The Farewell Night at the Riverside
That night, Baek Ri-seol passed down the Blood Demon Divine Art to me. I stared at her blankly for a moment before asking cautiously, "Wait... isn't this like, a secret manual reserved only for the Sect Leader?"
Baek Ri-seol answered with a perfectly nonchalant face, "But I am the Sect Leader?"
"..."
"And besides, the only members of the Blood God Sect right now are you and me, Gaga."
...Come to think of it, she wasn't wrong.
"Right... I suppose there's no one else to complain about it."
Baek Ri-seol let out a small giggle and pressed her fingertip lightly against my lower abdomen. "Since you managed to form your dantian last time, let's start by circulating your energy through the Small Heavenly Circuit today."
Her crimson eyes glowed with a soft, ethereal light. "I'll help you with the energy pathways."
...And just like that, I, a regular culinary student who didn't even know the basics of the Three Treasures Cultivation Method, suddenly found myself initiated into the highest-grade demonic art in the Murim world. For the first time, I could clearly feel the existence of my dantian, now the size of a small bean, nestled deep within my lower belly.
The next morning, I woke up to a familiar sensation. ...Jeoktoma was standing tall again.
"I'm seriously sick of you, you bastard..." I muttered, clutching my forehead with a look of half-resignation. My morning greeting had practically become a permanent morning erection.
After finally managing to calm the beast down, I trudged toward the kitchen. Today was the day of my farewell party. Even though it was just the two of us, Seol-hwa was a truly special person to me. In this strange Central Plains, she was one of the few connections that had helped me survive.
I took out the beef and radish I’d bought at the market yesterday. I boiled a massive pot of radish soup and prepared bulgogi, mixing the well-marinated meat with vegetables and soy sauce. Sizzle— The scent of the cooking meat quickly filled the entire house.
Suddenly, I remembered the past. When I first visited Sehwahu, I was literally empty-handed. No connections, no money, no martial arts. I had just shown up out of the blue and asked for a job as a head chef. Naturally, everyone looked at me like I was a lunatic.
But back then, Seol-hwa was different. She listened to my story until the end and even tasted my cooking herself. And then, "Why don't you try making it once?" That was how Seol-hwa became the first person to give me a chance.
In a way, she was one of my greatest benefactors.
As scheduled, my final work at Sehwahu concluded with the afternoon banquet. I took off my chef's uniform and changed into a clean set of clothes for the first time in a while, then headed slowly toward the tavern I’d promised to meet Seol-hwa at. It was a high-end establishment located near the river, quite a distance from Sehwahu—a place I wouldn't normally have any reason to visit.
Seol-hwa had gone all out and rented an entire private room. I suppose that’s what you’d expect from the star courtesan of Sehwahu. I arrived early, sipping tea by the window as I waited for her. Outside, the crimson sunset and the flickering lights of the pleasure boats drifting on the river swayed slowly.
A moment later, creak— the door opened slowly. Along with a subtle, elegant fragrance, Seol-hwa appeared. She had clearly put a lot of effort into her appearance today, but the vibe was completely different from what I saw at Sehwahu. Instead of the flashy, ornate style of a courtesan, she looked more modest and pure. The fabric of her dress was clearly high-quality, but the colors were muted, and her accessories were minimal. Her makeup was light, too. Rather than the seductive allure that usually drew everyone’s eyes, she had a presence that made you want to quietly linger on her.
And yet—or perhaps, because of that—Seol-hwa was incredibly beautiful. It was a different kind of beauty than what I was used to seeing at Sehwahu.
"Am I late?" Seol-hwa asked, catching her breath as she entered the room. The subtle scent of her perfume drifted through the air. I chuckled and set down my teacup. "I just got here, too."
For a split second, the corners of her mouth curled up. She spun around in front of me, her eyes filled with subtle anticipation. "How do I look today? I put quite a bit of thought into it."
I watched her in silence for a moment. She wasn't the flashy courtesan I saw every day, but a girl dressed as modestly as any other woman her age. Strangely, that was even more captivating. I decided to be honest. "You're much prettier than usual. Why don't you dress like this more often?"
Seol-hwa burst into a small laugh. "If I did, the customers would be all over me, and I wouldn't be able to get any work done."
Come to think of it, that sounded about right.
We spread out the high-end dishes that had been prepared in advance and began to slowly pour each other drinks. There was well-grilled duck, steamed fish with spices, and a premium baijiu with a subtle medicinal herbal aroma. Honestly, in terms of food quality, this was a step above Sehwahu. But the real problem was something else entirely.
Seol-hwa naturally moved to sit right next to me and began pouring my drinks herself. Whenever my cup was empty, she filled it quietly, and she even placed side dishes on my plate one by one. Sometimes, she would even laugh and feed me with her chopsticks.
I was holding my cup when I let out a dry, involuntary laugh. "So this is why everyone comes to these high-end brothels..."
Seol-hwa gave me a playful, knowing look. "Do you finally understand now?"
The problem was that Jeoktoma seemed to understand perfectly well, too.
"Young Master Jin-woo, is something uncomfortable?" Seeing me hunch over and freeze up, Seol-hwa tilted her head with a curious expression.
"Ah, no, it's nothing..." I broke into a cold sweat and forced a smile. "My lower abdomen is just a bit tight..."
Seol-hwa leaned in closer, her face filled with concern. "Let me see." Her slender hand moved naturally toward my belly. "If I massage the belly, the customers usually love—"
And the next moment, Seol-hwa’s fingertips made direct contact with the Loch Ness Monster beneath the table.
"Oh my god!!"
Seol-hwa jumped back in shock. Clatter— the wine cups even shook. I covered my face with my hands and let out a deep sigh. I really felt like I was in big trouble today.
"I don't know what you're thinking," I said, sweating profusely and trying to act as nonchalant as possible, "but it's a misunderstanding."
Of course, that expression didn't work at all. Seol-hwa was staring blankly at my lap, like someone under a spell. Specifically, at the Loch Ness Monster, which couldn't hide its presence even through the fabric of my trousers. And the bigger problem was that, following Seol-hwa’s gaze, the beast’s head was moving very, very slowly. Shift—
"..."
"..."
Seol-hwa’s face began to turn bright red. "Young Master Jin-woo."
"Why..."
"It..." She pointed downward with a trembling finger. "I think it just turned its head to follow me?"
Seol-hwa’s face flushed instantly. She stared down in silence for a long time before finally muttering in a voice thick with alcohol, "Young Master Jin-woo..."
"...Yeah?"
Seol-hwa bit her lip slightly, then said something I couldn't believe. "Take it out."
I froze solid. "Are, are you crazy?" I looked around frantically and lowered my voice. "How are we supposed to look each other in the eye at work tomorrow!"
Seol-hwa giggled, her face still flushed. "But you're quitting tomorrow, aren't you?"
I was speechless for a moment. A few seconds later, I realized, "Oh, right."
Seol-hwa finally couldn't hold it in and burst into a fit of laughter. "Even though I'm a courtesan, I've actually done everything there is to do, you know?" She set her wine cup down slowly, her face still red. "But..." Her gaze drifted back down. "Yours is truly top-tier, Young Master Jin-woo."
I instinctively pulled my waist back. "Hey, wait a minute."
"Come on." Seol-hwa leaned in closer with a playful glint in her eyes. "If you're shy, I'll take mine off, too."
My mind went completely blank. This is insane. Why is today like this? Seol-hwa... is this really the girl I knew?
Eventually, Seol-hwa began to slowly undress in front of me. One piece at a time. Without a hint of hesitation. And finally—her body, without a single thread of clothing left, was revealed under the lamplight.
She truly had the body of the best courtesan in Sehwahu. Slender yet with undeniable volume, and a slim waist. The curves were soft and inviting, drawing the eye to every detail. Above all, she was quite tall, giving her an overall aura that felt like a model from my past life. It wasn't just flashy; it was a body that pulled you in as if you were under a spell.
And there stood Seol-hwa, smiling quietly in front of me with a flushed face. "If you keep acting like that..." she said, the corners of her mouth curling up, "I'm going to go first~"
The next moment, she lunged toward me. Without a second of hesitation, she pressed her lips against mine. "Ugh..." A hot kiss, laced with the scent of alcohol. My head spun dizzily. Even then, Seol-hwa’s hands didn't stop. Slide— she undid my belt in an instant and pulled my trousers down.
It was a movement of surprising naturalness. A perfect, professional motion without a single moment of hesitation. I could only stare down at her with a dazed expression. Seol-hwa... this woman is truly terrifying.
The next moment, the enraged Jeoktoma revealed its majestic form. Fortunately or unfortunately, it wasn't in a state of wild, uncontrollable rage like it was when I was with Ri-seol. Perhaps because there was no resonance with the Blood God Constitution, its size was only about sixty percent of its usual fully-erect state. Of course, even that was already completely abnormal.
Honestly, it felt like it was at the level of a Kunlun Mountain monster. Seol-hwa’s eyes went wide. "...Wow." She muttered with a look of pure bewilderment. "Young Master Jin-woo."
"Yeah..."
"This isn't a human weapon, is it?"
I nodded with a genuinely sincere expression. "Right. Honestly, I think so too." I added in a very small voice, "If you saw its true form, you'd die..."
Seol-hwa burst out laughing. "Pfft— What is that supposed to mean!" Even as she held her stomach and laughed, her eyes couldn't tear themselves away from the sight below. It seemed the Loch Ness Monster had successfully found its target for the day.
"Let me give you a taste of Ice Flower Liquor," Seol-hwa said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She took a sip of the strong, icy gaoliang liquor. And the next moment—she bowed her head and slowly swallowed Jeoktoma.
"Ugh...!"
The cold sensation of the liquor and the hot touch of her mouth rushed over me at the same time. Immediately after the icy chill passed, her warm mouth wrapped around it once more. Jeoktoma began to writhe wildly.
"Hah, wait...!" I shuddered, my waist trembling. Honestly, I had never even imagined a sensation like this. It felt like cold and heat, two opposing stimuli, were crashing into me simultaneously. Seol-hwa, finding my reaction amusing, smiled with her eyes and moved her tongue even more slowly. Truly, this woman was a professional.
Where on earth did she go? The calm, quiet Seol-hwa I used to know...
