Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Became One
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They became one.
Perhaps because he’d come knowing something would happen today, things he normally wouldn't have noticed kept catching his eye.
Of course, that was true for everyone except Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan was no different than usual.
From the moment he first arrived at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, he had immediately grasped that this was no ordinary courtesan house.
And now, his senses snagged on something very familiar.
‘So, they’re there.’
The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was a courtesan house composed of three separate buildings.
From one of them, he felt a flow of energy he had experienced several times before.
Byeok Taesan didn't remember faces well. He simply wasn't interested. But he remembered the subtle flows of energy with razor-sharp precision.
Naturally, he clearly recalled the common flow shared by the Jongli Family warriors.
That energy was gathered in a single room within this building.
“I will guide you to the usual room today as well.”
The room the courtesan led him to was directly across from the one where the Jongli Family members were gathered.
He could feel several fairly strong presences nearby.
To make it look like the Jongli Family was fighting them for real, they would need some plausible experts. It seemed they had procured such men quite well.
They were a cut above the warriors usually stationed at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
And the number of masters was also greater than usual.
“Quite impressive.”
At Byeok Taesan’s words, the courtesan guiding him turned around, her eyes wide.
Her face was already flushed red.
“Oh, are you choosing me today?”
It was a misunderstanding, but since he had no intention of correcting it, he simply nodded.
“Sure.”
A mixture of joy and regret tangled on the courtesan’s face.
Even if she were chosen today, she wouldn’t be able to spend the night with him. That was what made it so disappointing and unfortunate.
The other courtesans who had spent a night with Byeok Taesan said their hearts still pounded whenever he visited.
And they all burned with the desire to sleep with him again someday.
They were all deeply disappointed that they couldn't remember anything except that it had been absolutely incredible.
That was why the courtesan now guiding Byeok Taesan had also dreamed of a night with him.
Just how good could it be for one’s memory to be completely wiped clean?
She wanted to wear the same blissful expression as the other courtesans he had chosen.
The opportunity had finally come, but why did it have to be today of all days?
“Th-Then I will call the other girls.”
“Don’t.”
“Pardon? Are you satisfied with just me for today?”
“Yes. So come in and sit down.”
With a flushed face, the courtesan entered the room and sat demurely beside Byeok Taesan.
Outside, Cheon Gyeongwan closed the door.
Byeok Taesan sat still and watched the courtesan. She subtly averted his gaze, showing him her profile.
Come to think of it, there was still some time before the plan was set in motion. Maybe, if she played her cards right, something could happen before then?
With such hopes, the courtesan looked back at Byeok Taesan.
“Doesn’t it seem a bit noisy outside today?”
“Pardon? W-Well, I’m not sure…”
“Listen closely. It sounds like there’s fighting.”
At Byeok Taesan’s words, the courtesan listened carefully to the surrounding sounds. Faintly, she could indeed hear what sounded like a fight.
“Oh? You’re right.”
She knew what this sound was. It was the groundwork to ensure the success of today’s plan.
That noise was likely from a group of underworld thugs causing a scene at a nearby business owned by the Golden Jade Trading Company.
The courtesan sighed inwardly. It seemed today was a lost cause.
She looked at Byeok Taesan with calm eyes.
This innocent young master, who knew nothing, was about to face a great ordeal.
Byeok Taesan smirked at the courtesan watching him.
“Should I gouge out your eyes?”
“Pardon?”
The courtesan thought she had misheard. What did he just say?
“Don’t you dare look at me with eyes like that.”
“Wh-What did I…”
“Do I look like prey that’s already been caught?”
The courtesan fell silent. She was confused. This was definitely not the usual Byeok Taesan.
She quickly composed herself and spoke.
“I-I do not quite understand what you mean, Young Master.”
“You know, I’ve become quite lenient. If you had looked at me with pity, I might have let it slide. But you dare to look down on me?”
The courtesan prostrated herself on the floor.
“I swear, I did not look at you with such eyes. Truly.”
“On your soul?”
“Pardon?”
The courtesan stared blankly at Byeok Taesan for a moment.
She had often heard people being told to swear on their lives, but never on their souls.
Yet that made it all the more terrifying.
A fierce sense of crisis struck her from behind, warning her that she must not agree to it.
“Just start what you came here to do.”
“Pardon?”
Byeok Taesan grinned ferociously.
“Did you really think I came here knowing nothing?”
The courtesan’s face turned pale.
* * *
After closing Byeok Taesan’s door, Cheon Gyeongwan stood guard in front of it, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Yu Seoyeon stood beside him.
And a short distance away, the Divine Doctor of the Ages was seated.
This was a slightly different situation than usual.
Normally, once Byeok Taesan entered his room, the Divine Doctor of the Ages would disappear somewhere, only to reappear when things were over.
Cheon Gyeongwan didn’t find the unusual situation strange. Today was a special day, after all.
As he scanned his surroundings with heightened tension, his eyes fell on Yu Seoyeon.
She looked the same as always. And yet, to Cheon Gyeongwan, she seemed somehow special.
‘Ugh! What is this!’
Cheon Gyeongwan’s face suddenly grew hot, and he quickly looked away.
He had only meant to glance around, but the moment he saw Yu Seoyeon, he found himself unable to look away, staring at her for some time.
He had almost been caught.
The problem started after that.
Suddenly, lust surged within him. Normally, he wouldn't even dare to think about doing anything with Yu Seoyeon, but now, he kept recalling the time they had come to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion before, when the master had offered to prepare a separate room for him.
Cheon Gyeongwan stealthily turned his gaze back to Yu Seoyeon. Just then, she happened to be looking his way, and their eyes met.
Startled, he whipped his head back to the front.
But that simple act of meeting her eyes caused his lust to boil even more fiercely.
Only then did Cheon Gyeongwan realize his state was far from normal.
He hastily looked at the Divine Doctor of the Ages sitting beside him.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages was smiling meaningfully.
This must have been the minor side effect he had mentioned earlier.
‘How is this in any way minor!’
Cheon Gyeongwan screamed inwardly.
As he was frantically battling his inner self, caught between desire and reason, Cheon Gyeongwan suddenly felt the surrounding atmosphere turn cold and snapped back to his senses.
The surging lust vanished as if it were a lie. And in its place, a fierce fighting spirit filled him.
This, too, was something he had rarely experienced before.
At that moment, a group of men strode up the stairs at the end of the hallway.
They approached where Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon stood.
There were twenty of them in total, and their gazes swept over Yu Seoyeon once before moving on.
Cheon Gyeongwan had to break into a cold sweat to control the violently surging fighting spirit and killing intent.
They threw open the door to the room where the Jongli Family members were staying.
“So you were here.”
What followed was a very predictable exchange.
A vulgar argument broke out about one stealing a courtesan the other had his eye on.
And after trading insults that bruised each other’s pride, their bodies began to do the talking.
*CRASH!*
With a loud explosion, nearby furniture shattered and went flying.
Shrapnel flew everywhere, reaching even where Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon stood, but the two calmly deflected the debris while watching the fight.
From rooms farther away, people emerged, casting curious glances.
The men fighting in the room soon spilled out into the hallway, and the brawl began to grow larger.
Naturally, the Jongli Family warriors and the Hundred Flowers Pavilion’s warriors became entangled, drawing Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon into their midst.
And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, they began to attack Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
Had they not anticipated today’s events, Cheon Gyeongwan or Yu Seoyeon would have been greatly flustered.
But the two were already fully prepared.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
Their swords moved in a dizzying flurry, parrying every incoming attack.
Everyone was stunned.
Their skill far exceeded their expectations.
Frankly, they had thought it would be over quickly.
They had believed they could take down Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon in an instant, break down the door, and rush in to crush Byeok Taesan.
But things had gone wrong from the very beginning.
The two were so strong that they could never be defeated under the guise of an accident.
The demeanor of the Jongli Family warriors and the Hundred Flowers Pavilion warriors suddenly changed.
As if they had become allies, they began a joint assault on Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
Their coordination was poor, but their skills were high enough that they managed to attack in concert without getting in each other’s way.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon’s eyes gleamed as they blocked the attacks.
In terms of skill, the Jongli Family warriors were superior to those of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. But it was far easier to deal with the Jongli Family.
As their own skills had grown, their ability to exploit weaknesses had become much stronger.
At this point, their opponents couldn't help but be flustered.
But no one thought that today’s plan would fail.
After all, they still had people who had yet to use their full strength.
Won Mungwang, who had been moving lightly, began to exert his power in earnest.
The masters from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion also unleashed their full strength.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon hesitated for a moment.
The plan was to open a path for them to pass through while they handled the rest.
But they worried whether Byeok Taesan could fend off such formidable masters alone.
In that instant, the same thought crossed both their minds.
‘Who are we to worry about him?’
Won Mungwang charged at Cheon Gyeongwan, while three masters from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion rushed toward Yu Seoyeon.
Cheon Gyeongwan sidestepped and swung his sword.
*BOOM!*
The immense force behind Won Mungwang’s sword sent Cheon Gyeongwan sliding sideways.
Won Mungwang continued past him and shattered the door. Or rather, he tried to.
But at that moment, the door swung wide open with exquisite timing.
Won Mungwang stumbled right into the room.
Simultaneously, the men who were about to attack Yu Seoyeon followed Won Mungwang into the room.
Then, the door closed again.
Since neither Cheon Gyeongwan nor Yu Seoyeon had any intention of stopping them, they had been able to enter the room with ease.
The two stood guard before the firmly shut door, glaring at their enemies.
Now, the real fight began.
It was Cheon Gyeongwan who moved first.
He had been finding it incredibly difficult to restrain the fighting spirit that had been seething within him.
Unleashing it all at once, he swung his sword ferociously at the enemy.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
Sparks and waves of energy flew in all directions.
Through Cheon Gyeongwan’s wild movements, Yu Seoyeon’s fluid attacks slipped in.
*SHING!*
Every day, the two had swung their swords at each other as if to kill.
That also meant they knew each other better than anyone.
They were aware of each other’s openings, strengths, weaknesses, and even habits, so their coordination was perfect.
They moved as if they were one body, driving the enemy back.
The longer the fight continued, the more a strange sense of elation washed over them.
In contrast, the Jongli Family warriors and the Hundred Flowers Pavilion warriors fighting them were uncoordinated, constantly stumbling over each other.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon relentlessly exploited those gaps.
The longer and more fiercely the two fought, the more they became one.
* * *
Upon entering the room, Won Mungwang and the masters from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion immediately looked for Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan was sitting leisurely, watching them.
Just then, the door clicked shut.
The four who had entered all turned to check behind them.
The person who had closed the door was the courtesan who had been with Byeok Taesan.
She was trembling from head to toe, her face a mask of terror.
They didn't know what had happened inside, but one thing was certain.
“Hah. Don’t tell me you’ve been hiding your true self all this time?”
Won Mungwang stared at Byeok Taesan, his expression one of disbelief.
Byeok Taesan slowly rose to his feet.
As the four watched, they felt a strange pressure bear down on their entire bodies.
Upon that pressure, Byeok Taesan’s words landed.
“You Jongli Family fool, step aside for a moment. I have some business with the others.”