Slave Market (1)
Slave Market (1)
The first thing they did was rescue the two men who had been captured by Jeok-ho. Mae-noe and Su-sae were lying on the bed like wilted spinach, barely breathing.
Muk Seo-ah ripped open the locked iron door with her axe and saved them. The moment they saw Kang Moon-yeon, they started trembling and clung to her desperately.
"So much has happened to me...!"
"Th-that yokai! Her pussy's made of steel...! I almost got sucked dry to death!"
Faces sunk in shock and terror. The mental damage Mae-noe and Su-sae had suffered was immense.
Kang Moon-yeon chuckled softly and stroked their heads. Mae-noe and Su-sae buried themselves in Kang Moon-yeon's ample bosom.
"Yeah. It must've been tough, huh? From now on, let's just play with your big sis here?"
"Eugh-heh-hehng."
For their recovery, Mae-noe and Su-sae were moved to another room. They'd been drained of so much semen they looked pale as ghosts.
Kang Moon-yeon spoke to Yoo Bok-hyang. An awkward smile crept onto her lips.
"What should we do...? I gotta look after those idiots... Looks like I can't go with you. We've only been scraping by on banditry anyway. And there's still plenty of places to rob ahead."
It was farewell. Yoo Bok-hyang fidgeted restlessly, racking her brain for last words.
Kang Moon-yeon quietly smiled and approached Yoo Bok-hyang.
Yoo Bok-hyang closed her eyes. Anticipating a kiss, she braced herself without realizing it.
But Kang Moon-yeon merely flicked her a light snap on the forehead.
"It was really fun. If fate brings us together again... let's meet?"
Yoo Bok-hyang finally burst into tears. Kang Moon-yeon held her tightly for a long while.
Muk Seo-ah tactfully gave them space. Clearly, a lot had gone down during the yokai hunt.
As Muk Seo-ah wandered other cave rooms, smashing doors with her axe, something unfamiliar caught her eye.
"Huh?"
There was a box glittering with gold bars. Treasure the Tiger Yokai had extorted from the villagers.
Muk Seo-ah divided the gold bars into three shares. One for Yoo Bok-hyang as a congratulatory bonus for catching her first yokai, and one for that Kang Moon-yeon woman as payment for looking after Yoo Bok-hyang all this time.
Muk Seo-ah was rich. She wasn't hung up on mere gold bars.
Sorry, villagers, but finders keepers. They'd probably given up on getting it back the moment the yokai stole it.
The village was so dirt-poor that even splitting the extorted gold three ways didn't amount to much.
Enough for one person to live off for five years. Of course, from Muk Seo-ah's perspective, it was peanuts. Kang Moon-yeon's eyes lit up. She grabbed Muk Seo-ah's hand and yelled.
"C-can I really take this?! I mean, I was planning to steal it anyway...!"
"Take it. And quit the bandit life with that money. There's plenty of good deeds you could do instead, right?"
"Th-thank you! This favor—I'll remember it forever! Forever!"
Kang Moon-yeon dashed off excitedly. Sounds of her passionately kissing her childhood friends echoed from the room.
She grabbed Mae-noe and Su-sae by the collars and shouted.
"Get up, you idiots! We're rich now! No more thieving! Let's get married—all three of us!"
"Uh... Yeah...?"
"Fuck! Strip!"
What a fiery woman. Muk Seo-ah let out a hollow laugh and slipped away. Yoo Bok-hyang finished her fond farewell too.
There was still some regret, but butting in there would've been the wrong move.
Moans and the slapping of flesh echoed through the cave corridor. Muk Seo-ah and Yoo Bok-hyang flushed red and bolted.
Outside the cave, Taeju Doryeong was waiting. He already knew they'd snagged the gold bars, but he hadn't contributed to the exorcism. You don't touch another person's spoils—that's the code in this line of work.
"Since we crossed paths, let me treat you. Order the expensive stuff."
Taeju Doryeong nodded at Muk Seo-ah's words.
"I won't hold back."
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Using Taeju-gwi, they found the most delicious and luxurious Pleasure House. The results were a total hit. The three of them patted their full bellies and enjoyed the feast.
Muk Seo-ah polished off her plates clean. Her stamina demanded massive portions.
Even in the modern world, he'd never tasted cuisine this good. For a ya-game world, the food quality was top-notch.
'Crazy. This is too damn good.'
Money was great. You could stuff yourself silly with delicious shit.
But there was something ruining the gourmet bliss. This was a Pleasure House. A super luxurious one, at that.
It was only natural for horny men and women to flock here. Midway through the meal, handsome guys kept swarming around Muk Seo-ah.
"I'm the head of the Guhwa Merchant Group. Care for a drink...?"
"I'm the only son of that Choi Daegam..."
"I just passed the civil service exam..."
What the hell? Maybe because it was a fancy Pleasure House, it was packed with rich or high-status types.
Muk Seo-ah politely turned them down. Were they all possessed or something? She couldn't figure out why these guys who could easily have women on their arms were hitting on her for drinks.
If it were Mukmyeong, it wouldn't be weird—they'd heard of his fame and come calling. Back when he operated as Mukmyeong, even high officials sought him out.
But right now, she was the low-profile, just-emerging Muk Seo-ah. She couldn't fathom why these men were offering her drinks. Muk Seo-ah couldn't guess the reason.
"Whew, it's hot."
Dealing with unexpected people had heated her up. Combined with the hot food, it was unavoidable.
Muk Seo-ah rolled up her sleeves wide and loosened her collar a bit. Her cleavage and collarbone peeked out. Taeju Doryeong, eating beside her, suddenly hacked up a lung.
"Cough! Hack."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Just got something caught. I'm fine, fine."
The moment Muk Seo-ah entered the Pleasure House, the place turned into a silent battlefield. Men eyed opportunities, women shot envious glances.
The customers inside buzzed softly.
Two stunning beauties walk in with a little guy sandwiched between them, then order the priciest dishes like it's nothing.
The standout was the silver-haired woman with soft locks and massive tits. Impossible not to stare. Looks were number one, that inexplicable seductive aura was number two.
A bewitching, rosy flesh vibe oozed from every gesture, like it was made to entrance men.
Onlookers muttered among themselves.
"Isn't that princess somewhere? Gotta be from a noble house. When will I ever fuck a girl like that?" And so on.
Muk Seo-ah wasn't listening at all. The gourmet food was too damn good. She was laser-focused on eating.
Yoo Bok-hyang was the same. Only Taeju Doryeong was eavesdropping via his gwisin's ears.
-Be careful. That woman's got more than a few guys gunning for her. Can't blame 'em. One wrong move, and she'll end up in someone else's dick den.
-'I told you to shut up. You think I'm some perv drooling over women?'
-I'm just sayin' it outta pity. If it were me, she'd be moaning under my legs by now. Shame about your uptight ass, bro.
That's when it happened. A man approached Muk Seo-ah.
His confident stride oozed a different vibe from the start. The other men in the Pleasure House tensed up.
The guy striding over wasn't just handsome—his presence rivaled the successful elite.
He offered Muk Seo-ah a drink.
"Pleased to meet you. Name's Exorcist Hwang Ga-bi. Let's have a toast."
Muk Seo-ah was speechless. For a moment, an amusing thought hit her, and she raised her glass in return.
Clink. The man and woman's glasses met with a clear ring.
The other men grumbled from the sidelines. Hwang Ga-bi flashed a victor's smirk their way. The others plotted bitterly, but it meant jack shit.
"No way. An exorcist? Merchant head, can't you buy her off with your wealth?"
"You nuts? In a world where messing with ghosts drives you mad—what chance you got against a ghost hunter? That Choi Daegam's son, you step up."
"Hah, that kid. Exorcist means top dollar. There's professional courtesy—trying to cut in line..."
No one stepped forward boldly. Hwang Ga-bi sat confidently beside Muk Seo-ah, sure of his win.
Up close, the bob-haired woman in front of him was a beauty too. But still not on Muk Seo-ah's level. Hwang Ga-bi quickly sized up Muk Seo-ah and Yoo Bok-hyang, then flashed a friendly smile.
"I've been wandering the world purifying yokai. Never seen anyone as beautiful as you, miss. What's your name?"
"I'm Muk Seo-ah."
"Heh heh. I see. Pretty name. Have another drink."
Muk Seo-ah gulped down her booze and said.
Deliberately propping her chin on her hand, leaning on the table like a coquettish woman, she swept her hair behind her ear. Hwang Ga-bi's ears turned red—she could see it. Muk Seo-ah was having fun.
"As an exorcist, you must've taken down a ton of yokai, huh?"
"Obviously. One gesture from me, and yokai drop dead. I've purified enough to make a mountain. Secret, but have you heard of the exorcist Mukmyeong? I worked with that lunatic."
Retard... The word rose to her throat and sank back. Mukmyeong was the most famous exorcist. Even average folks knew the name. Muk Seo-ah played along vaguely.
"Yeah, heard of him. Why's he crazy?"
"Ugh, don't get me started. He hacks yokai to mush with an axe, non-stop. Brutal and savage as hell. I'm not like those wild guys. Men gotta be gentle, right? Oh, what's with the little one? Your brother?"
"Or maybe this axe?"
Muk Seo-ah spat out her axe from her mouth.
Weapons getting exposed wasn't a big deal. Exorcists overlapped gear all the time. Plus, this Hwang Ga-bi had never actually met Mukmyeong.
"Ex-Exorcist?"
While Hwang Ga-bi panicked, Taeju Doryeong, who'd been sitting, spoke up.
"Yo. I'm the lil' Taeju Doryeong. First time hearing your name, Ga-bi."
Energy boiled around Taeju Doryeong, shaking the glasses. Muk Seo-ah slung an arm around Hwang Ga-bi's shoulders, axe in one hand.
Muk Seo-ah's huge breasts pressed against Hwang Ga-bi's chest. Up close like that, a nice scent wafted from her, and the softness of her boobs was felt.
But Hwang Ga-bi couldn't savor it. His face stiffened rigidly.
"What's wrong? Smile. Didn't you come to seduce me?"
Muk Seo-ah grinned up close. Taeju Doryeong tilted his glass and quipped.
"Junior. Lots of eyes here. Won't make you kowtow in public."
"Sorry, sunbaenim!"
Hwang Ga-bi finally bowed his head. No—he used his energy to plant his head on the floor, standing bolt upright vertically.
A grand apology like that. He knew how to own up. Muk Seo-ah decided to forgive him.
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"Sunbaenim. Truly sorry. I've been so swamped lately, I must be losing it. Huge disrespect to Muk Daesa-nim too. Please forgive me."
Hwang Ga-bi knelt in the middle of the dining hall. The other male customers went solemn, averting their eyes.
Going to flirt with a pretty girl only to kneel and grovel was pathetically humiliating.
"What happened?"
Muk Seo-ah asked. A pleasant buzz made her feel good. She could forgive a dumb young exorcist's mistake.
"Yes. Well... Got a tough request. You know about slave trading in this village? An illegal Slave Market."
Trading slaves was legal. No clue why it was run illegally. Muk Seo-ah tilted her head, so Hwang Ga-bi elaborated.
"They kidnap healthy folks and turn 'em into slaves. And not your average slaves. These are bred purely for pleasure... you know, that stuff?"
Hwang Ga-bi slapped his knee. His eyes sparkled faintly.
"This job's big. The Magistrate herself requested it? They sent bailiffs, even another exorcist—total failures. My take? At least a mid-tier yokai's involved. Too much for me solo. Help a guy out!"
No wonder his eyes were gleaming—it was begging. Hwang Ga-bi was punchable but not hateable.
Muk Seo-ah thought for a sec. Buzzed and feeling great. Mid-tier yokai? No sweat. If the rewards split fair...
'Illegal sex slave market, huh...'
A Magistrate's commission meant instant fame on success. More fame, bigger jobs, closer to the Demon King.
Not bad. Worth a shot.