Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Red Blossom Pavilion
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#006 Red Blossom Pavilion
“Myo Hyang, you remember her, right?”
“How could I forget? She was the handmaiden who looked after me from my first day at the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion.”
During my time there, she had cared for me like a real younger brother.
After graduating, I had no reason to enter the main fortress, so we never met, but I always thought of her as a sister.
“Since last year, she’s been working as an entertainer at the Gold Blossom Pavilion.”
“What?!”
This was the first I’d heard of it.
Without realizing it, my hand clenched.
*Crash.*
As the cup I was holding shattered, Jeok Hwa-ran’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Calm down if you want me to continue.”
“…Fine. Tell me why Myo Hyang is there.”
“It’s because of a high-interest loan.”
“A loan? Is the Red Dragon Hall involved?”
The Red Dragon Hall’s predecessor was the Red King Gate, a branch of the underworld factions.
As a faction that straddled the line between righteous and unorthodox, they were the only ones within the Nine Dragons Fortress who ran a private lending business.
“No. We’re not involved. I’ve confirmed this several times, so you can trust me.”
“Then?”
“It’s the Gold Dragon Hall.”
“As far as I know, the Myriad Gold Bank doesn’t lend to individuals.”
“That’s how she was tricked.”
Jeok Hwa-ran’s explanation went like this.
After I graduated from the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion, Myo Hyang, who was living alone with her younger brother after their parents died, made a difficult decision.
She decided to send her brother to Nanjing to prepare for the state examinations.
But as a mere handmaiden, there was no way Myo Hyang could have such a large sum of money.
In the end, as she was searching for a place to borrow money, Geum Jong-dae—the second son of the Gold Dragon Hall Master and a classmate of mine from the Pavilion—approached her.
He told her he would lend her the money and that she could pay it back slowly.
The rest was predictable.
The naive Myo Hyang trusted Geum Jong-dae’s background and signed the fraudulent documents.
Harassed by debt collectors, she ended up agreeing to become an entertainer at the Gold Blossom Pavilion.
The problem was.
“She’s not the only one who’s been tricked like this.”
Victims were popping up one after another.
Of course, that part had nothing to do with me.
“That’s strange. What would Geum Jong-dae have to gain?”
“I’ve never seen her myself, but there are rumors that the mistress of the Gold Blossom Pavilion is an unparalleled beauty.”
“So he did all this because he’s infatuated with a woman?”
“Probably.”
To involve the second son of the Gold Dragon Hall Master in a crime like this.
She was either a woman so blinded by greed she didn’t value her own life, or…
“She’s being instigated by someone else.”
“I think so too.”
There was an ulterior motive behind it all.
“Who do you think it is?”
“It was probably instigated by Geum Jong-dae’s older brother, Geum Pil-dae.”
“Getting rid of the competition ahead of time?”
“If this gets out, Geum Jong-dae will likely be removed from the line of succession. A direct descendant of the great Gold Dragon Hall committing fraud against commoners… It’s practically human trafficking.”
“And you’re planning to take advantage of that opening?”
At my words, Jeok Hwa-ran’s lips curled into a smile.
“Exactly. At first, I wasn’t going to get involved. I was planning to rescue Myo Hyang on my own… But then I went and opened my own pavilion, didn’t I? Since I’ve already started, I might as well aim to be the best in the Nine Dragons Fortress, right?”
“…”
“So? Will you join me? I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”
“Let me ask one thing first.”
“Anything.”
“It’s not like the Red Dragon Hall is short on talent… Why me?”
Jeok Hwa-ran answered with a smirk.
“Using someone from the Red Dragon Hall for this kind of work is too risky. If we get caught, it would mean immediate war.”
“And just then, I happened to catch your eye?”
“I had you in mind from the beginning. As you know, there aren’t many masters whose skills and face are unknown. And you have a connection to Myo Hyang. Then you happened to visit the Red Blossom Pavilion, and I knew it was the perfect time.”
The reasoning was plausible enough.
I nodded silently and replied.
“I have a condition.”
“Name it.”
“For the time being, no matter what I do or where I go, keep me off the radar of the higher-ups in the main fortress. With the Red Dragon Hall’s power, that should be possible, right?”
“Of course, that’s more than possible.”
“Then I’m in.”
At that, Jeok Hwa-ran beamed.
“I’ll send the details along with the down payment through Manager Yuk.”
“Alright.”
As soon as I answered, I stood up.
The mood was ruined, and I had no desire to drink anymore.
Just as I was about to turn away, Jeok Hwa-ran’s voice came from behind me.
“You’re not leaving the bottles, are you? One would be understandable, but how can you take all three?”
***
Right after Jin Mujeon and the members of the Seventeenth Squad left, Yuk Jin-hwa headed straight for Jeok Hwa-ran’s room.
“My lady, may I enter?”
“Come in.”
Jeok Hwa-ran had a strange air about her.
It was a different atmosphere from the usual, ice-cold Jeok Hwa-ran.
“What is it?”
“I came to ask if you’re certain this is alright.”
“You mean my senior?”
Yuk Jin-hwa disliked that term from the start.
Even if he was her senior at the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion, Jeok Hwa-ran was a direct descendant of the Red Dragon Hall.
It was unthinkable for some nobody with no background to be treated with such respect by the young lady.
“He’s just a squad leader from the Outer Hall.”
“But he graduated from the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion. At the top of his class, no less.”
“Martial artists of that age improve by leaps and bounds. By now, he would be no match for you, my lady.”
“Manager Yuk, have you ever seen someone who is strong not because of their martial arts, but because of who they are as a person?”
“Pardon?”
Jeok Hwa-ran continued, looking at the bewildered Yuk Jin-hwa, who was confused by the non-sequitur.
“He entered the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion without knowing a single move of martial arts. And he graduated at the top of his class. Even with the Blue Dragon Sword as one of his rivals.”
“…?!”
“That’s the kind of person my senior is. No matter what hardships or trials he faces, he always overcomes them. He’s the type to work harder than anyone to conquer those challenges. Do you really think someone like that would have neglected his martial arts after graduating?”
Jeok Hwa-ran pointed a finger at Yuk Jin-hwa’s sword.
“Check it.”
Yuk Jin-hwa drew her sword and examined it closely.
And soon, she couldn’t hide her shock.
“…What is this?”
The entire blade was cracked, originating from the spot Jin Mujeon had flicked with his finger earlier.
And this was a high-hardness sword forged from black steel.
“Do you believe me now? He is a hidden dragon, destined to one day soar into the heavens.”
“I have sinned by failing to understand your intentions, my lady. Please forgive me.”
Yuk Jin-hwa dropped to one knee and apologized.
Jeok Hwa-ran accepted her apology with an understanding tone.
“It’s alright. I didn’t recognize it at first either. But speaking of which… My senior… he’s just… so cool… I couldn’t help it… Seeing him today… He really is…”
The night at the Red Blossom Pavilion deepened.
***
“Ugh! I’m dying.”
I drank so much last night that I overslept.
The sun was already high in the sky, meaning I had missed the morning training session.
*‘Might as well skip it.’*
I coolly decided to skip today’s training.
In truth, after graduating from the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion, I hadn’t paid any attention to my martial arts.
It was like cramming for your final exams, only to have all that knowledge evaporate the moment you walk into college.
“Anyway, what should I eat to cure this hangover?”
As I was about to head out to eat, I stopped in my tracks.
Now in my second year in the Outer Hall, my reputation was starting to ring throughout the outer fortress, so I felt the need to look at least somewhat presentable.
“I’ll just wash my face and go.”
As I was washing my face, I sensed a presence behind me.
It was Manager Yuk Jin-hwa from the Red Blossom Pavilion, the woman I’d seen yesterday, standing there exuding the ripe beauty of an older woman.
Her impressive figure only added to her appeal.
“Oh? I thought you wouldn’t be here until this evening. You’re early.”
“I happened to be passing by and decided to stop in. Is this a good time?”
“As it happens, I just finished my grueling ‘training’ and was about to get a bite to eat. I feel like I’m on the verge of achieving the Unity of Sword and Self… The days are just too short.”
I couldn’t very well admit I’d gotten drunk and overslept, so I had to tell a little white lie.
It seemed to work, as Yuk Jin-hwa nodded, murmuring “As expected” to herself in admiration.
For the record, in my past life, my childhood nickname was essentially ‘Liar.’
“If you have the time, would you care to join me for a meal? I know a very good noodle shop.”
“I only managed to slip away for a moment, so I’m afraid I can’t.”
*It seems the lady is the shy type.*
*Or is she playing hard to get, wanting me to insist?*
“Here is the young lady’s letter and the down payment. She said to tell you that if things proceed as planned, the job will surely succeed.”
“I see. How about tea, then? There’s a place called Hwang Family Teahouse that has some excellent tea.”
“Perhaps another time.”
“Haha, alright then.”
*‘Agreeing to tea means she’s 90% mine.’*
I saw off my soon-to-be lover and then examined what Jeok Hwa-ran had sent.
“Let’s see…”
First, of course, was the down payment.
Even at a glance, the money pouch had an auspicious aura, suggesting it was no ordinary sum.
And sure enough.
“Gasp! G-Gold!”
Inside the pouch were five gold pieces.
Five gold pieces was fifty silver nyang. Considering a family of four’s monthly living expenses averaged two silver nyang, this was more than two years’ wages.
Moreover, this was just the down payment. If the job went well, I could expect another sum just as large.
“Hehehe, a life of debauchery is just around the corner.”
With my heart full and my wallet heavier, I checked the contents of the letter.
“Son of a bitch!”
I tore it to shreds.
***
When I thought about it, this was the world of martial arts.
In other words, this was basically medieval China.
This meant that compared to modern people, who have vast indirect experiences through various media, the people here were bound to be more narrow-minded.
But even taking that into account, Jeok Hwa-ran’s plan was far too shallow and shortsighted.
[Tonight, you will kidnap the mistress of the Gold Blossom Pavilion.]
To just barge into the Gold Blossom Pavilion and kidnap its mistress without any rhyme or reason—wasn’t this going too far?
Besides, what kind of place was the Red Dragon Hall?
As the hall that sent the most personnel to the Nine Dragons Fortress’s intelligence pavilion, weren’t they essentially the fortress’s CPU?
For a direct descendant of such a place to call *this* a plan, I was genuinely concerned for the future of the Nine Dragons Fortress.
*‘That damned woman.’*
But it was too late to change the plan now.
It could mess up the bigger picture she had in mind.
*‘And I have to rescue my sister Myo Hyang as quickly as possible.’*
In the end, just after midnight, I donned a set of stealth clothes and scaled the walls of the Gold Blossom Pavilion.
*Chirp, chirp.*
For an hour, I took one step with every chirp of an insect.
“Mistress, the last guest has just left.”
“Good work.”
I managed to infiltrate the central part of the Gold Blossom Pavilion.
*‘Agh, my back.’*
Although it was just an entertainment house, it was a business in which the Gold Dragon Hall had a stake, so the number of martial artists from the hall was quite high.
Furthermore.
*‘And what’s with the courtesans who know martial arts?’*
Not all of them, but a significant number of the entertainers had trained in martial arts.
That’s why it took me so long, sneaking around, to get this far.
Approaching the mistress right now was impossible.
I decided to wait for a while.
After about an hour had passed…
I watched as the lights went out one by one until the entire pavilion was cloaked in darkness, then immediately started climbing its walls.
*‘If I get caught, I’m screwed.’*
Honestly, given the skill level of the guards, escaping wouldn’t be that difficult.
The problem was that this was a time when I needed to be careful.
That’s why I’d stopped taking bribes at the fortress gate. And now I was kidnapping a woman in the middle of the night? An influential figure like the mistress of the Gold Blossom Pavilion, no less?
If I were caught, they would surely destroy my meridians and dantian, and I’d have to live the rest of my life as a cripple.
After crawling up the building like a turtle for half an hour…
I had finally reached the top floor of the building.
*‘She has to be here, right? Please, please be here.’*
The top dog always aims for the highest place.
I immediately poked a hole in the paper window to peek inside.
*‘Gasp!’*
I witnessed a completely unexpected scene.