tiny sigh of her own.
"Sigh... Master is going to skin me alive if she finds out..."
Grumbling under her breath, Hongbi reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a small slip of paper.
Gripping a brush in her tiny, delicate hand, she scribbled something down. Then, she pulled a small wooden stamp from her robes, blew on it, and pressed it down.
*Thump!*
A bright red ink seal was stamped clearly at the bottom of the paper. Hongbi slid the slip across the desk toward us.
To the Guards of Manhwaru,
Please grant passage to the bearers of this note. They are associates of our establishment.
— Wolryeong's Pawnshop [SEAL]
"Here, take this. It's a letter of introduction stamped with our shop's seal. If you show this to the guards at the entrance of Manhwaru, where the Great Mother is, they won't kick you out right away."
"I knew I could count on you, Hongbi, Deputy Liaison of our Heaven-Astonishing Society! Thank you!"
Soso's face instantly lit up as she snatched the paper. Smiling at this unexpected windfall, I gently patted Hongbi's pigtails.
"Thanks, kiddo. This big sister will buy you lots of delicious treats later."
"Ehehe... just keep it a secret from Master!"
Hongbi blushed and giggled. Though we had been turned away by Wolryeong, thanks to this adorable kid, we had secured a pass to meet the Great Mother.
"Well then, shall we go see what this terrifying Great Mother looks like?"
Tucking away the letter of introduction, we slipped out the back door of the pawnshop and stepped back into the heart of the dazzling Red Light District, where crimson lanterns hung in heavy clusters.
"By the way, Soso. Is this Manhwaru place far from here?"
“No, it's just a bit further down. Manhwaru is the largest and most luxurious brothel in all of Kaifeng. Since the Great Mother runs it directly, security is incredibly tight. Unless you're a wealthy merchant or a high-ranking official, ordinary people can't even dream of stepping inside.”
"Oho, an ultra-exclusive establishment where you can't even enter without an invitation."
I leisurely surveyed our surroundings.
As the sun dipped lower than when we first arrived, the crimson lanterns illuminating the brothels began to cast an even more seductive glow.
A breeze thick with the scent of cosmetic powder carried the gentle plucking of a pipa from a second-story balcony. Courtesans leaned over the railings, their sultry, teasing voices filling the street as they beckoned passing men.
"Oh my, My Lord. Won't you rest in my arms tonight?"
"Hey there, handsome. It would be a shame to just walk on by. Come on up and have a drink with us."
"Hahaha! Look at him, his ears turned bright red the moment he made eye contact!"
Looking up at the courtesans clad in sheer, flowing silks as they put on their dizzying displays of coquetry, a deeply satisfied smile spread across my face.
Damn, the atmosphere is incredible. I love it. In my past life, I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near hostesses of this caliber.
Though I was now trapped in a woman's body, the visual feast of admiring beautiful women remained just as thrilling as it had been in my past life.
We walked a bit further.
"Over there, Big Sister! That's Manhwaru!"
The moment I looked where Soso was pointing, an exclamation escaped my lips.
"Wow..."
The scale and grandeur of Manhwaru were so overwhelming that the lavish brothels we had just passed suddenly looked like cheap taverns in comparison.
A massive five-story wooden pavilion towered toward the night sky, and hundreds of crimson lanterns hanging from its eaves illuminated the street as brightly as broad daylight.
At the entrance, beautiful courtesans dressed in exquisite silks welcomed guests with elegant smiles. Behind them, however, stood fierce-looking martial artists covered in scars, keeping a vigilant watch over the doors.