Thrashing the Brothel Owner
Swallowing my bitter disappointment at not being able to finish my sticky, intimate session with Soso, I followed the chief manager's guidance toward the top floor of Manhwaru, where the Great Mother was said to be waiting.
Sigh... If only they'd called me just a little later, I could've gone all the way with Soso.
As we reached the end of the top-floor hallway, the chief manager came to a sudden halt in front of a massive set of double doors.
"You may enter through these doors, young lady. This is as far as I go."
The chief manager bowed deeply and retreated backward. I took a light breath to compose myself and stood before the firmly shut doors.
"Enter."
A low voice, carrying a strange, subtle weight of authority, drifted out from within.
When I pushed the doors open and stepped inside, a room far larger than I had ever imagined unfolded before my eyes.
What the hell is this? Is this a bedroom or a martial arts training ground?
The space was so vast and open that it was hard to believe it was the top floor of a lavish brothel. It was spacious enough to serve as a sparring arena for any decent sect.
And deep inside that sprawling room, a beautiful, mature woman sat with her legs crossed on a chair made of the finest red sandalwood.
So that's the one they call the Great Mother.
A voluptuous, seductive beauty who seemed to have artfully dodged the ravages of time. On the surface, she looked like a ripe, sensual woman in her early to mid-thirties, but the profound depth in her eyes made it clear that her actual age was far greater.
She was emitting by far the most powerful aura of anyone I had encountered since stepping foot into the Jianghu.
But internally, I let out a soft snort.
Well, even so, she's nowhere near my weight class.
Leaning back in her chair, the beautiful woman swept a chilly gaze over me as I walked in, and spoke.
"I heard you are the Sect Leader of the Divine Maiden Sect."
"Yes, that is correct. I am Yeonhwa, newly inaugurated as the thirty-second Sect Leader."
I clasped my hands in a polite martial greeting and continued with a smooth, shameless smile.
"By any chance, did you have some sort of... incident with my master in the past? I'm not sure what kind of grievance you might hold, but to be honest, my master cut off all contact with me and vanished into thin air. I have absolutely no idea where she is either."
I drew a clear line between myself and my master, flashing her a bright, innocent grin.
"Ah, and thanks to the jade plaque you bestowed upon me, I had an incredibly wonderful time here at Manhwaru. Thank you so very much for the lavish hospitality."
At my cheeky greeting, the beautiful woman let out a dry, mocking chuckle.
"Is that so? I am truly glad you enjoyed yourself. Why don't you come a little closer?"
Keeping my guard up, I slowly stepped toward her. Resting her chin on her hand, she asked in a low voice:
"Do you know why I handed down a strict order to never associate with, let alone do business with, anyone from the Divine Maiden Sect?"
How the hell should I know, lady?
Just as I was about to grumble inwardly and shake my head...
A flash of icy hatred and murderous intent flared like a venomous serpent in her eyes as she looked up at me.
Whoa! Wait, why is she suddenly glaring at me like she wants to murder my entire lineage?
As I flinched and took a half-step back, she spat out through gritted teeth.
"Baekryeon... She and I were once passionately in love. Or, at least, that was what I firmly believed."
...Baekryeon?
It was a name I'd never heard before. But given the context, "Baekryeon" had to be my master's name.
"Until I was utterly deceived by that devil of a woman!"
Sigh... A lovers' quarrel? Master, what on earth did you do out there in the world?!
The mature beauty shouted, her voice trembling with raw emotion as if an old wound had been violently ripped open.
"That devil played with my heart, and the moment she grew bored, she discarded me without a second thought! Leaving my body in this hideous, monstrous state!!"
Her wrathful scream reverberated through the massive room, shaking the very air.
Hideous state? She looks perfectly fine to me. Don't tell me her gender got forcefully swapped like mine? Or is it some other side effect?
"On that day, I realized to my very bones... that a wretched sect like the Divine Maiden Sect should not exist in this world!"
"Whoa, hold on a second, lady. That's a personal matter between you and my master. It has absolutely nothing to do with me, does it?"
I tried to plead my innocence and quickly explain, but she snorted and cut me off ruthlessly.
"Nothing to do with you?"
She slowly rose from her seat, her eyes boring into me with intense hostility.
"And what exactly were you planning to do with Soso, that poor child? Are you dragging her around just to toy with her innocent body and mind before discarding her, just like that master of yours?!"
Ah, shit. I'm totally cornered here.
Of all times, I had literally just left Soso sprawled on the bed after a heavy petting session, so I couldn't even deny it with a straight face. I scratched the back of my head roughly and let out a deep sigh.
"Look, lady. Why don't you cool your head for a second so we can have a productive conversation? To be completely honest... you stand absolutely no chance of beating me. Let's not waste our energy."
At my provocation, the corners of her lips twisted up into a bizarre, menacing smirk.
"It is fortunate that you delivered yourself right on time. But tell me... who said I would be fighting you alone?"
"What?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she thrust her palm toward me with lightning speed.
"……?!"
In an instant, the crimson Qi erupting from her palm coalesced into the shape of a giant lotus, hurtling directly toward me.
"This is... the Red Lotus Pure Palm?!"
Why the hell is a secret technique of our Divine Maiden Sect coming out of this lady's hands?!
But with the energy rushing at me, I had no time to be bewildered. I reflexively unleashed the exact same Red Lotus Pure Palm to counter her attack.
BOOM!!
Our respective crimson palm strikes clashed in midair, unleashing a deafening explosion.
The result was my overwhelming victory. Overpowered by my strike, the mature beauty stumbled back five or six paces.
See? I told you it wouldn't work.
Just as I was celebrating internally and preparing to adjust my stance—
SHHHK!
"……?!"
A chilling sense of danger shot down my spine like a bolt of lightning.
The moment her earlier words—'who said I would be fighting you alone?'—flashed through my mind, my beast-like instincts kicked in, and I ducked my torso low.
WHOOSH!!
With a sharp, air-rending screech, a bizarre, disc-shaped weapon lined with razor-sharp blades grazed past the back of my head, missing me by a hair's breadth.
"Who's there!"
I spun around swiftly, glaring in the direction the disc had flown from.
From the deep shadows of the room, another figure slowly materialized.
The figure emerging from the darkness snatched the bizarre disc as it curved through the air and returned like a boomerang.
CLACK!
The bastard casually pressed it down right on top of his head.
I narrowed my eyes at the bizarre sight of someone wearing their weapon as a hat.
What the hell is that? A steel disc hat?
My bewilderment was short-lived as the light hit the figure, revealing his identity.
He was a giant of a man, his body rippling with muscles that looked ready to burst. Around his neck hung thick Buddhist prayer beads, each as large as a child's fist.
Though caked in layers of dirt and blackened with grime, the clothes he wore were unmistakably Buddhist monastic robes.
A monk? What is a rogue monk doing on the top floor of a brothel...?
As I clicked my tongue inwardly and sized him up—
"Die, you wench!!"
The crimson energy of the Red Lotus Pure Palm erupting from her hands surged toward me once again with violent force.
Reflexively, I channeled my inner Qi and met her palm strike head-on.
BOOM!!
The Red Lotus Pure Palm unleashed from my fingertips instantly swallowed the Great Mother's crimson energy whole.
"Ugh...!"
Swept away by the sheer force of my strike, the Great Mother groaned as she was sent flying back into the corner once more.
Alright, lady, just stay down for a bit.
Just as I snorted and prepared to look away from the fallen woman—
WHOOSH!
The rogue monk violently hurled the steel disc hat from his head, sending it spinning like a top.
What is this, some fighting game character from my past life? Why is he throwing his hat around?
As if shooing away an annoying fly, I fired a blast of the blazing crimson Red Lotus Pure Palm directly at the incoming disc.
I'll shatter it with my Qi blade!
CRASH!
I unleashed the violent crimson Qi of the Red Lotus Pure Palm at the disc.
Naturally, I expected a mere piece of metal to shatter into dust the moment it touched my raw Qi.
However...
SCREEECH!!
"……?!"
An unbelievable sight unfolded.
The steel disc sliced through my Red Lotus Pure Palm's Qi as if it were a sheet of paper, hurtling toward my neck without losing a fraction of its speed.
What? It sliced through raw Qi?!
I hurriedly bent my waist backward, lowering my torso until my back was nearly touching the floor.
SWOOSH!
With a chilling metallic hum, the disc grazed past the tip of my nose. Just as I broke into a cold sweat and tried to push myself back up—
"Shadowless Kick!"
Before I knew it, the rogue monk had closed the distance. Leaping high into the air, he unleashed a torrential downpour of kicks that instantly sealed off all eight directions of retreat.
"Not so fast!"
Using the momentum of my bent waist, I spun like a top and launched myself upward. At the same time, I gathered freezing Qi at the tips of my ten fingers and flicked them in all directions.
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!!
The Jade-Bound Ice Heart Finger. The freezing blasts of finger-wind accurately intercepted and pierced through the afterimages of the monk's Shadowless Kick, shattering his offensive.
Just as the monk clicked his tongue and tried to retreat—
SWOOSH!
The bladed disc that had missed earlier curved back like a boomerang, aiming straight for the back of my head.
Still suspended in midair, I fired another blast of crimson Qi, but the disc sliced through the energy once more and surged forward relentlessly.
Ugh, seriously, how annoying!
Tucking my body into a tight ball midair, I executed a backflip, leaping clean over the incoming disc.
The disc whizzed past my feet and landed perfectly in the hand of the rogue monk, who had already touched down on the ground. He casually placed it back on his head.
I landed lightly on my feet and wiped away the cold sweat trickling down my spine.
What on earth is that disc hat made of to slice through raw Qi like tofu?
Right then, seizing the moment my attention was fixed on the monk, the Great Mother, her entire body shrouded in crimson energy, lunged at me like a wild beast.
"I will sever the lineage of the Divine Maiden Sect right here today!!"
As if squeezing out every last drop of her remaining Qi, her full-power Red Lotus Pure Palm erupted with overwhelming destructive force, threatening to blanket the entire room in crimson lotuses. Surrounded on all sides by the crimson Qi, there was no room to dodge.
Whoa, if I let my guard down here, I might actually end up as a pile of broken bones.
I stopped playing around and immediately manifested my protective Qi using the Divine Maiden Sect's ultimate defensive technique, the Flawless Jade Pure Qi.
VRRRRR!
Centered around my body, a brilliant, translucent barrier of jade-colored Qi rapidly expanded, forming an absolute defensive shield.
BOOOOOOM!!
The Great Mother's full-force crimson palm strike slammed directly into the translucent jade barrier. Yet, my Flawless Jade Pure Qi didn't sustain even a microscopic scratch. Instead, it reflected the enemy's energy back like a mirror.
"Aaaagh!"
Receiving the full brunt of her own reflected power, the Great Mother coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood in midair and was sent flying backward like a scrap of paper.
"Dan Biyeon!!"
As the Great Mother collapsed, spitting blood, the rogue monk cried out her name in desperation.
Dan Biyeon? So that's her real name.
But instead of rushing to her side, the monk glared at me with eyes burning with murderous rage and spun around to face me once more.
CLANG!
He violently hurled the steel disc hat from his head yet again. Spinning like a maniacal top, the disc tore through the air, looking as if it would swallow the very shadows of the room.
Not that damn Qi-cutter again.
Instead of dodging like before, I concentrated the energy of the Flawless Jade Pure Qi surrounding my body into my right palm. With the brilliant jade Qi focused on my hand, I reached out and snatched the spinning hunk of metal head-on.
SCREEEEECH!!
The moment the disc made contact with my palm, it let out a horrific grinding noise, trying to saw through the barrier of my Flawless Jade Pure Qi like a gear. Sparks flew in all directions as the jade light flickered, and a tremendous, destructive force vibrated up my wrist.
It's definitely no ordinary weapon. But...
No matter how hard the disc struggled to penetrate my protective Qi, it couldn't completely breach the ultimate defensive technique of the Divine Maiden Sect.
CRACK!
As I channeled another surge of Qi and tightened my grip, the disc finally ceased its horrific spinning and went limp in my hand.
"I'll be confiscating this weapon."
I grinned and tossed the disc onto the floor. The rogue monk's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"T-this is impossible...!"
But his shock was brief. Roaring like a wild beast, he leaped into the air once more. Having lost his weapon, he resorted to using his own body as a deadly tool—the Shadowless Kick.
"Haaah!!"
Its speed and power were incomparable to before. A tempest of kicks rained down, aiming for my front, back, left, and right, leaving absolutely no openings.
THUD-THUD-THUD!!
He's definitely... several cuts above that lady. This rogue monk is a true master.
Deflecting the barrage of kicks with my jade Qi, I calmly assessed his strength. His control of inner energy had reached an absolute realm, and his forms were flawlessly executed.
Well, even so, he's still nowhere near my weight class.
Dragging this out would only make things more troublesome for me.
Let's shut him up first, then we can talk or threaten him.
I didn't miss the split-second opening when his kick bounced off my Flawless Jade Pure Qi.
"Playtime is over."
FLASH!
The supreme capturing technique of the Divine Maiden Sect, the Formless Heavenly Net Hand, erupted from my fingertips. The unleashed energy blanketed the air like a massive heavenly net, tightening around the monk from all sides.
"...!!"
Crushed by the overwhelming pressure, the monk hung suspended in midair, unable to budge an inch, his eyes bulging in sheer terror.
I flipped my palm and drove the massive net of energy straight into his chest. At the last second, however, I deflected a layer of the force to ensure it wouldn't be fatal.
BOOM!
"Guaaargh!!"
As the Formless Heavenly Net Hand shattered his protective Qi and struck home, the monk coughed up a spray of blood and plummeted from the air.
THUD, ROLL.
His massive body slammed onto the floor and rolled limply. He twitched a few times, clawing at the floor, before his spasms ceased and he passed out cold.
"Sigh... Seriously, what a mess."
I swept back my disheveled hair and looked back and forth between the blood-spitting Great Mother and the unconscious rogue monk.
I had only come here to liquidate a few stolen goods, and somehow I ended up turning Kaifeng's finest brothel upside down and thrashing the absolute ruler of the red-light district.
By the way... what kind of massive shit did my master take in this town before running away?
I pinched the bridge of my throbbing nose and let out a long, weary sigh.
